Does Obama Still Have "It"?

Critics Say His Campaign Has Lacked Emotion, But In Iowa He Turned It Up

(CBS)  By CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic

The Jefferson-Jackson dinner was the last stop of Senator Barack Obama's five day tour of Iowa, and it was his last chance to make an impact. He has been repeatedly criticized for lacking the zeal that thrust him into the limelight after the 2004 Democratic National Convention, but on Friday he told reporters that he's still "got it."

The Jefferson-Jackson dinner proved that Obama still has ... something.

Obama took the stage with determination as supporters roared from both sides of the auditorium. Although this partisan event was more like a "battle of the bands" for campaign supporters, Obama was especially affected by the cheers for him. As he began speaking, a supporter yelled, "I love you Barack!" Obama shouted, "I love you back!"

Obama was quick to attack his opponents, including Hillary Clinton although he did not mention Clinton by name, making indirect references to her through out his speech.

"Washington text book campaigns just won't do in this election," Obama said, "Not answering questions just wont do."

He went on to criticize Democrats "thinking the only way to look tough on national security it talking and acting and voting like George Bush Republicans."

Obama's criticisms of Clinton are normally more mild and subdued than his attacks were last night. He sometimes prefaces his criticisms of her and Edwards by saying that they have a lot in common. However, last night, Obama argued that he is more apt to win the general election.

"My opponent won't be able to say that I supported this war in Iraq or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran or that I support that Bush-Cheney diplomacy of not talking to leaders we don't like," Obama said.

He tapped into the emotions of his audience when he said that his run for the presidency was "improbable."

"I am not in this race to fulfill some long held ambitions or because I feel it is owed to me," Obama said. "I'm running because of what Dr. King called the fierce urgency of now."

The general media reaction to Obama's speech last night has been positive. David Yepsen, reporter for The Des Moines Register, said that all of the candidates did well but Obama was most memorable.

"Obama had an edge," Yepsen said. "He rose to the occasion and it did him some good."

Mike Allen of the Politico called Obama the "biggest crowd pleaser," but Allen wrote that a contradiction in Obama's speech may have opened the door for trouble.

Obama said that running for president was not a long-held ambition; however, Allen cites several newspaper interviews with Obama's teachers who said that as a child he wrote that he wanted to be president.

The full effect of Obama's performance is yet to be seen.

[irish4obama]

Anyone who watched and listened with an open-mind would agree that Edwards was terric and Obama was outstanding by a million miles. Richardson was terrible. Clinton was a total mess. She was boring and was clearly taping a campaign ad. Listen to this gaffe:
"When the Republicans turn over our energy policy to the oil companies and deny global warming what do we do?"

"Turn up the heat!"

Sorry Hillary, WE DON''T TURN UP THE HEAT ON GLOBAL WARMING!! WE TURN IT DOWN !!

As a Republican, I ask fellow Republicans and Independents to caucus and vote for the candidate who wants to be President of the UNITED States of America - not a Republican-hater.

Life-long Republican, Monica Green hasn%u2019t always been a partisan voter, but she seems to have always voted for the candidate that wins- voted for Bill Clinton twice, voted George Bush twice and now she''s caucusing for Barack along with hundreds of other Republicans. Read it here and be fired up: http://campaignsandelections.com/IA/articles/?ID=930

I urge you to read Obama''s MOST FORCEFUL statement yet, on the ELECTABILITY factor: http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/643488,sweet110907.article

Obama for AMERICA!

[wholm1]

Maria so snarky

[bd1315]

Senator Obama Never had it to begin with. The first "leadership" job he had was in the Illinois legislature. Whenever there was a vote on a weighty subject, the Senator voted "Present" which is the same as saying "I don''t want to make a decision." (See http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/02/the_everpresent_obama.html)

He''s a smart guy and handsome too, but there are plenty of people who fit that bill, we need a leader who isn''t afraid to make decisions.

[alarina]

Do you actually get paid for this?

Legitimate journalists from as far away as Australia are all raving about that speech. He still has...something ???

[bd1315]

Senator Obama Never had it to begin with. The first "leadership" job he had was in the Illinois legislature. Whenever there was a vote on a weighty subject, the Senator voted "Present" which is the same as saying "I don''t want to make a decision." (See http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/02/the_everpresent_obama.html)

He''s a smart guy and handsome too, but there are plenty of people who fit that bill, we need a leader who isn''t afraid to make decisions.

[sthinker]

Obama never had it. The media said he did, and people believed it, because whatever way the media points, the public follows.

[aajo1]

There is no question, Obama clearly stood up. I think Edwards also did a good job but Obama was simply the best. Sen. Clinton and Richardson simply do not have it.

