Barack Obama

[jimnaseum]

The grassy NOEL, RD? Are you saying the new baby Jesus was killed in an errant drive-by?

I think there really is a chance Obama could be a fantastic President. I'll have to see who he chooses as VP, I want 16 years of Social healing and the return of the middle class. I hope the real deal hasn't shown his cards yet, and we can put this disgraceful 8 years behind us. Bush and Reagan were cardboard cut-outs. I think Obama has real vision. Can he do it? That's the question. All the money is long gone.
As always, hope for the best, expect the worst.

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

I think Obama will turn out to be the next Tony Blair. Smiles a lot, says what we all want to hear, then turns out to be yet another worthless cunt who screws everything up.

[sesame]

There you go again, Anna! The usual theme song.
Let the man a fair chance to show his colors first.
Dont crucify him before he does something good or evil.
And then again, he has'nt yet passed the McCain barrier!
Although the Americans are ready to try anything after the Bush nightmare, I have a feeling that they are still prejudiced below the surface. The US is not really ready for a black President. In that light, the political mechanism must have a failsafe hidden somewhere. Or, McCain will win (unlikely). Or, Obama will be a puppet in the hands of someone, he will not have full control. The US is very much of a control freak. If Obama really wins and attains presidency and gets full control,... it will be a miracle!

Ila, put on your glasses and look again, what appears to the eyes? Is it black or white?

[GRH]

Black or white? Haven't you heard of the "one drop rule?" All it takes is one drop of negro blood in the lineage to make you black. However ridiculous this might be, is it any wonder that in today's "progressive" society, a man/woman is still judged by the color of the skin? As sesame suggests, to many, the lineage matters less than the look. And as he also suggests, I too am afraid that there are many subtle racists in America. They are not necessarily the raging, KKK types, but they fear electing anything "other" than the self they see in a mirror. A real travesty in my mind.

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

He's sure blacker than anyone else that's been a presidential contender.

[ila]

Originally Posted by ila

Why is it that Obama is always referred to as a black man when his mother is white? It would be just as valid to call him a white man.

Originally Posted by sesame

Ila, put on your glasses and look again, what appears to the eyes? Is it black or white?

The fact remains that Obama's father is black and his mother is white. So it would be just as appropriate to call him white as to call him black.

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

Originally Posted by ila

The fact remains that Obama's father is black and his mother is white. So it would be just as appropriate to call him white as to call him black.

The fact remains that there's no such race as 'black' and no such race as 'white', those are description of skin colour, and Obama is black. The fact that he is of half European and half African decent does not matter, the fact is he ain't white.

[ila]

Obama's handlers and hangers-on like to portray Obama as having a lot in common with the middle class everyday American yet his higher education consisted of attending Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School. These are three prestigious institutes where you are unlikely to find your typical everyday middle class person. The expenses alone of attending would financially cripple a normal person and the entrance requirements are not exactly set low. So really just how much in common does Obama have with a middle class citizen.

[SluttyShemaleAnna]

Well, with a net worth of 1.3 million, he's not the average chap, but compare that to McCain with 200 million and you can see who's closer.

Obama's family doesn't seem to be particularly rich, so I assume he got a scholarship to Harvard, having a smart guy as president doen't seem like a bad idea. Imagine if people would only vote average intelligence people into power. Eek.

[ila]

Originally Posted by SluttyShemaleAnna

Well, with a net worth of 1.3 million, he's not the average chap, but compare that to McCain with 200 million and you can see who's closer.

Most of McCain's wealth comes from his second wife.

[sesame]

Barack Hussein Obama II: Born Aug 04, 1961 in Honolulu ( Hawaii).

Father: Barack Obama Sr., from Kenya (E. Africa)

Mother: Ann Dunham, a White American from Wichita, Kansas.

Wife: Michelle Robinson, Black American Lawyer.

Children: Malia Ann (daughter)
Natasha (daughter)

Income: Obama family's net worth = $1.3 million.
Tax return states net household income = $4.2 million in 2007
$1 million in 2006
$1.6 million in 2005
The Increase is caused by book sales.

Books: Dreams from my Father
The Audacity of Hope.

Education: Graduate from Columbia University
and Harvard Law School
President of Harvard Law Review.

Profession: Teacher of Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Also practiced as a civil rights attorney.

Illinois Senator 1996, re-elected 1998, 2002
Chairman, Illinois Senate's Health & Human Services Committee at2003.
Cooperated with the state police to enact death penalty reforms 2004.
Delivers the Keynote Address, July 2004 Democratic National Convention, Boston. Resigns from Illinois Senate Nov.2004

Spoke about changing US socio economic policies in regard to war. Challenges Bush's Iraq war. Reminds of obligations to US soldiers.

