Charlie Rose Science Series
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05/06/2008
Mark Halperin, Al Hunt, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Charlie Cook, Bob Herbert, Gwen Ifill
Live coverage of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries
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Live coverage of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries with Al Hunt, Gwen Ifill, Charlie Cook, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Mark Halperin and Bob Herbert.
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Transcripts available through Voxant.
My name is Sgt. Lawrence Smith, U.S.Air Force retired. I am Bipartisan and I go for the best person for the job, male or female. In the political circle I guess you can call me a bolweavil. I am retired in aerospace science. I took 32 different courses in college. I have 372 total college hours. I do not confess to know everything because if a man ever say that he knows every thing, then you know that you are talking to a fool. I served under Richard Nixon. The man made one mistake and was crucified. This president have made repeatidly impeachable mistakes and the public has let him get away with it. I do not have anything against John McCain, but he is a continuation of George W. Bush. If the American people vote for McCain, they do not want change, they want more misery. I know John McCain was a POW, but I was a Disabled American Vietnam veteran and was thrown in jail for rape, sodomy and assault eventhough my record was clean and still cleaner than the board of health. I like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I also like John McCain as a veteran only. I think Mr. Obama or Mrs. Clinton is the best persons for this job. Futhermore, I think that Mr. Obama should lead the way, because, the middle east do not respond to a woman. After Mr. Obama pave the way, I think that they will respond to her after his two terms in office. The Bush administration, with his "John Wayne attitude" do not go well with the people in that region. You have people in that region controlling the oil, which controls the economy. The U.S. act like it can not do without the oil, how did America survive without depending on oil before the automobile? Look, The automobile industry will suffer, but that is a little sacrifice, taking the many thousands of corporations in America. We need to make drastic decisions and no one should be exempted fromn the fallout of the decisions. I was an athlete and I knows what it takes to sacrifice. I sacrificed my major league baseball career to serve this country. John F, Kennedy said it best, "Ask not what your country can do for you , ask what you can do for your country".
Bob Tourville, I agree with your comments.
Madeline did you just wake up? I have only been watching the Charlie Rose Program for a year and many of his interviews have been cuff links missing. Did you see "Design" last evening what do you think about the left arm?
I think I am going to become a racist and say no to Obama.
This was a pretty reasonable discussion of the Democratic primary situation, although many of us may be a bit tired of the subject. We need an institution such as the Canadian "This hour has 22 minutes." They could do wonders with this material. My only negative impression was that I cannot understand how Charlie Cook, apparently blessed with the same first name as I and the moderator, could have been so insensitive as to us a phrase like "chuck the rulebook out the window."
Charlie, no cuff links! One can only ask "Why, why why?"
'ceci' has made the comment that Obama gave a lovely speech on the economy and has several economists on his side. And if one cares to go to Obama's website, there are even more lovely policies. Not written by Obama, of course, which is also lovely, EXCEPT that when he's not speaking from a teleprompter, he doesn't even seem to have read his own website, much less understand what's on it. The most prominent word Obama utters in interviews and debates is â??uhâ??, and Obama meanders, off topic, and strings disjointed talking points together and then smiles at the end of his verbal diarrhoea as if heâ??s a clever boy and should be given a prize. Obama is surrounded, much like George W., with his advisors and counsellors who produce these policies, and Obama, like George W., canâ??t talk intelligently about the things he is supposed to stand for. This is very scary. In a time of crisis, how will Obama decide which course of action to follow? He seems to think his intuition will guide him in Foreign Relations: is this supposed to guide him through an economic morass, as well. Obama gives a good speech (provided he has a good writer and a teleprompter); he exercises every day; he takes frequent vacations; and heâ??s a fabulous fundraiser. I think his middle name is not Hussein, itâ??s W.
