"OBAMA 4 PRES IN 2020" and other fun threads from 2004...

[RoadRage]

I took a stroll through DU circa July, 2004 after Obama gave his speech at the Democratic National Convention. Many of us were impressed... and saw him as the future of our party. But, not many dared to even hope that he'd be president so quickly. Here are a few threads that I thought were pretty fun... enjoy!

THE OPTIMISTS


These threads are all from 07/27 & 07/28 2004:

OBAMA FOR PRES IN 2020
.... "he can be Edwards VP from 2012 - 2020"

OBAMA!!!!!!!!
.... "Edwards/Obama in 2012"
.... "Ladies & Gentlemen, the first AA president" (gauguin57.. congrats & good call!!)
.... "Folks, we just met our future president"
.... "Didn't go far enough on the war.. disappointing" (concern trolls were alive & well in 2004 as well :)

OBAMA Getting Interviewed on PBS right now
.... I wonder if there was a poll posted right afterwards "Will this guy be a future president" :rofl:

OBAMA = Future President of the United States
.... "OK, Reality Check.. he gives a great speech, but let's see what he's like after 4 years in the senate first"
.... "Disagre.. he's a good speaker from a teleprompter, but IMO is to detached. Not in the same leauge as Jesse Jackson" (Well.. technically that's true.. definitely not in the same leauge as Jesse anymore.. :eyes:)
.... "Even Chris Mathews said tonight that Obama will be our first Black President" (So THAT'S when Tweety fell in love.. LOL)

No Doubt in my mind now... President Obama IS the future
.... But, I REALLY like Elliot Spitzer as well.. he pisses off the repugs and they hate him :rofl:



THE PESSIMISTS

And THESE are the threads from 11/03/04... who knew we'd come so far, so fast, eh?

Our Hope in '08 lies with ONE PERSON: Barack Obama
.... "Absolutely NO WAY, They will pounce on his lack of experience. He's not on deck at least until 2012"
.... "Obama can't do it.. our only choice is Edwards. But, who as VP.. Obama, or cross over and get McCain"... Ahhh the forsight THERE is hysterical... LMAO!
.... "You're living in a dream world"
.... "You're kidding, right?" Not even a 4 year senator.. oh, and did I mention that he's BLACK"
.... "As an Illinois voter who voted for him, HELL NO! 2 years experience in a post 09/11 world.. I don't think so"
.... "Not a good choice... we can only win with a White Guy"

POLL: Would a black president win in '08 (ie Obama)
.... 5% said yes, 78% said no, 6% said not sure
.... No Chance in Hell
.... He won't run in '08.. perpaps '12 or '20

What about this... Barack Obama in '08?
.... If the war is going on.. he'll be hammered on Inexperience, he'd be another Edwards
.... The south won't vote anyone from the north - how do you think they'd vote for a black guy?
.... If this country can't elect a gun toting vietnam vet, I fail to see how we're going to vote for a black man 4 years from now
....

Run Obama in 2008 or the Party can go to hell!
.... Welcome to HELL. You're delusional if you think he'd pick up a SINGLE RED STATE (Can we do retroactive DUZY'S?????)
.... What do you call a party that relies on new voters? Losers! (Ohh we were so pessimistic in 11/04!)
.... Being reckless & absurd isn't the answer
.... A black guy? What are you smoking? Might as well run an athetist or a gay person. Hell, I doubt a woman could win either.

Barack Obama will NOT be on a presidential ticket in 2008!
.... I'm getting really sick of these posts saying that Obama should run in 2008.. it's rediculous.
.... I agree.. let him get some experience, he's not superman!

Okay, Enough with the Obama '08 Stuff!
.... He's 41.. he could run in 2024 (hahahaha.. he'll be out of office for 8 years by then!)

[qanda]

1. This is rich!

Thank you so much for doing this.

[kevinds13]

2. Hindsight is ALWAYS 20/20

:rofl:

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. *snarf*

[Terran]

3. Wow, HUGE GIGANTIC KUDOS to Dain Bramaged

for his or her foresight. Very prophetic. :thumbsup:

[PermanentRevolution]

4. Well, if you overlook the "Jeb in '08" part, anyway

:evilgrin:

[Terran]

7. A minor detail, my dear PR

VERY minor. :rofl:

:hi:

[grantcart]

30. yeah I'll have what he/she is smoking

[Window]

35. Yes, a fantastic cheerleader!

Kudos DainBramaged.

