The Obama Cult

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

What, are we back in middle school now? "Oh how cool that would be!!!!!"

Possibly. I've heard adults - even rather oldish adults - express very similar sentiments. Here's a quote: "Well, I'm really a Republican but I just don't want to miss the chance to be a part of this!"

A part of what, exactly? Do you even know? Can you articulate it in racially neutral terms? Nope, I didn't think so.

I don't know about Obama as a GE candidate. He's pretty much been given a free ride during the primary because no one is really challenging him. The Repubs will slice him up pretty good. They'll focus on his liberal voting record, his lack of experience in everything, his naivete in foreign affairs, etc.

Now, here I disagree. If you watched the Democratic debates over the last year, Hillary and the mods have both been after him. The media may be a different matter entirely, but he certainly hasn't had a free pass in the debates. For the most part he holds his own quite well.

You mention the Repubs will slice him up. This is actually increasingly the argument Hillary's using for why you should vote for her. "Yeah, I know nobody likes me, but at least that's already a known factor. We don't know how many people will dislike Obama once the GOP is through with him."

Originally Posted by Cali Coug

...They are running McCain, hardly a conservative. He has yet to "slice" anyone up.

Yup. Plus I find it hard to believe that McCain - brilliant orator that he is - could slice anyone up, no matter how vulnerable the competition. As Noah points out, when McCain tries to go on the offensive he just comes across as the curmudgeonly, slightly confused old man. He'll need someone to do the talking and make the arguments for him. (Hint for McCain: skip Huckabee.)

[creekster]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

As Noah points out, when McCain tries to go on the offensive he just comes across as the curmudgeonly, slightly confused old man.

For some reason, I find this quality to be most endearing. GOP should stand for Grouchy Old Poop.

Pardon me while I go tell those kids to get off my grass.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by creekster

Pardon me while I go tell those kids to get off my grass.

Wait. Isn't it about time for your nap? You don't want to fall asleep during Wheel of Fortune again.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Wait. Isn't it about time for your nap? You don't want to fall asleep during Wheel of Fortune again.

Wheel of Fortune? My parents are Price in Right devotees.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

Wheel of Fortune? My parents are Price in Right devotees.

I not so old that I don't still prefer a mature Vanna White to Drew "I am ugly as well as unfunny" Carey.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Now, here I disagree. If you watched the Democratic debates over the last year, Hillary and the mods have both been after him. The media may be a different matter entirely, but he certainly hasn't had a free pass in the debates. For the most part he holds his own quite well.

Perhaps you are correct, but my point is that both primary debates are among fellow believers, hence one is rarely forced to defend one's position from an opposing point of view. For example, I doubt Obama has directly faced a rabid cost-cutter like McCain in proposing what appear to be high-cost programs for America. Granted, the same could be said of McCain, but that old guy has 30 years of telling fellow Senators to F*&% off!" to fall back on in such a fight.

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

You mention the Repubs will slice him up. This is actually increasingly the argument Hillary's using for why you should vote for her. "Yeah, I know nobody likes me, but at least that's already a known factor. We don't know how many people will dislike Obama once the GOP is through with him."

That's an effective argument, although no one is listening. They're all on some kind of an Obama High (I feel like Kevin McCarthy in Invasion of the Body Snatchers).

This would be my greatest fear as an Obama supporter. He got a little off his game and let Bill get to him, showing some vulnerability. Luckily he had a very sympathetic Dem base to fall back upon. Such will not be the case in the GE. If they get to him, he could see some of those "gee, wouldn't this be a great thing" voters melt away. That's the great gamble, the volitility of an Obama candidacy. Has he ever really been tested?

On the other hand, her life has made Hillary one tough lady. Any vulnerability only makes her endearing.

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by creekster

I not so old that I don't still prefer a mature Vanna White to Drew "I am ugly as well as unfunny" Carey.

Back to Wheel of Fortune. I always thought it odd that my Italian immigrant MiL, who could hardly speak English, loved Wheel of Fortune. I think there's something about that wheel going round and round and round and round and . . . . .

Before long you're an Obama voter.

[Tex]

John Derbyshire (not a traditional conservative, but also no liberal) weighs in on the cult:

All this emoting over Barack Obama's wonderful, wonderful personality is starting to trigger my gag reflex.

What are we electing here, a faith healer? What is Obama's view of the executive power? How, exactly, does he propose to "bring us together"? Just by being half-black? What if I don't want to be "brought together" with radical socialists who want to jack up my taxes and shut down my freedoms of speech, property, and association? What will Obama do? Steve Sailer has been documenting the astonishing — for a guy with Obama's résumé — absence of any paper trail for Obama's thoughts, ideas, and opinions. There's just his autobiography, which is unreadable (I tried), and The Audacity of Hope which I guess (I didn't try — you can only ask so much of a guy) urges us all to be really audacious and hope a lot.

Is Obama just an empty suit, who never had a thought about anything, other than his own amazing wonderfulness, in his entire life? What, for example, does he think about conservatism? Modern American conservatism is a huge and various body of thought, with many mansions. Has Obama explored it? I'll lend him my Nash if he wants to make a start. Heck, I have read Kolakowski all the way through, all three volumes; has Obama read Hayek? Buckley? Kirk?

And then there is the matter of ethnic triumphalism, which is shifting and murmuring in the background of Obama's campaign. Be interesting to get Obama's opinion on, for example, Justice Thurgood Marshall's remark to his colleagues in the Bakke case, that, "You guys have been practicing discrimination for years. Now it is our turn." (It's in Clint Bolick's book about affirmative action.) As a white guy with half-Asian kids, is there an ethnic downside to me and mine in voting for Obama? Is this an improper question? Why?

http://corner.nationalreview.com/pos...RmYWY3MWE3MjA=

[Goatnapper'96]

Originally Posted by creekster

I not so old that I don't still prefer a mature Vanna White to Drew "I am ugly as well as unfunny" Carey.

Vanna White, ain't she a GMILF?

Or something like that........

[creekster]

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

Vanna White, ain't she a GMILF?

Or something like that........

Some truth is realtive. Vanna or Drew. Surely you wouldn't choose drew, would you?