Obama and the Teflon of Rationality

This is why Barack Obama will be sitting in the White House nine months from now.

This man is like no other politician I've ever seen. No matter what kind of ridiculous kitchen sink attacks come at him, he holds a press conference and calmly makes reasoned and logical arguments that make the other side look petty, stupid, and just plain wrong.

I don't think the GOP quite understands yet what they are going up against in the fall. Not Al Gore, and not John Kerry, but Barack Obama, the once-in-a-generation candidate that is going to blow them, and their tired, out of touch 'distraction issues' out of the water.

Hell, this kind of crap was put On Notice wasn't it?

Cross Posted on www.RedStarPolitics.blogspot.com

•  I voted

  I'm not a Republican.  I'm Independent.  But I like the 'gay marriage is legal in California' thing.  So that's why I chose that one. That was fun.

  by karesse on Sat May 17, 2008 at 02:47:15 AM PDT

•  Obama: "After almost 8 years, I did not think

  I could be surprised by anything George Bush said....."

  (Same goes for oh-so-many of us.)

  And it goes on from there to John McCain and beyond. We have
  a candidate who can hit back eloquently AND specifically (huge that!)
  and win.

  And Red Star, you with your

  This is why Barack Obama will be sitting in the White House nine months from now.

  Just had my first mental picture of THIS man in the Oval Office.

  Cool poll, too.

  by begone on Sat May 17, 2008 at 02:52:33 AM PDT

•  "Teflon of rationality"

  What a great image!  And it is fitting.  It is an entirely different kind of Teflon from the one used to refer to Reagan.

  In Obama's case there are moments when he says something in a way that is so rational (so obviously rational) that the other side simply has no reasonable come-back.  

  Oh, to have a rational government again!

  by flor de jasmim on Sat May 17, 2008 at 03:42:20 AM PDT

  •  reagan's teflon

    was his obliviousness - you can't ruffle a guy who has no idea what you're talking about but smiles affably just the same.

    bush's people should have understood this - the Shrub wouldn't be so widely perceived as a moron if he didn't wear his imbecility so openly on his face.

    by jedley on Sat May 17, 2008 at 03:54:57 AM PDT

    •  Fucking hell.

      This is pleasantly caustic. Oh, dear...

      by The British Observer on Sat May 17, 2008 at 07:21:58 AM PDT

  •  When Republicans start screeching...

    You know you've done something right.

    by BasharH on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:23:22 AM PDT

  •  During B.O.'s Last Debate w/HRC

    or the one before, I forget, I had a blinding epiphany:

              This guy is bulletproof!

    I hate my epiphany's choice of words, but the meaning is clear.

    It will be harder and harder for him as the truth gets more and more grim, but he's preparing us for it.

    I'll be happy to do some kind of service to the country to help dig us out of the pit we're in.

    Let's see, I think some president back in the 60s said something about this . . .

    by JG in MD on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:33:04 AM PDT

    •  I'm ready to pitch in too

      I can't wait until we have a real, elected President I can be proud of who tells us WE will bring this country back, but WE will have to do our part. Kinda like Habitat for Humanity where the resident has a part in building their own home. There is more pride in the product when the owner has a part in making the product.

      vs. bush - just go shopping or the terrorists win (my corporate buddies need more obscene profits, to hell with your security and safety).

      I'm waiting to exhale on 1/20/09. Can I do a "little" happy dance now just to release some of the pressure?

      by Logical One on Sat May 17, 2008 at 10:29:26 AM PDT

•  I hope his first address as President does not

  start "My fellow Americans" or as McCainus' "My Friends" but "My Brothers and Sisters". Democracy is family affair and even though the crazy cousins have had control for awhile, the adults are coming back. The real adults, not the authoritarian because I said so that's why adults.

  by OHdog on Sat May 17, 2008 at 04:27:20 AM PDT

  •  Is McCainus a typo or a polite (and clever)

    version of McAnus?

    by Urizen on Sat May 17, 2008 at 05:47:01 AM PDT

    •  Yes

      by OHdog on Sat May 17, 2008 at 07:32:07 PM PDT

•  Rationality is not always appreciated

  Every town and city has its own culture and it will be interesting to see if Washington opens its cultural doors to the Obamas.  That BO has a 'Teflon of rationality' while vastly appealing to many, might not make too much difference in the rigid society of Washington. As one prominent columnist once so fatuously stated during the Clinton administration 'this is our town, we own it.'

  by JFinNe on Sat May 17, 2008 at 04:28:30 AM PDT

  •  One of the great things Obama

    has done is turn the punditry class on its head.

    And I think you make an error in equating the columnist with the rigid society in Washington.  The columnists may be part of that society, but they are not the high priests/priestesses.

    by xyz on Sat May 17, 2008 at 04:44:48 AM PDT

    •  John Bohner R/OH is the epitome of

      what Obama will face in Washington.  I watch CSpan and he just turns rationality upside down as does much of the punditry class in Washington.  Jimmy Carter, whom it  may be argued made numerous mistakes, but he was never allowed by the press to be taken seriously, and Clinton was truly reviled by the press.

      The big difference between Carter, Clinton and Obama that for the first time in a long time, Obama just may have the last word, the last rational word.

      by JFinNe on Sat May 17, 2008 at 04:55:37 AM PDT

    •  I think that's symptomatic

      of the beginning of the end of the media age.  Since WWII and the rise of TV a handful of corporations have controlled the flow of information and opinion.  With these tubes, that's no longer the case.  Our opinions are no longer a set of choices imposed upon us from the top down.

