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Posted by: Paul | July 23, 2008 11:24 AM

"Every time Barack opens his mouth I feel like I'm sitting in class listening to the teacher's pet...I'm sure Obama is smarter than us, but he's not so smart that at the end of the day most of us (supporters and opponents alike) won't realize that we're allowing the teacher's pet to get over again."

Friend, I'm sorry if you feel inadaquate in some way. How exactly is it Obama's fault that you're not as educated as he is? I feel bad for you. I went to college and grad school in the states and found it enjoyable and very helpful professionally.

I don't think I'm as smart as Obama, either, but how's that a minus? I liked that Bill Clinton was smarter than me. I have a lot of respect even for Nixon's intelligence.

How an average IQ and poor elocution became the STANDARD for the US Presidency is beyond me. Forget that last bit. I understand quite well. IT'S AMERICA. OF COURSE. Half the country doesn't know who's the Vice President. 70% of the country can't locate his or her home state on an unlabelled map. 90% of the country doesn't know who their Representative is.

99% of the country knows who Britney Spears is.

John McCain and the USA. PERFECT TOGETHER.

Finally some praise for Senator Obama from the proprietor!

Compare the last two foreign outings of the two candidates. Obama has been calm, serious, masterful diplomatically, and respectful of his hosts.

McCain's visit to Colombia was quite the opposite. He was handed a golden opportunity to bask in the reflected glory of President Uribe when the FARC liberated Ingrid Betancourt and the 3 CIA guys. All he had to do was say "the world thanks you and your excellent armed forcess for this." That's it.

Instead, he had to make it about himself and turn the whole thing into some showdown. He apparently had some unkind things to say to Uribe about Barack Obama during their meeting. A reporter asks if Obama's name came up and Uribe said that they'd discussed the Senator but not in detail. McCain calls Uribe a "liar". While in Colombia! During Uribe's moment in the sun. What gall.

Look, I support Gaviria for president of Colombia but I have a grudging respect for Uribe. Kind of in the way I have a grudging respect for George Bush Sr.

McCain made himself look the fool, once again demonstrating his lack of "foreign policy credentials" bad judgment and bad temper.

How is this not a crystal-clear choice? How is Obama not running away with this?

Nevermind, I know why.

I think Chris loves Obama more than he loves himself. Chris card Obama gave you read good.

Barack Obama is the most suitable candidate for the White House and he has proved it time and again. The so-called flip-flopping is media manufactured slang which has got no gravitas, of course.

As a commander-in-chief, he needs to have a vision and the ability to adjust to arising needs of the moment swiftly without compromising interests of the country and people involved, and that's what he is articulating. Simply understand that he would never be a 'bubble-gum' president who would stick to a place/thing based on certain 'notions' and then refuse to budge, come what may. (WMDs ???!)

The world has already accepted him as the future president of the US and it would be really unfortunate if the votes swing in opposite direction.

Barack Obama has the personality and the potential to resurrect US' lost place in minds and hearts of people all around the globe which got battered brutally after Bush's misjudged and misguided incursion in Iraq.

It is interesting that quite a number of anti-Obama writers here accuse him of that dreaded sin, elitism. To be sure, his being a Harvard-educated lawyer with (it seems) an impressive academic record likely does distinguish him from the gang down at Bubba's lube rack (and, no, there's nothing wrong with working at a lube rack!). And, to keep it close to home for me, Obama's being an urbanite does distinguish him from me and most of my fellow West Virginians (I live in a town of c. 3000--a bit different than Chicago).

The elitism charges against Obama fail for two reasons:
1) McCain's background and current circumstances are far more elitist than Obama's. McCain was raised in relative privilege, and the wealth of his wife means that his lifestyle is vastly more different from ours than is Obama's. Do you really think McCain really gets the "kitchen table" issues (price of a gallon of milk or gasoline or of a loaf of bread, etc.) more than Obama? Puh-leeze! . . . McCain's Republican economic policies alone place him more on the elitist side of the fence.

2) The fact that Obama seems to be very smart, and apparently, smarter than McCain (dragging Dubya into this comparison is downright cruel, but fun . . .) is somehow regarded as a bad thing. Incredible! Don't people want their own physicians and lawyers to be the smartest damned people on the planet?? So we shouldn't want the same in our president??? Oy! If you're bothered by the fact that Obama's erudite vocabulary is different than yours or that he seems like a teacher's pet, recall the dangers which occur when the president ISN'T very smart--we're learning that particular lesson the hard way with the current administration. OK, so you think that McCain is in fact smarter than Obama--so be it. But don't reject either because they're TOO smart. When it comes to choosing a president, there is no such thing as a candidate being too smart.

It's been well-documented that people vote with their guts more than their brains. The strong tendency is for people to vote for the guy "most like me." Remember the guy (from Florida, I think) who said that he voted for Dubya because Dubya cleared brush from his ranch (a behavior more Floridian, apparently)? WRONG IDEA, chaff-for-brains!

The really dangerous kind of elitism is that which says that the most privileged among us deserve to become even more privileged. If you think that's a good idea, then vote for McCain.

"The Fix had to look it up."
Chris, you are sooooo salt of the earth, teh regular guy, aren't, I mean, ain't ya? Give me a break. You work with words for a living?
Or are you posturing in the style of the beltway narrative? Either way, GIVE ME A BREAK!

McCain erred when he referenced the Iraq-Pakistan border and the Obamaites jumped all of it. Where weere these guys when Obama said he was going to run in all 57 states---that's right--five seven-- Brilliant!

Whining about the teacher's pet?

Would you rather the dumb jock that is McCain instead, who needs to be reminded that Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore and that the Awakening preceded the surge precisely because of the threat of the US leaving?

Grow up!! These are life and death issues and we need someone that clearly understands what the hell is going on. This petty BS about elitism (which is inferred) is detrimental to the discourse and to the shaping of our leadership.

Wahhh wahhh he's smarter than us!!!

Do you realize how pathetic you sound?

Every time Barack opens his mouth I feel like I'm sitting in class listening to the teacher's pet.

He sounds like the kid who just read a book for extra credit and needs to distinguish himself from everyone else by weaving every last detail he learned from it into day-to-day conversation.

The fact that the language is twice as dense as it needs to be doesn't mean it's deep or insightful, it just means there's that much more room to hide a politician's mistakes, inconsistencies and prevarications.

Even if it was just a case of a thoughtful man thinking out loud, I'd argue that to be an effective leader the candidates thought processes don't have to be on display in such excruciatingly detail.

I'm sure Obama is smarter than us, but he's not so smart that at the end of the day most of us (supporters and opponents alike) won't realize that we're allowing the teacher's pet to get over again.

After watching Bill Clinton on the World Stage squander everything to become tabloid fodder followed by the Bush Administration that is power hungry, blind to any opinion but theirs, foolhardy, greedy and ignorant I find myself watching Obama in awe. I a no spring chicken and its been a very long time since I saw an American leader go abroad that made me feel proud and hopeful. I could get used to this feeling.

SukieTawdry don't forget to pat yourself on the back. Trust me, you're no intellect. Any 9th grader with the ability to reason would laugh at your comment.

I didn't read the transcript, but if the quotes provided are the best examples to be found of the candidate's "gravitas" in his "major moment", he's in more trouble than I thought (or we are). But then, I didn't have to look up the meaning of "colloquy."

