Obama's Warmed-Over Message

National Review Online: “Unity” Rhetoric Has Been Old For A Long Time

(National Review Online)  This column was written by John J. Pitney Jr..

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Barack Obama speaks of a “new politics” of unity: “You know that we can’t afford four more years of the same divisive food fight in Washington that’s about scoring political points instead of solving problems; that’s about tearing your opponents down instead of lifting this country up.” He is surging because more and more Democrats see him as a virtuous statesman who soars above “our broken and divided politics.”

But the message isn’t new and the image isn’t true.

As I explained on NRO nearly a year ago, Obama is echoing what George W. Bush said in the 2000 campaign. In fact, if Obama’s speeches were term papers, I’d report him for plagiarism. “Our country has unlimited potential. But our politics is broken - at least in Washington,” Bush said in California on October 30, 2000. “You know what’s wrong, Washington is obsessed with scoring points, not solving problems.” In another California swing a month earlier, Bush said: “I’m going to reject the ugly politics of the past, where people felt like they could get ahead by tearing down their opponents.”

One could argue that Bush was merely spouting political pap - but that’s the point. The “unity” message has been old for a long time. Here’s another example: ”I saw many signs in this campaign. Some of them were not friendly. Some were very friendly. But the one that touched me the most was - a teenager held up the sign `bring us together.’ And that will be the great objective of this administration, at the outset, to bring the American people together.”

That was Richard Nixon, after his election in 1968.

Obama supporters would shriek at these comparisons, contending that their man follows through on his words by shunning personal attacks. That’s only partially true. Like so many politicians before him, he speaks lofty prose while leaving the wet work to underlings. Eisenhower had Nixon, who later had Agnew. Obama has David Axelrod, among others.

Axelrod has been Obama’s chief political adviser for years. In 2004, Obama defeated millionaire Blair Hull for nomination to the Senate after sordid details of Hull’s divorce came out. Obama didn’t talk about it in public. But according to David Mendell, the reporter who broke the news about the divorce papers, Obama’s campaign “worked aggressively behind the scenes to fuel controversy about Hull’s filings.” And says the New York Times, many in Chicago “believe that Axelrod had an even more significant role - that he leaked the initial story. They note that before signing on with Obama, Axelrod interviewed with Hull.”

So let’s recap. Barack Obama is a senator today because his campaign exploited his opponent’s messy divorce. This is a miracle that qualifies him for secular sainthood?

Obama and Axelrod have kept their opposition researchers busy during the current campaign. A few months ago, an Obama campaign memo said: “The Clintons have reaped significant financial rewards from their relationship with the Indian community, both in their personal finances and Hillary’s campaign fundraising.” It called her “Hillary Clinton (D-Punjab).” Obama’s campaign sent it to reporters on a “not for attribution” basis. The Clinton campaign made it public, prompting protests from Indian-Americans. Only then did Obama apologize.

More recently, Marc Ambinder reported in the Atlantic (subscription required): “In August, Obama’s team scored a significant hit by helping to place a story in several newspapers revealing that Norman Hsu, a major Clinton donor, had skipped town after having pleaded no contest to a charge of grand theft 15 years earlier and still faced an outstanding warrant.” The hit proved less effective when it turned out that Obama’s campaign had sought Hsu’s financial help.

There is nothing Satanic about Obama’s tactics. He and his team are just playing tough, old-fashioned politics. What’s offensive is his insistence that he’s above it all. His supporters are swooning over a halo that isn’t there.

[comments2008]

I think there is a need for a third choice. A well organized political party to rescue the values of this great country.

How can we expect to see a change, a real change, when one or two terms are for each of the present political parties. There is not much to choose from. If the present Republican government is not doing well, nothing assure us that a Democratic government will do better. The government under whoever party, seems to fall under the same framework. We have seen and read what happens in congress and the senate. The parties fight each other, politics play a major role and it is forgotten that our representatives are there to see for the interest of the PEOPLE and not for the political gains of a party.

The question is, WHERE ARE WE HEADING, POLITICALLY, ECONOMICALLY and most of all, SPIRITUALlY?

The next president must be ABLE and be PREPARED to conduct this nation upstream THROUGH the three elements named above? This man should be sensitive to the needs of the nation and not to the needs of any group or political party.

[tulcak]

The republicans are trying to minimize the message of hope because they fear people who can hope. People who hope have the power to change things for the better and what republicans do NOT want is change. They desire the status quo where the people remain powerless. Change can ONLY happen through government. Change cannot happen for a nation "locally". This is the fundamental difference between conservatives and progressives. Progressives hope the country can become better. Conservatives fear hope because they fear government.

[roger_inkart]

Ha! The official rightwing rag of fear and smear party is getting a little scared we see. They know a the power they crave has its foundation in division and fear. Nothing could scare them more then a candidate that could unite and empower.

This is a good sign for Dems. I think attacks like this are going to fall totally flat because Obama will be able to rise above them.

[walt1944-2009]

Many of us still here after 7 years of "Bushism" still remember the speech the Great Emperor Bush II gave at his inaguration before being appointed the Great Emperor by the neocon Supreme Court.

He said he wanted to be a "Unitor" and would move the country forward. As far as being a "Unitor" goes, the Great Emperor has employed the old tactics of "divide and conquer" rather effectively, although after 7 years of misrule, most people of the USSA who don''t have Fascist leanings, have gotten wise to the Great Emperor''s doctrine.

