Barack Obama, realist

He's promoted the "politics of hope." He pressed Americans to "turn the page" and embrace a new, less-partisan approach to grappling with the nation's problems. And, of course, Barack Obama has offered himself as just the guy with the unifying skills to make this happen.

He stresses, as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination, that he does not want to "pit red America against blue America. I want to be president of the United States of America."

Outreach has its limits, however. And The Times Maria La Ganga was at an Obama rally today in Fort Madison, Iowa, when the candidate provided a reality check.

"I'm not trying to persuade Rush Limbaugh that I'm going to be a good president," he cautioned his listeners.

We doubt that even his most ardent backers thought that was in the realm of possibility.

-- Don Frederick

H

Comments

[Dan Sulivan]

Barack Obama has been awarded the "Person of the Year" award. You gotta see it.

[jkojs]

NO more Clinton dynasty and corrupted Health Industry.
Its time to end 20 years of Clinton/Bush political
dynasty.

!!! ITS TIME FOR CHANGE !!!

Barack Obama once quoted " if the United States had not gone to war in Iraq, the US Army would have had more resources to deal with the greater threat in Afghanistan and Pakistan"

BARACK OBAMA WAS RIGHT ON IRAQ.

BARACK OBAMA WAS RIGHT ON IRAN.

BARACK OBAMA WAS RIGHT ON PAKISTAN.

BARACK OBAMA HAS RIGHT JUDGEMENT FROM THE BEGINNING.

BARACK OBAMA's JUDGEMENT TRIUMPHS OVER HILLARY'S WRONG
EXPERIENCE.

!!! VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA !!!

[Obama is unelectable,]

Obama is unelectable, as he loses by significant margins to all three republican candidates - which all lose to Edwards and Clinton. Barack Obama has been flip-flopping like a carp on a boat deck, changing his position over and over, On gun control, Obama changed directions three times since 1996, when he called for a ban on all handgun possession and sales in Illinois.

he uses ALL his oppoenst solutions to put his spin on, his campagine is the titantic sinking fast since wednesday, talk a look around,HE CANNOT WIN the general election. So stop wasting your money supporting a losing candidate. Barack

*REALCLEAR POLTICS- Obama, absolutely will not win the Democratic nomination for the presidency

Obama is the freshman senator with heavy emphasis on "freshman, extremely inexperienced in national and international politics. he doesn't have any top-level executive experience in any government.

Obama does not have even with oprah support, universal support among black leaders. David Mack, a black state legislator in South Carolina said, we need someone with more national-security experience.

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of 43 black Democratic members of Congress, said she was "99% sure" her group would not support Obama.

Al Sharpton says he's not that impressed with Obama. He praised Edwards for talking about poverty issues. Obama is a lot of media razzle-dazzle, not hearing a lot of meat, or a lot of content from his campagine.

John Edwards ran strongly among black voters in winning South Carolina in 2004
Jesse Jackson has refused to endorse Obama.

Obamas health-care proposal is misleading voters because it omits millions of people and would not lower costs. Obamas lost a reputation for honesty.

Obama bashes Wal-Mart, but why does his wife, Michelle, make $45,000 a year serving on the board of a Chicago-area company that pays its executives a very hefty amount of money while laying off 153 workers, most of them Hispanic in an economically deprived area.

Obama and his chief strategist be politicizing Bhutto murder when hes starts sliding backwards in the polls now that media is beginning to hear voters and reporting on his lack of stabds on issues and voting "Present" 130 times in his short time in the senate.

Barack Obama told Iowa voters Friday that he doesn't get elected President this time, wife said he won't try again. Doesnt he have to ask Oprah first?

Clinton has become the first Democrat in more than 40 years to come in with more than 50.1 percent of the nationwide popular vote.

[judeca]

Obama has a sense of humor. I like that.

[Hugh]

Actually, Obama is the only top tier Democrat who beats all 5 top tier Republicans. Check it out for yourself here:

http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1404

[julie]

"Obama is unelectable"???

Wow, i don't want to take the time to respond to ALL those lies, but at least I'll call BULL on the "unelectable" bit.

Obama is the ONLY DEM who wins against all top 5 republicans.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/12/zogby-obama-is.html

[Courtney]

To all those people who like to say negative things about Obama, they are ignorant and jealous. Obama has the right stuff and is very much electable.

Courtney from Ft.Myers,FL

[PulSamsara]

America is a Democracy - We are not a Monarchy.
Wiser folks than us - saw to it long ago, that we be fortunate enough to realize this life blessing.
Nepotism may be fine for the old-corner-store but it will only serve to fail us again -as it has, most resoundingly, for the entirety of this millennium.

Voting for the worst policy decision in our life times does not make one 'experienced'. It -IS- high time America elected a woman as commander-in-chief. When a self made woman of conviction and talent stands up and demonstrates the character that can stand as an example for us all - we should stand behind her - with conviction and fortitude. Hillary Clinton is not that woman. She is the spouse of a former and popular President. In a nation, 300 million strong, are we to believe that the person most suited to be the President just happens to be related to the last President ?!
Are we really to believe this is the case ?
Will we make this mistake, again ?

