There is no doubt that like every other political leader in the history of the world

[Douglas Carpenter]

President Obama will compromise in ways that will disappoint many of his supporters. I suspect some of this will occur during the general election campaign.

I support Sen. Obama and I do feel that he was and is the best possible candidate of those who actually have the capacity to win the nomination and the viability to go on to win the general election.

This is nothing exceptionally opportunistic about this. It is the world of reality.

It is simply flat out impossible to be politically effective and politically viable without doing so.

If I do have one concern about the Obama movement - it is that some of his more idealist supporters may not understand this.

Government, all governments has influences pushing and pulling it in different directions. This will be true when Sen. Obama is President. It would be true if Dennis Kucinich or Bernie Sanders were to be President and had a two-thirds like-minded majority in both houses of Congress.

[mac2]

1. Hope you are right.

I still don't like the way the primary was manipulated to get rid of the other candidates "for the sake of the party" before many voted and the convention. Delegates decide not unelected party leaders.

Dean did a coup for more war and globalism. No Progressives allowed. Our mandate of 2006 ignored. I will never forgive them.

[terrya]

2. Well, speaking as a gay man....

we LGBT people have been down this road before with Bill Clinton. And to say that the gay community was let down with him as President is an understatement.

I seriously want to believe that a President Obama will do the right thing for the LGBT community. I was on a conference call yesterday sponsored by the Obama campaign. A lot of heavy hitters in the LGBT movement...Joe Solomonese, head of the HRC, David Mixner, Elizabeth Birch...came on the call and reassured LGBT Democrats and former Hillary supporters...such as me...that Obama is strongly committed to LGBT Americans and will work to enact ENDA, the Matthew Shepard Act (federal hate crimes legislation), repeal of DADT. Obama also has announced his opposition to the California and Florida anti-gay marriage amendments on the ballots, which was a pleasant surprise to hear.

I know my interest here is narrow minded to others. But these issues matter to me.

I understand what you're saying. But it's still disappointing when it happens.

[DenverDem23]

6. I appreciate reading this information, and seeing that ....

the Obama folks are hitting the ground running with these important issues. I don't think it's "narrow minded" of you to have an interest in a human rights position which affects us all. Thanks for letting us know where Obama stands and how he is moving forward by having his staff talk with GLBT activists.

[crankychatter]

29. no. you're good, very good

this issue is especially important

unlike some issues, gay rights, if we compromise with the extremists on the GOP side of the aisle... they are SO EXTREME, it ends up being NO progress.

I think Obama is honest.

regarding the OP... I'm not among those that think he's some larger than life closet progressive.

It's about the PAC money. It's about coming IN to office, overly compromised... we suspect he won't be.

But... we don't really know, eh?

[rug]

3. The reaction will not be pretty.

The anti-Clinton posts will simply be recycled.

[blindpig]

4. If that's the case

then why bother?

You have admitted that the game is hopelessly compromised, why play?

The only alternative is to change the game, to not play by their rules.

Jefferson had the right idea.

[ashling]

10. Actually, the OP said nothing about hopelessness

the "game" is not hopelessly compromised. Compromise is an effective means within the "rules of the game," as it were, to address the myriad interests of the people affected. Compromise is not bad, per se, but is a means to an end.

And Jefferson's idea was to talk about liberty while holding hundreds of persons in bondage, and "compromising" to assure the expansion of a vile and pernicious system of chattel slavery.

[blindpig]

23. Yes, indeed

We see how well that worked when the Republicans were in the majority. Power will not relinquish power.

As per Jefferson:

Periodic revolution, “at least once every 20 years,” was “a medicine necessary for the sound health of government.”

This ain't no revolution, however some may wish it, show me some revolutionary substance.

[Douglas Carpenter]

11. why bother? like everything else in life one can give up or deal with the options that are actually

available.

How many relationships are what a relationship should be?

Who many careers are what a decent career should be?



Frankly I think the nomination and likely election of Sen. Obama is a great step forward for all of humanity.

I can think of in just one limited way a great thing is happening. I live in the Philippines part of the year. Even though at least 80% of Filipinos are dark skinned people. The entire society, and this would be true in many if not most developing countries, have been indoctrinated into thinking White is superior and dark is inferior. Even the nomination of Sen. Obama and all the more so the likely election of Sen. Obama to the Presidency of the United States is a massive blow against the relentless and cruel lie of racism. It is almost impossible to overstate the significance of this. In this way, the world will never again be the same.

