Thomas Sowell Hammers Obama

Wow.  I wish I had written this line.

Barack Obama has the kind of cocksure confidence that can only be achieved by not achieving anything else.

He goes further.

The kind of self-righteous self-confidence that has become Obama’s trademark is usually found in sophomores in Ivy League colleges— very bright and articulate students, utterly untempered by experience in the real world.

The signs of Barack Obama’s self-centered immaturity are painfully obvious, though ignored by true believers who have poured their hopes into him, and by the media who just want the symbolism and the ideology that Obama represents.

He goes on to whack Biden.

Flashing his special phony smile, Biden said, “I think I have a much higher IQ than you do.” He added, “I went to law school on a full academic scholarship” and “ended up in the top half” of the class.

But Biden did not have a full academic scholarship. Newsweek reported: “He went on a half scholarship based on need. He didn’t finish in the ‘top half’ of his class. He was 76th out of 85.”

Add to Obama and Biden House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and you have all the ingredients for a historic meltdown. Let us not forget that the Roman Empire did decline and fall, blighting the lives of millions for centuries.

1. Let me ask you this: Who the hell is Thomas Sowell? What has he achieved? Has he ever passed legislation, argued a case, or won an election?

   I don’t ask because I think only someone who has done one of those things can criticize a candidate. I ask because he claims Obama hasn’t achieved anything.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 0919 hrs




2. Ah yes, attack the messenger.  Typical diversion.

   Posted by Owen on November 01, 2008 at 0928 hrs




3. It’s not a diversion at all. I can point to Obama’s accomplishments. It just sounds like a lot of sour grapes on Sowell’s part. “WAAAH!!! A conservative couldn’t win this year, so I’m going to pretend the liberal in the race is an empty suit and all of his supporters are cultists.”

   Yeah, right. Colin Powell, Ken Duberstein, Gen. Adams, Charles Fried, and conservative editorial boards across the country, they’re all just cultists duped by a media campaign.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 0938 hrs




4. OK, point to Obama’s accomplishments.

   Posted by Owen on November 01, 2008 at 0947 hrs




5. Well, let’s see, he began a job training program and tenants’ rights organization in poor neighborhoods, directed the largest voter registration in IL history, and became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review (as the conservatives’ choice to boot.) And all this before he took office.

   Really, if you deny he’s ever accomplished anything, you and I are living in two different worlds.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1005 hrs




6. Steve-O makes a great point.

   To answer it: Sowell has written 11 books. None about himself. Obama has written 2. Both about himself.

   Steve-0 give it to us hard and don’t hold back. What has Obama accomplished? Show us how wrong we are. If it is not too much trouble please give us one accomplishment that is measurable. Hammer away.

   In case you are stuck. Voting present is measurable.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1005 hrs




7. There was an interesting link on another site about Rachael Maddow’s interview with Obama.  The topic referenced how Iraq is essentially a non-issue right now and no one in the MSM even talks about it anymore.  As if it is almost a losing topic for Obama since he opposed the surge. 

   The article then goes on to talk about how Obama really never would have gotten the nomination over more experienced hands like Hillary, etc if it hadn’t been for his anti-Iraq stance.  That was what propelled him into the mix a year ago when by and large his accomplishments and resume would not have done it.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1007 hrs




8. Click.

   Well, that was easy.

   I’m not going to sit here and argue the subjective value of Obama’s accomplishments like we’re watching figure skating or something.  Surely an Obama supporter will step up and do that.  But it’s silly to suggest that he’s never accomplished anything in his life.

   I usually like Thomas Sowell but this column isn’t one of his finer efforts.  It’s short on substance and long on bitterness.  Sowell’s spent damn near his whole life as an academic and as an author sitting around and telling other people what he thinks.  If anyone should understand the qualifications of “ego and mouth” it’s Thomas Sowell.  Ego and mouth are how he’s made his living for over two generations.

   Pot, meet kettle.

