Obama fingers a 'gotcha' debate

The two most inane and vacuous performances of the debate season came last night in Pennsylvania. I'm writing, of course, of ABC moderators George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson. Both were pathetic.

The day after an Iraqi brigade cuts and runs, the same day a suicide bomb kills 50 people attending a funeral in Baghdad, and the same day President Bush blows more smoke about climate change, we're treated to such gems as

* a barely coherent question from Stephanopoulos about the Weather Underground, last heard from sometime around 1969;

* an invitation from Gibson for the candidates to discuss the mutterings of Mario Cuomo, a politician who hasn't been in the national spotlight for 20 years;

* wasting the time of voters, viewers, and both candidates by pushing them on trivialities that they both addressed time and again;

* two videotaped questions that insulted the voters of Pennsylvania by implying that they care most about who wears a flag lapel pin and how many time Hillary Clinton has to address her memory lapse or fantasy or whatever you want to call it about being under sniper fire in Yugoslavia. Hey, I enjoy watching a politician forced onto a rhetorical Slip-n-Slide as much as the next guy, but enough already;

* frankly unbelievable interrogations from both moderators in which they appeared to express great concern for those making $200,000+ a year. You'd think that there weren't 50,000,000 people without health insurance. And yet it's Barack Obama who is the elitist!;

* still more questions to Obama about Reverend Jeremiah Wright. George, Charles: HE'S TALKED ABOUT IT TIME AND AGAIN. HE GAVE A MAJOR SPEECH ON RACE RELATIONS THAT YOU APPARENTLY MISSED. EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT HE HAS TO SAY ON THE MATTER.

It took nearly an hour of Gibson acting like he was trying out for a role on Law And Order and Stephanopoulos alternating between lobbing softballs to Clinton and attempting to ambush Obama for anything remotely resembling a pertinent question to surface. A revolting, pathetic, embarrassing 90 minutes from two men who apparently did not take their charge seriously in any way. And the MSM says Obama is out of touch?

Personal Disclosure: My mother's family is from Pennsylvania. I have spent many happy days there. I know for a fact that the people there are more informed and care about matters of greater substance than the dolts at ABC led the rest of the United States to believe.

It's hard to imagine the MSM sinking any lower than last night. But, at least one of them will find a way to show the rest of us that the bottom of the barrel is farther down than anyone previously believed. Bet on it.

Thanks for posting the video. Not sure what the pinky finger means, other than being somewhat effete. I am troubled by Obama's sarcasm, and rabblerousing rhetoric (though I had read about it earlier today, "seeing" it was much more powerful). He sounded a lot like his pastor, J. Wright! Is this the kind of man we want running our country? And the members of the audience were like members of a cult. Scary.

Obama spells doom for this country. Not only because of his dubious affiliations with mob members like Rezko and criminals like Auchi, but because of his lack of experience and bias education especially his bizarre religious affiliations. He is like silly putty; able to change his ideas for the public as needed so as to achieve his goal as supreme leader.

His intentions are unclear, but his affiliations are clear. Being surrounded with people like the violent Ayers, or the Hiteresque Wright, or his American hating wife Michelle, or his Kenyan half brother Islamic Jihad terrorist Abongo “Roy” Obama, or his Jewish/Israeli hating best friend Rashid Khalidi, or his close advisor Robert Malley who advocates supporting and helping the terrorist group Hamas, or Mr. McPeaks, Obama’s military advisor who open believes American Jews are the "problem." and “Christian Zionists were driving America's policy in Iraq to benefit Israel,” or Obama’s super delegate and major long term supporter Senator Meeks who openly hates and distrust all whites and gays or Obama’s most dangerous affiliation to Mr. Auchi who was Saddam Hussein right hand man and made billions in Iraq and has been a important supporter and behind the scene man throughout Obama’s rise to power.

And besides all this questionable laundry in Obama’s life, another serious question is why is Obama protected and promoted by the media? Is this also being directed from behind the scenes? The American public has been fooled before and I guess those in power know we can be fooled again. (Kennedy’s assassination, Martin Luther King’s assassination, the invasion of Iraq…).

The fact that Obama has made it this far demonstrates the collective lack of discriminative intelligence and education of this country. And nothing demonstrates this better than how well Obama plays his black card; which plays on our fear of being labeled a racist.

are you honestly trying to make something out of him scratching his face with his middle finger?

i swear, the media are like an untrained dog that can't stop crapping on the floor.

you know, silva, i think if you look very closely, the stripes on his tie actually say "i love iran" in very small letters.

This is setting up to be another typical Republic Party screw job of America again this fall.

GOP platform:

Starving Poor People? Screw'Em

Bad Education? Screw 'Em

Science- Screw' It

Death by Spreadsheet? Screw 'Em

Dead Iraqis? Screw 'Em

Woman and Minorities? Screw 'Em

Youth? Screw 'Em

Hillary Clinton- Screw'Em....err...uh....not yet....we kinda like her.....for now...

Get ye'r guns out, Wingnuts cause we gonna Screw 'Em all just like we did in 2000 and 2004!

pkgoode: The questions were fair and Obama should have to answer questions in front of a national crowd about his sketchy relationships with Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, and what he meant when he made his elitist comments about people clinging to guns and religion because the government is letting them down and they are bitter. The only reason you liberals are so upset is because your messiah wasn't handed a pillow and asked what he wanted to eat like the moderators on MSNBC and CNN asked him during the debates they hosted. Obama has been able to coast this entire time. Last night was one of the first times the mainstream press did their job and asked tough character questions about the candidates that are vying to be the President of the United States.

