Comments on: The Obama Backlash http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 18:43:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Tully http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390187 Tully Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:18:56 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390187 *Now that Edwards is out, I’m watching Obama to see if he shifts left into that gap.* Er, how much room does he really <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Most_liberal.html" rel="nofollow">have</a> in which to shift? Having gone to see him speak this week, I can say he's a very smooth fellow, lotta natural charisma, and could indeed be unifying. He's been an effective liberal Senator for his constituents during his short time in office, and has shown some ability to reach across the aisle on issues where partisanship is not a major factor. What he can't do is possibly deliver on the truckloads of snake oil he's selling on the stump, or even on more than a few small bottles thereof. *Now that Edwards is out, I’m watching Obama to see if he shifts left into that gap.*

Er, how much room does he really have in which to shift?

Having gone to see him speak this week, I can say he’s a very smooth fellow, lotta natural charisma, and could indeed be unifying. He’s been an effective liberal Senator for his constituents during his short time in office, and has shown some ability to reach across the aisle on issues where partisanship is not a major factor.

What he can’t do is possibly deliver on the truckloads of snake oil he’s selling on the stump, or even on more than a few small bottles thereof.

]]> By: Pseudo-Polymath » Blog Archive » Thursday Highlights http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390160 Pseudo-Polymath » Blog Archive » Thursday Highlights Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:44:15 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390160 [...] Against Obama. [...] [...] Against Obama. [...]

]]> By: Polimom http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390068 Polimom Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:48:13 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390068 I think that one reason people are having some trouble with Obama is that he isn’t fitting a mold. The view of him from the radical left, and some of the true “progressives” , is somewhat enlightening, and rather different than some might suppose. (I put a <a href="http://www.polimom.com/2008/01/30/obama-and-the-radical-left/" rel="nofollow">post up</a> today about it) FWIW -- I see Obama as essentially a pragmatic liberal, with a fair amount of Classical Liberalism thrown in. The way the Democratic candidates have swung to the left behind Edwards’ campaign, though, is making Obama hard to read. Now that Edwards is out, I’m watching Obama to see if he shifts left into that gap. If he does, I’m probably going to pull back in my support. I think that one reason people are having some trouble with Obama is that he isn’t fitting a mold. The view of him from the radical left, and some of the true “progressives” , is somewhat enlightening, and rather different than some might suppose. (I put a post up today about it)

FWIW — I see Obama as essentially a pragmatic liberal, with a fair amount of Classical Liberalism thrown in. The way the Democratic candidates have swung to the left behind Edwards’ campaign, though, is making Obama hard to read. Now that Edwards is out, I’m watching Obama to see if he shifts left into that gap. If he does, I’m probably going to pull back in my support.

]]> By: TerenceC http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390050 TerenceC Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:53:08 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390050 Great post - you summed up my sentiments exactly. How many people in the "entrenched" political gamesmanship going on look at Clinton or McCain as a meal ticket. They have a vested interest in continuing the games - they have mortgages, college costs, etc. Obama, Edwards, Paul, even Romney to some small degree would force a wholesale change in the business as usual crowd - and it scares the heck out of them. Unfortunately the average American is afraid of change - they are against war, they are against entrenched special interest, they are against free trade vs fair trade, they agree on so many things but politics won't let them admit it. If you look at popular opinion now we see conservative, pro war, pro corporatist's seemingly in the lead in the Dem and Rep primaries it sickens me. Real change is possible and needed - but the American people have to accept blame for so many of the things that have gone wrong in the past. It isn't just Bush, or just Clinton - it's them and their unwillingness to allow real change to occurr. I have seen so much failure in politics since the 1960's - by and large it stems from Congress not living up to their constitutional rights - but every one of those people is put there by the voters - no one else. The anti-Obama people are also the anti-change people. They have side lined this countries social progress so much in the last 40 plus years - we should all just stop listening to them. Vote for real change, vote for real meaning and inspiration in your politics - vote for Obama - vote for Paul - vote for someone new because lord knows the ones we've put in there the last 40 years have sold us out economically, taken away some of our rights, helped to water down the education system, raised taxes, should I go on? Real change is needed, badly, and the REP and DEM front runners are not those people. Great post - you summed up my sentiments exactly. How many people in the “entrenched” political gamesmanship going on look at Clinton or McCain as a meal ticket. They have a vested interest in continuing the games - they have mortgages, college costs, etc. Obama, Edwards, Paul, even Romney to some small degree would force a wholesale change in the business as usual crowd - and it scares the heck out of them. Unfortunately the average American is afraid of change - they are against war, they are against entrenched special interest, they are against free trade vs fair trade, they agree on so many things but politics won’t let them admit it. If you look at popular opinion now we see conservative, pro war, pro corporatist’s seemingly in the lead in the Dem and Rep primaries it sickens me. Real change is possible and needed - but the American people have to accept blame for so many of the things that have gone wrong in the past. It isn’t just Bush, or just Clinton - it’s them and their unwillingness to allow real change to occurr. I have seen so much failure in politics since the 1960’s - by and large it stems from Congress not living up to their constitutional rights - but every one of those people is put there by the voters - no one else. The anti-Obama people are also the anti-change people. They have side lined this countries social progress so much in the last 40 plus years - we should all just stop listening to them. Vote for real change, vote for real meaning and inspiration in your politics - vote for Obama - vote for Paul - vote for someone new because lord knows the ones we’ve put in there the last 40 years have sold us out economically, taken away some of our rights, helped to water down the education system, raised taxes, should I go on? Real change is needed, badly, and the REP and DEM front runners are not those people.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390047 Justin Gardner Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:38:27 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/the-obama-backlash/#comment-390047 See <a href="http://donklephant.com/2008/01/30/why-doesnt-michael-van-der-galien-support-obama/" rel="nofollow">this post</a> I just wrote. In particular I take Michael to task for being so anti-Obama while not offering much weighty explanation. See this post I just wrote. In particular I take Michael to task for being so anti-Obama while not offering much weighty explanation.

]]>