Sacre Bleu! Le Monde Publishes Never-Before-Seen 1996 Interview With Obamas About Their Marriage

oh la la c’est la vie.
barack and michelle are like a fairy tale. most beautiful marriages are like fairy tales but they do exit behind the 50% divorse rates.

I’d say there were a few French embellishments with the translations from English. It made for some droll reading overall.

ENOUGH Already !

if you hate that barack is gonna be 44, go to the gym and get some persepective instead of pounding blogs with incoherent ramblings about unrelated nonsense.
really. when bush won i took up designing with flowers as a hobby. in no time i was a pro and democrats had won again.
american politics is not static so there’s no need to be spending all your time with vicious attacks and emotional stupidity on a blog where 99.99999% of human beings will not care about.
seriously, republicans look really bad when you read blogs.

The use of the word “fabricate” is clearly an overly literal translation from the French, where the word does not have the pejorative overtones it has in English.
Definitely a rush-job on the translation; I guess speed trumps accuracy when you’re trying to get a scoop.

Why does everyone assume that individuals who disagree with the medias love affair with the Obama’s is a Republican? I’m not and I can’t stand the one sided reporting we are currently enduring for the past 18 months when it comes to Obama. Go to any supermarket checkout lane and look at every other cover story about the Obama’s. Enough already. He isn’t even President yet and I’m already sick of how much we hear and see about this guy and his family. It is really bordering on ridiculous. Do you every remember the media falling all over itself for any other person before? Surely not a politician. They are setting the Obama’s up for the big fall once all the smoke and mirrors clear. The media has attacked the past two presidents with a vigor but they let the President elect get away with murder. What does that tell you? Wait for the other shoe to fall.

How do you know that this interview is even TRUE? That french newspaper couldve made the whole thing up. Unless this interview is on videotape, I dont believe anything in it. Why would anyone interview Barack and Michelle about marriage before he even considered running for office?

Thanks for an interesting look at their earlier years.

some much of this blog reads very sarcastic and bitter. i loved this read. bush and his cronies DESTROYED our country and it’s reputation throughout the world. and conservatives are beating up on Obama. Why shouldn’t the press be in love with him? he’s SMART, INTERESTING, EXHIBITS TRUE FAMILY VALUES, IS NOT AN ALCOHOLIC, LOVES HIS WIFE, DOESN’T CHEAT, IS TRYING, TRYING, to heal the damage done over the past 8 years. Guess what??? the media attacked bush for a reason. not because he was competent and wanted the best for our country. if the media loves obama it’s because he and his family are like a breath of fresh air.

this was a good find for a boring saturday afternoon in snowy manhattan.

I always wonder about those who insist on reading stories about people they don’t like and then complain about them.
If you don’t like Obama then, don’t read the article! duuuhhh!
Thank you Jake for reprinting this article. It is fun to read about an interview from Le Monde because I both supported Obama and am half french.
I bet they knew about him from his profiles when he became the first AA president of the Harvard Law Review and tracked him down.
I look forward to having a brilliant president who can actually speak clearly and inspiring.
Big change from the inarticulate and bumbling failure in the white house now. The guy who uses fear to control his ‘base’ for his own personal agenda.

Those who from youth are true to the Natural Laws governing human behavior ARE going to live consistent themes throughout their lives.
Those who are confused about life ARE going to live inconsistent lives.
Between his pedigree, some dam fine values instilled during his youth, and his own family, Barack Obama lives a life of confidence, intelligence, good will and self-assuredness.

Great article about the Obamas.

Catherine T: as a fluent French and English speaker, I stand by my assertion that “fabricate a family” is CLEARLY a sloppy translation of the phrase “fabriquer une famille” used in the original French article. A more correct word, in this context, would have been “make.”
If you want to smear Obama’s character, knock yourself out. But do not smear my translation :)

Steve, you wrote:
“The thing that keeps surprising me is that whatever you read something that Barack Obama says, whether it be this article, his books, his website, his campaign, his message is always consistent. He at least deserves some credit for that.”
Should’nt we be comparing his words with his ACTIONS- not merely his other words… Major disconnect there…sorry to say.

wow… some of these comments are so hateful and envious! haters, keep on hatin’, ’cause president obama is the best thing to happen to this country in a loooooooooooooooong time!

Why would anyone, especially a foreign newspaper, interview a no name civil rights attorney from Illinois? Also he did not run for senate and win until 2004. This article sounds like one fat fabrication.

Hey Laura H–
Your comments could be made about President Bush. I didn’t see any on the Left give him a chance.
Sounds like Obama lovers will take their medicine for the next 4 years.

“Sometimes, when we’re lying together,” he says, “I feel dizzy with the realization..blah blah blah…”
Come on people – nobody talks like this. EVER. Totally scripted, a farce.
(If he does talk like this, no wonder he scares our troops.)

“Come on people – nobody talks like this. EVER.”
Well, that may be true but remember this interview was first translated from English into French and then from French back into English. So, while the gist is probably correct, the actual words used may be a little garbled from the original.

Ah! If only those attacking the Obamas could ready French, their own life will be different.
Some of these reactions are not surprising at all. They go likethis:
- Is this article real?
- Where do Barack brothers and sisters live?
- The French are socialist.
- …
If that’s all you deeply think of and come up with, then we are still in trouble in America even after Bush.
Try this in French at Jake’s link.
Change is on the way.
Cheers!

LOL. Many people are angry because they’ve NEVER seen a genunine political couple like this before. Where’s Cindy McCain now?

I’m a little skeptical about an out of the blue, never been seen article from 1996 about the Obamas. What would make Le Monde write about them in 1996? They were unknowns politically then.
I’m not buying it.

I think there’s a reason this article from Le Monde has never before been seen before today. It’s a made up interview written by Le Monde, and released today. I seriously doubt there was an interview with the Obama’s in 1996.

Good Lord, didn’t anyone bother to read about the man before you voted against him?
Obama was written about on the front page of the NY Times in 1990 because he was elected the 1st black president of the Harvard Law Review. As a result he was asked to write a book by a major publisher. This interview is one of many he conducted after the book was published. He wasn’t famous but he was hardly unknown. There are interviews published from the period. Look them up if you know how to use “the Google.”
As for Joe the milkman – he ran for STATE Senator that year. And won. That means he was in the Illinois Senate.

sometimes obama can say the most beautiful things, and most of the time, as in this case it’s when he’s talking about his wife. Beautiful sentiment expressed there where he talks about their differences in upbringing balance their relationship out. He’s looking for adventure, she’s the stable one. He grounds himself by clinging to his family even after he’s indulged his risky tendencies and ambitions he wants to come back home to his family where there’s calm, peace and stability. They have accepted the differences between each other and learned they can compliment each in their family arrangement despite those differences.
As I’ve said before, Michelle is the foundation O has built his successful career on. Don’t think it’s not true , look at his words and you’ll see that it is. Those who don’t like her fail to see as he does, that she provides the steadiness he needs. She brings him down to earth and he needs somebody to do that.
He loves her.

To TruthBTold
Thank you!!! I wish I had said that! Nicely said.

To ummm question please- The article was about MARRIAGE in AMERICA, not politics.

What a crock of horse manure. Anyone who believes a word of this is delusional.

I am not that big of an Obama fan, but I don’t get it what’s wrong with the article? Why are people upset by it? Michelle is one of the reasons I like Obama.

The Barack-Michelle-MSM menage-a-trois shows no sign of cooling off anytime soon…

Mr. Obama has lied many times before. Is this article a lie or is it Mr. Obama who is lying?

I think this was a beautiful article and I think of all the wars, hate, and misery going on in this world, and I wonder how many of you, who are making these distasteful and nasty remarks, really mean them. Are you unhappy or something? or why do you do this? You evidently are premature or not doing your research. It is pretty hard to look into Obama’s eyes and Michelle’s eyes (who is beautiful and wonderful, by the way)and not see the honesty and intelligence there. They have 2 pretty and happy little girls that are living proof of a happy family life. Yes, we can!

It is just another fluff piece about B.Obama. There never seems to be an article which actually examines him and his accomplishments or the many inconsistencies in his history. It could be that there is not much to the man other than just journalistic fluff that people want to hear. We have a country full of people who are very self-indulgent. We eat too much, we drink too much, we take too many medications while we play our video games or watch fluff television. We, as a country, have a hard time looking at reality and voted in an illusion.

who cares ?
Nancy and RR were a fairy tale, not the Obamas.
Laura and GB truely love each other
Barbara and GB love one another
NO SEX SCANDALS IN A REPUBLICAN MARRIAGE.

Enough of fairy tales. Doesn’t anyone notice the media sweetheart is gonna bury us in taxes?
Who do you think is gonna pay for all the corporate bailouts? Not only Congress screwed us with the banks bailouts, but Obama now wants to bailout anybody who asks for money. It’s despicable.

NO SEX SCANDALS IN A REPUBLICAN MARRIAGE.
_________________________
Babs – I hope I can get to sleep as I have been just LMAO at your post. OMG! Are you serious? Do any of these names ring a bell?
Mark Foley, John Hathaway, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Jack Ryan, Donald Lukens, Philip Giordano
Bob Packwood, Larry Craig, Bob Livingston, Jim West, and on and on and on and on………

For Paige:
Nice list, figure there are a few more.
I’ll trade all of those for a Lewinsky…You will still owe me..

God… this is so fake. All of these comments sound like the same people who watch Oprah.
Eww

So much unnecessary hate from the ‘right wingers’. It’s good to remind yourself these haters are extremists, and that most Americans are fairly decent people.

John G -
I owe you nothing. You must not be aware of some of the despicable acts some of these guys have done as some involve a fall from Republican grace due to their involvement with children………
They make the Lewinksy scandal look trivial.

It’s amazing to see how many stupid comments from the so called “internet news readers”. This is just an article from a magazine about the president-elect 12 years ago. It allows us to see into Mr. Obama’s thinking at the time when national politic was not even in his plan. How can you read an article like this and make hateful comments is beyond me. And if you think he planned all of these to run for POTUS today, then he is so smart and you are lucky to have such a smart person as your president.