Regarding comments about Sen.Obama's economic policy, it is worth noting that on April 25,on MSNBC Nobel Prize economists Joseph Stiglitz and Edmund Phelps both endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama. Moreover, Stiglitz,who was connected to the Clinton administration, characterized Obama's speech on the economy,3 weeks earlier, as brilliant. "He also said that the deregulation of the markets during Clinton's presidency was a mistake and the markets need to be re-regulated." Edmund Phelps, 2006 prize winner, agreed. We need a new way of looking at the economy and Obama is the one that can do that. We do not need the thinking of the past."
I watch Charlie Rose because I think he is an objective, informed and fascinating. Yet after this Obama love-in, where no glimmer of objectivity was visible from Charlie and guest, excepting perhaps a litle from Mark Halperin, even though he was with the Anointed Obama. Obama is an empty. Empty, vacuuous speeches, inability to debate, running scared from debate, not allowing elections, wanting to get rid of Hillary before June 10 and exploiting an egregious disproportionality in black districts that accord him more delegates. None of the guests want to analyze how he has won North Carolina and why he is able to get 92 percent of the 35 percent the black electorate and why and he can get people like the media elite and the university kids. Meanwhile there are other Americans who are voting in droves for Hillary and their vote is dismissed by the media and it is taken for granted that they will just flock to Obama. Obama is empty, not a fighter, relying on the math to get by, exploiting Rev Wright to get in with blacks, dumping him when it becomes too obvious a reminder that this association shows he is race-based, and relying on the media which form his elite base to get him elected. Luckily there is the internet and the ballot box in November where the majority can be heard. I relied on Charlie Rose not to endorse Hillary but to give us the real insider view, both from the dem party and from the public at large. Instead he has dismissed the Wright controversy as picayune whereas Moyers at least gave the man his dignity. He has got on the bandwagon to stop Hillary even though she has a few weeks to go to the end of the process and why do they have a convention anyway if not to give her a fair hearing? I suppose Charlie is anxious not to get labelled as racist which is what happens to everyone, even someone like Bill Clinton when he begs to disagree, when we all have to take a mea culpa on race if we dare to find Barama a vacuum. He is boring and you cannot listen to him without ending up feeling like you are lost, you have lost the sense because there is no substance. If Hillary comes out with relief and everyone knows she has a comprehensive energy policy, then any measure are labelled as pandering. Obama makes blow hard ersatz MLK rhetoric speeches and wants to change Washington athough he is a simple one-constituency politician who is not adverse to throwing grannies and pastors under buses, and who has been firmly focussed on his ''inspiring'' message although there is nothing of substance. Change for what, why and for who? While Hillary has worked hard, is pretty much out there with her entire life, he has his work done for him by Charlie and the press, while the negativity and bias is unbelievable and brutal. He has outspent her, has the media with him, and almost every black media journalist and Oprah on his side..which is very redolent of a minority hijacking the majority of America. I think that Bush won twice. He beat Kerry while Iraq was raging. He beat Kerry by swiftboating him. So does McCain really have to worry about being in Iraq or being a Bush third term when you have a candidate running on race and elitism in the dem party? Well I am just disappointed in Charlie and willing to be convinced but not being bamboozled with guests who could not be more biased and less objective and sad to say less patriotic than to side with someone like this...who has explained his patriotism in terms of whether he will be propelled into the presidency or not. If not, then there will be some kind of massive protest..in case the superdelegates do not accept the math. For starters what about the undemocratic causus process which favored him, the pockets of black vote which has been exploited and added to the tally, the way the educated and elite have control of the media in a way that the vast majority of people do not. I have not agreed with Charlie Rose in the past, but he always seemed sensitive to the other side. This time it is like he has some emotional investment in seeing a black man for president no matter how vacuuous and insubstantial...this is like Chris Matthews. How can fans of Charlie Rose trust Charlie will give them the best possible insight and informed, spirited conversation if he wants to shut Hillary up so that she will not harm Obama's chances. Well I am just about ready to throw in the towel on Charlie Rose as I will find it hard in future to depend on him for informed conversation. True, he brought us the exquisite biases of the elite media, so we are hearing what this slice of Obama supporters is thinking, for what that is worth.
