On the other hand, in one breath he told the St. Petersburg Times that he wasn't playing the race card and that all he meant by his "dollar bill" comment was that “I don’t look like I came out of central casting when it comes to presidential candidates.”

So... what, you were saying the GOP's going to attack you for not having fake teeth?

Yup, I watched that exchange live on CNN's feed. I was holding my breath - the potential for disaster beckoned, surely - but I thought Obama handled it honestly and with a reassuring clarity. It was "decent," one might say.  

"you were saying the GOP's going to attack you for not having fake teeth?"

I would not put it past the McCain campaign to do so. Lets not forget the powdered wigs, either.

The GOP oppo researchers are already digging into any connections between Obama and the incidents in question. The real question, are they going to try to spin Obama as weak on civil rights issues, or overbearing on civil rights issues?

I'm betting "weak" because that gives McCain a chance to position himself as the stronger candidate on civil rights issues and pander to another segment voting bloc.

Obama's line about not being out of "central casting" when it comes to Presidential candidates is contrarty to some recent evidence.

www.cnn.com/.../index.html

"So... what, you were saying the GOP's going to attack you for not having fake teeth?"

Actually, the pro-Republican "Wall Street Journal" is attacking Obama for not looking like a president, because he's too skinny:

online.wsj.com/.../SB121755336096303089.html

Nothing to do with race. Proves beyond question that the "dollar bill" thing isn't necessarily a "race card."

wildboy,

2 or 3 seasons of Dennis Haysburt does not make up for 75 years of caricatures. thanks tho

What is so wrong about Obama assuming that the Republicans are going to use the race card, albeit subtlely? Heck, they've been doing it for years, even against McCain for crying out loud, and it was even used by members of Obama's party. I distinctly remember Republican pundits/writers commenting with glee during the primaries on how the Clintons used it.

I just don't get why Obama is the bad guy for anticipating a revisitation of a ploy that has been used for decades. After all, McCain is certainly having no moral qualms aboutusing other typical  disingenuous negative Republican ploys explicitly. Maybe Obama's prediction hasn't actually played out yet, but remember, racist tactics have always had to be very subtle because it's not politically correct to employ them explicitly. It IS however, still ok to explicitly call somebody an elitist or unpatriotic.

Yet another example of how the media has been schnookered by republicans.

OK, a point for Obama. Good for him. While he's at it, maybe he can withdraw the race card he played the other day and stop accusing the one man in this country who, more than any other pol, has suffered grievously in recent years from shameless, scurrilous race-baiting.

That would be the Bangladeshi girl's adoptive father who'd be president today had he not suffered from REAL race-baiting of a sort Obambi's never encountered in his brief public career.

Enough whining, (Little) One. Toughen up, now. Playtime's over.

“I have become a symbol of restoring America to its best traditions.”

Cynical? Or just silly, vain, narcissistic, the kind of thing a Hollywood teen idol might utter? You decide. Chew on these while you ponder:

-- The man created his own unbearably precious faux-presidential seal, with a latin inscription

-- He's now staging fake "interviews" and W-style clampdowns and bullying of the press pool, not just in Europe but in the US as well.

And the two autobiographies, before he's accomplished even half as many things needed to merit one.

Sorry, folks, but the evidence is getting pretty hard to ignore by now that we've nominated a juvenile and shallow man. He's our Reagan, all right. Hopeless without his teleprompter, and a master like Reagan at the deployment of rhetorical BS and smooth posturing-- albeit without Reagan's respect for tradition and decorum. But hey, no matter, our Reagan clone's _liberal_. Kinda. Maybe. Well, we hope so, and hey, McCain's OLD! He's another W!

You can urge this man to go populist or nasty, lefty or neocon or what-have-you, the problem you face is that the guy's #1 calculation and concern is always his favorite project, the evolving glory and grandeur that is Barry. I mean, Barack.  

tep,

You'll always bash the man regardless of what he does. I'm convinced that you have no idea why you intensely dislike him. I have my suspicion, and no, I don't think it's race.

Which is worse, a candidate acting like a president, and doing a damn good job of it, or a president acting like a fool?

Here's a fresh, stunning example of the madness of it all by the Bush family: Their weird call-in to Rush Limbaugh. Only Vonnegut could have penned something as dark, funny and tragic as this.

www.rushlimbaugh.com/.../01125106.guest.html

Tep: You're absolutely right, of course, about everything.  To write a book about your dad, or about your experiences, is narcisstic, and to presume to do so before your are 96, just outright unbearably arrogant and presumptuous.  

