The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I've never been this excited about a presidential candidate. Maybe it's naive (in politics blind passion often is), but I genuinely think he'll be a great president.

Here are some great links to get to know him if you haven't already. The first two are entertaining, the last is more substance:

Barack Obama apologizes to a guy for messing up his mojo

His appearance on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. (listen to the 'not my job' segment)

For the Democratic National Convention - Obama's now famous 'One America' speech (parts one and
two)

Obama will run for president in 2008 and it doesn't matter that he's black. It doesn't matter that he has no presidential experience (the current administration has proved that experience doesn't matter). It doesn't matter that his middle name is Hussein or that his name rhymes with Osama. All of that is meaningless. It's the type of stuff that people with no real value will use against him because that's all the ammunition they'll have.

Don't allow 'will other people vote for him?' to enter your head. Just ask yourself 'should I support him?'. If the answer is yes go here and sign up:
http://www.barackobama.com/

I'm not sayin' he shouldn't run, but here's a little counter-point.

Personally, I think he could probably win a general election, but he'll never survive the primaries that spat out John Kerry last time.

I don't really buy that article, Des. Women will vote for Obama, every minority will vote Obama, and most importantly, someone like Obama will get people to vote.

What's the voting rate in the US? <%50? If Obama runs, he will electrify every voting base and people will vote. Bush did as well (ha) as he did by scaring the conservative voter base, making them believe that if they didn't all go out and vote, turrists would win and gays would convert their families.

America needs Barack. I really believe that if he runs (and isn't killed), he'll win and the US will be a much brighter place.

Edwards needs to disappear, and I really don't want to see Hillary running. A Hillary/some asshole ticket would be a tough sell against say, a McCain/Juliani ticket.

mico saudad wrote:Barack Obama apologizes to a guy for messing up his mojo

And I just have to say this:

BARACK-BLOCKED

He hasn't announced he's running yet, just that he's launched an exploratory campaign to consider running. So, to dash your hopes:

1. guy is born
2. guy launches exploratory committee
3. guy decides to run
4. guy runs for big-party candidacy
5. guy is chosen to be the big-party nominee
6. guy is elected prez

There's still hurdles. That said I look forward to the inauguration very much.

He has a better chance of winning than the Bears do. I probably won't vote for anybody but I'd be relatively appointed if he manged to get himself the job.

naysayers wrote:blah blah blah

I'm a realist. I know the hurdles and I think it will be very difficult to get him elected.

But to me he also represents a chance to shatter the cynic in myself, and if I can help this amazing guy get elected or at least lose to a worthy candidate (and I can't think of one), and if he keeps the trust, then I can put the cynic to bed and feel happy about the world for a while. And isn't that worth working towards?

Also, he has Oprah's support.

If anyone can get people of their couches and into the voting booths to mindlessly vote for the person a celebrity likes for whatever reason, Oprah can.

Oprah supported Clinton (Bill)

Anyway, he's expected to announce in Feb. What's an exploratory comittee gonna find? "uh, people really like you, and the only concrete detraction people have on you is that you've only been a senator for two years."

If he runs, I'm volunteering.

Man I hope so. But (there's always a big butt, let's talk about your big butt, Simone) he does have that dark skin. And try as I might, I still can't convince myself that everyone else in this country is as smart and open minded enough to ditch the pack mentality and vote for who should be elected. I mean, these idiots elected Bush...TWICE. That's just stupid and shameful.

Still, if he does show well, it could be baby steps toward not just electing boring, white guys with no brains.

Justincombustion wrote:these idiots elected Bush...TWICE.

The Supreme Court elected him the first time.

Anyway, Sober's right: There are more people who'd vote for Obama than wouldn't. In fact, I doubt there's any measurable intersection between the sets of "democrat" voters and "won't vote for a black guy" voters.

Though I scratch my head at the "Obama will save us all" sentiment expressed by so many folks. At the end of the day, he's still a politician, with divisive views that'll split the country, just like any politician.

