Is Barack Obama really running for president, or is he not-so-subtly positioning himself to be Hillary's running mate? I seemed to sense that 'subliminable' message on 'Today' this morning. At about 7:10 am EDT, the NBC show kicked off its "Today on the Trail" series, which will join the leading presidential contenders out on the campaign trail, with a feature on Obama. Meredith Vieira spent time with Obama in New Hampshire over the weekend.
Most of the exchanges were predictable: Obama countered suggestions of a lack of experience by positioning himself as an outside-the-beltway candidate. He claimed that "retail" politicking -- talking with voters one-on-one -- was the most enjoyable aspect of the campaign. He let people at one campaign stop know that in deciding whether to run, he "prayed on it," then asked his wife.
But there was one moment that deviated from the typical script of someone considered to have a realistic shot at winning a nomination.
SEN. BARACK OBAMA [D-IL]: It may be at the end of this thing people conclude 'you know, it's not Barack,' and that's OK.
NBC CO-HOST MEREDITH VIEIRA: That would be OK?
OBAMA: I think that's why we have elections.
View video here
Vieira's surprise at Obama's indifference to defeat was manifest in her raised-eyebrow expression, displayed here. There was an immediate transition to Obama's proposal to provide universal health care coverage by the end of his first term.
Compare and contrast Obama being "OK" with losing to Hillary's oft-repeated "I'm in it to win it." Couple that with Obama's emphasis on health care, an issue near and dear to Hillary's heart, and it's not hard to imagine Obama's performance as an audition for the Veep slot.
ASIDE: Back in March, ABC's "Good Morning America" announced it was kicking off a series of "townhall" meetings with a variety of candidates. It began with Hillary, but if GMA has staged a "townhall" for any other candidate, I've missed it. In contrast, "Today" announced that Matt Lauer would be hitting the trail tomorrow with Mitt Romney.
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Barak. Fire in the belly?
May 29, 2007 - 08:27 ET by Cool ArrowI'm crushed. And here I was going to vote for him. NOT
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
"Americans play to win a
May 29, 2007 - 08:36 ET by NL207"Americans play to win all of the time. I wouldn't give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed." -- George S. Patton
Obama is a waste of skin.
Barack
May 29, 2007 - 08:46 ET by iveseenitallHe prayed ( to Ali ) and then asked his wife. Isn't he special!!! And that land deal in Chicago... wow! I hear he's acutally given up sniffing coke ( Pot?, maybe not so much). The boy's a winner. He's surely got my vote. Go Hussein!
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Land deal
May 29, 2007 - 08:50 ET by Cool ArrowHillary's better at land swindles than B. Hussein Obama anyway.
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
Correction: Bank Fraud, per
May 29, 2007 - 09:03 ET by NL207Correction: Bank Fraud, perjury, accepting bribes, conflict of interest ...
Land Fraud
May 29, 2007 - 09:08 ET by Cool ArrowOK, so her resume is considerably more rounded, but Whitewater was a land fraud
Don't tolerate bigots.
The real purpose of Whitewate
May 29, 2007 - 09:15 ET by NL207The real purpose of Whitewater was the same as Castle Grande, to defraud Madison Guaranty Trust out of a million or two through a defaulted mortgage. Hillary gets to double dip by representing the bank through Rose law firm, as she did with Castle Grande. The only flaw in the plan was the collapse of Madison before it could fully mature.
And the rest
May 29, 2007 - 09:17 ET by Cool ArrowAnd the rest, as they say, is coverup.
Don't tolerate bigots.
Harry Reid might be better th
May 29, 2007 - 09:03 ET by iveseenitallHarry Reid might be better than both. Want a good land swindle? Call Harry, Hillary, Hussein, Inc. (800) B A Crook.
NEVER,NEVER trust a liberal
Wait a minute Riled One
May 29, 2007 - 09:18 ET by SportPoliticsWait a minute Riled One, his name is " Barak Hussein Obama " ?
Uhh, hmmm... somehow that sounds a bit ...
How about " Barry ". Drop the Hussein, completey, too Saddam like. Then - uhh ... has he considered changing his last name or covering up his Islamic roots?
LOL
man - it just blows me away - Barak Hussein Obama.
I WILL NOT VOTE FOR A PERSON NAMED AS SUCH. PERIOD.
Manchuriano Hessein Obama
May 29, 2007 - 09:21 ET by Cool ArrowJust sayin'
Don't tolerate bigots.
I made the comment some tim
May 29, 2007 - 08:59 ET by motherbeltI made the comment some time ago in another posting that I think that's been the plan all along...a Clinton/Obama ticket would be all but unbeatable. Think about it....the women/black vote wouldn't be split. He agrees to VP for two terms, then moves in on his own. If we still have a country left by then, that is.