Obama and Clinton are toast. John McCain is going to be the next president. So much fun watching the truth come up about the liberal liars running for president.

What else can he say? He was the clear loser and for the first time he was expected to answer some serious questions. He lied again about his gun control questionaire and he did it on prime time TV but I'm sure he will find a way to blame that on Clinton. She came across as the clear winner and defnitely the stronger candidate to be president. It is time to vote smart and vote for Clinton,.

I don't know about Clinton but Obama clearly was "not in his element." Without a script in front of him, he stammers, responds agonizingly slowly, uses every verbal crutch from "ah" to "you know" with frequency. In other words, articulate he is not...without a speech to read...that someone else has written. Hollow is not quite adequate to describe him.

Thank you Bobby Alexson, thank you! Well put. The vapid lemmings aka Obama supporters are a collective disgrace. Rezko, the putrid Todd Stroger, and maybe worst of them all - his wife.

Obama: Didn't your mothers ever tell you "you are who your friends are"?

Siouxperdunce,

The only candidate that is getting a pass from the MSM is McCain. Just wait until McSleepy gets in front of an audience and has to debate Obama without his scripted bs on a teleprompter. Obama is going to expose him as the pathetic and clueless old man that he is. I am going to enjoy it immensely. President Obama, get used to it.

Dodging Fox News is one thing. But going on to the national news media that's not Fox News and not performing well and then blaming THEM for your own non-performance? Dumb.
Vilifying Hilary like a bitter Frat Boy?
Dumber still.
But now he's using his male privilege in a place where it's still REALLY okay to diss women: North Carolina. (Bet they hated Martha Stewart too).
Finally he shows himself for the thug he is. FLIPPING OFF Hilary Clinton?
And the stupid southerners cheered that. And even louder when he imitated a gesture meaning sexual assault and later explained it as 'knife twist"--and then flicking her off his shoulder and off his foot like she's dog poop?
Don't blame your opponent cuz you screw up, Barry!
Don't blame the mainstream media workers--did you think the editorial/advertising wall had fallen ENTIRELY down and would never be raised again during a Presidential election campaign? You can pay for a lot of ads with that Rezko money, mmm mmmm mmmm, but
they still have their credibility to preserve.
And Barry needed to answer some questions cuz he's screwed up a lot.
Topics covered:
The lies about what he knew and when about Rev. Wright's racism;
The lies about the 'bitter' comment---I mean it was gonna come up--particularly when the Obamites are hounding the brave journalist who made the tape of that nonsense.
It could have been worse.
Topics they could have covered:
* Michelle's lie about Obama being raised by a single mom who took food stamps-(-well, Obama wasn't living with her then, was he? He was living with a bank vice president grand ma--I guess they forgot about her after he threw her under the bus).
*Possible cointelpro links of Bill Ayers and Berjnadette Dohrn who were never really properly prosecuted for the Weather Underground crap that destroyed the SDS---why not flip them off, Barry? Or are you a spoiler too?
*the mid-campaign jetting to Caribean in middle of the Rezko trial—in which it was revealed some of the ‘fix’ from Rezko into IL state government arrived via faxes from the Caribbean—CASH OR DOCUMENTS SQUIRRELED OFFSHORE LIKE THE TOBACCO COMPANIES DID?
What
A
PUNK!

pkgoode, proudly wearing the robe of radical 40 years after trying to blow up the Capital is not like any of the examples you gave, and you know it.

Ayers wife participated in the killing of policemen. I suppose that is just one of those things that all of your pals have done, right. It's not like killing policemen in the commission of a felony is a bad thing, right? As long as you are liberal, you can kill as many cops as you want and you will still be adored by the press and left wing fanatics, like Obama.

I would bet that when Trent Lott had nice things to say about Strom Thurmund about something he did 40 years ago, you were livid, right? So why whine now? Oh, yeah it's YOUR guy people are knocking . . . .

So let's look at the people Obama decided to associate with;

His preacher of 20 years thinks AIDS is being used by the government to kill blacks, and that the federal government is selling drugs to keep black teens as addicts. Does Obama believe that? No reporter has the guts to ask.

(Obama lied by the way when on the View he said that Wright had apologized for these statements; there is no record of it.)

Obama's preacher-mentor is now building a 10,000 square foot home in a nearly all white suburb, after making it clear that he thinks whites are at fault for all the evils in the world.

Obama has been pals with a guy who is sleezy as it gets, Tony Rezko. Is there a list of the financial "help" Rezko has provided? Based on the indictments, which of Rezko's activities might Obama have been tied to in any way?

Obama is friendly, even helpful, with unrepentant terrorists. Ayers is still proud of his efforts to kill government officials. Is it smart for a government official to hang around a guy who might otherwise want to kill him, and proud of his attempts to do so in the past?

You and other liberals did not mind the Tribune digging up dirt on Jack Ryan, when the Tribune sued to open Ryan's sealed divorce documents. Obama did not mind that. Oh NO, he was happy to look into Ryan's past, a past that was weird but not unlawful. Now, all of a sudden, looking at what people did and who they hung around with is off limits, but only for Obama.

So which is worse, going to a strip club with your wife, or hanging around people who think it's OK to kill senators and congressmen? The Tribune clearly thinks that the strip club thing is worse, since it hid all the info about Ayers.

Think carefully - your hero has not.

Hey, here's an idea! why don't you buncha Hilly lovin' morons just go on and vote for her and give it a rest. You know if it weren't for the threat of her wiping my family out financially I'd almost say SURE have it your way. Because within 3 months you'd be crying and tearing your hair out saying Why? And frankly you'd just deserve what you got. No! Wait! better yet, here's a little something from the Huffington Post you might want to consider. Champion of the Working Man My BUTT...

