Are you members of a cult, like the latest spin from — oh take a wild guess — claims that you are? Have you become brainless Obama Zombies threatening to give up your last ounce of free will to a charismatic but unknown figure who you worship as almost a deity?
Well, not exactly (via Sara Robinson at Orcinus):
There is no evidence anywhere that Obama is running front groups, using his campaign to enrich himself, sexually manipulating his followers, censoring anyone, or insisting that people isolate themselves from the larger society. There are no draconian efforts at dropout control. Nobody’s arming up out of paranoia. And “grimness” is about the last word you’d use to describe an Obama event. […]
What’s going on is that we’ve finally got a Democratic candidate who understands exactly how the Republicans did it. As I pointed out my very first week on this blog, the GOP didn’t come to power by talking about plans and policies; they did it by using strongly emotional appeals that grabbed people by the gut and didn’t let them go. Theirs was never a movement based on reason. It was, from the very beginning, a movement of hearts and souls. And it was that deep, emotionally sustaining commitment that drew people in so deeply that they were willing to give 25 years of their lives to bringing about the New World Order their leaders promised them. We may hate what they’ve accomplished — but we’re never going to be able to do better until we can inspire that same kind of passion for change.
So don’t worry if you are enthusiastic about your candidate. It doesn’t mean you’re in need of re-programming. Really.
So what do I do with these flowers and my saffron robe?
I guess I can save the candles and the finger cymbals for when the NFL ratchets up next season. Go Niners (ting! ting!)!
This movement, if it survives, will be great, but first, it is the Republican Machine vs Barak Obama.
http://www.thomaspeschak.com/kayak-great-white-sharks-/
new rasmussen national poll out today- sometime this AM – Obama has double digit lead…. he has pierced Hillary’s core base: women.
now since early summer 2007 I’ve been in this community positioning that HRC’s campaign will collapse and or implode.
now we’re reading
I’m not surprised. Let’s destroy the Democratic Party.
.
DENVER — The latest polling in Colorado by Rasmussen Reports shows that Sen. Barack Obama would be a decisive victor in a general election campaign over the presumptive Republican nominee, but that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would be trounced.
In polling of 500 likely voters conducted, Obama held a seven point advantage – 46 percent to 39 percent – over Arizona Sen. John McCain. However, the same poll showed McCain winning a match-up with Clinton by 14 points, 49 percent to 35 percent.
The Rasmussen poll also held bad news for Clinton on the issue of favorability ratings, when compared to her Democratic rival.
Favorability rating:
Favorable Unfavorable
Barack Obama 60 36
John McCain 55 42
Hillary Clinton 44 54
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
Daily Presidential Tracking Poll
Somewhere around 1/2 of the Democratic Superdelegates are designated as such because they are now or have been on the DNC, not because they were elected to government office.
I suppose you can call those folks ‘elected officials’, but it reminds me of Lincoln’s saying:
If you counted a horse’s tail as a leg, how many legs would he have. Lincoln’s answer was: still four, because calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.
Here are the top 3 reasons, in order, why I support Obama (now that John is out of the race):
Could someone please send me my official cult papers? I never got them with the rest of the welcome pack when signing on board. And, truth be told, I might not object so much to some sexual manipulation either. Just sayin’.
Slightly OT. How would you react to an Edwards endorsement of Clinton?
We supported Edwards’ platform but had luke warm feelings toward the candidate. If he wants to demonstrate his commitment to his causes of health care and poverty, I’d be a lot more likely to believe his sincerity if he steered clear of any endorsement and went to work on the causes themselves, a la Gore.
I’d prefer Edwards stay out of the endorsement game unless he gets something significant from Obama or Clinton in terms of support for single payer health care, etc.
Otherwise he can do a better job from the outside pressuring them to adopt his ideas rather than their corporate friendly proposals.
I agree with you and Steven D.
I think it would be great if John Edwards became the Al Gore of the Anti-Poverty movement. I agree he should stay out of the endorsement game.
But, if John decided to endorse Hillary, it wouldn’t change my opinion one bit. I prefer Obama. The same would be true if I prefered Clinton and he decided to endorse Barack.
