Keep rockin, David Thomson.

Isn't it amazing about the racism of the black voters? Around 90% of them refuse to vote for a white woman. Only a man of color gets their support. Oh gosh, wasn't this sort of racist behavior supposed to have ended decades ago?

Sometimes managed to pepper in 20 "ya-knows" per minute. At least 1000 "ya-knows" in the course of the Diavlog. And then there's the small problem of not having much to say that isn't just OHZ (Obama Homophily Zone) echo-speak. Yawn. Please, Noam, learn to speak English. (Or could it be you're making a case for a new language form: "Wasp eubonics"?) Tip: Think first, then speak. Extra Credit game plan: Step completely outside of your standard idea input system, reflect on new inputs, conceive new ideation. EW

Quoting David Thomson: Isn't it amazing about the racism of the black voters? Around 90% of them refuse to vote for a white woman. Only a man of color gets their support. Oh gosh, wasn't this sort of racist behavior supposed to have ended decades ago?

Do you even believe your own claptrap? Has it not occurred to you that blacks vote for whites, male and female, in overwhelming numbers in every election? There is not one person on this board who could damage your reputation as much as you do all by yourself. It never ceases to amaze me that so many on the right don't just hold views different from my own, but actually seem to be lunatics. I mean, like, crazy. Insane. You are not well, friend.

Quoting Big Wayne: Do you even believe your own claptrap?

Has it not occurred to you that blacks vote for whites, male and female, in overwhelming numbers in every election?

There is not one person on this board who could damage your reputation as much as you do all by yourself.

It never ceases to amaze me that so many on the right don't just hold views different from my own, but actually seem to be lunatics. I mean, like, crazy. Insane.

You are not well, friend.

These points would have been so much better made without that fourth paragraph. Why generalize? If you want to fight with DT, he apparently likes the attention: you're doing him a favor. Why go on to start a fight with the entire universe of people who don't share your political viewpoint all at once?

Good diavlog. I thought Noam made a good case against the proposed "open debates" between McCain and Obama. He's right, I think -- this gives McCain an easy way to associate himself with a reasonable man -- Obama -- and disassociate himself from Bush. I think Noam is also right to worry about Obama's instinct to be conciliatory -- this could make him look weak by comparison. This reminds me of the "Uncle Fluffy" worry voiced by the staff on The West Wing. I worry about this aspect less than I do the first of Noam's points, though. I was glad to hear both come out against Clinton as VP, especially as they were able to offer solid reasons against that had nothing to do with residual personal dislike. I'd add another reason to oppose this idea -- even if she did a good job getting the ticket elected, I think she has the potential to be severely disrutptive once in office. I don't think she'd be comfortable in the Number 2 slot and I think both she and Bill would be constantly leaking their point of view on policy questions. I worry about a constant stream of stories in the

"You are not well, friend." I simply have to look at the math. Obama gets around 90% of the black vote. What's up with that? Seems racist to me. But you have inadvertently pointed out how guilt tripped white left-wingers ignore black racism. This is why so many of them were stunned by the outrage over Jeremiah Wright's racist rants. The folks associated with Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago, and other "elite" school normally ho-hum such vile behavior. Reverse racism is fine with them. Ain't no big deal. White left-wingers also consider it OK to lie to blue collar Democrats. This is what occurred when Obama told the "white trash" in Ohio that he was against NAFTA---while sending out his "unofficial representative" Altan Goolsbee to say the exact opposite to the Canadian government officials.

Quoting AemJeff: These points would have been so much better made without that fourth paragraph. Why generalize? If you want to fight with DT, he apparently likes the attention: you're doing him a favor. Why go on to start a fight with the entire universe of people who don't share your political viewpoint all at once?

That's a fair point, and I appreciate the feedback. And I do believe that the overwhelming majority of conservatives (broadly defined) are basically sane. But I also sincerely find myself amazed at the sheer amount of frank mental instability one sees on the right, particularly in the activist base of the Republican Party, where mental problems are almost a condition of membership. As much as anything else, I think political attitudes and orientation are psychological. And I think it's fairly non-controversial to observe that a large swath of the Republican base suffers from mental problems. Did you see kidneystones raving post about Obama's "Christianist" strategy in Kentucky? I went to the site he linked to, and was amazed by the sheer derangement of the comments. Have you ever been to Free Republic? It's a genuine freak show, and honestly a delight to read. Still: I would feel

Quoting Eastwest: Sometimes managed to pepper in 20 "ya-knows" per minute.

