Randy Rhoades i'am afraid for his safety but he has to run

[bigdarryl]

She just made this statement on her show. she thinks Obama's safety is a problem because he's black. come on Randy get a grip

[xultar]

1. Randi is right. You must be livin on another world. His safety is a factor.

In this country a black man can be killed just for being black.
Running for President and possibly getting into office...please...he would be a serious target.

And the fact that you can't recognise that makes me question your understanding of racism in America.

[bigdarryl]

2. President have much more protection these days

[Der Blaue Engel]

8. Do Presidential candidates?

I don't think they do, but I've always been curious about this.

[INDIA]

21. I think the non-incumbent challenger gets SS protection 3 months from the election.

[beaconess]

29. Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates get protection as soon as it is determined

that they are "major" candidates.

That determination is made by the Secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House, the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders and one additional person selected by the other people in the group.

Usually, this decision is made after the first few primaries once it becomes clearer who the frontrunners are. For example, the major 2004 Democratic candidates (Kerry, Edwards, Dean and perhaps others) were assigned Secret Service protection in February of 2004.

The spouses of the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates are assigned protection 120 days before the General Election - sometime in early July.

In addition, the President can order Secret Service protection for candidates (or anyone else) any time if he deterines that it's warranted. For example, Ronald Reagan directed the Secret Service to protect Jesse Jackson throughout the 1988 campaign, long before any other candidate because of heightened concern for his safety.

In Obama's case, if there is any concern for his safety if and once he hits the campaign trail, I have no doubt that he would receive Secret Service protection, if he so requests.

[INDIA]

32. Interesting, thanks for the info! n/t

[twilight_sailing]

12. Is Obama the President? No.

You are not doing a very good job of making your case.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

22. some do some don't. has anybody here seen my old friend John?

can you tell me where he's gone? How about my old friends Robert and Martin?

[Fridays Child]

4. I have to agree with you. African American political leaders have...

...always been the literal targets of virulent racists, in this country. And one needn't have anything more than a casual education in American history to grasp that fact.

[beaconess]

24. Safety is a factor for EVERY president and EVERY candidate

It's not like Obama would be the first candidate or president who needs security.

[xultar]

35. That's not what she is saying. He's the first black that has a real chance.

You are really daft if you don't think racists in this country won't want to take him out.

[beaconess]

37. Of course they will. Just like they wanted to take out Clinton

and just like people want to harm Bush and every other president we've had.

That's why they have Secret Service protection.

I'm not trying to diminish the danger, but I think it's ridiculous for anyone to suggest that he shouldn't run because of it - as if this is something that he and his family hadn't considered.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Way back in the 60's

JFK was killed because of his politics. His brother Bobby was killed because of his politics and they were white. I too fear for Obama. He is getting too much attention and if they could send false anthrax and REAL anthrax and call for editors and judges to be killed what do you think will happen to him. that's the problem any democrat, now, who makes a splash like Obama is going to be a target for the right wing nuts. You can tell me all you want that a republican did not send that anthrax back in 2001 but I will say they did. It was meant to scare the democrats, because if you look at the targets they were all democrats.

[guidod]

17. Way back??

I graduated in '66, oh maybe ti was waaayyyyyyyy back. :toast:

[AJ9000]

5. Can someone explain to me what is so special about the inexperienced Sen named Obama?

[valerief]

7. He's Democratic. He can string together a sentence without

a teleprompter or an earpiece. He's black, and that's a personal attribute the Rethugs would NEVER consider for a presidential candidate, so it makes him special.

[AJ9000]

14. Just as I suspected, "He's black." Well that aint good nuff. We have better candidates.

[valerief]

45. You must learn to read better. I didn't say he was a good candidate.

I was responding as to why he was being considered.

[ripple]

47. And you are also incorrect

As you obviously don't support Onbama, perhaps you should refrain from speaking on behalf of those who do.

Thanks.

[valerief]

48. You really must learn to read better. I didn't say I did or did not support Obama.

[ripple]

50. If you don't consider him a good candidate, it stands to reason that you don't support him

And yes, I realize you phrased it in a more fence-sitting way: "I didn't say he was a good candidate".

You still don't speak for me with your assessment of why people support him. I think it's safe to assume that most of his supporters would agree with me.

[valerief]

51. Not much of a critical thinker, are you? If you can't read correctly, don't bother

to make comments. I hate it when people read in their own assumptions.

