Political Punch

Did anyone watch Obama last night at the Jefferson/jackson dinner. He looked so tired and there was something about the coloring. He looked skeletal - almost demonic. I was watching it on Fox and wondered if it was my tv (also the grayness of the banner - or flag behind him really affected how he looked.

His performance was really uneven. Most of his delivery was flat - until the end when he started using a booming voice. What was that all about?

Somebody help me. Why does it take Obama one hour to get a sentence out?

Just too boring and always looking angry. Maybe, something he acquired by listening to Wright for all that 20 years in the church.

Around twenty years ago, Obama saw Rev Wright "preach" about Hiroshima, then decided to join his Church.
We all know what Rev Wright thinks about Hiroshima by now, that he thinks we're terrorists for bombing Japan during World War II, and that we deserved 9-11 (our chickens came home to roost).
So the very first time Obama went to Trinity United, Rev Wright was denigrating America.
Words AND DEEDS matter Obama!
You can't sweet talk your way out of this.

Too bad Obama and his pastor failed to wear the flag pin. He would be better off now if he had only done one little pandering thing. What kind of a politician screws himself over a tiny little pin. The BO who lacks judgement, did you not know BO, the stupid, ignorant, lunch bucket crowds and not to mention old ladies put some store in an American who honors the flag every day. You are a condescending jerk.
Simple thing, you are to dense to win votes of patriotic Americans.

The fact that he has been having to defend his patriotism for a while just shows that if he gets to the general election, that issue and others (we all know his other issues) will be used to crush him. He can't defend himself- and sad to say, we'll have another republican in the White House. There's no way Obama could win the GE.

It came in loud and clear to me. And just think - I didn't even graduate college. I'm one of those ignorant fold Senator Clinton panders to because she thinks we're dumb enough to buy her manipulations and lies.

He must be doing something right, cause he's still tied or leading both McCain or Clinton on all "shares our values" polls.Posted by: Dave ----------
What poll are you looking at Clinton is beating McCain. Obama is just about tied.

Bolivia is divided into 2 countries.

This is what happens when you vote for a pro-marxist candidate for president: chaos and polarization. There are lessons here for many nations - including the USA.

Evo Morales was the minority candidate. He ran with the slogan: Change - We can believe in. Well he is now responsible for splitting his country into two.

Hugo Chavez sent him millions. The ambassador of Iran offered Morales "everything he wanted" to offset the influence of "American imperialism".

Obama may not split the USA in two - but he sure is going to split the Democrats into two in Denver.

He's such a big bag of wind. Why does he have to make big long speeches about everything? I think he just likes to hear himself talk.

I don't care about the flag pin issue, but this caught my eye:

"that’s a debate I’m happy to have"

Hilarious considering his recent, well-publicized ducking of debates in Indiana, North Carolina, and Oregon.

But he's "happy" to have debates. SURE you are...

When is this going to stop? Both my parents were in the military in WWII & this is not what they gave their efforts to preserve - nit picking.

Look at this link to see another president who is not putting his hand over his heart - and no one questions his patriotism, AS THEY SHOULDN'T!

I could care less about a flag pin. Or rev Wright.

I do care that Obama thinks he is not only ready to be president, he thinks he is MORE qualified than Clinton or Mc Cain.

All based on SUPER pandering to everyone. He panders to anyone who is sick of the goverment. Anyone who is sick of every single thing wrong with their lives.

Guru's always prey on peoples dispair . Rev Jimmy Jones, Rev Moon. All the great cultist of our time told folks he could cure all their ills with a magic wand.

It bothers me that a first term senator with the most liberal voting record in the entire senate states the HE can magically get everyone to agree. All political groups.

It bothers me greatly that he has always told people what they wanted to hear.

I will magically change the country if we all band together. I have no actual evidence that I can do this, but I now say so to win an election, so its got to be true.

These are some of the basic reasons why I wont vote for Obama. He isnt ready, and will say whatever he has to to win.

I think the country wont elect him because he practiced Black Liberation Theology for 20 years, and will be swift boated to death by the republicans.

