Ditto, because at thaat point I would question even more the ability of the Dems to really be democratic in the running of the country. And RoyalTemptest, remember a president can have all the ideas they want--but they make no dicisions in a vacuum. The country is really run by the people with whom they surround themselves. I would really be concerned about Hilary's circle.

Ironically, that was my initially mt biggest issue with Obama--did he have the experience to surround himself with the right folx. Now after seeing how Hilary's campaign is being run, I am more concerned about that with her.

This was my issue from the beginning with Hillary. Even with everything that has come out - pastors, land deals, race card, words vs solutions, SNL, etc - I still believe that Hillary supporters/surrogates/campaign officials have committed the worst offenses.

A colleague at work has pointed out that if she cannot run her campaign, i.e., coming to the point of having spent all of the money, how can she run the country. Her campaign has experienced a number of replacements and appears to be a little disorganized - at least just from reading articles in the media. As the "CEO" of her campaign, I wonder if she would the country the same way ... supposedly giving key positions to friends as opposed to those who are really the most experienced. This is alleged as what happened with her campaign manager - for some reason, she picked someone who it is said had no experience running a campaign but that they were good friends. She ended up replacing her with someone else. Does anyone remember the name of the first campaign manager that was replaced in January or so right when HRC almost went broke and had to loan her campaign 5mil?

SC

Pat Solis Doyle was her first campaign mgr. and had been her scheduler since 1991, and during the Clinton Administration. Speculation is that there was friction (who's calling the shots?) Mark Penn, strategiest/camp. mgr? and pollster from the Clinton years, some say has emerged as a leading voice.

her current campaign mgr. is Maggie Williams, a black woman, who was her chief of staff when HRC was First Lady.

Just watched Barack Obama's "race speech" on streaming video. As political stagecraft, he hit the right notes -- elevating it from a discussion on his former pastor's excerpted comments to a broader discussion on how both sides of the issue, Black and white, have arrived at this racial impasse.

Politically and contextually, , he moved the issue to more favorable ground, a smart move. Polling usually lags events by 7-21 days so the numbers may flutctuate for a while yet, but this speech, I think, will help him get past the issue.

^^Do you have a link?

Not for some/many. It's sad but there is still a great deal of ignorance surrounding the history and current state of race relations in this country. Many still have no clue as to how we arrived at this point and how the past continues to influence the present and future. And as we all know, if we do not understand the past...

Obama's Speech on Race in America
 

Obama's speech in video and text is on his website:

http://my.barackobama.com/hisownwords

Thanks for that info, I definately had not noticed.

I am actually quite conservative, more independent than Democratic, I guess I represent the ‘right wing’ of the Democratic Party, so there are a number of issues I don’t support that they do. I stay because our party is the most idealistic and optimistic, and with all its problems remains on the forefront of positive change. That is why, in this race, it is not about issues for me as much as it is about integrity, integrity of a party I’ve always belonged to. If Clinton is willing to act in such a selfish, dirty and derisive manner to win against this candidate, then she deserves to lose. I may be wrong, but I’m willing to throw the “new black” out with the bathwater.

I will be glad when the new polls come out. The current polls which were taken DURING the whole flack show his support has dropped. However, I am confident that his numbers will rise again.

I must say that they threw the kitchen sink at him. I am sure that there is nothing else they could possibly have to throw.

While I am still not entirely comfortable with the way that he characterized Rev. Wright, I am absolutely amazed at the commentary that has come out of this. I am amazed--and I try not to deal in hyperbole.

Somehow, the anger and resentment that blacks often feel is suddenly palatable and understandable to these non-black commentators--at least for now. I am absolutely amazed.

Not according to everyone. Go to FOX News. They have taken 'selective hearing' to a whole different level.

Fox "News" Network doesn't count--no seriously, it doesn't count.

I can not recall such recognition and frank discussion about not race, per se, but about the anger and resentment that many blacks experience as a result of the social climate of this country (and it is more than the usual suspects chiming in to discuss it).

If Obama can give a speech that can engender this sort of response...


Just a sidebar...I am generally angry (I am not a victim, but I am often angry; and I am much younger than Wright's generation).

Ever since Fox HANDED Bush the election in 2000, they have had no credibility in politics. In fact, they are protesting the fact that Obama has not appeared on O'Reilly's show even though he has appeared on all the other networks. If I were him, I wouldn't grace then with my presence either. They are the most biased and partisan of all news sources that I know of!

Indeed, willful ignorance at its best. They were even complaining that he read from a teleprompter.... if that is not reaching, I don't know what is. :rolleyes:

And how can one read from a teleprompter while looking around the room into the faces of the audience? I'll have to try that trick.:rolleyes:

The latest evidence of Fox News' lack of credibility http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3...728/841/480210

Some of the latest on the polls - http://www.reuters.com/article/lates.../idUSN26445755

Appears that Ms. Clinton's playing dirty may finally be catching up with her. Good for the American people ... for speaking out on this issue.

