General Politics Discussion Topic [closed]

Originally posted by haytrain:[..]

I'm confused, Ali. Which part did you find offensive? The part about the rumors that he was a *GASP* Muslim, or Powell's comments? Just curious to know your opinion of the situation.

Originally posted by Ali709:[..]

Sorry for the confusion Jeremy, I meant the gasp part. When I heard the news that some people are worried that Obama "might be a muslim" (as if it's some disease) and afterwards saw Obama explaining his past and his first and middle name, so many times, to conclude that he is not a muslim (as if it's a crime)...it just hurts...and all of this coming from the "free" country, the one with no prejudice, the one where everyone is free to think and believe what they want, and have any religion (or none)...it just made me realize how far the world is from what we want it to be.

Originally posted by yahoo.com
Could Mike Ditka have derailed Barack Obama's ascendancy?
By Chris Chase


Barack Obama's easy win in the 2004 Illinois Senate race catapulted him to national fame and set him on his current path toward the White House. It was a convincing victory that is now but a footnote in the career of the Democratic presidential nominee. But that victory wasn't as assured as it appears in retrospect. For a few days in the summer of '04 there was the very real possibility that the Republican opponent in Obama's first major election battle race would be Chicago Bears coaching legend Mike Ditka.

Jack Ryan had won the Republican primary that year, but dropped out of the race after the release of embarrassing papers from his high-profile divorce with actress Jeri Ryan. The vacancy left GOP leaders in the state scrambling to find a replacement. With fears that the election was all but lost, Republicans wanted a major name to turn the tide. Ditka was that name.

For days the press played up the "will he or won't he" stories about Ditka's possible candidacy. The Drudge Report even said that Ditka would declare his entry into the race. But, in the end, Ditka rebuffed the offer, saying he didn't want to go through the rigors of a campaign or give up his lucrative jobs as an NFL analyst at ESPN or as an endorser of a casino and car dealership.

There's no way to know whether Ditka would have won but, remember, Obama was still a virtual unknown in Illinois in June of '04. Had Ditka run and won, Obama most-assuredly wouldn't be running for president today. Either way, the Hall of Famer almost certainly would have received more than the 27% of votes that eventual nominee Alan Keyes garnered in November. And you know he'd have locked up the endorsements of these three potential voters.

Originally posted by stj0691:[..]

Originally posted by Ali709:[..]

Sorry for the confusion Jeremy, I meant the gasp part. When I heard the news that some people are worried that Obama "might be a muslim" (as if it's some disease) and afterwards saw Obama explaining his past and his first and middle name, so many times, to conclude that he is not a muslim (as if it's a crime)...it just hurts...and all of this coming from the "free" country, the one with no prejudice, the one where everyone is free to think and believe what they want, and have any religion (or none)...it just made me realize how far the world is from what we want it to be.

Originally posted by aussiemofo:I know I harp on it but the media have a responsibility to actually report sensibly and I believe they've let the American public down badly throughout this whole campaign.

Originally posted by haytrain:Personally, I think that one thing we've learned through this whole campaign so far is that racism is a bigger problem in America than we all realized.

Originally posted by wtshnnfb01:[..]

I find Obama plays the race card, when he shouln'dt. I dont like him. Does that make me racist?

Originally posted by wtshnnfb01:[..]

I find Obama plays the race card, when he shouln'dt.

Originally posted by wtshnnfb01:[..]

I find Obama plays the race card, when he shouln'dt. I dont like him. Does that make me racist?

Originally posted by zooey:McCain plays the POW card when he shouldn't. I don't like him. What does that make me?