Belle Starr: I also have had a problem with all the flag "props" behind him. After his "big" speech when he had 8 flags behind him my posts were always deleted. Rev. Wright and William Ayers philosophies are eerily similar. What the Weather Underground did speaks for itself. Obama got his start with these people and they are STILL there. Tony Rezko(Syrian) and Nadhmi Auchi(Iraqi)Hussein money man were both tied to him when the war started. Did they have an influence on his stance against it? Nation of Islam was security for Rev. Wright last weekend. I voted for Jimmy Carter, but give me a break-Hamas? So I would say there are BIG questions.

I don't see the other canidates wearing flag pins and in the ABC debate none of the people on stag wore one. I think this shows how fair this process really is. He is the only one called to the carpet. Hillary's trial is not even mentioned in the news. One way media.

I don't think it's come to that yet, JT. This is more of a Republican attack, and I agree he's definitely going to have to make loud, proud statements to this effect come the general election. But in the context of the nomination contest, the only Democrats that buy into anything as superficial and vile as the lapel pin question are likely Republicans in sheeps clothing.

In short, no, he hasn't voiced it much yet, because he hasn't had to. When the time comes, he will.

Gee I thought he was pretty good with symbols....wasn't he the guy that used a record number 7 flags as a backdrop to his "race" speech?

Obama may not understand what patriotism feels like to so many of the voters he seeks. In an interview the day after his speech he described patriotism to Anderson Cooper as "hyperbole". Since he may think it is just an exaggertion it may be hard for him to understand.

I would suggest that the way to prove his patriotism is to describe the feeling he has rather than the speeches he has given. I would suggest that the way to convince others that he feels as deeply as they do about America would not be to prove they are "unpatriotic" I would suggest he search himself to avoid exercising any inclination to follow his mentor Wright in his painting others as racist or unpatriotic.

The flagpin is a non-issue Wright will never go away...He sat in that church for 20 years knew what was being taught and was not patriotic enough to tell the minister that the US is not responsible for AIDS. He has a very high tolerance for "hate speech" against America. He has a very low integrity as far as admitting his close relationships. He has lied repeatedly about Wright and Rezko and Ayers and...?

vickie,
ditto that, and add that you should not be able to even consider your self eligible for the presidency if you are a citizen of another country--kenya--talk about conflict of interest!
i also want my president to say he is a proud american, not an african-american. you cannot serve two masters.

I'm sick of Obama

Drop out of the race already please

Wow Mary you listened to Obama's speech tonight and have that response. I think you need to clean your ears out.

To older person--That 3 million lies of Obama was not my count but the count on the net. Check it out And yes, I listened to Obama's speech tonight--so just more political rhetric, I call it BS. Obama minic most of his ideas from other more informed candidate. And yes, he wants to change Washington politics to the dirtier Chicago politics where he learned how to distort or hide facts. Vote for the rational--vote for Clinton.

if Dnc won't sit the delegates of Florida and Michigan , the election will be stolen from Hillary
sigh.

If you had watched his speach tonight in IND you would know just how much he loves America what a bunch of jerks,I didn't see Hilly wearing a freaken pin.
Mary the 3 million and counting belongs to Hilly baby.She doesn't know where she is at now for she has told so many,you see you tell one and it grows for you have to tall another to cover up the first one We call this a sickness

I am so proud of Hillary. She just keeps on getting stronger and better with each passing day. You go girl!!

Good question, Jake. I would say no, very few people think of Obama as patriotic, and very few are supporting him out of patriotism.

On the other hand, the patriotism of Bush/Cheney neocons is the refuge of scoundrels, so I'm not enamored with anyone who wraps themselves in a flag (or lines the wall behind him with them) for flag's sake.

But no, there is nothing about Obama that evokes thoughts of patriotism. Personally I think he would make a great candidate for President of the UN.

Hillary '08

OBAMA IS DEFENDING IRAN !!!!!!!

MR. RUSSERT: Would you respond against Iran?

SEN. OBAMA: It--Israel is a ally of ours. It is the most important ally we have in the region, and there's no doubt that we would act forcefully and appropriately on any attack against Iran, nuclear or otherwise

Quote of the day: "Politics did not lead me to working people. Working people led me to politics."