Hilly's "REAL ATTITUDE " towards working class people
(Condensed from the Huffington post)

In January 1995, as the Clintons were licking their wounds from the 1994 congressional elections,
a debate emerged at a retreat at Camp David. Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party? The then-first lady took a less than inclusive approach.

"Screw 'em," she told her husband. "You don't owe them a thing, Bill. They're doing nothing for you; you don't have to do anything for them."

even more telling than Hillary Clinton's proclamation, however, were the words from her husband that followed. As reported by Barber, Clinton "stepped in, calm and judicious, not irritated, as if
rehearsing an old but honorable debate he had been having with his wife for decades."

I know how you feel. I understand Hillary's sense of outrage. It makes me mad too. Sure, we lost our base in the South; our boys voted for Gingrich. But let me tell you something. I know these boys. I grew up with them. Hardworking, poor, white boys, who feel left out, feel that our reforms always come at their expense. Think about it, every progressive advance our country has made since the Civil War has been on their backs. They're the ones asked to pay the price of progress. Now, we are the party of progress, but let me tell you, until we find a way to include these boys in our programs,
until we stop making them pay the whole price of liberty for others, we are never going to unite our
party, never really going to have change that sticks.

If the tone and tenor of the above sounds familiar, it's because the message, Boyte says, is
remarkably similar to what Obama was trying to convey in his now controversial remarks about
small town America.

I don't think Obama really gets it that people are looking for a president who stands up for you and
not looks down on you," Hillary said this week.

But those who were at the event say the 1995 episode fits into her larger viewpoint

So be careful what you ask for, it'd be a real slice of irony if you actually got it.

Clinton WAS in her element because anytime there's a debate about BS Lies and Smears, Clinton and her friends in the Republican Party have the country right where they want them, NOT TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ISUES THAT MATTER TO AMERICANS TODAY...

I'm surprised they didn't ask Obama if he killed Vince Foster.

Hillary Clinton is a Joe Lieberman scumbag turncoat Democrat, nothing more,
nothing less...

Well it finally happened. The tone of the coverage of the Democratic coverage has finally become worse then the tone of the Democratic campaign itself. I don't know why the first 45 minutes of the debate tuned into a bash the candidate’s orgy. I was shocked that ABC felt compelled to drag this campaign deeper into the mud by adding its own lump of coal to this process. With all the pressing matters of the day, why another day of bittergate, Bosniagate, flag pin gate and looking for whatever they can find newgate, makes me a better informed voter I just fail to see. It was the worst debate performance of the campaign and ABC deserves the lion's share of the blame!

Last night, the people who consider themselves to be the true "elites" of this nation began stepping up their game, showing us what Obama -- and we -- should start to expect if we keep pushing a candidacy that they can't control.

Last night, the corporate-controlled media and the right-wing noise machine and the RNC and the old Democratic party guard made it absolutely clear that they consider democracy, the netroots, and anybody who hopes for true change in America an anathema. The enemy. The other.

Last night, the people who've entrenched their control of this country and become fatter and happier during 24 years of the combined Bush and Clinton political dynasties said, "Not so fast."

Last night, people who truly believe they're better and more important than the rest of us told us to step the hell off.

Last night, they put us on notice that, once again, there's no bar below which they're not willing to crawl, no playing field they won't deliberately tilt off level, no lie they won't tell, no stunt they won't pull, no deck they won't stack, no dice they won't load to put the genie of an empowered U.S. public back in the bottle.

Which means...

Last night, Hillary Clinton and her good friends in the Republican Party blinked....

HA! So the moderators actually ask this young man some tough questions, and rather than face up to them like a grown up, he dodges, evades, and cries uncle. "Ohhh they were being so mean to me on camera! Michelle, George hurt my feelings and my image! Waaaaah!"

Well it's about damn time the media started treating the Golden Boy like they have been treating every other candidate who has been running in this race. I'm glad they took away his pillow for at least one debate.

I hope he's not too "bitter" about being exposed as an empty suit on live TV. He may now turn to Jesus or buy a shotgun and go a huntin'!

He flipped her off.
I use that gesture---it's a way of flipping off someone metaphorically in conversation, you rub your face with the middle finger instead of flipping them off.
And he did it after he said Hilary's name. He paused, flipped her off waited for the crowd to 'get it'.
good lord.

I think people sometimes forget just how far behind Clinton really is, she needs to win Pa by at least 20% in order to even stay competitive in this race.

Clintons fakeness isn't flying with a nation that has had their BS Meters™ working overtime for the last 7 years.

I think that's why Obama is so successful in deflecting this unprecedented media attack blitz. The nation truly is bitter, and part of that bitterness is towards the fourth estate having sold out their journalistic credentials for corporate profits

Obama's right, 45 minutes to get to something that will actually affect me and my family is 45 minutes too long of BS.
Clinton has nothing but the same old garbage...to bother him over an association with something Ayers did when Obama was 7 years old is the stupidest thing I've heard in years.

You people bringing this stuff up yet ignoring very real ethical lapses common to both Clintons throughout their entire public careers is the height of hypocritical behaviour.

Newsflash, you aren't going to vote for Obama, fine. It's America and you don't have to. But quit acting so transparently. I really hope he wins, and just like many of the earlier Presidents, I'll wait to see how many of you cross over the 2nd term because he actually addressed something of substance that affected you and your family.

We NEED change, and if you think Hillary and to a lesser degree McCain will change anything for you...who's kidding who?

Prepare to be innundated with screaming Obamabots saying it ain't so.

But I've done that very sneaky "finger move" myself, sitting in an employee meeting, and yeah, he did it.

He did it in a totally deniable way, but he did it.

This guy is a misogynist. Plain and simple. Watch the video.
Is this statesmanlike?
The only one in this race with 'friends' in the Republican party who want to hurt the core values of the democratic party--is Obama.
His spot in this race is a fraud. The repugs were allowed to cross over because of rules written in part because of the fear generated by that a***ole bill Ayers and his stupid group.
Yeah, I said it. Obama ain't for real.

again mr. obama is correct. all this nonsense brought up over and over does not allow a person running for office to address the very real issues facing our country. and this applies to either party. and then we as a people who feed off of this wonder why we do not know anything about what a person will do once in office. i am sorry to say but if all the dirty linen in the older folks who are running were really exposed i do not think it would be a pretty picture. how about some time spent on what our country needs to hear about and cut out all the nit picking

Jim Griffin, You quoted an unverifiable source. Mr. Arugula, Hawaiian Private School and Mrs. Obama's mink coat are all indicative of how inappropriate these people are.
Michelle makes 350,000 per yeear and Barack thinks he can be president after barely a year in the Senate.
Good god, we are fighting two wars and have a collapsing economy. The libertarian part of the Democratic party needs to go away. PLease. Leave the party to the progressives who are voting for the woman who puts children first.

I am sick of obama and his racebaiting ways.

You take a man whose wife, and indeed the company he keeps, is so obviously and blatantly focused on race (helloooo! "black liberation theology", michelle's "racial divide thesis", Obama's pastor insinuatig that every white person is responsible for the US government and their dirty actions,

then take a woman and man who actually walked with Martin Luther King Jr, and have been Dems all their lives, fighting for women's rights, pro-choice issues, etc...and then smack them with "racism" and blame them...for...Obama's huge swing of black people?

1)You're stupid if you believe Obama
2)Obama got the advantage for using race, not Clinton

If you can't connect the dots, and continue to see Obama as Bush supporters see Dumbya, with blind faith and support,

YOU ARE JUST LIKE BUSHBOTS

and I wish you'd leave the Democratic party.

C'mon. A guy can't touch his face without people reading into it. He touched his face with his pinky before his middle finger. Ooooo, what does that mean? He's got a Mini-Obama and is going to blackmail us for $1 MILLION DOLLARS? You people have too much time on your hands. Go read a history book or something. Get a grip.

There's nothing you can say. There are people on this board who are going to stick up for Hilly and bad mouth Obama no matter WHAT. She's using them (frankly I wonder how many of them are paid campaign writers, probably quite a few I'd wager) and their naivety to push her agenda in the Tribune. No surprise there.

Thank GOD this WILL end soon. She can't win Indiana or N. Carolina, and her hold on PA is tenuous at best. She's using every lie, innuendo, and fabrication she can cobble together to try and blunt Obamas advantage. And NONE of it is working.

She's just showing herself for the sleazy underhanded political Skank that she is. I honestly don't believe the Democratic party will let this go on much longer. June 3rd looks like execution day for Hilly's campaign. Me, I say good riddance to bad rubbish.

Obama says you have to expect that when you're running for president.

Hey pal, you aren't running for president, not yet. You're still running to beat Clinton to be the democratic nominee. You're nowhere near the presidency yet.

So now we've come to this - a fratboy thinks he can run for president of the United States and this is what we get- he FLIPS OFF his opponent!

We already have an immature fratboy in the White House. We cannot afford another. OBAMA is NOT qualified to be president - maybe president of his immature fraternity, but nothing higher.

Poor baby Barack - you LOST THE DEBATE and now you have to give the finger to a woman because, of course, it MUST BE HER FAULT! LOL!

A candidate for President of the United States flipping off a woman - his immaturity, his misogyny, his classlessness, his arrogance and his pure lack of manners are SHOCKING AND HORRIFYING.

This joke will NEVER be President. I hope FINGERGATE is his final WATERLOO.

Weave Bawack Awone!!!!!!

Hillary was in her element alright. In an unscripted debate without teleprompters where rhetorical poll tested, focus group Axerod astroturf B.S. doesn't help you. Obama is DOA. If Democrats are going to force this unelectabe empty suit on the party, and ignore 2.2 millin voters I'm out.

Anybody who thinks Obama was treated unfairly last night should simply replay all the previous debates where the moderators did not give him the same type of questions as they did Hillary and where some of them actually sneered at her. It would be great if we could have debates that are true debates without any media input, but we can't and at least in this one debate Obama was asked some tough questions -- which he should have been prepared to answer since they were all over the blogs before the debate. If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

Anybody who thinks Obama was treated unfairly last night should simply replay all the previous debates where the moderators did not give him the same type of questions as they did Hillary and where some of them actually sneered at her. It would be great if we could have debates that are true debates without any media input, but we can't and at least in this one debate Obama was asked some tough questions -- which he should have been prepared to answer since they were all over the blogs before the debate. If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

How a lot of you commenting here can expect political change to come from a guy wholly supported by proven change agents like Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, Tom Daschle and Donna Brazile, is a leap of faith that's completely beyond me.

I saw two different videos of this and he is clearly flipping Hillary off. Look at the two ladies behind him. They see it and get it. They whisper to each other and giggle. Is this really the kind of person we need in the White House?

Wow. People are fired up. At what though? These 2 candidates are 99% the same - check out their voting records, policy positions, etc. Heck, they're even #1 & #5 on the recent "most liberal" senator list.

