Had an interesting exchange with someone in the press today, who noted that the big kahuna of the big-time-journalism outfit which signs the paycheck is fervently pro-Hillary, and seeks “to use Michelle Obama’s first time I’ve been proud of my country’ gaffe as a stick to beat Obama with.
Thus, you see, helping Hillary with her difficult February.
The irony here, of course, is that Michelle Obama is the circa-’92-Hillary of this election; she is the smart, tough, ivy-league-educated, loose cannon of a woman who gets drawn into controversy with her unguarded tongue and, at the same time, manages to draw press attention away from what her husband - or his campaign - is saying and doing, or undoing.
Heavens, she even - like Hillary - has put her college thesis under lock and key until after the election, just like Hillary’s own attempt to hide her collegiate pearls from the public.
And - adding to all the irony - even Barack Obama seems to be eerily similar to Hillary, as Tom Elia notes:
Barack Obama himself had all four of his Democratic primary opponents — including the incumbent — thrown off the ballot in his first political run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, leaving Obama the only, uncontested, candidate in that race.
Like Hillary in Michigan, Barack and all the Democrats simply want to make sure that every vote counts… as long as its by their individual counting methods.
So you Democrats and unhappy “true conservatives” who are figuring to vote for either candidate in the ‘08 elections, just be aware of something: no matter who you vote for, or who wins, you’re getting four more years of Hillary in the White House! 
WELCOME Instapundit readers! While you’re here, please look around; today we’re also talking about the contrast in coverage by the press of President Bush’s trip to Africa and Bill Clinton’s a decade ago, we’re learning about a remarkable man’s sacrifice (he transcended Auschwitz), and we’re grumbling (a little) about the discipline of Lent while admiring true heroes. Please look around! Thanks, Glenn, for the link!
Related:
Democracy Project
Why Michelle’s words matter
Cindy McCain: I’ve always been proud of my country
Don Surber: Cindy vs Michelle
Gateway Pundit: Michelle Decides she can finally stomach us
Jules Crittenden: Proud at Last
Captain Ed points out a few things Michelle could be proud of, if she thought about it.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
“For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” (UPDATED)…
Those are the words of Michelle Obama who was born January 17, 1964. 44 years later, she’s only now beginning to feel proud about her country. Seriously:What we have learned over this past year is that hope is making a…
February 19th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I have to say the Obamas are starting to get on my nerves. There is something so self righteous about these people. So holier than thou. I guess that means they would fit right in with the true conservatives, after all they are pretty holier than thou themselves.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Totally agree that we are seeing Hillary redux. The common denominator is anger. Most would think life has treated both of these women very well, but they come across as seething with rage over perceived injustices. Neither is the sort we want anywhere near the White House. Very scary people.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
They are getting on my nerves as well. Especially when She said that an Obama run would “save” my soul. Pardon me, The Prince of Peace already did that for me, and for a whole lot more!
Michele = Hillary. Truly a scary phenom!
February 19th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
And Obama won his US Senate seat easily mostly due to seamy details of his opponent’s divorce being illegally leaked from sealed court records.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:16 am
A disaster.
D I S A S T E R
Watching John “Most Electable” McCain and Barack Obama both give their acceptance speeches last week and this week, that is the only objective and accurate thing that one can say about what McCain’s candidacy is going to be.
Couple that with the fact that McCain, the McCainiacs, the Republicans, the conservatives, and quite a few pundits and commenters do not have a clue about the appeal of Barack Obama, blinding themselves to the reality of his message (which is as substantive as any other candidate’s ever is), and believing that they can obtain a McCain victory by making everyone pooh-pooh the idea of a new day of hope and feel as bad about Obama as they do every other politician.
Look, you all ain’t gonna beat Obama by trying to drag him down into the mud or by telling people to grow up and get over the idea of moving beyond the rancor and anger-driven tactics and strategy of modern Clinton-era politics. People are tired of feeling bad about their leaders. People are tired of the eternal war. People want a new day — they want it to be morning in America, they want to believe they can “begin the world over again.” You ain’t gonna beat Obama with the personal.
If you want to beat Obama, you are gonna have to address the merits of his positions. And he does have positions, he has taken positions, he has stated those positions in his speeches if anyone cared to listen, rather than simply parrot the line that his speeches are empty words. Simple Obama bashing isn’t going to do it. Simply looking for reasons to take offense (e.g. Michelle Obama’s pride comment) isn’t going to do it. Bitching and whining that Obama is an empty suit or merely branding him as a dangerous leftist isn’t going to do it. Using Hillary’s playbook against him isn’t going to do it. Using Jimmy Carter’s playbook against Ronald Reagan isn’t going to do it. Using the usual Republican playbook against every other liberal Democrat in the last 30 years isn’t going to do it. You can’t beat a positive with a negative.
