Obama’s Senate Experience: 143 Days - Page 4

bhkad · 07-19-08, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuamort

And how has McCain led through a time of crisis? Also, how did Lincoln and JFK lead in a time of crisis PRIOR to their presidency?

I believe someone has already summed up Lincoln's experience and deemed it roughly equivalent to Obama's.

I just ran across the WikiAnswer which seems to have inspired our poster.

Quote:

Barack Obama has a Harvard Law Degree and was the first African American President of the Harvard Law Review. The president of the Harvard Law Review often goes on to become a clerk for a Federal Court of Appeals judge then for an associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Instead, he went back to Chicago to work on a voter registration drive that resulted in voter registration in Chicago's 19 predominantly black wards outnumbering those in the city's 19 predominantly white ethnic wards for the first time in Chicago's history. He then worked as an attorney and constitutional law teacher at the University of Chicago School of Law. Obama was an Illinois state senator from 1996 to 2004. He resigned from the state senate in 2004 when he was elected to the U.S. Senate where he has served one term. Many have made statements about Barack Obama lacking the necessary experience to be elected President of the United States; however, his level of experience going into this election is very similar to that of past presidents such as Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is considered to be one of the greatest U.S. Presidents in history and his experience at the time of his election to office was strikingly similar to that of Barack Obama.

WikiAnswers - What prior political an leadership experience does barak obama have that makes hin qualified to be president

WikiAnswers are the least accurate way of getting good solid answers I know of.

Lincoln ran for office at 23.

He was captain of a company of Illinois militia.

He ran a store.

Navigated a flatboat accompanied by friends, carrying some kind of goods from New Salem, Illinois to New Orleans.

He was elected to the state legislature "and, after coming across the Commentaries on the Laws of England, began to teach himself law. He was admitted to the bar and began to practice law and became one of the most respected and successful lawyers in Illinois and grew steadily more prosperous.

He served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives"

He faced adversity in the legislature for some of his positions, an important ingredient in building character.

In a 23 year legal career he was involved in more than 5100 cases, several of them quite notable and he and his partners appeared before the Illinois State Supreme Court more than 400 times.

In helping to form the Republican Party at the 1856 Republican Convention he was their Vice Presidential candidate.

Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JFK enlisted in 1941, before the Pearl Harbor attack and was a decorated PT boat skipper in WWII.

Quote:

In the spring of 1941, Kennedy volunteered for the U.S. Army, but was rejected, mainly because of his troublesome back. Nevertheless, in September of that year, the U.S. Navy accepted him, because of the influence of the director of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), a former naval attaché to the Ambassador, his father. As an ensign, Kennedy served in the office which supplied bulletins and briefing information for the Secretary of the Navy. It was during this assignment that the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. He attended the Naval Reserve Officers Training School and Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Training Center before being assigned for duty in Panama and eventually the Pacific theater. He participated in various commands in the Pacific theater and earned the rank of lieutenant, commanding a patrol torpedo (PT) boat.[8]
Lt. Kennedy on his navy patrol boat, the PT-109
Lt. Kennedy on his navy patrol boat, the PT-109

On August 2, 1943, Kennedy's boat, the PT-109, was taking part in a nighttime patrol near New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. It was rammed by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri.[9][10] Kennedy was thrown across the deck, injuring his already-troubled back. Nonetheless, he swam, towing a wounded man, to an island and later to a second island where his crew was subsequently rescued. For these actions, Kennedy received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal under the following citation:

For extremely heroic conduct as Commanding Officer of Motor Torpedo Boat 109 following the collision and sinking of that vessel in the Pacific War Theater on August 1-2, 1943. Unmindful of personal danger, Lieutenant (then Lieutenant, Junior Grade) Kennedy unhesitatingly braved the difficulties and hazards of darkness to direct rescue operations, swimming many hours to secure aid and food after he had succeeded in getting his crew ashore. His outstanding courage, endurance and leadership contributed to the saving of several lives and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Kennedy's other decorations in World War II included the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. He was honorably discharged in early 1945, just a few months before Japan surrendered. The incident was popularized when he became president and would be the subject of several magazine articles, books, comic books, TV specials and a feature length movie, making the PT-109 one of the most famous U.S. Navy ships of the war. Scale models and even G.I. Joe figures based on the incident were still being produced in the 2000s. The coconut which was used to scrawl a rescue message given to Solomon Islander scouts who found him was kept on his presidential desk and is still at the John F. Kennedy Library.

John F. Kennedy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I ran across this and thought it was cute.

Quote:

McCAIN-JFK-OBAMA COMPARISON

McCain - Navy officer
JFK - Navy officer
Obama - Marxist

McCain - war hero
JFK - War hero
Obama - Marxist

McCain - Family of war heroes
JFK - Family of war heroes
Obama - Marxist

McCain - experience
JFK - experience
Obama - No experience

McCain - Patriot
JFK - Patriot
Obama - Traitor

McCain - Strong on the military
JFK - Strong on the military
Obama - Budget cuts on the military

McCAIN JFK OBAMA COMPARISON :: NNSeek

bhkad · 07-19-08, 08:14 AM

Ask Not! Why Obama is No JFK - Widmer

Continued at the link.

MC.no.spin · 07-19-08, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1069

This is ludicrous.
Do you really believe that's what a community organizer's job entails?
Do you actually think that's what Obama did?

Obama has shown through his work in the chicago projects that he can act as a liaison between the classes, a sort of communication broker. A diplomat.
He's ideally suited to being a uniter and a powerful leader, and as far as I'm concerned, he's already proven he's capable of doing that.
This country is divided and stalled, if not irreparably fragmented by Bush's disastrous reign; and it won't go forward again until we unite and get on the same page again.

You're naive to think he can unite this country and "get us on the same page again." His stance on oil drilling, nuclear energy, capital gains tax, abortion, Iraq, etc. will always create a divide. This is, unfortunately, irreparable regardless of who is put in office. There will always be a divide.

To say we are "stalled" as a country is ludicrous.

shuamort · 07-19-08, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC.no.spin

You're naive to think he can unite this country and "get us on the same page again." His stance on oil drilling, nuclear energy, capital gains tax, abortion, Iraq, etc. will always create a divide. This is, unfortunately, irreparable regardless of who is put in office. There will always be a divide.

To say we are "stalled" as a country is ludicrous.

You really nailed it on the head. There's no way that one candidate is going to be able to please everybody and the divide is going to be one huge game of red rover, red rover.

partier9 · 07-19-08, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuamort

You really nailed it on the head. There's no way that one candidate is going to be able to please everybody and the divide is going to be one huge game of red rover, red rover.

Your are right on with that along with MC no spin. The only people Obama can unite are the people who agree with him on the issues. Him trying to unite the country is pretty much impossible. Now he can unite the country maybe on the ideas that we need to help the middle class and become energy independent. But he could never unite the country on how to accomplish those things the country is to divided.

MC.no.spin · 07-19-08, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuamort

You really nailed it on the head. There's no way that one candidate is going to be able to please everybody and the divide is going to be one huge game of red rover, red rover.

Good analogy. The only times in history our country has been united is when we have been under attack or after we've won a war. Ironically, President Bush holds the record for highest favorability since 1937 for all U.S. presidents - after 9/11, a whopping 92 %.

Highest approval rating

George W. Bush holds the record with 92% (10/8-9/2001 -- after the September 11 attacks).
George H.W. Bush is second highest, with 89% (2/28/-3/3/1991 -- after the Gulf War).
Harry S. Truman is third highest, with 87% (6/1-5/1945 -- after the End of World War II in Europe).
Franklin D. Roosevelt is fourth highest, with 84% (1/8-13/1942 -- after the Attack on Pearl Harbor).

United States Presidential approval rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PeteEU · 07-19-08, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC.no.spin

Good analogy. The only times in history our country has been united is when we have been under attack or after we've won a war. Ironically, President Bush holds the record for highest favorability since 1937 for all U.S. presidents - after 9/11, a whopping 92 %.

Highest approval rating

George W. Bush holds the record with 92% (10/8-9/2001 -- after the September 11 attacks).
George H.W. Bush is second highest, with 89% (2/28/-3/3/1991 -- after the Gulf War).
Harry S. Truman is third highest, with 87% (6/1-5/1945 -- after the End of World War II in Europe).
Franklin D. Roosevelt is fourth highest, with 84% (1/8-13/1942 -- after the Attack on Pearl Harbor).

United States Presidential approval rating - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yea but he also holds the lowest ever.

Nations tend to band together (like tribes) when under threat, so its not a shocker. Look at history for many countries and you will see high popularity politicians are mostly around times of conflict, and once that conflict is over or things change for the worse, then that popularity goes down the drain. Churchill is a classic example... the war was not even over before the Brits kicked him out, but I doubt he would have lost the vote a year earlier.

the makeout hobo · 07-21-08, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhkad

I believe someone has already summed up Lincoln's experience and deemed it roughly equivalent to Obama's.

I just ran across the WikiAnswer which seems to have inspired our poster.

WikiAnswers are the least accurate way of getting good solid answers I know of.

Lincoln ran for office at 23.

