Obama IS electable

and people who say he's not are talking out of their asses.

My almost-80 year old parents are hoping to vote for him in the general. They can't vote for him in the primaries because they're registered Republicans - and have been their whole lives.

I don't think they've EVER voted for a Democrat for President. But they've both told me they like Obama and are supporting him.

I think for people of that age, who grew up in a very racist America, it would do their hearts good to see a black President.

My parents grew up in the depression, in rural Pennsylvania. My father had never seen a black man until he joined the service.

They were racist. Not deliberately so - but by virtue of their environment. They didn't know any black people. They had no idea. But when Dad went to the South for basic training, he was appalled by what he saw. He once tried to give up his seat on the bus to a black woman, and she very frightfully told him "No! Sit down, sir!"

Then came the 60s, and my birth. I was a child during the civil rights battles, and saw dogs and hoses turned on African-Americans on the nightly news. My parents were horrified. They raised us NOT to be racist - even though they had some lingering internal fears and doubts about black people.

Now they're older. They've seen a lot. They know how wrong the views instilled in them in childhood were. And I think there's a generation of people like them who want some redemption - and they see that in Barack Obama.

Don't count him out.

I agree with you. Being in Illinois and having voted for him both in the primaries and getting to cast a ballot for him in the general, I know it sounds a little idealistic but every once in awhile with a story like yours I get a glimpse that it could happen.

and the first two chapters have brought me to tears. I'm giving my 89-year-old mother the book to read while I'm at work and so far she's been knocked out by it. Is Mr. Obama ready for "prime-time", I don't honestly know, but this country desperately needs him.

I'm in shock.

Wow.

I think I love you!

Well....

.....for this post anyway.

~~~~~~

I don't believe in political saviors. Well, at least I don't count on one coming along. In my mind, we've had three: Washington, Lincoln and FDR.

All of them rose to meet the incredible challenges they faced, and we can't know ahead of time who these people are. We just get lucky.

I like Obama very much, and I would be thrilled to see him elected. But he's not my candidate in the primaries.

Thanks again, Monkey. If Obama gets the nomination, he won't dissapoint you.

Seriously? Obama and Edwards are electable; Hillary not so much.

Interesting tact, though, to approach it like it's Obama that should be worried. Not buying it, sorry. I've seen too much of your work before your very recent foray into civilized politics.

I'd love to be proven wrong on this, but the pretzel machinations to gain advantage on these boards are as viral as they are epic.

I wrote that heartfelt story that benefits a candidate other than my own and you shit on it?

How sad.

And it is sad. It also precludes my believing you are anywhere in the ballpark of sincere. You have been bashing Obama for a long-ass time around here. And starting an OP with the thinly veiled premise that Obama can't be elected doesn't help. It is what it is, and you reap what you sow.

any post of mine in which I slam Obama.

Go ahead... try.

You're a goddamned ****.


You owe me an apology.

Where's the example of "my work"?

Or where's the apology? You owe me one or the other.

:kick:

it hasn't arrived.

So I can only assume the person in question is a total ****.

:kick:

I guess some people just weren't raised right.

I want to thank you for your OP, MonkeyFunk. Very gracious of you to tell us this story. :)

I even PMed her twice asking her to prove her assertion or apologize to me.

No response.

:thumbsdown:

the poster wrote something nice about Obama. We should be grateful for the show of respect for our guy.

Thank you MonkeyFunk!

I guess she has no intention of backing up her slander or offering an apology. Oh well.

Wow...

:shrug:

Primary season sucks.

That's not a question.

I read the OP as a straightforward piece describing people who are supporting Obama - no snark, no jabs. Just an older generation couple about to cast away decades of preconceived notions - both political and racial - to make the difficult decision to vote, not only for the other party for the first time (I know what THAT'S like), but and vote for a black man to lead the country.

Describe to me how this is somehow a 'pretzel machination' to 'gain advantage'. How is that even done in a freakhouse like this? It's crap and counter-crap 24/7, with practically no one giving ground or engaging in real debate, with the exception of the OP (who I've seen time and again try to engage in a productive discussion to no avail).

You're not buying it? I don't see him selling anything.

And the word is 'tack', not 'tact'.

Do your candidate a favor and stop using his sig-line - you're getting it all slimy.

I appreciated MonkeyFunk's post. He talked about how his parents want to vote for Obama...and the history of his parents' attitude about race. I thought it was a nice, hopeful post...and one that the Obama supporters around here should appreciate.

Instead, you took a big dump all over it.

God, people around here are so fucking cynical and so fucking defensive and protective about their own candidates that they can't see something recognizing the virtues of other candidates. How sad.

What advantage has that viral and epic pretzel machination just gained me on these boards?

Sometimes a post is just what it is. If you have to assume an ulterior motive, you should make sure that there would be a benefit to that motive.

:thumbsdown:

It's a discussion forum

There are winners and losers! Compete! Destroy! Win!

I would rather be saying a candidate supporting nuclear power
could not make it past a democratic primary.
It looks like poisoning the earth is a non issue.

My in laws are hard core Republicans and the father in law is borderline racist and he said he is considering Obama. It could be the unity message based upon the divisiveness over the past 35 years.

I think a lot of old people who experienced Jim Crow, then MLK, then the rest, would feel very warm about voting for African-American who was as accomplished and appealing as Obama.

don't think so...

Even polls don't suggest that he's unelectable in "most of the country."

Your mouth, I already knew about.

But, then, I also think Edwards, Clinton, Richardson, Biden and Dodd
are electable, too, so my opinion may not count for much, heh heh!