[brandwagon]

Senator Obama has always had "It." Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be boxed into a corner by framing his campaign as "The Politics of Hope." When Obama engages in the political counter-punching required of presidential candidates, his opponents, especially Sen. Clinton, he opens himself up to a seemingly endless flurry of jabs.

That said, Obama''s poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are on the upswing. And, most importantly, in recent general election match-ups nationally, and in key battlegrounds such as Florida and New Jersey, it appears that Sen. Clinton''s ability to win a general election against Republican''s ranging from Guiliani to Huckabee are thinner than either Edwards or Obama.

To win, Obama needs to consistently challenge both Clinton''s ability to change the dynamics in Washington and, most importantly, her electability in the battleground states. And, as his performance at Iowa''s J-J dinner demonstrates, continue to counterpunch with his charisma aglow and his rhetoric -- transcendent. That is the essence of the Obama "brand."

Respectfully,

The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

[brandwagon]

Senator Obama has always had "It." Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be boxed into a corner by framing his campaign as "The Politics of Hope." When Obama engages in the political counter-punching required of presidential candidates, his opponents, especially Sen. Clinton, he opens himself up to a seemingly endless flurry of jabs.

That said, Obama''s poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are on the upswing. And, most importantly, in recent general election match-ups nationally, and in key battlegrounds such as Florida and New Jersey, it appears that Sen. Clinton''s ability to win a general election against Republican''s ranging from Guiliani to Huckabee are thinner than either Edwards or Obama.

To win, Obama needs to consistently challenge both Clinton''s ability to change the dynamics in Washington and, most importantly, her electability in the battleground states. And, as his performance at Iowa''s J-J dinner demonstrates, continue to counterpunch with his charisma aglow and his rhetoric -- transcendent. That is the essence of the Obama "brand."

Respectfully,

The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

[brandwagon]

Senator Obama has always had "It." Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be boxed into a corner by framing his campaign as "The Politics of Hope." When Obama engages in the political counter-punching required of presidential candidates, his opponents, especially Sen. Clinton, he opens himself up to a seemingly endless flurry of jabs.

That said, Obama''s poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are on the upswing. And, most importantly, in recent general election match-ups nationally, and in key battlegrounds such as Florida and New Jersey, it appears that Sen. Clinton''s ability to win a general election against Republican''s ranging from Guiliani to Huckabee are thinner than either Edwards or Obama.

To win, Obama needs to consistently challenge both Clinton''s ability to change the dynamics in Washington and, most importantly, her electability in the battleground states. And, as his performance at Iowa''s J-J dinner demonstrates, continue to counterpunch with his charisma aglow and his rhetoric -- transcendent. That is the essence of the Obama "brand."

Respectfully,

The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

[brandwagon]

Senator Obama has always had "It." Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be boxed into a corner by framing his campaign as "The Politics of Hope." When Obama engages in the political counter-punching required of presidential candidates, his opponents, especially Sen. Clinton, he opens himself up to a seemingly endless flurry of jabs.

That said, Obama''s poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are on the upswing. And, most importantly, in recent general election match-ups nationally, and in key battlegrounds such as Florida and New Jersey, it appears that Sen. Clinton''s ability to win a general election against Republican''s ranging from Guiliani to Huckabee are thinner than either Edwards or Obama.

To win, Obama needs to consistently challenge both Clinton''s ability to change the dynamics in Washington and, most importantly, her electability in the battleground states. And, as his performance at Iowa''s J-J dinner demonstrates, continue to counterpunch with his charisma aglow and his rhetoric -- transcendent. That is the essence of the Obama "brand."

Respectfully,

The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

[timta1]

Obama is it! Common sense. Get a new/ outsider to clean this rotten Washington Mess left by old timers who''re there perpetually to protect their interest at all cost! Using all forms of gimmicks- Values, Security, etc. We''ve had all these and yet we''re becoming more and more corrupt and families values are minus thousands in scores b''cos 90% of those who go to Washington on the ticket of values have skeleton in their cupboards. and over 70% of our National headache emanates from broken homes and Godlessness. We''re becoming more and more vulenerable daily because most of those old Washington/Capitol Hill residents are busy protecting their business interest- selling our Port Authority Handling to Nations whove diplomatic ties who countris who habor Terrorists. What''re a "Smart" Economic Diplomacy! And you''re emphasizing experience. You don''t have to be a long time Washington insider to know our pressing National issues. Pls give me a break with so-call, experienced CEO and yet you don''t get things done.
[e-mail]

[brandwagon]

Senator Obama has always had "It." Unfortunately, he allowed himself to be boxed into a corner by framing his campaign as "The Politics of Hope." When Obama engages in the political counter-punching required of presidential candidates, his opponents, especially Sen. Clinton, he opens himself up to a seemingly endless flurry of jabs.

