"He had to spend a LOT of capital on his apology."

[jenmito]

Looks like today's talking point has been that Obama's "I screwed up" comment cost him a lot of capital. I disagree-I think it bought him MORE capital! He did a very rare thing and people appreciate it. But the MSM is working hard to make him look like a weakened president. :eyes:

[Captain Hilts]

1. I agree. Own it. He did the Right Thing. nt

[jenmito]

5. Exactly. Why is the media trying so hard to bring him down? n/t

[Captain Hilts]

8. They see Dems ununited - "Reid: I don't work for Prez Obama", smell blood and go for it.

Kinda like how Sam Nunn's stuffing gays in the military right out of the box for Clinton did the same thing.

It's frustrating.

[jenmito]

13. Yeah, but...

the media should not be in the business of smelling blood in the water and acting on it.

[Captain Hilts]

15. The right has played the refs very well. The press is constantly trying to prove they're not libs.

[jenmito]

21. True. The only people in the media we have reliably on our side

are Rachel and Keith.

[Captain Hilts]

27. Yeah, but they also engage in Eating Our Own. nt

[jenmito]

30. True...

especially Rachel. Oh, well. They're the best we have.

[Captain Hilts]

33. Yeah. nt

[Pirate Smile]

40. That is true. Sometimes to a truly ridiculous degree.

I remember when Obama gave his first interview to Al Arabiya (sp?) and there had been articles about how Al Qaeda was nervous, acting weird, trying to negate the positive feelings toward Obama in the Muslim world. When asked about it, Obama said they were acting "nervous". On the next show, Keith wondered if Obama was acting like Bush by saying that. :wtf: Needless to say, the expert he was talking to said "no way".

I just couldn't believe that that was Keith's take away from that interview. :eyes: We truly do eat our own.

[Captain Hilts]

48. Good example. nt

[Kalyke]

53. And those two shows were the only two shows to EXCEED revenue

projections for 2008. Everyone else lost... big time.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. Repugnicans view apologies as weakness - and they'll behave like predators

(I consider corporate mass media to be Republican in ideology, so they of course behave the same - they also go for the kill).

[jenmito]

7. It's a shame that the MSM=the RNC. n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

I know, but we can do something about that nt

[jenmito]

17. Like what? Call and write to them? I and others constantly do that to no avail. n/t

[Sarah Ibarruri]

31. If we really really really wanted to, we could drive them INSANE every day, non-stop....

write their sponsors, cancel cable, write them snail mail, e-mail them, call them, write editorials ABOUT THEM, get petitions going, etc.

IF WE WANTED TO.

[Captain Hilts]

11. Exactly. nt

[BlooInBloo]

3. (shrug) It's tough when everyone on the left agrees with everyone on the right...

in saying that Obama is doing everything wrong.

They disagree on what *right* would be, but at this moment, Obama has few friends.

Other than the American public, of course.

[jenmito]

9. That's sad...

but true.

[Captain Hilts]

12. No one is saying that. nt

[Clio the Leo]

4. Yep, the only person I have talked to who was NOT impressed with it....

.... was my mother who thinks people shouldn't say any sentence containing the word "screw."

"What's his email address! I'm gonna write him!" was her response to my question "if the President of the United States said 'screwed up' can I say it now?" lol

[jenmito]

14. That's kind of funny...

did you GIVE her his email address? :D

[Clio the Leo]

25. I told her it was priviledged information....

.... and she had not donated enough to be worthy of knowing it. That was my answer to her asking me "I KNOW you've got it! Give it to me!" :)

[jenmito]

29. That's even funnier.

:rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

18. That's really funny! Your Maternal Unit must have had the vapors on Clinton's 1st day in office...

when they had the open house and it was explained to them that folks without tickets were getting in line and Hillary made a reference - LIVE! On C-Span - that ticket holders in line "were getting screwed."

One small step for womankind....

[Clio the Leo]

28. oh, well my mother is an old school southern lady....

... and most old school southern ladies do not care for women of Hillary's ... um ..... blatant ball grabbedness. lol

MODERN southern ladies on the other hand pattern our lives after the woman lol.

[Captain Hilts]

39. Ain't irony ironic?

[Hard_Work]

65. Yes,

Ironically enough. That's the true irony.

[MadMaddie]

6. The media is trying to make him look weak for admitting a mistake

In my book if any man or woman can admit they have made a mistake they are more trustworthy than a man or woman who for example for the last 8 years cannot admit the obvious.

[Captain Hilts]

10. I agree completely. nt

[jenmito]

19. Exactly.

:hi:

[EraOfResponsibility]

16. "Screwed up, really? Cuz the last guy broke the world" - SNL

lol

[jenmito]

That was one of the only funny parts of the show last night.

[Clio the Leo]

34. That was one of the funniest lines in the history of the show.

That and Seth's remark about the guy who sold Michael what's his name the swimmer's bong pic to the rags.

[Xipe Totec]

20. There will be setbacks and false starts...

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand."

- Acceptance speech by President Elect Barack Obama,
Wednesday 5 November 2008

[NYC_SKP]

24. That could be an OP all by itself.

We need to remind ourselves and others from time to time.

:patriot:

[Xipe Totec]

38. Good Idea!

Thanks!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8179951&mesg_id=8179951

[jenmito]

26. Thank you...

funny how nobody jumped on him back then for even just SAYING that. I guess they gave him a couple-day "honeymoon." :eyes:

[ShortnFiery]

22. That's only because the M$M has lost all credibility ... it serves as a gossip source -

Most Americans aren't buying what the Corporate M$M is selling. I listen to what they TELL me to BELIEVE and feel safe betting on the opposite. :-)

[NYC_SKP]

23. MSM. Not used to integrity, honesty, it must really scare them.

Good thing that they're almost certainly in the minority in this opinion.