      As the MSM has felt itself going into decline it has been it's most arrogant and unresponsive (exactly like HRC's campaign becoming it's most divisive and unrealistic as it went through the denial stage).

      by Urizen on Sat May 17, 2008 at 05:56:59 AM PDT

      •  Katue Couric is a prime example

        That CBS who used to be,IMHO, a revered and respected real news channel would even consider featuring Katie Couric as their anchor and then compound the initial mistake by keeping her as their anchor speaks to your argument.  

        by JFinNe on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:29:17 AM PDT

      •  Urizen's comment on symptomatic

        of the begining of the end of the media age.  Urizen's whole post is very insightful, and although we've heard during these primaries lots of comments about people finding their sources online rather than MSM, it's only now beginning to dawn on me that THIS may be the demographic delineation that trumps all the "yuppie, latte-drinking" and "youth" votes for Obama.  I have no data for this, because I don't think the analysis has been done yet, but it's not just "the youth" (age factor) or the "yuppie liberal elite" (economic factor) voting overwhelmingly for Barack, it's those Democrats with internet access and who get their news and reviews, and interactive discussions primarily on the net, vs. those who rely on TV for coverage.  For the the population that rely on the MSM, they are systematically fed misinformation.  ABC has pissed me off so violently, (not just at the Philly debate, but prior to that - on Stephanopoulis' biased Sunday show, then Diane Sawyer in bed w GS on GMA - and even now is rigorous in its skewing of the debate), that I quit watching TV for news on any station.  Obama's team had internet savvy - they fully used the resource for online donations, online instant campaign coverage, emails to the their supporters, campaign organizer trainings, etc.  All the other campaigns were left shaking their heads in the dust, and came only very late to mounting copy-cat online campaigns, too late to matter.

        by Nicky Hartzell on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:36:55 AM PDT

        •  We (as in we, the people)

          are becoming the media now.  The NYT lying in the prelude to war was the last straw for me.  I don't watch TV or read the paper anymore and I know more about what's going on than I ever did.  Historically the consolidation of media is a recent and anomalous phenomena.  It's not who are as humans or americans and we're breaking out of it now.

          Net neutrality and universal wifi are probably the two most important issues to preserving democracy.

          by Urizen on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:53:02 AM PDT

    •  Washington "Society"

      is divided between the visible horrible, the visible intelligent, and the invisible intelligent (nd now hopeful).

      There has been so much change since Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and then nightmare that I'm hoping DC will now divide into two clear parts.

      I'm hoping the idiots will be marginalized and the sensible and intelligent in Washington will join forces and welcome Obama. The adults have been in corners, hardly even consulted, for so long I think they'll burst out of hiding and support a president they can deal with on an equal level.

      That said, I have a fear that the Rethugs will dump McSame and trot out a new candidate at the convention.

      by JG in MD on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:42:49 AM PDT

•  Thank you Hillary...

  for ordering the extra strength Teflon for Barack Obama this winter...he will need it and it seems to be working quite well...

  by dvogel001 on Sat May 17, 2008 at 04:57:10 AM PDT

  •  And Senator Clinton should note...

    This is what an Obama attack looks like.  She should go back and look how he "attacked" her and realize that his attacks during the primary were nothing compared to the 4x4's he's going to level at the Decepticons.  I hope this puts an end to all the nonsense out there about Obama's toughness.

    If it is our peril to underestimate the Republicans (which I think is true), it is their peril to discount Obama.  Their leadership hasn't but their own grassroot level support has, and they won't know what hit them.

    by BasharH on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:21:11 AM PDT

    •  I do not discount Obama...

      that being said he is a much better campaigner and his message is much sharper than before Hillary started her campaign in earnest...

      by dvogel001 on Sat May 17, 2008 at 07:02:07 AM PDT

•  This video is why

  Obama NEEDS to be president. America couldn't survive another day of the McBush administration.

  by yg17 on Sat May 17, 2008 at 05:09:18 AM PDT

•  Clear Sailing

  I am beginning to think Obama might be scandal free.  No hookers, no mistresses, no shady dealings.

  How unusual

  by Saz on Sat May 17, 2008 at 05:09:45 AM PDT

  •  I think so too

    Imagine what it will be like to have a role model who's not completely selfish and self indulgent.  We've been ruled by cynics for so long that even the non cynical among us have had to base our perceptions on it (cynicism) to some degree.  I suspect this will prove to very liberating.  Cynics are rarely creative: they don't solve problems.

    by Urizen on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:03:31 AM PDT

•  How have the media idiots been treating this?

  Are they giving due credit to his speeches?

  by unertl on Sat May 17, 2008 at 05:36:45 AM PDT

  •  I only saw ABC last night

    they cut it to the shortest possible quote, they left out the best quotes about how bad the foreign policy is and how he challenged them to a debate, saying only the part about 'they're trying to scare you'.
    Then, they gave McSame a lot more rebuttal time giving him way more quote time, but some of that time was spent showing how McS supported talking to Hamas back in 2006, but it was wishy washy and didn't make him look like a flip flopper, and they let him say it was incomplete or out of context. So in all Obama didn't really come across as the strong rational fighter he did when you see more of it and understand what they're arguing about, and actually probably got little attention.

    by eXtina on Sat May 17, 2008 at 06:09:53 AM PDT

•  rational non sound bite talk is a bit risky

  barack has a lot more faith in people's capacity for reason than i do, it's one of the things i admire about him. my favorite part about his approach though, has been reading the responses from the mccain camp that insist on trying to portray a grown man of great intellect as a child, i believe they described the above response as a hysterical rant. umm yeah what more can you say about that...

  by moja31 on Sat May 17, 2008 at 07:30:08 AM PDT

•  Didn't you get the memo?

  This video shows Obama's "hysterical diatribe."

  http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpoi...

  by elmo on Sat May 17, 2008 at 08:03:43 AM PDT