Obama's faux pas

Countdown to John Chimp E copying and pasting his standard Obama post...

4....3....2......1...DING DING DING!

Yeah, Obama's a political neophyte and that may very likely result in a disappointing denouement for his campaign.

Does he have the requisite "experience" and brains to be an effective executive? Of course he does.

However, when regarding "experience", what his supporters should be looking at is campaign experience, and Obama's is fairly sparse. Prior to this he ran for congress against Bobby Rush and lost; then he ran against Alan Keyes for the senate and won... or has handed the senate seat. Virtually any blogger here could have beaten Alan Keyes.

So does he have what it takes to run with the big boys in a political campaign? To avoid shooting himself in the foot? To effectively answer/deflect the inevitable cogent questions about dubious ethics?

I'm Skeptical.

Just another example of how poorly qualified Obama is as a politician and presidential candidate.

Maybe he should look for a new profession. He's wasting his time running for President anyway.

He's also wasting our tax money now by receiving Secret Service protection when he has no chance of ever getting elected.

How in the world is this a "faux pas?" It was quite deliberate, and a point his spokesperson reiterated when asked about it. And, btw, it's the right thing to do. As he said, we need 16 people and they will only come from pressure from constituents.

It reminds me of when Reagan went over the heads of the those in Congress and appealed to the public to lobby their Congressmen over a bill. It worked, too.

It'd be interesting to see if Grassley went on the record with the same kind of complaints when Bill Frist campaigned against Tom Daschle in his own state.

Um, Robert? Did you see the Republican debate? You're entitled to dislike Obama, but if you consider any of those guys legitimate candidates, you have to at least acknowledge Obama's right to run.

Also, as reasonable citizens, I don't think we should deny protection for candidates from some of the less... thoughtful of our compatriots.

that is the unwritten rule. also, why is obama talking about senate issues when he should be discussing presidential issues?

i can't believe i was briefly torn between hillary and obama in january.

First of all I think Obama should be able to say whatever he wants to about another senator whereever he is, why not? To say that Obama is presidential is a joke however and it would be disaster if he was elected because he will only get the votes of the uninformed and he has no experience plus did u see the debate? He was awful, Same message everytime.

Maybe it was a "faux pas", but it's one that I'd bet is popular with the American public. When our soldiers are dying and being maimed in Iraq with no plan to change course, I think all rules of etiquette go out the window. Grassley can whine about this all he wants, but he's not going to get any sympathy from the American people as long as he continues to stand by and do nothing but rubberstamp this President's failed policy.

Latest poll of all Democrats: Hillary 56%, Obama 37%.

Latest poll of "Swamp" reporters/Democrats: Obama 100%, all others 0.

I should think that Democrats, the vast majority of whom don't support St. Barack, are appalled by the "Swamp's" out-in-the-open promotion of St. Barack, as exemplified by the special "Obama Watch" and "Obama Campaign Tracker" icons on the "Swamp" screen. The "Swamp" doesn't give the GOP candidates equal time--and never will--but the "Swamp" doesn't even give the other Democrat candidates equal time.

Democrats are the ones that should be protesting. "Swamp" reporters might actually listen to Democrat's complaints.

As the weather warms, Obama is melting like Frosty the Snowman. After his power trip ends and dreams of life in the White House give way to reality, let's vote him out of the Senate also. We can do better.

Hey, Obama says, 10 thousand killed in Kansas tornado, I wonder if he even knows where Kansas is located. Cliff

Good for Obama. Senatorial niceties don't amount to much when soldiers are dieing for a pointless unwinnable war. Besides it is an unwritten rule nobody besides insiders and political junkies know about, if anything this will help him.

If our choice comes down to Hillary or Obama (and I doubt it will) I would vote for Obama.

If it comes down to Guiliani or Obama... That is a tougher call.

Last week it's Myspace. This week it's "he said something that's ok, but how ok is it really?" Makes me wonder why we never hear anything about Hillary, Edwards, or The Three Republican Stooges.

