I-man:

There is a brilliant writer,David Aaronovitch,that put it succintly,Obama is everything and nothing.You can project any perception unto Obama!

Of all the vacuities he spouts,I loved this one in particular, “I will end the war in Iraq,I will finish the fight against al-Qaeda". You have to love that!He can as well summarise that into,"I know Americans are a bit thick and superficial,this tactic worked for Bush in 00 and Reagan in 80 so I will try it one more time"

End the war in Iraq?How is he going to do that? At best,he can end US prescence in Iraq,but he doesn't even promise a full withdrawal!So how is he going to stop Sunni/Shia bloodshed?Hey,don't ask,just follow the crowd.He probably has some magic wand in his dapper suit.

How is he going to end the fight against al-Qaeda?Again,don't ask,better to insult people's intelligence by promising what he you can't deliver.Politicians as a matter of pragmatism are prone to spin but Obama takes it to a whole new level

First Clinton voted for the war in Iraq (which to me was the right step in the right direction) now she is flipflopping on this issue MAINLY because of the votes she hopes to recieve.
Obama may be something about nothing and so are most of the other pretenders making so much noise about policy changes today.
It is easier to make promises now than to fulfill them.

Perhaps Americans are not really interested in policies as much as getting an entirely new face in the white house.

McKren:

leadership is not about knowing all the policies in the world, policies and ideas can be bought by assembling the best brains in the country.
leadership has more to do with having a good and large heart, and ability to affect people and carry them along. and that is priceless as it can not be bought.

Obama is going to provide "leadership"?   There are a "million" candidates in that race that can lay claim to demonstrating leadership all through their lives.

He can buy the best brains in the country?What makes you think the Clintons can't get the best brains in the country?

There are obvious flaws in yor analysis of the Brown situation but no point in going into that.Suffice to say that your analysis is fatally flawed

davidylan:

First Clinton voted for the war in Iraq (which to me was the right step in the right direction) now she is flipflopping on this issue MAINLY because of the votes she hopes to recieve.

Obama once said in 2004 that he doesn't know if he would have voted for the 2002  Congress authorisation.He doesn't say so now,does he?

Flip flopping?Obama was against the Patriot Act and subsequently voted for it

Just think that people should be more circumspect about the Obama bandwagon

@ I-man so what does Hillary staand for. Please spare me the details on all this substance and issue talk. do you know what Hillary stands for, go to his website and read his manifesto on all issues, i have helped you copy the link. I have read it and he has very good positions especially on the environment, foreign polich and healthcare.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Please enlighten yourself before making blind comments, there is substance in his policies. In addition he talks of hope and change in a time of stress. You can have your bias but please don't make unfounded statements, if you want to, lets take it issue by issue, i support Obama more because of what he has to offer as laid down in his manifesto.

I really don't know what you are all about on Hillary Clinton, experience does not always do a better job, it gets the job doen the old way, the way we are used to, theres little room for innovation in experience.

Refusing to accept money from lobbyist and raising his own campaign funds from the scratch on the grounds that he will run a white house that is people oriented and make the American people his priority on Health insurance policies that is change.

Giving tax brakes to local American companies than companies moving their factories abroad is change from an American point of view.

Having a foreign policy that aims at ruling the world with better economy and better diplomacy is a more viable and sustainable method than this current idea of throwing bombs arround the world in George Bush's America is change

However if you dont consider the above mission statements as change then you might like to contact Barack Obama to do you his first BUDGET.

But McKren, most all the other candidates are running on the same exact ticket. They are all spouting practically the same in terms of "change" to what we currently have now. I do not believe we want to hear more of that but the how. How do you implement those changes??

Saying you will not do it as Bush did it is all talk but How exactly do you expect to do that and what makes you think your way will work better?? Show us data or something to back up your plan. I mean give us  more than the same old mantra. Some of us actually want to get a deeper exposure to these plans they have in  mind.

Give you an example, Healthcare. I am happy with the way it is now and I am not for universal care at all from the much I have heard and read of it. How is he going to convince me that his own healthcare plan is better than what I have now when I am not complaining at all?? What do I gain from switching from where I am now to where he plans for us to be instead?? Notice, I do not even know where that is??

