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Friday Open Thread | 247 comments (247 topical)
Let's say Obama is the nominee (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by zyx on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:18:57 PM EST
and then loses in November.  He loses because of FL, MI, OH, PA, MO...and possibly because of Reverend Wright.

Are things going to change in the Democratic Party, next time around?  How is the change gonna happen?

Are you kidding (5.00 / 5) (#12)
by Edgar08 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:20:52 PM EST
If that happens it's Clinton's fault.

They're already categorizing and cross tabbing their excuses.


[ Parent ]

Edgar speaks truth! (5.00 / 1) (#139)
by kmblue on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:41:42 PM EST
Yup, they will blame Obama's loss on Clinton, forever and ever, amen.

[ Parent ]
If (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by tek on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:33:05 PM EST
Obama is the nominee and loses in Nov. or if Obama is the candidate and wins and has an incompetent administration, it's the end of the Democratic Party.  Who could trust them again after they forced this poser on us and he isn't up to the task?  Especially after the debacle of Kerry.

[ Parent ]
I Obama won (5.00 / 1) (#50)
by zyx on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:42:43 PM EST
(which I think unlikely) and then governed as cautiously as he campaigns, I can't see the country going anywhere or doing anything.  It would be very strange.

[ Parent ]
but the country can't stand still (5.00 / 2) (#55)
by MarkL on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:45:18 PM EST
Rising oil prices, global warming, problems with financial markets---these issues won't stay still.


[ Parent ]
How did Obama do on the view today? (none / 0) (#16)
by MarkL on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:25:23 PM EST
I saw a few positive reviews. I'm guessing he got a bunch of pink softballs.

[ Parent ]
I'd be shocked if he didn't do well (5.00 / 3) (#99)
by dianem on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:16:48 PM EST
He is charismatic and well-spoken. Nobody argues about that. Those who do not support him for President simply feel that you need more than charisma to be a good President.

[ Parent ]
According to Huff Post headline, (none / 0) (#19)
by oculus on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:28:17 PM EST
Barbara Walters sd. Obama is sexy.  And here I was hoping for so much more.

[ Parent ]
But did he cry? (none / 0) (#24)
by badger on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:29:58 PM EST
Walters always likes it when she can make her interviewees cry.


[ Parent ]
Someone said the same thing about Bush (none / 0) (#142)
by TeresaInSnow2 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:42:01 PM EST
Oh yeah, it was Tweetie...said he looked he-manish in the flight suit.

[ Parent ]
I heard that Sherri Shepard said (none / 0) (#28)
by stillife on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:31:51 PM EST
she's now supporting Obama rather than Clinton.

But then, she's the one who thinks the earth is flat.

[ Parent ]

Oh yeah! (none / 0) (#52)
by stillife on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:43:52 PM EST
How could I forget that one?

Awesome endorsement for Sen. Obama.

[ Parent ]

After McGovern (none / 0) (#20)
by badger on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:28:31 PM EST
Democrats lost 3 of the next 4 elections, and probably would have lost all 4 if Nixon hadn't been impeached.

On the other hand, the GOP lost 5 straight after electing Hoover, so there's that to consider too (for either party).

[ Parent ]

On the economy, Obama bashed Bill (5.00 / 8) (#34)
by Cream City on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:34:07 PM EST
Clinton again, Obama saying the '90s sucked.  I don't think that most Dem voters agree.  And if we do head into Hoover territory again, it seems that any Dem candidate ought to simply be saying the proverbial "were you better off eight years ago?"

Obama keeps not doing the right thing for the general election.  It's going to be about the economy, the economy, and did we mention the economy?

[ Parent ]

There is this belief that if the issue is the (5.00 / 1) (#46)
by tigercourse on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:40:19 PM EST
economy, dems will automatically win, partly because McCain is weak on the economy. Well... how is Obama strong on economic issues? What can he point to that says "I know how to fix this"? McCain was chair of the Commerce Comittee. What has Obama done that comes close to that?

[ Parent ]
The only reason Obama edges (5.00 / 1) (#53)
by Edgar08 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:44:02 PM EST
McCain on economy issues is because the last Dem President was excellent on those issues.

Party Branding.

Obama benefits.

[ Parent ]

It's too bad he's run away from that brand. (5.00 / 2) (#62)
by tigercourse on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:51:22 PM EST


[ Parent ]
I don't want to bust any margins (none / 0) (#72)
by Edgar08 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:56:36 PM EST
On the site.

At the bottom of this thread I'm posting some goals for President Obama.


[ Parent ]

Don't think so... (none / 0) (#73)
by sapienthetero on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:56:59 PM EST
The only people who think Clinton & Obama have a grip on the economy are Clinton's "poorer and less educated" supporters we keep hearing about in the polls.  They actually buy her story about taking money from the evil people who earn it and giving it to them.  Even most Dems realize that this is just demagoguery.  Without independent voters, neither Clinton nor Obama have a prayer in November.  And since most independents are neither poor nor less educated, they realize that Clinton & Obama are proposing to pick their pockets to buy votes.  Believe me, it's not going to sell well in November.