If Obama is looking for a theme song why doesn't he chose the classic Beatles song..."TAX MAN"...... "One for you and two for me"................. Does anyone wonder why the Beatles wrote that song? It was because the British were being taxed to death, the very wealthy didn't pay the taxes, they left the country. Just go ask Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones why he left Great Britain and moved to France in the 1970's?
2 main Points: (1) Charlie Cook talks about how the people see McCain as a moderate/independent. That is mostly because the Media fails to say anything else about him (99% based on pre-campaign actions and statements). Only Gwen Ifil was able to point out how the McCain on the campaign trail is not the independent that the rest of the media claims he still is. (2) Halparin says that we will have less negativity and less discussion of the issues but fails to point out the main reason why that is true. It is because the press is focused on YouTube moments/GaffeGates. The opposition does not need to go negative when you have the press providing the negativity and focus on mini-scandals. This also consumes all of the oxygen and issues get suffocated/overlooked in the process. Halparin and others only need to look in the mirror (or read their own coverage) to understand why this is the case.
I am dizzy from the spin cycle of those who have washed up Hillary. How ignorant - stupid is a better word - do you think the American people are? There were THREE primaries. Hillary won TWO and Obama won ONE. Yet I've continued to hear that Hillary won 1 , Obama won one and came in a close second in the third. You have to be kidding!!! Then the media moans that it is now evident that Hillary cannot win the nomination. Well, duh, neither can Obama. Neither will have the number of delegates to win. Plus, the votes from Florida and Michigan have been conveniently swept under the table when considering who would be the more viable candidate. True - Obama's name was not on the Michigan ballot. Everyone else's name was listed and there was a space labeled uncommitted or something. One would have had to be a fool not to know it was for Obama. Will he refuse to accept the votes if the DNC does the right thing and seats them? I think it ironic that the empty slot represented Obama since I've come to conclude he is an empty candidate. It is obvious, however, that the media has fallen in love with him. Of course. He has Ted Sorenson to write his speeches so he sounds like JFK. ("Don't ask what you country can do for you..." ) He cannot speak in complete sentences otherwise. I read the transcript from his interview with Russert. He says nothing as he keeps speaking. Perhaps if the American public had to read his comments, they would go beyond the hype and question his command of those issues a future president should understand. I challenge the panel to read Russert's transcript. Add the 3 paragraphs in which he discusses the "bitter" folk. Did anyone explain the picture of the NC Arena showing loads of supporters and then the one showing how few were actually there? A Reuter's moment. Politics? Deception? If it came from the party press, I'd say politics. That it appeared in my paper, I call it deception. The American press should be ashamed of themselves for failing to present unbiased objective news.
Great, wide-ranging, informative discussion. Thanks!
Comment by MR. LEE X SLAVE on Wednesday, May 7 at 06:46 AM<><><><><><><><><><> WHAT DO YOU WHITE PEOPLE PROPOSE TO DO WITH US THE MUSLIMS{WHO HAPPEN TO BE MEMBERS OF THE WORLDS FASTESS GROWING RELIGION} CAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I can not resist A GOOD ONE LINER. SORRY!<><><<><><><><> Feed your paranoia so that you will marginalize yourself!
HM - speaking of morons - try to focus. Obama called Indiana a tiebreaker state a few weeks ago. Unitl he lost it, of course. The rules change to benefit Obama until the media decides they are bored and the rules will change to benefit the new flavor of the month. It aint hard to predict. Thaaaat's entertain - ment.
Note to HM: Just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn't make them a moron. But your contribution to this thread is, in my opinion, very representative of the arrogant, boorish behaviour of many of Obamaâ??s supporters. Some people think democracy is important and that votes from all the states, including MI & FL should be counted. Obama seems content with his Invited States of America. Obamaâ??s camp is also ranting about how the Superdelegates dare not go against the will of the people and dare not overturn the popular vote, except, of course delegates like Kennedy who are voting against the wishes of their constituents, and unless, of course the popular vote favours Hillary Clinton, in which case Obama wants the Superdelegates to line up on his side.