In a nutshell:
- Both rail on President Bush for wasting $ on the Iraq War & ruining the economy, but propose TRILLION dollar nationalized healthcare that will make Iraq war spending look like chump-change
- Both support massive taxes / regulation of business over carbon emissions, based on suspect (at best) science - as does McCain
- Both support major increases in government to take care of you - which will cost you a ton more $ - as you can't be trusted to take care of yourself

Change? Yeah, it's change all right. Change to Socialism / State Planning.

As a life-long Democrat who has has canvassed for the party until my feet were sore, this is THE straw that broke the camel's back.

I will start a write-in Hillary campaign. I would not vote for this America-hating, lying, phoney, scumbag of a man for anything now. He can go to hell and lose the election at the same time. He can take Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi with him.

He did it, and the little smirk on his face after he did it tells me all I need to know about Senator Obama. How childish, how high school. This man has so much growing up to do it's incredible. Now I understand he doesn't want to do the debate in North Carolina that Hillary agreed to weeks ago. So not only is he immature and petty, he's also a coward.

I agree with many Obama was anything but articulate. I think it really shows what he would be like if he were elected to president. Would he get flustered because the press or leaders of other countries would ask him questions that he doesn't like to answer? Aparently he is only articulate when he has a speech in front of him. I admit I live in the Chicago area and voted for Obama the first two term. However, I have been seriously disinfranchised by his lack of work as a U.S. Senator. Most people are voting for him because they don't have a brain and want to put a dreamer in the White House. Let's put someone in there that will do more than day dream and write speeches people. We need someone who is going to pull this country out of the depression it is headed towards and Clinton is the only one who has proven herself worthy.

Ironically, the country says they can't trust her? However, it's a proven fact that men lie more than women and are predisposed to lying and thinking it is ok to do so.

I know if Hillary doesn't get the nomination, I will vote for the Republican idiot because that is how strongly I feel about experience.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS.....WHO YOU SOUROUND YOURSELF WITH MATTERS......

VOTE HILLARY IN 2008

"...where viewers need to pay some attention...."

Why? Is this more important than the war in Iraq? Is it more important than the foreclosure crisis? Is it more important than global warming?

This is EXACTLY the kind of inanity (if that's a word) that Obama is talking about and with which many of us agree.

And if Clinton goes on to win the nomination, I don't want to read one word of "complaint" from the media that she's not paying attention to their concerns. Of course she is.

The media's concerns appear to be middle fingers scratching foreheads or pastors saying that God was cursing America or Obama not wearing a pin.

For America's sake, grow up.

There is no doubt what he was doing in the video. I watched it over and over not believing what I was seeing. He even paused for emphasis. At the same time the crowd laughed even though he hadn't said anything to laugh at. If this what he represents and this is what his zombie represent God help us all.

Can you say "Macaca Moment"? This is it, Barry! Your very own!

And he gave Hillary the finger TWICE today - there are 2 different clips, with different people in back of him.

Conduct UNBECOMING a candidate for President of the United States - PERIOD!

Obama, you are an infantile bully - unqualified and arrogant. Not only that, YOU ARE TOAST!

As an independant I'm already sick of the democrats fighting. All these scandals has turned me off to Obama, and Clinton is a no deal from the get-go. Looks like this McCain fellow is all that's left.

I haven't voted republican since the first Bush in '88, and I can't believe I'll be voting republican after Bush. But these two democrat candidates are the worst I've seen since McGovern.

It was a flip-off. I've seen my son do the same thing to me during a silly argument we were having and it made me laugh.

But come on-

A presidential candidate giving the finger to his opponent during a stump speech after she cleaned his clock in a debate? The first debate where he was finally challenged a bit by moderators who don't get tingles up their legs when he speaks?

Even giving him the benefit of a doubt about the flipoff, the way he behaved during the speech was straight out of a Jr. High School locker room. That is not the type of speech that is going to bring the Party together.

Obama was in HIS element during the stump speech: An auditorium full of worshipers who cheer his every word. A land where there are no questions asked. A place somewhere over the rainbow where he can control the message all the time. A place that was far, far away from that big bad lady at the debate. The only thing missing were the ruby slippers.

Obama didn't give a hoot about the long term impact that stump speech will have on his ability to unify the party for the general election. That was a big mistake and it will come around to bite him later. Whether he likes it or not, he needs votes from Hillary supporters to win the General Election. The "republicans for a day" who helped him win some of the primaries will be MIA in November.

Mr. Hopey Uniter has suddenly morphed into Mr. Dopey Divider.

is interesting how in Chicago polls, over 70% of viewers thought Obama won .

In the national poll, it was almost a draw and within representative polls, Hillary won.

Chicago people are really blind and dumb. Why can't we agree that she won, no matter what and that Obama is the one that has been getting the softballs until now!

BLIND BIASED PEOPLE !!!!!!!!! That is it. Blind enough to believe his empty meaningless and inexperienced self talking as if he knew.

I don't know if Obama meant to flip Hillary the bird or not (I can't tell what's going on in his head) but the sheep, er, supporters in the audience certainly reacted positively to the action and seemed elated by it.
How divisive and unpresidential and this is someone from his own party. Imagine this petty cligue trying to negotiate with the senators and congressmen of the other party to get his agenda passed? Four more years of gridlock. Period.

Please don't say that Obama is tied to corruption because of Rezko. Obama cut all ties and returned all moneies raised by this scum!
AND, If that's all you have then you have to remain silent. Please take a look at the record number of pardons issued by Hillary's husband in 2000. If you try to convice me that there are no lingering favors from that you would have to be blowing smoke!

he's not flipping her off because SHE'S NOT THERE!!!!!
last night was an ambush by sensationalistic hacks and drama wannabes. move on.

