Any changes of heart tonight? Got to admit, Obama tore more than a few pages from the Edwards play-

[chimpymustgo]

book. He talked about poverty, and fighting corporate lobbyists.

His speech started out with the same old platitudes, but he offered up some meat, and took on McLame. I was impressed tonight. I'm still torn, but I didn't recoil from Obama tonight. I have seen him as a phony bullshitter. But I'm thinking maybe...

Just putting this out there. Wondering what others think.

[asdjrocky]

1. I watched the speech.

It didn't surprise me, both Obama and Clinton have been speaking Johns words from the beginning. It's like they get a memo, whenever things start going wrong, talk like John.

I liked the speech for the most part. But he doesn't really talk to the poor people, he talks of the "working people." And he is one of the only Dems I here talking about lower taxes. That makes me nervous.

I guess the best you could say of my reception of Obama tonight was that it was luke warm.

[saracat]

2. I didn't watch. I am not interested. I have made my decision. I will never vote for him.

I can't say that enough. he is a phony and it makes no differnce what he says.I voted for John in the Primary and I am done. I am at peace with my decision.If Obama is the nominee, he doesn't get my vote. He doesn't want it anyway.

[kelligesq]

3. Words. What Americans have finally come to realize is they speak words we want to hear and then

once they get in office, flip the people the finger.

There is no trust.

[AndyA]

12. After what we've seen from Reid and Pelosi, is it any wonder we're skeptical?

They were going to hold Bush accountable. Yeah, that's sure happened.

I don't believe a word any of them say. They're all liars, and they all lack the spine/courage/ethics/morals/hutzpah to do the right thing. They are all in violation of their oath of office.

[unc70]

4. Saw bits of it. Saw a couple of borrowed themes, minor changes, yawn

As always, his delivery of prepared speeches is pretty good, although I really tire of his bobble-head delivery. You know, read from the left prompter, turn right 90 degrees and then read from the right prompter (maybe with and applause line pause), then turn back left 90 degrees to face the left tele-prompter, and repeat. He almost never looks straight ahead.

He also tends to tilt his head back and sort of "look down his nose" rather than straight at people. Maybe he has bifocal contact lenses.

I don't really like either Obama or Clinton all that much in their public "face", and I don't want them as my friend or drinking buddy (always wandered about people who wanted to have a beer with a recovering alcoholic; sick). I see each of their types in business. Clinton obviously has to work at campaigning, lacking the natural flow of her husband and compensating by being super prepared, highly focused, determined, and will work herself and other relentlessly.

When not performing a scripted speech, Obama relies heavily on his charm, smile, and his quick mind to gloss over topics where he hasn't prepared. I don't remember ever seeing him say he had been wrong about something or to take responsibility when he screwed up or did not do as he had promised. (Things like when he didn't return from Hawaii to Illinois for a big vote where his vote probably would have been the difference; he had been begged to return to the legislature which was in session; his excuse was that his daughter got sick and he didn't want to fly with a sick child.}

The primary process is often described as repeated job interviews. I have evaluated thousands of resumes over the years and have developed my skills such that I immediately see what is missing, what doesn't quite fit, what is overstated, what might be an outright lie, and a lot more about the person than many people might think. Obama's resume has the right phrases, have a strong story, and claim appropriate experiences. But when I look a bit closer, things are a little off. His family story as he has presented it is regularly at odds with what others report. I believe that Obama may have an almost cruel side, mostly seen hidden in what is presented as a joke, but with a put-down or a belittling of his target. Bush does this a lot. This type behavior is used to remind others just who has power and who does not. You don't tell these "jokes" where your boss is the target; they only go down the pecking order. Usually these "jokes" are easy to spot; the one telling the joke laughs first and then others may follow; when you tell a normal joke, you pause slightly to allow the audience to "get" the joke and then you typically will smile and maybe chuckle in response.

He began his campaign by attacking baby boomers and our fights and issues and projecting a sense of entitlement -- it was his time and everyone should get out of the way. The press even then spoke of him in comparison to JFK or RFK, not surprising since Ted Sorensen was helping with the speech writing and was introducing Obama at events as the one he saw as the heir to Camelot.

So here I am, not happy with either choice. Will it be Harvard or Yale this time?

"Moose and squirrel! Why is it always moose and squirrel?" -- Boris B.

[chimpymustgo]

5. unc70, you have hit all the issues. The looking down the nose, the speechifying, the teleprompter

What the hell does he really stand for? Ugh...I'm trying to deal with this sad reality. It's not any better in the light of day.

[Horse with no Name]

7. or when he needs a minute to think of a canned answer

"uh...let me tell you something" or "it's like this"...
He really is not very good unscripted.

[Catchawave]

8. Obama doesn't inspire me, goodness knows

I've tried to feel it. I've tried to feel "anything".

He's a product of the DLC, corporate (where's John?) media and the anti-Clinton movement, as people I never discuss politics with voted against Hillary, not FOR Obama.

I watched his speech and he did that dumb whisper schtick about Republicans voting for him. I cringe everytime.

McCain is going to clean his clock in November because it will come down to "keeping America safe". Obama's wishy-washy "state" legislature record will come into heavy play. You better believe the GOP is stockpiling their mud right now, as is the media.

Oh, I'll probably come around to him, I'll vote the Dem nom in November, unless I don't feel safe :evilgrin:

[Horse with no Name]

6. Lipstick on a pig

Obama pandering...nothing new...nothing exciting.
But what I want to know--who is going to win the swimsuit competition?

[bpeale]

9. he's a cheap IMITATION of John Edwards

i recoil every single time i hear his voice. i can't get past the lies he has told the american people to even consider him for the highest office in the land. no thanks.