I am amazed by the comments at how many morons are posted on here. Such as on the night of the primary for the most important election in a lifetime Max writes in about why Charlie Rose would be focusing on that. Or the fact of calling it a tie breaker when Barack Obama won by fourteen points in the big state and Hillary Clinton with only two points in the smaller state. Obama's got the nomination and Hillary is going back to New York. boo hoo hoo. So good day.
charlie_ how is it possible that so many of your guests are completely removed from reality in regards to the mass population of the US? frankly, i am not aware of anyone who shares these opinions. a direct result of the lack of integrity to plummet into the latest media hype is extremely disappointing. particular those who define themselves "intellectuals". clinton has done exactly as she said she was going to do: won Indiana. there was NEVER any real belief that she would win NC. she did not need to as NC IS a republican state. we must also remember: MICHIGAN & FLORIDA! the facts remain: Obama is young, has an intensley small track record and whose policies lack substance. in addition, many of the southern states, and middle as well, will not be pertinent to a democratic win of the presidency. lastly, the issue ALL have avoided, which i am disappointed in admitting is: is the US, and the world for that matter, ready for an African-American president?
Charlie Rose Show gets too narrow right now. Why do you focus on domestic politics all the time??? You should care about other important things such as Burma Cyclone etc .
Great show as always. Someone should have hooked Mark Halperin and his Blackberry off the stage. Very rude behavior.
Carol - you are forgetting something. Clinton was supposed to LOSE both States and Obama said Indiana is the tiebreaker. Well,she won the tiebreaker State but still people dismiss the very goal post they put in place. It is kinda funny and pathetic at the same time. Happily, I wrote off the pundit class in 2003 -they only want the "fresh" story so they can fill the empty hours. Thanks!
I deviate from political analysis simply to thank this show for a redeeming episode I found both enjoyable and enriching. Charlie was an excellent interviewer and mediator, and his guests were respectful and well informed. Round table discussion at its best!
The issue here is Sen. Obama has finally secured the Democratic Party nomination. Although we have known since Feb-6 that the man is on his way toward the White House, but we were not sure up until last night with full certainty. Now that we all know who the Prince is to carry the Democrcatic Party to the White House, its best we all focus on unification and healing. Let's all focus on McCain and his Republican Party. Sen. Obama has less than 200 delegates left to officially seal the nomination and deserves a two weeks vacation with no cell phone/blackberry or fax machine. Once he recharges, then get all the guns pointed on Sen. McCain's lack of understanding on the economy and the Iraq issue. There are many more pointers that can be used to illustrate Sen. McCain is is not the best choice for America. His temprament will be another opportunity to capitalize on. Sen. Obama must let the public know that he is up for a FUNDAMENTAL change, a change that is so profound everyone has a place to take part in and be heard unlike past politics where only rich organizations have the ears of the politicians. Sen. Obama has brought the grassroot movement that could not be overcome by any political force other than by the times we are in. The times we are made it easier for the youth who have never been involved in politics to see clear where their future lies.
To Frank Gajewski, read the following: Charlie, Charlie you and the other members of this program kept saying Obama is tired and you can see that, Whoopee! Charlie let me remind you, that Obama is younger than you, he is younger than me and he sure is younger than Hillary Clinton. Obama took a vacation Hillary Clinton did not.Poor Obama! What about John McCain, he is the oldest of the 3 candidates, did he take a vacation, is he tired? Mr. Gajewski wake up and smell the roses. You Charlie Rose should sleep.
What with the mess the next president will inherit, I'm surprised the age of the candidates is never discussed. Youth is a must.
