A Poster Child For Affirmative Action? For What?

Update: Geesh, even his wife has to be honest and admit "he hasn't done anything yet."

Given that Obama acknowledges that Affirmative Action may well have benefited him in his academic career, I wish someone could explain to me precisely what real world accomplishments of his make him such a "poster boy" for the practice?

From his disappointing community organizing efforts, his CAC time wasting millions of dollars, his I'm voting present from his Chicago days, what besides making himself popular has he actually accomplished?

Based upon the criteria being applied, I guess we might as well elect Paris Hilton as President. She's even better at making herself popular and has made more personal money from it to boot.

If getting in bed with Chicago's political machine, or excelling in demagogy to get oneself elected, without really being able to point to anything else significant and successful you've done, is accomplishment, I think we may have to revise what the term actually means.

Comments

[jharp]

Something's not working GOPers. And spin this, mark l.

"John McCain must now defy history. No candidate trailing in the Gallup poll at the end of October has ever won the Presidency since Gallup commenced polling (note - in the Truman-Dewey race, Gallup did not poll till the end of October.) Today Gallup has Obama leading by 10, 52-42 in both likely voter measures, the traditional and the expanded models."

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/11/1/13751/3792

[SacTownMan]

Dan, the simple answer to your question is that if you have 3/4 of a BILLION dollars to buy the presidency and have the press in your pocket experience doesn't matter for squat!

[jharp]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/111661/Gallup-Daily-Obama-52-McCain-42-Among-Likely-Voters.aspx

"I wish someone could explain to me precisely what real world accomplishments of his make him such a "poster boy" for the practice?"

How about winning a major party nomination for the highest office in the world.

And better yet he is well on his way to crushing the opposition party. A 10 point lead with 3 days to go! Boo yah!

Some accomplishment whether you like him or not.

President Barack Hussein Obama. Get used to it.

[jharp]

Hey SacTownMan,

How'd the data entry go Friday?

My golf game was pretty so so. Lost $21 on the first 18 but got $10 of it back on the last nine.

And the few brewskis turned into about 15, the day was lovely, and my right wing golfing buds have given up all hope for McCain.

[Fred Beloit]

More evidence that "journalists" supporting Obama are. well...crazy.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=729360

[Dan Riehl]

Gallup doesn't have a lock on the est voter model, jharp. Rasmussen, Zogy, and GWB all have it from 4 -5 with PA tightening.

Pick your poll but don't ignore the rest. For now, Gallup looks like the outlier. We'll see on Nov 4.

[Fred Beloit]

Dan writes: "Given that Obama acknowledges that Affirmative Action may well have benefited him in his academic career, I wish someone could explain to me precisely what real world accomplishments of his make him such a "poster boy" for the practice?"

Harpo seems to think that Affirmative Action (read anti-white bias) has something to do with nominations and elections. Not yet it doesn't:
"How about winning a major party nomination for the highest office in the world.
And better yet he is well on his way to crushing the opposition party. A 10 point lead with 3 days to go! Boo yah"

[jharp]

"with PA tightening"

You. Are a very funny guy.

Tightening from a 12% lead to a 10%?

And just curious. How do you think McCain can possibly come up with the 270 needed to win? Obama can lose Florida and Ohio and still kick his ass. And yet Obama is ahead in both of them.

[jharp]

For Dan.
Pennsylvania polls.

Mason Dixon 47% 43%
Ipsos 49% 44%
Rasmussen 53% 46%
Marist 55% 41%
Insider Advantage 51% 42%
CNN Time 55% 43%
Associated Press 52% 40%
Quinnipiac 53% 41%
Franklin Marshall 53% 40%
Temple 50% 41%
Survey USA 53% 41%
Big Ten 52% 41%
Strategic Vision 50% 43%
National Journal 51% 41%
Susquehanna 48% 40%
Muhlenberg 52% 40%

All of em. Every single one. Has Obama way ahead.

[jharp]

For those of you who believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, and think McCain has a chance in Pennsylvania.

Please take a look. It's gonna be a landslide!

http://www.pollster.com/polls/pa/08-pa-pres-ge-mvo.php

[Lala]

Obama graduated from Columbia College in 1983, and after spending a year in New York, moved to Chicago.

Wayne Allyn Root says, "I don't know a single person at Columbia that knows him, and they all know me. I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia. Ever! ... Nobody recalls him. I'm not exaggerating, I'm not kidding.

Questioner: Were you the exact same class?

