Barack Obama is still too immature to run for president
I really like Barack Obama. He’s smart, handsome, stands up for what he believes in and is very politically mature for his age—yet, not mature enough to run for president of the United States let alone mature enough to be president of the United States.
I believe he has all the qualities to be a wonderful president someday but right now he lacks the experience, the maturity and, apparently, the diplomacy a leader needs:
He should have been the proverbial “bigger man” last night. He’d publically won the endorsement of the Kennedy’s which bear a lot of weight in the Democratic Party. He must have understood that was a hard blow to Hillary, and yet, she went to shake Ted Kennedy’s hand, and he, instead of using the opportunity to greet Mrs. Clinton, turns around and snubs her.
He acted like a petulant child instead of a presidential candidate. I’m pretty sure he regrets this today.
I believe he has all the qualities to be a wonderful president someday but right now he lacks the experience, the maturity and, apparently, the diplomacy a leader needs:
Candidates gave varying opinions late Monday night of President Bush’s State of the Union speech, but the two who showed for the speech at the Capitol offered the most telling body language.
Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama shared the same row in the House chamber and came within a foot of each other just before the president’s speech Monday night. But neither acknowledged the other as Clinton, clad in scarlet, walked toward Obama to greet Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the liberal icon whose endorsement she had courted only to lose to Obama.
Kennedy shook her hand while Obama, wearing a dark suit and standing between the two, turned away. A doorkeeper caught between it all cringes in a photo that captures the moment.
He should have been the proverbial “bigger man” last night. He’d publically won the endorsement of the Kennedy’s which bear a lot of weight in the Democratic Party. He must have understood that was a hard blow to Hillary, and yet, she went to shake Ted Kennedy’s hand, and he, instead of using the opportunity to greet Mrs. Clinton, turns around and snubs her.
He acted like a petulant child instead of a presidential candidate. I’m pretty sure he regrets this today.
Labels: bitchin’ news, politics crap
Yeah, I guess he forgot there's always a camera on him. I started out a huge Obama supporter but I've slowly (almost against my will) been won over to Clinton.
I agree Obama would be a great president in a couple of terms. I am afraid, though, that he's thrown it all into this race and won't have another chance in the future. Time will tell, I guess, if he doesn't win.
1/29/2008 06:02:00 PM
Actually, given that he's turned away and is applauding, and it looks like other people in the audience are applauding, it seems to me Hillary is the one being rude, by ignoring all of that (as she has historically done when the President speaks, and at the end she stands with her arms folded and a sour look on her face).
Not to mention, the report says neither acknowledged the other. It's the lady's perogative whether or not to shake hands or greet--a gentleman does not offer his hand to a lady, but waits for her to offer hers. How do we know she didn't snub him?
Plus you don't know if he's already shaken her hand. You don't know if he met up with her at any point earlier. You don't actually know that these photos took place within seconds of each other.
I just don't see this as a rude snub. I've been the person standing between people talking, and I did the same thing. I see this as not necessarily a snub, but an attempt to not have Ted Kennedy's big, scotch-scented body pressing against Obama. :-)
1/30/2008 03:24:00 AM
Re: It's the lady's perogative whether or not to shake hands or greet--a gentleman does not offer his hand to a lady, but waits for her to offer hers.
No offense, but what? I would be offended if a guy didn't offer to shake my hand. I like reading historical romances sometimes, but I don't want to live in one.
I do agree that this could easily be a picture taken at an inopportune moment and not an intentional slight, but it's still fun to speculate. :)
1/30/2008 10:19:00 AM
Hey December *g*
You know, politics is my fave topic (and sex of course LOL). Political sex scandals really make my day! LMAO
Re: and it looks like other people in the audience are applauding, it seems to me Hillary is the one being rude, by ignoring all of that
Perhaps you didn't see the live broadcast? It was on ABC Monday night. This was before the president came into the room (I think he was being announced), everyone was walking around, greeting people and stuff. Also, you notice in the vid that Obama turns around to talk to the senator on his left *wink*.
In the first pic (the one on the left) Hillary was talking/greeting some senator in a wheelchair and Obama is looking at her, when she turns around Ted Kennedy greets her (how dare he? rude bastard! LOL) and she extends her hand to greet him and Obama turns around as she's about to return the greeting.
Re: It's the lady's perogative whether or not to shake hands or greet--a gentleman does not offer his hand to a lady, but waits for her to offer hers.
I just have to say two words about that NO. EXCUSE. LOL
Give me a bit of time (V. busy today) to get you dozens of videos with Obama extending his hand to greet women (not only on the campaign trail but to other senators/figures etc.) which means, he's either a very rude man in his day to day life shaking women's hands left and right or he chose to turn around and not shake Hillarys' :P
I'm a political analyst. It's my job to study/prevent candidates from doing things like this. Given the facts that I'm not american, I don't live in the US, I don't vote in the US elections and I like both Obama and Hillary equally (both wonderful- the US has an abundance of riches in these elections -even from the Republican side)I can see this with out taking sides and in a detached way.