There was so much said by the pundits, that was appalling and wrong headed that it is hard to know where to start to attempt to unravel the knot. And there is way to little space (especially with no paragraphs allowed). Only Gwen made an attempt to counter the pro Obama, anti Hillary spin bandwagon. I think see sees the inherent unfairness, which is going to lead to a backlash. If there is discrimination going on in this nomination, it is not as Herbert suggested over and over again White against Black. The discrimination is reflected in the statements over and over again that Hillary's base is those Old, White, Uneducated (read stupid), Working Class (read poor) who live in rural America. And those statements are made in a way that just dismisses these people as not mattering, not knowing what is good for them. Those people do matter, very much. In the general election, they are the majority. They have been the backbone of the Democrat Party. They fought for and supported Civil Rights, and change in the 60's. Once idealists, no longer having that luxury, and educated in the school of hard knocks, some are now realists. Some were lost to Reagan. Some had there patriotic hearts strings strummed by George Bush. Now they are hurting, and they are mad, and energized, and they will vote. They want a fighter, not another idealist. Changes from the 60's on did not come from pretty speaches. They came from perspiration and perseverance. George Bush was an idealist, a cheerleader, with broad statements and no plan. They want a player not another cheerleader. (McCain has at least proved himself as a player in the service to his country, and they just might go for him). They are not voting for Hillary because Obama is black. They are voting for her because they sense that Obama does not understand their situation, or the country's. Hillary learned a lot about their plight from upstate NY. If there is racial discrimination going on it is reflected in the numbers from North Carolina, that over ninety percent of blacks voted for Obama. How could that be, given that Clinton was once regarded as the first black president, and so many blacks made such great advances in the 90's, unless blacks were voting for Obama on the basis of the color of his skin. Surely the numbers should have broken more evenly as it did among whites, except for racism. Herbert statement about Obama's understanding of the economy is really telling important. Herbert said that all Obama had to do was "convince" people he understood to get elected. Yes, true. But he if elected he had better deliver, or the backlash against the Democrat party will be fierce, and long lasting. I know that I am already mad to be a Hillary supporter that is discredited and demeaned to be,"just an old, dumb, poor, white guy". And I am a guy who prayed to just live long enough to see people realize just how wrong George Bush was. In the National election, Dems already have the cities, the area around the Waters. What they do not have is rural America. I do not think that Obama's early showing in those areas to be meaningful. (And Charlie I would like to see an objective, intelligent exegesis of those results, not spin) If Obama does manage to win the general election, he had better deliver economic security, and with it dignity, ( a tall order for anyone), or it is the end of the Democrat party. Something has happened in the last 70 days. People have awakened from their slumber and they are really really mad. Even my ninety year old mother, who leans conservative, and is basically not political, who was saying 90 days ago, there was going to be another depression, is now saying that something has to change or there will be a "revolution". Obama's base, rich white idealist people, kids still supported by rich families, and people voting on the basis of skin color, is not the base to reach to win this election, and fix the country. Basically I see the same train wreck coming as TABS.
Let's face it: that moral stalwart hero dude McCain is destined to be the next president. America is simply not ready for a "black" president (or a woman). America, with racism written into its DNA (let's not kid anybody), just can't go there, not now, not ever. So, brace yourselves, folks, for more of that flag-waving, evangelical, double-talking republican Pax Americanism that has brought the USA to its present place (i.e., to the edge of the abyss). We may remain in Iraq for a hundred years, but by then the world will have left us in the dust . . .
Read TABS 4:01 AM post. Too long but useful. The 4:18 is confused/confusing? 4:01 entry worthy of effort.
