2 Speeches Show Contrasting Campaign Styles: Obama Offers Inspiration; Clinton Details Action Plan

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: 2 Speeches Show Contrasting Campaign Styles
Obama Offers Inspiration; Clinton Details Action Plan
By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 20, 2007; Page A04

MANCHESTER, N.H., May 19 -- Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois used a commencement speech here Saturday to challenge graduates to rise above cynicism and selfishness, while in New Orleans, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York used a similar occasion to pledge a renewed federal commitment to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The speeches by the two leading candidates for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination underscored the basic differences in their campaigns: Obama offering words of inspiration and hope for a new politics of citizen engagement that can transform the country, and Clinton providing a blueprint for putting government to work to deal with the problems afflicting ordinary Americans.

Obama has generated considerable enthusiasm on college campuses as a candidate who promises the sharpest break with the polarized politics of the past decade, while Clinton is counting on support from younger women to help fuel a potentially history-making campaign that is more grounded in the political establishment.

Obama spoke to the graduating class of Southern New Hampshire University, where he decried the political and media culture that he said prizes the inconsequential at the expense of the important.

"We see . . . a media culture that sensationalizes the trivial and trivializes the profound, in a 24-hour news network bonanza that never fails to keep us posted on how many days Paris Hilton will spend in jail but often fails to update us on the continuing genocide in Darfur or the recovery effort in New Orleans or the poverty that plagues too many American streets," he said....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/19/AR2007051901039.html?nav=hcmodule

[msongs]

1. rhetoric versus concrete action? nt

[Colobo]

4. No; it's changing this country, one citizen at a time

vs. old school politics.

[Colobo]

6. In fact, msongs...

Would you say Jimmy Carter's "malaise" speech was all rhetoric as well? Carter knew then where the true problem of our nation was... and time has proven him right...

[iconocrastic]

12. Carter brought us Regan

Careful what you wish for.

[Colobo]

14. Carter was a mediocre president at best

But the man understood things THEN that are affecting us NOW...

[EST]

22. Carter was, I have no doubt, the smartest president that I have any

experience of. His problem, the one which rendered him ineffectual, was that he was too nice a man to be very good at the hardball politics that the position demanded.
Because he was a very caring and "nice" guy, the sharks tended to bulldoze him and go around whatever he tried to do.

Had it not been for the illegal and disgusting tricks pulled by the republickers, I am convinced he would have served another term. No way to prove it but I felt he was improving at the job and had grasped the essentials so well that a second term would have been remarkably successful and certainly would have been an improvement over Raygun.

[Adelante]

24. Very true, EST

My late mother would shake her head sadly and say, "He is just too good for that office."

[illinoisprogressive]

2. I love that last paragraph. Obama nails it again.

[iconocrastic]

3. And what action does Hillary plan against Obama?

Hee hee.

[William769]

23. Well since you asked

Becoming the Democratic Presidential nominee. Still snickering?

[JI7]

5. both are good

if you actually read what Obama says he really seems to get it. it's not a bunch of feel good bs. but really touches on the reality in America today.

Hillary's is good in that it's full of substance and people in Iowa and elsewhere will look to those details even if the whore media wont.

[EST]

7. There was a time when I championed the idea of Hillary Clinton's

becoming president, first woman, equal rights, and all that.
Now my grinding memory is hashing with her service on the board of Walmart and I just can't get past it.

There are just too many connections with the forces that are rapidly poisoning the planet, as though we have a spare or two. My world is crushed.

[Cleita]

9. I can't get past the Iraqi War Resolution.

I just learned about Wal-Mart. It didn't help. I once admired her too.

[iconocrastic]

11. Yes, Walmart has killed the world

Excellent observation. We're dead.

[emilyg]

18. LMAO

[Cleita]

8. Why are they the leading candidates?

Is it because they both have acquired the most corporate money?

[iconocrastic]

10. "Clinton is counting on support from younger women "

They aspire to grow up to be like her?

[Deep13]

13. Here's the thing. Neither approach really inspires confidence.

Specific plans of a presidential candidate always go by the board once he or she is in office because Congress controls the legislative agenda, not the president. On the other hand, inspiring speeches are nice, but to put it bluntly, talk is cheap. No one ever became a great president by giving good speeches.

Really, what I would like to see is someone who will shut up long enough to listen to what people actually want.

[Colobo]

15. Richardson would inspire you, wouldn't he?

[Deep13]

16. I don't need inspiration.

I need someone who can handle the job. The president is a manager (or supposed to be) not a rock star or a revival preacher. We are not electing a prom queen. We are electing the boss, the guy whose finger will be on the nuclear button. The last 6 years should be a pretty clear reason why we should not give it to someone who is not ready for the job.

[Colobo]

17. True. Obama is that man.

Richardson is a good VP candidate, though.

[Deep13]

20. I guess I would rather have the experienced guy lead the ticket.

Obviously, I would take any one of us over any one of them. I have never seen such a pack of snake-oil salesmen and village idiots as the present Republican bullpen.

Having said that, my concern about Obama is his thin resume. Three years ago he was a state senator. Maybe he has some management experience I don't know about, but so far I see a great speaker and not a lot else. On issues I don't see a lot of daylight between him and HRC. Between the two of them, the only difference I see is that I know that Hillary can handle the job.

[Adelante]

25. The foreign policy weight in any modern presidency

needs to be in the Oval. I agree in that sense. The VP can better be pushing the legislative agenda. So I always think an executive leader as president and a legislative leader as VP is ideal. I said the same thing in 2004, so it's not this particular field.

[emilyg]

19. Well put

[loyalsister]

26. If you've been involved in politics.....

examine the balance. I was talking to someone who swore to be one of the "good guys" about an insurance scam. People get a tax credit for buying long term care insurance.
As usual, the insurance co.s find ways to weasel out, and not pay or pay less. Not to mention the fact that it only helps people who can afford to buy it.
I objected to cozying up to insurance, etc. The supposed "good guy" said but, now is not the time to make a philosophical objection the people who need long term care are costing the state too much money.
When are we going to decide that it is legitimate to start making "philosophical objections" when there is nothing so important to do as end a war?

[JDPriestly]

21. Obama (charisma) and Clinton (message) get the headlines, but Edwards leads

among those who want one candidate with both charisma and message.