I remember it wasn't that long ago when most black people wondered aloud if Obama was black enough. Some blacks did not trust him because of his biracial background. He did not have the similar life experience that the majority of blacks have as a result of living in the United States. Blacks who doubted Obama pointed to the fact that he was the son of a Kenyan father and a white mother. He also attended and graduated from some of the best schools in the country. Therefore, some blacks questioned his authenticity on his knowledge of being black in America.
Now approximately 90 percent of the voting black community supports Obama and his quest for the presidency. Even though he is biracial, Obama has allowed everyone (black, white, media, etc.) to say that he could be the first African-American president of the United States. For the record, I respect Obama's decision to identify with his African heritage, but I am of the opinion that Obama would be the first biracial President who happens to identify as a black male. I only say this because I believe when people say Obama is African-American, they totally disregard his white mother and her family. Obama is the man he is because of his white mother and her parents who basically raised him as a young man in a white household.
When Obama won the Iowa Primary, most black people were stunned that a predominantly white state would vote for someone of color. The Iowa victory and his strong showing in New Hampshire gave some blacks the courage they needed to support Obama. For example, Jesse Jackson won 77 percent of the black vote in 1984 and 92 percent of the black vote in 1988. Currently, Obama is getting numbers close to what Jackson got in 1988.
Despite the support he gets from the majority of black voters, Obama has to be careful of his perception in all segments of the black community. There are already rumblings from some members of Indiana's black communities that Obama and Hillary Clinton are basically ignoring them while concentrating on courting the blue collar white voters.
Obama is also being watched to see how he handles the Jeremiah Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ controversies. When Obama denounced Wright yesterday, most people knew he did it for more political reasons than for personal ones. For Obama to have any chance of making inroads into the white blue-collar vote that Clinton has consistently beat him in he knew he had to strongly denounce Wright. However, Obama has to be careful how he denounces Wright so as not lose many members of his black voting bloc. Obama knows that there is a risk that some blacks will think he's just criticizing Wright to appease some white voters. I believe young black voters are more likely then older black voters to understand why Obama had to give the speech he gave yesterday. I think older black voters will understand, but will be less likely to forgive him for it.
Obama has to continue to find the balance that allows him to criticize Wright's views while not making it look like he's selling Wright out to white America because he needs their votes. For example, Obama was allegedly criticized by Al Sharpton for trying to "grandstand for white people" by appealing for calm after the controversial verdict in the Sean Bell shooting trial.
Obama is in a delicate situation but he can overcome it by just being himself. The trouble is I don't know if Obama really knows who he is because I sure don't. The man is being pulled in all directions by all people on a daily basis. This is one reason why most people do not run for President of the United States. I wish him well even though I will not be voting for him in the fall because he's too liberal for my blood. However, I am willing to overlook the flaws or political leanings of any candidate who would be willing to forgive student loan debts over $50,000.
It has been very interesting watching all of the news shows and reading all of the various newspaper articles discussing the the fractured relationship between Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama as a result of Wright's appearance at the National Press Club on Monday. I have been amused by some of the comments I have heard and I have been confused by others. My perception of the falling out between Obama and Wright is a little different then what is being largely reported in the media. My opinion is based on my life perspective as a black male who grew up in Missouri. My grandfather is a minister of two black churches in west Tennessee, so I have an understanding of the widely discussed and misunderstood black church experience.
Obama could have eliminated the Wright issue years ago when he decided to enter the world of politics as a Illinois state senator. However, Obama did not see Wright as a problem until he announced his presidential candidacy on February 10, 2007. The fact is Obama sought out Wright and Trinity United Church of Christ for several reasons. First of all, as a biracial male living in the South Side of Chicago, Obama needed and wanted the black half of his life to be validated. I did not have a problem with his decision to identify himself as a black male. For the most part, depending on the color of the individuals skin, American society will assume a biracial person is black if one of their parents is black. It is very rare for society to identify a biracial individual as white unless the person's skin is so light that they could pass for white. I digress because this is all a subject that will be discussed on another day.