WHAT DO YOU WHITE PEOPLE PROPOSE TO DO WITH US THE MUSLIMS{WHO HAPPEN TO BE MEMBERS OF THE WORLDS FASTESS GROWING RELIGION} CAUSE WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
You can't imagine how sad I am to see Barack Obama pulling ahead. From the beginning, the press took Hillary Clinton seriously and hit her very hard with questions mostly of the adversarial type used while interacting, reporting and putting her every move under the microscope. This had the effect of making her appear shady and negative, especially since the press did not actually take Obama seriously enough to grill him in the same manner. At this time, he is still living on land that is partially owned by a man going to court. Is that a gift to the Obama's, do they pay the taxes on it or do they rent it? Well certainly the press doesn't care. Is he part of the Chicago political machine? We'd like to know, but the press doesn't deem it important. I was at first offended by the short little u-tube scenes of Rev. Wright, but believe that everyone, whether class, gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, job, or interests, needs time to be with others of their type and vent their frustrations. After the Press Club speech, I understood and liked Rev. Wright better, and wasn't really bothered by him. The problem is, when Rev. Wright became too public with his views, Obama dissolved his relationship with the Reverend for politics. It makes Obama seem disingenuous. Reverend Wright's belief system just didn't occur suddenly, so why didn't Obama break ties years ago? Now who is pandering? On the other side of the picture, if HRC was attending a church with a racist message delivered from the pulpit, she would have been torn apart by the press and loud comments would have been heard from the usual African American spokesmen, (as well as NBC & MSNBC) along with prominent democrats putting distance between themselves & her. He campaigns as an environmentalist, so why does he get a stipend from Exelon, a big player in the nuclear industry? How is his money bundled? He played the race card in SC, yet MSNBC, and NBC trotted out commentators to make it look like it was a big race faux pas done by HRC. Yet, Obama has waged a crafty and somewhat nasty campaign, and when the questions finally got tough, he blamed "the Clinton Machine" for the hard questions, she didn't ask the questions, the reporters did. As far as the gas tax goes, if you have ever had to cut coupons to buy groceries, or shop the sales, something that may have saved $30 a week or even $30 a month would have helped. How dare he say that McCain & Clinton are pandering, now we have to wait for some elite economic think tank to come up with something - when? - after we've lost the house? We aren't the high paid educated, well shod elite that can get rid of the truck and buy a Prius. The truck and the trucker can't even afford to work. On the National scale, what has Obama really done? Where are his national credentials? Clinton was hurt by the press early on and no one seems to notice except for the comedians how Obama has borrowed from her to put his political agenda together, even copying her plans regarding health care and environmentalism. Before becoming a presidential candidate, he did not have a national conscience, she did. She worked on health care issues, including the health records portability bill, on expanding the time allotted by the family leave act for relatives to care for their wounded soldiers, on rural revitalization of small towns, getting them help to rebuild and stand economically on their own. She asked that a commission, modeled after the one that studied 9/11, be set up for the Katrina relief and other ongoing issues to correct the problems, and tried to get more money for rebuilding. She has been a big supporter of Civil Rights, yet those who would support her, vote their color, instead of the issues. I would say in America, all races have more rights and get more respect than do women - of any race. Racism is still a problem in America, but it gets talked about, solutions and programs concerning racism get funded, sexism isn't even taken seriously. So we stand back and watch as another, younger, less experienced man, who takes her ideas and agenda, with fewer years at the current job, talks a good talk, schmoozes with the big boys in the Democratic party and jumps over the woman whom he's learned from to take the job that should have been hers. Then you wonder why Senator Clinton's female supporters are so upset, well we are watching what has happened to so many of us play out on the national scene, and you boys just don't get it.
The Republicans want to face Obama in the fall. With Hillary's exit McCain gets a healthy percentage of her supporters right from the get go. The Republicans also have something on Obama. They are going to Swift Boat him. The name that is going to be splashed on every campaign ad is the name Louis Farrakhan. The Republicans are going to associate Obama with the Black Muslims which will drive the Jewish vote right into the hands of McCain. Also you might expect the name of Senator Lieberman as being a VP candidate. Exactly what percentage of the Democratic Party vote is that and how much money does that group donate to political campaigns again? Why does one think that Hillary said that Iran would be annihilated if Israel was attacked by Iran? It will be called the marginalization of Obama as an extremist who can't be trusted.