[apnu]

5. I remember many of these.

DU hasn't changed that much has it?

[ipfilter]

6. There's a lot of future telling in the reviews for his book on Amazon.

[tridim]

8. I don't blame the pessimists for their pessimism back in 04.

It was a very pessimistic time. ;)

I had zero hope from 2000-2006. It seemed like America would keep voting for idiot Repukes forever.

[fishwax]

68. especially on the day after the election in '04

egads what a downer of a day that was ...

[Hissyspit]

9. Just a few months ago someone posted that this election was too important to "experiment" with a

woman or a black man.

[Left Is Write]

10. "If we can't get a gun-totin' Vietnam Vet elected...

we sure as hell can't get a young black man from Chicago elected."

Well, I hate to sound cliched, but YES, WE CAN. :D

[BelleCarolinaPeridot]

11. Thank you so much pulling these up.

I especially enjoyed the pessimistic threads. I wonder what these posters are thinking right now.

[unblock]

12. while i immediately said "future president" after his 2004 convention speech,

i also said that the first black president would have to be a republican, the way britain's first woman pm (thatcher) was a conservative.

among the things i failed to predict:

- that the public and (for the most part) the media would awake to just how much a fucking disaster shrub and the republicans have been
- that wall street would make the above so fucking obvious shortly before the election
- that the media would not cover for mclame the way they covered for shrub
- that there were additional black votes he could pull in. i wrongly assumed that you couldn't improve on a reliably 90-95% democratic voting record; little did i know that so many blacks didn't bother to vote until this election.

i have to say i am thrilled to have been wrong and should have trusted my first instincts!

[cali]

13. wow. I think I love you. thanks for digging up these fascinating

threads. What a difference 4 years has wrought.

[RoadRage]

72. Thanks Cali!

I'm glad everyones enjoying this one... I was just curious initially.. i wasn't here in '04 - so I got to thinking.. how much was Obama discussed back after his speech, and then after Kerry lost?

When I started reading the posts.. i couldn't stop laughing... so i just threw 'em into a post. :)

[Left Is Write]

15. I'm reading some more of these, and what's really fun -

is reading the posts of the naysayers with their current Obama avatars and signatures!

[RoadRage]

17. THAT was my favorite part..

Everyone who has the "NO WAY IN HELL" "OBAMA IN 2024 but not before" "The South like NC and GA and FL Will NEVER vote for a black guy" etc...

ALL HAVE OBAMA LOGOS IN THEIR THREADS!

And I of course get a pardon.. because I didn't find DU until after 2004. But, in my head I thought.. he rocks. And.. I wonder if we'll ever get beyond race enough to elect him.

I'd love to say "I totally knew he'd make it".. but.. hahaha.. i'm not even that sharp.

[Left Is Write]

20. I can't say I'm that sharp either.

:)

[Every Man A King]

16. Ok now i want to see the best/worst thread of 2007 n/t

[ronnykmarshall]

18. Good work.

How fun to look back at that.

[Left Is Write]

19. Here's a prophetic answer from stategery_blunder, on whether a black man could win in '08:

"It depends on the severity of the impending depression."

[blondeatlast]

21. Wow. I was just taking a glance through this thread before departing for errands

and I'm going to be thinking about that one all day.

I must go but I can't wait to get back to this thread.

[RoadRage]

23. I missed that one... give that guy/girl an AWARD!

I was trying to get through as many posts as possible.. and cherry picking a few. That one is fantastic.

Some DU'ers are well before there time. ;)

But, I can't blame those who thought he was to inexperienced and didn't know if a black guy could win...4 years ago this country looked a LOT more Red. Obama single handedly (with about 70,000,000+ voters) turned that around!

[Left Is Write]

58. I don't blame anyone who felt discouraged, depressed, or pessimistic in '04.

That year was harsh.

[Aloha Spirit]

31. excellent work.

