Well, the latest subject of mocking Senator Obama seems to be the decor of his campaign plane. Our own Cassy's on this one, with photos and everything.
I'm going to have to disagree with her. I don't think it shows arrogance or presumption from Obama.
What I think it shows is -- as has been repeatedly demonstrated -- that the Obama camp is just not ready for prime time.
The logo on the airplane seat looks less like a name plate and more like a campaign bumper sticker. What I suspect happened was that one of his campaign staff thought that slapping that logo on the seat would jazz up the place, make it look better, and did it.
That staffer simply didn't think that having something on Obama's plane that seemed to proclaim him already president was that big a deal, or didn't make the connection. And no one over that staffer saw it that way, either -- so much so that they didn't see the possibility that it might be interpreted that way.
It's the same sort of cluelessness that the campaign demonstrated when they blew off the scheduled visit to the military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany. They simply couldn't conceive of the backlash that being seen as blowing off a promised visit to Americans wounded in service to their nation simply because he couldn't bring along his campaign staffer.
One of the stronger criticisms against Obama is his inexperience -- he announced his run for president after about a year into his first term in the Senate. He has virtually no list of accomplishments, no extensive legislative record, no background of his prior deeds that we can use to extrapolate how he might govern.
Incidents like this just to reinforce that label of "rookie." The guy -- and the people he's chosen to trust his campaign to -- just don't have a clue what the hell they're doing. They apparently don't have anyone in a position of authority who can look at things and see how they might be interpreted.
And I don't recall a candidate for president -- let alone the presumptive nominee of one of the two major parties -- who so desperately needed some "adult supervision."
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2008 Presidential Race
Comments (19)
In this case I think you bo... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Wordygirl | August 4, 2008 5:15 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
In this case I think you both are on point. I don't think you can blame this entirely on a clueless staff - they obviously take their cues from the big guy himself.
1. Posted by Wordygirl | August 4, 2008 5:15 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 17:15
2. Posted by yo | August 4, 2008 5:31 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Phpt.
Obama's not running the show, here.
It's David Axelrod.
What we're seeing is a typical Chicago-style campaign, but on the national (world?) level.
Axelrod's strategic flaw being that he's not used to this level of scrutiny.
The Chicago media don't press candidates - unless, of course, the mayor says it's ok.
If the national media had done its job a year and a half ago, Obama would be a footnote.
2. Posted by yo | August 4, 2008 5:31 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 17:31
3. Posted by Rance | August 4, 2008 5:38 PM | Score: -7 (7 votes cast)
Jay Tea,
I may not agree with your assessment, but it's good to see that someone is talking about topics that are germane to the campaign.
3. Posted by Rance | August 4, 2008 5:38 PM |
Score: -7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 17:38
4. Posted by Baron Von Ottomatic | August 4, 2008 6:25 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Is "senseless dunderpate" a racist code word? I heard Monty Burns use it to describe Home Simpson once. It seems to fit Obama quite well.
4. Posted by Baron Von Ottomatic | August 4, 2008 6:25 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 18:25
5. Posted by Oyster | August 4, 2008 6:29 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Please allow me a moment to respond to Rance. I promise to make it brief.
"Gah!"
There, now that I've got that out of my system...
I can't help but think, Jay, that you may have fallen into the "blame it on staffers" routine. While it may well be the case, Obama has fostered that hero worship mentality.
5. Posted by Oyster | August 4, 2008 6:29 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 18:29
6. Posted by Jeff | August 4, 2008 7:14 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Did a staffer sit in the 'Presidents" seat for the entire trip to europe and beyond ? Nope, the dope Obama did and didn't see anything wrong with it ... not a staffer problem ...
We are electing a President not an American Idol, Obama's ego IS germane to this campaign ...
6. Posted by Jeff | August 4, 2008 7:14 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 19:14
7. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | August 4, 2008 7:47 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Looks like that may be the only presidential chair Obama gets to sit in. Don't think he will occupy one in the oval office.
7. Posted by Zelsdorf Ragshaft III | August 4, 2008 7:47 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 19:47
8. Posted by Doc | August 4, 2008 9:00 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
I would have thought after the "Obama Seal" issue they'd be a little more thoughtful.
Can't wait for him to invade Pakistan.
