Obama Makes a Clinton-Campaign Joke
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Inside an old airplane hangar at what used to be Pease Airforce Base in Portsmouth, Barack Obama made his first New Hampshire appearance since his Iowa victory.
He recited his standard stump speech, but there was a confident, almost giddy, spirit in his voice and among the crowd of a few hundred supporters.
Obama did work a new joke into his speech. Referring to his new status as the Democratic front-runner, he said: "This feels good. It's just like I imagined it when I was talking to my Kindergarten teacher."
Obama Vs. McCain Polling Data
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 46.1
- 41.9
- Obama +4.2
Favorable Ratings
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 55.7
- 32.7
- +23.0
- McCain
- 52.4
- 34.7
- +17.7
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Giddy, huh?
Obama's giddy behavior reaks of an inexperienced politican. It ain't over yet. Sorry to bring a little rain down on Obama's parade.
I guess he can choose his cabinet next week, and start negotiating a $20,000,000 book deal after he leaves the White House.
did you even listen to his speech? he is not nearly as naive as you might think... weaving the notion of the historical nature of the result with the possibility for new hampshire to be a part of that moment--absolutely brilliant.
Do you not think that if Mrs. Clinton won, she would not be crowning herself empress right now?
There is nothing naive about Obama. His comment about the kindergarten teacher was a wonderful backhanded slap at the campaign that tried to use a school-age essay to point to Obama's ambition.
His victory speech last night was great, because he did not speak just about himself and his victory; he shared his victory with all Iowans, including those who may have been Republican who became independent to vote for him. And he acknowledged that it would be a tough road ahead.
And if he lost, my guess is that he would not blame it on the electorate.
The fact that Clinton is trying to pick up the change mantle is more a testament to Obama than anything else.
I hope for the sake of our country that the Democratic and Republican nominees are Obama and McCain, respectively. At least if one of them loses, we know that we will be in good shape with the other.
Yeah, uh, he didn't say he was giddy or "almost giddy" -- this one reporter did. However, if coming off a big win like that he weren't in a good mood and ready to take on a new challenge? *That* might be a problem.
Yeah, uh, he didn't say he was giddy or "almost giddy" -- this one reporter did. However, if coming off a big win like that he weren't in a good mood and ready to take on a new challenge? *That* might be a problem.
FPR,
McCain said he wouldn't mind if we stayed in Iraq for 100 years the other day.
You ok with that?
Willing to pay higher taxes to occupy Iraq for 100 years?
C'mon at least give the guy credit for the joke. It's funny!
get over it. he won.
Fact check. Here is what the report states:
"He recited his standard stump speech, but there was a confident, almost giddy, spirit in his voice and among the crowd of a few hundred supporters."
Notice that it says: "almost giddy". That is a really poor choice of words. How does one gauge something such as "almost giddy". Sounds like he was probably feeling upbeat and ebullient. What did they expect him to be, dejected at having won his first big test? Seems like the reporter was the only giddy ass there.
I imagine a candidate the writer approved of would be "upbeat," "lighthearted," "jocular," or would "quip," but Obama gets to be "giddy," sort of like a silly little schoolgirl.
a good sense of humor often comes through in his speeches and who can blame him for appearing slightly giddy. (margin of victory of estimated actual vote, rather than delegate count, is 15-20% over edwards and clinton - reported at first read.)
What would be thought if Hillary were described as giddy??
Giddy? His quip about talking to his kindergarten teacher is clever and funny. I wouldn't have been bothered one bit if he'd flown around the room after his win last night! He is IT !
What is wrong with "almost giddy". Who wouldn't be excited about winning, after all that hard work? Perhaps a deceitful politician, or, a jaded one. I don't want either!How much "experience" did George Washington have before he became President? Abe Lincoln?
The personal insults aside mssr. Zack...here is some factual information on the ground. I approached some former Clinton Admin and Gore politico this summer inquiring whether they would help Obama....they begged off saying it was not practical...last night I got two emails inquiring where to sign up....
This is a movement...close to a revolution...with turnouts of 100% in Iowam, NH appears to be swelling as well...historic proportions....
