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The Homestretch
Juan Williams, senior correspondent for National Public Radio and author of Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America--and What We Can Do About It , and Jonathan Alter, senior editor and columnist for Newsweek magazine, and the author of The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, offer analysis of the final week of campaigning.
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I have not yet heard anyone in this campaign refer to the election of 1948, when Thomas E. Dewey was such a shoo-in that The Chicago Tribune famously published an
"Extra" edition which proclaimed in huge headline: "DEWEY WINS". In fact, the winner was Harry S. Truman, who was not expected to win mainly because there was a third party, the Progressive Party, splitting the Democrats' vote. Truman was declared the winner, to everyone's surprise. Part of the reason was that voters were so complacent about the polls and the conclusions of the media that many Republicans didn't bother to vote at all. Could it happen to us?
Slavery was only the first stain that was enshrined in our Constitution, the second is abortion. And if Senator Obama is elected, he will really enshrine it in the Constitution. Ironic.
What BS. If Obama was white he would have lost to Clinton in the primaries.
Of course what I mean to say is, "if had his mothers fair skin he would have been roundly beaten by Clinton.
I think that Ferraro had a great point
how is it possible that obama is so far ahead in the polls...and yet i still somehow feel that it is likely that he will lose.
bizarre cognitive dissonance going on right now.
the latest news about the two would be neo nazi skin heads who were planning to kill obama did not help either.
Who grew up in a different America?
Two kids -- born in 1988 and 1990 -- have just been arrested for plotting to assassinate Obama?
Whatever monstrosity fostered racism in the US in the 50s and 60s is still going somewhere. Look at the rhetoric of Sarah Palin. And don't forget that Hillary Clinton dropped the "he's not muslim -- as far as I know."
Yeah, we are ready to move past the issue of color,bu not the issue of gender, owing to the recent poor treatment of Palin and Hillary Clinton. As long as the president is a man, right?
When will we join other nations of the world and feel confident in electing a woman as president?
The Los Angeles Times is sitting on a videotape of Obama toasting former PLO operative Rashid Khalidi back in April. (Obama denies a close association.) During the dinner Jews are bashed; Obama toasts Khalidi.
Were this tape to be released, Obama would lose.
"Allies of Palestinians see a friend in Barack Obama"
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obamamideast10apr10,0,1780231,full.story
The Times has admitted -- in the article -- that they have the tape.
Shouldn't journalism ethics dictate that the tape is released?
I think at this point if McCain wins this coming election that Americans will finally lose trust in the fairness of the count, and the system, and we might as well rename the country "Nicaragua"
Edward what an ignorant statement, the WOMAN makes the choice to have an abortion and she should NOT be jailed or otherwise penalized for making the choice.
I am so tired of these cop out discussions on race. Is it possible that people will not vote for Obama due to his lack of a resume? his position on issues? Have we forgotten how wrong polls have been in past presidential elections? Shouldn't Kerry have won? Didn't we have discussions about how bad poll results are? Why is the media trying to create a race riot if Obama loses?
Mr. Alter the last time I heard Sen. Obama was half white, why is he always labled as black because of the color of his skin.
Yeah but the many of the electorate are erratic too! I mean really, who else would support him.
Obama supporters have to avoid complacency, as we know from 2000, what matters is not who wins the vote but who wins the count.
How can Obama be a celebrity and an unknown? It's totally racist.
I don't know that not listening to cable news or the media is a minus, really. lol
43 white face presidents, sorry no longer the appropriate representation of our country.
Alter is so full of revisionist history.
If Obama was white he would have lost to Clinton.
No Contest. However, he has history on his side, to try and cast it in another light is just wrong.
barry crowed...
"What BS. If Obama was white he would have lost to Clinton in the primaries.
Of course what I mean to say is, "if had his mothers fair skin he would have been roundly beaten by Clinton."
Please explain how his skin color was an advantage in the primaries.
Caller are you insane? How had Senator Obama made it hard to talk about him regarding race? You are misinformed!
Keisha (10), I've wondered the same thing. I hope Brian reads your comment,
We don't know Barack Obama's positions? Give me a break. You know Mr. Williams' credibility is zero when a GOP zombie like Brit Hume compliments him for "not drinking the Kool Aid."
Look good luck to Obama, (We all need a strong leader) looks like he will win but Hilary isn't going away and you can be sure she will be there to point out how the left gave her the shaft for a guy with no qualification, other than he was a clever ladder climbing orator, oh yea and he is black.
IF the media is leery of criticizing Obama because of his color ( and I don't agree) then surely Palin is using the gender issue to deflect criticism over her lack of knowledge.
Interesting that we cannot get past race concerning this campaign. Ridiculous!
1) Mr. Alter, you said the race would be over if Obama was white. Is it safe to say that if he was white, he would not have been the nominee? Wouldn't John Edwards and Hillary have been the nominee.