I wish I didn't, but I think that is the way it's going to shake out. I hope and pray I am wrong.
a Clinton/Obama ticket would
May 29, 2007 - 12:05 ET by NoMoreClintonsa Clinton/Obama ticket would be all but unbeatable
Sorry, but I couldn't agree less. HildeBeast has sky high negatives and much of that is with women. Even my ultra-liberal sister-in-law despises her. The blacks, they're going to vote dem anyway - at least 92% of them. A middle of the road Republican like Rudy appeals to both sides - even the religioius right will vote for him if that evil woman gets the democrat nomination. Forget Milt, forget Fred, and especially forget Gingrich 'cause it's Rudy or they win. JMHO . . .
I just really think that Hi
May 29, 2007 - 12:10 ET by balboaI just really think that Hillary is so polarizing that she flat-out couldn't win.
Yesterday while driving throu
May 29, 2007 - 09:08 ET by Airforce_5_OYesterday while driving through Durham I saw my first "Obama for President" Bumper sticker.
I chuckled.
After I pasted the car the lady driving the vehicle got a look at my bumper sticker.
"If you can read this, thank a Teacher. If you can read it in English, thank a Veteran."
She almost ran off the road.
What's my point?
Obama and Hillary are against the troops. Period. They can stand up and say they support the troops but their actions speak other wise. They can’t vote for the war. They can’t even support their President. The people that support them are the same.
If they have to do it together they will. Hillary and Obama together will make a formidable team.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright
until you hear them speak.
I just got back from Seattle
May 29, 2007 - 09:29 ET by liberal_bug_zapperI just got back from Seattle where the Obama for President bumper stickers are everywhere.... made me sick. What makes me more sick about Seattle is how pompus and stupid they all are.
____________________________________________________
"We can only reason from what is; we can reason on actualities, but not on possibilities." ~ Thomas Paine
LBZ -- don't worry, in a fe
May 29, 2007 - 09:36 ET by Jack BauerLBZ -- don't worry, in a few month's Obama's gonna be Hillary's bitch. He''s already half-way there.
Can't see that fitting on any Seattle bumpers.
I have had similar encounters
May 29, 2007 - 09:45 ET by Airforce_5_OI have had similar encounters in Chapel Hill NC. Very liberal city, and very pompous. I love my Tar Heels but UNC itself has become a Berkley east.
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
On a trip to Seattle
May 30, 2007 - 05:35 ET by UnsaneAs a visitor to Seattle, that does not surprise me in the least. Your experience reminds me of my visit there in 2004. I remember very well walking around downtown when I ran across a table manned by some Democratic operatives. They asked all the passers-by the following: "Hello. Would you like to help defeat President Bush?" That was the exact moment I figured out Bush would win the election that year, because note that they were not saying "Help us vote for Senator Kerry."
The other thing I noted was that they did not dare ask me that question. Being in Seattle, and being as Right-wing as I am, I am betting they could smell the evil conservative on me... :-)
"HAV3 TH3 BRIDG3S OF INSANITY B33N CROSS3D AND FOR3V3R R3TRACT3D???." - Meshuggah, "3ntrapm3nt", from Catch Thirty Thr33 (2005)
Obama and Hillary
May 29, 2007 - 12:13 ET by merlin61They both voted no to supporting our troops. My grandson just went to Iraq for the second time to
support the surge. Just wondering how these
troops are supposed to survive without our full
support makes me cringe. These two people do
not deserve any consideration as president or
vice president. Hildy witch came out with her
communistic speech yesterday reference being
all "one", no one can be rich, and no one can be
poor, just let the government take it all and distribute
it , that's what both of them want.
merlin...May your grandson st
May 29, 2007 - 13:50 ET by bigtimermerlin...
May your grandson stay safe...please extend my families gratitude for his service.
As to Hillary's speech, I too heard that leftist BS....only in her dreams is all I have to say...she has already been President as far as I am concerned and this country is partially in the mes it is because of her and what she has gotten away with for years when she should be doing time for all of her illegal schemes...to put it nicely.
He prayed on it? Give me
May 29, 2007 - 10:26 ET by Dee BunkHe prayed on it? Give me a break. Even his leftist and liberal groupies don't believe that. If they did he'd be getting grilled like President Bush did about whether or not he thinks he is working God's will and if God would tell him how to run the country.
It's an old political ploy; w
May 29, 2007 - 10:58 ET by Airforce_5_OIt's an old political ploy; when in doubt, invoke God.