That said, Obama''s poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire are on the upswing. And, most importantly, in recent general election match-ups nationally, and in key battlegrounds such as Florida and New Jersey, it appears that Sen. Clinton''s ability to win a general election against Republican''s ranging from Guiliani to Huckabee are thinner than either Edwards or Obama.

To win, Obama needs to consistently challenge both Clinton''s ability to change the dynamics in Washington and, most importantly, her electability in the battleground states. And, as his performance at Iowa''s J-J dinner demonstrates, continue to counterpunch with his charisma aglow and his rhetoric -- transcendent. That is the essence of the Obama "brand."

Respectfully,

The Political Brandwagon
http://www.politicalbrandwagon.com

[cbs_oliver]

I sorta skimmed this article.

I think that was a wise choice.

Those who actually read this this with attention probably knew less when they finally woke up.

What we need is more information on the candidates positions not another evaluation of their charisma.

[nikola_bg]

he still has it,and he will have it more and more...

This article is very well written. Im e regular CBS news reader but I never read articles from this young talented girl. Keep going...

[nikola_bg]

he still has it,and he will have it more and more...

This article is very well written. Im a regular CBS news reader but I never read articles from this young talented girl. Keep going...

[chirumbolo]

Where''s the beef? Or how it''s been phrased more recently, a lot of sizzle, but not a lot of meat.

O-Bomb''A''s problem remains what it has been all along - inadequate experience for the job.

Busing in crowds of supporters from out-of-state, to create an impression of support, isn''t going to change that.

[Razzl]

I said last year that Obama would take a while to find himself on the campaign trail. I think he is developing as a person but, alas, the forces of political process are rushing us to a decision. In the end, Obama is a person you trust to tell you what he believes, even while his belief is evolving. Hillary is not a person you trust to tell you what she believes, and her beliefs are not evolving--they are revolving around the central value of ambition. Which would you prefer? You will never regret standing up with Obama, and you will never feel at ease with Hillary in charge. Choose wisely...

[tgstk2-2009]

I think Maria has written a fair and balanced article. I watched several of the candidates'' speeches and think that Senator Obama did very well for himself and his campaign team.

I am a relatively new spectator of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but since I started paying closer attention over the last couple of weeks, I think Senator Obama has been the most effective candidate at getting his message across. He speaks clearly and unambigously. Every time I have seen him speak, he comes across as genuinely driven by principles and a hope for a better future. I very much admire that quality and find it refreshing indeed. Could one man change the jaded impression that the American public has of politicians? Maybe not, but if Senator Obama is successful in his campaign, he may just raise the bar for future candidates who want to throw their hat into the ring.

I am following the race ever closer and with growing hope that I will be able to vote for somebody this time around and not have to vote against the greater of two evils as has so often been the case in previous elections. Keep up the good work reporting Maria and CBS and help the electorate get comprehensive, fair and balanced information so we can make the best decision possible on Election Day!

[camd115]

Obama needs to schedule a meeting with Ron Paul, find out if there''s some way he can agree to be Ron''s VP, because Ron Paul has "it" and Barack only wishes he did.

[thgdriver]

Last February 2004, the owner of this home in suburban
Wilmette, which has a ban on handguns, was charged with violating the ordinance after shooting an alleged burglar. The "state legislature" quickly passed a bill making it easier for gun owners like Hale Demar to avoid prosecution on "local gun bans" if they were acting in self defense. But Obama voted---"NO"---on the bill, which was sponsored by a former prosecutor.

If you leave it up to Obama, When someone enters your home to do you, your wife, daughter, son harm and you defend your family and home with a firearm--"you"--not the "criminal" will face felony charges.

[beatpanda]

Obama owned the JJ Dinner, period.

The reason is that part of Obama''s campaign, albeit a part that''s been vastly undercommunicated, is his desire to engage a greater proportion of the American people in the electoral process. Obama''s crowd wasn''t made up of the "likely caucusgoers" that Edwards and Clinton have been going after. The most common phrase uttered by Obama''s supporters when interviewed is something along the lines of "I''ve never caucused before" or "I haven''t worked this hard for a political campaign since (usually either JFK or RFK)".

Clinton was the one busing in supporters. In a vastly underreported incident last week, the Clinton camp was sending out mass e-mails to all of her neighboring out-of-state supporters, trying to get them to come to the JJ dinner in order to dominate. Unfortunately, there''s no enthusiasm driving her campaign, and she lost. Hard.

Obama is the only one with the mass appeal necessary to create a new progressive majority. Let''s please not squander this opportunity.

[mudrose-2009]

Does he still have what? His Grove? Obama has his grove. Just ask Ellen. That''s about all he''s got however.

[signof4]

Does Obama Still Have "It"?

He DOES! It just has an SH in front of it!

[bareemperor]

There will be no Republican in the White House in 2009.

[nextprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT
-- No more North American Union
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

"Liberty, when it takes root, is a plant of rapid growth."
- George Washington

"Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must...undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me

[nextprophet]

TO APATHETIC AMERICANS
Voter disenfranchisement and apathy infects the heart of our Republic. Get off your couch, put your remote control down, and become active in your nation''s political process. The pathetically few people that do vote in this country, a.k.a., "the ruling class", who currently get to decide under what kind of conditions (and Laws) you and your family will live, are certainly involved. I can assure you of that. In fact, the ruling class would be much happier if you would just continue to stay home and watch TV in your pleasantly distracted and brainwashed, stupor. That way they can continue to elect their political ****** to office, and continue to maintain their grip on 100% of the political power they currently own in this country. If you voted (God Forbid), it would cancel-out their vote, and they would lose control. They can''t have that. Now can they? If you don''t vote, my friends, you''re nothing but an unwashed "Pleb" to those that do, and the ruling class should rightfully consider themselves superior to you in every way. They do, after all, have all the power, while you have none. If you''re too apathetic and powerless to do anything for yourself more time-consuming than driving down to Mickey D''s to buy a milk shake in order to sieze control of your life, and your country''s destiny, then perhaps you deserve to be ruled over like the "Pleb" that you then are. The time to act is now. The time for political revolution has come. The time for Ron Paul is NOW!

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL WILL RESTORE U.S. SOVEREIGNTY
All of the trade deals and world government organizations, which all of the presidential candidates support (except Ron Paul), such as the ICC, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA, are all a major threat to our nation''s sovereignty. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites. The ICC wants to try our soldiers as war criminals. Both the WTO and CAFTA could force Americans to get a prescription to take herbs and vitamins. The WTO has forced Congress to change our laws to meet their needs, and not our own. If anything, the WTO makes trade relations worse by giving foreign competitors a new way to attack U.S. jobs. The NAFTA superhighway, being built by a Spanish company, is just one part of a plan to erase our borders and create the North American Union, a single nation State like the EU, out of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with a new, unelected bureaucracy and money system. Forget about controlling immigration under the NAU scheme. There won''t be any borders anymore, or a free America. Our limited, constitutional government will be gone forever. Let''s not forget the UN either. It wants to impose a direct Carbon Tax on us. Ron Paul successfully fought this move in Congress last year, but if we are going to stop ongoing attempts of this world government body to rule over us, we need someone in the White House who knows how to say "No." We must withdraw from any organizations or treaty that infringes upon our nation''s sovereignty.

[nextprophet]

OBAMA MAKES PRESIDENT DICTATOR
With the full support of Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, President Bush recently signed into Law the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which, according to Senator Leahy (VT), will actually "encourage the President to declare Martial Law." It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a Laws which limits the President''s ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act, helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic Law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush has now undone all of those prohibitions. The John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which was signed by the President in an unpublicized ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency," suspend Congress; The Constitution; and to take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of your Governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder." President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act. The two Laws compliment one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad of those who dissent and are stripped of their citizenship, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home by allowing the President to order the military onto our streets in a domestic Law enforcement role, which is already being done. Vote for Liberty. Vote for Ron Paul.

[realpatriot1]

In the war on terror Obama is the only candidate in either party fighting the right war on the right battlefield for the right reasons.

If he doesn''t have "it'' who does?

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL IS NOT YOUR FATHER''S REPUBLICAN
Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. It''s ironic that other GOP candidates are scared to death of his message, because his positions are more conservative than theirs. Being anti-war; pro-life; pro civil liberties; pro Second Amendment; pro States rights; pro secure borders; and in favor of a sound economics policy IS TOTALLY CONSERVATIVE. The Republican party has "lost its way," Paul said during a recent GOP debate. Like the limited federal government principles espoused by Dwight D. Eisenhower, his school of Republicanism stands for a certain idea of The Constitution that much of the power asserted by modern Presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the States. Though Paul acknowledges flaws in both The Constitution (it included slavery) and The Bill of Rights (it doesn''t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn therefrom: against gun control; for the sovereignty of States; and against foreign-policy adventures like the ones currently being played-out in the Mid-East. After ten terms of service as a U.S. Congressman, Ron Paul has demonstrated a consistent track record of adherance to The Constitution unmatched by anyone in either party. Ron Paul does not represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers.