2) And, is Michael Bloomberg a "non-politician"?
I thought the press was in love with McCain -- wasn't he their favorite maverick? Now they're supposedly biased toward Obama. So which one is it? And if they're biased toward both -- doesn't that cancel out any potential advantage? It seems to me in the last weeks of this campaign -- a major narrative has been the press's disillusionment with McCain -- no longer the beloved maverick.
Wow, Juan Williams using classic racist code language -- Barack Obama a "spectre".
The press biased in coverage for Obama.
Simply not supported by the facts. Look at the kid gloves treatment of McCain's "war hero" status. Or his "maverick" status. Both nonsense, but find a speech or report that doesn't begin with a tip of the cap to the "war hero" or "maverick".
There is no security with mccain just because he was a prisoner of war. 9 years in captivity does not a presidnet make!
Media blather and babble. Isn't this something of a "talk-radio" show? Why don't journalists and pundits hear themselves!! Everyone including NPR is CNNizing and that's NOT a good thing.
If there are any international incidences after Senator Obama takes office, it will be because of BUSH!!
I dis-agree with the assumption that the press has treated Obama more favourably.
What if Obama had 10 houses? A VP pick with a pregnant teenage daughter? 72 years old? Divorced? A formerly addicted wife? ETC
The media has been VERY lenient towards McCain
Exactly Lorenzo! Exactly.
Don't take my word for it, just ask Geraldine Ferraro
She was spot on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB1WyRG1rLk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW5EVcJPHRA&feature=related
Hell she want an apology from the Obama camp
However it looks like he will win so I am all behind "CHANGE"
Lets do it! But please don't patronize me.
there is actually just about zero chance that Obama loses next week. also, this idea that obama is doing worse than a generic Democrat is no longer true, if it ever was.
Brian, now that your show has unfortunately joined the pundit echo chamber snd now seems worse and more tilted to me than most cable outlets, I am tuning out. Adios.
In response to Juan Williams, the rhetoric is we don't know Obama, but that's true for every politician heading into an election. No politician lays out too many details -- not McCain or Clinton, or Obama -- because it's a sure way to lose. McCain has committed himself a little bit more perhaps, but then he flip-flopped all over the place, which makes us ask "who is McCain?"
David[11],
If Obama were trying to get a taxi at night in Manhattan, he would be black. If he were being being pulled over by a state trooper, he would be black. If he walked into a car dealership or an employment agency, he would be black. In our twisted view of race, genealogy only makes a difference when someone perceived to be purebred white is discovered to have had a non-white (especially a black) ancestor. Someone perceived to be black based on their physical features is still black, even if half or even a majority of their ancestors were not black.
We should all listen to the rantings of Geraldine Ferraro? She has such a great history of helping the Democratic party!! Gerry hid the background of her crooked husband and destroyed the dems changes in '84.
barry,
Your argument relies on the assumption that Geraldine Ferraro is someone who's opinion matters.
HRC distanced herself from those stupid comments and it wasn't the first time Ferraro said it. She had made a similar comment in 1984 about Jesse Jackson.
She's a reverse racism crybaby and has been willing to display this for two decades.
I attended an early Obama fundraiser and had a chance to meet him personally (I believe it was Feb 07). I left the fundraiser thinking... "He's a star, but I don't hear enough." Now, one week from the election, I have heard more, but still not enough. I have given money to his campaign, I think his team has modernized the political election process to a revolutionary level! However, sadly, I am still not completely sold.
I work with superstars for a living, so I understand the manic attraction that "fans" have. I see the same mania for both Obama and interestingly enough Sarah Palin, that I have experienced first hand with teen superstars. I wish I could be a rabid convert and give all my free time to the campaign; Especially because I am deeply moved by the election season this year. I want Obama to win and will without a doubt vote for him. I wanted him to win the primary as well. I am a democrat and don't condone most of what the republican party wants for the country. I would never in a million years have voted for McCain. However, I still have doubts. It kind of bums me out.
No racism? Okay, let's compare candidates:
1. A 72-year old man who graduated at the bottom of his class at Annapolis, where he was a legacy; got into flight school as a legacy; crashed 5 planes before being taken POW (and acted heroically during that time) while disobeying orders not to fly low; was involved in a bribery scandal while in the Senate; has voted with the most unpopular President in history 90% of the time; can't read a teleprompter;o dumped the wife who had waited for him while he was in prison for a woman 20 years younger than he was; and is married to a millionaire who had a drug abuse problem and stole drugs from her own charity; and whose V.P. candidate is a foreign policy illiterate whose unmarried daughter is 8 months pregnant, versus,
2.The former President of Harvard Law Review, a law professor and an honors grad of Columbia University and, who everyone agrees is both brilliant and eloquent, who served honorably Illinois Senate for 8 years and has served honorably in the U.S. Senate for 4, who is married to a Princeton/Harvard Law graduate who is on leave from her position as a V.P. at the University of Illinois; and whose VP candidate is an attorney and acknowledged expert on foreigh policy.
No race? Just put McCain's photoo on Obama's resume, and Obama's photo on McCain's, and see what if you still think that.
Juan Williams is still using that old "Barack Obama is an unknown and he needs to introduce himself to the voters" line! Um, the guy has been campaigning in the relentlessly bright media spotlight for two years. Also, he is up in some polls by double-digits! This is a person who is unknown? PLEASE. Give me a break.
Re McCain and the press: Yes they loved him and his fancy barbecues for a while, but then along came Sarah. Talk about unknown. The Republicans sprung her on us without vetting her and expected the press to swallow it without a mumble. Thank God they did not. The ensuing investigations of Governor Palin's history brought the McCain/Media honeymoon to an end. Now every statement that comes out of that campaign is prefaced by a dig at the press.
@45 Karen
Is there an elementary logical fallacy in your argument? Might one or the other's achievements have been aided or hindered by race?
Oh, absolutely; John McCain nearly flunked out of Annapolis because of the well-known and invidious prejudice against entitled white people.
Whereas Obama, who btw did not indicate on his HLS application that he was black, graduated from HLS magna cum laude (scoring high enough on first year exams, which are taken anonymously -- students are given a number and their named not disclosed to the grader); was elected to President of the HLR by Republicans and Democrats alike, and has run a successful, brilliant political campaign, due to the effects of affirmative action.
You betcha, guy.
The civil rights movement, the beginning of the end of segregation, a movement which followed centuries of profound societal imbalance and oppression, was a mere 40 years ago.
This twisted and pathetic fantasy that it is an advantage to be a black man in America is remarkable.
Evolve.
And after you've evolved, my friends, "Vote!".
AWS from UWS screeched: "Your argument relies on the assumption that Geraldine Ferraro is someone who's opinion matters."
Oh Ferraro's no good for you. My bad, I figured since she was the first woman ever nominated to be on a national ticket in US history she might have some insight into the process. No trouble.
How about RC(26) "1) Mr. Alter, you said the race would be over if Obama was white. Is it safe to say that if he was white, he would not have been the nominee? Wouldn't John Edwards and Hillary have been the nominee."
Need more?
Bill why are you dragging Ferraro's spouse into this?
Are spouses off limits?
Come on keep it above the belt, ok?
Thanks
More what, barry?
Saying that Obama is "lucky" that he's black while running for president is "insight into the process?"
That's your idea of insight? No wonder you are lost.
I guess being the first woman ever nominated to be on a national ticket in US history somehow trumps being the first African American ever nominated to be on a national ticket in US history as far as your concerned.
I guess as long as someone is the first "whatever you're comofortable with."
McCain is 72. McCain has had four instances of melanoma. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. Will stress lower his immune response causing a recurrence of his skin cancer? Will a recurrence of McCain’s skin cancer lead to McCain’s incapacitation? Lead to McCain’s death? Hasten Palin’s ascension to the Presidency!?
McCain’s behavior is erratic, impulsive, reckless and self-destructive. Add McCain's facial tics and body tics, you have got to wonder about his overall mental health.
McCain's mental health condition needs to be known.
Some facts:
P.O.W for 5 years.
5 years = 43,800 hours.
5 years = 2,628,000 minutes
5 years = 157,680,000 seconds
- McCain was tortured.
- McCain lived with the threat of torture throughout his imprisonment.
Some questions to consider:
- Did McCain reckless and impulsive behavior lead to his being shot down?
- Did McCain return from such a horrific experience in the same mental health he entered it with?
- How does the residue of such a horrific experience, hidden from view, express itself?
- How does such a horrific experience influence McCain’s world view?
- How does such a horrific experience influence McCain’s thinking process?
- What brain damage occurred?
- What would a McCain brain scan reveal?
Is McCain prepared emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, temperamentally to lead hundreds of millions of human beings? Over see a fragile national economy? Command the largest national armed forces on earth? Be a rational guardian of a nuclear arsenal?
Trickle down economics – an insult to hard working Americans.
The word itself is an outrage – TRICKLE
Trickle is defined as a flow slowly in thin stream.
Synonyms for TRICKLE include; drip; dribble; ooze; seep; drool; leak; slaver.
Imagine pigs at a trough gorging themselves, then whatever spills over is what those not at the trough get to eat.
Nice, huh.
So after the fat cats have had their fill the rest of America can feast on their drool!? Dribble!? Slaver!?
Are you kidding!?
GOP miscreants believe this just economic policy!?
It is an insult. A disgrace. A travesty. Hubris of the highest order!
On November 4th vote for Senator Obama.
Let’s rid American politics of GOP miscreants.
Let’s give dignity and fair play a chance.
Obama/Biden ‘08’
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