Barack Obama could win a landslide [Assuming Convinces American Public of his Patriotism]

Timesonline.com ^ | June 5th, 2008 | Dick Morris

[The_Republican]

Most aspiring presidents and prime ministers face a myriad of challenges as they embark on their journey. Controversial issues, questions about ethics or past conduct, wounds within their party all raise their heads. But the doubts that Barack Obama faces are far more existential than the superficial questions about most candidates. They go to his very core as a person, calling into question his values, his world view, even his patriotism.

Hard racial divisions have softened in America, but fear of the “other” persists. Their possible next president has a strange name. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia. He had a Muslim Kenyan father who left when he was a baby. He made his political career in the cesspool of American politics - the traditionally corrupt Chicago Democratic machine.

His pastor of 20 years, after whose sermons he named a book, seems to hate white people in general and America in particular (despite $15 million federal funding for his church). His wife says that she is proud of America for the first time in her adult life - and she is in her mid-forties. He is a bit of a reach for the average American voter.

If he were white he would be suspect. But he comes from a world that few white voters know or understand. Fears linger that he is some kind of latter-day Manchurian candidate, a sleeper poised to take control of the US Government.

What makes all this particularly difficult to fathom is that Mr Obama is a mild-mannered intellectual, with a marvellous sense of poise and decorum, who handles himself eloquently and with dignity, bringing to politics a style and grace not seen since JFK. His pedigree includes Columbia University and Harvard Law, where he edited the Law Review. He taught constitutional law. His manner and appearance are as far from his controversial background and associates as one could imagine.

But the disjuncture between who he is and what his background and associations suggest he might be, is so profound that it leads to the most basic of doubts and worries among American voters.

Hillary Clinton has always been a bête noire to blue-collar, downscale, American men. But they lined up to vote for her, so deep was their fear of who Mr Obama might turn out to be. Their inveterate sexism was no match for the racial fears ignited by the questions around Mr Obama.

None of these questions is of Mr Obama's own making. In two years of campaigning, in an environment in which every waking moment is recorded, he has never uttered a single word to lend credence to those who imagine him an alien figure. He has been consistently classy, almost boringly straight. The worst one could say about him is that he is a Hamlet-like intellectual who is often subject to paralysis by analysis.

But to win, Mr Obama must reach down deep and dispel the doubts people have about him. So far, he has avoided inflaming them and taken great care not to lend them any credibility by his own statements or positions. Now, he must go further and reassure voters who want to believe him, but are afraid.

Is America ready for a black president? Hell, yes. Mr Obama's triumphs in states where there are virtually no blacks attest to it. Until the Rev Jeremiah Wright opened his mouth, the candidate was sweeping white voters. Even when the black community discovered Mr Obama and abandoned their historical affection for the Clintons, the white electorate refused to polarise along racial lines; Mr Obama consistently won about half of the white vote. But when Mr Wright spoke, he sent a shiver of fear down the nation's spine and millions of voters who wanted to back Mr Obama, and hated George W. Bush, abandoned the black candidate out of fear.

Blowing away this miasma of doubt will not be easy. Mr Obama, a private person who dislikes public displays of emotion, will have to speak from the heart about what America means to him. He will have to embrace our national sense of uniqueness and give voice to what Ronald Reagan said: “You can call it mysticism if you want to, but I have always believed that there was some divine plan that placed this great continent between two oceans to be sought out by those who were possessed of an abiding love of freedom and a special kind of courage.”

American exceptionalism is deeply rooted in our national consciousness and has been so offended by Mr Wright's characterisation of the US as a force of evil in the world that Mr Obama must assuage that hurt if he wishes to appease our fears.

While the US has always worked to keep Church separate from government, there has always been a kind of civil religion in America that speaks to our values and mission in the world. The president of the United States is the high priest of that religion and it is up to him to give it voice and apply it to the challenges that pop up in our path. Mr Obama must make clear to his countrymen that he subscribes to that faith and can pick up his duties as high priest. He needs to articulate the narrative that underpins the nation's faith in itself and show that he identifies with it.

I doubt that this election will be close. Either Mr Obama or John McCain will win it in a landslide, depending on whether or not Mr Obama can fulfil his existential mission of explaining to the American people who he really is.

Dick Morris was Bill Clinton's campaign manager in the 1996 election and encouraged him to pursue a policy of “triangulation”

[Veto!]

Hey Jeff, you think someone should rework this poster advertising the hilarious '60s movie, Putney Swope? It's beyond my skill level.

You really have to see Putney (Obama) Swope. Hopefully some skilled freeper can reword this poster to read "Truth and Soul Campaign" and "Up the USA."