How do you think we got two terms of the current moron?

[ Parent ]

LOL, is this snark.... (5.00 / 4) (#87)
by Maria Garcia on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:05:27 PM EST
...or just the poster child for how to insult Clinton supporters.

[ Parent ]
Was I just called a moron? (5.00 / 2) (#180)
by waldenpond on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 03:10:08 PM EST
I have this thing I do..... every time some one refers to Clinton supporters as low knowledge, I go have a beer.  If I was just called an actual moron, I think I could justify two beers.

[ Parent ]
beers? (5.00 / 1) (#198)
by Stellaaa on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 03:39:22 PM EST
brats, pretzels, pork rinds...the whole enchilada.  

[ Parent ]
That's a huge reason why (5.00 / 4) (#58)
by stillife on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:48:55 PM EST
I will probably not vote for Obama in the GE, if he's the nom.  Clinton's Presidency was the only good one in my adult lifetime.  Obama's dissing of Clinton's accomplishments and fawning over Reagan (who was a nightmare IMO) does not sit well with me and makes me distrust him on all kinds of issues, from the economy to health care to judicial appointments.

[ Parent ]
When (none / 0) (#115)
by mattt on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:24:51 PM EST
did Obama fawn over Reagan?  He called him an important figure who changed the course of American politics.  That's neither easy to deny, nor an endorsement.

[ Parent ]
It sure as heck (5.00 / 2) (#134)
by stillife on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:39:08 PM EST
sounded like an endorsement to me, when he talked about Reagan changing the trajectory of the country and being a welcome change from the "excesses of the 60's and 70's".

Obama prefers Reagan over Clinton

[ Parent ]

How well did Bill Clinton (none / 0) (#141)
by independent voter on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:41:58 PM EST
increase the Dems down ticket???

[ Parent ]
Pretty well actually (5.00 / 3) (#154)
by ColumbiaDuck on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:48:44 PM EST
Democrats picked up seats in 4 out of the five elections held while Clinton was president - '92, '96, '98 and '00.  Granted '94* was bad, but there were a lot of reasons for this - some of which were even congressional democrats' fault! (I know they like to blame the Clintons for every thing, but they had their own failures like the House banking scandal and some issues with congressional mailings).

If it hadn't been for 9/11, I fully believe we would have had the majority after '02.

(BTW - it's amazing we didn't lose seats in '98 as that's historically a terrible year for the WH's party, but we didn't.  We can probably thank the excesses of the GOP for that one.)

*Interesting note - after '06 the Democrats have a bigger house majority than the Republicans EVER had during the 10 years they were in power.  Yet Nancy Pelosi is still ineffective.  What's up with that?

[ Parent ]

That's when we got Boxer! (none / 0) (#220)
by Cream City on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 04:45:50 PM EST
and Feinstein in '92, among many victories -- but that was the first time ever that both senators in a state were women.

And Boxer is worth at least ten Dem men in the Senate.  I'll spare you my list of which ten.  Well, actually, today that list of useless men in the Senate is growing. . . .

[ Parent ]

Him bashing Bill and 90s economy (5.00 / 1) (#61)
by Edgar08 on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:50:49 PM EST
Confirms my intentions in November.

But if he becomes president and does the same or even better, no complaints I'll give him the same credit I give Bill.

I'm not holding my breath.


[ Parent ]

I've said it before, I'll say it again (5.00 / 8) (#74)
by echinopsia on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:57:38 PM EST
you can't unite the Democrats by trashing the Clintons.

[ Parent ]
Probably the biggest difference between (5.00 / 3) (#82)
by athyrio on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:01:53 PM EST
Bill Clinton and Obama is the history books will record that Bill Clinton WON both of his national elections...Obama winning is highly doubtful...

[ Parent ]
I feel the same way.... (5.00 / 3) (#80)
by Maria Garcia on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 01:59:49 PM EST
...If Obama goes on to become a great president and "heals" the nation, I won't be beating myself up over not having voted for him. I'm exercising my right at this moment to not have much faith in his ability to be "the one." I will have to base my decisions on what I believe right now. That's the way I've always operated and I'm still alive to tell the tale.

[ Parent ]
Don't leave out (none / 0) (#203)
by Arcadianwind on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 03:46:15 PM EST
the other states he cannot win, Tennessee, and WV!

After Dukakis, Mondale, and Kerry, why should they change the formula?

Are things going to change in the Democratic Party, next time around?  How is the change gonna happen?

It will change only when the power is taken away from the corporatists of the party.

[ Parent ]

even as the 2 sides stand now, we'll be united (none / 0) (#244)
by thereyougo on Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 06:01:22 PM EST
to defeat GWB, and his policies unless they steal another election,which I don't think will happen.

[ Parent ]

Friday Open Thread | 247 comments (247 topical)

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