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Who Gives a FISA about Obama's vote?
People, pull your heads out of your blogs and think about the context of the Obama FISA vote. The man is running for President. Now is not the time for him to create political controversy with an out of step vote on FISA. Better to go with the flow and move this along than to create an issue where there needn't be one. Obviously, the fix is in on this bill or you wouldn't have the Democratic Congressional leadership showing this bill off. There's no angle for the Nominee to go against the flow and fight this. It isn't worth the risk of creating a larger issue that could play in the GE.
This is not the time for Obama to stand on principles as 1 of 100. Now is the time for Obama to manage the message, avoid land mines, and win the Presidency. If you want an unelectable candidate who doesn't know when not to stand on principles, Ralph Nader's running again. I'm sure he'd like your support.
Comments (9)
Exactly!!!
June 21, 2008 9:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
100% agree that it's "time for Obama to manage the message, avoid land mines, and win the Presidency." But I just talked to Ralph Nader (he's in my Top Five cell speeddial), and he said he really doesn't want any former Barack supporters. "Screw those Yuppies!", he said. So definitely ignore that old coot, and stick with Barack. In fact, let's all go give Barack some money... I hear McCain is catching up.
June 22, 2008 12:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree with this. He should be trying to get the votes of the country as a whole, not just internet bloggers. I don't want him to pander to me. Went through Nader in 2000. Not again, please!
June 22, 2008 3:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
If that's the choice, I vote for the principled candidate.
June 22, 2008 7:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where's your evidence that we'd lose the election if Obama did the right thing? How do you know it wouldn't help?
John Kerry compromised all the time. He even ran against the war he voted for. And he lost.
So why am I being lectured about compromise in the service of winning the White House when compromise hasn't reliably won us the White House?
June 22, 2008 3:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jesus Christ. More concern trolling about rejecting FISA.
Now is the best possible time to oppose the FISA Amendments. It's June and there's a lame duck president. The world will not end if this bill doesn't pass. The world will not end if you express yourself about it, either.
Why are people here so afraid of this issue? Why are you so certain that Republicans will beat the Dems in November if they oppose this bill? I thought Obama had such a strong coalition. Sounds like he doesn't.
There are a million sound reasons to reject this bill, and zero sound reasons to accept it. But Obama himself has used the Republican fear-mongering trigger words to scare his supporters into obedience:
And:
Looks like it worked.
The least you can do is call your senators to vote no on the bill, as well as voice your concerns to Sen. Obama. You'll be glad you did something no matter the outcome. Cowering is not a confident winning strategy.
June 22, 2008 3:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm disappointed, but more with Congressional Dems than with Obama. Readytoblow is right that there's no political upside to this bill; that's what makes the support for it all the more infuriating.
If you're angry and disappointed, rail against the lawmakers who allowed this "compromise," not Obama.
Obama's not in control of everything that goes on in the party, and he was unfortunately pushed into the position of going along with this. Opposing it only would have made him look week and spawned a hundred "Dems Divided! Is Obama At Odds With His Own Party?" stories. So of course he has to come out in support of it, and he has to sound enthusiastic lest some journalists use one ambiguous word to build a whole "Obama is out of step with his party" narrative.
He was not the architect of this bullshit deal, and I doubt it was on his radar before this week. (You may have noticed that he's been busy with some other matter recently.)
Also, it's not like Obama came out in favor of Guantanamo Bay detention camps. It's not like he voiced his support for invading Iran.
Dave Harshbarger is right: now is not the time to go all Chicken Little.
June 22, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Still Obama had an opportunity to lead on what was supposed to be one of his strongest points- protecting the Constitution- and he punted. He shouldn't get a free pass for that.
June 22, 2008 5:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
By the way, I think the real reason behind this is that the leadership is protecting their own asses, now that we know they've known about, and thus been complicit in, Bush's spying all along. Disgusting.
June 22, 2008 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
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