Dowd: Ow-bama

Just one of the many money quotes: That’s not how you beat anybody but Alan Keyes.

But it doesn't begin or end there.

For a man who couldn’t wait to inject himself into the national arena, and who has spent so much time writing books about himself, the senator is oddly put off by press inquisitiveness.

No fewer than three times last week, Mr. Obama got indignant about the beach-babe attention given to a shot of him in the Hawaiian surf ... He poses for the cover of Men’s Vogue and then gets huffy when people don’t treat him as Hannah Arendt.

After talking to high school journalists, he took a sniffy shot at the loutish reporters who were merely whispering where’s the beef: “Take some notes, guys, that’s how it’s done.”

When The Times’s Jeff Zeleny asked him on his plane whether he’d had a heater in his podium during his announcement speech in subzero Springfield, Mr. Obama hesitated. He shot Jeff a look that said, “Are you from People magazine?” before conceding that, unlike Abe Lincoln, he’d had a heater.

Take some notes, senator, that’s how it’s done.

... he’s so hung up on being seen as thoughtful that he sometimes comes across as too emotionally detached and cerebral with crowds yearning for an electric, visceral connection. J.F.K. mixed cool with fire.

The Illinois senator didn’t have on an implacable mask of amiability, as Hillary did in Iowa. He didn’t look happily in his element, like Bill Clinton.

the 45-year-old had moments of looking conflicted.

... he seemed a bit dazed by his baptism into the big-time.

He was a tad testy.

He was eloquent, if not as inspiring as his advance billing had prepared audiences to expect.

He sounded self-consciously pristine at times, as if he was too refined for the muck of politics. That’s not how you beat anybody but Alan Keyes.

I doubt we'll be seeing an apology anytime soon.

Comments

[splashtc]

"emotionally detached ..." I still cannot get past his wifes' statement - that he feels he can't go to the store without fear of being shot-alluding to race- he sat there agreeing with her. Whaaat?

[Darth Malice]

Hillary's minions at it again......Obama take care because Bill's ball n chain is coming after you.

[Fred Beloit]

Call me paranoid but I don't like seeing Obama jumped on this early by the MSM. All that means is that they may be trying their best to shore up the Hillster. Let's save the Obama bashing if necessary for the election, shall we?

[John]

Were Giuliani to win the Republican nomination, it looks like the 2008 general election campaign could be a national version of his race for mayor against David Dinkins. Whether that's the '89 or the '93 version remains to be seen (though if Obama does keep getting more Dinkins-like in his primary campaign, he's not winning the nomination from Hillary).

[Commenter]

My guess is that Dowd and the NYTimes are out to do some dirty work for Hillary. She saw all of the favorable press for Obama, and the negative press for her ridiculous answers regarding her war vote, and so her handlers called the NYTimes and asked them to try to stop the bleeding.

[Fred Beloit]

Sorry, Darth, I was typing while you were posting. Same idea.

[Darth Malice]

Fred I think everyone has come to the same conclusion.

[templar knight]

Hmm...I like it. Perhaps the Democrats are not as united as they would like everyone to think. And with the fur flying this early in the election cycle, one wonders if the Democratic primaries might be more brutal than expected. And the more brutal, the better, for the other side.

I wonder what Rob and all his sock puppets think about the Obama bashing by the NYT. Word up, Rob, and your minions.

[Darth Malice]

Knight Obama ain't seen nothing yet.

[Fred Beloit]

Yes, everyone seems to be on to the games they play these days. Can't wait to hear what Dan's pack of braying trolls have to say.

[Fred Beloit]

Sorry, Knight. Did it again. I type too slowly

[Mike G]

You're paranoid, Fred. I'd say the MSM is tired of the Obama-Annunciation-Into-Heaven story and is ready to put him to the test a little, take the story to the next phase. To the (considerable) extent they have partisan thoughts, it's that it won't do them any good to have an untested candidate; but don't discount sheer boredom with the current meme as a motivator for the press, either.

The most intriguing theory I've heard is that Obama-- a smoker, wonder who the last president who smoked cigarettes was-- is apparently chewing Nicorette like crazy and so he's going out there crabby and hair-trigger. (Or, to put it another way, with the charm cut down, his lack of substance becomes much more obvious.) The aides who thought this was the right week to give up sniffing glue should be the first casualty of the save-Barack effort....

[Fred Beloit]

You get an A for plausibility from me, Mike. But I don't think they are smart enough to make up a test for him. We'll see.

[BobInStamford]

You redneck 28%ers have nothing better than to smear Obama for - smoking?? Your leader's demented wife smokes, anyone care about that?? What a sad bunch of losers. One of you should be out plowing my driveway. Dumbasses...

[Darth Malice]

Bob we are not after Obama....Hildabeast is...we are just feeling sorry for the hell he is about to endure.

[Darth Malice]

Bob we are not after Obama....Hildabeast is...we are just feeling sorry for the hell he is about to endure.

