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Obama's Stock Was Topping Even Pre-Palin
IBD Editorials ^ | September 11, 2008 | CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER

Posted on 09/11/2008 6:13:51 PM PDT by Kaslin

The Democrats are in a panic. In a presidential race that is impossible to lose, they are behind. Obama devotees are frantically giving advice. Tom Friedman tells him to "start slamming down some phones." Camille Paglia suggests, "Be boring!"

Meanwhile, a posse of Democratic lawyers, mainstream reporters, lefty bloggers and various other Obamaphiles are scouring the vast tundra of Alaska for something, anything, to bring down Sarah Palin: her daughter's pregnancy, her ex-brother-in-law problem, her $60 per diem, and now her religion. (CNN reports — news flash! — that she apparently has never spoken in tongues.)

Not since Henry II asked if no one would rid him of his turbulent priest, have so many so urgently volunteered for duty.

But Palin is not just a problem for Obama. She is also a symptom of what ails him. Before Palin, Obama was the ultimate celebrity candidate. For no presidential nominee in living memory had the gap between adulation and achievement been so great.

Which is why McCain's Paris Hilton ads struck such a nerve. Obama's meteoric rise was based not on issues — there was not a dime's worth of difference between him and Hillary on issues — but on narrative, on eloquence, on charisma.

The unease at the Denver convention, the feeling of buyer's remorse, was the Democrats' realization that the arc of Obama's celebrity had peaked and had now entered a period of its steepest decline. That Palin could so instantly steal the celebrity spotlight is a reflection of that decline.

It was inevitable. Obama had managed to stay aloft for four full years. But no one can levitate forever.

Five speeches map Obama's trajectory.

(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008dncconvention; mccainpalin; obamabiden; obamamessiah
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1 posted on 09/11/2008 6:13:51 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Obama's stock has tanked. Sarah's stock has surged.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

2 posted on 09/11/2008 6:23:21 PM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Kaslin
This race is over. Even if he asked Hillary to be VP...which she would never agree to after his sexist displays...he will never get into the WH. He needs to learn more about the America that he claims is his home. Book learnin’ ain't everything it's cracked up to be if you don't apply it to real life.
3 posted on 09/11/2008 6:24:04 PM PDT by Earthdweller (Socialism makes you feel better about oppressing people.....)
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To: Kaslin
Going,going gone! Krauthammer hit that one out of the park.
4 posted on 09/11/2008 6:24:40 PM PDT by appleharvey
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To: Kaslin

I don’t think Palin is getting enough credit here. Don’t lump her with snObama.


5 posted on 09/11/2008 6:24:52 PM PDT by Boardwalk
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To: Kaslin

"The grandiosity had become bizarre."

6 posted on 09/11/2008 6:26:38 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: Kaslin

The MSM got too far ahead of the voters and inflated Obama beyond his true worth and then sat around scratching their heads wondering why the electorate wasn’t bringing up the rear.


7 posted on 09/11/2008 6:26:41 PM PDT by umgud
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To: Kaslin
IBD pegs the Germany speech as Barack Unabama's peak. However, they don't offer enough credit to Steve Schmidt's Celebrity ad for Team McCain. That as much as anything made people look at obama in a more negative way.
8 posted on 09/11/2008 6:27:29 PM PDT by Vision Thing (obambi vs. McZilla)
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To: Kaslin

Sarah is more than the celebrity of the moment. Charles says “Reagan’s revolution was rooted in concrete political ideas (supply-side economics, welfare-state deregulation, national strength) that transcended one man.”
I say Sarah’s revolution is rooted in concrete ideas too(sanctity of life, supply side economics,national strength and most of all, like Ronald Reagan a sincere LOVE OF AMERICA AND HER PEOPLE) that transcends the woman.....and the people sense it....


9 posted on 09/11/2008 6:28:47 PM PDT by UltraKonservativen (( YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID!!!))
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To: Kaslin

This is a well-written piece. Very clear and no puffery. Wish more analysis was like this.


