I thought that Gov. Palin gave an extremely average speech last night. Content-wise I thought it was strong but in style and form it was just a good “teleprompter” read but there is no doubt that it was well received in the hall. After the speech one of the talking heads referred to the speech as “Obamaesque”. I find that notion laughable. Obama’s speaking skills have no current peer on the national circuit. I don’t think much of his politics but the dude can do the public speaking part.
I do believe that as her first-time in front of such an audience she did a fine job and I also thought that the content of her speech was fine but it was very ordinary. Judging from what everyone else has to say, I’m open to the notion that I’m the only one….:) It could be just me.
September 5, 2008 at 2:44 pm
“Gov. Palin gave an extremely average speech last night” — wow, Andy,
you may be the only person outside the DNC and NYT that
would give it that review. Anyway, guess that explains the angry pack of
pit bulls wearing lipstick waiting outside your office. Good luck.
September 5, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am open to the notion that it’s just me. On the other hand, I thought that Mac’s speech was really really good.
September 5, 2008 at 5:09 pm
No wonder the Dems asked you to work for them… Sarah spoke in front of the largest crowd she has faced, with four days of media pressure. The teleprompter broke. She rallied the base like nobody else has this year or for that matter in years.
Get Obama off the teleprompter or at a town hall meeting, and his so called speaking skills disappear. Why do you think he turned down the request from John McCain to appear at town hall meetings? Because he realizes he is weak at speaking off the cuff and without notes or a speech already drawn up for him.
For all the “star” power that Obama has, John McCain drew just as large if not larger tv audience last night then Obama did last week, and they are tied in the polls. Given the advantage that Obama has in the media, the money(well not so much now), the bad brand name of the GOP, the fact the economy is in poor shape, the war, etc etc, Obama should be up by 15 to 20 points in the polls. Yet he is not.
September 5, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Citizen of Manassas,
History teaches us that being one of the first is a challenge.
I learned that as a 9th grader in Charlotte going door to door
handing out literature for John Kennedy and having more than a few
of those doors slammed in my face for supporting that “Catholic guy”.
It too was suppose to be a big Democratic change year
and JFK did win, but only by an inch. Today, thank
goodness, one’s denomination is no longer such a huge issue and
that is due in no small measure to the impact Kennedy made.
Like his politics or not, Barack Obama is another historic
figure, in part, because of his race and the head winds that come
from that, if nothing else, will keep him from establishing a big
lead. Barack Obama and John McCain both have to much decency
and integrity to make race an issue, but facts or facts. America’s
black population is 13.4% of our total. The number, out of
100 US Senators, that are black – one – Barack Obama. And
he is suppose to running away with the contest?
This is going be a very close presidential election
between two extraordinary Americans.
September 5, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Steve,
Of course Obama should be running away from McCain. Afterall, he is the one that God has provided us at just this moment, or at least that is what the Speaker of the House says. Media members have said they get tingles down their legs when they hear him talk. He has raised more money. He is not running on the GOP ticket. As I posted before, the media loves Obama. He is the rock star, he is the bright star, he is the one that can reach out to the rest of the World. The Dems are motivated to pay back the GOP and President Bush. Also, the fact McCain is 72 years old, is a cancer survivor and has voted with President Bush about 90% of the time. I say those are enough reasons why Obama should be way ahead of McCain.
September 6, 2008 at 11:33 am
Steve,
As usual, I agree with you. Unlike the last 8 years, I will be proud to call either of these fine men Mr. President. It is, however, without a doubt in my mind that if Obama does not win it will be because he is a black man. Folks can sugar coat it all they want, but racism still runs deep in this country. It’s too bad that so many people decide to either ignore it or deny it. I wish I had the answer to the problem but I don’t. If Obama wins I will be filled with both hope and fear. Hope that having a black president will help alleviate the problem and profound fear that it will exacerbate it.