But the problem is, the folks on the Republican side just don’t get it. And so, it is going to be a DISASTER come November.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:06 am
I don’t understand why people don’t see this for what it is.
That 26 years includes Reagan (8 years), Bush I (4 years), CLINTON (8 years), Bush II (soon to be 8 years).
She is slyly dissing the Clintons.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Pride goeth before destruction.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Not Buying It…
Michelle Obama’s comments about her pride in America have apparently put her husband on the defensive. Barack Obama tried to spin the comments made by Mrs. Obama in Milwaukee on Monday as relating only to politics, but the quote speaks for itself: Bar…
February 20th, 2008 at 8:52 am
[…] of that, the Anchoress thinks that Michelle Obama is just Hillary redux. I sure hope not. I can barely stand the thought of her being shoved all over my television for […]
February 20th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Interesting post, didn’t know she ‘LOCKED UP’ her thesis. Hard to imagine anyone writing something they would not be PROUD of in the future.
As some may know, I am no supporter of Mrs. and Mr. Obama…
But I find the fuss made over this ‘proud’ comment as misguided by some conservative bloggers. It reminds me of hyperbole without much basis.
Again, she said “really” and “in my adult life”, which is often missed by a number of those looking for emotive justification to rally against the Liberal Democrat.
Certainly she can argue she was “proud” at times, without being “really” proud, in her adult life. That is an opinion, and really doesn’t have much there - there.
We know many African Americans have a different view of the USA, with sincere justification after all those ugly years, ironically led by the Democrat advocation for Segregation.
After watching Bill and Hillary with the Whitewater, China Gate, Monica Gate, Pardon Gate, Lies about Genocide in Rwanda, etc., I certainly wasn’t proud during the 1990’s.
Then, after seeing how many Liberal Democrats and some RIGHT WINGERS treated this fine President, I became even more embarrassed and disgusted.
Her statement, that she is “really proud” of Americans responding to her perception of her Husband’s positive campaign is nothing to scream about in my humble book.
Shouldn’t a Spouse be “really proud” when her Family offers a positive campaign, and Americans embrace it?
Especially in the face of all the ugly expression from the Clinton Alternative? After Bill Clinton made all those ugly racial references?
Regretfully, we did not experience the same emotive response from some Conservatives, to something far worse, John McCain’s ugly slander of Mr. Romney in Florida and at the Reagan Library.
I wasn’t “really proud” seeing a Beltway Insider of 3 Decades, with no sincere accomplishment, who lied about his rationale to vote against tax cuts, libel some ethical success from the Private Sector for personal political gain.
Then again, John McCain basically said, Americans are going to have to accept the failure of losing jobs…
That wasn’t joyous to hear either.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Gross, Mrs. Obama. Tacky and gross.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
My Dear Anchoress,
Mr. Goldberg’s “reader in the know” is indeed correct about Michelle Robinson Obama’s senior Thesis being restricted. The restriction can be found at this link by scrolling down to Robinson (ugly URL follows):
Have a Blessed day. oddball
[Edited to insert link - admin]
February 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Bender, you keep thinking everything is going to be the same in November as it is today.
It’s not. All kinds of things will happen between now and then.
Your rosy optimism, though is going to kill you. Seriously - it cannot be healthy to always be so negative! Breathe, guy, we need you to live!
February 20th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Dear Anchoress,
I respectfully disagree.
First of all, I note that the original sentence was “first time I am really proud” not “first time I am proud.” A bit of out-of-context twisting there, perhaps.
Second, here is Obama’s response to the accusation of ‘waffling’ on campaign finance pledge that he was hit with by both Mccain and Clinton:
Of course, it remains to see what *action* lines up behind those fine words, but I doubt you’d see even this much from Senator Clinton.
I’m 95% probably going to vote for Mccain in November. But I don’t believe that Obama and Clinton are tweedledum and tweedledee. They’re both too liberal fronting for policies that will be the ruin of America, but there seems to be more of a spark of something better in Obama. IMO.
Respectfully,
Brian P.