   Posted by Recess Supervisor on November 01, 2008 at 1024 hrs




9. I think those of us questioning his abilities would like to have seen one of two things here:

   a) Some executive experience actually running a State.  Making day to day decisions. Create a budget.  Cut programs.  Hire and fire a cabinet.  The easiest job in the world is as a Senator.  You just sit and yap with the media about your “opinions” with no great consequence since the tone is set apart from you. 

   b) McCain has nothing accomplished in government of note other than being a yapping Senator as well.  But for some of us, serving in the military in combat and being a POW for six years would tend to prove a mental toughness that could be an important asset for a President.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1034 hrs




10. Recess, not so easy. Why isn’t his name on any of those things he introduced? That would me an accomplishment. Interesting that none of the “accomplishments” are sourced. Fewer are measurable.

    “He is an advocate for…” Wow. I am an advocate for world peace and some day I will get around to doing something about it.

    Obama hasn’t lead anything. At least Clinton was the Gov of AK. That is leading something.

    PS Sowel isn’t running for Prez. Obama is.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1040 hrs




11. As for Obama’s accomplisments, as RS showed it doesn’t take but a simple google search to find extensive lists of accomplishments.  A simple wiki search gives you access to hundreds of bills he’s authored, thousands of bills he’s co-sponsored, numerous issues he’s led and organizations he’s built and an impressive academic record.

    It is pure partisan hackery to claim he isn’t experienced enough.

    b) McCain has nothing accomplished in government of note other than being a yapping Senator as well.  But for some of us, serving in the military in combat and being a POW for six years would tend to prove a mental toughness that could be an important asset for a President.

    People with militsry service are not without flaws.  The Rolling Stone article on McCain from a few weeks back certainly gives one reason to explore McCain’s military and political histroy and question not if he has experience, but if his experience has cast doubt on his ability to function as commander in chief.

    http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_bel ieve_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1106 hrs




12. John, as you’ll note in #10, I said I wasn’t going to get involved arguing the subjective merit of Obama’s accomplishments, because people like Lefty are usually happy to do it.  I’m simply pointing out that they exist and it’s silly to deny that.

    Also to John: what’s really more narcissistic?  Writing two books about your life or nearly a dozen books that speak almost exclusively about you think?  Sowell is the kind of paid academic/intellectual that conservatives generally detest.  Sowell’s not exactly tanked up on real world experience.

    Finally, to the conservatives, I would say this: what is it specifically that you can point to in John McCain’s record that makes you want to vote for him?  I mean, I can point to his leadership on campaign finance reform and his skillful participation in helping to break through a logjam of court appointments - but odds are, you probably didn’t agree with those decisions.  So what is it, other than “he’s better than Obama,” is exactly motivating you to vote for McCain?

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on November 01, 2008 at 1113 hrs




13. Recess: It is far more narcissistic to write exclusively about yourself than what you believe. Jefferson was a humble man yet wrote volumes about what he thought.

    Agreed, I would never vote for an academic for anything. Not even state superintendent of schools. They can’t run anything and they overthink everything.

    Military folks aren’t perfect or a shoe in for office. They do demonstrate they are willing to sacrifice for their country/others, not milk it.

    McCain has bucked the system which tells me he is his own man, even though I disagreed with some of his issues. If he has done nothing in the Senate, then he still has more experience in that than Obama.

    If Obama had run Acorn that would be an accomplishment even though I think the org is a sham. He was just a hanger on, waiting to make his move. That describes everything about the man. That’s why I am not voting for him.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1127 hrs




14. The media loves Obama not because of his historic African American candidacy but because he’s one of them.  i.e. part of the chattering class.  People who never really had to serve under a strong leadership structure to learn how to accomplish things (i.e. business or the military).  Nor is Obama a guy who has had to lead in government as a Governor does such as Carter, Reagan, Clinton, Bush. 

    Obama if elected may prove to be a great President.  He’s a smart guy.  Many of us in flyover country prefer though to have a “show me” candidate who has either shown executive leadership experience or created jobs.