He is playing to the religious of the party.
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
And shockingly enough he's
May 29, 2007 - 11:06 ET by balboaAnd shockingly enough he's the first to ever do it! EVER!
Notice Bal I said "polit
May 29, 2007 - 12:01 ET by Airforce_5_ONotice Bal I said "political" I didn't say Dem or Reb. Both sides do it!
Correctamundo. Hillary appe
May 29, 2007 - 12:08 ET by balboaCorrectamundo. Hillary appears at a black church when it serves her, politicians love the church photo op, and so on.
Not only does she speak at
May 29, 2007 - 12:12 ET by lnthompNot only does she speak at black churches, when she does she adopts a fake accent that would get any Republican booed off the podium in a second and roundly denounced as demeaning and condescending.
Lee T.
U.S. Navy (ret.) / Vancouver, Washington
The history of the race, and each individual's experience, are thick with evidence that a truth is not hard to kill and that a lie told well is immortal.-- Mark Twain
No balboa - it's quite com
May 29, 2007 - 12:03 ET by Dee BunkNo balboa - it's quite common among Democrats. Democrats shiver and quake in fear when a Republican mentions their faith, but don't care when fellow dems do because they know it's not sincere. In the rare cases that it is sincere (like Joe Lieberman) it's obvious and it's held against them. Not one Dem will hold it against O'bama because they know it's fake
If he loses, he's "ok&qu
May 29, 2007 - 11:53 ET by Chris NormanIf he loses, he's "ok" with it? Actually I would respect him more - for his honesty - if he had said, he wouldn't be "ok" with it. This is the kind of empty and high blown rhetoric politicians always use. Except for Al Gore - he still isn't "ok" with the fact that he lost - and has been whining about it ever since.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
- Arabian Proverb
I have said before that I thi
May 29, 2007 - 13:45 ET by bigtimerI have said before that I think Shrill and Obama may end up being teamed up, if that wasn't in the works in the first place to begin with.
Hill doesn't do anything most times unless schemed and planned well ahead of time.
Time will tell....the futures not ours to see....or hers....lol!
Thompson/Hunter '08!
Que sera, sera.
May 29, 2007 - 13:48 ET by Mark FinkelsteinQue sera, sera.
bt...I'm not so sure. I don't
May 29, 2007 - 13:48 ET by Clear thinkerbt...
I'm not so sure. I don't see Hillary putting up with a VP that has more charisma than herself. He would end up being the darling of the DNC, not her.
Help a wounded soldier here...
http://newsbusters.org/node/12877
Ct....LOL...right you are.Tha
May 29, 2007 - 13:54 ET by bigtimerCt....
LOL...right you are.
That leaves her in a real quandary then doesn't it?
She is going to have to pick a VP...no matter who it is on this whole planet they would have more charisma than herself...
Easily....
There are just some thinks you can't fake....even for her.
True. My dog has more charism
May 29, 2007 - 13:58 ET by Clear thinkerTrue. My dog has more charisma, and much cuter!
Help a wounded soldier here...
http://newsbusters.org/node/12877
bigtimer,I share and office w
May 29, 2007 - 17:01 ET by msh1973bigtimer,
I share and office with a woman who is a Dem., she loves Obama. She thinks he is the "savior" of the free world. She compares him to JFK, she loves everything about him.
msh...It is very spooky to me
May 29, 2007 - 17:10 ET by bigtimermsh...
It is very spooky to me how people become blinded with an obsession of sorts for politicians without any substance....look at Clinton, he could do no wrong...still that way in so many women's eyes, when they should of been outraged in this country as a whole and demanded he step down.
It is completely beyond me....
Well, almost beyond me, we have to remember the have the leftist msm of all venues are their biggest cheerleaders when they have an agenda for power, no matter who it is as long as it is their candidate.
They attempt to skew, spew and lie about someone who doesn't fit their agenda and change/rewrite history through their eyes, mouths and with pen in hand....in other words any republican....no matter the cost, even other peoples life.
bigtimer,Just to add to that.
May 29, 2007 - 17:18 ET by msh1973bigtimer,
Just to add to that...this woman I was talking about doesn't think that Ted Kennedy did anything wrong when he left MaryJo to die in that car. She is in her early 60's and was part of the 1960's movement. I don't even try to talk with her about my conservative convictions, even though I have made it clear that I am a conservative. We agree to disagree on most topics.
I think I said many months ag
May 29, 2007 - 16:57 ET by msh1973I think I said many months ago on another thread that it would be a Clinton/Obama ticket in '08'. I can't remember where I heard that prediction, but it had to have been Talk Radio.