Watching him now, something that I'm really liking about Obama...

[Tom Rinaldo]

Obama is in Florida and I'm watching him live as I type. This is what I am seeing. He is letting his audience in on his thought process. Obama is doing more than stating positions; he is stating guiding principles, why they are his guiding principles, how he plans to apply them, and how the public can help him do so. Obama is answering questions (bear with me non-Clarkies) and though his speaking style is very different than that used by Wes Clark, that sense of dry humor is there like it is with Wes, and the effort he is making to EXPLAIN both where he is coming from and WHY is very similar - which is high praise coming from me.

Obama is being specific about where he stands on issues and why, he is showing a grasp on issues, but his approach toward this audience is intrinsically inclusive, and that impresses me even more.

[BlooInBloo]

1. Yup. That behavior is effective on a lot of levels and in a lot of situations.

[flpoljunkie]

69. He reiterated yesterday that change will not happen if we do not actively become part of the process

This, I like. Obama said this in regard to making changes in our healthcare system. He reminded his audience yesterday in Boca Raton that the hearings would be live on C-Span--so that everything would be transparent and on the record for the American people.

[Raven]

I think he may be treating us as thinking beings...adults... a novel approach!

[hisownpetard]

16. Yes, and what it all comes down to is a sense of respect - his respect for us, for the intelligence

of his audience. He doesn't 'dumb down' his language to reach the masses; he uses words that other politicians
(need I say whom?) would never think to use - even if they knew them - for fear that some people would not
understand.

KO does the same thing.

Imagine that! They are trusting in our intelligence, our ability to understand, instead of pandering and telling lies
like used care salesmen/women.

[Indenturedebtor]

79. Hey I was a used car salesman!

And no one lied more than the customers...

But yes this is one of the things I really like about BO.

[hisownpetard]

92. Funny!

:toast:

[Indenturedebtor]

112. Hehehe it's sadly true. We had a saying -

"Buyers are liers".

We could get in big trouble if we intentionally lied... there are a lot of regulations out there now to protect the consumers from evil car salesmen. Customers spend 2 months researching how to pull one over on the salesmen before they enter a store. And the salesmen have been so dehumanized that most people feel the normal ethical rules of behavior don't apply.

Was a real eye opener. Though we all lie about price most of the time. Have to to survive, because no one thinks you are entitled to make any money on a sale heh. Two sides to every coin ;)

[hisownpetard]

114. I never thought of that before but it's definitely true. Two sides, indeed!

:thumbsup:

[rebel with a cause]

84. He is like this in person also!

His speechs are not put on. I have seen him when he was so tired from campaigning (2004) that you could see his weariness. He still took time to talk to those who had questions and was always thoughtful and honest in his answers. This was also in an all white area, for those that argue he is racist, and he was very comfortable with us "whities". And trust me for a Black man to come into these parts and speak in some places he spoke at, took nerve. And to be accepted by SOME of those who did accept him, took him to be straight up and not play up to them. This area of the state is more south (as in Kentucky and Missouri) than many like to admit. But everyone that came to hear him speak, was impressed with him. And all us volunteers loved him.

A funny story that happened here in SI in 2004. Barack and the people who traveled with him went to an area diner in Carbondale, Illinois. Barack ordered his sandwich and asked for dijon mustard on it. One of the people with him (probably from Chicago), told him "No, no, no. They don't have dijon mustard down here." Barack looked at the waitress and instead of changing his order or just taking the other man's word for it, he asked her if his order would cause any inconvenience on her. She told him that it would not, and of course they had dijon mustard on hand. This story spread like wild fire down here, was reported in the area paper and became part of Barack's speechs.

Oh, for those who are unaware. Carbondale is home to Southern Illinois University's main campus, and is the metropolis of the area although it is still not big enough to be a city. It does however have a diverse population, unlike it's surrounding area. Dijon mustard can be found in the smallest of towns though.

[hisownpetard]

93. Awesome. Somehow, I sensed he would be.

Thanks for that story.:hi:

[rebel with a cause]

108. Glad you liked it.

I did make a mistake in my post though. I discribed it as an all white area. That is how most of the area was when I was young. Much of the area does still remain mostly white. Carbondale is the most diverse in the immediate area. No where that I live would be all white, since I live with my daughter (my son also in 2004) and they are not white. When I moved back to SI some years ago, my daughter was the first non-white student to attend that town's school. A few others came later, but she was the first and as a kindergartener she was called the "N" word on the school bus the first week she attended. We had some fun times.