For Paige:
Please, the Lewinsky affair is the single most embarrassing act a sitting US President has made. It even trumps Nixon. It more than anything, made our leaders mortal in the eyes of the world and therefore our country weaker. Clinton should have been tossed out on his ear. Any of his subordinates would have been.
Lewinsky…Lewinsky….

This article is consistant with every interview Barack and Michelle has ever given, in response to questions when asked about their marriage, their families and michelle hesitation to them entering the realm of politics. My, Lord what is the big deal if the interview took place yesterday or back in the 90,s. There have been books, interviews on CNN, CBS, ABC and so on, and so on. This article rings true to every thing they have said over the last two years. WHERE HAVE YOU CRITICS BEEN?

People express their views and thoughts and if its not inline with your thinking its hate? Are we not to question our politicians? Have we grown so politically inept as a population as a whole that if we question we are hating?
For those that say the Repubs are hateful on blogs….take a trip over to Moveon.org and the other Lib blogs and tell me who is spewing pure adulterated hate.
Its on both sides. Not just the one that you happen to not associate with. Open your eyes, check your sources and actually use a percentage of that thing between your ears before you ramble on about hate.

Michelle is beautiful, and they are a family to admire.

While Barry may be a nice guy and a good family dude, he is still a socialist. He should stay out of government.

Obama is a fabrication. This interview is so fake just like everything else. They hardly lived together.

Interesting. Strong Family Values. Good People. Since this interview was from so long ago, nice to see they have stayed on course. Still care about people. Still trying to make a difference.

I’m not surprised by anything in this article, and yes, I’m sure Obama had rehearsed everything he said many times.
The question I have is why Anyone interviewed Barack Obama in 1996, for a bbook about married couples. It wasn’t by accident, and it wasn’t without intent. That’s the year he ran for State Senate, right?
Was a supporter intending to help Obama?

Michelle Obama is a refined, highly educated and BEAUTIFUL woman. Barack is luck to have her as a partner.

Steve:
I’m sorry you are so compelled to call others “IDIOT” because they smell a fake.
What we are lead to believe (by Le Monde) is that sometime in early 1996 (because of the election cycle) that someone chose the Obama couple for an interview about MARRIAGE!! If that much is true, we must now ask ourselves if the Obamas used this opportunity to PLAY UP THEIR RELATIONSHIP for her tape-recorder, hoping to be included in her book or article, OR DID THEY PLAY IT STRAIGHT? [Hint: Two Harvard trained lawyers, considering a future in politics, would NEVER let ANY opportunity go to waste.]
HE WAS GOING TO RUN FOR OFFICE AND HE WANTED ATTENTION; she wanted him to win; what do you think they did?
Sorry Steve, but I have worked for scores of pols over the years (both R and D) and they have one thing in common; THE URGE TO BE LOVED!! AND THE URGE TO GET GOOD PRESS!!
WE KNOW that a free-lance agent purported to do this interview; NOT a Le Monde reporter.
WE KNOW that Le Monde was offered this piece as “legit” and took it and published it. [Most papers are in financial trouble; why would anyone turn this piece down (fake or real; puffed or actual)?]
WE DO NOT KNOW if the writer “doctored it” since 1996.
WE DO NOT KNOW if the interview was even done in 1996.
WE DO NOT KNOW if the writer lied to Le Monde to get her piece published.
WE DO KNOW that the easiest (and cheapest) way to get something into an American paper is to FIRST PUBLISH IT BY THE FOREIGN PRESS!!!
Look, ANY AMERICAN “HUSBAND” who ADMITS to getting “dizzy” when in bed with his wife, HAS GOT SOMETHING UP HIS SLEEVE (cause that is not a “normal” admission for a man FROM CHICAGO who is going to run for office).
Please, Steve, don’t play us ALL for stupid. Some of us can think past a set up job meant to fool!!

It’s always interesting that all those who for eight years had nothing but savage venom and hatred for a sitting president — AND his family and anyone and anyting associated with him! — now have all of a sudden found their righteous, sanctimonious conscience, questioning why so much “hate” for the coming president — now that it is their president!
Priceless! The bald hypocricy of lefties.

I have heard Michelle in many interviews mention her first thought when she heard about Barack Obama (that is, before she meet him personally).
When somebody at the work place told her that the new guy’s name was “Barack Obama”…. her first reaction was “I am sure he is weird”.
“weird” was the word she used many times to describe that event.
I guess the “idiot” part on this article was just a case of lost in translation.
Maybe ABC should retrieve the original english interview, instead of double translations.

What a beautiful interview. What a lovely couple. Thanks for publishing this (finally!)

It’s too bad that even when objective, or pro-Obama people commenting here, have actual information to answer the Obama-hater’s accusations, the haters still repeat the same suspicions. The haters, if they have any intention of providing any valid criticisms of Obama, will need to stop being so paranoid, and figure out something substantive to tell us, and especially not insist on things that aren’t true when the same web page that contains their off-base suspicions, has the actual answers to them.
And yes, most of the so-called “criticisms” on this page, do amount to hate, not criticism, since most of the criticisms here are so off the wall, that anyone who holds them can’t be thinking clearly. As already explained by non-haters commenting here:
- the interview really did take place in 1996;
- it wasn’t published at the time since it wasn’t originally intended to be published in the newspapers–it was part of a series of interviews for a book on marriage, and the author decided the Obamas were “too normal” for the purposes of the book;
- the Obamas were interviewed because Barack was a public figure after becoming the first black person to be elected president of the Harvard Law Review (some people may not remember that, but I do, as do many other people);
- Barack really does talk like that–I’ve seen him use almost exactly the same phrases in interviews during the past year, so he’s consistent. You can poke fun at his waxing poetic about his wife, but to say nobody talks like that, shows you’ve run into a narrower range of people in your life, than you think. Even if the Obamas were trying to sell themselves in 1996, due to Barack’s desire to enter politics, it’s doubtful if it was self-promotion to any unusual degree. If the Obamas had a relationship dramatically different from what they’ve described ever since 1996, we would have heard about it by now–you can be sure plenty of anti-Obamaites have been trying to dig up that dirt, but we haven’t heard any of it–instead, just complaints like “nobody talks like that”.
The fluff I see here, is in the pointless criticisms here directed against Obama. These aren’t insightful criticisms–they’re just meant to incite. Anti-Bush commentators can get even more strident, but we’ve had good reason to (re-read the newspapers for the past eight years to be reminded why).
The reason there’s been so much criticism of Bush over the past eight years, is because of the things we’ve seen him do, and not do, which have ravaged the US and parts of the rest of the world. Those actions deserved the criticisms he got. He’s usually credited with just about only one thing: he “kept us safe” from another attack after 9/11. Well, he didn’t do a very good job about preventing 9/11 itself, even when he was handed many intelligence reports between his inauguration in January 2001, and Sept 10, warning him of an impending attack, along with enough details to have prevented the attack. He and Rice, Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc. just brushed these reports aside, then later lied about whether they’d ever read them. Then they later lied about why the US should attack Iraq. And so on. Some valid basis for criticism there, I’d say–more basis than for weird ideas like those expressed here believing this interview is fake, even after it’s been proven it wasn’t fake, etc.
With Bush, we didn’t just set up a “nice guy” and throw rocks at him because he’s a Republican. There were reasons for the criticisms of Bush. Obama isn’t even in office yet, and some people think he should be vilified just because Bush was? Bush earned it. There’s much less material about Obama to attack, and so we see people grasping at straws to “get” him early on. If you keep that up, you’re going to be spinning your wheels and stripping your gears for the next four to eight years, for no good reason. I wouldn’t waste so much of my one life doing that.

Gee..just what did those children learn while they attended Rev Wrights hate -filled church all those years. The Obamas should have shown more concern for their children than to subject them to the likes of Wright, Ayers, Rezko, Farrkham etc etc etc . I’ll bet the Obamas even tell their children to be wary of who they associate with— advice that Obama should have taken himself many many years ago. WE can see through all the fluff and the MSNBC hero worship so lets stop with these ridiculous cutesy cutesy stories already. They met, they married… he hung out with gays ….etc.. whatever….

pure crap

I blog occasionally….. especially when an intelligent discussion is going on. I must say, for the most part, I agree with the blogger who called much of this dicussion unadulterated fecal material….especially the right wing conspiracy nuts. What an empty life you have. Get up and do something positive for this country instead of just whining out your delusions.

How much will America have to endure before the media love affair with the Empty Suit wears off?
What do we, as a country, have to endure?
Will we survive?

America will survive Obama. We’re a creative, determined, and entrepreneurial people who reject the caste system of Old Europe. However, America will not emerge unscathed. FDR exploited the opportunity of a financial crisis to create programs on which a large number of Americans are dependent today. This dependency has created a reliable flow of votes to the Democrat party. I suspect Obama’s legacy will be the same. Unfortunately, it will take us one or more steps closer to an Old Europe system which means a harder road for achieving the American dream.

“I knew when I first laid eyes upon him that he would become President and spend a trillion dollars even before taking office. I also believed they would make gold coins with his picture upon them, because, well, he is just so extraordinary. Children would rightfully sing his praises, even before his dog had a chance to stain the carpet of the Lincoln Bedroom.”
Michelle Barack Barama

Obama speaks Indonesian. Bush speaks near-fluent Spanish.
Did Bush get any credit for being the first Spanish-speaking President in US history?
No. Instead we get adulations and adorement for an Indonesian speaking President.
Take a guess which language ability is more useful for a President of the United States of America?

Why do they keep removing my comments that I think Michelle Nobama is not attractive. They dress her up nicely and do a lot with makeup which makes her presentable but she kind of looks like a man. Just saying.
I think the article is a bit of fluff. I doubt seriously that these are the original words. There is a great deal you can do between the translations.
Nice article for the Obama homers!

Looking at them now…there is an admiration and an intimacy that we see. Most people are not used to seeing a positive, intelligent, and accomplished African-American couple that were married BEFORE they had children. Perceptions through the media have made sure of that (except for the Cosby Show).
I don’t know if the article is authentic or not. I suspect it will be revealed whether this is true. But I will tell you what I see. When they are together, you can see that they love each other. They way they hold each other and smile. It IS authentic.
We have a new president and first family and we should pray for their success and protection for the good of our country and our world.