Crap, I guess I failed my ‘Cult Of Edwards’ test too…
So can I keep the Obama shrine up in my basement and still burn the incense and candles while I listen to his speeches?
Inquiring minds want to know.
That looks like Obama. After the press gets here, I’ll be selling it on eBay. I should post a photo of it sitting on my Obama shrine.
I have a slice of bread that looks kinda like McCain.
Wonder Bread, no doubt.
Some really crusty bread.
But not “French” bread. Of that we can rest assured.
Hmm..I thought that little green frog in the left corner told me to send Obama some money yesterday?
the Clinton camp needs a little fm to calm the turmoil and shell shocked feel.
Wall Street Journal Wow, wow, wow that this would be made public?
This is just one of the numerous tacts the Right and Big Media will attack Obama with once it’s very clear he’s the nominee.
Be happy this one is easy to see through and deflect.
So, if I had brains for lunch today, I’d be feeding a stereotype, so to speak. Guess I should probably cancel those Valentine’s Day lunch reservations we had at Chez Zombie…
I take strong exception to this comment There is no evidence anywhere that Obama is running front groups.
I KNOW from personal experience that Obama was using front groups in NH to give people between the ages of 18-29 money to “fill up their cars so they could get to the polls”.
And the excuse, was just students IF they were on Winter Break. First of all, every college in the country was on Winter Break at the beginning of January 2008. Secondly, I checked with students in my area and friends from other areas, and NO ONE asked to see a college IDs – they just asked their age. Up in this neck if the woods its called Vote Buying or bribery.
Here are the quotes and links:
That is 2 separate groups. There were also interviews on NPR. In fact, if anyone did anything called research, they would find there are many front groups for Obama. What do you think his so called “Hope Pac” is? I would provide links, but now I have to go to a Doctors appointment.
Furthermore check out his rating on Progressive Issues Obama ranks 43d, at the bottom of the Democratic Caucus.
Steven, I have always had the greatest respect and admiration for you. I am deeply saddened that as a Lawyer your FACTS are not verified prior to posting.
Just like the one that ran that pro-Edwards ad in the late summer/early fall, both Edwards and Obama distanced themselves from the PACs that worked on their behalf. In both cases, there was no evidence that these PACs were working directly with a candidate.
As for Hope PAC, I can’t wait to see your links. The only Hope PAC I know of is one from the ’90s that promotes Latinas in government and I don’t even think they’re around any more.
From what I remember Vote Hope was started by and for Californians to get Obama elected. The campaign had nothing to do with that PAC. I never suggested the PAC to anyone because their logic regarding use of donations was iffy at best.
I think you have to look at Sara’s comment in context. She was referring to the type of “front groups” that true cults (like the Moonies) employ, not groups to help turn out the vote.
This diary was written to debunk the idea that Obama is some sort of cult phenomenon.
Now, has he and other candidates shaded the rules regarding what is permissible or not in terms of GOTV efforts. I don’t know. That wasn’t the point of my post of Mrs. Robinson’s at Orcinus.
You can post your own diary regarding campaign misdeeds by Obama if you like. But I’m sure there are Obama supporters who can point to shady tactics by Sen. Clinton’s cmapign as well.
Personally, I’m still not happy with either candidate, but they’re what we are left with since they are the only two who have been able to raise sufficient funds to raise a truly national campaign. The Edwards campaign was doomed when he vowed not to accept money from lobbyists. The netroots is a nice little ATM but it can’t provide by itself all the funds needed for any candidate to run under our current system of campaign finance.
Steve,
Thank you for yor thoughtful comment. I have been looking at many articles the last week. The two I posted I had saved. After a nap, (it’s taken me 4 minutes to write this) I will see if I can find some of those articles.
I share your disappointment in Edwards being forced to drop out – but BIG money people still have the MOST votes – unfortunately.
Well, I gotta admit I’m a chronic zombie for unknown charismatic but unknown figures. I turned my mindless worship to the Obama deity after the last one quit feeling my pain and started sexually manipulating chubby interns.
I already have a sig I like.
Otherwise I’d change it to
And yet G.H.W. Bush was getting a million a pop to give speeches in South America for Reverend Moon. Let’s not confuse cults with cults.
Now that’s a nice perk. And he had to serve only one term.