[ripple]

52. Is this your idea of critical thinking?

"He's Democratic. He can string together a sentence without
a teleprompter or an earpiece. He's black, and that's a personal attribute the Rethugs would NEVER consider for a presidential candidate, so it makes him special."

How silly of me to infer from your comments that you attribute much of Obama's popularity to his race. I'm duly humbled by your intellect. :eyes:

[valerief]

54. Nasty little gnat, aren't you? I believe you belong on my ignore list. nt

[ripple]

55. If you're that easily annoyed, it must be a long list.

[Ragin1]

11. Well.......

The media says he's a frontrunner,,,, ummmm.....He's got an outstanding record....dohlp.....


Never mind.

[Ragin1]

13. I got it!!

He is at least 35 yrs of age and was born in America. Yeah thats it.

[AJ9000]

15. I meet that criteria. nm

[hoboken123]

44. yep

And you seem like a real charmer...

[Sherman A1]

18. Have you heard him speak?

I have recently and he is inspiring and pragmatic. The process will decide who is the candidate from both parties. At this point the more people in the mix the better, we need as many ideas as possible to offer us a vision for the future. No one or one party has a lock on all the good ideas, the debate of ideas is the issue.

[Clark2008]

19. Psssttt...(whispers: the media).

:hi:

[LittleClarkie]

39. He's good enough. He's smart enough. And darn it, people like him.

I think it was his keynote speech from 2004 for one thing. He has alot of charisma, and people flock to speeches to see him. I don't know why, but they do. If he can continue to ride that wave of political stardom, then he might have a chance at something. But it will depend on what happens if he runs, and if his political inexperience shows in his answers when asked about his stances on various things. If he can put together a good team who sells him well then maybe he'll go places. But that's true of anyone at this point.

[caledesi]

53. Inexperienced? Guess you haven't read his books....What is

so special? Listen to the guy...now that is special. He appeals to MY values and MOST of America.

[AJ9000]

58. I'll admit I'm concerned a black man cannot win in 2008 US. Is 2008 the

point in American history to test that theory with severe problems at home and abroad. Do we want to risk 4 more years of another Republican POTUS? I'm not sure I do. Same thing with Hillery - sexism still exists. (This is not how I think it should be, but how I'm afraid it still IS.)

I think Clark, Gore, Kucincich, would be better suited to dealing with the serious problems this country will have come 2008, and they would all have a better chance to win against whomever the Republicans end up running.

[rodeodance]

6. a caller first brought up this issue.

[KKKarl is an idiot]

9. I have said this previously

It is a growing concern. Do not think for one moment people in the KKK are going to take this lying down. If they feel there is a real chance he could become president, they may try to take him down. It Will be easier for them to injure him or kill him before he became president because he will have a lower amount of security.

[beaconess]

25. There are people and organizations out there who have made it their mission

to kill presidents for centuries. That's why there's an entire federal agency (Secret Service) that spends a significant amount of its time, manpower and resources on protecting the president. Not to mention the military, which also provides substantial protective services for the Commander-in-Chief.

Presidents - even the White ones - are among the most hated and targeted individuals on earth. They are the targets of countless threats - most of which are never publicized. They are protected 24/7 because of this.

I don't buy the argument that Obama shouldn't run because he's Black and therefore is a bigger target. He will get the kind of security he needs, even as a presidential candidate. He's well aware of this danger and will certainly take it into account in his deliberations about whether he should run.

[Radical Activist]

31. I'm sure every single Presidential Primary candidate gets death threats

in addition to actual Presidents. Even the lesser known ones. Sadly, it goes with the territory.

[sandnsea]

10. If he inspires the populace

he's at risk, not just because he's black. Anybody who has truly connected with and inspired the masses, and who doesn't toe the corporate line, has ended up dead. Every single one since JFK.

[rurallib]

16. Last night I heard Drudgy-boy take some (verbal) shots at Obama

and at first I thought "here comes the RW echo chamber". Then I thought when these schmucks start stirring up their base with its racist aspects, Obama's life may well be in danger. He will be a particular target for one reason, his race.
Like many others I am far from picking my candidate, but I sure like what I see with Obama. I'll admit he is short on experience, but that didn't stop W did it?

[shance]

20. I don't trust the Obama -itis. He seems too "corporatized/sanitized" to me.

Too cautious, too polished. Too smooth.

My mother always said, if something looks too good to be true, then it is too good to be true.

I have come to conclude she was 99% right.

I knew something was up when he first came on the scene and was all of a sudden a media darling.

Why does anyone trust the media that is operated by George Bush Sr. and company?

