John Cole touched upon the same nagging feeling I have about Barack Obama. The majority of America wants change from George W. Bush's failed policies. Obama has failed on the stump to explain what kind of change he wants. Obama's web site has (some very bad) policies proposals. Obama the candidate has to provide concrete details besides repeating the word change. Bill Clinton never had difficulty discussing policy proposals. With Obama, I am increasingly getting the felling there is no there there.
Edwards has detailed his health care propsal to death. He isn't afraid to call Blackwater contractors mercenaries. Edwards repeatly talked about abolishing corporate tax loopholes. Edwards has made it quite clear where he stands.
Senator John Kerry endorsed Barack Obama. I don't think a Kerry endorsement means much. A political consultant emailed Andrew Sullivan about what a Kerry endorsement means to Obama.
Maybe Kerry himself isn't that helpful, but I know one thing the Obama people are thrilled with today: the voter file. Obama now has access to the largest, most recent presidential campaign voter file. The millions of email addresses, phone numbers, addresses and invaluable as Obama starts to go national. I imagine the information Kerry has from 2004 could easily double the size of Obama's voter file in states like South Carolina and Nevada and maybe even triple the size in states like California and New York. Also, Obama now has access to activists and supports of Clinton who - in all likelihood - where in Kerry's general election voter file. So while the man himself probably won't give him that big of a boost, the fact that Kerry just pinned his email list is pretty significant in terms of data and list building.
I remember how candidate Kerry desperately wanted Howard Dean's email list. Dean's list was important because no candidate had ever generated that kind of internet support. Dean practically invented the netroots.
Obama is the most telegenic candidate since Clinton. Edwards has similar attributes. In 2004, the knock on Edwards was he was too flashy. Now Edwards is too wonkish and angry. Obama's sunny message during two wars, civil liberties in shamble, and a tanking economy reminds me of Kevin Bacon, in Animal House, telling everyone to remain calm.
OH! THis is good. LMAO!
ReplyDeleteI think this is an excellent symbol and being Obama claims he is just the symbol of change, it's most fitting.
The people are tired of being taken advantage by these politicians. John Edwards doesn't just claim to just want to be change, he is the Real change on Real issues. From campaigning around the country to raise the minimum wage, when he was in the Senate to help pass the Patients Bill of Rights, to helping the people in New Orleans after the hurricane and also the racial injustices of Jena 6.
Where was Obama in his few short years in the US Senate? He said he was busy working, but he sure has decided to abdicate that responsibility to spend all his time campaigning for PResident, while still receiving his salary.
And speaking of symbolic....Senator Kerry, did you claim that you would only support someone with your vision on the environment and global warming? How does this fit with Obama pushing for his Corporate interests, Exelon (Nuke) and Coal industry...pushing the lobbyist backed Tax payer dollar funded Liquified Coal Bill, that finally fell apart again in June of 07 after pushing it since April of the previous year?
...everyone was screaming for him to stop. At a time of such consquences on pollution and global warming, that was equal to replacing every car with a HUMMER, doubling the polllution.
...but hay, he never promised to walk the talk, right? After all, when asked in the Debate what personal steps he has himself made, he responded "my campaign planted 1000 trees". Narrator said, "No, you personally", Obama replied, "well, I'm thinking about changing some lightbulbs with my 2 daughters". ......whoooaa, hold me back, such leadership send chills down my spine. (sic)
I bout barfed when I read that about Kerry but then i realized it was probably the tanker that obama needed.
ReplyDeleteAnd deserves. Maybe Bush was right about Kerry .... he's TOO FRENCH ..
Heaps of apologies to the French. I hope people get what I mean ...
Michael, my blog crush on you is RENEWED AND RAMPANT after this post.
LOL !!!
You da FINEST of the MINDEST.
Nice take on it.
ReplyDeleteI hear it a lot actually, but never in the media. When people start looking beyond the flashy packaging of Obama, they start finding that there's not much beyond the surface.
On the other hand, when people start looking passed the media blackout/bias against Edwards, they find all those things (AND MORE/BETTER) they were hoping to find in Obama.
It's gotta change.
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