Third rails in politics

[JMDEM]

I hope everyone knows what a "third rail" is in politics. In subway trains it is the middle rail that carries the electricity to power the trains. You touch it and you are dead.

SSI has generally been considered a third rail. You don't discuss messing with SSI without huge danger of committing political suicide.

"Dissing" America is even a more deadly third rail. Touch it and you are dead, politically. Just the way it is. Ridiculous? Sure? But it is there.

At this point, I am a big Obama fan. I want him to win, and I think he holds the best bet for us in the general election.

Michelle's comment really worries me. I hope it blows over. Better yet, I hope she comes out immediately with a clarification that washes it away so that it becomes a non-issue. Barak does not need to be wasting time explaining it in debates. Michelle needs to make a clear concise statement that Obaman can simply refer to in one sentence to explain things if the issue is raised.

Now, I know I'm going to get flamed claiming I'm a Hillary supporter in disguise. If this was true, wouldn't I WANT Michelle and Obama to keep making bad statements so that Hillary wins the primaries? It makes no sense that I would try to steer Obama / Michelle right if I wanted them to lose.

No, Michelle needs a very public clarification, including a partial apology for inadvertently having possibly offened anyone. She needs to make this go away. The polls show that Obama has the best chance of beating McCain in November -- we don't need this sort of thing echoing across talk radio for the next 6 months.

McCain scares the crap out of me. 4 more years of the same disaster we have now scares the crap out of me. I think Obama has the best chance to beat him -- at least the polls seem to convincingly show this. I hope they get this cleaned up in a hurry and we move on to the real issues.

[scheming daemons]

1. She already clarified it yesterday. Read some news.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Yet another long-registered, low post count poster who feels compelled

to air "concerns" about what is essentially a non-story. Over and over, they keep coming out of the woodwork--for THIS! It's amazing to me, after all the controversies on DU, that THIS is suddenly what "worries" these people enough to start a thread.

[JMDEM]

3. Yea, well I have a job. Hence low posts. How do you support yourself?

EXCUUUUUSE ME... I didn't realize it was verboten to express concerns on DU. Have a crappy day.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Bizarre. It was a little gaffe, she clarified it, it's over, McCain's sexy time is the big

news story of the day, and yet people like you just seem DOGGED to rehash this, not let it die a natural death. One has to wonder what your goal is.

[JMDEM]

9. Implying what? I'm some sort of freep?

I have every fucking right to be worried about something that COULD screw things up for us. If it is indeed blowing over, great.

DOGGED to rehash it. Yea... for a whole 2 days. Wow. Now that's obsessive.

[bluethruandthru]

5. What's bad about being long registered

with a low post count? I'm much more suspicious of those who've been on DU for 3 days and have 8500 posts!

[TwilightGardener]

7. I'm just seeing a strange pattern lately of people that aren't new, but are

suddenly "concerned" about this story, and seem to want to keep it alive. Or, they bring up other anti-Obama stuff--they're like sleeper cells coming out, now that we have an almost-nominee. I'm sorry, but it's weird.

[JMDEM]

11. And here is a point

Not to recognize the POTENTIAL damage this could cause is a typical mistake. Kerry made the same mistake and it cost him.

I can't believe this place sometimes. This is a 2 day news story yet it is supposed to be buried and dead? Well if it is, then fantastic. Leave it alone. But what I've read on other left wing blogs is that it is cannon fodder for the Right wing right now. They are having a field day with it.

[TwilightGardener]

13. She clarified it. So did Obama. If you're so "concerned", I suppose you

might have followed the news on that--I mean, you're SOOO worried, right? "She must apologize, right away!!" Your post is intended to keep bringing up the topic and emphasizing the "damage" it's supposed to cause. You're transparent. Sorry.

[bluethruandthru]

12. I don't know about patterns or sleeper cells...

but I'm a little "concerned" about Michelle Obama. I like her and I support Obama...but I'm a bit worried about her inexperience in talking to reporters, etc. She's a great speaker..but, not being your typical "politicians wife"...I don't think she was expecting that that every single thing she uttered would be torn apart and examined. She's had a couple of minor missteps but hopefully, she's learned that every word has to be weighed carefully!

[JMDEM]

17. She ever so slightly misspoke.

If need be, she can correct it easily, and possibly prevent a lot of damage. That's all I'm saying.

[bluethruandthru]

20. I agree with you. n/t

[question everything]

15. When you cannot reply to the comments you attack outside attributes

in this case, "low" number of posts.

If you have seen the poster in person you probably would have commented about that person's race, weight, hair..

How sad.

[JMDEM]

18. Bullshit

Your implied attack on me was low post count. I countered.

[TwilightGardener]

19. I did reply to the comments. Read.

[JMDEM]

22. Here is your response

"to air "concerns" about what is essentially a non-story. Over and over, they keep coming out of the woodwork--for THIS! It's amazing to me, after all the controversies on DU, that THIS is suddenly what "worries" these people enough to start a thread."

First, you say "they" -- automatically implying that I am not one of us. Therefore some sort of infiltrating agent. A sideswipe. Disgustingly low tactic.

As far as all the controversies on DU, all I've seen over the last 6 months is the equivalent of monkeys throwing shit at each other at the zoo, and I don't get involved in that shit throwing. And you call those shit-throwing contests more important than this issue? Hillary supporter throws shit at Obama supporter and Obama supporter throws shit at Hillary supporter. WOW. Important.

A gaffe that, although minor, is potentially devastating? Not important. I see where your priorities lie.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. indeed especially in light of Obama's 20 yr friendship with Rezko a Syrian and the "Obama is Muslim"

and "doesn't pledge the flag" crap....Michelle's gaff will certainly play a HUGE roll in the RW attacks to come.

I'm shipping my kids to relatives in Canada

[goodgd_yall]

8. Explaining it will only make matters worse

It will, to the RW, expose Obama as a flaming liberal (which he isn't, but Republicans don't know what a real liberal is). His supposed liberal credentials will be one of the battering rams the Republicans will use if he becomes the nominee.

[gaspee]

10. Agree 100%

But if you point this out, you are jingoistic or an idiotic "patriot."

One of the things my centrist parents hate about my political views is that they believe that I "hate America."

It's not true but they do believe it. I would agree that I'm not all that proud of my country, most of the time. But I would never do so in public if I or my spouse were running for political office.

The proper response to her flub is not -- "But there's nothing to be proud of!" Gah - that is about the stupidest response one could give!

If you want to win this election, you don't turn the people who are genuinely patriotic against you. You just don't. This is not going to play well with a HUGE segment of the population.

We are setting ourselves up for a loss in a can't miss year and I'm very worried about it.

Remember 2004 (seems like half the Obama supporters were more worried about Jr prom then, but let's see if we can refresh their memories...) In 2004, the republican attack machine turned John Kerry, a decorated vet into a lying coward anti-america pansy. I never in a million years thought anyone would fall for that bullshit.

The R's, with their Republican attack dog press turned Max Cleland, a man who lost three limbs in Vietnam, into a terrorist sympathizer who was responsible for his own injuries.

Do people *really* think this has blown over or that R's will *let* it blow over. Naive - utterly and totally naive.

[JMDEM]

14. This is what I had in mind -- if it doesn't blow over on its own

If the need continues to arise to get around this, Michelle could say something like:

I slightly mispoke the other day, and I am very sorry if it offended anyone. What I meant to say is that I have always been proud to be an American (insert stories of her success). But in recent months, seeing how people of all races, creeds, and outlooks can work together for a common goal to make this country even better makes me the most proud I've ever been. In fact, this IS what I said, but a few words could have been added to make my point clearer.

[TwilightGardener]

16. She said she was "absolutely" proud of America, and that she was

speaking in the context of politics. Which she was. It's over. Give it up.

[JMDEM]

21. Give what up?

My fear that this could damage us? Or are you implying something else?

[damntexdem]

23. It's Social Security (pension), not SSI (Supplemental Security Income), that carries the juice.

And Michelle has pointed out what anyone watching the statements should realize -- that she was speaking of feeling proud for the first time FOR THE REASONS SHE CITED, not that she was feeling proud for the first time.

Even though the GOP will always try to mix different things up to support their smears, we don't have to be mixed up ourselves.