An Outsider

Obama is an outsider to the political machine in D.C.; he always will be. I give Obama credit for his honesty about addressing the plight of small towns and the common man. Too bad Billary sees fit to spend its nights stirring that boiling cauldon of evil trying to conjure up something to eliminate Barack from this presidential race.

McCain is too damn old to occupy anything but a toilet these days, we all know his mind is fading quickly and he hasn't the good sense to retire.

Billary is a power-mongering phony who seems to conveniently 'forget' past misdeeds against the American voters. It has plenty of money in its bank account, but, still sees fit to stiff the restaurant owner when it comes time to pay the check.

So do we judge Obama more harshly because he is farther from our ideals than we expected?

Sure, let's take a second (or third) look at Obama. But then let us also take a second (or third) look at Clinton and McCain who we've never believed were close to our ideals.

Under that scrutiny, Obama is still the markedly best candidate. Only now we know, he's a human candidate.

Doug, I usually agree with you, but in this case I think you are wrong. Obama will not be beholden to the special interest groups when he makes it to DC. He is collecting most of his cash from his fellow Americans.

It is shame that the Hillary supporters can't see the Clintons for who they are. If it was Hillary with the lead and Obama running second, how much pressure would have already been brought to bear on him to drop out by the Clinton machine.

Meanwhile McCain is getting a free ride.

You're right Doug; best bet: stick with the name brands and don't try anything different.
It might not be any good.
"More of the same, please."
CLINTON2 tm or McBUSHco tm are your best bet [you KNOW they're frauds; years of satisfactory service affirms it].

Ever since Bush reacted in a ridiculous and illegal way after 9/11, our entire economy, freedoms, an even higher number of illegal immigrants have caused our reputation abroad, our reputation at home and has hit our culture in the arse. The American teamwork has vanished! The value of our dollar has dropped to over half the value.

This was brought on by a series of utterly ignorant actions by our Republican Conservative White House.

If we take the problems one at a time; we must get out of Iraq and finish up in Afghanistan.

Our highschool grads do not read well enough to even choose a trade. Their parents are in extreme debt with the basis of their investments tied up in a falling house market.

The world looks at America as a falling, sad, failed Empire just seaching for cheap energy where ever they can find it.

The list can go on for 3 pages but in answer to Doug's Rant this morning, I want to take a look at how McCain and Clinton would fix even one item. They are both under the bus as far as I'm concerned. No effort was made by them to stop the horrible debts America is now experiencing. We are in Iraq because they both voted to extend the financial backing of whatever Bush requested. In my world neither McCain nor Clinton should ever see the oval office of the white house.

That leaves Obama! If he screws up America has no future.

Lexie Homewood

My goodness, Doug, please let us all know when the perfect human being you are searching for shows up on the political scene. In the meantime, I guess the rest of us will have to choose from the flawed folks running for office.

We definately need change but change isn't always for the better. Believe it or not things could get worse. The change we need is a restoration of the balance of power. The President should not have the power to pardon criminals for committing the crimes that he ordered or took part in. The President should not have the power to decide who sits on the Supreme Court. I do not see anyone running that wants to restore justice and order. All I see is people seeking the supreme power necessary to satisfy their egos. They may tell you what you want to hear as all politicians do, but I always question motives. I think they all should undergo a psychological exam by a team of psychiatrists. Anyone in the military is subject to psychological examination. You would think this would apply evan more so to the Commander in Chief. That and mandatory alcohol and drug testing. We have suffered through enough nut cases in the White House. How much scrutiny would a person go through if they were in command of a single aircraft carrier? We are not selecting the best. We are only selecting from what is available from the best financed which is not much of a choice. Money corrupts.

Absolutely!

Strato, you came up with the top of the list necessary fix. The balance of power including oversight is missing! What you want is a government by the people under the Constitution! Excellent!

We don’t need change. What we need is to see one candidate have the courage to say, we need to go back to the principals that made the U.S.A. the greatest nation on all of Earth!

Let’s repeal the Un-Patriot Act. Let’s restore Habeas Corpus in America. Let’s get the Military out of Civilian Law Enforcement. Let’s get secrecy out of our government once and for all. Let’s be Americans again. Let the sunshine in.