At least 1000 "ya-knows" in the course of the Diavlog.

And then there's the small problem of not having much to say that isn't just OHZ (Obama Homophily Zone) echo-speak. Yawn.

Please, Noam, learn to speak English. (Or could it be you're making a case for a new language form: "Wasp eubonics"?)

Tip: Think first, then speak.

Extra Credit game plan: Step completely outside of your standard idea input system, reflect on new inputs, conceive new ideation.

EW

What exactly does saying "ya know" (or anything else about how Noam spoke, which I thought was fine) have to do with ebonics? Can you explain why you are drawing a connection to ebonics here?

God help these white folks ...

I wish I was in the land of cotton, old times there are not forgotten,
Look away, look away, look away, Dixie Land.
In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie,
Away, away, away down South in Dixie,
Away, away, away down South in Dixie

Can you explain why you are drawing a connection to ebonics here?

Just EW's way of denigrating African Americans for amusement. What could be wrong with that?

Or it could be that Mr. Scheiber has noticed that Senator Obama seems to do less well in an unscripted environment. It seems that it is when the Senator is speaking extemporaneously he has said a few things that have gotten himself in trouble. There is also quite a bit of discussion about the few speeches, where he has had teleprompter troubles, being somewhat less than inspiring. As I generally think that anyone who watches the freak shows, we call debates in America, on a regular basis needs to have their head examined; but I sat through two of each parties circle jerks and in the two Democratic spectacles, I did see, it did appear the Senator Obama was the less skillful at extemporaneous speaking.

pisc: Yes, I agree that speaking off the cuff is apparently not Obama's long suit. This surprises me.

Ah, the comedy when liberals attempt to tag people with using 'eubonics' [?] or being 'white folk' (is this a variation of BO's 'typical white person'?). This is as funny as the race-baiting and sexism by both Clintons ("so did Jesse Jackson", "hard-working Americans....white Americans") and Obama (Bros before Ho's) supporters being labled as 'republican-style' or 'Rovian' 'attacks' - please keep the yucks coming. While the results of the early-to-mid primaries certainly seems to affirm the belief of those who say Obama's speaking talents are incredible and charismatic, I've yet to hear him speak where he doesn't remind me of M Dukakis. Can anyone link me to a speech where he showed any sort of charisma? His speech/pc where he did his about-face on Rev Wright was one of the most uninspired pieces of political speaking I've seen done during the current campaign, especially the section where he cited the facts that Wright had merely been his pastor for twenty years, married the Obamas and baptized their children......but that didn't make him any kind of spiritual advisor. That he could utter this incredible BS while maintaining a straight face certainly spoke

One of the advantages the Senator McCain will have in the general election, against the uniter Senator Obama, is the considerable amount of praise that the Democrats themselves have heaped upon Senator McCain for his bipartisanship. If the republicans are smart they will use this freely available content to counter the talk of Senator Obama's claim to being the uniter, even as it might aggravate the conservative base.

Interesting conversation. Much of the Netroots (MoveOn, Kos, etc.) seemed to lose their influence with Obama when they offered him their undying love early on. He has pretty much ignored them since then. Regarding the Insular Issue, Joe Scarborough said that Hillary was very warm to the Gingrich Freshmen and that anyone who saw her in a personal setting realized that she was no Dragon Lady. By contrast, Bush had has poor relations with his own Republican Congress, often infuriating them with his arrogance and dismissive attitude. Obama is also quite insular, particularly when it comes to the Press Corps -- rarely speaks with them in a casual setting and seems to despise press conferences (maybe he can duck those if he becomes President). Could this reluctance be directed at the preservation of a mystique that might vanish upon close inspection? Unlikely that Obama will do unmoderated debates -- too risky -- might help but could prove devastating. David Broder made the “They trashed the house" comment.

Good diavlog and I thought the census stuff was quite useful. Besides the article on the census right-ins here is a link from TPM (with helpful map) and gives more context. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/194870.php I don't know about Hillary but Bill has enough scotch-irish blood in him so clanishness helps there.

Quoting bjkeefe: pisc:

Yes, I agree that speaking off the cuff is apparently not Obama's long suit. This surprises me.