I can guarantee you Barack's campaign managers/advisors had his head for that. Presidents have to be above such petty behaviour b/c this is nothing -nothing!- compared to what they'll have to deal with/suck up in office. If you can't deal with the small stuff (and reign in your negative emotions/behaviour) how can you deal with the big ones?
Sure, we're human and we all make mistakes, but a prez candidate mistakes probably cost him more than a regular joe having done the same thing. This is a good lesson for Obama, and I'm sure this is a mistake he wont make again.
1/30/2008 11:58:00 AM
And just cause Obama is so damn adorable I'll show you guys this vid *g*
How can you not love him? LOL
1/30/2008 12:17:00 PM
Can I say, this is what I hate about politics. That it's not about the issues or who'll deal better with them, it's about who feels snubbed or is the nicer guy or has the least (most?) amount of scandal attached to their name. Yeah, I get that's the way it's played, but still.
Why do we have to like the person we're voting for if we think he or she is the best candidate for the job?
(I should also add that most of my understanding of US politics comes from watching The West Wing.)
1/30/2008 12:26:00 PM
I don't think we have to like the canidate we vote for, though many feel it is a requisite. I feel that the person I vote for has to have character that I respect.
For me that means always doing the right thing, even when it's the harder choice. I want a prez that is always the bigger person because it will shape how she/he makes decisions that affect our world.
Even if I don't agree with all of an elected official's choices, I want to know that the person is making their choices based on what they believe is in our best interest and what is the right thing to do.
I also want someone who has the experience and knows how things work in Washington. I am tired of hearing all our canadates talk about how the "American people want change". Most of them are very vague about what that means.
That said, I like Obama, but I don't think he's ready to be our president.
1/30/2008 02:07:00 PM
I am totally rambling, sorry. lol
1/30/2008 02:20:00 PM
No, all I've seen are the pictures and snippet you posted here. :-) So my suppositions were all based on that.
Still can't see this as anywhere near the big deal that, say whats-his-name refusing to shake Ann Richards' hand was (and rightly so) back in the 90s. She could have offered to shake Obama's hand before Kennedy's, too--seeing as Obama was closer to her.
And as far as being offended when men don't offer to shake hands...I think Miss Manners and I are the only people who still know that rule, but personally, I prefer men not assume they can touch me before I've indicated it's okay for them to do so. Again, to each their own. :-)
1/30/2008 03:18:00 PM
december/stacia, you and I are of the same school of thought. I was raised in the south and have lived in Texas for 21 years, I find it extremely rude for a man to extend his hand to me first to shake, and to be honest, that hasn't happened to me in years, so some mothers are still doing a great job of teaching etiquette to their sons. I visited my sister in St. Louis last summer and I guess all the polite cowboys I am used to in Texas, spoiled me...in St. Louis I never heard a Yes maam, no maam or thank you maam and I really missed it! I like men with manners. Obama should have known better and I am sure he heard about it from someone on his staff.
1/30/2008 05:47:00 PM
Thanks Kim! :-)
So you remember that, right? When Ann Richards' rival for governor refused to shake her hand when she offered it? On camera? What a jerk.
Hubs and I are seriously considering moving to TX when we get back to the States. You've just notched it up even higher as a possibility (we know we want to be somewhere in the South but aren't sure exactly where.)
Watching the live vid, yes he was rude. I still think she was too, though.
1/31/2008 05:48:00 AM
Bad move by Obama but I love this man. What I hate - labels. I hate that we have to choose among parties, race, religion. The reason I mention these things because if we did not have to choose the world would not have been so divide as it is today. I am so off topic but I am getting sick of liberals, republicans and democrats.
I hate it when people say Blacks vote for the same set of people each election but so do white republicans. I can not believe McCain and Romney is leading when the Republicans have one of the most honest politician running which is Ron Paul. I love this man. He speaks the truth. He thinks outside the box. He tells Americans what we need to hear not what he thinks he want us to hear like McCain and Romney these two reminds me of George bush jr all over again. Hillary I use to like her but I hate it when you think Blacks are good enough to vote for you but not good enough to become the President.
I love Obama that man is brilliant. When he gives a speech it make me cry. He do remind me of a great leader. He is very commanding,when he speaks people listen. Great man. Great leader.
1/31/2008 08:10:00 AM
December/Stacia...OMG..I do remember the Ann Richards thing! Do you remember the comment that same opponent made about rape? I think it was that comment that was the straw that broke his campaigns back. I loved Ann Richards! She was a ballsy gal but still a real southern lady, and very classy. Plus, she had the best Texas twang I have ever heard! :)
1/31/2008 11:50:00 AM
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