Carter was a cherry, but he came after watergate. Clinton was a sleaze, but he came during a recession. And, sin of sins, Obama is a black man, and he's coming after another period in which the failed policies of the Repugs have played themselves out. Enron? Iraq? Hello!

So, we spent 2+ trillion dollars to establish a Arab democracy in a country that would vote us out in a heartbeat. What kind of republican logic is that?

And we love free markets, and don't want regulation, but when the greedy buggers take the financial system to the point of ruin then we, the people, have to bail them out.

Let me get this straight. The richest 1% of the population gets the windfall profits, but when their investments start to go bad Joe and Jane sixpack have to fund the bailout- and minimize the rich investors risks. And Joe and Jane don't get healthcare or good schools for their kids?

Who is scr*wing whom?

This ain't about gravitas. If people could get beyond their racist biases, this election is about common sense.

I hope we don't fail, as a nation, to do the right thing and make the right decision yet again. After Nixon, Reagan, and the Bushs this is getting old.

Given the record of miserable failure, why does the GOP persist?

The Republican History of Foreign Policy.

Without the Republicans support you may have never heard of any of these characters.

Saddam Hussein
Bin Laden
Noriega
Taliban

The Republican motto should be:

Supporting Terrorism since The Reagan Days.

i love reading all the gop suckers on this page whining about the "fawning" media coverage. guess what, you thug-enablers, it's not just the press that's taking note of what a magnificent job obama is doing representing the u.s. it's the american public. mcbush, that lying, whining, gasbag of a senile candidate has NO chance of winning. the "surge" was bunk because this whole filthy war is bunk. obama is right about bringing our soldiers home. malik says as much. mcbomb wants to keep our people there to guarantee the oil industry's profits, and he is itching to bomb iran. he's a total joke and you mcbush supporters are cracked if you think the american public is going to allow the corrupt, morally bankrupt criminal gop to continue to run this great country into the ground. bye bye scumbags.

"*In a quiet comment about the newly ascendent Reagans in the White House, Rosalynn said that "they make us feel comfortable with our prejudices."

How typical that liberals like the Carters look down on leaders who are better than they were. It's a view into the narrow-minded prejudice, not of Reagan, but of the Carters.

I am sure if Bush had uttered the "Israel will always be a friend of Israel" that Obama gaffed today, it would be hailed as 'proof' of Bush's stupidity. Obama gaffes on a daily basis, but the Obamedia ignores it:
http://no-bama.blogspot.com/2008/06/more-obama-gaffes.html

Bush for all his faults is a far better President than Obama can hope to be. Difference in leadership is not about the malapropisms, but about other factors. One is judgement, and Obama has horrible judgement as proven by his need to 'throw under the bus' so many people whose association cause him grief. Obama put political expediency ahead of sounds decisions. It will be a disaster for our nation if he is President. The fact that liberals cant see that, we'll, "they are comfortable in their prejudices."

dwfortin writes
"The chief problem with Obama's supposed lack of gravitas is that this is how the GOP has been trying to frame him and somehow it has stuck."

It has stuck because it is the truth.

There is a difference between a lifetime in military service and being an elected official in the Congress for over 20 years, and a guy who spent merely a year in Federal office and held not a single committee hearing before starting the run to be CinC. There is something about being a POW for 5 years that shows a bit more commitment to one's country than anything Obama could muster when he voted present as a state senator. And Obama further has zero executive experience save for managing senate staff.

Obama's flip flops and broken promises on campaign finance and FISA tell us we cannot trust what he says. Nor can we go by his record for he has none.

A look at his judgement track record is an awful one of having extremist radical friends and being wrong on basic things, like saying the surge would fail to reduce violence and then we observe in the real world that violence went down 80%.

Obama is a complete empty suit. He has almost no real accomplishments or experience that makes him qualified for President save that of getting elected. Off teleprompter, he's a standard issue left-liberal with not an original thought in his head. His main skill and expertise is packaging himself (ie his campaign and bio-books) and gulling people into thinking a vote for him is a transformative thing. Its a hubristic and narcissistic enterprise, to write yourself into history before you've actually 8done* anything worthy of being there, a truly bold act of charlatanism, and millions have been gulled. Such skills do NOT make a good President.

Wow, Chris I bet this is the last time you admit to not knowing a word. Readers really took you to the woodshed on the colloquy remark. At least you didn't poke fun at Manichean.

But really, isn't criticism of Obama's speech and command of the English language a sign of how happily and defiantly dumb and dumber our country has become? We currently have the most inarticulate, "stupid is as stupid does" President. A man whose vocabulary grasp is at the 4th grade level at best. Apparently (and according to many reporters) George W. Bush now sets the standard for Presidential intelligence and speech. To paraphrase Rosalynn Carter (bless her heart) George W. Bush has made us feel comfortable with our stupidity*. Or, to use a popular culture phrase from the early 60s, how low can we go? (limbo)

Yesterday on Post Politics hour, Paul Kane brushed off John McCain's many geographic and foreign policy blunders by saying "[s]eriously folks, compared to the slipups of the last 8 years, I don't see McCain's as being that definitively bad." Talk about lowering the bar! Geez, I would hope our next president knows that Iraq and Pakistan don't share a border, that Czechoslovakia is no longer one country but two, and that there are different muslim sects (Sunni and Shia) with very different views. And John McCain prides himself with foreign policy knowledge and experience? Each time he has been on tv lately, he comes off like a clueless Mr. Magoo.

My God, haven't we suffered enough with George W. Bush? Haven't we been humiliated on the world stage? Can we afford another bumbling, out of touch, wealthy, elderly establishment guy in the White House? I don't think so. The world is changing, it's moving on and we are watching the whole parade disappear into the horizon. So Chris, don't set your standards so low. Get a perspective. Read and listen to other politicians, perhaps some not of our time period.

*In a quiet comment about the newly ascendent Reagans in the White House, Rosalynn said that "they make us feel comfortable with our prejudices."

I don't know what to make of this "Fix" fellow. First he has to look up "colloquy" and I think 'illiterate SOB'. But then, he does look it up. Has a dictionary at hand and is willing to use it. Good. No comment on the fact that Obama probably chose the best possible, and indeed civil, word under the circumstances. But then "Manichean" passes without a whimper. Now that's a word that we could have a quite interesting conversation about.

Oh well.

"McCain knows that both he and the Bush administration have caved in and followed Obama in the most important of international issues: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran.

You can dress it up with "general time horizon"...but you are still following what Obama said no matter what sematics you use, my friend."

Are Obama koolaid drinkers *all* this stupid?

Obama comes late for the parade and starts marching out in front and hubristically calls himself the leader.

Truth: Obama was willing to lose in Iraq. He preached the "I've always been against it" line. Now that Bush and Patraeus have succeeded in Iraq, following a strategy that McCain supported and was right about, and Obama opposed and was wrong about, we can go to the next step: Victory and then bring troops home.

Obama is in a box. Obama has to let our troops finish the job, but the surge has done SO WELL, Obama will just pretend that they are 'coming around' to his 'withdrawal'. its nuts. Its like being against WWII and then saying the allies came around to pacifism in May 1945.

Obama is now flipflopping to a 'general time horizon' Do people not notice that obama is the one who kept shifting the goalpost?