I knew then Obama was probably bought and paid for. I haven't seen anything to counter that observation.

Something just seems too manufactured.

[Radical Activist]

30. Heaven forbid we nominate someone

who can generate media excitement, is a polished speaker and has other characteristics that might result in (gasp) winning! Yeah, lets go back to picking long-shot progressives that come off as dull on TV. We'll lose but hey, at least we'll feel righteous.

I've watched Obama a long time and he has been a solid and consistent progressive.

[AJ9000]

59. I think so too. The corporate media is conveniently foisting him upon us.

[Nye Bevan]

23. So how many assassination attempts have there been for Condi Rice?

And how many were there for Colin Powell?

Or do these shadowy racist assassins only target actual presidential candidates?

[beaconess]

27. How many different permutations of the "he shouldn't run because he's Black and . . .

are we going to have hear from here on. First, it was "he can't win because there are too many racists in America." Now it's morphed into "he'll be in danger because there are too many racists in America."

Yes, he's Black. Yes, that means that, if he runs, there may be some special challenges to overcome. So what? Obama has spent most of his life being a Black man in America. He has ALWAYS had to face challenges and not only has he met them head on - he kicked Challenges' ass. He doesn't need a bunch of armchair quarterbacks on computers (which includes me) lecturing him about what he should do, why he should or should not do it, and what obstacles may face him.

He's got this.

[PVnRT]

42. I was wondering this myself

n/t

[IndianaGreen]

26. Sometimes Randi plays the drama queen

and this is one of those times.

Freepers' heads will explode if we had a biracial President, with Hussein as his middle name.

[Radical Activist]

28. Very true, but that's also true for all candidates.

They pretty much all get death threats. Most are just crazies who won't do anything but there is a good reason candidates get secret service protection. Obama may have a little bit more to worry about with all the racist armed militias out there and this nations history of accepted violence against african-americans. The right-wing has a long history of violence in America.

[Clarkie1]

33. She is correct, of course. nt

[BenDavid]

34. Randi is not wrong because this

was one of the reasons that Powell's wife convinced him not to run in 1996.He had received so many death threats....and if you had crazy race hating people in 96 there are sure as hell many of them still around...

[bullwinkle428]

36. Excellent point about Powell and death threats against him -

I forgot about that until you had brought it up!

[Ishoutandscream2]

38. Well, I'm afraid, too

There are many racists out there who will not stand to have a man of color as president. These people are scary, and some will do anything to ELIMINATE that possibility.

Obama needs the utmost protection. He will go through more hell than any other candidate because of his race.

[zann725]

40. Please! O's got the "Powers-That-Be" support BIG TIME, it's quite clear.

Nothing negative will happen to him if he runs, or wins.

I, for one, won't vote for him, largely because the "Powers-That-Be" are pushing him so hard. Also I personally do NOT think of Obama as a "rock star." Nor would I particularly WANT a "rock star" (EVEN allegorical) as Prez. Though the use of the adjective "rock star" in referring to Obama IS interesting. Think about it, would you want a Mick Jagger or Motlew Crew-type handling Matters of State? I know, I know...the "rock star" reference is NOT strictly "literal"...but still, it conveys a "type" of personna NOT in keeping with a dignified, QUALIFIED stateman of Prez. standing. If the adjective most used to describe Obama is "rock star," seems it's because someone's trying to detract attention AWAY from O's lack of political experience AND the lack of knowledge We-the-People have of him. (I for one am troubled by O's middle name "Hussein." Silly as it may sound.) Truth is, we know very little about the man, except his apparent most important attribue, his "rock star" status, that the MSM keeps force-feeds us LITERALLY hourly.

[ieoeja]

43. You "for one am troubled by O's middle name 'Hussein.'"

Which pretty much ensures you will be the most ignored person in this thread. Except for the laughter, of course.

[Comicstripper]

41. I've LONG said Obama will be shot

Doesn't mean he actually will...but I would not doubt an attempt running through a lot of people who fear a black man in power. Or an inspirational liberal in power. He's like RFK, but black. Come on.

[Vinca]

46. I agree entirely. It's the only thing that makes me not want him to run.

[cali]

49. Black and megacharismatic

(some of the religious wingnuts think he's the anti-Christ). Yep. I agree with Randi.

[onecent]

56. Obama's safety IS VERY MUCH a safety problem. I pray for him and his

family. It will not set well with the bigots in America.

[Geek_Girl]

57. I'm actually concerned about any Liberal Democratic Candidate that Wins in '08

This gang of thugs currently in power aren't going to go quietly.