2008 US Presidential Race, Obama vs McCain

[cityboi]

To Joe Schmo from Allentown, he's too radical (very liberal) and doesn't feel like he can connect with him like he could wihh another candidate.

[monsoon]

I am thinking the reason that McCain has not said who his VP will be, despite having the nomination sewed up for 6 months now is that he is waiting to see what happens at the DNC convention this week in regards to the Hillary voters. I don't think he wants a woman, but he would pick a woman if he thought it would get him elected. I guess we will know more by next week this time. I would not put it past him to announce during the DNC convention, maybe right after Obama speaks, to steal his thunder.

The media is putting heavy odds on Romney followed by Tom Ridge. However, they often get it wrong.

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I listened to Hillary last night, and while she gave a good speech, I think it fell a bit short of what she needed to do in endorsing Obama. It was still too much Hillary and not enough for the Democrats.

[kayman]

^I agree. Hillary lost, fair and square. For her supporters to demand any concession from Obama is blatantly undemocratic. It has been extremely gracious of both Obama and the Democratic Party to give her campaign what they have: two consecutive nights of prime stage time at the DNC. when was the last time a runner-up campaign got that?

What the PUMA crowd doesn't realize is that they could well be destroying Hillary's career. If Obama loses the election they will be blamed, rightly or wrongly. The powers that be within the party will likely blame Clinton herself for creating the situation through her drawn-out, antagonistic campaign. If she doesn't want to find herself ostracized from the party for the foreseeable future, she needs to get her supporters behind Obama, and fast.

As for the polls, I agree with Nancy Pelosi's statement that they are seriously underestimating Obama's support. Virtually all the polls are of "likely voters," a term generally defined as people who voted in the previous two elections. By design, the polls leave out the thousands of newly-registered voters Obama has attracted as well as everyone under age 26 (who would have been too young to vote in the 2000 election). Both groups are notorious for not voting, but it is unusual for so many of them to be so rabidly behind a candidate, as thousands are for Obama.

[kayman]

The Obama campaign wants her supporters, that's why they are giving her this stage. I'm sure if that were not the case, Obama would want Hillary as far from the convention as possible. The Clintons are still casting a large shadow over the Obama campaign and I don't think it's helpful to him.

[kayman]

Not naive about the VP position, but rather the notion that all of her supporters will switch their support to him automatically. Sad seeing so many people fall for it? Obviously, some people just don't like Obama. He's okay in my book, but I don't have a huge personal attachment to the guy. To Joe Schmo from Allentown, he's too radical (very liberal) and doesn't feel like he can connect with him like he could wihh another candidate. Even among likely voters, it says something if this is truly the worst president in history and they want another republican. And, no, I don't think I'll blame it on the "Americans are stupid" theory this time.

[Charlotteman]

One still gets the feeling the Clintons feel entitled to the White House. And I'm almost wondering if the Clintons' supporters feel the two are entitled to the presidency as well.....Well, we all know that no one is entitled to the White House~

Those Clintons have done nothing positive for the party during this campaign. It will suit me just fine when Billy Clinton goes off the national stage for good.

[monsoon]

It is being reported by the news that Bill Clinton will not attend Obama's acceptance speech. I don't know if this is unusual or not for prior living presidents not to attend their own party's subsequent nominations. I did notice that, Jimmy Carter, had managed to make it to the Denver convention. (and he his much older than Clinton thus it is more of a sacrifice for him to attend)

[cityboi]

Some how I feel Bill Clinton is jealous of Obama. First of all Obama is getting all the attention but secondly I think Bill Clinton is afraid Obama may leave behind a bigger legacy them him.

"Give me a break. This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen"

That one comment by Bill Clinton led to the fall of Hillary Clinton's campaign in the primaries and that comment is what energized democrats to back Obama in South Carolina. That momentum carried into Super Tuesday and the rest is history.

Of Bill Clinton's top quotes it comes 2nd after his famous quote "I did not have sexual relations with that woman"

[monsoon]

If Obama is elected, he will go down in history as the first African American, in fact the first person who is not a while male, to hold the office of US President. This alone will score him a pretty big legacy in history. Remember Clinton used to refer to himself as the "First Black President". It would make that kind of rhetoric irrelevant.

In the long term, there really isn't that much historically notable about the Clinton presidency except that he was impeached by the US House of Representatives. I am not sure if he is alone in the realm of Presidents of this as Nixon resigned before they could do that to him. While one may debate the actual merits of that impeachment, 100 years from now, students will look at his presidency and that is what will be all that stands out.

As an example of this, 100 years ago Teddy Roosevelt was president and I would say that not many people could tell you much about his presidency today without looking it up. Things such as he was the youngest president to hold office at that time, he got into office because the President of the time was assassinated, and other notable things that would be huge news if it happened now, but are barely remembered. So Clinton will be remember for the impeachment, probably not much else.

