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Why Obama looks vulnerable
www.ft.com ^ | August 25 2008 | Gideon Rachman

Posted on 08/26/2008 9:05:17 AM PDT by Publius804

Why Obama looks vulnerable

By Gideon Rachman

Published: August 25 2008

The Democratic party will whip up some euphoria in Denver this week. But a dark cloud of anxiety hovers over the party convention.

A horrible truth is beginning to dawn on the Democrats. Barack Obama is not the “once in a generation” political genius they thought they had discovered. On the contrary, he is a weak candidate for the presidency.

With a feeble economy, an unpopular war and the Republicans in disarray, the Democrats should win the presidential election in a canter. But Mr Obama, the Democratic nominee, is neck and neck with John McCain, his Republican rival. For sure, Mr Obama has some real assets – intelligence, grace, good looks, star quality. But history suggests that he is a very risky candidate.

Since 1968, the Democrats have won just three out of 10 presidential races. Their two successful candidates – Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton – were both white, centrist governors from the southern US. Whenever the Democrats nominated a liberal from outside the South – George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, John Kerry – they lost.

Mr Obama is a northerner. He is a liberal. He is a former college professor. And he is black. A bold choice, under the circumstances.

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


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008dncconvention; election; issues; mccain; obama; vulnerable
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To: Vigilanteman

“Except that the milkman has actually run a business and held a job in the private sector.”

We would be MUCH better served, if we had more milkmen, engineers, pharmacists, businessmen, plumbers, doctors, laborers, chemists and UPS drivers serving in high government office than the current “professional” political class of attorneys, race pigs and Ivy League rich kids.


21 posted on 08/26/2008 9:53:45 AM PDT by EyeGuy
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To: Publius804

“Why Obama looks vulnerable”

Because there is no “there there.”


22 posted on 08/26/2008 9:56:32 AM PDT by Grunthor (McCain! If he doesn't pick a liberal or pro-baby-murder VP.)
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To: whitedog57

1) He is a Marxist
2) He was a lecturer, not a Professor, you dolts.”

He is also a liar on his State of Illinois Bar Application.


23 posted on 08/26/2008 9:57:42 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: TChris

“The economy is, overall, just fine.”

True. Excet for energy costs and McCain is better on the issue than his opponent.

“The war is going very well indeed, and the great majority of Americans understand that.”

It’s still an unpopular war, with many people still not seeing the reason for it.

“Republicans aren’t in any greater disarray than usual”

Well...except that open primaries nominated a man that many in the base quite frankly despise and the more enthusiastic supporters of that man have to constantly use the Obama boogeyman to try and frighten people into supporting their candidate.


24 posted on 08/26/2008 10:00:40 AM PDT by Grunthor (McCain! If he doesn't pick a liberal or pro-baby-murder VP.)
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To: sickoflibs

“Democrats were dumb to think that would get him elected. The same quality that made him popular 3-4 months ago allows an opponent to fill in the blanks and paint his picture for the public. I call it the Colin Powell factor. He is always popular too with no positions.”

Actually, those kinds of campaigns often works. The problem with Obama is the suit is so empty it cant even be covered by a feeble bio. Even Wesley Clark would have something besides community activist and state senator to run on.


25 posted on 08/26/2008 10:03:44 AM PDT by WOSG (http://no-bama.blogspot.com/ - NObama, stop the Hype and Chains candidate)
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To: Grunthor
It’s still an unpopular war, with many people still not seeing the reason for it.

"Unpopular" with whom? It's certainly unpopular with terrorists! Where are the current polls showing that the war is "unpopular" with the American public? To the contrary, I believe the large majority of Americans think the war has succeeded.

Well...except that open primaries nominated a man that many in the base quite frankly despise and the more enthusiastic supporters of that man have to constantly use the Obama boogeyman to try and frighten people into supporting their candidate.

If you really believe that a potential Obama presidency is nothing more than a "boogeyman" to drum up support for McCain, then you are far too ignorant on the subject to comment.

Even with that, you're talking about one candidate, or at most one primary. The author claims the whole party is in disarray. I see no evidence of dissaray in the party.

The whole thing is more liberal projection. The author sees the painful incongruities and failures of his own party and tries to pin them, or their proxies, onto Republicans. It's really as simple as that.