This ” article” is just another fabrication in the Obama machine.

Why would a US Citizen refuse to provide a certified copy of his/her Birth Certificate?
You and I have to present one in order to even get a Driver’s License.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
@ John G, EXACTLY! So don’t you think for Obama to come as far as he has in politics and obtaining the highest office in the land…that he’s a freakin US citizen? To travel he has to have a passport….to have a passport you have to submit your birth certificate. Don’t you think that his origin, his ethics, his policies have already been vetted and verified? What is your point exactly?

John G,
If you had taken any time to find out about Barack Obama — listened to what he has to say, read his books, read his platform — you would know he is a centrist. I would concede that he is a slightly-to-the-left centrist; however, he is also a pragmatist, so he will stay in the centre.
His once-in-our-lifetime leadership skills, winning personality and distaste for partisan bickering gives him the best chance of any president in our lifetime to actually make a difference.

What you liberals have to understand is that having
a different political philosophy than yours does not
make one a criminal. There’s not one shred of any
evidence to prove that the Bush Administration did
anything to step on our rights or shred the constit-
tution. President Bush did what he had to do to pro
tect this country and the only ones who have to fear
are the ones who want to do damage to ths country.
Aside from the usual liberal and media talking points
where’s the proof of Bush’s wrongdoing? If the Dems
or the media had anything at all they would have had his head, and everyone knows it. Obama is
an elitest who will step on anyone to get what he
wants….watch and see.

lucy 2008,
Before lecturing someone on misspelled words, you should look up how to spell misspelled. Just sayin’…

Like I said earlier, a 1 term President. He won’t be judged fairly, the press will make sure of that, but the halo will be gone very soon. Look at how many of his campaign promises he has backed out of (that will have to wait) and he hasn’t even take office yet. Please…
::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obviously you have no idea of the damage that Bush has done to this country in 8 years. Bush and his people have pushed this country into the worst financial crisis since the depression. He’s runned this country into the ground (surprise surprise). Obama has to clean up bush’s mess before he can accomplish his own campaign promises.
Just like a Lefty, didn’t answer the question, just attacked Bush and his children. Aren’t children and other family off limits.
Like if I was to say how ugly Michelle Obama (looks like a man) and the youngest daughter (looks like a linebacker) are, would there be outrage. The oldest daughter is not bad looking, looks like she could become a model unless she transforms to look more like her mom.
Now whould there be outrage about all of that?
:::::::::::::::::::::::
You are correct…family and children are off limits. However, the difference between your comments and mine is that I only stated the facts. It’s been documented that the bush girls have gone out drinking acted a fool. It’s been on front pages. Now I personally don’t think Michelle Obama is gorgeous…but I’m not sleeping with her. I do think that she is a highly intelligent woman who takes motherhood and family very seriously. As far as your comments attacking the Obama children that’s just you being a hateful repug with nothing intelligent to say…as usual.
There’s not one shred of any
evidence to prove that the Bush Administration did
anything to step on our rights or shred the constit-
tution. President Bush did what he had to do to pro
tect this country and the only ones who have to fear
are the ones who want to do damage to ths country
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ohh…ok then you must not be one of those people who are getting laid off and your house foreclosed on. Bush protected his interest. Bush failed to protect americans from this financial crisis. He failed to tell us the truth about his true intensions in Iraq. Saddaam Hussein (sp?) had not a damn thing to do with 9/11. Al Queda is stronger than ever. Osama is still on the lose. What ever happened to the hunt for Osama? Chaney has his pipelines set so he and his family will always be rich. Bush was about big business and providing tax breaks to these corporations that did nothing for the american people.
“Obama is an elitist, he is a socialist, he is a marxist”….come on..you really want to say “he’s black”.
*whispers in all the haters ears* “Your new president for the next 8 years is a black man….get over it”

I think TSIA is Michelle Obama. Sure fits the angry Black woman role.
Obama is my brother, he is white you know.
Does he get job prefereence by claiming only his black lineage? Why doesn’t he revel in his whiteness?

I think TSIA is Michelle Obama. Sure fits the angry Black woman role.
Obama is my brother, he is white you know.
Does he get job prefereence by claiming only his black lineage? Why doesn’t he revel in his whiteness?
:::::::::::::::::::::::
you think I fit the angry black woman role? Hmmm very very amusing. Do tell…what are the characteristics of an angry black woman? Michelle is highly intelligent with the degrees to back it up, she’s a nuturing mother who puts her family first. If that is the characteristic of being an angry black woman….well then we should all be angry black women.
And obama always reveals both sides of him. lol he was raised by his mother’s family. In his book he talks about his mother’s family. He suspended his campaign for a few days to visit with his ailing white grandmother…
He never hides who he is…and acknowledges both. Where are you getting your information from?

How revealing is our response to this article.
From extreme right (How dare the Obamas claim to to have a successful marriage!Liars!) to the extreme left (Aha! We always knew Obamas have love and respect for each other)
Across the spectrum, Americans REALLY value a good marriage.

I feel sad for America today.
Barack Obama and all of the good will in the world are not going to make America a better place.
It would (should) be Americans who would (can) make America a better place. Only, we (speaking in general terms is not appropriately argumentative, I concede, but for the sake of the seemingly single-digit IQs perpetrating themselves as presenters of valid opinions, herein, I will allow myself this incongruity of style) have devolved into a society of name-calling, self-entitled, union ideologues =, and uneducable sheep who have coming down the pike a national debt so insurmountable as to be ruinous for just about everyone alive today (there are still some insular wealthy in this country) and even those yet unborn.
From where do you think all of this ‘stimulus money’ originates, out of thin air? Wake-up. It’s YOUR tax dollars! In fact, it’s tax dollars on income you haven’t even earned yet!
That most of you are still ‘discussing’ Michelle Obama’s physical appearance, Barack’s oh-so-horrible smoking habit, or which president is fluent in which language only serves to prove my posit: you (we) are going to get what you (we) deserve: a future of indebtedness, a continuing decline in civility and, very likely, the disappearance of the last vestiges of any hope for a better tomorrow. In short, you (we) suck at being team players.
People, the “Change We Can Believe In” (again, more bad grammar) is SUPPOSED to be US (not ‘U.S.’), the American people. No one man, Democrat, Republican, black, white, Harvard-educated or otherwise is going to be able to reverse the trend of the past 40+ years (yes, ‘it’, the decline of Western Civilization, started with OUR government frivolously wasting OUR treasure with imperialistic forays into Southeast Asia).
America, the onus is on US (not U.S.) to come together to do whatever it takes to _fix_ America. Responsibility starts at home. There is NO SUCH THING as a free ride. Your government is not supposed to support you, it is supposed to protect you, so that you can support yourself.
Go on, keep drinking the Kool-Aid, Democrat, Republican, or otherwise. The bottom line is this: Wake up every morning and do what is right and just with the intent of laying down your head down every night with some earned self-respect.
Good luck, America!

Nothing in this article surprises me, as I’ve been following the Obama’s (via books, news articles, etc.) for quite some time. Any skeptics should at least take the time to read his books or even one of the many biographies about his life (or Michelle’s) that are out there. This is nothing new or spectacular. The themes he speaks about in this interview are the same themes he’s spoken out about over the course of his entire life, at least from the college level onward. I mean jeez, people. I thought I was pretty cynical about politics but some of you guys are just completely jaded. Call me naive but I sincerely love this country and would like to see Obama succeed. I wish more Americans felt the same way.

Did they talk about their hate mongering preacher and how they would take their children to a church that practices hatred for the the USA.

Nice article. Nothing too new. As an American, I truly hope he succeeds, I am more than willing to back him. However one thing is always missing when he talks about inner city kids, and that is personal responsibility. No one should be having babies without an education and a job. Period.

I Love this couple….they have a beautiful family. They are not perfect but they are real and doing their best to have a good life, and to make contribute positively to our great country.
For the haters: get over it and get a decent life of your own.

For all the whining on here regarding the Obama’s I say to you “Nanananana there is nothing you can do now! Lie, distort and rant and it will do no good!”
Your President is Barack H. Obama and will be for the next 4 years…you can say that no he isn’t YOUR President, while intelligent people will try to disassociate with you based on your lunacy, but he is. Nothing you can do about it now….and if he is able to carry through and help this country? He will gain another 4 years.
George Bush had this country for 8 years and for 6 of them he had a majority in the House and Senate. He inherited a country that had NO DEBT, thanks Bill Clinton, and now look at us! and you want to whine about Obama???? Tell me…do you ever deal in reality?

[Catherine T: as a fluent French and English speaker, I stand by my assertion that "fabricate a family" is CLEARLY a sloppy translation of the phrase "fabriquer une famille" used in the original French article. A more correct word, in this context, would have been "make." If you want to smear Obama's character, knock yourself out. But do not smear my translation :)]
Thanks for the suggestion ;-); but think you protest too much here. No where, did I ‘smear’ Obama’s character; at least, I do give him fair measure of ‘benefit of the doubt’ as to his motivations; and would suggest again, given your analytical language proclivities and talents, that you go here and read the linquistic analysis done per Obama’s ‘Dreams From My Father’. As to the translation ‘fabricate’ it is a judgment call; and perhaps in Obama’s case; a ‘Freudian call’ on behalf of Obama and/or perhaps the Translator himself (and as well).
WhatEVER the case; am betting that Obama himself, used the word ‘fabricate’.
The ‘gist’ of what begins here:
[Fortunately, five different sets of researchers have taken the challenge to test the hypothesis that Ayers was heavily involved in the writing of "Dreams." And although there are admitted limits to this emerging science, the consensus among these researchers is noteworthy.
I am aware of a fifth stylometric analysis, soon to be released, this one from a British scholar of international repute, but here are some quick summaries from the first four. The authors' contact information could be made available on deep background for serious news sources.
"Using the chi-square statistic," observes one professor, "Obama's and Ayers's books were indistinguishable, while Obama's book was easily distinguishable from books by other authors." ] and more to the analysis at link. . .

John Sawyer: You said “I suggest you do real research first before you comment on them. Research doesn’t involve reading only websites that support your views. And remember politics is not a sports contest (not if it’s done right), so you don’t have to automatically side with “your side”. You might even want to register as an independent, and watch what happens to your mindset, if you have what it takes to run the risk of becoming “different” from the group you currently side with..”
You have no idea where Republicans get their information, but you list where Dems get their information and then ASSUME that is how Republicans also get their information. However, you are incorrect.
I have NEVER seen a Democrat register as an Independent or do actual research! I do see them read hateful blogs and then repeat them. I have seen them repeat lies about Sarah Palin while denying the truth about Obama.
Example of Democrat lies: “Palin is so stupid; she can see Russia from her house and thinks that’s foreign policy.”
TRUTH: THAT WAS A LINE MADE UP BY TINA FEY yet the Democrats repeat it over and over again and SAY that Sarah said it.
Example of an Obama quote that Democrats refuse to address: “I think we’ve visited all 57 States (or maybe we have one or two to go).”
TRUTH: THIS OBAMA QUOTE IS DENIED OR EXCUSED BY DEMOCRAT POSTERS.
Example of Democrat lies: “Palin is unqualified; she has no experience.”
TRUTH: PALIN HAS HER YEARS AS MAYOR AND GOVERNOR THAT COUNT TOWARD EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE SINCE THOSE ARE EXECUTIVE POSITIONS.
Example of Democrat lies: “Obama is far more experienced than Palin.”
TRUTH: OBAMA HAS NOT SERVED ONE DAY IN AN EXECUTIVE POSITION AND ALMOST NONE IN LEGISLATIVE (WHICH GIVES ZERO TO TH PRESIDENCY). WHEN HE WAS IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, HE VOTED “PRESENT” 137 TIMES. WHEN HE WAS IN THE US SENATE, HE DID NOT WRITE A SINGLE PIECE OF LEGISLATION. Therefore, Obama has zero executive experience and almost no legislative experience since he rarely attended either legislative position and he has never had a day of executive experience.
Example of Democrat disconnect from truth: Obama said “Sarah Palin is a little bit new to the scene.
TRUTH: Obama was first sworn into public office in January of 1997. Palin was first sworn into public office in 1992. THAT MEANS THAT SHE HAS BEEN “IN THE SCENE” FOR 5 YEARS LONGER THAN OBAMA! (Does he know how to do basic math?)
Example of Democrat lies: “Palin can’t even open her mouth without a teleprompter.”
TRUTH: The ONLY time that Palin used a teleprompter was at the Convention (when everyone else does) and when hers broke she was able to follow her speech without it. However, Obama used his teleprompter often (not just at the convention which is normal for obvious reasons) but even at a RODEO in Grand Junction, Colorado. He been fluffing his lines for a week and his handlers insisted on him using them, even at a RODEO, but WHY did they transfer his “usage” over to Sarah? What was the point of that, if it wasn’t to be cruel beyond words? [Examples: If your kid wets the bed and uses a diaper, is it FAIR to make up a story to the world that IT’S HIS BEST FRIEND WHO USES THE DIAPER??? If YOU are a bad money manager and have to borrow from your parents, is it HONEST to make up a story to the world that it’s your BROTHER who has to borrow? If your wife insists on a BOTOX injection, is it HONEST to make up a story about YOUR BOSS’S WIFE using BOTOX? THAT’S WHAT THE DEMOCRATS DID TO PALIN! Obama was hauling that contraption all over the country for HIS usage, yet the Dems were posting THOUSANDS OF POSTS saying that Palin was using it! PALIN USED IT ONE TIME (BUT IT BROKE); OBAMA DEPENDED ON IT COUNTLESS TIMES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. It is just plain MEAN AND LIES TO SAY THAT SHE CAN’T SPEAK WITHOUT IT. (Most pols HATE THEM, but Obama seems to depend on his!) The question remains, WHY did the Obama handlers transfer his usage to her? We all know (we saw the pictures) that it was Obama who depended on teleprompters? WHY did they tell their legions to keep repeating the lies about Palin using a teleprompter when it was clear that she NEVER used them, while Obama was relying on them?
Example of Democrat lies: Biden said, “When the stock market crashed, Roosevelt went on TV and told the people exactly what was going on.”
TRUTH: When the stock market crashed, Hoover was president, not Roosevelt, and there were no TVs in the homes of Americans. This was a patently RIDICULOUS LIE all the way around, yet the Democrats ignore Biden’s stupidity (or ignorance).
Example of Barack Obama not knowing about America (he was not raised here): When Obama was talking about sending out tax bills, he put his hand over his chest (like having a heart attack) and said, “I’m comin’ Weezie.” HOW COULD A BLACK MAN, WITH A WIFE AND CHILDREN, WHO LIVES IN CHICAGO, MIX UP LOUISE JEFFERSON AND ELIZABETH SANFORD? Good grief, the Jeffersons were set in Chicago. My blue-eyed nieces and nephews don’t get them confused; how can BO?
Examples of Democrat ignorance. When asked about the state of Kentucky, OBAMA SAID THAT KENTUCY WAS CLOSER TO ARKANSAS THAN ILLINOIS!!!
TRUTH: How could Obama not know that Kentucky BORDERS Illinois? He was in the State legislature, for Pete’s sake! How could he not know which states border his? Oh, that’s right, he voted “present” 137 times, so he didn’t exactly knock himself out studying bills, did he? Oh, that’s right, he was running for president back then, wasn’t he; so why bother learning your job when it’s the job two steps up that you want.

Thank you stgeorgeschapel for the clarification. And you are correct, this 12 year old interview was just reprinted in Le Monde. This whole story is much more mundane that I originally thought. My apologies for any confusion my previous comment may have caused.

“Nice article. Nothing too new. As an American, I truly hope he succeeds, I am more than willing to back him. However one thing is always missing when he talks about inner city kids, and that is personal responsibility. No one should be having babies without an education and a job. Period.”
The above is an example of even the most benign comments injecting an untruth into the mix and that is that BO has not talked about personal responsibility – when in fact he has numerous times and his whole life is an example of personal responsibiliy. Why is this? Simply because people have deep seated psychological biases that don’t allow them to see things unless it’s through the spectrum of race. Fear of others is such a huge unconscious motivator that it actually creates a psuedo reality – I bet the person that wrote the above really believes that Obama does not respresent personal responsibility in any way and even if he or she were given millions of pieces of evidence to back it up they would still find a way to make it not real to them because what is most important to to continue to hold on to those biases because doing so creates differentiation and allows people a sense of safety in that “they” are different so “they” are bad or deserve the worst. Par for the course.

In my book Obama is a constitutional scholar. That alone should get us to the right track. The real problem is that it may take more than he can deliver to sort out the financial mess. After all he promises more money. Any comments on what money is? Ussualy represents the exchange value of production and without intrinsic value money is nothing but a promise which has to be accepted on trust. Any takers?

It’s so easy to forget that people in public life are so human. That if you met these people in real life, on mutual ground, how different they really are compare to how we conceive them. I didn’t vote for Obama and it’s easy for me to say grr he sucks but would I do that to his face? No.
Maybe I’m just naive but I’ve never met some one I truly hate however much I disliked them. People are people.

looks like a good start for a young couple. if i had read this article before the election i may have voted for him.

Wow. Get a life, people. Is it so hard to believe that two people can be intelligent, reflective, and truly love each other?
To the rest of the world: Even many Americans who voted McCain actually do respect Obama and his historic presidency — his positive ratings are off the chart.

yeah, yeah, whatever…
Everyone in the media is in total love with him. Everything, anything he does is news however ordinary the event may be. The press is just ga-ga over him and her for that matter.
But one day, one day the pendulum will swing the other way. And the pendulum always swings the other way. When that day comes everyone will see the emperor has no clothes; he is human, has short comings, can be blind sided, tells lies, becomes confused at times, forgets.
What will the fawning press have to report then?
Let me guess.
The press will say they were deluded, misled, believed the “story,” believed the hype,forgot to question, to do background research, etc., etc. Oh, yes, and the press will say it was lied to. Of course. How can the press be in error.
Each day that passes we get another day closer to that point.

Obviously in the previous post It was supposed to read ” It has” not “I has” lol

I see the great obama is calling for me to suffer because a lot of citizens voted him in office – this is his great idea for fixing the country – not very good start for the liberals president.
I am not paying for the liberals bad choice of president – suffering for the welfare queens, global warming fraud, nanny state, gun control, censorship doctrine, impeach bush and on and on and on.
I am not giving or suffering for the fool’s coming grab at power
LIBERALS – KEEP UP THE DEFENSE OF YOUR RADICAL PREZ ELECT.

Who was writing the book? How were the Obamas selected for the book? How did Le Monde get a copy of the interview?
Jake- are you sure it took the Obama camp by surprise?

They Pull at your Heart Strings before pulling on your Purse Strings !
Even Lovely People can be Crooks !

From a wholly non-political nature, sounds like these are very nice people and very much in love.
Why I differ from the fanatics is, why is Le Monde interviewing a junior senator from Illinois? Seriously, what did Obama do to warrant Frances largest newspaper interviewing him about his private life?
And then how do you get from this point in 1996 to determining 8 years later that the Free World cannot live without your guidance? He still hadn’t really accomplished anything but charming people in the media and getting elected in a blue state. At what point do we separate the popularity and celebrity worship but actual ideas, accomplishments, records or reality?
Not like it matters anymore since the next four years at least are going to be more Le Monde-esque stories about how incredible the Obamas are compared to every human being who has ever lived before them. (When they call Michelle a fashion icon, you know it’s the KoolAid talking).
Enjoy your Bamelot liberals. But all the worlds problems are your fault now because we had to take the blame for everything in the last 8 years.
Bush has done more than any President in history to assist his successor whether anybody on the other side ever notices or appreciates it or not. Obama has been either voting for, signing off on or directly instigating every major economic idea in the last 12 months so there is no ‘Bush’ economic after next week. It will be the Pelosi/Reid/Obama economy so get ready to be treated like a Republican.

