With one aside, Barack Obama deftly woos a college crowd

By its applause, shouts and a show of hands that host Chris Matthews asked for, the crowd at West Chester University near Philadelphia already was overwhelmingly in Barack Obama's corner when the Democratic presidential candidate sat down today for an edition of MSNBC's "Hardball" talk show situated at the college.

But Obama didn't waste any time in sealing the deal.

One of the first questions posed by Matthews focused on Iraq and Obama ticked off what by now are his familiar refrains. He noted that, unlike Hillary Clinton, he opposed President Bush's push to invade Iraq from the start. While acknowledging that both he and Clinton have basically the same plans for extracting U.S. troops, he questioned whether "mission creep" would result from her caveat that some troops may need to stay there to guard against meddling by Iran. And he scorned presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain for talking about the prospect of a "permanent occupation" by America in Iraq.

Then he added a detail perfectly tailored for his listeners. Decrying the war's costs of $10 billion to $12 billion a month, he noted that the money instead could be spent on college scholarships.

Cue another burst of loud cheers.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[dave]

hardly. to stop not only runaway inflation, but global injustice and terror, and the denial of inalienable rights for all in favor of unlimited power for a few, it would not work even to attempt the redistribution of the trillions of fiat money constantly created seemingly ex nihilo, but really robbed from you, and paid for by the slavery and misery of future generations. ron paul's message of freedom, peace and prosperity shows how to reverse the process by returning to the constitution. only consistently responsible behavior can prevent the desaster otherwise called for.

[ck]

How could Obama have "opposed Bush's push to invade Iraq from the start" when he wasn't even a member of the U.S. Senate until many months AFTER the decision to invade Iraq? Since he wasn't in the Senate at the time, and did not have a vote, he had no meaningful way whatsoever to oppose "Bush's push to invade Iraq," as he continues to falsely claim. Those who were in the U.S. Congress at the time, and called upon to vote on this crucial matter, had to rely on information that was then available, at a time when the fear created by the 9/11 attacks was still fresh and the entire country was focused on "national security" nearly above all else. We have no way to know how Obama would've actually voted had he been in the Senate then under those heated circumstances -- rather than discussing the matter in the calm, cool light of hindsight as he does so cavalierly now -- but he would've very likely simply voted "present" as he has done hundreds of times in his short experience in elected office to avoid taking a stand on tough issues. Now suggesting the obvious to a college crowd (spending more money on college scholarships instead of war), Obama shows again that he's "deft" (i.e. "slick") at saying whatever he thinks any audience wants to hear at any given time. This is the same Obama who, we've recently learned, sat by for 20 years without so much as a peep as the pastor of his church spewed hatred, racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism, only recently deciding to condemn those concepts when it so conveniently suited his political ambitions to do so. Hindsight is 20-20, and Obama's quite ordinary in that regard. To be a leader, it takes foresight and the courage to take a stand when it matters, including the courage to make a decision even with incomplete or faulty information, and then the courage, intelligence and drive to investigate and responsibly correct that decision if need be. Obama's an arrogant, selfish opportunist with a gift of gab and a lot to learn. That's a far cry from being the leader our country so sorely needs.

[pgo]

Obama was running for Senate at the time. The war was strongly supported by most people in his district and nationwide. He spoke out against it in great detail against his advisors caution. But he won anyway. He was not afraid to speak the truth (all of what he said has come to pass) at the risk of losing the election.