[EastTennesseeDem]

22. Thanks so much!

[bunkerbuster1]

67. Seconded.

I'm glad someone took the trouble to show us all what a bunch of dorks we can be!

[treestar]

24. it will be fun in 2012

to pull up all these threads suggesting Phailin may run. By that time, she'll either have a reality show and the idea be laughable, or it'll be, "Sarah who, the one who winked at the debate?"

:rofl:

[4_Legs_Good]

25. I particularly liked... " he's not superman!"

Ooohh how wrong they were!

He may not be Jesus, but he's definitely Superman!



David

[Left Is Write]

59. You've gotta love that picture.

[DrPresident]

26. WOW!

those threads are so funny.

[Born_A_Truman]

27. Priceless!

I remember Obama's 2004 speech and by the time he finished I was standing up, alone in my living room clapping and crying. And now, four years later the dream came true!

[RoadRage]

28. It's really surreal..

I mean, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. To look at a country that made the same MISTAKE of elecing Bush.. not once, but twice.. and to go from THAT to OBAMA in 4 years.. ONE ELECTION.. you can't blame the nay sayers from 4 years ago.. it's like we've somehow jumped 30 years in only 4.

[Uzybone]

29. Funniest part of the thread. Bush is still an idiot.

Jan Schakowsky told me about a recent visit she had made to the White House with a congressional delegation. On her way out, she said, President Bush noticed her “obama” button. “He jumped back, almost literally,” she said. “And I knew what he was thinking. So I reassured him it was Obama, with a ‘b.’ And I explained who he was. The President said, ‘Well, I don’t know him.’ So I just said, ‘You will.’”

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040531fa_fact1

[grantcart]

32. In one sense all the people who said that he wouldn't run were accurate

As Axelrod states this is as close to a draft movement as anything in modern history.


Great work in searching out those threads.


I wonder who will look like an idiot 4years from now? lol

[RoadRage]

33. The same people who look like idiots now..

Bush, McCain, Cheney, Rove, Palin.. etc. ;)

I think A LOT of Republicans are going to look like idiots, because right now there "poster boy" for 2012 is a guy named Bobby Jindal. He's "India" Indian. His real name isn't Bobby.. it's something that I can't spell right now without having to look it up. He was a Hindu until he was 12 and converted to Catholism.

They're going to have to look back at all of the talking they did about Obama being a "muslim", not being "American Enough", etc.. etc.. etc.. and throw their full support behind this guy.

I actually LIKE the fact that he's not a traditional white GOP guy.. i just don't like his stance on the issues (very pro life, bad record on the environment.. fixed healthcare budget deficit in LA by shutting down hospitals & clinics in lower income areas).

[grantcart]

40. The Republicans are headed for a religious war

a fight between the establishment and security conservatives and the radical religious right. The fundies have the energy and will dominate most mid west and southern state organizations.

[RoadRage]

47. Which is exactly why

McCain & CO is trying to bury Palin now.. by nipping her in the bud now before she becomes a much larger problem in 2011.

I just laugh at the hypocricy of the fact that they CREATED the monster they now seek to destroy. Biggest.Political.Blunder.Ever.

Thank Gosh for Palin!

[grantcart]

51. I think that the establishment wants to bury Palin but I am not so sure McCain even gives a shit.

I wouldn't be surprised to see McCain act completely independently when he returns to the Senate. I wonder if he even likes it and whether or not he will even stick around.

[NOLALady]

84. Piyush.

Piyush Jindal, the faith healing exorcist.

It would be great if he ran.

[Window]

34. Wow, RoadRage. That was really fun. What a walk down memory lane!

It was also great seeing a lot of names I haven't seen in a while.


:kick:

[RoadRage]

38. Thanks! I'm only sad that I couldn't link to one of my own posts..

'Cause I wasn't here back in '04. Frankly.. at the time, I didn't care much about politics.. i voted Kerry because he had a "D" next to his name.. and because i hated George. No other reason.

Around '05 / '06 I actually started getting interested in politics.. and i think i'll be involved for life!

[Window]

39. I know. I was tickled pink to see my post.

:thumbsup:

[ecstatic]

36. uh oh

:hide:

:rofl:

[Occam Bandage]

37. Man. Four years changes everything. nt

[SweetieD]

41. lol That was fantastic!

