I felt that CNN were showing how closed off and sheltered many Americans are... It is sad but true, and yet people wonder why the Founders wanted an Electoral College (which I oppose).

Don't forget they also metion that Barack rhymes with Iraq. Do you want our President to be Iraq Hussien Osama? I know I do!

I am all in favor of an Obama ticket. How does this look:
Pres: Barack H. Obama
V.P.: Jon Edwards (hey he has the same name as that psychic I saw on TV)
Sec. of State: Al Gore (he is a floating head in the future)
Dec. of Def: Wesley Clark

Any opinions?

Greenfield must be that passive aggresive "joker" everyone secretly despises but avoids criticizing, in order to escape his wrath.

"Hey look at that gut - you haven't missed any meals lately - haha - just messin' with ya man!"

"Hey what's that car you were driving? What a beater! Christ, you must be even poorer than I thought...just kiddin' little dude!"

I truly hate it when the "personal responsibilty" people play passive aggressive and parade some kind of false naivete.

"Oh MAN, I didn't know comparing politicans I don't like to America's bitterest enemies was some kind of 'p.c.' violation. Jeez - time to just cool out thought police dudes. Cause hey, I was just kiddin' anyway."

George W. Bush - hey, doesn't that rhyme with "Gored rubbery tush?" Hey I thought conservatives hated gay sex! Haha...just kiddin'.

I'm sure conservatives would just laugh it off if we called Tom Delay "Bombed and Gay."

I think he's a great and smart guy, but if I was Obama, I wouldn't touch either of the Clintons with a ten foot pole - simply for tactical reasons. Bill's ego is legendary and he would be tempted to upstage the guy. We've found with Cheney that having a Vice President with his own agenda (Let's privatize the Iraq rebuilding effort - and here's an idea, give it to my company!) is not a good thing.

Your posts confused me, Do you want Gore on the top of the ticket (my proposal) or not. You seem to be saying Gore as VP would be ridiclued as copying the Cheney model, but also seem to be saying you want Obama on the top of the ticket.

Let me ask a non-rhetorical question: what kind of impact does the VP candidate generally have on electoral success?  

John 

http://www.haberarts.com/

Thanks M.J. Rosenberg. I think Greenfield's garbage completely discredits any claim he might have to be a journalist. Second, it reveals that he apparently believes the role he is supposed to serve is as an entertainer, functioning in a purely entertainment medium. Greenfield wants it both ways. He wants his himself and his "comments" given the gravitas of his alleged standing as a journalist; yet at the same time wants to use that podium for saying things that have no place or relevance within the journalistic canon of standards and practices. This is precisely why, say Jon Steward, repeatedly states over and over that he is not a journalist and his program is a comedy venue, not a journalistic venue. Stewart understands the rules and understands his place within them and by doing so is being honest and transparent. Greenfield is doing the exact opposite. Greenfield demands from us "respect" while simultaneously saying he should have no expectations of the same from him. And that is pathetic.

Riiiight...there. You nailed it exactly. He wants it both ways. Methinks JG is no fool. He knows the power of juxtaposition and innuendo. Then he wants to play 'dumb' - he's literally Uncle Tom-ing it by claiming to be some kind of 'entertainer' whose actions are mere amusement.

An interesting bit of inside baseball from the http://draftobama.org (I know someone there who told me about it this afternoon). A volunteer has put together a video and they're scrambling to get the cash together to run the spot tonight on Fox.

On Fox. Hmmmm.

Following on the Monday Night Football spot, they must be going straight at the guy voter and -- my guess -- hoping to define Obama with that crowd before the republican slime machine gets it into gear (or Hillary's for that matter). Smart move.

(Click on the 'home' button if you get the petition page. )

And on the CNN thing. I actually think it's not such a bad thing to get this issue out there now, 2 years before the election. It'll give people a chance to get used to the idea and will actually blunt it as a tool to use against him. If he's seen as likeable and solid, which his team is obviously working on like crazy, the "Hussein" smear won't work very long.

Pat Buchanan had an interesting point the other morning. He thinks cause candidates out last charisma candidates because the charisma tends to wear off. If Obama was as passionately anti-war as McCarthy or RFK or as passionate for social welfare issues as a Humphrey, there'd be no doubt he'd get my vote.

But who is he? If I was looking for a star, I'd tune in to Amerian idol.

TO EWK:
I cannot imagine any contingency in which Obama would not be my first choice UNLESS he plays it safe on the war.
I want an unambiguous anti-Iraq war candidate. I think that is Obama. I hope it is.

What on earth makes you think that Gore wants to be VP again?

The "wet behind the ears" meme regarding Mr. Obama is code. The phrase appears too repeatedly and too often for it to anything other than code.

What I think it really means in typical American code is that the white United States populace is too "wet behind the ears" for a serious, African American presidential candidate from one of the two major parties (ergo, with a real chance of winning).

What national and/or foreign policy experience did Bill Clinton have before running for President? Jimmy Carter? Ronald Reagan? George W. Bush?

Let's run it down: Arkansas Governor, Georgia Governor, California Governor, Texas Governor.

