You didn’t send your parents this letter, did you?

Now you won’t get to inherit the loot they amass from 40 years of social security.

You’re trying to get boomers to do something for YOU and not them?

Are you new here?

“What happened?”

I hate to be a wet blanket cynic, but what happened to those of us who were idealistic about change in the 70’s is the same thing that is likely to happen to those of you who are idealistic about change now. You will find that the monied interests — big oil ($3/gal and record profits!), insurance, real estate/development interests, etc. — usually win at this game regardless of who the president is.

Trust me, we boomers (on the EDGE, but alas, still a boomer) still care about the same things you do. Health care, especially, but also taxes and the cost of living. And the way I see it, the country was in pretty good shape under the first Clinton, with Hil being a lone brave voice on universal health care coverage. The fact is that she and her husband have forged coalitions that may well make some progress on those issues. She has the political capital to make things happen if she is elected.

That said, I’m still on the fence. Because I am afraid she can’t beat McCain and I think Obama can. I like him very much, although I think she’d make a better president.

I’ll be making my decision on election day.

Dear Son -

Thanks for writing..Sorry we missed you..we’re on a seven-day cruise of the Cayman Islands. We’ll be returning to the mainland next Saturday, when we’ll be immediately departing for a week in Greece. Too bad you couldn’t have come along and brought the kids…(i think the cruise was adults only anyway)… We wanted to ask you…would you be a dear and clear out the gutters before we get back. They do get awfully full so quickly, and we’re a little too old to by climbing up on roofs these days, dont you think?…Thanks, we really appreciate it . I hope we can remember what size Tshirts the kids are wearing these days. (They are growing up so fast). We want to pick them up a nice little souvenir while we’re away..

See you soon-
Mom and Dad
Spending your inheritance out on the High Seas.

I just sent this to my parents and all of their friends.

Dear Son,
We have been watching these politicians alot longer than you and we understand that Obama is not only offering nothing new but sounds way too much like the “uniter, not divider”. In fact, every 4 years we have at least one of these candidates claiming the change mantra and promising a new day. This son, is yet another reason that experience matters.

Love you anyway, Mom and Dad
Hillary ‘08!

P.S. What the hell were you thinking having 4 kids.

Great post. You make very strong arguments. And I agree that we are the change that we’ve been waiting for.

Does anybody really want their kid’s running anything?

Dear Dad,

I will vote for anyone you want as long as you leave me the beach cottage.

Eileen

Holy muther-fucki*n-shit*. We’re actually going to see primary ads… Tomorrow, Texans across the Texan towns of Texas will get to learn how sweet life is for Iowans. Terrific.

http://www.portclintonnewsherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080211/UPDATES01/80211034

Sittin Bull - you’re actually saying obama sounds like Bush???
Nice try, buddy. Peddle that bullshit somewhere else, please. People around here aren’t that stupid.And if you’re trying to say he sounds like Kerry 04, well, that’s equally delusional.

All you guys who say that change from the status quo is impossible and a pipe dream… Well, I gotta say, I really feel sorry for you. The future must look pretty bleak from where you’re sitting.

Dmwp, as always, I respect and appreciate your thoughtfulness.

P.s. Great post, Outsider.

Lurkette

Yes! Yes! Please feel sorry for me. Historical perspective is so very, very dark. Wait! The light! I see the light! OMG! OMG! I can see the future and it is a Chicago politician! I have hope and look here in my pocket–why it is change!

Cult

Re: 12. Lurkette

Thanks darlin’.

But just to clarify: I am not saying change from the status quo is impossible. I am saying it takes a kind of political negotiation and compromise that is not ideologically pure and requires the calling in of favors and, yeah, arm-twisting, that I firmly believe Hillary Clinton is capable of. Not because she’s some sort of manipulative harpie bitch, as the Lou Dobbs of the world would have us believe. But because she and her husband have the required relationships and combined experience that can make real policy changes happen. (Am I counting on Bill to play a prominent role? You bet I am.) And I just don’t think Barack Obama has that same ability. He hasn’t had the time to develop those kind of relationships on the Hill. Political change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It sometimes takes years of building relationships and the mutual give and take that entails.