Root: Class of '83 political science, pre-law Columbia University. You don't get more exact than that. Never met him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him. At the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, 20th reunion, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard of Barack! Who was he, and five years ago, nobody even knew who he was... the guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York, the macha who knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him. Is that not strange? It's very strange...

When asked about his undergraduate training at Columbia University, The New Times states that Obama "declined repeated requests to talk about his New York years, release his Columbia transcript or identify even a single fellow student, co-worker, roommate or friend from those years."

Many of his classmates don't remember Obama. He's not in the yearbook. Columbia couldn't find a picture of him at school.

What can be said with some certainty is that Mr. Obama lived off campus while at Columbia in 1981-83 and made few friends. Fox News contacted some 400 of his classmates and found no one who remembered him.

http://moneyrunner.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-questions-we-dont-have-documents.html

[North Dallas Thirty]

LOL.....notice how frantically jharp is screaming.

Probably because the news is breaking that Obama's beloved auntie, who he mentions in his books and gushes over and was present at his swearing-in as a Senator in 2004, is:

1) An illegal immigrant who was ordered to leave the country

2) Receiving public housing benefits and welfare, which is illegal for illegal immigrants and especially for those who were ordered to leave the country

3) Claiming to be employed by the Boston Housing Authority, which, since she is an illegal immigrant, is illegal employment, and which, since she was ordered to leave the country, means her background was not screened or flagged, which is also patently illegal.

4) Making campaign contributions to Barack Obama, which, given that she is not a US citizen, is completely illegal.

No wonder the Obama campaign tried to shut her up. And no wonder it took a UK newspaper to break the story.

[jharp]

Posted by: North Dallas Thirty | Saturday, November 01, 2008 at 03:41 PM

Yeah, that is some big story. Obama's estranged father's half sister is here illegally.

And did you know that Cindy McCain stole drugs from her own charity?

[Todd]

So no one can remember Barack Obama at Columbia? They sure can remember him at Harvard Law School as he was President of the Harvard Law Review.

But in Dan's Riehl World, being the first African-American to be President of Harvard Law Review doesn't count as a real world accomplishment. That's an accomplishment for anybody being in that position, but being the first African-American to achieve that coming from the South Side of Chicago.
Why is that not very impressive, Dan?

Oh, and by the way, a lot of people remember John McCain as a cadet at the Naval Academy. At the Academy, aside from being known as a "rowdy, raunchy, underachiever" who resented authority, Midshipman McCain became infamous as a leader among his fellow midshipmen for organizing "off-Yard activities" and hard drinking parties. Robert Timberg wrote in his book, The Nightingale's Song, that "being on liberty with John McCain was like being in a train wreck."

McCain's grades were "marginal." He drew so many demerits for breaking curfew and other discipline issues that he graduated fifth from the bottom of the class of 1958. Despite his low "class standing," and no doubt because of the influence of his family of famous Admirals, McCain was leap-frogged ahead of more qualified applicants and granted a coveted slot to be trained as a navy pilot.

John McCain ranked 894th out of 899 in his graduating year. And, that just goes to show you that what you did while you were in college doesn't preclude you from achieving major accomplishments later on in life. Or, does it Dan? Let's see you talk out of both sides of your mouth on this one if you dare to comment.

[mark l.]

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html

considering last election featured a 22% increase in turnout, relative to 16% increase for dems, I ain't sweating it.

on average 85% of poll respondents say they are going to vote.
last election cycle, the number was 55.3%.

polls are invariably made up of liars. I'm seeing the hype of obama bleeding out in the news, and the polls.
your problem, jharp, remains, who will actually turnout. The thing you must consider is that if the people who are 'voting' obama in the polls represent the larger group of people who respond, but wind up not voting, you will have yolk all over your face.

projected possible voters to draw from in 2004 was 222 million.

bush drew 28% from the total pool.
kerry drew 26.5% from the same pool.

polls are incapable of predicting what actual % will be drawn.

anecdotally?
I've seen numbers from 3 different very red counties, in various states which are tracking above 20% increase.

I am not seeing the same size increase in early vote in more democratic counties. on average they show a 12% increase. if there are any, I am extremely curious to see them.

if these turnout numbers pan out
mccain will draw 33.6% turnout, obama will draw 29.9%, respectively from the potential voter base. You are getting absolutely creamed by the rural areas margins, along with the sheer numbers.

if this turnout model holds, mccain will win, 53-47.

this is shaping up to be a rerun of the carter/reagan run of 80.