Barack Obama has the strength and certitude to take America in a new and positive direction - a direction that our evolving nation - being formed all around us all as we pass through our daily lives - very much is in need of. There really is an immediacy of the 'now' that we all share. We truly must begin to think big again and to face the immense challenges before us in brave and selfless ways again - like those people in the old faded photographs on our walls did - for us. It really is time to wake up again America. The time is, most certainly, now.

Barack Obama for President of the United States of America.

It's time for America to Rise and Shine again.

[Hillary is UNELECTABLE]

Clinton is unelectable, as she loses by significant margins to all three republican candidates - period.

REALCLEAR POLTICS is a right-leaning pollster who will try and keep HRC on top as a Rovian tactic.

HRC is a DLC Democrat ---- DLC ---- >>>>>D.L.C. for crying out loud!

If nominated, Clinton will win less states than any candidate in the history of presidential elections.

But guess what --- she's outspent everyone tri-fold in Iowa and has imported so many foot soldiers that there's no telling what the outcome in IA will be.

God help us all if she is nominated.

[Inaru]

Clinton and Edwards think voters are utter idiots. They lie about their record, their funding, their policies, their past and their future plans, and they think we are so stupid we'll forget they've done nothing to stop lobbyists, PACs, 527s from making our elections a perverse money-orgy. We're supposed to forget they defended Bush/Cheney's wars. We're supposed to forget they've done nothing for workers, they can't even match Obama's policy of a living wage minimum wage tied to the cost of living, going up with inflation automatically. Edwards and Clinton want you to raise at least $50 million to beg for the next minimum wage increase. Who do you want, populist? Wake up, it's Obama.

[R.E. Smith]

If Obama wins this nomination he should pay royalties to Karl Rove because he is the true architect of Barak's campaign. A college student who was ten in 2000 might not remember how the Rove/Bush language and tactics propelled another untested but ambitious pol into the White House but the cynical Mr. Axelrod obviosly does.Barak might put a different shade of lipstick on it but its stil the same Bush/Rove pig.

Here's how it works. First you determine what you need to say/be to win then you hang that label on your opponent.In 2000 if you have to exaggerate your meager record as Texas governor to win you frame your opponent as a serial exaggerator. If, in 2004, you have repeatedly changed your reasons for invading Iraq you label your opponent as a flip-flopper. If you are a one year senator who needs to run a perfect campaign...why does Obama critique Hillary's campaign so much?

When they try to come back on you accuse them of practicing "old" politics.Then you say consider the source. Mock them for inventing the internet or drinking tea. The point of the strategy is to make your opponent look weak, or less than, while basicly promising the same agenda.

I have created a simple limerick to explain why its deja vu all over again.

The More Things Change...

Obama wants to be the decider,

So he runs as a D.C. outsider.

To give Hillary the push,

Barak talks like George Bush.

He's a "uniter,not a divider!"

Thus like Ann Richards before her Hillary is being thrown to the mat by another practioner of Rove/Bush political judo.

[Joseph Pierre]

Who's more fake, Edwards or Romney?

[Andrew Lietzow]

PulSamsara writes >> "...are we to believe that the person most suited to be the President just happens to be related to the last President?!"

My sentiments, exactly. YES to our electing a woman. YES to it even being Hillary, although I'm sure we could better. But "Just say NO!" to it being Hillary CLINTON.

And, I'm afraid that if she becomes the nominee, it will be 4 more years of a Republican controlled White House, or even if she DID win, we'd have gridlock just like we have now.

If Ross Perot hadn't run in 1992, we wouldn't even know the Clinton name today. He stole the votes from Bush 1 -- 19% is what he garnered, so Bill was able to win. Two years after he was elected, we lost control of Congress and didn't get it back for 12 years. And, now that she has been a Senator for seven years, just what has she accomplished?

5-10% of the Repulicans are going to caucus for Obama and an even higher percentage of the Indies. The Reagan Democrats are going to be matched by the Obama Republicans and while it's going to be a tight race, by the time SC rolls aroud, America will know that Obama is ready to lead.

With his ability to unite and work across the aisle, he co-authored, then passed 96-2 some of the most comprehensive ethics and lobbyist reforms since the Nixon era.

And, he has as much experience going into the Presidency as Abraham Lincoln. Think of how much he'll help to heal the racial and political divides in this country. On Jan 4th, children in New Orleans, Chicago, NYC, LA, Paris, Bombay, and yes, even in Baghdad will begin to hang his photo over their bed. He will be like a beacon shining from the shores of America around the world, spreading the hope that America will soon be returning to a position of respect around the globe.

America, our moment is now. Iowa, we have a chance to change the world. Let's not waste it on gridlock, fear, division and more of the same with Bush-light or the angry white man. Go Obama '08!