Friday, February 01, 2008

It's like my mom says, "The weak are always trying to sabatoge the strong."

Via Americablog I came across this snippet of a "fact-check" on comments Obama made during the debate yesterday delineating the difference between himself and Clinton. (Before you watch this let me state right out of the gate that Dan Abrams is a douchebag and Rachel Maddow is a goddess.)



Put aside that body language at the State of the Union nonsense at the end of the piece and I do think that the other four issues Obama brings up are actually key issues to most Democrats and progressives. How he and Clinton come down on those topics should be enormously important to progressives.


Here's a little chart I threw together listing out Obama's four points while comparing his record with Clinton's---


THIS is a big part of the reason so many of us are down on these two candidates. On the key issues important to us surrounding the war Clinton and Obama have either voted the wrong way or run away from a vote on those items. Obama's speech against the war is terrific reading but it still leaves us in the position of having to take him at his word that he would've voted against the AUMF had he been in the Senate. If you'll recall during the actual debate on that bill LOTS of Senators made remarks very similiar to Obama's then turned around and voted FOR the stupid bill.

I will say that when it comes down to brass tacks Obama's record is marginally better than Clinton's. Personally I find the vote for the AUMF unforgivable, although I understand a lot of progressives are willing to put it behind them. It was clear to me at the time that we were being railroaded into war and I'm just a simple guy living a middle class lifestyle, not a U.S. Senator. The fact that she voted for Kyl-Lieberman proves that she's learned absolutely nothing.

Neither of the candidates stood up against the Mukasey nomination even though their votes were important, especially if Democrats had been allowed to manuever a fillibuster by leadership. I guess making sure we have an AG that understands that the methods employed during the Inquisition might not fit well into the framework of our own constitution just wasn't a priority for them.

I know that as the campaign progresses and I'm forced to wrap my head around the idea of a "President McCain" I'm going probably going to have to force myself to hold my nose and vote for one of these candidates. In doing so I just want to make it clear that these are not the best candidates the Democratic party, or the country for that matter, have to offer.

Not by a long shot.

7 comments:

Don Snabulus said...

Your points on Clinton/Obama are well taken.

Re: McC(razy)ain...aren't 8 years of a mentally deficient President enough? There isn't much about Romney to like, but the guy has a nodding acquaintance with reality. For insurance reasons, I hope Romney gets the nod for the GOP.

Randal Graves said...

Yep, I'll take a flawed, not-all-that-progressive Dem over a Republican any day of the week in the same way I'd eat, while longing for a nice steak, a cold, uncooked hot dog instead of the contents of my garbage can.

Can't you just feel the excitement!!!

Westcoast Walker said...

Good analysis! Even for all his inspiring speech making and talk of hope, it is important to look at Obama's record and use that as well to judge his merit. People collectively have short memories and can easily get caught up in the latest "CNN moment", forgetting to look at the larger issues at times.

Dr. Zaius said...

I read a blog the other day that complained that Obama had not said anything about getting the "20 acres and mule" for African Americans. I did not even bother to leave a comment.

Remember those milk ladies at the grocery store? Forever looking at the cartons in the back for the freshest milk with the lowest expiration date?

It's not really a good idea to squeeze every single avacado to find the one that's ripe. None of them are ripe, it's freakin' grocery store ferchrisakes. At some point you have to decide on an avacado and then just move on and do the rest of your shopping.

Dean Wormer said...

don

Re: McC(razy)ain...aren't 8 years of a mentally deficient President enough?

Apparently not.

randal-

What if the garbage can contains a steak? Bet you didn't figure that possibility into your analogy.

Walker-

Couldn't agree more.

zaius-

Ah, but sometimes you look for an avocado only to have some clerk foist a green apple on you. Is the green apple better than fried jo jos the other side is offering? Of course. But I'm trying to make guacamole here...

Dr. Zaius said...

Don't listen to the clerk, she is a Republican shill. The green apple is a bitter old McCain apple. There is a worm in it!

Anonymous said...

replica bags in china hermes replica handbags i1x51g2y21 replica bags hermes Discover More Here h0w49m0m61 aaa replica bags replica bags aaa o7l46z6b15 replica bags ru other l3n95q4k35 replica bags reddit