Democratic Convention

[Imran Siddiqui]

Damn it's sticky in here. You really need to clean up after yourselves guys.

Love the circle jerk over the 'promising' future Presidential Candidate . I guess Obama has to wait since George P. Bush is supposed to be the first Hispanic President in 2012 as they were all saying in 2000 .

[Mordoch]

Oh, for those (especially overseas) who didn't see the Obama speech and are curious about it, here's a link to video excerpts from the Obama speech

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/072704-14v.htm

and here's a link to the full text of the speech.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19751-2004Jul27.html

I found one of the most effective parts of the speech was the following.

It is that fundamental belief... I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work.

OBAMA: It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family: "E pluribus unum," out of many, one.

Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.

Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.

There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.

The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.

We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states.

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.

We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

[Ramo]

He speaks as well as Clinton (or at least pretty damn close to it), is very smart and well-educated (in fact, he was a con law prof), had been an effective legislator, can raise money like a madman (he broke records in Illinois history, and the general campaign had just started, IIRC he has something like $4 million), has a national constituency with tons of support in the Party. So, no this is certainly not George P. Bush.

This is not a question of if Obama's going to be President, rather when.

[Ramo]

Murdoch, you left off the best part, right before the portion you quoted. The paragraph:

For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga.

A belief that we are connected as one people. If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child. If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother. If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It's that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper — that makes this country work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.

[Imran Siddiqui]

This is not a question of if Obama's going to be President, rather when.

Uh huh... I wish I had a quarter for every time I heard that (substitute Obama for XXX). Hell, I backed one who was former mayor of Jersey City, but unfortunetly the eventual Schundler Presidency in 2012 was derailed in 2001 when he lost the race for Governor of NJ .

[Ramo]

You might've been wrong, but I know that I'm not.

[Kidlicious]

There is no way the Dems will run a black man. Hell, they won't even run a liberal.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I know that I'm not.

You mean like when you said Howard Dean was going to be Dem nominee?

You've been wrong so many times you could be a political pundit on CNN .

[Ramo]

CNN? That hurts.

I was wrong about Dean, but still he was extraordinarily close to getting the nomination.

There is no way the Dems will run a black man. Hell, they won't even run a liberal.

Before the Dean fundraising revolution, I might've agreed. But not now. This is not a guy that can be stopped by the DNC.

In the recent nomination battle, in a 7-way contest Obama came from nowhere to trounce the Party's anointed, including a couple millionares (IIRC, he got around 55%).

[monkspider]

Weren't you the one that totally underestimated Dean Imran? I wouldn't bring him up if I were you.

[Mordoch]

Originally posted by Kidicious
There is no way the Dems will run a black man. Hell, they won't even run a liberal.

Obama is different than the typical black man. His father was an African immigrant who came to America and was a sucess. There won't be any complaints about how his family was harmed by slavery or any demands for reperations from Obama! He also married a white woman from Kansas which is why his message will be more about how American is breaking down racial barriers than complaining about it. This part of his family tree means how he can talk about his grandfathers being WW2 vetrans.

The real key is he doesn't simply appeal to the black vote, although he would be able to get a higher African-American turnout than usual, but he appeals to the immigrant vote. His father is the classic story of an immigrant of humble origins (his occupation was actually that of a goat herder in Africa!) who makes good and was a sucess through hard work in America. The only immigrant vote that matters is not just the Hispanic vote, but also the Asian and African immigrants who are likely to find Obama's family history appealing with the example of a person of color succeeding in America.

His charisma and speech giving ability is the piece of the puzzle that makes him such a effective candidate.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Mordoch
His charisma and speech giving ability is the piece of the puzzle that makes him such a effective candidate.

I only got to hear the very beginning.

I think you guys are getting your hopes up way too soon. The first black pres will be a Republican. I doubt if the dems will ever win with a minority or a women.

[Ramo]

Kid, you should see the entire thing. And then we can talk about what Obama can or can't do.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ramo
Err nevermind.

I only saw the introduction where he talked about his origin. Is he liberal or moderate. A black democrat running for president would have to be moderate to the point of boardering on conservative to have any chance. Still, I don't think he would win.

[Ramo]

I DanSed you.

And he's definitely a liberal.