Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen #27

quote:

Op zondag 17 augustus 2008 21:27 schreef Arcee het volgende:

[..]

Nee, dan McCain.

quote:

Op zondag 17 augustus 2008 21:27 schreef Arcee het volgende:

[..]

Nee, dan McCain.

What happened? (Full version)

quote:

Op zondag 17 augustus 2008 22:04 schreef pberends het volgende:
MIDDENKLASSE AMERIKA KNOOPT EINDJES AAN ELKAAR

"Leuke" reportage van NOVA gister.

quote:

Op zondag 17 augustus 2008 22:04 schreef pberends het volgende:
MIDDENKLASSE AMERIKA KNOOPT EINDJES AAN ELKAAR

"Leuke" reportage van NOVA gister.

quote:

Op zondag 17 augustus 2008 22:29 schreef popolon het volgende:

Daar woon ik, ik ben gestopt toen 'ie 'Michigan' uitsprak. Jeuk.

quote:

The audacity of resume-padding (or, why Obama makes things up)
By ABRAHAM KATSMAN AND KORY BARDASH

Aug 17, 2008

One of the knocks on Barack Obama is that his résumé is, so to speak, paper-thin. But that is not entirely accurate. Obama, in fact, has held some major job titles which are noteworthy all by themselves: United States Senator, Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, Harvard Law Review President-each of these titles puts him in rarefied company. Tack on a few Illinois State Senate terms, and his resume actually appears solid. Yet, in spite of these prestigious positions, Obama has increasingly resorted to making claims of accomplishment that are so patently inflated that even his cheerleaders at CNN and the New York Times are taking notice. Why?

It seems that Obama recognizes that while his résumé titles are impressive, his actual accomplishments are weak. It’s as if he were jockeying to be the next company CEO with little to show for his prior high-profile management positions. So, he does what anyone else does who has spent years coasting on charisma without doing any heavy work: he pads his résumé–stretching the truth here, stealing credit there, and creating the illusion of achievement during his lackadaisical, undistinguished tenure in previous jobs.

A few examples? Take Obama’s first general election ad. We are told that Obama “passed laws” that “extended healthcare for wounded troops who’d been neglected,” with a citation at the bottom to only one Senate bill: The 2008 Defense Authorization Bill, which passed the Senate by a 91-3 vote. Six Senators did not vote-including Obama. Nor is there evidence that he contributed to its passage in any material way. So, his claim to have “passed laws” amounts to citing a bill that was largely unopposed, that he didn’t vote for, and whose passage he didn’t impact. Even his hometown Chicago Tribune caught this false claim. It’s classic résumé-padding–falsely taking credit for the work of others.

Or take one of Obama’s standard lines: his claim of “twenty years of public service.” As pundit Michael Medved has pointed out, the numbers don’t add up. Shall we count? Three years in the US Senate (two of which he’s spent running for President), plus seven years in the Illinois State Senate (a part-time gig, during which time he also served as a law professor) equals, at most, ten. Even if we generously throw in his three years as a “community organizer” (whatever that means, let’s count it as public service), that still adds up to just thirteen.

Obama’s other activities since 1985 have included Harvard Law School, writing two autobiographies (including several months writing in Bali), prestigious summer law firm jobs, three years as an associate at a Chicago law firm, and twelve years part-time on the University of Chicago Law School faculty. As Medved notes, it takes quite the ego to consider any of those stints “public service.” Which of them is Obama including?

Obama made yet another inflated boast last month during his visit to Israel. At his press conference in Hamas rocket-bombarded Sderot, Obama talked up “his” efforts to protect Israel from Iran:

“Just this past week, we passed out of the US Senate Banking Committee - which is my committee - a bill to call for divestment from Iran as way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon.” (Emphasis added.)

Nice try. But as even CNN noted, Obama is not even on that committee. That is one peculiar “mistake” to simply have made by accident. Again, his claiming credit for the work of others just looks like clumsy, transparent résumé embellishment.

Would someone with Obama’s stellar list of job titles resort to making stuff up? He seems to think he has to. In spite of the many impressive positions he’s held, he’s done almost nothing with them. If he wants to claim specific, relevant accomplishments, his only resort is to stretching the truth.