And what, truly, is the difference between the two on policy issues? Very little. I think Obama is inspirational, I like his message as much as hers, and I would love to see him as our Commander in Chief one day.

But when it comes down to the question of who, right now, I’d feel better with in the White House, it’s Hillary Clinton. I think she could, if elected, deliver the kind of change we’re talking about — a dialogue on health care, a measured withdrawal from Iraq, a reexamination of Medicare/Medicaide and funding Social Security — more quickly.

In the end, it’s the “if elected” thing in Novemberl that worries me the most, and that is why I’m seriously considering voting Obama.

Re: 14. Sittin Bull

Chill, dude.

Lurkette, I had gone to bed but I felt guilty about the tone of my post so I signed back on to apologize and address the real issue. I see that Don’t Mess w/ Pink beat me to it.

The last time we experienced real legislative changes in this country was will LBJ–the ultimate insider. Yet every election we hear a cry that change can only come from the outside. I believe it will only come with someone who knows and works with these people, understands their political realities and knows how to trade up.

I have agonized over the electibility considerations and there are viable, but not verifiable arguments on both sides. My ultimate decision will be to vote for candidate I believe will be the most effective president.

Given the huge democratic turnouts and the serious rifts in the party, I believe a Clinton/Obama ticket is the only viable answer. That will only happen if Hillary wins the nomination.

Again, I apologize for the snarky comment.

Re: 14. Sittin Bull

I get your cynicism (you may call it realism, which would be fair) with respect to Obama. You may also be right that he doesn’t have the clout/relationships/favors to cash in.

He does have something Clinton (WJ and HRC) don’t…thousands and thousands of Americans lining up to buy what he is selling. I haven’t seen this kind of energy and enthusiasm in my lifetime. Here’s hoping we can mobilize that energy for meaningful change - regardless of who is elected in November.

Fact is that it’s high time we all - Dems and GOPers alike - hold Washington pols accountable for dealing with the tough issues we face (balancing the budget, social security, reliance on Mideast oil, immigration, national security, to name a few) and stop picking around the edges.

I like your letter and I AM a boomer and I lived in Memphis when doctor King was there. My parents were part of the civil rights movement.

Here is what I want to say. I do not think Obama is anything near a dr. King. Yes we were young and idealistic as you are now but, I feel our leaders at that time were radicals with substance too. They put their very lives on the line and came up from poverty.

Obama claims to represent those things but, he has been a very rich young man. Gone to private schools and Harvard. He’s a one term senator and in fact he isn’t as clean and squeeky as he is telling you all. I think people of my generation are all for someone to come along and inspire but, all kinds of leaders inspire. Many of us are fearful that this person who is so inspiring is all smooth talk. He’s actually a bit scary in his evangelic ferver for his bid to be president? It seems contrived and while I h ope it’s not one thing you can count on Boomers for is having a pretty good bs detector…we put up with Nixon don’t forget. We got lied to by smooth talkers our whole youth.

The other problem I have with Obama and this IS a BIG one is that if he were a woman trying to run for president on a one term senator record. He wouldn’t have a snowballs chance in hell of this presidency bid at all.

It’s seems incredible that someone with such good creditials and please don’t buy all that she is evil crap. I know people who worked with her on the ground for the poor in Little Rock and they all say she really cares and she really did great work.

So why is it okay for the more qualified woman to be passed over yet again all because some smooth talking male comes along on no experience and take the job she trained for, for years.

I gotta tell you. Hillary Clinton has been absolutely torn to shreds in the press while he was shoved to the golden boy spot by the media. And if you don’t think they decided this and that the old boy conservatives didn’t push that agenda in the media then you guys are not nearly as smart as I think you are.

