# Obama March 18th, 2008 Speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 18, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774 "2008-03-18T14:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/401 "2008-03-20T13:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] Looks like FL and MI are not going to get seated, the rules are going to stand and Hillary will have to do her best with out them. Morning news stations are already saying she won’t be able to do it. 😃 Good news for Obama folks. On that note, with Obama in as the Nominee, I believe the democratic party will stand up behind the man, some will of course not back him, but something tells me quite a few Clinton supporters will back ANY democrat to make sure the republicans don’t win it again. [/QUOTE] By the way, and I’m not being snarky cuz you know I like you, where did you hear that about MI? Is it anywhere online, I’m not seeing it as settled on CNN. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/402 "2008-03-20T13:22:30Z")
Anecdotes always make for good media fodder **Bob** but do not really tell us much. Meanwhile [polling](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/pennsylvania/pennsylvania_democratic_presidential_primary) that is at least a slight bit more scientific than interviews in a few bars and outside a hair salon show little effect. > [@](#): > > The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Pennsylvania shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 51% to 38%. Those numbers are little changed from a week ago. Mind you it hasn’t helped him catch up to her there but it apparently hasn’t hurt him either. This in a state that whose own governor believes is full of people who wouldn’t vote for a Black man in any case. What do they care about? The economy. Again, good to get it out of the way now, and good to see that it isn’t really playing too hard. Plenty of time even in Pennsylvania to refocus on the economy, the war, and his vision for the future. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/403 "2008-03-20T13:28:13Z")
FL and MI voters are not where they are because of Obama. They are where they are because the elected officials in their states broke the rules. Clinton changed her story fropm pre-FL and MI vote to now, where of course she wants them sat. I’m not sure the populace at large feels for Obama like our friend **9th Floor** - yes some people do, but I don’t see it being enough to taint his general election results. Futher, I know several groups in Florida who are waiting and gearing up for the Obama General Election so they can open up shot and begin campaiging hardcore. Obama is in the lead for a reason. And the CLinton folks don’t want to look at the hard facts, whcih are more people came out to vote for Obama, He has won twice as many states, and he has more pledged delegates than she does, to the tune that she can’t catch him. Obama isn’t ahead because he duped so many people, he’s ahead because more people than not want him ahead. Once the nomination is official, I think McCain will get the support of folks like **9th Floor** but many thousands of democrats who absolutely do not want another republican will come out and vote for Obama. Don’t forget Bill Clinton was in 3rd place in \*\*June \*\* before he won… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/404 "2008-03-20T13:31:16Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] I hate my state. [/QUOTE] God damn Pennsylvania ! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/405 "2008-03-20T13:36:18Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] God damn Pennsylvania ! [/QUOTE] WAY too late on that one, **Dutchman** … ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/406 "2008-03-20T13:47:06Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] Anecdotes always make for good media fodder **Bob** but do not really tell us much. Meanwhile [polling](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/pennsylvania/pennsylvania_democratic_presidential_primary) that is at least a slight bit more scientific than interviews in a few bars and outside a hair salon show little effect.Mind you it hasn’t helped him catch up to her there but it apparently hasn’t hurt him either. This in a state that whose own governor believes is full of people who wouldn’t vote for a Black man in any case. What do they care about? The economy. Again, good to get it out of the way now, and good to see that it isn’t really playing too hard. Plenty of time even in Pennsylvania to refocus on the economy, the war, and his vision for the future. [/QUOTE] We’ll just have to see how the polls move. I’m more pessimistic than ever but I’ve certainly been wrong before. I’ll take a single digit loss in PA as clinching the nomination, a 20 point loss as panic time, and anywhere in between will be business as usual. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/407 "2008-03-20T13:55:01Z")
So interesting how people count Obama - the front runner - out. Hillary folks shouldn’t country their eggs before they hatch, McCain folks shouldn’t get too cocky, And Obama folks need to stay with their man to win this thing. Like I said, Clinton was in 3rd behind Perot and Bush when he went on to win it. Obama isn’t going to make a cataclysmic error between now and June. NO way. ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/408 "2008-03-20T14:05:39Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] So interesting how people count Obama - the front runner - out. Hillary folks shouldn’t country their eggs before they hatch, McCain folks shouldn’t get too cocky, And Obama folks need to stay with their man to win this thing. Like I said, Clinton was in 3rd behind Perot and Bush when he went on to win it. Obama isn’t going to make a cataclysmic error between now and June. NO way. [/QUOTE] So, any place online where you saw the MI is settled and def. not having a new election story? I’m really curious. Some would say Obama has already made a cataclysmic error, but that remains to be seen. As a HRC supporter, I did say a while ago to a friend of mine that she’d need a deus ex machina at that point – something that she doesn’t instigate that comes along and possibly kneecaps him. I think Wright may have been it. Again, we’ll wait to see. He handled it about as well as could have possibly been handled while trying to maintain his image of being above it all and calling a spade a spade (jesus, that doesn’t make me a racist too does it? lol), but we’ll see if it worked for everyone. I doubt it. By the way, Clinton having been behind and then gone on to win it gives me hope for HRC since she’s behind and climbing uphill now. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/409 "2008-03-20T14:07:13Z")
Well **Phl** it doesn’t seem that Hillary’s people are all that [cocky.](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/us/politics/20memo.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1205987212-p2DT4hganfPkVglUwZ+0rA&oref=slogin) > [@](#): > > In truth, in interviews, Mrs. Clinton’s advisers said that task was tough and growing tougher and that the critical questions were what would happen with Florida and Michigan and the possibility of developments involving Mr. Obama’s relationship with his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. Florida and Michigan seem increasingly unlikely to help her much. The Wright stuff is unlikely to get any worse than it is and his handling of it has at least likely helped him with the supers. It doesn’t seem that those critical questions are being answered in ways favorable to their outside chances. And they know it. _If_ she fails to beat expectations, to win overwhelmingly in PA (by near 20% if not over) then the pressure will mount for her to get out. I’d even say that if he manages, _somehow_, to come closer in the polls over the next few weeks then many more supers will start declaring for him. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/410 "2008-03-20T14:33:12Z")
[QUOTE=9thFloor] So, any place online where you saw the MI is settled and def. not having a new election story? I’m really curious. Some would say Obama has already made a cataclysmic error, but that remains to be seen. As a HRC supporter, I did say a while ago to a friend of mine that she’d need a deus ex machina at that point – something that she doesn’t instigate that comes along and possibly kneecaps him. I think Wright may have been it. Again, we’ll wait to see. He handled it about as well as could have possibly been handled while trying to maintain his image of being above it all and calling a spade a spade (jesus, that doesn’t make me a racist too does it? lol), but we’ll see if it worked for everyone. I doubt it. By the way, Clinton having been behind and then gone on to win it gives me hope for HRC since she’s behind and climbing uphill now. 😉 [/QUOTE] I can’t find that it is through for MI, but aparently there is one more last ditch effort today that doesn’t hold much for it actually happening. Look on ABC’s website. I don’t see things getting much worse for Obama with the Rev. and time has a way of healing some wounds. I think him hitting the road and talking about the economy, the war and what he will do to beat McCain are exactly the right things to do. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/411 "2008-03-20T14:49:10Z")
From what I’ve heard (on NPR) Hillary wants a mulligan and Obama does not. Hillary was in Detroit yesterday trying to drum up support for a do-over. ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/412 "2008-03-20T15:15:47Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] I can’t find that it is through for MI, but aparently there is one more last ditch effort today that doesn’t hold much for it actually happening. Look on ABC’s website. I don’t see things getting much worse for Obama with the Rev. and time has a way of healing some wounds. I think him hitting the road and talking about the economy, the war and what he will do to beat McCain are exactly the right things to do. [/QUOTE] That’s quite a splashy site at [abc.com](http://abc.com) for the main page, I hadn’t been before. But yeah, that article is just basically saying the same thing they all are which is that without MI and FL, she can’t catch him in delegates which of course is true and probably true regardless. The argument that will be made, I believe, and Harold Ickes has already made it is that FL and MI’s votes should be considered as part of the popular vote for the superdelegates consideration and they can consider whatever they want. Also, there is the guy in FL that is suing for violation of the 14th amendment; his suit was dismissed in October but now re-filed and will go to the Supreme Court if he loses so that’s an outlying possible. But it will go to the superdelegates no matter what, I think. Jesus, wouldn’t it be something if we end up at the Supreme Court with Florida AGAIN??? Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/413 "2008-03-20T15:20:12Z")
The Wright story has no real capacity for any more new developments. Wright is disaccociated from the campaign, Obama gave his speech and nothing more is going to happen as far as new news. Fixed News and right wing radio will try to keep it alive but they’re going to reach a point of diminishing returns if they just keep repeating the same stupid lines over and over again and even brandishing the scary negro on TV is going to lose it’s effectiveness after a while. By the end of the spring this will be old news. In the end, I don’t think it’s going to move many votes, if any at all. Really, Obama’s best defense against this garbage is himself. His own demeanor, his own words, his own face. Fox is trying to wave Wright at the screen and make him into an effigy for Obama. The more people see of the real Obama, the less convincing the effigy will become. ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/414 "2008-03-20T15:27:12Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] The Wright story has no real capacity for any more new developments. Wright is disaccociated from the campaign, Obama gave his speech and nothing more is going to happen as far as new news. Fixed News and right wing radio will try to keep it alive but they’re going to reach a point of diminishing returns if they just keep repeating the same stupid lines over and over again and even brandishing the scary negro on TV is going to lose it’s effectiveness after a while. By the end of the spring this will be old news. In the end, I don’t think it’s going to move many votes, if any at all. Really, Obama’s best defense against this garbage is himself. His own demeanor, his own words, his own face. Fox is trying to wave Wright at the screen and make him into an effigy for Obama. The more people see of the real Obama, the less convincing the effigy will become. [/QUOTE] Time will tell. I think it has tons of legs. Were his children with him listening to this hate speech? Was he really not there at any time that remarks of those specific kinds were said in 20 years? Did Wright never make those types of remarks before until the last couple years then? Ever? Really? He said he didn’t know about the 9/11 remarks until he started running. They’ll try to prove otherwise. It won’t matter the detail, just the fact that it’s a lie if it can be proven to be such (as always, the coverup is worse than the actual thing like Nixon, Reagan, Bill, etc.) Their sermons are for sale, I believe they’ll be researching and looking for a lie, grill him, and he’ll get testy about having to keep going over it again and again. Will he attend the church as POTUS when in the area too? Etc., etc. I guarantee he’ll be asked about in in the debates next month. And that’s still several weeks away, so it’ll come back then if nothing else for sure. Twice. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/415 "2008-03-20T15:31:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Will he attend the church as POTUS when in the area too? Probably, but Rev. Wright is no longer the pastor of the church. Obama pointedly referred to him as “my _former_ pastor” in the speech. ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/416 "2008-03-20T15:33:40Z")
[QUOTE=DoctorJ] Probably, but Rev. Wright is no longer the pastor of the church. Obama pointedly referred to him as “my _former_ pastor” in the speech. [/QUOTE] True enough, I recognize that. But it’s not just the pastor, it’s the church that has stances that are institutionally consistent with the types of sermons he gave. It’s not as if the pastor was some wild-eyed aberration at the church, he fit in perfectly well into that zeitgeist as evidenced by all the support he’s gotten and continues to get and the fact that the new pastor has already accused those questioning this whole thing. Speaking of which, will he continue to seek personal spiritual advice from Wright? I bet he says yes. I bet some don’t like the idea of seeing Wright at the White House much, in any capacity. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/417 "2008-03-20T15:33:54Z")
What makes you think all or even many of his sermons were videotaped? And in how many did he make the most outrageous comments? Three? Thirty? Three hundred? We don’t know. What percent of the time was Obama in church on Sunday? Ten? Fifty? There is a reasonable chance that he indeed did not witness the outrageous statements. There was a black minister on Hardball last night that posed a very simple question: Just what are you afraid of? So a minister talks some nonsense. So what? What are you afraid of? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/418 "2008-03-20T15:34:40Z")
[QUOTE=9thFloor] Time will tell. I think it has tons of legs. Were his children with him listening to this hate speech? [/quote] What “hate speech?” I haven’t seen or heard any hate speech from Jeremiah Wright. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/419 "2008-03-20T15:35:52Z")
> [@9thFloor](#): > > I guarantee he’ll be asked about in in the debates next month. And that’s still several weeks away, so it’ll come back then if nothing else for sure. Twice. No doubt; but that will be another opportunity to address the issue on his terms, _sans_ scary video, in a milieu where those questioning him will have to be careful not to be themselves inflammatory and divisive. However the question(s) may be posed to him, he’ll be able to reframe the issue to his vision. ---
**Author:** ![9thFloor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/b487fb/32.png) [@9thFloor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/9thFloor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774/420 "2008-03-20T15:36:10Z")
[QUOTE=BobLibDem] What makes you think all or even many of his sermons were videotaped? And in how many did he make the most outrageous comments? Three? Thirty? Three hundred? We don’t know. What percent of the time was Obama in church on Sunday? Ten? Fifty? There is a reasonable chance that he indeed did not witness the outrageous statements. There was a black minister on Hardball last night that posed a very simple question: Just what are you afraid of? So a minister talks some nonsense. So what? What are you afraid of? [/QUOTE] It’s common knowledge that the church routinely sells their sermons. All your questions are valid, and I think they are the very ones that will get asked in the coming weeks. Again and again and again. What % of **20 years** , indeed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-march-18th-2008-speech/441774.md?page=22)