Obama: Is He Tough Enough to be President?

Or to put it another way is Senator Barack Obama too nice a person to fight aggressively against his opponents to capture the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008?

The first term senator from Illinois, who told the New York Times last Sunday that it was "time to distinguish himself from Hillary Clinton" did not seem in top fighting form in last night's Democratic presidential debate in Philadelphia at Drexel University.

Watching the debate I kept waiting for the zingers from the Harvard Law graduate against his front-running opponent Senator Clinton. Obama seemed too restrained. Or to put it another way he was too polite to the candidate who is widening her lead over him in national opinion polls.

It did not appear at last night's debate that Obama really cut into Hillary's lead. He was articulate and on top of the issues but he has to move more aggressively against Senator Clinton and her positions and her character if he hopes to make any movement in the polls.

While Obama seemed composed -- too composed I would guess for many of his supporters -- former Senator John Edwards was the most outspoken against Hillary in the debate. Time after time Edwards questioned the New York senator's stands on issues from Iraq to the latest resolution on Iran to flip-flopping on Social Security caps to allowing illegal immigrants in New York to receive driver's licenses.

It seemed as if Edwards was the one who had given the interview to the New York Times last Sunday and not Barack Obama. Edwards took a page out of Obama's strategy book and played it to the hilt. Edwards scored some points against Hillary and that is the name of the game at this point as the first caucuses and primaries loom in the background.

Obama's supporters and fundraisers are looking for some fireworks. Hillary is too composed and her campaign too programmed to make a serious mistake so the only other way to cut her lead is for the other Democratic candidates to show some spark, some new ideas, and to attack her for some of her less popular positions.

What has happened to the "rock star" Obama that shot out of the gate so gracefully when he announced for president? It is good to be the candidate of hope but when your opponent is ahead of you by more than 20 points in national polls you have to be more forceful discussing your differences with her.

Obama, take off the gloves and really show you want to win this nomination and that you would be a much better general election candidate than Hillary. Stress over and over how you can win Independent and Republican voters and how you do not have high negatives like Hillary. Continue to show your good sense of humor and your personality that is not so controlled as that of the Democratic frontrunner.

Obama, you still have time to turn things around but time is moving quickly. Stop the train of inevitability that Hillary and her campaign are trying to ride to the nomination. Shout out every day that the race is still wide open and that the New York senator does not yet have it locked up.

Say you are the candidate of change over and over again and do not be afraid to upset Clinton. It is your best chance to win by throwing her well- orchestrated campaign off stride. Try and shake up her composure. The campaign is getting somewhat boring so you need something new and different to change things around or you will lose the nomination.

Kudos to John Edwards for his aggressive stance against Senator Clinton in last night's MSNBC debate. He did what was necessary. He challenged the frontrunner and scored some points.

Also another good performance by Senator Joe Biden. He was clever, blunt and persuasive in his views. He continues to be the candidate who stresses his honesty on foreign policy issues. He needs to be listened to more by the voters.

And, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson must be trying to be the nice moderator of the group by coming to Hillary's defense. Governor Richardson, she can take care of herself and it looked out of place standing up for her and by association knocking down the other candidates for challenging her. You should also be challenging her more if you want to win the nomination.

Did anyone think a debate about the serious issues of the day would end talking about drivers licenses for illegal immigrants in New York State? And, I won't even touch the absurdity of Congressman Kucinich's assertion about seeing a UFO.

A livelier debate for sure than the previous ones but Obama did not live up to his new more forceful challenge to Hillary.

Obama needs to let the Democratic primary voters and caucus goers know that he has the fire in his belly to want to be president. The Democratic voters know Hillary has that fire and passion to win.

Obama, be the rock star you can be... and take off the gloves. You might even capture the nomination. It is not yet too late but the clock is ticking...

Comments

[MPeter]

Obama is classy candidate who applies intelligence where old school politicians have roiled emotions and sliced and diced. He is a uniter who thinks before he utters a word. He is honest to a tee. What a great President he will make. Imagine a President who listens and thinks at the same time!

[meese]

I'm not sure whether to take the question seriously or not. Is Obama tough enough?

This is a guy who grew up poor, in a single-parent home that didn't even have his single parent around for much of it. This is a guy who worked his way up to become the president of the Harvard Law Review, a state senator, and a US senator. This is a guy who (literally) dodged bullets as he worked for poor folks in the slums of Chicago, when he could have made 10 times the money at some law firm. This is a guy who has faced impossible odds in every aspect of his life, both personal and political, and still succeeded.

I don't know if the question even makes sense now...

[starrianna]

ANSWER: As Whitney Houston would say,

"HELL TO THE NO!"

Anyone who dances like "I Dream of Jeannie" on ELLEN isn't tough enough.

[jsarets]

Here's my top three important issues in selecting a candidate:

1) Ability to attack Hillary Clinton
2) UFO sightings
3) Pledge to start WWIII

Say what you want about Tim, Brian, and the folks at MSNBC, but you have to admit they do a outstanding debate. Who knew they could cover so much in just two hours?

[MichaelJames]

To me, it seems that many people are mistaking Obama's civility for a lack of "toughness."

