Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Obama and the Power of Words
The Wall Street Journal ^ | February 26, 2008 | STEPHEN F. HAYES

Posted on 02/26/2008 10:11:22 PM PST by ThePythonicCow

...

One Reagan adviser had predicted such a win shortly after Reagan had become the de facto nominee the previous spring. In a memo about the coming general election contest with Jimmy Carter, Richard Whalen wrote Reagan's "secret weapon" was that "Democrats fail to take him very seriously."

Are Republicans making the same mistake with Barack Obama?

...

In just the past week, conservative commentators have accused Mr. Obama of speaking in "Sesame Street platitudes," of giving speeches that are "almost content free," of "saying nothing." He has been likened to Chance the Gardner, the clueless mope in Jerzy Koscinski's "Being There," whose banal utterances are taken as brilliant by a gullible political class.

...

The assumption behind much of this criticism is that because Mr. Obama gives a good speech he cannot do substance. This is wrong. Mr. Obama has done well in most of the Democratic debates because he has consistently shown himself able to think on his feet. Even on health care, a complicated national issue that should be Mrs. Clinton's strength, Mr. Obama has regularly fought her to a draw by displaying a grasp of the details that rivals hers, and talking about it in ways Americans can understand.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: banglist; obama; reagan; stephenhayes; yobama
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-110 next last
To: ari-freedom
Hah ... I wish.

Universal health care is one of those leftist rallying cries that will not die, until it delivers us unto tyranny first.

It's one of the more serious of the leftist cancers.

21 posted on 02/26/2008 10:45:05 PM PST by ThePythonicCow (By their false faith in Man as God, the left would destroy us. They call this faith change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: ThePythonicCow
I take Obama seriously.

I also think he believes in his leftest views.

But...

His leftest view implemented will produce the exact opposite of his stated goals. That’s why he’s a fool. Foolish behavior produces the opposite of the desired outcome. Not only will the poor be poorer, so will everyone else.

Basically his solutions are feel good solutions that don't take into account the long term consequences. You can't take from productive people and give it to nonproductive people and increase a nation's wealth. It does just the opposite. Money is a tool. Take away that tool from people who know how to use it and give it to those who don't and we as a nation produce less. The less we produce the poorer we all are and the less we can do on any number of fronts.

22 posted on 02/26/2008 10:45:42 PM PST by DB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ThePythonicCow
I have never posted lyrics before, but heard this great song from the past ;) and felt it was just so appropriate regarding the "esteemed" Sen. B.H.Obama...:

Cult of Personality
by Living Colour

Look into my eyes, what do you see?
Cult of Personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you want to be

I'm the Cult of Personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the Cult of Personality
Cult of Personality
Cult of Personality

Neon lights, A Nobel Price
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set me free

I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your T.V.
I'm the Cult of Personality

I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I'm the Cult of Personality

Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
I'm the Cult of Personality
Cult of Personality
Cult of Personality

Neon lights a Nobel Prize
A leader speaks, that leader dies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set you free

You gave me fortune
You gave me fame
You me power in your God's name
I'm every person you need to be
I'm the Cult of Personality

23 posted on 02/26/2008 10:47:31 PM PST by xhrist ("You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. " - C.S. Lewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fantom

I think what we need to do is focus on his policies i.e. apparently pro-partial birth abortion, etc. He’s pro-illegal but then so is McCain! So that’s a no-go. I don’t want to be in Iraq 100 years but I don’t think we should ive it to Al Quida by 1/30/2009 either.

I probably agree with some of his ideas if I understand them properly - the American worker has been left behind in NAFTA, etc. I don’t want to talk to someone in India for tech support. Why can’t we make our own steel? I’m afraid we are bankrupting ourselves. We need our own energy, we do need to re-invest in the US. Drudge says gas could go to $4/gallon. The euro is now $1.50.

I’m not saying I’m voting for Obama....I can’t handle the liberalism....but I can see how he makes sense. I don’t like what our side has been doing. That’s why I liked Fred - I thought he would have taken us back to reality.


24 posted on 02/26/2008 10:49:27 PM PST by Aria (NO RAPIST ENABLER FOR PRESIDENT!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: drubyfive

I know but I was just trying to generate some enthusiasm...