Now the funny is real since the Clintons initiated the cut....and this is the touche reply...the real cuts is 38-29%
it is the majority of woman voting against a woman...it is new blood in the system....
Feinman was quite interesting last night saying he thought it appeared to be an end of an era, Hillary should have run in '04....
Really? You think the country will be in good shape with John McCain when he tells a reporter he wants to stay in Iraq for "a hunderd years," maybe even a thousand (his words to David Corn)?
Are you kidding me?
He's obviously baiting the Clinton campaign with that subtle dig. Its been widely reported that the Clinton group harbors a bit of animus for Obama. If they are smart, they will not take the bait and just let it slide.
It's a bit insulting since he was originally crowing about his age 6-10 experience in Indonesia, from which we even got to hear from his Kindergarten teacher, for which Hillary gets slammed for noticing, and now he can act clever?
And perhaps someone can explain to Mr. Giddy that for all the votes and fuss, he still ended up with only 1 delegate more than Ms. Clinton and 2 delegates more than Mr. Edwards. Perhaps 16 seems like a lot more than 15 to a Kindergartner.
You seem to forget what this man has done.....he has done what no one thought he could do. He won!
Anonymous,
He did what many thought he could do. The polls have been tied three ways for some time, and nobody with a brain thought it was a shoo-in for anyone. He got the youth vote out, congratulations, but it's not splitting the atom or landing on the moon.
Ooh, a little bitter after last night, are we?
Yeah, I remember writing all those essays in kindergarten in crayon just after the obligatory naptime. Of course, none of us could read or write.
he is confident because we have by far the best org in the state. I saw my first hillary canvasser today. Way to get in the game.
I don't support Obama or Clinton right now. However, Senator Obama displayed his wit and sense of humor with the comment. I think it's a pretty funny quip.
Liam said:
"Notice that it says: "almost giddy". That is a really poor choice of words. How does one gauge something such as "almost giddy"."
I thought this sort of Kremlinology died with the Cold War and the days when there were still people with too much time on their hands.
an answer to the writer above who dismissed concerns about Obama's experience with the question "How much "experience" did George Washington have before he became President? Abe Lincoln?"
Lincoln served for four terms in the Illinois State Legislature, one term in Congress, and spent more than a decade as an attorney.
Washington was a career military officer who led the continental army during a rather critical episode known to historians as the Revolutionary War.
But I know - that definitely doesn't stack up against the experience of a guy who's done some community organizing, learned to vote present, given one good speech in primetime, and effectively courted Oprah Winfrey.
Mr. Obama was just being witty. And if he feels good about last night, well, he should.
As for the sniping at McCain on Iraq, it is fundamentally American instinct to want to win the wars you're in. With more military experience than the rest of the field combined, including five plus years in an enemy POW camp, I think he's earned the right for you armchair generals to give him a listen, and try to see where he's coming from.
If Mr. Obama faced Mr. McCain in a general election, I think we'd have a spirited election Americans would be proud of, regardless of who won. I'm really tired of fighting about the 1990's. I don't want to do that yet again. Let's fight about the next decade.
Here, here! I hope he becomes the front runner (for a small amount of time) and has to be put through the ringer and endure personal and political scrutiny that the Clintons bore. Let's see how "almost giddy" he is then. But, hey, he can always show up on Oprah's show and jump up and down on the couch if things get too rough for him!
What is Mrs. Clinton's "experience" anyway?
*A contentious, "we know better than you" attitude during Clinton's first term as Governor of Arkansas, which saw him defeated.
*As a response to that loss, bringing Dick Morris and his dark art of triangulation - ie. taking whatever positions you need to in order to win - into the Clinton circle.
*A healthcare debacle that set the Democratic case for health care reform back for a decade. Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and she still couldn't get anything done.
*Then, basically hiding from the American people for two years, so her husband could get re-elected in 1996.
*A thoroughly unspectacular 7 years in the Senate, where she has passed no significant national legislation.
It's really not that much to hang your hat on.
I'm still an Edwards man, but I'll take Obama in a pinch. We have no reason to expect that the same retreaded Democrats who have been getting their a$$es handed to them over the last two decades by the likes or Newt, Trent, and W. will suddenly lead us to the promised land.