[krazeeboi]

From reading some of the comments online, I find some of these PUMA's to be delirious. Some of them talk about Obama being misogynistic because he didn't speak out against ism during the primaries--but fail to point out that the Clintons didn't speak out against . In fact, some of their comments could be construed as implicitly racist. Secondly, they talk about the DNC and the media "handing" the nomination over to Obama. There were rules in place, Obama abided by those rules, took nothing for granted, and simply ran a much smarter campaign. It kills some of them to admit that Hillary's campaign was simply a disaster and that she had no plan in place past February. At this point, either get behind the candidate or vote for another candidate, but don't implode the party.

[Charlotte_native]

I am thinking the reason that McCain has not said who his VP will be, despite having the nomination sewed up for 6 months now is that he is waiting to see what happens at the DNC convention this week in regards to the Hillary voters. I don't think he wants a woman, but he would pick a woman if he thought it would get him elected.

[sean]

This is the RNC's wet dream: Frame the message that Democrats are burning their energy attacking one another and wasting valuable time. It looks like once again people are falling for the bait. What a tragic waste of opportunity, so sad...

[cityboi]

From reading some of the comments online, I find some of these PUMA's to be delirious. Some of them talk about Obama being misogynistic because he didn't speak out against ism during the primaries--but fail to point out that the Clintons didn't speak out against . In fact, some of their comments could be construed as implicitly racist. Secondly, they talk about the DNC and the media "handing" the nomination over to Obama. There were rules in place, Obama abided by those rules, took nothing for granted, and simply ran a much smarter campaign. It kills some of them to admit that Hillary's campaign was simply a disaster and that she had no plan in place past February. At this point, either get behind the candidate or vote for another candidate, but don't implode the party.

[monsoon]

So history has been made. Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated by one of the two major parties to be President of the USA. You were all here to discuss it.

[satalac]

i am somewhat confused on the purpose of the conventions. with the primaries being held, obama had already locked the vote for the dems. same thing with mccain. are they simply a show of party strength now? just a place to officially nominate obama? or both? needless to say, this is quite an exciting time for our country.

[erdogs]

So history has been made. Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated by one of the two major parties to be President of the USA. You were all here to discuss it.

[Lowerdeck]

A few people people dropped the ball on this one...

http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2...ob-barr-on.html

Bob Barr is the only candidate to appear on the Texas presidential ballots, besides write-ins, as both the Dems and Repubs forget about registering before the deadline. I'm assuming this will quickly be fixed.

[monsoon]

^That is amazing. GOP can't win presidency without both Florida and Texas. I can't imagine they will let it stand.

[monsoon]

I think Bill Clinton redeemed himself with Democrats during his speech tonight and he pretty much nailed exactly the failures and corruption of the Republican party that has torn this country apart over the last 25 years and especially over the last 8.

[krazeeboi]

Bill Clinton's speech was fantastic; loved every minute of it. The most memorable line for me was about how other countries have always been more impressed with the power of our example, not an example of our power. THAT was a real zinger.

[Gard]

So history has been made. Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated by one of the two major parties to be President of the USA. You were all here to discuss it.

[erdogs]

I would also like to add that no matter what the outcome is now in the GE, America has completely thrown the "Americans are racist" stereotype back in the face of the world by nominating a minority to a major party ticket. How many countries out there can claim to have done that? Few, if any. Obama didn't get where he is by the votes of one race or another, it took people of many races to come together and get him nominated. I also applaud Hilary for advancing women in the political arena. No longer will seeing a minority or women run for president be seen as unusual, thanks to Obama and Hilary. So, folks, whether you are Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian or of some other party, WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF ON THIS HISTORIC DAY. I will be eagerly watching both candidates and the one who captures my heart when the time comes will get my vote. No amount of political mail from either side will sway me (believe me, not a day goes by that I don't have something in my mailbox from someone wanting my vote), I will weigh the facts, research the issues important to me and their stances and see which way they voted on them and take it from there.

[monsoon]

....It's ashamed that NBC and especially MSNBC are in the tank of the Democratic party, ...

[satalac]

just watched clinton's speech on cnn's website. all i can say is that it gave me chills. if he could run again, i would vote for bill. i hope it excites many more as it has excited me.

[monsoon]

I am thinking the reason that McCain has not said who his VP will be, despite having the nomination sewed up for 6 months now is that he is waiting to see what happens at the DNC convention this week in regards to the Hillary voters. I don't think he wants a woman, but he would pick a woman if he thought it would get him elected. I guess we will know more by next week this time. I would not put it past him to announce during the DNC convention, maybe right after Obama speaks, to steal his thunder. ......