I slightly agree, but not to the extent that the right wing noise machine (which is actively promoting this meme; e.g., it's a regular "observation" made by Bill O'Reilly) wants me to. Did you watch Obama's recent (extemporaneous) interview with Wolf Blitzer? I thought his ability to extemporize and speak without a script was extremely impressive. I bet he's a lot more impressive than Pisc would be in the same situation. Or me, for that matter. Or anyone else on this board. That's a given, right? I think Obama's problem is that he actually thinks while he speaks. Rote repetition, an important skill for a politician, is less prone to some of the occasional (let's not overstate the case) halting and pausing we see in Obama. People whose minds are whirling away while they speak often don't deliver the crisp soundbites that work well on television. This problem is particularly acute in highly intelligent people. If you haven't seen the interview, you can watch it here: Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvdueV5p4eY
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kLwX...eature=related I saw another thread on this board where some folks were talking about Obama's ability to be a

Quoting David Thomson: "You are not well, friend."

I simply have to look at the math. Obama gets around 90% of the black vote. What's up with that? Seems racist to me. But you have inadvertently pointed out how guilt tripped white left-wingers ignore black racism. This is why so many of them were stunned by the outrage over Jeremiah Wright's racist rants. The folks associated with Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago, and other "elite" school normally ho-hum such vile behavior. Reverse racism is fine with them. Ain't no big deal.

White left-wingers also consider it OK to lie to blue collar Democrats. This is what occurred when Obama told the "white trash" in Ohio that he was against NAFTA---while sending out his "unofficial representative" Altan Goolsbee to say the exact opposite to the Canadian government officials.

What's behind your intense dislike of Harvard, Yale, UC, "and other 'elite' schools"?

Quoting deebee: Interesting conversation. Much of the Netroots (MoveOn, Kos, etc.) seemed to lose their influence with Obama when they offered him their undying love early on. He has pretty much ignored them since then.

Pure speculation supported by nothing.

Quoting deebee: Regarding the Insular Issue, Joe Scarborough said that Hillary was very warm to the Gingrich Freshmen and that anyone who saw her in a personal setting realized that she was no Dragon Lady. By contrast, Bush had has poor relations with his own Republican Congress, often infuriating them with his arrogance and dismissive attitude.

And yet they still gave Bush everything he wanted. They are like abused children, severely mistreated and scared into total obedience. Profiles in cowardice.

Quoting deebee: Obama is also quite insular, particularly when it comes to the Press Corps -- rarely speaks with them in a casual setting and seems to despise press conferences (maybe he can duck those if he becomes President). Could this reluctance be directed at the preservation of a mystique that might vanish upon close inspection?

Pure speculation supported by nothing.

Quoting deebee: Unlikely that Obama will do unmoderated debates -- too risky -- might help but could prove devastating.

Pure speculation

Big Wayne:

I slightly agree, but not to the extent that the right wing noise machine (which is actively promoting this meme; e.g., it's a regular "observation" made by Bill O'Reilly) wants me to.

Did you watch Obama's recent (extemporaneous) interview with Wolf Blitzer?

You're right. I should have been a little more nuanced in my earlier reply. And yes, I did watch the Blitzer interview. I like the way Obama doesn't speak in talking points or clichés. I like that he's not one for shooting from the hip, and I agree -- it indicates thoughtfulness, a quality sorely lacking in most politicians these days. Still, every so often I watch him in a debate or interview and feel myself saying, "C'mon, Barack! You know the answer -- just spit it out!" As you said, the sad reality of life in a sound bite age is that to be successful, a politician needs to be able to deliver them once in a while. Of course, every time he's succinct, the usual suspects then trot out the "arrogant" (read: "uppity") and "abrasive" (read: "angry black man") memes, so I guess there's no winning this one.

Quoting bjkeefe: Still, every so often I watch him in a debate or interview and feel myself saying, "C'mon, Barack! You know the answer -- just spit it out!"

Yeah, you are definitely right. I've had the same reaction myself. This was particularly true in the early debates. And I can't deny it has given me pause regarding his ability to compete in the general. As you said: "in a sound bite age is that to be successful, a politician needs to be able to deliver them once in a while." Let's hope this isn't a problem going forward. Clearly, the Republicans want to maximize the focus and attention on this weakness, which is why I'm reluctant to help them spread it. If Republicans can get everyone thinking and talking about this "flaw," it will come to seem worse than it is. This concept was best expressed by (of all people) Steadman Graham in an interview on Larry King Live: "[W]hatever you focus on expands, so the key is not to focus on it [...] If you don't want something to expand, don't focus on it, whether it's negative or positive. You know if you want -- if you want to expand, you

Quoting Big Wayne: I slightly agree, but not to the extent that the right wing noise machine (which is actively promoting this meme; e.g., it's a regular "observation" made by Bill O'Reilly) wants me to.

