Surge of a different kind for Obama

Danny Diaz sounds alot like our very own RNC Bruce, right down to the poll fetish. What an amazing coincidence!

I wonder if Hijabs scare Diaz as much as they terrify Bruce?

Ooooooo, the Republican Party doesn't like Obama - I'm scared! And since 8 years of Republican rule has been so wonderful, I'm sure we are all eager to get FOUR MORE YEARS! lol

Mr president
I am a retired professor from brazil and I wish you the best. You have restaured in me the faith in America I have known( I'm 63). So I wish you will be the next US president. If I can do something to help you, please let me know. Thank you for your pledge in hope.

Obama was NEVER partner at a law firm. He was a summer associate in the Chicago offices of Sidley Austin LLP (then Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP) but never joined even as a full-time associate, let alone partner as this article alludes to.

Why must people lie in attempting to smear others?

As an Englishman I strongly believe Sen B.Obama is the ideal man to lead America and,therefor, the rest of us in the free world. He oozes confidence and gives us all great hope. It is your election not mine. I wish you all 'good luck'

If the Dems nominated Jesus Christ himself, the RNC would smear him. Who care's? It only shows how utterly without priniciples and devoid of ideas the Republican party is right now.

I think it will be very interesting to see how well this "republican attack machine" works anymore. I mean, we've had nearly twenty years of it and it hasn't done s%#t for America.
Unlike any other presidential candidiate Mr. Obama seems to have the abilty to inspire action and a sense of common goals amongst a wide variety of Americans. DO NOT underestimate this ability.
Go ahead and attack all you want Die Hard republicans, chances are you will be met with a huge mirror instead of a winning presidential candidate.
You had your chance, nothing gets done and far too many americans hate one another.
A house divided...

Mr president
I am a retired professor from brazil and I wish you the best. You have restaured in me the faith in America I have known( I'm 63). So I wish you will be the next US president. If I can do something to help you, please let me know. Thank you for your pledge in hope.

Posted by: CARLOS SEPULVEDA | January 8, 2008 12:04 PM

I smell winger here. A professor who can't spell?

I just had the thought today - what does Senator Obama know about economics and holding the country together in case of financial crisis or economic disaster? After Obama become elected Senator in Illinois, he has spend his short career in the Senate promoting his book and to campaign for President wasting Illinois taxpayers money to pay for his salary.

Voters need to take a further look at actual qualifications rather than the rising star status that Obama has claimed.

We know very little about Obama. He is charismatic- may be…but what exactly he had done in his life to show that he is going to be wise president that America need right now? Remember, the primary process is to find the best candidate TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT, not the most charismatic Democrat to be on the cover of GQ magazine.
I think before people will run and vote for the guy, who had nothing to offer, but hope, they should at least ask some questions and get straight answers.

Obama admitted to being "broke"?

Funny how the RNC forgets that their own President ran his own oil company into bankruptcy?

The Republicans are very afraid of Obama. They were/are all rooting for Hillary to win the nomination, as they have MUCH more ammunition to use against Hillary than they do against the junior senator from Illinois . . . .

Anytime Republicans fight back against the cardboard celebrity candidates - Hillary and Obama, it's labeled a smear job by the 'Republican Attack Machine'. Our country deserves serious, qualified legislators and executives, not pseudo- movee starz. Respect what is at stake.

I think the neo-Cons need to check out RealClearPolitics.com and look at the head-to-head poll match-ups. Obama beats every Repub. and in one, against McCain, they split the poll sample.

The GOP may be licking thier lips with the though of running against Obama, but unlike Hillary for which they have 20 years of talking points, they have none for Obama. Quite an up-hill battle.

I think we all know the Republicans will lie about Senator Obama to destroy him. Look what they did to a decorated war hero. I'm just waiting for the racist commercials similar to the ones run against Harold Ford, Jr. And of course the mainstream media will play them over and over for free, just like with Ford.

Quote of the Day

"He's very uplifting and all, but is it real?"
Barbara Muchi, undecided N.H. voter on Barack Obama

Believe it Barbara!!!

Obama in 2008

As a true American Patriot, Diaz should review the mess the Republicans contributed to the American society while at the helm and talk about pushing the country out of its current despondency. His deceptive political spin is symptomatic of the ills of the beast that is the Republican National Congress. Misleading America? What a life.

The RNC sounds like they are unprepared at the prospect of Obama getting the nomination. Just shows you how out of step with American they are.

i can't wait for the republicans to come up with their buzz words to brainwash us this time... last election it was "flip flopper" which was total Bull, but in the end, people heard it so much they actually believed it.

so what will be obamas catchy negative phrase???