[hisownpetard]

113. OMG, I'm sorry your daughter (and you) had to go through that. Brave of you both!

Thank you.

[nichomachus]

25. Yeah -- in the US today that can get you in a lot of trouble

Far too many people absolutely love being treated like children and made to memorize the most ridiculous things by rote. Why do you think the mega-churches are packed every Sunday? Why do you think people like Rush and O'Reilly have rabid audiences. The American people, in general, hate to think -- and they will despise anyone who makes them.

[goclark]

87. He is a Teacher...

and he is a brilliant one.

A great teacher never stops teaching.

Even when his/her students don't understand, they just find another way to get the learner to understand.

Realize that he is a GIFTED TEACHER and Americans are his talented students.
He views each student as able to learn and he never gives up on any one of them.
That ability is in his DNA.

I have trained many teachers and the very best teachers VALUE EACH LEARNER.

Barack Obama values each learner. :patriot:

[ElboRuum]

116. I don't think they love it...

They've just gotten used to it. Really, when's the last time someone actually took a chance, gave them the benefit of the doubt, and challenged them to do so?

[Auntie Bush]

2. """"""

:cry:

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Don't be silly Auntie,

This isn't a competition for affection. The more good people in the world the better. My heart of heart remains with Clark, I've said it before and I will say it again, I would trust Wes Clark with my life without a second's hesitation.

And nothing I said here takes anything away from Hillary Clinton who I think can be a great President if elected. Obama supporters should be gladened when they see something in Hillary Clinton that they can respect and even admire, and Clinton supporters should feel the same when that can be said of Obama. The problems our nation faces are far greater than any one person can address or solve alone.

[ClassWarrior]

21. Very well said. If this was its own thread, I'd K&R it.

NGU.

[roguevalley]

48. clark will always be first with me too. I trusted him with my boy's

life in Bosnia and he didn't let me down. (Josh got to meet him and LOVES Clark, if that is a big enough word for it.)

[Auntie Bush]

67. Dammit Tom...There you go again!

Making me cry (literally) :cry: This is such a sad day! We needed you!
I understand...but it's going to take time to heal the hole in my heart named disappoint.

[Tom Rinaldo]

71. Your sorrow isn't silly at all Auntie

I hope I didn't give the wrong impression about that with my post above. If you don't feel the loss when something that matters strongly to you seems to move beyond reach then you never really cared much in the first place, and I KNOW you care about what you believe in.

Wes Clark is my role model on this one Auntie. In 2004 he came in a strong third in Tennessee on a Tuesday night and by Thursday he was out stumping supporting Kerry for President, who he was certain then would be the Democratic nominee. We knew how much Clark had thrown his heart into that race for President, but he was out there boosting Kerry's chances for November before we had time to make it through our first box of tissues.

Wes Clark has a future in the Democratic Party and so does Hillary Clinton. They will find important ways to contribute Auntie, you know they will.

[Allyoop]

68. Tom

It's so good to see your posts now supporting Obama. I have been a Clarkie since he was drafted and was hoping to be able to support his campaign for Pres again. I could not follow him in supporting Hillary for President.

I have missed your well thought out and substantive posts and look forward to seeing more of them during Obama's run for President.

[rebel with a cause]

85. Right there with you.

In 2004 I was a Clark supporter for president, and an Obama supporter for the Senate. I was really disapointed when Clark dropped out and a little angry at the Clinton's for not supporting him. I got over that anger, but I could never support Clinton. I could never go against Obama anyway.

[grantcart]

91. just curious I have some other friends that are devoted to Clark

Given that he has had so little experience in Democratic Party Politics why do you feel so much affection and trust with Clark.

Its a phenomenon that has gone unnoticed but the loyalty is unconditional.

[Tom Rinaldo]

111. I'll share as much as your attention span can handle on that grantcart, lol

The loyalty Clark engendered is in many ways similar to the loyalty Dean, and now Obama gets from supporters (clearly Edwards also, to a large extent, but that type of depth and bredth of support ripened more with his second Presidential run than with his first - when Edwards started connecting with more supporters at a deeper level).