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL IS THE NEW WAY
What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW way. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Presidential candidate, Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherence to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL WILL RESTORE U.S. SOVEREIGNTY
All of the trade deals and world government organizations, which all of the presidential candidates support (except Ron Paul), such as the ICC, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA, are all a major threat to our nation''s sovereignty. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites. The ICC wants to try our soldiers as war criminals. Both the WTO and CAFTA could force Americans to get a prescription to take herbs and vitamins. The WTO has forced Congress to change our laws to meet their needs, and not our own. If anything, the WTO makes trade relations worse by giving foreign competitors a new way to attack U.S. jobs. The NAFTA superhighway, being built by a Spanish company, is just one part of a plan to erase our borders and create the North American Union, a single nation State like the EU, out of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with a new, unelected bureaucracy and money system. Forget about controlling immigration under the NAU scheme. There won''t be any borders anymore, or a free America. Our limited, constitutional government will be gone forever. Let''s not forget the UN either. It wants to impose a direct Carbon Tax on us. Ron Paul successfully fought this move in Congress last year, but if we are going to stop ongoing attempts of this world government body to rule over us, we need someone in the White House who knows how to say "No." We must withdraw from any organizations or treaty that infringes upon our nation''s sovereignty.

[nextprophet]

BILDERBERGERS RULE
The Bilderberg Group is a secretive gathering of global power brokers, which includes Hillary Clinton, and a virtual who''s who of other folks whose names you will recognize (Search Wikipedia: "Bilderberg Attendees"), has inspired layers of ridicule. In recent times, the deeds laid at the group''s doorstep have included the creation of the EU, the Iraq war, and the group''s current efforts to create a North American Union, which will erase U.S. borders and sovereignty. Their agenda: economic and political domination; one world government; and world population reduction. After it was leaked that a speech by John Edwards at their meeting in Italy, was one reason for his selection as John Kerry''s vice-presidential running mate in 2000, people began to ask, "Are the Bilderbergers now shaping the worldwide political scene?" Over 130 of the world''s most powerful monarchs, politicians and business leaders attend the annual, invitation-only gatherings in order to to discuss and orchestrate public policy worldwide. The hotels involved are closed-off to other guests and reporters. Guards are placed around the perimeter, and attendees promise to keep quiet about what they hear and say. "They do not have to sign anything, but they understand that they do not talk," said Maja Banck-Polderman, the group''s Secretary. Tony Gosling, a British reporter who has followed the group says, "I think that a forum where so many rich and powerful people meet should be open to public scrutiny."

[nextprophet]

DEMOCRATS HOODWINKED BY HILLARY
Sadly, even though Clinton voted for the war in Iraq, and a host of Laws aimed at removing civil liberties, Democrats are so blinded by her cult of personality that I predict they will overwhelmingly vote to put her crime family back into office. While I''ve made some progress in educating Liberals as to the phony staged consensus of the left-right paradigm, the fact remains that a majority of Democrats still see the White House as some kind of political Super Bowl, where the success of their "team" is the be all and end all - to the expense of America as a whole. The Punch and Judy show theater that was the "troop surge" debate in the Senate characterizes Hillary''s role in hoodwinking Americans perfectly. The debate is framed as not whether the U.S. should get out of the Middle-East altogether, but the relative minutia of whether to feed thousands of more troops into the meat grinder or not. A Clinton presidency will mean more war, more dead Americans, and a further desecration of the tattered shreds of what''s left of our Constitution. Clinton is the ultimate global elitist and represents the Democrats supposed base: the poor and downtrodden, about as much as Lindsay Lohan represents grace and dignity. I''m sure she informed the likes of David Rockefeller and Queen Beatrix as to her presidential aspirations during her last visit to attend the Bilderberger conference. Vote for a REAL AMERICAN who fights against one world government. Vote for Ron Paul.

[nextprophet]

CLINTON MAKES PRESIDENT DICTATOR
With the full support of Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain, President Bush recently signed into Law the John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which, according to Senator Leahy (VT), will actually "encourage the President to declare Martial Law." It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a Laws which limits the President''s ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act, helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic Law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush has now undone all of those prohibitions. The John Warner Defense Authorization Act, which was signed by the President in an unpublicized ceremony, allows the President to declare a "public emergency," suspend Congress; The Constitution; and to take control of state-based National Guard units without the consent of your Governor or local authorities, in order to "suppress public disorder." President Bush seized this unprecedented power on the very same day that he signed the equally odious Military Commissions Act. The two Laws compliment one another. One allows for torture and detention abroad of those who dissent and are stripped of their citizenship, while the other seeks to enforce acquiescence at home by allowing the President to order the military onto our streets in a domestic Law enforcement role, which is already being done. Vote for Liberty. Vote for Ron Paul.

