Aug. 29, 2008
Not The Obama We Know
National Review: An effective, Dishonest Speech
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Photo
Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., gives his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008. (AP)
Everyone knew that Barack Obama can give a good speech, and he did just that tonight. The Obama we heard from was an attractive figure. Too bad he doesn’t exist.
The speech was very well designed to achieve its many political objectives. Obama worked hard to express his identification with ordinary Americans - simultaneously countering the perceptions that he is a vapid celebrity and that he is uncomfortable with conventional patriotism. Obama was very careful on this point. There was no Clintonian (or David Brooksian) talk of himself as a globalized man, no reference to Indonesia or even Hawaii. He wisely declined the opportunity to talk a lot about race; doing so could have led him nowhere helpful. If it had not been the anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech, perhaps he would not have alluded to it at all.
He tied McCain to Bush and hit both hard on economics, while (naturally) neglecting to mention the rough edges of his own economic policies: the taxes on small business that his health-care plan entail, for example. He didn’t even mention his tax hikes on the rich. And he presented himself as a unifying moderate on social issues.
If all you knew of Obama was what he presented to you in his speech, you would think of him as a typical Democratic politician improved by the addition of a bit more thoughtfulness and idealism than the average representative of the class. You would be amazed to learn of his extremely close relationship to a radical anti-American preacher; or that he has followed a no-enemies-to-the-left approach to politics that put him in the company of an unrepentant terrorist. You would not suspect that he favors taxpayer-funded abortion or drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants. You would not realize that he has crossed party lines far less often than McCain. You would not imagine that he had ever voted against funding for troops in war zones. It would not cross your mind that this denouncer of hardball, self-interested politics might be having his campaign intimidate reporters out of looking into his record.
Obama was less successful in making the case for himself on foreign policy, but no less dishonest. He did not acknowledge the success or even the existence of the surge. He presented McCain as the lone holdout against a consensus on withdrawal from Iraq that includes President Bush. If he had had his way, we would have been out of Iraq a long time ago and the country would be in far worse shape - but by presenting a timeline of the Iraq debate that excludes the last two years, he kept all but the most attentive listeners from noticing.
The senator argued that we should be able to disagree on political issues without questioning each other’s character. True. But he concludes that we should therefore ignore the evidence that he has, in fact, adopted the foreign-policy positions he has for political reasons. He acts as though he is being gracious by not leveling a like charge against McCain. But it is no concession to declare off limits an accusation that applies to you and not your opponent.
I am not sure who the real Barack Obama is. I do not believe that I saw him Thursday night.
By Ramesh Ponnuru
Reprinted with permission from National Review Online.
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See all 199 CommentsExplain your own, Ramesh.
Why an unbroken litany of extreme rightwing trash posing as thought from the NRO? Where''s the balance? Is it supposed to be NPR? (LOL)
I concluded long ago that the owners of NRO aren''t even American, they are so opposed to the furtherance of this country, so anxious to see it bankrupt itself securing other peoples oil-fields. If CBSnews continues to allow them to dominate their opinion pages, I may have to conclude the same of CBSnews.
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKane.
What rubbish. This is the kind of fear-mongering nonsense that keeps America from debating real issues during a presidential campaign.
The Republican campaign resorts to misinformation and personal slander, because they don''t have enough substance to offer. They have been doing it for so long, they think it is acceptable behavior in a presidential campaign. It is not, and should not be condoned. If McCain was truly honorable, he wouldn''t go along with this.
Why leave your country''s future in the hands of people who don''t care what they do so long as they get elected? They''ll not care what they do when they are in power as well. Case in point. The last 8 years.
The Republicans can''t defend their past. They can''t present a credible argument for the future. I see no reason to put the country in their hands for another 4 years.
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
Secondly, it states clearly, "Home ; Opinion". This is an opinion. It is followed by, "NRO - America''s Premier Site for Conservative News, Analysis, and Opinion." Analysis, by definition, presupposes neutrality.
Read critically, as that is your responsibility.
Thirdly, the line of "An effective, DISHONEST speech" preamble requires burden of proof. None was given. It is opinion.
Let them know that you are not stupid.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
Ramesh, don%u2019t think that American people are a bunch of fools and they would believe what YOU take out of the Obama speech. Millions of people watched what Obama had to say yesterday and let their judgments to decide what it was all about. You are a joke
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
Did you know he wrote the book entitled: "The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life".
