Barack Obama’s landslide in South Carolina is being called a repudiation of what has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, as race baiting on the part of the Clinton campaign. Apparently there has been a lot of movement toward Obama in the last three days.
One of the bobbleheads on television — don’t remember which one — said the Clintons are still running a campaign as if it were the 1990s. This may be why younger and better educated voters in particular are being turned off to the Clintons. It will be interesting to see what adjustments they make.
“the Clintons are still running a campaign as if it were the 1990s.” How true! And both Obama and Edwards are trying to run very different kinds of campaigns. Voters are starting to notice that the Clintons are using all the Karl Rove dirty tricks, and they see through these tricks a lot better than they did in 2000 or 2004. The times they are a-changin’, but the Clintons, they are a-stayin’ the same. The smoking gun, if I may:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081401722.html
Caroline Kennedy endorses Barack in a thoughtful OpEd in tomorrow’s NYTimes.
Maha, Isn’t this a similar thought that you criticized Andrew Sullivan for in December? Clearly, I have to agree with this thought process.
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Obama’s victory speech was powerful. He is communicating on a spiritual plane far above the other contending candidates, and his sheep will hear his voice. I heard the beginning of a healing process that went out to the entire world when Obama mentioned that the invasion of Iraq should have never been authorized..essentialy he publicly confessed that America made a mistake by invading Iraq, and in going so, he is leading us to the first step in a healing and restoration process. America can’t just move on to better days without acknowledging her mistakes..That’s why Obama so keenly pointed out that the battle is not between rich and poor,black and white,young and old..It’s between the future and the past…and rightly so.
For me, Obama has indentified my objections in what’s wrong with America. He understands the obstacles and limitations before him , but he also knows it’s the only path we can go if we want to restore America,
I see in Obama more than words..I see inspiration.
He is inspirational and his speeches are his strength and I will support him if he is the nominee, but the political climate of today I think will be the biggest challenge .,
I think Republicans are secretely and not so secretely hoping it will be Obama against Mc Cain ,,, and they will portray its as ” weak against tough ” ,
” unAmerican ( Muslim father etc. etc.) against Patriot …. he will rally the Republican base a lot more than Hillary …..
Maha,
I probably shouldn’t do this, I’m really asking for it because I’m not much of a poet, but what the H E double toothpick’s.
I wrote this last night. I hope and pray I’m wrong….
How Long Will It Be?
(This was written moment’s after Obama’s South Carolina victory speech on Saturday, January 26, 2008)
How Long Will It Be?
They,
I,
Chanted,
“Yes We Can!
Yes We Can!!!â€
And then I thought,
Yes, maybe WE can…
But can THEY?
And then I wondered,
How long will it be?
All is fine
Until it gets serious
In the mind’s of
Those in power.
And again, I thought,
How long will it be?
How long
Will it be?
Before the handsome man
With the golden smile
And the beautiful mind
Lay’s on a cold slab?
How long will it be
Before the world cries along
As the
Nation’s newest widow
Weeps ?
How long will it be?
While watching his victory speech.
Crying, during much of it,
I was thankful he didn’t have to
Walk through a kitchen in Southern California
How long will it be?
For that is the last populist memory
That I have.
It was
Before Bobby’s aborted
Walk through that kitchen.
My last hopeful moment,
Was at the age of ten
When I thought the world
Could be
What I wished it to be…
And, as a hopeful child,
Even one who, as a young child,
Had lived through John’s death…
And then come home from school
To find out Martin was killed,
I found that Bobby was my dream…
And, in my father’s mother’s house
I snuck up late at night
To watch my kindred soul win in California.
And dreamed of a future
Only a ten year-old
And my last hero Bobby could dream.
But,
Instead,
I watched him die.
After I heard his speech,
And cried a ten year-olds last hopeful tear’s
I watched him leave the podium.
Shaking hands,
Watching those who conspired
Against him smile at him
Before he met is fate.
And then,
I heard the bullets.
I saw the mayhem.
Someone holding his head,
Trying to keep my hero’s brains
From spilling out
Like
Soda
From
A Shattered
Coke
Bottle…
I still weep
For Bobby,
And that ten year-olds hopeful tears
Forty years later.
And now I see another
Kindred soul.
And that hopeful ten year
In my cynical fifty year-old body
Wonder’s,
How long will it be?
How long will it be?
Before I sit
In front of my TV,
Seeing his blood spilled,
And wishing it wasn’t him
But me…
Yeah, I remember that too. And the sequel was forty years of bullshit. But if it happens again, it will be the fall of the empire. My advice, don’t ever be cynical, just don’t be a chump. Walk in peace, but never let down your guard. At some point, they lose by winning, and the wiser among them already know that. God bless America.
c u n d – I had the same thought – probably at the same moment after the speech. You could see SS agents watching the crowd as they do for all major candidates, but you know Obama is going to press the flesh and take risks as a ‘peoples candidate’. We lived through the loss of JFK, MLK & Bobby. Maybe it’s just a natural reaction when we see a candiate for the people who is capable of sincerely moving crowds with emotions of hope that you wonder and fear that this is a sacrificial lamb. I hope this was not a premonition, but just a flashback based on the similar character Obama has.
I guess Rudy is even getting inspired by Obama..I hear he’s changed his campaign message from one of fear to one of hope. Next Rudy will be at the Sun City Center down here in Florida leading the old folks in a chorus of Let’s all go down to the river. They’re just not getting it. Huckabee is trying to use a dried up, flat, lifeless Christianity where women should be submissive to their husbands, and it’s not resonating with the spirit of the people. And Rudy might just as well give it up if the wants to herald a message of hope. He’s sown too much in the negative (9-11,9-11,9-11)so far to reap from a meassge hope.
Well, I hope you all don’t mind if we senior citizens like for time to pass a little slower. We don’t really want to careen off any more tracks by trying to get ahead of ourselves. On the other hand, we know that blacks were hired in many major factories before women. So, we won’t be too surprised if the people vote for “new, change, and hope.” By the way, HOPE was Bill Clinton’s signature word. Oh, well, that was so long ago during the dark ages.
c u n d gulag: I too am worried. Fortunately Obama has an insurance policy: Edwards for Vice President. The oligarchs are frightened by populism, so with Edwards as veep, they’ll have an incentive to keep Obama healthy.