When Obama made the decision to identify himself as a black man he basically needed a "reference". Wright and Trinity provided Obama with his "ghetto pass" that he knew he needed if was going to succeed in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. This "pass" allowed him to do a lot of good work in the South Side neighborhoods. Wright made Trinity into an institution in Chicago. It became the thing to do to become a member of the Trinity congregation. Therefore, Obama became a member of Trinity and began making the political connections he needed to make it in the Chicago political wars.
Obama did not have to hide or worry about his relationship with Wright while running for the Illinois State Senate or the U.S. Senate. The majority of the people in his district do not disapprove of Wright or his message. Obama and his campaign team knew that Wright would be problematic when he made the decision to run for president. However, what the Obama camp curiously underestimated was how the content of Wright's sermons was going to negatively impact the majority of Americans. This is why the Wright cloud has continued to hang over Obama's campaign. Obama was also helped by the fact that the mainstream media kept a reasonably tight lid on issues regarding Wright because they did not think the Wright problem was newsworthy and they did not want to be viewed as racist for harming Obama's presidential march.
Obama finally addressed the Wright issue in Philadelphia with his much ballyhooed speech on racial relations in America. He eloquently discussed the issues of race in this country in a way that John McCain or Hillary Clinton could not. Obama also said that he did not agree with what Wright's comments, but that he could not disown him. The speech satisfied his supporters, but it did not resonate with his detractors. The speech may have helped him with some undecided voters, but not enough to help him win the Pennsylvania primary. The Obama campaign was feeling pretty confident that they handled the Wright fiasco and now they were focused on winning Indiana and North Carolina. Little did they know that a storm was coming down the road.
Wright is an intelligent and proud man. I cannot imagine how Wright felt having the entire world view snippets of his sermons without the full context of the respective sermons. He was being blasted by the national media on a daily basis as a racist. To make matters worse, a member of his congregation for 20 years, decided to go in front of the national media and make a point to say that he didn't know of Wright's previous comments and did not agree with those that he heard. There was no way Wright was going to stay silent and allow himself to be made into some sort of racist caricature by the national media. He was going to fight back and he was going to do it the only way he has known how - he was going to speak his mind. I do not believe Wright was trying to intentionally hurt Obama's campaign by going on his talking tour that began last Friday on the the Bill Moyers Journal show. However, I do believe that Wright was not going to continue to allow himself to be misrepresented to the American public without defending himself. He did not care about the negative effect it would have on Obama's campaign. Political campaigns come and go. If you look at the transcript from Wright's Moyer's appearance, this fight was about how his life's work was being portrayed.
Wright's speech and comments made the National Press Club forced Obama to do what he should have done a long time ago. Obama was forced to cast aside a man (Wright) who he looked up to and held in high regard. If you look at Obama's speech below, it is obvious that Wright's comments have upset him and he is saddened that he has to have a public breakup with a man who he saw as a father-figure.
Before I go on any further, I want to make it clear why Obama supporters are mad. It is not what Wright said during his appearances. Wright did not say anything new; he just repeated the same old controversial comments he has said for many years. Obama supporters, especially the approximately 90 percent of black voters who support Obama are mad about the timing of his speaking engagements.
Please understand that the majority of blacks are not mad about what Wright has said in the past or will continue to say in the future. They are mad that Wright did not wait until Obama was elected president before he started defending himself. Obama's quest for the presidency is very personal for the majority of the black community. They see Obama's candidacy as their chance to finally get to the White House where he can change the way the game is played in Washington. If Obama is elected president that would be a dream come true for many blacks, especially older blacks like my parents and grandparents who lived during the Jim Crow days in the south. This is why there is this almost naive belief among blacks that President Obama will make it easier to be black in America and this is why so many blacks are currently upset with Wright.
It will be interesting to see how Wright will respond to Obama's forceful public denunciation of him. Is Wright going to be quiet and lay low in Chicago because he has said what he had to say? On the other hand, is Wright going to return to the podium to respond to Obama's remarks about him and his beliefs? This is a difficult time for those people in the black community who support both of these men. They do not want to see Wright or Obama fail.
Obama and Wright are playing a game neither man can win. They have both already lost in ways that they could not have imagined a year ago. Obama has lost his shine as the candidate who can lead this country to a new place and help heal the racial divide. Wright has lost the respect and admiration of some blacks because they feel he has irreparably damaged Obama's campaign. You would be hard pressed to find a black person who does not think that Wright should defend himself. However, I would also venture to say that you would find it difficult to find many blacks who support Wright's defending himself at the expense of Obama's campaign for president.
