Obama's Defense Against the Noise Machine and Other Things That Don't Add Up

In May 2005, Vanity Fair published a brilliant article about the '04 election and the Republican Noise Machine, by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. - The Disinformation Society [PDF].

I was thinking about what Obama said on Face The Nation today that "he didn't expect immunity from Republican attacks, but could diffuse them with his message of unity and capacity to surmount party divides," and wondering if he is really that clueless about how the Republican Noise Machine really works?

"I think that creates a different climate," Obama said, like warm and sunny optimism will diffuse the onslaught. I just got to say though, does he actually think that they will care about his "message of unity"? Good gracious. Someone needs to throw this man a lifeline before he sinks us all.

Obama's bright and woefully misplaced optimism came coupled with his usual doublespeak about how "Republicans consider her [Clinton] a polarizing figure." And I am just curious why no one ever says: you know Mr. Obama, when you say that you are creating polar-ism within your own party.

Obama's statements on Face The Nation were in response to comments Hillary Clinton made on This Week, where she "questioned Obama's capacity to weather Republican attacks in November's general election."

"Frankly, you know, in his prior election in Illinois, Senator Obama didn't face anyone who ran attack ads against him. He ran against a very weak opponent, without resources or credibility," she told ABC's This Week show.

"I've been taking the incoming fire from Republicans for about 16 years now, and I'm still here, because I have been vetted, I have been tested," she said.

Maybe I am just too cynical to "join" the happy "hope" and "unity" club that is the Obama movement and I feel more comfortable grounded in the reality that Hillary Clinton has been tested, she has been vetted and she has stood her ground with the Noise Machine for 16 years. "Join" they say - but some of us want a leader, not a club.

John Kerry didn't see the Swift Boaters coming. He thought, like Obama does now that positive message about hope would get us through the '04 election. It didn't quite work that way. They will come for Barack Obama if he is the nominee with both barrels of the Noise Machine blaring.

And the truth is even if Republican's do find Obama appealing now, they are in fact harboring the hope that "he can reach beyond his ideology," and "demonstrate his independence from liberal orthodoxy." In other words, the pressure will be on Obama, if he manages to become our next president, to give up his progressive, liberal ways (which already aren't all that progressive anyway). As it is, Obama has already set himself up for a war the Republicans on health care because of his stubborn thinking on mandates:

If Mr. Obama gets to the White House and tries to achieve universal coverage, he'll find that it can't be done without mandates -- but if he tries to institute mandates, the enemies of reform will use his own words against him.

And that's just one issue that Obama's stance doesn't quite add up, but it's one we've been fighting for, for far too long. So, if you want universal health-care to become a reality, think about this from Paul Krugman:

If you combine the economic analysis with these political realities, here's what I think it says: If Mrs. Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, there is some chance -- nobody knows how big -- that we'll get universal health care in the next administration. If Mr. Obama gets the nomination, it just won't happen.

The bottom line... the kumbayas and "yes we can"s won't keep the Noise Machine at bay and neither will they ensure that we'll have a happy bi-partisan Congress making all our dreams come true. It just won't happen.

There will be no "Getting Past the '60s" regardless of what Obama says now to the throngs that turn out to be part of the movement. The divisions will remain and in reality we will find that, "a President Obama could no more magically transcend America's '60s-born divisions than McCarthy, Kennedy, Nixon or McGovern could, for the simple reason that our society is defined as much by its arguments as by its agreements."

There is no escaping the '60's it appears, even for Barack Obama.

And going full circle back to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., one simply needs to read his article linked above to understand why he chose to follow a different path from the one other Kennedys have followed in supporting Barack Obama (now including Maria Shriver). Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., understands full well the power of the Republican Noise Machine and he clearly gets that Hillary Clinton is the one to beat them at their own game.

Obama's defense against the Noise Machine doesn't wash and there's too damn much that doesn't add up.

This post first appeared here.

Comments

[LeoMarvin]

So you understand the Republican Noise Machine better than Barack does?

What arrogance.

[vipersdad]

Oh and one more thing.....

Clinton was "inevitable" just a few months ago. Barack has closed the gap and now it's a dead heat (so the polls say).

So - if she's so all-fired good and able to beat the Repubs with one hand tied behind her back....Why can't she fend off this "pesky" and "naieve" youngster? Hmmmmm....

[vipersdad]

nothing wrong with dreams - ask the New York Giants.

I see the Clinton Camp talking about the politics of 'change' on one hand, then turning a 180 and talking about how they can use their 'experience' as Washington Insiders to win the election.

Which is it? You are going to use these terrible powers ONLY for good?
Look at what's happened thus far. Obama was counted out...Hillary was "inevitable." Maybe Barack has tapped into something that is different and that the Rove's of the world have not formulated attacks for.

they have a playbook for running against "The Clintons." That's why they want to match up against her.

[christianhypocrites]

70% of the country doesn't pay attention to the Right Wing Noise Machine. The other 30% is made up of right wingers and Hillary supporters. It may be easy to forget, since they are doing the President's bidding right now, that despite the RWNM in full gear in 2006, Democrats managed to win both houses of Congress.

Choice 1: "Yes, We Can" -- Americans can, have, and will rise above the gutter politics of lies and fear.