Obama is not perfect. But, I am sick and tired of seeing the same old tired faces returned to power by more same old tired faces like Bush and Clinton. These are nothing but two American Crime Families.

I was wondering when you would unleash a salvo against Obama. Do you suppose that now a chorus from the other side of the congregation will accuse you of running a pro-Clinton site?

Am I correct in assuming that, once the question has been resolved as to which Democratic candidate gets the nod, that you will be impartially bombarding both sides without regard to whose skivvies get knotted?

Most sincerely,

T. J. Flapsaddle

I knew the scales would fall off your eyes eventually. My 19 year old daughter refers to him as an empty suit. I figured if she saw it, you'd get it soon enough, Doug.

I personally dislike all these candidates and would really have preferred to be voting for John Edwards, although I imagine some think he's just as bad.

McCain is a nightmare waiting to happen, worse than George Bush. Hillary is just more of Bill. And as I have said previously, I think Obama is going to be worse than Jimmy Carter was, and sadly just as naive.

On the Supreme Court issue what I was trying to say is the people under consideration should not be limited to the people he nominates, but he should have the power to veto someone else's nomination. By limiting the applicants to his nominations the viewpoint of the nominees gets very narrow.

In politics, there are no guarantees. We are still somewhat of a captive audience to a system that has evolved away from public interest.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain are two presidential candidates who have something in common. "The Nation" reports that they have not signed a statement supporting “the restoration of basic Constitutional principles after the battering they have taken during the Bush-Cheney era.” Obama has signed the pledge.

ARTICLE: THE NATION

"Clinton won't commit to renew the Constitution: Illinois Senator Barack Obama has finally signed the American Freedom Pledge, joining his fellow Democratic presidential candidates in encouraging the restoration of basic Constitutional principles after the battering they have taken during the Bush-Cheney era.

(SNIP)

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Alaska Senator Mike Gravel had signed the pledge, while former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Delaware Senator Joe Biden had responded with supportive statements.

(SNIP)

The effort to get presidential contenders to sign on the American Freedom Pledge has been promoted by organizations ranging from the Center for Constitutional Rights to Human Rights Watch, MoveOn.org , Amnesty International USA, the Brennan Center for Justice, the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and True Majority.

(SNIP)

The pledge is anything but radical. It simply asks candidates to affirm a statement that reads: "We are Americans, and in our America we do not torture, we do not imprison people without charge or legal remedy, we do not tap people's phones and emails without a court order, and above all we do not give any President unchecked power. I pledge to fight to protect and defend the Constitution from attack by any President."

I don't know about you boys and girls, but it would seem to me that we need a President who is willing to work toward restoring rights and the Constitution.

Obama has signed the pledge. Clinton and McCain have not.

Is Obama going to withdraw his signature on that pledge...and resort to status quo politics? I don't have a clue. But, we have to start somewhere.

We The People have to employ our civic responsibility and renew the government with those who support the rights and will of the people and of course make sure that the Constitution is fully functioning as designed by our founders.

In lies we trust is what we have now at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Hillary Rodham Clinton's track record in this regard is not good and it shows.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artic...

I disagree with the 19 year old's assessment that Barack Obama is an empty suit. Ronald Reagan was in many ways an empty suit, but he was a consummate salesman. George W are John McCain are both empty suits without Ronald Reagan's or Bill Clinton's charm factor.

Barack has yet spell out his vision for America in a Reaganesque way - which is worrisome this late in the season. Clinton hasn't either, but I know what Hillary is selling and she is not nearly as smooth as Bill was.

Frankly, at best Barack will be another Jimmy Carter - followed by Mitt Romney in four years. If I had a choice between two CEO's to work for, I'd choose Barack over Hillary any day.

Andrew in Austin, TX

Austin, thanks for the heads up on the "Nation" blog post.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?pid...

Andrew in Austin, TX

Doug . . .

This is what we've got, so please allow moderated reason to take the upper hand.