Obama speech is everything he stands for and it is consistent with all of his previous ones. It was genuine and powerful. It moved America.
And the article called it dishonest? Get a life Mr. Ramesh.
When the Republicans attack the Democrats, the corporate media repeat and duplicate the attacks as infinitum. Remember the brainless discussion about the Greek columns earlier this week? How could any serious news outlet repeat that drivel?
But when the Democrats attack the Republicans, the corporate media .... attack the Democrats. Its for being dishonest, mean to poor old John McCain, going the low road etc.
Tune in to the Republican convention next week to hear personal, hateful, hurtful, low remarks about the Democratic candidates. And I promise you they will repeated "in a neutral way" on this page, without calling them what they are. And I promise you the Republican will be presented as clean-living, patriotic, upstanding Americans, without any serious discussion about where they want to take America.
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
Secondly, it states clearly, "Home ; Opinion". This is an opinion. It is followed by, "NRO - America''s Premier Site for Conservative News, Analysis, and Opinion." Analysis, by definition, presupposes neutrality.
Read critically, as that is your responsibility.
Thirdly, the line of "An effective, DISHONEST speech" preamble requires burden of proof. None was given. It is opinion.
Let them know that you are not stupid.
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
I can''t think of another candidate in recent history who is EASIER to attack on all 3 fronts!!
Character: A liar, flip-flopper, willing to throw his own grandmother under the bus for political expediency?
Policies: Further left than Pelosi, Reed, ACLU or NARAL?
Judgement: Friends with unrepentant terrorist? 20 years in Wright''s church? Rezko?
And by the way, IS he eligible to hold office? Didn''t his Indonesian Citizenship (Indonesia did not permit Dual Citizenship) cause him to forfeit his US Citizenship?
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
...I have been trying to get this published, but you are temporarily disabled. ''Wonder why?
The NRO is, "America''s Premier Site for Conservative News, Analysis, and OPINION."
So at your convenience, you either claim to never have been told Barack''s position, or when told his position you suddenly know that it is not his position.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLfsG8XKWfw
By Ramesh Ponnuru
The word "dishonest" is libelous.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00376
Did you know McNuttjob missed 10 out 14 votes on Iraq?
Why''d you leave fox news, Ramesh? It''s time wasted on articles like this that I will regret at the end of my life...Give me my time back.
That''s the amazing thing about my canidate, he respects your opinion. He may disagree with it, but he doesn''t make up phrases like''McCainbots''...
Lastly, this Ramesh guy managed to my more undetailed, misleading claims in his 548 word opinion than Obama made in his 42 minute speach last night.
Grats Ramesh, I''m sure you think you''ve done us all a service with this bland unfounded attack. I''m looking forward to your follow up of McCain''s speach next week, where I think we can all assume you''ll have been just as moved as us ''Obamabots'' were last night.
-Guy
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
...I have been trying to get this published, but you are temporarily disabled. ''Wonder why?
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
...I have been trying to get this published, but you are temporarily disabled. ''Wonder why?
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
...I have been trying to get this published, but you are temporarily disabled. ''Wonder why?
John McCain spent 5= years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam. His first-person account of that harrowing ordeal was published in U.S. News in May 1973.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/01/28/john-mccain-prisoner-of-war-a-first-person-account.html?PageNr=1
Not sure if it looks so good in retrospect. Obama is inexperienced, McCain is nuts. your call.
Mentioning Ayers? Oh my.. Throwing out names like Rezko and Ayers without telling people who they are and what Obama''s actual connection to these people really are (which is not more than going to a party or supporting a bill for elderly housing) is really damaging to the credibility of the writer. It''s the reason why print newspapers are going down the drain.
How funny - when Abraham Lincoln gave his Gettysburg address all the newspapers said it was terrible as well. This is going to go in the same bucket.
This article reflects an unawareness and partisanship unmatched even under the recent scenarios. Obviously, obviously, the old ''scare tactics'' are still being used of "who is he". By now if you do not know who Obama is, you are writing your own aritcles in a very closed and quiet room. So be it, that is what has been going on the last 8 years and why we are tunneled in the problems we are having both at home and abroad. I have never been a die hard democrate. I have voted both parties depending on the person. The candidate for now is
Obama. My FEAR is the other...John McKain.
Who is writing your paycheck these days at CBS? That really seems to be what it is about...not the country or the people anymore.
...I have been trying to get this published, but you are temporarily disabled. ''Wonder why?
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