Just one other thought, why is America wonderful if it elects a liberal or a guy who is half-black but America was horrible and filled with fascists when it voted from a guy from Texas?
Obama is going to continue 90% of Bush policies simply because they were the right thing to do. But suddenly they can become ‘brilliant ideas’ instead of the policy of ‘American Nazis’ as some have posted here.
Remember kids, the first one to use a Nazi analogy loses. So, sorry losers. You won an election (again, congrats) but you’ve yet to create an intellectual change in America. And the media outlets you need to survive area all dying off. George Soros will be paying for everything else you have left.
Hope you guys don’t have to disagree with him on anything or you are screwed!

Le nauseating… Le boring…. Le idiotic…. LE PHONY.

I would LOOOOOVE to see this interview, and not just read the transcript. I find it EXCEEDINGLY hard to believe that the interview sounded this way when every other word out of his mouth – when not on teleprompter – is “uh” or “well.” It’s like listening to Caroline Kennedy say “you know” ten thousand times. They always clean up her speech in transcripts, too.

I couldn’t disagree more with president elect Obama on several issues that preclude affinity. I pray for him and his family based on the scripture and hence the good of the nation.

Totto meet Eric!
Eric meet Totto!
Good luck; name one of the kid’s after me!

Wow, the Right Wingers lie in wait seeking out articles to develop retroactive conspiracy fantasies! You guys need to grow up and get a life. Give Obama the same courtesy the vast majority of people gave the worst President in history for his first 2 years including complete support after 911. This is the same kind of time where all of our leaders need our support as well as accountability. Your arrogant ignorance is showing; we’ve had enough of that for a few more decades.

BlofeldBuildings is right, the last thing we need is smart person as President.
What were we thinking? We could have elected McCain. Look at all of the successful businesses he has run. And he must be in touch with the average guy, who also owns so many houses he can’t remember quite how many.
Or better yet look a how many successful business Dubya had run, before he became president.
As far as public service. Why surely sitting around at a national guard base while everyone else your age without connections is off fighting is more public service, than helping the poor people. We just need a smart person to figure out how, and none of them can be trusted.
Ive started and continue to run what I believe to be a successful small business, and I don’t find Mr. Obama out of touch at all.

“jim….baby…. We don’t need “intellectual change”, as you call it.”
1. First, it’s “intellectual change” as *bpjsam* called it. When (s)he said,
“You won an election (again, congrats) but you’ve yet to create an intellectual change in America.”
My point: Obama can’t change the tone by himself alone. If conservatives think the tone is too partisan – well, conservatives can actually reduce their part of it.
You know, that actual “personal responsibility” thing.
2. Agreed – we don’t need yet another ivy-league, elitist.
GWB was and IS a true ivy-league elitist. Born to political power, with a golden spoon in his mouth. As was John Sidney McCain the 3rd.
But Obama, like him or not, is a man who has raised himself by his own bootstraps. He knows what it’s like to be black; he knows what it’s like to be white. He knows what it’s like to be poor, middle class, and wealthy – because he has personally gone through all of these things.
It is a valid argument that Obama lacks executive experience. Nevertheless, when looked at the actual experience some have had – for example GWB, who ran every business his father handed to him straight into the ground – clearly voters felt his other qualities outweighed this.
If you don’t like the outcome, well – this what results from the blind conservative support of an utter disaster like GWB. Thanks to unflinching conservative support no matter what, GWB has been able to do such an awful, terrible, no-good job that people will turn to Obama in order to reverse course.
3. “Already his “ideas” are nothing more than the tried-and-failed New Deal of the 30′s…”
You mean, the ones that actually pulled us out of the Great Depression? Right.
I know conservatives are comforted by THINKING the New Deal made things worse.
The overwhelming majority of non-partisan economist experts disagree with you, and are backed up by facts and logic. I think I’ll side with them.
“…and the Great Society of the ’60′s.”
Utter nonsense.
Please show these “ideas” of Obama’s that reflects the Great Society proposals, and NOT the New Deal.
“…And he’s going to enact them with all the same rogues gallery of dunces from the Clinton years of the ’90′s.”
You mean the ones that gave us 8 continued years of peace and prosperity? Yeah, wow, that’s terrible.
Please look at reality as it is, in terms of facts, even if it pains you ideologically.
4. “If he had some radical new ideas, I might listen to him.”
All it takes to get us out of our mess is ideas that *work* and are executed *well*. Neither of which the GWB administration made happen.
5. “If he had clear plans about national security and international relations, I would sleep easy at night.”
I think he does. But fine – DON’T sleep easy. Please criticize the Obama administration with logic and facts, at every single possible juncture.
Don’t go easy on him, like so many did GWB – because that’s led us to our current extremely troubled situation, that GWB is now exiting in denial and laying on Obama’s shoulders to solve.
Please remember:
- whose watch the economy fell apart on
- which administration ignored years of warnings about the housing market, and the intertwining of mortgage and investment,
- which administration ignored the costs of invading Iraq
- which administration blew the surplus and sunk us into debt
- which administration didn’t once veto a spending bill
- which administration ignored the dangers of reckless deficit spending on the unnecessary invasion and occupation of Iraq
6. “63 million voters for “Change” are about to get what they deserve. ”
The whole nation is.
Just like the whole nation suffered under GWB, while less than half voted for him the first time and barely half the second.
And it’s your nation too. So get it together. Don’t just hate Obama because your guy lost. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, do the right thing – criticize Obama with LOGIC and FACTS. Not ahistorical wishful thinking.

Geoffg:
Unfortunately, your argument does not hold water! Why? Because it is easy-peasy to go back and see what President Bush was called, and how he was portrayed, FROM THE DAY OF THE ELECTION IN 2000 forward! There was NO HONEYMOON for President Bush! He was HATED WITH VENOM FROM DAY ONE!!!
Do you not remember the disgusting interview with the Golden Girls and Rue McClanahan was HAVING A COW OVER PRESIDENT BUSH’S GRADES IN COLLEGE???
She said that “America deserves better than a C student for President.” She sputtered and called my president a “disgrace” for his low grades, and that he should NEVER have been elected.
Well, now, if I could have given her a piece of MY mind, I would have told her that:
George W. Bush is dyslexic and it is difficult for him to read and learn.
That he came from a FAMOUS Republican family and that professors have been known to hold that against a student (yeah, I know that they deny it, but some of us have PROOF in their carelessness and we are sure).
IN COMPARISON:
AL GORE HAD NO LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND HE CAME FROM A FAMOUS DEMOCRAT FAMILY THAT THE PROFESSORS WOULD APPRECIATE.
YET, with George W. Bush’s problems and Al Gore’s lack of problems;
GEORGE W. BUSH HAD HIGHER GRADES THAN AL GORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What does that mean? Well, maybe not much, but it sure means that President Bush knows how to apply himself and to stay focused and his eye on the prize.
AND, Ms. McClanahan should be on her KNEES APOLOGIZING FOR HER NASTY MOUTH!!! With ZERO information, she was certain that Al Gore was “smarter” than George Bush, based on their grades. Well, if that’s her standard then she should be forced to admit that Al Gore would have been a worse president than George Bush. But, of course, being a Hollywood elite snot, she never will. She was HATEFUL TO HIM BASED ON A FALSE STANDARD!!!
I remember what Barbra Streisand said. I remember the VILE HATRED of the DU crowd. I remember President Bush PORTRAYED AS A MONKEY!!!! DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE ONE EXAMPLE OF THAT TOWARD OBAMA??????????????HMMMMM???????
You are DREAMING IF YOU THINK THAT PRESIDENT BUSH HAD A DAY, A WEEK, OR AN HOUR OF RESPECT. HE DID NOT!!!! It was like Hillary had opened her bag of ugly tricks and let everyone have copies of her favorite insults!
(I am convinced we will not have a chance of being civil again as long as Hillary is anywhere in the mix. And, she is still very much “in the mix” so this will not end.

Chuck,
O.K., I get it. You don’t like George Bush or John McCain. I could remind you that George Bush ran an oil company, served in the Texas National Guard and was governor of Texas. I could also remind you that John McCain has been a senator for 26 years with alot of legislation written and passed, served his country for 20 years before that, fought in Vietnam, was a prisoner of war for 5 years and came out of it with permanent injuries. Even Sarah Palin has run a business, been a mayor, is the governor of Alaska, has served on the Energy Commission Board, is in command of the Alaska National Guard, has fought and won against political corruption in her state, has introduced sweeping reforms, and enjoys an 80% approval rate – higher than any other governor in the country. But I know that all of this means nothing to you.
The facts remain – Obama has no military experience, no executive experience, has never run a company – has never WORKED for a company – therefore does not understand how business operates. I understand he’s a brilliant lawyer, can read a speech like nobody’s business, and is a wonderful community organizer. That’s all wonderful, but how does that translate into presidential skills? I’m talking real, everyday, make-a-definitive-decision PRESIDENTIAL skills? Decisions that affect citizens lives, safety and well-being? It DOESN’T.
But he has a giggly wonderful marriage, two adorable little girls and a NEW PUPPY! Those qualities will all come in handy in the coming months when scandal after scandal will continue to be revealed regarding his crooked, shady Chicago politics past, but again, HOW DOES THIS TRANSLATE INTO DAY-TO-DAY DECISION-MAKING FOR THIS COUNTRY?!?
Please explain.

“Just wondering why Le Monde was interviewing a state senator? Why would their audience be interested in an Illinois state senator???”
I’ll field this one, stephanie.
It’s because they DIDN’T interview a state senator. They fabricated an interview about a President-Elect.
It’s so clear to see. This interview is a sham. Think I’m wrong? Then please explain the SHAM that the media has become. Please explain how the media offered NOTHING on Obama’s past, all through the two years of his presidential campaign. Nothing but hearts and flowers and warm fuzzy speeches. Anything that was controversial or even questionable about Obama was downplayed and/or completely submerged.
The media duped us and lied to us.
Why wouldn’t Le Monde, a left-wing French newspaper, fabricate an “interview” with the Obamas? Why wouldn’t the Obama team – and Obama himself – go along with it?

