May 22, 2012
FSM HOT TOPICS
Exclusive: Friday, August 8
by PRESIDENTIAL WATCH August 8, 2008
See a very funny video recapping the now over-utilized theme of "change" in the '08 campaign - GO HERE.
Barack Obama: Pretense galore
Michael Graham, Boston Herald.com
Is Sen. Barack Obama just too weird to be elected president?
Since the day Obama claimed the Democratic nomination, pundits and political pros have been waiting for him to take a significant lead in the polls. Here we are in August, and not only has Obama failed to get the Democrat’s traditional summertime bump, he’s tied with John McCain in the latest Gallup and Rasmussen polls.
In a lousy year for Republicans, against a GOP nominee who combines the youthful effervescence of Wilford Brimley with the soaring oratory of a life insurance seminar, Obama is actually losing ground.
Why?
Obama, sadly, blames race. It’s all about evil Republicans, he claims, trying to scare voters by telling them “I don’t look like those guys on the dollar bills” and “Did I mention he’s black?”
It was during a conversation with my radio listeners about Obama’s birthday trip to Boston yesterday that I got a glimpse into the Chosen One’s real problem. Read article.
The Best or Wurst of Times - Life with John McCain.
Kathleen Parker, NRO.com
John McCain and Barack Obama seem to occupy different universes.
In McCain’s universe, the planets rotate around the sun in a predictable pattern. In Obama’s universe, he is the sun — and we are but minor planets revolving around his brilliant countenance.
Rarely have the different orbits of these two men been more vivid than last week. While Obama was enacting the rapture before 200,000 worshipers in Berlin, McCain was grinding out economic policy with fellow earthlings at Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus in Columbus, Ohio. Its motto: “The Best of the Wurst!”
One is a Sun God — a young deus ex machina who entered the national stage just four years ago; the other is an old soldier rendered witness to the shifting tides.
Yet, despite Obama’s amazing miracle tour last week through the Middle East and Europe — and despite McCain’s recent missteps — the veteran is still not losing to the novice. Why not? Read article.
Update on “Tiny” Countries That “Don’t Pose a Serious Threat”
Arnold Ahlert, Political Mavens.com
“Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don’t pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us.”–Barack Obama, May 18th, 2008
It is a stretch to suggest that while much of the American public and a grossly irresponsible media are caught up in “Obama-mania,” our enemies conspire against us? Let’s take the latest news about the above countries one-by-one:
–Iran. Unquestionably the world’s number one sponsor of international terrorism.
–Cuba. As of two days ago, the U.S.S.R.–oops, I mean Russia–has stated its desire to put nuclear bombers in that bastion of Soviet-style Communism–situated 90 miles from our coastline.
–Venezuela Hugo Chavez has just concluded a series of deals with Russia to acquire billions of dollars of additional military equipment.
With four-plus-dollars-a-gallon gas to distract them, Americans may be overly focused on the economy regarding the 2008 election. Is the economy important? Absolutely. But as some mesmerized-for-Obama Americans clearly forget, one of the biggest blows to our economy occurred on September 11th, 2001. We haven’t had another attack since for one reason: our current president clearly understands what constitutes a “serious threat” to America. So does John McCain.
Barack Obama? A man who doesn’t “pose a serious threat” to those who would do us harm. Read article.
This liberal still not sure why he should vote for Obama
Richard Cohen, JWR.com
"Just tell me one thing Barack Obama has done that you admire," I asked a prominent Democrat. He paused and then said that he admired Obama's speech to the Democratic convention in 2004. I agreed. It was a hell of a speech, but it was just a speech.
On the other hand, I continued, I could cite four or five actions — not speeches — that John McCain has taken that elicit my admiration, even my awe. First, of course, is his decision as a Vietnam prisoner of war to refuse freedom out of concern that he would be exploited for propaganda purposes. To paraphrase what Kipling said about Gunga Din, John McCain is a better man than most.
Obama argues that he himself stuck to the biggest gun of all: opposition to the war. He took that position when the war was enormously popular, the president who initiated it was even more popular and critics of both were slandered as unpatriotic. But at the time, Obama was a mere Illinois state senator, representing the (very) liberal Hyde Park area of Chicago. He either voiced his conscience or his district's leanings or (lucky fella) both. We will never know. Read article.
Check, Please
James Taranto, Online WSJ.com
One of the most appealing features of the Barack Obama candidacy is the idea that Obama is "postracial"--that he is a candidate who is black and does not practice the adversarial politics of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. This is why his 20-year association with the racist anti-American crackpot Jeremiah Wright was potentially so damaging to him, and why Jesse Jackson's lurid fantasies of sexually mutilating Obama were such a great stroke of luck for the candidate.
But a story in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin raises serious questions about Obama's postracialism. The paper describes an Obama appearance at Unity '08, "a convention of four minority journalism associations":
"I personally would want to see our tragic history, or the tragic elements of our history, acknowledged," the Democratic presidential hopeful said.
"I consistently believe that when it comes to whether it's Native Americans or African-American issues or reparations, the most important thing for the U.S. government to do is not just offer words, but offer deeds."
