While the judge's personal qualities and (putative) political orientation may also accrue some political benefits for Obama, they are not sufficient motivation for the selection - despite a facile tendency amongst some in the GOP and in the media to read the selection only in these terms. In the original post and in my response, I attempted to explain what I find a more compelling reason for Obama's choice: Sotomayor's background in business law.

2. Of course her ethncity and gender score political points for Obama. However, I don't believe that these were his *primary reasons* for the selection. Any of his shortlist could have provided him "points" with some group of constituents, and if he was truly just looking for "Woman + Latina + Liberal" then he could have found other choices there, too. What Sotomayor brings that distinguishes her is her vita.

Lots of people have compelling personal stories. Lots of judges have a vaguely "liberal" voting record. Few combine both with Sotomayor's background in business law.

In a pinch, a ceremonial belt buckles could work, too.

(except I'm a 34-yr-old "fossil" who remembers finding "trickle down economics" problematic as a child of the 80's. The "Greed is Good" generational ethos has always been scary to those of us who could see that we were the ones who would have to foot the bill.)

The NYT piece on Rahm went out of its way to source its leak - a Republican confidante of Rahm's with whom he had been discussing the "difficult decision."

The whole thing has been about shifting perception from "Rahmbo" to a more Obama-friendly "bipartisan happy warrior" type. They needed more than one news cycle to do that! It wasn't a drama queen move, it was a roll-out.

Wonder if Aaron Sorkin will get head of FCC?

Finally!

I know that it doesn't change anything, but for those of us who live here, it means more than words can say. I feel like I've been holding my breath for two days now. NOW I can celebrate, too.

So many people worked so hard to turn NC blue this year. This is a sea change, and I'm proud to have been here when it happened.

As flowers turn toward the sun, by dint of a secret heliotropism the past strives to turn toward the sun which is rising in the sky of history.

and yeah, Benjamin was a Marxist. You wanna make something of it? ;-)

I'm not, in any way, making light of her death - nor am I in any way suggesting that we should mock sexual or violent assaults on women. But I do think this conspiracy theory speaks to the dangers inherent in race-baiting "news" reporting like that pushed by Drudge and Fox, where a story like Ashley Todd's can get broadly disseminated. The details are perfect fodder for internet conspiracists, who can then mix-and-match with contemporaneous events (e.g., this murder) to create a narrative that serves their skewed worldview.

This is sad, and dangerous, and scary. The good news is that these are a smaller and smaller fringe of people in our country. The bad news is that there are still people who are ready to believe the worst charges about members of another race on the least "evidence."

I can also tell you that a line like this resonates in NC, because it speaks to the common sense shared here. These are the common values of most Americans - we do believe in taking care of each other, not just "everyone for him/herself." We know how that works.

I should also point out that Obama auditioned his anti-gas tax message in NC by pointing out the ludicrous nature of the proposal. He did this, too, through humor. The pundit wisdom said that he would lose ground running against a tax cut (one which both Hillary Clinton and John McCain were pushing). The pundit wisdom said that a "conservative" state like North Carolina would "punish" Obama for that position.

Instead, he won here by a larger margin than I believe he would have in the wake of an all-Wright, all-the-time spring and a Pennsylvania loss. He also came much closer in IN, for the same reason. And I think the fact that he treated voters as adults, by taking the issues apart and pointing to the ridiculousness of attacks on him, always helps him.

He's winning because he's the ADULT in the race. When he shows McCain's attacks and "policy" up for the same-old, same-old, non-serious, non-useful politics that it is, then he wins. It's a good strategy.

Coincidentally, the rally was held just off PEACE Street in Raleigh. Also, perhaps not so coincidentally, Obama always seems extra funny in NC.

Call, Knock, Get Out the Vote!

Coincidentally, the rally was held just off PEACE Street in Raleigh. Also, perhaps not so coincidentally, Obama always seems extra funny in NC.

Call, Knock, Get Out the Vote!

I know there have been some nasty incidents in NC over the last few weeks. There have also been some nasty incidents in "blue states" and other swing states. And gay-baiting is not the sole property of any region, as some of the nastier Prop 8 propaganda has reminded us recently. But I do hope that people outside NC won't judge the state unfairly based only on its worst elements. You would have a very different impression if you saw "the real North Carolina." ;>

Also, Obama and Hagan are both going to win here. Crazy haters are no match for the right message and the better ground game.

Whatever her motives, this kid is clearly unhinged. While I despise the people who pushed this story, and I have no respect for those who ran with it without doing their journalistic homework, I also think we really need to stay away from this. It's an object lesson in the dangers of race-baiting and desperation - and we don't need to ramp up the atmosphere that will create more of that by harping on this story, or appearing to "gloat" in any way.

For heaven's sake, even Michelle Malkin was calling this out as hoax and asking for restraint. Michelle Malkin. I thought my brain was gonna espload!! I cannot believe I am saying this - and I am absolutely certain that I will never say it again - but I hope that our side is able to show the same kind of restraint in our response to the emerging details of the hoax story that Malkin did to the initially hyped "assault."

Let's all let law enforcement do its job here. Our job right now is to turn out votes for Obama!

I genuinely feel for this young woman, and I hope she recovers quickly. I am deeply concerned about reports of violence from supporters of both candidates, and want it to stop. Now. But I am having trouble believing her story, and did so based solely on the published accounts. Having now seen the photograph, I worry even more that this is a hoax. Whatever may be driving her, if it is a hoax, I can only hope that the truth comes out quickly, and that reason prevails. We do not need any more violence, at all, between now and election day.

In Communist East Germany. hahaha (well, okay, technically it was the non-Communist West Berlin. but close enough for redistribution.)

I'm sure Kissell's campaign can always use more help, though, for anyone who wants to respond to Hayes's idiocy in a more tangible way.

I wonder how Lamont feels about Barack Obama "working closely" with that terrorist Bill Ayres? If only he could call me to tell me how I should be feeling about it all. And, of course, where I should go to vote.

I'm sure that the timing is unrelated. I mean, I realize that the charges against ACORN are useful for casting doubt on this election, but it seems to me that they are at least equally useful for casting doubt on the DOJ report and Dannehy's investigation. It's a win-win for the GOP.