Michelle Obama: America is ‘Just Downright Mean’

[The_cavalierman]

Umm, would you mind staying on topic, or starting your own thread about Cindy McCain. I was hoping somone would start a thread about this ungreatful *****.

Ok,

Michelle Obama/mean>>>>>Cindy McCain/druggie-homewrecker:laugh:

Because the holy rollers love home wreckers and druggies and hate mean people.

[sacase]

Obama really needs to get the mic away from his wife if he wants to win. It seems everytime she opens her mouth something stupid falls out.

I love the "were a mean country" quote. Michelle....the world is not a nice place. Sometimes you have to be the biggest ******* on the block and worry about your own self interests before others.

[The_cavalierman]

The "would you rather" argument is weak and no defense.

Forget McCain for a moment. Obama still has to get by the Clinton smear artists, who are probably the best in the business. If/when things get tighter, she'll take off the gloves.

There will be enough buffers, of course, to allow Hillary plausible deniability, but quotes like these will add up and Hillary will keep them in her pocket until the time is right. This stuff will be used by the opposition before Obama ever has a chance to go against McCain.

Hillary's camp cannot afford to attack another woman because it would take away from her own campaign.

McCain's camp does not want to get into a wife comparsion contest because Michelle Obama is light years ahead of Cindy McCain.

[ntotoro]

Hillary's camp cannot afford to attack another woman because it would take away from her own campaign.

McCain's camp does not want to get into a wife comparsion contest because Michelle Obama is light years ahead of Cindy McCain.

When it comes to Hillary, I think she's more ruthless than you give her credit. McCain would go after Obama, not his wife. These quotes will be a long, forgotten memory by the time the Presidential debates come around, unless she says something stupid like denying the Holocaust or something.

[The_cavalierman]

When it comes to Hillary, I think she's more ruthless than you give her credit. McCain would go after Obama, not his wife. These quotes will be a long, forgotten memory by the time the Presidential debates come around, unless she says something stupid like denying the Holocaust or something.

Oh no...I put nothing past Hillary

She would kill-Bill if she thought it would help her be POTUS.

McCain does not want to go there but the the GOP swiftboat machine might try it. If they do you can expect to see Cindy McCain's past brought up.

[Zguy28]

News Flash: We are mean.

[Zguy28]

Hmmmm....

I'd rather have a "mean" Michelle Obama over an admitted druggie and home wrecker in Cindy McCain. I'm sure Cindy had no idea McCheat was married when McCheat starting seeing her in 1979:rolleyes:.

Hey, Maybe Cindy McCain can do some of the say no to drugs PSAs?:doh:

:laugh:

Michelle Obama>>>>>>Cindy McCain

You know Osama used to be a cokehead right?

[The_cavalierman]

You know Osama used to be a cokehead right?

Read the book...and he admitted his drug use before anyone asked or started digging into his past.

Cindy admitted her drug use only after the McCain camp found out the media was going to out her. Link

Big difference...

[Zguy28]

Read the book...and he admitted his drug use before anyone asked or started digging into his past.

Cindy admitted her drug use only after the McCain camp found out the media was going to out her.

Big difference...

So?

[Burgold]

Just for fun, let's break it down...

Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we're a divided country

Look at any thread on politics or religion... we are certainly a very divided nation in sorme respects. Even economically, it's hard not to see the growing divide between the very rich and the rest of us.

, we're a country that is "just downright mean,"

See the Jthor thread... we were just brutal and just because we were all envious :laugh:

we are "guided by fear,"

This is very true. There has been a tremendous ammount of boogeymandom since the Ashcroft days.

we're a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents.

Conservatives are always grousing about how people today feel entitled that they should have everything handed to them on a silver platter. This is what she is saying.

"We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day," she said, as heads bobbed in the pews.

Depending on which demographic you are speaking to this is true, but there are more and more struggling. On top of it, we are a country of debt, both individually and nationally. That debt (much of it self-inflicted) is strangling us.

"Folks are just jammed up, and it's gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I'm young. Forty-four!"

This is true. I was on the Metro yesterday. It was like a frigging box of sardines. We are totally jammed up. (I'll agree that 44 is young too)

[Bang]

Read the book...and he admitted his drug use before anyone asked

Cindy admitted her drug use only after the McCain camp knew the media was going to out her.

Big difference...

No there's not, it's a superficial difference.

Regardless of who tried to hide what from their past, the fact is both used drugs, which should be considered the larger issue, no? And really,, if someone snorted a line in 1985, or someone toked a joint in 1996, does it really matter anyway? Hell, most of us have done the same thing, and most of us would also consider ourselves decent people.

Anyone who thinks there will ever be another candidate who doesn't have some sort of skeleton in his closet is pipe dreaming. (For that matter, anyone who thinks we've ever HAD that type of candidate is also pipe dreaming,, it's just much easier for us to track the past now.) Frankly, I'd find it hard to trust someone who is totally and completely clean of anything. They must have lived under a rock.

.

You can't even expect it,, you can't even say "I hold them to a higher standard" anymore,, the standard simply has to change, or you'll forever be disappointed in what you find. The standard is, and always has been unrealistic.

Frankly, Mrs. Obama comes off a bit whiny to me. She's trying to relate to people, I know, but she can't really relate, and neither can any of these privileged politicians. Maybe they lived like us once in their lives, but they sure don't now.

~Bang

[Zguy28]

No there's not, it's a superficial difference.