People around the country of all political persuasions are hungry for candor and honesty.

Score one more for Obama.

:patriot:

[BeyondGeography]

32. They're just upset that he killed their little narrative

with three little words.

[Berry Cool]

35. Republicans' first law is "NEVER apologize, because people might think you did something wrong."

Their first order of business, no matter how much they screw something up, is NEVER to admit it and NEVER to apologize, because they honestly think that if they don't admit it and don't apologize, people will never know they did something wrong at all, much less expect an apology from them! They really believe in this magical thinking. They also believe that if you don't apologize or admit wrongdoing, eventually "history" will prove you were right all along!

In their book, ANY admission of making a mistake is a sign of weakness, and is a shameful embarrassment that can NEVER be lived down...just as it was in the authoritarian families they grew up in, in which Father beat your bottom raw for mistake-making and you bore the shame forever, but Father himself NEVER admitted a mistake, and never apologized.

Don't worry, it's only in their narrow little world that Obama has committed the ultimate taboo from which his presidency can never recover. Out here in the rest of the world, where admissions of fallibility and apologies are acceptable and welcomed, he truly has built on his capital, not spent it. So relax. You are right. They are wrong.

[jody]

36. He has only so many "I screwed up" comments before it hurts him and each one becomes more costly

as time passes.

[FrenchieCat]

41. And you are probably holding your breath waiting for the next one.

I will let him know that you have "warned him".

[jody]

47. What a ridiculous statement. I hope Obama succeeds but he must quickly learn not to trust any of his

immediate staff.

That goes double for experts outside government particularly in fields outside hard science and engineering.

The notion of calling something political-science or social-science or treating economics and finance as science is laughable.

In those fields, the best we have are SWAGs, Scientific Wild Ass Guesses.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

66. Oh, look, you have a memory and know how to search by author. I guess that makes you "ridiculous"

Many ridiculous persons here. I'm ridiculous too, nice to meet you.

[WePurrsevere]

37. Most people do appreciate it. I've spoken with some

who did not vote for Obama (Libertarian types) and even they're impressed with Obama admitting he messed up and say it's refreshing.

If they keep going along these lines the MSM is going to end up exposing themselves for what they are... tools of the RepubliCorp party.

[FrenchieCat]

42. They already have exposed themselves...

To anyone watching and paying attention.

[WePurrsevere]

54. True, but sadly too many don't watch or pay attention. n/t

[GinaMaria]

43. It won him more capital

He's honest, upfront, human and the opposite of *

[Jennicut]

44. BS. Most people never expect politicians to be up front

and honest with their mistakes. Prez Obama was and it impressed me even more.

[Cha]

45. Rec'd~ They worked Hard to make

him look like a weak candidate too and that didn't work.

They fucking make me mad..and I wouldn't know anything about them unless I read DU..but, it's important to know what the enemy is up to and I thank you for having to sit through that shit, jenmito.

What the hell are we gonna do about it? I know Obama must have people watching that too who know what they're doing and making plans to counteract them.

The corporatemedia is Public Enemy Number One.

[jenmito]

60. Thanks, Cha...

Yes, I watch this BS so you don't have to. :)
I don't know what more we could do about it besides write and call to complain. They don't listen to us.

(Is your new nic related to "tea"? "Cha" is Japanese for "tea.")

[jberryhill]

46. Oh that's silly

Obama is no more responsible for Daschle's tax situation as he is for the weather.

What he demonstrated was the maturity to accept management responsibility.

Bush found responsibility anywhere but with himself.

[book_worm]

49. What? does the media want another inflexible, I never make a mistake president like Bush?

[Metric System]

50. Chimpy never apologized and the MSM was A-OK with that. Ugh.

[TwilightGardener]

51. I don't think anyone thinks less of him, except the GOP and the media.

The rest of America would think, "Hey, he screwed up on Daschle--nice he can admit that" and then we move on, because it's minor.

[a kennedy]

52. I'm not watching the d*mn MSM ANYMORE!!!

except for KO and Rachel.......I'm done with everyone else......

[AtomicKitten]

55. Pfft. The MSM can huff and puff all they want. Obama's got 'em by the short hairs.

:hi:

[GentryDixon]

56. I heard a Republican strategist actually say he thought it was an honorable thing to do.

He said in all his many years in Washington he had never heard a President own up to a mistake until President Obama did.

[liberalsince1968]

57. They are just angry that Obama deprived them of days of headlines by accepting responsibility. So

they have to come up with another angle to bleat about.

Nobody else is even thinking of Daschle now. And I always thought Daschle was a mistake from the get go. But now it's over, time to move on.

[EraOfResponsibility]

58. I'll tell you what...if Obama DID spend a lot of capital...he's buying it back right now

with this townhall meeting. Count on it.

[jenmito]

59. I agree. He was terrific, wasn't he?!

How refreshing!

[zulchzulu]

61. I think it blew a lot of people's minds: a President who admits he made a mistake...

...and it wasn't really his mistake...

[jenmito]

64. I agree.

And honest pundits will agree, too.

[Mass]

62. Agree. He certainly gained capital for recognizing an error. It was a very long time since

we had seen that.

[jenmito]

63. I don't think the media knows what "spending capital" MEANS if they really think he spent ANY

of it apologizing, owning up to his mistakes.

[stillcool]

67. They're doing their job.