Obama Statements True, But Highly Impolitic
Written from Cape Town, South Africa--
Sen. Barack Obama seems to have trouble finishing the contest with Sen. Hillary Clinton. In New Hampshire, he lost to her unexpectedly. In Texas, he failed to close the deal with an inadequate response to Hilllary's implicitly racist 3 a.m. telephone call ad. Now, in Pennsylvania, just when he was gaining, he may have blown it once again, with remarks in San Francisco about the bitterness of Pennsylvania deadenders in small towns.
It's not that what Obama said is not true. But it is often the case in politics that saying unpleasant truths can hurt those who say them. John McCain found that out when he was running against George W. Bush in South Carolina in 2000 and slammed religious fundamentalists. He was right about them, but Bush won the primary, and the Republican nomination.
It certainly is no surprise that the Clintons have jumped all over Obama for his remarks. They will pander to anyone, anytime. Their power grab is so blatant, Hillary so poorly qualified for the presidency, that there are many of us who would never support the Clintons in another election. It would be interesting to know what Hillary and Bill say about Pennsylvanians behind their backs. Certainly, Bill Clinton did nothing in the White House to really help the economically hardpressed Pennsylvanians, and there is no sign in this campaign that Hillary is anything but beholden to the corporate interests, and the global free traders that have caused so many lower income Pennsylvanians to feel bitter.
But Hillary, as I've remarked before, is like Richard Nixon. Shameless and corrupt, she will say or do anything to be elected. And many voters, particularly in her own party, are taken in.
Obama has nine days to recoup in Pennsylvania. He is candid, and in his racial speech in Philadelphia, he was able to satisfy many of his critics. Sunday night, he had it all over the glib Hillary for the depth of his responses on the compassion issues in a CNN debate. As usual, all the former Goldwater girl gave us was pap.
But now his work is cut out for Obama, and he has only himself to blame for not being more careful in San Francisco, of all places.
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It is clear from Russ Stanton's memo following a retreat with L.A. Times editors, that he does not have the intellect to be a successful editor of the Times. And his closing remark that the Times has some of the best journalists in the business is no longer true. He helped David Hiller and Sam Zell to drive them away.
--
It is clear from the comment posted below that some gullible Clintonite is back at me for opposing the Nixon lookalike and her Dogpatch husband. If this person doesn't like the blog, he shouldn't read it. I might also add that not liking Muslim fundamentalism is a characteristic of all those who love freedom. It isn't racism; it is common sense.
Sen. Barack Obama seems to have trouble finishing the contest with Sen. Hillary Clinton. In New Hampshire, he lost to her unexpectedly. In Texas, he failed to close the deal with an inadequate response to Hilllary's implicitly racist 3 a.m. telephone call ad. Now, in Pennsylvania, just when he was gaining, he may have blown it once again, with remarks in San Francisco about the bitterness of Pennsylvania deadenders in small towns.
It's not that what Obama said is not true. But it is often the case in politics that saying unpleasant truths can hurt those who say them. John McCain found that out when he was running against George W. Bush in South Carolina in 2000 and slammed religious fundamentalists. He was right about them, but Bush won the primary, and the Republican nomination.
It certainly is no surprise that the Clintons have jumped all over Obama for his remarks. They will pander to anyone, anytime. Their power grab is so blatant, Hillary so poorly qualified for the presidency, that there are many of us who would never support the Clintons in another election. It would be interesting to know what Hillary and Bill say about Pennsylvanians behind their backs. Certainly, Bill Clinton did nothing in the White House to really help the economically hardpressed Pennsylvanians, and there is no sign in this campaign that Hillary is anything but beholden to the corporate interests, and the global free traders that have caused so many lower income Pennsylvanians to feel bitter.
But Hillary, as I've remarked before, is like Richard Nixon. Shameless and corrupt, she will say or do anything to be elected. And many voters, particularly in her own party, are taken in.
Obama has nine days to recoup in Pennsylvania. He is candid, and in his racial speech in Philadelphia, he was able to satisfy many of his critics. Sunday night, he had it all over the glib Hillary for the depth of his responses on the compassion issues in a CNN debate. As usual, all the former Goldwater girl gave us was pap.
But now his work is cut out for Obama, and he has only himself to blame for not being more careful in San Francisco, of all places.
--
It is clear from Russ Stanton's memo following a retreat with L.A. Times editors, that he does not have the intellect to be a successful editor of the Times. And his closing remark that the Times has some of the best journalists in the business is no longer true. He helped David Hiller and Sam Zell to drive them away.
--
It is clear from the comment posted below that some gullible Clintonite is back at me for opposing the Nixon lookalike and her Dogpatch husband. If this person doesn't like the blog, he shouldn't read it. I might also add that not liking Muslim fundamentalism is a characteristic of all those who love freedom. It isn't racism; it is common sense.
Labels: Presidential campaigning
posted by Ken Reich at 10:46 AM
4 Comments:
As a right wing militarist who has called for the "extermination" of varied Arab militants,you are the last person in the world who is qualified to accuse anyone of racism. You are similarly brain dead and tone deaf on the dynamics of the Democratic presidential race in which you have foolishly predicted that Obama will win the Pennsylvania primary. Obviously you are revising your inane comments because of Obama's "bitter" words in San Francisco, which revealed his arrogance, elitism and failure to understand working class folks.But given your track record for spouting ugly bias, you have no cred to pontificate on this or any other subject.
You're spot on regarding Russ Stanton. I'm sure he's a decent fellow. But he reminds me of the many LA Times desk editors pre-Otis Chandler who came out of pedestrian j-schools knowing the industry craft and lingo but largely clueless-and uninterested-in history, literature, science and philosophy which, at the end of the day inform the reporting and writing in the best papers.
If nothing else, his obsession with page counts on the LAT website are enough to make me weep.
Hey, man, you're right on target about ole hillbilly Bill Clinton and his squalid working class roots in Dogpatch terrain. Really makes you wonder how the guy ever got into Yale, became a Rhodes Scholar, Governor of Arkansas and president of these free states for two terms! Maybe this hick has a way about him that folks like. I bet he'd love to meet you and your fellow geezers at one of those fast food franchises you patronize near the freeways in smoggy la la land. Let us know how it goes.
So much as come to light recently regarding the inner workings of each politicans' big business ties. Clinton = a win for big business. Obama isn't going to win because of this fact. There was an article on Paydayfinder.com the other day about just how much the payday loan industry would lose if Obama was elected. It was crazy just how much money is riding on Clinton.
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