Like I said - neither Obama or Wright can win this game.
I am so glad that Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC) has not "officially" endorsed Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. He's so influential with the black community that his endorsement will sway the support of many black voters especially those who are undecided. Because the first thing that most blacks do when they wake up in the morning is they look in the mirror and wonder aloud, "I hope Rep. Clyburn has made up his mind today because I don't know who to support for the nomination." Yeah - right.
Clyburn has again blasted Bill Clinton's rhetoric in support of his wife's campaign. This time he did it in a interview with the New York Times. He went as far as calling the former president's behavior "bizarre" and said that "black people are incensed over all of this". Clyburn may not say it, but I will. Clyburn and other so called "black leaders" are upset that the Clinton's are being so tough on the campaign trail with Obama that he may be damaged for the campaign against John McCain.
Most blacks are so happy that there is finally a candidate of color that is making a serious run at the White House. I will admit it is hard for me to be anti-Obama because I would love to finally see a minority be elected president, whether it be a woman, black, Hispanic, etc. However, unlike many blacks, I have not ever voted for a candidate because of the color of their skin. Nevertheless, this is why Clyburn and other blacks are so upset with the Clinton's. They feel like since they have always supported the Clinton's through the good and bad times, it is only fair that the Clinton's finally support the wishes of many blacks - the election of Obama to the Oval Office. Clyburn offers this quote as evidence,
“When he was going through his impeachment problems, it was the black
community that bellied up to the bar,” Mr. Clyburn said. “I think black
folks feel strongly that this is a strange way for President Clinton to
show his appreciation.”
This is such an unintelligent argument and unbecoming of a member of the Democratic leadership. It is sad that Clyburn continues to use the same old script that many blacks continue to use - if you do not agree with us, you must be racist. Clyburn's comments insinuate that blacks were the only people to support Clinton during his impeachment. Someone should ask Clyburn how Clinton should repay the white and Hispanic people that supported Clinton during the impeachment crisis. My response to Clyburn is this - yes, the majority of blacks supported Clinton during his impeachment period, but a lot of blacks also supported O.J. Simpson during his murder trial. It seems to me that the majority of blacks were wrong on both accounts. Bill Clinton lied and suffered the consequences and ensuing embarrassment. Simpson murdered two innocent people and got away with it because of a inept prosecution of the case.
In his Political Punch column, Jake Tapper of ABC News writes that Clyburn is also speculating that Hillary Clinton is continuing to run, not to win the nomination, but to damage Obama so that he cannot beat McCain in the general election. While adding to the long list of conspiracy theories embraced by many blacks, Clyburn also said,
"I heard something, the first time yesterday (in South Carolina), and I
heard it on the (House) floor today, which is telling me there are
African Americans who have reached the decision that the Clintons know
that she can’t win this," Clyburn said. "But they're hell-bound to make
it impossible for Obama to win."
Clyburn and other Democrats have only themselves to blame if Clinton has made it "impossible" to win. He and the other superdelegates should stop cowering behind their desks and throw their support behind Obama. Then Clinton would have no choice but to leave the race because it would remove her only viable path to victory. Instead Clyburn and other superdelegates have allowed the race for the Democratic nomination to become drawn out and nasty.
Thanks for the leadership Rep. Clyburn. Now I know why South Carolina elected you in 1993. Now show some real leadership and resign or stop making wild accusations in the media. By the way, who and where are these black people that Clyburn has talked to about the campaign? I'm black and I still have not heard nobody say the things that Clyburn alluded to in the article. Never mind - I forgot - people know not to bring that conspiracy B.S. to my face.
What has the Democratic congress led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NV) accomplished since the Democrats took over control of Congress? Maybe it's just me. However, I can tell you that my life has not changed for the better since they came into power. It's gotten to the point that it does not matter whether the Democrats or the Republicans are in charge of the politics because nothing ever changes.
