My priority is electing Obama. I'll wait until he's been President for at least 20 minutes

[cali]

before tearing into him. To me, this election is just too important. Obama isn't perfect by a long shot, never thought he was, but he has to get elected in this divided, and yes, racist country, and I support his doing what he has to do to achieve that. So am I single minded in my focus? You bet your ass I am.

[carpe diem]

1. wit' u all the way on this one!...nt

[geek tragedy]

2. People have forgotten that there were Naderites long

before there were PUMAs.

That thread you're talking about was started by a Naderite.

[kid a]

3. KICK and REC - AMEN (in a non-religolous way)

[elkston]

Do you not like him, otherwise? I think he's great.

I know a lot of you guys see him compromising a lot, but I've got a feeling he's going to be a hard Democrat where it counts.

I remember there was a lot of fear about Obama choosing a pro-life running mate or even a Rethug. Nope. He went with Biden, someone reliably in our corner.

On the big decisions, Obama will not dissapoint.

[cali]

26. Yes, I like him. I think he has real potential. I suspect he's more progressive

than the constraints of an election indicate. I supported Obama prior to the primaries. I think he's very intelligent and reflective. He's a thinking person's candidate and I appreciate that.

[knixphan]

48. ditto!

[John Q. Citizen]

4. I understand your argument yet I disagree with purposeful tunnel vision for a

whole lot of reasons.

I don't believe that loudly disagreeing with Obama on policy is a negative to getting Obama elected or to the good of the country.

Single mindedness is like a mental illness when you think about it. Myself, i can walk and chew gum.

[geek tragedy]

8. There is a troll thread asking people to withhold their votes

and donations from Obama.

[cali]

9. Sorry there are absolutely times to be focused on a goal

that walk and chew gum hackneyed cliche really doesn't say anything. And people who are suggesting actively working against Obama over policy differences, are simply losing sight of what's important. And yeah, personally, I'm not going to light into Obama while he's running. Winning is all that counts right now. And perhaps you were unaware that FDR ran well to the right of how he governed? I'll give Obama a chance before I jump all over him.

[high density]

12. I know what the mental illness is.

It's a mental illness to whine and moan on an internet forum because a presidential candidate's ideas don't mesh up with your views on every single thing. Let's see, I could have this guy that I mostly agree with, or I could have this guy who agrees with me on NOTHING.

Too many people here want or expect the pendulum to come swinging back to the left hard and fast. It's just not going to happen, and a simple look at the number of Repukes or DINOs in congress makes that obvious. If people want to watch Dennis Kucinich on C-SPAN and think to themselves, "what if," that's fine, but don't pollute this board with the disruptive purity crap.

[DevonRex]

14. Hey, we're democrats so of course we disagree sometimes. It's

in our nature, thank god.

But that other thread asks us to work against Obama in all ways, votes, money, and volunteer time. And that's what this OP is referring to.

[noiretextatique]

27. well said. no need to act like a lemming

in order to vote for someone for president. unfortunately, this kind of groupthink always becomes the norm before an election. only a fool or a troll would claim he is voting for mccain because some random internet post on DUH-U criticized obama. fucking dumb.

[RichGirl]

45. Umm....you are talking to democrats. They don't know the meaning of...

....being single-minded. I wish that just once in a while they would all compromise and try to agree on just one little thing...like getting our guy elected. Instead of always being a herd of cats. With a dozen ideas and everyone convinced that theirs is the right way and the only way.

In the bailout situation, there is no good solutions....only bad ones. None of them are worth fighting for. If the republicans wanted top divide us, they couldn't have picked a better way. Because...we are VERY easily divided!

Nothing wrong with voicing your opinion now, later, whenever you want. But if you want to make a statement, do it here, a letter to the editor, etc. Don't use your vote (or encourage others) to make a statement that no one will hear and after 8 years of hell, has become meaningless.

P.S. If everyone believed what you believe...wouldn't you accuse them of a mental disorder because nobody disagreed with you?????

[high density]

5. I so wish I could give that other thread "red"

The purity trolls need to realize the options are Obama or McCain. If they can't easily make the choice of Obama between those two then they can get off this message board.

[DevonRex]

7. Me too. They always come out of the woodwork when Obama

has a bump in the polls. Gotta tamp down our enthusiasm, you know. Can't have us being excited and happy.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DevonRex]

42. *sigh* Good grief.

[calimary]

10. Yeah, no kidding.

I won't believe it til I see all the mcsame/failin posters littering the garbage dumps - and the Tundra Tart go back to the frozen north with her goon husband and the rest of the Clampetts. I wonder how soon the next palin daughter will get knocked up? And once Bristol and Levi get "married" I wonder how long it'll last.

[orwell]

11. I'm going to get him elected...

...then join a Tibetan Monastery. Oh that's right, China now rules Tibet.

Maybe I'll become an astronaut so I can ski on Mars!

Never mind...