Certainly, with Sen. Obama as President far more children (probably millions) will be provided with nutrition and education and a whole host of vital services they will not have under a Republican President.

On foreign policy, I don't expect major changes and to see peace and justice reign on earth. I do believe though that on basis of those advising him on foreign policy, he would be considerably less likely to launch America into a new imperial war in the Middle East. In that respect his Presidency might very well spare the world of countless carnage and destruction.

Indeed the game needs to be changed. But to change the game, one needs to change the political culture. There is no simple formula to accomplish that. Pontificating in alternative journals has very limited impact. The rise of a politically engaged community electing an African-American with a Muslim name and multi-cultural background who advocates for a progressive world view is one very important step in the right direction. And for me that is enough to get very, very excited about.

[blindpig]

21. You're full of hope.

We look at the same thing but perceive it very differently.

While I agree that Obama's run is a historic good, though entirely symbolic, in a nation in which racism is always just below the surface, that's about the end of agreement.

Internationally, Obama will put a smiley face on imperialism. I've looked at his advisers and what I see are a gang neoliberal interventionist, they may be a little less inclined to send in the Marines, preferring less obvious coercion, but we will still have our way, or else. What in the reactionary speeches in Miami or at the AIPAC meeting speaks of anything but the same old shit?

I don't understand what you see 'progressive'(a squishy term at best) in Obama's voting record. Has he not voted war funding each and every time?

Rather than engage in nebulous hope, the greatest evil in Pandora's Box, we should recognise that the electoral and legislative system are wholly in the clutches of the monied class and seek to develop alternative power. Rebuilding unionism, organizing the masses, the labor strike and the general strike will provide more tangible results than this sorry dog and pony show.

[MH1]

19. It means that if you want a, b,c,d,e, and f, and want to avoid w,x,y, and z

and you think that is what your chosen candidate will actually accomplish, you will be proven wrong.

BUT if your chosen candidate is elected:

you will get something like a,b, and half of c and a quarter of d and a tenth of e and nothing of f; while avoiding w, avoiding the worst of x and y, and getting hit with z anyway. So he will have let you down, and failed to deliver on some of his promises. Maybe he never meant all that flowery rhetoric and hope and stuff in the first place?

Where if you allowed the other guy to get elected:

you will get something like w, x, the worst of y, and some of z; and not get any of a - f except maybe a smidgin of one or two of those things. Oh and also you'll get some bad things you'd never thought to be worried about.

So if your chosen candidate got elected and "let you down" in the way I describe, is it fair to say you would have been better off with the other guy?

[blindpig]

24. Lesser evilism

We've been playing that losing game too long, the results are too meager and things continue to get worse. When ya keep getting the short end of the stick after a while there's no stick left.

Time for something completely different.

[MH1]

25. How do you propose to achieve

"something completely different"?

Personally, I'll be very happy with moving forward rather than backward.

[blindpig]

30. Mass organization, the general strike.

I see no alternative. To continue playing the same crooked game gives legitimacy to that game. The game is clearly a racket, devised by and for the benefit of the monied class.

[MH1]

31. So, what organizations do you see that are taking that approach successfully?

Meanwhile if my niece loses her SCHIP while we are waiting for the revolution, who is going to help her when her child gets sick?

[blindpig]

33. None

The Red Scare and the Cold War put the hurts on the best organizers out there, the Communists. I would certainly look to them for guidance in building a mass organization.

For your niece, for us all, for the planet, we'd better get a move on, begging at the rich man's table is becoming less and less useful.

[baldguy]

5. Its illogical to say Clinton had a better chance to win when she lost to Obama.

Its called a cognitive disconnect.

Clinton lost the delegate count, she lost the popular vote (yes she did) and she lost more states to Obama. There's no reason to believe she'd do any better against McCain - and plenty of reasons to think she'd do worse.

[Douglas Carpenter]

7. I guess you lost me there. I think they both had about an equal chance of winning

And have relentlessly argued that Sen. Obama would be a strong and viable candidate who will probably win in November.

but that was not in any way, shape or form the subject of this post.

[NotThisTime]

8. There will be issues we don't agree on when Obama is President, it's foolish to think otherwise, but

But, overall, he will kick ass, and get the job done and done right. I DO believe he will bring moral authority back to the white house, and he will restore the respect we used to have from many European countries... Right now we are ALL ALONE... it's not a great place to be.

So yes, there will be issues we don't agree on, but unless there is some horrid act that we cannot possibly foresee, I think it will pale in comparison to what we have lived through and are living through.

This of course is just my opinion

[opihimoimoi]

9. yup, thats all he gatta do...stick to the principles...keep the polarity poz

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

13. It's Not Illogical To Say Whatsoever.

The primary and the GE are two completely different animals. A case can absolutely be made that Hillary may indeed have been the stronger candidate in November. We'll never know for sure, and Obama should be able to wipe the floor with McCain as well, but there's nothing illogical whatsoever about an argument that could state that Hillary may have been a stronger candidate for November.

[jasmine621]

14. Not really. A Dem primary is far from a national election.

Just think about how we all felt with Al Gore and John Kerry. In 2000, based on our euphoria, it should not even have been close enough to steal. And with Kerry and the Iraq war and an economy in the toilet you would think that Kerry should have won it hands down. But look what the swiftboating and the media did...24/7. Obama won't take the swiftboating without a fight, but his message must get out to ALL the people. When a Murdoch controls the media, so much of the country is left in the dark with only Limbaugh and Hannity to listen to. That's what happened to Kerry...he was essentially closed of the media market even when he challenged the swiftboaters. And every night Matthews and Wolf were repeating the swiftboat arguments as though they were truth. Whether you like him or not, Harlod Ford is dead on when he tell Obama to get out and meet the people where they live and work and play. Otherwise, they may never get to know him.

[EstimatedProphet]

17. I don't know that I agree with that

Just trying to analyze your point here...

What about Edwards? He lost a lot. But he was gaining steadily, he dropped out before Super Tuesday (a mistake IMO), and there is reason to believe given his lack of any media coverage that he was being held back.

So is it illogical to say that he couldn't have had a better chance? There's factors going on that make the playing field unequal, and they've been going on all along.

[Kool Kitty]

28. I agree with what you said about Edwards.

Remember Iowa? He came in second. All the media talked about was Obama coming in first and Clinton coming in third. Edwards made an excellent showing in that race and if more attention had been paid to what he did, things might have turned out differently.

[FlaGranny]

12. Some people believe

in their side of the argument only and fail to see the other side has valid points to make. Unless the two sides can come together in compromise NOTHING ever gets accomplished for good OR bad. Anything else is not a democracy. It's a dictatorship of the side holding the most power (Bush). I believe Obama instinctively knows this. It's one of the things that draws me to him. I hope all his present supporters know and can accept it. Some people around here expect 100% adherence to their own ideals and accept nothing else. Those folks will never accept even a 1% deviation. The good thing is that these are a small minority.

[rucky]

15. After seven years of Bush oppression...

we DESERVE to get exhuberant and excited. We deserve to trust and not parse every word, action, intention and consequence. For some, vigilance comes naturally, for others it's exhausting.

We're not concerned with how Obama will govern, because a) we have little control over it. b) he's the best of all possiblities right now.

So we'll worry about that stuff next January. Right now, we want to and need to generate enthusiasm that will motivate people to show up in November.

We're pragmatic. We're just acting more like a b-ball team than a chess club.

[EstimatedProphet]

16. A SANE POST! How did you get into GD:P?

I'm surprised you haven't been thrown out yet!

[kentuck]

18. But his power lies in the fact that...

he instills loyalty in his followers, much like FDR did. People are placing a lot of trust and hope in Barack Obama. They will not let him fail. Just like with FDR, this scares the crap out of Republicans.

[anonymous171]

27. Correct. We will hold him accountable.

That's the way American government should work anyway.

[ginnyinWI]

20. I'm more optimistic about it.

I have been pleased with the originality and intelligence Obama has applied to the running of his primary campaign and the framing of his issues and policies. I look forward to a refreshing change from politics as usual.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. "Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely." Lord Acton

Those in power inevitably have to sacrifice others to retain power. It's the nature of the beast.

That Obama will do so is an inescapable reality.

However, I think his tendency to do so will be less than Hillary's, who has proven herself more than will to sacrifice people for her ambitions, and far, far, less than McGoofy's.

[anonymous171]

26. I want him to compromise. That is the sign of a good president, imo.

I want a president who listens to the will of the people and the legislature. No more of this "executive branch is God" BS.

[marions ghost]

32. Good point--the mistake we (idealists) make

is in thinking that electing someone like Obama will magically take care of everything. We need to take advantage of the window for action like never before. It will be up to us to push as hard as we can for initiating political changes & reforms, reversing Neocon damage, demanding integrity in government, and establishing the groundwork for a very different future from the present course.

We need to work as hard as we can for these gains. It will not be easy at all. The forces against us are formidable.