[Fred Beloit]

Stamfordbob, congratulations for returning Lieberman to the Senate. Now good luck in getting rid of Dodd. Oh, just a little reminder, Dowd works for your party's newspaper, the NYT.

[BobInStamford]

Its sad that the only bright thing you sheep can point from Election 06 to is Ned Lamont losing - to a democrat. You 28%ers are irrelevant losers.

[Darth Malice]

Hey Bob the liberals are not obeying their Al-Quaeda masters yet?Why aren't the troops out?They told the Dems to get moving.

[BobInStamford]

Al-Quaeda masters? You dopes are getting dumber every day. How about doing something useful for a change - like finding those pesky WMDs or bin Laden or something.

[Miss Fanny]

Splashtc.... I second your emotion. I let out a big 'whoooph' when I heard that remark. BO just sat there smiling benignantly and knowingly as if to show that, 'Yes, running for president is, indeed, very dangerous for a black man. See my courage? Watch me shine.' ACK!!

[BobInStamford]

Wow, more conservative family values in action. At least she didn't kill someone like Laura did.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/02/14/scalia.daughter.ap/index.html

Carry on, cons.

[Purple Avenger]

"At least she didn't kill someone like Laura did."

Obama is a "he" Bob. I know the information transfer pipeline out to Orion's belt is slow, but I'd have thought you folks would have at least gotten that news by now.

[templar knight]

Wow, more moonbattery from Bob. I guess it was Laura who wrecked a car on a bridge, and left a poor woman to drown, Bobby. Bob's mixed up on his sexes again, Purple Avenger. He thinks Ted Kennedy is a she.

[BobInStamford]

No, she just managed to take out her boyfriend in a head-on. What are the odds?? And, to Purple Avenger, I am guessing that you didn't even make it out of grade school - such poor reading comprehension skills. Tsk, tsk.

[Fred Beloit]

Oh, Bobby, I hear Jodi Rell is going to raise your taxes. She's acting like a Democratic, just the way you like 'em.

[BobInStamford]

"She's acting like a Democratic" - geez are all of you cons idiots like your leader?

[templar knight]

Fred, Rob and his sock puppets have English as their second language. And since he is dead set against further education, we will just have to settle for what we get. Damn, talk about disappointment.

[Fred Beloit]

See Temp, I am just trying to accommodate the lefties, and look at the ingratitude. Here's the way it works. A Republican in the Congress is in the Republican Party. The Dems want us to call their Party the Democratic Party. That means one of them in Congress must be called a Democratic in Congress. This is too subtle for Bob so he doesn't get it and misunderstands the whole deal. He'll never make a smart Democratic.

[Fred Beloit]

By the way, Bob, enjoy paying your artificial Democratic tax increase.

[Fred Beloit]

Well, have to go now, Bob. Time for Fox News here in redneck land.

[Purple Avenger]

"What are the odds?"

Pre-shoulder belt and airbag era? Probably pretty good. Ask the swimmer. He didn't even need a head on to do it.

[BobInStamford]

You flat-earthers are so thick. Not the odds that the impact would kill poor Michael Douglas, the odds that it was in fact Laura's boyfriend that she plowed into. So dense...

[BobInStamford]

Democrat, Democratic?? Keep talking childish semantics, rednecks. That will be sure to distract everyone from that little adventure that you are losing in Iraq. Mission accomplished!

[Miss Fanny]

BobInStamford = Carl = Artie.

[Fred Beloit]

You know Bob, you are missing a great opportunity. You could have been a contender. You should have had a big brother who could have looked out for you a little bit, who wouldn't have sold you out for the short-end money and sent you on a one-way trip to palookaville. Did you ever hear of alliteration? No, of course not. You could have been a meat eater, kid. You could have been BobinBridgeport or DoninDanbury, or WillieinWestport, instead of a bum, which is what you are, let's face it. Alternatively, you could have been TominTrumbull or GreginGreenwich. But no, lame is your name. Too bad, kid.

[templar knight]

Fred, he did his best.

[Fred Beloit]

Sir Knight, it clearly wasn't good enough. Insults alone are just not very convincing, are they?

[Purple Avenger]

"you are losing in Iraq"

That's why Mookie just took a powder right?

[BobInStamford]

Aw, how nice, a few scared sheep found each other and made friends. Maybe you clowns can update each other on the daily terror level and when it's time to go out and get more duct tape. Stay the course, sheep!

[templar knight]

Fred, Bob's insults are not even good insults, much less convincing. You're overmatched, Bob, better call in Rob and his sock puppets. LOL!

[Fred Beloit]

You know, TK, I like Bob. He is brief, although of course not cogent. But anyway he doesn't repeat every exposed falsehood from the left since the last Presidential election, like so many on the left do. Even his insults, which make up the bulk of his posts, are brief. For example he uses "sheep" a lot. Good for him.