That's the "L.A. Times" message below. But one-eyed black support for him (now up to 91%) isn't racist, of course.
In Hardy County, Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2 to 1. But there is little enthusiasm for Barack Obama in this mountainside enclave, a portent of trouble for the Illinois senator in next week's West Virginia primary and the general election beyond. Nearly 97% white, the county is as conflicted as any rural and working-class Democratic bastion as it struggles to adjust to the likely prospect of the party nominating its first African American presidential candidate.
Obama may have emerged from his double-digit victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton in North Carolina and his razor-thin loss in Indiana on Tuesday with a virtual lock on the Democratic nomination. But his performance did little to reassure political leaders here concerned by his sagging numbers among once-loyal white Democrats, who have steadily abandoned their party over the last several presidential elections. "I'm not yet convinced that Barack Obama is more substance than fluff," said Clyde M. See Jr., a former Democratic speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates and two-time gubernatorial candidate who heads a small law practice in Moorefield, the county seat. "He's a fine speaker, mind you, but I'm still not sure he's got the right stuff to win the general election."
The concerns of party members who live amid this rolling landscape of soybean fields, poultry plants and retirement cabins mirror those of many white Democrats nationwide: Some fear voters will be turned off by Obama's black heritage. Others, they say, will find reason to doubt his patriotism or will perceive him to be an elitist. It remains unclear how racial unease will factor into election-day decisions come November. Those hidden impulses are elusively difficult to capture in polling. But seasoned Democratic players here reckon that some racially tinged voting will inevitably occur far beyond Hardy County's cresting hills. "There's a lot of bigotry in the country, not just West Virginia," See said.
Fearful that the GOP will exploit Obama's "otherness," many still insist that Clinton's ebbing campaign offers the Democrats a better shot come November. Even those who say they would support Obama worry about his electability, convinced that many of their neighbors will defect to the presumed Republican nominee, John McCain. "My worry is there's just too many people in this country who aren't ready to elect a black president," said Charles L. Silliman, a retired Air Force officer who is Hardy County's Democratic Party co-chairman. "There's a lot to like about him. But I'm just afraid that too many people will vote against him based on their fears and prejudice."
Silliman and his wife, Carmen, are Clinton supporters, drawn by her healthcare plan and her endurance on the campaign trail. Still, the couple repeatedly have found themselves defending Obama, correcting acquaintances who relay baseless rumors about his name and religion. Carmen Silliman has collected a sheaf of poisonous e-mails that have flowed into her in-box. "We do not need a Muslim to lead the good ole USA," reads one. Obama is, in fact, a Christian.
Neil Gillies, an Obama supporter who runs a local environmental nonprofit group, glumly recounted the gibes that his wife, a schoolteacher, hears regularly from her students. "They're convinced [Obama] is a Muslim, a terrorist, a guy who's coming to take away their guns," Gillies said. "It's just sad."
Slung along the bottom of West Virginia's eastern panhandle, Hardy County was once rock-solid Democratic. Senior citizens fondly recall the day Eleanor Roosevelt arrived to dedicate the opening of Moorefield High School in 1941. But socially conservative church groups and gun-rights supporters here have helped tilt the vote Republican in recent presidential elections. In 2004, Hardy County lined up for George W. Bush by a 3-1 ratio. [So that was racism too?]
"It's just not going to be easy for Obama to woo crossover Democrats back into the fold," said P. Merle Black, a professor of politics and government at Emory University and a longtime analyst of Southern voting patterns. "In addition to the race factor, you've got huge cultural differences between them and Obama on guns and religion and many of the issues that would make those voters think he doesn't represent their interests."
Obama has made an effort to highlight his religious beliefs and his support for hunters' rights. But his former pastor's racially charged sermons -- and the candidate's own comments about small-town Americans who have lost their jobs and "cling to guns or religion" -- have not helped his cause. "I've got 50-some guns, and I wasn't crazy about Obama's talk about small towns," said Sam Vetter, 64, a farmer and lifelong Democrat who regrets voting for Bush in 2000. "Besides," he added, "Obama just doesn't sound right for an American president."
