Roger L. Simon: Barack the Banal

For a young(ish) man, Barack Obama seems to be starting his campaign on particularly dull, one-size-fits-all note. Take a look at his YouTube video, packed full of hoary political clichés - "We begin a great journey... opens up the process... empowers ever day voters... vehicle for your hopes and dreams... "

What those hopes and dreams might be he doesn't say. Doesn't want to offend anybody, I suppose. So far the man is a monumental bore with little to say. I don't think Hillary has much to worry about. Spielberg has already switched back to her. Can Geffen be far behind? Obama is over before he started. Much more here.

Comments

Comments require registration through TypeKey. Abusive remarks may be deleted. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Roger Simon.

I think it is worth pointing out that however "articulate and clean" he might be (and lest I be misunderstood, Binden's comments were as excerable as his record), St. Obama would never have gotten into Harvard Law School in the first place (let alone enjoyed all the do-nothing-but-be-a-hero events that have happend for him since) if he had not been black. University of Texas law on merit, maybe, anyone? Notwithstanding that and his private school education in Europe, he's already on record comparing himself favorably with Abraham Lincoln. Affirmative Action at work, ladies and gentlemen...meet the new messiah

I'm not surprise about Hollywoods change of heart. I'm sure Bill called them all up and gave them the old southern what no.

And if they're not, they will be as soon as they're told what the Clintonistas have 'on' them.

Obama offers "hope"...the most bizarro promise of all. What can a 42-year old political non-entity offer to a hyper-complex nation of 300 million people that it doesn't already have?

Are we so deep in the currents of moral and mental disintegration that enough of us will elect him on this superstition? God save us. I wouldn't count this guy out yet...he's JFK morphed to Ron Popeil.

It's all up to the media. If they want Obama, then he offers fresh visionary talent, unencumbered by old ideas. If they want Clinton (again) then he will be a symbol without substance and not to be trusted with so little a track record.

Unfortunately the media is the 20% "swing" vote in US politics today. Look how close someone like Kerry came to winning. BTW, does anybody yet know what type of discharge our almost CIC, Kerry, received when he first mustered out of the Navy?

Some real koolaid consumers responding at The Politico; sounds like some have a real emotional need for Obama to succeed. When Carville and the rest of the Chillery storm troopers start cranking up the smears, the potential entertainment value will be huge.

Presidential material? Give him a few more years experience at something, anything, then maybe.

Bromides from Mr. Blank Slate. Obama seems to be about as charismatic as a bowl of cold oatmeal.

What happened? Spielberg and Geffen decided a Barak presidency wouldn't be good for The Jews? So they went back to that stalwart of The Jewish People, Hillary?

I do not believe that how well one does in law school is a predictor of how well one will do in life. For sure a degree from a tony law school does not qualify you to be President.

That said, even if Obama did get into Harvard Law School on the affirmative action track (and I wouldn't be so sure about this, since he did his undergrad at Columbia), he did exceptionally well in law school. The guy was the president of the Harvard Law Review (an elected, not appointed, position) and graduated magna cum laude. He was a very good student.

I certainly do not intend to vote for Obama, given his ties to the Chicago machine. But fair is fair -- he really is a smart guy. Whether he has anything to say is a separate question. Like Roger, I've never heard anything but trite cliches come out of his mouth, and whenever he commits to something substantive it's usually something I don't agree with. But he's bright, no doubt about it.

Academic performance means nothing to the people who are infatuated by Obama. Or Hillary or Edwards for that matter.

All of them are electable because they appeal to the popular need to be important, and to those who crave a sense of righteousness on the cheap. The struggle among these three will be disgraceful and not fun to watch.

According to Drudge, Obama will say on 60 Minutes tomorrow, "If you're African-American, in this society you're treated like one." I'm not sure what it is he wants. Does he want to be treated as a Polish-American, expected to be Catholic, know the polka and like Kielbasa? Is he opposed to multiculturalism? To Affirmative Action?

I think this guy may be the most brilliant politician I have ever seen. Reagan may have been better. Certainly, Reagan actually stood for something, and that matters to history. But, Obama is only trying to win a campaign at this point, and he shows me he has the right stuff.

He feeds a need. That has nothing to do with brilliant. I have never heard Obama say anything original.

