Reply #18: On your points [View All]

[alcibiades_mystery]

* A President can do more to effect change than one Senator, especially when the Senator is a freshman Senator in a gridlocked and obstructionist Senate. Obama did great work in Illinois, and managed to produce real change that affected people's lives and the way the state conducted itself (see videotaping of suspect statements to police, for instance).

* A fair point, I guess, but the points above apply. What, specifically, are you referring to here?

* "Something tells me in my gut..." Oy, it seems we forget the lessons of Colbert too quickly. I know your "gut" must be producing a really TRUTHY feeling, but it is YOUR truth, isn't it?

* His gaffe with the anti-gay preacher was awful. It has been leveraged as the end all and be all against him by forces with even more questionable credentials. That said, I think any of the three viable primary candidates would vastly improve the situation of our LGBT brothers and sisters in America.

* See point above about truthiness of your gut feelings. That said, it's a bit silly to be "for change" but not be "for compromise." Charging forward is good, but you don't actually get anything done unless you work with people. Ms. Clinton works closely with people on the other side as well. On these boards, it's anathema, because this is a griping and "enemy-hatin'" board that doesn't really have to DO anything but pressure our politicians not to compromise TOO MUCH. That's a fine role to play, and a needed one. But it's necessary but not sufficient when it comes to actually changing stuff.

ON CLINTON

* "Spoiled bitch???" Oh no you di'nt. Come on, now. That's just inappropriate and ridiculous on so many levels that it's barely worthy of a response.

* Fake, a politician - Guess what? People who run for office are politicians. They have to reach out to strange and sometimes unseemly coalitions that you never have to bother with. So, you can retain your phony "authenticity" because you never have to actually do anything that requires people who do not initially agree. The grown ups in the world, on the other hand, sometimes have to backtrack, reach out, persuade, draw in, cajole, plead, and prostrate themselves in order to make real changes in the real world. I'll take a "phony" producer over an "authentic" sideline commenter any day of the week.

Your point about the South is moot. We don't know that Obama can't win in the South. I personally think that he wins Virginia in a general election (albeit by a slim margin). If your contention is that he can't win in the South because he's black, I think that's wrong. He can't really win in the South because he will have a D after his name, but that applies to ALL the DEMS in 2008. Unless you think Hillary will win Georgia?