Joe Conason, Salon - Why conservatives love Barack Obama

[NewHampster]

Dec. 21, 2007 | In the weeks since Karl Rove offered his unsolicited advice on how to defeat Hillary Clinton in the pages of the Financial Times, right-wing expressions of support for Barack Obama have become increasingly conspicuous and voluble. Although often couched in high-flown moral terms that accept the Illinois senator's definition of himself as a fresh and unsullied figure, his Republican endorsers cannot quite conceal their underlying animus.

They hate Hillary Clinton and they think he just might be able to beat her.
<snip>
Should Obama hope to continue to enjoy his free ride, he should consult his old mentor Joe Lieberman, the senator from Connecticut who used to be a Democrat. Conservative commentators and right-wing media outlets always loved Lieberman for his willingness to echo their talking points on subjects such as school vouchers and Social Security privatization. When he agreed to join the Democratic ticket as Al Gore's running mate in 2000, the Weekly Standard and the National Review, among others, suddenly discovered how despicable Lieberman actually was. Having abandoned the Democrats altogether, he is now fully rehabilitated.

But Obama and his supporters must cherish no illusions about what will happen to him if he vanquishes Clinton. He will need the same kind of armor that she has worn proudly for years. What the right likes best about him is that he doesn't seem to own any.

Read at Salon http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2007/12/21/right_and_obama/

[Bitwit1234]

1. And they know they can beat him in a second....why do you think

they want him to win. And it seems they compare him to Liberman, an adjective I sure as hell wouldn't want. But I guess it doesn't bother Obama the I'll do this and say that anything to get elected.

[NewHampster]

2. compare me to the devil but never Lieberman

Good comparison though.

[ClarkUSA]

5. Sure, a candidate who voted for Kyl-Lieberman is much better!

:rofl:

[Lucinda]

22. Actually, yes. Given the facts on the ground, K/L was a good vote.

What would you have done about it? And why?

[surfermaw]

35. Finally someone beside me is thinking the republican maney and time

is working in Iowa to defeat Hillary, and Edwards.

[theredpen]

3. I think any Democrat will win in 2008

We could run Zippy the Pinhead. Really.

If Hillary wins the nomination, she's going to win the presidency. I have some misgivings about her (I won't rehash them here), but it would be great to hear the cries of woe from the right when they lose to Clinton — again!

[Tellurian]

6. You forget...We do win and they steal for themselves whatever we win!

[democrat2thecore]

8. Unless Bloomberg gets in the race

If he gets in and spends the kind of money as is rumored, the best chance against a Republican could be - and I hate this - with Mayor Bloomberg. It's a weird cycle where you could see the Democrat play the spoiler keeping Bloomberg out and electing a Republican. This independent effort could be Ross Perot X 10. And remember, when he dropped out in '92, he was leading in the polls - and more importantly - was leading state-by-state polls to get him the electoral college victory. Thank God, I think, even Ross knew he wasn't presidential material (as smart as he was on some things). Mayor Bloomberg is different: he would be in the thing to win.

[PDittie]

12. Spot on

A Clinton nomination -- or for that matter, an Obama one -- will be crude, nasty, and vile from the GOP slime merchants, but their candidates are so damaged there will be ultimately be no chance of any one of them managing to get elected.

One of the reasons I prefer Edwards so much -- besides his progressive populism, besides the fact that he helps down the ballot in the South rather than hinders -- is because all they can find to throw at him is "haircut" and "trial lawyer".

[antiimperialist]

4. Very good article

kicked and recommended.

[ClarkUSA]

7. Another hit piece by a Clinton supporter?

Good thing Iowans and NH voters like Obama far more than Joe Conason does.

[antiimperialist]

9. You have no evidence Conason is a "Clinton supporter"

Or perhaps you do. If so, show it. Tell us what make you think that way, based on Conason's history reporting on these two candidates.

[ClarkUSA]

10. It's obvious.

No one - and I mean no one - in the blogosphere attacks Obama like Clinton surrogates do.

[antiimperialist]

15. So if you don't praise Obama in all your articles you are a "Clinton surrogate"

wow.

[ClarkUSA]

16. That's not what I said.

Quote what I said, not your twisted interpretation of what I said.

