Obama: "We still remember what it's like to be normal."

[jefferson_dem]

...

Obama went on to argue that this difference led him to make judgment about the Iraq war.

"That's the experience that helped inform my opposition to the war in Iraq, that's the kind of experience that's rooted in the real lives of the American people," he said.

But it has all been rough and tumble on the campaign trail.

At an earlier town hall event in Williamsburg, Iowa, Obama recalled a recent conversation with his wife, Michelle Obama.

The candidate recounted told the crowd how his aspiring first lady told him, " 'You know, in eight years, I'm not sure we'd be the same people as we are now,' " and joked that they are "not doing this again."

Just five years ago, Obama told the crowd, the couple had just paid off their student loads after ten years of law school and hadn't yet set up a college fund for their daughters.

"My wife was still shopping at Target. She still does," Obama said. "And she said, 'You know, eight years from now, we will have lost a little bit of touch with what ordinary families are going through. We'll still be good people, hopefully, but we'll be in a different orbit, in a different circle. Our worries will be different and our concerns will be different. And we're already there, but at least we'll still remember what that was like.' And I thought that that was a wonderful insight."

The candidate, who regularly refers to Senator Clinton and her husband former President Bill Clinton as part of the "Washington establishment", continued, "One of the things that I think I offer in this race is. . . the way (Michelle) put it is, 'We still remember what it's like to be normal.' But I think that's part of what happens when you're in Washington for a very long time -- you lose touch with that."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/12/obamas-cup-of-t.html

[Cameron27]

1. If he's that worried about staying normal,

he shouldn't even think about becoming the president. That's the most un-normal job in the world.

[jefferson_dem]

2. His point is that he can relate to normalcy.

Real people. Real issues. Real ... hope for something better than the stale Washington political game.

How many decades since Hillary has been there?

[depakid]

8. "Normalcy" of course, is not a word

It was Warren Harding's campaing slogan in 1920!

After the hardships of World War I a return to "normalcy" and the good times of McKinley appealed to many voters.

http://ap.grolier.com/article?assetid=a2012900-h

Intersting connection, eh?

[Tellurian]

16. Yes, nice strategy to change the topic of conversation..

and for some added red meat, he should throw in it's the "Now or Never" talk and for good measure the "Do or Die" meme if he doesn't win!

[tabasco]

18. Baloney.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/normalcy

[depakid]

24. Not balony- History

Back to normalcy - 1920 U.S. presidential campaign theme of Warren G. Harding, referring to returning to normal times following World War I. This popularized use of the term "normalcy," as previously it was not a real word. "Normality" was, but Warren G. Harding bungled it in a malapropism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._President_Slogans

[tabasco]

37. Is there a cutoff date for new words?

New words are created every year.

Normalcy is widely used and part of the vocabulary.

[Pirate Smile]

3. That isn't his point. The point is that a President should still remember what it is like

to be normal so they understand the normal lives of US citizens..

[jefferson_dem]

4. Yeah!

Like I was saying... :bounce:

[Pirate Smile]

5. A good quote to that point:

"He said that he and his wife had only recently finished paying off their own student loans and started saving for their kids' college education. He also said that, until recently, he would do the family's grocery shopping himself. He said Michele told him, "eight years from now we will have lost touch with what ordinary Americans are going through" and that "we'll be in a different orbit."

"I think when you're in Washington for a long time you lose touch" and "it becomes harder to relinquish power,” he added."

[ClarkUSA]

6. He was sharing his wife's introspective insight into the ramifications of lifestyle changes... d'uh!

:eyes:

[Cameron27]

9. D'oh yourself.

I doubt the Obama's have lived a "normal" life for quite awhile now. It's just a little pablum for the caucus's and no indication of the kind of president he'll be.

[cboy4]

13. Oh come on. Last year they only made

$983,826.00.

That's wayyyyy lower than the $1,600,000.00 the previous year.

lol

[cboy4]

7. Is there a statute of limitations or something on

being able to remember what it's like to be normal?

Why can't all of the candidates claim the same thing?

[ruggerson]

12. He's echoing the Republican "elitist" meme

you know the one that smears the intellectual "elite" and intelligent people north of the Mason Dixon line.

[ripple]

36. WTF? He's talking about things that impact people

on both sides of the Mason/Dixon line. It's the "us" against "them" mentality that is destroying our nation. It's a festering sore that will never heal without a leader most Americans and the world can look up to. I can't believe people don't see that. Hell, even Hillary has changed her rhetoric to reflect that particular sentiment. The fact that Barack and Michelle try to keep as much normalcy (I don't care if it's an official word or not) in their lives as possible, for the sake of their marriage and their children, is something we should all admire. Most of us know perfectly well that one doesn't need to be an elitist or a redneck to behave badly- or, to behave well.

[babylonsister]

20. Because they're not 'normal'?

Obama is younger, but that could be one of his strengths. He hasn't been so jaundiced by the system.

