Campaign Posters at the Western Wall.

[Par8hed]

McCain, is awful in front of a teleprompter but he can speak clearly, answer questions directly

You mean like this Dawn??


http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Q8obHEULLg&feature=related

 

[crcormier]

 

[Par8hed]

President Bush isn't running, but I would rather have a presidential candidate who speaks to God rather than one who thinks he is the messiah!

I'm glad W speaks to God. Everyone should. My concern is that George claims to get answers that guide his policy.

 

[KatheeME]

I really wish you could see what a detriment you are to your cause. You seem to think you are doing good work but you are being sooooooo counterproductive. Its a shame really.

Sad isnt' it? But very entertaining to watch, lol.

 

[KatheeME]

Shhhhhh let's just keep it our little secret.

Maybe she is a mole?

I thought I saw her on Week One!

 

[pr surfer]

Just wondering. Don't some American live in foreign countries?

Yes we do

Don't they get to vote too?

Yes we do

I would think they would appreciate that candidates cared enough to come see them.

Yes we do

 

[DVC Sadie]

When I listened to part of the speech it seemed as if he was running for political office in Germany instead of trying to be the POTUS.

 

[lillygator]

When I listened to part of the speech it seemed as if he was running for political office in Germany instead of trying to be the POTUS.

yep, what is he doing exactly?

 

[Galahad]

Just curious why its not ok to campaign in a foreign country where Americans live as well.

He did not seek American Ex-pats. He sought a foreign stage with foreign citizens campaigning for him. Hiding behind "but Americans live here too" is disingenuous at best. Ex-pats have been perfectly able to make voting decisions without this sort of burlesque. He's running for office here. He did not say "I am here to address U.S. citizens living in Berlin".

I think he will be elected. And a failed first Black President is a very bad thing. But the more crap like this he pulls the less likely he will be able to get support across the spectrum - as he claims to want.

 

[Humphrey Bear]

..yes weirder and weirder…..


Free Concert by Popular Band Preceded Obama’s Big Rally
By Robert Knight (Bio | Archive)
May 20, 2008 - 17:16 ET

From CNN to the New York Times, the media hyped Barack Obama's Portland, Oregon rally on Sunday, some comparing him to a rock star.

Unmentioned in national reporting was the fact that Obama was preceded by a rare, 45-minute free concert by actual rock stars The Decemberists. The Portland-based band has drawn rave reviews from Rolling Stone magazine, which gave their 2005 album Picaresque four and a half stars (out of five), and another four and a half stars for 2007's The Crane Wife.

How many of the people showed up to hear Obama, and how many to hear the band?

Here's how the local paper The Oregonian, which estimated the crowd at 72,000, reported the rally:

"Obama was the biggest star at Sunday's gathering -- though a popular Portland band, The Decemberists, provided the warmup act. With blue skies and temperatures in the 80s, many in the crowd said Waterfront Park was simply the place to be."

CNN headlined its 10 p.m. segment on May 18 with "Barack Obama: Achieving Rock Star Status in Oregon."

The New York Times, which ran a color photo of the crowd, estimated the throng at 75,000, noting that it was "the largest crowd of his campaign so far." There was no mention of The Decemberists, and the Times described the weather as "an unseasonably hot day."

Indie rock Web sites were abuzz with news of the impending concert, which was also announced on the Obama campaign's Web site.

Here's the report from the Indie rock Web site Pitchfork:

By land and by sea, they came to see the great man speak. An estimated 75,000 in all turned out to see presidential hopeful Barack Obama at Portland's Waterfront Park yesterday afternoon-- a record crowd for Obama's own campaign, according to The New York Times, and a record crowd for Oregon political events, according to The Oregonian. Just look at them all!

And hey, they got to see a pretty sweet opening act too. Calling themselves the Decemberists and led by lovably literate Steve Novick endorser Colin Meloy, this feisty fivepiece charmed the gathered for a good 45 minutes before Senator Obama took the stump. They even closed out with a sing-along entitled "Sons & Daughters", which had the masses joining the band to declare "Here all the bombs fade away..." Something tells me this Decemberists band is going places. Just like Senator Obama.