[wyldwolf]

18. no, you said because he's so good at it, he's a Clinton supporter

[creeksneakers2]

11. Conason gets it right

The right wing hates Hillary so they temporarily love anybody who opposes Hillary. If Obama succeeds in winning the nomination the GOP will smear him with every ounce of energy they have.

[NewHampster]

24. Exactly

[goodgd_yall]

25. Of course n/t

[Perry Logan]

13. It doesn't matter what conservatives think. They are all degenerate swine.

[surfermaw]

36. Perry Logan, you are right on, but we had better watch the refurbs

If we want to win in 2008

[Skidmore]

14. Ah, the mighty Wurlitzer adds a pipe as it rises from the ashes.

Cue the fugue.

[wyldwolf]

17. So Conason is now added to the enemy list of Obamanation!

Wes Clark
Bobby Kennedy, Jr.
George McGovern
and on and on....

[Jim Sagle]

40. And don't forget Paul Krugman.

[OregonBlue]

19. There are still too many racists in America for him to win. People say they would vote

for a black man but I don't believe them. My parents families are from the south and if you ask them they will say oh sure, I don't have a problem with it but, down deep they do. Every one in a while they let slip with a subtle racist remark. I don't think many of them are even aware of their own inbred beliefs. Just can't see him winning southern or midwest states.

[goodgd_yall]

26. I agree

I imagine there are plenty of people who would be afraid to elect Obama for president because they believe blacks in this country would feel empowered. And they are afraid of that. Got to keep them in their place is their thinking. And as you say, no one will openly admit to this.

[OregonBlue]

27. Yah, my parents would vote for him but then again, they left the South. None of their families

(and they are huge Southern families) would vote for him. If you asked them they'd say, we don't have any problem with electing a black man but it's not true. One of my uncles, a Southern Baptist preacher even went so far as to tell me that "he didn't have any problem with 'them', why 'they' even belong to his church now and 'they' are the same as the rest of his congregation.

[dave123williams]

20. Demonizing black guys is something they learn how to do in the crib.

'Nuff said.

[Capn Sunshine]

21. So, there are less sexists than racists in this country?

Is that the general drift of this conversation?

Cripes. Between the moles pimping flamefests and the 44 crowd desperately looking for...something, which is meaningless because this is all online, this place resembles a monkey cage after a food fight.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

28. The pertinent point is that the female population is 51-52%

The black population is 14-16%.... something like that.

If the black population of the US were 52% this would be a different conversation entirely.

[NewHampster]

23. k

:kick:

[Cameron27]

29. K&R

I'm convinced the RWers are pushing Obama to win the primary, so they can try to annihilate him in the general. Whether they can or not is open for discussion.

[avrdream]

30. Question: can Republicans vote for Obama in the primary in NH like in CT?

If so, they may just do so in order to get him some momentum to help him win the nomination so that they can face him as a candidate.

Viable theory? Or just my paranoia kicking in again?

[NewHampster]

32. In NH you can only vote your party

Undeclared can vote in either but Repubs and Dems can only vote in their primary.

[avrdream]

33. Thanks. Now, how many "undeclareds" are around?

[NewHampster]

34. about 50%

[THUNDER HANDS]

31. who needs armor when you have teflon?

the biggest difference between Obama and Clinton is that clinton like a heavily stained wool overcoat. Yeah, she'll keep you warm and do the job admirably. But Obama is like one of those new-age polymer ski jackets. Stuff will just slide off him - AND he'll keep you warm.

[CK_John]

39. By the time the swiftboat crew get done, they will have Obama doing tailgate parties with the

hijackers.

[zulchzulu]

37. I like Conason, but he swings and misses on this opinion

I've told people here at DU that I knoe someone who attends batcave meetings with the RNC and he has told me that they are absolutely counting on running against TWO Clinton at all costs.

Illinois in 2004 was an excellent example where Republicans offered only a sacrificial lambwith Alan Keyes to run against Obama. The RNC does not want to run against him as they did then.

With a great crossover appeal with moderate Republicans and Independents, Obama would be no pushover. Sure, they'd try to attack him. But, just like Hillary's attacks have backfired, theirs would too.

[Cha]

38. I hope it doesn't come

down to what the bats want.