@buluti

That Obama's campaign is vacuous doesn't mean he doesn't have a website.Even the screaming Lord Sutch of GB had his own website full of detailed "proposals".

Lets take it one by one.Since you have fully bought the whole thing!How does he propose to secure all loose nuclear materials in the world within 4 years? Oya,find that it in his website

How does he propose to end the war in Iraq?

How does he propose to end the fight with al-Qaeda?

Just these 3 will do.I'm patiently waiting

Kobojunkie:

But McKren, most all the other candidates are running on the same exact ticket. They are all spouting practically the same in terms of "change" to what we currently have now. I do not believe we want to hear more of that but the how. How do you implement those changes??

Most of these other candidates started their campaign on other slogans, only to change because Obama's message of change is moving crowds. It simply means these other candidates are about 8-12 months late on leadership. The fact that they have changed grounds out of desperation even means they dont believe in anything.

So the question is why single out Obama to question the substance of his message which has been consistent over time.

Kobojunkie:

But McKren, most all the other candidates are running on the same exact ticket. They are all spouting practically the same in terms of "change" to what we currently have now. I do not believe we want to hear more of that but the how. How do you implement those changes??

McKren answered you succintly . . . when did all these modern day merchants of "change" start talking about change? Was it not after their resounding defeat in Iowa? Now all of them including 71 yr old McCain are talking about "change".

I-man:

@buluti

That Obama's campaign is vacuous doesn't mean he doesn't have a website.Even the screaming Lord Sutch of GB had his own website full of detailed "proposals".

Lets be honest . . . how many 17-25yr olds want to sit through a campaign speech delving into the nitty gritty of policy change? Give them a catchy slogan and their votes are pretty much sewn up. Ask Clinton if in doubt.

@Buluti

Even the Obama website reminds me of those mimographs we used to get in Naija universities. A summary of a summary of a summary. . . . .if that was your answer to the emptiness of the Obama campaign,I bow to your superior ignorance.

davidylan:

Lets be honest . . . how many 17-25yr olds want to sit through a campaign speech delving into the nitty gritty of policy change? Give them a catchy slogan and their votes are pretty much sewn up. Ask Clinton if in doubt.

I don't for a second doubt that "giving little away" is a winning strategy for pols,no matter the age demographics they are gunning for.Someone once used the expression,people are "rationally ignorant".The average person doesn't have the time or inclination to wade through tons of policy proposals.Catchy slogans is what wins elections.

My point is,just because the end justifies the means doesn't mean we shouldn't question what Obama actually stands for and how he intends to achieve what he promises.On balance,I have heard more from other candidates than I have heard from Obama.Vacuity plagues every politician but Obama is operating on another level

His Republican equivalent is Huckabee.Empty slogans too,no doubt,his supporters on Nairaland,if any,could refer me to his website to view even more piffle.

Its annoying to see that black people have swallowed the white propaganda about Obama's "experience" and how far he will go.

Did they tout experience when Ronald Reagan (actor) ran and became president?
Did they tout experience when Jimmy Carter (physicist) ran and became president?
Did they tout experience when Herbert Hoover (mining engineer) ran and became president?
Did they tout experience when Dwight Eisenhower (military general) ran and became president?
Did they tout experience when JFK (freshman senator like Obama) ran and became president at age 42?
Did they tout experience when Lincoln (a failure in all his previous life endeavours) ran and became president?

Now that we have someone who is not a pure white, they are asking for "experience" from a man who is:
A freshman US senator
A constitutional law professor at University of Chicago
A former Illinois state senator
A former Illinois Cook county president

For those of you who say they don't know his policy positions, have you bothered to visit his campaign website to see literally dozens of webpages of his policy positions instead of lazily expecting the media to spoonfeed you. Sheesh

I-man you are simply being over-critical of Obama. Romney, Edwards, Clinton e.t.c. can say all they have been taught to say but at the moment it is winning them no votes. Can you remind me what Bush's campaign slogans were? I'm sure they did not include amnesty and the war on terror.

