Comments on: How _________ Won (or Lost) the Iowa Caucuses http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/ Firedoglake weblog Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:31:59 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: whitebeard http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181532 whitebeard Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:41:35 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181532 <p>“‘I’m running to finally solve problems we talk about year after year after year’ and ‘I’ve spent my life working for change that’s made a real difference in the lives of real people.’</p> <p>Now, there’s some vintage Obama bs there. What change? What difference? What solutions? This is W’s 2000 campaign. We got change, we got difference. Just all injurious to most people.</p> “‘I’m running to finally solve problems we talk about year after year after year’ and ‘I’ve spent my life working for change that’s made a real difference in the lives of real people.’

Now, there’s some vintage Obama bs there. What change? What difference? What solutions? This is W’s 2000 campaign. We got change, we got difference. Just all injurious to most people.

]]> By: goldberry http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181198 goldberry Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:39:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181198 <p>Tell it to Tweety.</p> Tell it to Tweety.

]]> By: goldberry http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181195 goldberry Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:37:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181195 <p>Before you go much further, I *work* for pharma in a research capacity and I have to tell you that Hillary Clinton scared the pants off of my colleagues. They are MUCH more likely to vote for Obama because he is less threatening.<br /> But you’ve got a high hurdle to climb now. Obama is the media darling now because he will be so easy to pick off later. And the young’uns love him.<br /> This is a bad outcome. Forget universal health insurance and be prepared for tinkering with Social Security. Unions can just stew in their own juices. Obama is the stealth candidate. If he didn’t exist, Republicans would have to invent him.</p> Before you go much further, I *work* for pharma in a research capacity and I have to tell you that Hillary Clinton scared the pants off of my colleagues. They are MUCH more likely to vote for Obama because he is less threatening.
But you’ve got a high hurdle to climb now. Obama is the media darling now because he will be so easy to pick off later. And the young’uns love him.
This is a bad outcome. Forget universal health insurance and be prepared for tinkering with Social Security. Unions can just stew in their own juices. Obama is the stealth candidate. If he didn’t exist, Republicans would have to invent him.

]]> By: goldberry http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181185 goldberry Fri, 04 Jan 2008 13:32:54 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181185 <p>Yep, I’m disappointed that Richardson released his delegates to Obama. I can’t quite understand what happened there except Hillary couldn’t committ to a high profile spot.<br /> But I have to agree with you on one thing, Hillary was overcautious. I think her team didn’t let her take any risks and as they say, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. But now that the aura of inevitability is gone, maybe she’ll risk it. She’s got nothing to lose and Feb.5 could be her day.<br /> Unfortunately, now we’re stuck with an Obama inevitability and I’m worried for many reasons, not least of which is that this is driven by an unnerving and uncritical cult of personality. He is tofu candidate. He takes up the flavor of whatever you’re throwing at him.<br /> The stakes are very high. The Supreme Court is the objective and the Republicans are very nasty people.</p> Yep, I’m disappointed that Richardson released his delegates to Obama. I can’t quite understand what happened there except Hillary couldn’t committ to a high profile spot.
But I have to agree with you on one thing, Hillary was overcautious. I think her team didn’t let her take any risks and as they say, “nothing ventured, nothing gained”. But now that the aura of inevitability is gone, maybe she’ll risk it. She’s got nothing to lose and Feb.5 could be her day.
Unfortunately, now we’re stuck with an Obama inevitability and I’m worried for many reasons, not least of which is that this is driven by an unnerving and uncritical cult of personality. He is tofu candidate. He takes up the flavor of whatever you’re throwing at him.
The stakes are very high. The Supreme Court is the objective and the Republicans are very nasty people.

]]> By: Patrickson http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181093 Patrickson Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:12:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1181093 <p>Actually, I think the fatal for Edwards was not drawing distinctions with Obama early on, to build some much-needed major funds in order to establish himself as a viable national candidate and also not make him so desperate to appeal to people.</p> <p>And I say this as a staunch Edwards supporter who fears we have missed a golden opportunity to truly restore America and realign our country for <strong>progressive</strong> values in favor of simply building the party on empty rhetoric (People seem to confuse “Democrat” with “progressive”). Not only that, we’re selecting a moderate, who has a history of scolding the left and accommodating the right, when our country truly needs a <em>liberal champion</em> and <em>bold leadership</em>.</p> Actually, I think the fatal for Edwards was not drawing distinctions with Obama early on, to build some much-needed major funds in order to establish himself as a viable national candidate and also not make him so desperate to appeal to people.

And I say this as a staunch Edwards supporter who fears we have missed a golden opportunity to truly restore America and realign our country for progressive values in favor of simply building the party on empty rhetoric (People seem to confuse “Democrat” with “progressive”). Not only that, we’re selecting a moderate, who has a history of scolding the left and accommodating the right, when our country truly needs a liberal champion and bold leadership.

]]> By: radlib1 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180963 radlib1 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 07:09:16 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180963 <p>Thank god I saved this before I went out to get that that last bottle of vodka (I promise)–</p> <p>Frankly, I don’t give a shit that Edwards is rich and has a big home — he grew up poor and he still understands the needs of the poor and the middle class.</p> <p>I just think that John Edwards is still a better, stronger Deomocratic candidate. He’s the only one who is really standing up for the poor and the middle class in America. He’s the only one who is fighting against “corporate greed” and for a pull-out of American forces from Iraq.</p> <p>Frankly, I don’t give a shit that Edwards is rich and has a big home — he grew up poor and he still understands the needs of the poor and the middle class.</p> <p>Face it. Obama is a get-along, go-along guy — happy, cheerful, intelligent — but he is not a fighter. He’d rather co-opt those that he adamantly opposes — face it, he’ll be a big pushover for Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Insurance. Just because he’s black doesn’t make him a “panther.” He’s really more of a corporate “kitty cat.”</p> <p>P.S. I don’t hate Obama (or even Hillary). I just think that someone should should stand up for the poor and the middle class. And, unfortunately, Hillary and Obama will only stand up for their sponsors, Insurance, Big Pharma, Wall Street, etc. I wish it weren’t so, but prove to me that I’m wrong.</p> <p>These people (Hillary included) are still better than any possible Republican, but still, look closely at the label. McCain (”Mr Clean Election”) is now beholden to the “K” Street mobsters. The “sale” is going on forever. </p> <p>Pharma</p> Thank god I saved this before I went out to get that that last bottle of vodka (I promise)–