10 posted on 09/11/2008 6:31:55 PM PDT by avenir
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To: Earthdweller

I agree it’s over for Obama, but Hillary? She’d jump on a broomstick in a heartbeat to get her fat ass back in the limelight.


11 posted on 09/11/2008 6:32:17 PM PDT by budwiesest (I lived in Alaska, and I approve of this message.)
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To: Vision Thing

IBD didn’t write the editorial, Charles Krauthammer did. And the editorial is about the empty suit and not Governor Palin


12 posted on 09/11/2008 6:32:21 PM PDT by Kaslin (Vote Democrat if you like high gas prices at the pump)
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To: UltraKonservativen

Kraut is one of the smartest guys on earth but he is slow to the dance this time. He was a grotchety old fart when Sarah was picked. Perturbed was a word invented for his face the day of Sarah’s RNC speech. But at least he is on board now. Sorta.

SARAH ROCKS CHARLIE BOY!!!! She might not come with an ivy league education and proper ‘credentials”. But you’ll get over it if you take an alka seltzer can call us the morning of Nov 5th.


13 posted on 09/11/2008 6:33:32 PM PDT by TurtleStink
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To: umgud
The MSM got too far ahead of the voters

He peaked just before his "European Tour".

No celebrity can keep on top for their entire lifetime. The only ones that I can recall that retained their popularity until the end were the Beatles and Obama you ain't no Beatle.

It's inevitable that when you get too big too fast people will eventually turn on you, OHB is seeing that now. Once people turn you can hit rock bottom fast and never recover, just ask Michael Jackson.

14 posted on 09/11/2008 6:33:50 PM PDT by softwarecreator
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To: avenir

Obama is a fraud, a charlatan, a shyster who comes out of Chicago machine politics. There is no way this fool is going to be the next POTUS.


15 posted on 09/11/2008 6:35:52 PM PDT by Signalman
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To: budwiesest

No way..her followers would not come back to her...they think ...no, they know Obama is a sexist.


16 posted on 09/11/2008 6:36:39 PM PDT by Earthdweller (Socialism makes you feel better about oppressing people.....)
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To: goldstategop
Obama's stock has tanked. Sarah's stock has surged.

There's good reason for that aside from the personality factors that Krauthammer discusses:

Obama is clearly a leftist, and as his history and connections were revealed, people came to realize that. Palin, by contrast, is a most definitively a conservative, and a novelty in that she is a new conservative woman who is physically attractive and able to more than hold her own in defending her positions.

The left has almost nothing new to offer, other than failed ideas of the past. Most Americans define themselves as conservatives, and those conservatives, after having been let down for years by Washington, were desperate for a new hero or heroine. Palin has come along at just the right time to fill that role.

17 posted on 09/11/2008 6:37:50 PM PDT by justiceseeker93
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To: TurtleStink

Kraut is one of the smartest guys on earth but he is slow to the dance this time. He was a grotchety old fart when Sarah was picked. Perturbed was a word invented for his face the day of Sarah’s RNC speech. But at least he is on board now. Sorta.
.............

Yes indeed. He still sounds pretty cool on her. I wonder why.


18 posted on 09/11/2008 6:37:56 PM PDT by Nipfan
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To: Kaslin
The race is not over. When LS, and who would know better, tells us here "forget Michigan", and you tell me to forget New York, California and so many others, then I'm thinking the RATS could run a Manson/Kaczynski ticket and they'd get all those mentioned above, plus Illinois, where there are lots of Polacks, and all the municipalities across the land named Pulaski and Kosciuszko to boot!

I'm nervous like a Nellie, and don't know what's wrong with this country where an empty suit, a Chauncey Gardiner can run and win and win easily. And this Chauncey Gardiner only pretends to be a simple gardener while he associates with Trotskyite bombers. What's going on, Marvin Gaye?

19 posted on 09/11/2008 6:39:36 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Are you ready to pray for Teddy?)
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To: Vision Thing

Steve Schmidt= genius

After McCain-Palin wins he will get credit as main architect of the success


20 posted on 09/11/2008 6:44:08 PM PDT by dennisw (Never bet on a false prophet! ::::::|::::: Never bet on Islam!)
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