Despite a well-financed television campaign and endorsements from Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV and Rep. Nick J. Rahall II, Obama is expected to finish well behind Clinton in West Virginia's primary, which will award 28 pledged delegates. "We've got our work cut out for us," acknowledged Tom Bowen, a spokesman for Obama's West Virginia effort. Democratic registration statewide is up by more than 16,000 voters since 2006, compared with an increase of 4,000 for the GOP. But that reflects "as much interest in the local races as there is in the national," said Greg Ely, Hardy County clerk.
Source
West Virginian Don Surber has a few comments.
Why Jews MUST NOT Vote for Barack OBAMA
Sometimes, the biggest Jew haters I meet are--well Jewish. It is my own brethren who look at me funny because I am wearing a Kippah in public. In my thirty plus year career another Jew was the only one who ever urged me to work the second day of Rosh Hashanah because, he only took off one day. Then there are the ones who I call "shhhhh Jews." In other words, "shhhhh we don't want to upsent the non-Jews!" One of the biggest issues to the shhhhh Jews is the presidential race. They don't like it when I point out Senator Obama's failings, "what if he wins?" They ask. "If Obama wins," I tell them, "then it is TOO late." If Barack Obama becomes president of the United States, it will be a major disaster for American Jews, Israel and the United States of America.
Although He keeps saying that he is anti terror and friend of Israel, that is a political expediency, just like his Wright Speech last week. Not only is the Senator Weak on Terror issues, EVERY SINGLE ADVISER TO HIS CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS PUSHING ISRAEL TO APPEASE TERRORISTS. If he had Just a few pro-Israel or anti-appeasement advisers he could make a case of being balanced. Lets look at the facts:
* Not only is his former pastor Anti-Israel but the movement his church is affiliated with, the United Church of Christ is Anti-Israel, the UCC's Boston Branch even hosted a worldwide Israel Hate-fest this past October.
* He has no problem supporting terrorist leaders because Barack Obama Says Morality Should not be a Foreign Policy Consideration. He doesn't even believe that Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which is running terrorist operations in Iraq, is a terrorist group.
* Look at his advisers Zbigniew Bzrezinski-- Robert O. Malley-- Samantha Power-- Gen. Merrill A. McPeak-- Joseph Cirincione-- and Daniel Kurtzer one of the "Baker's Boys." Baker's Boys" was the nickname of former Secretary of State James " F**K the Jews Baker's top three middle east advisers, Dennis Ross, Aaron Miller, and Kurtzer. All three were Jews (some would say self-hating) and they helped the Baker-run State Department become the most Anti-Israel Department in my lifetime (even worse than Carter's).
* His statement that it is Israel's fault that there is no peace, or the fact that he acted differently toward Israel before he appeared on the national stage
* His Anti-Israel Congressional Buddies, Lugar and Hagel
Folks EACH one of the links above refer to His statements, the statements of his advisers or other witnesses. If there was simply one or two that I could point to one could say that I was over reacting....but there are more than a dozen above and I could have posted triple that . The time for "emotion" is over. The time for racism is over. YES Racism. Jews have been oppressed for over 2,000 years and as such we like to see another oppressed group make it "big." But when faced with real facts that the man would be a disaster when facing major issues involving the United States and Israel, not treating him the same as any other candidate is RACISM. And worse yet, it would be suicide for the Jews, for Israel and for the United States of America.
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BUSTED!... Obama Can't Rewrite History When It's Still Posted On His Website!
Charles Johnson caught this attempt by the Obama Campaign and The New York Times to rewrite history today:
Susan E. Rice, a former State Department and National Security Council official who is a foreign policy adviser to the Democratic candidate, said that "for political purposes, Senator Obama's opponents on the right have distorted and reframed" his views. Mr. McCain and his surrogates have repeatedly stated that Mr. Obama would be willing to meet "unconditionally" with Mr. Ahmadinejad. But Dr. Rice said that this was not the case for Iran or any other so-called "rogue" state. Mr. Obama believes "that engagement at the presidential level, at the appropriate time and with the appropriate preparation, can be used to leverage the change we need," Dr. Rice said. "But nobody said he would initiate contacts at the presidential level; that requires due preparation and advance work."
