A very simple argument to the effect that Obama, and not Clinton, will best beat McCain.

[Occam Bandage]

Clinton's strengths are that she is experienced, that she has strong policies, will fight hard, and that she is tough on national security.
Obama's strengths are that he is an outsider, inspirational, transformative, and capable of bipartisan action to fix problems.

McCain's strengths are that he is a GOP outsider (but less so than Obama), experienced (more so than Hillary), will fight hard for strong policies (more so than Hillary, as he's broken with party more often and on bigger issues), and is tough on national security (more so than anyone, given his 100-year fantasies).

Obama's strengths are different than McCain's. It will be a race about change versus experience. Given the last eight years, Obama wins.
Clinton's strengths are diluted forms of McCain's strengths. It will be her experience versus his. She can win, but it's much harder.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. " ... inspirational, transformative ... "

Are we THAT desperate for a feel-good presidency?

I do not think Obama is a bad guy, but all I hear is how we need to stroke our own psyches over this man. There is something very wrong about that. JFK was certainly inspirational and transformative, but MOST of his agenda was based on the practical matters of government.

We are elevating Obama to the position of The Feel-Good Man, and demonizing Hillary as the Wicked Old Witch. That's not a reasoned political choice, that's pediatric psychiatry.

--p!

[Occam Bandage]

4. I'm not claiming those are his actual strengths, nor am I claiming those are valid reasons

to vote for him. I'm simply going with the narrative at the coarsest level possible.

[Dogmudgeon]

18. Actually, that wasn't personal - it was, in fact, about the narrative

And the narrative scares the hell out of me.

Not Barack Obama -- the narrative.

--p!

[Mojambo]

2. Similar to how I read the matchups. n/t

[Bongo Prophet]

3. Why, Occam, I swear that looks like analysis. And right here in GDP!

Quite succinct, and not clouded with veiled jabs.
If you said "Look, look!" before it, it would sound like Pat Buchanan.
(that's not a slur, he just cracks me up with his little boy "Look Look!"


I would call this, THE POKEMON ANALYSIS.
pika pika

:)

[surfermaw]

5. Bull Crap & if he tries to put a band on guns, he wouldn't carry half the democrats

[Occam Bandage]

8. Obama is, fortunately, not proposing band-placement on guns.

[TheDoorbellRang]

19. And thank God for that!

:spray:

[dsc]

6. McCain has flipped and flopped all over the place

He has flipped on abortion, religious conservatives, Bush's tax cuts, and several other policies.

[BlackVelvet04]

7. Funny how the Obama supporters told me they

didn't believe in bipartisanship....they think Obama can persuade everyone to see his progressive point of view. Which is i?

[Occam Bandage]

10. You're equivocating on the three meanings of the word "bipartisanship."

1. Bipartisanship a la Kennedy/Reagan, in which you convince everyone that your principles are their principles.
2. Bipartisanship a la Lieberman, in which you sell out your principles to get along with the other guys.
3. Bipartisanship a la Feingold, in which you work with members across the aisle to pass legislation you can agree on.

Obama stands for #1 and #3, and not #2.

[BlackVelvet04]

11. Instead of making up definitions of your own

how about we use Webster's definition: marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties

do you people just pull this shit out your ass?

[Occam Bandage]

12. It's not the fault of Obama supporters that you do not pay close attention to politics.

[BlackVelvet04]

13. LOL So I'm just not paying attention?

Oh, please, you guys pull shit out your ass, make up definitions and pretend something that just isn't true.

[Occam Bandage]

14. If you were, you would understand the paradigms of political positioning.

[BlackVelvet04]

15. I pay enough attention that I know bullshit for what it is. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

16. Heh.

[yourout]

9. Very simply....if Obama is not on the ticket you will loose half the African American vote and...

half the youth vote.

They simply will not vote unless they belive in someone and Hillary is not someone the youth or the African American voting block gets excited about in large numbers.

[blues90]

17. Obama will have a difficult time in one main point

I think that still alot of people are afraid of the idea of terrorist attacks. Where Obama will run into trouble is his insisting he did not vote on this war on Iraq when he campaigns but there are things like an OP from 2007 where he states his views on attacking Pakistan and building up in Afghanistan as well as keeping pressure on Iran militarily . He may face the fate of the flip flopper once called on this .

I still feel that either Hillary or Obama or even as a team we are left to choose between the lesser of two evils and they are not going to bring this country out of this mess as promised and certainly McCain won't .

We are stuck with this Iraq occupation and the troubles bush stirred up in the ME and these are not going to go away anytime soon and this will keep our economy weak and falling because of the cost of these wars .

All of the focus has been on these elections and none on these other issues . These "wars" and our economy are the battle plus the driving force the msm and the huge corporations .

I am not whistling dixie pass the grave yard .