Let me start by reposting an introduction to Clark overview thread I put up at DU in November 2005 in the Clark supporter forum:


"A place to gather great Clark related threads

I have a post up in GDP nominating 4 threads that people interested in knowing more about Clark and/or Clark supporters should read. Someone suggested I cross post it here and that seemed like a good idea so here it is. Feel free to ad links to other threads you think people new to us or Clark should read. Here is the original OP, under the header "DU's Best Clark Threads":

I nominate these four threads. They all offer solid information and/or sincerely written comments with little or no flaming to distract from the content.

If you hate all the sniping, but are curious about Wesley Clark and the types of people who support him, I suggest you spend some time reading these:

Nominated for First Place:
"Question for the Clark Supporters..." Mon Jan-31-05 03:46 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1548301

Nominated for Second Place:
"What is your favorite Clark Quote?". Fri Jan-07-05 01:20 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=235&topic_id=3434

Nominated for Third Place:
"Oh No he Didn't! W. Clark Six Loose Lips Quotes that make him unelectable". Thu Jun-23-05 08:28 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1879608

Honorable Mention (would have co-nominated for Third Place except for some minor flaming):
"What's with all the Clarkies?" Mon Nov-07-05 08:05 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2230097



Of course those are all years old by now and since then I have comne to know Wes Clark a lot better than I did back then. A real clue for you can be found in the number of posters on this thread who like me have noticed the way in which Barack Obama now reminds them of the way Wes Clark has never pandered to us, talked down to us, avoided our questions or made us feel less important in any way than any well heeled well connected VIPs who make constant demands on his time. Wes Clark always is more than merely willing to state the positions he takes, he always seems compelled to explain exactly why he has taken them. He truly believes that in a Democracy citizens must be given the information that they need to have in order for Democracy to function, and leaders must be accountable for the positions that they take. Clark is passionate about his faith in the American constitution and he has a deep understanding and reverence for participatory Democracy, human rights, civil liberties, and the Bill of Rights.

Clark is literally an idealist. It was a quality in him that I did not expect to recognize when I first started paying attention to his potential run for President in 2003 before he declared, but I know the signs of deeply rooted idealism well from a lifetime spent around activists committed to social and environmental causes. Clark's career was never about accumulating money or personal power, it was always about serving the nation the best way he know how to.

Clarkie circles are littered with stories about Wes Clark's spontaneous caring and copmpassion when he learned about misfortunes that had befallen one of our own, and his face lights up with a smile like a sun rise when he recognizes one of us in a crowd at an event he is holding. Wes Clark attended both the first and second YearlyKos events in person, and he interacted extensively with participants at both of them. He has done extensive live blogging on the internets and from many eyewitness accounts it is always him sitting there pounding away at a keyboard answering questions as they come in, never a staffer writing on his behalf (and it is obvious you are talking with Clark directly on line when he blogs if you know him from the nature of his replies).

I've done extensive blogging about Clark's live appearances in the past, especially when he was travelling around the country campaigning for Democrats to retake Congress in the fall of 06, so I can give you lots of accounts of what he said, and how he interacted with the audiances he was with. Here is one snippet I recorded in New Hampshire:

Q: "I was wondering about your stance on the Patriot Act?"

General Clark: "There are some parts of the Patriot Act we probably need, but there are some parts I don't approve of. Essentially you have to give the Government the authority to protect the country, but you have to put that authority under the control of the rule of Law, and what the Patriot Act begins to do is exempt our executive branch security agencies from the need to get the rule of Law.

If you ask a policeman - we've got a lot of great people on the police and FBI, and if you ask them, they can never get enough authority. I mean, it's true. If they had their way they would go into every house. They would search every cubboard, they'd read every piece of mail, they'd listen to every telephone call, IF they thought there was a threat. And they would want to do it right away.

The trouble is that we know that power like that can be abused. Historically it has been abused, and it will destroy Democracy...

... There is nothing that has to be done to protect us that can't be done through Law, through gong to a Court, through asking for permission, through getting a warrent. All these procedures are there and they are being violated.

Whatever the NSA is doing tapping telephones and monitoring conversations is illegal and we ought to stop it until it's put under the rule of Law. And the same thing with the military commisions act which is allowing the President to suspend the habeas corpus. That's illegal, it's beyond the law. So I don't believe that law enforcement should have unimpeded access to libraries and stuff like that. I think it's baloney, but more than that it's dangerous.