Now comes the Obama let-down. He is dissembling, pretending to not change his position while in fact doing so. And so we learn ... Insiders in Obama's campaign suggest that his "residual force" that stays in Iraq to "target any remnants of al-Qaeda, protect remaining U.S. troops and officials and train Iraq's security forces" could include as many as 50,000 troops. (See WashPost article on it)

50,000 troops!!! In 2012?!?! What happened to 'all troops out except the ones guarding the embassy'? What happened to 'get them out by spring 2008? Why not spring 2009? Out the window.

Just Like Obama's FISA promise, his primary election promises are baggage to be jettisoned at the first available moment. Like now.

If Obama admitted this in January, Hillary would be the nominee. In the Dem primary, Obama hammered Hillary for admitting that we might still have troops in 2013, while Obama touted an ironclad get the troops out ASAP.

Hillary must be hitting the hard liquor right about now, aghast that she lost to this rookie who managed to bamboozle voters and steal her thunder.
... Amazing!

And McCain ... he can take some small satisfaction that Obama's attempt to be less exposed on this issue has removed some of the space between them. but the fundamental problem with Obama, that his decisions are political calculations and not actual national security-based decisions, means that our Iraq success is still at great risk if his is President, hostage to the wind of political expediency.

The GOP, in general, and the McSame campaign, in particular, relentlessly criticized Sen. Obama for formulating policies with an alleged lack of knowledge of facts "on the ground". Sen. Obama then took time out of his very busy campaign to go to the Middle East (he had been there before) to learn what he and every other person with any modicum of intelligence had known all along. There were no surprises, and I seriously doubt that Sen. Obama will change any of his policies. This is especially so since Bush and McSame now appear to be taking pages out of Sen. Obama's playbook in handling the problems of the Middle East. And, Prime Minister Al-Maliki has endorsed Obama's policies.

For anyone out there who wishes to use his/her mind to find out the truth, it is obvious that the surge was only one of the reasons for the decrease in violence in Iraq. The other reasons are the cease fire called for by the radical cleric who heads the Mehdi army and the decision by Sunni leaders to join with the Americans in fighting the insurgents. Without the last two factors, the surge would have failed.

However, this misses the essential point. Parenthetically, Iraq was a 1 Trillion Dollar distraction from the fight that should have been carried out against Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban in Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan. Doesn't it bother McSame supporters that Osama Bin Laden is still alive and well, although it has been approximately seven years since the attacks of 9/11 occurred. It certainly concerns me.

Finally, we have to consider the great geographical shift that has occurred in McSame's brain. According to McSame, Iraq and Pakistan share a border that is home to terrorist camps. Unfortunately, for McSame, Iraq and Pakistan do NOT border each other.

"What will be remembered by voters about this trip is that it was a great success."

LOL, no I think his gaffeprone "uhhh" filled presser will remind us of how unReady this Rookie is for the CinC job. The Obamedia did everything they could to make all the photo-ops for this taxpayer funded campaign junket, but they couldnt improve the empty suit candidate.

" Not only was he treated to a red carpet in Iraq, he was taken seriously in Afghanistan, Jordan, and, one thinks, everywhere else."

Great, then President McCain can appoint him ambassador to Afghanistan so he can bone up a bit more on his foreign policy credentials, and will be beloved by these muslim folks who take him so seriously in those countries.

Obama is not only an awful candidate, but is becoming an awful, arrogant, presumptuous, thin-skinned, elitist candidate to boot.
He manages to combine the worst elements of Carter , Mondale, Dukakis and Kerry in one package. ...oh, and he needs to learn a bit of humility for a Change. He's not President *yet*.

Funny the contortions the liberals are going through to prove that despite mcCain beign right about the surge, and Obama being wrong about the surge, that somehow thats a plus for Obama.

Such as:
"The GOP caused the mess, then they found the solution to the mess."
The GOP has shown it can learn from mistakes.

Obama, by not admitting that the surge has indeed worked and was a success and was the right thing to do in 2007, has shown that he cannot.

Score 1 for the GOP. And Obama is unfit to be President.

"I thought Yale Law School was bad but this is what Harvard is turning out?!"

Hey, Bush's Alma Mater. What a coincidence.

Great ... Obama is the new Bush!

"The thing that gets me is that Obama has been demonstrating gravitas for some time--look at his speech on race in Philly "

Yeah, that BS speech where he said he would never disown his good friend Rev Wright even though Rev Wright said "God d8mn America" and worse. Obama sat in the pew for 20 years while Rev Wright spewed racial bile about "White Mans Greed" and he lapped it up. he gets in trouble for it and he makes such a great CYA speech, except 6 weeks later he did what he said he would never do in that great Philly speech and disowned Wright, because Wright kept yammering about how the Govt created AIDS and it became obvious to everyone that Rev Wright was a total lunatic. A lunatic and extremist who just happens to preach radical Black Liberation Theology that Obama loves so much he called Wright his mentor, and titled a book after the radical sermon of Wright's. Great speech? Gravitas? No, it was a disgusting act of deflection and deception that didnt answer the basic question/issue honestly, a question he never fully answered: If obama did not agree with the principles of Black Liberation Theology, why did he join and stay in that church for 20 years? Or did he in fact agree with the extremist tenets of black liberation theology? Obama never really answered that question AT ALL.

Obama lied/flipflopped about FISA, he lied/broke his word on campaign finance, and his whole race speech and other speeches on the matter was about his own political survival above all else, as proven by his later self-serving actions.

All of these acts of self-serving political BS you call 'gravitas'. I feel sorry for you and for America that you are getting suckered in by this phony hype. Obama will be the worst President of our lifetimes.

Wow, the Washington Post has turned into Pravda. Kruschev would have killed for this kind of fawning coverage.

In fact, I think he did....

"has anyone watched McCain's "love affair" video? i don't see how that is an effective strategy. for one, he's criticizing several of those reporters simply for covering Obama or traveling with him....that's their job."

It makes a valid point in a funyn way:
THE OBAMEDIA IS MAKING IT THEIR JOB TO GET OBAMA ELECTED. It's so obvious that the gaffe-prone out-of-his-depth inexperience Obama is having his water carried massively by the media.

His presser was pathetic, and yet you get slavering foolishness like "Oooh he's got gravitas" over the Obama pap that came between his stammering and gaffes. Gimme a break. Are liberals that stupid?

Yeah, right. " Isreal will always be a friend to Israel." Wow, how profound, what gravitas!

Obama was wrong about the Surge, was wrong to say it wouldnt work, was wrong to propose immediate troop withdrawals that would have lost the war that we instead are now decisively winning.
THE FACT THAT HE WONT ADMIT THAT NOW IS IN ITSELF A DISQUALIFICATION FOR PRESIDENT. He is simply UNFIT to lead if he can't learn from his mistakes!
he was wrong, and now is too stubborn to admit he was wrong and the media is too in the tank for him to expose his stupidity.

Obama was willing to LOSE IN IRAQ and now that Bush and Patraeus have done the heavy lifting, we can now move to the next step: Win the war and bring the troops home *after*.
Obama pretends that his foolish premature withdrawal policy is what they are coming around to. For shame. Obama's like a kid waving his arms in front of an orchestra thinking that he's a conductor. You gotta be a real moron or a pretty heavy shill to buy the cr*pola Obama's selling.

Hey, Dianne. Is 72 your IQ or your age?

You've posted that same comment in several different threads. Do you really think that comment is so witty that it deserves saving in a file and pasting into a message board?