8. Posted by Doc | August 4, 2008 9:00 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 21:00
9. Posted by dr lava | August 4, 2008 9:10 PM | Score: -10 (10 votes cast)
Maybe if Jay had spent a tiny fraction of the past 8 years detailing any of the deficiencies of Bush I could read this without laughing.
9. Posted by dr lava | August 4, 2008 9:10 PM |
Score: -10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 21:10
10. Posted by Mister Ski | August 4, 2008 9:24 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? Lame attempt at thread jacking there.
10. Posted by Mister Ski | August 4, 2008 9:24 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 21:24
11. Posted by irongrampa | August 4, 2008 10:12 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Barack Obama will not be elected President.
This country has shown a knack for having the right person for the right time, in any given situation. Even a cursory glance through our history will bear this out. I see no reason that this coming election, of supreme importance, will not show once more the truth in that statement.
11. Posted by irongrampa | August 4, 2008 10:12 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 22:12
12. Posted by JLawson | August 4, 2008 10:22 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Irongrampa -
I'd kind of beg to differ w/regards to Warren G. Harding and Jimmy Carter...
But it could be argued they were anomalous selections, or simply the best of bad options.
12. Posted by JLawson | August 4, 2008 10:22 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 22:22
13. Posted by Dave | August 4, 2008 11:28 PM | Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
McCain does not know how to use a computer has never been on the internet. Who's the clueless one?
13. Posted by Dave | August 4, 2008 11:28 PM |
Score: -3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 23:28
14. Posted by James Cloninger | August 4, 2008 11:36 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
I didn't know computer skills were required in the Constitution in order to be a President.
14. Posted by James Cloninger | August 4, 2008 11:36 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 4, 2008 23:36
15. Posted by Dave | August 5, 2008 12:18 AM | Score: -6 (6 votes cast)
I didn't know computer skills were required in the Constitution in order to be a President.
It doesn't but it demonstrates a complete lack of intellectual curiosity at a time when the country is scrambling to implement new technologies for creating re-newable energy sources.
President Lincoln understood technology and used it to help win the civil war. President Lincoln pressed hard to build telegraph lines across the country. He used it to monitor battlefield conditions and communicate with generals.
It also shows out of touch McCain is with the rest of the country/world.
15. Posted by Dave | August 5, 2008 12:18 AM |
Score: -6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on August 5, 2008 00:18
16. Posted by Bill M | August 5, 2008 1:22 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
His chair has his name and campaign logo embroidered on the back top -- "Obama '08" on one line and "President" underneath. (from Cassy's post)
This same language is used in other posts describing the seat, so Cassy didn't make it up. I'd be interested in what the other seats in this front section of the 757 have on them. If they all have the "Obama '08 President" logo, then this is meaningless. If, however, only Obama's seat has this particular logo, then the criticism seems valid. From the way the language in the articles read, I get the impression that this is unique to Obama's seat. Interesting if it is.
I've seen elsewhere references to Obama's 757 being better than AIr Force One. More spacious, etc. Don't think so folks. If you are referring to the old AF One based on the Boeing 707, then yes, almost certainly true. But the current Air Force One is a Boeing 747 (I believe George the Senior was the first president to use it). Way bigger than a 757. Having flown on the E4 (aircraft used as the National Emergency Airborne Command Post) based on the same airframe, and configured to carry the National Command Authority, I know what plush is. Obama's sounds nice, but it ain't AF One.
16. Posted by Bill M | August 5, 2008 1:22 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 5, 2008 01:22
17. Posted by Falze | August 5, 2008 10:59 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Well, I'm convinced. I'm going to base my vote on which person would be more capable of sitting down and responding to his own email or keeping up a daily blog. I see clearly now that someone that doesn't have time to use the internet to post small-potato comments on blogs (like us) clearly cannot understand the importance of technology. Presumably President Lincoln was stringing cable and tapping off messages himself. Thanks!
17. Posted by Falze | August 5, 2008 10:59 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 5, 2008 10:59
18. Posted by Oyster | August 5, 2008 3:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"McCain does not know how to use a computer has never been on the internet. Who's the clueless one?"
I think we all know the answer to that.
18. Posted by Oyster | August 5, 2008 3:42 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 5, 2008 15:42
19. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | August 5, 2008 6:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Dave,
I bet that McCain knows how many states we have.
19. Posted by SCSIwuzzy | August 5, 2008 6:17 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 5, 2008 18:17