25 posted on 02/26/2008 10:49:28 PM PST by Rennes Templar ( Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ThePythonicCow

one of the reasons why I support reimportation of drugs from canada is that it would put a heavy strain on their system. Price controls would collapse as canadians would be paying for cheaper drugs for us (and there are a lot more Americans than canadians). Combine that with a harper govt and you could see the end of socialized medicine there.


26 posted on 02/26/2008 10:50:25 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: ThePythonicCow
My comment: We underestimate Obama at our own peril.

I agree.

27 posted on 02/26/2008 10:52:33 PM PST by nutmeg (Obama supporters: Drink the Kool-Aid? Yes we can!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom
Not really, he pushes the same single payor plan .
I should know that is part of my job.
That is a key part of his radical wealth redistribution plan.
He is a socialist and mentioned that plan in his Marxist rant after his WI primary win !
28 posted on 02/26/2008 10:54:17 PM PST by ncalburt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Aria

I’d rather have Americans making money
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MTc2NDRkOGY5NmUwOGZiMWE3NDEzOGE3YzdiYTAwNGM=


29 posted on 02/26/2008 10:55:22 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom

They flock to FLA and S Texas in the winter for the health care.


30 posted on 02/26/2008 10:56:10 PM PST by ncalburt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: ThePythonicCow

The idea of Universal healthcare has been around since FDR. Truman picked up the banner after FDR died, and it was also part of Nixon’s agenda.


31 posted on 02/26/2008 10:59:54 PM PST by counterpunch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dl32Y7wDVDs)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: xhrist
More details for those "Cult of Personality" lyrics:

32 posted on 02/26/2008 11:03:38 PM PST by ThePythonicCow (By their false faith in Man as God, the left would destroy us. They call this faith change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom

Clinton *raised* taxes and did not balance the budget. The Republican Congress did the latter by refusing to spend the additional tax revenues that came from the tax increases that the Democrats and Clinton had passed in ‘90 and ‘93.


33 posted on 02/26/2008 11:03:46 PM PST by Post Toasties (It's not a smear if it's true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: counterpunch
Obama is a Daley and radical union hack lawyer and there front man.
He is a member of the Democrat Socialist of America of Chicago.
The unions see socialize healthcare as a way to bail out the stupid car industry they have soaked for years with outrageous health care demands.
34 posted on 02/26/2008 11:04:33 PM PST by ncalburt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom

Thanks! That helped to see the bigger picture. That’s the sort of thing we’ll need more of to hold the White House.

I think this $4/gallon gas prediction has got me freaked out. There was a caller to Rush the other day who was going on and on about how the cost of energy is going to kill our economy. His restaurant used to cost $5500 for energy a short time ago (can’t remember how long) and his most recent monthly invoice is 11k. This guy, who has been in business for years, must be thinking that no one will be able to afford to eat out anymore if this keeps up. The guy made sense and Rush agreed with him. They said the Sierra Club and their ilk are ruining our economy.


35 posted on 02/26/2008 11:04:56 PM PST by Aria (NO RAPIST ENABLER FOR PRESIDENT!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom
I don't understand ... how does our reimportation put a strain on canada?
36 posted on 02/26/2008 11:06:28 PM PST by ThePythonicCow (By their false faith in Man as God, the left would destroy us. They call this faith change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: drubyfive; Rennes Templar
"The words on Free Republic utterly failed to influence the election."


...for both parties.

;o(

37 posted on 02/26/2008 11:08:00 PM PST by dixiechick2000 (There ought to be one day-- just one-- when there is open season on senators. ~~ Will Rogers)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: counterpunch
Yup. FDR was a sort of soft Stalinist, killing us gently instead of by Revolution.
38 posted on 02/26/2008 11:08:17 PM PST by ThePythonicCow (By their false faith in Man as God, the left would destroy us. They call this faith change.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Post Toasties

Of course, to be fair, ‘Read My Lips’ was also complicit in passing the ‘90 Democrat Congressional tax increase.


39 posted on 02/26/2008 11:10:37 PM PST by Post Toasties (It's not a smear if it's true.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: ncalburt

I know he’s a liberal and really for a single payer plan. But that’s not the debate he’s having vs Hillary. He appears to want less coercion, no universal mandate and even democrats can identify with that and dumping hillary because of it.


40 posted on 02/26/2008 11:12:29 PM PST by ari-freedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-110 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson