Home > News > Visits To Iraq and Afghanistan Deliver Strong Boost to Obama's Image

Visits To Iraq and Afghanistan Deliver Strong Boost to Obama's Image

Reader Comments
Back to article

I can post my commentary twice just in case people didn't "get it" the first time, but I have enough faith in people to use the scroll bar. If they skip over it once, they will not be "duped" into reading it the second time...

Mia of WI 1:25PM July 24, 2008

Last night, Boston Herald writer Margery Eagan said in her column of the media's affliction with Obama-mania: "People want to believe in hope."
I find this an ultimately sad commentary on our mindset as a people. Yes, we want to believe that our candidates possess attributes of character, including hope. But I refuse to look for hope *in* Barack as she would suggest.
Even the Israelites did not place their hope in Moses as he led them through a 40-year hike through the desert. Rather, their hope was placed upon their superhuman Creator.
Fact is, Mr. Obama is not where my hope comes from. But the notion that he is "The One" who can deliver hope or "change we can believe in" that's what's got well-meaning people duped here about this guy...to the point of mass manipulation.
The American people, a good number of them anyway, aren't stupid. We see the more than subliminal rip-offs of JFK, RFK and Dr. King day in and day out. I've had it with the copycat "retro" photo, rolled-up-white-shirt-wearing, pseudo-profound, grimace-making, "Ooh look, I'm a "statesman" speech-making, "Change"...his mind...again talking, flip my jacket over my shoulder just-like-Bobby walkin', believe-my-own-press, special-interest seeking, non-voting junior statesman.
No. My hope doesn't come from Mr. Obama. It comes from a place much more genuine, with more transparency, and unshakably unchangeable.
I encourage everyone to consider that the better attributes n a President are selflessness, humility, transparency, a servant-like nature, someone who is without affectation, and whose work and record speaks louder than all the best speech-making in the world.
I don't need someone to convince me. I need evidence that has been wrought in solitary and even lonesome toil...without a camera having been in sight.
The true measure of a man or woman who seeks the highest office in our nation is one who is at ease in being the most plainspoken, honest, and unglamorous. A true leader is in fact one who has learned the wisdom of valuing how to follow and leads, not by charisma and in plenty, but leads with integrity under pressure and by example.
This is not the time for remedial character building. Our beloved country cannot afford to be the guinea pig for Mr. Obama's political aspirations. He just very well may be a great leader someday. Until there's a burning bush to alert us otherwise, we are better off to wait...and watch.
No, Mr. Obama is not where I place my hope. It's too precious for that.

Stella of CA 5:47AM July 24, 2008

Last night, Boston Herald writer Margery Eagan said in her column of the media's affliction with Obama-mania: "People want to believe in hope."
I find this an ultimately sad commentary on our mindset as a people. Yes, we want to believe that our candidates possess attributes of character, including hope. But I refuse to look for hope *in* Barack as she would suggest.
Even the Israelites did not place their hope in Moses as he led them through a 40-year hike through the desert. Rather, their hope was placed upon their superhuman Creator.
Fact is, Mr. Obama is not where my hope comes from. But the notion that he is "The One" who can deliver hope or "change we can believe in" that's what's got well-meaning people duped here about this guy...to the point of mass manipulation.
The American people, a good number of them anyway, aren't stupid. We see the more than subliminal rip-offs of JFK, RFK and Dr. King day in and day out. I've had it with the copycat "retro" photo, rolled-up-white-shirt-wearing, pseudo-profound, grimace-making, "Ooh look, I'm a "statesman" speech-making, "Change"...his mind...again talking, flip my jacket over my shoulder just-like-Bobby walkin', believe-my-own-press, special-interest seeking, non-voting junior statesman.
No. My hope doesn't come from Mr. Obama. It comes from a place much more genuine, with more transparency, and unshakably unchangeable.
I encourage everyone to consider that the better attributes n a President are selflessness, humility, transparency, a servant-like nature, someone who is without affectation, and whose work and record speaks louder than all the best speech-making in the world.
I don't need someone to convince me. I need evidence that has been wrought in solitary and even lonesome toil...without a camera having been in sight.
The true measure of a man or woman who seeks the highest office in our nation is one who is at ease in being the most plainspoken, honest, and unglamorous. A true leader is in fact one who has learned the wisdom of valuing how to follow and leads, not by charisma and in plenty, but leads with integrity under pressure and by example.
This is not the time for remedial character building. Our beloved country cannot afford to be the guinea pig for Mr. Obama's political aspirations. He just very well may be a great leader someday. Until there's a burning bush to alert us otherwise, we are better off to wait...and watch.
No, Mr. Obama is not where I place my hope. It's too precious for that.