Here's how Pitchfork primed the pump for the concert/rally:

Indie rock's #1 candidate crush Barack Obama is sittin' quite a bit prettier than he was a few weeks ago when the Arcade Fire and Bruce Springsteen went to bat for him, but the dashing junior Senator hasn't quite clinched the Democratic party nomination yet. Next up on the primary agenda are Oregon and Kentucky, whose voters hit the polls Tuesday, May 20. Should Obama win a heaping majority of the delegates up for grabs that day, he'll be within inches of securing the hotly-contested nom.

And look who's arrived to give Obama the extra push he needs to get on the ballot in November. Why, it's none other than those kings and queens of the month after, the Decemberists!


There's nothing wrong with a candidate using celebrity power to draw a crowd, but the media have a responsibility to report their presence. By ignoring the free concert, the Times and other outlets made it appear that 75,000 people were drawn only by Sen. Obama's considerable charisma.




.

Even weirder is that the old Soviet National Anthem was played by the band that opened for him at his rally in Oregon!



http://pajamasmedia.com:80/blog/communists-for-obama/

Barack Obama's massive pre-primary rally in Portland, OR, was aided in no small part by the appearance of an uber-hip band. Their gimmick? They start each performance with the Soviet national anthem.

 

[Tink888]

The goal of any presidential candidate should not be getting the "world to love us so much". The primary job of the president of the United States is to protect and defend the country. Not to abandon our own best interests. I am not sure that Obama gets it! For him to say that "he doesn't look like other Americans who have been here." HOW ARROGANT! Colin Powell and Condileeza Rice have both preceeded him to Germany.

EXACTLY!! And part of protecting, defending and maintaining the best interests of THIS country is maintaining good relationships with other countries and making decisions which validate to other countries why the US should be respected as a leader in the world. I'm sorry but our current president has done a PISS POOR job of that the entire time he's been in office.

I don't think Obama is parading around as the President, but as a presidential candidate. I think he is trying to restore good-will. I don't think that is a bad thing. In the end, it is the American citizens that will be electing the next president so I'm not sure why Obama's going overseas and "campaigning" is so bothersome to some McCain supporters.

Obama is not my first choice for democratic presidential candidate but threads like this aren't going to make me vote for McCain. If McCain is your guy - then tell people why they should vote for him.

 

[Missy1961]

EXACTLY!! And part of protecting, defending and maintaining the best interests of THIS country is maintaining good relationships with other countries and making decisions which validate to other countries why the US should be respected as a leader in the world. I'm sorry but our current president has done a PISS POOR job of that the entire time he's been in office.

I don't think Obama is parading around as the President, but as a presidential candidate. I think he is trying to restore good-will. I don't think that is a bad thing. In the end, it is the American citizens that will be electing the next president so I'm not sure why Obama's going overseas and "campaigning" is so bothersome to some McCain supporters.

Obama is not my first choice for democratic presidential candidate but threads like this aren't going to make me vote for McCain. If McCain is your guy - then tell people why they should vote for him.

I'd like to see that kind of thread for a change.

 

[Galahad]

If McCain is your guy - then tell people why they should vote for him.

Without listing a litany, I can answer that:

The Republican base doesn't like him.
The Democrats don't like him.

Anybody that can do that all at the same time has got my vote!

 

[DVC Sadie]

EXACTLY!! And part of protecting, defending and maintaining the best interests of THIS country is maintaining good relationships with other countries and making decisions which validate to other countries why the US should be respected as a leader in the world. I'm sorry but our current president has done a PISS POOR job of that the entire time he's been in office.

I don't think Obama is parading around as the President, but as a presidential candidate. I think he is trying to restore good-will. I don't think that is a bad thing. In the end, it is the American citizens that will be electing the next president so I'm not sure why Obama's going overseas and "campaigning" is so bothersome to some McCain supporters.

Obama is not my first choice for democratic presidential candidate but threads like this aren't going to make me vote for McCain. If McCain is your guy - then tell people why they should vote for him.