Look at his record: he’s now completed over half of a Senate term; yet, is there even one signature issue he has taken hold of, other than his own presidential run? Similarly, as the New York Times recently pointed out, Obama spent twelve years on the University of Chicago Law School faculty–singularly famous for its intellectual ferment and incubator of scholarship–and produced not even a single scholarly paper. He was President of Harvard Law Review, but wrote nothing himself. Even as a state legislator for seven years-or community organizer for three years, there is little that shows his imprint. OK, to be fair, he did write two books. About himself.

For all his glowing job titles, Obama has never gotten much done. Is it any wonder that his spokesmen respond with sweeping generalities when asked what Obama has actually accomplished relevant to the presidency?

Obama has held several serious positions from which a serious man could have made a serious impact. But Obama made none. He remains a man of proven charisma, but unproven skill–and not for lack of opportunity. He’s treated his offices as if they were high school student council positions-fun to run for, fun to win, affirmations of popularity, heady recognition from superiors, good resume-builders for stepping up to the next position of power, and…well, that’s about it-actual accomplishments are not expected; heavy lifting is never on the agenda.

Obama’s record of accomplishment is thin not because of lack of opportunity, but in spite of it. For twenty years, Obama has walked the floors of the most prestigious institutions in the nation, but has left no footprints other than those from his runs for whatever office came next.

It’s been said that some people want to be President so they can do something; and some want to be President so they can be something. Obama has accomplished nothing noteworthy despite the golden opportunities and positions he’s had; why should we believe he’d be a different man in the White House?

No company would hire anyone with Obama’s empty track record, pattern of underachievement and padded résumé to be CEO. Is America really ready to hire him as President?

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 04:15 schreef StefanP het volgende:

[..]

Barack Hussein Obama

quote:

"41 and I were honored to get a picture with her," Bush said, referring to his father, George Bush, the 41st US president.

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 04:15 schreef StefanP het volgende:

[..]

Barack Hussein Obama

quote:

Mr. Warren started by asking Mr. McCain, “Now, my first question: Was the cone of silence comfortable that you were in just now?”

Mr. McCain deadpanned, “I was trying to hear through the wall.”

Interviewed Sunday on CNN, Mr. Warren seemed surprised to learn that Mr. McCain was not in the building during the Obama interview.

quote:

“The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous,” Ms. Wallace said.

quote:

I won't post sources on this, so any folks are welcome to consider this my fanciful speculation.

But sources close to Obama report to me that after the "surge of concern" on the net about Evan Bayh, he has not been selected as Obama's VP running mate.

I have been informed that the decision has been made, and I don't know who that person is.

I also have been told that Tom Daschle is not the running mate. I also happen to know that it is not Wesley Clark.

I just received word that it is not Senator Jack Reed either, though Obama thought very highly of him.

In my estimation, that leaves Joseph Biden, Chuck Hagel, and Sibelius. I don't think that Tim Kaine would be the nominee given the elevation of Mark Warner as the keynote speaker at the Dem convention.

As much as I would love Hagel to be the nominee, I don't think that will happen. . .and while I could be wrong here, I have heard next to nothing about Sibelius.

That leaves Joe Biden. Could Warner be a head fake -- and it's Tim Kaine after all? Not sure. . .circumstantial evidence points to Biden.

Of all places where Biden is now, he's in Georgia -- the one in the tangle with Russia.

One well placed political expert just told me on the phone that we may all be wrong and that Obama could come out with something completely unexpected -- a Hillary Clinton or even (and this shocked me) Al Gore or John Kerry. I don't have any info on such surprising possibilities as these.

We may know Monday or Tuesday.

I won't defend or go into my sources. Discount this as you like.

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 04:15 schreef StefanP het volgende:

[..]

Barack Hussein Obama

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 12:54 schreef Monidique het volgende:

[..]

http://www.thewashingtonn(...)t_on_the_d/#comments

Obama-Biden klinkt niet verkeerd. Ik vind het jammer dat Clark het (waarschijnlijk?) niet wordt (hij gaat ook niet spreken op de conventie), maar ja. Obama-Clinton leek en lijkt mij onwaarschijnlijk, maar zoals ik een tijdje geleden zei, ik acht het niet helemaal onwaarschijnlijk meer. Maar misschien horen we het inderdaad deze week, wie weet...

quote:

When Joe Biden returns to Capitol Hill Monday from his two-day trip to embattled Georgia, vice presidential speculation will rest squarely on him.

