There was a column in Entertainment Weekly by Mark Harris about a speech Obama gave to some Hollywood types. It was about censorship and how we shouldn't, standard Dem stuff, lots of applause. But then Obama went on to say that Hollywood needed to start taking some responsibility for itself, that his girls shouldn't see commercials for Hostel VII during American Idol. And Harris said there was a lot of silence in the auditorium. This is very Obama, a belief in what government should and shouldn't do, and a believe in personal responsibility, and not in the code Reaganite way. He calls for people to meet him halfway, and this is unusual and one of the things I really respect about him. (This was the column writer's moment where he chose his candidate.)

I was an Edwards person. I believed he wanted to be president because he wanted to help poor people. And after the depredations of the last 8 years, that seemed to be the real moral task of the next administration.

Then Obama won Iowa, and I sensed, suddenly, that the world had changed. I had thought he was a DLC-er, a Clintonian, too eager to be a centrist, and a bit too religious for my tastes. But I watched his speech after Iowa and was moved--by the man and his words. And so I started to pay attention to him. I asked my friends who supported him why. Many had read his books when they came out and knew then that this man should be president. I looked at his positions and watched him on the trail and came to believe that he was the exact person we need at this moment in time. I thought he could change the country, fundamentally. And that he would crush the Republicans.

Posted at May 11, 2008 9:19 PM in response to How did you choose your favoured candidate?

These people are seriously deranged. I adore when they call Barack people cultists and brainwashed....

Posted at May 11, 2008 3:04 PM in response to “Onward To West Virginia” - H=44 - May 6, 2008 - Pt 2

Also, I think you are Lt Commander now.

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:32 AM in response to I, Lieutenant Worf, Endorse Barack Obama For President in Your Year 2008

It's really weird how this all came on at once--it started, as far as I can tell, with Harold Ford on Tuesday. But this was before we knew how close Indiana was going to be. There's suddenly this weird, coordinated effort, and like Josh, I just can't see how she would really want it. Especially since she is so convinced Obama can't win. (PSST--Because he's BLACK.)

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:19 AM in response to Carl Bernstein: Hillary to fight to get on Obama ticket

...with mint frosting.

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:16 AM in response to I, Lieutenant Worf, Endorse Barack Obama For President in Your Year 2008

I have felt since she took office that she had no political soul or courage, and her votes for the Iraq War did not surprise me, but did disappoint me. Her calling on John Kerry to apologize after his "botched joke" showed me she was willing to throw over a fellow Democrat and embrace right wing talking points for her own political gain. I didn't realize how true that was.

Still, the main reason I was not supporting her is I did not believe she could win. But over the course of the campaign there have been so many moments that have disheartened me. And I swear, none so bad as the "I don't truck with economists." She had become George W. Bush.

Disgusting.

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:05 AM in response to How Hillary lost this liberal

He doesn't have to do anything of the kind. This is more megalomania and entitlement from Hillary, spun out to the media. She is the ONLY one who can deliver these voters, the ONLY one who can deliver these states. One of the most divisive political figures of the current time. Her only hope was humility, but instead her supporters are trying to railroad this through, "He has to do it." No, he doesn't.

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:00 AM in response to Carl Bernstein: Hillary to fight to get on Obama ticket

Make it so.

Posted at May 11, 2008 1:56 AM in response to I, Lieutenant Worf, Endorse Barack Obama For President in Your Year 2008

My cousin is black and very successful in his field. Two years ago we were discussing possible Dem nominees and we got to Barack and he said, "He can't win." There was so much behind that proclamation, so much I can never know. But somehow the world got better in the last two years. It got better the night Obama won Iowa. You could feel it, the sea change. My cousin, and especially his white midwestern mother who married an African, feel it. It takes extraordinary people to make a better world, and that is what Obama has done.

Thank you for this beautiful post.

Posted at May 9, 2008 11:50 PM in response to We will NOT stand alone on August 28, 2008...

The first time I went to His44.org I read through about 700 comments with my eyes popping out of my head--Obama was MISOGYNIST, EVIL, HITLER, the ANTICHRIST on and on and on. Then someone posted that she's gone to other blogs and people were "really nasty" or something like that.

I guess it's like the blind man and the elephant, except pinker.

And Obama, run over women? Have you SEEN Michelle? She would kick his ass if he did that.

Posted at May 9, 2008 10:49 PM in response to Clinton Supporters Email-Bomb Superdelegates