To say Barack Obama has done nothing to improve or protect this country except talk about it for one afternoon is absurd. Obama's been talking about nothing else for 18 months.

OMG!  Hysterical!  It made me laugh like you would not believe!  

I have to join those here who would point out that Obama has talked a lot, but we know his skimpy record and resume.  Not liking what McCain has done is different from rather foolishly denying that he has done a thing.

That's why many Republicans don't like him.  They see him as their Joe Lieberman.  In addition, Dems were all fine with the idea that he would be John Kerry's running mate in 2004.

 It is totally true, however, that when he has attempted to run for President, he swings to the right and his collaborations with Democrats have dwindled each time.  Also, it's true that the last four years, he has been embarrassingly kissing GW Bush's rear end and backtracking on issues that, in his "maverick" days he would have not done.

Nevertheless, he is still better than Obama.  McCain has a track record of working with Democrats. Obama doesn't even like Democrats. He wants to work with Republicans and has said so since the beginning of his candidacy.

Obama, also, for some reason, now wants everyone to associate him with German militarism. The German poster he has made for his Study Abroad trip looks just like a 30s Social Realism poster the Nazis would have made. He poses in front of a symbol of  Prussian militarism that Hitler had painted gold and moved to its present location when he was gearing up for war. Why would Obama do this? Who knows?  Maybe it has something to do with his authoritarian personality:  he is thin-skinned, pissy, he won't talk to reporters, he creates fake news accounts of his trip and won't let any German citizens bring any counter-message signs to his rallies (sound familiar?)

Its so disheartening sometimes, working for state leg candidates and in a poorer state at that then to read some fricking fundraiser is getting $30,000. a seat is just, well, sinful, criminal, unethical and stings.  Why do we work our arses off and its still those with the most or at least excess capital that get all the goodies.  

Sometimes I really think shame on our presidential candidates and congressional members for slighting some of the most important offices we have - at the state level where all things are local til the corporation says otherwise.

I understand politics. I understand "needing to win".  But what in the hell was this all about?  To make US voters "feel the swoon" again?

Barack Obama is a novice - he has no resume - and yet he believes that doing this jaunt will make US voters say "YES, Obama is the one we have been waiting for!!"

I think he looks silly.  Naive. Inexperienced.  

If you want to vote for an American Idol...well, I give up on this country.

I saw the waving American flags and the cramped German crowd -- and I still didn't feel any warm fuzzies.  

The main thing I kept thinking is:  What is this guy doing over there?  

This was like a stupid speech.  Kanye West could have given it or Will Smith (ooooh!  bigger crowd!) or Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (ooooohh!  Even bigger crowd!) or any of host of celebrities who aren't running for any political office.  

And thinking that -- how far am I from:  Obama= celebrity.  

(irony mode off)

Yet, many others claim Obama is far left, and they also have justifications--particularly Obama's long associations with Rev. Wright, William Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn--definitely on the left end of the political spectrum.

I thought McCain was someone who, although far to the right of me, broke ranks with the Republicans and voted his mind.  I thought he had earned his "maverick" label.  Then he caved completely to the far Right in the last few years.  The immigration issue is the only notable exception I recall.  

Now I'm faced with the only two candidates who have a chance of becoming President, and I don't trust either one of them any further than I can throw them.  I've been a Democrat since 1972 and I've held my nose and voted for more blue dogs than I care to remember.  However, should Obama win and govern far to the right, would the spineless Dems in Congress just roll over for him?  I'd say, "Yes."  If McCain wins and does the same thing, I believe the Dems might put up more of a fight.  An additional concern is the midterm elections of 2010.  The voters are already disgusted with the D led Congress.  Would more of the same with an Obama presidency cause a backlash?  I think it would be probable, while a McCain presidency might actually generate more D gains in two years.  

There is still so much sour grapes (sorry if that's deemed callous) around here from the primary. I keep  checking in and hoping that some of the bloggers here will have moved on from the hurt of the primary season.

Me? I'm excited about a media savvy Democratic candidate for pres. 2 elections where the Dems looked/acted like a JV debate team is absurd.
But naw, we just bemoan the fact that Obama's got some brass one's rather than applaud a Dem campaign with some verve. Some life. A freakin' pulse. Beating Repugnant's to the punch instead of always on the defensive.

No wonder the legislative result of the '06 midterm election  has been so underwhelming. They are our representatives, after all. Very little unity. Very little alignment. Or, rather, reserved alignment and, even worse, defection. /sigh
Yup, definitely our representatives.

The main thing I kept thinking is:  What is this guy doing over there? ~ Grace

Total garbage ~ lentinel

I can't think of one thing that Obama has been a leader on - no piece of legislation, no bold ideas, nothing, zip, nada. ~ cmugirl

Wake up, America!
Be delighted that we have a candidate for president that is:

1. Not a Bush
   
2. Not as dull as Gore
   
3. Not as naive as Kerry
   
4. Running versus the most ineptly run Republican campaign since '92

The politics of fear and division is still running rampant through this country.

...well, I give up on this country.
It breaks my heart. ~ Shainzona

(over the top snark)

He will be able to use the power of ideas to galvanize the country and LEAD.  

Why hasn't Obama led on anything?  Just because you think he will lead because he talks a good game, doesn't mean he can or will.

I can't think of one thing that Obama has been a leader on - no piece of legislation, no bold ideas, nothing, zip, nada.  He gave a speech 6 years ago.

I was reading some of FDR's speeches - he used the power of ideas to galvanize the country for his program.

May I suggest that you also do some research on Roosevelt's history?  He did not derive his ideas from his speeches; rather his governance experience informed his speeches in a moving and very eloquent manner.  For example, he was warning Americans about the concentration of economic power among the power elite as early as 1926.

As governor of New York, he implemented the first statewide poverty relief program in the country in 1930, proclaiming that it was the government's responsibility to find solutions to the problems that overwhelmed working families.  This was radical stuff for the country in 1930, and the concept was the fundamental building block of his "New Deal." Nor was there ever a disconnect between his words and his actions, because he spoke from a place of experience, confidence, and empathy.

Obama is not trying to galvanize the country around anything.

He is only going around speaking in generalities. War against terror. Iran the threat. We beat communism.

Hillary shows/showed spine.  I trusted her to speak up and act out on issues of importance to all of America.

Truly - BO was always a political lurker (there...but never really "there") and he is only comfortable in front of staged, telepromptered, controlled events.

But life is not like that.  Life is never staged.  Never telepromotered.  And NEVER controlled.

This was gone into in minute detail in 2000, since the Bushies and their allies were spreading the rumor that he was mentally unstable as a result of his POW experiences.

One very, very telling fact is that at least as of 2000, he had by far the most loyal, longest-serving staff in the Senate.  You don't get that kind of staff loyalty if you're a bully.  McCain is not.