This is 1860 All Over Again For the Democratic Party<><><><><><><><><><> By tabs on May 6, 2008 8:14<><><><><><><><><> In 1860 the Democratic Party split in 2 parts, one of the parts was the southern radicals who gained the upper hand after John Browns raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859 and the other more moderate northern Democrats. Both factions fielded their own candidates and assured that the Republican nominee, Abraham Lincoln would win the election. How is 2008 a redux of 1860 for the Democratic Party. Again there are 2 factions in play for the nomination. The first is the Barrack Obama faction which is backed by the ultra Liberal Ted Kennedy wing and the Chicago Midwestern party machine. The Obama faction has won the south by winning the hearts and minds of the African Americans, college students and well educated Liberal voters. The other faction are the long time stalwart centrist Clinton faction that is backed by women, blue collar workers, Hispanics, Jews and party organizations in the large industrial northern states that owe the Clinton's a backlog of favors. The Primary election season is running so close that neither candidate has a clear cut margin of victory or defeat. Knowing the Clinton's, losing is not in their vocabulary and Hillary will continue to fight until the fat lady sings or a stake is driven through her heart. Hillary has promised to continue on to the White House, she will pull out all the stops to gain the nomination including. questioning the legitimacy of vote count in Indiana if the Gary Indiana vote should put Obbama over the top in the state. This is no far stretch of the imagination knowing the history of Chicago voting practices. Taking the DNC to court over the Michigan and Florida non seating of their delegates. Remember the "no vote left uncounted" rhetoric of the 2000 campaign. Adopting the "Yes we will" chant of the Obama campaign and "I am fighting for you in your time of need" populist message. Also Hillary has her private detectives looking under every rock to see if Obama has any dirty laundry that will make him not viable in the fall election. The large determinate will be money for Hillary,, if her campaign contributions dry up so will her campaign. If she has sufficient funds she will take this to the Convention. Where she hopes to pull it out of the hat by convincing the Democratic Party Super Delegates to change this allegiance and or seating the Michigan and Florida delegates. It is so interesting to note that the Hillary campaign is spinning the level that the bar of victory that is set at 2025 delegates really is 2225 delegates. Has Hillary no shame and if she pulls this off she will have changed the definition of the word "is." Obamas message will continue to be I am ahead, and if you take it away from me you will lose the African American vote forever along with all the young voters and this will be a throw back to the same old politics that we are used to. Which will all lead to a Democratic Party defeat in the fall. The danger for Obama is that as the infighting goes on in the Democratic Party Obama will come to look more and more like another hackneyed politician. As it is shaping up this fight for the nomination is getting to the point of a grudge match where neither side will be able to reclaim the voters of the other losing faction. With the Hillary voters more likily than not to switch to McCain as the most centrist candidate. The Democratic Party is in the process of splitting itself into two parts forever. Neither faction in the party being strong enough to beat a Republican candidate in the fall election. A new dynamic in American Politics is in the formation stages with the Gotterdammerung of the Democratic Party of old. A new Centrist Party is going to emerge that is going to marginalize the extreme wings of both parties. Call in the Party of Independence.
I've noticed that every time the subject of Hillary Clinton's gas tax suggestion comes up, your guests never explain that her plan includes having the oil companies, who are raking in windfall profits pay the tax. The fact that some renowned economist has not endorsed her plan does not make it a failed option. It's time to make the oil companies accountable and feel some of the pain at the pump. Allowing them to share the burden when their profits are so high will surely encourage them to come up with a better solution. Hillary Clinton is so clearly the best candidate for the office of president. She is head and shoulders above both Obama and McCain. How unfortunate that many of your guests will not give her the credit she deserves. Obama will never be able to live up to the hype that surrounds him. He is not ready for the job.
The one major question that wasn't asked was what went wrong this passed week for Hillary. She was ahead in the polls and closing in NC. Was it the gas tax? Did that issue lose it for her? I think so. But what this panel said was so true--that there will be more gaffes to come. Even with Wright muzzled, Obama cannot afford any. Once McCain is unleased, he may have to put GW in the dog pound, and run the campaign he did 8 years ago. This is still anyone's game to win. But harder for the Dems because they can't get their own election process in order.
