Happy Independence Day. Senator McCain likes the way you handled this week.

By your argument, Obama could refine, move or flip-flop all the way to the Far Right if he wanted, and no loyal Democrat should ever say anything about it, because we have to cower in fear about how the MSM will use the fact of any disagreement whatsoever to distort our candidate's public image?

Fortunately, that isn't the way it has to be, and it isn't the way it's going to be. You're just going to have to deal with dissent in the ranks, because it's not going away. Dissent made visible is one of the great *features* of the Netroots. It's not a bug.

And blaming dissenters for damaging Obama's campaign is messed up, frankly. It doesn't help that it's SOP for how what we call The Left gets treated in every single presidential election for the last 40 years. (= "Shut up and sit down!") Hope you don't mind if I resent the hell out of that.

It's up to our candidate to run the great campaign we all know he is capable of. I don't want to get to November and feel like I'm holding my nose when I pull the lever for him -- I want to feel like he's The Guy We've All Been Waiting For. Don't you?

Posted at July 4, 2008 12:32 PM in response to Obama Reiterates: Combat Troops Out Of Iraq In 16 Months

Oh worthlesscitizen! You are my hero now (especially with your Don Knotts avatar).

Posted at July 2, 2008 3:19 PM in response to McCain Campaign: Obama's Trip To Iraq Is "Cynical Politics"

It's not a lie.

Obama *did* repudiate Clark's remarks.

Obama might not have explicitly "embraced" the media narrative that Clark demeaned McCain's service record, but by not explicitly rejecting it he did implicitly accept it.

Currently he's trying to move the topic around, to say "Hey the campaign should be about other, more important things" and that's true and it's great as far as it goes.

But it would be nice if he didn't throw Clark under the bus in the meantime. Personally, I'd like to see him "embrace" Clark (one of our few liberalish military figures) a bit more closely, and (I know I'm dreaming here) emphasize the understood-by-those-with-above-IQ100 fact that McCain (the loyal hero) doesn't have experience making *executive* military decisions by dint of his being a (heroic) fighter pilot.

Posted at July 2, 2008 1:48 PM in response to No Apologies From Obama For Wes Clark's Comments

Would that that were true.

Instead, again, the MSM concocts its own narrative based solely on what it has already said (in others commenting primarily on its own commentary), and now (presented entirely without irony) the narrative is that Wesley Clark is "swiftboating" John McCain.

I don't see any indication that sense or truth or even "truthiness" is getting rolled into the mix.

Posted at July 1, 2008 9:19 PM in response to No Apologies From Obama For Wes Clark's Comments

Only the out-of-context soundbite was "stupid". In context, a bit rude perhaps, dismissive definitely, but defensible.

This is water under the bridge, but I would like to see a different operational strategy come out of the Obama camp. They rocked so hard during the primary and now it's Wimpy Wimpy Wimpy...

Posted at June 30, 2008 2:32 PM in response to Obama Campaign Condemns Wes Clark's Comments About McCain

Yeah, I'm sort of noticing that. Maybe they're on vacation or something and the interns are responding in the meantime...

Posted at June 30, 2008 2:18 PM in response to Obama Campaign Condemns Wes Clark's Comments About McCain

Not overreacting. This was a wasted opportunity to correct a misleading MSM narrative.

Maybe that's not possible to do. Though I doubt it.

Looks like Clark got thrown under the bus, and for what? So Obama can battle the charge of being a "typical politician"? McCain's going to keep throwing that at him every time he doesn't like what's being discussed.

Posted at June 30, 2008 2:15 PM in response to Obama Campaign Condemns Wes Clark's Comments About McCain

Oh yeah. Remember that excellent advice about not talking about Iraq??

Yeah, well. Not to open old wounds, but that's what you *have to do* when you triangulate to begin with. If you start with a principled stand, you can just keep going from there. Rhetorically speaking, it's much simpler :)

Posted at June 17, 2008 7:55 PM in response to Obama Blasts Back On Terror, Blames GOP For Bin Laden's Escape

Damn, it's great to have a candidate who understands that the thing that makes Democrats "look weak" isn't failing to be warlike enough, it's failing to stand up and fight for what you believe in.

Amen. That's all I really wanted to add.

Posted at June 17, 2008 7:51 PM in response to Obama Blasts Back On Terror, Blames GOP For Bin Laden's Escape

Economics talk is the surest way to put tv viewers to sleep. Hopefully Obama will be shrewd enough to keep it short and sweet, at least what ends up on the network News Hours.

As long as he keeps hammering back at McLame with "Bush was crazy irresponsible" and "Bush spent WITHOUT taxing, look at our debt!" and "McCain wants to continue the irresponsible tax cuts", he should be okay.

Posted at June 10, 2008 12:43 PM in response to Time Mag Sniffs At Obama's Economic Plan