How Obama Became Acting President

By Frank Rich
The New York Times
July 27, 2008

IT almost seems like a gag worthy of “Borat”: A smooth-talking rookie senator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent American president to credulous foreigners. But to dismiss Barack Obama’s magical mystery tour through old Europe and two war zones as a media-made fairy tale would be to underestimate the ingenious politics of the moment. History was on the march well before Mr. Obama boarded his plane, and his trip was perfectly timed to reap the whirlwind.

He never would have been treated as a president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all he offered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew them instead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shaping events and the power to move markets, including TV ratings. (Even “Access Hollywood” mustered a 20 percent audience jump by hosting the Obama family.) Power begets more power, absolutely.

The growing Obama clout derives not from national polls, where his lead is modest. Nor is it a gift from the press, which still gives free passes to its old bus mate John McCain. It was laughable to watch journalists stamp their feet last week to try to push Mr. Obama into saying he was “wrong” about the surge. More than five years and 4,100 American fatalities later, they’re still not demanding that Mr. McCain admit he was wrong when he assured us that our adventure in Iraq would be fast, produce little American “bloodletting” and “be paid for by the Iraqis.”

Black Radio is Left’s Answer to Limbaugh

By Jim Rutenberg
July 27, 2008
NY Times

ATLANTA — Warren Ballentine, one of black talk radio’s new stars, was on a tear against Senator John McCain as he broadcast from the Greenbriar Mall here last week, blithely dismissing Mr. McCain’s kind words about Senator Barack Obama at the recent N.A.A.C.P. national convention.

“He came out talking about how good of a race Barack Obama was running, and how proud he was of Barack,” Mr. Ballentine said. “You know he went back home and said, ‘I can’t believe I spoke in front of all those Negroes today!’ ”

“He was pandering to the crowd, talking about how he felt when Martin Luther King Jr. died,” Mr. Ballentine went on. “However, he didn’t vote for the holiday of Martin Luther King Jr.”

McCain: Still with us?

McCain: Still Here?

Obama In Israel: Did He Drop “Change” From His Agenda?

by Seth Colter Walls
July 25, 2008
HuffPost

Overall, the reviews have been stellar for Barack Obama’s foreign trip. A fortuitous news cycle laid out the red carpet for the presumptive Democratic nominee in Afghanistan when John McCain decided to announce that more U.S. troops were needed there. And the pattern was repeated again in Iraq, where the prime minister specifically endorsed the Illinois Democrat’s withdrawal plan mere days before receiving him.

But in Israel, there persists a sense among some observers that Obama failed to deliver on his oft-repeated promise of “change” during his visit this week.

“From my personal point of view, I was really disappointed,” said Israeli former deputy national security adviser Gen. Israela Oron. “There was no special message that you wouldn’t expect from any other politician. He didn’t say anything that he would regret. But since he is selling some kind of new promise in American political life, I expected him to say or to do something unusual, but he didn’t,” she told the Huffington Post, adding somewhat playfully: “But who am I to judge an American candidate?”

In fairness, Obama’s visit to Israel was perhaps destined to be more politically dicey than his tour of Iraq, a country upon which American public opinion appears settled in favor of withdrawal. By contrast, the question of Israel and its enemies — Iran, Hezbollah, and stray Palestinian rocket fire — connects back to issues ranging from the substantive to the bogus that have long proved tricky for the Obama campaign.

Mixed but mostly positive reaction to Berlin visit

July 25, 2008
CNN.com

Barack Obama touched hearts during an impassioned speech to a 200,000-strong crowd in Berlin, German newspapers agreed, but suspicions remain about the White House contender’s motives for courting a European audience.

Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel wondered whether so many young people had ever gathered for a political event in Germany and said that Obama’s address — which echoed speeches by former U.S. presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan when the divided city was in the Cold War frontline — could only have been made in the German capital.

“Barack Obama’s address might not have been statesmanlike and it definitely wasn’t worldly-wise. But with its symbolism and the message of this 46-year-old, it certainly was the signal of a new era for a new generation on both sides of the Atlantic,” the newspaper said.

“What better thing could have happened to us than the potential next president of the U.S. sending this message to the world from here?”

GOP Senate candidates avoiding RNC Convention?

by Erin McPike
July 25, 2008
The National Journal

Nine of 12 targeted Republicans running in the most competitive Senate races this fall are either skipping the Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn., or have not decided whether to attend.

Among those who will not attend are Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, who is not close to presumptive presidential nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who is a McCain loyalist. Stevens and Collins will use the convention week to focus on their campaigns.

Also sending regrets is former Rep. Bob Schaffer of Colorado, running for the seat being vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Wayne Allard.

Six others — Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, John Sununu of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina and Gordon Smith of Oregon and challengers John Kennedy of Louisiana and Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico are still on the fence. Their spokesman offered responses ranging from “there are no plans yet” to “no decisions have been made.”

Missing the Symbolism of Obama’s Visit to Sderot, Israel

by Daniel Levy
July 24, 2008
HuffPost

Senator Barack Obama was a big hit in Israel. The local TV last night and press this morning was in gushing form. According to Israel’s most viewed news show, on Channel 2 TV, Israel’s leaders (all of whom the Illinoisan senator met, from both government and opposition) entered something of a beauty contest over who could look most photogenic alongside the visiting presidential hopeful/rock star.

Obama spent an intense thirty-six hours ticking off the boxes of all the necessary sights and sounds — from Yad Vashem to the Western Wall, from Labor leader Ehud Barak to Likud front man Benjamin Netanyahu, and everyone in between (including of course the Prime Minister and President). But the most symbolic stop on this whirlwind tour was in Sderot, and not for the reasons you might assume — a topic to which we will return shortly.

For a day Israelis enjoyed being the center of world attention for a refreshingly non-angst ridden reason. To the extent to which Barack Obama had trailed John McCain in popularity ratings among Israelis, it was largely due to a lack of familiarity with the young Senator. That is something that this visit lay to rest, and that will likely be reflected in future, equally meaningless polls. All this should of course play very well back home, in particular with parts of the American Jewish community, which after all was the reason for Israel being on his trip itinerary in the first place. The Israeli media respectfully acknowledged this fact. By the way, and as was noted at Huffington Post, the entire exercise may have been somewhat unnecessary when one considers that a new J Street poll found that Obama is even more popular amongst American Jews than Joe Lieberman, with a thermometer positive rating of 57.8 % compared to Joe “Hagee is Moses” Lieberman who scored 41.7%.

Obama at Yad Vashem

Obama at Yad Vashem

Ahead of visit, Sderot residents say Obama has the power to change the world

By Mijal Grinberg
Ha’aretz
July 23, 2008

The corridors of the Sderot town hall were empty yesterday. Mayor Eli Moyal did not report to work and many of the top officials’ offices were locked.

In the streets, election posters for the mayoral candidates were evident but there were few signs of activity. All of these were symbols of the locals’ need for leadership.

Judging by conversations with residents on the eve of Barack Obama’s visit to the town, it seems that the only leadership that might be able to affect the fate of Sderot is the United States’ presidency.

Obama Far More Popular Among Jews Than Lieberman

by Sam Stein
July 22, 2008
HuffPost

If Barack Obama has a problem among Jewish voters, then Sen. Joseph Lieberman is in monumental trouble.

Among the most high-profile Jews in Congress, Lieberman is viewed far more unfavorably than the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a new poll. Only 37 percent of Jews view the Connecticut Independent in a favorable light compared to 48 percent who have a negative perception. As for Obama, 60 percent of Jews view him favorably while 34 percent view him unfavorably.