26 posted on 08/26/2008 10:11:58 AM PDT by TChris (Vote John McCain: Democrat Lite -- 3% less liberal than a regular Democrat!)
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To: Publius804
The Democratic party will whip up some euphoria in Denver this week

The dems must be handing out HUGE quantities of drugs - that's the only way I can imagine them whipping up euphoria in anyone or anything.For sure, Mr Obama has some real assets – intelligence

Uh, intelligence, in BHO's case is very much an IMAGINED asset. The guy is an absolute moron. Go listen to his comments about inflating tires and getting tune-ups. How he managed to avoid riding the short bus to school is beyond me. Obama makes Harry Reid look like Albert Einstein.

But of course, we've been down this road before. To libs, all dems are brilliant, all Repubs are dolts, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Al Gore? Genius. John F'n Kerry? Genius. Jimmuh Carter? Genius. Reagan? Idiot. Bush Sr.? Idiot. W? Idiot.

Complete inversion of reality is the hallmark of the liberal. As someone else posted today, liberalism is standing on your head and telling the rest of the world it's upside down.

27 posted on 08/26/2008 10:12:31 AM PDT by Sicon ("Some pigs are more equal than others.")
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To: WOSG
Yeah, but other than that, what could go wrong with him in the White House.

Imagine this flake as President and Iran makes a few atomic bombs, slips them into the U.S. and blows up Manhattan and Washington, D.C.and this flake begs terrorists in Iran, "Please stop blowing up our cities so we can have a dialog together."
28 posted on 08/26/2008 10:14:19 AM PDT by Stayfree (***************************************IF IT IS LEFT, IT CAN'T BE RIGHT!!)
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To: Grunthor

Liberals like to live in a fantasy world they make up. Its like on Tv where Black people are never seen as criminals, always as nice guys, Cops, and leaders. In truth they make up the largest group of criminals in the nation. Its like the kids shows where each kid actor has friends who are: A) Black, B) Asian, C)Latino, D) handy capted E) Mentally challenged.
Its almost as bad as the old WW II movies where every Bomber crew had to have a Italian, Brooklynite, Southern boy, and college professor all waxing on who this will be the last war ever fought. All propaganda with little based on the real world. People are shown one thing by Hollywood but have to live in a gritty, not so nice real world.


29 posted on 08/26/2008 10:19:58 AM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Stayfree

... I forgot the sarcasm tag, apparently.


30 posted on 08/26/2008 10:47:04 AM PDT by WOSG (http://no-bama.blogspot.com/ - NObama, stop the Hype and Chains candidate)
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To: whitedog57

He is a dolt, not a Professor, you lecturer. :-)


31 posted on 08/26/2008 10:47:52 AM PDT by WOSG (http://no-bama.blogspot.com/ - NObama, stop the Hype and Chains candidate)
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To: agere_contra

Please don’t take this the wrong way: “nieve” should be “naive”.

________

I never take spelling and grammar corrections the wrong way. I merely assume they are intended as a slight on my literary genius.
Thank you for the correction. No apologies necessary.


32 posted on 08/26/2008 11:27:20 AM PDT by Louis Foxwell
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To: Publius804

“intelligence, grace, good looks, star quality.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The first two are fictional, in fact they are fantasy. The last two are not worth arguing about.


33 posted on 08/26/2008 11:27:55 AM PDT by RipSawyer (What's black and white and red all over? Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: RexBeach

“It’s like a milkman running for governor.”
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dont diss a milkman! Anyone who has ever been a milkman has held at least one honest job, that is one more than Obama!


34 posted on 08/26/2008 11:29:38 AM PDT by RipSawyer (What's black and white and red all over? Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: Amos the Prophet

O is not a bold choice. He is no choice at all. He has been foisted upon the party and the electorate by a nieve, left wing cabal enamored by their self proclaimed superiority. Obama is the quintessential childish snob. He has absolutely nothing to recommend him.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In fairness to Obama I must point out that he is tall, he isn’t fat and he seems to have good teeth...okay, you are right.


35 posted on 08/26/2008 11:33:06 AM PDT by RipSawyer (What's black and white and red all over? Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: Sicon

As someone else posted today, liberalism is standing on your head and telling the rest of the world it’s upside down.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So many great tag lines and I can only use one at a time.


36 posted on 08/26/2008 11:38:18 AM PDT by RipSawyer (What's black and white and red all over? Barack Hussein Obama)
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To: TChris

“Unpopular” with whom?

Most of the American people. No, I haven’t seen a recent poll but I’d be interested in seeing a current one.


37 posted on 08/26/2008 12:47:19 PM PDT by Grunthor (McCain! If he doesn't pick a liberal or pro-baby-murder VP.)
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