From the nature of you comments sounds like you spend a lot of time watching Mr. O'Reilly. From what I see from the right there is some chatter about this but it is not one of the more pressing meme out on the right.

Quoting Big Wayne: Did you watch Obama's recent (extemporaneous) interview with Wolf Blitzer? I thought his ability to extemporize and speak without a script was extremely impressive. I bet he's a lot more impressive than Pisc would be in the same situation. Or me, for that matter. Or anyone else on this board. That's a given, right?

To paraphrase what seems to be one of your favorite phrases "Pure speculation supported by nothing"

Quoting Big Wayne: I think Obama's problem is that he actually thinks while he speaks. Rote repetition, an important skill for a politician, is less prone to some of the occasional (let's not overstate the case) halting and pausing we see in Obama. People whose minds are whirling away while they speak often don't deliver the

Fair enough. I will say that that calling Kidneystones a "conservative" is like saying that a cloud looks like a puppy. Wait until the next gust of wind...

Quoting AemJeff: Fair enough. I will say that that calling Kidneystones a "conservative" is like saying that a cloud looks like a puppy. Wait until the next gust of wind...

LOL. Is he not a conservative? I don't know him well; I was just judging by his intensely anti-Obama posts that all end with "Go McCain!!!"

Big Wayne:

Clearly, the Republicans want to maximize the focus and attention on this weakness, which is why I'm reluctant to help them spread it. If Republicans can get everyone thinking and talking about this "flaw," it will come to seem worse than it is.

You're right about this. I have become convinced that one of the reasons that the right has been so successful over the past couple of decades is that they will never budge on anything and never tire of repeating whatever it is they're on about, while liberals have had the habit of conceding points in an effort to move forward. And this does work -- I still feel bad about making "that's why Al Gore invented the Internet" jokes, back in 2000. So now, I usually play the game the way the right wants to play it -- concede nothing. But on this board, with someone from the other side who can also be reasonable at times, it seems only fair. You have to reward those conservatives who are willing to go off message.

Another thought: Obama's brilliant oratory when delivering prepared remarks is also probably partially to blame

Quoting piscivorous: From the nature of you comments sounds like you spend a lot of time watching Mr. O'Reilly. From what I see from the right there is some chatter about this but it is not one of the more pressing meme out on the right.

No, not at all. However despite this I have still heard him trying to make an issue out of Obama's ability to speak extemoraneously on multiple occasions.

Quoting piscivorous: To paraphrase what seems to be one of your favorite phrases "Pure speculation supported by nothing"

You're right; there could be some people on this board who could present themselves BETTER than Obama in all of the various fora Obama is judged in. You may well be one of them. Likewise, there might be people on this board who are better baseball players than most of the people in the major leagues. I think it would be safe to assume there isn't a single person on this board who could either (a) play in the majors, or (b) outperform Obama on the national stage, but you're right: it's speculation.

Quoting piscivorous: I know we dumb uneducated know nothing trailer trash always speak in sound

You are new to the conversation here so you may not understand that you may not understand that I can every so often be a bit of a satirical cynic. If you read the comment with this in mind it may help in your understanding. I would also note that you are one of the rare ones here if your reference to "highly intelligent people" actually meant "highly intelligent people" as it seems to be code here, and for many of those on the left, for the educated elite. Since that is the context in which I read it; that is the context of how my response was based.

The KOS commenter of the same name is also the same person. We can draw our own conclusions, I guess.

I usually play the game the way the right wants to play it -- concede nothing. But on this board, with someone from the other side who can also be reasonable at times, it seems only fair. You have to reward those conservatives who are willing to go off message.

Brendan, don't make me have to start calling you Neville Chamberlain, you appeaser you. Big Wayne, welcome to the board. I've been enjoying your posts and they seem "highly intelligent" in their content.

Quoting AemJeff: The KOS commenter of the same name is also the same person. We can draw our own conclusions, I guess.

Wow. A Kosian? That blows my mind. Is kidneystones gay?

Not to harp on the issue of Senator Obama's extemporaneous speaking proclivities but here is current sample. During a speech in Cape Girardeau, Missourihe Senator Obama spoke of the need for more Arabic speakers in Afghanistan.

If they are all in Iraq, then its harder for us to use them in Afghanistan.

It's a minor detail I know but the Afghans don't speak Arabic; they speak Dari and Pashto.