I’m sorry but, Obama has a lot of dirt on him too and his record isn’t so long so as he gets years on him, he’ll make just as many mistakes as anyone else has. His policies are the same as hers nearly….

I won’t vote for him I think he says one thing “uniter” and does another. He’s divided this party like none other could. If he had waited even one term *he’s only 46* this would not have happened and yes she would have had the whole party behind her and yes she would be a good president. But it looks like we will never know now.

For some of us it means that when a woman who was qualified finally ran we lost out. He’s not my voice. And I won’t live long enough to see it happen and if you don’t think I resent Obama for not waiting one term, dividing the party over so little difference in policy when he really, really isn’t ready then you are wrong. It speaks to me of ego, not uniting people. It speaks to me of rhetoric and just as much ambition without care as he accuses Senator Clinton of.

I guess you guys will end up getting what you want and for my won reasons…letting the press decide our president etc….I will quite the democratic party that I have been a member of my whole life.

Sometimes, some things are more important than you might believe they are right now. Experience and change go hand in hand..

Good luck with the campaign and your choice. I’m glad you will have your voice heard.

Re: 11. LegeBoy

RE: “how sweet life is for Iowans”

you’ve never been to Iowa have you?

all the campaign ads in the world wouldnt make life sweet in Iowa.

Thomas Jefferson said that we should have a rebellion against government about every twenty years. They keep things fresh. Reagan’s election in 1980 was such a rebellion. As much as we’d like to think of the. Clinton presidency as a rebellion, when the Democrats lost the Congress, I think we actually extended the Reagan we revolution. NAFTA and Wefare Reform weren’t Clinton’s own initiatives. The W years have ended up being a cluster fu*ck, so now we are finally looking at the potential for our twenty year rebellion. If Hillary repositions from being the status quo to being the leader of a rebellion, she might still pull it out. I would love to see our first female President. It would be an injustice, however, for that first female to be an extension of the status quo. She needs to be more than the anchor in a Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton relay team.

Oops. Lots of typos. Too early to be writing about this.

Since my age is similar to DMWP, I’ll chime in here. I sure hope yall were actually voting against Bush (with all that complaining going on) and not just off somewhere chasing tail and cheap booze at some edifice of higher education. While some boomers have indeed benefitted from real estate appreciation and some lucky picks of Exxon stock, I estimate that the majority of us boomers are struggling to pay bills also. After putting your Moms to work, then refinancing the homestead to pay for your college education, we’re about tapped out and frantically trying to save a few coins for retirement. Sometimes it takes a common enemy to unite for a cause. Its going to take all of us, depression, boomer, X, Y, boomer next, to purge the R’s out of power.

What killed the idealism of the 60’s? Disco.

As for the Alternative Minimum Tax…well, that’s a good problem to have don’t you think? Congratulations on having good paying jobs.

Re: 15. Don’t Mess w/ Pink

I worry about a democratic congress with a small minority (specifically the senate) accomplishing HRC’s policy goals.

It has been suggested that HRC has more political favors to call in or chits or whatever, I don’t think they will help her pull legislative coalitions together to get things done, If I were a Senator from a conservative republican state I’d fight tooth and nail to obstruct HRC’s initiatives, I could then go back home and crow to my base that I had stopped and prevented these bad policies coming from HRC, the alternative is I work with her to accomplish things and the primary add writes itself (Sen. Blank worked with HRC to do such and such, is that who you want representing you in Washington? vote Neo-Con for Senate, he’ll put a stop to President HRC’s communism)

That’s harder to do with BO as president. I think there would be less of a political downside to working with a BO administration, additionally you will have moderate D’s pushing and shoving to get to sponsor legislation and have photo op’s with President Obama, whereas there may be no political advantage to working with HRC or working especially hard to have her policies be put in place..

Re: 21. Lefty

The new political calculation with Obama in office becomes new and old, instead of left and right. You might have to change your pseudonym to Newy. I think you’re on point with the plan of attack from the right against HRC. They’ll try it with Obama, would it work is the unknown.