:rofl: :patriot:

[XemaSab]

42. BEST. THREAD. EVER.

The best part is the cognitive dissonance from reading all these people saying "A black man with no experience will NEVER get elected!!!!111!!!!11!!" with recently updated Obama avatars and sig lines. :P

[LSK]

43. how do you search prior to 2005???

[greenmutha]

45. Go to the "Lobby" (icon at the top of this page)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=lobby

Scroll all the way to the bottom of that page, then click on "General Discussion (Through 2005)." That will give you an advanced search box. Type in your search term(s), select which forum you want to search and the date range of your search.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe you must be a donating member of DU to perform advanced searches, though. :shrug:

And may I just say...

I *love* this thread! :applause:

[Lilyeye]

44. LOL! I love this. Great Job.

"Obama won't be the D nomination '08 = not enough experience + black"

"McCain won't be the R nomination in '08 = Too old + cancer(?)"

[RoadRage]

48. This thread is living proof that NO ONE can see into the future..

if so, someone would be a billionare with all of the money they'd win off of the insane odds on the bets they would have been laying down.

If I knew then what I knew now.. i'd have rolled into Vegas 3 years ago and laid down every dime I had on an Obama win.. and I would have won probably 1000 to 1. :)

Fortune Tellers are Frauds! (kidding to all fortune tellers) :rofl:

[greenmutha]

46. I love this thread!

Thank you, RoadRage! :toast:

[malik flavors]

49. Haha, if you made any of those posts, I think you should raise your hand.

[GirlieQ]

50. I bought my Obama 08 bumpersticker in 04...

I just kinda assumed that everyone else did, too...

[RoadRage]

52. Hahaha.. i want a picture

Of your Obama sticker in one hand.. and a newspaper with 2004 in the other. No photoshop allowed. LOL

[GirlieQ]

75. I didn't take a pic back then, you'll just have to believe me.

My kitty cat tells me to tell you that it's been lying around the house longer than she's been alive, so it must be *old*. You wouldn't doubt her, woud you?

[davepc]

53. how were you able to search prior to 2005?

[RoadRage]

54. Click "Home"..

and then scroll about 2/3 of the way down the page. Right in the middle it says Archives.. and it goes back to July, 2003 right now. ;)

[progressoid]

55. Too much!!

[mokawanis]

56. There's a lot of funny stuff on DU today

but this thread is my favorite. While I ca understand why people were saying this stuff in 2004 it sure provides for entertaining reading in 2008.

[myrna minx]

57. I absolutely LOVE this thread. I do have to say, though, that

post election 2004 this place was a maudlin. We were full of despair, but kudos to those that that saw the immediate potential for an Obama Presidency for 2008.

[EastTennesseeDem]

60. kick

[liberalpragmatist]

61. Wow. I can't believe I said that

The last thread was posted by me. How times change.

Look guys, the guy's young and has got a bright future, but let him have some seasoning! By 2008 he'll have had all of 4 years in the national spotlight. And as a Senator, it'll take longer than that to build up a strong record. By 2012 or 2016 he'll be in good shape, and he's young enough that a run as late as 2020 or 2024 wouldn't be difficult at all (of course, I realize people don't want to wait that long).

Looks like I need to eat some crow.

Although if I need to eat some crow, so does... Barack Obama:

Ridiculing it as "a silly question," Democrat Barack Obama pledged Wednesday he would resist any overtures to run for president or vice president before the end of his six-year term as a U.S. senator.

"I was elected yesterday," Obama said. "I have never set foot in the U.S. Senate. I've never worked in Washington. And the notion that somehow I'm immediately going to start running for higher office just doesn't make sense.

"So look, I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years, and my entire focus is making sure that I'm the best possible senator on behalf of the people of Illinois."

> http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1113161,cst-nws-obama110404.article

Of course, Obama IS unique. I still think that it's unlikely for most first-term senators to run for president. But Obama is one-of-a-kind.

[Tiggeroshii]

63. I was still pissed off about Kerry losing to think about anything else...

I believe I was prevalent among the election reform area in hopes something will change the results...

As far as I'm concerned, things turned out okay, even if there are still things that need some help.