Where's all the national or foreign policy experience here ???

So where does the "wet behind the ears" meme come from? What is its factual basis?

I couldn't agree more.

Some of us still remember Greenfield's little tape editing trick to portray Mrs. Clinton as a murderer of Foster.
Gutter trash, that's Greenfield.
Limbuagh has more credibility.

Hillary was busy tasting the canapes in foreign capitals. And her only real experience was screwing up health care.

Woah there!
Who screwed up health care again there cowboy?
Try the Bill Frists of the world.
And "tasting canapes in foreign capitals" is what some call foreign policy experience.
Why are you harshing on Hillary?

 He gave a good, but not great speech at the Democratic Convention......Just because he is articulate and a "fresh" face who can string his own words together without assistance doesn't make him in any way charismatic. In fact, I would go so far as to say that Obama is not at all charismatic. In reality he's just the new flavor of the day.

This type of subjective remark makes me want to ask you to list the 5 sexiest women to you, if you are a male or the 5 sexiest men, if you are female...and/or gay. Or even your 5 all time running backs who won heismans if you are a sports fan. That is the only way to gage just how out of mainstream thinking you are as an indiviual since clearly the masses do find Obama charismatic.

No one would go for this. You don't want a Sec State who upstages the Pres.

I disagree. Besides, the only one who gets to make that decision is the President.  I do not think Bill would upstage Barack.  I think instead we would have a dynamic duo and it would be synergistic in terms of the global impact.

These two guys think alike in terms of negotiating and finding common ground. They are pretty much both grounded in what  use to be known as 'the common good' and that is what drives both of these men politically.  In fact. it may take TWO Presidents who have these superb diplomacy skills to reestablish  our global standing as a leader and America's  goodwill in terms of our beliefs as a democracy, that Bush has squandered.  It is going to take a supreme effort and significant level of commitment to get America out of the morass and quagmire that Bush has wrought on the global stage.

Clinton and Obama would be excellent for foreign policy and American's global standing.  Moreover, Obama is the type of politician who would be willing to let Bill shine, if it meant in the end that America and all Americans benefited.

Personally. I do not believe that either of these 2 are capable of upstaging the other. Both are brilliant.

I can see it now: Guiliani versus Clinton. The ad shows Guiliani in drag. Voiceover: Would you vote for a woman for President?

Pat was a cause candidate. Dean was a cause candidate too. Perot might have been a cause candidate for deficit hawks. But did we have a President Dean, Perot, McCarthy, RFK or Buchanan?

You could just as easily argue Reagan stood for nothing but feeling good - that, along with the 'charisma' got him pretty far. BO seems to have that plus a sharp mind and a conscience that Reagan clearly lacked.

I think most liberals wish to tone down if not eliminate the show biz aspect of politics, but if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Nothing, I'm proposing Gore with Obama as VP

Obama went on the record in favor of the Republican position on Schaivo along with former Illinoisan Jesse Jackson.

From what you write apparently your "subjective" opinion of what charisma is, has much to do with sex appeal. I don't share your opinion. I think charisma is a great deal more. Just because the media use this term with this relatively unknown and untested but unquestionably attractive man doesn't constitute charisma. He is neither a charisma candidate or a cause candidate in my opinion. He may develop into a charismatic candidate but I'm not going to hold my breath. The media and I'm sure those around the Senator want to give the impression that he is somehow extraordinarily different, that he has a special connection with voters, but this is nothing but hype. If he makes your heart skip a beat, hey that's great. Nonetheless, my observations of this man don't detect charisma. What I see is a very bright guy who is racially mixed and therefore unique on the national political stage, but his appeal is a mile wide and an inch deep. Why? Because he doesn't really stand for anything as of this date, he's whatever anyone wants him to be in their own mind. If he goes for it and begins to articulate positions he is going to define himself necessarily in ways that will diminish this universal appeal. Just watch, by the time New Hampshire rolls around he'll just be Senator Obama and the "Mr. Charisma" label will have worn off long before despite the fact you and perhaps many others find him sexy.

Wetback behind the ears? His father was an immigrant after all.

Yes, but 'wetback' is for mexican immigrants based on their backs getting wet as they perspire and labor under the sun just as 'rednecks' was for european immigrants based on their necks getting red as they labored under the sun.

Democrats are so hot to put a man with virtually NO experience at the head of this country--AGAIN

What kind of experience are you looking for? Foreign policy or domestic...what former roles bring that? What did Ford, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton or Daddy Bush (CIA director) or his son have prior to being President?

Strange association.....Jesse supported Ms. Schiavo's parents well before a Congressional resolution was even thought of. The GOP battled through their resolution with a nefarious, middle of the night, three GOP senator voice vote and a rush to the White House at 1 AM for Bush's signature.

This "GOP done deal" then created the opportunity for a reporter to elicit from Obama the very mild comment that "more due process is not necessarily a bad thing." It's a stretch to equate that with Jackson's vehement support or the GOP shenanigans to pass this resolution.

Is this a six degrees of separation kinda thing for you?