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February 11, 2008Obama rising, Hillary slidingClearly, Barack Obama has not yet peaked. He just resoundingly won Maine, and he even beat the Clintons out for a Grammy! Hey, the dude does have a great voice. It is both inspiring and a little nerve-wracking to read that he, without planning or security, gave an impromptu rally outside a Maine meeting hall, when it was too full to admit everyone:
That move by Obama was something Bobby Kennedy would have done. It is something no one else does, anymore. After almost 15 years of rabid partisanship and “scorched earth” permanent campaigning, Americans are hungry for a message that unites instead of divides; we are starved for the rhetoric of rising tides which lift all boats. America seems to be so grateful for someone new after too many years of the same-old-faces-with-the-same old-ideas, that they are not even thinking about specific policies. They just want to hear good things again, and to believe in them. They want to see leadership that seems effortless and unscripted; they want to be spoken to without the hesitancy of Bushian-malaprops or the hard-edges of Clintonian-mendacity. Barack Obama is a talented, smart and buoyantly uplifting man with a positive message who has arrived on the scene at precisely the instant America needs buoyancy, and positive uplift. Whether he can continue to rise once the weight of specifics are added, is anyone’s guess. Of course the Obama juggernaut could bust at any time, or some “scandal” could erupt. But I’m thinking if the Clintons had any dirt on him, they’d have used it already; perhaps there is no substantial dirt. And that’s partly the Clinton’s own fault. They’ve so lowered the bar on what can sink a politician - or at least a Democrat politician, that it is very difficult for them to smear Obama. So, the rise and rise of Barack Obama continues apace - he needs to be more diligent about his security and Hillary Clinton is in deep trouble. The GOP is too, if McCain is indeed the nominee in July, and the Dems choose Obama in August, instead of Hillary. But…it is early and McCain is still not worth all the anguish being embraced by the far right, because who knows what will happen - I still don’t know that I believe he will be the nominee come November, for many reasons, the least reasonable but most dependable being that THINGS TURN ON A DIME. Which is why I keep telling everyone to calm the heck down. Not that anyone is listening! Thomas Lifson has more thoughts on all that. (H/T Larwyn) http://theanchoressonline.com/2008/02/11/obama-rising-hillary-sliding-gops-all-cinos-now/trackback/ 13 Responses to “Obama rising, Hillary sliding” |
February 11th, 2008 at 12:56 am
I’ve been listening, Woman! I haven’t gone off the deep end yet!
February 11th, 2008 at 2:41 am
Yeah. Tha mass media loves hysteria. Hysteria, even media-induced, is a story in itself for them. Calm reasoning and a stiff upper lip are provident, but they don’t sell papers.
I’m just surprised that a number of these supposedly intelligent, well-read conservatives forget Thomas Sowell’s dictum of “constrained” vs “unconstrained” visions, as elucidated in his brilliant book, “A Conflict of Visions”. “Improvements” are more likely to work than “solutions”, and less likely to get people killed. If we have learned anything in this last wretched century, assuming we CAN learn anything, it should be that Utopian thinking is dangerous and ineffective.
Conservatism is, first and foremost, a state of mind.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:45 am
I like McCain and I think he deserves better than he has gotten from his own party. He did not steal those votes, people actually voted for him. Whether certain conservatives want to admit it or not McCain is one of the most popular politicians in America.
As for Obama, I was initially impressed. However, there is something creepy about the cult like quality of Obama’s support.
Beyond all that inspiring rhetoric is a vacuum. There are no specifics, there is just another Senate liberal who blames America first.
After he retreats from Iraq and invades Pakistan and gives drivers licenses to illegals..I am not sure what he intends to do.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:22 am
I saw this at Pink Flamingo. I think Bush’s remarks about Obama are interesting:
From the Chris Wallace interview with GWB
“…WALLACE: Do you think there’s a rush to judgment about Barack Obama. Do you think voters know enough about him?
BUSH: I certainly don’t know what he believes in. The only foreign policy thing I remember he said was he’s going to attack Pakistan and embrace Ahmadinejad. I think I commented that in a press conference when I was asked about that.
WALLACE: I hope not. But so you don’t think that we know enough about him or what he stands…
BUSH: It doesn’t seem like it to me, but this campaign is plenty of time for candidates to get defined. He is yet his party’s nominee.
WALLACE: So why do you think he’s gotten this far if people don’t know what he stands for?
BUSH: You’re the pundit. I’m just a simple president.
Responds Obama spokesman Bill Burton:
“Of course President Bush would attack the one candidate in this race who opposed his disastrous war in Iraq from the start. But Barack Obama doesn’t need any foreign policy advice from the architect of the worst foreign policy decision in a generation….”