If we should vote based on those who truly know their onions . . . the likes of Fred Thompson would be winning these elections. Fact Edwards and Clinton have been around forever, how did they influence government with all these o so beautiful policies that they are now running around with. Was Clinton not a part of the white house for 8yrs . . . how did she influence her husband?

Enough of telling us stories! We just want a new face in office!

davidylan:

McKren answered you succintly . . . when did all these modern day merchants of "change" start talking about change? Was it not after their resounding defeat in Iowa? Now all of them including 71 yr old McCain are talking about "change".

Lets be honest . . . how many 17-25yr olds want to sit through a campaign speech delving into the nitty gritty of policy change? Give them a catchy slogan and their votes are pretty much sewn up. Ask Clinton if in doubt.

McKren:

Most of these other candidates started their campaign on other slogans, only to change because Obama's message of change is moving crowds. It simply means these other candidates are about 8-12 months late on leadership. The fact that they have changed grounds out of desperation even means they don't believe in anything.

So the question is why single out Obama to question the substance of his message which has been consistent over time.

I am not singling Obama out. I actually am putting them all to the same only that this thread is about Obama and not the others. I am not a 17 -25 year old and so I do not necessarily want the same thing as he would offer 17 to 25 year olds.  There are many americans who have not decided on a candidate cause they are not sure what these people have to offer at all. I mean sure we can do the whole flash for the media and give the people WHAT WE THINK THEY WANT party, but at the end of the day, there are still those who want more than that, I happen to be one of those and I am not convinced yet by him or most all the others when it comes to where it is exactly they stand on issues and how they intend to change things in the end.


@Kalokalo, I can read tons of paper work or actually listen to the man answer questions that are posed to him and get his mind that way. I prefer the later cause I believe a man can write up so much just for show but you learn more by listening to him speak of what he has to offer.

Lets face it, going by dictionary definitions of experience. The only set of people experienced to be President at the moment is Gorge W. Bush and all ex-Presidents of America.

Hillary has experience in being First Lady and Senator. She has no experience whatsoever being President.

@kalokalo

The summary of your position is that if you think Obama is inexperienced,you have "swallowed white propaganda"?

We should visit his website? Why do Obama supporters keep referring us to his website?Don't they know his positions off the top of their heads?

Clinton already holds a 1% lead over Obama at the moment. Perhaps the agents of "experience" are happy at last.

I-man:

We should visit his website? Why do Obama supporters keep referring us to his website? Don't they know his positions off the top of their heads?

Do you know that of Clinton off the top of your head?

davidylan:

Can you remind me what Bush's campaign slogans were? I'm sure they did not include amnesty and the war on terror.

If we should vote based on those who truly know their onions . . . the likes of Fred Thompson would be winning these elections. Fact Edwards and Clinton have been around forever, how did they influence government with all these o so beautiful policies that they are now running around with. Was Clinton not a part of the white house for 8yrs . . . how did she influence her husband?

Enough of telling us stories! We just want a new face in office!

Back in 2000,Americans were faced with Gore and Bush.They said they wanted a new face and chose Bush.I hear they are complaining today!

I actually still remember many of Bush's policy positions off the top of my head.Instantly shifting the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem! Curtailing US military missions abroad,Bush claimed that US military presence in other countries was alienating the world!!!!!

Isn't the lesson Americans should draw from Bush 2000 is to ask for details?That's why they say the devil is in the details

The names of these two guys sound so alike that I sometimes don't remember who is who: Obama and Osama.

Anyway, I don't think American is ready for any of them:

A black president.

          or


A female president.

The thing that I like about Obama was that when he in Selma, Alabama to commemorate "Bloody Sunday" he didn't patronize the brothas and sistas down there with the same ole stuff. He talked about how African Americans need to do better and do a self analysis on what they need to do to better themselves because it is no longer genocide that is occurring but African American committing suicide.

Hillary was there at the same time and just did the same ole "White" Liberal stuff of trying to play to the crowd through emotion and telling them that she is going to take care of them (basically like massa did). Oh and what made it worst she used her best AAVE (African American Venacular English aka Ebonics) voice .

I am surprised that Obama is getting this much support because there have been other politician thoroughout the history of the States that have run for other offices (and not running on that they are African American) and when it came down to voting for an African American they never did.