Regardless of who tried to hide what from their past, the fact is both used drugs, which should be considered the larger issue, no? And really,, if someone snorted a line in 1985, or someone toked a joint in 1996, does it really matter anyway? Hell, most of us have done the same thing, and most of us would also consider ourselves decent people.

Anyone who thinks there will ever be another candidate who doesn't have some sort of skeleton in his closet is pipe dreaming. (For that matter, anyone who thinks we've ever HAD that type of candidate is also pipe dreaming,, it's just much easier for us to track the past now.) Frankly, I'd find it hard to trust someone who is totally and completely clean of anything. They must have lived under a rock.

.

You can't even expect it,, you can't even say "I hold them to a higher standard" anymore,, the standard simply has to change, or you'll forever be disappointed in what you find. The standard is, and always has been unrealistic.

Frankly, Mrs. Obama comes off a bit whiny to me. She's trying to relate to people, I know, but she can't really relate, and neither can any of these privileged politicians. Maybe they lived like us once in their lives, but they sure don't now.

~Bang

Thanks. That's exactly where I was headed.

Heck, even I toked a blunt at a Jimmy Buffet concert years ago before I became a Christian. I hope I never run for Prez! Cavalierman will crucify me on ES. :laugh:

[Winslowalrob]

Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we're a divided country, we're a country that is "just downright mean," we are "guided by fear," we're a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. "We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day," she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. "Folks are just jammed up, and it's gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I'm young. Forty-four!"

Holy crap, this sounds like a complaint of American society from every right-wing member of this board. Yet when SHE says it apparently she is whiny...

[The_cavalierman]

Thanks. That's exactly where I was headed.

Heck, even I toked a blunt at a Jimmy Buffet concert years ago before I became a Christian. I hope I never run for Prez! Cavalierman will crucify me on ES. :laugh:

Damn right druggie!

I will not crucify you....I prefer lions:laugh:

[The_cavalierman]

Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we're a divided country, we're a country that is "just downright mean," we are "guided by fear," we're a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. "We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day," she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. "Folks are just jammed up, and it's gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I'm young. Forty-four!"

Holy crap, this sounds like a complaint of American society from every right-wing member of this board. Yet when SHE says it apparently she is whiny...

They are far too busy blaming liberals for everything to notice...:laugh:

[Corcaigh]

Heck, even I toked a blunt at a Jimmy Buffet concert years ago before I became a Christian.

Personally, I wouldn't vote for someone who attended a Jimmy Buffet concert.

[wskin44]

Let me suggest that before slamming this woman based on the quotes provided (thereby proving her contention regarding our meaness), that you go ahead and read the linked article in the New Yorker and make an effort to understand her first.

It takes some imagination for a white person like myself to understand a talented intelligent black woman with her feet in two worlds. She keeps herself grounded with her own perspective on the reality of her own success and the reality of others of her race that still struggle with economic disadvantage that has it's roots in historical and present racial and cultural bigotry.

The effort of using a white imagination to understand someone whose cultural reality is different may violate your right to cynically not question the bias of those who would pull some quotes without offering the context. With a little courage (the opposite of fear) this would be easy enough to overcome by clicking on the link and reading the whole article for yourself. Unfortunately the forces of sloth will deter many when they see that the insightful New Yorker article is 10 pages long. Much easier to remain complacent with our pre-judgements and let someone else do the reading for us and just lay out for us the "highlights" as they see them.

You may end up in the same place by reading the article for yourself but your opinion will be better informed.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/10/080310fa_fact_collins?currentPage=1

[TimmySmith]

I tend to agree with some of her assessment. I will assume that it is all in the context that her husband's message of hope is intended to address the underlying American "meanness". Another example of the Obama campaign playing the "inspiration" card. With a lack of political history, it's all they really have.

[Burgold]

As I outlined above, I think Michelle Obama is saying nothing all that outrageous or dangerous, but it also points to something she needs to learn...

She needs to learn the art of the soundbite

She needs to learn which phrases are bound to be stolen out of context and co-opted for her enemy's use. I think that is the trap that many politicians and especially their non-politician spouses fall into.

[Zguy28]

Personally, I wouldn't vote for someone who attended a Jimmy Buffet concert.

:(

[Bang]

Personally, I wouldn't vote for someone who attended a Jimmy Buffet concert.

:laugh:

Zguy proves my point, you'd be hard pressed to find a more honorable and pious guy in here, and even he's had a toke.

well, dang ZGuy,, now your whole life is in question!

~Bang

[Spaceman Spiff]

Wait until attention turns to Cindy McCain the druggie - home wrecker in news cycles.:doh:

Cavalierman, once again, trying to make people look the other way.

When did this thread turn into a Cindy McCain bash fest?

anyway, Imo, Michelle Obama didn't say much inflammatory, she's just a ****ing idiot.

[Thiebear]

This is why Free Speech is so critical.

If you curbed it, you'd never know how idiotic some people are.

Remove the filters and see what people really think.

[Zguy28]

:laugh:

Zguy proves my point, you'd be hard pressed to find a more honorable and pious guy in here, and even he's had a toke.

well, dang ZGuy,, now your whole life is in question!

~Bang

Hey, I said it was BEFORE I was converted! :laugh:

[Zguy28]

As I outlined above, I think Michelle Obama is saying nothing all that outrageous or dangerous, but it also points to something she needs to learn...

She needs to learn the art of the soundbite

She needs to learn which phrases are bound to be stolen out of context and co-opted for her enemy's use. I think that is the trap that many politicians and especially their non-politician spouses fall into.

She'll be alright because her husband is like the coolest candidate evar!