Quoting uncle ebeneezer: Brendan, don't make me have to start calling you Neville Chamberlain, you appeaser you.

Heh. Not to worry. Think of it more like this: sometimes you use tae kwan do, sometimes you use jiu jitsu.

Quoting piscivorous: Not to harp on the issue of Senator Obama's extemporaneous speaking proclivities but ...

... I will now proceed to harp.

Tell you what, Pisc: You give the nitpicking about Obama's verbal slips a rest, and I won't highlight every misspelled word and typo in your posts.

Hey I could have made it about his lack of foreign policy knowledge!

Quoting piscivorous: Hey I could have made it about his lack of foreign policy knowledge!

In general, that would be much more preferable. In this case, I think it would not be warranted -- I'm sure there are plenty of Arabic-speaking troublemakers afoot in Afghanistan, for one thing, and for another, you really don't want to start judging a candidate's foreign policy views by one sentence, do you? Especially as a supporter of the candidate who still seems unable to keep the Sunni/Shia distinction straight.

Big Wayne: Pure speculation supported by nothing....Pure speculation supported by nothing...Pure speculation supported by nothing....it's [Washington] Broder's and his pals' place.

I prefer to think of my "speculations" as perception based on personal observations coupled with a whole lot of reading. As for Broder, I definitely agree with your assessment of the man's arrogance. The Clintons were never "one of them" and the Bushes were -- hence the double standard. Of course, we will have to wait until the Bushes leave the White House before we know exactly what gems of wisdom will issue out of Broder's mouth -- but I wouldn't hold my breath that it will be anything negative -- he'll probably just keep quiet.

Quoting deebee: As for Broder ... I wouldn't hold my breath that it will be anything negative -- he'll probably just keep quiet.

Did you mean that you don't expect Broder to say anything negative about Bush once he leaves office, or that you don't expect Broder to say anything negative about the next president?

Yep there are probably one or two Arabic speakers in the area I'm sure. But as these will immediately sort of stand out they can be sent to some sort of holding facility where you know there will be one or two that speak Arabic. The demand is just not there for it to be a real salient point. If I were going to use this particular line of attack it would be more honestly directed at the intelligence community and it's shortage of translators and the failing of higher education to provide individuals with these particular skill set. One of the reasons I made the comment is exactly the to address the point "...judging a candidate's foreign policy views by one sentence, do you?". As what is good for the goose is good for the gander. don't think I am the only one out there that see this, and some other recent foreign policy statements, as balance to the Sunni/Shia distinction thing.

BJ Keefe: Did you mean that you don't expect Broder to say anything negative about Bush once he leaves office, or that you don't expect Broder to say anything negative about the next president?

I was referring to Bush -- Broder has gone pretty easy on Bush considering the magnitude of the man's transgressions and I believe that over the years, he has lost some of his luster as a sober, objective commentator. Have no idea how he will handle the next White House occupant.....probably depends on whether he or she is deemed to be "acceptable" by the Washington glitterati.

deebee: Thanks. I don't read Broder enough to say. Just wanted to know what you meant.

As a conservative whose gone over to Obama, I must say its his considered patrician style that I find appealing. Do I have qualms and doubts? Of course. But consider the alternative. I know it's a gut reaction, but McCain has to have one of the most off-putting discomfiting presentations in politics. Continuing with intestinal metaphor; Did you see him discussing whether he voted for Bush or not in 2000 on O'Reilly? I never seen a more stomach-churning display of shiftiness. Camille Paglia nailed him with the following description-"a clumsy,fusty,narcissistic waffler". Call me shallow, but I will take Obama's sleek demeanor in my living room for four years. The thought of McCain's weasally persona filling the above role is more than I can bear.

let's see, the future with obama, a not-united democratic party if he doesn't offer hillary the VP position.

Quoting johnmarzan: let's see, the future with obama, a not-united democratic party if he doesn't offer hillary the VP position.

Yeah, but, you see, we're all afflicted with BDS here in the Democratic Party. Our irrational rage will make us forget our differences as we swarm to the polls like mindless Bush bashing automatons pull the lever for whatever Democrat is on the ballot.

Quoting Big Wayne: Yeah, but, you see, we're all afflicted with BDS here in the Democratic Party. Our irrational rage will make us forget our differences as we swarm to the polls like mindless Bush bashing automatons pull the lever for whatever Democrat is on the ballot.

but what if hillary runs a third party candidacy? http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/a...lary_perot.php

You know I'm beginning to like your sense of humor. To bad it is going to waste on the dark side(no slur intended).