If you're going to win the war against Terror the most important weapon you have is what you stand for as a nation, because it's a battle of ideas. Terrorists aren't born that way, they have an image of who we are. To win we have to make them see who we really are. Three million Muslims have moved to America in the last 50 tyears because they like who we are. We can't give that up.

What George Bush is doing by trying to accumulate executive powers, he's taking away the most important weapon we have in winning the war on terror, which is the weapon of the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and we can't let him have it!"

[Adelante]

12. Aw, Auntie B

Don't cry :(

[Auntie Bush]

66. But I can't stop!

:cry: No Hillary...NO Clark! :cry:

[rosesaylavee]

89. But you don't know what part they will play

in this administration... they have much needed talents that will be utilized. Hang in there.

:hug:

[Forkboy]

18. It's alright, there's always 2016 for Hillary.

[ClassWarrior]

3. Glad to see that you recognize his skills, Tom.

Welcome to the ranks of Obama converts. (I'm a JRE, myself.)

:toast:

NGU.

[TheDoorbellRang]

4. There's a whole lot to like about Obama

His plans on transparency and involving Americans in the process is just one of his pluses.

[Qutzupalotl]

5. I appreciate your openmindedness, Tom.

(Fellow Clarkie for Obama)

[tabatha]

6. That was a great rally!

Very impressive.

I also like how he equated e-mails about him with Nigerian scam e-mails.

[LakeSamish706]

7. And the other obvious thing is, everything is not about me but more about you in an Obama world. n/t

[Coexist]

8. I love they way he talks to us like we are capable of understanding big words

and concepts

[blm]

10. He's respecting his audience and the issues by NOT demagoguing and soundbiting them.

He's talking to them as engaged citizens who understand complexity and nuance - Gore does that - Kerry does that - Clark does that - Biden does that. It's what I respect most in a leader.

[indimuse]

11. I just

:puke:...I can't believe, of ALL peeps..YOU, would fall for this!





300x250

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgLAn5a_Kcc

[Tom Rinaldo]

29. I never see politics as a quest to find the one true soul out of a sea of impostors

And it is a political skill to project sincerity, and those who lack political skills do not succeed in politics. But people are people. Obama isn't a fake, he isn't a saint, he is politician. I never said that either he or Clinton were angels.

[indimuse]

33. fair.

thx!:)

[ekwhite]

72. Do you have anything substantive to contribute to the conversation?

Or did you just come here to spew?

[The Doctor.]

110. So someone who finds his speaking style compelling, while someone who buys the LIES from

the Clinton campaign has superior discernment skills?

[ElboRuum]

117. Humor is a many splendored thing.

...And wouldn't it be really funny if we actually weren't being had?
...And wouldn't it be really funny if we allowed ourselves to believe we were?
...And wouldn't it be really funny if we let that belief guide us to vote against our instincts?
...And wouldn't it be really funny if we caused another person to be the nominee as a result?
...And wouldn't it be really funny if that person won and ended up being the very leader we dreaded she would be?

Why no. It wouldn't be funny at all.

So at risk of 'being had', as though that were the worst thing a person could have happen to them, I think I'll just believe that the man is exactly what I think he is, an intelligent politician who doesn't fear what I might think if he tells me what he thinks.

My instincts have been pretty good so far. I see no reason not to trust them now. So if I am being had, so be it, but I'm going to put the ball in his court and give Barack Obama the opportunity to betray my trust. Lord knows Ms. Clinton already has.

[silverweb]

13. It's a wonderful change, isn't it?

Rather than more "rule by decree," we may actually get to experience "government of the People, by the People, and for the People" with Obama setting the tone and leading the way.

From Obama we hear, "This is how I see things. What do you think?" -- instead of Cheney's "So?"

Inclusiveness... how refreshing!

[Shae]

30. Cheney's "So?"

Not to mention Cheney's "Go f**k yourself."

[silverweb]

32. Indeed.

That phrase says it all about BushCorp's entire attitude towards the American people.

[Duke Newcombe]

98. And that scares the hell out of the OldGuard(tm)...

I hope Barack has _very_, VERY good SS protection.

Duke

[silverweb]

109. Agreed.

I worry about him, but I also believe he's smart enough to be very, very proactive regarding his personal security and that of his family.

