Obama

[yermom]

I'm all primed to get excited about a potential president. I've got my eyes on Obama. Is there anything wrong with him that I should know about? Are you crazy about him and if not, why? If you've got strong opinions for or against any other potential presidents, feel free to share those as well.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I agree with most of his politics, but I'm also pretty sure that there's no way in hell (like, not even a little bit) that he could beat a seasoned Republican, no matter how much of an idiot that Republican may be. I'm afraid Hillary will get the nom and hop all the way to November with her foot in her mouth. Obama would make a good running mate, but unfortunately he seems to be a second fiddle without a leader. Maybe he could be Hillary's mate and duct-tape her pie-hole shut for the remaining months of the campaign...?

 

The Republicans also seem to be lacking a firm leader. Each candidate so far seems to be defining his platform based on what he's not; this is pretty par for the course at this point in the campaign, but we're still lacking the front-runner that everyone tries to catch. Thompson doesn't seem to care, Guilliani is not very suave, and I think Romney might simply be too Mormon for voters.

 

I think Obama should (and will most likely) lengthen his resume a bit before nabbing a presidential nomination.

[OOO]

I like Obama, but I like Kucinich more and more everytime i hear from him.

[bobbob1313]

I like Obama, but I like Kucinich more and more everytime i hear from him.

 

Talk about guys who have no shot.

 

I like Kucinich.

[yermom]

I agree with most of his politics, but I'm also pretty sure that there's no way in hell (like, not even a little bit) that he could beat a seasoned Republican...

I keep seeing this and I'm not sure I understand what it's all about.

 

 

I like Obama, but I like Kucinich more and more everytime i hear from him.

I'd like to see the things Kucinich says coming out of Biden's mouth. That Biden has some authoritative aura going for him and Kucinich has zero charisma even when he's getting feisty, "It's called impeachment and you don't wait...you do it now! Now!"

[ikol]

I disagree with him on almost everything, but I think Obama is better than any of the other Dems. At least he's not Edwards.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I keep seeing this and I'm not sure I understand what it's all about.

 

If you were a parent looking for a babysitter, would you want someone with really good, innovative ideas about kid-watching who'd only been doing it for two years, or someone with twenty years of babysitting experience and good recommendations who seemed kind of blah?

 

For an executive corporate position, would you hire a recent college grad who was fun to interview or a corporate drone with 15 years executive and managerial experience?

 

Two years in Congress - the guy has never 'run' anything. Guilliani ran Manhattan, Romney ran Utah, and Thompson has been around forever.

 

Obama's great, but practically speaking his chances are dim.

[bjorn_skurj]

I don't usually like to correct other people (for free) but I will say that Giuliani also ran the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and Romney was governor of Massachusetts, not Utah. The Mormon thing probably threw you off.

I like Obama fine, but I am not inspired by him particularly. I was inspired by Jesse Jackson a couple of times. Guy's a great public speaker.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I don't usually like to correct other people (for free) but I will say that Giuliani also ran the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, and Romney was governor of Massachusetts, not Utah. The Mormon thing probably threw you off.

 

Haha, my first error was geographical stupidity. The Oak Park public school system thought itself quite advanced, and every grade level assumed you'd learned grammar and geography the previous year. I didn't learn about prepositions until high school, and even then had to squeeze it out of my sister.

 

Second error was ignorance (yes, the Mormon thing threw me off).

 

Regardless, they ran things and Obama hasn't, and my point was simply that they have experience governing things.

[the_fliz1]

You know it just dawned on me why Obama is so popular on this board. It never occurred to me to connect Wilco fans with Obama since Wilco is from Chicago and Obama is a senator for Illinois. I just like him because both he and Wilco were on Conan when he filmed in Chicago . No seriously, I do like Obama and if I were to vote now and he is the Dem. candidate, I would vote for him. I just am having problems believing that this country will elect either a Black or a female candidate at this point. I think that there are plenty of enlightened people who wouldn't care in the slightest but there are a lot of people who aren't so enlightened that will have a problem with it. Also, and I am not saying that this is right by any means, but with all of the tragedy that is happening to Americans in the middle east and all of the negativity towards Arabs in this country, I think that his name alone would cause him problems getting elected. I just hope that once the campaigning really starts that he can overcome these problems. Because like I said, right now I think he would be the best candidate strictly on his views alone.

