Yawn….. unless there is a 3rd party candidate, BHO will lose 50 of 50. And that loss will be to one of the weakest opponents possible. CapedConservative on June 20, 2008 at 2:20 PM

You’re close but we have to give him the Left Coast and Vermont. The rest is up for grabs.

Sen. Barack Obama’s “new politics” bubble has burst in the punditsphere. On Obama not taking public funds for the general election Michael van der Galien writes,
It’s opportunistic, and from a political perspective Obama’s choice…

The “we can believe in” part comes from the substance of his ideas.

Tom_Shipley on June 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM

If one expects someone to believe in the substance of their ideas then it would behoove that person to exhibit ideas which are solid and practical in character, quality and importance. It would also behoove that person to maintain a consistent stand on those ideas regardless of which way the wind blows, or how high the pile of money grows.

A person who demonstrates the very visible tendencies of a hypocrite and a liar is hardly exhibiting a substance that evokes trust. Do you personally believe that trust is not a prerequisite?

It’s also worth noting that Obama suggested taking public financing to discourage either man from being beholden to special interests. Obama has built his money lead largely through his grassroots Web campaign, through smaller donations.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think he still doesn’t get big money donations, but he’s built up a strong grassroots donation system that I think would be dumb to give up at this point.

Tom_Shipley on June 20, 2008 at 11:25 AM

If the money was apportioned in a way that an actual grassroots movement would be, you would have seen it in the primaries. He did worse as time went on.

And he would be obliterating McCain right now.

All the money in the world can’t buy Barry experience or accomplishment. So he’ll have to run on his character.

Whoops.

In another month: “Obama 2008: He can outsmoke McCain”

Unfortunately, Obama has nothing else to offer but that sense of difference — and if he’s lost that, he’s in big, big trouble.

Perhaps my hopes haven’t been dashed yet totally, but I think this is true.

Exactly where is the 50 million a month coming from?

My guess is dead people who live in places like Chicago since all you are required to do is record the contributor’s name address and occupation to keep a running total so the limit is not exceeded.

Funny how Obama justified his decision by trying to play it as taking the moral high ground of not using taxpayers money and then saying he’s going to need the extra bucks because those mean ‘ol right-wing 527′s are going to smear him by telling lies about him. That’s hilarious!

Rovin on June 20, 2008 at 11:06 AM
prefer the Post Turtle Analogy:

Rovin, we must have six degrees of separation since I got that same joke emailed to me 2 days ago.. ;)

Speaking of AOL polls, not the one your referencing Ed but the ones they put up on certain news stories. Those almost always run to the far left, liberal and Bush-bashing side because they are only limited to one vote to screen name and AOL offers you 7 email accounts. Plus school is out and the kids really enjoy playing with them. ANYWAY .. the other day there was one about negative vs positive impressions between Michell Obama and Cindy McCain. I was really shocked at the results and it stayed pretty consistent as the votes increased with about 2/3 positive for McCain and 1/3 positive for Obama. It will be interesting to see if this Michelle Obama make-over changes any of that.

Unfortunately, Obama has nothing else to offer but that sense of difference — and if he’s lost that, he’s in big, big trouble.

Seriously believe that, Ed? This dimwit is going to be the next president of the US. gore, a psychopath, almost won. kerry, a dishonorable little creep, almost won. The US is going to elect this lowlife and get what it deserves. We can only hope that our republic survives the next 4 years although with demofascists talking openly about nationalizing corporations and possibly controlling all branches of government, things don’t look good.

300 million people and the best we can do are this two? The media has taken control of our country and given us these candidates and I don’t think that’s what the founding fathers had in mind with freedom of the press.

Tom_Shipley on June 20, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Tom_Shipley on June 20, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Funny, I asked you to make sense of his silly campaign slogan and you go on at length trying to defend his position of breaking a promise to the American people.

The “we can believe in” part comes from the substance of his ideas.

