OBAMARAMA

Today’s installment of Expose the Hate just goes to show that you don’t need to be a drunk old lady to spew offensive nonsensical vitriol — you can also be a famous and adored rightwing talk radio personality:

For an explanation of why negative videos about Sen. Obama are screening on this site, please see this post.

You can view all “Expose the Hate” posts here.

In a blog post today, USA Today asks, is “Obama No. 1?“

Barack Obama has risen past Hillary Clinton in a new automated poll of likely Democratic voters. The Rasmussen poll  has the Illinois senator at 32% and Clinton at 30%. John Edwards is steady at 17%.

The Obama campaign’s official blog highlights Sen. Obama’s speech to the California Democratic Convention this weekend, including photos and links to glowing reviews over at Daily Kos and the California Progress Report.

Here’s the video of his remarks:

A somewhat discomfiting fake ad for a hip new breakfast cereal called Obama O’s, from the folks who brought you Rolling Barocks:

A compelling email to Obama supporters just arrived. Here’s the lede:

A piece of paper will soon be placed on George Bush’s desk in the Oval Office.

By picking up a pen and signing his name to it, he could end the war in Iraq.

The House and Senate united and passed a bill that would provide for our troops now and begin a redeployment from Iraq to bring them home.

We’re just one signature away from ending the tragic mistake that has cut short thousands of American lives, cost tens of billions of dollars, and destroyed America’s global moral leadership. But only if the president signs the bill.

It’s a powerful statement, and a sobering thought: with a single signature, we could begin a new direction for American foreign policy, for American global leadership, and finally start closing one of our nation’s darkest chapters.

If you want to encourage President Bush to do the right thing, just click on the image below.

From today’s Newsweek, this insight:

NPR reported this morning that Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama were pointedly nice to each other — but the other candidates had no doubt about who was in their sights. To each, Sen. Obama is the biggest obstacle on the path to 1600 Pennsylvania.

It’s flattering. And doubly so given the fact that a SurveyUSA poll of South Carolina debate watchers named Sen. Obama the winner, with 31 percent saying he came out on top.

The Political Wire has a good rundown of other reactions, including David Broder’s observation that “the Democrats have a field of contenders that, by any historical measure, matches in quality any the party has offered in decades.”

A great series of exchanges from last night’s Democratic presidential debate on the subject of Iran and nuclear proliferation:

Am I crazy, or does Sen. Obama seem to be the only grown up in the conversation?

It’s been nearly two weeks since we delved into the dark and possibly inebriated world of Sandy Davis, who railed against “Barack Obama bin Laden” and his stance on the Iraq War.

Fortunately for those of us who believe that nonsensical hateful rightwing rhetoric like this will alienate more people than it will attract, she’s back with a new video — and we’re back with a new installment of Expose the Hate.

So without further ado, watch as Ms. Davis accuses Sen. Obama bin Laden of “not acknowledging your white past” and suggests that he is actually “a Hybrid American.” Does that mean he gets good gas mileage?

For an explanation of why negative videos about Sen. Obama are screening on this site, please see this post.

You can view all “Expose the Hate” posts here.

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Sen. Obama closing the gap with Sen. Clinton.  According to the report, the data “suggests doubts about his electability are diminishing.”

In particular:

You can see the complete poll data here — which includes 56 percent public support for the Democratic Congress’s decision to set a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq, as opposed to 37 percent support for President Bush’s insistence against it.

Over the past five months, we’ve documented the wide array of attacks that have been launched against Sen. Obama by his opponents in politics and the media. For the most part, these baseless caricatures have been debunked and have largely fallen by the wayside (”He’s a junkie,” “he’s a Marxist leftist,” “he’s too black,” “he’s not black enough,” “he’s a hypocrite,” “he’s a Muslim“…just to name a few).

Up until now, though, the attack that has arguably stung Sen. Obama’s supporters the most is the suggestion that he is “all style, no substance.” We’ve known that it’s not true, but given the nature of the campaign, its quick and early start, and Sen. Obama’s need as a relative newcomer to build momentum and enthusiasm, we haven’t had as many tools as we’d like to rebut it.

That’s about to change.

Earlier this week, Sen. Obama addressed the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, where he discussed his foreign policy vision. It was a 40-minute speech that was reported in the New York Times under the headline, “Obama Outlines His Foreign Policy Views,” and was very well received by pundits and experts alike.

Lest there be any question about the substantial nature of the speech, here is a video of Sen. Obama’s remarks in their entirety:

As Sen. Obama builds on his momentum and grassroots support by laying out the specifics of his candidacy, I suspect we’ll be seeing a lot more speeches like this one. And as we do, OBAMARAMA will lay them out here in a new segment called “Here’s the Beef.”