Choice 2: "Yes, She Can" -- Hillary will protect us all from the evil Right Wing Noise Machine by fighting them in their own gutter

I am tired of the scare tactics of the RW government and I am tired of people trying to scare me into voting for Hillary. That is why I voted for Obama today.

[MsObvious]

thank you for voicing some of my concerns especially about Obama's remarks creating polar-ism within his own party. I felt his cocksure remarks"Clinton supporters would vote for him but the reverse would not be true." is a bit divisive - wouldn't he be willing or motivated to unite the party by urging his followers to throw their support to the democratic candidate chosen by the party membership?

[JackWOrf]

Hillary desperately needs to go negative. She needs to cut thru some
of this happy BS that Obama is blathering on the airwaves.

First thing I would do would be to DEMOLISH the Obama ads where he has
the unmitigated GALL to compare himself with JFK. This is CLASSIC!
This is the equivalent of Michael Dukakis riding in that tank.
Remember that?

Yes, Hillary has no choice but to go negative and should have a couple
days ago.

And what about all that bullshit about the South Side of Chicago.
There aint no angels on the South Side of Chicago. Obama probably has
a ton of skeletons in his closet. Jessie Jackson, Mayor Daley,
slumlords. Those are residents of the South Side.

These are things that Rush Limbaugh and the Republicans will do. I can see them making an ad with JFK and Obama pictured as a monkey. Would serve him right.

I'm really annoyed with the Kennedy's prostituting the image of JFK. I hope others are as well.

[detriangulation]

Speaking of the Noise Machine, 2 familiar Clinton stunts used (effectively?) in New Hampshire are repeating themselves in Connecticut. Clinton "teared up" yesterday, and today the National Organization for Woman of Connecticut (NOW) sent a libelously misleading e-mail trying to claim once more that Obama is weak on abortion rights. These gross distortions of Obama's 100% pro-choice legislative record have already been repudiated by Planned Parenthood of Illinios. There's also Marcia Pappas's despicable rant that Clinton has refused to distance herself from. The Clinton campaign and its proxies are so desperate and unprincipled that they will actually pit NOW against Planned Parenthood and NARAL in a Democratic primary! Step back and consider how insane that is! And they're willing to do it by twisting a non-existent contrast on abortion into a gender wedge issue. It's absolutely LUDICROUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hrayovac]

What you are missing, Pamela:

In the past the nominees of the party have been compromised either by demands made upon them by powerful donors or compromised by the sins of their own power acquistion. They were vulnerable to attacks. It's a form of blackmail and fear that keeps the Kerrys and Clinton from being what they should be.

You are assuming Obama comes from the same factory that ultimately is the cause of gridlock. Wrong.

I don't see him running from any one of the attacks lobbed so far. It will get uglier but it won't work the way you project.

Remember what they said so far:
Not a chance.
Not black enough.
Not progressive enough.
Too nice.
Inexperienced and naive.
Sexist.
Knew a guy who was indicted (Whitwater revisited).
Too angry..(that's my preview, sorry).

[lgillooly]

I totally agree with you.They will tear him to shreds. Clinton/Obama 08 is the way to go!

[ConcernAmerican]

Hillary will be the nominee for the democratic party. Her biggest support is with the democratic base and some social conservative republicans voting for her today and independents. Obama is too far from progressive.

Obama is too liberal for some republicans and independent voters. NH is good example how independent voters will cast their vote, a surge for McCain is a loss for Obama.

[misspennylane]

I was an Edwards supporter; now I'm going to caucus for Hillary. Obama was and and is an empty suit who won't fight for anything. I'm truly impressed at the gullibility of his believers. He would NEVER go out on a limb for anything but his own career.

[apcalc]

I think Pat Buchanan is right. It'll take only a short time for the Republicans to knock down Obama to his knees.

Sometimes I think Obama is this round's Ralph Nader. The liberal idealists dream about what they want, not realizing that they are playing into the Republican's hands.

Toay's faint praise for Obama from some Republican commentators will turn harsh and angry once the Republican character assasination team joins the battlefield.

I just can't see how Republicans hurt Hillary Clinton. She has fought them and has withstood anything they can throw at her. The public at large will have no tolerance for rehashing Whitewater, Vince Foster, blah, blah,blah.

[Micaanab]

Lets face the facts here. There are many Democrats that are ok with obama but they want Clinton. Then there are Democrats that can't stand Clinton but liked either Edwards or Obama. This was evident when Edwards dropped out. Obama picked up most all of Edwards supporters. Studies showed a huge number of Edwards supporters were white males. You can call it chauvinist, you can call it whatever you want. The fact is Obama will have more of the democrats supporting him than Clinton will. So who has a better chance of defeating the republicans? Do we want 4 more years of Republican screw ups? Obama is also picking up alot of new voters. These voters are not as easily swayed by the republican noise.

[vsign]

The internet is giving Barack Obama too much influence.
I think the new technologies are propelling an unproven and unprepared candidate to leadership on the world stage. As voters we need to be smarter. I compare it to germany when the new technologies of the microphone, radio, film propelled a man to the world stage because the people thought him superior. Be very careful of unintended consequences.

[ATLiberal]

The way you tell it, Obama just hatched from an egg and is downey soft with nary the feather of a real grown up bird. Please.

Mr. Obama cur his political teeth in Chicago. Last I heard, there is some pretty good bare knuckles political fighting going on in that town.