The real question would be why would a French newspaper be so interested in a couple that wasn’t even in politics yet? This interview sounds like something that would be done AFTER Obama became president. How would this newspaper even know about Obama?? This is the REAL story here. Not the drivel about how they met, etc, etc.

BlofeldBuildings:
You know nothing about me at all. I was a huge McCain supporter until the Republican Party force him to become a Bush clone. You are right about Bush of course, I think he was a horrible President. His service in the National Guard was a way to stay out of Vietnam.
As for executive experience. Ronald Regan had no executive experience, and was a successful President. Bill Clinton had no executive experience and was a successful President. George Bush had what some may call executive experience and was a total failure.
The CEOs of Lehman Brothers, Citibank, Wachovia, GM, Ford, Chrysler and numerous other institutions now requiring bail out to survive have ton’s of executive experience, but thank god they were not running the country.
During WWI, an WWII our Presidents had no significant military experience, but they mobilized the country, and won those wars.
Lincoln had neither executive nor military experience, was a Lawyer, and despite all of those detriments pulled us through the Civil War.
Franklin Roosevelt had neither executive nor military experience and was a Lawyer; yet he successfully defeated the Nazis and brought us through the Great Depression.
The job of a President is to inspire, lead, set the administrations agenda, be the primary reflection of our national character to the world, identify the people who can get things done, and make big decisions. He is not a manager.

Quadrivium:
Executive experience refers to both public sector and private sector executive experience. Both Reagan and Clinton had significant experience as Governors (aka chief executives) of their respective states. Obama has NO executive experience, private or public.

The negative comments are funny.
Why do some people refuse to believe anything good about the Obamas?
These wonderful judges of character probably invested with Bernie Madoff as well!!!

TO: jim | Jan 11, 2009 5:24:15 PM
Quite a few salient points; however, you (and other libs) forget that the “prosperity” under Clinton was generally due to a “bubble” in value-less internet companies – the economy was going down in his last year in office, remember? And “peace”? What peace? Kosovo, the Mid-east, to name just two – nothing has changed in the last thousand years – there is a Jihad and Islam is attempting to take over the world. After all, they beat the Russians in Afghanistan (with our help of course -read “Charlie Wilson’s War”, forget the lousy movie version)and get a look at what is going on in today’s world. At least George Bush had the guts to see through the “politically correct” bs and try to stop the Islamis, before it is too late!

Jim claims obummer knows what it means to be poor. LOL If thats so why is he so lax in donating to charity? Here’s a man with millions who claims he cares and what does he do to help? He puts out a email asking his supporters for more money to spend on partys for him this month. This after spending thousands on a vacation in Hawaii Oh yeah he cares you poor shlubs he really really cares….hahahaha you’ve been suckered again.

Wow, the venom and outright hatred posted here by some is simply stunning.
Bess, you’re worried about the values the Obamas have imparted on their girls? You can’t be serious? You mean the A students; the bright, gentle and kind, well mannered and respectful of their elders, Malia and Sasha? And your question regarding Obama’s KENYAN relatives who may be living here in the U.S. FYI, there are none, except for one great-aunt who attended his U.S. Senate swearing in who may be in the process of applying for permanent residency status. Have a problem with that? Or are you thinking more along the line of “terror cells!!!”
And to the other poster who claims Obama hasn’t spoken to, or on the topic of, personal responsibility. That comment alone exemplifies the sheer ignorance those who oppose Obama embrace. Not only has he on numerous times, countless times, spoken out loudly and clearly and w/o equivocation on this very topic; in churches,(of many faiths) at townhalls,(all through the campaign) as well as having written on this topic in his books; in fact he was criticized wildly by some in the black community, by pastors, pols etc., for doing so! Guess you missed the whole “caught on a live mic” on cable news comment made by Jesse Jackson, outraged at Obama for speaking to the need for young black men to take personal responsibility…??? Where have you people been, living under a rock?

Chuck,
Please. Franklin Roosevelt sold this country down the river. He was outright hostile toward business, and his New Deal prolonged the Depression a good seven years longer than it should have lasted. My mother lived through it and to this day talks about his outrageous, damaging policies and programs, most of which we’re STILL DEALING WITH today.
Harry Truman was a mixed bag. Some view his presidency as a great thing, many others do not. He dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending WWII once and for all. I happen to think that was a good thing, but I can’t understand why you Libs would stand for that.
The other presidents you listed may have been very good presidents, but they are from at least 140 years ago. The country and the world was vastly different then, with different problems and challenges. I’ve no doubt they could have been very good presidents without executive experience. My point is that, with the world today, executive experience is an absolute must if you want the office of the president. Obama has NONE. Sarah Palin has it in spades. So did George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan. In my estimation, any of the three of them, as well as Sarah Palin, are more qualified to be president than Barack Obama.
Obama’s lack of executive experience, coupled with his eyebrow-raising economic policies, his flimsy resume, dubious past and misguided cabinet picks make for a very dicey presidency. In any event, we’ll have a different president in January, 2013.

Barack Hussein Obama is simply the greatest president this so-called country has ever had. I can’t believe how much change he brought to not only our so-called country, but also to the so-called world. His honesty, charm, good looks, wit, fresh breath, shoe size, stick it to the rich philosophy, and trillion dollar spending plan sets him high above any other so-called president that this so-called country has ever, or could ever, have!
See you… I need to go put another bumper sticker on my car!

It looks like we somehow managed to let a genuinely decent and capable man slip into high office. Go figure!

the Obamanuts will believe anything.

The Obama fans really know little about him don’t they? President 0 has done exactly 0 at anything he has done. Lets be straight here he is the affirmative action president, it makes the guilty white liberals happy nothing more. Of course they will be the ones who suffer when one of our cities goes boom.

How do you translate “ummmm” and “ah” into French?

How do you translate “ummmm” and “ah” into French?
*****************************************************
I think “mmmmm” and “ah!”
Le jour parait! Day is breaking! There is cause for some optimism with this next four year.

I think it’s odd that that he refers to his sister as “My sister on my mother’s side…” As far as I know, she’s the only sister he’s actually grown up with and really knows as a sibling-in fact, the only sibling he really has (that he knows of..) I don’t know, somehow Michelle comes out of this interview sounding much more sincere and honest than the ONE…he sounds totally contrived to me in this interview, and he still does. all these years later.

What a couple of phonies.

What a great man. The pain we will suffer in the next four years will be worth it in the long run just as Jimmy Carter’s term was the lesson we needed to learn to force a return to reality.

John G – thank you for illustrating my point.
“Interesting to see the anti-Obama types scratching around for any little bit of dirt on Obama – and coming up with so very little.
Propagandists.
And most of the propaganda is pitiful: name calling, sound-bite catch phrases and worse – some of it simple hate designed to fabricate bogus conflict.
I wish the ‘right wing’ on here would carry itself with a little more dignity and maturity.”

So Pefros, you are admitting the White Liberal Guilt. Your man is at best a good soundbite. Look at how much he has already backed away from and he has not even spent one day in office. I am sure all of you and the press will give him a pass on that. Tha problem is that the folks that are really hurting are going to wake up and realize his promises were empty. He will not be able to do all he blindly promised even if he wanted to. It was all just hype and talk. You’ll see.

“you are admitting the White Liberal Guilt” – no substantiation on this at all from John G; simply saying it does not make it true.
“Look at how much he has already backed away from and he has not even spent one day in office.” – again, no substantiation provided by John G; simply saying it does not make it true.
“It was all just hype and talk.” – again, no substantiation provided by John G; simply saying it does not make it true.
So John G. absolutely nothing of substance in your post is what I see. Just a desire to badmouth and denigrate Obama.

pmb…
After 8 years of vile trash that the conservatives of this country have had to put up with from the left. Up to and including traitorous acts during a time of war.
I find it hysterical that you obviously want us all to pack it in and just get on the bandwagon now that the teleprompter messiah has been elected by a bunch of halfwits that couldn’t name their congressman or their Senators if they were hanging over a pit of hungry sharks.
Get ready for 4 years of the opposition giving what we have taken for the last 8. Give no quarter and expose this lightweight for what he is Jimmy Carter Redux.

You can try and suppress debate with your name calling and race baiting I’m sorry disappoint you we aren’t going to shut up.
It does however speak volumes about how you see people through racially tinged glasses.
The teleprompter messiah has a compliant congress for two years and nobody to blame when he calls in “present”. Sure the media will run interference for him and his true believers will try and play the race card at any challenge grounded in ideology.
In the end it will be a 4 and out proposition.

“I want to be realistic here, not everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace we had hoped,” Obama said in an interview on ABC’s “This Week” program broadcast this morning. “Everybody’s going to have to give.”
Sounds like a perfectly reasonable statement to make to me; especially given the virtually unprecedented – and astonishingly rapid – financial collapse witnessed at the end of the Bush administration.
The key concept here is not that his campaign promises are being scraped, but that they will not proceed ‘on the pace we had hoped.’
Prejudiced means basically pre-judging, I think that’s what goes on here.

We’ll see about the skill, I didn’t vote for him, don’t like the direction he’s headed and have not much in the way of confidence in him. However seeing that for the next 4 years I don’t have any choice, I’ll hope for the best. As far as the Congress that is to help him, it is not only the same Democratically controlled Congress that helped dig this hole we are in (even though they deny that they had anything to do with it) it is now more Democratically controlled then ever.

Not sure why every one, well at least his supporters, are surprised that he is backpeddleing on his ideas and promises. He did this many times throughout his campaign, media and and the Left never called him out on it. It took the guts of Joe the plummer to call him out and we see what the media and the Left did to him.
Let’s see how did the promises go…
Oh only the evil rich will have to pay extra with their $500 thousand plus income
Well you know those guys earning $250 thousand really don’t deserve the money they earn either so they’ll have to pay
Ok bottom line, the people that make $150 thousand have to much money to so I guess they’ll have to pay to…
You know what, I believe everybody has to lose some skin…tell you what, you give me all your money and I’ll decide what you deserve…
and people just kept on believing….