For some reason the media seems to be dedicated to knocking Obama off his pedestal. I don't think it's because the media's "after him," but perhaps it's just the struggle of running as the outsider... That said, Obama needs to get his campaign on track and start telling people who he is rather than leaving it to others to set the definition.

For himself, Grassley said, he would never go into Illinois and tell Obama’s constituents to “get on him about something.”

"something" - I wonder how important and issue Grassley thinks this "something" is...

It stupidity like "unwritten rules" that makes the governing of this country such a joke. Concerning one's self about so-called "gentleman's rules" rather than taking the most effective and direct action to achieve a what is best for the country is not what I consider presidential or senatorial. And if the senator can't handle a little nudge then he should really be in a different line of work.

As for why Obama is talking about senate issues, it could be because he is currently a Senator.

Hey Cliff-
Hyuck Hyuck that was a durn good one! I'm sure y'all never have had no durn slips o' the tongue!

Giddyup pard'ner!

Give me somewhat inexperienced these days-I've seen what old time experienced politicians FROM BOTH PARTIES gets us- a lot a pandering and politicking and not much else.
You Obama bashers always fall back on the 'inexperienced excuse', you make it seem like he was delivering papers and one day outof nowhere decided to run for president. And every one of you knows that inexperience is negated by selecting trusted, intelligent advisors and cabinet- look at the current pres, you all know he rarely has ANY ideas of his own, just grabs whatever is spoon fed to him by his cabal. Compare him to Reagan who could command the room. The currrent occupant wont even read books, yet he is Pres and you are worried about "inexperience"?
Give me someone who even vaguely resembles some fresh blood. Break the Bush/Clinton cycle.
We complain about our leaders being lockstep politicians, yet we spend 12 years electing the same family into power, 8 years of another family and his wife is leading the Dem pack!
WAKE UP AMERICA and stop being the Republican/Democrat sheep you are.

Fresh air and fresh ideas. I like Obama on one side and Ron Paul on the other.
ANYTHING but the status quo.

Well well well. Interesting comments. Obama doesnt deserve SS protection? Get your head out of the sand, man. Fringe group threats are very real. To deny that is irresponsible at best and criminal at worst. Comments like this are why the GOP is in the bad state its in.

Hey Robert Pena-

You wanna know why he is "wasting out tax dollars" on secret service ?(unlike those wasted monies building things in Iraq that the Iraqis then did not maintain, money well spent eh?)

Because a bipartisan group saw enough to know he was threatened. Are any of the other candidates getting protection due to threats? Nope.
Why is it just him, whats makes him different.

Ahh! He is a black man! Seems some hillbilly-redneck-white-supremecist sure couldnt stand for a BLACK man runnin for Prez, so make threats and scare him off.

Nice. Its 2007 and we are still debating the color and sex of our politicians.

I saw both debates
On the Dem side there was a black man, a woman, a Hispanic and that rowdy guy from Alaska (ha)

On the Republican debate I saw middle-aged elderly white men. A bunch of them. And every one of them beholden to god just to get that Christian vote.

Its 2007 America, yet we have to get secret service for a black candidate and you all know why. Make you proud? Make you feel "civilized"?

Wake up America

Andy: "Obama...only get the votes from the uninformed."??? Look at the poll numbers for college graduates, my man. Obama has a good edge. Why? Because they ARE informed!

The concern over Obama's comment is etiquette and for this he shouldn’t be President? He ruffled Grassley’s feathers and for that he’s not qualified to run the country? OH PLEASE! I suppose these are the same people that wouldn’t vote for him if he wore a red tie, when he should have worn a blue tie. We could use a little more ruffling of feathers in Washington.

Is this "unwritten rule" like the rule that says you should know the difference between 12 and 10,000? Or the difference between calling a slumlord facing a federal corruption indictment and bankruptcy an "ethical" or unethical contributor? Just trying to keep score.