[earth mom]

20. Obama is a cheap IMITATION of John Edwards. Yep, that sums it up. nt

[smokey nj]

10. I'm still sickened by both remaining candidates.

I really hope John decides not to endorse either.

[pamela]

16. Me too, smokey.

I haven't even considered switching my support to one of them. I'll just watch and see who gets selected and then decide what to do about November.

I could tell you exactly how many votes JE got in Maryland yesterday but I don't even know what percentage of votes Coke and Pepsi got. I know Pepsi won, but that's about it. Who cares? They are both just empty calories.

[For PaisAn]

18. Coke and Pepsi

Empty calories. LOL! Good one.

[ChiciB1]

23. I'm With You!! How Will Anyone Feel If He Does?? Will That Turn You

off if he does? I DON'T want him to endorse, but I have to realize that he might. Not so much because he wants to, but because he wants to remain viable. In this day and age, if he doesn't keep his name "front & center" he'll have to re-invent himself!

In this country today, things move so fast and what you hear today is GONE by next week.... that is UNLESS MSM wants you to REMEMBER!

That situation isn't likely for Edwards, since they IGNORED him when I felt he was THE BEST, THE FIRST and always responded to others very quickly. He needed no text, no relepromters... he just needed himself, but THEY PANNED him!

I DON'T like THIS AMERICA I'm seeing anymore!

[RestoreGore]

11. Looks like sucking up to get an endorsement to me

Just another "politician" and I am not impressed.

[MissDeeds]

13. Not me

I heard some of it, but my gag reflex kept kicking in so I left the room.
I am appalled by his audacity (to use one of his favorite terms) in believing he's qualified to run for the highest office in the land without even having served one full term in the Senate.

Now that he is bastardizing Edwards' platform, and his speeches, I like him even less.

[For PaisAn]

14. You hit the nail on the head

"I am appalled by his audacity (to use one of his favorite terms) in believing he's qualified to run for the highest office in the land without even having served one full term in the Senate."

That is exactly how I feel about him running for President, it's absolute audacity.

He is not in the least bit inspiring, I just feel like I'm being conned.

Will vote for whoever is the Dem nominee in November but I can't fathom him beating McCain.

[balantz]

15. If he is nominated and does beat McCain

he will be a puppet, willingly or unwillingly, of the neocon agenda. They will let him get some goodies out for the people, like some kind of monstrous healthcare maybe. But with a "depression" looming, we'll see how much of a FDR he is capable, or allowed to be.

America really needed John.

[For PaisAn]

17. Yes

anyone who believes they can sit down at the table and work with these people is living in a fairy tale world. And selling a pipe dream that people are buying.

It is all our loss that Edwards suspended his campaign.

[MissDeeds]

21. You are so right

I am not in favor of this "reaching across the aisle" approach that Obama espouses. With all the crap the Repubs have thrown our way over the past 15 years, the only way we should reach across the aisle is to slap the hell out of them.

I want a nominee who is from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. That was John Edwards.

[Two Americas]

19. oh goody gum drops

I just felt so lost without a lead dog, without being able to snuggle my nose up to a lead dog's rear end. It was scary!

Just replace one hero with a new hero. He is kinda like the old candidate we had, sort of isn't he? And we have to have a candidate. If we didn't have a candidate, what would we talk about? And why not swap out the old candidate for the new candidate? We live in a "disposable society" - toss one celebrity and latch on to a new one - and we can't possibly consider standing on our own two feet, i=or uisng our brains, no we must choooooose, and then follow along obediently and stay in line. If we don't, the big bad Republicans will get us!!!! Oh, pleeeease, Democratic party leaders. Please protect us from the big bad Republicans. We are so scared!

The new and improved oxy-scrubbing "Hope" brand will get out all of that annoying political bickering. We can all stand on a hillside and sing "We are the world" and wish all our troubles away. "Gray skies are gonna clear up! Put on a happy face."

It isn't as though there were anything big at stake, just the fate of the human race and the entire planet. But screw all that - it was giving me such a headache to think about anyway, and how much can one little person stand? I do the best I can! It is so hard thinking about all of this.

We just need to chant "I think I can" and stay reeeal positive, people! - let's feel good! Can I hear an amen? Let's hold hands and have togetherness! Unity and hope! It's the dawn of a new ad campaign! It's mourning in America! Screw those baby boomers. If it hadn't been for them, the Reagan presidency would have been great!

Sam Adams had something to say about this...

"It is a very great mistake to imagine that the object of loyalty is the authority and interest of one individual man, however dignified by the applause or enriched by the success of popular actions."


And another one from Sam...

“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen!”

[chimpymustgo]

22. Another tough pill - Obama supporters. The crap they are unloading on JRE because he hasn't

kneeled down and kissed Obama's gown. UGGGGGGHHHHHHH.

Last night I put 5 more Obamatrons on ignore. I loathe some of these people. They are so arrogant, gloating, and naive, and some are quite stupid. There is no logic to their arguments. You cannot discuss an issue. Oh, and anyone who is not onboard gets thrown immediately under the bus. Good Democrats - people we have applauded for years - BAM! They're now hate-mongering hacks and traitors for not falling into line.

[Two Americas]

24. hypothetical

Let's say we all decided to "support" one of the candidates, and then we all will go into the booth in November and vote for the Dem.

What does "support" mean is one question I have.

But anyway, let's say we all decide that we are in the bag for the Dems. OK, do we have to talk about that and only that between now and November? "Oh gosh such a dilemma, I just don't know how I will cast my one vote."

Is that what "support" means? To only talk about voting, and to talk about nothing that could in any way interfere with the endless obsessive talk about voting?

I think "support" actually means "smash up any critics of the party and the candidates, and thereby keep the discussion within very narrow and tightly controlled parameters."

That seems to me to be the practical effect of the voting talk and the loyalty talk - suppress thinking and discussion.