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HANSON: Obama proves all too human
The Washington Times ^ | 9/21/08 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 09/21/2008 6:51:36 AM PDT by mathprof

Many things Barack Obama did to soar past Hillary Clinton during the primaries now cause him problems as the general-election race tightens.

Mr. Obama once ran successfully as a novel outside critic of Washington. He posed as a politically correct critic of discrimination of all sorts. As an idealist tired of the old Washington doublespeak, Mr. Obama mesmerized thousands with sermons against incumbent dinosaurs.

His own sense of sainthood was only strengthened when he wowed swarms in front of European monuments, and stepped out on a Democratic National Convention stage replete with Greek columns. But the loftier the moral expectations Mr. Obama created, the more the disappointment grew when they couldn't possibly be met.

Take his signature "hope and change" mantra. It was a natural rallying cry. Either a Bush or Clinton has been in the White House for the last 20 years. Voters were unhappy with the current president - and yet apparently didn't want another Clinton. Meanwhile, the economy has been rocky, and much of the American public has grown tired of our involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[snip]

For the hope-and-change candidate, those natural readjustments now appear insincere and opportunistic - especially given that he had to move so far from the left to get to the middle. On campaign-finance reform, the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act, the North American Free Trade Agreement, abortion, capital punishment, guns, Iran, Iraq, the surge and drilling offshore, Mr. Obama has fudged on his earlier positions in the normal way of savvy pragmatists - but not in a manner befitting angelic idealists.

The new Barack Obama probably will recover his temporary setback in the polls. But right now his problem is that disappointed independent voters are catching on that this saintly savior is all too human.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; obama; obamabiden; vdh

1 posted on 09/21/2008 6:51:36 AM PDT by mathprof
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To: mathprof

“Many things Barack Obama did to soar past Hillary Clinton during the primaries”

Had he not gotten an early lead he would have lost. Hitlary was gaining fast at the end but ran out of states.

She should have challenged Odumbo in those other 7 states. LOL


2 posted on 09/21/2008 6:56:42 AM PDT by diverteach (http://foolishpleasurestudio.com/eyewool/slap_hillary.html)
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To: mathprof
Refreshing. Nice to read one non-McC/Palin bashing piece.
3 posted on 09/21/2008 7:02:28 AM PDT by maine-iac7 (No trees were killed in sending this message but a lot of electrons were terribly agitated)
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To: diverteach

If the rat primaries were held today, Hitlary would wipe the floor with The Empty Suit.


4 posted on 09/21/2008 7:02:45 AM PDT by AmericaUnited
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To: diverteach
Obama's main draw was his personality. Now that's back down to earth, there's nothing to distinguish him from other Democratic politicians of campaigns past, except for his race. And even that is no longer a novelty.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

5 posted on 09/21/2008 7:04:36 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: AmericaUnited
If the rat primaries were held today, Hitlary would wipe the floor with The Empty Suit.

Yep. Almost time for the flying monkeys to bring out his real birth certificate...

6 posted on 09/21/2008 7:10:43 AM PDT by null and void (0bama: One year's experience. Biden: One year's experience, thirty times.)
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To: mathprof

He was pure sugar to the cultists that nominate the Dem candidate.


7 posted on 09/21/2008 7:20:00 AM PDT by junta ("Better dead than white")
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To: mathprof

I didn’t know demons were human.


8 posted on 09/21/2008 7:24:29 AM PDT by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: mathprof
Anybody who believes that Obama as an angelic idealist instead of a mendacious politician is a fool.

Evidently there are millions of fools in the U.S.A.

9 posted on 09/21/2008 8:09:56 AM PDT by Savage Beast (If anyone can deal with a hostile climate and a pack of wolves it's the Governor of Alaska!)
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To: mathprof; diverteach; maine-iac7; AmericaUnited; goldstategop; null and void; junta; P-Marlowe; ...

It was that megalomaniacal, Greek-columned, “Temple of Obama” that was the last straw for our Dr. Hanson, the classical scholar.


10 posted on 09/21/2008 9:22:24 AM PDT by sinanju
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To: sinanju

The American people should have rejected Obama at the first straw. For a man like this even to be a serious candidate for the Presidency is cause for alarm.


11 posted on 09/21/2008 9:57:21 AM PDT by Savage Beast (If anyone can deal with a hostile climate and a pack of wolves it's the Governor of Alaska!)
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