Jombl,
I dare you to find a person of the same generation/age group as Obama, with an absent father and conflicted teen years coming to grips with his identity who didn't get into the alcohol and drug scene in college. Do you NOT GET all that he has overcome? Do you not get how he came from a very humble life filled with all kinds of normal life events - mistakes and all - and yet became a brilliant orator demonstrating great intelligence? Do you not get that this man has actually LIVED in another country and knows what it means to assimilate in a totally different culture? Is he perfect - oh my God, no! Who is????

Yoss, I do think Rev. Wright needs to shut his freakin' trap. He's entitled to his opinion but as long as people continue to keep him connected to Obama, he needs to shut up!

And BB, yes that race with Keyes was a joke. Ryan would have been a much tougher candidate to beat. Nonetheless, Obama is running a solid national campaign against extremely qualified and viable candidates. Anyone can disagree with Obama's ideas on policy - I get that. But I don't think the character assassinations are in any way accurate.

quote:

Originally posted by Amy:
Do you NOT GET all that he has overcome?

This reminds me of the comments from an old co-worker of Obama's as reported in the New York Times.

quote:

Dan Armstrong, who worked with Mr. Obama at Business International Corporation in New York in 1984 and has deconstructed Mr. Obama’s account of the job on his blog, analyzethis.net, wrote: “All of Barack’s embellishment serves a larger narrative purpose: to retell the story of the Christ’s temptation."

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:
Just as some of you defend stating snippets and friendly ties to terrorists take away or deter from the real issues at hand, what do you think gave Obama the win in the first place?

The incompetence of the Republican leadership cheated the Illinois electorate in Obama's Senate race. They picked Keyes, for God's sake. Even Oberweis could have done better.

quote:

Originally posted by jombl:

quote:

Originally posted by Amy:
Do you NOT GET all that he has overcome?

This reminds me of the comments from an old co-worker of Obama's as reported in the New York Times.

quote:

Dan Armstrong, who worked with Mr. Obama at Business International Corporation in New York in 1984 and has deconstructed Mr. Obama’s account of the job on his blog, analyzethis.net, wrote: “All of Barack’s embellishment serves a larger narrative purpose: to retell the story of the Christ’s temptation."

Jombl: Here are the two paragraphs to which you refer from Armstrong's blog. Different meaning?

"All of Barack’s embellishment serves a larger narrative purpose: to retell the story of the Christ’s temptation. The young, idealistic, would-be community organizer gets a nice suit, joins a consulting house, starts hanging out with investment bankers, and barely escapes moving into the big mansion with the white folks. Luckily, an angel calls, awakens his conscience, and helps him choose instead to fight for the people.

Like I said, I’m a fan. His famous keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention moved me to tears. The Democrats - not to mention America - need a mixed-race spokesperson who can connect to both urban blacks and rural whites, who has the credibility to challenge the status quo on issues ranging from misogynistic rap to unfair school funding."

It's clear that Armstrong feels Obama made more of his piddling job than reality would dictate for a graduating senior. And he probably did.

quote:

Originally posted by ronkas:

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:
Just as some of you defend stating snippets and friendly ties to terrorists take away or deter from the real issues at hand, what do you think gave Obama the win in the first place?

The incompetence of the Republican leadership cheated the Illinois electorate in Obama's Senate race. They picked Keyes, for God's sake. Even Oberweis could have done better.

Exactly, just like the Dems picked Kerry in '04 and will choose Obama in '08. As far as Oberweis, not sure if he could have done a better or would that be worse job.

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:

quote:

Originally posted by ronkas:

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:
Just as some of you defend stating snippets and friendly ties to terrorists take away or deter from the real issues at hand, what do you think gave Obama the win in the first place?

The incompetence of the Republican leadership cheated the Illinois electorate in Obama's Senate race. They picked Keyes, for God's sake. Even Oberweis could have done better.

Exactly, just like the Dems picked Kerry in '04 and will choose Obama in '08. As far as Oberweis, not sure if he could have done a better or would that be worse job.

I know you are just trying to take a shot, but there is no comparison to the Democratic primary voters in 2004 and 2008, and what happened with the Republicans with Alan Keyes. None.

RONKAS: "Let's do a thread about Billy Ayers. Did any of you grow up with him in Glen Ellyn?[/QUOTE]

YES.

Gus

BTW, do you know who is father was?????

quote:

Originally posted by Gus:
RONKAS: "Let's do a thread about Billy Ayers. Did any of you grow up with him in Glen Ellyn?

YES.

Gus

BTW, do you know who is father was?????[/QUOTE]

C'mon, I am older than you. It was the scandal of the day, and the epitome of the entitled children revolting against their rich parents.

OK, just testing you. Knew his family quite well actually. Never spoke about it though, not tea time conversation exactly. Actually saw him at GOCC at the pool with his young teenage son not too long ago. Son following Dad's footsteps: Hair down to the middle of the back. Ahhh, the 60's were fun and exciting, weren't they??? Black Light posters, bell bottoms,and tie died shirts, not to mention a few other things!

As you are painfully aware, that hair diminishes quickly. Except in my case.

Grass doesn't grow on a busy street Ronnie.

quote:

Originally posted by Gus:
Grass doesn't grow on a busy street Ronnie.

Why does your bobble head doll have more hair than you?

