Reply #9: You seem to have trouble with complex thought

[Tom Rinaldo]

At least three instances of that jump to mind from your reply.

1) "Obama is evil?" Many Fundamentalist Christians believe the Earth is 6,000 years old because they read every word in a strictly literal sense. "The lesser of two evils" is a logical concept, not a moral inquisition. It is widely known to mean choosing to back something not to your satisfaction because the alternative is even less to your satisfaction. I'm sorry that subtlety escaped you.

2) "It's great if you don't give a f* if you end up homeless..." I chose to bring up homelessness because that is a real threat to me that I care a great deal about. You took great liberty to conclude somehow that I don't give a f* about it. What I said is I won't feel guilty if my efforts on behalf of Obama this time fall short of what I was able to summon myself to do last time. I still care greatly.

3) "If you can't fight for what is right, then move out of the way". I'm 61 and I've been fighting for what is right all of my life and I'm not going to change now. I was stating a basic fact which is that enthusiasm can't be turned on and off like a faucet. Enthusiasm is an almost intangible force that often makes the difference between winning and losing. In the military they call it morale. Determination is another important force and when the stakes are high it can and should be tapped even when enthusiasm is lacking. But enthusiasm and determination are not one and the same and should never be confused with each other.

When I came of voting age the Viet Nam war was in full swing. It was essential that Nixon be defeated, each time. Each time he won. Being in the right never guarantees victory. Political struggles involve the human psyche as much as they do policy papers. Democrats tend to win when they tap into powerful positive aspirations for a better future and greater solidarity among neighbors and Americans at every level. That is when Democrats get most fired up.

Look around this board. Look at how often appeals to support Obama are cached in terms of we can not afford not to support him. That is a lesser of two evils approach to motivation. That is my point. Strategically it is a relatively weak rallying point. And that is my point. I support Obama I oppose any primary challenge to him. But you are shooting the messenger if you blame me for a fall off of enthusiasm for him among activists this time around.

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