[nextprophet]

YOU''RE A FROG IN A POT
My fellow Americans need to open their eyes to the fact that our republic, along with The Constitution upon which it was founded, is being flushed-down the toilet by our nations'' bought and paid for politicians and media. While the Oligarchs warn and incite fear in the sheeple about the prospect of terrorism, they at the same time leave our borders wide open, and then conduct illegal wars overseas that do nothing but incite the terrorism which their Orwellian Laws like the Patriot Act and the John Warner Defense Authorization Act pretend to protect us from. Wake up America! It''s not about protecting you from terrorism, or Global Warming, or any of that other fear-mongering garbage the sold-out, mainstream media feeds you 24/7. It''s about feeding the bankers and the military industrial complex, and facilitating the global elite''s ability to ratchet-down control over the American people, placing us into a total control grid where they can surveille, track and control everywhere we go and everything we do. It''s the groundwork for tyranny. It''s the New World Order plan of Bush, Clinton, Edwards, McCain, Giuliani, et.al., being executed quite beautifully. You''re a frog in a pot: In order to cook a frog, you don''t throw him into a pot of boiling water. If you do, he''ll resist and jump-out. What you do instead is, you turn the heat-up REAL SLOW, and by the time the water is boiling he won''t be able to jump out anymore, because it''s too late--he''s already doomed.

[nextprophet]

CLINTON CAMP PLANTS GLOBAL WARMING QUESTIONS
The Clinton campaign has admitted to planting questions at a college speaking engagement in Iowa. They have confirmed that a campaign staffer approached a student to ask Senator Clinton a question about global warming during a campaign stop in Newton, Iowa, on Nov. 6. The story was first reported by Patrick Caldwell, a junior at Grinnell College and the features editor of The Scarlet and Black college newspaper. He reported that student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff was approached by the Clinton campaign to ask certain question about global warming and about the need for a global Carbon Tax. Gallo-Chasanoff also said that she "noted that staffers prompted Clinton to call on her and another student who had been approached before the event. Some of the questions asked were confusing and clearly off-message." Clinton Campaign spokesperson Mo Elleithee told ABC News that "on this occasion a member of our staff did discuss a possible question about Sen. Clinton''s global warming plan at a forum. This is not standard policy and will not be repeated again." The staffer still remains with the Clinton campaign, but they would not reveal the person''s name. The Clinton campaign refused to comment on whether this was the only time they have planted questions among audience members about the issue of global warming.

[nextprophet]

GLOBAL WARMING: A GLOBALIST LIE
When I consider the claim that we should give-up our civil liberties in order to protect ourselves from terrorism, or that we should pay a global Carbon Tax administered and enforced by the U.N. (one world government), because mankind is somehow to blame for global warming, two quotes come to mind:

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State."
- Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propagandist

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself, and those who would exploit our fear for power and their own personal, selfish, cynical gain."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Earth is heating up lately, but so are other planets in our solar system. It''s scientific fact. The sun''s increased activity is the common thread which links all of these warming events. Fluctuations in solar activity effect the climate on Earth and other planets, and always will. No reputable scientist could deny that increased Sun activity causes an uptick in Earth''s temperatures. Man''s impact on the planet is exaggerated. All 6 billion people on Earth could fit into an area no bigger than New England.

[realpatriot1]

Wow! Global warming is a globalist lie?

I''ll make sure the Polar Bears receive that message from Ron Paul.

[nextprophet]

MANKIND IS NOT TO BLAME FOR GLOBAL WARMING
Earth is heating up lately, but so are other planets in our solar system. It''''s scientific fact. The sun''''s increased activity is the common thread which links all of these warming events. Fluctuations in solar activity effect the climate on Earth and other planets, and always will. No reputable scientist could deny that increased Sun activity causes an uptick in Earth''''s temperatures. Man''''s impact on the planet is exaggerated. All 6 billion people on Earth could fit into an area no bigger than New England.

[nextprophet]

HOPE FOR AMERICA: PRESIDENT RON PAUL

-- No more meddling in other country''s political affairs
-- No more aggressive military actions overseas
-- No more torture prisons
-- No more pseudo-wars like the "War on Drugs"
-- No more IRS and unconstitutional income taxes
-- No more Federal Reserve (the group of private banks which owns our government)
-- No more erosion of Social Security to pay for militarization
-- No more U.N. (one world government) participation
-- No more NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO or GATT
-- No more North American Union
-- No more federal gun control laws
-- No more illegal aliens pouring-in over our country''s borders
-- No more illegal aliens allowed to roam freely in our streets
-- No more national ID cards (Real ID Act)
-- No more government invasion of your privacy
-- No more federal Laws which are not authorized by The Constitution
-- No more federal erosion of State sovereignty
-- No more unlimited federal government

They don''t call him "Dr. No" for no reason. The Doctor is in! Join us in this 21st Century political revolution at ronpaul2008.com

"Liberty, when it takes root, is a plant of rapid growth."
- George Washington

"Those who expect to reap the blessing of freedom must...undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
- Thomas Paine

"Ron Paul doesn''t represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers."
- Me

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL IS THE NEW WAY
What we need is a President who will show us the way. Not the old way. Not the same way, but a NEW way. Think about this for a minute. What if we pulled all of our troops out of South Korea? They''ve been there for 50+ years. What if we quit worrying about Iran, but instead, realized that its having a nuclear weapon will not mean the end of the world? What if we pulled all of our troops out of the Middle-East, and brought them all home? What if we realistically addressed the National Debt, and paid attention to REALLY DOING SOMETHING about stopping illegal immigration? These are the ideas of Presidential candidate, Ron Paul. He''s a ten term Congressman and a physician who has delivered over 4,000 babies. He''s an intellectual who''s published four books, three of which are devoted entirely to sound economics and one to foreign policy. He was raised on a dairy farm in Pennsylvania as a pious Lutheran, but now he attends a Baptist church. Paul is given to mulling things over morally. Whenever he recollects the helicopter pilots he treated as an Air Force Flight Surgeon (Captain) during the Vietnam War, a war which he now says was "totally unnecessary and illegal," he laments, "They were gung-ho. I''ve often thought about how many of those people never came back." Candidates with the high level of personal integrity and proven track record of adherence to The Constitution, Congressman Paul has always demonstrated only come around once in a lifetime, if we''re lucky.

[nextprophet]

WHO''S RON PAUL?
Ron Paul''s campaign has become a clearinghouse for voters like me who feel unrepresented by the Fascisct (globalist Republicans) and their Socialist comrades in crime (globalist Democrats). They''re actually one and the same. It''s all a phony, poorly staged left-right paradigm. Most people, though, are too distracted, dumbed-down, or outright brainwashed by mainstream media, which endlessly regurgitates scientifically-crafted streams of information aimed at keeping their eyes closed to the realities of the world around them, that they fail to recognize this. Those currently in power, and those being groomed to take [major] political power, are preselected by a "global elite," and whomever is eventually elected, will ultimately, serve their agenda, and not ours. People on the right and those on the left have many differences. Maybe irreconcilable ones. But they have a lot of common beliefs too, and our numbers and anger are of a considerable magnitude. No matter what happens in 2008, I personally believe Ron Paul will influence the national conversation about how much power our government should have over our lives; how much liberty we should give up for security; and whether we should continue moving along our current path towards a one world government. These are issues that, frankly, no one else is talking about as seriously and sincerely as Ron Paul. What''s for sure is that his growing army of supporters like me will be a force to be reckoned with in 2008.

[nextprophet]

CBS NEWS PREJUDICED AGAINST RON PAUL
Most people can see right through the prejudice CBS News obviously has towards Ron Paul. In the few times they''ve covered him at all, I''m suprised they didn''t have one of their graphics artists Photoshop some devil horns on top of his head in that worst ever photograph they always use of him. CBS obviously thinks that if they pretend Paul isn''t a top-tier GOP candidate, then their readers and viewers will eventually think so too. Whenever they are forced to do a story on Paul, because some other mainstream source is covering him for some reason, the fact that their editors work overtime to slant their stories in such a way as to either marginalize his accomplishment, or present Paul in the most negative light possible, is obvious to anyone with a modicum of intelligence. "What about their polls?," you ask? As far as the CBS News poll is concerned, they don''t even include Paul on the list of GOP candidates which pollees can choose from, and then afterwards, report to you that Paul doesn''t even rank in their final tally. Ron Paul is getting major grass roots support nationwide. He has over 60,498 meetup group members in 1,155 Groups from 904 cities nationwide, with another 7,033 people more folks just waiting to hear when a new meetup group will start near them. He''s won ALL of the viewer phone-in polls in ALL of the GOP debates he''s been in, and has raised more money ($4.2 million) in one day than any other GOP candidate ever. Go Ron Go!

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL IS NOT YOUR FATHER''S REPUBLICAN
Ron Paul represents a different Republican Party from the one that Iraq, deficits and corruption have soured the country on. It''s ironic that other GOP candidates are scared to death of his message, because his positions are more conservative than theirs. Being anti-war; pro-life; pro civil liberties; pro Second Amendment; pro States rights; pro secure borders; and in favor of a sound economics policy IS TOTALLY CONSERVATIVE. The Republican party has "lost its way," Paul said during a recent GOP debate. Like the limited federal government principles espoused by Dwight D. Eisenhower, his school of Republicanism stands for a certain idea of The Constitution that much of the power asserted by modern Presidents has been usurped from Congress, and that much of the power asserted by Congress has been usurped from the States. Though Paul acknowledges flaws in both The Constitution (it included slavery) and The Bill of Rights (it doesn''t go far enough), he still thinks a comprehensive array of positions can be drawn therefrom: against gun control; for the sovereignty of States; and against foreign-policy adventures like the ones currently being played-out in the Mid-East. After ten terms of service as a U.S. Congressman, Ron Paul has demonstrated a consistent track record of adherance to The Constitution unmatched by anyone in either party. Ron Paul does not represent your Father''s school of political thought. He represents your Founding Fathers.

