Barrack Obama told voters on Saturday the only way that he can win the presidency is, "if you decide that this election is bigger than flag pins....or a former pastor." Obama makes these comments as he and Clinton fight for the two states with primaries on Tuesday. Clinton hopes to win North Carolina and Obama hopes to win Indiana. Today, both candidates had unusual hour long appearances on network television channels--Obama on NBC's Meet the Press and Clinton in a town hall meeting on ABC's This Week.
Both candidates have spent time in their key states. Clinton spoke to a group of mom's in Cary, N.C. before she stopped at the N.C. Auto Racing Hall of Fame. She looked amazing in a N.C. blue pantsuit, according to the Lexington Herald Leader. She answered questions about motherhood and her career in the public eye.
Obama spent the day with his wife and two younger daughters. It was his daughters first series of public appearances since the Iowa primary. Seems like both candidates have taken more time to answer questions and spend time with family instead arguing.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Damage Control for Obama
Since the scandal about Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright came out, more voters have been turning away from Obama. A poll conducted in Indiana found that voters were 21 percent less likely to vote for Obama since the scandal hit. These voters could ruin Obama's chance in November.
Obama is now trying to show that he doesn't believe what Wright believes like; personal history, his professional career, and his voting record all show he has fair liberal views in U.S. domestic and foreign policies. However, Wright's statements in the past weeks have forced Obama to make a renunciation that undermined the credibility of his well-received speech on race. Some say that the question now for Obama is which is worse.....People thinking you agree with Wright, or people not believing your explanations for associating with him?
Obama is now trying to show that he doesn't believe what Wright believes like; personal history, his professional career, and his voting record all show he has fair liberal views in U.S. domestic and foreign policies. However, Wright's statements in the past weeks have forced Obama to make a renunciation that undermined the credibility of his well-received speech on race. Some say that the question now for Obama is which is worse.....People thinking you agree with Wright, or people not believing your explanations for associating with him?
The Diffrences in the Candidates
The differences between the two front runners, Obama and McCain are strikingly different. McCain is more spontaneous and accessible, and Obama is more disciplined and remote. However they have one trait in common, they both want the Presidency very badly.
Each candidate has a style of their own and they carry themselves very differently. McCain is 5-foot-9 and 71 years old. he has a ramrod posture, and likes to move quickly while clinching his fists. This combination makes McCain often come across as stiff and unapproachable. On-the-other-hand Obama is 6-foot-2 and 46 years old. When he gives a speech he holds his head up high and his arms swing freely by his side, instead of hidden in his pockets.
The two have extremely different personalities and campaign approaches. Both candidates also understand that mannerisms on the trail can provide insight into how one will act in office.
Each candidate has a style of their own and they carry themselves very differently. McCain is 5-foot-9 and 71 years old. he has a ramrod posture, and likes to move quickly while clinching his fists. This combination makes McCain often come across as stiff and unapproachable. On-the-other-hand Obama is 6-foot-2 and 46 years old. When he gives a speech he holds his head up high and his arms swing freely by his side, instead of hidden in his pockets.
The two have extremely different personalities and campaign approaches. Both candidates also understand that mannerisms on the trail can provide insight into how one will act in office.
The Divided Democrats--Brienne
It seems like the Democratic Party is more divided now than it ever has been before. The race is so close, so Obama supporters are being attacked by Clinton supporters and visa versa. It is okay for now. It is just a race and the supporters of different candidates are supposed to be rivals. However, after the Democratic Party has a presidential candidate, we are going to have to come back together if we want to get the Republicans out of the White House. With the way everyone is treating each other, this doesn't quite seem possible. It looks like we are burning too many bridges trying to win the primaries that we as a democratic group will loose the general election, which is the whole point. We need to all be able to get behind one candidate, whichever candidate that may be, in order to stop McCain, because I think mostly all democrats will agree that either candidate is better than McCain. On the other hand, though, why would I want to vote for someone who called me a latte sipping elitist (as Hillary Clinton said of Obama supporters)? I am not naive. I know politics is a dirty game. I know that almost any politician will do whatever they have to in order to get ahead. However, we as voters cannot buy into all of the insults and cruelty once we have our presidential candidate. We have to support whichever person wins the primary, or else John McCain will be the next president of the United States. We have to forgive the insults that were said towards us by the opposing candidate. Who knows, maybe Obama and Clinton will surprise us and choose the other as his or her running mate? Or have they burned too many bridges between themselves?