Erick -- With a white mother, prep school background and Harvard education, Obama's background more closely resembles George Bush, than that of the "black man" you discuss in your post. His wife mysteriously triples her salary at the University of Chicago just after he was elected, and he receives land deals and other handouts from pals likes Rezko. His fantasies of racial oppression and "man of the people" gibberish serve to hook guys like you, but your voice is growing weaker. Keep in mind that most of America never saw Obama in action until the recent debate. And apparently they didn't like what they saw because his numbers are dropping. His flirty smile mask is coming off and his credibility as a leader is being questioned by a growing number of Americans. He's aloof, arrogant and disingenuine in my view. Not anything like the sharecropper's son you try to make him out to be.

Hi Erick,

I think we should pull the secret service protection from those "middle-aged elderly white men". Look what they have done to the world!!!
By the way, when did middle age become elderly?

your comment:
"Seems some hillbilly-redneck-white-supremecist sure couldnt stand for a BLACK man runnin for Prez"

Makes it seem like race, gender, age and culture mean an awful lot to you from your comments, but I suppose nothing is worse than being a Christian.

Having a double standard to validate your own sensibilities is pre-requisite for the intolerant.

have a nice day.

Obama brings up both a good point and something in my pants.

the nice thing about being an African American Senator is that anyone who opposes you is probably a racist...like you Christina!

It's amazing how any comment whatsoever gets labeled something negative in today's political arena. What's sad is that it's all politics! As far as I'm concerned, people can call Obama's (or anyone else's) statements whatever they wish, but their labels don't necessarily make them so.

Each and every candidate does and should make comments about what he/she thinks. After all, we all need to really get to know each candidate before election time. Therefore, we need to hear what they think, where they stand on things, how they believe things can be improved, etc. To try to intimidate such people with negative statement labels is one of the worst things we can do in a democracy.

As a female Democrat, I should be ecstatic that we finally have a viable female Democratic candidate running for President, but I'm not. And, it's not because I think that Hilary wouldn't be a good President. I'm not ecstatic over Hilary because I think she's too divisive within our overall American society. Obama, on the other hand, is intelligent, well-informed, capable and able to pull devisive factions together. Therefore, he is my man, and I'm a well-informed professional with perhaps too much education. (In reference to that one statement.)

We all need to get over the stupidty of this petty, unimportant political nit-picking. After all...NO ONE is the best in every area of life or perfect. Every single Presidential candidate has his/her faults and problems, just as each one of us does.

MS

Yep, that uppity colored feller oughter know his place, yessirree. Why the nerve of the man, criticizin' an esteemed colleague right out there in front of the press an' everbody. Who does he think he is, a Republican? No manners at all, nosirree.

It looks like the mainstream media are fixin' to do to Obama what they did to Al Gore.

Mark,
I dont understand your slam, I never did bring Christianity into it, and I am not a Christian..

Your quote
"Makes it seem like race, gender, age and culture mean an awful lot to you from your comments, but I suppose nothing is worse than being a Christian."

I do appreciate race, gender, and culture. I LOVE the fact we have some variation in candidates. And every person is welcome to personal religious beliefs. Are you a Christian? Would you vote for a Muslim, even if they were the finest candidate available? Didnt think so.
Are you a white-supremicist? Would you vote for a black man? Didnt think so.
Are you an ingrained patriarch? Would you vote for a woman? Didnt think so.

See how that works?

You didnt understand my post. Quite simple: Obama is threatened because he is black. Any proud American citizen who would, in 2007, attack a man because of his skin color is ignorant and is no friend of mine.

Christians AND non-Christians can be ignorant.
He has protection because he is black.
Thats a pathetic read on American "civilized" "founded on good Christian principles" society in 2007.

Diversity rules. Prejudice based on skin color / gender is ignorant.

Care to disagree?
Do you understand me now?
Have a nice day

Fascinating! The comments are always as informative as the article itself...

I find it humorous that many of the anti-Obama comments tend to lack punctuation, good grammar and/or spelling, and capital letters. A comment that isn't written with much care or forethought most likely wasn't formulated with much care or forethought either.

Let me add to the pro-Obama points that it sounds like sour grapes from Senator Grassley over Obama's speech. It may be in "poor form" but definitely not uncalled-for. The U.S. occupation of Iraq needs to come to a close BEFORE November 2008.