    I can’t argue strongly for McCain here either, again with the exception of his strong military service record.

    But Obama is clearly a creation of the academic/media class because he’s one of them.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1145 hrs




15. Well said S. Austin. This entire election has made me question what type of person, and what type of experience should qualify to run for President.

    My current thought is: Nobody who is/was a Senator. From the Democratiic side I think Bill Richardson was an excellent candidate. On the Republican side I do think Sarah Palin has the attitude it takes to make positive change. Most importantly she seems to have a grip on how to lead once elected. That was the fatality of Republicans and rightly so. Reagan did well with the cards stacked against him. Bush squandered as did Clinton.

    I also am weary of any candidate from the “House” side as well.

    I forgot which thread it was but the discussion is who is the next leader of either party.

    Bill Richardson would be a formitable candidate but people do not know that much about him. He has accomplishments that can be appreciated by both sides.

    Newt? No way.

    Obama would have been unstoppable in 2012 had he pushed the pedal to the metal. He is too much a rookie, the McCain camp didn’t push that enough, but I still think he will loose. The big question then, will be, will he run again.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1405 hrs




16. He was 76th out of 85

    In REALLY, really, really, really high-IQ discussions, number-ordering is not considered important, or useful.

    Anyone who read Lewis Carroll knows that, Owen.  “Words (and numbers) mean what I SAY they mean.”  See—that’s post-deconstruction higher-order thinking.

    Thought you’d need to know that for the coming Obamination of the USA.

    Posted by dad29 on November 01, 2008 at 1615 hrs




17. RS, you’re smoking the Madistan “gummint is All Things” weed again.

    O merely signed onto that US legislation—as did about 75% of the rest of the Senate.  “Working with” Illinois coppers to video confessions?  Puuuhhhhleeeeze!

    It is entirely possible that O actually wrote and passed the Illinois ethics legislation—but he was a back-bencher in Illinois, too.

    You won’t get into a discussion of the merits because there ARE no merits, RS.

    Posted by dad29 on November 01, 2008 at 1622 hrs




18. I don’t ask because I think only someone who has done one of those things can criticize a candidate. I ask because he claims Obama hasn’t achieved anything.

    Is Thomas Sowell running for President and I missed it??? ... I didn’t think so.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 1903 hrs




19. On the Republican side I do think Sarah Palin has the attitude it takes to make positive change. Most importantly she seems to have a grip on how to lead once elected.

    roflmao. Big time.

    Johnny, you just destroyed your credibility on this thread.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 01, 2008 at 2256 hrs




20. Keith, anyone who watches The View has no business being in the men’s locker room, or on this thread.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 02, 2008 at 0043 hrs




21. Yes Dad29, that’s right, Barack Obama has accomplished nothing meritorious in his life to date.  Look, like I said, you’re free to look at that list and argue that it’s a pile of crap.  That’s fine.  I don’t care.  What I should have said is that I have no desire to get into a pissing match with a conservative theocrat because there’s no rational basis for discussion.  You’re clearly the kind of person who’d argue that Obama graduating from HLS isn’t an accomplishment because he probably only got by virtue of his skin color. You will find a reason, valid or not, to disqualify any argument or statement that doesn’t already coincide with your beliefs.

    Oh, and by the way, words like “Madistan” and “gummint” make you sound like a whiny bitch.  Try speaking like an adult.

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on November 02, 2008 at 0232 hrs




22. You know, in retrospect, I’ll apologize for that “whiny bitch” remark.  That was out of line on my part, and if I could edit the remark out I would.  The rest of the comment, however, stands.

    Posted by Recess Supervisor on November 02, 2008 at 0321 hrs




23. Your point about Obama and HLS is like Bush graduating from Yale only because of his daddy. We know the drill. I don’t think anyone here thinks or said that Obama is not a smart man. I think he is a smart man. Jimmy Carter was a smart man. People claimed that Reagan was not a smart man. Who got more accomplished>

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on November 02, 2008 at 0850 hrs