What does Obama stand for? Seriously. He doesn't stand for the 4th Amendment. His endorsement of the Faith Based Charity crap says he doesn't stand for the First.
He won't stand up for a woman's right to choose. Hell, he doesn't even believe in the "mental health" aspect of Roe v. Wade and has suggested it is not valid.
He believes gays need to get off the bus. No marriage, no equal participation in society, just "vote for me and fuck off."
He kept voting with Bush on the war. He voted to give the telephone corporations immunity for breaking the law. He also has some very 'Republican' ideas about education that got him booed by the NEA at his endorsement acceptance speech.
He's likely to break Bush's record of taking money from Corporations and Special Interests. He's certainly got a LOT more money from them than McCain.
He stands for "not being Republican." Great, so do my cats and I wouldn't trust them with the can opener.
Posted by Moses at August 13, 2008 04:47 AMObama's campaign has no real theme.
I'd been saying lately the theme should be "Bush. McCain. More conservative failure." The whole camapign should be variations on that, especially since Obama obviously doesn't want to run as a progressive, no politician does.
It's especially important because the MSM has not made any attempt to explain conservative failure to the American boobs who will supposedly decide this thing. People appear to think that the morass we find ourselves in is some sort of Act Of God or fate.
But it would require strong denunciation of conservatives and their corrupt & criminal policies, which would be "partisan" and he has simply refused to do this so far.
Posted by euzoius at August 13, 2008 05:55 AMMr. Post-partisan will not criticize the failures of an ideological doctrine he adores. Obama is not a progresive, although he played one during the primaries to win votes from starry-eyed liberals desparate for racial absolution and an end to the occupation. He is a conservative whose world view is informed by the Chicago School of Economics, Ronald Reagan, and Joe Lieberman.
Posted by fafnir at August 13, 2008 05:56 AMI agree with what Thomas Frank says; as our blog host says, this sounds exactly right.
But I also agree with what the first three commentors state; namely that Obama and his campaign are running a mealy mouthed no stakes no theme can't we all just get along Rodney King campaign. This is wrong IMO. We can't all get along until we figure our and state clearly what has gone wrong and who is reponsible for it.
Last night on a local radio program on my NPR station broadcast out of Roanoke Virginia but recorded in Richmond Govenor Tim Kaine was the guest. He was very much less than inspiring and although he seems like a good guy and is fighting upstream in a no to low tax basically red state, the Rethugs of the last decade and a half have Democratic standard bearers so afraid of their shadow that they can't or won't articulate clean and clear positions that differentiate between Republican light and true democratic principles.
All in all, I don't think Kaine will be a good choice for Obama and his brain trust; that ticket will be too easy for the Rove led asshats to attack. Just my 2 cents... from SW Virginia.
Moses, you're hysterical! I love it! People must know that this is a ONE party country, and that's Republican.
We're the USA; no longer a Democratic country. We're just there, big and fat and FUCKED!
Posted by Philly Buster at August 13, 2008 06:58 AMIts not just a conservative failure, its a Republican failure. In a McCain administration, they same type of folks are going to be running around doing the same things they have been doing for the last 4 years: incompetent governance, undermining laws, politicization of our institutions, corruption, giveways to the business and the rich, nominating conservative judges, etc. That is what Obama should be running against.
Posted by Alan at August 13, 2008 08:15 AMMoses - You are attacking on the "he's as bad as us approach," nice try, but I don't think the buzzard with fly this time.
John b. - Your comments are on point!
Whatever theme Obama chooses, I just hopes he sticks with it and pounds McLame senseless until he looks like his fellow nursing home patients. Also, I agree that pounding on conservative bullshit would be a big help for the down tickets.
Posted by angryman at August 13, 2008 08:17 AM"Obama is not a progresive, although he played one during the primaries"
fafnir - most of America is someplace in the middle which is where Obama is currently. He has captured many of the so called "conservative themes" and nullified them. Quite franly, that is how you win the election (winning is another matter of course). If you run as a Progressive, you win NY and CA period.
Posted by angryman at August 13, 2008 08:35 AMI just saw Cindy McCain on MSNBS with her "right wing" in a full sling.
David Shuster explained that a supporter shook her hand with too much enthusiam. Yep, McCain sure can fire his peeps up.
Caution Cindy, if you become too injured, John will trade for a younger "model" ...again.
Posted by TIKI AL at August 13, 2008 05:03 PMWhat's all this about Laura Bush divorcing Shithead as soon as he's out of office? They're married? Who knew? The coldest couple since H.W. married his mother.
I didn't even know that George W had a dick. You have to have one to marry a woman, and I doubt old murdering Laura is all female.
But George AIN'T leaving office. He's granted himself unitary powers as of May 2007. Ain't gonna be no election AT ALL. So poor Laura will have to sit it out and suffer more with flapdoodle.
Apparently this divorce news is known in Europe and of course, the MSM media whores won't mention this but they do enjoy masturbating over the Edwards affair.
If the Evil One does leave, I hope Laura finds a nice young Mexican boy and lives happily ever after.
Posted by Philly Buster at August 13, 2008 05:20 PM