Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Raw Politics: Hillary vs Barack
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Iowa pushes one candidate out, boosts another. Also, who is more likeable: Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? CNN's Joe Johns has the Raw Politics.(Click image at left to play video)
Posted By CNN: 11:53 AM ET
  16 Comments
I think Iowa does matter, if you go by the adage "All politics is local."

We don't want candidates who are untouchable and far off in their ivory towers telling us what we want to hear. Id love to see some of these high-profile candidates come to small towns and actually talk to us people.
Posted By Cary - Lowell, IN : 12:26 PM ET
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES!??!?!

THERE ARE MORE THAN JUST 2!

PLEASE DO AN ARTICLE ON ALL OF THEM.


Ron Paul is the best candidate out there.
Posted By Jessica : 12:40 PM ET
"Iowa doesn't matter" is what candidates say when they know they don't stand a chance against Gov. Romney.

As far as Barack Obama, if he were anyone else, he's be laughed out of the running. Who is asking the "black enough" question? If i remember it was some journalist a.k.a. judgmental liberal who first asked it. It's usually reporters who say .."people have said, you're not black enough..." when it's them, the reporter who is saying it !!
Posted By xtina - chicago IL : 1:12 PM ET
Thanks for the video. Michelle seems nice enough, but I can't help but think white people will vote for Obama out of PC guilt, and because he is a "safe" black, you know not from the 'hood. It's white guilt that makes him popular, not what he stands for or what he has done.
Posted By Mikael, Westchester, NY : 1:16 PM ET
"Articulate, clean and a nice-lookin' guy"

Yup, Obama's your man.
Posted By Shane, Madison, Wisc : 1:22 PM ET
It's annoying to someone who just wants to know where these people stand on the issues, to hear Michelle O. making her speech about "Barack being black enough".


Doesn't she speak about Barack's accomplishments? What are his accomplishments? Michelle, if you're reading this, people will quickly forget the insulting "is he black enough" matter, if you'll only tell us WHY WE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOUR HUSBAND.

Thank you.
Posted By David - Lake Barrington, IL : 3:05 PM ET
I agree w. xtina of chicago, IL that it's polarizing of Michelle Obama to actually focus on the differences between her husband and the other candidates?

Get over it, Michelle and Barack. Just because a reporter wants to stir the waters by making an off-hand remark about "being black enough", doesn't mean you have to take it to heart. You're paprnoid that millions of voters are thinking that, when it was only ONE reporter or writer who suggested that. Don't give them that kind of power; just rise above it and act like a President.
Posted By Michael, Ellison Bay, Wi. : 3:41 PM ET
I am disappointed that Barack Obama is on the defensive. It's not a commanding post to have to dodge insults and accusations. He shouldn't let that comment about "BEING BLACK ENOUGH" get to him. He should rise above it. That's probably why Hillary is the better politician. She can kick anyone's a** who would insult her by smacking them down and movin' on !!
Posted By Renee-- Tampa , Fla. : 3:45 PM ET
This is really shameful, I know, but I grew up in a pretty prejudiced, narrow-minded household.
I actually heard comments such as, "well, that guy's black, but you know-- he's REALLY NICE .."

Kind of like the comment above "Barack is nice, clean and articulate".

But even though it's poltically incorrect, I have to say that Barack DOES look like a watered-down black candidate. Even though I don't agree with it, I get it. People are still narrow-minded. He's "safe" to some pepole who are "afraid " of a black President, because he's not TOO BLACK . Sad that we have to even talk about this in this day and age.
Posted By Thom _-- Oak Brook, Ill. : 3:51 PM ET
I guess I would just have to say that we shouldn't have to deal with this kind of thing in the year 2007. Barack Obama has a lot to offer the country, but sadly we're seeing this one glaring issue of his not 'being black enough' as his main point in campaigning. I wish he would move on, too > I know his wife is really sensitive about it, and I don't mean to make light of that insulting thing, but I do wish they'd move on. Voters don't want to see sound bytes of "are you black enough" over and over in every town in AMerica! Thank you.
Posted By Caroline, Lousiville, Ky. : 3:56 PM ET
Dear AC360 and readers,
I have to tell you I am enjoying this. Name calling, mud slinging, ignorance spoken with passion and abandon... this is what politics is all about... and I'm just talking about xtina's comment.

Look the bottom line is; can they lead the country to a better tomorrow?
We can go all day and night on who said what to whom and why, and we can continue to mock those we choose not to hang around with, but at the end of the day we have to admit to ourselves that we choose not to hang around them, not because we know "their kind" all too well, but because we never took the time to get to know them at all.

For instance, if I was as flippant and as cursory as xtina, I might point out that the reason that she doesn't get it, is because she isn't [American enough] to understand that liberal isn't a curse word, and that she's just too republican to be able to know what in her own best interests, like we liberals obviously do.

Put the shoe on the other foot. Here's a clue; there's no reason to speak out against all liberals, because there's nobody either authorized or qualified speaking out on behalf of all liberals.

I could care less whether or not Barak or Hillary or rudy or whomever is likable; they're not up there talking to be our friends... at least they shouldn't be, they're up there attempting to tell us how it is.

Hopefully one of em will stand up and tell us how it "works!"

Aside from that, It makes no difference what color or gender you are as long as my kids aren't stuck with the bill or the loss. Savey?!
Posted By James Foley Kamiah, Idaho : 12:08 AM ET
Dr. Gupta,
I have a child who has been tested for lead in his system. There is lead in his system but it is not at a dangerous level. I was wondering if the level could have been higher and possibly decreased over time, naturally. He has developmental delays in language and motor skills.
Posted By Anonymous : 1:32 AM ET
i'll defend xtina's comment, since no one else is-- I think the point is that it was a writer or reporter who editorialized by questioning whether or not Barack is "black enough". Not only did the reporter editorialize ( instead of reporting the facts) but it wasn't a case where thousands of people were asking "is Barack black enough?" , but the reporter themselves introduced the idea that Barak is not black enough. Then the reporter went around posing the question, "well PEOPLE ARE SAYING that Barack is not black enough...", when no one but the reporter was saying it initially.

The reporter, whose job is not to do so, just wanted to stir up controversy.
Posted By Cary - Lowell, IN : 2:39 PM ET
I don't care if Obama (or any other candidate)is green...or orange, or pink, or even a nice shade of lavender.

The question we should be asking him and all candidates is: "What have you done that qualifies you to lead this country?"

Show me some results, baby. Then you have my vote.

That said, can we turn this discussion around so that we focus on the real issues? "Likeable" does not always equal "leader".

For example, I find SpongeBob very likeable (and pleasantly twisted). However, that does not mean he should be President.

And of course, everyone loves Bob from Enzyte. Just imagine THAT political ad campaign. That's the kind of thing you'd work on for free.

"America is LIVING LARGE with Bob as President"

I think it goes without saying that it's probably not a good idea to ask Bob to show us his "qualifications".

But hey, Bob IS likeable.

So tell me, did I make my point? Do you see how silly this whole ("black enough"/"likeable") discussion has become?

Focus on the issues, people. Focus.
Posted By Julie San Diego CA : 6:35 PM ET
Dear Julie,
Thank you for that.

Oh, and, in my honest opinion, I think this entire country needs a little enzyte, because our get up and go, got up and went.

Too much retail and not enough detail. What eve happened to Pivot to merchandise? Come on candidates, show us the goods.
Posted By James Foley Kamiah, Idaho : 4:44 PM ET
I'm hopeing for a Obama/Edwards campaign. It is time to to actually change our goverment. Hillary should stay where she is and prove to us that she still isn't working for Walmart or Bigpharma.
Posted By W. Chessher : 6:15 AM ET
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