I loved a comment from Pat Buchanan the other day. He said the Republicans were laying in wait to do to Obama what they did to Dukakis. Does he really mean that they’re going to run Willie Horton ads against Obama? It cracked me up to think about it.

I don’t think that change is impossible, or that Obama sounds like Bush. However I do think there is a parallel there. Experience is strongly suggesting to me that Obama is using a line that he thinks will get him elected. Beyond that I don’t know whether he intends to try and implement that change or whether it is all just talk. I do know that change will not happen just by talking about it and I think HRC is far better positioned to actually call in the favors that would make things happen.

Re: 23. Jimbo

Aren’t they ALL just using lines they think will get them elected? But I think Obama would have to deliver the goods if he made it to the White House. Bush 43 is too fresh in our minds. I like DMWP am conflicted, as I sincerely believe Hillary would make the best president, but I’m afraid at this point Obama is the only one who can get there. And, if she becomes the nominee via Bill’s bag of (dirty?) tricks, I’m pretty sure we’re sunk.

I imagine the Republicans are loving the fact that we Ds are divided. We have two amazing candidates - what a great problem to have. Let’s not self-destruct.

I’m an Obama fan, but I’m uncomfortable with the Boomers versus Gen Xers war rhetoric. We’re all on the same side and want the same things. I hope we all remember that in the general, no matter who the nominee is.

Re: 25. Tickled Pink

Last I heard there is a rebellion in the Republican party against their presumptive nominee. He ain’t nutty enough, apparently, even though he seems pretty nutty to me. I’ve even met the guy a bunch of times. I just hope the Pentagon gives him a fake nuclear football to tote around if he wins.

Re: 24. ginger rogers

Of course they’re all feeding us lines. The number one priority of any politician is to get elected. Getting re-elected is number two.

I think the B.O. supporters (and the Rush Limbaugh’s) are playing on your fears that Hillary isn’t electable. It could be working. I myself have doubts. I think some us are torn between who we think is the most electable and who we think is the most qualified.

I sat with a group of friends this weekend, all Obama supporters, convinced Hillary was the devil. Noone could give a convincing (to me) argument why Obama was more qualified (other than his message of hope) or why Hillary was so awful (”she just is”.)

I think it’s sad really. Politics is a divisive game. I don’t see Obama changing that. I’ve yet to decide, but I’m pretty sure I will vote for whomever i think is most qualified.

But the bottom line for me (as a registered D) is that I will be happy to cast my vote for either one of them in November.

Re: 28. Tickled Pink

Don’t forget. Democrats are always willing to f*uck themselves.

Re: 30. Major

I agree. Well-reasoned arguments are so yesterday; today it’s just about knee-jerk reactions.

“I don’t know why, I just hate her!”

Boomers, remember JFK? Stirred our hearts and minds. Passed no legislation. Almost blew up the planet in nuclear holocaust.

It took LBJ to pass the legislation that reduced poverty by 30% in 5 years. And who the hell *liked* LBJ? Not his poor beagle…

Outsider–
You indicated that Obama’s advantage is a huge following. It is huge but just to let you know, Hillary’s is bigger. I know you don’t hear this from the media but as of today, she has received about half a million more actual votes than he has.

I also sense some despondence in the Hillary crowd. Frankly, the remainder of February does not look good but March looks great. Listening to the press, it is easy to feel like we did after Iowa. They are writing the obit. We can and will turn this around on March 4.

If you have not heard, we are dropping a “money bomb” on HRC today. Go to hillaryclinton.com and contribute $10.44 or whatever you can with a .44 at the end.

Are the Dems really divided? Exit polls from 2/5 said 70% of each side’s voters would be comfortable with the other candidate. Meanwhile, McCain — after the collapse of his opposition from a mumbling corpse, a Mafia cross-dresser and a Mormon-dog-killer — can’t solidify his nomination against a failed Baptist minister.