[Spazito]

14. Excellent point re the similarity in both Obama's and Clark's

inclusiveness and respect for the audience and their questions. Until you pointed it out, I did not connect the two yet I admire both of them for those reasons.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

15. Hopefully the "Obama is an empty suit with no substance" canard can be retired now. nt

[roseBudd]

57. Empty suit is nothing but a talking point and beyond ridiculous

[Pirate Smile]

17. I think if people who didn't start off supporting Obama would give him a chance like you have then

they will find themselves feeling much better about Obama as a nominee and potential president.

:yourock:

[Shae]

41. I agree that many would find it so.

I was for Kucinich then Edwards, and both had dropped out before my primary. I didn't really start listening to Obama until after I had voted for him, and then I was quite impressed by him.

[anigbrowl]

19. This is an important reason why I support him

His style matters a lot to me. I'm a pretty intelligent person and there's nothing that irritates me more than a politician (or anyone else) who insults my intelligence by putting forth illogical or counterfactual arguments. Sure, I know politicians have to simplify issues some of the time in order to communicate effectively. But there's a big difference between simplifying something and presenting a simplistic approach (as in deceptive simplification).

I don't like or agree with every single one of his policies, but I do very much like and agree with his decision to present reasoned arguments rather than buzzwords and talking points (Rudy Guiliani being the outstanding example of such BS). Education is an important issue to me and I believe that Obama's strategy has been to elevate the public discourse rather than debase it. He got a lot of criticism early on for being too intellectual but I believe most of the country has seen through Bush's country-boy act by now.

[Tatiana]

20. He really does remind me a lot of Wes Clark.

In terms of his deliberative process.

[HootieMcBoob]

22. Wes Clark for VP!!!

Sorry, just had to get that in :)

And, I agree with you that his candor, sense of humor and detail regarding the issues is very much reminiscent of Clark's.

Clark would be a great choice for Obama's running mate.

[TahitiNut]

44. I was NEVER a "Clarkie" ... but I agree.

I think it's a nearly perfect fit.

[ekwhite]

73. Is General Clark on the list of VP candidates?

He would be a good one in my opinion. His military credentials are impeccable, he is a Southerner, and he is strongly opposed to the debacle in Iraq.

[pipi_k]

78. If I couldn't have my first choice...

Gore as Democratic nominee, then I would be absolutely tickled pink at the thought of an Obama/Clark ticket.

I've always liked Wes Clark...he seems so...reassuring somehow, you know?



Obama and Clark would make GWB look like all three of the Three Stooges at once.



Obama and Clark would probably make McCain only look like Laurel and Hardy

:+

[RichardRay]

23. Some people don't like his speaking style.

They call it 'halting' or 'tentative'. I find it reassuring. When he's talking about what he believes he isn't that way at all. When he's talking about a policy or a decision he's actually thinking about what he's saying, even if it's something he's said before. I like that, it doesn't bother me at all.

[SaveAmerica]

61. I think it makes sense and is so smart of him to think ahead to where he wants to go with his

thoughts, especially in this political world where candidates words are picked apart by vultures. I think it shows how intelligent he is and he does it without looking down on you.

[ann_american2004]

95. Dear SaveAmerica, Speaking of vultures

I'm sorry but that picture makes me puke.

Anyone have a napkin?


Obama '08

[Duke Newcombe]

99. It shows he's actually *processing* and *thinking*.

This is much preferred to the canned taglines that pass for oratory in the late 20th century.


Duke

[Cosmocat]

103. Intellectual honesty ...

is what it basically cuts down to for m ...

In a nutshell, on a couple of levels ...

[XemaSab]

24. Obama's an impressive guy

I'm glad you're starting to see what some of the rest of us have been seeing.

We're going to need all hands on deck going into the fall.

[Adelante]

26. I'm glad you are seeing that, Tom

While I waited for Wes to make up his mind last year, I was looking into the other candidates and Barack was the closest I found to Clark in several ways. By the time it was clear Wes wasn't running, I was already leaning hard toward Obama. I've since grown to appreciate Obama on his own, but I did first become interested through similarities I saw in terms of viewpoint and policy and populism, and, yes, the ability to communicate complicated material in an accessible and somehow human or emotional way.

[Tom Rinaldo]

47. I saw some of that early on also

There were other qualities and abilities that I needed to study longer, some of them purely political. While I was actively supporting Clinton I for the most part went out of my way to not speak poorly of Obama. For the record now for the most part I will act the same toward Clinton. There is always more than can be said in a given day on a given DU thread, but in time I trust we will get around to discussing most of it :)

P.S. to the board. I've got to go out to a political meeting pretty soon so I will check in on this thread when I return.