- Greg

Oy Rosa, get a clue and understand my post.

Your quote:
"With a white mother, prep school background and Harvard education, Obama's background more closely resembles George Bush, than that of the "black man" you discuss in your post...Not anything like the sharecropper's son you try to make him out to be."

Where did I ever bring up his background? When did I ever refer to him as a sharecropper What decade are you living in?

Whoever threatened him (and that why he has SS)didnt do that because he went to Harvard, or who his mom was, they did it because he is black.
Get it? Black skin, kind of brownish actually, but a black man, a father of two, a scholar and what seems to be a decent man and a decent husband. Yet his is threatened and needs SS. How exactly do you interperate this any differently? Lets hear it?

You are entitled and should always stick to your own views, you dont like him because hie is aloof and has "fantasies of racial oppression"(?) yet these fantasies have some how garnered him SS protection.

Wake up woman. This is 2007 in America, land of freedom, of religion, of speech. Someone has threatened to kill a candidate because his skin is black and you are p'o'd at me and Obama?

Care to respond? Should I see this differently? Should we kill him because he dealt with Rezko?

Wake up America

It is apparent, by some of the comments made, why the government is as messed up as it is and why the people running the government is running it into the ground. Because the idiots with the backwards opinion that Obama, who may be a freshman in Washington, as everyone has been in a new situation, doesn't have the right to voice his opinion and get it across the best way he can considering the state of emergency we are in at the present time is foolish. Your president isn't doing it right, nor his croonies and everyone else that is out there for themselves. There aren't very many good politicians out there any more but I will take a fresh look and a fresh though w/a few mistakes anytime to some of your old dark age, prejudice racist comments and thinking anyday. Because lets face it, you definitely couldnt do it any better Christina and Elanor. Seems red for your neck is the right color.

the nice thing about being an African American Senator is that anyone who opposes you is probably a racist

Posted by: Medgar Evers | May 10, 2007 11:05:05 AM
___________________________

In desperation, Obama will undoutedly play that ridiculous card, but it's not not that simple. With no substantive track record on anything (other than voicing opposition against the war --an extremely low risk move), questionable character and little leadership experience on a national level, the color of his skin should be the least of his worries. Hillary has taken a double digit lead and she hasn't even begun dismantling this puffed up kid yet.

When asked the question of race?
the correct answer is: HUMAN

Let's focus on ending this war and giving relief to the Iraqi people. We are occupiers and we are busy with a civil rights movement against Mexicans and people who are mixed? Where are our priorities?

For the first time in my life I am ashamed of my country. All of us are. We don't have the courage to speak out our feelings so we take it out on each other who's skin colour is different or speaks another language. Enough is enough.

We have twenty year old kids (not old enough to buy a beer) dying in Iraq daily and now we are throwing more bodies over there for a war we will never win.

I'll give you a colour:
We all bleed blue unless our blood is spilt then we all bleed red.

It seems to me that if Obama blundered he did so by mixing the theatre and rhetoric of Congress with his campaign platform.

It's time to move from kinetic energy to momentum and start showing us the way forward. If his potential is real, he'll do this, if not he'll be the also ran many thing he is.

Let's hope he can make the switch. Things need to change in Washington.

It would be nice if just once either party gave us a real people's candidate, not the morons who aspire for power and have no idea as to the real issues facing this country. We need a President, regardless of party affiliation who will return America to it's middle class roots and not the other way around, e.g. agandas that thrive on the backs of th middle class. So far Obama is dealing with the truth as if he were juggling glass shards. He is a carpetbagger who was handed the Senate seat from Illinois, and as with Mobley he sucks. What has he done except campaign and voise his opinion like "Charley McCarthy".

Ms. T: My comments were mocking racism, not promoting it! Do I have to spell out s-a-r-c-a-s-m ?

As for the lack of experience and the what-has-he-done arguments against Obama brought up here, I think what we need in this country is someone who can inspire us to be better and do better. A great orator has a gift, and Obama has that gift. Personally, I don't care what he has done but what he is. And I think he's the Real Deal. Sadly, there are others who think the same thing but are profoundly threatened or angered by it, which explains the death threats.

