London Sunday Times: Hail the rise of a new JFK

London Sunday Times ^ | January 6, 2008 | Sarah Baxter, New Hampshire

[Aristotelian]

THE first time she heard Barack Obama speak, it gave Kathy Gillett goose bumps. “Everybody can find a little piece of themselves in Barack. I guess, for me, it was his optimism,” she said.

He reminded her of President John F Kennedy. “I love Kennedy and I’ve often wondered if people understood how great he was when they were in a room with him in 1960. Now I know they did. When I heard Barack I thought, ‘This is a once-in-a-generation leader’.”

Gillett, 48, moved back to her home state of New Hampshire last summer from London, where her husband worked in the City. In Manchester last Thursday night, she watched the Iowa caucus results come in with other volunteers for Obama, before returning to her duties in the morning as a ward organiser.

She now has two days left to turn out the vote on Tuesday, when New Hampshire will decide whether to turn a page on the Clinton era. Gillett has met dozens of Republican and independent voters who say, “I like your guy,” and have promised to support him. His appeal is “beyond Bill Cinton”, she said. “He believes that we are one United States.”

[Aristotelian]

The first credible black candidate for president, and the press is perfectly giddy.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Another John F’n Kerry ?

[bill1952]

To even mention the name JFK in the same sentence with today’s liberal trash is a real insult to the memory of JFK.

John would have kicked any of the current crop of dems right in the ass and right out the door.

[Army Air Corps]

JFK actually fought commies while Obama is one.

[mthom]

Obamas “optimism” consists of him saying he is optimistic everything else he says is typical everything-is-horrible-Im-here-to-save-you Dem talk.

[Magic Fingers]

“The first credible black candidate for president...”

Credible how?

[kingu]

Credible in what way? He was a backbencher as a state representative, catapulted into a vacant senate seat which no one was willing to run for, who accomplished nothing in the senate. His got zero claim to any fame whatsoever and runs an equally empty campaign. Mirror Man is what he should be called - as when people look at him, they see everything but what they’re looking at.

There’s a reason why the media’s talking up so much Republican candidates such as the Huckster - they know he’s got a track record of big government idealism, whereas Obama’s a mystery to all.

[Anti-Bubba182]

The trouble is that this JFK BS is that voters eat it up. If
JFK had not been shot he probably would not have been reelected.

[gondramB]

>>The first credible black candidate for president, and the press is perfectly giddy.<<

He is a really good speaker. So is Huckabee.

With a war and serious economic and domestic issues, a good speaker is not what I am fixated on.

[SnarlinCubBear]

She would have been 6 years old when Kennedy was killed. What utter nonsense for her to say this.

[kinoxi]

He’s so black, and so clean :) Oprah said he was qualified so it must be so.

[thefactor]

simply because he’s a black democrat, my friend...

[Cowboy Bob]

When Obama starts speaking, he sounds just like any other Black Preacher. He's no different than Jesse Jackson.

Why the broad support? He is light skinned and has white features. In short, he doesn't frighten White Liberals.

[Aristotelian]

Forgive my poor choice of words. I merely was looking for a way to distinguish Obama from the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton — and way back when Shirley Chisholm.

[bajabaja]

The Brit take on the US is hilarious. They think they understand, and yet know so little. Ever since Alistair Cooke’s “Letters from America” ended, their grasp of the “Yanks” is cartoonish. (This applies not only to this particular article.) The irony is that the Brits think their analysis of America is accurate and better than anythingelse. And they think the religious right is a bunch of snake handlers. Check out the BBC menus when you get a chance.

[BenLurkin]

“Everybody can find a little piece of themselves in Barack..."

No.

I won't say it.

[Mad_as_heck]

I wouldn’t want to be in the room when Hillary saw that headline.

[Magic Fingers]

Oh, THAT kind of credible ;-)

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Libs and socialists in europe are gushing over Obama. What a surprise.

[Aristotelian]

The exodus away from Hillary is breathtaking, too.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The author, Sarah Baxter, voted for Bush in 2004.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1312869_1,00.html

[goodwithagun]

I listen to Quinn and Rose, a conservative talk show here in Pittsburgh. They did a piece on JFK and john kerry when he was trying to make the comparison himself. It was pretty astounding. Basically, if JFK were still alive and had the same beliefs he did back then, he would be a republican.

[Porterville]

He just keeps screaming hope.

He is a terrible debater.... so, hope is not enough.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

I saw it coming. Hillary has the money and power to run for president, but has to be one of the most unliked candidates I’ve ever seen. Many smell another Kerry type loss. The dems want a hype candidate. They want another Bill Clinton. They want Obama.

[cowdog77]

Obama isn’t JFK and Fred isn’t Reagan.
Sorry, that’s just the way it is.

[manic4organic]

You’re missing the barf alert.

[isrul]

Well, he is clean. at least according to Jojo Biden.

[isrul]

That’s true. But it spoils the mythos.

[isrul]

His features frighten me. I don’t care of what races he is comprised. He is a weird looking dude. Albeit a clean weird looking dude.

[Yardstick]

They think they understand, and yet know so little.

True of Europeans. Our friends across the pond understand America the way a 12 year old understands romance.

[isrul]

Hope is not the only thing that floats.

[aruanan]

London Sunday Times: Hail the rise of a new JFK

Kennedy, though a Democrat, compared to Obama was a right wing Republican politically. National defense was over 50% of the federal budget.

[aruanan]

London Sunday Times: Hail the rise of a new JFK

Obama and Kennedy are/were both smokers and both had ties to Chicago criminals. Though Michelle Obama, unlike Jackie, doesn't sound like a retarded 7-year-old.

[When do we get liberated?]

Alan Keyes is at least credible. Not that the MSM gives any credit to black Republicans.

[When do we get liberated?]

My mother is 74, and still rcounts living in England (Dad was Air Force) and seeing the depiction of America in England. Apparently we are all confused rednecks living in the hills and gobbling up the leftist nonsense. Whats really funny is that the rednecks in the hills are the least likely to swallow leftist garbage. Nonetheless, this was the image of America, the country that saved their ass a mere 15 years earlier. She makes this dumbfounded look when she says “and I looked at your father like this”

[When do we get liberated?]

Frankly if we were stuck with a Democrat this time around ( I am a Republican, so I get only one vote GO FRED!) I would rather see Obama than Hillary. At least he is only faking it. Hillary is just Stalin with mamary glands.

[Kickass Conservative]

I hate to disagree with the Ditech.com “People Are Smart” commercials, but this just proves that “People Are STUPID”.

[Kickass Conservative]

Has ANYONE asked Mr. Obama to defend the bill he sponsored in the Illinois Senate that lets a baby die on the table if it survives an attempted abortion?

After all, he is inspiring and so so compassionate.

[Schwaeky]

not to mention while JFK was a casualty of the cold war, his brother RFK was the first casualty of the war on terror, being shot by a Palestinian nationalist...