Barack Obama JJ Dinner May 4, 2008

Senator Obama will be the next President of the United States - with or without a flag pin.

The fact that the media is even bringing this up is a sign of PANIC welling up in the powers that be.

The spell is breaking, we are not dependent on your biased news reports to find out what is going on anymore - the "flag pin" test won't fly this year!

Obama '08/'12

Good grief.

It doesn't matter what Obama says or doesn't say...the only thing that is STILL playing on the news is the Rev. Wright thing.

Clearly, the corporations that own the media have decided that Obama is not the president for them. Which means he'd be great for the rest of us, but most of us will not be allowed to find out.

Republicans have successfully used patriotism and God(faith) against democratic candidates in the past. It will be better if Obama plugged this hole and reduce his vulnerability. This is in the best interest of democratic party.

If the Washington Post jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?

Obama does not have the credibility to make a case for himself. His own Pastor said he is just another politician.

The irony is that before Americans will give you the power to try to fix what is wrong with America, you must prove beyond a doubt that you are coming from a place of love and appreciation for America. If you don't build that perception people will never trust you to run the show. It's like turning a sick child over to the care of a dcotor. The dcotor may have sound ideas about what is wrong with the child, but if you feel he has contempt for the child, you will never put the child in his care.

I wonder how many of those who signed the original Constitution were wearing flag pins? Probably about as many as most of the TV anchors and candidates we see today.

The Republicans love dwelling on it so we don't dwell on what a poor job they've done. The Clintons love it because no one is asking Hillary where her flag pin is. It's a stupid issue.

No, he has not effectively made that retort yet on a wide scale.

I would suggest he add (to evoke Cheney's infamous comment):
"Body armor, poor war planning, veterans' benefits - these are high-priority items for me. Unlike others, I do NOT have different priorities when it comes to our armed forces."

A major primary date on Tuesday and you seem to feel that YOUR question about appearances asked in February is noteworthy? How about addressing issues? What about balance? The last 8 columns in Political Punch are either pro-Clinton or anti-Obama.

Sorry, you've just crossed so far over the line that you have become irrelevant.

Buford

Your a prime example, all take and no give.

I saw Obama's MTP interview this morning. He is changing his framing of the issues now as the Democrat policy approach is "American Values" and he is morphing according to the Politico article into an American Family man.

He has to continue to show his Patriotic side. If he does, he will be fine.

Mary "telling the truth"?

This is all a distraction...our country needs help and needs help now...

We need to regain our footing around the world and only one candidate relights what has always been the strongest beacon in the world ... what America means.

Only one candidates election will relight that.

That's not made up like some people who are like "telling the truth" all the while the other candidate campaign ed on reducing cowboy diplomacy out of both sides of her mouth and the other has flipped on 75% of the stances he has had in the last 6 years.
Relight the beacon lets get some help, move forward and not back and vote for the candidate who has plans that can actually pass... not ones that either fail in congress or fail the people.

He is correct. I would like to ad paying taxes also is patriotic. Something that the Republicans can't get their minds around. The war cost money why hand off the cost to my grand kids? If we are going to war we need to pay for it, it is the only patriotic thing to do.

jpt:
"That is a debate that I am very happy to have."

The tender candidate's said that about OTHER things, too, hasn't he -- but the real story on "debate" is that he doesn't (and when he HAS tried "debate", he sounds like the dog ate his homework). As usual, he's at his best addressing small groups of middle-aged liberals who are paid to hang on his every insincere utterance, telling 'em how hot he'd be in a debate that's not going to happen.

You can tell how "patriotic" he is by the redundant crowd of flags he puts behind himself. This guy is just a warmed-over John Kerry.

does Hillary wear a flag pin. Patiotism in in your heart not what u wear

He must be doing something right, cause he's still tied or leading both McCain or Clinton on all "shares our values" polls.

Wearing or not wearing a flag lapel pin does not define patriotism but certainly telling the truth defines a man's character. Senator Obama has a severe problem in that area. Three million lies and counting.