Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ya-ta Boy]

Over at Asia Times Online there is an opinion piece by Spengler: Obama's women reveal his secret. The secret? He hates America. It's stirred up a flurry of letters to the editor. Might be worth your time to read it.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JB26Aa01.html

[Kuros]

I don't think there are any Obama haters on this board. There are a few Obama skeptics, myself one of them. Although the Hillary haters are well represented on this forum!

I usually like Spengler, but this hit-piece did not strike me as authentic. Spengler's earlier prediction was that Obama was too weak, and would be weeded out of the primaries. Hrmmm. Even should Obama lose to Hillary, I doubt anyone would accuse him of weakness now.

Now, Spengler reveals his partisan sympathies. As always, Spengler is eloquent and even a bit compelling. But this siren song makes too much out of Obama's women. Although, I do entirely agree with Spengler's characterization of Obama's women, I do not think they represent Obama.

If Obama were resentful, and truly dispised America, we'd have seen it by now. I do not think if he hated America, if he were the kind of resentful loser that Michelle seems to be, that he would be running for President.

No, I have to judge his hope as authentic. Especially when you look at his history. The man was top of his class at Harvard law school. He's one of life's winners, and has said his experience there empowered him. Anyone who can go toe-to-toe with Hillary Clinton and do as well as he has is NOT running on resentment.

Spengler's own argument undermines him. His comparison of Michelle to Colin Powell suggests that roots matter. Obama, I think, comes to the American experience more like Colin Powell would than his wife does.

[Czarjorge]

Wow, that's some serious opinion. Spengler, huh? Having one name seem to inherently lead to Divaism. Oprah, Prince, Madonna. In the hopes of humbling any potential children I'll have to given them a few middle names.

I wonder what Obama did to cheese this fella off so much? And not just him. Is Michelle Obama really "rancorous"? Perhaps he's projecting. I've never read, or even heard of this guy, or the Asia Times for that matter, before, but I'm intrigued. There is something so brash about a newspaper columnist, even online, taking such a hard stance while being anonymous. For those who've been in Korea/Asia for awhile, is this paper's credibility regularly questioned? Is it just a rag?

[Kuros]

[Ya-ta Boy]

My take on Spengler is that he does his job of writing provocatively quite well. However, I don't believe that he believes half of what he writes, so I feel he is just attention-seeking. As a result, I seldom read him anymore. I only read this one because I thought it might refer to what Michelle said the other day. I was fairly disgusted by this article. It reminded me of Ann Coulter--allegations stated in extreme language with no support.

I do like the articles on the AToL site on Korea. I find them (usually) more informative about what is going on in Korea than any of the newspapers here. News without the nationalist filter.

It does carry news from various countries around Asia which can be informative. It also carries a LOT of US news. To say 98% of it is anti-American is charitable.

[yawarakaijin]

Something about this article just strikes me as odd. To be so rash and harsh without any evidence to back one's claims up. To make such brash generalizations of a mans character based on his mothers life seems unintelligent to say the least. Like one poster said, I dont even think he believes half the stuff he wrote.

[Gopher]

Who hates Obama? I am certain some real (and not the usual imagined) racists despise him. But I doubt they count for much at the end of the day.

I also think his political opponents, in this case, Clinton and her backers, and probably the author of this piece, are not exceeding standard guerrilla-style election-year campaign slurring and vicious personal attack, etc. But I do not believe Clinton or her backers actually hate the man.

That being said, I note that Obama has people around him that I doubt would surround and support him if he hated America. Zbigniew Brzezinski, for example. The Kennedys and some of their people -- like Sorensen -- as well.

[Adventurer]

Mr. Spengler is being very unfair. Would he say the same about Bill Clinton who was quite liberal in the 1960s, I imagine? Who knows what Bill Clinton thought during the Vietnam era. Why don't we check the past of every politician from every party in the 1960s see whose grandparents dealt with whom, was anyone the Klan, dealt with Germany, Suharto or whatever... If Obama didn't like America, he wouldn't be running.

[Pluto]

I agree, this type of 'character assassination' accomplishes nothing. Also accusing a U.S. presidential candidate is quite a charge to say the least. This article had no real substance and seemed to be a long line of ad hominem. This article is a much better critique of Obama. Stick to the issues of tax/spend, health care and gov't size. Also the other issues regarding foreign policy and the global struggle against extremism but don't expect us to read this simplistic claptrap about 'Obama's hatred of America'.

[armbar]

Obama is awesome....word!

[Tony_Balony]

Thank you Ya ta, that was an excellent contribution.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Had I thought of you, I would have thought it would appeal to you.





There was a good article yesterday, but I forget where I saw it, where the guy who was introducing McCain at some rally kept using 'Barack Hussein Obama'. When McCain spoke to the press after his speech he disavowed that kind of thing. It is one reason people respect McCain. Unfortunately, there is only going to be more of that kind of nonsense to disavow as people search for ways to discredit Obama during the general election.

[stillnotking]

[Czarjorge]

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/NEWS0206/802270456/1009/NEWS02

In keeping with the Tennessee theme here's an article from the Tennessean about it. MSNBC has been playing it for days too. You could probably find a clip there.

Rove's probably right. This stuff is gonna blow up in their face. It may even be helping Obama against Clinton.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The article from the Tennessean is the same one I read and refered to. I was impressed with McCain's repudiation, as I think a lot of people are. I hope he carries out his promise to see that it doesn't happen again.

Campaigns can't control what supporters outside the organization say/do, but I'd like to see the candidates quickly disavow Swiftboat-like attacks, even though it would be tricky to tell your supporters you think their action is unethical and not offend them.