Seeing Is Not Believing

Obama goes to Pennsylvania and cannot even convince a hand-picked crowd that he will respect the rights of gun owners:

A woman in the crowd [in Duryea, PA] told Obama she had “heard a rumor” that he might be planning some sort of gun ban upon being elected president. Obama trotted out his standard policy stance, that he had a deep respect for the “traditions of gun ownership” but favored measures in big cities to keep guns out of the hands of “gang bangers and drug dealers’’ in big cities “who already have them and are shooting people.”

“If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said. But the Illinois senator could still see skeptics in the crowd, particularly on the faces of several men at the back of the room.

So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said. “This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back? I see a couple of sportsmen back there. I’m not going to take away your guns.’’

Oh, I think they heard the words coming out of his mouth.  But maybe they have also captured the flavor of all the other words and flip-flops, especially with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Washington DC gun ban.  Here is Jacob Sullum at Reason:

Obama's past positions on gun control and recent statements about gun rights provide little reason to believe he takes the Second Amendment seriously. And as I've argued, it's hard to see what meaningful restrictions the Second Amendment imposes on gun control if something like the D.C. law can pass constitutional muster.

Marc Ambinder:

It's true that Obama regularly says and has said that he interprets the 2nd amendment to hold secure an individual's right to bear arms while being constrained by the rights of the community to "maintain public safety," as he put it today.

It's just that, with regard to the DC law, it seems clear that Obama was OK with how DC government balanced those rights and is now OK with the see-saw swinging in the other direction.

Waffles served by AllahPundit at Hot Air.  Straight reporting of the Obamafuscations here.

C'mon - Obama is a conventional urban lib who has never seen a gun control proposal that went too far.  If he thought he had the votes and wasn't committing political suicide, he would favor a gun ban tomorrow.

Comments

[kim]

'Even if I want to take them, I don't have the votes in Congress' is revelatory. It sounds like he's made the calculation.

I think this guy has lied all his life and has gotten away with it by 'smiling and acting courteous'. What a gigantic fraud. No wonder his wife is a bitch.
=====================

[PeterUK]

The simple fact about gun control, is that it only works on the law abiding,criminals will always have guns.Politicians use the gesture politics of gun bans to be seen to be doing something.

[bgates]

Obama 2008:
He Doesn't Have Enough Congressional Support
To Do the Unconstitutional Things You're Worried About

[Neo]

I think Obama has lost Pennsylvania.

Picking Biden didn't help as Pennsylvanians still hold a grudge of how Delaware, which was part of the Pennsylvania colony, broke away and ratified the Constitution first. There are counties in Pennsylvania bigger than Delaware.

More to the point, many Pennsylvanians do "cling to their guns" the same way the the NOW crew cling to their "abortion rights."

The argument that Obama gave could equally be used for the abortion issue by Sarah Palin, so why the hell is Obama running "abortion rights" commercials ?

[GMax]

Maybe the skepticism was because they knew what Obama had said in San Francisco behind their backs? Or what he told the public while having Austin Goolsbee tell the Canadians in private that he did not mean it? I think I could go on and on. But my grandma told me if you were a liar, that it would not matter if you were telling the truth on something, no one would believe you.

And small town Pennsylvania are pretty good at looking some one in the eye and knowing when they are being lied to!

[MarkO]

I thought TCO wanted my gun.

[Neo]

It's because he knows it's lame .. things can change.
You'd think the mand of "Hope and Change" would know that.
The voters here in Pennsylvania do.

[Yosemite Sam]

"So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said."

This is a lead in for McCain to push for voters to vote Republican in the Congressional races. What other Constitutional rights would Obama try to take away if he had the votes? What other crazy legislation would push through?

[Neo]

But on further reflection, this story is awesome.

[MayBee]

It isn't his flip flopping. As usual, it's his completely nonsensical position:
Obama trotted out his standard policy stance, that he had a deep respect for the “traditions of gun ownership” but favored measures in big cities to keep guns out of the hands of “gang bangers and drug dealers’’ in big cities “who already have them and are shooting people.”

“If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said.

He's going to take them out of the big cities if you already have them, but not out of the houses of rural people?
What does he want, the always workable "no gun zones"?

[Neo]

Yosemite Sam: this is the footage the RCCC and RSCC should use.