Sure, Obama's awful, It's not just his thinking, it's his excruciatingly high number of "uhs", "ums" and "ers". I thought Yale Law School was bad but this is what Harvard is turning out?! Nevertheless, he's way ahead of McCain, a man without Party, campaign or hope. And, he dethroned the Clintons. Now that's something!

Someone should remind Michelle Shaniqua Obama that it is considered impolite to chew food with your mouth open. In my view this woman lacks the poise, grace, and good breeding to be First Lady. I saw this image of her eating on the news yesterday and I was aghast at the prospect of her entertaining in the White House. Can you imgaine her sitting down to tea with Queen Elizabeth II?

At least Obama can talk without having to have Joe Lieberman lean over his shoulder and tell him what to say.

I'm not sure why McCain is complaining about a lack of coverage. Every time he goes on TV he shows how little he knows. His numerous Sunni-Shia mistakes. His Iraq-Pakistani border mistake. His misunderstanding about how many US troops are there. Not knowing that Czech republic and Slovakia are different countries.

McCain is literally clueless. Somehow the surge has worked. Yet, leaving Iraq is defeat. Saddam is dead. His sons are dead. There is a government. The US military paid the Sunnis to stop killing Americans. What exactly is McCain waiting for? If we can't leave now, we won't be able to leave in ten years, or twenty years.

I think that the right wing nut job posters are correct that Barak does come across as self-righteous/arrogant in discussing the middle east- as if he has had the answers all along- although he had no facts and no political reprocussions when he made his initial speeches. They are also correct that the media has adored and not questioned Barak and actually rationalized his inconsistencies and problems.

But for this trip--who cares? McCain et al challenged him to do the trip and he does it successfully- good for him. It does elevate him slightly in my book as previously I was really seeing much less substance than he produced the last few days and much more political expediency. I was voting for him anyway, but I may not have to hold my nose now.

Leon

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You expect to much. After all, he is just the Paris Hilton of Politics (famous for being famous). And as far as his Excellent Adventure - he's just trying to get his Forrest Gump on (associate himself with someone else's history/ accomplishment).

some of us want a president who can do more then just look and sound presidential Chris! I actually dont think he looked presidential at all, every pic he is smiling ear to ear?!?! Really what is he so happy about over there?

"Colloquy" isn't that exotic a word, y'all. It just means dialogue. And what's wrong with so many people that they don't want their president to sound intelligent?

No WE didn't. That's why we didn't vote for him.

>>>>>>>
But then again, that's what we thought about Bush in 2000 - and we see where that got us.

Posted by: Christina | July 22, 2008 8:23 PM

has anyone watched McCain's "love affair" video? i don't see how that is an effective strategy. for one, he's criticizing several of those reporters simply for covering Obama or traveling with him....that's their job. it isn't like they're groupies who just can't get enough. they are paid every day to cover the presidential campaign.

the second main point the clips make is the commentary that journalists make about the inspirational nature of obama's speeches. i agree that journalists should never comment about the news - they should just present the news. but the whole video screams of a jealous rage. as if mccain is crying "why can't the media say MY speeches are gooooood"

i wanted to leave a comment on McCain's site about it but .... surprise, surprise, it's not an option. guess he doesn't want to hear what others think. sounds pretty familiar to another republican i know...

Being a leader is demonstrating his/her beliefs, usually from past success. B. Hussein Obama has NO past success in his whole political career, just a bunch of photo-ops and telepromter speeches. How much lower Chris can you and the rest of the liberal elitists in the media go? This love-fest with the messiah can only go on for so long before it backfires, and trust me, it will backfire quick and hard if you arrogant fools keep it up. When you are B. Hussein Obama, and you have no substance, then image is EVERYTHING! LMMFAO!

What will be remembered by voters about this trip is that it was a great success. Not only was he treated to a red carpet in Iraq, he was taken seriously in Afghanistan, Jordan, and, one thinks, everywhere else.
The American people are hungering for change and so is the rest of the world. By the time Obama arrives in Europe and is greeted by thousands and thousands of people who still believe America is America, after all, this country will begin to comprehend that his Presidency is exactly what we need to begin to restore ourselves.
But, just listen to the Republicans insult, dismiss, and demean the whole rest of the world believing, as they do, that only they know anything about everything.
Obama will win by a landslide.

So what if we didn't know what "colloquy" meant? Wouldn't it be excellent to be challenged to reflect on the context and thereby learn something?

Chris worries needlessly for "average" Americans. Understanding language is a natural gift not improved by formal education, so Chris has no cause to consider himself the "canary in the mine" much less, the gold standard for vocabulary.

McCain knows that both he and the Bush administration have caved in and followed Obama in the most important of international issues: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran.

You can dress it up with "general time horizon"...but you are still following what Obama said no matter what sematics you use, my friend.

Obama's nuanced understanding of international relations is what made me support him to begin with. I hope my fellow Americans can see past McCain's distortions. Obama has never said withdrawl would be unconditional, and yet the misrepresentation of that opinion is the only leg that the McCain camp has to stand on.

I think some of the comments here tonight are very telling.

Obama is criticized as 'arrogant' because he is acting too presidential. On the other hand, had he not commanded the stage as he did, he would be labeled as not ready to be commander in chief.

Which is it? Can't have it both ways, kids. I think he is doing an amazing job, by the way.

How's that leg thrill thing going Chris-bama? Why does the WaPo have a partisan writing a blog on it's front page? This is journalism? Not!

I will give Obama credit. He is surrounding himself with bright people who see Iraq in the same way that he does. I fully expect that he'll put together a smart group of people in his Presidential Cabinet.

But then again, that's what we thought about Bush in 2000 - and we see where that got us.

Yes, you are with Scrivner, Dianne72, and Dianne27, and the rest, no question. Stay there and we'll have someone come and get you. What century did you guys come from? Mac's? While you've been asleep they have come up with HD TV, cell phones, I-Pods, and...teleprompters (sorry, Mac). They even did away with the poll tax...Go figure

***
Posted by: I'm with Scrivner | July 22, 2008 4:06 PM
I agree with Scrivner. We dont need blue gummed intellectual blacks who are going to give away this country to the Muslims in the WHITE House. We need more guys like George Bush in teh White House who are going to kick those guys over there in A-rab country in the nuts. I am sick of those idiots who were diapers on there heads and their are plenty of pictures on the internets that Obama is one of them - I saw him wearing a diaper on his head to.

proudtobeGOP...
When exactly did Andrea Mitchell imply that Obama was arrogant?

McCain and his supporters come across as shallow and incompetent, with nothing to offer but criticism, distortion, and gimmicks. They have no choice. The GOP agenda has made a mess of America and the entire planet.

Oh...and by the way Chris. I'm an average person and I know the meaning of colloquy. In fact, I wish we had more of it! Thank goodness Sen. Obama has enough confidence in the American people that he doesn't dumb himself down for us.

Men and women have still died in the surge and in a "horizon" their could be the same violence that was occurring before the surge.

So, in reference to the surge working or not working, means little. The issue is in Afghanistan and Pakistan border as it always has been no matter if Sen. McCain says that Iraq and Pakistan share a border together.

Derek...
I'm assuming your groupthing post was in regards to the Bush propaganda machine? They'll surely try to scare us again. But, I think the American people have finally wised up.