[mark l.]

"on average 85% of poll respondents say they are going to vote.
last election cycle, the number was 55.3%."

55.3% was the number of people who actually DID turnout.

[North Dallas Thirty]

But in Dan's Riehl World, being the first African-American to be President of Harvard Law Review doesn't count as a real world accomplishment. That's an accomplishment for anybody being in that position, but being the first African-American to achieve that coming from the South Side of Chicago.
Why is that not very impressive, Dan?

A few problems with that analysis:

1) Obama wasn't from the South Side of Chicago. He grew up in Hawaii and was educated in private schools

2) Obama has admitted that race-based affirmative action got him into Harvard.

3) The Harvard Law Review process isn't exactly based on accomplishments.

Mr. Obama was elected after a meeting of the review's 80 editors that convened Sunday and lasted until early this morning, a participant said.

"Until the 1970's the editors were picked on the basis of grades, and the president of the Law Review was the student with the highest academic rank. Among these were Elliot L. Richardson, the former Attorney General, and Irwin Griswold, a dean of the Harvard Law School and Solicitor General under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon.

That system came under attack in the 1970's and was replaced by a program in which about half the editors are chosen for their grades and the other half are chosen by fellow students after a special writing competition. The new system, disputed when it began, was meant to help insure that minority students became editors of The Law Review.

Harvard, like a number of other top law schools, no longer ranks its law students for any purpose including a guide to recruiters."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DC1631F935A35751C0A966958260&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FO%2FObama%2C%20Barack

"And, that just goes to show you that what you did while you were in college doesn't preclude you from achieving major accomplishments later on in life. Or, does it Dan? Let's see you talk out of both sides of your mouth on this one if you dare to comment."

Isn't it amazing how the Obamaites, which previously insisted that no one who had less than an Ivy League education was worth anything or had any intelligence, are now flip-flopping and claiming that college aptitude is no sign of success?

Furthermore, since they now admit that college aptitude is no sign of success, will they admit that Obama's affirmative-action stint at Harvard is meaningless as well?

[North Dallas Thirty]

By the bye, we also see now that the Obama campaign and its workers are not only engaging in voter fraud, but are also attempting to perpetuate it in their roles as supposedly-impartial poll judges.

To whit:

"Two Obama campaign workers suspected of voting here illegally have withdrawn their ballots, prompting the Columbiana County elections board to drop its investigation.

Molly Thompson and Peter Grant Jr., both of whom are from other states, submitted separate letters Friday asking the elections board to withdraw the registration and ballots they cast on Sept. 30......

At issue is Ohio's election law that allows new county residents to register to vote up to 30 days prior to an election. However, the law denies residency status for voting if the applicant came into the county "for temporary purposes only, without the intention of making such county the permanent place of abode."

Thompson, 30, of Charlotte, N.C., and Grant, 23, of Bellevue, Wash., both live with local "host" families while in the county working for the Obama campaign. On their voter registration applications they listed the host families as their new residence........

The local host for Thompson is Bea Delpapa, of state Route 517, Lisbon, who serves as the presiding poll worker at her precinct. Delpapa wrote a letter to editor that ran several weeks ago criticizing Johnson for suggesting the Obama campaign was engaging in voter fraud, which he now finds ironic considering what has occurred.........

Delpapa said she didn't know Thompson had even voted locally until the story hit the local papers earlier in the week after a complaint was filed by Nancy Cope, secretary of the county Republican Party.

Secondly, Delpapa said she was unaware of the law because it has never been brought up by elections board staff during any of the poll worker training sessions she attended."

http://www.morningjournalnews.com/page/content.detail/id/506245.html?nav=5006

Right. She just thought that people who had never lived in Ohio, had no intention of staying in Ohio, and were in fact living as guests in her house had the right to vote in Ohio.

Wonder if she had a bunch of "family members" move in just in time to cast fraudulent ballots?

Better yet, why is the Obama campaign encouraging its workers to cast fraudulent ballots?

[mark l.]

jharp-

national elections usaully answer a specific question.

In 2004, it was referendum on Iraq and our mistakes, bush still won, with increased turnout. He didn't max out on his potential, as the were people who are inhenrently conservative and opposed any military action outside the US.

The question that is going to be asked and decided by the electorate is largely a question of which candidate is better for the futre of the country.