I wonder how long it's going to take for Obama to have his "Antoin Rezko" moment. It should then get interesting.

How DARE the GOP urge reporters to question St. Barack!!!!

Don't they know that the duty of a DNC Swamp reporter is to pass along every Obama press release, and otherwise do anything to promote Obama's candidacy?

Expecting a DNC Swamp reporter to ask Obama some hard questions is like expecting Bill Clinton to criticize Hillary.

"the primary process is to find the best candidate TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT"

What the heck are you smoking? Look at who's currently in office. How was an idiot chosen to represent the Republicans seven years ago? Bozo the Clown would have been a better choice.

qualified legislators and executives, not pseudo- movee starz...
______________________________
You mean like Ronnie Rayguns, Herr Gropinator and Freddie Thompson?

Mr president
I am a retired professor from brazil and I wish you the best. You have restaured in me the faith in America I have known( I'm 63). So I wish you will be the next US president. If I can do something to help you, please let me know. Thank you for your pledge in hope.

Posted by: CARLOS SEPULVEDA | January 8, 2008 12:04 PM

I smell winger here. A professor who can't spell

Posted by: bill r

You do realize that portuguese is the spoken language in Brazil?

As for Senator Obama, its not his personal knowledge or experience that is important here. Its his ability to make sound decisions and to lead. Obama obviously is very good at getting people to follow his lead. He makes good decisions about the people who work for him and he takes their advice. Obama is not a super-human, the reason he has been able to field such a strong organization is by being a strong leader with vision, and getting the most out of the people who work for him.

"Remember, the primary process is to find the best candidate TO BE ELECTED PRESIDENT, not the most charismatic Democrat to be on the cover of GQ magazine."

I doubt that the best candidate to be elected president is ever chosen during the primaries. The Democratic and Republican "machines" help drive their respective candidates that have the best chance to be elected by the voting public in November so that the party agendas may be implemented.

"Obama was NEVER partner at a law firm. He was a summer associate in the Chicago offices of Sidley Austin LLP (then Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP) but never joined even as a full-time associate, let alone partner as this article alludes to.

Why must people lie in attempting to smear others?

Posted by: David Kirui | January 8, 2008 12:06 PM

Thank you! I can't believe that was in the original article without a note from Mr. Tankersley that the accusation isn't true. Liberal media, my aunt fanny.

I have heard so much vitriol from the republican commenters over the years. Can they actually be surprised about the public's dismissal of their press releases? I saw a comment earlier about cut and run and wasting all of that money. Why do republicans refuse to acknowledge that the public has long caught on that all of the reasons we went to war in Iraq were lies and everything that has happened there has been the cause of Bush. He has created his own hell and American armed service personnel are paying for it.
There is no none else to blame as far as I can see. Listen to the republicans? Never, unles you suffer from an abuse complex.

I do not understand the identification of Barack as a celebrity. He is excedingly articulate and one of the best orators to take a podium. That is likely why he gets more media coverage. Have you ever watched football post-game interviews? The interview goes to the person that can articulate the game. It is too bad GWB has led some to expect a presidential candidate to make up words, misspeak, and communicate so that all elementary students can understand the vocabulary.

DNC better get up to speed.

They need to match 10 attacks for every one RNC attack.

Defense is for losers.

"what does Senator Obama know about economics and holding the country together in case of financial crisis or economic disaster?"

Nancy, what does W know about these subjects? I'm willing to give Obama the opportunity to at least try to heal the country - economically and spiritually. I suspect that the spiritual healing will lead to a good deal of economic healing; we do better when we feel better about ourselves. That's not mamby pamby nonsense - just a law of the universe. Also, if he's not a good President, we can always elect someone else in 4 years. Ain't this great country!

The tidal wave of support for Obama and his message speaks largely to how people are turned off by what the status quo has become in America...its the Republicans that have practiced divisive politics which have nearly brought the country to its knees...before Bush, it was Bill Clinton that "out-Republicaned" the
Republicans to earn the presidency in the early 90's. The American people have been taken for a ride for nearly two decades now. It is the preceding 16 years that have brought things to the point where Obama is receiving this type of support. Thus far, he has done an excellent job of setting himself apart from the politics-as-usual crowd. No better evidence than the fact that candidates Republican and Democrat have jumped on the Change Bandwagon. They all realize how far apart he is from them and they are all playing catch-up. We will have to wait and see if anyone can steal his change message. I don't think it is very likely.

