Come on, that's ridiculous. Barack Obama as a person, a speaker and as a campaigner is far and away better than John Kerry ever could have been. I don't know how you compare the two to be honest. Obama really hit Southern Illinois hard when was running for Senator, and that tells me he's savvy enough to know that he needs to win over the people who might not vote Democratic.
But what I really believe about the MSM is that Obama is the one person who will come above all of blog-talk nonsense that people are trying to apply here.
So, Chris Bowers doesn't like him much. You know, for as big a part as the blogs can sometimes play, we are surrounded in real life by people who don't read blogs everyday...who remember vaguely Obama's 2004 convention speech, who read about the guy in the newspaper and see him on TV and say, "I like that guy". Somehow he's becoming bigger than all of this. Obama is one of the few candidates that'll come along who can utterly ignore the blogs, barely mention his opponent, campaign wherever he wants to and will inspire people to vote who usually don't because he's NOT attacking his opponents but offering vision.
Again, I don't like some of the things he's had to say about the 'left', but you know what? An awful lot of people think that stuff is true. And yes, there are even Democrats who think so, regardless of what is said at MyDD.
An awful lot of people think Saddam had WMDs, too. So why not say that?
My question is this: what wouldn't Obama say? What lie wouldn't he tell, provided an awful lot of people think it's true?
Is it good enough to support a candidate who only tells popular lies, not unpopular ones?
Is that our standard in the Democratic Party now?
can you explain what you mean when you talk about obama's alleged lies? or are you pulling this out of your ass?
Chris provided the straw-man quotes in his diary - the straw-man implies that the described position and person or people are real when they are not. Perpetuating false, essentially right-wing caricatures of liberals/progressives is hugely counterproductive to achieving the goals we all, I hope, have.
I think you're absolutely right that Obama has the potential to be one of the few candidates who can so entirely transcend the netroots--and even the grassroots--that he has a chance of being elected via national media alone. That's one reason his candidacy frightens me. (Though, of course, I'd fight hard for him in the general.)
I much prefer a candidate who is beholden to the grassroots.
And the very problem is that a lot of people think that leftie strawmen are true. That's why he shouldn't be perpetuating them. If his strawmen were things like, 'Some on the left say we must balance every budget even if that means slashing all social programs to the bone,' then they wouldn't be as objectionable.
So, Chris Bowers doesn't like him much.
How the hell did you reach that conclusion? Have we now reached the point that any criticism of Obama on his merits equates to extreme dislike?
Have we now reached the point that any criticism of Obama on his merits equates to extreme dislike?
How the hell does "Bowers doesn't like him much", translate into "extreme dislike"? Seems like there is a difference between the two. Bowers said he liked him a lot before, now, not so much.
Have we reached a point where anyone in favor of Obama is automatically considered to be a blind supporter, who isn't interested in pursuing legitimate criticism? This is really sad that it has come to this. You'd think that Obama has just pissed in the cereal of every wannabe netroots activist on MyDD. If anything Obama may take these hints from the netroots, but you might want to rethink this fight...its not productive, not is it one that can be one.