[mopinko]

27. once again,

welcome aboard.

[FrenchieCat]

28. That's one of the reasons that I favored Obama, once I contrasted him

with other candidates. I found him and Wes Clark to hold some of the same views, and that they also have some of the same personal qualities.

[AtomicKitten]

37. Wes should be given serious consideration for VP.

[FrenchieCat]

40. Certainly.

[Tinksrival]

64. YES!

"I found him and Wes Clark to hold some of the same views,"

Like open government! Shine the light!

[george_maniakes]

31. One happy canadian here, that america is going to lead again....

like back when it was turning villains (germany and japan) into upright world citizens. You just have to control the fear.

[BootinUp]

34. Obama's appeal and skills are not debatable

I have seen the same thing.

[Adelante]

36. Hi, sweetie

:pals:

[BootinUp]

43. .

:pals:

[AtomicKitten]

35. you're a mensch

[Lena inRI]

38. Tom, your reasons are precisely mine. . .

. . .when I heard Barack speak in person for RI primary (March).

He's got Clark-like "truthiness", sound-mindedness, and, in some ways, better speech-delivery. . .

Barack guides your mind along effortlessly. . . LOL. . . like gravity drawing those balls through obstacle mazes.

Plus, I was impressed with how Barack spoke to the rejected crowd I was in BEFORE he went into the field house rally. He is VERY respectful of his supporters. BTW, RI went to Hillary mainly for Bill's political machine he had built up in the 90s. . .but NOW the Barack tide is apparent. . .fewer Hillary signs replaced with Obama's in my neighborhood.

Finally, I am really impressed with Team Obama's promise of computer-interactive feedback from the PEOPLE as he discussed back in November with Eric Schmidt of Google. If you haven't seen this yet, though it is 64 minutes, you will be impressed with how Obama has a grasp of and an intention of using interactive technology as POTUS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yVlPqeZwo

Barack's a far cry from Hillary's xeroxing mindset. . .believe me!


:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

[FrenchieCat]

39. Thank you for that! I had never heard this.

I'm listening now.

Excellent thus far.....really excellent!

[Lena inRI]

46. My pleasure, FrenchieCat. . .

. . .ya see, my son is an IT guy so I get the techie perspective on the politicians. . .LOL. . .and my son REALLY LIKES Barack's intention to interact online with the people. . .a big step into the future he says.

So many politicos are clueless about computers and their potential for governance.

Remember how Clark was involved with DailyKos blogging events? Yup, Barack and Wes are way ahead of most political leaders in so many ways. . .luv 'em both!!


:loveya: :kick: :loveya: :kick: :loveya:

[TahitiNut]

42. It's his "rabbinical" style.

Both his legal training and the particular area of the law - and teaching it - looks good on him.

[VotesForWomen]

51. yeah, some of us don't like that. i want somebody to do a job, not be my guru.

[TahitiNut]

56. It's called "participation"

:shrug:

Pull your head out and try it some time.

[roseBudd]

60. Ahem, you do realize POTUS is one of 3 coequal branches, a veto pen & a bully pulpit

There is no magic wand for Day One.

[grantcart]

97. He comes from the 'aloha' branch of rabbinical dialectical discourse - lol

[DevonRex]

45. Tom, you're the best. Thanks. nt

[FogerRox]

49. Yup.

GO-Ba-Ma......GO-Ba-Ma......GO-Ba-Ma......GO-Ba-Ma......GO-Ba-Ma......

[VotesForWomen]

50. He's Jeeezus!!!!

[Tom Rinaldo]

52. Thanks for the Kick!!! n/t

[Lilith Velkor]

53. Yes he is

a nice guy, but some of his followers are horrifying. :scared:

[roseBudd]

58. Actually he is Morpheus showing us the door, FYI Al Gore really likes the Matrix

[cali]

59. and you're bitter.

Your posts in this thread are something else.

[rebel with a cause]

86. No, he is not and we all know it.

but then neither is Hillary as she tries to paint herself up there on the cross.

[roseBudd]

54. Because he understands he needs us to be his partners, we don't need a mommy to make it better

[Duke Newcombe]

101. And change doesn't happen if we sit on our asses.

He gets that, and that's why he focuses a lot on motivating people--expect a lot of "you need to call your congresscritter" calls to action.

