Anticipating our next president

Not quite accurate (0.00 / 0)

Not to poke too much at the speech.  But his first words as President were factually wrong.  He said he was the 44th person to be President.  While he is the 44th President only 43 people have been President.  Cleveland was 22nd and 24th.

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by: Widowmaker @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 11:32:51 AM CST

You can't step in the same river twice (0.00 / 0)

But, yeah, you'd think someone would catch that. Oh well. Not a big deal. And if said he was the 43rd to be President, it would have raised a lot of questions and confusion.

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by: Matt Singer @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 12:40:38 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Good point (0.00 / 0)

That is a good point.  I now wonder if it was purposeful.  Besides the people like ourselves that know a bit about Presidential history, most people would have thought he errored on the number.  This way was easier.  Good speech overall.  Standing in front of millions in the cold and sounding solid; that can't be easy.

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by: Widowmaker @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 13:13:05 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Incredible to think.......... (0.00 / 0)

that the Catholic church would have deprived us of this magnificent, beautiful day if they would have had their way.  Time to revoke some tax exempt status!   I won't forget.

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by: Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers! @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 11:37:01 AM CST

Maybe - (0.00 / 0)

Maybe Barack Obama will some day be as good a man as Martin Luther King Jr. was -  

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by: Eric Coobs @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 11:50:02 AM CST

Is that the yardstick because both are black men? How does GWB compare to MLK? (4.00 / 1)

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by: Matt Singer @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 12:41:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

MLK? (0.00 / 1)

you mean like spending church money on booze,drugs, and prostitutes or plaigarizing his college papers? really something to aspire to be.

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by: Pete Hill @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 12:17:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

wow... (0.00 / 0)

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by: Jay Stevens @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 22:37:10 PM CST

[ Parent ]

A great day, indeed! (0.00 / 0)

But not to quibble, Martin Luther King III had the following to say about Obama's election to the presidency in his comments in the Washington Post yesterday:

"As bright a day as Nov. 4 was in our nation's history, it is important to remember that Barack Obama's election is not a panacea for race relations in this country. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, yet segregation ran rampant for a hundred years. Blacks were given the right to vote in 1965, but it took 43 years for an African American to rise to the nation's highest office. Though it carries us further down the path toward equality, Barack Obama's election does not render my father's dream realized." [emphasis added]

We must not let complacency, after what Barack Obama has accomplished, keep King's dream from it's true potential. It is our collective responsibility to see that we remain on the path that has been laid out, and that Dr. King illuminated for us.

"Mr. Obama will have the opportunity and the duty to pick up the mantle of Abraham Lincoln, of Lyndon Johnson, of Bobby Kennedy -- and of Martin Luther King Jr. Yet this duty is not Obama's alone. We must all embrace this dream as our civic responsibility. For it to function effectively, we must all take an active role in our democracy and champion the cause that is the common good.

...

I have faith that the American people and the leadership of President Obama will usher in the day when all of us -- black and white, rich and poor, young and old -- stand together and work to realize my father's dream."

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by: JC @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 13:18:19 PM CST

yeah... (0.00 / 0)

...I was wary of making it sound like I thought we were done -- thus it "feels" like, "virulent racism," etc. Still...!

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by: Jay Stevens @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 21:09:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Two things I noticed (0.00 / 0)

First, Obama may be the first president to acknowledge non-believers as part of the American tapestry.  Second, there was no Air Force fly-over.

Both very good things.

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by: Turner @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 14:34:36 PM CST

As a Black Man in Montana. . . (0.00 / 0)

It disappointed me to hear others say they wouldn't vote for Barack because he's Black (much harsher epithets, however) when I was helping him get elected in the Treasure State.

I challenge those who continue to create dissent, when the clear mandate of the people was to come together as a nation, to twist their twisted tongues into instruments of vigilance. Keep President Obama and other elected officials accountable to their promises. Don't just give them a pass based on partisanship, but pressure them to keep their promises to the people.

Let's see if you can rise to that challenge.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."~Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

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by: tyler1420 @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 15:10:38 PM CST

A rose with any other name (0.00 / 0)

Remember it was just as concerning for people to vote for him BECAUSE he was black.  Racism ran just as rampant for Obama's advantage as it did against him.