Bush wants us
to cut the amount of gas we use.....
The best way
to stop using so much gas is to deport 11 million illegal
immigrants!
That would be 11 million less people using our gas. The price of gas
would come down.
Bring our troops home from Iraq to guard the Border....
When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the border, hand him a
canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Iraq ...
Tell him if he wants to come to America then he must serve a tour in the
military....
Give him a soldier's pay while he's there and tax him on it.....
After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended
this country....
He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal patriot..... .
This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a
solution for the troops in Iraq and
the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves.. ....
If they refuse to serve, ship them to Iraq anyway, without the canteen,
rifle or ammo.....
Problem solved.....
If you
think this is a good solution to both the problems, forward it
to ALL your friends.
............
I just did.........

Thats George Carlin I'm quoting.

Quoting rgajria: Thats George Carlin I'm quoting.

No, it's not. That insane rant is diametrically opposed to anything Carlin would say. Why is it that right-wingers are constantly attempting to attribute their most hateful ideas to this great liberal comedian? Here are two more examples: -- Hurrican Rules (bashing disaster victims in classic, compassionate conservative fashion)
-- The Bad American

Whoa! Go Big Wayne!

As a black voter for Obama I take exception to you calling me bigoted just because I am not voting for Hillary Clinton. Obama had to earn my vote and, if you were to research the early polls, you would see that Senator Clinton started out with a tremendous advantage in the black community and that he had to earn their votes too. Sen. Clinton lost the black vote because she and her husband started marginalizing Sen. Obama, beginning with the Jesse Jackson comparison which was ridiculous. Obama won the black vote because he is viewed as a leader of integrity, judgment and experience. His experience may not be "Washington" experience but 8 years as a State Senator and a term as a U.S. Senator works for me and apparently others -- black and white. Hillary's experience worked for me too but her embellishments killed it. I would not vote for Barack just because he is black -- and I would not vote for Hillary just because she is a woman.

Quoting Marie: As a black voter for Obama I take exception to you calling me bigoted just because I am not voting for Hillary Clinton. Obama had to earn my vote and, if you were to research the early polls, you would see that Senator Clinton started out with a tremendous advantage in the black community and that he had to earn their votes too. Sen. Clinton lost the black vote because she and her husband started marginalizing Sen. Obama, beginning with the Jesse Jackson comparison which was ridiculous. Obama won the black vote because he is viewed as a leader of integrity, judgment and experience. His experience may not be "Washington" experience but 8 years as a State Senator and a term as a U.S. Senator works for me and apparently others -- black and white. Hillary's experience worked for me too but her embellishments killed it. I would not vote for Barack just because he is black -- and I would not vote for Hillary just because she is a woman.

Thanks Marie for a definitive rebuttal to the provocateur.

Oh great, Naom! So your concern for too many unmoderated debates with McCain & Obama is because you're afraid that voters will get to think with their brains rather than being spoon-fed by the media their packaged image of candidates. So much for Obama not being a candidate of "old politics." Honestly, he's one of the most dishonest candidates that we've had in a long time. All image, but nothing below the surface. Sure America doesn't care about the product as long as it's packaged and marketed well. Why are you afraid of Obama ruining his marketing script if he let's us see his true self? Obviously not even Obama supporters believe him!

And yes, this only reaffirms to me what a WIMP he is! If he truly believes in what he says, get rid of teleprompters and pre-written speeches for mass rallies and sit down and have a real unscripted conversation. I'd like to see that kind of change in politics. Will Mr Candidate of Change be true to his words? I doubt it. All talk, no action.

laurelnyc: You make some fair points, if exaggerated. Speaking as an Obama fan, I would like to see him do some more of what you ask, too. On the other hand, it should also be kept in mind that the ability to debate is not the full measure of the worthiness of a candidate. It should also be noted that one lesson Obama has learned from past Republican successes is that tight message control is good for a campaign, particularly in this era of gotcha media. It's hard to argue with success. I'll also point out that he has participated in over twenty debates during the primary, and he has indicated a clear willingness to debate John McCain during the general. If you aren't getting enough out of his speeches as regards specific policy proposals and views on the issues, you might do some reading here. Finally, if you'd like to see him speaking without a teleprompter, such video is available. For example, from the past few days, here are some extemporaneous remarks, and here is a press conference.

Oops, Sorry, Should have checked the source. I just thought it was funny so I posted it.