Steve, you do us all a great service with your generally wonderful posts. And I'm sure they take some time and effort. So thanks.

And as for the argument presented here, I just want to point out that I was FURIOUS during the primary about some of Hillary's tactics, particularly the "crossing the threshold" comment.

But I am also on record (at a time when the outcome was anything but clear) that I would absolutely vote for Hillary - and even advocate for her - if she won the nomination.

Seriously, folks! This is Bush/McCain we're talking about! If you think some random Obama supporters on the Internet are being mean, just try these wingnuts. Wake up! They will use you and laugh about it.

Sure, maybe some Obama supporters will laugh too, but at least the leadership will not, and the policy initiatives that you care about will be, for the most part, safe.

Posted at August 26, 2008 7:26 AM in response to Join, or Die

Nice turn of phrase, too.

"But I now know I will be more effective focusing on our national and international problems than I will be in trying to reinvigorate a political organization that has already consumed nearly all of its moderate “seed corn.”

Ike was probably SURROUNDED by the kind of jerks that have built the MIC into the unstoppable juggernaut is has become. His words were braver than it might appear, and he repeated them frequently, from what I understand. He was worried, all right.

We've gone from a true war hero, a decorated General who absolutely refused to wear his uniform once he became President (correct me if I'm wrong), to a Chickenhawk who jumped at the first chance to play dress-up in a flight suit.

And cut her some slack, Desid. I'm sure a lot of Republicans have been holding out against hope that some kind of moderate wing would reemerge. More people will jump ship as they realize it ain't gonna happen.

Posted at August 23, 2008 6:17 AM in response to I Liked Ike, but I Like Susan Even More

Ringside seats and pass the popcorn for the Biden/Romney debate.

THAT will be a game-changer.

Posted at August 23, 2008 4:10 AM in response to Report: Obama Picks Biden

Like I said...

Posted at August 9, 2008 12:25 PM in response to How I Became a Democrat

I agree that "the fallout would be horrid," but the point I was making was that it should not be that way. If the media and the rest of the country had a more mature attitude toward these things, the whole episode would simply raise some eyebrows and everyone would move on. Yes, even if he was the nominee. Instead, just look at the seismic reaction to this situation. That reaction is disproportionate to the relevance it holds to the general public. It is part of a distasteful pattern of examining family dynamics that are best left alone.

Posted at August 9, 2008 5:37 AM in response to Here we go again

Your sentiments are most welcome. I hope we see more Former Republicans in the near future.

It's like gambling. The stakes keep getting higher, and people don't want to walk away from the table because they've become increasingly committed to their side. The dividing line becomes a wall.

And when you point out that the divisiveness stems from Rove's "fifty percent plus one" Wedge Issues Strategy, you're just being partisan.

I remember there was an item in the local police blotter where a woman was suicidal and told police "President Bush lied to her and she didn't want to be here anymore."

In other words, it's gotta be tough for a diehard Republican (or even a moderate like yourself) to admit they've been had. Frequently, they up the ante instead, and take an even harder line.

I'm hoping this election will break that cycle.

And I saw my first "Obama Republican" bumper sticker yesterday, so maybe it will.

Cheers!

Posted at August 9, 2008 1:27 AM in response to How I Became a Democrat

Another celebrity in the tank for Obama. All this Glad-handing is getting to be too much. The paparazzi will have that pic of Billy's Hannah Montana half-shirt soon enough.

Posted at August 8, 2008 11:32 PM in response to Sometimes You Just Have To Pick Sides

I think SpaceCat nailed it at the top (and it's not just because of the cat) with this:

"McCain's "high" last week was just like a crackhead's first hit: Potent at first, but quickly delivering diminishing returns, turning said crackhead into a mere shell."

Expect more "highs" but even more"lows" as the inane comments fail to register. And the goofy laugh and creepy grin. Keep it comin!

I think the tire gauge thing won't work either. I mean, the whole idea is to paint an elitist picture, like "Kerry the windsurfing Frenchman."

Making Obama look like a mechanic (or at least a tire tech) can only help.

Posted at August 6, 2008 5:51 AM in response to The Tire-Gauge Dust-Up And The Politics Of Mockery

Sorry, something came up and this turned into a sort of drive-by.
First of all, comparing TPM to the Associated Press is a blatantly apples-to-oranges comparison. The same rules do not apply. How is an unpaid blogger speaking to a mostly partisan audience even remotely the same as the largest (?) news-gathering organization in the world?
If you haven't noticed, a lot of time here is spent "preaching to the choir" as it were. And some of us like that, because we can dispense with the formalities and speak with people that have a similar frame of reference, without starting from scratch.
I generally agree with Josh's post about the horse-race, except that, again, TPM is not the AP. I had another post that discussed the death of newspapers in America and I included a quote from Chris Hedges. He pointed out that most unpaid bloggers do not write news stories or even pick up the phone. And I agree it is a problem.
But that's not what we're doing here. I think it's relevant and interesting to point out that certain national news organizations have a distinct bias for one candidate over another.
In fact, the abdication of their stated mission "objectivity" has put us in this predicament to begin with. And if they had been doing their jobs, fewer people like yourself would be on the fence in this crucial election.
And Josh can point out that the media has always been biased (not so sure I agree), but even if it has, that's PRECISELY why TPM is here. To fine-tune the news, call their bullshit, and sometimes flog a story like the AG mess and lead the way. And there's a big difference between overt and covert bias.
So while TPM might be more heavily into the horse-race, the AP should have another set of priorities, don't you think?
And don't get me wrong, it's not an eat-your-veggies attitude at all. The headlines should be BLARING that McCain has reversed his positions on multiple issues. That he lied about Obama's visit to Afghanistan, that his staff is comprised almost EXCLUSIVELY, it seems, of lobbyists. And on and on. I'm all for emotion, but the only emotion we're getting is McCain's screeching about Obama's fictional playing of the "race card."
One last thing. I think it's fine to be against something. Stopping the Republicans is a good enough cause for me. And frankly, I don't care WHO takes their place. I liked the "Anybody but Bush" signs. Damn right. ANYBODY. As long as they're not a Republican.
The fact is, we've got a fine system of governance that can be pretty self-sustaining, when it is not under attack. So I think it's good to try and stop the people that have shown by their actions that they don't really believe in that system, and would prefer some sort of authoritarian setup. The voter suppression issue ALONE should be enough for anyone who cares about democracy.
Any physician will tell you, you have to stop the bleeding before you can heal the patient.
Sure, I'm FOR a lot of things. But when the house is on fire, I'm AGAINST my family being in it and watching it burn to the ground.
I'm not gonna ask the fireman what kind of renovations he thinks I should do.

(Unfortunately, I feel compelled to point out that that last part was a blatant exaggeration to make a point. Of course I feel Obama is a substantive candidate, and I like where he stands RE: the war, taxes, workers' rights, our relationships around the world, health care, education, etc. Perfect? Far from it. But clearly the one to lead us out of this colossal mess that we are in because of_________(fill in the blank.))

Posted at August 4, 2008 3:01 AM in response to Not Looking Good

Kudos for Viagra and walking mate. But McCain is being called Old Fart LONG BEFORE the election.

Here:

When the phone rings at three a.m., will McCain answer his shoe? (HINT: ad idea!)

Q: Senator McCain, do you have the information on your laptop?
A: No, the flight attendant said to make sure it's in the upright, locked position.

Posted at July 26, 2008 10:31 PM in response to Open Mic Night at TPM's Joke Joint: McCain One-Liners