No surprise that, in a debate that saw Hillary shamelessly repeating her Bush-Cheney fear mongering on terror, she would accuse Obama of being just like Bush. Same day, Bill gives a speech in which he calls Obama "the establishment candidate" and calls Hillary supporters "insurgents." So, it's Orwellian weird. Truth is open to interpretation. And to top it off, Chris Matthews - emasculated post Iowa - repeatedly declares Hillary the victor through a toothy smile. Between the Clinton's and the coverage, I feel like I'm living in a Dali painting.

To me the difference between Obama and Clinton comes down to: Does America fundamentally need a competent Legislator or a motivational Leader?

Clinton seems to think that her many "good" ideas and role as Chief Kibitzer qualify her for the highest job in the land.  Obama rightly realizes that mobilizing the public, creating vision, sticking to values and operating out of honor will do more to move this country forward than proposed programs on paper.

Clinton says she'll be ready on Day 1.  What happens on day 23, 46, 157 when her tactics of divide, antagonize and conquer result in the same gridlock we have seen worsening in Washington forever?

The reality is that if you take away the lobbyists, you better replace them with a new voice (the citizenship).  Only Obama has concrete proposals to do this through Administration Town Halls, internet transparency, etc.  Legislators look for help on how to make decisions.  Right now the lobbyists are most of the voices.  We need to create a new vehicle for the average citizen to get it's voice heard.  If millions can vote via phone on American Idol, why can't citizens vote the same way for major policy decisions?  Only Obama is looking to create these channels.  Lobbyists by definition will fill the void of legislator advisors/deciders until this is the case.

I love President Obama!  He finally reminds me of who our President should be.  He should be a person who gives himself space to think about the "bigger picture," not sit there organizing and filing papers.  Hire competent staff to oversee the beauracy.  You are the President in whom we trust.

Obama's down fall will be his statements on not being a leader, but rather a collector of other's ideas and managing those ideas......hmmm?

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama freely admits he doesn't have the experience to run a bureaucracy.

But he's banking on the fact voters aren't looking for a "chief operating officer" in this election.

"I have a pretty good sense of my strengths and my weaknesses," he said today during a meeting with the Reno Gazette-Journal editorial board."I am very good at teasing out from people who are smarter than me what the issues are and how we resolve them," he said. "I don't think there is anybody in this race who can inspire the American people better than I can. And I don't think there is anybody in this race who can bridge differences ... better than I can.

"But I'm not an operating officer. Some in this debate around experience seem to think the job of the president is to go in and run some bureaucracy. Well, that's not my job. My job is to set a vision of 'here's where the bureaucracy needs to go.'"

article posted at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/15 /obama-id-be-a-bad-chie_n_81599.html

once again you have taken this out of context, making it appear that Clinton, out of the blue, compared Obama to Bush.  Do your own job, I found the direct quote from Obama, which by the way, came first, and did in fact make me think and say "oh m, God, isn't this what we are trying to get away from....Bush".  If that leg work is too difficult, walk down the hall and ask Olbermann as he gave an Obama quote from earlier and opined the exact same thing.  

Does HRC really want to get a discussion about Paperwork? I am still trying to figure out what her '35 year experience' is(paperwork locked away in husbands library). Did she not have issues of paperwork back in the 1990's? Some of the est leaders are lousy with paperpushing. That is what a staff/secretary is for.

Hillary is a good micro-manager.  A boss you'd love to hate.

We need a leader; not a paper pusher!

Go Obama!

I'm sure that Clinton would make a wonderful office manager.  Maybe she missed her calling.  One thing she would not be able to do would be able to end the partisanship.  In fact, she would fan the flames just by her presence and that Clinton name again.  Unfair, but there it is.

Anyway, Obama got me on the bankruptcy bill, the bill that made declaring bankruptcy more difficult for us working clods.  He was against it both times.  Hillary actually voted for it the first time.  So did Edwards.  That showed their connections and support.

WIll never forget my rage at the torpedoing of the average American credit card holder in that bill and support of the banks.  I cannot forgive anyone who voted for it.

Obama voted for the second one. He wasn't in the senate for the first one. The first one failed to pass. Hillary voted for the first one but against the second one. The second one passed. Edwards voted for the first one. He was no longer a senator for the final bill.

Obama exudes the confidence that will win him the Presidency.

The President is the Chief Executive. There are big big problems confronting the country and we need to
to pull together as one nation to the greatest possible extent. It is hard to envision Mrs. Clinton
as a unifying force.

Obama is a leader and has the qualities of a leader - vision, inspiration, character, courage, direction and wisdom.

Hillary - mid-management material - but good mid-management material. Just make sure you really want a dictator running the show before you hire her.  She might have difficulty getting people to cooperate.

Sam -

http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490&type=category&category=11&go.x=16&go.y=7

Obama voted nay on the 2005 Bankruptcy Reform Bill.

Hillary voted yay on the first draft and was absent for the vote for the second bill. It happened while Bill was having his heart trouble.

Did anyone notice that all of Obama's substantive comments last night were almost verbatim from Clinton's own mouth in previous debates? Specifically his comment on coming into the Oval Office on Day 1 and convening the Cabinet and Joint Chiefs to start Iraq withdrawal plans. Definitely heard that before...

I am very impresseed by him as a person, but it concerns me that he doesn't seem to be able to inspire or articulate opinions on real issues further than what his speechwriter gives him to read (and thank goodness he uses a teleprompter b/c he'd never be able to keep the papers in order) or steal what his opponents have to say on the real issues. Speaking of - who is his speechwriter? Now that's an impressive person!

Actually, Obama voted against the March 2005 Bankruptcy bill, and Clinton did not vote...you can see their voting records, just google it...

I really think that Hillary has both the gentlemen beat in the experience department.  Both are just one time senators and not much to show for that either.  What I suggest is that they read an article posted on the live blog and then I want to hear what one is the most electable.  We do not want another swift boat attack after we pick someone unless we know all about said person.
http://ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=285292746454291  Sorry I cannot give the name of the poster, but it was an interesting article and one that brings many questions to mind that Obama has to answer before we elect him as our candidate of choice.  My reason for voting for her is simple.  She has worked all her life for children's and womens causes.  Because of her working to insure that handicaped children can attend the public school system years ago, my daughter benifitted.  Some may be too young to remember, but years ago these children were not main streamed into the school system.  She also worked to protect battered and abused children and as a governor's wife she worked for childrens health care and womens rights.  We know she can work well with the republicans because she has done so in the senate.   Hillary '08

Heather, what...she did not vote, she admitted it on the debate.  Wait...was this the one she voted on then regretted voting for or the one she voted for and was thankful that it didn't get passed?  
I'm confused.  

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