He was captain of a company of Illinois militia.

He ran a store.

Navigated a flatboat accompanied by friends, carrying some kind of goods from New Salem, Illinois to New Orleans.

He was elected to the state legislature "and, after coming across the Commentaries on the Laws of England, began to teach himself law. He was admitted to the bar and began to practice law and became one of the most respected and successful lawyers in Illinois and grew steadily more prosperous.

He served four successive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives"

He faced adversity in the legislature for some of his positions, an important ingredient in building character.

In a 23 year legal career he was involved in more than 5100 cases, several of them quite notable and he and his partners appeared before the Illinois State Supreme Court more than 400 times.

In helping to form the Republican Party at the 1856 Republican Convention he was their Vice Presidential candidate.

Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abraham Lincoln - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

JFK enlisted in 1941, before the Pearl Harbor attack and was a decorated PT boat skipper in WWII.

I ran across this and thought it was cute.

You think lies and slander, calling someone a traitor, is cute? You're disgusting.

Lerxst · 07-21-08, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MC.no.spin

How was his handling of 9/11 a failure?

The invasion of Iraq and abysmal fiscal abortion that followed.

Next?

bhkad · 07-22-08, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the makeout hobo

You think lies and slander, calling someone a traitor, is cute? You're disgusting.

If it's true it's cute. If it's not true then it merely reaches the same level of B.S. that the usual anti-Bush, anti-America, anti-Right posters come up with on their best days.

I'm going to paint a picture just from my imaginings.

Barack Obama may well be trying to create a global empire the same way he won power in the hard knocks, rough and tumble world of local Chicago politics.

You pay off who you can. You sweet talk who you can. You use the law if you can.

He was a community organizer who did what? He got things done to help the living conditions of the poor. And he did it with charm and smarts but he also went to college and became an attorney and learned how to do it with the law. And that got the notice of people who wanted this bright young man to succeed but who also knew this bright young man had certain needs and wants and if they could scratch his back and he scratched their backs then everyone would be happy.

But Barack Obama may never have thought he was going to become a presidential candidate. At least not until after he'd made the acquaintance of some pretty unsavory people. People who were helpful and useful to a young man on his way up but not yet there. People who knew that they could 'invest' in this bright young man and some day he might be able to do them a favor.

And he became a magnet for lots of people on the fringes of society and some who were on the fringes of respectability and others who were on the fringes of the law. But because they all had something different to offer him he was able to tolerate or rationalize their associations. Hell, he may have even enjoyed walking on the wild side of life. Being the "Good Boy" but hanging with the "Bad Boys" and using his charm and smarts and legal skills to do what those others had to use muscle or money, sometimes gained outside of legal avenues, to achieve.

And in working with poor people, people who were eternally grateful for what he did for them, his wife says something in a US News and World Report article that sounds like the typical modesty when describing the rewards of working with those needing help:

Quote:

"His work as a community organizer was really a defining moment in his life, not just his career," his wife, Michelle, told U.S. News. It helped him decide "how he would impact the world"—assisting people in defining their mutual interests and working together to improve their lives.

Barack Obama's Formative Years in Chicago - US News and World Report

Defining their mutual interests.

There is always an eye and an ear open to his own interest. And as much as we might want to hold in our mind's eye the image of the young, hard working, earnest and selfless community assistance worker, we also know that he is very ambitious and thinks a great deal of himself, to the point where some think he has an overly inflated view of himself.

Krauthammer:

Quote:

Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?

Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times. As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.

Charles Krauthammer :: Townhall.com :: Who Does He Think He Is?

Did you happen to see the seal he was going to use for his campaign?

Krauthammer:

Quote:

Amazingly, he had a quasi-presidential seal with its own Latin inscription affixed to his podium, until general ridicule -- it was pointed out that he was not yet president -- induced him to take it down...

Charles Krauthammer :: Townhall.com :: Who Does He Think He Is?

The design theme gives us some insight into the man.

Do the mental images of the selfless young man and the ambitious calculating politician clash in your mind?

Well, think for a few moments of how those two themes might manifest themselves in a president of the united states. Someone who was used to helping the poor by helping them get services and even government funding and teaching the people how to organize. And someone who is so ambitious and full of himself that Krauthammer concludes:

Quote:

For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was: Who is he? The question now is: Who does he think he is?

We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more. As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall -- I'm no expert on this -- Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.

And that larger canvas?

THE WORLD.

He plans to give $845 Billion of your tax dollars to the UN (ceding some US sovereignty to the United Nations as well) in hopes of organizing the world under his rule.

$845 Billion Dollar Obama Bill at Sunflower Desert

But this is just from my imaginings.