Horserace
April 10, 2008 9:35 AM

Starting Gate: Just Another Politician?

(CBS)
For most of the past year, Barack Obama has been more than a presidential candidate, he’s been the leader of a movement that seeks to transcend politics as usual, put away the divisions which have defined politics since the Vietnam era and find consensus among a broad swath of the electorate. But the lengthy and sometimes bitter primary campaign has taken a toll on that image in ways that might not become totally apparent until the general election should he win the nomination.

His past association with the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright is, of course, the most obvious example of the dents his image has taken. The widely circulated comments made by Wright exposed the still-deep racial divisions, something Obama himself acknowledged in his much-heralded speech on the controversy. Concerns about Wright’s comments about Israel and the American government have caused enough suspicion about Obama’s feelings that he recently has felt the need to reiterate his patriotism on occasion.

But there are other signs that Obama is as much a practical politician as movement leader. This week, Obama signaled that he may decide to opt out of public financing for the fall election and rely instead on the unprecedented network of small donors he’s built. Such a move could almost insure that his campaign would have a huge financial advantage for the runup to November, a smart decision to be sure. But it comes after Obama had earlier said he would accept the public financing system as long as the GOP nominee did the same and all signs point to John McCain doing just that.

Then there is the issue of Michigan and Florida, where Obama forces were somewhat instrumental in stopping any efforts aimed at re-voting in those states. His campaign has a point in arguing against counting the results as they are from the January primaries, which broke party rules. But the moral high ground is not found in stopping voters in those two very important states. Shutting down the voters now may be the practical move to win the nomination but could haunt the campaign in November.

Obama has gotten tremendous mileage from his initial speech opposing the war in Iraq in 2002, contrasting him favorable with Hillary Clinton who is suspected of supporting the war for largely political reasons. Yet Obama’s pledge to end the war and withdraw U.S. troops in a specific time frame has been undermined at least once by a former advisor who acknowledged that what happens in Iraq largely depends on what the next president finds the situation to be upon coming into office. And while discredited to a point, the suggestion that another Obama advisor gave a wink to Canadian officials about his future course on NAFTA raises at least the possibility that what is said on the campaign trail is “just talk,” as Clinton likes to say.

Clinton is the prototype politician. It’s one reason she finds herself in the position of needing a miracle comeback. Obama’s perceived authenticity and grandiosity is the antidote to that. But in this long primary campaign, he’s shown that’s he’s a politician too.


The Real Big Apple? New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made waves when he introduced Obama for an economic address. It was the second rather high-profile public melding of the one-time presidential aspirant and the Democratic front-runner and set off a round of talk about a possible ticket for the fall. Today, the independent mayor will go back across the aisle by introducing presumptive GOP nominee John McCain at a business roundtable. Bloomberg has indicated his endorsement is open to any candidate in the fall but appeared thus far to be leaning much more toward the Democrats, Obama in particular. "I hope we'll be able to by November say, 'There is a candidate that, while I don't agree with him or her on everything, they are not leading me down a garden path,'” Bloomberg tells the New York Daily News.


He Cares: After criticism that his initial reaction to the mortgage situation was too heavy on laissez-faire, McCain will today propose a plan that would give some homeowners facing foreclosure an opportunity to trade their mortgages for more manageable loans. According to the AP, the plan would help both the homeowner and lender by providing certificates to make up for the loan’s original value which could be shared if the house sells for more in the future. "It is built on the reality that homeowners should have an equity capital stake in their home," McCain will say, according to prepared remarks. "Homeowners would end up with a 30-year mortgage and an equity stake in their home. The new lender would receive a federal guarantee of the mortgage. And the taxpayer gets a benefit if the sale value ever recovers."


Around The Track

  • Both Democratic campaigns are scouring lists of delegates in California and seeking to purge any suspect delegates who might switch allegiances before party caucuses this weekend select the slate of delegates for each candidate, reports the AP.

  • Democratic activists, led by one-time conservative journalist David Brock, are launching a $40 million media campaign aimed at attacking McCain over the next few months, reports the Politico.

  • Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar may have had at least one personal incentive when she decided to throw her support behind Obama. According to the Washington Post, when she was discussing the decision with Obama, Kolbuchar lobbied for her daughter to be considered for a vital position – that of babysitter for Obama’s two daughters.