And how the fuck - I mean, really - dare he to recognise that he is the first black American to be nominated by a major party, with a real shot at the White House?  The *boy* has no shame playing the race card, does he, all the fucking time.  "Look at me, I'm black, and I beat the white chick and the white guys at their own game" - next thing you know, there'll be a bevy of other black folk, thinking of him - sigh, gasp, eyes wide - as a "symbol" that if you speak English properly, work hard, study, pay attention to your family and ... you too, might succeed in White America.

And of course, a Democratic nominee, especially one who talks about transforming politics, should be pure as the driven snow - well, pure not "white", of course - and never, never stoop to tactics of the vicious opposition.  Of course, if Barry - oops, Barack - did not actually go on the attack and try to control the message, Tep would be out there denouncing him as out of his depth, not experienced, not able to meet the Republican attack machine - but why quibble.  The thought du jour is that if he behaves like Republicans in campaigning, he is bad and evil and should be denounced, no matter that his Republican opponents are a hundred times worse.

Tep: I have a lot of affection for you and understand your policy position on Obama's campaign.  But your "Barry, Barack" point demonstrates to me that the animus is personal.  The reason is simple: I know exactly where he comes from on this.  I had a shortened "Western" nickname throughout university - and, in fact, ALL of my Iranian-American and many Iranian-Canadian friends did the same thing, for purely practical reasons (my actual name is difficult to pronounce for anglophones).  But, whereas some friends actually changed their names (I mean, legally) when they started work, I reverted to my Persian name, even though my colleagues who knew me from university objected ("it's hard") and, what's more, I have pointedly not permitted any contractions or Westernisation over the past fifteen years.  It's always mangled in introductions, and it's invariably mispronounced, but it's my name.  It's took me until the end of university education to have the confidence to tell the world around me, "call me by my name, and not what is easier"; and, as I told the law firm when they hemmed and hawed about my business card, "I have given up enough just to be here; my name, I keep."

That is, Tep, your mocking the Barry/Barack change is now personal to me, and to many like me, who make a conscious identity decision.  And it demonstrates a basic failure of imagination on your part to understand and appreciate the choice that he made.  

On Barack Obama, let us then agree to disagree - I will no longer try to change your mind or engage you in what has become a pointless discussion.

fougasseu: This out-vonneguts Vonnegut, proving once again that reality always trumps fiction in absurdity.

Wait until Obama drops the VP selection bombshell--Paris Hilton.

On the powdered wig suggestion, I'd like to see Barack come out for the first debate dressed as Thomas Jefferson.  We're going to be into Crisco wrestling soon enough.

For some clarity on who is really doing race bating I refer you all to today's excellent NYT op-ed by Bob Herbert, may blessings and peace be upon him

www.nytimes.com/.../02herbert.html

I normally don't like Bob Herbert's articles, but this one was excellent.

Tep, for god's sake- that is not the damn quote.  You know better.  What he said is the campaign isn't about him at all.  He said he's  "just" a sym bol of what people want America to be.  Which, given the crowds, and the passion, is not really untrue.  Don't act like Fox.   And have you read his books?  Certainly in the first one, he did have a lot to say, and he said it interestingly and eloquently.   If you are a good writer, and have interesting things to say, why do you have to wait?   That's absurd.  

No, the moral thing would have been for Obama to calmly state that each of their specific grievances, Jena Six and so forth, are hogwash, and that the attitude that they represent -- that "the system" is stacked against blacks, and that black failure is primarily a result of white racism -- is the greatest threat to advancement of people of colored.    

icarusr -- feel free to use whatever name you want at your law firm.  If they object, you might even be able to get a "civil rights attorney" like Obama to shake down the firm for a tidy sum of money.  

People have the right to unapologetically call themselves whatever they want, but the decisions they make say a lot about who they are, and about the society they live in.  "Barry" was the name used by all the people who actually cared for him and cared about him as an individual -- his mother, his grandparents, all his friends,  It was in college, at Columbia I think, that he adopted the name of his alcoholic, bigamist father, who had never lifted a finger for him.  Why?  So that he could reinvent himself as "real" black man.  And this has been a good decision politically, up until now, giving him not only street cred with the brothers, but "exoticness" cred with the liberal elites.    But now for the first time in his life he has a new challenge of broadening his appeal beyond brothers and sistas and liberal elites to at least enough non-elite white Americans voters, the people who (much to the chagrin of many Obama supporters) still make up the majority in this country, to win.  