[Ranger]

While I think the first part of his second try is pretty good at revealing why Barry never got much court time as a lawyer in Chicago (he is so bad at thinking on his feet to make an argument), I this this is more revealing:

“This can’t be the reason not to vote for me. Can everyone hear me in the back? I see a couple of sportsmen back there. I’m not going to take away your guns.’’

That's the most pathetic and whiny pleading for a vote I think I have ever heard from a presidential candidate and it shows how little he really understands average voters. He just can't believe they won't buy his line. Did he really think they hadn't heard his answer in the back of the room?

It is really starting to look like he can't close the deal.

[Danube of Thought]

This guy's a pussy. He's gonna lose.

[kim]

His campaign is going to make it harder and harder to catch him being spontaneous. He is a disaster when he lets out the real Obama.
=============================

[kim]

Please, God, make it so bad that he wreaks havoc down ticket. I don't ask for much.
========================================

[hrtshpdbox]

I think Obama's reference to "gang bangers" is racist.

[MarkO]

Pussy? If he's worried about Sarah pushing him around, what about Putin? The One should be annotinted Healer in Chief and given an office in Mallorca.

Wait, I want the office in Mallorca.

[Ranger]

I do think it's fun to see all the lefts fear mongering on Roe v. Wade coming back to bite them in the butt. They have made people believe emotionally (even though on a rational level they know better) that the president can single-handedly change the Constitution, which is why Obama's "I don't have the votes" argument falls so flat.

[hrtshpdbox]

"They have made people believe emotionally (even though on a rational level they know better) that the president can single-handedly change the Constitution..."

And even Supreme Court appointments are Senate-proof, what with all those Dems carrying litmus paper in their hanky pockets.

[Pagar]

IMO, If Obama is elected he will have the votes to do what ever his boss wants. I don't believe for one minute that Obama is making the decisions in this campaign. Nor do I believe that the decision will be made by any 300 advisors. Someone sent him, the question is who.

[Ann]

"This guy's a pussy. He's gonna lose."

Dot,

LOL, Take a look at the new cover for "The Weekly Standard" titled High Noon

It is in the top right hand corner of the article. Check out the shadow with the ears too!

[PeterUK]

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,"

Interesting Barrack Hussein Obama used "want" rather than "wanted".

[kim]

Yeah, the 'if' doesn't fit, it really means 'Even though I want to take them away'. However, his locution is colloquial in the US.
=======================================

[RichatUF]

OMG-I can't believe that he said that. I can see the ads in the CO Senate race right now.

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,"

That is a vote of confidence to vote Democrat...

[memomachine]

Hmmmm.

The 2nd Amendment Right.

Evidently neither Constitutional or a Right.

[tp]

Pagar--George Soros sent him. I have looked into George Soros' eyes and all I see is KGB. :^)

[bad]

Whomever sent him probably wishes they hadn't wasted the postage.

[Joan]

Oh, great goodness, you all are cracking me up! Thank you, thank you.

[glasater]

Same here--Joan @ 4:37. I've been almost going out of my mind with concern BHO is going to steal this election.

[ex-democrat]

speaking of locution, where does his obnoxious use of "we" come from? is it a PR thing?

[Danube of Thought]

Could this election end up being an American referendum on the media? It seems to be shaping up that way.

[kim]

It's the Manchurian we.
===============

[kim]

There certainly is a backlash building, isn't there, Tom. That spontaneous demonstration against the media was a bellweather.
=====================================

[ex-democrat]

as a lawyer, i'm drawn to verbal tics in my opponents: they're often a "tell" for something else. i think that's why i was so struck by Obama's use of "from" rather than "with" in response to the famous Ayers question from Stephanopolous. ("...He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.")

[ex-democrat]

DOT: McCain is running against the MSM.

[Danube of Thought]

I posted my 5:10 without having read the Kristol thread.

[clarice]

Sarah Palin jokes are proliferating almost as fast as stupid rumors..Here are some:

Sarah Palin begins every day with a moment of silence for the political enemies buried in her yard.
* Sarah Palin always beats the point spread.
* Sarah Palin once bit the head off a live Osprey snatched from the air as it tried to fly off with a fish she caught.
* Sarah Palin uses French Canadians as bait to catch giant king salmon.
* When Sarah Palin booked a flight to Europe, the French immediately surrendered.
* Sarah Palin plays Whack-a-Mole with her forehead, and always gets a perfect score.
* Sarah Palin knows who was on the grassy knoll.
* Sarah Palin's finishing move in the VP debate will be pulling Biden's still beating heart from his chest & taking a bite.