Product Description:
A hallmark of 1960s radicalism and one of the first major underground films Robert Downey Sr.'s seminal Putney Swope remains a classic of social satire. After the CEO croaks during a boardroom meeting at a Madison Avenue ad agency members trying to sabotage each other's chance of winning the top spot each vote for the token black guy thereby electing Putney Swope. Swope swoops into action firing them all and replacing them with armed radicals soul brothers and sexy red-hot mamas. Re-naming the agency "Truth and Soul" Putney sets about revolutionizing the corporate world of advertising banning the marketing of products such as cigarettes alcohol and violent toys. The agency produces raucous kooky TV spots - offensive humorous and at first wildly successful. But can "Truth and Soul" last not only in advertising but within Putney himself?System Requirements:Running Time 84 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: R UPC: 014381315929 Manufacturer No: HVE3159DVD

Available at Amazon.com. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Putney-Swope-Allan-Arbus/dp/B000FUF7DK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1212693965&sr=8-1

[LegalEagle61]

Morris has predicted all three candidates will win the presidency as well as 13 others who weren’t even running. Yeah I think I even heard him say MY dog would win....lol Come to think of it, given the choice we have, my dog would do a better job and he's cute on top of it and works for Milk Bones...

[LegalEagle61]

Morris has predicted all three candidates will win the presidency as well as 13 others who weren’t even running.

Yeah I think I even heard him say MY dog would win....lol Come to think of it, given the choice we have, my dog would do a better job and he's cute on top of it and works for Milk Bones...

[dforest]

I have to jump in and add this in light of BO’s supposed care for Veterans.

Typical BO, he want’s to make sure we respect our vets by making sure they have mental health care and are not homeless. Barack is a sick punk.

Hey Barack, you and your sick party of America hatin’Democraps have done nothing since our brave troops went into to action but try to make them into war criminals, put them on trial, publically besmirch them, and demoralize them, in any way you can in order to make it seem they are losers.

Perhaps if you supported their mission and showed them the respect they deserve for doing something you would never do, like put your life on the line for the US, they would not end up hopeless and on the streets.

You and your fellow Demoncrats, for power hungry selfish reasons have put them in dire straights by denying them the status of American Heroes. Shame on you Obama, there is nothing slightly magic about you and your racist family.

Okay, done with my rant. Had to.

f

[Godwin1]

Yes, he could win in a landslide. He has the entire media on his side and McCain, a media hero for the last 8 years, will be shell-shocked when the media turns on him and begins to destroy him. McCain shows no stomach for the fight and will not hit Obama’s most vulnerable point—his One World, Please the Foreigners lack of national or patriotic feelings. Finally, real Republicans don't like McCain, seeing him, correctly, as a treacherous backstabber. I certainly would not lift a finger for him. So we may have to live with Obama. Too bad, but there it is.

[mort56]

Isn’t this the same Dick Morris who assured us that the PIAPS was guaranteed to be the Democratic Party nominee?

[LegalEagle61]

And Dick also said that America didn’t know Barry...but then Bill said—not a problem, we’ll have him on The Factor and then the folks will know him.

Yeah but funny how Obama is the ONLY candidate NOT to sit down for an interview on the Factor?

When it comes to being ASKED the tough questions that are NOT being asked by someone he planted OR that he is not able to give a rehearsed speech of his own--he declines. That is why he will duck McCain's offer for town hall meetings. That is also why he wants to do the style of the Lincoln-Douglas debates--he doesn't want someone asking about Reverend Wright, Bill Ayres, Tony Rezko, Trinity Church, (gee the list could go on and on) OR any question that will show his naivety and inexperience...but he will HAVE to eventually and on National TV...and then he will look like the liberal loser punk he is.

[KevinJohnson]

Condi VS Hilary, the next great presidential race huh?
He was 100% wrong then, as he is 100% wrong now on an Obama landslide.

[pennboricua]

Has anyone taken a close look at the back of his scalp a la Gregory Peck in the Omen? I wonder if there are any numbers there.

[Miss Didi]

Bill says he agreed to come on The Factor...(oh boy!) And he has also agreed to the Town Hall Meeting Road Show with McCain. (wonder if they will have “fainter” plants)

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Shortly after the Obama landslide, will come the Democrat Tsunami in the House and Senate.

Can you spell Super Majority? Just follow the money, Obama is getting three dollars to every one going to McGreen. Thank the RNC for this mess and partly on Shmuckabee for teaming up with McPain, by staying in until Romney was defeated.

Believe it or not, there are massive numbers of long time Conservatives refusing to vote for McNasty, who have voted every election for the last 30 years prior. It’s not just a small number of unappeasables pouting because they did not get their way. They are simply fed up with the path the GOP has taken this once great party and refuse to support it any longer.