[mountain bed]

I'd like to see the things Kucinich says coming out of Biden's mouth. That Biden has some authoritative aura going for him and Kucinich has zero charisma even when he's getting feisty, "It's called impeachment and you don't wait...you do it now! Now!"

You hit it on the head for me there. Kucinich has nothing to lose so there's no need to play it safe. In the foriegn policy area I think both Biden and Richardson have the experience that is necessary, but they are second-tier candidates at this point. Sadly.

 

This is where we get to the point of debating the two party system. Nearly all of the candidates (at least on the D side) are a worthy alternative to the current regime. It's kind of a shame that after February the thing could be set in stone.

 

In regards to Obama - I will vote for him if he gets the nod to run for the Dems, but he has yet to really light a fire for me the way others have already. As Bjorn said, if he could get to the level of Jesse (in his prime) with public speaking he would be untouchable imo. I still remember the speech Jackson gave at the '88 Convention and it was one of the most inspiring political speeches I've ever heard.

[TheMaker]

I don't think you guys are ready as a nation for Kucinich as a prez (sorry), but I think he's a goddamned genius. Progressive politics doesn't get much more visionary than his ideas for America and its place in the world.

 

Baby steps, though. It's a shame politics is such a money/PR game in the U.S., or else Obama would stand an incredibly strong chance of becoming the next president.

[cryptique]

I should be gearing up to vote for Paul Wellstone.

[Good Old Neon]

Every presidential candidate sounds like a repenting, unfaithful boyfriend/girlfriend, they keep making promises, tell you they and everything else will change, get your hopes up, and then, when given yet another chance, nothing changes, leaving you to feel even more lonely and disillusioned.

 

I really want to get excited about a candidate, but really, what are the chances of seeing any real change? Even, if by some sort of miracle, Kucinich was to be elected, he wouldn

[Reni]

I have been Obama all along - but after seeing Kucinich leading the protest/vigil at the SOA yesterday? I think he may have my vote.

[Atticus]

I good friend of mine is working for Biden's campaign. I echo the earlier statements about Obama's lack of executive/management experience hurting him, though I think he's strong enough to be in politics for the long haul. Maybe '12 or '16 for him...

[aricandover]

I will not be voting for Barack Obama.

[jc4prez]

Talk about guys who have no shot.

 

I like Kucinich.

 

 

Part of the reason he has no shot is because the media won't give him one. From day one he was addressed as a guy with great ideas who didn't have a chance. Thus discouraging anyone from supporting him. I can agree that he would be a drastic change but I think most people would say the Oval Office needs a face lift.

 

They did the same thing to Nader when he ran.

 

I'm a firm believer that the media ultimately decides who is going to get the nomination.

[napoleon]

[Reni]

I did vote for Kucinich in 2004.....he is getting more attention now than he was then.......

 

I am not sure who to throw my vote to. Kucinich is who I would pick if I thought he had a chance. He is most in line with my thinking - but I would rather see Obama in the general election instead of Hillary and that's where the battle is. So, I am torn. I am not sure when the IL primary falls - the race may be decided by then. If that's the case, I will definitely give the vote to Kucinich.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

I will not be voting for Barack Obama.

It's the lapel pin, isn't it?

[borracho]

wasn't there a link around here at some point about who which candidate you most closely identify with? it was like a multiple choice test...

[LouieB]

Antoin "Tony" Rezko is Obama's Achillies heel. Sadly even Obama can't get away from this kind of politics here in Illinois and Chicago that dirties everyone. (A guy like Rezko was politically incorrectly termed a "Chinaman" in the old days...) I voted Kucinich last time, but this time I am going with Barak. Kucinich (the boy mayor of Cleveland) has no chance and never will. Barak has a bright future even if this isn't his year.

 

LouieB

[H-Bomb Henry]

No one can take away the fact that Kucinich overachieved in the wife category. If he pulled that personal success off can you imagine what he could accomplish in Washington.

[boywiththorninside]

Kucinich Gets Key Endorsement