September 6, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Tim,
That is just none sense. Was it racism because Gore and Kerry did not win? They did not win because America rejected their liberalism. The same will be true if Obama does not win. I hardly think it is fair to say the only reason why Obama will not win is because of his race. Do you really think people should vote against their values, opinions, etc just to vote for a particular person based on their race? Talk about racism.
September 7, 2008 at 12:02 am
Tim.
Why in the world would you make an assurtion like this, “however, without a doubt in my mind that if Obama does not win it will be because he is a black man”. This kind of comment fuels racism thinking! People will choose to vote for either candidate for a variety of reasons. What would you call it when people vote by and large for a candidate because it would be historical in nature to do so? Or that they must vote for a particular candidate or they would defy their own race or gender? What absurdity!! Intelligent, well-informed voters will vote based on substance and with conviction and not hype or hysteria. Give the American voter some credit. They will not be coerced by fear.
September 7, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Tim Demeria shows his true colors again, not unexpected though.
September 8, 2008 at 10:39 am
Man, I didn’t mean to ruffle so many feathers. I think that if Obama’s father was from Ireland and his name was Daniel Kelly, given the state of the nation over the last 8 years under a republican administration, that Obama, aka Kelly, would walk away with this thing. By making my comments, I don’t think I am fueling racist thinking, I believe that thinking is there already. To Former COM employee I will take your post as a compliment because I always try to show my true colors.
September 8, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Andy,
It’s you.
September 8, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Tim,
Again, do you expect people to vote against their values, opinions, views, etc? You are trying to guilt people into voting for someone they do not support. If you did not want to fuel racists thinking, why did you bring race up? Face it Obama is a liberal and liberals, if you have not paid attention have not done well in National elections over the last 40 years. Clinton, and Carter are it for the Dems since 1972.
September 8, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Com,
I am not trying to ‘guilt’ anybody into doing anything and I think that ‘racists thinking’ is abundant and ignoring it will not make it better. Just stating what I believe. Again you and I will have to disagree but please know that I respect your opinion.
September 8, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Tim,
Why don’t you answer my question…. Should people foregore their political views and vote for someone they do not agree with? You want to keep your right to opinion, but do not want people to be able to stick to their political views.
Why was Gore and Kerry not elected? If I recall, the war was going on during the 2004 election and the Dems were trying to make it an issue then. They also tried to make the economy an issue too. Tax cuts as well. So, exactly why if they were not elected, and they are not nearly as liberal as Obama, why do you think America would elect Obama?
I don’t think anyone is ignoring the issue of racism. I just think people who reach a conclusion before the event has even taken place and come to an opinion as to why the conclusion was reached are pretty silly.
BTW, I have heard far more black Americans say they are voting for Obama simply because he is black than I have heard whites say they are not voting for Obama because he is black. In fact, I have not heard of a single white person say that. If you listen to WMAL, you would hear what I have.
Exactly what proof do you have that the only reason why Obama may not win is because he is black?
September 8, 2008 at 9:01 pm
COM,
No they should not ‘foregore their political views and vote for someone they do not agree with’. I just fear they will. I don’t think a white person would admit on WMAL they they won’t vote for a black person. I don’t have proof of anything, I am just stating my opinion. Agree to disagree. If you want to discuss it any further just call me (703)895 4856. I have stated my views, sorry it bothers you.
September 9, 2008 at 7:41 am
Tim,
So you admit people should not put their political views aside, yet you still have an issue with that. I can opine the color blue is really orange, but clearly that is wrong. You put stuff out and then back off of it. Liberals love to do that. What bothers me is that you have no proof what you state is based on any fact, you don’t think people should vote against their political views, yet you still think if Obama does not win it was only because he is black.
September 9, 2008 at 3:46 pm
COM,
I don’t back off anything. I don’t know you and you obviously don’t know me. I believe, it is my opinion, that if Obama were white he would walk away with this. You don’t agree, fine. End of discussion. 703.895.4856
September 9, 2008 at 4:14 pm
“I believe, it is my opinion, that if Obama were white he would walk away with this.”
