gbrook, What more EXACTLY do you need?

Posted at April 23, 2008 2:08 PM in response to It's all over

This whole episode has been infuriating. Obama is being slapped by the media as much as McCain and Clinton for daring to speak the truth. To his credit, his response has been more explanation than apology. The worst thing you can do when you're right is apologize. When you're totally off the mark or lying through your teeth, apparently you can just say, "I misspoke," and the media will let you off the hook.

Could it be that Obama's message in this instance actually is one of hope? What I mean is, the conventional wisdom-- hinted at by politicians and flatly stated by many pundits-- is that rural voters disregard their own best interests because they are rubes...the cling to guns, gays and God-type issues because they are ignorant. Obama, at least to me, is saying, "I don't accept that a vast swath of America is ignorant and racist. I prefer to believe that they are bitter and disappointed because both political parties have been screwing them over for the past 25+ years. Can we change that? Yes, we can."

Posted at April 13, 2008 2:47 PM in response to Maul Game

I guess DS and I have different definitions of viable.

Posted at March 30, 2008 8:32 PM in response to TPM Reader DS says...

I must be missing something? Please cite some loony bits from Daily Kos or here or other "loony liberal blogs" and lets compare them to most of what passes for "serious journalism."

Posted at March 24, 2008 8:46 PM in response to The Descent of Daily Kos into Self-Parody

Somewhat off topic, but I don't know a better place to post this comment...

Fallon resigns over Esquire article. Right.

McCain repeatedly "mis-speaks" about Iran supporting AQI.

Petraeus says Iran behind attacks on the Green Zone.

The election is in November. When does the Iran campaign begin?

Posted at March 24, 2008 3:31 PM in response to Too Much to Ask?

Simple, Louisiana is a state that doesn't matter.

Posted at March 10, 2008 4:14 PM in response to Elliot Spitzer "involved" in prostitution ring

Full disclosure: I worked for the Clinton Administration and supported John Edwards this primary cycle.

To me, all this talk of platitudes is beyond laughable. Recall the great political speeches of American history. How many of them were loaded with policy details?

Now go to Obama's website, or Clinton's, or McCain's for that matter, and you'll see plenty of policy ideas, which is the second layer after inspirational speeches. The website platforms show us what the candidates say they care about and how they would address those issues.

The third step, and the thing we can't know until we pick a winner, is what will those website platforms translate to in terms of actual action, and I guess the fourth step is, based on the effectiveness of negotiation, what the resulting policies look like.

To say that Obama is any less substantive than his rivals at this point is untrue.

Posted at February 13, 2008 12:58 PM in response to The Attack Takes Shape

Interesting. I think Saddleback Church is the one led by Rick Warren in California. I'd like to know what Brownback meant by welcome to my church. Actually, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels are too liberal for Brownback, so it must be a different church with a similar name.

Posted at February 9, 2008 2:42 AM in response to Book Club Next Week: E.J. Dionne's Souled Out

Wow, you must not have been listening to Edwards at all regarding the two candidates that represent change and the one candidate that represents the status quo.

Posted at January 30, 2008 8:36 AM in response to Edwards Dropping Out Discussion

Yeah, its always been my impression that when Kerry picked Edwards, the handlers put the "pretty Southern boy" in a transparent box so he could be seen but not heard. I'm still pissed about the Kerry campaign.

Posted at January 30, 2008 7:54 AM in response to Edwards Dropping Out Discussion