In Obama-McCain Race, YouTube Became a Serious Battleground for Presidential Politics
Reader Comments
I spent 23 years in the military and went through 3 separate background investigations for security clearences and if any of the people came up in my history that are in Obama's past I would have been denied a clearance. Also, if I were to get on national TV and say 'Yeah, I smoked pot and did cocaine,too' I would have been discharged fron the military with a less than honorable discharge. It is disgusting that this man can do anything he wants and becomes president. By the way, where are the people that voted for him? I drive a truck over the road and meet a lot of people and the people against Obama out number the people against McCain 10 to 1. But I guess if you have organizations like ACORN getting 100 voters to cast 100 votes each Charles Manson could get elected. Obama could have said he was A child rapist and he would have still gotten elected. Well, he's got 4 years to enjoy this office, then he will be out. His true colors will show. This country will not allow him to become the dictator he thinks he is going to become.
Some thoughts on the election strategy
I think this campaign has shown two things:
1. That there is a stronger youth demographic that has finally found it chic to be political.
The "Rock the Vote" ad campaign from MTV more than a decade ago seems to have finally taken hold, and Obama's braintrust were very crafty to have taken advantage of that. It seems to have gotten to a point where presidential campaigns - much like the film industry - are becoming less about substance and much more about surface image, flashiness, and just plain entertainment value. Maybe it's always been this way - it's just now that the newer shift is to move politics from the "adult" babyboomer arena and on to the youtube/livejournal arena (in other words, "for the kids")...
2. America seems to think that the age and skin color of a candidate equals hope.
It's subtle, but it's a reverse kind of discrimination - that someone who is older, has lighter skin, and comes from Caucasian culture does not and cannot know what to do politically. Even commentators on CNN during election night made statements to that effect, albeit in a guarded manner - that McCain was older *and* white; therefore he was less qualified. Of course, it is probably America's fascination with the underdog and its tendency to polarize situations rather than anything racial - but the underdog/polarization thing does intertwine with the racial/cultural aspect in this country unfortunately (which I think needs to be addressed honestly). It's cliched to say, but just imagine if on election night, a news commentator had said about Obama that he was less qualified because he was younger, darker skinned, and came from an African American background...
Whatever the facts may be in why people ultimately voted for Obama, I honestly think Obama's braintrust played off on selling the idea that "skin tone = hope" to the undergrad crowd. Obama's election was, I feel, ticketed on the activism tip, of making a political statement, of "Look at how progressive we are, because look who can get into the White House" rather than "We need to elect a qualified president based on the facts". It's like a show - to convince ourselves and the world (esp. Europe) - that we're really the cool progressive kids on the block that can "make history". Really, we can! Look! Look!...
Politicians and politics have been suspect for a long time, and I don't think that particular ship is going to change course now, simply because their figurehead looks any different than his predecessors. Is a politician's reliability only skin deep? Of course not; and in Obama's case, I hope not. But I fear that the America which voted for him seems to think so, deep down...
ELECT
HEY ITS GOOD TO BE IN THE WHITE HOUSE
obamas victory
dream on folks. Obama wasn'nt and still isn't qualified to be president.All of his mistakes ,mistepps,gaffs and outright lies were completely shrugged off ,explained away and swept under the rug he has no executive experience at all and had absolutely no hard convictions to stand on. the news media was a complete disgrace,(they think nobody will remember how blatantly overt their love and adoration scewed any form of journalistic integrety that they might have had in being totally in lockstep with the democratic party. It reminded me of the mock elections in high school where only a small group of 6 or 7 popular people were somehow the prettiest most popular ,MOST TALENTED, ETC.....all without actually having those qualities. No substance no true vision just a blank canvas with a beautiful frame NO SUBSTANCE . AND FORGET JOEY BIDEN HE SAID HILLARY WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PICK FOR VP I WONDER WHAT THE PRESS WOULD HAVE DONE TO SARAH PALIN IF SHE MADE ANY GAFFS EVEN REMOTELY AS BAD AS BIDEN (I LOVE HIS 14 OUTRIGHT LIES AT THE VP DEBATES! HOW REPULSIVE! dont think we were fooled ,no just you!
Humanity
Sir
We watch the conditions of the evolutions of the world.
We think there are many men to searve from a endless problems like poverty, foodless, etc. American President is a very important position in the world. So He should think about it. All poors are awaiting and-------------.