"what does Senator Obama know about economics and holding the country together in case of financial crisis or economic disaster?"

One of his best friends is Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. That's not a bad start.

I just had the thought today - what does Senator Obama know about economics and holding the country together in case of financial crisis or economic disaster? After Obama become elected Senator in Illinois, he has spend his short career in the Senate promoting his book and to campaign for President wasting Illinois taxpayers money to pay for his salary.

Voters need to take a further look at actual qualifications rather than the rising star status that Obama has claimed.

Posted by: Nancy Gorman | January 8, 2008 12:27 PM

Nancy... we are coming out of 8 years of "Presidency by CEO". How's it working out for our economy?

I'll tell you how. It's working out WONDERFULLY for the CEO class and legacy wealth... for the other 99% of us, not so great.

We don't need another 8 years of people who supposedly know everything about the economy, but use that "knowledge" to bend the economy to serve the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the rest of us.

We need someone who understands culture and morality and leads with those in mind. Barack Obama doesn't need to be a former Fed Chairman or Treasury Secretary to lead the country through economic troubles. He hires a Fed Chairmain and Treasury Secretary to advise and manage on these issues.

I'll take a guy who believes in actually helping EVERYONE over someone who believes the economy is a personal smorgasbord that's to be used to help yourself and your country-club buddies.

The reason Obama doesn't have all this experience buiilding personal wealth is because he's CHOSEN a different path.

When Obama was leaving Harvard, as the first black editor in chief of the Harvard Law Review, do you not think he could have had ANY FRIGGIN JOB he wanted? One that paid Uber-money? One that led to CEO-status on the fast-path? Of course he could have. But he chose much, much less PERSONAL wealth in order to join a small firm that specialized in civil rights cases.

Now THAT'S the kind've man I want as President. Someone who believes in helping others, even if it means less for himself.

Fred Thompson has a profound understanding of the Constitution of the United States of America. The people of California chose Schwarzeneger after the economicly disatrous years of Gray Davis. Reagan did not just talk about "change" in some nebulous way. He destroyed the Soviet Empire and left America in a better place. Little, anti-Semitic Jimmy Carter still can't figure out the major global changes that Reagan initiated without any actual cataclysmic event occurring. I don't have a need to make this stuff up.

Anytime Republicans fight back against the cardboard celebrity candidates - Hillary and Obama, it's labeled a smear job by the 'Republican Attack Machine'. Our country deserves serious, qualified legislators and executives, not pseudo- movee starz. Respect what is at stake.

Posted by: B. V. Scott | January 8, 2008 12:47 PM

You know.. people like Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwartzenegger.

Oh.... yeah.

Fred Thompson has a profound understanding of the Constitution of the United States of America. The people of California chose Schwarzeneger after the economicly disatrous years of Gray Davis. Reagan did not just talk about "change" in some nebulous way. He destroyed the Soviet Empire and left America in a better place. Little, anti-Semitic Jimmy Carter still can't figure out the major global changes that Reagan initiated without any actual cataclysmic event occurring. I don't have a need to make this stuff up.

To the people who say "we know little about Obama," my suggestion: get off your lazy duff and read one of the two books he's had published and look at the Illinois General Assembly public record to EDUCATE YOURSELF about a candidate you are considering (I know that may be a bit much to ask from your "average voter" but, c'mon, give it a try!). That statement is NOTHING BUT A COP-OUT for your laziness of not reading his memoirs (which, I might add did not exist for Bush when he was "elected") and not scouring his legislative record for yourself. If you choose to be ignorant of the candidates, I'd prefer that you choose to stay home on election day.

To my knowledge, that Obama was ever a Partner at a law firm is a FALSE statement, i.e., a LIE. He was a professor. He made his first "big money" when his book went into reprint and shot up in popularity during his campaign for U.S. Senate.

A tad bit of journalistic integrity - even in a column or editorial - is not too much to ask...or at least, I wouldn't think that it is...but then again, the corporate media rarely lives up to what a reasonable person would expect from a free, objective media outlet.

Change?
Does this make Obama the REFORM candidate? LOL ... how droll. To think some people are actually falling for this centuries old ploy.

The idea of change will lose its luster when the average voter sees that the politicians are talking about each of us changing. When we want to change, we do just that.
(To paraphrase)
Don't change you
Don't change me
Change the man behind the tree
This also applies to "out of control". We don't want to be controlled but we want everyone else to be.

Actually the GOP doesnt fear Obama as much as the dems fear John McCain. WHen you put McCain on one side and Obama on the other it is a pretty uneven matchup and Obama cant come close to anythin McCain has done. McCain was a Naval hero who spent 5 years in a Vietnam POW camp and has been known as one of the few Senators who will work with the "other" side to get things done. He is a true Maverick. I relish an election pitting McCain vs Obama just so people can see just how little Obama has ever really accomlished in his life next to a REAL man who deserves to be president. McCain is from a generation when men were men. He is the last of a great kind. I am hoping the GOP will get smart and put McCain out there to win the 2008 election. Go John we are behind you.

The blogs have been so busy, I have been trying hard not to comment. But just some observations.

In 2000, I invited Barack Obama to be our conference banquet speaker (International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law) in St. Louis. The honorarium was supposed to be $500, but the offer was made at $300 so we could be flexible. He accepted the $300. We pay 10 times that amount for people to make sales calls on other universities, and someone like Scalia gets paid something like 100 times that (no kidding). If that's not a broke state senator, what is?

Now, about handling money. I have given to date $879 to the Obama campaign and I have been in their offices a few times seeing how my money has been spent. Every dollar I feel has been managed in an exemplary fashion. What does Obama know about budgets? Well, his campaign just handled 100 million dollars and got a lot of bang for the buck. In contrast, McCain's campaign went broke and had to dismiss its first manager because it didn't know what it had spent 20 million dollars on.

Now if you are talking about macroeconomic policy, I think you just need to look over at the U Chicago and Harvard economics faculties, since their professors are falling over each other to get in line for an Obama administration. My Harvard classmate, who served in the Clinton administration and may someday win a Nobel Prize for economic history and its relation to internet technology, will probably endorse Obama soon in hopes of an appointment, now that Hillary has fallen on her own sword. Whether you want your economy run by a bunch of high-achieving scholars who write books is another question. But basically the choice is between democratic economists and republican economists, and the actual President does not matter, unless he/she is so corrupt as to make appointments based on personal friendships.

Finally, for people who want to see what is behind the GQ covers, please read the articles. The beauty of this candidacy is that the more you look, the better. It's surprising for those of us who thought Bill Clinton was a good president (he was a good change of pace, but that's all), because our standards had been pushed so low. I bet he's not the only one in the ages 36-50 who is qualified because he earned what he has, on his own merits, who will speak with candor and respect to the American people, and who is willing to push aside the lobbyists -- it does seem to be a generational shift in leadership. Why would one think that this big, great country, could not produce men like Barack Obama to lead us (or women, like half of the Ivy League colleges these days)? Why would one think for a second that Bushes and Clintons are the best that this country has to offer?

One of the criticisms right-wing republicans direct at Obama is the he is "too liberal". Following is the difinition of liberal in Webster's New World dictionary: "belonging to the people; free to grow, rise; tolerant of views differing fron one's own." Difinition of conservative: resistant to change; intolerant of the views of others;

Robert, a liberal in Buckeye, AZ

What Obama has done for the American people will prevail whether he is elected or not. He has empowered those who listened to his message.

He speaks of "we", not "I".

The American people have been disenfranchised, have felt helpless and apathetic for too long.

VIVA OBAMA

B. V. Scot,
You mean people like Bush and Cheney?

B. V. Scot,
You mean people like Bush and Cheney?

How DARE the GOP urge reporters to question St. Barack!!!!

Don't they know that the duty of a DNC Swamp reporter is to pass along every Obama press release, and otherwise do anything to promote Obama's candidacy?

Expecting a DNC Swamp reporter to ask Obama some hard questions is like expecting Bill Clinton to criticize Hillary.

Posted by: Bruce | January 8, 2008 1:34 PM

bruce sees it slippin' away, the old slime machine just not gettin' it done any more. RNC to bruce, you're fired!

Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye

Michele,
Can you tell that your candidate does?
Or BUSH/CLINTON are experts in economics?

The RNC - they're the Daleks of reality. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

The fact that Obama is attracting so many voters is because he represents something different. The reason the RNC is already attacking him, is because he does not display the vulnerabilities that the RNC typically uses to attack, attack, attack - divide the country by race, by religion, by sex, by education, by region (go to a rodeo in Wyoming is you want to see this in spades!) I can easily support any of the three leading Democratic candidates, and if it is Obama,thats fine with me.
BTW, you might want do a search on the chronology of Abraham Lincoln. He was probably accused of not being "ready" or experience either. I think its bogus. The main thing the persons ability to lead, and I think Obama can do it.