Exactly what Obama is advocating here cannot be determined, but it seems to be something of an endorsement of the idea of "reparations for slavery," which is usually taken to mean cash payments. In this view, the following deeds are insufficient to balance the ledger between America and the descendants of slaves: the Civil War, the ratification of the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, Brown v. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the continuing practice of racial preferences.
The idea of reparations is highly unpopular, and with good reason. Read article.
A Lousy Latin Lover
IBD Editorials.com
Following Barack Obama's European tour, Bill Richardson has big plans for the candidate to visit Latin America next. But a look at what Obama has in store doesn't give the region much to look forward to.
The New Mexico governor says "discussions" for an Obama Latin America trip are being held. "He wants to emphasize that his administration would not be Europe-centric or only focused on the Middle East."
Can't argue with that. After all, it's the same regional commitment that rival John McCain showed with his little-covered visits to Colombia, Mexico and Canada. Obama has yet to set foot in the region and has made only two speeches about the area. Nor did he mention Latin America in his citizen-of-the-world speech in Berlin.
That may have something to do with Obama's plans for the region, which are loaded with new walls and sanctions, especially for allies.
What exactly would Obama say if he went to Latin America? Read article.
America's High Priest
Rick Small, Jewish Ledger.com
All of our presidential campaigns go on with the undercurrent of a quest for the high-priesthood. Conjure the image of Reagan after the Challenger tragedy or, Clinton at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing, both skillfully applying a priestly balm to the hurt of the American psyche.
Remember the near constant drone “gravitas” during the 2000 campaign. That was not just a made up media catch phrase, it reflected a concern that the new president have the proper bearing appropriate to the revered position. All presidents are held to an impossible standard. That is why we tend to honor them mostly when they are gone from office. The intensity of many Americans’ feelings, either right or left, is also a reflection of the religious intensity engendered by our civil religion. Many Americans see themselves either Democrat or Republican by birth — much as they inherit their family’s religion.
This year’s campaign, freighted with questions of gender, race and age has added new dimensions for the quest of the high priesthood. Does Obama have the experience and wisdom expected and needed? Does John McCain’s age and health weigh against the need for a vigorous leader? At this point in the race, from the perspective of our civil religion, the questions are still unanswered. Read article.
McCain's True Voice
David Ignatius, Washington Post.com
McCain wrote in a magazine article soon after his homecoming in March 1973: "Now that I'm back, I find a lot of hand-wringing about this country. I don't buy that. I think America today is a better country than the one I left nearly six years ago."
That healing gift is what McCain, at his best, brings to the presidential race -- not the brass marching band of military valor but the tolerance of someone who has truly suffered. It's evident in his achievements as a senator: He had been tortured himself, so he campaigned, against intense pressure from the Bush administration, for a ban on torture; he had been caught as one of the "Keating Five" in a sleazy campaign finance scandal, so he defied his party and became a crusader for campaign finance and ethics reforms.
What's damaging the McCain campaign now, I suspect, is that this fiercely independent man is trying to please other people -- especially a Republican leadership that doesn't really trust him. He should give that up and be the person whose voice shines through the pages of his life story. Read article.
Obama Wants You!
IBD Editorials.com
Barack Obama calls it "Universal Voluntary Public Service." We call it a plan for national involuntary servitude. Kennedy asked us what we could do for our country. Obama has ways to make us volunteer.
Sen. Obama's call to public service is quite different from JFK's. JFK knew America was already a nation of givers and volunteers, perhaps the most charitable and altruistic nation on Earth. Entities such as the Peace Corps would give Americans an outlet for their kindness and generosity, an opportunity to share what the freest nation on Earth had given them. Obama will force you to share.
Obama's Orwellian use of the words "universal" and "voluntary" together is an indicator of an antithesis to capitalist society deeply rooted in his socialist associations, education and training. Indeed, in 1996, when he ran for an Illinois state Senate seat, one of his first endorsements was from the Chicago branch of the Democratic Socialists of America.
On the surface, his plan looks just like typical bureaucratic program growth. He wants to expand Americorps to 250,000 slots and double the size of the Peace Corps. He'll create a Clean Energy Corps to plant trees and otherwise save the Earth. It's how Obama plans to fill those slots that's worrisome. Read article.
The Democrat Abomnation!
Colonel Bob Pappas, USMC, Retired, Gulf1.com
Military commanders have historically been subjected to that temptation and suppress it, some with greater success than others. The most recent despicable example is General Wesley Clark who still hasn't gotten over it and who soiled himself the more in a failed attempt to besmirch John McCain's incomprehensible sacrifices for all Americans.
Note for Senator Obama: Take a lesson from the wise counsel offered by my predecessor. You may believe you are "…the ones we've been waiting for." But despite the media outpouring for the past two months and their fawning at your feet across the Middle East and Europe, your ratings do not show the return on their investment; and, despite McCain's constant attempts to give you the edge by his less-than-brilliant comments about how wonderful Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi are, he still manages to be even with or above you in the polls. You sir, will evaporate like the morning mist in the bright light of reality as McCain's Campaign becomes increasingly organized and focused.
And finally, Obama reacted that McCain's Campaign took an unfair "shot" at his "rock star" behavior with the Spears/Hilton advertisement, stating that he didn't understand why McCain would do that when there are important issues to debate.
I don't speak for McCain, but respond to the Senator from Illinois: there is no merit in debating an empty suit. With that noted, Obama has had a goodly number of opportunities to jointly appear with Senator McCain at town hall meetings, and declined. Why Senator? Scared? Read article.
Overseas Money Flowing to Presidential Candidates
Beth Sussman, The Hill.com
Record amounts of overseas money are flowing into the presidential campaigns, and finance experts say there is no sure way to rule out that foreigners are making illegal donations. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), who spoke to an adoring crowd of 200,000 in Berlin last week, has already received twice as much money from abroad as President Bush and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) did together during the entire 2004 campaign.
While only American citizens by law may donate to the campaigns, finance experts say it would not be that difficult to circumvent the safeguards that have been put into place to prevent foreigners from giving to U.S. presidential campaigns — if they are willing to make false statements and risk legal trouble in the U.S.
“An individual can easily donate online and otherwise, and if they’re dishonest or overenthusiastic, they can lie about who they are and what their status is to make an unlawful contribution,” said Jan Baran, an elections and ethics lawyer with the firm Wiley Rein.
Federal laws mandate that contributors to federal, state and local elections must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with green cards. But with so many Americans living abroad and donating to campaigns, it can be difficult to make sure donations are truly from American citizens, experts say. Read article.
The Obama Uncertainty Principle
Philip Klein, Spectator.org
Quantum physicist Werner Heisenberg famously posited that it is impossible to precisely measure the position and momentum of a particle simultaneously. His "uncertainty principle," in popular usage, has come to mean that any attempt to observe something changes what is being observed.
This is becoming an accurate description of Barack Obama's quest for the White House.
When Obama suggested, weeks before visiting Iraq, that he could "refine" his 16-month timetable for withdrawal from Iraq after meeting with commanders, he came under fire for flip-flopping on the signature issue of his campaign. Coming on the heels of his reversals on FISA, public financing, and gun rights, Obama was starting to look like John Kerry redux.
So Obama dug in, and reiterated his support for a 16-month withdrawal timetable, to be instituted regardless of the advice of commanders or conditions on the ground. But this drew criticism for recklessly putting ideology over sound strategy, and so in an interview with Newsweek this past weekend, Obama said the number of residual troops he would leave in Iraq would be "entirely conditions-based."
Losing presidential candidates tend to get stung by simple narratives. Michael Dukakis became known as the soft, bleeding-heart liberal in 1988, the elder President Bush was seen as out of touch in 1992, Al Gore was the serial exaggerator in 2000, and Kerry was the flip-flopper in 2004. Read article.
Family Security Matters does not endorse any candidate for any public office. Our Contributing Editors’ opinions are their own, and do not reflect those of FSM.
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The #twittergulag saga continues: @gopfirecracker suspended, others still trapped
May 21, 2012 11:54 PM
#freegopfirecracker #freegopfirecracker #freegopfirecracker #freegopfirecracker— Dale Holt (@DaleHolt8) May 22, 2012 Come on conservatives! Everyone rallied around @ChrisLoesch when he was suspended! Now its @gopfirecracker so stand up! #freegopfirecracker— Schmoop (@RGSchmoop) May 22, 2012 Hey @twitter and @support – #FreeGOPfirecracker's account has been suspended. Please fix this mishap. Thank you.— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) May 22, 2012 [...]
Cory Booker tweets #IStandWithObama; Hashtag hijackers flood the zone
May 21, 2012 11:39 PM
Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, the Democrat who defended Bain from the Obama campaign's attacks yesterday morning, has been backpedaling more furiously than a clown on a high wire. Tonight, in an effort to mollify his critics on the Left, he posted four tweets that included the hashtag #IStandWithObama. Conservatives immediately took over the #IStandWithObama hashtag to mock President Obama, and within an hour it became a trending topic.
Cory Booker tries to clear up his position on Bain attacks
May 21, 2012 10:25 PM
Cory Booker continued his quest to run screaming away from the apparently too candid comments he made on Meet the Press on Sunday. Despite attempts earlier today to #FreeCoryBooker from those trying to force him to apologize Booker went on the Rachel Maddow show to do everything he could to walk back what he said. Que the mockery.
Obama's 'When you're president' picture spawns hashtag
May 21, 2012 09:59 PM
"When you're president, as opposed to the head of a private equity firm, then your job is not simply to maximize profits. Your job is to figure out how everybody in the country has a fair shot." -Barack Obama
Cue #WhenYouArePresident
Obama takes anti-Romney rant to Twitter
May 21, 2012 09:49 PM
It started off this morning with a video of a woman named Valerie from Indiana posted by Barack Obama’s official Twitter account. 12 hours, 12 tweets and a failed hashtag later, Obama’s reelection team took the day to tweet ongoing misinformation about Mitt Romney’s record in the private sector, specifically Bain Capital’s work with the [...]
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