If Pelosi and Reid want to impress me then they can get to work and pass the 21st Century GI Bill sponsored by Senator James Webb (D-VA). If enacted this legislation would expand the educational benefits available to all members of the military, including activated reservists and the National Guard. Most importantly, the legislation would cover the full cost of most the expensive in-state public school that a member of the military wanted to attend.
I have a problem with any Senator or Representative, regardless of their party affiliation, who cannot support this important legislation. Newsweek columnist, Anna Quindlen wrote a very eloquent column about why this bill should be enacted. Quindlen concluded her column with the following:
"Offering these men and women a college education is the least we can
do. It's not free; they've already paid, in Fallujah and Kabul. If
Congress wants an economic-stimulus package, this is a great one. A
Topeka, Kans., lawyer and national commander of the American Legion,
Harry Colmery, was the architect of the original GI Bill. He asked a
question that is as resonant today as it was then: "If we can spend 200
to 300 billion dollars to teach our men and women to kill, why quibble
over a billion or so to help them to have the opportunity to earn
economic independence and to enjoy the fruits of freedom?"
Enacting this legislation is the right thing to do and the moral thing to do. However, I was surprised and disappointed that Senator John McCain had yet to sign up as a co-sponsor of the bill. As Quindlen pointed out, McCain was a beneficiary of the old GI bill. In my opinion, McCain should have his name on the bill like the other veterans of past wars.
Passage of this legislation should be of the most importance to Pelosi, Reid, and the next President. This is the kind of legislation that would have a positive impact on communities across the country. Its passage would also tell the members of the military who put their lives on the line on a daily basis that their country is willing to invest in them as soon as they return home.
I have finally viewed the controversial television ad sponsored by the North Carolina Republican Party. What's the big deal? I just don't get what the uproar is all about. Why are so many people upset over the content of this weak 40 second ad? The North Carolina GOP is using the incedinary clip of Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright spewing hateful words about America. A clip of the ad is shown below.
The Republicans are trying to tie the Democratic candidates for governor to Obama and Wright saying that they are "too extreme" for North Carolina. The Republicans are also trying to raise some money too. John McCain and the Republican National Committee have criticized the ad, but that has not stopped the North Carolina Republican Party from trying to air it.
I have viewed the ad several times and I still don't get the uproar. I have finally come to the conclusion that this ad is about more than the inclusion of the clips of the Wright sermon. Even if the clip of his sermon is taken out of context, it is still Wright's words coming out of his mouth. I believe that more people are upset that the ad shows a picture of Obama with his arms around a white woman - Democratic candidate for governor, Bev Perdue.
If this is what people are upset about than I think that says more about them than it says about the ad itself. Now, I will admit that there are still a lot of people who still cringe at the sight of a black man any where near a white woman - so what. What happened to the new mythical post-racial generation that was supposed to be taking over the United States?
If Obama believes this ad is racist then he needs to say so and explain why he feels this way. However that is not what Obama and his campaign team likes to do. They like to let their media supporters stir the racist accusations, so Obama never has to explain anything. This is one of the things that has always annoyed me about Obama. He could easily come out and say that the ad was stupid and the Wright clip was taken out of context again. Obama could also do a lot of good by saying that he did not believe the ad was racist because he was pictured with his arm around a white woman. He could continue to say that he has a lot of white supporters who he has given hugs to and there is nothing wrong with that.
I need someone to tell me - a black man - how this ad is racist. I thought it was weak, but not racist.
McCain better be careful about his criticism of this ad. Before he starts apologizing for everything a Republican says that may or may not put Obama in a bad light. McCain better go talk to his buddy Hillary Clinton about what happens if you run a campaign that is overly sensitive towards Obama. McCain and the GOP better wake before they find themselves in the same losing position Clinton finds herself in.
The campaign between Obama and Clinton and now Obama and McCain is funny too watch. Clinton, McCain and their supporters are so afraid to say any thing about Obama out of fear of being called a racist. Their actions remind me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine had a biracial boyfriend and no one really was comfortable talking about him. Once again, Obama has got another candidate on the defensive when he has no reason to be.
The Clinton's finally released their tax returns last Friday. Now everyone who was making a big deal about their release can breathe and relax. As I have written before, the Clinton's political opponents knew there was not going to be any smoking gun in the documents. Everyone knew the Clinton's had made a lot of money since leaving the White House. I think everyone was just curious to know how much money they made. Well, the Clinton's did not disappoint because they have made over $109 million dollars since 2000.