Any rational person, after reading the above, should be absolutely terrified and do everything possible to facilitate the election of John McCain. Unfortunately there are some far right multi-millionaire talk show and pundit conservatives who are planning to do everything possible to prevent his election. They are also threatening to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. G. Gordon Liddy calls them Suicide Bomber Republicans. I think he is being kind. I would rather call them something else, but I’ve given up profanity for Lent. Instead, I am calling them Suicide Bomber Conservatives.
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The whole suicide bomber conservative thing is too strident, but then again it is no more hysterical than Rush and Ann Coulter and the rest of them. I hear that McCain as the support of about 3/4 of Republicans. I doubt if either Obama or Clinton could say that about their party.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:56 am
[...] The Anchoress has a much less jaded view of Obamamania than [...]
February 11th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I’m reading. I stop here everyday.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
[...] Anchoress, one of the best bloggers in the universe, says it all: Barack Obama is a talented, smart and buoyantly uplifting man with a positive message who has [...]
February 11th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Sorry to be a downer for the Obama fans, but I just simply don’t “get the mania.” I’m all for “rising tides floating all boats”, but NOT in a culture of moral relativism. As Chesterton would say (paraphrased), “Wrong is still wrong, even if nobody is right.”
Fascist cleverly disguised Hillary is bad enough, but Obama is even scarier. The guy stands for NOTHING. So he has a glib tongue and is a good speaker, so what. Both he and his dominating wife are the most pro choice politicians ever. The fact that they both promote NO RIGHTS for babies born ALIVE, is all telling. Life is life at all stages, but ya got to be in bed with Satan to be able to kill a crying baby and think it’s good! And the guy calls himself a civil rights attorney? Give me a break. If American can’t make the connection of a potential POTUS and first lady who can kill crying babies, how could we respect him to protect OUR lives? It HAS to be phony, all of it.
I’m no big John McCain fan, but he looks darn good compared to the alternatives. If we get Obama, then I say that’s probably what we need (the get what we deserve thing), to wake this country back up to reality. Hillary would be bad, very bad, but Obama would be even worse; I predict, the lowest tide American will have ever seen. Yes, if Hill or Obama get in, we will have “change” all right, and no doubt “unity” too. That’s the scariest part of all!
February 11th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Two quick things that might interest you-
(I can’t remember where I found this one, so it’s entirely possible you’ve already seen it, haha.)
[edited to admit link - admin]
February 11th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I’m all for being reasonable, but I don’t understand why the Anchoress doesn’t think McCain will be the Republican nominee in the fall. Are you, like Gov. Huckabee, not so impressed with math? Of course, anything can happen, but votes are votes and they’ve been counted and there are only so many delegates left to be won.
McCain was my 3rd or 4th choice - but when my first two choices fell out, I caucused for him with no hesitation. He’s way ahead of Hillary or Obama. I don’t understand why social conservatives aren’t happier with McCain. He’s been solidly pro-life his entire career. Mind you, I hated McCain-Feingold and immigration, etc., - all the usual complaints about McCain. But, pro-life is not one of his weaknesses.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Judith- it’s just a gut feeling.
February 11th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
I saw an interesting pic over at Captains Quarters of Obama’s campaign headquarters in Houston with a Cuban flag on the wall, with Che’s pic emblazoned across it. Not good. I have never understood the appeal of Latin American communists to people on the left.
And btw, Anchoress, I respect your gut, but I think McCain will get the nomination. I don’t think that the talk radio people and the bloggers are as important as they think they are.
So short of being incapacitated, I don’t see McCain losing it.
February 12th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Clairty for Judith (#10) on McCain and Prolife:
McCain has always been staunch on abortion (against it), however, he DOES SUPPORT ESC research. Romeny did the same thing, and he lost me on that issue. IMO, when someone says they are prolife, and can’t make the distinction between the life of the embryo at all stages, I don’t really consider them “true pro lifers.” Let’s face it, if it were popular to be ANTI ESC, both McCain and Romeny would be there. For their own political popularity, they are both willing to “not be so pro life” when it fits their needs.
That said, when Hill and Obama actually debate each other as to which is more PRO CHOICE, again, McCain doesn’t look so bad. Obama was the only person in the US congress to vote AGAINST the baby born alive act. Even NARAL couldn’t vote for that one, but Obama did and his wife promotes it as well.
To McCain’s credit, he DOES have an adopted daughter from Mother Teresa, which he never flaunts for political gain. That does show respect for her dignity and is quite admirable, however he’s still greatly misguided on ESC research, despite the fact the said he “agonized” over it.