Obama is a coward -- a coward who can't perform well in a debate and is now picking on Clinton for his dismal performance. What a whiny baby! What he did in that stump speech is despicable. I always admired how here in America, people could shake hands with their opponents and chit-chat and have a cordial relationship. But looking at this guy, no longer that is true. He has infiltrated American politics with street culture. Thuggery and intimidation from his campaign and his supporters are reminiscent of a third world country election. His own behavior is devoid of human dignity.

It seems that this nitpicking, calling names, etc. will never end. I am really fed up with it. And, those of you who are doing this on both sides call yourselves adults? I really can't wait for this interminal campaign to end.

Obama is becoming more like a 5 year old. Honestly, he's giving his opponent the finger? He's a joke. It's funny how his equally vulgar and immature supporters applauded.

Like the tread off a tire, the charm came off Obama.
Paraphrasing Garrison Keiller.
Got spoiled tires?

Absolutely disgusting. It sure does play into his aloof, elitist, 'hi i'm on a pedestal and treat me as such' attitude.

MSM better pick this up.

You guys are lunatics. I bet if this guy snizz it's going to be considered a insult by the HasBeen that you are. Him scratching hi face is now a issue. Unbelievable. He is right we need to dust ourselves off this kind of behavior. It reveals something more sinister. I didn't know people were so ignorant. Well i have news for you get ready. He is black and his name is Barack Obama you future Commander In Chief ( CINC Obama). After january 2009 it's going to be President Obama.

So Barry is demonstrating how we want our politicans to act? Flipping birds, doing stand up routines, enciting hate ....

No thanks. And I can't imagine ever choosing this bozo over a decorated war verteran. We are talking about our Country Barry, not YOU.

He lifts two fingers - check the photo here: http://soulmachine.dyndns.org/images/barobscratch2.jpg

Hilbots seem to forget her Rhode Island speech where she mocked Obama about light coming down from the heavens. Guess what. Mockery is appropriate some times. Last night's debate deserves mockery. Hillary supporters don't care that she 's a power-hungry lying cynic. She's a woman!!! And she'll magically bring back the 1990s!!!

Here is a better angle and you can tell by the lady in the last row she knows what he did and tells the lady next to her something http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4025010n

Hillary baking cookies? That's definitely hard to picture...

Destardi-

Mrs. Clinton was not a Democrat her entire life - she campaigned and voted for Goldwater.

Kinda puts her "it takes an LBJ" line into a new context.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm68/rtr123456789/obamafingers.png

PROOF:
It was two fingers.

I give this blog the finger for this BS. I'm never reading this blog again after this. Go join ABC in the gutter.

So our next president will just give the finger to his enemies. The presidency will not be that dignified under Obama.

Its amazing how much attention we spend on flipping the finger. LOL If the man wants to be petty, HELL LET HIM. She's been doing it for the past few months..... "if you're going to use words they should at least be your own" need i remind you of that faisco which got her boo'd on CNN? I mean seriously, if you're so conserned about experience, ITS EXPERIENCE THAT GOT US BUSH... ITS EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE THAT HAS GOTTON MORE US SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ THAN LIVES LOST ON 9/11, ITS EXPERIENCE THAT HAS US IN AN ECONOMY WHERE YOU HAVE MORE PEOPLE WALKING AWAY FROM HOMES THAN BUYING THEM. If this is what EXPERIENCE gets us, hell lets elect a high school graduate for God sakes. Can you really do much worse? And for the Democratic crazies out there that would rather vote for McBush than either one of these candidates, that really says alot about you. You're like a spoiled child that doesn't get his way. Instead of looking at the much bigger picture, you would rather pout, put your thumbs in your ass and say "forget it, i dont want any of it" Yea well grow up. You people act like these candidates arent' human, that they're supposed to be perfect. If he wants to flip Hillary off, hell she probably deserved it. She wants to cry on tv to get votes, LET HER. But please dont be foolish enough to think 4 more years of a republican answering the red phone at 3am and putting it on hold until they let Iraq and Iran out the back door, is the way to go. PLEASE!

Are you kidding? Sometimes a scratch is just a scratch. The man knew he was on camera and that his every move is analyzed, do you think he'd be so stupid as to risk his candidacy to play a "finger" game like that?

Last night Hillary said people should give her a break over her Bosnia "misstatement." If you're willing to do that, you should be willing to concede that perhaps Obama just touched his face. Look at other videos of him, it's a common move of his.

It's about time Obama does not have a FREE PASS anymore!

Obama fingers hillary

He made the same gesture in 2 different venues at the same point during the speech (look at the crowd behind him in the 2 videos)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/obamaflipsoffcl.html

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/04/obama_fingers_a_gotcha_debate.html

The Republicans couldn't ask for a better friend than the one they have in Hillary Clinton.

In a year that the Repugs have no business being anywhere near the White House and in a year that they have a godawful old man Bush clone (McCain) as their nominee, Clinton decides that if she can't have the Dem nomination then she's going to just blowup the whole damn Democratic Party.

There's a saying about the Clinton's and it goes like this:

"The Clintons are always there for you, when they need you"

No truer words were ever spoken.

I almost feel sorry for all of the delusional Clinton cheerleaders out there, they really have lost touch with reality and they should seek out some psychological help as for why they feel the need to use the Clintons to cover up for their own personal shortcomings in life.