TaxProf has a nice breakdown of the Clinton's taxes by year. They also include for comparison their previous chart on Obama's taxes. I still don't believe politician's should have to disclose their tax returns to the public unless there is a law that mandates it. The only thing that Obama, Clinton and soon McCain will have proved by releasing their financial information is that none of them are worried about saving for retirement.
I know Obama supporters are going to say that Clinton is so rich how can she possibly relate to the blue-collar workers she supposedly fights for. My reply to that is this - what politician can? Obama, Clinton and McCain cannot relate to the millions of Americans who are living check to check. The only thing that these politicians can do is offer the same old campaign promises that solve nothing. It will take real courage and vision to make effective change in our nation. Unfortunately, none of the remaining candidates have what it takes to get the job done.
Hillary Clinton - for a person to be so smart, she sure is stupid. Clinton has finally admitted that she "misspoke" about her much celebrated Bosnia trip twelve years ago. I can understand a person making a mistake once when commenting on a trip that was made a long time ago. What I can't understand is how a person, in this case Clinton, can keep making the same mistake on several occasions.
The bottom line is this - Clinton lied about the Bosnian trip and all of the sniper fire. Barack Obama lied and continues to lie about his relationship with Jeremiah Wright. John McCain lies about Mitt Romney during the Republican primary campaign. This is what politicians do - they exaggerate and lie. This is why, as an independent voter, I am not satisfied with the choices for president. I guess I will have to vote for the candidate who lies the least and does not try to make a fool out of me while doing it.
Everyone on earth knows that if Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton cannot win the democratic nomination before the convention in Denver, there will probably be a brokered convention. I think it's safe to say that the Democrat's do not want that to happen. What most people would not guess is that there is a possibility that Al Gore, of all people, could be the Democrat to take on John McCain in the general election.
I know that scenario sounds crazy, but that is what U.S. Representative Tim Mahoney (D-FL) has suggested could happen if there is a brokered convention. Mahoney said the following:
"If it (the nomination process) goes into the convention, don’t be
surprised if someone different is at the top of the ticket,”....."A compromise candidate could be someone such as former vice
president Al Gore"......"If either Clinton or Obama suggested to a deadlocked convention a
ticket of Gore-Clinton or Gore-Obama, the Democratic Party would accept
it."
I can't believe people cannot get over Al Gore. I like Gore and I think he would have made a good president. However, Mahoney is crazy if he thinks that Obama and Clinton would step aside for Gore so he could battle McCain for the presidency. Obama and Clinton have battered each other for months in a bruising nomination process. I would love to be in the room if someone would suggest to Obama or Clinton that they should think about serving as Gore's vice-president for eight years and then run for president - again.
Now that's the kind of video I would like to see on You-Tube.
Well it seems like everything is settling down after the Jeremiah Wright debacle. Barack Obama in his strongest language to date has renounced the controversial statements that his spiritual mentor made and cut his political ties to Wright. It should be noted that Obama will not cut his personal ties to him.
This controversy is not going to help Clinton beat Obama. It is too late for that to happen. Obama will be the Democratic nominee for president, but can he win in the fall against John McCain? For Obama to beat McCain, he needs the undecided voters to
take a huge leap of faith in him. Obama needs for voters to believe that he did not know about Wright's beliefs during
his time as a member of the church. The media is already digging around and asking, "what did Obama know about Wright's past sermons?"
Obama claims he never knew that Wright made inflammatory comments like those in his sermons. This is almost unbelievable. During his time at the church, Obama was a community activist in the South Side of Chicago community. He was among the people of the community on a daily basis and he wants the public to believe that he never knew of Wright's beliefs. I know that is not true.
Obama also says that he has not been at a sermon where where Wright made hateful remarks. Maybe he's telling the truth, but a lot of people do not believe him. For example, Newsmax wrote an article last year that claims they saw Obama in person at the church during one of Wright's sermon's in which he made comments regarding whites. This is what Obama is going to face in the fall - a growing segment of the public who thinks that he is lying. To win the presidency, Obama is going to have to convince people like this blogger at The Autonomist that he is telling the truth. That is going to be hard to do.