That’s laughable. Does that include the substance of the idea he had on using public financing for his campaign? If someone tells me he’s going to do one thing, then turns around and does the opposite, he’s lost all of my trust, I will no longer believe him or take him at his word.

But that’s just silly ol’ me.

Now, I’m not naive enough to think he still doesn’t get big money donations, but he’s built up a strong grassroots donation system that I think would be dumb to give up at this point.

Rovin on June 20, 2008 at 11:06 AM
prefer the Post Turtle Analogy:

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, ‘Well, ya know, Obama is a post turtle’. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was.

The old rancher said, ”When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle’.”

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain. ”You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there.”

Ha! Ha! That was worthy of a repost.

Maybe I can get 21 minutes to respond next time? Mission Accomplished, eh?

Explaining any tagline can be tricky business, as they’re abstract messages elicit a positive reaction based on the words alone. You can make the case that taglines (alone) are inherently hallow.

But, Obama is positioning himself as a “change” candidate, most notably on Iraq and Iran and on uniting the country through rising above recent political rifts (this is really nothing new, as Bush ran on the same thing in 2000).

The “we can believe in” part comes from the substance of his ideas.

I will agree that his reversing on his pledge to work with McCain on both of them taking public financing goes against that tagline.

this is why campaign finance is so hard to fix. people not in the position of trying to win an election like to talk about how broken the system is. But when faced with actually trying to win an election, you instinctively try and give yourself whatever advantage you can get (it’s important to note, he’s working within the system here). Obama has a huge money advantage. If he took public money and lost the election, this same blog would call him an idiot for doing so.

Again, his mistake was making the promise to begin with.

Remember the Chevy Vega? That is Obama in a nutshell. As soon as they drove him off the lot he began to depreciate in value. He gets good gas mileage but the inner working are defective. :)

AnthonyK on June 20, 2008 at 8:52 AM

I prefer the Post Turtle Analogy:

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old Texas rancher, whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his bid to be our President.

The old rancher said, ‘Well, ya know, Obama is a post turtle’. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a ‘post turtle’ was.

The old rancher said, ”When you’re driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that’s a ‘post turtle’.”

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor’s face, so he continued to explain. ”You know he didn’t get up there by himself, he doesn’t belong up there, he doesn’t know what to do while he is up there, and you just wonder what kind of a dumb ass put him up there.”

Both 100% BS.

And when Obama speaks, always check to see if George Soros’ lips are moving…

I believe the democrat party knows full well that Obama is unqualified in almost every way to be President of a capitalist country; but democrats are intuitive, simple folk, and they sensed that the Clintons had to be dealt a decisive blow. They knew that the aging feminists with their code-pink clown suits were a laughing stock, and that’s a pretty serious admission for democrats, who are best known for embracing the surreal!

So libs took action, and threw Mrs. Clinton and her retinue under the steamroller, knowing full well they were choosing to forfeit what might have been an easy win in 2008.

We love ya, democrats! We couldn’t kick your asses so decisively year after year if you didn’t lend us a hand!

One time you ask an Obama supporter to define the meaning of the mantra they all chant like a bunch of zombies and he can’t come up with an explanation.

Tom, if that phrase didn’t ring so hollow and actually stood for something tangible, anyone could have articulated a well thought out and rational response within 4-5 minutes.

Thanks for proving my point.

But as he told the graduates at Wesleyan–THEY shouldn’t join the “money culture” and try to own a big house. But HE can take their money and live in a big house using pension funds stolen by Rezko.

And all those bitter God-clingers struggling to get by, who can’t accept someone different than themselves, well they can go pound sand and pay for Michelle’s darling daughters’ dance lessons.

All hail His Maje$ty Barack Hu$$ein Obama.

Tom_Shipley on June 20, 2008 at 10:30 AM

Do tell Tom, oh wise one, please enlighten all of us here at HotAir and explain to us the meaning of the phrase,

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

I’ll be waiting.

Yeah, plus they’re easily excitable and use “terrorist fist jabs” when greeting one another.