This IS a big endorsement! Robert Reich, Bill Clinton's Labor Secretary has already stated that he would be loyal to Hillary throughout the campaign. What changed his mind? Take a look

This just in! Labor Secretary in Bill Clinton's 1st term to endorse Obama!!.
Big surprise?! YES! Even tough he has stated that he supports Obama, even criticizing Hillary after Iowa and South Carolina, he said that he would remain loyal to Hillary and that he would vote and support her... WHAT made him change his mind?!

Clinton's negative ads of course!

So what's changed? let's ask Robert Reich himself:

"I saw the ads" — the negative man-on-street commercials that the Clinton campaign put up in Pennsylvania in the wake of Obama's bitter/cling comments a week ago — "and I was appalled, frankly. I thought it represented the nadir of mean-spirited, negative politics. And also of the politics of distraction, of gotcha politics. It's the worst of all worlds. We have three terrible traditions that we've developed in American campaigns. One is outright meanness and negativity. The second is taking out of context something your opponent said, maybe inartfully, and blowing it up into something your opponent doesn't possibly believe and doesn't possibly represent. And third is a kind of tradition of distraction, of getting off the big subject with sideshows that have nothing to do with what matters. And these three aspects of the old politics I've seen growing in Hillary's campaign. And I've come to the point, after seeing those ads, where I can't in good conscience not say out loud what I believe about who should be president. Those ads are nothing but Republicanism. They're lending legitimacy to a Republican message that's wrong to begin with, and they harken back to the past 20 years of demagoguery on guns and religion. It's old politics at its worst — and old Republican politics, not even old Democratic politics. It's just so deeply cynical."
-ROBERT REICH

The Clinton campaign will, no doubt, shrug off the Reich endorsement of Obama. (And hey, who knows, maybe James Carville will get into the act and declare Reich a Judas!) They will say that it's unlikely to move any votes, and that, since Reich is not a super-delegate, it does nothing tangible to move Obama even one inch closer to the nomination.

Awesome stuff!

Is he alone? Of course not..

In his disgust with Hillary's increasingly harsh tactics, Reich is hardly alone. Indeed, the feeling seems to be spreading more broadly in the party with every passing day.

It was indeed a flip off. My friends and I do it all the time. Either pretending to scratch somewhere on the head, or to push up our glasses. It is painfully obvious that that's what he was doing. I hope the MSM pushes this poor sport on this one. As for the debate....he sure didn't seem to care when the boys over at MSNBC were so disrespectful of Hillary. Chris Mathews said Tim Russert bagged her like a fish, flopping around in the bottom of the boat. Where was Obama's outrage at that time? He's a phony and his 15 minutes are up. Stick a fork in him, 'cause he's DONE!

All he talked about was the first part of the debate but when issues were asked he was rumbling and lost of words. Obama... please we are not fools. You can't take the heat.... can't even answer the questions on issues strongly and properly...can't even be specifics. Obama has the charm of a car salesman. He and his supporters are the equivalent of the neo-cons. They are the "NEO-LIBS," changing the real essence of the Democratic Party. We cannot have another Bush in the White House!
My God, where does this country go to? Now he thinks all these questions are distractions??? Welcome to the real world of politics.

Damn, I like BOTH Obama and Hillary and all you democrats are stupid for dividing OURSELVES. Dont you see guys realize that they both have flaws and BOTH have attacked one another. Neither is the victim. However, I do feel kind of embarrased for Barack for going so low with the finger reaction. I mean C'mon, you're a grown man. Also I dont understand why people claim the debate was unfair. Have you guys been watching the other 20 debates in which Hillary was pretty much attacked left and right? Selective amnesia right? If you are going to argue for fairness, shouldn't we have done so long ago for Hillary? And then there is this whole, we need to talk about the issues, barack is doing that, Hillary isn't. But Hillary has been talking about the issues since early 2007..she RAN on issues, Obama RAN on hope and change, and just now started talking about the issues. I would hope either one of them wins over McCain but lets be more Objective and stop playing the blame game.

Watched this footage three times today. It was shown on all the major networks. So know all of a sudden it's posted on youtube with a caption and it's the rage and will be talked about all weekend. Have you folks lost yer friggin minds...it's a sad day in America

Yesterday the man's patriotism was questioned because of some Flag pin that no one else on the stage was wearing either? Today, someone doesn't like the movement of his fingers at a second's interval?

What happens if he farts? Do you hang him from a tree? They used to do that you know. All it took back then was a whistle. In 2008, is has come down to a cheek being scratched.

This is crazy and frightening. I didn't think this country was this backwards. Really.

I am can't believe any of you people have a life.

"Clinton WAS in her element because anytime there's a debate about BS Lies and Smears, Clinton and her friends in the Republican Party have the country right where they want them, NOT TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ISUES THAT MATTER TO AMERICANS TODAY...

I'm surprised they didn't ask Obama if he killed Vince Foster."

That kind of dreck about Foster is against HIllary, not OB! Barry didn't do so well in the debate, nervous & off . Hill did great! Nasty people post like you do re lies and smears!

I really thought Georgie Boy would have stayed neutral? I thought differant of him, but now I know he is just another Washington hack ! ! ! ! Once a journalist shows there bias they are done !
It seemed to me that billary was almost orgasmic was here type of questions were asked. Did I read that wrong, I don't think so ! ! !

Obama blew a golden opportunity to explain his relationship with certain individuals.

Instead, he whined and complained about answering questions about these people that the rightwing hammers him on every day.

Hillary and strong women don't whine!

I've lived in Illinois my whole life and would not vote for any of these democratic machine politicians from this state.trust me theyre all tainted or they would'nt be where they are. perhaps the only honest politician this state produced was senetar paul simon who quit rather then deal with these sleazebags.patronage and lobbyist is the name of our game and when a lawyer turns politician you have an extrordinary liar.