I find it sadly facinating that anyone who says they don't like or agree with Obama is instantly labeled "racist" or similar. There are tens of millions of Americans who don't like Obama's politics, personality and potential. There's enough not to like about the guy that has nothing to do with race. Obama supporters should know that bringing his race into virtually every discussion only serves to make him a polarizing figure that causes the public to ask, do we really want four years of this? Your candidate will generate support (or not) based on his perceived ability to lead, stand on issues, perceived character and other factors. We know Obama is "black," folks. Give it a rest. I suspect many of you weren't around in '88 when Jessie ran. We've been here already, now let's move forward.

Warren Buffett . . . another "uninformed" Obama-backer? I think not.

Obama is a failure as a Senator. He has DONE NOTHING for his constituents while in office. If he had any kind of leadership skills, George Bush would not be able to continue his unabated arrogance and terrible failures as President. Obama is the poster boy for the Dems and he has been given a political environment where everybody and their mother are against Bush and Obama and the dems do nothing but pass non binding legislation which has no backbone to it.

As a politician, Obama is the same, non binding and no backbone. Obama is all about trying to get face time in front of the cameras and trying to be the next King Jr. Other then that he brings nothing to the table and is a failure.

Smoke and mirrors, nothing more.

Dave -- let's balance your breathy proclamation that Warren Buffet supports your man Obama with a few facts from the article:

1) He actually said he supports Obama AND Clinton.

"NEW YORK -- Billionaire Warren Buffett said he'll lend a hand to either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama if they seek his aid in their quests for the White House."

2) Buffett is a longtime Democratic supporter who has donated to Clinton this year:

"Buffett generally donates to Democrats, though he's given to Republicans. He gave $2,100 to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack's failed campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination last year and at least $2,300 to Clinton's campaign this year, Federal Election Commission filings show. He also donated $5,000 to Hopefund, the leadership political action committee run by Obama, in 2005."

3) And finally, Buffett said "I'm for both," meaning Obama AND Clinton.

Someone who reads your post might infer that Buffett has put his weight solely behind Obama, which, as you know, is not the case.

Maybe Obama wouldn't need protection if he wasn't being threatened by racists. Golly, I wonder what party said racists are a part of? Hmmm...

The Freepers should learn to control their base before blaming Obama for needing protection.

jw...

the ONLY reason you'd compare Obama to MLK is because he's half black. Careful, you may betray some level of bigotry there on your part. Because, frankly, Obama has jack squat in common with MLK...I can't fathom what would lead you to that comparison. I'll bet you think Al Sharpton and Michael Jordan have a lot in common as well. They're both black, right?

Obama has a solid platform he's running on...it's all over the internet if you care to look. He's also a very good speaker (unlike Bush), is obviously very bright (unlike Bush), thoughtful (unlike Bush), and he doesn't invite hatred (like Bush). Hold his inexperience against him if you like, but I'd argue that electing a guy with little Senatorial experience is better than electing a guy with a godawful gubernatorial track record (once again...Bush).

Experience is overrated, and it's not uncommon for Presidents to have little of what people tend to consider "viable" experience. How much did George Washington have? Get over it.