If enough people can take that leap of faith and believe
what Obama says then he is your next president. On the other hand, if people
think he is being a normal politician and is full of B.S. then McCain is your next
president. Do you believe Obama is telling the truth.
Pat Buchanan is a man that I usually do not agree with what he says or writes. I have always respected Buchanan, but I do not like Buchanan. I respect Buchanan because he does not care if you like him or not because he is going to say what he wants to say.
Buchanan wrote this article in response to the Obama campaign's reaction to Geraldine Ferraro's comments last week. Buchanan believes that the Obama campaign are the ones that keep injecting the subject of race into the campaign when it is convenient for them.
I strongly agree with him on this point and I have talked about this before. Hillary Clinton made a big mistake by allowing Obama's campaign to paint her as a racist when ever she attacked Obama. Clinton got to the point that she was apologizing on a daily basis for something that someone said that Obama's supporters thought was racist. I always thought Clinton was a fool to apologize if she did not do anything wrong. That's why I like the fact that Ferraro has refused to apologize for making "racist" comments. She didn't make any so why should she apologize?
McCain will not beat Obama in the fall if he falls into that same trap. He will have to criticize Obama and not worry about being called a racist. Obama's a big boy - he can handle it. Well, McCain better not say "boy" because there are some people who believe that it is a white racist word.
Fox News has released taped recording of sermons delivered at Barack Obama's church by recently retired minister, Jeremiah Wright, Jr. It will be interesting to see how his lunatic ravings made at the Trinity United Church of Christwill be interpreted by the IRS. There are people who believe that the church should lose its tax exempt status because of the content of some of the sermons that have been delivered there. I don't think Trinity will lose its tax exemption, but that's not my main concern. Watch the following video and you will see what really should concern everyone.
The problem I have is the words that have been spoken by Wright on a regular basis. His conduct is unbecoming of a minister. Maybe, I'm too old fashioned, but I didn't think ministers were supposed to give sermons that were fueled by racist, hateful, language laced with profanity.
Do you need more evidence that the man is a nut? I found this video on YouTube. It's from another sermon Wright gave to his congregation which includes the Obama's. You can hear the sermon in the background of the video.
It still surprises me that an intelligent married couple like the Obama's would be members of this church. In fairness to Obama, his campaign did release the following statement:
"Senator Obama has said repeatedly that personal attacks such as this
have no place in this campaign or our politics, whether they’re offered
from a platform at a rally or the pulpit of a church,” said Bill
Burton, a campaign spokesman. “Senator Obama does not think of the pastor of his church in
political terms. Like a member of his family, there are things he says
with which Senator Obama deeply disagrees.”
I have a problem with this cop out statement and it goes back to what I have been saying all along. There is a double standard in this campaign for Obama, Clinton and McCain. If Clinton and McCain were members of a church like Trinity and their spiritual mentor made comments like this, the media would be clamoring for them to resign from the campaign or to strongly denounce the church.
I have family members who are racist and that I deeply disagree with on many other issues. I do not have anything to do with them. On the other hand, maybe I should not be so hard on Obama. Why should he disassociate himself from his friend? Why should he care about what his mentor says when the majority of the American public doesn't care either? This is what the mainstream media wants the public to believe. The Obama campaign and the media have partnered to create a climate where people cannot even say anything bad about him or his campaign without being called racist.
The bottom line is this - Barack and Michelle Obama have been members of Trinity for years. They have sat and listened to these hateful sermons. People do not continue to go to a church to listen to a minister they do not agree with. I also don't want to hear the "crazy uncle" excuse. If any other candidate went to a church where the minister believes that the U.S. government introduced the AIDS virus onto its own citizens they would be packing up their campaign office. Obama's continued relationship with Wright has validated his racist anti-American rants. Michelle Malkin summed it up well, when she said, "Now we know where Michelle Obama's resentment of America comes from."
There have been several things that have irritated me during this campaign season. However, what really drives me crazy is when people say that candidates should drop out of an election race because they are unelectable or they are hurting the party. These sentiments have been applied in various degrees to presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nader and Mike Huckabee.