Not sure this comment was properly posted . ..
Triple A, you’re partially right about the Democratic Congress – they held a majority 2007, 2008 however . … Republicans held the Presidency and Congress before that.
Here’s how the Republicans ran the government when they had control of Presidency and the Congress.
$421 Billion OVER BUDGET (2002)
$555 Billion OVER BUDGET (2003)
$596 Billion OVER BUDGET (2004)
$554 Billion OVER BUDGET (2005)
$574 Billion OVER BUDGET (2006)

Le VOMIT.

To “obummer fan” – I could care less how much Obama does or does not donate to the poor. All he has to do is clean up the mess the “compassionate conservative” GWB inflicted on America and the world, and that will be just fine with me.

And to John:
1. “…you (and other libs) forget that the “prosperity” under Clinton was generally due to a “bubble” in value-less internet companies – the economy was going down in his last year in office, remember?”
No, you and other conservatives like to avoid realizing Clinton was actually a very effective President. He pursued the opposite of trickle-down economics, by lowering taxes on the poor and middle-class while increasing spending for programs to benefit the poor and middle-class.
Yes, a bubble was created, and it popped in the Bush administration. But had Bush maintained Clinton’s policies, we would have recovered quicker and more strongly, and not gotten completely behind the eightball just in time for the housing crisis > stock crisis > financial crisis > worst recession since Great Depression.
8 years of good management has good effects. 8 years of bad (or no) management has bad effects. Simple cause and effect.
2. “And “peace”? What peace? Kosovo, the Mid-east, to name just two – nothing has changed in the last thousand years -”
How many US soldiers died in Kosovo?
NOT ONE. SINGLE. US SOLDIER.
Oh, and the world approved of our intervention and it increased our bonds with our allies.
And yes, Clinton didn’t resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But he did resolve the Ireland/Britain conflict – which no other US president was able to do before him.
3. “…there is a Jihad and Islam is attempting to take over the world. ”
OK. So, when Bush let Al Qaeda run free by shifting our resources to could invade Iraq – the one country in the Middle East which WAS NOT Islamic fundamentalist – that was a good idea?
Think things through.
Really.

JDD- Upon reading your posting for a second time, I’ve come to the conclusion it’s a cross betweeen a joke and fiction.

Sara wrote:
“Barak has done more for this country than George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Jesus combined. He is the greatest man of all time, even greater than Superman. If only I could shake his hand once, i would die happy.”
Superman, dear heart, is a fictional character.

GM – Sarah or whoever was clearly kidding. I thought it was a guy trolling myself.

Okie dokie. Goodnight.

The bottom line is – Obama is our chief executive for the next fou years and America’s future is in his hands. The majority of Americanh citizens support him and the minority can only cackle and whine while their noise is consigned to the dust bin of history.

Osamas Socialism/Communism has failed in every country it has been tried. Not sometimes but everytime. Only the ignorant and opiate afflicted media brainwashed citizens cannot see the disaster looming if this Empty Suit actually manages to fulfill his massive giveaways.
It is said that ignoranhce is bliss and nowhere is that more evident then on this forum. The absolutely inane and ridiculous comments made by those on the left paint a strak picture of people that haven;’t the first clue about how an successful economy funvctions but instead actually seem to bel;ieve that the government can somehow hand out enough money to the lazy do nothings at the expense of the productive members of society so all will be equal and happy.
Uneducated is to mild a term to use to describe these people. Here is a quote that perhaps they will understand even though they will blindly ignore it because they believe THIS TIME it will be different.
*************************************
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.”
Tytler

For those folks who have questioned why the Obamas were interviewed back in 1996, this quote from the article explains it.
‘the interview, entitled “An Intimate Conversation with Michelle and Barack Obama,” was conducted for a book about American marriages and was never published before today.’
It is surprising how much information you can learn if you actually read the entire article.

“OBama is a usuper, he refuses to show his birth certificate. he is not a natural borne citizen, as required by the US constitution, he may not even be a US Citizen. To millions of AMericans he will not be a real president, and he will be take to court until he admits that he lied to America , stole billions of dollars to finance his campagin, and he will be replaced by a legit candidate. Until then every thing he signs will be null and void.
He’s not my president, sorry, he is a fake and charlatan.”
I couldn’t agree more

HE WILL NEVER BE MY PRESIDENT!

He hasn’t even taken office yet and he is backing off of his promises. Sounds like he didn’t know what he was talking about back in September and October when he made all of his promises. The economy is the same as it was back then. I am so disappointed.

Nice fluff piece, but
. who is the un-named author of this unpublished book?
. out of all the married couples in America, why were the Obamas selected for the book?
. can’t ABC get hold of the original interview in English?

The republican party is almost dead and some of the negative posts here represent some last gasps of the dying beast. I hope the republicans finish themselves off by running Jeb Bush and Sarah Palin in 2012.

Asked for the last 8 years:
Liberals of America that for some reason hate your new president: do an exercise of conscience and patriotism and think hard on what you want for your country: do you want him to fail? Meaning your country to fail? You can be opposition but be sure to be a useful one. Pounding the guy with predictions based on your hate will do no good to your country. Wait and see. Be tolerant, be fair. And never wish your president to fail. This is your country. We can’t move forward if so many are stuck in bitterness. Everything coming from your mouth is criticism. Make a honest effort to find at least something you can tolerate and maybe even find good. We can’t make it without union.

Hate him hope he falls on his face and I can kick some dirt in it.

Obama hasn’t a clue what to do as President.
Most of Obama’s appointments are Clinton has beens or Bush carry-overs.
Obama is backtracking on the promises he made to the looney left who voted for him.
All those people who voted for him believing Obama is going to change Washington are in for a rude surprise; Obama is the product of the corrupt Chicago political machine and graft is the only way he has experience in politics.
I just hope Obama has enough sense to know to step aside in 2012 and let Hillary do it right.

Barack Hussien Obama is a fraud. Enough said.

puff piece,

Enough already!

The article reveals the continuity in Obama’s philosophical outlook, which connects his personal life experiences and beliefs with his approach toward public policy and where and how he intends to lead this country. His calm, thoughtful attitude and willingness to accept divergent viewpoints are marks of both conventional intelligence as well as that more elusive variation of intelligence that we call wisdom. Those who hate Obama or hope for his fall will not only be disappointed, but will one day admit that they were wrong to loath him, and the conversion of these individuals from bigots and racists to reluctant admirers will be one of the by products of his tenure, and will continue that evolution toward a more perfect union.

Dadoo-
-
I took Clair’s comment and removed CONSERVATIVES and replaced it with LIBERALS, to show the irony of what what not given to BUSH, when he enter office, by some people and continued for “8 years”. Sorry for the confusion…

Puff piece. Just like BHO!

If there was ever rich material for SNL, this is it. I love things that are translated from English to French and back to English. They are never quite the same! If Barack Obama literally told an interviewer that Michelle was “alluring” (ooh la la) or that his father “studied economy,” I would be extremely surprised. I wish you had shared more of the lines in the translated French version. Too funny.

Michael Bechloss, the ‘respected’ presidential historian. Bechloss said of Obama, and I quote, “his (Obama’s) IQ is off the charts”.
No. It isn’t. If it’s really in the 130′s, as reported somewhere, that’d make him medium-smart. He didn’t have a rep as “brilliant” or any of that while he was at Harvard — QUITE the reverse — where He wouldn’t have been admitted but for pull.
Suburban public high schools are FULL, literally, of people smarter than The One.

Well Congratulations USA! We just got ourselves a President off of an Infomercial….. and we all know how well the tummysizer and the magic bullet worked!
I am tired of having Obama crammed down my throat already!
If your not… feel free to switch to HIS television channel and you can “on Demand” any of his speeches, this might be a good idea, so you can start looking for the promises that he is already saying he WON’T keep!
NOTICE the talk of LOYALTY and TRUST…. hmmm… and that he admits making up stories of his family!
I am a hell of a marketing person and If I had realized that the US presidency was for sale and I could advertise to suckers and get elected…shoot, I’d of RUN too!
Praying for America. May GOD HELP US!

” … 130s, that would place him somewhere in the 95th percentile of the distribution of IQ scores. Although this does not place him in genius territory, it would also be inaccurate to say that high schools are full of people who score this well.”
What I said was that SUBURBAN high schools are full of people who score in the 130s.
Brock wasn’t considered anything special, “intelligence”-wise, by His Harvard peers … he was reinvented as “brilliant” as part of the selling of this “post-partisan” pig in a poke as a Democrat.
That some of the people RUNNING Him for “election” are indeed very bright — if value-free where it counts — isn’t in contention.

“He is not even a natural born U.S. citizen (his grandmother said she was there for his birth in Kenya).”
Presumably Rahm Emanuel’s Kenya trip was/(is?) to help granny … forget. Or whatever.
How many of Brock’s old classmates and extended family will suffer sudden disappearances and/or disabling conditions?

Sounds like a load of “merde de taureau” to me!

I didn’t vote for him but I want him to be a success. That said, I think the article is a fake. If it wasn’t how is it that the admiring media didn’t find it during the campaign?
BTW, some of the things he says make me believe even more that there a few gay genes in Barach. Strtaight guys are never that mushy…ever!

His memoir, Dreams From My Father had been published in 1995. Perhaps he got on the radar through a publicist trying to promote his book and the French journalist thought his story was interesting.
And to the loathsome person who claimed we’ll be missing W–fat chance. The only way that would happen is if Hitler were to somehow be resurrected and become president.

It is astonishing how much energy people can waste on hate, envy and pettiness. Reading these comments has been mind-numbing. But what is clear is that people make a sport of projecting all their crap unto others, especially when they can gather agreement from other bitter, angry people.
For example, a few clearly stated facts are overlooked in the zeal to either attack or defend.
First is that this is not a “puff piece”; it’s an interview (apparently by invitation) that “was conducted for a book about American marriages and was never published before today” and it took place “the same year Obama eventually ended up running for state senate”.
So this notion that he was just making stuff up for the sake of his political career isn’t even logical.
Besides, liars eventually slip up. The man is not, and has never, made up his personal history.
It is depressing that there are so many pathetic losers who create stories in their head for the sake of having something to complain about. Like, how could he possibly have been a Presidential candidate without an American birth certificate? Jesus!