It will come down to a choice between a experienced war veteran with rather conservative ideas and history, against an inexperienced african american candidate who is being portrayed as a socialist, and has done very little to dispell the belief.

new voters? love em. record turnout? doesn't happen unless white voters turnout in record.
what is mccain's largest advantage in net votes? white voters.

you are in the awkward position of needing low turnout, where I am in the position of wanting massive turnout.

more white voters at the polls? the more mccains net lead increases...regardless of waht exit polls will tell you.

[jharp]

if these turnout numbers pan out
mccain will draw 33.6% turnout, obama will draw 29.9%, respectively from the potential voter base. You are getting absolutely creamed by the rural areas margins, along with the sheer numbers.

if this turnout model holds, mccain will win, 53-47.

this is shaping up to be a rerun of the carter/reagan run of 80.

Posted by: mark l. | Saturday, November 01, 2008 at 04:09 PM

First, you are an idiot.

Second, you ought to start your own poll. There is money to be made in being the most accurate pollster.

I recommend taking a statistics class and learning about the science of polling before you embark.

Pretty entertaining watching you post in desperation. A few days ago you were touting Gallup as being down to 2 points and lo and behold Gallup has the right number!

Then today Gallup has Obama up ten and they are no longer credible.

It's over and if you care to prove me wrong let's see some electoral numbers. PA? Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

[jharp]

you are in the awkward position of needing low turnout, where I am in the position of wanting massive turnout.

more white voters at the polls? the more mccains net lead increases...regardless of waht exit polls will tell you.

Posted by: mark l. | Saturday, November 01, 2008 at 04:30 PM

You trying to out stupid your last post. mark l?

Massive turnout favors McCain? Tell me you dumbshit, how you came up with this?

And pulling things out of ones ass is not a scientific poll.

[mark l.]

"TO be honest, there's nothing I want to talk about less than politics. I'd rather vomit and lick it up. I like Obama, but he's not gonna win. Trust me, I know my people." - Chrissie Hynde

native of Ohio(author of limbaugh's theme)

"Trust me, I know my people."

trust me, jharp, the polls have never asked a question like this before.

[jharp]

"TO be honest, there's nothing I want to talk about less than politics. I'd rather vomit and lick it up. I like Obama, but he's not gonna win. Trust me, I know my people." - Chrissie Hynde

native of Ohio(author of limbaugh's theme)

"Trust me, I know my people."

trust me, jharp, the polls have never asked a question like this before.

Posted by: mark l. | Saturday, November 01, 2008 at 04:39 PM

Now we have it, mark l's polling model.

Sample size is one. A rock musician from Ohio who has lived in Europe for most of the past thirty years.

You are one of the stupidest posters I have ever encountered.

[jharp]

Oh, and mark l, don't forget to watch your moron VP candidate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbEwKcs-7Hc&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/

[mark l.]

"Now we have it, mark l's polling model."

one of infinite possiblities.

Let me clarify for you...

28 out of 100 voters, voted for bush in 04. In 2000 he drew 24.5 out of a 100.
kerry got 26.5 out of 100. In 2000 gore recieved 24.8 votes out of 100.

The lesson is that turnout, which not predicted has more of an effect than polling %.

The 72 out of 100 who do not vote, you are acribing the belief that they will leap on the chance to vote obama and increase his % of the voting population. The people who would inherently be inclined to do so, are largely paricpating in votes and the dems/libs are tapped out.

If mccain simply draws 3 or 4 voters in from among the 72 who don't usually vote, it will be a crushing defeat for obama. This pool of voters is largely white, low education voters. they don't even understnad the party system, or have no wish to particpate.

The press has made the media environment friendly to obama and liberalism, but in doing so, allowed him NOT to run as a moderate. Kerry had far broader acceptance among new voters becuase he was forced by the media to be a moderate.

when you see a number like 23% of texans believe obama is a muslim, you should shudder at the ramifications.

[jharp]

mark l,

You are one of the dumbest posters I have ever come across.

Have you ever heard of the polling of likely voters? Registered voters?

I feel dumber for even communicating with you.

[SacTownMan]

"You are one of the dumbest posters I have ever come across."

Oh come on Harpo just look in the mirror sometime!

"I feel dumber for even communicating with you."

Not possible our "Banned One" friend you are already dumber than a rock!

Just ask the folks over Pattericos!

[jharp]

Not possible our "Banned One" friend you are already dumber than a rock!

Just ask the folks over Pattericos!

Posted by: SacTownMan | Saturday, November 01, 2008 at 06:22 PM

Our data entry clerk chimes in with more meaningless drivel.

[mark l.]