He has a helluva lot more money than I do, but a helluva lot less than the crowd he's currently running with.

And then there's that 'hope' thing. Call me nuts, but I needed to hear that, from someone normal.

[Texas_Kat]

10. This has really bothered me since I first read it.

Is he saying that he lacks the strength of character to resist becoming corrupted by DeeCee after 8 years as a Senator? What his magic 'term of service' number then? He already signed up for a 6 year stint as a Senator, maybe being elected President is just too much for him.

[ruggerson]

11. For a fucker who got lucky enough to go to Harvard on scholarship

should he really be pissing on the group that enacted the laws that paid for him to get where he is?

[jefferson_dem]

14. So you think he is talking about scholarships for minority students when he talks of

"washington establishment" problems? Get a clue.

[BeyondGeography]

22. Mr. Tolerance is having quite a night

ain't he?

[babylonsister]

23. Zing! nt

[ruggerson]

26. He's dissing people that have made public service their career

which echoes a very Republican and very misguided meme.

Obama wouldn't be running for President if it weren't for the Kennedys, the Lyndon Johnsons, the Joe Bidens and John Kerrys, and, yes, even the Clintons.

He's once again using a cynical divide by which to make his point. There are many good Washington insider/establishment types and many rotten ones. The simple fact of them being a Washington establishment figure doesn't make anyone less of a good Presidential prospect than Barack Obama.

[K Gardner]

15. Cuz we all know they give Harvard scholarships to slackers! What a lazy bum.

:sarcasm:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. I see your point

Barack has a way of appearing disrespectful to the Dodds and the Kerrys and the Kennedys who came before him.

[Capn Sunshine]

21. "lucky"

Yeah, Harvard has freaking scholarship lotto drawing.

[hisownpetard]

27. Lucky enough? He sounds really intelligent to me. Both my kids went to Harvard, and I never met

a single friend of theirs who wasn't extremely nice and extremely gifted. Seems
to me like he deserved to be there. Have you ever heard him speak?

Many, many students who attend Harvard are on full scholarships.

[ruggerson]

28. By luck

I mean, he was lucky that he lived in a country that afforded him student loan programs, a scholarship program, a school rich with a liberally used endowment, all aided and, in some cases caused by, the very Washington "establishment" figures he insults.

His meme is a Republican one that subtly demonizes the "elites" of our society. It plays well with stupid people, but it is divisive and untrue. And does nothing to heal this divide that he so often professes that he wants to heal.

[hisownpetard]

30. To say he was 'lucky' for the reasons you give, is to say that everyone else in this country

who benefits from student loan programs, scholarship programs and colleges with endowments is equally lucky,
which makes the remark pretty much without value because it's singling out something that doesn't deserve
to be singled out.

As far as your second paragraph - pfffft! Not true. What are you suggesting he do - invite the Republicans to come
sit on his lap and cuddle?

Either I'm really missing your point, or you are.


:shrug:

[ruggerson]

32. He's the one that tried to make the point

that you lose touch with what it's like to be "normal" and thus he's more qualified (presumably) to be President than all those jaded Washingtonians.

My point, again, is that he wouldn't be running for President if the jaded LIFETIME Washington public servants like Lyndon Johnson hadn't laid the groundwork and enabled him to do so.

He is attacking the very people who put him in a position to run for President.

As to my second point, yes, you did miss it. I don't LIKE his unity talk. I want him to be aggressive with the Republicans. And you do that by fighting their divisive memes (such as the "elitist" one) not adopting it for your own campaign.

[hisownpetard]

33. It's 2:10 am and I am tie-yerd. However, now that you explained your second point, I see

that we agree.

However (again), now that you explained your first point (again), I'm convinced that it's mumbledegook.

Time for a nap. An 8-hr. nap.
Maybe you should go to bed, too?

[ruggerson]

34. Good idea

sweet dreams!

[hisownpetard]

35. I'm so glad we kissed and made up. Sweet dreams to you, too.

:thumbsup:

[annie1]

19. lol. "We're real people ya'll!" - Britney Spears, dateline 2006.

[BenDavid]

25. If you want to get a better sense of Obama watch the park scene

with Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. You know the one where Robin Williams tells Matt Damon you can't begin to understand an orphan by reading Oliver Twist. Obama is like the Matt Damon character--brillant but no acutal life experience.That video of Obama reacting to Bhutto's assassination was unsettling. He looked as though the gravitas of real political upheaval was being understood for the very first time.

[babylonsister]

29. Maybe it was the first time for Obama, but it doesn't make it

less real. In fact, that's his attraction. It's not fake because he hadn't been through it before. You still don't 'get it'. Hope, smarts, and inspiration move me! And yes, he's brilliant! :thumbsup:

Thanks for your post that helped me articulate what hasn't been said.

[PakistaniDUer]

31. Shopping at Target? God help us

This election...