Folks, Senator Obama appeals to many more than just one or two groups or demographics, and it's because he's been there, done that - he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth, yet he had a caring mother and grandparents who did everything they could for him. It paid off. He was a somewhat typical teenager and young person, and got his act together sufficiently to graduate well enough to later be admitted to Harvard! Anyone read his two books? He's also a self-made man, making his lonely way at Columbia and NYC, defining himself through life experiences and his environment sometimes, at others taking himself in hand, eschewing the everlasting round of college parties and running several miles a day, getting into shape mentally and physically, carving out goals and a mission in life, seeking a wider path of service rather than the narrow, individualistic one most of us seek in America today, sticking to his convictions despite discouragement and closed doors, going with the one door that opened in Chicago and staying with what could only be the most rigorous slog there is: What, $10,000 a year plus $2,000 for a vehicle? In 1983? Three years later a secretary could earn $25,000 in the same city! I know, I was such a secretary in that windy city. How did he keep body and soul together in those trenches? Obviously a passion that consumed him, that kept him and many others on task, and finally bore fruit and a place in that community. After Harvard he returned to Chicago, sought meaningful work, not a highly paid position, and the rest is history. This doesn't sound like fly-by-night, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants behavior but rather gut-wrenching, lonely decisions, made on the basis of values and principles, sown early in life. No privileged experiences here, but goals won through discipline and deliberate effort. Growing up, in and out of America, of white and black parentage - come on, anyone understand what that's like? He could be that angry young man we all read about and even know. He has much to offer young and old, rich and poor and every demographic. He is also an example, an achiever (Harvard, Harvard Review president etc.) who can rightfully take his place with those at the upper end of academe. Back off folks, and look at the facts - they are quite astounding, quite apart from his ability to 'connect' and speak eloquently and cogently to America today.

"Hey, Obama says, 10 thousand killed in Kansas tornado, I wonder if he even knows where Kansas is located. Cliff"

I expect he does, Cliff. His mother grew up in Wichita (do you know where that is?) before the family moved to Seattle. But don't let me interrupt your rant - we're all hanging on your every word....

Frosty,

Obama is nothing. He is not going to get elected to anything. He is failing miserably at what he does...unless his platform is to make impassioned speeches and go back to his office and accomplish nothing.

Obama is supposedly the poster boy for the dems and the voters gave them the majority to stand up to Bush and and end the madness of Bush.

Obama is afraid of Bush. So are the dems. They will only gain more seats in the upcoming elections because people will vote against the republicans...that is, if the dems dont screw that up to and dont gain the seats that the voters are trying to take from the repubs.

Obama doesn't have the ability to lead his way out of a paper bag. He could have the greatest platform in the world but he cant get anything done. He is not capable. If he was, he would be getting things done in the Senate. Its simple, all the dems have to do is not fund the war and Bush is out of business. Obama is a dem leader and does nothing. Obama is a fake. He is afraid of Bush. George Bush has done whatever he wants because the dems (except for Pelosi and Reid have no guts) and even those two do not have it in them to take action for the WILL of the people of America.

I'll say it again...Obama likes to sound impassioned in his speeches like MLK and your right Obama is no MLK. Does my earlier comment and current comments have anything to do with Obama being half black? ABSOLUTELY!

Because that is a group that Obama tries to appeal to and you're telling me that Obama doesn't also try to use his "Blackness" to do so??? Of course he does!

Sorry frosty your racist race card doesn't work. I simply stated the truth with to whom and to how Obama appeals to African Americans...and a big way he does so is based on race.

Please frosty, put your race card back in your wallet. Its expired, Its overplayed, I dont accept it here, its been stamped as hypocritical, it has no redeeming value except in the minds of the weak.

Get in the real world of race relations today.

Hey, Obama says, 10 thousand killed in Kansas tornado, I wonder if he even knows where Kansas is located. Cliff
Posted by: cliff zeider | May 10, 2007 9:27:52 AM

... As opposed to President Bush. Hurricane? What hurricane? New Orleans is gone? Oh well, I'll be back from vacation in a few days.

Sorry everyone but Hilary will get the nomination and Obama will run vice president. The slogan they will use "don't be a sexist or racist vote Clinton/Obama". They will win. They will live in isolation, security will be supreme. They will both quit after 60 days of the same HBO movies everyday, then Ross Perot will save us with his Vodoo stick

This is not even a tempest in a teapot.
I do not know why it is even worth writing about.

ROFLMAO! OMG how funny now that people are finally wakimg up to the fact that Democrat US
Senator Barack Obama is just another Big Ego Power Mad Phony Lying Empty Suit that has been
conning all you folks all along here!

Comments will be scrutinized by party central and if found to be not in accordance with the party's ethos, the offender will be brought to the gulag and shot.

(Some pigs still feel they have more rights than others.)

ANTI-AMERICAN C E N S O R S H I P!!!!!

WAKE UP AMERICA!
YOUR VOICE COUNTS!