ETA: I am a little perplexed by the Clinton approach. On one hand, she appears to hit below the belt. Then on the other hand, now she's asking her supporters how they feel about DNC officials saying that she should drop out - like almost playing the victim role (imo). The two approaches appear to be very different.

SC

...I thought about you over the weekend when someone from the Clinton campaign (according to the news report) tried to posit the notion that Obama was calling himself a professor in the law school in which he taught, when he might have only been an adjunct or visiting, or some such other terminology.

The law school subsequently came out and said that, indeed, Obama was a professor

I thought 'oh dayum, SC is going to feel 'some kinda way' when she hears/reads about this.' :)

Wow. I wish that the Clinton campaign people would give *me* a break ... and I'm not even running. Now there's a question as to whether or not he was really a professor at the lawschool? Why would he lie about that? What great glory comes from that?

I can see that they are clearly just trying to start an uproar b/c anyone can easily simply call the lawschool and ask. He taught at the lawschool for a number of years - while also being a full-time IL senator. He taught two classes a quarter...just like most other professors. In fact, many other professors only taught one class a quarter. I bet that all of the students who loved him and were trying to overload into his classes would think that it was very funny that the Clinton group is now positing that he wasn't actually a professor or that he was just visiting. That's an interesting idea.

When will it end? I was so excited about this election but the Clintons are just taking all of the excitement out of it. Not even McCain is playing dirty like the Clintons.

She does not do women justice in this campaign at all.

SC

And wouldn't the students still call him Professor Obama no matter if he was visiting or not? I've even called grad student TAs professor. It's just a matter of respect.

When will the madness end?

Ten/Four,
Huh? I think that I may have not understood your point. Are you thinking that he really wasn't a professor or saying what difference does it make? Not sure that I followed you.

SC

Sorry maybe I didn't word that correctly. I was trying to say it didn't matter what his rank was (ie. adjutant, visiting, lecturer, tenured). He would still be considered a professor.

At my school (University of Delaware), some students call the professor by their first name....:eek:

Uhhh....no. the old phrase, "Familiarity breeds contempt," comes to mind.

You went to UD? I went to West Chester. I have been up to your school for a greek party or two (back in the 90's) and I still go up there to buy nalia from Greek Impressions. I love that store!

I am at UD now for my MBA program. I don't get out much...

My cousin was president of the Zeta chapter here back in 89 or 90, I think it was.

oh okay and I think the name of the store is Unique Impressions. If you haven't been there (which I'm sure you probably have), you have to go. They have some really unique nalia for greeks.

Mark Penn, Clinton's top strategist quits

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/...ign/index.html

Wow. She is doing a bang up job at running her campaign team. I wonder if she'll do the same great job at running the country. :confused:

SC

Don't forget her superior financial management skills http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9259.html ...

...so, what's the likely short and long term political calculus on Petraeus' testimony today?

so...anybody want to talk about condoleeza rice's name being thrown around as the possible running mate for mccain?

^^Wow, really? Such a problem. They really think that it is that easy hunh? Get a black face on the ticket and get the African American vote, as though it is not about policy.

The Republican party sent Alan Keyes to Illinois to run for senator against Obama in 2004. They really did think that it was about Obama's race and not his policy.

Hmm. That's interesting. I guess the Rep. party is not aware that Ms. Rice is not the most popular on the AA side ... and I don't think that huge numbers of traditional Republicans would turn out for her on the majority side. Just me.

I'd like her as an Ambassador - even in Obama's presidency. I think that foreign relations is her thing (even though I didn't agree with the policy that she was promoting for her boss all these years).

I think that she has had one of the toughest jobs of anyone this past 4-8 years...seriously. Talk about stress levels.

SC

Is it assumed that she would draw the African American vote? I don't think the GOP is unaware of her popularity, or lack thereof.

Well that was our perception when the party tried that strategy with Keyes in 2004; that it was a ploy to draw in African American voters.

Perhaps it is being floated based solely on her merit as a candidate, but somehow I doubt that.

i was reading the Fox News website and i saw that there are those who want Condi calling the two together a "dream ticket". if not her but perhaps (in staying w/that line of thinking) JC Watts, former US Rep. from OK. IMO, this is more than about her merit. this is about winning.

Agreed. She may be the highest ranking Black appointee but she is definitely NOT going to help the GOP in the Black community.

Maybe an ambassadorship to China or Russia or India? Those are the heavy hitters right now; she definitely needs to be kept out of the Middle East (as if such a place exists, but I digress).

And we all know that those Blacks supporting Obama are only doing so because he's Black...right? :rolleyes: When will people realize that we are much more of a complex race and community and it can never be that simple?

If McCain wants to go that route, I would respect him more for choosing J.C. Watts as opposed to Condi.