Hey you weenie! If you walked away from the bar you would have seen various photos of me with LOTS of hair! Just in last few years lost a bunch of it. Must have been the stress of D41.

Hey Gus- You don't have a full head of hair? Never noticed.

Hey go easy on Gus, he's in a protected category-Follicly challenged.

I represent the vertically challenged demographic.

New "snippet" from a Wright 2003 sermon:

"We can see clearly the confusion in their minds but we cannot see clearly what it is that we do. We call it 'Crusade.' When we turn right around and say that our God condones the killing of innocent civilians as a necessary means to an end. We say that God understands collateral damn damage. We say that God knows how to forgive friendly fire. We say that God will bless the shock and awe as we take over unilaterally another country, calling it a coalition because we got three guys from Australia. Goin' against the United Nations, goin' against a majority of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, throughout the world, making a preemptive strike in the name of God. We cannot see how what we are doing is the same thing al-Qaeda is doing under a different color flag, calling on the name a different God to sanction and approve our murder and our mayhem!"

It's no wonder Obama refuses to wear a flag pin on his lapel. IMO, he, his wife and his mentor of 20 years are simply ashamed of what our flag stands for.

Obama's decsion not to distance himself from Wright was honest and far as I am concerned, couldn't have been a better choice.

My honey will be the nominee.

Obama Breaks From Pastor

HICKORY, N.C (AP) -- Democrat Barack Obama says he was outraged by the comments of his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and saddened by the spectacle of his appearance on Monday.

Wright said Monday that criticism surrounding his fiery sermons is an attack on the black church.

Obama told reporters Tuesday that Wright's comments do not accurately portray the perspective of the black church.

Obama said, ``I am outraged by the comments that were made and saddened by the spectacle that we saw yesterday.''

Wright's incendiary comments have dogged Obama's presidential campaign.

quote:

Originally posted by bitterboy:
New "snippet" from a Wright 2003 sermon:

"We can see clearly the confusion in their minds but we cannot see clearly what it is that we do. We call it 'Crusade.' When we turn right around and say that our God condones the killing of innocent civilians as a necessary means to an end. We say that God understands collateral damn damage. We say that God knows how to forgive friendly fire. We say that God will bless the shock and awe as we take over unilaterally another country, calling it a coalition because we got three guys from Australia. Goin' against the United Nations, goin' against a majority of Christians, Muslims, and Jews, throughout the world, making a preemptive strike in the name of God. We cannot see how what we are doing is the same thing al-Qaeda is doing under a different color flag, calling on the name a different God to sanction and approve our murder and our mayhem!"

It's no wonder Obama refuses to wear a flag pin on his lapel. IMO, he, his wife and his mentor of 20 years are simply ashamed of what our flag stands for.

Obama's decsion not to distance himself from Wright was honest and far as I am concerned, couldn't have been a better choice.

My honey will be the nominee.

This could be the dumbest, most ignorant thing I've read on this board that was not intended to be over-the-top and inflammatory. The best I can tell by the fact that your child had his/her communion is that you are Catholic. Do you want to trace back the statements that your pope has made in this globe's history? Do you disown those popes - you know, those who act as the mouthpiece for God - those whom are infallible?

How about the strict teachings of the bible and the catholic interpretations that are taught south of the mason-dixon line and often ignored here in Illinois due to their unpopular impact on church donations and church attendance? Do you believe and follow all of those? I assume by your own words that when you hear something you don't like from your pastor, you get up out of your pew, pick up your kids and march out of your church, all the while letting your neighbors know that you now disown that priest.

I've pretty much stayed out of this because I'm disgusted at the thought of having to vote for any of these three for President of the United States. That being said, I know Barack Obama personally and I know him to be a good man, a man of principle and a man of great loyalty to his country. Blast him on his politics (I do)...blast him on a variety of other things you don't like about him (I do)....but blasting him for this is down right preposterous, bigoted and ignorant in my opinion.

Give me a break.

Great quotes in history from Catholic popes will be posted shortly. I'm not sure which pope is my favorite - the Nazi or the pope that failed to act when children were getting raped by priests.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: GE Fan,

quote:

I'm not sure which pope is my favorite - the Nazi or the pope that failed to act when children were getting raped by priests.

I always hate correcting friends....but:

It wasn't the "Nazi Pope"...it was Hitler's Pope. And to say that the pope who was in charge did nothing when presented with the facts of child abuse by clergy is a bit inaccurate. IIRC, he and his charges moved the offenders from parish to parish, region to region in order to avoid trouble. You can see how much it has cost the church financially in the long run...so, I believe he was being fiscally prudent. I always admire fiscal prudence.

I'm a conservative, but I have to say I think what's happening to Obama with regard to his preacher is wrong. Rev. Wrong seems hell bent on putting his agenda out there, regardless of the damage it's doing to Obama's chances. This guy just can't help making sweet racist love to the microphones that are being thrust his way. Enjoy your 15 minutes Rev. Wrong.

If Obama is going to win/lose the primary election, let it be on his stance on the issues, not some loud mouth, race baiting hack. This country's economy is in the crapper and I'd rather hear from the candidates what their plan for recovery is. I think we need to get a plan together on getting out of Iraq and snuffing out the Taliban in Afghanistan. I want to hear solutions, not apologies for racist rhetoric.