I have to admit when I first heard Obama make one of his first speeches I thought he was wonderful and reminded me of JFK, but after listening to him on the stump and hearing him one on one with reporters I have changed my mind.

The way his campaign treated HRC didn't help and I was not a fan of hers prior to the shoddy treatment she received. Damn, if I didn't feel bad for her.

I am not a fan of Mc Cain, even though my husband has been a fan for years so I find myself with a vote that I may not be casting this year, which saddens me beyond words.

 

[loco4dis]

EXACTLY!! And part of protecting, defending and maintaining the best interests of THIS country is maintaining good relationships with other countries and making decisions which validate to other countries why the US should be respected as a leader in the world. I'm sorry but our current president has done a PISS POOR job of that the entire time he's been in office.

I don't think Obama is parading around as the President, but as a presidential candidate. I think he is trying to restore good-will. I don't think that is a bad thing. In the end, it is the American citizens that will be electing the next president so I'm not sure why Obama's going overseas and "campaigning" is so bothersome to some McCain supporters.

Obama is not my first choice for democratic presidential candidate but threads like this aren't going to make me vote for McCain. If McCain is your guy - then tell people why they should vote for him.

John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it.

- Tucker Bounds, McCain campaign spokesman

Is that a good reason?

 

[Tink888]

I have to admit when I first heard Obama make one of his first speeches I thought he was wonderful and reminded me of JFK, but after listening to him on the stump and hearing him one on one with reporters I have changed my mind.

The way his campaign treated HRC didn't help and I was not a fan of hers prior to the shoddy treatment she received. Damn, if I didn't feel bad for her.

I am not a fan of Mc Cain, even though my husband has been a fan for years so I find myself with a vote that I may not be casting this year, which saddens me beyond words.

I know exactly how you feel.

Obama is charasmatic. He talks the talk but can he walk the walk. I don't agree with some of his policies. I am tired of being taxed to death, but honestly, what is the solution to get this country out of the mountain of debt that has been created? I'm concerned with his lack of experience but maybe that is a good thing? I just don't know. He is idealistic. That isn't a bad thing but is it realistic?

McCain - I'm just not a big fan of. I'm sorry in advance to the Bush supporters (we'll agree to disagree) but IMO he has run this country into the ground. I know some of our problems are just cyclical, but there have been SO many BAD decisions. There is such a disconnect between Bush and the people. Will McCain be more of the same? And if McCain has alienated both parties in some respects, how will he be able to accomplish anything?

So we are faced with the lesser of two evils - who to choose? Do you waste a vote and hope for the best? To not vote at all - I just can't do it. This country is in trouble. We are in need of good leadership. And still, we continue to get words without action, soundbites without answers and political smearing. When will it end?

 

[JB111107]

Why are there campaign posters in Israel?

even better...why is a senator having "negotiations" and "talks" with international leaders....and what right does he have to be making ANY kind of promises to any country when he can't even fulfill the duties of the office he currently holds?

oh and just for the record--i'm not voting for either McCain or Obama. I'm voting for Bob Barr.

 

[pr surfer]

Tucker Bounds, McCain campaign spokesman

Is that a good reason?

Sounds unbiased to me

 

[pr surfer]

Why are there campaign posters in Israel?

Because there are American Citizens there with the right to vote in US elections.

There are Obama and McCain posters (and stickers, and pins, and buttons, and signs, and groups of supporters) in many countries that have sizable numbers of US expats.

 

[loco4dis]

Sounds unbiased to me

I wanted to be honest and fully disclose who the comment came from. I'll assume that since you launched an ad hominem attack rather than respond to what was said — John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it. — that you found the argument a little unsettling, to close to the truth, to difficult to defend.

Here's something else you won't be able to defend. Who are among Congress's greediest and most corrupt pork barrel spenders according to the nonpartisan Citizens Against Public Waste? Hillary Clinton ($296.2 million of PUBLIC dollars earmarked for pet projects to buy votes) and Barack Obama ($97.4 million). And who has put his signature on ZERO pork barrel projects? John McCain.

So, McCain won't use my money to pay bribes back home and Obama will.

Is that a good reason to vote for him?