Obama: Not Going to Pull a Tonya Harding
EmailABC News’ Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told a crowd in Vinton, Iowa Thursday that he’s not going to pull a Tonya Harding on his rival candidates.
"Folks said there’s no way Obama has a chance unless he goes and kneecaps the person ahead of us, does a Tonya Harding," Obama joked, referring to the female skating champion who conspired to harm a competitor during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
"We decided that’s not the kind of campaign we wanted to run," he said.
Obama said his campaign has been trying to point out differences with the other candidates without going negative.
However the Clinton campaign has accused their Democratic rivals of negative attacks throughout the campaign.
The final judge will be Iowa caucus voters in just one week.
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I think Obama is right, that’s why he is downplaying now his options because he knows he can’t win. Does anyone know what happened to Obama’s campaign of hope? Lately, all he’s doing is whining and going negative. Also Obama, seems to have a major problem… he doesn’t seem to have any clue as to what he thinks about things sometimes. One day he is the expert on health care industry, next day is the savior of America, next day is the most electable without having a real experience or having take a real leadership in the past on those issues, is all talk!; and just yesterday,he said the the expert in foreign affairs, it started to sound like the unprepared unqualified candidate for the job interview trying to stretch out his resume and credentials. Yikes!!! Why doesn’t he think before he speaks? Myself, I’m going to be voting for someone with more experience and more seasoned in government, business leadership and with more knowledge of the issues firsthand!
I think it is pretty obvious that Obama is worried about losing Iowa to Hillary or Edwards and rightly so…
Posted by: Mary | December 28, 2007, 9:54 am 9:54 am
SO Obamas campaign chair David Axelrod basically implied that if the U.S. had not invaded Iraq, Benazir Bhutto would be alive today? Please. The threat of militant Islamist extremism in Pakistan predates the Iraq war by more than a decade; The threat grew, and developed, and incubated, independent of U.S. policy for decades. It is naive folly to believe that if the U.S. had just had the right foreign policy, we could prevent some extremist from conducting an assassination.I thought Obama was supposed to be independent and actually take a position on what we should do going forward. Rather, his campaign seems to have retreated into the comfortable critique of what the US did in the past to cause this and oh aren’t we so awful. As much as he tries to pretend that he is more moderate or independent, I’m reminded that even in his short time in the senate hes voted with liberal orthodoxy 95% of the time.
Posted by: sadhana khan | December 28, 2007, 10:22 am 10:22 am
Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton have all been much better senators than Barack Obama. They have been serious, substantive lawmakers who have worked effectively across party lines. Obama has some accomplishments under his belt, but many of his colleagues believe that he has not bothered to master the intricacies of legislation or the maze of Senate rules. He talks about independence, but he has never quite bucked liberal orthodoxy or party discipline. When you consider two candidates for one job, you compare their resumes and weigh their latest experiences most heavily. Whoever distinguishes themselsves with their work ethic and garners respect amongst their colleagues is probably the best qualified for the job they seek. If Obama’s colleagues feel he is an opportunist who is more about using his present job to build his resume rather than to actually work for substantive change, then he is just hype, and he is unqualified for the Presidency.
Posted by: obamaoverrated | December 28, 2007, 10:27 am 10:27 am
Did anyone notice that Obama came out on the 26th after the Xmas break telling his first audience “Guess what I got for Xmas, 8 hours of sleep and it was great”.
Once again, Barack has a tin ear and proves he’s out of touch with the public. How many of us have gotten 8 hours of sleep this holiday season? If this guy wants to be president, he’d better realize that the public doesn’t give a damn about how much sleep he gets or any other attempts on his part to preserve the illusion of heroism.
Is this the kind of leader we want and need. The guy’s a light weight and a whiner at that!
Posted by: T Knight | December 28, 2007, 10:51 am 10:51 am
So Obama is worried about losing to Hillary Clinton. Well, I’m worried, too–and so should all Americans!
Hillary Clinton may win the Democratic nomination, but she will never win the Presidency. Her negative-ratings are astronomical. If she is already distrusted by 45% of the electorate, it means that going into a general election Republican opponent starts off with 45% of the vote.
And wait until the Republicans go after Bill Clinton. You ain’t heard nothin’, yet. You will hear about adultery, impeachment, lying under oath, Whitewater, cattle investments, the Rose law firm–I don’t have to enumerate all the lines of argument, but, we heard them for eight years in the last century.
And, look for new arguments drawn from Bill and Hillary Clinton activities in the new century; I’m sure the Republicans will dig up something to throw. It’s how they operate. Hillary can’t win.
The Democratic party and this country need to turn the page. We desperately need fresh ideas, intelligent leadership, restoration of our international standing, and political reconciliation. This will never happen with another Clinton. It will happen with an Obama presidency.
Posted by: J. Fred MacDonald | December 28, 2007, 11:11 am 11:11 am
I don’t see Obama saying anywhere he is afraid he is losing to Clinton. Only Hillary trolls trying to spin for her on this board.
The fact is that Obama was talking about how his campaign has managed to defy the conventional wisdom of washington that said he could not win because he was up against the dirty Clinton machine.
And he proved them wrong without kneecapping hillary to get where he is and is a strong favorite to win Iowa.
Clinton cries she’s attacked when anyone challenges her on policy but, then goes and plays very dirty politics at the same time. What a hypocrite.
