A Barack Obama forum can seem a lot like class, without the bell

As Sen. Barack Obama's rivals have sought to paint him as a liberal elitist in recent weeks -- and he helped them with some inartful phrasing at a San Francisco fundraiser about "bitter" small-town people -- there is at least one aspect of his personality and background that does help feed that caricature.

Meet Prof. Obama, the sometimes aloof campaigner who can come across as a bit smug and has been known to talk about such things as arugula, an upscale leafy green, in places like corn-fed Iowa.

Although his powerful oratory often wins praise, attending Obama campaign events can sometimes feel like sitting in a classroom, albeit with a lecturer decidedly more fiery than your average college professor.

As much as Obama's wife, Michelle, has talked about his tendency to leave clothing scattered about their home or forget to put away the butter, there is no question that he likes order, especially when in front of his classroom.

"Everybody have a seat," he said during a recent stop in Gary, Ind., as he finished a speech and prepared to take questions. "We've still got a little more work to do."

As the crowd sat down, Obama provided his students with guidance on how to address their professor.

"Now, there are only a few rules. Rule No. 1: Raise your hand. Don't shout out at me, because there are going to be more questions than I have time," he said. "No. 2: Wait for a microphone in the audience, so that everybody can hear your question. No. 3: Please introduce yourself. No. 4: I'm going to go boy, girl, boy, girl, so that nobody thinks I'm biased."

Hope you got that, 'cause he's not gonna repeat it.

-- John McCormick

John McCormick writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau.                            

Photo: Joe Raymond / Associated Press

Comments

[wakeup123]

Shut up racist, you try to make something out of nothing, take your uneducated self somewhere.

[david h]

uh... this article is tedious. Can someone tell me why Obama is supposed to be like a lecturer, or what this insight means, or why John McCormick is supposed to have some insight, when he seems as stale as the bread in the back of the cupboard?

Useless. Having a few rules for public speaking questions is not idiotic, unless you prefer random shouting and rudeness, and think that WWF fight night more closely illustrates how townhall meetings should go in the American approximation of democracy.

John, try to write something that doesn't sound like you fell asleep at the last meeting, forgot to tape notes, and decided to file anyways without having anything to say.

[dave]

arugula is the common pepper and mustard flavored green also known as rocket. it's used in many salads and as a sandwich condiment, a good substitute if you can't find watercress. and it's available at most american farmers' markets, as well as most gourmet markets. to turn your common kitchen green into something 'upscale' for you could seem like a worthwhile lecture for someone trying to see if you buy it, and to get a laugh out of you as obama's campaign takes off on spicy hot air.

[jah$ingh]

This is pathetic, you should feel honored to have such a man as top contender for the Presidency. Haven't you learned anything from the last 8 years?

[Nate Riley]

I am taking an American Presidency class at college and I the only Hillary supporter maybe its because I don't have a nice car like everyone else or maybe its because Im not vegan and only eat organic food.He is Elitist FDR was rich but could empathize w/ the poor BHO can not even if originally being raised middle class grandparents

[Josh in Seattle]

I agree with jah$ingh.... We should feel honored to have this decent, intelligent man trying to bring about a change in America. I think that the problem with HRC and some of her most vocal supporters, is that she (And some surrogates) are acting like pathological liars... if you say something enough you begin to really believe it.
She and McCain do not have our best interests in mind!! dont be fooled by the divisive politics being used to confuse people!!!!

Obama!!! 2008

[Boomerang]

What an inane, slanted piece.
At least Obama knows that rules mean something....

[mediahack]

I agree with jah$ingh and Josh in Seattle.
He is the one we've been waiting for.We are privy to a great becoming, but some of us recognize nothing. To Obama, they are slugs in the sun. Before Obama, we rightly tremble. But, fear is not what we owe him. We owe him awe.

[www.MyObamaStore.com]

We are agree with the last few posts as well. Obama will do more for this country than McClain and Clinton would be able to do.

McClain will not change anything about this country. He will keep things exactly as they are.

Clinton will be too busy trying to prove that she can run the country as a woman!

Obama will do more for the common man! His policies may hurt the rich, but will definitely help the poor.

Vote Obama in 2008.

www.MyObamaStore.com

[mediahack]

What an inane, slanted piece.
At least Obama knows that rules mean something....