Duke

[Colobo]

55. Obama is really growing as a politician very quickly.

[TBF]

62. It's nice when someone treats you like an adult, isn't it?

I talked to some older dems during the precinct captain program here in Houston. They have been dems forever & have always tried to help on campaigns. They went on & on about Obama because they were able to volunteer in their community - they said before noone wanted them - they just wanted their money. This couple is retired and opened up their home to volunteers from out-of-state and spent alot of time calling people, etc... The inclusion thing is huge, especially after 8 years of Bush/Cheney shenanigans. I think Obama really means it too - he learned all this from community organizing. So he knows how to get people involved, and why they have to be involved to really enact change.

[Tom Rinaldo]

63. You make a good point

Obama's background in community organizing no doubt helped orient his sense of politics. Actual community organizing calls on a specific set of skills and methodology, it means something more specific than being involved as an activist in community issues on a grassroots level.

[Tinksrival]

65. Something else they have in common:

They both were drafted! The decision was very difficult. People think he is very pie in the sky ideals. I find him and Michelle very practical and forthright like the General.

http://www.politicsonline.com/blog/archives/2006/11/index.php

snip>>>>

November 29, 2006
Cyberspace Plea - Run, Obama, Run!

A campaign to persuade Illinois Senator Barack Obama to run for President has been launched in cyberspace.

Within the last week at least three sites have been launched or revamped to persuade the freshman senator to make a run for President.

Fellow Illinois Democrat Senator Dick Durbin sent a letter to political supporters this week encouraging them to sign a "Run, Barack, Run" petition. This petition hosted at www.runobamarun.com is just one of the petitions that has a specific goal in mind - showing Obama that he does indeed have the support of Democrats across the nation.

"In all my years in politics, I have only met one other person who connects with people as well as Barack does: former President Bill Clinton," Durbin wrote in his letter.

Two other draft Obama efforts are online. Democrat Todd Webster, who was a spokesman for former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, created at http://www.runobama.com. He said more than 400 people had signed his petition as of Tuesday, six days after he launched the site.

Another effort went online in October and was revamped this week: http://www.draftobama.org/node. A press statement on the Web site says it was created by computer technician Ben Stanfield of Rockville, Md., who purchased the domain name in 2004 after seeing Obama's keynote speech to the Democratic National Convention.

Obama will make a trip to New Hampshire, the first primary state, in the early part of December to meet with State Democrats for a belated celebration of the midterm election victory. Perhaps after this trip we’ll get some indication of how successful the online efforts have been.


>>>>>>>>>>>

[meow mix]

70. K&R

[Skidmore]

74. Tom, the man did this in Iowa too. This is what we saw and liked.

He is laying out a plan and asking us to help implement it. WE are the most important part of an Obama presidency. He's offering us a chance to step up and rebuild our nation. Obama is respectful of us as citizens, and I firmly believe that each decision he makes will be made with the people in mind. He doesn't think we are stupid nor does he talk down to people.

[ekwhite]

75. I agree with you Tom, he is an impressive speaker

I started out as an Edwards supporter - I liked Obama, but thought he didn't have enough substance. He has grown on me, though, and part of it is the way he thinks on his feet, and the way he talks to his audience like adults. Comparing him to Wesley Clark is high praise indeed.

[yellerpup]

76. I came to Obama's camp through Chris Dodd

and the more I learn about Barak Obama the more impressed I am. I read the thread first and though I'd ad that IF Wes Clark (who I admire very much) were Obama's VP, I believe you could move both Arkansas and Oklahoma from red to blue. I know that seems insane, but Wes Clarke could solidify those two--I'm sensing that the great middle is ready for CHANGE!

[dixiegrrrrl]

77. I just found some information that shatters my illusions about Obama

Transworld News reports the search for Obama's VP is being headed by:

"Former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson has been asked by Senator Barack Obama on Thursday to start the search for a viable Vice Presidential candidate.
As of 2006, Johnson is a vice chairman of the private banking firm Perseus LLC, a position he has held since 2001. He is also a member of the American Friends of Bilderberg, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission."

His name is James A. Johnson..and he chose Edwards for VP in 2004.

Bilderberg group influence details in the Transnews story :
http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=47760&cat=14

and most importantly see the inter-related map of who's who on Muckety:
http://www.muckety.com/Perseus-LLC/5001487.muckety
by clicking on names, you can see who they are connected to.

Same ole, same ole....I am soooo depressed by this.

:dilemma: :dilemma:

[Irishonly]

80. I Was For Edwards

To be very honest, I didn't care much for Obama but I didn't think too much about him either. I had watched Edwards change from 2000 and I believe his change was genuine. I voted for Edwards in my primary even though I knew he had suspended.

When all of my choices had dropped and the candidates were Clinton and Obama I decided I had better listen and do some research. I am still an Edwards fan so my judgments were hard. What I came to believe is that Obama had respect for my intelligence and not only that, he spoke of beliefs and didn't change with the wind. Once I started listening to him and not the spin my choice became clear. I don't agree with all of his positions but I also know he is our best shot for getting sanity returned to this country.

I watched him yesterday in Florida and he was wonderful. He spoke positions, beliefs and took questions. I didn't see spin which we are so used to seeing. He spoke of why voters should vote for him and not why they shouldn't vote for his opponent.

[onehandle]

81. Obama/Clark would be an excellent ticket. nt

[ExPatLeftist]

82. Agreed. He is more open and real than any candidate in a long time. n/t

[Utopian Leftist]

83. So Immensely Gratifying

to be treated like an ADULT by a politician. It almost leaves one speechless with appreciation. I really think this is from where the whole "cult" nonsense arises. People are turned on now in ways that they have rarely been in their lives by any politician, precisely because Obama does not insult our intelligence. It seems most of the ones shouting "CULT" have not spent much time actually listening.

[Tafiti]

88. I think I know what you mean.

For me, seeing him on TV, his speech patterns sometimes comes across as choppy, or otherwise not smooth. But when I recently saw him speak in person, it actually feels much more real, like he's having a conversation and using a genuine thought process rather than just delivering a speech. I don't know if that makes sense, but that was my impression. Perhaps that's why people feel so connected to him, because they feel like he's talking to them person to person, not politician to citizen.

[ann_american2004]

90. Yippie that's awesome!

Isnt it just swell to have a leader/candidate who is a statesman? Who deliberates and actually thinks instead of depending on gut reactions?
So refreshing!
And I like the Wesley comment. I love that guy. Could give him a cuddle! Whenever I see Wesley C speak I'm amazed at how clear his eyes are, how in the moment he is. You can tell spot on that he is really all there, listening, understanding, and responding. That guy is sharp!

Wouldnt they make a great team? Of course Hill deserv---

OMG...I was almost being serious all of a sudden. What have you DONE to me?!!
Garrrrrrrrrr...Foiled!


Obama '08

[grantcart]

94. Its exactly what has drawn me to such affection for the guy

He is inviting people to think with him, not pandering to a bunch of points.

He chooses words very carefully and you really have to go back and re read the speeches to get the full meaning of what he is saying.

[butterfly77]

96. And this is why I am a supporter..

I think that a lot of people who say they don't like him don't listen to what he says and how he explains in depth what he plans to do. I switched from Hillary to Obama as I watched him in numerous interviews..

[Bucky]

100. Biden does that, too (tho not quite as clearly as Clark).

Interesting observation. I think you identified what it is in the candidates I end up backing. They're great explainers--they break it down by historical relevance & by first principles.

[Tom Rinaldo]

107. It is a very special quality...

...one that is very much in tune with the core dynamics of participatory democracy. It's not surprising to me that so many netroots activists pick up on and respond to it. Most national politicians still aren't fully comfortable embracing that style of interaction, it goes against the grain of how they came up the ranks learning how to manage a message.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

102. His ability to communicate is one of his strong points

I'm glad you had a chance to hear him and appreciated his skill.

[barack the house]

104. This is why he has said he feels confident in foreign policy.

[jefferson_dem]

105. Tom...let me say that

I've always respected your thoughtful and reasoned posts and ... it's great to be on the same side again.

[Tom Rinaldo]

106. Thanks jefferson_dem. In time almost all of us here will be...

...and I am confident that day is coming very soon. It will be a very good day.

[ElboRuum]

115. I think you've nailed the nature of his appeal.

I believe the public WANTS to be a part of the solution. They WANT to know what's going on, and moreso than positions on specific issues (still important), they want to know what a candidate's principles are and how those principles will shape a Presidency, a concept much more fluid than a list of campaign issues. In short, they WANT to be included in the process and not talked down to as outsiders who 'just don't get what it takes' and 'can't handle the truth'.