Election 2008: So is Barrack Obama finished?

Livetotravel wrote: BTW - do you think the Clinton's attacks on Obama are hate crimes or just merely muggings?

Aw, Come on.
They weren't that bad were they?
I'll go with mugging.

Obama can't be untouchable now, he needs to weather the storm like any other candidate. It's never good to get caught up in an argument involving MLK and the Clinton's should have left that one alone. Bill and Hill' are not ready to be uncrowned just yet as the "first black presidential couple".

In a knee-jerk reaction to being thrown in with the "old guard" by Obama's camp, they tried to downplay Obama's appeal with facts about legislation, etc., but came off sounding desperate and whiny. Even watching Hillary on "Meet the Press" this Sunday, I found myself being turned off by her when she started criticizing Obama and his record. It's not that anything she said was untrue about Obama, I just found myself thinking,

"Yea, so what if Obama said 'this and that' back in 2004 about Iraq, I still like him. I'm worried over different issues now that transcend that vote and this ain't 2004 - and I'm tired of you Clintons anyway. Just go away already".

It seemed like the wrong strategy for her. I just don't want to hear another criticism of Obama from her. She should talk about why she is better and leave it at that.

It's like Obama is Teflon coated or something: nothing sticks.
I'm worried because Sooner or later Teflon scratches, starts to look ugly, and starts getting in your scrambled eggs... The democrats are busy selecting a democratic nominee and meanwhile the republicans are selecting a president...

lilbangladesh wrote: I dunno. The Teflon never came off of Reagan.

Perhaps a little Teflon coating wouldn't be a bad thing. If a candidate is going to survive Republican mudslinging, they have to be able to survive primary mudbath. I think there's some good that comes out of internecine fighting.

A Democratic lovefest isn't going to give us the strongest candidate, and that's what we need right now.

Seven-One-Eighty, exactly how are the Republicans choosing a president rather than a candidate? They've really have no one to choose. It's the weakest field in decades.

The Republicans are not getting caught up in the high school like drama of who can feel insulted the most. No one plays victim even when shots are fired across the bow; They are looking more presidential IMO. They are also talking more about what is going on now and not nuances in votes from 2003 or what was on someone's website in 2002....or at least, the press isn't covering it.

Interestingly I was listening to an analysis of the Clinton's recent commentary on Obama. It was the Clinton's who brought up MLK and the Obama comparisons on the campaign trail and the to the lazy press. They waited for someone to jump on the "race" issue.

Not ONE person in the Obama camp bit on it- initially. His wife chimed in about him not being a "Fairy Tale". Donna Brazille and others also responded to Bill Clinton's comments and Hillary's comments about it " taking a president "to pass legislation".

Sure enough, folks started in about being "insulted and offended" and race came to the forefront - something Obama has completely avoided in his entire campaign (which is what the Clinton's wanted).

The analysis followed that while Hillary Clinton is served well when the issue of her being a woman comes up, Obama, conversely, is harmed more when the issue of race comes up and he is forced to talk more about "black issues" and defending his "blackness". The theory is that white voters will be turned off by Obama if he starts in about race and go towards the Clintons. They will start thinking "Is this what a "black" presidency will be like...?"

Yea, it's cynical, but the Clinton's are very savvy political operators.
I wouldn't put it past Clinton advisors Carville or Begala.

(To be fair, I also listened to the entire hour of Hillary again on "Meet the Press" by Podcast. I have to say when I am not looking at her and can just listen, I like her message a lot better. I'm not sure why. This is not a sexist thing either, it is just about her in general.)