Posted by: vwcat | December 28, 2007, 11:21 am 11:21 am
OK…
Obama is the best candidate in decades in american politics… A very charismatic person… whose speach is far better that any other candidates … how you speak is basically ur hearts reflection… Obama is a in born leader … Clinton loves power… Why america is going back to Monarchy of ( Bush and Clinton family) oppsed to democracy … are others from the millions of america incapable? Bush had more experience but non of his policy worked .. we need brain not how many yrs of experince u have ..Obama has beeter brain … I may disagree… but Clinton is not HONEST.. I wud prefer Dodd instead ..it its my 2nd choice …. Clinton is fooling alll of us…
Posted by: SUD | December 28, 2007, 11:40 am 11:40 am
As demonstrated by Axelrod’s absurd statement yesterday, Obama is just not ready for prime time. All the Obama trolls do lately is bring up GOP talking points that re-hash their partisan abuses of the 1990s. News for those Obama trolls: that didn’t work out so well for them — doubt they’ll do it again. If so, the attacks will drive UP Hillary’s approval ratings like they did Bill’s. Bottom line: Obama’s charismatic, but doesn’t seem to have much substance to back his rhetoric. We don’t need another empty rhetorician running this land. He’s also very naive about working with the opposition and his semi-covert anti-union strategy is horrible. So far, both Hillary and Edwards have demonstrated more competence and leadership and their policy positions reflect more the will of Democrats and the American people. For example, a recent Pew poll showed that 65% of Americans support a universal health care system.
Posted by: Jay | December 28, 2007, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
Mr Jay…. I totally disagree with you … Its a shame for all people who cannt afford health care for their lives in this richest country of the world… dont blame politics or leaders … it basically little awareness among the people to save something from ur earnings … If ur not physically handicapped person and u cant support helthcare urself its a shame …… especially living in this country … Obama has mentioned this may time regarding education and health care in his speaches … “It is the parents and individuals resposible for better education for their kids and it hard to believe how anyone can be left without healcare protection in this country ” …. he said it with his convictions … I see people lack in understanding his points … Its not the experience but a leadership is needed… remember American politics and media says america leads other counties ..its wrong ..america has been trying to rule other nations by its influence of money and power..never lead the world ..which is the hard truth … and ahy shod america rule other nation ..let them njoy and struggle , its their right ..like right of american peopel in its soil..
Posted by: sud | December 28, 2007, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Washington, DC –Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2007 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list includes Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): A “Dishonorable Mention” last year, Senator Obama moves onto the “ten most wanted” list in 2007. In 2006, it was discovered that Obama was involved in a suspicious real estate deal with an indicted political fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko. In 2007, more reports surfaced of deeper and suspicious business and political connections It was reported that just two months after he joined the Senate, Obama purchased $50,000 worth of stock in speculative companies whose major investors were his biggest campaign contributors. One of the companies was a biotech concern that benefited from legislation Obama pushed just two weeks after the senator purchased $5,000 of the company’s shares. Obama was also nabbed conducting campaign business in his Senate office, a violation of federal law.
Posted by: greg | December 28, 2007, 1:34 pm 1:34 pm
Greg,
I found that interesting but must also note that on the same Judicial Watch List Hillary Clinton was #1.
Obama’s speeches of late has been much less substantial in nature. John Edwards has continued making speeches that address the issues that should concern Democratic voters.
Getting out of Iraq
Keeping out of Iran
Fighting the lobbyists to achieve true Health Care Reform.
Restoring America’s image in the world.
Posted by: MickNH | December 28, 2007, 3:32 pm 3:32 pm
HRC thought she was just going to show-up and become the Democratic nominee. Fortunately for the American people, she had to debate specifically her stance on immigration, healthcare, social security afer being called evasive and pandering to every special interests/groups.
Thankfully Obama is not an established Washington politican. That why America needs a visionary leader who will think outside the box and can negotiate across the ailse with Republicans. He doesn’t have to play with his hair before he can shout or debate the issues facing Americans as John Edwards’ style suggests, nor does he have to do a total makeover to present himself as a kinder, gentler politician as Hillary Clinton’s style suggests. Barack Obama is comfortable being Barack Obama – a genuine, compassionate, visionary, an energetic proven leader!
Oh yea, slimy, negative campaigning gives insight on how both Clinton and Edwards will govern if given the opportunity.
Posted by: Lani, GA | December 28, 2007, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
Obama is going to win the Democratic nomination. And Judicial Watch is going to do their level best to besmirch his character. That’s sort of what they do. That’s a small price to pay for the Obama’s great leadership. OBAMA 2008!!
Posted by: Debbie | December 28, 2007, 11:44 pm 11:44 pm
If we are going to use analogies, I would say this entire campaign has been a witch hunt against a fine US senator and former first lady by a deceitful Obama campaign with the full complicity of the main stream media.
Posted by: Pat | March 27, 2008, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
Obama has some accomplishments under his belt, but many of his colleagues believe that he has not bothered to master the intricacies of legislation or the maze of Senate rules.
Posted by: rapidshare | March 19, 2009, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
HRC thought she was just going to show-up and become the Democratic nominee. Fortunately for the American people, she had to debate specifically her stance on immigration, healthcare, social security afer being called evasive and pandering to every special interests/groups.
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Posted by: rapidshare | March 19, 2009, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm