Poor Phrasing Or???

Let's Just Get Their Vote?

Obama is falling into the trap my Granny told me about.

"If you lie too much, you can't remember what it is your suppose to say"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said on Sunday he used "poor phrasing" in a speech supporting Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.

"You know, the truth is that this was an example where we had some poor phrasing in the speech. And we immediately tried to correct the interpretation that was given," he said in an interview aired on Sunday on CNN's "Fareed Zakaria -- GPS."

Obama's campaign has issued similar clarifications since the candidate's speech to pro-Israel lobby group after he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination early last month.

Reuters

Would saying one thing to get one black of votes and then saying the opposite to get another block of votes count as "Flip Flopping"? Or is it just telling a lie?

Semper

If only we had a candidate that was actually worth electing. The pandering for votes is always my favorite part of the political process. Just promise everyone everything and hopefully they all vote for you.

I'd call it the typical politically expedient lie.

The whole notion that he represents real change in politics makes me want to vomit.

[edit on 14-7-2008 by loam]

reply to post by semperfortis


I think he's trying to do the old Bill Clinton triangulation tactic, whereby he takes every side of every issue. The problem? Bill was really, really good it and Obama is not.

Obama's biggest problem right now is that the longer this goes on, the less he looks like Mr. Hope and Change and the more he looks like Mr. Political Expediency. He's being exposed as nothing more or less than a typical pandering politician, and what's priceless is that he's doing it to himself.

You pay people good money to prepare the speeches and then complain about poor phrasing. I don't buy it. These speeches are gone over with a fine toothed comb. I doubt his speech writers would still be around if they were that bad at writing his speeches. I guess as long as somebody doesn't catch your words on tape, you can get away with it. Once it's on tape- it is what it is.

Ever notice something?

Get the guy away from a teleprompter, and hilarity ensues.

reply to post by jerico65


Its a pretty good guess that this is why he has been running from those town-hall meetings that McCain asked him to attend. And yes, that's eventually going to hurt him. Early next month, CBS is televising one of them that will be occurring on a military base in Texas. The McCain campaign is going to have a field day with that if Obama doesn't show up to face questions directly from the military and their families.

The public opinion polls, the focus groups, the townhall meetings, they are promoted as a way to gain insight into the needs of the people and form policy positions that seek to meet those needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those forums are used by the candidates to gauge what the people want to hear. They are nothing more than a way for the candidates to figure out what to say to sway voters. I don't believe they are used to help decide what the eventual elected official will do to meet the needs of the people once in office.

Its all one big PsyOp.

"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided," Obama declared Wednesday...

But a campaign adviser clarified Thursday that Obama believes "Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated between the two parties" as part of "an agreement that they both can live with."

Nice try, Barack. You can't make that first statement fly around the international table. No way to spin it under the circumstances either. Pretty bold statement of support for continued Israeli control of Jerusalem. That is, until the final status thing. Kind of makes sense in that context, I guess. Really only a partial revelation of policy intent to the seated crowd, taken in its entirety.

I think Jerusalem will end up being an international city one way or the other, eventually. I don't think any politician running for president would come out and say that in front of AIPAC, though.

Btw, I don't think this compares at all with McCain's repeated gaffes. Mr. Obama didn't claim he never said it, or ask them where they got that quote, or directly contradict himself. He made a bold statement, then took the heat for it and responded intelligently, clarifying his remarks. Not bad politicking, if you ask me.



[edit on 14-7-2008 by Icarus Rising]

This story aside, there was a quote from the article linked that boggles my mind.

"The U.S. Congress passed a law in 1995 describing Jerusalem as capital of Israel and saying it should not be divided"

What business does the US Congress have passing a law that says something like that? That's one of the most ridiculous things I have EVER heard. It's an absurd use of the law and I would claim an abuse of their powers to pass laws sinc the U.S. Constitution reserves foreign policy dictation to the President.

I realize that it's simple posturing, but that's what annoys me by it. The laws of this country shouldn't be demeaned into some political rhetoric baloney.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
If only we had a candidate that was actually worth electing. The pandering for votes is always my favorite part of the political process. Just promise everyone everything and hopefully they all vote for you.

I thing you hit the nail on the head Karl. Change is just a word that really means just more of the same with a different spin on it..

I'm sorry, but pointing out that Mccain is an idiot to defend Obama being an idiot, is bad logic.

At least with Mccain, I get an idiot who loves his country.

Yeah, that's the intelligent move. Break out the flag and run it up the pole. McCain is a patriot, Obama's wife is proud of her country for the first time. Republicans and conservatives love America. Liberals don't.

That rhetoric is even more old and tired than your candidate. It is patently false, divisive, and deceptive. Kind of reminds me of Bush. Time to try a new schtick, imo.

reply to post by Icarus Rising


Was that directed at me?

I would only add that I never said Obama HATED this country.

To be honest, I just think he has a real disdain for the common folk. At least most common folk. (just read the litany of crap he has spoken)

But I can PROVE Mccain loves his country. Can the same be said for Obama?

And I only left the quippy post above because I didn't have time to do a real post at the time, and then forgot to come back./ Thanks though!

If that wasn't for me, sorry my friend...

Don't be sorry, it was for you. I hope we can still be friends.

I've seen the elitist label thrown at Obama a lot, too. Both McCain and Obama are US Senators. They are members of the elite. But elitist? I see Obama speaking more to the needs of the average citizen of America than McCain. Way more. At least his top economic adviser isn't calling everybody "whiners" in a "mental recession."

Don't get me wrong, Obama has a long way to go before he gets my vote. Let's face it, they are both politicians. They get paid to tell lies. They're for sale to the highest bidder.