Obama Calls for "Uniter" (not a "divider") in White House

[draft_mario_cuomo]

He has a legitimate point, although, despite her status as a polarizing figure among the general public, HRC has probably as much, if not more of a record of working with conservative Republicans in the senate.

==COLUMBIA, S.C. -

In a slap at his top competitor, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that the most important thing the next president can bring to the White House is the ability to unite the country.

The Illinois senator did not mention rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is viewed unfavorably by nearly half the general public but is beating him in national and most state polls of the Democratic primary race. But he built the argument that the United States can't afford another polarizing president.

"The reason that this president has failed to lead this country is because he hasn't been able to unite our country. He's polarized us when he should have pulled us together," Obama said in a speech to the College Democrats of America convention at the University of South Carolina. "That's why the experience we need in the next president is the ability to bring this country together.

"It's not enough to just change parties," Obama said.

In South Carolina and during a visit to New Hampshire earlier Thursday, Obama compared Clinton to President Bush because she has said she will not have unconditional meetings with foreign enemies. He told the College Democrats that her approach showed "stubbornness" and in New Hampshire he referred to her as "Bush-Cheney lite."==

Read the rest at http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/26/ap3958590.html

[Captain Hilts]

1. Uh, oh. I don't think the country could survive having another 'uniter' in the White House. nt

[polichick]

15. LOL nt

[LWolf]

2. Damn. Is he channeling Reagan AND Bush?

I suggest that he's made some pretty good strides as a "uniter." So far he's hard at work uniting my colleagues in opposition to his "merit pay" proposal, lol.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

37. lol good one (on uniting teachers) nt

[zabet]

3. I think Obama made a campaign mistake with the ..

Bush-Cheney lite. He is hoping for the 'black vote' but, seemingly
ignores the fact that the 'black vote' was for Clinton when Bill ran.
This was quite evident in the reactions of the audience (majority
African American) at the debate at Howard University. Hillary had
more audience reaction and approval than was expected and Obama did
not steal the spotlight there as it was suggested.
This move will not debilitate his campaign but, it sure will not
help it.

[Ethelk2044]

9. You have lost your mind, if you think African Americans are not supporting Obama

I like it when the media states that. However, I am African American. All the African Americans I know and my family knows are definitely supporting him. You are thinking we do not know the difference between Hillary and Bill. We are not Naive or stupid believe Hillary is Bill.

[emilyg]

10. I see you speak for all black people. How nice.

[jaysunb]

13. You were just told the truth...

I'm having the same experience in my family and friends as well as a huge portion of my white friends and associates.

You really should try to get your information the sources as opposed to the MSM and sentimentalist.

[emilyg]

14. I'm not having your experience - quite the opposite.

[jaysunb]

23. Try this

from The Hill

This is one of very few breakaway moments Obama will be afforded in the critical months to come, the ones in which he must prove he is a phenomenon more powerful and lasting than Howard Dean was four years ago. It isn’t likely Clinton will want to give him many more. Why would she, ahead of Obama by 15 percentage points, as she has been since the week they both announced? And according to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, she has stolen key Obama turf, pulling even with him among those voters seeking change and a new direction.

But a key finding from that poll — that Obama now leads among black voters — was buried in the news. Months ago it was the hot topic, that Obama wasn’t black enough because black voters still preferred Clinton. While his new lead is only slight, it represents significant momentum for Obama. If he wants to increase his lead with black voters, if he wants to make his money edge, Obama will have to keep on fighting. There is a scenario in which ultimately Obama scoops up the anti-establishment support now enjoyed by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), John Edwards, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, and rises to victory with black voters and new 18- to 24-year-old voters to become the nominee. It’s hard to imagine, but possible with a good, hard fight. That will be hard, since Obama’s candidacy is based on staying above it all. But unless he fights, Obama remains above everything and everybody except Hillary Clinton.

http://pundits.thehill.com/2007/07/26/for-obama-a-breakaway-moment/

[emilyg]

36. Thanks. Good one.

[murielm99]

11. I may be in Illinois,

but I see the excitement over Obama in the African-American population.

I have tabled at every festival in my area. I have canvassed and called for many candidates and issues over the last few years. The interest and excitement over Obama is something I have seldom seen in my years of activism. It is a bit like what I saw for RFK.

African-Americans of all ages are looking for buttons, stickers, signs, or anything else that says Obama on it. Many of them are young. Many of them, in other times, are people who walk by our tables with expressions of boredom. I have seen this since before he was a blip on the radar. And many of them know more about his positions and achievements than I do.

I see support in the white population, too, even among Republicans. But their support is not on the same personal level. I don't think it is just because he is African-American. We have our share of African-American Democratic office holders in this state.

The media has their heads up their asses, as usual.

[zabet]

12. I did not say that ALL were not,

I personally know many that do NOT support Obama. That is where I
got my info from, my best friend for the last 21 years, an African
American woman. This was what she said was the consensus among the
African Americans in her area of NC....many do not like either also.
The key is, no one candidate will pull all of the African American
vote. Some will vote for Obama simply because of race, not because
of where he stands on the issues. Some, not all.