The longtime Delaware senator and former presidential candidate has long been considered to be on the shortlist for Barack Obama's running mate, but his quickly-planned trip to Georgia Saturday night at the behest of that country's president left Washington buzzing he is the most likely choice.

quote:

The resignation of President Pervez Musharraf is a step toward moving Pakistan onto a more stable political footing. Pakistan is a critical theater in countering the threat of al Qaeda and violent Islamic extremism, and I look forward to the government increasing its future cooperation.

quote:

– “Prior to Musharraf, Pakistan was a failed state. … They had corrupt governments and they would rotate back and forth and there was corruption, and Musharraf basically restored order. [12/28/07]

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 12:54 schreef Monidique het volgende:

Obama-Biden klinkt niet verkeerd. Ik vind het jammer dat Clark het (waarschijnlijk?) niet wordt (hij gaat ook niet spreken op de conventie), maar ja. Obama-Clinton leek en lijkt mij onwaarschijnlijk, maar zoals ik een tijdje geleden zei, ik acht het niet helemaal onwaarschijnlijk meer. Maar misschien horen we het inderdaad deze week, wie weet...

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 08:18 schreef Drijfzand het volgende:

[..]

uit welke vod komt dat? De Jerusalem Post of zo?

quote:

Op maandag 18 augustus 2008 18:53 schreef Fokski het volgende:

[..]

President Barack Hussein Obama.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 augustus 2008 07:17 schreef StefanP het volgende:
een misselijkmakende career politician die geen donder afweet van wat dan ook behalve z'n eigen hachje redden. Jammer voor je dat we hier in de VS stukken pragmatischer zijn en weinig waarde hechten aan sukkels als Obama die nul komma niets weten...

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 augustus 2008 06:05 schreef Perico het volgende:

[..]

Biden ligt goed in de markt, maar Hannity van Fox zegt dat Michelle Obama hem vetoed. Zij wil mevrouw Sibelius graag. Verder maken ook nog steeds Evan Bayh en Bill Richardson een kans.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 augustus 2008 07:17 schreef StefanP het volgende:

[..]

Tuurlijk... de bron is een vodje, dus je hoeft het niet eens te lezen of inhoudelijk te reageren. Het is goed me je. Die Obama is een totale clown zonder ook maar een dag ervaring... een misselijkmakende career politician die geen donder afweet van wat dan ook behalve z'n eigen hachje redden. Maar goed, aangezien jij al je hele leven in Nederland door soortgelijke figuren bestuurd en geindoctrineerd wordt, vind je hem natuurlijk een ijzersterk figuur. Jammer voor je dat we hier in de VS stukken pragmatischer zijn en weinig waarde hechten aan sukkels als Obama die nul komma niets weten... en daar komen de democraatjes en Europeaantjes nog wel achter bij de verkiezingen.
[..]

Mocht je willen. Samen met de rest van Europa. Zullen jullie even van een koude kermis thuiskomen.

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 augustus 2008 10:07 schreef Montov het volgende:
Iedere kenner is volop aan het speculeren wanneer de running mates bekend worden gemaakt, maar nu.nl weet al te melden dat Obama morgen zijn keuze bekend maakt en McCain op 29 augustus. http://www.nu.nl/news/170(...)eze_week_bekend.html

Soms heb ik het gevoel dat Charles de nieuwsberichten voor nu.nl schrijft...

quote:

Op dinsdag 19 augustus 2008 10:07 schreef Montov het volgende:
Iedere kenner is volop aan het speculeren wanneer de running mates bekend worden gemaakt, maar nu.nl weet al te melden dat Obama morgen zijn keuze bekend maakt en McCain op 29 augustus. http://www.nu.nl/news/170(...)eze_week_bekend.html

Soms heb ik het gevoel dat Charles de nieuwsberichten voor nu.nl schrijft...

quote:

Mr. Obama had not notified his choice — or any of those not selected — of his decision as of late Monday, advisers said. Going into the final days, Mr. Obama was said to be focused mainly on three candidates: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware.

quote:

Obama heeft nog niet besloten wie zijn tweede man wordt. Wel zei hij zich hoofdzakelijk te richten op gouverneur Tim Kaine (Virginia), senator Evan Bayh (Indiana) en senator Joseph Biden (Delaware).