Obama's Odyssey

[illinoisprogressive]

In retrospect, what was interesting about that appearance is how he had no real functioning campaign, they were truly making it up as they went along, and that he could disappoint the crowd by not giving expected servings of anti-Bush rhetoric. It's rare to see a politician actually lower expectations to a crowd wanting to eat out of his hand while simultaneously offering the less-tangible reward of hope merged with strains of pragmatism.

In that key element, Obama hasn't changed but only refined and broadened the message. At the end of the Portsmouth event, the first-term senator coyly tackled the "experience," or lack thereof, weakness that has been tied to him by the pundit politburo and other campaigns. Obama, 46, has turned the terms of that issue around to judgment because, well, experience isn't all that it's cracked up to be (see Rumsfeld, Donald; Cheney, Dick; and the Democratic leadership that caved in to President Bush in 2002 over the Iraq war vote.) When Iraq war veteran and Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy recently endorsed Obama, he said in a press statement "Speaking as a former captain in the 82nd Airborne Division, I know that he has the judgment we need to be our next commander-in-chief." Coincidentally or not, there's that word: judgment.

For those curious to see how Obama defines experience and judgment, I recommend reading his first book, the frank and revealing autobiography "Dreams from My Father." Written in the 1990s, before he became an elected politician in Illinois, this chronicle of his life — and especially his time as a community organizer in Chicago in the 1980s — offers insight into race relations, poverty and political atrophy at a level rare for a presidential candidate.

The launch of "Generation Obama," a youth organizing drive in various key primary states, is an example of grassroots building that has led so far to unprecedented amounts of fund-raising. Patience was one political habit that Obama learned the hard way, as recounted in the book. Of course, all candidates have patience and persistence but what makes this race interesting is how they acquired it

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070826/OPINION/708260333/-1/NEWS01

[msongs]

1. wow a post that is not a slam of hillary clinton. way to go :-) nt

[illinoisprogressive]

2. I mix it up. lots of pro Obama and a few nice ones on Edwards too.

[KoKo]

3. I don't know about this...but I was young when JFK ran...but Obama's No JFK

if I can paraphrase somebody. I'd personally rather OBAMA run as OBAMA on HIMSELF than some hokey JFK Image where probably 2/3's of Voters don't even know who the hell JFK was since the Media and Oliver Stone and the Many Books have dbunked and rehased and Trvialized or in some cases Inflated what he was about.

I was "young" but lucid and aware when he ran. I know who Bobby Kennedy was and I remembr Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover. I believe that JFK and everyone in that family who could have confronted the RW Machine from that FAMILY was KILLED...the Super Stars are dead.

So..comparing Obama to Kennedy's will always be "Paid Op's Hype" and some kind of "misguided hope for a new Black JFK" to wipe out the REAL CIVIL RIGHTS HERO's.

It's very CONVENIENT for OBAMA to RIDE on JFK's Coat Tails for a generation who knows nothing but Media Fantasy about JFK and the times America was in during his Presidency.

It's spin and Hype. Obama is what he is...I don't feel much about him one way or the other...but he's too inexperienced to replace Hitler...IMHO. Maybe ONE DAY he will have the experience. Until then, this crap about JFK falls on deaf ears for those of us who remember the REAL THING!

Let Obama be WHO HE IS..don't tie him to DEAD Coat Tails even if it's very convenient and a GOOD SPIN!
:-(

[Colobo]

4. Obama is who he is- What America needs right now.