The Great Emperor has, indeed, moved us forward. He has moved us forward into becoming militarily active in 2 countries with the possibility of becoming involved in more countries and starting WW III before the end of 2008. He has moved the country "forward" into oceans of red ink, his economic policies have moved the dollar "forward" in devaluation, we have moved "forward" in the loss of jobs to China and India, "forward" in the destruction of the middle class, and "forward" in border security. He has also moved the wealthy and business "forward" creating billionares out of millionares, and allowing business to run the country and take in huge profits through price gouging and deceit.

The Great Emperor Bush II and the Fascist neocon Republicans have certainly united and moved the country "forward" all right!!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[runningralph]

The US has many problems. Illegal immigration, overcrowded prisons, drug abuse, high illegitimate birth rate, crime rate, using too much fuel, Islamic terrorism. The candidates all say they will make change. Change what? How? Liberalism has been running Washington for the last forty years. This is what needs to change.

[barbjc1]

Well, well, well, you mean someone else has spotted Obama for the fraud he is. But the under 30 crowd is swallowing it hook line and sinker. This under 30 crowd is part of the millenium bunch that 60 minutes had a special on. They remind me of that bunch in the movie Independence Day that welcomed the aliens invaders with open arms and then got blasted.

[mimi611]

G. BUSH IS A LIAR AND A FREUD. YOU SHOULD KNOW. YOU FIT THE MOLD.

[mcvet]

Obama bin Laden is a Democrat... another d-am-n liberal.

We need an Independent Candidate to unite, not divide.

;)


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Posted by johnny343sc at 04:58 PM : Jan 07, 2008
+ report abuse

Do you Nazi''s have a honorable bone in your body? Can you address a citizen of this nation that YOU don''t agree with something other than this childish trash?? It''s stupid and it GAVE us the WORST PRESIDENT in our HISTORY. Enough already!! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[mcvet]

You really are that fvcking stupid. I had read some of your drivel and was leaning toward stupid, but you have removed all doubt.


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Posted by mbcsmith at 03:49 PM : Jan 07, 2008
+ report abuse

Well I have read a lot of your fascist garbage and that''s what it is GARBAGE! All you know how to do is follow the party line like a good little bootlicker and attack your neighbor for being a "Liberal". Who on here doesn''t know what you are going to say before you even post... bootlickers have always been like that. Now get out your hood and sheet... stand up there tall and sing it out!! SIEG HEIL MEIN FUHRER!!! Good little bootlicker!!

[bluestardad]

its gonna be great when America finally stands up to exercise its constitutional right and Marches on washington to rid itself of the crooks and liars that have been populating there for the last 40 years...

[kansas1946]

As I explained on NRO nearly a year ago, Obama is echoing what George W. Bush said in the 2000 campaign.
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Uh, oh. NRO guys are getting nervous about Obama. It just goes to show you how desparate they are when they try to paint Obama with the same brush as GWB. What a hoot. First, there is no comparison between GWB and Barack Obama, in intellegence, style, eloquence, or integrity. None.
Second, Obama isn''t a liar, and George is. So why don''t you decide to be proud of this man, Barack Obama. He is the epitome of the American dream. He has done it on his own, without a rich and powerful father. He has done it with education, intellegence, and drive. Everything your magazine says they are for. Be proud of him. He is something.

[incog-nito]

What''s with these NRO guys? They find everything argument to attack people they don''t like. "Leadership" and "strength" are also worn out campaign themes, and yet politicians keep using them. What "new" themes these NRO people like? "Profit"? "War"? "Death"?

[imnho]

I am not sure Obama can go the distance, but at least he means it when he says he wants to unite the country. GWB talked about unity and then did the reverse.

Personally I think the carpet is moving under the GOP.

[random_radar]

It sounds like Obama is following the same strategy that got other men elected President of the United States. So what? I mean, why would he follow the strategies that failed?

[bluestardad]

IT IS OBVIOUS THAT OBAMA HAS NOT SOLD OUT TO THE ISRAELI LOBBY YET...MAYBE HE WONT..

JUST BY THIS ARTICLE...

[itchyb-2009]

dear horsesh1t, this is more spew from whatever right wing rag you read, if you can in fact read.

"Obama, a MUSLIM"

[johnny343sc]

Obama bin Laden is a Democrat... another d-am-n liberal.

We need an Independent Candidate to unite, not divide.

;)

[mbcsmith]

Posted by MCVet at 03:19 PM : Jan 07, 2008

You really are that fvcking stupid. I had read some of your drivel and was leaning toward stupid, but you have removed all doubt.

[briannorwood]

Obama''''s warmed-over message? What a maroon this guy is. Must have been living under a rock for the last year!

Obama is succeeding because his message is refreshingly new. He has dismissed the "old style" politics of the GOP and Democratic establishment for a message of hope and inspiration.

If this is warmed-over, I''''ll take two!

[mcvet]

Let''''s see what Obamalamadingdong does when moron.org starts it''''s national slash and burn lies campaign. If he refutes the moron.org crowd, his unity message may have resonance. If not, more of the same ole same ole.


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Posted by mbcsmith at 02:49 PM : Jan 07, 2008
+ report abuse

Say are you one of the bootlickers who bought the LIE about Iraq being the Front in the War on Terror? ROFLMAO I hardly think YOU would even know anything about something progressive.... Most Swastika Huggers are that way you know. It''s trash like you are spewing that gave us the WORST in our history!! Sieg Heil Bush!!!