Hillary is out, McBusheep is an idiot and promises a deeper morass on every issue . . . and though Obama may not be your knight in shiny armor, at least he provides a modicum of perceived hope and change. The others, by their very natures, are the last thing the soul of this country needs should we wish to escape the very models of intellectual tardiness, cronyism, and anti-middle class classism that have driven this country into perdition.

Understanding where all change starts gives one a leg up over negative programming and inaccurate comparative historical references to previous administrations (Carter). Nothing, absolutely nothing compares . . . should one take the time to embrace both fact and nuanced reasoning. Money, the internet, the increasing congressional majorities . . . and an emboldened "We the People" (compared to the slovenly and uninvolved who so easily allowed Carter his demise). Carter was ahead of his time, so he didn't fail. It was the inability for American's to work hard for the greater dream that allowed the neo-con rampage to take root. We are the ones who failed Carter and passing on inaccuracies to our 19 year olds, does nothing but perpetuate stupidity and stereotypes. So, to some who post here . . . rather than call Obama a "stuffed suit" (which is strange, given the consistent character he has shown in succeeding his way through the quite respectable (life's) positions he has attained, in a system that smart people know doesn't readily benefit those within his circumstances), why not shed your own stuffed suit and get ACTIVELY involved in that change.

Perception (literally) drives everything in this country and at least with Obama, that perception of "hope" is the necessary fuel in any attempt to reverse this train wreck, even though that reversal will likely take decades.

We are where we are Doug . . . either work hard for the (most rational, albeit imperfect) transfer of power, given the current reality for such the massive necessity of change . . . or respectfully sir, STFU!

Pangaea - isn't it just EASIER to whine and moan that
the only decent person running here
APPARANTLY isn't *JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF*?

[And, even if JC WERE running, there are just a few things on HIS plate that need 'vetted'....]

8^D

Quite frankly, the issues that I believe Obama is authentically and genuinely going to address and tackle when he is President far outweigh any gaffes of flaps he may have during his campaign. I find all this chatter about Rev. Wright and the bitter Pennsylvanians nothing more than the politics of distraction by his opponents. I also find it totally and completely irrelevant to the vision and promise that Obama is bringing to the table!

Strato has pinpointed what we need..but how do we get it??
I find it amazing that presidential candidates are not put through a battery of psychological and emotional tests along with a complete physical BEFORE they are put on the November ballots. Personally, would really like to see a Lie Detector test given to each of them to determine their true agendas, and hefty fines paid every time one of the lied while on the campaign trail..since they all have agendas and they all lie most of their campaign funds would be spent paying fines instead of buying campaign ads.

Before we cast our vote, we should know if a candidate is wearing that nice suit just to cover up a shitty diaper!

NY native At last the facade is wearing thin and the true face is beginning to show. All show, all words and saying nothing. Maybe now, people have caught on to Obama. I hope it's not too late.

Although I never succumbed to Obamania, I still find him a compelling candidate. My problem has been his lack of foreign policy and military experience, which can be remediated. However I would never vote for McCain because of his policy inclinations. Even though he has "experience", his deficiencies can never be remediated.

As for Doug, he needs to find another planet. This one is just not living up to his standards as it is populate with such imperfect people.

Power corrupts. Even if one has the best of intentions what one is capable of doing after being elected should be enough to scare the hell out of anyone. You cannot put your faith in one mere mortal to solve all of your problems. The only way of preventing an abuse of power is through a balance of power. How do we get from where we are back to what this country was intended to be? We need better ways of selecting our leaders and better ways of keeping them in line once they are in office. If you do not think the President is above the law, just take a look at what presently occupies the White House.

In the old Soviet Political Apparatchix, most decisions were by committees of colorless old technocrats that weren't visible or accountable for their policies. A visible Party Official would take the credit for their success, and during Stalins' time, would be set up against a wall and shot if things went wrong.

This policy has also been the defacto way of running government in the U.S. since the Cold War.

Who we elect is irrelevant,who's behind the the curtain is paramount. I just wish we would be told who those invisible people are, and what are their intentions.

They're all phonies, front men and women for those in the shadows. Like American Idol, we judge the singer and not the song.