Isn't being willing to attack terrorists in Pakistan a sign of toughness? Isn't telling the auto makers that we need to raise fuel economy standards a sign of toughness? What about being unafraid to meet with punks like Ahmidinejad? In terms of the debate, Obama called Clinton out on her secrecy, her inability to take a substantive position on Social Security as well as her positions on the North American Free Trade Agreement, torture policies and the Iraq war. If that isn't tough enough, please define the terms because I thought Barack did a fine job of confronting Clinton on important issues without sounding too angry.

Do we neeed to encourage Obama to throw a chair at Hillary or kick a puppy at the next debate to show that ruthless side that so many people seem to be looking for. Maybe he should challenge Giuliani to a fist fight? Steel cage tag-team battle royal format for the next debate?

Get a clue people, you don't need to be pugnacious or nasty to be tough.

[lentinelia]

Another idiotic post giving suggestions about how Obama should get "tough".

Tough against what? Not the Iraq war. Not the illegal behavior of the current resident of the White House.
No. The toughness called for is to be critical of Hillary Clinton.

[Stevelagain]

Obama has never run anything in his life and if he cannot defeat Hillary he does not have what it takes to take on congress and the supreme court and make his agenda happen.

I suspect Obama was willing to be president if being a "pretty boy" was going to propel him there but he all along has been very careful not to offend Hillary or damage her so that she would pick him to be her VP.

[Qbear]

Obama too NICE to be president?

I don't think you'll find gays/lesbians touting Obama's NICE STREAK.

[slc20]

I'd rather have someone who's smart with good judgment, than someone who tries to be a tough guy.

Besides, how can Hillary claim to be tough if she's BooHoo-ing about being ganged up on after last night's debate.

Obama has shown that he can stick to his word, confronting Hillary on political issues but not playing dirty.

You don't have to be a shmuck to be tough.

[bigtimernc]

I believe if Obama keeps doing exactley what he did last night, he will be just fine. This article is depending on your version of "attacking" Senator Clinton. He did not need to to be offensive or disrespectfull if that is what you call "attacking" Clinton. He just needed to outline the differences between them in terms of politics and I know he clearly did that. Remember the issue with the secrecy concerning the Clinton archives? He said he believes in being transparent and outlined his accomplichments concerning his reform bills he passed in both the state and federal level. He did the same thing concerning Iran,Iraq, social security, and especially the issue on giving ID's to illegal immigrants to drive in the NY state. He just needs to keep the momentum up but still respect her at the same time. There is no need to change his strategy from last night's debate. Edwards and Obama just needed for people to question her trust and her ability to "change" America not to disrespect her by giving her the "knock out punch".

[dtd]

What Obama is refusing to do is fall into the trap being set up by the White MSM to attack the White woman. White Liberals never like to talk about racism because they think they've paid their 'Black tax' and no longer want to be burdened with any guilt, but the undeniable reality is that Senator Obama can NOT go after Senator Clinton in the same fashion as John Edwards without risking being characterized by the same media egging him on as the hostile and confrontational Black man attacking the White woman.

[PhyloSeFiser]

Frankly, I think it's a bit juvenile of all these pundits to keep telling Obama to lay into Hillary. Folks, this is not the WWF. This is a political debate. Sure some fireworks are fun at times, but I resent how people like Guttman and Andrew Sullivan keep trying to drag Obama into the mud. And I actually admire Obama for refusing to be led down that path. Why not give the guy some credit for trying to raise the level in which we think and talk about politics? Why not give some hope to the idea that one can be successful in politics without being bombastic and vitriolic, or lying? Why not give the guy a boost in his efforts to rise above the Limbaugh and Hannity style of American political rhetoric?

I think his style of politics would set a whole new tone for the country to follow. And I think it's just what this country needs right now. And in fact, I get the sense that many on that stage last night were actually following Obama's lead in terms of tonality. Except of course, Hillary, who, by a clear consensus, lost the debate big-time, in part, because of her shrill and angry tone.

Phylo out.

[jpclyons]

Obama bashing time again here at Huffington. I think more than few chinks in Hillary's armor showed last night, nand just because Barack didn't get all Edwards hair-tossing mad (he is looking desperate - he should - no money to back him up), he is perceived as not "tough-enough." Another poster here on a different thread (woman) said Hillary has the biggest balls - that's why she going with Billary.

PULLLLEASSE.

We don't need tough - we've had that and are in one war and if Dead-Eye Dick and Mission not-accomplished Bushie have their way, they'll have us nuking Iran with a pre-emptive strike before they shuffle off to Dubai or where ever criminals go.

I am working for Barack. How many people here on Huffington are just all blog and no action?

I'll be heading for Iowa in December. When Barack wins Iowa, these posts are going to look very silly.

In Hope and Peace,

Jim Lyons
http://eburgobama08.org

[JoAnnCr]

Unfortunately, Edwards said what needed to be said. The polite politics seems like the marshmallow tactics we use when we scold children. When it gets to the point a child begins to go really wrong, steal from us, push us around or leave us prisoners in our own homes, its time for protecting ourselves. Some call it tough love but I call it survival.

John Edwards gets that.

The Washington Establishment gets more powerful with every election. Great ideas on the campaign circuit get negotiated away when tenure starts. Edwards's skill as a champion for those who have no voice against the intrenched interests will get us through the most severe deterioration of our government we have ever known.

Unless, of course, we elect "more-of-the-same" Clinton or "let's-play-nice" Obama.

[Maxine]

Didn't the debate between President John Kennedy go in JFK's favor when he stayed calm and President Nixon lost his cool?