Comments on: Previews of Coming Attractions

By: Neil B.

Neil B. — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:48:05 +0000

Tacitus, much of the wild swings of Republican primary positioning come from their having “winner-take-all” primaries. This of course does not reflect the preferences of the voters, and simulates the creaky idea that “the states” are like persons with their own will etc. This is ironic since the conservatives that support such primaries, the Electoral College, etc., so often prattle about individualism.

By: Friday 22 February 2008 « blueollie

Friday 22 February 2008 « blueollie — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:09:01 +0000

[...] such as the National Review are trying to smear Obama as having a communist background because his biological parents are of different races and because his father had a Communist friend. Barack Obama is a Communist! And here would be the evidence: Obama and I are roughly the same [...]

By: Elliot

Elliot — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 04:09:45 +0000

I think Barack can play hardball. Having lived in D. C. I think the issue of government appointees will take care of itself. After all we are looking at regime change here.

If McCain is the best they can throw at the democrats, I say let the games begin. Barack will eat his lunch.

By: Richard

Richard — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:20:32 +0000

Elliot,

Although I don’t dislike him, Obama has not really made a case. His speeches are like a broken record with a skip, saying “change, change, change, change …”. He’s kind of like a cult figure here with the students. They can’t really tell you WHY he would make a good president, but say that he sure makes great inspiring speeches and they feel good about him anyway. The thing is, most of these students are barely even old enough to remember the Clintons when the Republicans cranked up their very effective and well oiled hate machine against them, and don’t realize that the same will be aimed at Obama. If they think that Obama is going to lift us to a peaceful political unification, they greatly underestimate their enemy and are sadly naive. We need someone who can play hard ball right now. First and foremost, the next president must have to have the guts to root out all of the political operatives that Bush has stuffed into the Federal Government.

By: Roman

Roman — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:18:43 +0000

Neil B@30
I was not trying to be sarcastic – I’m from Europe, been in those countries and have to agree that (at least on the surface) life seams good there.
The question was real and if there was a bit of sarcasm in it, it was from my skepticism that any drastic changes will happen. I’m not even sure if we want any drastic changes. The things like CC reform would certainly help, but is this the “change” we are all hearing about?

By: tacitus

tacitus — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:52:57 +0000

If you think the Democratic primary process has been arbitrary, then just look at how the Republican primary process worked out. How McCain, probably the only plausibly electable candidate they fielded this time around, managed to come out the winner of the process is testament to wild swings of fortune and lucky breaks. If any number of factors had been slightly different (e.g. if Giuliani hadn’t decided to skip the early primaries and focus on Florida, or if Huckabee hadn’t performed so well in the early debates) then he would have been toast long before he could have staged his comeback.

By: Elliot

Elliot — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:01:30 +0000

Khurram,

If the voting all occurred at once (a single national primary) the candidate with the most money and visibility would have a huge advantage. This is a vetting process and while imperfect, I think it give Americans a chance to learn more about the candidates than a single primary.

Hillary’s campaign is off the tracks. Questioning Obama’s ability to be commander and chief on day one is completely disingenuous. When she and McCain are suggesting that the judgement he might make in a crisis are that of inexperience, we need to remember he is the only one of the three of them that has opposed the war from the beginning. To me that demonstrates superior judgement.

My favorite Clinton line from the last few days “we need sound solutions not sound bites” Now if that isn’t intended to be a sound bite….

Its coming unravelled. I don’t hate Hillary but I think she has simply not made her case as effectively as Obama at this point in history.

Count,

I am not so sure Hillary would be so quick to invade Iran. But I agree that Obama is the best hope for a diplomatic and lasting peace in the region avoiding violence.

By: Count Iblis

Count Iblis — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:35:28 +0000

If McCain is elected you can be 99% sure there will be a devastating war against Iran. If Clinton is elected the probability is lower, but war will still be likely. Obama is the only candidate who said that he would sit down and discuss the issues with Iran.

By: Neil B.

Neil B. — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:03:45 +0000

Well, my post before now-#33 was likely too long, and too long since there were so many Obama proposals quoted! So, take the link and find the comment:
Posted by: John E | February 20, 2008 2:56 PM
The number of points mentioned there witness against the empty charge that Obama is “empty.”

By: Neil B.

Neil B. — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:34:47 +0000

In case you can't decipher my mistyped html, here it the link (I hope): blog link