Charles points out that Obama did announce he would meet with Iran unconditionally, in front of a lot of people, at the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate last July. And, Charles even found the video . During the debate when asked if he would "be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea?" Obama answers, "I would." AllahPundit at HotAir also found that Obama reaffirmed his position later in an interview with The New York Times itself. And, then there's this... It's posted on his website at BarackObama.com:
[Click here to see screenshot]
Here is what the Obama website says about meeting with Iran: Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.
That's bad. The next time the New York Times wants to rewrite history they may want to check the Obama website first.
Source
Hot Air has more
Obama ditches another "friend"
Syrian-born Malley really is a poisonous bill of goods. What took Obama so long?
One of Barack Obama's Middle East policy advisers disclosed yesterday that he had held meetings with the militant Palestinian group Hamas - prompting the likely Democratic nominee to sever all links with him. Robert Malley told The Times that he had been in regular contact with Hamas, which controls Gaza and is listed by the US State Department as a terrorist organisation. Such talks, he stressed, were related to his work for a conflict resolution think-tank and had no connection with his position on Mr Obama's Middle East advisory council. "I've never hidden the fact that in my job with the International Crisis Group I meet all kinds of people," he added.
Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Mr Obama, responded swiftly: "Rob Malley has, like hundreds of other experts, provided informal advice to the campaign in the past. He has no formal role in the campaign and he will not play any role in the future." The rapid departure of Mr Malley followed 48 hours of heated clashes between John McCain, the Republican nominee-elect, and Mr Obama over Middle East policy.
Mr Obama, who has been trying to assuage suspicion towards him among the influential Jewish and pro-Israel lobby, spoke at a Washington reception marking the 60th anniversary of Israeli independence on Thursday when he promised that his commitment to the country's security would be "unshakeable". However, Mr McCain has high-lighted the Democrat's pledge to negotiate directly with nations such as Iran - whose leaders talk of wiping Israel off the map - and a statement from Hamas saying that it hoped that Mr Obama would win the presidency.
This was denounced as an offensive smear by Mr Obama, who repeated earlier statements saying that Hamas was "a terrorist organisation [and] we should not negotiate with them unless they recognise Israel, renounce violence".
He went on to suggest that Mr McCain's attack showed that he was "losing his bearings". This remark triggered a furious reaction from Mark Salter, the Republican's senior adviser, who said that Mr Obama was "intentionally raising John McCain's age as an issue" - a claim the Democrat vehemently denied. The intensity of this dispute reflects both Mr Obama's desire to move beyond his battle with Hillary Clinton and how Republicans are already beginning to train their sights on him.
The Republican National Committee has amassed a 1,000-page dossier on Mr Obama, with researchers spending weeks in Chicago seeking fresh material. He is already being criticised for his links with Rashid Khalidi, a Columbia University professor who has branded Israel an "apartheid system in creation".
Mr Malley, a respected commentator on Middle Eastern issues and part of President Clinton's negotiating team at the Camp David talks, has come under attack in recent months from right-wing bloggers. Yesterday, asked if Obama campaign was aware of his contact with Hamas, he said: "They know who I am but I don't think they vet everyone in a group of informal advisers."
Randy Scheunemann, Mr McCain's foreign policy chief, suggested that Mr Malley was part of an emerging pattern in which other advisers had been repudiated after throwing confusion over policies on trade and Iraq. "Perhaps because of his inexperience Senator Obama surrounds himself with advisers that contradict his stated policies," he said.
Source
Obama Unstained by Chicago Way
The Chicago Tribune's John Kass:
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate's politics were born in Chicago. Yet he is presented to the nation as not truly being of this place, as if he floats just above the political corruption here, uninfected, untouched by the stain of it or by any sin of commission or omission. It is all so very mystical.
Perhaps viewing Obama as a Chicago political creature would conflict with the established national media narrative of Obama as a reformer. Actually, there's no "perhaps" about it....
[Obama is] a guy who, as we say in Chicago, won't make no waves and won't back no losers.
Obama the reformer is backed by Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Daley boys. He is spoken for by Daley's own spokesman, David Axelrod. He was launched into his U.S. Senate by machine power broker and state Senate President Emil Jones (D-ComEd)...
Why is Obama allowed to campaign as a reformer, virtually unchallenged by the media, though he's a product of Chicago politics and has never condemned the wholesale political corruption in his home town the way he condemns those darn Washington lobbyists [?]
