because people like you have spent the last 4 days trying to crawl into his mind to say what he meant! he has spent this time clarifying and dismissing the cynicism.

i think his talk was a little TOO straight for some. the irony is that people are used to hearing the political-sugar-coated version of things from politicians.

again, has he EVER criticized people for their beliefs?

so what do you think his whole "change" philosophy is about? he is trying to let people know that he does not share that common thread.

hmmmm yeah

were not his words that these local bumpkins were "clinging to religion" as an opiate for their frustrations? Sounds quite a bit like Karl Marx doesn't it?

I would classify this as a criticism.

I can understand his reasoning though, worshiping where he has for the last 20 years in a church where there is quite a bit of anger and bitterness......

Only someone totally ignorant of history, politics, and reality would think that voting for ANYONE, yet alone Obama is going to change poverty.

Or someone who's too busy spending their money getting high and not paying attention.

....pass that bong of change would you BF?

Did anyone see Colbert on Larry King last night? Hilarious.

Dude, like Obama and McCain, if they ran together, could totally change the world man. Talk about bipartysand! Like noone would ever be poor again, and we'd still kick everyone's butts at risk!

Quick reminder for everyone on here---> How totally awesome is it that we can go at it on here like this over the politicans and their positions, vetting their comments and possibly affecting the outcome of the election, without fear of government putting us in jails, gulags, torturing us, kidnapping our family members etc.

I love this country!!!!

GOD, COUNTRY, STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am living in one of those towns that he was speaking of, but the people here are not down trodden, this is just their way of life as they know. The are god loving people thankfull for everything they have. The don't know what it is like to be extremly wealthy in terms of money because they find themselves wealthy in terms of commnity. If that makes sense

Ron,
I have no idea what his change philosophy is about. We do have power-hungry folks in both parties, but we don't have the kind of dictators that other countries have who deprive folks who don't either support them or believe as they do of food and water and their very lives. In our country, you CAN make something of yourself - but you have to want it.

i shall mark you all down as not caring about political efficiency, the economy and taxes. got it. i will erase any griping about such subjects from my memory.

ps pale, way to take the high ground with your "bong of change" post. classy.

Barak made a calm, calculated, well reasoned, well thought out decision, to damage his own capaign with his own stupidity.

Sorry, Ron, but it isn't that we don't care about political efficiency, economy, and taxes. Frankly, we do. We just don't believe that any candidate who promises to create jobs, lower taxes, solve poverty, and end world hunger is saying anything new or true. We don't believe a candidate can create as many social programs as Obama is saying he is going to create AND lower taxes like he is claiming.

Math doesn't lie, politicians do.

we shall see, shemp-o. i like the fact that people are *finally* talking candidly without filling us with political BS.

my big beef with obama is his nafta stance.

Which one?

I wonder if Ron would.... you know.

like i said, the amount of cynicism is not surprising. my response to that is the fact that he is not scared to call a spade a spade (even if he is wrong) because that tells me that he is serious about actually dealing with what he sees are the issues that are allowing people to lose focus on those 3 things that i mentioned. again, it's not like he is against people holding those personal beliefs, he is just saying that perhaps people are focusing on those more than the others because they are cynical about anything changing with regard to the others.

creating programs and lowering taxes are generalization. his website which describes these initiatives isn't nearly so glib.

I mean, how does Ron know how B-Boy thinks. He almost speaks for him on every issue, as if.... you know.

I bet Ron envisions seeing Barak on the corner, fixing his tire.

"Do you need a lift?" Ron Questions.

"Why thank you kind sir." Barak gently opens the door and slides into the passenger seat.

"Where are you heading at this time of the night?" Ron again questions.

Barak places his hand on Ron's. "Just Drive." "I'm going to seduce you while washing your brain."

Ron, put aside for a moment the question of whether he was really critical of "those people" (I believe he was, you believe he wasn't . . . we're not going to change that).

Don't you think he should have seen that a comment like that would be construed (or misconstrued) by many people across the country?

Doesn't that (along with his "grandmother typical white person" comment, his association with (and implicit endorsement of) Jeremiah Wright, and his association with a member of the Weathermen, raise some questions about his judgment and the kind of people he would surround himself with?

No Rainman! Nothing that Barak does in any way will cause Ron to question anything about him, other then his stature and how nice he looks. Vote Barak.

I think Ron has Obama mixed up with B.A. Barracus myself.

Now him, I'd vote for.

Ah, so then you prefer the sugar-coated politically correct doublespeak that is meant to eliminate any worry about whether something could be taken the wrong way.



Do you judge everyone by the company they keep, or do you suppose anyone has merit of their own? I'm sure we will remember to let it reflect poorly on you when one of your friends says something we don't like.

Becka,

Once again, this isn't just about keeping company with someone. It is about the advisors one takes on, and the failure to do anything about it when those advisors say things that reflect poorly on you, your people, and your nation. If my friends say something that I don't like, and it reflects on me, I am quick to make sure that people know I don't share their views. Obama waited and waited and continued to support the man until it was too late.