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by: Widowmaker @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 15:37:56 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Yeah (0.00 / 0)

Remember the poor downtrodden white man.

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by: Wulfgar @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 17:22:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Lets try it differently (0.00 / 0)

There are two people running for President; ones is Race A the other Race B.  Voting for somebody because their Race A is A pride.  Voting for somebody because their B is Racist.  I gotcha.  I just wasn't doing "liberal" math.  Sometimes I forget to add liberal math when I am thinking too logically.

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by: Widowmaker @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 17:29:20 PM CST

[ Parent ]

No, Windowmaker (0.00 / 0)

You still miss the obvious.  It's different to vote for a person because they are X, and vote against a person because they are X.  Voting for a black man because you think he'll understand your issues better?  Not racism.  Voting against a black man because all 'dem N ... egroes are the same?  Racism.

There are multiple examples of people who wouldn't vote for Obama because he was black.  Kindly show even a few where people voted against McCain because he was white and you may have a point.  Until then you're just bemoaning the poor downtrodden white male.

Put another way, you're just tasting sour grapes and blaming others because they won't eat them too.

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by: Wulfgar @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 17:43:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Not bad math (0.00 / 0)

It's good logic.  If you really know what a 'spade' is, you'll see that.  You can't prove a negative, and that's why the right relies on the implication instead of the fact.  I've given you a very clear method to support your case.  Will you do so?

I think you won't.

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by: Wulfgar @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 18:07:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

To be fair to Widowmaker... (0.00 / 0)

...I believe Obama said something similar, tho' he was trying to get race out of the picture altogether, and to try to not concentrate on the voters' worst inclinations.

But, yeah, there was lots of virulent racism, and I ran into some of it, and I don't care what Widowmaker says, you can't equate, say, a 70-year-old African American woman who worked to register black voters in segregated Mississippi voting for Obama because of his race, and a young white man who shouts "I'd never vote for a nigger" with anger at two Obama volunteers walking down the street.

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by: Jay Stevens @ Tue Jan 20, 2009 at 21:16:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

deleted comments... (0.00 / 0)

I deleted some comments. I think we forgot Matt's advice to play nice. Also, you folks have the power to rate comments out of the blog...

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by: Jay Stevens @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 01:18:48 AM CST

And it cleaned up the google Chrome disaster (0.00 / 0)

I had no idea Google Chrome would screw up a reply that bad.  Have any of you guys tried Chrome on a blog post/reply with success?

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 10:29:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]

It wasn't Google Chrome (4.00 / 1)

The comment section blows out the presentation for most, if not all browsers when the comments get nested past a certain point. The only way to avoid it is to preview your comment before posting, and then attaching your comment up a level if it blows out the formatting. That's why you'll occasionally see replies not nested properly, as commenters here have gotten used to it.

Actually, blowing out the formatting is a good way of closing down a thread, if its gotten out of hand. ;-) Jay and Matt usually let the superfluous comments rest, as a thread's time has come to pass. Guess they think there's more to be gained here...

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by: JC @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 11:48:02 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Good to know (0.00 / 0)

Thanks JC.  I'll give Chrome another chance then =)

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 13:21:59 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Yay!!! (0.00 / 0)

Hooray, all our problems will be solved!!

I feel so... alive... vibrant... even healthier and younger than ever.  


- Keeping the Left honest since 2001

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by: sydney@alias @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 09:57:23 AM CST

Dude, you really should lay off the (4.00 / 2)

Enzyte while you're commenting on blogs...

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by: JC @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 11:43:12 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Best comeback EVAR! (0.00 / 0)

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by: Wulfgar @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 12:48:01 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Do this blog a favor (0.00 / 0)

Can people do this community and blog a favor and grade Bob's comments suitably?  He already had one tirade taken off due to his inability to converse like an adult.  I'd like to see his recent word barfing shunned down as well.  Thanks.

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 13:31:45 PM CST

Zero tolerance (0.00 / 1)

I have zero tolerance for racists, Widowmaker. Grade me zero for that, if you like.