Many people are aware that Chicago's political system is corrupt, but it is hardly ever described in a concrete way, especially by the national media.
Here's what you'll never read in the national media about the corruption in Chicago: In the last 36 years, since 1972, 27 Chicago alderman have been convicted of crimes. Not accused of wrongdoing, not just accused of lapses in judgment, not brought before an ethics panel for questionable dealings. Convicted of crimes. Sent to the hoosegow. Three more former alderman are currently under indictment.
To put this in perspective, there are 50 alderman in Chicago's City Council. If Chicago's level of corruption and number of subsequent convictions in its legislative body was replicated in the US House over the last 36 years, more than 200 congressman would have been convicted of crimes. All from the same political party.
But it's not just relegated to Chicago's city limits, nor the County of Cook. Since 1960, seven governors have been elected in Illinois; three of the seven have gone to jail. And current Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojavich is presently under an ethical cloud due to startling revelations emanating from the trial of political fixer Tony Rezko.
And some wonder why many of us are totally skeptical of the national media's repetition of the 'Obama as change agent' theme. A 'change agent' from Chicago? Are they serious?
Source
Will Team Clinton Play the Kenya Card?
How much do the Clintons want the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination for Hillary? Obviously enough to loan more than $10,000,000 of their personal funds to Hillary's presidential campaign. But enough to play the Kenya card (that is, call public attention to Obama's Kenyan ties)? Would they dare to do that?
With exits polls showing that rookie United States Senator and now front-running Democrat presidential hopeful Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. is taking more than 90% of the black vote against Hillary, will the Clintons finally play the Kenya card?
The liberal media blasted Team Clinton for supposedly playing the race card when Bill Clinton compared Obama's success in the 2008 Democrat presidential primary in South Carolina to earlier successes of Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The liberal media blasted Team Clinton when a photograph of Obama in traditional African garb was publicized.
The liberal media blasted Team Clinton when Bill Clinton complained that Team Obama had played the race card against him.
So the liberal media would blast Team Clinton for calling attention to Obama's Kenyan ties and call it racist.
But political reality is that Team Clinton cannot beat Team Obama so long as they assert, as Hillary did long ago, that she and Obama might run together for president and vice president, or, as Hillary said during the Pennsylvania debate, that Obama can be elected, or, as Hillary publicly stated during the latest Super Tuesday night, that she would support Obama if he won the Democrat presidential nomination. Reality is that Team Clinton needs to show that Obama is unfit to be President of the United States in order to win.
Obama inadvertently contributed greatly to that perception among non-black voters by the way he handled his Rev. Jeremiah A. "God damn America" Wright, Jr. problem, first refusing to disavow Rev. Wright personally as equivalent to disowning the black community or his white grandmother, and finally doing so only after it finally became politically imperative, because Rev. Wright not only reiterated his crazed views at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., but essentially said that Obama had deceived the public about his genuine beliefs when he had distanced himself from Rev. Wright's incendiary remarks with respect to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, AIDS as an instrument devised by the United States government to exterminate blacks and, of course, God damning America.
Since Obama became the Democrat frontrunner, some of Obama's problematic associations--Rev. Wright, domestic terrorist William "I should have done more bombing" Ayers, slumlord Tony Rezko and wife Michelle "America is downright mean" and "Black Community first and foremost" Obama--have received significant public attention, to Team Obama's consternation.
But that scrutiny of Obama associations came only AFTER he had become the Democrat frontrunner, too late for Team Clinton, and Team Clinton has NOT played the Kenya card to show how politically extreme Obama really is and how Obama is tied to the radical Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga (who told the BBC that he is Obama's cousin on his father's side and who ran an unsuccessful race for president of Kenya posing as an apostle of change).
Unfortunately for Team Clinton, the media has not compared and contrasted the Odinga and Obama presidential campaigns and scrutinized the Odinga-Obama connection, although it certainly should have.
If Hillary is to become the 2008 Democrat presidential nominee, Team Clinton will not only have to brave the reflexive charges of racism, but convince the American people, including most Democrats, that the man who disparaged religion, denigrated small-town America and supported Rev. Wright as long as politically possible is a false messiah and an extremist, not a unifier-in-waiting who will solve America's racial problems because he happens to be half-black and half-white.
Source
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