Call me cynical but I don't think a woman (eg Hillary Clinton) or a non-white man (eg Barack Obama) can get elected president here just yet. I think there's still too much racism and sexism in the country for that to happen, as dismal a thought as that may be. Plus I agree with the sentiment that Obama isn't experienced enough to win, at least not against some old white Republican codger.

Lunkhead wrote:Call me cynical but I don't think a woman (eg Hillary Clinton) or a non-white man (eg Barack Obama) can get elected president here just yet. I think there's still too much racism and sexism in the country for that to happen, as dismal a thought as that may be. Plus I agree with the sentiment that Obama isn't experienced enough to win, at least not against some old white Republican codger.

Maybe not Alabama, maybe not Idaho, maybe not even Ohio, but don't you suppose Illinois, NY, NJ, FL, CA, WA could? Even Texas has had a woman governor.

I don't think experience is that big of a deal. Get a good VP on the ticket and it'll be OK. Bush wasn't exactly full of experience, especially not compared to Gore, who had been born and raised to be Prez. I don't know why so many senators are hot to run. And I don't like Edwards in `08, because he hasn't been doing electy things (his sole experience there being a single term in the US Senate, vs. Obama's state and city and US Senate experience). Most of it, imo, is gumption, and a vision for America, and likeability. Kerry had close to no likeability, but tons of experience. The last time a senator's been elected was JFK. Plenty have run, in primaries and as the nominee (dole, lieberman twice, kerry, edwards, gore twice, goldwater, to name several), and the thing about historical trends is they're true until they're not (there's nothing precluding the election of a senator, legally or whatnot) but Reagan, GWB, Clinton, Carter, they were governors. They also won seven of the last eight elections among them.

deshead wrote:Though I scratch my head at the "Obama will save us all" sentiment expressed by so many folks. At the end of the day, he's still a politician, with divisive views that'll split the country, just like any politician.

I don't think policies or leaders should be judged on how divisive or not they are. Bad leadership can be unifying. And is it bad to be divisive if the end result is a better society? In the end I think Obama is a smart politician whose goal is social progress, and he knows instinctively that the way to progress in our society is not by willful alienation.

I don't think Obama will save us all.

I do think that we need to save ourselves, and that electing someone like Obama is a good first start.

mico saudad wrote:In the end I think Obama is a smart politician whose goal is social progress...

What does "social progress" mean?

That's a fair point, melvin. Social progress for my parents would mean banning gay marriage and outlawing abortion.

Obama certainly has a particular vision of what 'social progress' means (that happens to very closely align with my own).

My main point there is that instead of having a set of beliefs that are design to appeal to a strategic crossection of voters I think he has an honest-to-god vision of social progress. And I think he will genuinely try to find a way of bringing people on board with that, rather than alienating them. I think he can do that better than anyone out there.

Now if someone disagreed with his definition of social progress, then I doubt they'd vote for him anyway. I'm just trying to do what I can to shatter the doubts of those who want the similar type of 'progress' that he wants but for whatever reason are uncertain of his suitability as a message bearer or leader.

I bet Obama will play it safe and get a little more experience under his belt before running for president. I think a lot of people will have a hard time voting for him just because he's so young. That's just a prediction. If he happens to run, I'll vote for him.

It doesnt matter who ya vote for the Government still get in.

And everything goes on as before





PS I recon theres gonna be a Clinton/Obama ticket for the dems, and Guilliani/Rice possible for reps

Me$$iah wrote: PS I recon theres gonna be a Clinton/Obama ticket for the dems, and Guilliani/Rice possible for reps

Thats what they SHOULD DO. Clinton already has it on her resume and Obama starring as vice president is his foot in the door for the elections 4 - 8 years later.

Don't rule out the 'seemingly' moderate John McCain for the repubs.

http://www.backbarack.com/

obama/winfrey in 2008.

Me$$iah wrote: I recon theres gonna be a Clinton/Obama ticket

that would be the stupidest idea ever, i think.
not that i personally have anything against clinton but-- i think SO many people in this country dislike her SO strongly, she'd be a death sentence for any ticket she attached her name to.

Well Clinton's announced she's gonna run, so we'll see how that goes.