  • “I've always been a Hillary supporter. There is no one more qualified. … Having said that, I never cease to be amazed at the misogynistic attitude of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them. … I love you Hillary, I’ll be there for you at all times.” – Elton John, at his fundraising concert for Clinton last night.
  • Tags:
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    Starting Gate
    Add a Comment See all 109 Comments
    by besscannon-2009 April 11, 2008 11:44 PM EDT
    Haven''t any of you people blinded by ''idol worship'' noticed what an Opportunist Obama is? Haven''t you noticed he bends where the wind blows hardest? The direction that will benefit Obama the most, is the way he goes. He has been one of the biggest flip''floppers. As president, I can see him doing what is best for him and his buddies, not the rest of the people. I don''t think that is CHANGE!!!!!
    Reply to this comment
    by rowdytexan2 April 11, 2008 10:15 PM EDT
    Posted by OurOnlyHope at 09:38 AM : Apr 11, 2008

    Sorry, but he had that kind of baggage from his Illinois senate seat. He''s dirtier than a dollar bill.
    Reply to this comment
    by ouronlyhope April 11, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
    At least Sen. Obama isn''t already hooked too tightly into the Washington Machinery. Every President with "TOO MUCH" Washington experience will do just what the string-pullers want - regardless of party affiliation. Too many favors to repay & special interest groups will always win their way.

    At least Sen. Obama doesn''t have any of THAT baggage! In this case, he is our only hope of a President who is for "We The People".

    With his broad-base of supporters, he doesn''t need to cater to ANY special interest groups.

    Vote Obama. We always gamble when electing a president (No new taxes? HA!), and I like the odds on this one.
    Reply to this comment
    by eroosevelt08 April 11, 2008 10:47 AM EDT
    Senator Obama shows great promise. It''s just that he''s a greenhorn. He does not have the resume to get the job now. He should have waited.
    Reply to this comment
    by rjudy3 April 11, 2008 9:40 AM EDT
    Obama is "just" another politician saying whatever just to get elected.
    The arrogance of his worshippers(college kiddies) and his wife and campaign staff is why Hillary''s supporters will NOT vote for Obama under any circumstances effectively curtailing his bid for the white house.
    This is a classic example of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
    John McCain will win by default.
    Reply to this comment
    by hillary4us April 11, 2008 6:47 AM EDT
    WHO IS OBAMA? HE HAS GIVEN US A KALEIDOSCOPE VIEW OF HIM. TWIST ONE WAY AND YOU GET THIS OBAMA, TWIST BACK ANOTHER WAY AND YOU GET THAT OBAMA. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A KALEIDOSCOPE AND OBAMA IS THAT THE PICTURES OF OBAMA AREN''T PRETTY. http://savagepolitics.com/
    Reply to this comment
    by threeleos April 11, 2008 4:18 AM EDT
    Would Senator Obama be a petter president than Pee-Wee Herman? Isn''t that the reason he''s running so well against Pee-Wee and spouse?
    Reply to this comment
    by threeleos April 11, 2008 4:15 AM EDT
    Let''s see.... One of Obama''s foreign policy wonks makes the astounding statement that the situation in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, etc. may be different in January 2009 than it is in March 2008. So the preference is the Bush "I have taken a position, and I shall hold it in the face of fact, reason, situational variance, and all those other things I can''t really understand"??????

    Obama responds to the various "guilt by association" screams against his former pastor (like everybody endorses everything their clergy says?) by giving a speech that relies, in the main on what used to be the Christian tenets of "Love the sinner, hate the sin" and "Judge not, lest ye be judged" and we''re STILL supposed to believe that the 8,000 members of TUCC are members of some Anti-American plot?

    Yet the Clintons get through months without a single "Lurlene and George" joke on the MSM. For that matter, the Obama campaign is still taking heat for NOT using the "I''ll see you one Wright, and raise you a Parseley and a Hagee"????

    What part of bringing some reality and civility to an American Election do you people find so disturbing?
    Reply to this comment
    by truth-hurts April 11, 2008 3:57 AM EDT
    Obama''s Rev. Jeremiah White is going to be the keynote speaker for the NAACP''s Annual Fight for Freedom Fundraiser. This is no small thing, the NAACP has 1/2 Million members.