Barack serves the needs of the American People. He has a genuine trust that we can feel emotionally, mentally, and we come to play physically when he becomes president. I never donated before this election and I have already donated $500.00 and I make 30k. But with barck at the forefront I will soon make more and my money will go farther.

Actually the GOP doesnt fear Obama as much as the dems fear John McCain. WHen you put McCain on one side and Obama on the other it is a pretty uneven matchup and Obama cant come close to anythin McCain has done. McCain was a Naval hero who spent 5 years in a Vietnam POW camp and has been known as one of the few Senators who will work with the "other" side to get things done. He is a true Maverick. I relish an election pitting McCain vs Obama just so people can see just how little Obama has ever really accomlished in his life next to a REAL man who deserves to be president. McCain is from a generation when men were men. He is the last of a great kind. I am hoping the GOP will get smart and put McCain out there to win the 2008 election. Go John we are behind you.

Posted by: Vinny | January 8, 2008 3:20 PM

Vinny.... you think an electorate screaming for Change is going to choose a 71-year old, stiff as plywood, 25-year congressman from the Republican party who wants essentially no changes from George Bush's policies over an energetic, youthful oratory master like Obama?

LOL... right.

Obama is ALREADY winning over McCain's voters and we're not even out of the Primaries yet!

Can you blame the guy for attacking the democrats. It is not as if there is anything for the republican leadership to brag abou.

A sure sign of a platform that has no merit is a platform that attacks others.

It's hilarious reading NeoCon posters and watching FOX News the last few days... They're PANICKED....

Today's NeoCon republican sounds like an 80's hair-rocker when Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came out.

Despite the desperate spinning and repetition of the same old out-of-style slime partisan politics, all I really read/hear is "Uh.. oh... Party's over".

I was watching Fox last night and this Right-wing partisan Hack was visibly upset at how (paraphrasing, but in her own words) "Barack Obama is so unhatable".... she was like a kid with a slingshot and a pocket full of stones, but nothing to shoot at. And she was sad that we seem to be taking Hillary out out of her sights and replacing her with Obama, a guy so likeable, intelligent, dignified, and.. well... Presidential that if you try to slime him, you just come off looking like utter trash.

There's a movement afoot... And the republicans are scared.

Obama has enough experience to lead as any other candidate. As with any other candidate,once in office, they deligate, have cabinet members and administrative personal. The "experience" statements are to discourage voters, just as the "not qualified" statement about Jessie Jackson when he ran. The "requirements" were revealed, 35 years old and a US citizen. WOW what a list of qualifications to run this country. I'm a female working in a mans field, I HAVE TO KNOW TWICE AS MUCH and WORK TWICW AS HARD to survive in this field. I notice with african-americans they have to comply to the same standard,KNOWING TWICE AS MUCH AND WORKING TWICE AS HARD. Accepting this policy has taught me to turn the anger into energy and let it push me to excel. Doing this charges you and others around you. I get charged EVERYTIME I hear and see Obama, because I know what it takes to enter & excel in a field that welcomes you with closed arms. GO OBAMA GO!!!

It concerned me at first that Sen. Obama did not have a thick portfolio of experience, and truth be told, I still have some hope for Edwards (I saw him speak at the New Trier Dems in Dec of '05 and he was on fire!). However, someone pointed out to me (and more than once on this blog) about where we've gotten under the 'experienced' leadership of Bush and Cheney.

In fact, as I recall, Cheney and Rumsfeld were in President Nixon's cabinet; weren't we involved in another quagmire in southeast Asia at the time? Didn't we completely fail to get anywhere in said country? And these two led with all of their 'experience' led us right into another military disaster.

No, if Obama wins I'll gladly take his 'inexperience', his oratory, and his INTELLIGENCE! And as for the Neocons? Well, if Reagan, Bush I and Bush II aren't a clear enough picture of how NOT to run a country, then I don't know what else to tell you.

I am a democrat who is going to voute for John McCain...in case Obama from kindergarden win pimary. Go Hillary Clinton!!!

Expecting a DNC Swamp reporter to ask Obama some hard questions is like expecting Bill Clinton to criticize Hillary.

Posted by: Bruce | January 8, 2008 1:34 PM

Bruce the full time Swamp detractor. Get over it!!!

"The RNC - they're the Daleks of reality. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Excellent reference. Thanks for mentioning my adventures - now how about a jelly baby?