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by: Bob @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 15:03:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Your hate doesn't belong here (0.00 / 0)

I know you are angry that I called you out for your ignorance.  Your ignorance and zero tolerance for the rights of minorities caused you to drop the "N" bomb like it was candy.  Now, you are scraping at flies trying to project that hate unto the person that called it out.  I've seen it before.  But, for the last time Bob.  Your hatred, ignorance and slurs are not accepted here.  And, nobody is buying your protectionism here.  You were the one with the bad tongue, and you are going to have to live with the decisions of hate you have made.  We'll welcome you back to civilized society when you are ready to drop the hate, drop the racial slurs and drop the attitude of superiority.  I called you out, yes.  But I won't apologize for standing up against a bully.  And, btw, your projected personal attacks are against the rules of this forum, which is why I am asking people to rate your hate.

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 15:26:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

"BECAUSE he was black..." (0.00 / 1)

Those are your words, Widowmaker, i.e., that people voted for Barack Obama "BECAUSE he was black" (your emphasis on BECAUSE). You then said that you were just "calling a spade a spade," which Jay deleted along with my response. "Spade" is a common slang substitute for "nigger," so I read your comment as "calling a nigger a nigger," a response also deleted by Jay. I repeat, however, that I have zero tolerance for racism, and am in fact one who called you out on that, not vice versa. You owe apologies to everyone who voted for Barack Obama BECAUSE he was the best candidate for POTUS, and not BECAUSE he is black.

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by: Bob @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 17:06:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

One last lesson (0.00 / 0)

Calling something a spade a spade is the oldest most recognized saying for calling something the way it is.  It goes back to ancient Greece.  See a world history book; sound out the words if you must.  You had to reach hard and far to try to project on that one.  I know you are bent out of shape because the moderators erased your hate speech.  And, you keep dropping derogatory statements like rainbows on a rainy day,  And you somehow latched onto me like a mirror to your inner problems.  Quite honestly with the issues I am seeing, this isn't the forum you should be latched onto.

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 17:15:18 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Sometimes we have to let go of old (0.00 / 0)

sayings, and find new ones. Trying to justify using an old saying in a context where it can be misconstrued begs for a controversy.

It is what it is.

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by: JC @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 17:46:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Amazing. (0.00 / 0)

In a forum where I thought I would engage in some intelligent discourse, I just slogged thru several sentences of sophomoric slop.

Put it this way--I had people tell me that the reason why I was working for Barack and voting for him was because we were both Black.

OMG. So, if we were to follow that logic, this is the first time in my LIFE I've voted, eh? I'm 40, btw, with over 10 years active Army Infantry service to my country.

It's the glaring gaps in logic and reasoning that just disappoint me about how we approach certain topics.

My POV? Yeah, he's Black. We've come full circle with the words, "All men are created equal." 'Nuff said, now let's move on to fix our economy, strengthen our standing in the world, and leave the United States of America a little better 4 (8?) years from now than how we found it, ok?

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."~Mahatma Gandhi, Indian political and spiritual leader (1869 - 1948)

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by: tyler1420 @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 15:31:02 PM CST

I admit I completly got off topic (0.00 / 0)

I would love to have a "color blind" discussion on why people did or didn't vote for Obama.  I was actually trying to dive into that before I got trolled and thrown off topic.  My POV, although I didn't vote for Obama, I respect him because I respect the office of the Presidency.  That and he's my Commander in Chief.  Earlier I was really trying to get the slop off of here to have real convo.  But apparently my request to get rid of slop only created more by a particular poster.  10 years of Infantry, thats great.  While, I don't have the privilege of having a CIB, I respect the courage that it takes to get them.  I have real concerns for our President, but not because of his pigment.  It was wrong for people to assume why you were supporting Obama.  It was wrong for people to assume people were voting against him for the same reason.  Those false accusations need to just be put behind everyone, and I'm with you.  Lets move on.  There is work to be done.

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by: Widowmaker @ Wed Jan 21, 2009 at 16:31:41 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Words--as Leonard Bruce insisted so frequently-- (0.00 / 0)

are just words.
Intellectually lazy people would restrict their use in the hope that controlling what people say will also control what they think.

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by: jed @ Thu Jan 22, 2009 at 11:13:59 AM CST