    Evedently the NAACP doesn''t regard Wright''s hate of America and White people to be wrong. In fact they are stating loud and clear that they echo those feelings.

    Well, I don''t know about the rest of you White people but I won''t be treated like a second class citizen by anyone.
    Reply to this comment
    by truth-hurts April 11, 2008 3:47 AM EDT
    chitown, As hard as you try you can''t find any good dirt on Hillary. Are you trying to justify that you''re only voting for Obama because he''s Black.
    Reply to this comment
    by chitown639 April 11, 2008 2:51 AM EDT
    Its should be a crime to give to your own charity to get a tax break!!! The Clintons donating to the Clinton Library to beat the government out of a tax break is typical....
    Reply to this comment
    by greenfun April 11, 2008 2:44 AM EDT
    Counterpunch:
    Obama has a way of ducking hard votes or explaining away his bad votes by trying to blame poorly-written statutes. Case in point: an amendment he voted on as part of a recent bankruptcy bill before the US Senate would have capped credit card interest rates at 30 percent. Inexplicably, Obama voted against it, although it would have been the beginning of setting these predatory lending rates under federal control. Even Senator Hillary Clinton supported it.

    Now Obama explains his vote by saying the amendment was poorly written or set the ceiling too high. His explanation isn''t credible as Obama offered no lower number as an alternative, and didn''t put forward his own amendment clarifying whatever language he found objectionable.

    Why wouldn''t Obama have voted to create the first federal ceiling on predatory credit card interest rates, particularly as he calls himself a champion of the poor and middle classes? Perhaps he was signaling to the corporate establishment that they need not fear him. For all of his dynamic rhetoric about lifting up the masses, it seems Obama has little intention of doing anything concrete to reverse the cycle of poverty many struggle to overcome.
    Reply to this comment
    by popstom1 April 11, 2008 2:25 AM EDT
    jock how much have you given to
    charity
    Reply to this comment
    by jockh April 11, 2008 1:26 AM EDT
    The Clintons are tight fisted money grabbers. Despite lining their pockets with 109 MILLION, Hillary merely LOANS her campaign 5 MILLION. Why doesnt she GIVE it to her campaign instead of LOANING and put her money where her mouth is? After all, other candidates like Mitt Romney put millions of their own money into their own campaigns.

    That way she would be showing that she has complete confidence in herself and her campaign and this in turn would encourage other donations.

    However, she loans instead of gives to her own campaign because she knows she is going to lose so she would rather lose donors money in her futile campaign and keep all her millions nice and safe; so she can sleep in a solid gold bed with a mattress stuffed with 100 dollar bills. And solid gold pant suits for herself and Chelsea !!
    Reply to this comment
    by blkpresident April 10, 2008 11:08 PM EDT
    ''Granny,

    See the MAN of the house must be out again, so you feel empowered to post your Gloria Steinem like antics again here tonight. Better get in as many post as you can because when he returns his dinner had better be on the kitchen table woman.

    In about 12 days, Pennsylvania will be showing lil'' Hillary her place too.
    Reply to this comment
    by anappleadae April 10, 2008 10:46 PM EDT
    It''s just entertainment. McCain will have more Presidential responsibility to tend to, while the Republican machine disessmbles the fragile Obama phyche and his shabby entourage.

    Perhaps it is pointless exchange views with a neophyte such as youself. I will leave to pick on girls so you can feel all manly when you are actually an impotent little freak........
    Reply to this comment
    by obamasgranny April 10, 2008 10:29 PM EDT
    Overheard at the Obama rally:

    Kool-Aid!! Get your Kool-Aid Here!!
    Get your ice cold Kool-Aaaiiid!!
    Reply to this comment
    by obamasgranny April 10, 2008 10:27 PM EDT
    Would Connie Evans make a better president than lil'''' hillary?


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 03:20 PM : Apr 10, 2008
    ___________________________________
    Would Pee-Wee Herman make a better president than Obama?!!
    Reply to this comment
    by obamasgranny April 10, 2008 10:26 PM EDT
    He is worse than other politician''s because he say''s that he is different,.....and has shown he is the same.
    Reply to this comment
    by whitepicks2 April 10, 2008 7:10 PM EDT
    Did you hear? McCain will keep us in Iran for 5 billion years, or until the sun swells to a red giant - whatever comes first.
    Reply to this comment
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