I do not believe any candidate should consider dropping out of any election unless there is no way they can mathematically win. At that point, the candidate needs to consider why they should remain in the race. Do they have an agenda they want to continue to make public? Do they have enough clout to make changes to the respective parties platform? Huckabee is almost at the point where he needs to make clear why he is remaining in the contest with John McCain.
On the other hand, some Democrats want Clinton to stop her campaign if she loses the primary election's that are being held tomorrow. Some people think Clinton should have already dropped out of the race with Obama so the Democratic Party can focus on the battle with McCain. I don't agree with any of this "quitting" talk.
Most people enter a competition because they think they are good and that they can win. A real competitor does not drop out of a race because they are losing or because the contest has gotten tough. Clinton should compete for the nomination until it reaches the point where she cannot get enough delegates or Superdelegates to win. She does not have to drop out of the race because the majority of people do not like her and they think she is unelectable. If that's the case, the people will continue to vote for Obama in the primaries and Clinton will continue to lose. There are some people in the Democratic Party who do not want Clinton to continue battering and poking at Obama before he takes on McCain in the fall. If Obama needs protection then maybe he's not the candidate that can win later.
The fight is not over until the fight is done. Therefore, all candidates should compete until they can no longer win their respective party's nomination.
People usually value experience when it comes to hiring some one for a job, whether it is interior design or landscaping. However, when the job is President of the United States, this year people seem to think experience is overrated. Here is another quick and interesting opinion on the issue of experience in the campaign for the presidency.
Hillary Clinton has been accused of a lot of things during this campaign season. From race baiting to hate mongering - you name it and she's been accused of it. People are going to believe what they want to believe. The truth does not matter when it comes to the perception of Clinton - either you like her or you don't. Every time Clinton is accused of faking her emotions, whether it's crying or being angry, I always wonder why people respond the way they do.
Why question her emotional reaction at all? Is it because she is a woman or is it because she is supposed to be the cold, tough, soulless Hillary Clinton? I think it's a little bit of both, but it's hard to tell because so many people strongly dislike Clinton. I do think a female candidate carries a heavier burden than their male counterparts when it comes to dealing with the subject of emotions, but there is also a double standard.
If Obama or McCain were to cry during a speech at a campaign stop, their campaigns would instantly be in trouble. Their manhood and toughness would be questioned by the public, unless they could come with some good excuse, like "I was thinking about my mother and how proud she would of me, if she was still here." Whereas, if a woman cries, some people, mostly women, would have sympathy for her. There would also be some people who would use that moment as evidence that the woman could not handle the rigors and stress of the position.
This is a perception battle that Hillary cannot win.
Alec MacGillis wrote a good article detailing how Barack Obama developed his oratory skills and how it separates him from the other candidates. Obama has consistently shown that a person can succeed in their chosen field, if they have strong communication skills. Obama has been able to combine his oratory skills with a special ability to relate to the masses. McCain is going to fall by the wayside like Clinton if he cannot find way to disrupt the connection Obama has with the people.
Former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, is still competing for the Republican presidential nomination even though he has no chance of beating Senator John McCain. Many people want to know why he is still in the race. In this article, he says that he wants "to deliver his message about issues important to him". Some people may not agree with his explanation, but I think he has earned the right to continue his campaign. Huckabee has been an effective candidate and I think he could have done more damage in the primaries if he had the financing that former candidate Mitt Romney had. Republican's need to stop complaining about how they want a "real" conservative in the White House when they did not support the only conservative in the campaign.
This morning after the Super Tuesday primaries, every Democratic and Republican candidate remaining in the campaign for their parties nomination for president have a better idea where they stand with the voters. Republican candidate Mitt Romney knows that he has failed to inspire and convince voters of the Republican faith. Senator John McCain now knows he is the front runner and the eventual Republican nominee for president. McCain also knows that he has work to do if he wants the conservative base of the Republican Party to unify behind his candidacy. McCain, to his credit, has stayed true to form - a moderate Republican who marches to his own beat.
On the Democratic side, Senator Barack Obama can no longer claim he's the underdog after winning 13 states last night. Obama's campaign has Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign on its heels. Clinton's campaign seems to be scared to aggressively attack Obama's campaign. Are they afraid of being called racist?
No candidate can claim total victory,but McCain and Obama can claim they have the momentum in the race.
I saw something yesterday that I had never seen before during a presidential campaign. Throughout the night, the candidates gave speeches to their supporters. As usual, the spouse and children of the candidate are usually on the stage behind the candidate listening to the same speech for the hundredth time. The network cameras always show them nodding their heads and clapping at the applause lines. However, Tuesday night was different.
I saw John McCain give his speech with his wife behind him. I saw Mitt Romney give his speech with his wife and family behind him for support. Mike Huckabee gave a entertaining speech to his supporters with his wife at his side. That leaves Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton - so what did they do?
Clinton chose to give her speech earlier than Obama. She approached the podium with husband, Bill and daughter, Chelsea. However, when it was time to give her speech, they assumed positions off to the side and out of the camera's site. I assume this was done because of the media driven "negative perception" of former President Clinton because of his "attacks" on Obama. It is a fact that some people's blood pressure rises at just the sight of any Clinton. Therefore, it could be argued that it was a good strategic move to keep him out of sight.
On the other hand, Obama does not have the same spousal problem like Clinton or does he? I wonder why his wife, Michelle was not behind him like the other candidate's wives? Did she not want to stand there? Doubt it - she's stood on stage with him before. It is my opinion that this was a decision made by Obama's campaign team. They knew that after his successful string of wins on Tuesday, the eyes of many voters were going to be watching Obama to hear his speech. Obama's campaign team is not stupid. They know that there are still people in this country who cannot fathom the idea of having a President who is not White. I will say what is not being said - Obama's wife makes him look blacker than what he is.
Personally, I don't thing Obama's campaign team wanted the image of this Black woman being projected onto the television screens across this country. I think they were worried that she might remind some people that Obama is considered by many people to be African-American. Michelle Obama is an intelligent woman with a law degree who would probably make a good First Lady, but the television cameras cannot lighten her skin to look like that of her husband's. There is nothing wrong with talking about race if it is the truth. It is what it is. There is no other reason she was not standing behind her husband on the biggest night of his political life thus far.
What concerns me more is that Obama would allow his wife to be treated like that. Maybe she signed off on the idea. Well, at least I know Obama is playing to win.
I have always been an independent voter. I have never voted for a candidate because he was a member of a certain party. I also have never gone into a polling place and voted a straight ticket for either party. I have always believed in voting for the individual candidate and his platform. Maybe it is the way my mind works, but I have never been inspired by a politician. Every candidate in every election says the same thing. Some candidates have better oratory skills and project themselves better to an audience, but the script is basically the same. This is why I find Senator Obama's campaign and the popularity of his candidacy very amusing.
If you ask people why they are voting for Obama, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is "change" or he's a fresh face. In every election, whether it be for the local school board, mayor, governor, or congressional, the candidates say they are for change. What makes Obama's claim to be the candidate of change any different than other candidates over the years?
There is no doubt in my mind that the media has helped shape and sell Obama's presidential bid to the voters. I'm not saying they are working together, but I do believe the majority of the media has got caught up in the hype machine. No one is asking him the tough questions regarding his voting record and his platform. No one is asking him about his church and its relationship with the Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan. When Obama is shown on the news channels, the viewer at home gets to see concert sized crowds and some voters near tears after hearing him give a speech.
Unfortunately for Obama, I do not vote for inspiration. If he is the Democratic nominee, he better be prepared to answer the questions that undecided voters like me have. The "Obama Rules" of non-confrontation do not apply with me. If you want to sit in the highest office of the land than you have to address the tough issues. I do not want to hear the same old tired song and dance act that I hear from candidates during each election. Contrary to popular opinion, Obama is no different than Clinton, Romney, McCain, and Huckabee. He sells the same B.S.; he just presents it better.
Tomorrow is the big day for the Democratic and Republican candidates running to be their parties nominee for President. Various polls are showing that the Democratic race between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama is a virtual dead heat. I'm sure people all across the country will be staying up late tomorrow night to see who the victor will be. On the Republican side, Senator John McCain seems to have a comfortable lead over Mitt Romney. Depending on the outcome of the vote tomorrow, this could be the last hurrah for Romney and Mike Huckabee.