[Ozma]

65. I appreciate your candid admission. Interesting quote from Obama, too! n/t

[RoadRage]

70. Hahahaha!

Notice.. i only put a few quotes under each link.. i DID NOT put any user names.. i didn't want to call anyone out - because frankly - how in the world could anyone have predicted this 4 years ago (unless it was Nancy Reagan doing a seance.. but nevermind about all of that) :)

[democracy1st]

62. great post

[TZ]

64. Thank you for this. Very entertaining.

I particularly liked the person who suggested 2008 Dem ticket was gonna be Edwards/McCain....:rofl:

[RoyGBiv]

66. Fascinating ...

I think it is too much to suggest those who thought it wouldn't happen were out to lunch (not that you did that, just saying ...), but what is interesting to me is to see the ferocity of some of the comments negating the possibility.

It's interesting in part because some of those names are the same ones that denounced him all throughout the primaries and who are today ridiculing him by proxy.

Interesting indeed ...

For the record, I posted after his DNC speech that he would run for President some day. I had no clue, no expectation at all that it would be this soon and likely would have been one of those who said it wouldn't happen had I chosen to comment. I'm not generally given to prognostication of such things, so I didn't.

[AuntPatsy]

69. I for one am happy to have been proven wrong ;-)

[RoadRage]

71. I think EVERYONE HERE can agree with that!

NT

[iris27]

73. Always interesting to take a peek back in time!

If I'd been a poster then instead of just an unregistered lurker, I probably would've posted the words I turned to say to my husband after watching that speech:

"Wow. That man is going to be our first black president."




But at the time I NEVER believed it would be as soon as 2008! I think if you'd asked me then, I would've had my money on 2016.

[ccharles000]

74. How would someone look up threads from years past?

[RoadRage]

79. Just go to

the DU home page.. and scroll down about half way (or a little more). You'll see archives that go back to July 2003.

Now, this was easier for me because I just looked on certain dates (after Obama's convention speech.. after the '04 election). If you're looking for something YOU typed it might be more difficult because i'm not sure how to find a specific post or search by Keyword unless you search all of DU, and that always seems to bring up 600 other messages as well.

[Zomby Woof]

76. Fascinating!!!

It is also precisely why I stay away from prognosticating - the future is unpredictable, ESPECIALLY in politics.

I remember being impressed by his convention speech, and thinking it was certain he had a future in the party, but I am glad I stopped there.

I love all the Nervous Nellies and Naysayers, LOL. Don't they realize that 4 years in Bush Time is 20 years in Real Time?

And the south-bashers can kiss my ass. Bigotry is bigotry, and there are few things on DU which bring out the fake liberal hypocrites than the southern U.S.

[applejuice]

77. I think things got so bad that people couldn't afford to vote purely racist...

although some people still did I am sure.

There was a story I read somewhere that was following some people canvassing around SE Pennsylvania, when they went to the door of one Appalachian home they asked the lady who answered who she was voting for she shouted the question to ber husband and then repeated his reply back to them: "We're votin' for the n-----."

[VADem11]

78. Hillarious

The political landscape has undergone an incredible shift since 2004.

Kos predicted back in 2006 that Obama would win if he ran and the comments are fascinating. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/12/5/12817/5575/846/277830

[RoadRage]

80. Holy Crap..

Kos was spot on in that article.. scary almost. In fact.. he even called NH not going to Obama... he just didn't think Iowa would because of Vilasek.. but Vilasek didn't end up running.

Fantastic!

[sniffa]

81. What a great thread

Thanks.

:thumbsup:

[SharonRB]

82. This is a riot!

:rofl:

Not too many accurate fortunetellers around here, are there?

[RoadRage]

87. Na.. we'd all be in the poor house

if our fortunes depended on err.. fortune telling. ;)

[changemonger]

83. Why go back so far ? I think you'd find similar posts less than a year old

It makes you realize what a great accomplishment Obama's win has been.

[knixphan]

85. Awesome!

YES WE CAN, naysayers.

Still love you all, though...

[yodoobo]

86. This is great. Good illustration of how hard it is to predict the future

We barely had a clue what about 2008 in 2004.

Makes you wonder about how right or wrong we are about 10 years from now.