Obama : from the new JFK to the new Malcolm X in just four weeks

Superhands

its pretty fascinating whats happened to obama over the last month

so much of his media coverage has begun to focus on issues that threaten to transform his image in white voters minds

his wife's thesis
the Somali photo
Farrakhan endorsement
the controversy over Bill Cunningham's use of his middle name
Jeremiah Wright

Obama needs to change the focus of the national media or he could be in trouble

important speech tomorrow in Philadelphia, he needs to get back on topic - the new JFK, unity, change, post-racial, hope, optimism, a new beginning

if he loses the popular vote and this controversy remains, will the superdelegates back him ?

7% swing to Hillary in polling since the videos of wright began to be shown on US TV last week

anyone think this could be the beginning of the end for Obama ?

I've written an article on my blog that discusses this in depth for anyone who's interested

dr.bollocko

Anyone seen the new rolling stone cover?

Thats a disturbing image change.
Cant find a non embedded piccy on the interweb so the above link has to suffice.

thelepo

Malcolm X he is not.
Malcolm's youngest daughter, who was born afer his death, recently endorse Obama, but not in any official capacity. She said that he and Michelle were the new Malcolm and Betty, something I completely disagree with. Anybody who has listened to malcolm's speeches knows that Obama is exactly the type of black man that Malcolm railed against.

Of course the Republicans and Fox news would love to paint Obama as having an affinity with Malcolm X, both due to his radical nature and status as an active muslim.

Overheal

Active muslim? I think you just showed how on the pulse you are there, bud. He's a practicing Christian.

Bollocko wrote:

Thats a disturbing image change.
Cant find a non embedded piccy on the interweb so the above link has to suffice.

in Firefox: right click the image and choose 'copy image location'

or in inter**** explorer right click the image > 'properties' to view its url.

FatherTed

Brilliant speech imo by Obama yesterday:

For we have a choice in this country. We can accept a politics that breeds division, and conflict, and cynicism. We can tackle race only as spectacle – as we did in the OJ trial – or in the wake of tragedy, as we did in the aftermath of Katrina - or as fodder for the nightly news. We can play Reverend Wright’s sermons on every channel, every day and talk about them from now until the election, and make the only question in this campaign whether or not the American people think that I somehow believe or sympathize with his most offensive words. We can pounce on some gaffe by a Hillary supporter as evidence that she’s playing the race card, or we can speculate on whether white men will all flock to John McCain in the general election regardless of his policies.

We can do that.

But if we do, I can tell you that in the next election, we’ll be talking about some other distraction. And then another one. And then another one. And nothing will change.

That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, “Not this time.” This time we want to talk about the crumbling schools that are stealing the future of black children and white children and Asian children and Hispanic children and Native American children. This time we want to reject the cynicism that tells us that these kids can’t learn; that those kids who don’t look like us are somebody else’s problem. The children of America are not those kids, they are our kids, and we will not let them fall behind in a 21st century economy. Not this time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/politics/18text-obama.html?ei=5087&em=&en=06a539b9d149224f&ex=1205985600&pagewanted=all

BostonFenian

FatherTed wrote: »

Brilliant speech imo by Obama yesterday:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/politics/18text-obama.html?ei=5087&em=&en=06a539b9d149224f&ex=1205985600&pagewanted=all

Obama did well yesterday; I only hope it's enough. The media are going to try and take his wife's 'I've never been very proud of my country until now' line, combine it with his minister's comments, and paint him to be an america hating radical. The worst part of it is that some of the things that the reverend said, while extremely provocative, need to be discussed. I was disheartened to see the the speed with which people condemned the reverend for *daring* to suggest that America may be suffering (to some degree at least) for its own sins in the past, regarding 9/11.

Also, it was the most important speech on racial relations in a generation, and could actually get the country back on track towards healing those old wounds.

Superhands

thelepo wrote: »

Malcolm X he is not.
Malcolm's youngest daughter, who was born afer his death, recently endorse Obama, but not in any official capacity. She said that he and Michelle were the new Malcolm and Betty, something I completely disagree with. Anybody who has listened to malcolm's speeches knows that Obama is exactly the type of black man that Malcolm railed against.

Of course the Republicans and Fox news would love to paint Obama as having an affinity with Malcolm X, both due to his radical nature and status as an active muslim.

if that's true about Malcolm X's daughter I'm surprised Sean hannity and Fox haven't picked up on it yet

the point is not so much what Obama is and isn't, its what he is perceived to be

everytime his name appears in the same sentence as farrakhan, muslim, racist etc its bad, a guilt by association sinks in and it gets him off message

Benedict XVI

BostonFenian wrote: »

Obama did well yesterday; I only hope it's enough. The media are going to try and take his wife's 'I've never been very proud of my country until now' line, combine it with his minister's comments, and paint him to be an america hating radical. The worst part of it is that some of the things that the reverend said, while extremely provocative, need to be discussed. I was disheartened to see the the speed with which people condemned the reverend for *daring* to suggest that America may be suffering (to some degree at least) for its own sins in the past, regarding 9/11.

Also, it was the most important speech on racial relations in a generation, and could actually get the country back on track towards healing those old wounds.

His wife comments were very unwise.
She is basically insulting everything that Clinton did for America in the 90’s
This will not do down well with many dems who saw the Clinton era as a golden era for them, and a time that they yearn for again, after 8 years of GWB.

snow scorpion

thelepo wrote: »

Malcolm X he is not.

He's scarcely the new JFK. either. JFK was strong on defense and a tax-cutter. Obama is neither of those things.

Superhands

Obama got an endorsement from Bill Richardson today

that, combined with news that Michigan re vote is unlikely, is good for Obama

ghostdancer

snow scorpion wrote: »

He's scarcely the new JFK. either. JFK was strong on defense and a tax-cutter. Obama is neither of those things.

JFK also tried to invade other countries in a bid to "spread democracy" and overthrow elected governments.

I doubt Obama will do that either.

Overheal

Unless we get a new Cold War on our hands. Not impossible but highly unlikely.

Im sorry but if anything the Somali picture looked like a smear, and I wouldnt be the only voter to find dirty politics distasteful: Thats all Hillary has done when she hasnt been contradicting herself or using her campaign staff as scapegoats. If anything the Somali outfit made me like the guy even more. Hes not afraid that it makes him look like a muslim. I dont beleive hes a muslim but I dont see anything in Muslim religion to be afraid of either, lets be honest with ourselves here. I'd be quicker to spit at a catholic priest.

As for the reverend: FOX news loves to cherry pick clips. The entire sermon (available on youtube) is right on the money and I agree with a lot of it. The man speaks very softly most of the time and the clips make him sound like a lunatic when pulled out of context. Its very distasteful.

And now his speech on race has been received very well. And now voter crossover is being investigated in the last few primaries. Its very plausible at this stage that Obama will be the Presidential forerunner.

Superhands

i think you're right about obama being the frontrunner (he's the bookmakers favourite) but I think that has to do with his delegate lead (to secure the dem nomination) and the struggling US economy (which gives the Dems a major advantage in the presidential election, whoever their candidate is )

the wright controversy has hurt him - wait until you see his numbers among white voters in pennsylvania, i think they'll be really bad and he'll lose the state by 15 - 20%

Overheal

its hurt him id say a lot when you consider the mass of voters that read the headlines without ever researching the actual material. not everyone has time or desire to. so yes the media has definitely hurt him on it ill grant you.

as for the economy thats exactly why i dont expect mccain to win - he wants to keep us in iraq for 'as long as necessary', when the US has already burned $3 trillion in the war since 2001 (dont take my word on that figure please). personally i want to see more investment in the economy; not just expending everything we have in Iraq until we eventually crash into the ground. Im worried it could happen.