[clarice]

Sure,DoT *wink*

[bad]

He’s not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.

I think he was being painfully truthful in part here, however inadvertantly. He has no ides to exchange, he only gets ideas from others.

Of course he was lying out his butt about not getting ideas from Ayers.

[bgates]

Clarice -
"Sarah Palin" is an anagram for "Sharia plan".

[PeterUK]

Clarice,
That grizzly bear skin on Sarah Palin's office wall,she beat the bear to death with a hockey stick.

[PeterUK]

Did Obama get the idea of binning the flags from Ayers?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Senator Orrin Hatch brings everyone back to earth:

Palin is also an important part of our firewall. You see, one of the official duties of our Vice President is to break tie votes in the U.S. Senate.

It doesn't happen often, but it does happen! In fact, Bill Clinton needed then Vice President Al Gore's tiebreaking vote twice to pass the last gas tax increase.

Just imagine if there was a tie vote next year on increasing the gas tax. Who would you trust?

* Joe Biden - the third most liberal member of the Senate according to the non-partisan National Journal (who also voted for that gas tax hike).

* Or, Sarah Palin - who as Governor of Alaska returned a budget surplus to taxpayers.

[bad]

..she beat the bear to death with a hockey stick.

Really? I heard she bullied it to death.

[Bill in AZ]

Ann - the High Noon link, the Ears:
I hate it when (guffaw) the media (guffaw) takes aim at a candidates ears (guffaw, guffaw) instead of talking about the ISSUES - the failing economy (guffaw), climate change (guffaw), experience (guffaw guffaw!).

[PeterUK]

"Really? I heard she bullied it to death."

No ,that's just for small game,like rabbits.She just tell them to "Drop dead" and they do.Might be different for snakes.

[Soylent Red]

But "Barack Obama" is an anagram for "Arab Mao Back".

[bad]

"Arab Mao Back".

Muslim?

[PeterUK]

Hussein?

[bad]

Imam?

[kim]

Well, the Saudis helped get him into Harvard Law School. Don't forget, 1.2 billion Muslims know he is one of them, no matter what he claims, now.
=====================================

[PeterUK]

Madrassa?

[centralcal]

kim: "1.2 billion Muslims know he is one of them"

I think the sadder truth is that Obama is not one of any group, really. Maybe his family (Michelle and the girls, though certainly not his grandparents). Other than that, I think he is truly self-absorbed.

[red forman]

DUMBASS?

[bad]

Apostate?

[kim]

Right, centralcal, I don't believe Obama is practicing taqiyah and actually is a believer in Muslim, though it is not inconceivable. The trouble, though, with his name and his early schooling, many Muslims believe he is one of them, or more importantly, should be, and if he isn't then he is apostate.
==============================

[kim]

Now I'm confused, I thought Washington was the Apple State.
=====================================

[Fisher]

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’

Could this akin to Kerry's 'I voted for... before I voted against...

[narciso]

Someone should have told him, don't mess with a Momma, specially don't go after their
kids. Really, in what kind of damn fool
strategy meeting,did that make sense. For Barry, who was raised by mother and more importantly; the grandmother who he ended
'up throwing under the bus' it seems specially hypocritical. I think someone did, but they couldn't help themselves.The Huntress, will not be merciful, but as the speech showed, she'll have a sense of humor about it.

Mind you the same media, that thinks Sarah Palin's credential aren't up to snuff, were
in lockstep supporting Howard Dean, that
OCD wasp from the electoral powerhouse of
Vermont, for President. Dean was known for quasi truther insights, "the Saudis told Bush about 9/11" , condescending about Republican sensitivity to ethnic interests,
and almost rabid rages. The impulses that drove him to the temper tantrum thatprovoked
the Florida/Michigan quagmire; which was exploited by Operation Chaos. I guess the vital maple syrup to ethanol industry.

[MarkO]

That "High Noon" shadow looks to be from "Close Encounters." There are aliens and then there are aliens.
I watched “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence,” the other night and thought it should be required viewing. Civilization is a luxury.

[MarkO]

****Valance****

He may shoot me for that.

[PeterUK]

Death

[richard mcenroe]

..she beat the bear to death with a hockey stick.

Really? I heard she bullied it to death.

No, she just ordered it to commit seppuku and it took the easy way out.

[Elliott]

bgates,

She was educated in Moscow. Does she wear muslin apparel?

Soylent,

Change it to "Back Arab Mao" and you've got a campaign rallying cry: BAM!

[Danube of Thought]

"That's my steak, Valance."

Print the legend...

[M. Simon]

The argument that Obama gave could equally be used for the abortion issue by Sarah Palin, so why the hell is Obama running "abortion rights" commercials ?

Because he is losing too many women.

Women are noticing that Rs are standing up for Sarah while the Ds threw Clinton under the bus.

[PeterUK]

"The argument that Obama gave could equally be used for the abortion issue by Sarah Palin, so why the hell is Obama running "abortion rights" commercials ".

OBAMA

GIVE YOUR SUPPORT - ABORT!

[M. Simon]

Same here--Joan @ 4:37. I've been almost going out of my mind with concern BHO is going to steal this election.

Posted by: glasater

See my comment in previous thread.

1. There will be a division of R lawyers out on election day.

2. There will be 10 divisions of PUMA poll watchers.

[Crusader]

I'm almost convinced at this point that all McCain has to do to win is show Palin around the country(or at least swing states) and the election is his. People will see that Obama is the most left-wing Senator. As long as no huge scandal hits McCain/Palin, the election is theirs to lose.

[Publius]

Me thinks, while at State College, 'The All Knowing One' lost the Penn State vote when he called their football team "The Nittilly Lions".

[JM Hanes]

ex-democrat:

"speaking of locution, where does his obnoxious use of "we" come from? is it a PR thing?"

It's the royal Presidential "we." As in: We are monitoring the events in New Orleans, and we are pleased to see that the reform measures we instituted have been as wildly effective as we expected. We commend our national guard for their fine work, and the governor for running the ball we provided.

Interesting observation on exchanging ideas "from" -- something I'll keep in mind when running into such gaffes in future, although the sheer volume of material would make it a full time job.

[JM Hanes]

PUK:

"Might be different for snakes."

I'm sure Palin can handle snakes!

[unseen]

The Dc case was a 5-4 decsiobn. With the dems controlling the senate. BHO has the votes to put a anti 2nd amendment justice on the court. He does have the votes needed to take our guns. Don't ever forget that.

[hit and run]

JMH:
I'm sure Palin can handle snakes!

CHARLIE! Put it on the Palin Rumor page.

Sarah is a snake handler.

[Pofarmer]

Just a note. This kind of stuff is what passes for critical thinking at Barack Husseins Alma Mater. You really outght to watch the video.

Verticle farming

http://rednecktexan.blogspot.com/2008/09/farming-in-sky.html

[MarkJ]

"I think this guy has lied all his life and has gotten away with it by 'smiling and acting courteous.'"

Barack Obama: the "Eddie Haskell" of American politics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Haskell

[John Bibb]

Obama told the truth--he will not take away your firearms. It will be the the ATF, local police, or other government agencies who show up to take them!

Condi Rice's dad and other Black Americans had to provide their own local firearm protection in Alabama when the police would not defend them against the Klan and other racists.

The Korean American store owners had to protect their property and lives with their firearms during the Watts and Rodney King riots in Los Angeles when the police and California National Guard would not enter the riot area. The California governor did not want to "aggravate the situation" by protecting the citizens--he waited for the riots (and fires!) to burn out.

A woman with an abusive husband can not defend herself without a firearm--restraining order or not. We had a case here in El Paso a few years ago where the jealous skunk knifed her in the driveway and killed her. A gun in her hand would have saved her--the two restraining orders meant nothing. American Muslim women should consider arming themselves if "honor" killing is on the horizon in their families.

We all know how Hitler disarmed the Germans citizens before taking over the country and killing the Jews.

The framers of our Constitution gave us the Second Amendment so we could defend ourselves if law and order broke down. The Messiah will take this right from us if he is elected. His actions speak much louder than his words--"just words".

Rocketman

[kim]

Believe it or not, Mark J, that was a quote from one of his books about how he lied to his mother when she confronted him about drug use. He gives himself away.
========================================

[SukieTawdry]

Sarah Palin jokes are proliferating almost as fast as stupid rumors..

If you missed Ace's Speech Reactions thread, don't. An Ace Classic.

[xerocky]

"I think this guy has lied all his life and has gotten away with it by 'smiling and acting courteous'. What a gigantic fraud. No wonder his wife is a bitch."

Without seeming racist, or at least I hope that I don't, it's the way that we treat seemingly respectful black men that leads to this sort of thing. They act nice, and we over reward them for it.

Obama admits that he's gotten a good deal from AA. That alone should have shown him the door. A proud black man would have refused it.

[ben]

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’

What a definitive and reassuring statement! I think he just made a good case for a Republican congress, so as to take no chances...

[Danube of Thought]

I think we're on the verge of seeing what will be the most delightful, delicious political coup in my lifetime. With one unforseeable stroke, John McCain has put Obama into a situation where for the first time in his life he is not the brightest star in the firmament--and he is far from it.

In one week's time Obama has been knocked completely off balance, and an unknown woman has become the biggest star on this planet. He and his people simply do no know what the hell to do.

If you want evidence of this, ask yourself where the trolls have been the past couple of days.

Obama/Biden: Not Tough Enough.

[Xrlq]

“Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’

Odd wording, that. Usually this rhetorical device is framed in the subjunctive to imply a counterfactual scenario, e.g., "Even if I wanted to take them away, I wouldn't have the votes in Congress." His use of the indicative where one would normally expect the subjunctive suggests he really does want to take them away, if only the votes were there. Under the most charitable reading, it suggests that he doesn't know if he wants to do it or not.

[hussein]

"Under the most charitable reading, it suggests that he doesn't know if he wants to do it or not."

This happened at least 130 times in the Illinois State Senate. He waits and watches, see which way the wind is blowing.

[Deagle]

Just a thank you from a thankful reader of the wonderful commentators here at this site. I have never had so much fun reading comments - both for intelligence and humor at any other blog.

I especially love the Sarah Palin commentary. My gal... and hopefully a vice-president for all of us. Thanks to all.

[Elliott]

Deagle,

Good to see you. How's the game? Any luck with the elusive albatross?

[PeterUK]

JMH.
This is the snake in question

Actually ,I was referring to what technique Sarah Palin would use,not doubting her ability to do so.
BTW,Get a picture of SP standing next to BHO,that will kill the " bullying" meme.

[M. Simon]

Today's HTML Lesson: The number Zero.

I explain in that post how to make three different characters using html code. They look like this: Ø, ø, and ∅.

Typical usage:
Øbama
øbama
∅bama

The last code is easy to remember it is
& empty ; - without the spaces.

[M. Simon]

Today's HTML Lesson: The number Zero.

I explain in that post how to make three different characters using html code. They look like this: Ø, ø, and ∅.

Typical usage:
Øbama
øbama
∅bama

The last code is easy to remember it is
& empty ; - without the spaces.

[M. Simon]

And for those of you who need a crib sheet:

∅bama

∅bama

Hope that helps.

[M. Simon]

Let me try that again

∅bama

[M. Simon]

It should look like this:

∅bama

[PeterUK]

oedema.

[JM Hanes]

Øbama - Works for me.

[Danube of Thought]

Did he really say "Nittily Lions?" Reminds me of Kerry and Lambert Field. Or the wonderful occasion in 1980 when the priceless Jimmy Carter, seeking to suck up to a Houston audience, offered his view that "Kenny Stadler" was going to come through. (The Houston QB's name was Stabler.)

[Larry]

And Stabler did his college at 'Bama. You'd think J C would have heard of him. I mean, like, he probably made even the Plains, Ga papers now and then.

[Donna]

I thought that flipping PA was a long shot, but after "Nittily Lions" and “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’ there might just be hope and change for McCain in the Keystone State after all. The One is clearly getting rattled - he's not running against Alan Keyes this time.

I really, really hope that he'll attempt to reassure the bitter hicks by putting on cammies and heading out to the duck blind with a shotgun. Did wonders for Kerry.

They'll have to make absolutely sure the shotgun isn't loaded, though, given Barry's talent for shooting himself in the foot.

[kim]

Wouldn't a Cheney-Obama debate be fun? Or duck hunt?
===================================

[kim]

And I agree, Donna, as of now, if Obama loses Pennsylvania, it was those two remarks. He's rattled.
===================================

[PD]

In one week's time Obama has been knocked completely off balance, and an unknown woman has become the biggest star on this planet. He and his people simply do no know what the hell to do.

At this point, thanks to media attacks, an unborn child has become a bigger star than him.