"that he adopted the name of his alcoholic"

That is an interesting way to describe the choice to go by the name on his birth certificate.

"Why?  So that he could reinvent himself as "real" black man."

Probably for the same reason icarusr and every other American Tom, Dick and Jane became American Thomas, Richard and Janette; it symbolizes their coming into their own as an adult and doning the mantle of adulthood, regardless of race. I am disappointed, though unsurprised, that you would attempt to figure out how and why his blackness makes his decision different from any white person's.

"But now for the first time in his life he has a new challenge of broadening his appeal ...  to at least enough non-elite white Americans voters, the people who ... still make up the majority in this country, to win."

Except for the other first time with all those non-elite white working class American populated congressional districts in southern IL he won in order to be elected to local and state offices.

GSpinks -- You are correct, it is on the birth certificate.  I impute a calculation in his choice not because he's black, but because he's a politician -- someone whose goal in life is to win popularity contests.  In his particular case, up until now, these were popularity contests with white liberals and/or blacks.  And "Barry Obama" sounds more like a football player than a politician.  

But politicians are human too, as I sometimes forget, and so maybe his motives were more down to earth as you suggest.  On his electoral past, the only race he has won were he did well with non-elite whites was in 2004, running against Alan "I won't take my meds" Keyes.  

In general, not that anyone should give a damn, I appreciate people use a shortened westernized nickname instead of their "real" unpronouncable non-Western name, and who, unlike Icarusr, don't mind doing it.  I notice that Asians have less of a chip on their shoulder about doing this than other immigrant groups, to their credit.  To me, it shows a "when in Rome, does as the Romans do" respect for where one is.   I understand that in Japan, one of the preconditions for a non-Japanese person becoming a Japanese citizen is their willingness to adopt a Japanese name.  I bet an American who immigrates to Iran, marries an Iranian woman and so forth, would probably adopt a Persian name, no?  

I'm happy to learn other people's real names. If I want to know them, especially, it's the least I can do. Japan is very insular and conformist. I've heard from Americans who have lived there for years and years that they still feel not quite accepted. America is very very different, for obvious historical reasons, and I like it like that myself. In fact I'd be happier if we were less insular and conformist ourselves, and love it when progress is made in this direction. When walls come down, as somebody somewhere said.

Also, this "when in Rome" thing - when I am introduced to someone, isn't "Rome" who they are, and shouldn't I call them by their true name? I've never been to Rome myself, but if I were to go, I'd call it "Roma".

Icarus - You're right, that was a low blow, and insensitive. My apologies.

I think the case against Obama *** as of 2008 *** is strong enough that one need not attack him personally. The man has a great deal of talent but is very green, lacks any battle scars, is simply not there yet. He should labor in the Senate for substantial period, at least another four years, and then run again.

Fwiw I talked to a very well-placed senior GOP fund-raiser and VC who told me that last week he met two Democratic high rollers who approached him and said, "You're going to be surprised, but I'm now for McCain." Each donated a 4-figure check. It may not be apparent to TNR readers yet, but the impression is spreading in a variety of circles, Dem as well as independent, that this is not Obama's year. Ain't there yet.

That's where I, or I should say, we, are coming from on this.

Best,

t

Also, this GOP high roller loathes Bush, said he's "the worst president in my lifetime."

At this point I would bet good money on McCain pulling this election out. The assumption among Dem operatives is that the more people see of Obama, the more they will like him. That's not happening. For a very large number of independents and Dems, the reverse is starting to happen.

He didn't end on "a point about unity." He ended by emphasizing the point that they don't really have anyone else  to vote for -- basically saying that no matter how inadequate and unsatisfactory they may they find him on their issues he is the best they are going to get. Its the same old smug response Democrats, as they have increasingly sought to placate and attract more affluent, white voters, contributors and the media, have been making not only to uppity African Americans but also to women, the working class, gays, etc. for the last 30 years.

gurdjieff66: I lived in China for many years, now live in Mexico, never once have I ever been expected to change my name, the only reason my name sounded different when written in Chinese is because there is no exact character that matches my name, but I chose the characters I thought best that did, but this was only for writing and never for speaking. And since we are in America, then shouldn't we adopt Native American names and get rid of the ones that came from Europe and the Bible?

And I call my son Joey, but I seriously doubt when he becomes a man he will introduce himself to others that way but far more likely as Joseph. Are you going to criticize him for that?

And you are seemingly completely unaware that the name you have chosen for yourself here is unpronouceable, a mishmash of God knows what with numbers at the end and you then criticize what anyone else calls themselves. That is chutzpah.