I personally don't think any politician can really make the changes they are saying. This is all campaign talk and it is the job of the people to pick the person who can make good on 5% of what they are saying.

davidylan:

Do you know that of Clinton off the top of your head?

I'm not a Clinton supporter!

If I do come here touting the credentials of a particular candidate,its reasonable to expect me to know some of the candidate's proposals off the top of my head,instead of simply stating,"go to his website"."Go to his website" is a subtle admission that you don't know what the person you support stands for.

I-man, your comparison with George Bush just shows how little we can rely on all the noise making by todays politicians.

lazy:

I personally don't think any politician can really make the changes they are saying. This is all campaign talk and it is the job of the people to pick the person who can make good on 5% of what they are saying.

Gbam!

I-man please leave my Obama alone!
It's about time we had a tall dark and handsome hunk of Hershey chocolate in the white house.

I don't care whether he has experience or not,his good looks are enough for us all.
His smiles alone can end the war in Iraq.

nwando:

I-man please leave my Obama alone!
It's about time we had a tall dark and handsome hunk of Hershey chocolate in the white house.

I don't care whether he has experience or not,his good looks are enough for us all.

We are surely doomed if this be the reason to have him in office.

lazy:

The thing that I like about Obama was that when he in Selma, Alabama to commemorate "Bloody Sunday" he didn't patronize the brothas and sistas down there with the same ole stuff. He talked about how African Americans need to do better and do a self analysis on what they need to do to better themselves because it is no longer genocide that is occurring but African American committing suicide.

Hillary was there at the same time and just did the same ole "White" Liberal stuff of trying to play to the crowd through emotion and telling them that she is going to take care of them (basically like massa did). Oh and what made it worst she used her best AAVE (African American Venacular English aka Ebonics) voice .

I am surprised that Obama is getting this much support because there have been other politician thoroughout the history of the States that have run for other offices (and not running on that they are African American) and when it came down to voting for an African American they never did.

I personally don't think any politician can really make the changes they are saying. This is all campaign talk and it is the job of the people to pick the person who can make good on 5% of what they are saying.

I agree and we need to carefully filter through all the crap to find the very one who will make good on at least 5%

You think all these women voting for him care about what he's saying?
They want him!
And if from  the white house is the closest they can see him on their TV screens nightly,so be it.

Live results:

New Hampshire - 28 of 301 Precincts Reporting - 9%  
Name Party Votes Vote %
Clinton , Hillary  Dem  10,566  37%  
Obama , Barack  Dem  10,288  36%  
Edwards , John  Dem  4,650  16%  
Richardson , Bill  Dem  1,222  4%  
Kucinich , Dennis  Dem  572  2%

nwando:

You think all these women voting for him care about what he's saying?
They want him!
And if from the white house is the closest they can see him in their TV screens nightly,so be it.

U aint sayin nothin but da truth. LOL!!

I have heard many women say this!

@nwando

Na good looks you go chop? Yar'Adua no get good looks?

Na how to best deal with al-Qaeda,the economy,immigration,trade,nuclear proliferation,e.t.c be my main concern.If Condo Rice was running,I would have supported her,she looks sexy in those boots!

lazy:

You aint sayin nothin but da truth. LOL!!

I have heard many women say this!

me sef I go vote for am for looks only.
I have no clue what is his agendum or agenda.
All he needs to do is smile and the votes pour in

Condi disappoint me too. I would have voted for her too. That woman wakes up something in me everytime she shows her face and makes one of those speeches of hers.

I-man:

@nwando

Na good looks you go chop? Yar'Adua no get good looks?

Na how to best deal with al-Qaeda,the economy,immigration,trade,nuclear proliferation,e.t.c be my main concern.If Condo Rice was running,I would have supported her,she looks sexy in those boots!

Yaadua get good looks,isn't he now the president?
The era of wor wor rulers are over.
People should take note especially Kucinich

I want Clinton to win because I think the GOP has better chances against her.At worst,if the GOP were to lose, I would prefer the Clintons given Clinton's relatively good record in 8 years in office.I just don't see what Obama's policies actually are.