~~~~~~~

True dat!

:thumbsup:

but he is absolutely electable. He is one of the real powerhouse speakers--one of his strongest points.

No problem voting for him should he be the nominee.

With both Obama and Clinton running this time, this really is a watershed election in American politics.

I believe we have one of the strongest slate of candidates we've seen in a long time.

:hide:

I can't get anything past you.

however i would vote for him in heartbeat

100%.

He's disappointed me. But this isn't about who I support - it's to argue the point that I've seen expressed here that he's not a viable candidate in the General Election.

I think he is, and I think he'll win if he's the nominee.

Pure silliness for anyone to state otherwise.

Not a single vote has been cast yet. The only "frontrunners" are media hype.

He reminds me when I see video of him on the stump of a somewhat cool John Kerry back around this time in 2003. He's much more focused when he's giving big speeches like the JJ dinner or his own announcement. I just don't think he's feisty enough to cut through the Hillary juggernaut.

I think the percieved coolness is due in part to his extreme intelligence. Just like Kerry, he is a rational, considered speaker. He considers every answer before he gives it. It's kind of hard to appear hungry if you take the time to actually think about what you say before you say it.

This is also why he is so much better at speechifying than debating.

Obama's very electable, & that shouldn't be a factor in deciding any votes.

I know who you prefer and yet you wrote something positive about another candidate. :thumbsup:

Aren't you one of them thar "Hilbots"? The ones that are paid to post in her favor because no one supports her?

WELL! I'll just have to put on you suspension for this paid period.

I'd watch that back of yours monkey man!!

Hillary will NOT be please. This is a direct attack on The Plan!

All HAIL! THE PLAN!

:sarcasm:

I'll believe it when I see it. I think Obama (or any other Dem) could easily win in the general election.

all our candidates are good Democrats.

And that most of these Republicans I know that like Obama are not Baby Boomers, but mostly Gen-Xers and Korean War Generation folks.

:thumbsup:

Keep hope alive.

No doubt.

Thank you for expressing what I've already believed about Obama. He can win the General, but so could Hillary or Edwards.

I think the people that dismiss him because he's black, are as low as people that simply dismiss Hillary because she's a woman.

:toast:

I hope your parents get that chance.

and I mean this sincerely; when I read a post like yours it solidifies my belief that many voters in this country are severely misguided, and we will, once again, elect the wrong person to lead the free world. Though I agree with you that electing an African American to lead our country would be a wonderful moment in our history, it is, I fear, the absolute wrong time. Not because of his race. Most definitely not. It is Barack's lack of foreign policy experience that has many people like myself concerned. Very concerned. With Armageddon in Iraq, the turmoil in Pakistan, Israel, Syria, Afghanistan, India, and deep concerns with Iran, Korea and now even Russia (and let us never take our eye off of China), it is critical in my opinion, that our next President be extremely experienced in foreign policy, and have the diplomacy and strength to deal with these countries at a moments notice with a track record to prove that he can.

This next Presidential election is THE MOST important election our nation has faced in decades. Our men and women are shedding their blood around the globe and we MUST have a President that can control these tensions and bloodshed. A President who is respected by the world already. For me, there is only one candidate that fits the bill...and that's Senator Joseph Biden.

I do wish it were a different time for America...but it's not.

On another note. It is my opinion that there is a good deal of racism in this country, and it will never subside. Racism from ALL ethnicities. It's wrong. It's a shame. But it's here...unfortunately. I do believe Barack will have a tough time getting elected because many people in this country need to be educated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtGCaqOdIJ4