I wonder if the same people would apply the word "cult" if this guy had run.

[AtomicKitten]

Kinda puts the current spate of attempts at marginalizing by name-calling into perspective, eh?

[Straight Shooter]

1. That depends. Would he have used evangelical rhetoric in his speeches?

Encouraged 3-word chants filled with empty symbolism? Would he have been manufactured to appear larger than life, the one who will solve all our problems?

The media would rip into any Kennedy, so it's almost a moot point. Sad to see him gone, though. He seemed like one of the good guys.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Of course you would have tagged him with the same epithet.

People would have swooned over JFK, Jr. as a candidate, and clearly there are people like yourself that wouldn't be having any of it.

My point exactly.

[Straight Shooter]

16. Depends on the severity. Would we be hearing the following kind of garbage:

(Cut and pasted from another poster; thus, no link)

THE INDEPENDENT (London, England)
Friday, 8 February 2008

Super Tuesday was also Mardi Gras, of course, and the necklace beads were still hanging from the live oaks along St Charles Avenue when supporters started queuing for Mr Obama shortly after a chilly dawn.

Louisiana holds its primary tomorrow, though most people here – a crowd more iPhone than Lower Ninth Ward – knew who they will vote for. "Yes he can!" is still the favourite chant.

The near-messianic cadences – uplifting to his followers, disconcerting to critics – remained of course. Barbara Ganucheau, 47, high in the stands, calls Mr Obama her "prince". When he appeared she began to cry. She was weeping still when he was done. "I get the chills from my toes to my head," she says of the candidate. Why is he her candidate? "It comes from inside of me, I just know."

============

"Prince"? "It comes from inside of me"? "When he appeared she began to cry"?

Barack is just reaching out and touching everyone's hippocampus. I have to wonder how much is real and how much is the study of psychology by his handlers, just like Rove touched the hippocampus of the entire right wing with his style over substance campaign.

It isn't pretty to look at from either side. No mortal man is god-like. No man will save the world, no matter if he talks like Martin Luther King and dresses like an Esquire model. It's all packaging. Period.

[AtomicKitten]

17. Nah, I just think you are being too anal about language.

In fact, some seem almost resentful that people are flocking to him. That's really a specious argument to begin with considering some see no/little value in him as a candidate. Others disagree, and it seems the only defense against that perceived threat is to mock him and mock those supporting him.

I'll give you the same advice my grandmother told me that might make this ordeal easier to digest: "Keep your eyes on your own plate."

edited for pronouns

[Straight Shooter]

19. That's what I like about Barack's supporters. Always relying on insults to make their case.

I would give you some advice that my grandmother used to dispense to people who think they're superior to others, but it would serve no purpose.

I am repelled by hero worship. I am repelled by people who bask in the glory of adulation as if they are God's gift to humanity, no matter how benign their intentions. george w. bush pulled the same crap with the right wing.

And may I remind you that, as a citizen, I have to eat from the same plate as all other Americans. I just don't like being fed rubbish.

[AtomicKitten]

20. Jeez if you could find an insult in that you must be trippin'.

My point (and you reinforced that point in your response) is that you spend way too much time kvetching about the fact that people like Barack.

Get over it.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

28. Get over it? hmmmm...where have we heard THAT before?

[Lord Helmet]

29. somebody poop in your Cheerios too?

What do you guys care if people like Obama?

[SaveOurDemocracy]

30. Helmet too tight?

I don't care who likes Obama ... and sure didn't say anything like that in my post.

[Lord Helmet]

31. typical liberal circular firing squad

what a bunch of whiny babies there are here bitching about a candidate being likable

[SaveOurDemocracy]

33. .

[Straight Shooter]

32. You insult so much and so often, it's become an unconscious reflex.

I find it interesting that you print a photo of a very good-looking man in comparison to your idol Barack. No ugly mugs you admire out there? It's a sad comment on the state of political affairs that charisma has become a necessary ingredient to get apathetic voters off their butts and motivated to do something about Republicans destroying this country. Is that what we've been missing all along, the Democratic version of charisma to counter the Republican version of charisma? Jeez, I thought our policies would be good enough. I guess we have to be just as shallow as Republicans now, see who can put up the better version of American Idol. Lord, how the mighty are fallen.

"Get over it." I'm not sure if that's an insult or merely a patronizing whine from someone who is not used to being questioned, much like the thin-skinned candidate from Chicago. I do know that it's a right wing retort. I remember it well. Do you?

[NYCGirl]

34. You do realize who that "very good-looking man" is, don't you? NT

[Straight Shooter]

37. JFK, Jr.

I mentioned the Kennedy name in my first post.

[Lord Helmet]

35. your jealousy reflects the fact that you know your candidate is a dud

If you ask me, I'd say don't get over it because it's funny watching you and others here complain that a candidate is TOO capable, too likable. Funny stuff

[Straight Shooter]

41. "You're just jealous" is a playground taunt.

Barack is not "too capable." As far as his likability, do you like everyone your friends like? How about movie stars, any of them you can't stand and you wonder why anyone else would like them?

Likeability. Feh.

[Cha]

40. "Get Over It", Indeed! Thanks Atomic..I enjoyed

your logic in dealing with the hilary kvetchers and your Grandmother's advice.."keep your eyes on your own plate"! :crazy:

The hk's should be watching what floats hilary's boat..not that they would give a shit..that's not the point. The point is to red herring and strawman Obama cause hilary is left wanting as a candidate for president.

<snip>
"Through all of her years in Washington, Clinton has been an active participant in conservative Bible study and prayer circles that are part of a secretive Capitol Hill group known as the Fellowship. Her collaborations with right-wingers such as Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) grow in part from that connection. "A lot of evangelicals would see that as just cynical exploitation," says the Reverend Rob Schenck, a former leader of the militant anti-abortion group Operation Rescue who now ministers to decision makers in Washington. "I don't....there is a real good that is infected in people when they are around Jesus talk, and open Bibles, and prayer."

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html

[Straight Shooter]

42. *tap on shoulder*

I know about the Fellowship.

I'm beginning to think Dean appealed to a lot of people because of his charisma. My bad. I thought it was his smarts and his policies.

[Cha]

43. Yeah, you know about the secretive fellowship

thanks to Mother Jones and your little hope is lazy sign says more about you than who you're trying smear. hilary is a fucking warmonger and the hilarys' could give a shit..talking about your fucked up cults.

[Straight Shooter]

44. I also know about people who wear their religion on their sleeve to entice voters.

[sandnsea]

18. In a word, YES

and it would have been because he was an inspirational guy too. Some people just are.

The great thing about Obama is that he has actually done the things that every DUer has said they want accomplished. The real cultish behavior is those who are so willfully blind that they won't even be honest about the fact that Obama has a real record and Hillary doesn't.

[rucky]

2. And what about these guys?

[Straight Shooter]

6. For sure the guy on the left is with his followers now. And his leaders. n/t

[RoseMead]

9. Ewwww

Not so pretty.

[HeraldSquare212]

3. Funny, Eugene McCarthy was called the "Pied Piper"

and Hillary followed him. But she's older and wiser now, I guess.

[Bitwit1234]

4. Glassy eyed and foaming at the mouth sounds like cult to me.

[NightWatcher]

5. would they call it a cult if it were Gore running? he had a ton of worship here last year

I was a fan too

[AtomicKitten]

10. Of course they would.

My point exactly. Lobbing the epithet "cult" is meant to marginalize the support of the opposition, nothing more, nothing less.

[RoseMead]

8. I know this is shallow and means nothing

But damn, that is one good-looking man. :)

Hey, maybe we would do better if we just voted for the prettiest candidates. At least it would give us something nice to look at on TV. :P

[AtomicKitten]

12. I think of him often and the tragedy of such promise unfulfilled.

[RoseMead]

13. You are quite right about that. n/t

[bunnies]

11. JFK Jr. is NO JFK!!!!

The same would hold true. No doubt.

[durrrty libby]

14. Would he want to "Create a KIngdom on earth"?

[IntravenousDemilo]

15. Probably. We'd also be talking about how un-American political dynasties are.

Mind you, I've been saying the latter all along during this campaign. One wonders why you bothered to have a revolution in the first place if all you're going to do is establish an aristocracy.

[calico1]

21. If he were giving firery, evangelical type

speeches, if people were weeping at the sight of him, if people acted all googly eyed, giddy and if some were voting for him because they thought he was a hottie, if they blasted anyone for saying anything at all about him that was critical, then yes, I would say they were cultish.

[AtomicKitten]

24. He gives people hope and that's a good thing no matter how hard some try to paint it otherwise.

[Emillereid]

22. I sure would have signed on to that one. What a tragedy!

My support for Obama is not a cult thing -- he has plenty of positions on the issues and I trust him to carry them through more than Hillary. A recent biography of him said he was very liberal in the Illinois legislature and very much the policy wonk. AND he makes great inspirational speeches. What more do you want?

[Neecy]

23. I'll tell you who would have had a 'cult' following

And I would have joined it!

[AtomicKitten]

25. Me too!!

[MadHound]

26. What I find ironic is that Bill Clinton's initial campaign in '92 is similar to Obama's

Both are charismatic figures, running on not a lot of experience, but able to inspire and motivate people. Hmmm, did Bill himself head up a cult?

[AtomicKitten]

27. an excellent point and the irony is thick

[Straight Shooter]

36. I didn't vote for Bill Clinton. I didn't like either candidate.

I lived in Texas during those elections, so it didn't matter. But the hoopla over Bill has always been silly.

And before anyone thinks I take my civic duty lightly, I busted my a** to campaign and vote for Ann Richards when I lived in Texas. My vote, I hope, helped to make a difference.

[Eric J in MN]

38. Good point. Bill Clinton used the phrase "New Covenant" to try to appeal to the religious...

...in 1992, and only stopped using the phrase because religious people didn't like it.

[faithfulcitizen]

39. Yes, they would. And it would've been just as pathetic. Desperation sure bring out the ugly in peopl...