Correcting people’s incorrect statements. Why do I do it? It’s both fun, and I feel a need.
To Tytler, who said:
“O[b]amas Socialism/Communism has failed in every country it has been tried. Not sometimes but everytime.”
1. you spelled “Obama” as “Osama”. Fixed it for you. Similar mistakes such as this, may be why Osama Bin Laden is still running free after killing 3000+ US citizens. Please get it together.
2. Obama’s “socialism” includes ONLY policies that have been done in the US – AND WORKED. By getting us out of the Great Depression, and Bush 41′s depression of the early 1990′s.
So are you calling America a failed state?? How DARE you? Why do you hate America, huh?! Huh?!?

Corrections for Mike:
“Blame for the economy does not lie with the “Evil Rich” or George Bush. The problem is IN FACT with our government.”
Oh! Right.
And who was running that government for the past 8 years?
Why it was George W. Bush, and his neocon buddies.
And this attempt to pin our current troubles on lax regulations for mortgages, is laughable. That may have been spark – but it’s not the gasoline splashed around the ammo dump. That was allowing mortgage companies to package and SELL those bad mortgages for trading and investment – and then allowing other companies to create and sell investment based on THAT.
Which the Bush Administration and the GOP was continuously warned about – and which they continued to just let happen.
Now that investment and between-bank borrowing based on mortgage packaging was made possible by the repeal of the Glass-Steagal act – which happened under Clinton in 1996, and was approved by both parties. So Democrats are by no means innnocent. But to try and blame this solely on government itself, rather than those *incompetently running* government for the 8 years, doesn’t hold water.
Get it right, will you? These facts are out there.

And corrections for Myze, who said:
“Let me get this straight, the dems and libs think the time is now over for any name calling about the president, but it was ok for the last eight years!”
Myze, take it straight from me: please feel free to call Obama every name in the book, if he ever does anything CLOSE to:
- ignoring reports about an incoming terrorist attack for 9 months, doing NOTHING, and demoting people like Richard Clarke from meetings for NO GIVEN REASON
- lazily letting someone who murders 3000+ American civilians go free, because Obama really wants to invade a nearby country for no clear reason
- ignore the advice of and evidence of seasoned experts, because Obama wants to invade Iraq
- ending the careers of respected and decorated Generals, for giving the public the true figures of what an Iraq invasion will cost
- lying to Obama’s own party about the cost of a Medicare bill – and *threatening to fire* others if they tell the truth
etc. etc.
The problem is, *you* didn’t *listen* to the liberals and progressives, when we TOLD YOU what a disaster Bush was being.
Clinton handed Bush a perfectly working country – and Bush basically broke it, like a rich kid breaks a toy the day after Christmas, yawns, and goes out to his yacht.

Jim,
I have nothing against libs and dems personally, but you have attacked me for putting the blame where it belongs, the government as a whole. I do not understand where you come from on that as obviously you did not even read what I had put earlier. The government as a whole is at fault and I was merely telling other ppl to drop this mess and lets get on with the real issues, fixinf this mess.
I have nothing against Obama personally. I did not vote for GW, I agree he could have done something about this issue but he did not, I also believe that both parties could have done something about this in Congress, but did not, this is why I blame the government. Who do you blame?
I could go on a rant like you are but what will that solve?

And, lastly for now, to Bruce Tomarello:
“…I think the article is a fake. If it wasn’t how is it that the admiring media didn’t find it during the campaign?”
Because it was never before published, you see. Which it says in the intro.
Basically, Le Monde interviewed them, and as Obama wasn’t famous yet they just stuffed it in a back bin without using it. Then, looking for stuff to fill the current issue, they searched through their archives and found it.
If they had found it earlier, I’m sure Le Monde would have run it earlier too.

I’m a “right-winger”. I will give Obama the chance that Bush never received. Remember when Bush’s Motorcade was on the way TO the inauguration? Remember that it was pelted with snowballs? Keep in mind that this was before Bush made a single decision as president BECAUSE HE WAS NOT EVEN SWORN IN YET! So don’t give me any crap about how people hate Bush because of his policies. I hope Obama does well because I love America more than I dislike Obama.
Also, to those that blame everything on Bush… Please try to remember that the economy was great, literally the best in history from 2002 to 2006. What happened in 2006? That’s when the Democrats took over Congress. Remember from your middle school government classes that the congress controls the purse strings, and therefor the economy. Just look at recent history to see that Clinton’s economy took off when Newt became Speaker and tanked when he went out. The economy was great when Delay was Speaker but has now tanked thanks to Pelosi. Numbers don’t lie.

Mike,
I apologize for perhaps being overly harsh. I just have heard so many excuses made for George W. Bush’s terrible management, in particular. I think he’s a worse problem than either party; I think the GOP enabled him to do worse than another better President would have done in his stead.
And I also think that blaming the mortgage mess for our current issues is inaccurate, and tends to imply the poor are to blame – when it is the supposed stock-market wizards who took a potentially bad situation and made it go nuclear.
But if what you are saying is that both parties are to blame *besides* Bush, that I can definitely agree with.

A respectful response to Jim:
If you look at the Clinton economic timeline, it would appear that Clinton inherited a recession and turned it around into one of the best economic eras in American history. This would be completely accurate, except for the fact that it is not the President that controls the economy. Congress writes the budget, congress appropriates the funds, congress decides where to spend the money and what to spend it on. All the president does is sign the budget, just like any other law.
So to say that the economy during Clinton’s presidency is a direct result of the Clinton presidency is unfortunately a common misunderstanding of how the US gov’t works. The President’s power lies in his control of the military, foreign affairs, political party and setting the broad agenda that congress can either follow or ignore.
If you look at a graph showing the increase and decrease of the GDP by year, you will find that it coincides with changes of who controls congress. As for the problems you listed, these are either not the area the federal government has an effect or simply are not a problem. Sure, incomes fell in areas like California and Michigan. But in Texas, Florida, Colorado and other states, the exact opposite happened under the same president. These are more a result of local governments’ ability to spur local economies where people live. Since the GDP rose during this time, it shows that there were more winners than losers. More people were working (less than 4% unemployment) and more people were making money nationwide. So saying that poor and mid-class made less money ignores that fact that the numbers of poor and mid-class decreased during this time. As for the falling dollar, it’s not a problem. It does not cause inflation. What it does do is make American products more competitive around the world since these products are “cheaper” in foreign currencies while making foreign products more expensive stateside.

A respectful response to Archer:
“…it is not the President that controls the economy. Congress writes the budget, congress appropriates the funds, congress decides where to spend the money and what to spend it on. All the president does is sign the budget, just like any other law.”
And when the Congress tried to send President Clinton a budget that included tax cuts for the wealthy, President Clinton vetoed that budget. And he refused to budge, until Congress accepted what Clinton wanted – those tax revenues to go towards paying down the budget deficit instead.
And so we ended up with a budget surplus – because Clinton defied and resisted Newt Gingrich and his Congress.
Also, from his bully pulpit and as head of the Executive Branch, Bill Clinton pushed for and instituted a range of programs and incentives to improve the lot of the poor and middle-class. Thus giving them more jobs, and more money to spend.
This is the exact opposite of trickle-down economics – and it works. It works by common sense. When the wealthy get more money, who’s to say they’ll spend it? They may save it – they may invest it overseas. But when the poor and middle class get money, they’re more likely to spend it – because they *have to*.
“If you look at a graph showing the increase and decrease of the GDP by year, you will find that it coincides with changes of who controls congress.”
I’d love to see that graph, please post a link to it.
“As for the problems you listed, these are either not the area the federal government has an effect or simply are not a problem.”
Sure – if it’s a party that doesn’t believe in the power of Federal government.
“Since the GDP rose during this time, it shows that there were more winners than losers.”
Sure – if you define winners as “wealthy”, and losers as “everyone else”.
But that has nothing to do with the health of the nation. Or, the economy – since the bulk of our economy depends on purchasing power, and since the poor and the middle class spend more of their money because they have to.
Therefore less money for the poor and middle class is not only hard for them individually, but hard for everyone – because it means less money is being spent in the economy, even though more money is technically available.
“So saying that poor and mid-class made less money ignores that fact that the numbers of poor and mid-class decreased during this time.”
Love to see that graph or a link to it, too.
“As for the falling dollar, it’s not a problem.”
Really?
China owning us because they’re propping up our dollar, that’s not a problem to you? You don’t think our lower dollar value negatively impacts our trade, investment, or long-term health at all?
I disagree very heartily. Their can be silver linings to it – but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very dark cloud.

Let’s hope that life in the White House doesn’t adversely affect what appears to be a beautiful relationship. Common sense tells us that their marriage has been and will be tested by the campaign and the victory.

‘Winning’ his 1996 race is a euphemism for ‘getting all his opponents knocked off the ballot so he could ‘run’ unopposed.’ He could not have won a vote against the incumbent “beloved elder stateswoman” Alice Palmer, so he made a vote impossible. Just as he could not win a vote against Hillary Clinton, so he maneuvered in the back rooms of Florida and Michigan and Denver to prevent her votes from being counted. (And Hillary still ‘won’ the exit polls; 9.5 million of McCain’s voters preferred Hillary.)
Ref “Showing his bare knuckles” in a Chicago Tribune profile.

Obama was famous for being famous even before he was famous. We have been set up by Brazile, Dean, the DNC and the media. God help the world.

“‘Winning’ his 1996 race is a euphemism for ‘getting all his opponents knocked off the ballot so he could ‘run’ unopposed.’” Ditto. I agree with fsteele.
Locally, I’ve uncovered evidence of possible caucus fraud by Obama supporters in Iowa. If more people would talk, it would be easier to prove, but I know that caucus fraud by the Obama campaign in Texas has been documented.
No more caucuses!! Too easy to defraud the voters. Undemocratic, too. How many people can show up for three or four hours on a particular night to represent their candidate? It’s harder for the poor and working classes.

More garbage from the left..You people are so far to the left you can’t stop going in circles..Wake up and realize that all AMERICANS are not stupid enough to believe you because you say its true..This guy is a disaster for AMERICA and the world but your noses are so far up his butt you can’t understans that..GOD BLESS AMERICA !!