Obama's Iowa tour guide

Let the Obama bashing begin...
What is it about Obama that brings out such
antipathy? I don't get it!!

Iowa?
That's not part of Africa is it?

Maybe that is where his mom was born and he decided to go back to his roots.

To bill r:

I have no antipathy for Sen. Obama. I felt he was a breath of fresh air that might be able to reverse the pattern of corruption and apathy in our government.
But when his trip to Africa began, I could not overlook the timing with all of the talk about a possible Presidential run. Sen. Obama will need many trips and other public relation events like this before he can consider a run.
To me, this shows that Sen. Obama realizes how the game is played, and that one person is not enough to reverse the trend. Washington is filled with self serving, greedy louses whose only motivation for their actions is what they get out of it. Again, I really thought Sen. Obama could rise above that, and not follow the lead of others.
I still hope he runs. With a little luck, he will be able to retain some of his ethics and morals and bring them to the White House. I do not want to bash Sen. Obama, but I think his eyes are being opened to the reality of how government works in our so called "Democratic" society.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.

bill r.,

Yeah, I have to admit that some of the commentary about Obama got nasty back when we were getting the fluffy daily reports about his vacation. There was undoubtedly some racism -- both the concious and unconcious variety.

And JD continues with this vein in his post above.

That said, I can only repeat what I've said all along. Obama seems like a likable guy; intelligent, well read, witty... but c'mon, he's a junior senator with 2 years under his belt. It seems just a trifle silly to be talking about President Obama.

That fact that so many people are demonstrates the sorry state of American politics today. A young glib guy (of course not a female) who looks good on TV is automatically presidential timber. That's unfortunate.

Bruce,

It looks to me like young Barack Obama is really going places fast.

Hurry up and swiftboat him,before he gets away.

Bill R., there really is no Obama bashing here, it's more directed at the media. Jeff "Zany" Zeleny must be in heaven today becuase he gets to write more "love letters" to the Senator that the Tribune will publish.

JD,
I don’t always agree with you but you seem to always have good backing for your thoughts. That being said I think your comments in this post are below you. I realize Obama is a Dem, but an aside about his mother certainly reduces my desire to take your posts or reasoning seriously.
Every thread lately has had some post about "let’s keep the discussions civil and non-personal."
KKKarl, Loony Lefties, wing-nuts, President Dum-Dum.
Sheesh people, are we still in High School or are we adult Americans with children, concerns, and a genuinely bad taste in the mouth from the incessant partisanship hesaid-shesaid?

JD,
So I post, scolding you, then see you response to Bill R., I realize your mother comment was more directed at the media than Obama, so even though I don’t really agree with your media stance I will once again read, ponder, and furrow my eyebrows at your posts. I don’t feel you can bash coverage of Obama by the media while the president uses Air Force 1 as a glorified campaign-mobile media of his own. I realize it’s the bully pulpit and all sitting Prez' get this perk, it just seems unseemly.
And honestly, I thought the Africa trip was kind of interesting regardless of which party was heading over there, Africa is as much of this supposedly god-created world as our lovely land, yet the suffering and pain there is unimaginable to us in our comfy chairs posting on the Trib website.
Just my thoughts, we get really wrapped up in our 'important' lives and issues, meanwhile children starve and scant attention is paid. I dont think any god of your choice would be pleased by our inattention and inaction.

Bill R.,

It looks like JD swiftboated you,and Barack Obama,and then John D. came in,and apoligized for "JD's" words.

I laugh more when I read some of these posts than I do watching Letterman these days.

How is what I posted racist?

"Speculation has been swirling" about Obama's future political intentions, all right--in the Tribune Tower. Perhaps if reporter Jeff Zeleny ventured more than 15 feet away from Senator Obama's leash, he'd write fewer valentine cards to the senator, and catch up a little more on the real world. Zeleny is to Obama what Charlie McCarthy was to Edgar Bergen.

Sybil and friends are jealous of the media attention the junior senator from Illinois receives.

1) John D. and I are not the same poster, although we are usually on the same side.

2) It is true that my "bash" was more directed towards the media. They love to portray Obama as a "rising African American politician" highlighting his trips to Africa to connect to his roots and on and on and on....
Basically they are trying to make him the left's "Great Black Hope" Mostly due to the fact that he is A) Tall and well spoken B) Liberal C) African American and D) African American
Uh oh...but there is a problem here! He is half white, (gasp!) Didn't grow up in the "hood" (gasp!) and didn't know his father (what!?!?!) and was raised by a lily white woman and his lily white grandparents in Hawaii,where not only Barack Obama is considered a funny name, but Joe Smith would be as well. All thousands of miles away from Chicago and Africa.

Any issues or experience of "race" that he would have would be true of a white person or black person in Hawaii. They don't like howles.
White or Black. Trust me, I've spent a lot of time there.

My quip was that if he decided to visit somewhere like Iowa to visit the plain old white part of his family, it would not get nearly the coverage or fanfare. The media can't let him be a plan white dude can they?

Lefty or Righty you know I'm right.

JD aka John D.,

Way to cover your tracks with that last post from both of you...........NOT.

The dawn of a new era! Obama for President 08! This country needs an injection of hope and optimism.

JD..let me see if I have this right. You don't like the media coverage abput Obama because:
He is A)African American
B)African American
C)African American
and D)African American

Did I miss anything?

Typical Left Winger.

Cry racism when someone makes a point contrary to their beliefs.

Is that all you know how to do?

Why don't you argue my point Bill R.?

Is it because you can't?

....oh and by the way Bill R. Condi in 08!

No Bill R., you have it exactly right. JD seems awfully jealous of Sen. Obama. Does he wish he had some African heritage to retrace? Is he on the short and ugly side of things? " Any issues or experience of "race" that he would have would be true of a white person or black person in Hawaii" This is just an asinine statement that just shows how racist - blatant or indirectly - JD is. Barack Obama is black, he also is white. That shouldn't be difficult for a somewhat educated adult to understand. JD is insinuating that because of Obama's upbringing that he somehow is disconnected with the issues/problems that face black people. He couldn't be more wrong. I too have spent time in HI and they discriminate against blacks just like everyone else. They also have a special hatred for people of "mixed" race. But that is irrelevant. Obama's light shines bright because of his ability to rise above all of that. JD should have someone to dislike for years to come.

"I too have spent time in HI and they discriminate against blacks just like everyone else"

Thanks for helping me prove my point K. Brown.

My issue isn't with Obama. I view him as a typical liberal democrat...no better, no worse.

My issue is with the way the media covers and trys to portray him. They want to portray him as they would like him to be viewed, not as he actually is.

I don't see anything racist with that point of view......but as always, you get the flak for having an opinion.

JD,
So you are a LIBERAL democrat if you support Joe Liebermann's re-election and support a pre-emptive strike against Iran? Thanks for showing how much you really follow Sen. Obama's positions...or are you just assuming he's liberal because of your prejudices?

Does Liberman's pro Iraq stance make him not a liberal? Is that what you guys are going with?

J. Kerry voted for the war. Was he still liberal when he did?

Where is it said that Obama or Liberman are for a pre-emptive strike against Iran?

Are liberals already against something like that?

JD,
You look so foolish throwing around useless labels when you have no idea what you are talking about. Maybe John D can help you out.

Care to elaborate Jethro?