Mr. Demeria,
This presumes that Americans are yearning for radical liberalism, and that the only thing preventing them from embracing radical liberalism is the race of the radical liberal seeking the White House. That is quite a leap. If I may be so bold as to carry your argument further, then America must not be ready for a woman to be the president either? I guess this must be so, since the Democrats rejected that idea during the primaries. But wait, they nominated a non-caucasian. So does race trump gender, or does gender trump race in the DNC?
I am more than insulted by your insinuation that if America rejects Obama’s liberal-based idea of change, in favor of McCains conservative-based idea of change, then it MUST be because of the color of Obama’s skin.
I think it’s because Americans have had a taste of both flavors of change (Carter, Reagan) and prefer Reagan’s type of change.
September 9, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Mr. Thomas,
I am sorry you are insulted. I didn’t know my opinion would have that effect, but it is my opinion based on what I read, see and hear. I stand by what I said and again, I am sorry it bothers so many people. I am not going to rehash it here anymore so call me if you need to discuss it further.
Tim
September 9, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Tim,
Care to provide some proof? I have provided Dems have sucked in National races going back to 1968. Gore and Kerry are white, they lost. The same issues that are here today where here in 2004 save for the housing issue. Bush increased his margin of victory over the 2000 election.
Again, it bothers people, because you have not provided any proof whatsoever to back up your “opinion”. It is your opinion based on your racial politics You have no proof whatsoever, you just want to toss racism around.
Obama ran against a number of whites, yet won. How did he make it this far?
Would you say the same if the black man was a Republican? Exactly how many liberal voters would support a black conservative for president? How about SC Justice Thomas? I hardly think he is very popular with liberals. Would you expect them to vote against their politics? I don’t, and I would not consider them to be racist for doing so.
September 9, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Tim Demeria, you are an idiot.
September 10, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Responding in general to the string of discussions above, not necessarily to the immediately preceeding one–
I’m really surprised that we can’t enjoy this forum and have a nice intelligent chat without name calling.
Certainly some Libs/Dems change their positions from time to time (noted in the extreme somewhere above as though “they always do.”); Some Republicans do too. At bottom, that is what some members of both parties do. No political party has a monopoly on telling the truth or in changing or not changing their positions. Anyone who thinks otherwise has not been paying attention to the last two hundred plus years of American history.
The current candidates aside, my greater concern is that many apparently intelligent folks only seem to really notice questionable conduct when it is evidenced by the candidate of the party they oppose. They seemingly look only for the best in the candidate they favor and seemingly look only for the worst in the candidate they disfavor.
For some reason many folks appear to be unable to favor or not favor a candidate because one doesn’t care for that candidate’s policy views and proposals or lack thereof, without also entirely demonizing that candidate (and that candidate’s supporters).
Among those who favor Obama, many effectively seek to demonize McCane and refuse to see merit in anything he does or says or in any choice he makes. Similarly, there are those who favor McCane who refuse to see any merit whatsoever in Obama. To do so in either instance is intellectually dishonest, both to oneself and in purporting to have honest discourse with others.
I can understand (but don’t like) demonizing an opponent as a matter of political strategy. However, I cannot understand why anyone would want to trick themselves into believing that Republicans only like the rich (as some commentators would have us believe and as some Democrats do believe) or that all Democrats are socialist commies (as other commentators would have us believe and as some Republicans do believe).
Let’s not forget what the straight talk express all about. Let the straight talk begin and continue on this board, with respect — both personal and for the truth — by all.
As to Tim’s original point, I have been told flat out told by a fellow citizen of Manassas that they would not vote for Obama because he is black. I was very disappointed in that person, and I still am. At bottom, however, they would not vote for him even if he was white, because — as that person honestly explained to me — they will not support any liberal or any Democrat. But what they said did bother me.
Thanks for listening.