Frankly, it’s just nice to know that the biggest knock against Sen. Obama is based on a total underestimation of his ability to back up charisma with meaty policy proposals. Those of us who have been following him know that won’t be any problem — and appreciate having such a low bar to step over.

In response to Rudy Giuliani’s reported assertion that electing a Democratic president would be to invite a “new 9/11,” Sen. Obama had this to say:

Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low and I believe Americans are ready to reject those kind of politics. America’s mayor should know that when it comes to 9/11 and fighting terrorists, America is united. We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. I think we should focus on strengthening our intelligence, working with local authorities and doing all the things we haven’t yet done to keep Americans safe. The threat we face is real, and deserves better than to be the punchline of another political attack.

“America’s Mayor” seems intent on proving how unworthy he is of a promotion.

And to think I ever thought “Obamarama” sounded good — today, the Wall Street Journal runs an article titled “Seeking Clues to Obamanomics,” which takes a look at Sen. Obama’s emerging economic vision.

From the article:

The emerging picture shows a politician willing to use the government to intervene in markets to further core Democratic goals, though careful to avoid hard-edged liberal rhetoric.

One example of how the Illinois Democrat might approach economic policy is an unusual bill he first introduced to little notice shortly after entering the Senate in 2005 — and reintroduced last week. The “Health Care for Hybrids” proposal would offer federal assistance to car makers struggling with hefty retiree health-care costs in exchange for their building more fuel-efficient automobiles.

The piece has a critical tone — it did run in the conservative WSJ, after all — that stems from its general dissatisfaction with leaders who think it’s appropriate for governments to intervene in markets under any circumstances (and particularly to “further core Democratic goals,” such as ensuring that American citizens don’t freeze, starve, etc.). All I can say is thank God the WSJ wasn’t in charge of getting us out of the Great Depression.

But in general I think the article paints a fair picture of Sen. Obama’s economic stance, especially as it compares to the other candidates. It places him “somewhat to the left of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but to the right of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards,” a location that strikes me as both accurate and politically advantageous.

The article also profiles some of Sen. Obama’s eminently qualified economic advisors and outlines his stated position on health care and trade. Very much worth a read if you have a chance.

I don’t want to make too much of this, as it’s just one installment of a weekly tracking poll with a relatively high margin of error, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that the latest Rasmussen poll has Sen. Obama tied with Sen. Clinton at 32 percent support apiece.

From Rasmussen:

For the fourth straight week, Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D) has gained ground and he has finally caught New York Senator Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination. It’s now Obama 32% Clinton 32% and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards holding steady at 17%.

Obama has been steadily gaining ground during April. Last week, Clinton had a two-point lead. Two weeks ago, it was Clinton by five. The week before that, the former First Lady was up by seven. Our last release in March found Clinton enjoying a double digit lead. Clinton now holds a narrow edge among white voters while Obama leads by 16% among African-Americans.

Perhaps most significant in this data, though, is another figure — that of core support. According to the pollsters, “A separate survey showed that Obama has the highest level of core support among all Presidential candidates—33% of voters say they’d definitely vote for him if he’s on the ballot in November 2008.” Great numbers, as we’ve noted here.

Speaking on foreign policy to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs today, Sen. Obama said that President Bush “has fallen short of his role as leader of the free world,” according to the AP:

“This president may occupy the White House, but for the last six years the position of leader of the free world has remained open. And it’s time to fill that role once more,” Obama said, according to excerpts of his speech prepared for delivery to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

…”The disappointment that so many around the world feel toward America right now is only a testament to the high expectations they hold for us. We must meet those expectations again, not because being respected is an end in itself, but because the security of America and the wider world demands it,” according to the speech.

Amazing that it has taken so long for someone to say it — but wonderful that it’s being said, at last.

Sen. Obama appears to be taking the bull by the horns in addressing critics of his experience, suggesting not only that he has the experience necessary to be president, but that his particular brand of experience makes him uniquely capable of taking on that role.

Here’s what he said to Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network civil rights group yesterday:

“I’ve said to Rev. Sharpton and I’ll say it today: If there is somebody - I don’t care whether they are white or black or they are male or female - if there is somebody who has been more on the forefront on behalf of the issues you care about and has more concrete accomplishments on behalf of the things you’re concerned about, I’m happy to see you endorse them. But I am absolutely confident you will not find that,” he said.

‘Atta boy.  We’ve long advocated touting Sen. Obama’s distinctive and diverse experience as an asset to the campaign, as it includes more years as a legislator than either Sen. Clinton or John Edwards, as well as service as a community organizer, civil rights litigator, and law school professor.