This program was an amazing lovefest for Obama...complete with most of the Axelrod anti-Hillary talking points. There was some tittering about poor old Bill Clinton being angry with the Press for their unfair treatment of Hillary, and then this program rewound the whole campaign and hit all the high points of unfairness to Hillary Clinton, presenting each as unchallenged common knowledge. Did Bill Clinton ever make any racist remark in this campaign? No, but Obama's team 'played the Race Card' by twisting his words. Even Hillary Clinton's teary eyed moment was depicted, in an Obama-esque flight from logic, as a lack of sympathy for the plight of Katrina victims. The coven you assembled for this program, stirring away for Obama, went on at length about how Obama and McCain were weak on economic issues, never mentioning that Hillary Clinton has firm grasp in this field, and has an economic plan for America, as well. She has shone in debates and interviews, while Obama has uh-ed and meandered and finally decided he just won't do any more debates. And as to your glowing review of Michelle Obama, well, she hasn't endeared herself to me, starting with the speech she delivered from her well paid corporate perch, lecturing that young people "shouldn't go into corporate America", to her latest whiny tirade about how poor, poor Obama has paid his dues, but the bar keeps getting set higher and how it's so difficult that he hasn't been anointed yet. She has a sense of entitlement big enough for several universes, and she is joined in this by Obama who wants everyone to play by the Rules while he does whatever suits him. Finally, the way this program glossed over the polls tracking how Obama would do against McCain was an exercise in dated fantasy. Obama would lose to McCain, according to the latest polls, and the Republicans haven't even started their negative ads. They have a wealth of material available already, and another little hiccup, the Rezko trial, should be becoming a full blown belch by November.
The rope is certainly frayed.
It does seem that Obama's support has dwindled to blacks and their politically correct white supporters. He surely can't win in Nov with them alone. I doubt the Democrats will come together behind him and I can see Hilary's women voting for McCain, because I kinda expect McCain to pick Huckabee as his running mate. In any case I expect a lot of crossover voting.
It's hysterical to me that all you MEN think that Hillary Clinton is somehow Bill Clinton - "the Clintons" that's YOUR big mistake. We want Hillary, not Obama rama see: Oprah if you want to use Bill and not Bill Clinton. Got it? Why ever would a woman voting for Hillary think she's voting for "the Clintons?" Can you men not separate for one moment??? the fact that she has her own brain, even though she's married? Can you not even imagine that Madam President Hillary RODHAM Clinton is and will always be her own person? Please. She was she before Bill and she would be she after Bill - see Lewinsky. This is where you are misguided and why she will win. She, not Bill, is running for President. All you little men, see Charlie, ("what can he do to turn it around" never heard you ask what she needs to do to "turn it around) Please, wake up. Obama is/was a cause celebre for "rich, so called "educated," white women and men without real political conviction - or else they're angry Gay rich men - see: Geffen and see ya all in White House. Bye bye, America's a man's world/boy's club - you can run, but you cannot hide. I'd take an "uneducated" whatever that means - man or women of "character" any day especially after myself being "educated" at the "best" schools - what does "education" have to do with good character, grit, determination and true humanity? Condescension, anyone. By the way, all the men and women I know who are so gong-ho on Obama aren't that "educated" - they may be "well-off," but great thinkers they are not. It's character that's driving Hillary's growing support and that's what we need in a President, not "education" - see Bush (Yale????) Any MAN? see: Obama, who would denounce his pastor is a shit. Get it. Wright's not the problem, but the fact that Obama is so spineless as to denounce the man at the center see: Church of his so-called African-American community of which he was a member for 20 years, can never be trusted.... you think "loyalty" is a bad thing - see: Richardson (stabber in the back) His "turning" begs the question, what wouldn't Hillary give him? Obama is a weak man. To turn his back on his "spiritual" leader of 20 years is despicable in a friend, let alone a President. Wright knows it and doesn't want him to be President.... Who will Obama turn on next to "look good," and not be good? I hope I'm not around to see what he would denounce if he were made President, or I should say, how can you trust the word of a man who would do that? Bring him into the fold - don't denounce your preacher - that's just shameful and I'm sure Obama knows this and just can't get it up to defend a man that he "once" loved. For all these reasons, Hillary will win and not because people who vote for her think, hope or fear getting the "Clinton." That's just bad rhetoric.... see: Obama.