Tep, wishful thinking on your part. McCain has nothing to offer, unless you are talking about his running for President of Iraq. That is it, he has the surge and drill, drill, drill (which is one of the biggest bunch of horseshit in a long time).

Yeah, the oil companies are going to drill everywhere to drive down the price of oil. Good business model. We don't even have the refining capacity to handle much more drilling. The only thing that will lower the price of oil long term is to get off the stuff by aggressively subsidizing alternatives, not to just out and out lie about drilling.

I liked McCain earlier, thought he would run a centrist campaign but he isn't. I am a swing voter who is now swinging much more behind Obama.

One would think that an American name is ANY name on the birth certificate of ANY American, and that it doesn't matter whether it's of European, Asian, Latin American or African variety. It's a uniquely American thing. American names read like the UN roster and there's no other nation with a compilation of such diverse names.

Reading the comment by gurdjieff66, one gets the impression that dumping one's birth name for its european-ized version is the honest and authentic American thing to do, therefore Barrack discarding "Barry" -- BTW, a fake name - means he was guilefully angling for street cred and some kind of exoticism with the brothers and "sistas". Nonsense. Most "street" credible black politicians have Western names, so "Barry" is no impediment for street cred; and Barrack Obama's "exoticness" is very self-evident. He was born exotic.

Also, implicit in his/her comment is the notion that the majority of non-elite white Americans wouldn't vote for anyone that don't quite look like them. That's what McCain and the GOP are betting on. I'll bet they are wrong, but we'll find out soon enough.

Barack is his given name, and it is certainly appropriate for him to call himself that, if he wants to.  It's a good political name, too, IF you're trying to win an election in a majority black or white liberal district.  It's not such a good political name if you're trying for a broader appeal.  

Stars in showbiz for years have known and accepted the need to anglicize their names, why shouldn't those in political showbiz do the same?  Just what is your favorite Allen Konigsberg film?  

The given name of His Idealistic Highness is not Barack. It is Barack Hussein.

gurdjieff, mine is Zelig. That's the most appropriate answer to your question, in more than one way.

A Rose by any other name, etc. I prefer "Broadway Danny...".

Every summer here in Gdansk we have a Shakespeare festival celebrating, among other things, the ancient links to Blighty when this was a Hanseatic League city. They have big banners up all over town advertising the "Szekspir" Festival. Hold the Polish jokes.

Americans have been waiting a long time for a chance to demonstrate that we're not really racist. That, and the fact that since 9/11 we know that not only can we not ignore the world, but that it would be in everyone's interest to present a more agreeable face to it. That's not going to be Spuds McCain. With the war in Iraq basically over, and the one in Afghanistan still far outside the boundaries of our vital interests, this looks like a classic "change" election in which people feel safe enough to try something new. Obama has as good a chance as anyone of making a successful Administration, and in my view a lot better than most. Since I started voting, the guys with the great credentials gave us a losing war in Vietnam, riots in major cities, Watergate, a double-dip economic collapse, and going on two decades of war in the Persian Gulf. Less experience, please.

Robert Powell "Lese experience, please."

Yeah, that's what George W. Bush's supporters said of their man, too. Elect a pretentious nincompoop and trust his heart. After eight years of having a Republican imbecile, the US will have eight years of a Democratic imbecile. His decision wisdom is very close to that of W. Bush - just think of his association with terrorist Bill Ayers, with racist Jeremiah Wright, his selection of Samantha Powers and Zbigniew Brzezsinski as an advisors... the list is long, with very little to counterbalance it.

But hey, he looks great! In the age of celeb gossip and TV addiction mind-destruction, he's fit to be a president and as good as W. For years we on the left have lamented how imbecile W. has been. Don't we have the right to have our own has-done-nothing/absymal-judgement/self-righteous-prick empty suit?

Compared to what, sleepy? I never thought Bush was an imbecile, but the performance of his his cabinet may be the ultimate debunker of the resume' argument.

I'm an Obama supporter because I like the way his mind works. Most specifically, because his career has been marked by an ability to listen respectfully to opponents and take their points in a spirit of compromise that doesn't betray his values. I've always had a lot of respect for McCain too, but so far his campaign hasn't offered anything but politics as usual.

Powell, why is Obama any different? He has shown himself to be as cynical and ruthless as any politician. His principles disappear any time it's convenient. But I agree with you it's not politics as usual.. Indeed, most all politicians do not associate with racists and terrorists - Obama does