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Why did Obama do so well?
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littlelisa



Joined: 12 Jun 2007
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ReeseDog wrote:
sojourner1 wrote:

Obama got it, because people widely believe his administration will...


Right around half the people, yep.


Not that I follow US elections super closely, but wasn't Bush eight years ago even closer to 50% in electoral seats and LOSING the popular vote? And it wasn't as big a difference in 2004 as it is now for Obama either.

Anyway, I think the biggest mistake for McCain was choosing Palin. I don't think that McCain would have been awful, though I do think that Obama was a better candidate, but if anything happened to the old man and he died and PALIN became president? That would have been really bad. What the heck kind of stupidity made him choose an inexperienced dunce like her? Foreign policy experience cause she can see Russia? Her interviews were so abysmal they were funny. She couldn't say anything that wasn't completely parroting the people behind the stages pulling her strings. To me, someone who is an empty vessel just parroting is the scariest thing of all.

Also, the exit polls show that the ONLY age group where McCain got a majority was in the 65+ age group, so it's not just "young and stupid" voters.

Clearly the GOP didn't do such a great job in the last 8 years, so that was a big factor probably in why people figured it was time for another party to mess it up. That's what we do in Canada."I voted for you last time and you screwed things up, now it's the other guy's turn" Wink

In all seriousness, though, I think it's good that Obama won and I hope that he can follow through on his promises of change.
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Kuros



Joined: 27 Apr 2004

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManintheMiddle wrote:
Kuros keenly noted:

Quote:
Only outsiders are surprised.


Don't you just love all these outside commentators like the OP of this thread who think they are intimately engaged with American politics?


Oh, yeah. Its so charming for people from outside our borders to tell me about my country when they don't know the first thing about Federalism, the laws, the regional differences, etc.

As an American, I give deference to knowledgable individuals who attempt to educate me about their countries. And there's many other non-Americans will listen and talk calmly about my country.

But its nice to know that on Nov. 5th, I know and am in touch with the psyche and sentiments of my own country. Its no longer necessarily Americans who are out of touch in the world.
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Freakstar



Joined: 29 Jun 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sojourner1 wrote:
And the Freakstar delivers once again. That's super star writing in my book. Great post.

I hope to see a revolution of change that makes America more right.


Thanks, man. That's why I get paid the big bucks. Twisted Evil
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SirFink



Joined: 05 Mar 2006

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ReeseDog wrote:
pkang0202 wrote:
Obama got a MAJOR boost from the media.


How about

*black voters (duh)
*young voters (young and stupid)
*hispanic voters (culturally afraid of conservatives)
*new voters (starstruck)

?


You just can't admit that the majority of Americans are fed up with Bush and his cronies. Why didn't Bush campaign for McCain? Why didn't Cheney? Even most Republicans can't stand either of those guys these days.
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blade



Joined: 30 Jun 2007

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NoExplode wrote:
Why?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Obama broke his spending pledge, spening more than $650 million, more than McDonald's made in global profits, and McCain stuck to the spending pledge, spending only $85 million.


Quote:
From the start, his biggest problem was finding the money to compete with Barack Obama's $650m (�403m) campaign juggernaut. By accepting federal funding (which Mr Obama declined) he capped his general election campaign spending at $85m (�53m).


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7704246.stm

I read somewhere that McCain got around his funding cap by getting people to donate to the republican party instead who would then spend this money on McCain's campaign anyway.
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Yu_Bum_suk



Joined: 25 Dec 2004

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Obama got 80 of his electoral college votes from states he won by less than 2%. If just 1% of voters in those states had voted the other way, both parties' lawyers would be in the Supreme Court this morning discussing recounts and voter irregularities.

He won the election because his people knew exactly where to go for the extra support they needed on the ground, just like during his primary campaign.
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sojourner1



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's been said that only half believe in Obama's plan. Obama addresses the fact that we will have to all pull together as one nation and will either rise or fall all together instead of being a divided nation with half failing and the other half succeeding while they criticize and ostracize the lower half. He states that if main street collapses or falls then Wall street and everyone else do too.

It's high time America stops being the Divided States of America. If Obama can inspire change, then the majority will believe we can redefine America to be a better system that actually works and actually become patriotic.
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Saxiif



Joined: 15 May 2003
Location: Seongnam

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Saxiif wrote:
pkang0202 wrote:
All you Obamalites should remember that 49% of the country voted for McCain. Don't get it into your head that Obama being elected was a sign that everyone in America supports what he is doing.


47% actually and possibly dipping down to 46% once the rest of the California votes and the Atlanta area early ballots get counted.

I guess numbers are stuff are hard for a member of the Party of Palin Wink


As predicted, McCain has dropped to 46% and there's still more votes being counted, he'll probably stay at 46% though...
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chachee99



Joined: 20 Oct 2004
Location: Seoul Korea

PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Reasons for Obama doing so well.

8 years of Bush
90 % agreed by McCain
1 choice of Palin for VP.

I say once Palin was picked Obama had everything wrapped. Choosing her as a VP showed McCain's lack of judgment when it comes to making important decisions.
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Kikomom



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: them thar hills--Penna, USA--Zippy is my kid, the teacher in ROK. You can call me Kiko

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ReeseDog wrote:
Kikomom wrote:
It was the DREAM, and this is what Unity is all about. We now have a man who is sincere in the realization that this is America.

Oh, and McCain sucks.


I honestly didn't think you'd go there. You're such a lady.


Here ya go Reesie, a cleaned up version, for the faint of heart. Wink
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ManintheMiddle



Joined: 20 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ddeubel rambled on about:

Quote:
Like I said before, you are in the middle, a mere condiment. I'm still deciding on the color but leaning towards yellow


O.K., I'll go with your metaphor for a moment since you're so fixated with it. I might indeed be mustard, although I'm not sure how that equates to my political positions. But in your vacuous manner, I'm sure you'll be able to draw a connection.

Say, you remind me of a used toothpick left on the table after the meal. How's that for extending the metaphor? Rolling Eyes
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ajuma



Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To get back on topic: I think one of the reasons that people liked Obama was that he pretty much started out like the rest of us. He wasn't born to a rich family, he had divorced parents, and had to work his way up. He understands the middle class far more than Mr. McCain, and knows exactly how many houses he has.
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OneWayTraffic



Joined: 14 Mar 2005

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ajuma wrote:
To get back on topic: I think one of the reasons that people liked Obama was that he pretty much started out like the rest of us. He wasn't born to a rich family, he had divorced parents, and had to work his way up. He understands the middle class far more than Mr. McCain, and knows exactly how many houses he has.


Yes I always found it amusing when the other multimillionaires running called Obama elitist. Not that Obama isn't rich now as well. But he wasn't given anything from his parents except talent.

Obama won because he ran a near flawless campaign. Pretty much the most damaging thing that happened to him was from another black (Wright). Rejecting public matching was pretty inspired, winning him as much kudos as criticism. Since much, if not most of his money was from small donations he avoided most of the criticism.

If he continues as he's gone so far, he will do well in the Whitehouse. If his first term is run as well and tightly as his campaign America will be better off in four years than it is now. He's been given a pretty weak hand to play though.
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bacasper



Joined: 26 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sojourner1 wrote:
It's been said that only half believe in Obama's plan.

Just what "plan" is that?
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ManintheMiddle



Joined: 20 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ajuma reflected:

Quote:
To get back on topic: I think one of the reasons that people liked Obama was that he pretty much started out like the rest of us. He wasn't born to a rich family, he had divorced parents, and had to work his way up. He understands the middle class far more than Mr. McCain, and knows exactly how many houses he has.


Yes, you're right on the mark. He is viewed as one of us, or the majority of us although of course his biracial identity puts him in an even smaller minority.

OneWayTraffic blurted out:

But he wasn't given anything from his parents except talent.

That's hardly the case. His mother was a huge influence in his life; she set an example of tolerance and encouraged the same in her son. She encouraged literacy by reading to him at home every morning before work. And she saw to it that he attended the best school in Hawaii at Punahou, along with his grandparents support, of course.

But your point is well taken about his campaign efforts; I suspect they will be the new playbook in politics. Axelrod and Plouffe were superb in their respective roles.
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