Karen, You're exactly right. It's pretty interesting that even MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell is calling Obama arrogant, and she's on the traveling press corps and seeing first hand how he handles himself with Generals and actual Heads of State, (as opposed to psuedo-presidents like himself). Shhh..don't tell his campaign advisors, he's not the presidnet...they already insist on implying that he is every time his plane lands in a new country.

No wonder the average reader does not know what colloquy means if writers such as Chris are not familiar with it in the first place. Talk about dumbing down. Any one who attended, even a fourth rated, university should have attended a colloquium/conference in his/her college years. If they did not, they wasted their money and time.. . and perhaps end up as talking heads if nothing else.

This is rich! McCain has been harping non-stop that Obama hadn't been to Iraq for a year and a half. (Hello McCain...In case it slipped your "swimmy mind" Obama has been busy winning the nomination.)
And now that Obama is impressing the foreign leaders and citizens of the world, McCain is whining..."What about ME-E-E-E-E-E?" Sheesh!

McCain knows that both he and the Bush administration have caved in and followed Obama in the most important of international issues: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran.

You can dress it up with "general time horizon"...but you are still following what Obama said no matter what sematics you use, my friend.

Obama's nuanced understanding of international relations is what made me support him to begin with. I hope my fellow Americans can see past McCain's distortions. Obama has never said withdrawl would be unconditional, and yet the misrepresentation of that opinion is the only leg that the McCain camp has to stand on.

Chris seems to have missed Obama' doublespeak on the success of the troop surge. CNN has 3 out of 4 commentators saying Obama's press conference showed his arrogance and conceit my not admitting the success of the surge. Chris's rose colored ears, hearing what he wants to hear not what was actually said is just more fodder for the media bias argument

Chris, a little bit of deep background can be obtained through the King of Jordon's very professional website. Or, Patel on the faith boards here at WAPO has written about community building efforts in conjunction with the Kingdom of Jordon and the Queen.

I got a kick out of the King driving Obama to the airport. Am sure they maintained the official speed limit in that Mercedes, not.

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz...

From Wikipedia:

Baron says in conclusion that the pervasiveness of "groupthink phenomena" has been underestimated by prior theoretical accounts.[7][8]
We're all afloat in a boundless sea, and the way we cope is by massing together in groups and pretending in unison that the situation is other than it is. We reinforce the illusion for each other. That's what a society really is, a little band of humanity huddled together against the specter of a pitch black sea. Everyone is treading water to keep their heads above the surface even though they have no reason to believe that the life they're preserving is better than the alternative they're avoiding. It's just that one is known and one is not. Fear of the unknown is what keeps everyone busily treading water. All fear is fear of the unknown. If someone in such a group of water-treaders betrays the group lie by speaking the truth of their situation, that person is called a heretic, and society reserves its most awful punishments for heretics. If someone decides to stop struggling and just sink or float away, every possible effort is made to stop him, not for the benefit of the individual, but for the benefit of the group. To deny at all costs the truth of the situation.

From Wikipedia:
Symptoms of groupthink

In order to make groupthink testable, Irving Janis devised eight symptoms that are indicative of groupthink (1977).

Illusions of invulnerability creating excessive optimism and encouraging risk taking.

Rationalising warnings that might challenge the group's assumptions.

Unquestioned belief in the morality of the group, causing members to ignore the consequences of their actions.

Stereotyping those who are opposed to the group as weak, evil, disfigured, impotent, or stupid.

Direct pressure to conform placed on any member who questions the group, couched in terms of "disloyalty".

Self censorship of ideas that deviate from the apparent group consensus.

Illusions of unanimity among group members, silence is viewed as agreement.

Mindguards -- self-appointed members who shield the group from dissenting information.

Pelosi Galoe- better watvh your back. Hillary Clinton's gunning for your job now, since clearly she's not on anybocy's short list these days.

Obama's already declaring himself to be president these days; maybe you ought to try the same tactic and announce that your approval ratings are at an all-time high just to see if anyone's paying attention.

Chris, nice to hear about Barack's smooth sailing overseas. Thanks for the report.

Wikipedia:
Causes of groupthink

Highly cohesive groups are much more likely to engage in groupthink. The closer they are, the less likely they are to raise questions to break the cohesion. Although Janis sees group cohesion as the most important antecedent to groupthink, he states that it will not invariably lead to groupthink: 'It is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition' (Janis, Victims of Groupthink, 1972). According to Janis, group cohesion will only lead to groupthink if one of the following two antecedent conditions is present:
Structural faults in the organization: insulation of the group, lack of tradition of impartial leadership, lack of norms requiring methodological procedures, homogeneity of members' social background and ideology.
Provocative situational context: high stress from external threats, recent failures, excessive difficulties on the decision-making task, moral dilemmas.
Social psychologist Clark McCauley's three conditions under which groupthink occurs:
Directive leadership.
Homogeneity of members' social background and ideology.
Isolation of the group from outside sources of information and analysis.

So what if Barack sounded presidential in Europe and, before that, he went to Harvard and was President of the Harvard Law Review and all that. At the Academy, Mac and I always strived for a gentleman's D, I mean, C. It was not our fault what happened to us at USNA. By the way what is a "double-secret suspension"? We never got full credit for our term papers and examinations on which the instructors kept writing "Incomplete" or "Please see me." So what if O can give a good speech. We'd do well, too, if it weren't for some new fangled thing called a "teleprompter." Next thing you know people will have computers in every office.

Mr. 895

how many of the benchmarks have been met.

Posted by: DDAWD | July 22, 2008 1:18 PM

15 of 18 last month.

Posted by: | July 22, 2008 1:27 PM
--------------------

Oooo, sorry buddy, but I'm going to have to call "BS" on you. They're not on the pass/fail system. 15 of the 18 are now rated "satisfactory," which is basically getting a "C." The benchmarks, which range from a review of the Iraqi constitution to legislation to divide Iraq into semi-autonomous regions HAVE NOT BEEN MET. Repeat, the HAVE NOT been met. The report stated that satisfactory progress is being made.

Now, I'm not at all trying to take away from the accomplishment of our men and women in uniform, or even the Iraqi people and their government. But, for the sake of reasonable political discourse, let's make sure that we're talking about reality here. If 15 of 18 benchmarks were left, even Bush and McCain would be booking return flights for all of the troops.

The Fix wrote: "does the average person have any idea what the world "colloquy" means? The Fix had to look it up."

Is this how far intelligence has fallen as a mark of pride in this country? I'm 100% certain The Fix (presumably a college educated journalist) knew what colloquy meant beforehand. And yet, you feel the need to act like you're too dumb to know what it means so that you can fit in?

Why is it more virtuous to be stupid?

Why shouldn't he look and sound presidential? If it had been John McCain who was there, would you have commented with surprise and interest that he 'looked and sounded presidential'? Are you surprised that someone who is not as white as mashed potatoes is able to perform at a high level? Time for a paradigm shift!

Why shouldn't he sound presidential? If it had been John McCain who was there, would you have commented with surprise and interest that he 'sounded presidential'? Are you surprised that someone who is not as white as mashed potatoes should be able to perform at such a high level? Time for a paradigm shift!

Hasn't everyone noticed by? The Conservatives rely on the Average Guy mentality, which in this country means High School education, white, middle class workers who don't like people that don't look like them. They dumb down the debate into sound bites and rhetoric. Truth is immaterial, all that matters is what resonates with the Average Guy.

The Average Guy often resents people with an education. If they don't understand a conversation, they tune it out.

Conservatives know this. This is not open for debate, just look around you for examples of the truth to this point. As soon as someone speaks intelligently, they are derided for being "Elite". All Conservatives care about is maintaining the Status Quo. Yet, the Average Guy is ignorant to the fact that merely being a political figure puts you in the position of being an elite. No one can say the Bush family isn't elite. No one can say McCain isn't an elite. They are elite because they are in positions of power. Period. Yet the Average Guy will try to argue this fact, ignorant of its basis in definition.

The root of Conservatism, by definition is to maintain traditional, status quo. It was conservative thinking that enraged the Pope enough to force Copernicus into saying the Sun revolved around the Earth. It must, tradition told us that. It wasn't until mid-way through the 20th century that the Pope formally recognized the fact that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

Groupthink is very powerful. Don't know what it is? Google "Groupthink" or click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink

Conservatives are not Progressive.

Progressive is Liberalism.

How terrible it is that Liberalism brought about the end of Segregation. The end of Slavery, the right to vote for women. The list is endless.

To be Progressive is to embrace new ideas, to be Conservative is to maintain the Status Quo.

Sadly, it is easier for Conservatives to present their sound bites and rhetoric to the Average Guy since the message doesn't matter, all that matters is that people buy into. Whereas Progressives need people to understand their ideas and this takes focus and thought.

As is evident in the silly diatribes here, we can see how easily the masses buy into simpleton rhetoric.

I encourage everyone reading this to stop and think. There isn't enough thought in this country anymore.

bird brain - thanks for covering for me. just because we have not passed a budget, have tinkered with trivia, broke all our promises and can't deliver you'd think we would get a break with Bush in charge. no we are lower than he is. I don't want to still be known as the worst speaker in history. Do something. hillary told me to cry on 60 minutes. Barack told me to fool the press.

Maybe someone with a very tiny intellect could help. Harry Reid was hiding under his bed, so I have come to you.

What is victory?

"To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their women."

Sure Obama looks good on TV. The pro-Obama networks edit out any mistakes for him. When he said we had 57 states--it missed the nightly news. Get him away from a teleprompter & he's helpless.

McMaimed want to win the wars, Vietnam or Iraq whatever, but no one can say what victory may actually be or why either should have been fought in the first place.

This is delusional, misinformed, and financially and morally ruinous.

Of course Barack takes the high road and sidesteppes invitations to trash McCain. He doesn't have to. The NYT, WP, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and NPR do it all for him--and it doesn't cost his campaign a dime.

Obama might not might not have shown to know foreign policy as well as, or even better than McCain. And his performance might or might not have impressed anyone other than his supporters. Two things we know for sure:

1. He did not confuse the Sunni with the Shias and did not need a Lieberman or some other senator to remind him of that; and

2. He did not say that Iraq and Pakistan have a common border.

These points by themselves expose McCain's claim of "foreign policy" experience and that he knkows "how to win a war". Don't you think a prerequisite to winning a war is to know the geography?

When you elect people who hate government (conservatives), you get a government that hates (and is bad for) people and a government that is ineffective.

What a stirring contrast between Barack Obama and John McCain. While Barack takes the high road, sidestepping invitations to trash McCain the McNasty campaign has gone all out this week in an attempt to desperately try to divert attention from Sen. Obama's trip. Hey, claiming Obama was solely responsible for rising gas prices (rofl ... he REALLY says that in his ad), whining about lack of press attention(from the guy who throws private BBQs for his buddies) lying about picking a VP this week to try to get some attention, all of this wasn't enough. So McCain has to stoop even lower -- he dares claim that Sen. Obama wants us to "lose" the war. That's disgusting and not something even Karl Rove would pull. The new DC parlor game: how low can he go? Apparently he's still got a lot of ground to cover.

Please Chris, don't be too obvious about your crush on me.

"Gravitas" is a thing I do. As a kid I was great at getting laid, trick is you have to look 'em in the eye and give a great, big smile. Makes 'em think you really care.

P.S. this link is for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfogMFL7UJo

I guess "Change that you can believe in" really just means changing the battlefield from Iraq to Afghanistan!!

To geena Davis:

Liberals can't govern? Really. You think the last 7 years - 6 of which included Republican conservatives with control of the White House, the Senate, the House, and the Supreme Court demonstrate that conservatives can govern?

When you elect people who hate government (conservatives), you get a government that hates (and is bad for) people and a government that is ineffective. For those that think government is a problem there is no incentive to make government work for the people. It sure would be nice to have a sensible, competent person elected to the highest office in the land. Go Obama.

Zouk - maybe instead of your repetitive and by now unfunny snObama posts, you can get off your can and go hang some friggin' yard signs.

Posted by: bondjedi | July 22, 2008 4:18 PM

I put up a sign in my yard today. It says:

Obama - change you can buy a coke with

I am looking to divest to Caymen.

I portrayed a president on TV with gravitas. I was cancelled midway through my first season. Watch out Barry, your time is almost up. there is little long term interest in liberals. they are entertaining in a circus sort of way, but the reality is, they can't govern.

gravitas? I eats 'em on my taters! Duh

"It's one thing to portray gravitas -- a good actor can do that -- but, it's another matter altogether to actually HAVE gravitas."

Hmmmm sounds just like what they said about Reagan.

While Obama has been acting like a real president in the Middle East, McWhiny has spent all of his time and money on ads attacking Obama without giving us any ideas on his solutions for the many problems facing this country.

He's looking more and more like the confused, grumpy great uncle who everyone avoids at family gatherings...

His biggest attack point on Obama, the idea that Barack is naive because he wants a timetable to get out of Iraq, has been shot out from under him by Iraq's leader Malaki, President Bush, and apparently even Gordon Brown...but like a sad wind-up toy, he seems unable to realize his points are moot now.

While Obama has been acting like a real president in the Middle East, McWhiny has spent all of his time and money on ads attacking Obama without giving us any ideas on his solutions for the many problems facing this country.

He's looking more and more like the confused, grumpy great uncle who everyone avoids at family gatherings...

His biggest attack point on Obama, the idea that Barack is naive because he wants a timetable to get out of Iraq, has been shot out from under him by Iraq's leader Malaki, President Bush, and apparently even Gordon Brown...but like a sad wind-up toy, he seems unable to realize his points are moot now.

It's one thing to portray gravitas -- a good actor can do that -- but, it's another matter altogether to actually HAVE gravitas. Obama is fooling many people, including almost all the media (sadly, I must say Chris C. is one of them), with his smooth acting style.

Obama is not deep or profound; he does not have gravitas. He's a polished actor emoting lines written for him. Actually, I find him to be rather dull, someone with modest intelligence. He has little experience and conviction to carry out Presidential duties with gravitas. Unless the electorate snaps out of their swoon, we all will be stuck with a shallow "leader", one who will be easily manipulated by Pelosi, Reid, Gore, MoveOn.org, etc.

Posted by: Bitter small towner | July 22, 2008 2:54 PM
============================
Then I guess you are stuck without a candidate because if you think this way about Obama I would hate to read what you think about McCain.

The McCain campaign has jumped the shark. He's so desperate for attention now that he has to question Obama's motivations, going so far as to accuse him of preferring to lose a war if he won the election as a result; as quoted by Fox:

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/07/22/mccain-obama-would-rater-lose-a-war-in-order-to-win-a-political-campaign/

"This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."