[Pam]

In life, timing is indeed everything. Last week I was waiting in line
behind a woman who had an overflowing cart of items at our local
grocery store. It was one of those days where every other line was a
half mile long. When this woman was finaly rung up she owed $627.79,
my eyes nearly fell out. I had noticed that she was getting two,
three and four of similar items. She had everything medicines,
cosmetics, toiletries, cleaners, hardware, pet items, food, etc. She
then handed the cashier a twenty dollar bill and received a ten and
change back. My curiosity was killing me but I didn't have the nerve
to ask the woman what happened. Once she was out of hearing distance,
I asked the cashier. She told me that the woman was part of the
program at http://newdealsdirect.com The cashier told me that she
has several customers who are also part of it also receiving the same
type of savings. In fact she told me that she joined as well. Well
after witnessing that I rushed home and signed up immediately. I can't wait to start loading up full carts and paying practically nothing for it!

[samy]

To all Obama haters, in 6 months he will be your next president. you might as well join us to fix this country.

[Norman]

Over the next few days and weeks all the obamatron drones will snap out of their trance like state when they discover how they have been fooled by a platform built on a thin tissue of deceit. Obama lies and the liberal media backs up those lies because there is nothing else to prop up his rhetoric with. Google “Obama LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES”. Also find the various failed attempts to counteract that list with more lies.

Obama has a long time association of many unsavoury characters incuding Rezko, Ayers, Khalidi, Auchi (Batcher, 2008) and his pastor the Rev Jeremiah Wright who tells his congregation to sing “God damn America” (ABCNews, 2008)

Obama was a rabble-rousing Chicago street thug (Politico, 2008) before becoming a state and a US senator. His senate stint has been sub optimal at best with a very liberal voting record (Friel Et Al, 2008). His only *executive* experience was the failed chairmanship at CAC (Kurts, 2008) were he had a very close relationship with Bill Ayers the unrepentant terrorist, an association he desperately wants to be kept hidden. Obama tried strong-arming the Justice department to stop any talk about his close friend Bill Eyers (Politico, 2008) - this will come back to bite him soon.

Obama’s so called *change* was born out of the communist manifesto (Zimbio, 2008). He is using Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals as his guide to implement *change* through social engineering and deceit. He practiced and perfected this dark art as a rabble-rousing thug in the streets of Chicago (TheNation, 2008) and now wants to do the same in your towns and streets. Don’t fall for this; his win will be your loss of freedom and liberty.

Nancy Peloci’s said he is “a leader that God has blessed us with at this time.” These are words of a fool desperately trying to get America to accept Obama. But Americans are not fools; they see the Obama sales gimmick as a hard sale scam pushing a defective product.

So what do we really know about Obama? Nothing other than Bill Clinton believes he has the mindset of a Chigao street thug (Politico, 2008), that his closest associates all hate America (Free Republic, 2008), and that he is the darling of the liberal media (Crouere, 2008). That’s it, thats all we know of him. And the leftists think he is experienced enough to be the leader of the free world?

[sarahpalinn]

he must be stopped! he doesn't know anything: It's perfectly explained in the compendium of knowledge of barack obama: most liberal senator!!!!!!!

[Bonnie1988]

Obama paid his female staff nearly $10,000 a year less than male staffers, McCain paid equally.

When asked to name any potential member to his cabinet, he only names men such as Warren Buffet. McCain named the female CEO of Ebay.

Although Hillary had 49+% of the vote, he picked a man with less than 1%.

Experience and qualifications didn't matter to the male super delegates and male Democratic officials
when it was Obama against Hillary, but then became the foremost issue about Palin - whichever works against the female candidate.

African-American men have had the right to vote, full property rights and a legal right to equal pay for decades longer than men. Women have been over 50% of the population the history of this country.

YET the MALE dominated media, MALE dominated press, and MALE dominated Wall Street have declared AGAINST that the United States will only be headed by and controlled both economically and politically by men like it always has been - and pour massive sums of money and extreme media sexist attacks into the general election just as they did against Hillary in the primary.

If the old men that own the media, own the press and own Wall Street get their way - as it appears is so - the outcome of the general election will be the same as it was in the Democratic primary as it has been in very election in this history of this country, the majority - women - lost again.

[Angel]

I just bought the most adorable 'YES WE DID' Obama T-Shirt, and a onesie for the little one from www.Custom-Kingdom.com. Whether you're for or against him, you have to admit that it's exciting to be part of the history that's been made!