In Jan 2005, he is sworn to US senate. He is the 5th African American senator in US history. Loyal Democrat.

Acts:
Energy policy act 2005
Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act
Secure Fence act 2006
Lugar–Obama or, Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction act
Coburn–Obama Transparency Act.
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act '07
Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007
Amendment to Defense Authorization Act
Iran Sanctions Enabling Act

Final Status: 2008 Presidential Election nominee of the Democratic Party

======================QUOTES=====================
Regarding Obama's political rise, Author Debra J. Dickerson (End of Blackness) heeds against drawing "fancy" conclusions about America's cultural "progress". She says, "Lumping us all together, erases the significance of slavery and continuing racism while giving the appearance of progress."

Funny quotes from Obama himself:
1) "... When we get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it's like a little mini-United Nations."
2) "I've got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I've got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher!"

[ila]

Originally Posted by SluttyShemaleAnna

Well, with a net worth of 1.3 million, he's not the average chap, but compare that to McCain with 200 million and you can see who's closer.

1.3 million is not exactly chump change. It really doesn't matter to me how much a person makes per year. (I wouldn't mind making 1 million or more per year). It is very rare to find a politician at the highest level in any democratic country that is not rich. My point is that since most politicians seeking high office are quite well off financially it is highly unlikely that any could could claim to have something in common with the middle class. A lot of these politicians will not necessarily claim to be just like the common person, but somebody in the party machinery will intimate such.

[CreativeMind]

Originally Posted by SluttyShemaleAnna

Well, with a net worth of 1.3 million, he's not the average chap, but compare that to McCain with 200 million and you can see who's closer.

Well, that's not actually true. It's all a financial shell game, as you would expect with people having money. For example, John McCain isn't worth $200 million -- however his WIFE is, but even there it's money she inherited from a beer distributorship that her father started. Plus, it's not $200 million -- it's actually HALF that. Her wealth is estimated to be $100 million (though obviously that's still a lot). McCain himself makes 169,000 a year for being in the Senate and 56,000 a year as his Navy pension. So technically the argument could be made that he only makes $220,000 a year.

As for Obama, sorry, but I won't cry any tears for him either since his finances are a real shell game in motion. The public disclosure for him is that his NET worth is $1.3 million -- but that's a number you get ONLY if you start deducting money from things that he owns or has equity in and start deducting mortgage payments, etc. So he's actually far RICHER than that number lets on. Plus, let's assume he gets elected. Look at the Clintons. They claimed to be "average people" when they got into office, but within 10 years of leaving office...between public appearances, speeches, book deals, etc...they're now worth over $100 million too -- which means Hillary is every bit a rich as McCain. And if Obama wins, within a few years of being out of office he stands an excellent chance of joining the $100 million club too.

My problem with talking about finances is that it's not fair to compare them. The McCain fortune was built up over decades of time, versus Obamas money is now just starting to pile up. So it's an apples and oranges kind of things. Plus, the Obamas like to say they're "only worth 1.3 million" -- but the truth is they own a $2 million dollar home, but they deduct the mortgage payments to drive the number down to 1.3. At the same time, if you are going to stick Cindy McCain's fortune onto John McCain, then fair is fair and you have to do the same for Michelle Obama. Up until the start of the summer, Michelle Obama was raking in $320,000 a year for a PART TIME job as a "community affairs consultant" attached to the University of Chicago. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't remember the last time I worked a PART TIME job and it paid 300 thousand a year! So let's be honest -- they're not hurting in the least.

I saw a talk show host interviewed on TV recently and they really summed it up perfectly by noting: "Look, I realize it's election time and people will choose sides. But for once could we just cut the crap? The truth is NONE of these people are "average Americans" like you or me. As much as politicians love to say "I'm one of you," the truth is by the time you get to THIS level of running for office...such as President...you either came from a very privileged family and background OR you made some SERIOUS money along the way and NOW you're pretty freakin' rich. Either way, you're NOT like the average person."

To be honest, the one who made me laugh the most over this was John Kerry when he ran for President 4 years ago. I seriously cracked up every time Kerry would say in a speech that he was just an "average" American like me or you given that his personal worth at the time (by being married to heiressTeresa Heinz) was something like 3/4 of BILLION dollars.

So a tip to the guys here: get out more and find yourselves a sexy sugar mama. Or should I say a sexy sugar TS mama!

Hmm...I wonder what Areeya is worth?