On the surface, you'd think Barack Obama and Sarah Palin have little in common. Obama's impeccable academic credentials include Columbia and Harvard Law. Palin attended far less prestigious schools, bouncing through four different colleges before getting a journalism degree. Obama started his public life as a community organizer while Palin was a sports reporter. One is black who leans left while the other is a very conservative self-described hockey mom. But as different as they are, both have been victimized by outrageous rumors.Within hours of being named as McCain's VP running mate, Palin was savaged at Daily Kos with the absurdly reckless allegation that she had faked her pregnancy. Obama was victimized by so many palpably false smears that he had to set up a web page to counter them.
Both candidates bring out the worse in people who simply aren't ready for a black or woman. Both are from outside the Beltway and obviously lack the experience to really screw things up.
Not that long ago, this country had a presidential candidate who was also dismissed as totally inexperienced. His election was accidental because there were two Democrats running against each other. He was an outsider with an unusual accent and high-pitched voice. All the power players felt he'd be little more than a puppet.
That person's name was Abraham Lincoln.
15 comments:
and for the record, Barack Obama is no Abraham Lincoln
Lower mack,
No, he's no Lincoln . . . not yet. But look at the similarities among Lincoln, Obama and Palin. Inexperienced, outsiders, vilified. All three are great speakers. All three have a way of charming people.
In many respects, Lincoln stands alone. Perhaps it is a foolish analogy. But I could not help but notice the similarity.
Lincoln's role as an outsider was actually one of his strengths as President.
Palin is an outsider for sure but her credentisl can't come close to matching Obamas. Lincoln was brilliant. that we can see in Obama. Palin??? Be serious. She's a gimmick and a bad one at that. One step away from the presidency. Scary, scary, scary..
Credentials, sorry..
Lincoln was a railroad attorney making, if memory serves me correctly, some $35K a year. He was an excellent speaker,save his sorprano voice, because he was well read. He did not use a teleprompter.
Senator Obama does not impress me. In fact, I find him less inspiring then Presidnet Bush particularly when he is away from the prompter.
Governor Palin is very good with and without the teleprompter as we know since she lost hers at the convention. Contrary to popular belief she made "Charlie" look like a fumbling oaf on the matter of the Bush Doctrine. I believe that she would hold her own with the likes of Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy and Reagan. She speaks from the heart and sticks to her principles. God help DC when she arrives. A lot of those folks haven't been up against a principled person for a long time. They can be testy.
"Palin is an outsider for sure but her credentisl can't come close to matching Obamas. Lincoln was brilliant. that we can see in Obama. Palin??? Be serious. She's a gimmick and a bad one at that. One step away from the presidency. Scary, scary, scary.."
Man, the opposition is getting crankier as their guy blows his historic lead. Just read that blue NY is within 5 points. PA is back in the "toss up" category. Is it too late for Ds to switch to an experienced, serious candidate?
Obama has slightly less experience than Palin. He's almost as prepared, although he's failed to author any legislation - he'll probably start any day now.
His primary experience is running a presidential campaign for all three years he was supposed to be serving as freshman Senator from Illinois. They all have poor voting records, but his is legendary. He's never really shown up for his current job.
No foreign policy experience. No executive experience. He's given several compelling speeches, but hasn't done a thing. He's arguably lazy and unmotivated. He's appallingly unprepared.
That's right, while Palin mocked Obama for being a community organizzzer just out of college, she was a sports reporter. Some sport a desire to get a community on their feet again and to be self-supportive. Others just reported the sports.
Look at what the candidates say. The McCain Palin stump speech for the last two weeks is filled with mistruths and misleading info. There aren't any cherry trees in Alaska.
There aren't any cherry trees in Alaska.
But there are lots of log cabins.
When are McCain, Palin and Charles W. Dent going to address the issues? There all about rhetorical nonsense. Let's say something about the economy, gas prices, veterans, middle class needs and health care.
I had an extensive interview with Charlie Dent and have been posting it here. His views concerning energy and gas prices have been explored in great detail. He was happy to discuss the issues and in great detail. I have posted at least ten blogs about his views so far, and have done the same for his opponent, Sam Bennett, too.
Chris Miller needs a show on Fox, he is damn funny. Lincoln, FDR and Palin?
Hey O'Hare why not get in on the act and throw your butt-buddies Angle and Stoffa in there too.
Anonymous 12:44 AM
Given the inablilty of Senator Obama to be eloquent away from his teleprompter, I would suggest that you stop throwing stones since you obviously are living in a glass house.
Let's not forget his amazing sidekick, Joe"I told a candidate in a wheel chair to stand up" Biden showed us how well he is prepared when he goes on the road. By the way, when will Gibson be interviewing him?
BOH 713,
Regarding Log Cabins, you are correct. The Log Cabin Republicans did endorse McCain on Sept 7th....what would you expect a Republican organization to do?
I do not see what this has to do with holding McCain and company to telling the truth.
- McCain tells the public that Obama wants to teach sex ed to pre-schoolers when the actual bi-partisan bill endorsing Do-Not-Touch awareness to protect children from sexual predators.
- Telling people that McCain’s running mate is against earmarks and Obama request nearly $1 billion dollars in earmarks over four years or nearly $1M per day. The fact is as Gov, Palin has requested $453 million over her two years in office. Using the McCain formula, Palin sought $980,000 per workday, compared with roughly $893,000 for Obama. This is straight from yesterdays Wall Street Journal(a conservative paper).
The point is….the GOP will do anything to win even if it means misleading the public. Even Rove states the McCain tactics are over the top.
You just can't trust McCain.
For the record Biden and Obama have been taking tough questions from the public during town halls and have held Q&A with the press regularly. Biden was on Meet the Press on Sept 7th and did very well, IMO.
Face it, Palin has been the nominee for 20 days and answered one question back on Sept 4th from an Alaska reporter and gave one interview (Gibson). Pathetic! The public deserves better.
Maybe they can get Jeff Gannon (the White House phony reporter) to interview her next. That is probably not a fare comment but comm’on …. 20 days have gone by. What are they keeping from the public? The truth?
Somewhere in a cryogenic chamber deep under Washington D.C., Dick Cheney reads this blog and smiles.
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