And I think it will be hard for an African American to be elected to the White House. Especially when other African Americans are not as enamored with him as rich white people are. Add to that his name is Barack [ too foreign] Hussein [sound familiar?] Obama {rhymes with Osama}. I hate to point out the obvious, but I think a lot of folks on the left like him because they think it is the cool, chic, daring, stick it to de man thing to do. Kind of reminds me of Howie Dean and Loser Lamont.

Rudy Giuliani is a much stronger candidate than either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. The Republicans would be wise to push their other candidates to the side. They are simply wasting everyone's time.

I strongly suspect that Rudy's lead in the pools over the two Democratic Party's options would always be minimally ten points. This will especially be true if Joe Liebeman's name is floated about as his running mate.

Uh, Schmoe--a couple of points--one that should be obvious and one not. (1) Columbia undergrad had a "black" box one could check upon applying too. (2) Harvard Law Review has two types of slots--"write on" (merit) and "elected" (Obama). While we can never know, somehow I think that the electors (members of the review--any guess how many of them were conservatives? Does the number "zero" leap to mind?) thought of electing the first "black" HLS law review editor MIGHT have been a teensy weenise factor in the minds of the voters. And I hear Harvard just "elected" themselves a new president who is a standing joke with nothing but PC feminist credentials to recomend her. I do agree that success in law school isn't necessarily a good predictor of how well one will do in life. But when one has constantly had ones way smoothed by checking all the "black" boxes one can find, one must expect a bit of scepticism from those who didn't benefit from the "never mind the content of their character what color is their skin" crowd.

Think of the Great American Electorate as a Giant Crow. A crow with a remarkably short attention span.

Obama is pretty shiny and shiny objects can be as banal as they choose to be. He is simply not using the "A" material when a little razzle-dazzle will do quite fine,thank you very much.

"You will never go broke underestimating the taste(intelligence, attention span) of the American public".

The problem a others have pointed out is that it is way too early in the ridiculously LONG Process, for this act to last.

Unfortunately I think you will find that this guy probably does in fact have an "A" game and is quite capable of bringing it as well. When he wants and thinks he needs to.

I don't think he can win, but he is very much not a lightweight and it is a mistake to believe that he is. He's not stupid, at the very least, and would not willingly set himself up for embarrassment by doing something he was not confident of performing well at. Loses cred in the real world, where he has to compete, in the end.

Right now he's just 'performing'. He knows his current audience. I believe he's got another 'act' for the grownups of the crowd, but it's for a later show. When the 'kiddies' have toddled off for a while, diverted by some other temporary baubble. He always know where those people are.

Anna Nicole Smith died and we have more than a few men claiming paternity to her child.

He has been a Senator for two whole years and other than that what do we know about him?

Charles Johnson has posted a cute observation. Obama was Muslim as a child. He converted to Christianity. In Muslim eyes he is an apostate.
Does America want to insult the faith of billions of Muslims worldwide by electing a "Muslim apostate" as president?

Obama has only served two years, and in his capacity as a US Senator, has done nothing of any note. He has sided with the Dem obstructionists who wanted to filibuster Alito; ingratiating himself to the far Left while risking nothing since the obstructionists did not have near the votes to filibuster.

As an Illinois State Senator, his leadership was non-existent. He has been an obedient soldier of the corrupt Chicago Dem machine. Ignoring the various corruption scandals publicized within the last two years; while claiming to be a reformer. He has been the beneficiary of Chicago corruption with regards to the purchase of his home, with the help of a 'connected' developer.

Obama would not have even been US Senator if the MSM had not gone after the divorce records of the Dem primary frontrunner, and then the sealed child custody records of the GOP nominee. Of course the state GOP panicked and forced a withdrawal, then compounded the damage by importing Alan Keyes, instead of choosing a candidate who was familiar with Illinois issues.

Dick: all the libs who voted for the white Kucinich, less the racists--i.e., NO ONE.

Barack is a chimera within the MSM's hallucinations. The fact that he announced shows his inexperience. The bloodletting will be extreme in 08. He should have sat on his rump until '12. Neither Hil nor he seem conclusive on their agendas, well, other than appeasement and defeat. The WOT will still be the energizing point. If not, I will know all is lost. I will then arm myself accordingly.

I think it's hilarious that Obama is the "African-American" candidate...who's at least as "white" as he is "black". LA talk radio has a few callers who think he's unelectable because he's not "black" enough.

February 10, 2007: Barack the Banal

Comments

Post a comment

Email This Post