Years ago, I said to my wife

[salinen]

"real change will come to America when the African American population (I probably said blacks), make their move to back a progressive and come out to vote in great numbers. They are not as influenced by sound bites, or MSM whiteguy proclamations because they've always been skeptical of authority."

Presidential Elections are razor thin these days. But when AA's come out in numbers, it'll be all over for the pubs.

[tavalon]

1. Is Obama a progressive?

He seems pretty center to ever so slightly center right.

[jgraz]

2. He will be

If we do our jobs and keep the pressure on, he will be.

[maddiejoan]

9. Do me a favor

Are you straight?

If so --please mention LGBT issues to him while you have his ear.

He doesn't seem to listen to us much about stuff.

kthxbye

[Tyler Durden]

12. Boy Maddie. Really got THEIR attention.

SOLIDARITY ALWAYS.

[jgraz]

13. He's already heard from me on that. And he'll continue to hear from me about it.

He sent me a fundraising request during whole McClurkin fiasco. I hope his eyes are still burning from my response.

Sadly, I think Obama is going to continue to gloss over LGBT issues until November, and the community will once again be asked to sit down and shut up for the good of the party. We can't let that happen again.

[corkhead]

14. Part of our job will to have his back

Just like they did to Clinton, expect the Republicons to squeal like stuck pigs on anything that doesn't further their imperialist neocon corporatist agenda.

Love your sigline btw..

[tavalon]

20. Yeah, I've been saying that no matter who our next president is, they will be a Democrat

And we will have two body related jobs, watching their back and sticking their feet to the fire. We did little of either with our last Dem president and those are two mistakes we can ill afford to make again.

[tavalon]

19. Best answer ever

[salinen]

3. Only when compared to Bush/Cheney

I also said to the wife that this person would be constantly pressured by the people who voted them in to do what they promised. If there is Universal Health care, and if students get tuition paid for, and if the troops come home before 2009, that'll be big time progressive.

[peacetalksforall]

7. If he gets all those young people of all skin colors rallied up and then stays

where he seems to be or move a little or a lot right - we are going to devestate the young. They are not turning out just because of his skin color. They get the hope and youth. Please, Obama, if you are the one - do not toss those young to the side.

[TheDebbieDee]

4. "He seems pretty center to ever so slightly center right."

I agree, he is quite a bit to the center.

But then again, so is Hillary Clinton.

The only REALLY progressive Democrats were Edwards (I supported him) and Kucinich.

[peacetalksforall]

5. He was delivering Republican tired, old talking points about Cuba yesterday

along with Clinton. Nothing original or left on that issue for either of them. Wants to keep the embargo? Quite right of center.

Caution. We need to be cautious or he hs being cautious. Where does that place someone?

Thrilled to have a female and a Black American in the run-off. I wish both were more left. Not left enough to please me.

Coming out strong against death from leader wars, torture, voting would please me. Follow through would make me shout in support. Sooner or later.

A candidate who can't talk about our votes being stolen. about ending the torture and giving people, including us, their people rights, and not killing for oil....... Well, there are people who could do it - they're not running.

Should this be in GD - P?

[shraby]

8. In his speech last night he said if

he is president he will bring back habeus corpus and end torture.

[peacetalksforall]

10. Thanks. I need to hear that. I haven't been listening too much. Happy about that.

[shraby]

16. I remember it because that's very important to me.

[Birthmark]

6. I said to MY wife...

"You know that off-grid house you wanted to build in the middle of nowhere? Yeah, it's on."

[Tyler Durden]

15. I almost have my wife convinced.

She still is hoping things will go on not much worse than now.

Me? I'm still stockpiling.

[Birthmark]

18. Smart man

I don't think people realize how screwed up the economic system is right now. Unlike the Great Depression, the average person is in hock up to their eyeballs this time around. Also unlike the Great Depression, most of us live in the city now instead of out in the country where we could grow our own food or hunt if need be. And I don't see how we recover this time. We no longer have a massive manufacturing.

And debt, on every level, is astounding. We can only trade IOUs for so long before people start asking for actual payment. That's when the REAL fun begins!

Beans and rice are very cheap, people. Not exactly fine cuisine, but beats hell outta dumpster diving, imo.

[leftofthedial]

11. now all we need is a progressive candidate . . .

Unfortunately for this theory, we have a privatized, corporate-sponsored "election" system in this country. The "white" status quo (corporate media, the oligarchy) get to choose the short list of candidates before people ever cast a vote. The odds of a real progressive passing muster with them is, well, let's see . . . ZERO.

I do love the way Obama inspires, unites (except in GD-P LOL) and motivates new voters to get active, but he's no progressive.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

17. That is, if their voting access is not suppressed.

If they aren't cast off the voting rolls without their knowledge.

If they aren't forced to wait for hours to vote at understaffed polls with "broken" machines.

The suppress-the-turnout movement is already under way. Will it be an even worse problem than in past elections, or are voters ready to demand their rights? I hope these kids indicate that the latter will prevail.