Obama's campaign is great

[Onlooker]

Clinton is smarter and more likeable, though with a ton of political and other baggage, but her campaign has sucked, and should she eke out a victory, there's no reason to believe she'll know how to run against McCain. Obama is as shallow and lightweight as Reagan, but like Reagan his campaign is terrific. Not only is he outsmarting the Clinton people left and right, he appears to be peaking at the optimum time. And people are really buying into his unity, hope, and change themes, as vague and meaningless as they really are. Add to that the fact that he's a little more liberal than Clinton, and his oratory skills are a gift from the Gods, and you have a wonderful candidate. If we want a Democrat in the White House, he gives us a real chance. It won't be easy, given his weaknesses, but I really think that whoever is running his campaign (David Plouffe?) is the new Karl Rove. And that is just what the Democrats need, especially coupled with the new less centralized DNC that Howard Dean has introduced.

[ristruck]

1. Likeable??

You really think she is more likeable than Obama? I do agree with the rest of your post.

[Onlooker]

3. Yeah I think she's very likeable

If she loses, I think she'd be great as another Oprah. Every time she laughs, I think she's very genuine and, in the last debate, she came off as much more sophisticated than Obama. I think Obama is a little bit in the Gore mold in that he's rather wooden.

[populistdriven]

7. reads like straussian propaganda

[THUNDER HANDS]

2. um

(a) Obama is much more likeable than Hillary. Hillary is likeable in the same way Barry Bonds is likeable - ie, they are more admirable for what they've done in their career than likeable for who they are as people.

(b) Obama is not shallow and lightweight. He's thoughtful and careful and practical, while also being hopeful and optimistic and magnetic in his personality.

(c) everything else you said was right.

[Whisp]

4. this jaded old fart is now officially on board for Obama.

At first I thought that his speeches 'had no meat' as some here say.

but I'm finding lately that he is an excellent speaker with clear messages and I look forward to hearing more from him.

and his having a much shorter 'experience' record is another plus. a much better chance for some turnaround with a fresh candidate than an old stale corporate one.

He is a Gift. Let's accept it. :)

[neutron]

10. perhaps you should take a closer look

Did you read the NYT article today?

People in his district found out the water they were drinking was RADIOACTIVE
because of leakage from the nearby Nuclear Power Plant

Obama was supposed to go to bat for them. He introduced a bill
to force Nuclear Plants to inform the public of a Leak.

He strutted around Iowa bragging that his legislation had passed.
In fact, it did not go through.

He took hundreds of thousands of dollars from Nuclear interests.

Then he watered down his bill until it protected the interests of the NUCLEAR industry
and not his constituents.

If you can rationalize that, then yes, you are indeed, an old fart.

[Whisp]

13. that does sound serious.

but doesn't the NYT endorse Clinton?
have to take a grain of salt with that report then or wait to here more on it.

The both of them have a lot of 'splaining to do. Clinton has more just because she has more experience in that game. Sad fact is we don't really have much of a choice and that is not an accident. so between the two - I still think that Obama is the better choice - by far. Clinton just reeks of shillhood.

[sandnsea]

5. BEEF

He's the one with the record. Hillary actually has nothing on Obama.

[alteredstate]

8. Wow.

Thanks for the link.

[neutron]

9. self delete

self delete

[Sybbis]

14. I like both of their records...

Personally, I'm sticking with Hillary to the end, but I had an "aha" moment about Obama this weekend. Michelle (sp?) Obama was speaking somewhere and they broadcast it on C-Span. I didn't see the entire speech but I caught a good bit of it. I hadn't seen her stump speech before, it's impressive.

So, the "aha" moment came when she was talking about Obama's eight years in the Illinois state senate. The way she talked about it made sense to me for the first time. I, like a lot of people, dismissed his work there but now I think I was too hasty. Mrs. Obama talked about his in-depth knowledge of how state government works, how federal mandates have to be implemented at the state level and the work that entails, and she mentioned several other state-type things that he worked on. She talked about that end of the process being a good and useful thing for a president to know. And she made sense.

Obviously, we all know it's helpful to have some state-based knowledge. Because of the folks we've been electing and nominating, we always focus on the Governor's mansion and not on the state legislatures. Years of experience in state legislatures is where a lot of pols start out but it's not something we really talk about or value. Anyway, "Aha!" now I get it - I'll stop blowing off his years in the Illinois lege.

I'm still with Hillary - I'd go to the mattresses for that woman and I'm thrilled to be voting for her on Tuesday. However, I've been saying for months that I'll vote for Obama if he wins the nomination, despite my reservations about his experience. I feel better about Obama's level of domestic experience now. A lot better, seriously.

If he wins the nomination he can use Michelle Obama's take on it in the general election against McCain (or Wink Mormondale). However, I've seen Obama's stump speech a few times and the debates and he doesn't explain it as well as she does. I had no idea she was such a compelling speaker. Not to draw too fine a comparison, but in watching Michelle Obama I saw shades of Hillary Clinton. Madame Senator Obama is NOT out of the question as far as I'm concerned. How old is she? Let's get her in a Democratic office somewhere soon because she is dynamite.

I must say, though, that she needs to get with Oprah's hairdresser and fix that flip she's sporting. It's old-fashioned and unflattering. Also, she needs a tailor for her suits. The skirts are ill-fitting and she's in the big leagues now. Time to step it up.

[Cha]

6. clinton is not smarter..she's been around

but all she's learned was how to support the bombings, smearings, and jeerings..and Obama is tons more likable than that politician who went dirty 'cause they saw Obama's numbers rising in Iowa.

[CatnHat]

11. Obama is not likable

Its easy to be the "uniter". Ask GWB. The tough part is ACTION behind the words. If people are basing their vote on "likability" we are apt to get the same we've been getting these past seven years. Read a opt piece a few days ago stating that some senators are actually calling OB arrogant, thinks he's always right. . . sound familiar. Well, let the chips fall as they may. The OB supporters just might be jaded in the end of this process. The American people really haven't learned much from the GWB presidency. Sad.

[Cha]

12. Obama is Very Likable..

I, personally, know many family and friends who see his intelligence and passion for helping our country out of the abyss and we not only like him..we love him for it.

So don't tell me Obama's not likable..that's your problem.