Obama rips Clinton
According to CNN Obama attacks Senator Clinton. On Saturday he said that Clinton's support for a summertime break from the federal gasoline tax symbolizes a candidacy consisting of "phony ideas, calculated to win elections instead of actually solving problems." Clinton told an audience of supports that, "Obama is attacking my plan to try to get you some kind of break."
This attack is all over a gasoline tax, which both have aired ads on the issue. Phil Singer, a spokesman for Clinton, responded, "Considering that Sen. Obama voted to suspend the gas tax three times when gas cost less than $2 a gallon and has an energy lobbyist chairing his Indiana campaign, it's hard to take his latest criticisms very seriously." Obama recently said that he opposed this because it would cost more money than actually saving money.
Beyond the arguments for and against the tax, the issue has assumed a far larger significance in recent days. Clinton is using it to buttress her argument that Obama is out of touch with the needs of working-class Americans and Obama is citing it as an example of his opponent's embrace of what he calls old-style politics. Both want to extend the debate on this issue, so I guess we will see how this issue play out with the Dem's.
This attack is all over a gasoline tax, which both have aired ads on the issue. Phil Singer, a spokesman for Clinton, responded, "Considering that Sen. Obama voted to suspend the gas tax three times when gas cost less than $2 a gallon and has an energy lobbyist chairing his Indiana campaign, it's hard to take his latest criticisms very seriously." Obama recently said that he opposed this because it would cost more money than actually saving money.
Beyond the arguments for and against the tax, the issue has assumed a far larger significance in recent days. Clinton is using it to buttress her argument that Obama is out of touch with the needs of working-class Americans and Obama is citing it as an example of his opponent's embrace of what he calls old-style politics. Both want to extend the debate on this issue, so I guess we will see how this issue play out with the Dem's.
Response to "The Demise of the Democratic Part"
This is a response to a blog that another contributor posted. I agree with this blog and on the issues with in it. I am a huge Obama fan and I want nothing more than for him to win, but I think that the democrats have "screwed" themselves. In order for Obama to win he is going to have to sweeten things up a bit, when it comes to Senator Clinton. He needs to quit attacking her, even if she bites first. He needs to keep in mind that it is a close race and if she keeps attacking him and he acts like nothing happened than he will start to gain more voters. If the fight between Obama and Clinton doesn't simmer down then the Dem's are going to start swaying towards Senator John McCain, because they are starting to give the Democratic Party a bad name. One way to fix that from happening is for Clinton and Obama to quit focusing on themselves and to focus more on the American people. They both need to straight up tell the citizens of the U.S. what they are going to do to fix the economy and our country as a whole. If neither of them can do that, then it looks to me like John McCain will be our next President.
Representative Richard Henderson
Last Wednesday, Representative Richard Henderson spoke to one of my college classes. If you don't know he is running for a third term in office and he wanted to tell us why we should vote for him. He spoke on many different issues like college tuition and a bill that he has tried to pass, but failed to do so. The one thing that caught my attention most was his thoughts of new bridge being built in Northern Kentucky. The only thing that the state can't figure out is how to pay for it. Therefore, most of the House has come up with the idea of putting a toll on the bridge. Most Representatives liked the idea except for the several from Northern Kentucky. They don't want their communities to have to pay, every time that they use the bridge. So, since they don't want that; why can't they put tolls in every part of the state that leads to a major interstate. Like Northern Kentucky, Louisville, Southern part of Kentucky leading into Tennessee, and Eastern part that leads to West Virgina? Rep. Henderson's response was that the Representatives from those districts don't want those, including him. When he told the class that, I was in shock. I wondered how could he be for something and against it at the same time. He wants to put one in Northern Kentucky and make the people there have to pay and not put them elsewhere. If the tolls were other places like I mentioned before then maybe tuition would be so high and the state would get extra money. The only answer that I got after several questions was, POLITICS.
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