Frankly, I don’t give a shit that Edwards is rich and has a big home — he grew up poor and he still understands the needs of the poor and the middle class.

I just think that John Edwards is still a better, stronger Deomocratic candidate. He’s the only one who is really standing up for the poor and the middle class in America. He’s the only one who is fighting against “corporate greed” and for a pull-out of American forces from Iraq.

Frankly, I don’t give a shit that Edwards is rich and has a big home — he grew up poor and he still understands the needs of the poor and the middle class.

Face it. Obama is a get-along, go-along guy — happy, cheerful, intelligent — but he is not a fighter. He’d rather co-opt those that he adamantly opposes — face it, he’ll be a big pushover for Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Insurance. Just because he’s black doesn’t make him a “panther.” He’s really more of a corporate “kitty cat.”

P.S. I don’t hate Obama (or even Hillary). I just think that someone should should stand up for the poor and the middle class. And, unfortunately, Hillary and Obama will only stand up for their sponsors, Insurance, Big Pharma, Wall Street, etc. I wish it weren’t so, but prove to me that I’m wrong.

These people (Hillary included) are still better than any possible Republican, but still, look closely at the label. McCain (”Mr Clean Election”) is now beholden to the “K” Street mobsters. The “sale” is going on forever.

Pharma

]]> By: peony http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180683 peony Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:43:43 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180683 <p>kristine, thanks so much for your first hand reporting in Iowa.</p> <p>Biden: secretary of state?</p> kristine, thanks so much for your first hand reporting in Iowa.

Biden: secretary of state?

]]> By: SKY1 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180674 SKY1 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:42:05 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180674 <p>I’ve just lived through seven hellish years of a President due to people voting for personality instead of smarts, PLEASE don’t make me live through another eight years of it with Obama. He’s a nice person, but that’s all—no experience. I agree with Joe Wilson—we’ve been down that road before. At least in Hillary’s camp, there’s a proven track record of a prosperous economy, a diminishing debt, pro-environmental policies, positive foreign relations, and an attempt at universal health care. And don’t take Oprah’s word for anything—she hasn’t pumped her own gas in over a decade, and hasn’t a clue what the health care situation or working class wages are like in this country.</p> I’ve just lived through seven hellish years of a President due to people voting for personality instead of smarts, PLEASE don’t make me live through another eight years of it with Obama. He’s a nice person, but that’s all—no experience. I agree with Joe Wilson—we’ve been down that road before. At least in Hillary’s camp, there’s a proven track record of a prosperous economy, a diminishing debt, pro-environmental policies, positive foreign relations, and an attempt at universal health care. And don’t take Oprah’s word for anything—she hasn’t pumped her own gas in over a decade, and hasn’t a clue what the health care situation or working class wages are like in this country.

]]> By: Swopa http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180668 Swopa Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:39:42 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180668 <blockquote><p>obamas themes echo BUSH in 02 </p></blockquote> <p>In one of my first Obama-bashing posts here, I believe I said he seemed to be trying to win the 2000 election.</p>

obamas themes echo BUSH in 02

In one of my first Obama-bashing posts here, I believe I said he seemed to be trying to win the 2000 election.

]]> By: Ann in AZ http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180656 Ann in AZ Fri, 04 Jan 2008 04:34:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/01/03/how-________-lost-or-won-the-iowa-caucuses/#comment-1180656 <blockquote><p>Edwards: learned from Al Gore, and got the fire in the belly. I believe people are ready — no, desperately want — to hear someone speaking what he is speaking.</p></blockquote> <p>I agree, but I would like to know; he’s saying it, why aren’t enough listening? My big fear is that Obama is like an autistic kid; he’s up in the clouds dreamin’ his dreams, but doesn’t seem to exist in the real world of politics. I’m not so sure that he’s even in touch with the real political world, except for the few times he comes down off his mountain to grace us with his presence. But I’m totally unsure that he can get down and get dirty with the best as well as the worst of us. I think with him at the helm of the ship of state, we’ll be hearing a lot of platitudes while the real professionals cart off what’s left of the country right under Obama’s nose, and when he notices, he tries to talk them into doing the right thing instead of sounding an alarm and bringing things to a resounding halt.</p>

Edwards: learned from Al Gore, and got the fire in the belly. I believe people are ready — no, desperately want — to hear someone speaking what he is speaking.

I agree, but I would like to know; he’s saying it, why aren’t enough listening? My big fear is that Obama is like an autistic kid; he’s up in the clouds dreamin’ his dreams, but doesn’t seem to exist in the real world of politics. I’m not so sure that he’s even in touch with the real political world, except for the few times he comes down off his mountain to grace us with his presence. But I’m totally unsure that he can get down and get dirty with the best as well as the worst of us. I think with him at the helm of the ship of state, we’ll be hearing a lot of platitudes while the real professionals cart off what’s left of the country right under Obama’s nose, and when he notices, he tries to talk them into doing the right thing instead of sounding an alarm and bringing things to a resounding halt.

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