Call me old fashioned, but he gave Hillary Clinton the finger in that video; it is clears as day. I don't care who your candidate is; I have never in my 40 years of paying attention to politics, seen that kind of behavior by a candidate. He did this publicly to a former first lady and a fellow US Senator. Now, maybe since Dick Cheney told Patrick Leahy to "F" Off we no longer have any decorum as a nation, but his behavior is degrading. It degrades the party; it degrades him.

based on the back and forth between clinton and obama, it's President McCain in 2008

>>>>The fact that Obama has made it this far demonstrates the collective lack of discriminative intelligence and education of this country

....coupled with the media giving him a pass throughout the primaries.
And then - ABC asked Obama questions about individuals the rightwing slams him on every day.
Most candidates with a national audience would be eager to explain and set the record straight.
But not Obama! Instead he resisted answering the questions and was still whining and complaining last night.
Elitism at its finest!

Hillary and strong women don't whine!

Obama should have waited 4-8 more years before making his run for the White House.
I don't see it happening right now.
With all this Tony Rezko stuff coming out- it just makes him look really, really cheap, corrupt and not worthy!

Obama is a fraud.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/opinion/18brooks.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

From savagepolitics... Who you associate with is a reflection of who you are. Just think, why do Wright, Rezko, Ayers, Auchi all want to associate with this guy, not just now but from years before. Why does he associate with all these shady guys?

"...As a curious side-note, if you go to William Ayers’ main website (CLICK HERE), you will notice a very prominent name in the middle of the page: ABU-ZAYD. For those of you who are not familiar with Islamic culture, the name means “FATHER OF ZAYD” and it is Ayers OTHER name. As you may have noticed above, Ayers has two children which he raised as Muslims (Malik and Zayd), a fact that he openly exalts by applying to himself an honorary Muslim name.

Nonetheless, as Obama stated in ABC’s debate, if we simply suspend our reason and knowledge of how politics ACTUALLY works, then we must assume that being associated to Rev. Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers is not sufficiently substantive to ascribe to him the same and exact philosophical views of the world that they have. But, even if this was absolutely true (for the sake of argument), these unwholesome friendships and partnerships, at the very least, open the possibility of interpreting Obama’s own political policies through the same lens that his friends and their views have established for him (thus their friendship and support of Obama).

As the Castillian saying goes; “tell me with whom you are with, and I will tell you who you are”...."

"I don't blame Washington for this, because that's just how Washington is,'' he said. "They like stirring up controversy. They like playing gotcha games...

.. and I would say Sen. Clinton was in her element.''

Exactly, Obama, well said as usual.

Here is a man who represents the very best of America, a thoughtful and reflective man of intelligence and grace.

And what do the vicious halfwits at ABC do? They ask him about Flag Pins.

And I have finally come to understand why the Right Wing has so long loathed Hillary.

The loathing is spreading to the middle of the body politic and into the Left.

She's a person of no character, whatever.

QUOTE Obama should have waited 4-8 more years before making his run for the White House.
I don't see it happening right now.
With all this Tony Rezko stuff coming out- it just makes him look really, really cheap, corrupt and not worthy! ENDQUOTE

Perhaps that's because he IS really cheap, corrupt, and not worthy!

Clearly two fingers as shown from a stream shot completely from the side angle. What a faux controversy from people who don't do their homework.

At 20:56: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/355941

This may be the most twit-minded blog post I've seen on the campaign yet, and that's saying something. Does somebody pay you for this?

I couldn't believe it when Obama said the other day he'd give the 'middle' income folks a tax break. Middle to him is $200,000-$250,000!!!!! What about the $20-$100,000 people who are already taxed to death supporting his salary and all other government salaries, programs, freebies, welfare, etc. Enough!

Obama increasingly is showing he aint ready for the Big Time. A month or so ago reporters finally asked some questions about Rezko. He took eight of them and whined while answering them and ran away like a little kid thinking he was being chased by a night monster.
Then Wednesday night, once again he finally gets some tough questions and he can't answer them. So, Obama and his Obamabots whine, threaten,stamp their feet, pee on the rug, vomit green slime and turn their heads because their inexperienced and unqualified little savior is proving that he is nothing but a Chicago political hack who is in way over his head.

What a joy to watch, though!

Please review this 9 frame sequence from the ABC News video of this rally. The angle allows you to clearly see, in every frame, that he scratches down his cheek twice using _two fingers_:

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll11/moreperfectunion/TwoFingersABC.jpg

You can find the ABC footage if you do a search for "Raleigh" on the ABC News site.

Both sides in this Democratic primary need to tamp down their increasingly hysterical rhetoric. Don't forget that the most imprtant thing to decide is who will be able to BEST withstand the Swiftgating that the Republicans are certain to smear either candidate with. Stop being childish and think like adults. This is not the WWF. There are neither heros or villains here. Pick your candidate based on track record and personal merit, not a 10 second sound-bite or out- of-context video.

Why does the newsmedia let Obama get away with calling Clinton a regular politician. Obama plays all the same games and then cries about it being done to him, and acts so innocent.

I learned long ago, the hard way to beware of a person who says they will answer honestly. My experience has been that those that say that are the biggest liars of them all.

"Please don't say that Obama is tied to corruption because of Rezko." Dead wrong, Dave C. We'll never know how many "bundled" donations Rezko gave to Obama. Plus, Obama twice went back and returned more "found money" from Rezko after previously pledging that he'd returned it all. Why lie about it in the first place.