[edited to insert link -admin]
February 20th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Brian - read me again…I’m not reacting to her “proud” remark - I simply am pointing out that she’s a loose cannon like Hillary. I know the right is going to town with the remark, and I acknowledge it with the links…but I have no strong feelings about her remark either way. It’s just rhetoric to me.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Yeah, yeah, McCain still might not be the nominee. (By the way, does not conservative support for McCain hinge on nothing more than unsubstantiated hope? Conservatives must overlook McCain’s political history in the last 10 years and rely solely on hope that he will pursue a conservative agenda, rather than cave and work with Dems on every issue, as his history shows that he will.)
Even so, the Republicans have no one who can match or even understand Obama’s positivism and optimism. The Republicans and conservatives are totally befuddled as to how to counter him. The problem is that Obama is NOT using the usual blame-America-first Democratic playbook. He’s not following the Kerry-Gore-Clinton-Mondale-Carter models.
Let’s play the “what if” game. What if the Democrats were to come up with someone with the usual liberal ideology, but with the sunny optimism and inspiration and charisma of a Ronald Reagan? What if such a candidate were to simply take Reagan’s campaign speeches on hope and a new day in America, substitute liberal policies for his conservative ones, but leave in the rest?
The Republicans could respond like Jimmy Carter, and snarl and snark and ridicule, and they would obtain the same result. They could claim that such a liberal-Reagan is a lightweight, who can give a good speech, but do little else. They could make wisecracks and treat him with derision, as Carter did with Reagan. But it should end the same now as it did then.
Such a liberal-Reagan Democratic candidate would be the Republicans’ worst nightmare. And guess what? You listen to and read Reagan’s campaign speeches, and you listen to and read Obama’s campaign speeches, and it is clear that he has adopted the Reagan model for campaigning. John McCain snarking and growling in painfully boring, measured, monotone remarks (one can hardly call it a “speech”), given in a hotel room with 100 sleepy people, as if he is reading remarks on the Senate floor, is going to bomb — regardless of the content of those remarks.
And they said that Fred Thompson lacked “fire in the belly”? Ha. Compared with zombie McCain, Thompson was practically on hopped up on PCP.
Of course, Obama might self-destruct, but someone else falling really does not lift us up. And folks don’t want Obama to self-destruct. Folks are tired of feeling bad about their leaders. They will not want to feel bad about Obama, so they won’t.
Or, it could be that there are those in the middle and in the Democratic party who simply will not ever vote for a black man. But I don’t think that we should ever hope for or rely upon racism to win an election.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Bender, I am NOT going to spend the day arguing with you or rolling around in the molasses of your unending pessimism. Keep thinking about Fred Thompson, who clearly didn’t want it, and licking your wounds…it won’t change the fact that what I said is true - lots of things are going to happen between now and November and November will look nothing like today.
I’m not saying that’s because either of them won’t be the nominee. I’m saying it because something happens EVERYDAY in politics and because Obama’s current ascension will eventually start coming down as he and his wife and campaign make gaffes, and Hillary is not to be counted out until the fat lady sings…and even then.
Politics is not static. Things are constantly up and down. A year ago McCain looked dead in the water. Six months ago, Rudy and Hillary seemed like locks.
I’m not going to tell you not to be a pessimist and wallow in your misery if you want to - but I’m not going to go there with you.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
My dear Anchoress — I am hardly a pessimist, nor am I wallowing in misery, or even slightly miserable.
I’m only calling ‘em as I see ‘em.
Besides, I long ago learned not to live or die by politics. There are far more important things in life.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Good. Let’s talk about Baseball, then!
February 20th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Oh no! Now I am getting miserable.
Bud Selig and the owners have destroyed MLB. Ever since the 1994 strike and the abomination that is inter-league play, I have had my heart ripped out for baseball.
When we get a real commissioner — another Mountain Landis to clean up the place — and when they restore Tiger Stadium to glory, instead of that monstrosity Comerica Park — then the gloom will lift over baseball.
Or, perhaps when the Nationals’ new ballpark opens, it will be a better day.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Is the pope going to be at the new one or the old one?
I agree we need a new commissioner.
I can’t wait to see what Joe Girardi will do with the Yanks.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Today McCain made mention of the fact that Obama is trying to get out of his pledge to stick to public financing, he says it is about character.
I think this is about character as well. It is not about Michelle Obama dissing the Clintons, this is how lefties talk when they think the press is not listening. Being proud of your country is not cool. And the Anchoress is right, Michelle is a loose cannon, otherwise these kind of remarks would never be made.
As for what will happen between now and November, well lots of things are possible. Hoopefully one of those things will be that the cry baby wing of the Republican party will stop pouting because their guy did not win the nomination and try for someone else they like better in the future.
Or they can just whine until everyone tunes them out. Whichever.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Bender:
Fred did not even try, that is no one’s fault but his own.