Will honesty backfire on Obama?

I was watching the Dan Abrams show on MSNBC the other night and what was the opening topic? Illinios Senator and Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama's honesty and if that honesty will backfire in the end. Initially, the talk revolved around the answer Obama gave at the televised debate in Nevada last week. When asked what their biggest weakness was, Obama modestly stated that he has a messy desk. New York Senator Hillary Clinton and former North Carolina congressman John Edwards then said responded with gibberish such as, "My biggest weakness is that I'm impatient, impatient for the American people who've had to put up so much under the Bush Administration and when I become president, that's going to change." Those were the paraphrased words of Hillary. Edwards' response was even more pathetic, as he stated something along the lines of, "I have a tendency sometimes to get a little too emotional when I talk. I just feel so much emotion for this great country of ours and want to do so much to alter its course in a positive direction, that I can't help but get emotional and angry sometimes. That emotion is displayed due to my great love of my country, America." Then, later in the week, Obama made the statement that former president, Ronald Reagan, made a big difference in the political landscape. He was able to inspire and unite unlike Richard Nixon and/or Bill Clinton. He also said that, for a time, the Republicans were the party of ideas. This isn't even to mention admitting in his memoir that the senator had experimented with drugs as a teenager.

Defending Obama, Abrams exclaimed that we shouldn't harp on politicians who are honest, because honesty let's us in on who that politician actually is. What is their personality and character? It can be displayed much more clearly when the politician is actually honest with the citizens, as opposed to speaking in euphemistic BS gibberish, as Clinton and Edwards did at the debate. With three guests on the show, one of the three agreed with Abrams, but the other two did not. The other two claimed that if and when a politician speaks out, even in an honest manner, he/she has to be ready for criticism. Abrams was persistent in saying, "Yeah, but if/when we continually attack an Obama for being honest, aren't we just making the candidates that much more tentative on being honest with us?"

What resulted in Obama's honest moments this past week? After what appeared to be a rather calm debate following some heated moments during the week? Hillary went right on the attack, saying she was "taken aback" by Obama's needing an organizer and claimed that it sounded rather reminiscent of our current president. She and her husband and John Edwards went on the attack regarding the Ronald Reagan commentary, even though Hillary has listed Mr. Reagan as one of her favorite presidents in U.S. history.

I'm getting rather fed up with political spin. I'm also getting rather fed up with Bill Clinton. Who's running for president? Who's been going on the attack of Obama when things aren't looking well for Mrs. Clinton? Bill. Hillary stages a fake tear or two and Bill emphatically lies to the public (again). They'll do absolutely anything to win, won't they? After Obama's victory in Iowa, Billy Boy called Obama the biggest fairy tale he's ever heard of, and then defended himself, by saying that Obama's Iraq War record and views were the fairy tale he was speaking of. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but this is the same guy who asked the question, "What is is?"

What's been the Clinton strategy thus far? Complain, attack, complain, stage a cry session, attack, attack, whine, whine, spin, spin, spin, lie, rejoice.

Not long ago, the Clintons had no problem with how the Nevada Caucus was set up, but after Obama received the Culinary endorsement? Let's complain about it, because something didn't go our way. Nothing to complain of before the Iowa Caucus, but after the third place finish in Iowa and polls suggesting that Obama was going to run away with the New Hampshire Primary? Let's whine, stage a cry, attack, and spin.

The Clintons have been continually taking Obama's words out of context and spinning them harder than a figure skater on a mission to become the dizziest person in the world during a routine. They claim that Obama hasn't always been against the Iraq War and in 2004, he said, "I don't know" in regard to what he wouldn't done at the outset of the war and that his views weren't very different than George W. Bush's. "I don't know." Those are three words at the start of 2-3 paragraphs worth of material. That'd be like if I were running for office and I picked those exact same three words from a previous interview to make the claim that my opponent would've disowned his son had he been gay. In the interview, when asked the question, my opponent said, "I don't know. That's a very difficult question to answer. My son isn't gay and unless I were actually put into that situation, I can't, with all honesty, know how I would react." So, to spin the statement, I use that at a rally, claiming he said and I quote, "I don't know." Give me a break.

Bill Clinton lies to the entire country about an affair he had with an intern and he has it in him to spin another candidate's words around, making that person out to be dishonest? He was disloyal to his wife (who knows how many times) and yet he comes to her aid during this campaign, by lashing out at her opponent time and time again? I thought Bill Clinton, for what it's worth, was a pretty solid president, but I can't say I respect him much as a person and that respect is dwindling on a daily basis.

I sincerely hope that Obama's honesty does not hinder him in any way, because frankly, I'm sick of the political nonsense that most candidates spew our way. A couple days ago at a rally, Obama jokingly said something along the lines of, "Well, if I knew what kind of game was going to be played, I would've said that my biggest weakness is always having to help old ladies cross the street." Even though honest politician seems to be an oxymoron, I'm much more content with a candidate that seems more forthright and honest on a fairly consistent basis than one who spits out the same old garbage we've heard 100 times before, garbage we could probably ourselves recite word for word.