The 'Surge' was Gerneral Shinseki idea and not Mcain's so he should stop lying about it.

Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary,called the estimate by Gen. Eric K. Shinseki of the Army that several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq, "wildly off the mark.

The weakness of Mr McCain's policy is that the fall in violence is attributable not only to the surge - the sending of US reinforcements - but to the Mehdi Army militia's truce ordered by its leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, and tons of money showered to the suny insurgents.

Alert!! Major Speech!!

Obama gives major speech -- again!

It is really, really MAJOR this time.

No, really, not like the major speech yesterday. We are all still swooning over it, but this one was even more major. Like a major MAJOR speech. It was a major point, kind of a major thing-like, soughta a MAJOR press conference, because I declared it a very, very extremely MAJOR speech.

Really. I am an objective media type, but Obama said this is MAJOR, so it really is MAJOR. Maybe others were minor MAJOR speeches, and we thought they were MAJOR, but we didn't know how MAJOR this was going to be. Sure, Obama told us it would be MAJOR. We have so many - MAJOR religion speech, MAJOR race speech, MAJOR patriotism speech. But sometimes MAJOR just isn't discriptive enough for liberals who are in love

We are talking a major, major MOMENT. Chris declare it so.

There was MAJOR censorship of flubs, and major embellishments of Obama's gravitas, but that is minor.

Obama is a major, major important president.

Not only that, but I bet Obama knows that Iraq does not border Pakistan. Fuzzy memory and thinking, such as McCain's, is charming in your kindly old uncle. But it doesn't fit a future commander in chief. Barak continues to show that he is the one to be trusted with the nation's security.

As a recovering republican and practicing cynic, I thought Obama's demeanor and presentation were very statesman-like. He obviously is capable of thinking before speaking, and it was refreshing not to watch him embarrass himself and our country in front of the world press. After 42 years of voting in every election, perhaps this is the year I'll finally be able to vote FOR a candidate rather than the lesser of two evils.

Mr. Cillizza,

Why do you call it "the troop surge" when that was only one part of the set of counter-insurgency tactics?

As others have noted, as well as the WaPo's reporter Ernesto Londono, the factors included
- rehiring the Iraqi Army in the guise of "The Sons of Iraq" militias and paying them $300 a month
- Moqtada al Sadr calling a ceasefire and keeping busy with his studies in Iran
- apparent payments to Sadr through Shia channels
- negotiating with the insurgents (yes, if you read the news you'll see we had American military actually talking to insurgent leaders) so that they might become former insurgents
- and the political reconciliation, especially the oil wealth distribution.

I'm not dissing the US troops stuck in the middle of what the guys in Londono's piece called simply "miserable" situation. But we could have sent more troops and had a repeat of 2003-2006 if we had not done the other activities.

We'd be better off calling "The Big Bribe" and I'd be satisfied it was an accurate description. If bribery gets our guys home sooner and safer, I'm all for it. But crediting the troop surge with the success is out and out misrepresentation.

The 'Surge' was Gerneral Eric Shinseki idea and not Mccain's so he should stop lying about it.

Wolfowitz, the deputy defense secretary,called the estimate by Gen. Eric K. Shinseki of the Army that several hundred thousand troops would be needed in postwar Iraq, "wildly off the mark.

The weakness of Mr McCain's policy is that the fall in violence is attributable not only to the surge - the sending of US reinforcements - but to the Mehdi Army militia's truce ordered by its leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, and tons of money showered to the suny insurgents.

It must be particularly galling for McCain to see that ABC News video footage of enthusiastic soldiers, Marines and embassy employees mobbing Obama in Iraq.

Bush to Cheney:
"That boy Obama says he's not a 'Manichean Candidate' can you believe he can talk like that and get away with it?!

Neo-Cons to Fox Network:
"Obama must have gone to college... better bring in the consultants to back up Chris Mathews and the rest of the gang". "Also, you'd better run more Chuck Norris re-runs and reality TV to keep the viewers occupied"

MSM to MSM:
"How do we cover a guy who has a brain?"

Israel is Israel's best friend? Weird how Chris missed this during his big O during Obama's speech. Try being objective, Chris. You want Obama to appear presidential. Twice he said he was already president.

Let me be absolutely clear," Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, said today at a press conference in Amman, Jordan. "Israel is a strong friend of Israel's. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under a McCain...administration. It will be a strong friend of Israel's under an Obama administration. So that policy is not going to change."

Gary Masters.

I dont get it. You saying that I got it right by saying McCain is ODD? And because of that it makes him an American hero?

when I say ODD I dont mean as in oddball. That's to comical. Im serious. ODD as in at least 6 fries short of a damn happy meal.

No joke. War hero or not the man seems to have issues that makes me feel very, very uncomfortable.

Weird how Chris didn't see Obama's gaffe

Israel is Israel's best friends, and will remain their best friend.

Gravitas. We love Obama. Gravitas. Don't think for yourselves, believe us, he is God.

Wow, you fudged a quote. Obama said "As the commander-in-chief, ..." He then corrected himself. Like the press, he forgets we all get to vote. He also made several verbal errors, that McCain would have been committed to an old age home for, but Obama is declare gravitas.

I think the fix is IN. The next video will be of the left-wing hacks in the media mooning over Obama. Please check out the DailyShow "Barack O'Bon R". You press guys are letting yourselves out of the closet. Sadly, the women are acting more manly than the men when discussing Obama.

Spectator.

Let him keep on impressing us. I love the man.

Very refreshing to have someone running for president who seems to know what he's talking about instead of a fool like Bush.

Ive no qualms about OBAMA using whatever words he needs to express himself. The man has it going on.

You wont here him say things like:

"They misunderestimated me."

"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dreams"

or crap like "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family" N.H Chamber of Commerce. BUSH SPEAK.

Get the picture?

the surge only worked because of al Sadr!

"In a possible turning point in the recent upsurge in violence, Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Shiite militiamen off the streets but called on the government to stop its raids against his followers. "

mcCain the hero takes credit for all thats good!

I like the word "colloquy". In the case of posters like snObama, though, the word "butthead" will do just fine.

McCain wasn't even close to being a pioneer of the surge. It was proposed by think-tank conservatives.

(Ever notice that all conservative ideas come from academics sitting in "think tanks", and yet they call the left the "ivory tower elite"?)

Obama says things are difficult when they will be. He acknowledges nuance when it exists. And then he says we can meet the challenge. Sounds Presidential to me.

Lol. Gary E. masters, and are you in Iraq now?? or sitting at home on your PC criticizing those who want our troops outta harms way?? Way to g armchair patriot!!!! I salute thee.....

I'm still waiting to hear what positive proposals McCain has to offer. His campaign has become one long critique of Obama.

When one man spends all his time criticizing another, it there really any question which of them is the better man?

"The man is ODD. And strange. And weird. Gives me the creeps I tell you..."

You got that right. He is an American hero and no slacker will ever recognize his strengths.

While Obama has been acting like a real president in the Middle East, McWhiny has spent all of his time and money on ads attacking Obama without giving us any ideas on his solutions for the many problems facing this country.

He's looking more and more like the confused, grumpy great uncle who everyone avoids at family gatherings...

His biggest attack point on Obama, the idea that Barack is naive because he wants a timetable to get out of Iraq, has been shot out from under him by Iraq's leader Malaki, President Bush, and apparently even Gordon Brown...but like a sad wind-up toy, he seems unable to realize his points are moot now.