And I don’t blame them one bit.

[LegalEagle61]

The bad thing is that the media as always continues to hide Obama’s dirt so that the American public who doesn’t really follow politics (not like we do) and relies on the MSM for news will continue to be duped. I know this first hand with my own family who of course after I have enlightened them will not vote for Obama. But honestly when I first asked some of them, they were in that Obama Magical Mystery Fog. They have since come to see the truth and now know what the media is up to.

This is what we all have to do, steer them the right way, make sure friends and family get the real scoop and not the biased MSM slant.

[WOSG]

Blowing away this miasma of doubt will not be easy. Mr Obama, a private person who dislikes public displays of emotion, will have to speak from the heart about what America means to him. He will have to embrace our national sense of uniqueness and give voice to what Ronald Reagan said: “You can call it mysticism if you want to, but I have always believed that there was some divine plan that placed this great continent between two oceans to be sought out by those who were possessed of an abiding love of freedom and a special kind of courage.” American exceptionalism is deeply rooted in our national consciousness and has been so offended by Mr Wright's characterisation of the US as a force of evil in the world that Mr Obama must assuage that hurt if he wishes to appease our fears.

Morris = blind squirrel = guesses no better than coin flips.

Morris is asking Obama to assuage fears based on fact, and to have obama evince a belief that he doesnt have. If Obama convincingly lies about his lifelong faith in leftist ideology, he might win. If the truth about Obama is known by Americans, he loses.

[WOSG]

“I doubt that this election will be close. Either Mr Obama or John McCain will win it in a landslide, depending on whether or not Mr Obama can fulfil his existential mission of explaining to the American people who he really is.”

PS. Based on Morris’ track record, this means it will be close.

[WOSG]

“and his policies are very similar to Barry’s.”

PUleeeze.
McCain the RINO is miles apart from Fauxbama’s leftist radical chic worldview, his capital gain tax hikes, his opposition to Roberts and Alito, his cut-n-run-n-talk-to-despots view of GWOT, etc.
Just because McCain has a few nanny-state diversions from conservatism doesnt make him as far left as Obama.

http://no-bama.blogspot.com

[Question_Assumptions]

Obama has repeatedly claimed that he didn't know the true character of various past associates that he was quite involved with. That makes him either a disasterously bad judge of character with a poor ability to read people or a liar, neither of which are good traits for a President.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

At least 70% of all the huge numbers planning on voting Democrat this election, will not spend enough time or pay attention to what is being said about their candidate. They have already made up their minds and their short or non-existent attention spans won’t allow much of anything to stick in their minds, none the less change them.

Forget about some media expose swaying massive public opinion either way. America is too preoccupied with American Idol, NASCAR, Football, getting the troops out of Iraq, Gorebull Warming and gas prices to even pay attention to a political candidate.

[george123]

Morris is looking for a job.

[KevinJohnson]

“Shortly after the Obama landslide,”

An Obama landslide has about the same chance of happening as an OSama landslide, and that is zero.
Obama peaked in February. Since February, and after the Jeremiah Wright race-hate tapes flooded the Internet, Obama has gotten his butt handed to him by Hilary by huge margins in the primaries. In very reliable Democratic strongholds like WV, Hilary smoked Obama by over 40%!!
And that was after the MSM had constantly hammered the public with the message that Hilary had no chance of winning the nomination. With no hope of winning the nomination, Hilary still beat Obama by over 40%. Just think about that for a minute.

” Just follow the money, Obama is getting three dollars to every one going to McGreen”

Why don't you follow the REAL votes in the Hilary vs Obama primaries since March?
Obama vastly outspent Hilary in PA(by 4 to 1 by some counts), and still got smoked by Hilary in PA. Thank Jeremiah Wright's race hate tapes for that.
There simply isn't enough dollars on the planet to erase the effect of Wright and Pfleger. You can't let the cat into the bag again after its been let out.
Obama is history.

[KevinJohnson]

“Forget about some media expose swaying massive public opinion either way. America is too preoccupied with American Idol, NASCAR, Football, getting the troops out of Iraq, Gorebull Warming and gas prices to even pay attention to a political candidate”

You have obviously not been following the Democratic primaries. In both WV and Kentucky primaries, exit polls tell us that, over 90% of the Democratic primary voters in both states, had heard about the Wright tapes, knew the racist hate that the tapes contained, and took that into consideration when deciding on who to vote for. That would explain why Obama lost by a staggering 40% in both states.
Even in Indiana, where Obama was massively ahead before, he still managed to lose to Hilary after the Wright tapes came out. Go figure.