Re: 19. Ruth

Where do I start?

1) If you have the dirt on Obama, dish it. Let’s deal with facts and what we know. I’m sure there are many bright young journalists who dream of a Pulitzer trying to bring him down (PL, for instance).

2) I’m not certain anyone but Hillary has compared BO to Dr. King. If anything he has shied away from being painted as the “black” candidate. Hillary is the one who said it took a President to pass civil rights legislation in a very clear attempt to show that he pales in comparison to Dr. King. It’s an unfair and irrelevant comparison that no one can live up to. Let’s compare him to Gandhi, Lincoln and Mother Teresa while we’re at it.

3) Since when is it a crime to go to Harvard? And since when does going to Harvard automatically make you privileged and rich? Bill Clinton was a poor kid before he went to Georgetown and Yale Law School. And even if BO was privileged and rich why would that disqualify him from running for President?

4) And who decreed that 2008 was Hillary’s time and everyone else should just step aside? Do you really want the first woman President to be handed the job without a fight just because she’s the first woman with a legitimate shot at the job?

5) BO is “dividing” the party because he’s running and winning? I guess you could make that claim if he were running as an Independent or if he were staying in the race as a spoiler. Fact is, he may actually be winning this thing. I hope you feel the same way next month when Obama has the outright lead in delegates and the popular vote and HRC is trying to maneuver her way to the nomination at the convention.

Re: 36. Outsider

I grant you everything.

But here’s something that has always puzzled me. If Obama is the candidate of change and inspiration and lifting people up, then why are the majority of his supporters upper-class, highly educated rich people?

Meanwhile, Hillary’s the candidate of the blue-collar working class — the ones who have truly been left behind. The candidate who has their interests at heart — and has already proven that with children’s health insurance, legal aid services, and child advocacy — is, to me, the true candidate of change.

Who wants to explain this to me?

Re: 34. Sittin Bull

Bomb, bomb, bomb.
Money bomb Rodham.44.

Sorry, I gave at the office. Though, I agree she is smart and qualified. She’s a good Senator. She works hard in the campaign. You have to in order to piss off as many people as she has.

Re: 32. Pink Lady

Just because I ain’t so good at well-reasoned arguments don’t make me stoopid, does it? If so, why do you hate the undereducated. We are Hillary’s base after all.

Re: 37. Pink Lady

When did Walmart get left behind? Let’s take a look at her finances and white house records. After the machine gives it to Hillary, it’s a little too late to release the records. Just in time for the GOP to crush her and we spend another eight years in hell.

West Texas Hillbilly–

I’m not quite sure where you are going. However, you might want to check out Obama’s relationship with Rezko. Rezko goes on trial March 3. He is being prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald in Chicogo. We could end up with a candidate under indictment.

Why is there this assumption that it is some shadowy DNC machine giving the nomination to HRC? Currently she still has more actual votes from Democrats around the country than BO has. Thats regular votes from people like you and me.

Re: 17. Sittin Bull

I’m guilty of the same thing ALL THE TIME. No hard feelings. But thanks for that, though.

I just wonder where all this optimism over HIllary is coming from. With half the country despising her, including lots of Dems, why do we think she’ll be able to do anything at all??

Through no fault of her own, I worry she’ll be paralyzed…

Re: 41. Jimbo

I dunno. Maybe because she’s been harassing the shit out of them for a year, to make SURE they COMMIT to her before a) there’s another candidate that they might like better or b) to safeguard herself against an opponent.

Wow. Sounds a little like our speaker.

Re: 42. Lurkette

I want to believe in an America where even Hillary Clinton can overcome her detractors and become the first female President. It’s the ultimate in audacious hopefulness. ; )

Re: 44. lush

Fair enough.

Re: 42. Lurkette

It’s very tempting to respond to the question of why I support Hillary, the same way her detractors explain why they dislike her: “because I do.”

But I wont….