"I feel dumber for even communicating with you."

yes I am feeding off your brain power.

[jharp]

For mark l, the dumbest poll pundit I have ever encountered.

And wrong on EVERYTHING.

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/013454.php

Is Obama benefitting from a late wave over the weekend? Gallup’s poll shows him now out to a ten-point lead amongst likely voters in both of their LV models, with McCain falling back to 42%.

Barack Obama leads John McCain in Gallup Poll Daily tracking interviewing conducted Wednesday through Friday by an identical 52% to 42% margin among both traditional likely voters and expanded likely voters. Obama leads by a similar 52% to 41% margin among all registered voters.

And about the chances that this could be a late-breaking wave washing over the GOP?

The average Obama lead over McCain among traditional likely voters since Oct. 6 has been five points, but that lead has expanded over the last several day's reports, and Obama's current 52-42% lead among this group is the largest to date.

And has the larger turnout and early voting played a large part in this? Yes.

Gallup has increased its estimate of turnout in the election slightly to 64% (from the previous 60%), based on internal calculations which point toward the higher turnout number, and this 64% estimate is reflected in the traditional likely voter calculations.

Gallup's interviewing conducted Wednesday through Friday shows that 27% of registered voters who plan to vote have already voted. The trend in early voting has trended consistently upward on a day to day basis, moving from 7% of registered voters, who had already voted during the period of Oct. 17-19, to the current estimate of 27%. Another 8% of registered voters still indicate that they plan on voting before Election Day itself. The vote choices of these early voters -- all of whom are included in the likely voter pool since they are definite voters -- skew more toward Barack Obama than the sample average. Thus, more and more of these Obama-oriented voters' choices are being "locked in" to the likely voter pool through early voting, benefiting Obama.

A 64% turnout? If true, that would be the largest turnout in a century.

[Winston O'Boogie]

Harpie and all the rest of you Obama folks - yeah, Obama will win with 100% of the vote. No need for you or any of your pointy headed friends to show up. Stay home and hone your cone for the party.

In fact, I heard the Democrat party is STRONGLY supporting LATE voting. You folks feel free to come in on Wednesday, 5 Nov 2008 and vote as often as you like. We concede. Just be sure to vote on the 5th so that all your votes are counted.

Those dumb Rethuglicans...voting early. Like they can win.

Ha Ha Ha

Winston

[AdrianS]

All McCain ads are FULL STEAM AHEAD: Check-out the new ads from LET FREEDOM RING at
http://www.letfreedomringusa.com/pages/election-2008-tv-spots.

Let’s ELECT John McCain … Commander-In-Chief of the United States.

[MarkJ]

jharp,

Something to think about: in my town, there long been Obama signs in front yards. However, interestingly, I've noticed large numbers of McCain signs popping up in the past several weeks. Even more intriguing is the sheer number of yards that have signs for Democrat "down ticket" candidates...but none for Obama. Most interesting of all, there are lots of yards that have no signs whatsoever.

What does this mean? Well, I won't presume to be a mind-reader. But, at least in my locale, I get the distinct feeling that:

a) there's going to be a lot of ticket-splitting among relatively conservative, middle-class "Hillary Democrats" who like their local and state guys, but who, conversely, are wary of Obama.

b) many people aren't advertising their political affiliations. This is likely bad news for Obama because, hey, if they couldn't wait to get on board the Obama Love Train, you'd think they'd be screaming this out to the world.

Guess we'll see if I'm right next Tuesday, won't we?

[jharp]

MarkJ,

Something to think about.

I live in Indiana amongst the racist bible and gun clingers.

In my town the McCain signs are coming down and being replace by Obama signs. In my neighborhood alone I counted 10 Obama signs to 2 for McCain.

Go figure. I suspect it's because of that retard Palin. Her stupidity is too tough to ignore.

And you are a fool to believe any of your observations mean anything.

[Todd]

"when you see a number like 23% of texans believe obama is a muslim, you should shudder at the ramifications."

I already have shuddered from the ramifications. Texans gave us George W. Bush as president, sending our country on the road to ruin. Obviously, 23% of Texans are total dumb-asses, just like the moron they stuck us with for 8 miserable years. Even dafter than the average Alaskan hockey-mom !

[saint]

While we don't have a dog in this fight, many of us in Australia would agree with you.

A must read from the best essayist in the Aussie blogosphere in the contest between the man of valour and the six billion dollar man.

http://thenewcurrencylad.blogspot.com/2008/11/american-d.html