[Shanti Mama]

57. Plenty of gompas still available and taking in new student

Come on over to Kathmandu. One is my next door neighbor! :-)

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Thank you...somebody needs to tell the fucking imbeciles who think

that this is an appropriate time for theoretical debates and minor quiblings.

I've never seen such a pack of blazing idiots in my life. Once you've decided to go for it on 4th and 1, you don't sit in the huddle debating whether you'll call heads or tails at the beginning of the next game. You put your goddamn shoulder down and FUCKING PUSH.

[geek tragedy]

16. Those people are very smart actually.

Problem is, their goal is to help John McCain win.

[LynneSin]

15. Once Obama is president I expect DU to be business as usual...

bashing democrats INCLUDING Obama.

But you know I would rather spend the next 4-8 years fighting Barack Obama than fighting John McCain. Because at least with Obama I know he'll get some of it right whereas I know McCain will be more of McSame

[blondeatlast]

18. The beauty of it is, we've already proven we can be more nasty concerning our own than we can

to republicans.

The troll numbers will dwindle and I suspect that the board will be even more fun post-Obama inauguration. We tend to be way smarter than our guests.

[debbierlus]

34. People opposing this irresponsible plan are not trolls, they are very concerned citizens

I have been here for years, & I have led fights on these boards and been cheered. I have been given stars by donors who respect the work I do here.

Yet, when it comes to confronting the fact that our Presidential candidate is supporting a irresponsible plan when there is an opportunity to create a much better, cost effective, and fair-minded solution, suddenly, I am a troll.

True patriotism and leadership is questioning your leaders. It is pushing them to act in the peoples' best interest. And, to acquiese our treasury in blind support of ANY candidates is the exact same as the Bushies who blindly supported their President because of party over country.

I am sorry DU. But, Obama is not a panacea. If he will not speak out when it counts, and when he can seriously influence our policy and defend our treasury, I will not stay silent. I protest ANY politician who does not represent our interests. Only when we join together in fighting for our rights will we be able to save this nation.

[DevonRex]

38. A person becomes a troll when she works against our candidate.

You are attempting to get other people to not vote for Obama, to not contribute and volunteer. You crossed the line.

[1corona4u]

53. I thought that was against the rules here?

Working against the candidate? Why is this person still allowed to post here?

[cali]

41. fine. protest Obama elsewhere. no one's saying he's a panacea

[DevonRex]

44. Hmm. Have they found a new codeword for messiah? One that

is slightly less insulting but has the same intent? I kinda think so.

[Mme. Defarge]

17. Recommended

[DevonRex]

19. K&R and thank you so much for this OP.

And that "other" thread has finally been locked, rightly so.

[blondeatlast]

20. Thank you, Mods. That tripe has been locked. nt

[DevonRex]

24. And ^5 to you. :)

[msallied]

21. HUGH K&R :)

[high density]

22. An easy post to make

Support Barack Obama!

[msallied]

23. I'm beginning to wonder if there is a new PUMA movement forming in the ranks...

This concerns me a tad... People have bought the fringe left's line on this and there is no changing it at this time. Question is, will it throw their votes? We're a month before the election. We don't have the time to recover from this. :banghead:

Edited to add, thank you for noting my concern. LOL

[chicagoexpat]

25. Lotsa DU'ers been tering him up for months cause he's done such a lousy job in the

campaign.

He only took on Hillary & beat her, & is only following the game plan he & his staff laid out months ago, and understands economics like a grown up should.

Why should you be any different from the rump caucus/tin foil hat brigade DU'ers?

[chookie]

28. I'll pull in my horns even longer, even or put them back into the hat box on the shelf

I did not support his candidacy, but he must be elected because he is the only one in this race who can be trusted with the present apocalyptic meltdown of the global economy.

The smart people who can fix this will flock to him, because he's the only one who they can reason with, and he will welcome their advice, I believe. McCain is wrong, wrong wrong, and surrounds himself with pirates and fools with ill intent.

As George Will observed, inexperienced can be fixed, but crazy can't.

If he focuses on the American economy and puts the brakes on our slide into Mad Max, ten years from now, I will be claiming that I was his strongest supporter from the very beginning :-)

If he starts another war -- which he might -- that ends it for me.

[bermudat]

29. Agree

I was so disappointed in Obama voting yea on the FISA bill. We all need to keep our eyes on the

prize. After Obama gets sworn in then we all can get on his administration's case, but let's win

first.

[tandot]

30. Exactly.

It seems that some of our fellow DUers are not so much interested in getting Obama elected.

[doublethink]

31. Agreed. n.t.

:thumbsup:

[EstimatedProphet]

32. I missed that original thread the first time around

And I'm glad I did. I'm fed up with with the self-appointed Party Commissariat deciding that people aren't loyal enough to what they want, and anyone with any kind of disagreement is a Traitor To The Coming Revolution. The complicity spotters belong on another site, and should stay there.

[debbierlus]

33. Why is this an EITHER/OR - He can't advocate a responsible plan and win?

I am really puzzled. Why can't Obama advocate for a responsible plan AND be President. Why is that an either/or? Why can't he come out and stand up for the people now? People would LOVE LOVE LOVE him for it. People are STARVING for representative government and leadership who fights for them. If he came out, powerfully, for a real plan recommended by the top economists by the top true right wing conservatives & progressive democrats, he would be embraced by the nation.

People, rightly, do not like this bailout. Obama is not representing our best interests in backing this plan, as written.

And, I called Obama's office and he is going to vote for it, as written. And, that is deeply disappointing and unsettling.

We need leadership, NOW. REAL change. There are much better solutions, and the fact that Obama would throw in when he is presented with an unprecented opportunity to change direction leaves me deeply unsettled.

[DevonRex]

35. What I find puzzling is that you are trying to "lead" people NOT to vote for Obama

and not to contribute and not to volunteer if he doesn't do exactly what YOU want him to do. That leaves ME deeply unsettled and disappointed.

Your thread was locked for good reason.

[debbierlus]

43. You know - why don't you get pissed at OBAMA for not doing the right thing & selling out

First, I never told anyone not to vote for him.

I told them to tell Obama to FIGHT for them, and that our money and our work come at the cost of representing us.

Is that really so out there? So difficult?

You are so cowed. So dictated by the fear of McCain winning (which ain't going to happen, rest assured, Obama is showing he is the new corporate pick by supporting this bailout). DU is a weird place these days. On the front page, there are posts from some of our best reps telling us to fight the bailout and actions and people are pissed. Come to DU Presidential and tell them to call out Obama in supporting this travesty and you are labeled a troll and worse. Instead of getting pissed at me for being the MESSENGER, why don't you look at what Obama is doing. He is supporting a truly horrible bill when other options are available. Sorry. That isn't leadership and it isn't change. It is the same corporate dictate that we have been tolerating for too long.

When, prey tell, do we fight?

When do we stand up to our representative who wants our money, time, and faith yet acquiesces on the first major test of leadership?

The reason I am stating that we need to pressure Obama is because they are about to saddle the American people with a 700 billion dollar NOOSE around our necks that we do not have the money to pay for...

I have not heard Obama demand the wealth pay for this bill.

I have not heard Obama insist Paulson resign.

I have not heard Obama state that Comptrollers office provide an investigation.

Don't like it. Call Obama and stop defending the indefensible. The bottom line is real representative government, and you only get that by fighting for it.

[DevonRex]

47. No, you said we should threaten to withold support, money and volunteer time.

That is against DU rules.

[debbierlus]

51. And, how else do we send him a message that will force him to act in our best interests

You disagree with telling him that in order to keep our support, he must represent us.

Yeah, that is radical. People demanding representative government.

[DevonRex]

54. As I said, trying to get others to withold support, money and volunteer

time is against DU rules. That falls under the heading of working against the democratic nominee.

Voicing your opinion to us and to the campaign is one thing. Trying to organize DUers to withold support, money and volunteer time is a different animal altogether.

I don't believe you don't see the distinction.

[cali]

39. first of all, how do you know that he doesn't genuinely believe

that the bailout is neccessary? From what I know, I don't agree with him, but I recognize that he knows far more than I do. Perhaps he knows this is the best that will pass. Secondly, sorry, but public opinion is already changing on this. Why some people can't get it through their skulls that public opinion is not a static thing, is an enduring mystery to me. Lastly, I could give a flying fuck if you're deeply unsettled. Just as long as you cut the crap and stop working against Obama on DU.

[azmouse]

52. Rehashing a locked thread.

[tekisui]

36. K&R!

He will have to answer to us, once he is sitting in the oval office. We will be the ones who put him there.

[rucky]

37. eh, a little grumbling and truth-telling from the Left won't hurt his chances a bit. n/t

[cali]

40. truth telling? lol. opinion is not always truth.

[rucky]

46. Then let's get those opinions out there.

At best, President Obama will adopt some of Kaptur/DeFazio recommendations down the road.

At worst, he'll lose some support from the left, and gain it back from the center.

[AtomicKitten]

49. Word.

[DevonRex]

50. I had to have somebody point out that it's an ass on that plate.

Every time I see that cartoon I realize I'm not always as sharp as I should be. It's a bit humbling and I have to admit that I could use a bit more humility at times. :)

[AtomicKitten]

56. 2008 is ours! Obama will preside over a filibuster-proof Congress.

(If you visualize it, it will be so. :))

[Life Long Dem]

55. It's not about the "bitter" comment now is it?

:sarcasm:

[nam78_two]

58. Yup

The stakes are too big..C'mon people do you want crazy guy, Moosegirl and first Dude to fuck up what is left of this country after 8 years of Bush? This election is crucial-we CANNOT take our eyes off the prize.