Obama Video: All Style, No Substance
Via The National Conversation:
Simply as video propaganda, this is a very nice piece of work. But viewed with a critical eye, it underlines the utter lack of substance of the Obama campaign.
At some point (and certainly if he wins the nomination) he’ll have to to campaign -- indeed, the Republicans will make him campaign -- as the most liberal Senator in the U.S. Congress.
And then “change” may not sound so attractive when it’s revealed as the standard liberal agenda.
A Question
In the mode of Charlie Sykes’ “insight checks,” what politically incorrect thing does Obama say in his speech?
Commenters, step up!
Simply as video propaganda, this is a very nice piece of work. But viewed with a critical eye, it underlines the utter lack of substance of the Obama campaign.
At some point (and certainly if he wins the nomination) he’ll have to to campaign -- indeed, the Republicans will make him campaign -- as the most liberal Senator in the U.S. Congress.
And then “change” may not sound so attractive when it’s revealed as the standard liberal agenda.
A Question
In the mode of Charlie Sykes’ “insight checks,” what politically incorrect thing does Obama say in his speech?
Commenters, step up!
posted by John McAdams at 12:46 PM
7 Comments:
Obama states that America met the challenge of moving westward to the pacific coast with "yes, we can!" Lest we forget in our PC world the treatment of Native Americans that were impeding the "Change" we desired.
hahaha you make me laugh--is this really what you're using to attack the Obama campaign?? This video wasn't even put out by any member of his campaign. Rather, it was a group of enlightened individuals feeling deeply impassioned by Obama's run for the presidency. You can't just leave it at that? Whatever... I just can't wait until we get some competency (i.e. democrat) in the White House...
bolin22,
Yep, you get the prize!
george,
The video was posted on the Obama website, which clearly shows endorsement by the campaign.
Interviewer: Senator Obama, what do you bring to this race that others don't?
Sen. O: Hope and change.
I: I did see that video on YouTube, that one making a joke out of all our candidates saying "change" on the campaign trail . . . .
O: Well, I stand for hope . . . audacious hope.
I: So you stand for hope that is, as Random House would describe it, "extremely bold or daring," "extremely original," or "brazen"?
O: Yes, I do.
I: What does that mean?
O: What it means is that we will not stand in fear of the Bush administration, that we will no longer cede our civil rights rights to the extreme right wing [interruption] (Editor's note: I'm sure you noticed this earlier, but this interview is absolutely fictional -- nobody from the mainstream media would interrupt Obama).
I: What civil rights have you ceded to the Bush administration?
O: I can't even call my wife without worrying that the NSA is listening in [interruption]
I: Is your wife calling from Jenin? Is she suspected of financing al-Qaeda? Has she called any Muslim charities in Saudi Arabia?
O: Well, no . . . but George Bush has been watching my library books.
I: What books are those? And what other civil rights have you lost?
O: Well . . . [clearing throat] . . ., I'm against torture, and George Bush is instructing the Army to torture Iraqi citizens. And I would have voted against the Iraq war.
I: "Torture"? Can you describe the process of waterboarding?
O: No . . . [mumbling]
I: Didn't think so. So can you tell us any more about what you'll do as president?
O: I'll end partisanship in Washington and get things done [interruption]
I: Oh? And how's that? Seems to me that when George Bush came into office, he was going to work with Democrats and end the partisanship of the '90s [interruption]
O: George Bush may have said those things to get elected, but I'll follow through.
I: Okay. But I just heard you were rated the most liberal senator. Your presumed opponent, John McCain, has actually worked with the other party to pass campaign finance reform, to oppose Bush's tax cuts, etc. How can you be more "post-partisan" than John McCain?
O: Well, I'd talk with the other party when the Democrats and Republicans were at a standstill . . .
I: Well, I've heard you'd talk to the Iranians and Syrians too [interruption]
O: Of course I would. We don't do any good in the world by demonizing those we disagree with [interruption]
I (under her breath): like George Bush
O: [interruption] And we must work toward common ground and achieve peace.
I:Hmm . . . . Common ground . . . . Would Michelle wear a burqa in the White House?
O: I'm ending this interview. Obviously, you're a Fox News hack job, and I'm sure Karl Rove and the rest of the right wing conspiracy has paid your salary (editor's note: okay, so I stole that final comment from Hillary's bag o' tricks).
Want to know how inspiring this video was? (By the way, if you can't access it here, it's available via the link.)
Just listen to the words of Will.I.Am. Okay, so I won't demand that B.O.'s supporters be as poetic as he is, but does WIM make any sense? And for that matter, have any B.O. supporters you know made any sense in describing their support for B.O.? I, for one, have yet to hear any reason to vote for Obamania. Then again, I don't like Teddy Kennedy's policies . . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBn7FEtn0E8&NR=1
this whole "all style no substance" arguement is getting rather tiresome. Listen to any other victory/concession speech. They're all filled with broad ideals. After Michigan, did Romney bellow, "America is ready for entitlement reform!"? I do think Obama is capable of uniting the country and overcoming some old political divisions, but he's laid out a plan for the country as specific as anyother candidate. If conservatives are afraid of Obama, go ahead and go after his positions. But don't knock him for being inspiring.
styleandsubstance--
You offer a valid point, but I think you're missing the bigger picture. Sure, Obama has offered his ideas on policy matters (although, funny enough, on the "issues" page on his website, I didn't find one solid proposal, but just a bunch of descriptions of what a perfect world would be like).
But that's not the legs of his campaign. Any politician can have his staff put together an issues page on a website. In his campaign, though, Obama ignores the policy issues and keeps hammering home phrases that state results but don't tell us how he'll get there -- hope, change, post-partisanship, etc. He also says he is for things like energy independence. Well, who isn't? There's just one small problem: getting there.
But perhaps my more important point is this: is Obama inspiring? Why? Because he describes Utopia? I'll admit he's a good speaker, but I think his followers have to think more critically when he's speaking (unlike the creepy, hypnotized, blonde girl behind him during his Super Tuesday speech).
And it's not just Repubs who are making this point -- check out the links in the following article (http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/02/and-obama-wept.html).
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