Obama has my vote. For the first time in my life (careful now) my vote for the Democratic candidate is not simply a default position. Like many of Barack's supporters I truly, madly, deeply yearn for real change in the country and in our electoral system toward a democracy that serves the many rather than the few. I have believed, still believe, that Obama is our best hope.

I also believe that he will win the election and have a presidency that is supported by a Democratic Congress. I forsee vital progress toward the more perfect Union Barack has inspired us to hope for.

I assume that the majority of Americans oppose the notion that that the government has the right to spy on its citizens and that telecommunication providers have a right to facilitate that spying. Such spying is in fact against the law in the absence of a warrent.

Since I believe that Obama is an agent for justice I am baffled by his willingness to compromise on an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. I cannot help but see Barack's gesture of brushing dust from the shoulder of his famously well-fitted suit.

It is my HOPE that Obmam will serve as a defender of freedom and the spying issue is very clear. If he will not draw the line here, then where?

Pretty typical Democratic behavior, actually. Which is, of course an important part of why we were administered serial electoral ass-kickings throughout the 80s and 90s.

Frankly, I'm not crazy about the "save it for after we won," part. Not if they act the way Democrats in Congress did during the first year of the Jimmy Carter and Clinton Administrations. It was incredibly damaging, and fed into a public perception of weakness, corruption and ineffectualness that damn near destroyed the party.

Oh for heaven's sake, Larry, calm down. Not every little twitch or PR difficulty is going to "make us lose" and not every embarrassing moment is going to doom his candidacy. Look at his opponent, who has so many radical pastors the public can't keep track of all the wingnuts... he can't tell the difference between Shias and Sunnis, offering to drill the Gulf of Mexico into ruined beaches for absolutely no improvement in our oil crisis, and is offering to keep America in Iraq for 100 years and you think this minutiae is going to cause Obama to LOSE?

While I think that Obama will win by larger margins than currently anticipated, I agree that we cannot be over-confident. This is going to be a very difficult campaign even though it should be easy given the quality of the candidate and the terrible condition of the Country, because of the corporate press filter. As noted, every misstep or comment by Obama is magnified and repeated while McCain is largely given a free ride.

Barack necessarily has to move more to the middle to overcome fears that are fanned by this mis-reporting. While I am also disappointed by his FISA position and the compromises required to get elected, we have to remember the alternative and work to get the press to give McCain's faults equal coverage.

We can't worry about the feelings of Clinton's cult of personality. They will find new ways to get offended. That's what their chemically imbalanced brains thrive on. Without the OBAMA CONSPIRACY to thrive on,

With that said, there will be mistakes. There will be slip-ups. This is inevitable. Obama will do his best to improve as a candidate, but it's worthless to sit around wetting our underoos over every non-story that trickles onto a Politico blog. This notion that what people in the comments section of a blog think about Obama's chances are somehow relevant is utter nonsense.

I'm going to canvas, phonebank, donate money. That's all I can do. There's no point hand-wringing over whatever [fill in the blank]-gate that pundits are using to fill air time.

We can't worry about the feelings of Clinton's cult of personality. They will find new ways to get offended. That's what their chemically imbalanced brains thrive on. Without the OBAMA CONSPIRACY to thrive on, their life is without significance or meaning. That's why I just insult them. Anyone who tries to reason with these psychopaths is just feeding into their delusions of self-importance.

With that said, in terms of things that might actually matter, there will be mistakes. There will be slip-ups. This is inevitable. Obama will do his best to improve as a candidate, but it's worthless to sit around wetting our underoos over every non-story that trickles onto Politico. This notion that what people in the comments section of a blog think about Obama's chances are somehow relevant is utter nonsense. I'm pretty sure Obama isn't reading through Aimee May and gotalife posts to get strategy tips from the rest of us. Obama and his people may not be perfect, but they know what they have to do.

As for me, I'm going to canvas, phonebank, donate money. That's all I can do. There's no point hand-wringing over whatever [fill in the blank]-gate that pundits are using to fill air time.

I gotta say that "get over it," if he actually used it, was a really bad choice of words. It would be a "trigger phrase" for virtually anyone, it's meant to be dismissive. A politician running for office saying that implies you don't care about that vote. If you're running for office, you're supposed to be continually asking people to vote for you, not basically telling those with special interests to "take it or leave it." If you don't agree with that special interest, you bring up other selling points, but you don't diss the interest if you want the vote.

You say he said that to the Congressional Black Caucus. He seems to have a bad habit of dissing one interest group while talking to another in attempt to be candid.

Thank you, Larry. You're one of a growing number of us that see the bigger picture here.

Overconfidence? Nah... everybody should want a president who voted 'present' on legislation to protect children in schools from gunfire, voted 'present' on legislation to protect children in schools from exposure to sex businesses within 1000 feet of their schools, voted 'present' on legislation to allow victims of rape to petition court for files to be sealed. It's okay. All those bills passed with no opposition, and Obama was the only 'no vote'. Everyone should want a president who voted 'yea' on the Bush/Cheney energy bill that throws billions of taxpayer dollars at big oil and contributes to pollution and global warming. Everybody should want a president who supports FISA... who needs rights anyway? Everybody should want a president who claims to vote for legislation he didn't vote on. We've had an empty suit in power for the last 8 years... everybody should want more of the same. The majority here do anyway.

"If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it."

Hey, guess what? If Obama took a moment to realize women have never had anyone in their corner, he would know what a fucking arrogant asshole he is. See, if you never get any help from anyone, then it makes no difference if the next asshole in charge is Obama or McCain. Get it?

I didn't think so.

Meanwhile, the latest LA Times/Bloomberg Poll has

Obama (D) 49%, McCain (R) 37%

Stuff like this is just going to increase that darned overconfidence!

Larry,
You are preaching to the converted here.
But you should watch your language and style.

"Oh me, oh my! What will we do?" Hey, try this one on for size - YOURSELF - get over it!

So what level of criticism would you approve of?