Stella of CA 5:40AM July 24, 2008

Obama has a keen mind and very high IQ Graduating at the top of his class vs. MCain at the bottom of his class! School Work will pay of for Obama. JUST WATCH!

Steven O Shaw BBA LUTCF MSM MSFS of WA 2:53PM July 23, 2008

Dave, I'm not insulting you personally, just your position as it applies to economics.
By the by, prices in oil were going up, and would have gone up whether there was an Iraq War or not. When more people coming online to use the cheapest source of energy and there's not enough to go around, prices generally shoot up reflecting the reality that demand is outpacing supply.

Chris of AZ 1:28PM July 23, 2008

Chris - with respect, I am not calling what your saying BS, so please refrain from such accusations, I'm trying to have a reasoned discussion...
first off, I am not part of the enviro lobby, so please don't address me as someone who "in my zeal to save the planet" etc etc, you don't even know me
Second - I never said new oil supplies wouldn't dampen prices, I just said its not as key a contributor as you had suggested - you are correct, oil has just gone down $10 a barrel because Bush allowed offshore drilling, but $10 a barrel seems not so significant when compared to the nearly $100 a barrel that oil has risen since before the war - point is there are other factors at play here that have to do with more than just the pesky enviro lobby - this is a nuanced view of the situation that is entirely consistent with my previous post
thirdly - I most certainly do not possess the means to prospect and drill for oil, nor did I claim to, nor do I criticize some for doing so - yes, you are correct, as with any business venture, the risk takers deserve to reap the rewards, but when those rewards number in the BILLIONS of dollars of profit (per day!!!) while the average American has to fundamentally alter their lifestyle because of soaring costs, something is amiss...millions of dollars of profit daily would still allow these guys to live lavish extravagant lifestyles, so I don't think Im out of line for suggesting that profits 1000 times greater than that are a little unreasonable - thats all I'm saying

Dave of AL 1:13PM July 23, 2008

I can't believe the utter spectacle of Obama's campaign.
It's an awful remake of "The Candidate" - only with bigger spin.
www (dot) rottentomatoes.com/m/candidate/
Spoiler: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Candidate

Stella of CA 6:44AM July 23, 2008

Obama looks presidential in his recent trip!

Steven O Shaw BBA LUTCF MSM MSFS of WA 5:58AM July 23, 2008

Actually, Dave, my argument doesn't have little credence. In fact, you validate it. I know that most of our oil comes from Canada, but the first poster may not know that. However, you overestimate green technology. I will say this again: you don't kill yourself to save yourself. I am for alternative energies. However, none of the green lobby knows which one will work. In the meantime, we have not exhausted all of our natural resources, but in your zeal to save the planet you are not willing to try. All the while, other countries that have domestic natural resources are doing whatever they can to exploit them. Your BS that new oil supplies will not dampen prices is just that: BS. Whenever you add more of something to the market, it will have a corresponing effect on price. Otherwise, how do you explain why prices have been falling in the past few days? Whether you want to accept that it was Bush's actions or conservation on part of Americans, the fact of the matter is traders understand that there will be more supplies of oil in the future and have thuse responded in kind by shorting oil.
"as well - Oil companies have made (by a huge margin) record profits this year - this has nothing to do with Saddam (see above), and everything to do with their greedy exploitation of global anxiety about limited supplies...whose the real culprit here?"
Tell you what. You do the scientific research to find new oil supplies and do the drilling to get it and hire the individuals to do the drilling. No one in the world is owed low prices on oil.

Chris of AZ 7:10PM July 22, 2008

Chris....take a look at how much U.S. oil actually comes from Iraq, and you'll realize your argument holds little factual credence...both the Obama and McCain camps have been guilty of overstating the dependence of America on Oil from unstable 'rogue states' - the reality is that much of America's foreign Oil comes from Canada (and, if I'm not mistaken, Russia)- maybe not perfect allies, but hardly rogue states...in any case, being the insane Oil gluttons that we are (Dems and Cons, not pointing fingers here), it has been (admittedly, hypothetically) shown that offshore or Alaskan drilling in the U.S. would do actually very little to ease our dependence on foreign oil or lower oil prices, because we simply use too damn much of it, so it is unfair to blame that issue on green minded individuals...I will accept that the 'enviro lobby' is perhaps too idealistic in its aims, but at least accept that their call for alternative domestic sources of energy presents a somewhat viable solution to foreign energy dependence that deserves to be tested before it is written off as hippie nonsense (agreed, you didn't say that, but you get my point...)
as well - Oil companies have made (by a huge margin) record profits this year - this has nothing to do with Saddam (see above), and everything to do with their greedy exploitation of global anxiety about limited supplies...whose the real culprit here?

Dave of AL 4:18PM July 22, 2008