Lurkette,

I hear that all the time but it is just more of the “conventional wisdom.” National polls may not tell us much but we can certainly look at them a realize that within the margin of error, there are equal numbers of people who will vote for McCain, Obama and HIllary. If she were as hated as the conventional wisdom assumes, she would not have gotten this far. And I would note that she has done it with the pundits spouting the conventional wisdom on an hourly basis.

Re: 47. Sittin Bull

It’s about more than the vote count. The difference is, plenty of people who won’t vote for a Democrat no matter what don’t despise Obama. They actually respect him.

On the flip side, with Hillary, people tend to either love her or hate her. Half the country hating the president is not productive, ask George Bush. Hell, ask Bill.

We are an entire country after all, not just half of one. And you and others maybe okay with another 8 years of division, and that’s fine - your choice. But I’m sick of it. Would be nice to have a president with something resembling a mandate, a president who half the country (including members of the same party) doesn’t think is a crook and a liar.

I realize this may sound like I’m letting the opponents decide this one for me, and maybe that’s partly true. That’s kind of what HIllary does when she reaches across the aisle, right? So that’s not a bad thing all the time.

I happen to think it’s better - at least right now - to have a president that a large majority of the country is oK with, even if only half the country voted for him. Especially after the 16 years of hatred we’ve just lived through. If he happens to talk in a way that excites me, so much the better.

As a U.S. citizen, I’m demoralized almost to the point of not giving a damn at all. To me, that’s the worst ever. If we’d had another Kerry type in this race, I’d have stayed home and said Fuck It.

So forgive me if I’m a little excited about the prospect of a candidate that inspires people and, even a little, shuts up some of the assholes like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh.

I may be exhuberant, and some of the others even more so. But maybe it’s just relief.

Lurkette,
You could be right but this scenario is just as likely–By the time the Republicans get through with Obama, he will have the displeasure of being hated by half the country as well. It will be because he is a one of the hated “liberals” who will take your guns, mandate abortion on demand, and let the gays destroy marriage. This is already starting–i.e. the muslim email floated by the right wing blogs.

On a side note, I genuinely believe that Hillary’s “I just don’t like her” negatives are primarily rooted in the fact that the characteristics it takes to be president are “unseemly” in a woman. That may be the reality we exist in but THAT is a battle well worth fighting. One reason Obama is losing so many of us on the democratic side is that his supporter are embracing this mantra rather than fighting it along with us.

And sadly, I wish he inspired me but he just doesn’t.

Re: 44. lush

I was hopeful in 2004. Now I am serious. I want the Democrat that has the best chance of soundly defeating the best Republican. Do you know why all the Republican candidates are a joke? Because the smart ones realize that it would take a miracle for a Republican to win given the state of the nation and they don’t want to waste their time losing.

Hillary is very good and very hard to like for many people. Polls show her in a dead heat with McCain. McCain! She might make a fine POTUS, but how does she serve “first women to…” candidates if she is the first one to lose to McCain?

I am still in shock from 2004. They made a real war hero look like a deadbeat. He didn’t help, but still… I don’t want to see it happen again. Nothing personal. This is not about her. It’s about taking back the White House and restoring sanity.

Re: 49. Sittin Bull

Bravo. very well said.

Re: 50. West Texas Hillbilly

I hear you, but I’m not convinced Hillary can’t beat McCain. Have we not already learned our lesson regarding trusting the polls this year?

Re: 51. lush

We have. I hope you are right about HRC/McCain.

Re: 49. Sittin Bull

Then that would put Obama in exactly the same category as every other Democrat, in that the Rs hate the liberal who’ll take away their guns, etc. They dislike his politics already.

Hillary has that anti-D disdain, as all of them do - as well as the personal history with people in both parties that give her the extra, special amount of mistrust and dislike, above partisanship.