[nextprophet]

RON PAUL WILL RESTORE U.S. SOVEREIGNTY
All of the trade deals and world government organizations, which all of the presidential candidates support (except Ron Paul), such as the ICC, NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA, are all a major threat to our nation''s sovereignty. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites. The ICC wants to try our soldiers as war criminals. Both the WTO and CAFTA could force Americans to get a prescription to take herbs and vitamins. The WTO has forced Congress to change our laws to meet their needs, and not our own. If anything, the WTO makes trade relations worse by giving foreign competitors a new way to attack U.S. jobs. The NAFTA superhighway, being built by a Spanish company, is just one part of a plan to erase our borders and create the North American Union, a single nation State like the EU, out of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with a new, unelected bureaucracy and money system. Forget about controlling immigration under the NAU scheme. There won''t be any borders anymore, or a free America. Our limited, constitutional government will be gone forever. Let''s not forget the UN either. It wants to impose a direct Carbon Tax on us. Ron Paul successfully fought this move in Congress last year, but if we are going to stop ongoing attempts of this world government body to rule over us, we need someone in the White House who knows how to say "No." We must withdraw from any organizations or treaty that infringes upon our nation''s sovereignty.

[nextprophet]

BILDERBERGERS RULE
The Bilderberg Group is a secretive gathering of global power brokers, which includes Hillary Clinton, and a virtual who''s who of other folks whose names you will recognize (Search Wikipedia: "Bilderberg Attendees"), has inspired layers of ridicule. In recent times, the deeds laid at the group''s doorstep have included the creation of the EU, the Iraq war, and the group''s current efforts to create a North American Union, which will erase U.S. borders and sovereignty. Their agenda: economic and political domination; one world government; and world population reduction. After it was leaked that a speech by John Edwards at their meeting in Italy, was one reason for his selection as John Kerry''s vice-presidential running mate in 2000, people began to ask, "Are the Bilderbergers now shaping the worldwide political scene?" Over 130 of the world''s most powerful monarchs, politicians and business leaders attend the annual, invitation-only gatherings in order to to discuss and orchestrate public policy worldwide. The hotels involved are closed-off to other guests and reporters. Guards are placed around the perimeter, and attendees promise to keep quiet about what they hear and say. "They do not have to sign anything, but they understand that they do not talk," said Maja Banck-Polderman, the group''s Secretary. Tony Gosling, a British reporter who has followed the group says, "I think that a forum where so many rich and powerful people meet should be open to public scrutiny."

[nextprophet]

DEMOCRATS HOODWINKED BY HILLARY
Sadly, even though Clinton voted for the war in Iraq, and a host of Laws aimed at removing civil liberties; and our country''s sovereignty, Democrats are so blinded by her cult of personality that I predict they will overwhelmingly vote to put her crime family back into office. While I''ve made some progress in educating Liberals as to the phony staged consensus of the left-right paradigm, the fact remains that a majority of Democrats still see the White House as some kind of political Super Bowl, where the success of their "team" is the be all and end all - to the expense of America as a whole. The Punch and Judy show theater that was the "troop surge" debate in the Senate characterizes Hillary''s role in hoodwinking Americans perfectly. The debate is framed as not whether the U.S. should get out of the Middle-East altogether, but the relative minutia of whether to feed thousands of more troops into the meat grinder or not. A Clinton presidency will mean more war, more dead Americans, and a further desecration of the tattered shreds of what''s left of our Constitution. Clinton is the ultimate global elitist and represents the Democrats supposed base: the poor and downtrodden, about as much as Lindsay Lohan represents grace and dignity. I''m sure she informed the likes of David Rockefeller and Queen Beatrix as to her presidential aspirations during her last visit to attend the Bilderberger conference. Vote for a REAL AMERICAN. Vote for Ron Paul.

[nextprophet]

VETERANS DENIED FREE SPEECH RIGHTS
Several pro-peace veterans were arrested when they protested their exclusion from a Veterans Day event in Boston by refusing to move away from a podium. The local chapter of a group called Veterans for Peace estimated 15 of its members and supporters were arrested Sunday at the event sponsored by the American Legion. Boston Police said several arrests were made, but did not have an exact number. The detainees were later released on bail. "We''re opposed to the U.S. invasion of Iraq; we''re opposed to the planned invasion of Iran," said group member Winston Warfield, a Vietnam War veteran." Warfield said the American Legion rejected their request to have a speaker at the event, which took place outside City Hall. A call to the American Legion office in Boston was not immediately returned Monday. "From our point of view, it''s a public affair."