[eweaver155]

19. You need to look at African American blogs. I disagree with you. I have visited the blogs

and talk to them. Hell I am one of them. I do not know who you talked to but you need to go in the African American community and talk to people to see what they say. I will tell you this like Tavis Smiley. Only 25% of African Americans normally vote. They will turn out to vote in record numbers. NO they will not be voting for Hillary. They normally do not contribute to campaigns. If you would have noticed a couple of weeks ago. There were articles on the web where they are contributing in record numbers. GUESS what to the OBAMA campaign.

[zabet]

22. Not every voting African American is

represented in the blogospere. Just a small percentage.

[Nedsdag]

38. I'm an African American blogger.

I'm not supporting Hillary.

If she gets the nomination, just tell me when Election Day because that's the extent of my support. No canvassing, no bumper stickers. I won't watch the conventions nor the debates.

[illinoisprogressive]

4. she is the same polarizing force that we've had for 20 years.

[JDPriestly]

5. That does it. He is naive.

Does he seriously think that he can "cooperate" with KKKarl Rove? The country will not be brought together until we put an end to the massive corruption in the Republican Party. Hopefully, any Democrats who want to try the same thing will get the message.

[ikojo]

6. She and her husband worked too

closely with the Republicans on DOMA, GATT, NAFTA, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Welfare "Reform"

Such a uniter we don't need.

We need someone who will work for working people and not big business.

[Captain Hilts]

7. How did this become a thread about Hillary? nt

[laugle]

8. What is wrong with

BO! Doesn't he realize that Bushco's strategy was to "DIVIDE AND CONQUER!"

Someone needs to get fired!!

I learned long ago, anytime Bush speaks, think the opposite!

[polichick]

16. No offense to Obamababy, but...

I'm not interested in uniting with the right ~ I want Dems to take back the House and Senate in such a big way that the right is rendered completely and utterly impotent!

[Colobo]

17. I guess you like Bush's cowboy politics, right?

You know, the "ballsy, I don't care about what the other side thinks" kinda politics... that's cool...

[polichick]

18. I don't care what this crop of Republicans thinks, no...

They sold this country down the river.

That's the trouble with Dems ~ they're soft when they need to kick ass for the greater good. The whole planet depends on what we do next, we can't afford to flake out.

[jefferson_dem]

24. Fuck Ya!

To hell with anyone who doesn't agree with me! Let's hear it for partisanship, division, and rancor!

Personally, i would argue that we've had just about enough of that mindset.

[polichick]

29. It's foolish for Dems to continually think the other side...

...wants to work with us. We compromise every time ~ they play us every time and never compromise. When are Dems gonna learn that the two sides play by completely different rules??

Our job is to win the White House and to give the House and Senate a solid majority so that we can get to the incredibly important work that's ahead of us.

[jefferson_dem]

32. We wholeheartedly agree on your last point. I'm right there with you.

To reach out, to bridge divides doesn't necessarily mean that our principles lose or even that the end result is compromise.

I do know that people are sick and fucking tired of the "rules" that you mention. If all we do is replace "their guy" with "our guy", *everyone* loses.

[polichick]

35. We really can't afford to be nice this time...

Sociopaths don't play fair and, unfortunately, that's pretty much what we're dealing with in these folks who support killing more and more people needlessly.

But if we replace their guys (in the WH and in Congress) with our guys, the whole world wins!

[sandnsea]

20. Obiously Democrats don't want change

And prefer the junkyard dog politics that the Clintons are famous for. Shame on Obama for wanting to end smear and fear politics and bring the country together. Bad bad Obama.

[AndreaCG]

27. How is calling your Democratic opponent Bush Cheney lite

ending smear and fear politics?????

[sandnsea]

28. That's the junkyard Hillary plays in

She's the one who decided to distort and smear, she gets what she set in motion.

[polichick]

30. It's not...

...but you knew that. :)

[Ethelk2044]

40. he is not smearing her. She sided with Bush war.

Her policies is the issue. If she did not want to be called something she should not have attacked Obama personally. She did and it was wrong. I guess you feel she can attack him as long as he does not attack her wrong. He never attacks anyone first. However, he will respond to their attacks. He is not a punching bag for Hillary. If she thinks she has the balls to throw the first punch. She should also have the balls to take the response for her attack.

[eweaver155]

21. Obama is only doing what he should do. And people will not

think any worst of him for it.

You gotta think that people within the Clinton camp are realizing what a mistake going after Obama on this was. She actually didn't need to say a thing, she made her point during the debate and it was pretty widely reported. What Clinton did in going after him as she did was give him the license to retaliate without being charged with hypocrisy for engaging in the same politics he claims to be fighting against.



http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/7/26/15539/9321#commentt...

[AndreaCG]

25. I think less of Obama!

Calling Obama naive re foreign affairs is debatable. What does calling Clinton Bush-Cheney lite mean? That she's a little less corrupt than the administration that is doing the most in history to tear down the constitutional foundation of America?

[Ethelk2044]

31. He is right for fighting back. I would have less respect for him if he would have allowed her to

hit him and he did not respond. He did the right thing. He has turned his cheeks too many times already. At some point he needs to stand his ground. I respect him for that. I have lost any respect for Hillary for personally attacking Obama. Attack him on his policies not personally.

[jefferson_dem]

26. Agreed.

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[Skip Intro]

33. And he calls her bush/cheney-lite? n/t

[Forkboy]

34. It's deja vu all over again.

[gulliver]

39. Clark!