Ok - which of the Obama supporters are embracing the anti-Woman angle, exactly? That’s insane. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but WTF are you TALKING about? I’m fighting that notion tooth-and-nail, and I don’t get at ALL why you’re laying that on me. Because I’m not voting Hillary? Please explain. What am I, as an Obama supporter, doing to perpetuate that? Maybe I’m misunderstanding.

Equally out-of-nowhere is the idea that he’s “losing so many of us.” I don’t think he is.

As for the polls, it’s not just the polls that are saying Hillary will have a tough time with McCain. It’s the Republicans who are champing at the bit, publicly and privately, to go out and vote against her. It’s been the drumbeat for a year, way longer than Obama was even a glimmer.

Re: 30. Major

Are you the same person as Major/Major? Or just his better half?

Same. Usually my ‘name’ automatically appears. It didnt this time and i guess i was just too lazy to write out the whole thing.

Am i in trouble?

Re: 55. Major

No, of course not. Just trying to be funny. Alas, it doesn’t always work.

Oh I wouldn’t say that. I got the funny. Just thought there might be another point too…

(Lurkette has me on edge. I hope I don’t run into her at the polls…I mean, Im sure she’s sweet and all…………)

Re: 54. Lurkette

Why do you hate your own gender?

Re: 58. Major

I hear you. She scares the crap out of me.

Re: 59. Pink Lady

Altogether now: It’s because I’m not married.

As for the rest of you, be afraid. Be very afraid.

I’m a sweetheart, really. Except when I’m not :)

Re: 60. Don’t Mess w/ Pink

Can she eat glass? Kill an ox with her bare hands?

//Man, i hope she doesn’t hear me.

Re: 62. Major

Yes, and yes. And I hear everything.

Re: 61. Lurkette

Not married? …Shocker.

Kidding …im sure you’ll make some lucky fellow very happy one day.

//slowly backs away.

Re: 64. Major

Wuss.

Touche.

/Runs like hell.

There’s a running theme out there that “Republican’s don’t mind Obama, and Hillary riles them up so he’s more electable”. Doesn’t anybody remember John Kerry? He had no high negatives going into the general election, and was a war hero to boot. He was picked because he was “electable”. By the time the Republicans were done with him, he was a coward, a liar and a flip-flopper!! Surely you must remember the old lady with the purple bandaid on her chin at the Republican convention. And the media played a large part in that - they’ll turn on Obama in a heartbeat if he gets the nomination.

Re: 67. Baffled

Yep. See my latest comment on the thread after this one: Texas: It’s Bigger Than Ohio. Very similar thoughts.

Re: 67. Baffled

So…we should elect HRC because she’s taken the GOP punches for the past decade or so and we already know what’s coming? We shouldn’t elect Obama because the GOP hate machine will chew him up and spit him out. And the media is going to turn on him?

Of course they’re going to come after him. But there is no way the GOP has more on Obama. They have 15 years of Clinton record to play with and they will use every ounce of it: Gennifer Flowers, Monica Lewinski, impeachment, Travelgate, Whitewater, HRC’s healthcare initiative, Vince Foster, Bill’s recent “consulting” projects, his pardons. We all know half of it is BS, but it’s there. The GOP has used it effectively in the past and they’ll use it again.

The idea that HRC is the better choice because we don’t yet know how they’re going to attack Obama seems backwards to me. Outside of out-and-out racism, the GOP doesn’t know how they’re going to attack Obama yet either, and if claiming that he’s a Muslim or picking around the edges of Rezko is the best they got, I’ll take it. I have no desire to live through the Clinton scandals of the 1990s again.

Since when is college “$100K a year”???

wow. your parents paid for you to go to college? that’s neat.

Re: 67. Baffled

The difference between Kerry and Obama is that Democrats weren’t all that excited about him, and Rs still had some allegiance to Bush.

This is a very different election. Obama’s way more popular with Ds than Kerry, and McCain is way less popular with Rs than Bush.

They’ll swiftboat anyone. That’s not the issue. They may very well swiftboat Obama but they won’t turn out en masse to vote against him like they will Hillary.