While Obama has been acting like a real president in the Middle East, McWhiny has spent all of his time and money on ads attacking Obama without giving us any ideas on his solutions for the many problems facing this country.

He's looking more and more like the confused, grumpy great uncle who everyone avoids at family gatherings...

His biggest attack point on Obama, the idea that Barack is naive because he wants a timetable to get out of Iraq, has been shot out from under him by Iraq's leader Malaki, President Bush, and apparently even Gordon Brown...but like a sad wind-up toy, he seems unable to realize his points are moot now.

GENERAL ERIC CHENSEKY LONG AGO SAID THAT ME NEED MORE TROOPS AND FOR THAT WAS PUNISHed. MCCAIN LIES WHEN HE CLAIMS HE IS THE 'PIONER OF THE SURGE'
The weakness of Mr McCain's policy is that the fall in violence is attributable not only to the surge - the sending of US reinforcements - but to the Mehdi Army militia's truce ordered by its leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, and to Iranian support for Mr Maliki.and don't forget tons of many were paid to the Suny insurgents. This makes the political situation in Iraq very unstable.

Whining about the media - not presidential. McCain campaigns like a spoiled child. He's not used to being ignored by the press who used to adore him and give him a lot of pass for his gaffes. Poor me, that's what McCain seems to be saying. Is this how a commander in chief act?

While Obama has been acting like a real president in the Middle East, McWhiny has spent all of his time and money on ads attacking Obama without giving us any ideas on his solutions for the many problems facing this country.

He's looking more and more like the confused, grumpy great uncle who everyone avoids at family gatherings...

His biggest attack point on Obama, the idea that Barack is naive because he wants a timetable to get out of Iraq, has been shot out from under him by Iraq's leader Malaki, President Bush, and apparently even Gordon Brown...but like a sad wind-up toy, he seems unable to realize his points are moot now.

Dody, you are so right. If OBAMA had made such ridiculous remarks as McCain has been doing at least every other day OBAMA would be the laughing stock of this nation.

Maybe because the media knows how much an ODD, off kilter person McCain is. Like that fact that he knows how to win wars and may be still fighting one as I post.

The man is ODD. And strange. And weird. Gives me the creeps I tell you.

Upon reflection, "colloquy" was a bad word choice, Barak. It's precise meaning is unclear if you had looked into several old and new dictionaries.

It derives from the same root as "olloquial" which means plain, everyday normal speech between us folks.

Thus, one would suspect it means an informal dialog.

But, most modern dictionaries define it as a formal dialog. Some, just as a dialog.

Please tell everyone what you meant, Presumptive Nominee?

I like you anyway, and will vote for you in a heartbeat, but please, don't try to overimpress...

Manichean....colloquy...really?? This is all you can think of to pick on?? All it proves is that he had a college education - this is a bad thing?? I thought Americans respected and wanted education for all. I have a college education too, and it doesn't make me elitist any more than it does him. Why would someone be so bizarre as to pick on Obama for having a vocabulary, and then let McCain slide for a MAJOR geographical mistake citing the border between Pakistan and Iraq. I find McCain's assertion that the media is "in love" with Obama is ridiculous when the media gives McCain a free pass on nearly everything and nitpicks every nuance of every word that comes out of Obama's mouth. McCain needs a reality check.

While Obama is making a popelike world tour and exuding that presidential vibe missing for the last 8 years, the McTitanic camp is in the middle of Bumf**k, NH, dealing with this:

"Addressing the Republican presidential candidate during his town-hall forum in New Hampshire Tuesday, a woman identified herself as a volunteer for his campaign, and said she had come to believe it was time McCain hired a new staff in the state.

'You've got to make some changes,' the woman told McCain. 'I've had problems with a lot of your paid staff.'

The volunteers had put up all the signs ahead of the town hall event, she complained. 'You've got two people sitting right here next to me...They have done more work for you volunteering than a lot of your paid staff have. All your signs that are up outside today, they were put up by us, not by your staff people.'"

Zouk - maybe instead of your repetitive and by now unfunny snObama posts, you can get off your can and go hang some friggin' yard signs.

Chris, it's unsurprising you had to look up "colloquy". Journalism is one of the weakest academic majors. What is also unsurprising is how little awareness you have, like most reporters have, that most of your readership is more astute than you.

Your comment, how many average readers understand the word "colloquy" because you had to look it up, shows how condescending and also misguided about your own intellectual capacity you are as a Washington Post journalist. This is a good example of the kind of ignorant condescension than made Obama supporters in the media attack the New Yorker for its front page art (claiming that they understand satire but the average American isn't sophisticated enough to, when in fact it was the Obama supporters in the media who suffered from the lowbrow partisan hackle-raising).

Journalists, even Washington Post journalists, aren't really smarter than the average reader despite their hyperlingualism. If you were, you wouldn't be so impressed by Obama having great affectations of intellectual authority and affectations of elitism, versus being the real thing.

Most readers are not as stupid as you think. Really.

Just to prove I'm smart and you're not consider this:

I wrote two books about me that made me a millionaire. the books talked about my life's accomplishments, of which I have none. But the books still sold. and you intellectual liberals bought them in droves. now who is smart and who is dumb. Hint - one guy wrote a book about nothing and ran a campaign about nothing and the others were fooled into believing the emptiness was substance.

But then liberals always thought they were much smarter then they actually are. Remember Gore is a drop out and Kerry barely got a C average.

But I was a professor and never published anything but a book about me. I am so smart. I can even use words that people have to look up. And I eat arugula every day.

What do the repubs have against intelligence? Here is a smart, gracious and thoughtful person (Obama) representing them overseas and in their blind hatred all they can do is criticize. Haven't they had enough of someone embarrassingly stupid in the White House? I know I have. Go Obama.

The surge worked only because the U.S. government paid the insurgents to stop fighting.

Posted by: bklvr | July 22, 2008 3:35 PM

___________________________________

I agree with this observation. Why is so little written about it????????

The surge worked only because the U.S. government paid the insurgents to stop fighting.

Posted by: bklvr | July 22, 2008 3:35 PM
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I agree with this observation. Why is so little written about it?????????

I agree with Scrivner. We dont need blue gummed intellectual blacks who are going to give away this country to the Muslims in the WHITE House. We need more guys like George Bush in teh White House who are going to kick those guys over there in A-rab country in the nuts. I am sick of those idiots who were diapers on there heads and their are plenty of pictures on the internets that Obama is one of them - I saw him wearing a diaper on his head to.

how to solve our problems? that's easy: hope, hope, hope. and talk a lot without saying anything. After you doze off I will empty your wallet and spend it all on my friends, the ones I disowned while running for office.
thirty years from now I will be that failure of a one-term President, like my mentor Jimmy. but it will be a great run for me in the meantime. too bad for you though.

And BTW, I am clever and smart. I went to Harverd, you know.

The GOP proves they are a Black and White kind of party, almost entirely White.

Only the Surge could produce the Iraq of today.

Which party got us into the friggin' mess that required a Surge? GWB's/McShame's party! Wanna give 'em another 4 years at the helm?

The GOP caused the mess, then they found the solution to the mess. Reminds of Billy Mays, creating a spot on the carpet to prove that Oxy-Clean will take care of it. Mays/GWB/McShame shouldn't be making spots on carpets at all - leave that to Barney.

At l