He's got a gift.

It's going to be an interesting spring.

for which he deserves praise; but that does not necessarily mean he should be president.

The idea of "empathy deficit" is common to all the Democratic candidates.  Hillary struck that theme in last night's debate, when she did an excellent job IMHO of coming across as loving unifier of the party.

And John Edwards referred to the homeless veterans, with a statistic to show he was not stealing from Obama.

I like this admission a great deal, but it is almost embarrassing, perhaps, that anyone who is not black should read it:

<<
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we're honest with ourselves, we'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King's vision of a beloved community.

We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.
>>

Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.

With Rummi, duuhbya, wolfi, condi, rove, scalia, haggert, robertson, 9/!! hero guliani,and so forth?

We are supposed to forgive now?  Because an imaginary being tells us to?  An imaginary being that bush claimed speaks through him?

I don't want to come together with raygun revolutionaroes Barack.  I want them out of power, many of them in jail, and the people who voted for bush twice, who still support him and the war he started can go fuck themselves.

This is not a theocracy, not yet.  And if anyone thinks we the people will let it become one, just try US.  I dare you.

Go after this preacher Bill C.  Show up his bullshit for what it is.  If the media doesn't like democrats to get tough so what?  It will take a very tough campaign to beat the media enabled GOP swiftboating that will take over once the primaries are done.

The same swiftboating all these media asses went right along with in '04.

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Look, this is none of my business.
No - that's not right - you've made it my business, by making it impossible for me to switch on the internet, or look at a t.v. without seeing this ridiculous kerfuffle. I live across an ocean and I can't escape this bloody rigamarole! Is that not ridiculous.... Are you electing president of the world?
Anyway, I have read Senator Obama's books. Because I was interested in him - before he declared he was running for president. And I have to say - if there was anyone I'd want representing me, it'd be him.
If you all choose Hillary, that is your own business, but she seems like a desperate attempt to return to the nice days, before the rest of the world saw America as a bully instead of an ally. She is an establishment icon - slightly more well-meaning than the current form, but still cut from the same cloth. Remember the complacency back then? Remember the stranglehold of conventional wisdom? You deserve something better (or at least different).
Obama seems familiar with places which poor Americans recognise. He is an optimist and an inspiration. If you choose to throw that possibility away, that is your choice. But I can tell you, you will be throwing away the most potent symbol you have to show the rest of the world that you do not cling to prejudices of race and celebrity when you are challenged. The rest of the world is waiting for America to be a beacon again - to inspire the rest of us. If you do not take up that mantle now, you will lose it forever. That may be a good thing. Perhaps other sources of hope will arise on this planet, before it is irreparably damaged. But it will be a shame to the rest of us who enjoy being inspired by your example.
Again, I am sorry, it is not really my business. But you lot made it so......

While my first choice for the Dems is still Edwards (who apparently doesn't have much of a snowball's chance in hell), Sen. Obama  makes a strong case.  While he may not have tons and tons of experience (which is probably a good thing) or the pedigree of Sen. Clinton, he has the ability to inspire people to act and do right by others and that is something that we haven't had in this country for a long long long time.  While he is basically using the same message as the other dem candidates (which is a good message) he is able to differentiate himself with that ability to inspire.  We need a strong transformational leader to get us pointed in the right direction, but that same leader will also need to have the transactional skills to facilitate action.  Does Sen. Obama have the transactional skill set?  I guess that's the gamble.

Thank you for your concern, Dano.  I have read the argument before, that Obama is to international observers a uniquely impressive and attractive candidate.

That is partly because his foreign, non-white, non-European parentage, and his having spent many years of his childhood in Indonesia, are understood to be a formative educating in how non-Americans think and feel; and it is partly because his political success means that this country's horrible racist past -- and present -- is transcended.

Those are powerful considerations.

Nevertheless, we do not want to vote for a "symbol."  We would like to know more about what this man really thinks and values -- and yes, he has indeed put forth many words that ought to tell us those things, but many of us remain uncertain.

In particular, you should understand Amazing's sensible complaint: Obama talks so much about unity, and putting our divisions behind us, that we rightly fear he will turn out to be the "establishment candidate," compromising with the evil counselors of the past, the GOP and their corporate allies, on all things that matter.

Chickens are our cousins! So are fish! So are other sentient animals! Let us learn to be kind.

I guess it might take some of those.  With the fed chairman a bushco idiot.

This is serious, an emergency 3/4 of a point lowering. Greenspan for all his faults, giving in to bushco during the 2000 appointment fiasco, he never let the hedge funds get us this far down the road to ruin.  He was at least in charge.

Is Wolfowitz running Bernanke?  That's my guess.

You expect Obama to deal with these mega corpoRATS?  

Here we go, the roller coaster ride bushco bought with all those dollars borrowed from China and the saudis.  And the hedge funds just made huge cash shorting this opening.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog