Ok, This primary season is officially making me CRAZY

[bunny planet]

:rant:
glad to have missed this last time around in 2004.
This is reegotdamdiculous.
Please let it be over soon.
Hillary, talk about trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory or victory from the jaws of defeat or something like that.
Lady, step off already while you still have a shred of dignity left.

Yikes.
Sorry for venting but I am stupefied and truly offended by Hillary's 3 AM ad.
Is it Penn or Unca Karl whose running her campaign at this point?

[marlakay]

1. I feel the same way

I heard Keith is off tonight?? Working extra hours for the weekend or the 4th?

I just want info when I go into this site or dailykos but its a war zone. I have strong feelings too but don't think it helps to go below the belt. Love this thread...like Sharon always says the only friendly one left!

[Berry Cool]

2. I just saw an ad for "Countdown: The Debate Edition." I.e., it's a rerun of Tuesday's show tonight.

I guess Keith figured it would be a slow news day and he could afford to take a day off and collect himself before next week.

Damn, I was REALLY looking forward to seeing his reaction to that ad today...not to mention Obama's response. Oh well, guess we have to wait till Monday.

I can just imagine how he must have blown his top over this latest desperate attempt.

Yeah, it is like a war zone, isn't it? The KOEB is like a safe haven from all that crap. We actually respect each other here. Imagine that!

[SharonRB]

3. And we're all on the same page as far as the primary goes now

Gobama!

[Mabus]

4. Then you'll be even more offended by this McCain video

which was posted on youtube last month about terrorists stealing a weapon and a phone call to the WH that McCain answers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPadP7eAO9Y

The info about the ad reads: "It is 3AM and a Terrorist group has stolen a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) - They call the president to have him or her make some immeidate decisions. The phone rings...who do you want to pick up? Obama, Hillary or McCain?"

on edit: I'd like to make a correction. The video was posted in January, not last month.

[bunny planet]

5. It's not possible to be more offended by McCain than I am already, and yes

I'd seen that and am not surprised at anything he will do and say to get his place in the oval office. I just really didn't expect Hillary to sink quite so low as to be making McCain/Guiliani - lite fearmongering commercials. Guess you can color me naive. Clearly when someone's losing ground they get pretty desperate but being a mother with kids asleep at 3am, I am particularly incensed at the implication that a vote against HRC is a vote against the safety of my kids. In my best Daffy Duck voice I say 'Desssspicable'

[Berry Cool]

6. It's like I said to Bot yesterday

You know they're desperate when they start dragging out the kids with the daisies.

[Mabus]

10. I don't put anything past McCain

or any of the Republicans in their drive to gain power.

And I can empathize with your feelings about the commercial's fear angle. I don't have kids of my own but I do have step-kids, nieces, nephews and friends with kids. In some ways, fear as a motivator isn't new. America's history is replete with examples of how presidential candidates and campaigns have used fear to in elections. Whether it was the nativism of the 1800's (& now) or the communism of the 1900's or the fear of terrorists looking to harm Americans it was always overblown. They've worked hard to make us fearful and this year, this time, it is no different. There will always be an "other" for Americans to be fearful of whether it is people with long hair or people who shave their heads. The sad thing is the American people don't know who they should really be afraid of until it is too late because the real threats don't poll well.

I'll vote for the nominee in November but I'll do it because I worry about the Supreme Court and further incursions into our civil liberties. Sadly, I won't do it because I really believe in either of the candidates. I'll continue to try to keep an open mind but I'll also continue to shake my head and wonder what's going on with the state of national politics. Maybe I've been the who has been naive all these years but I really used to believe in the political system more in the past than I do now.

[CC]

7. Ok , I seem to be the odd one out.

That commercial didn't cause me to even think of fear or terror. What I did think was "I want someone that will actually ANSWER the fucking phone at 3 AM." We've just been through 7 plus years of an idiot that does not want to be bothered between 8 PM and 8AM, including with phone calls for any reason. An idiot that partied while the Gulf Coast drowned. An idiot that stared into space like a deer caught in headlights for 20 minutes on 911. An idiot that takes more vacations that anyone else in the world and does not want them interrupted, no matter what.
I like the commercial for that reason and it would work for that with which ever Dem ends up being the nominee.
Oh and I don't hate on Hillary or Obama. Whichever is at most my second choice, maybe even third but I will support the nominee.

[bunny planet]

8. Oh I'll support our nominee no matter who it is too.

If its Hillary though, I just might have to hold my nose longer than anticipated. I'm not happy with her latest approach. I do think its much easier to be the front runner, Obama is ahead so he gets to be more laid back to an extent. I don't hate Hillary, just disappointed in how she's been running her campaign once it wasn't a forgone conclusion that she'd be the nominee. I also think its going to be much harder for her to win in the general, she is most definitely who the Republicans want to run against.

[CC]

15. Oh I never even thought anyone here wouldn't support

the nominee. Have way more faith in KOEB'ers than to think any thing else. I just can't hate on Hillary (or Obama) so pretty much stay out of it. I have my questions/doubts about both. All my hate is tied up in the chief idiot and any of his enablers/puppet masters.

Maybe after all idiot's fear mongering the phone ad just wasn't over the top enough for me to see it as fear mongering. I just want some one that will answer the phone, put off their plans and act in a responsible manner. I would hope either of our candidates would be better at that then this idiot. If not I might have to start really looking hard at a new country.

[Mabus]

9. I thought I was the odd one out

I've been working for Democrats since I was a kid. I started making GOTV phone calls when I was 7. My parents were precinct committee people and I took over calling while my mom made dinner and my dad was out distributing campaign signs (with the help of my older siblings). Over the years I've gathered signatures to get measures on the ballot, I've done voter registrations, polling, fund raisers and everything in between. I've had doors slammed in my face and I've made some great friends when I've been out canvassing. I even went so far as to construct mobile signs out of old boat trailers with friends for candidates, issues and organizations I believed in. I probably could go on and on about the volunteer work I've done over the years but this year, this time, I just have felt so differently about the presidential election. For one thing, I just couldn't get excited about the people seeking the nomination. Not a single one of them. I tried. I really did. For the first time in my life I am basically sitting out a presidential election. In a lot of ways, I've lost hope. I've lost the fire.

I'll vote for the nominee in November but, right now, I just can't get into either defending or supporting Obama or Clinton. I don't feel motivated because neither excites me. Both of them, to me at least, seem to do what's politically expedient most of the time. There's not a big difference between their voting records in the Senate. Both continue to fund the illegal war in Iraq and have ignored Afghanistan. Neither has really pushed for investigations into the wanton disregard that the Bush administration has for the Constitution or the American people.

I'll vote in November. I'll vote for the Democratic nominee but I just can't get on the Love Train for either of them.

In interest of full disclosure: I did call the Obama people here in Maryland and talked to a really wonderful lady but I haven't followed through. In years past, whenever I called a candidate's local office, I have followed through and volunteered. I've made it to organizing meetings in the worst weather. Sometimes, besides the (local) candidate, I was the only one who showed up. This year I just can't. I don't feel motivated by either of them.

[bunny planet]

11. I feel you Mabus. Al Gore was my non-candidate candidate of choice this time

around, but he and his white horse are nowhere to be seen. I was encouraged to find out that Samantha Power is Obama's top foreign policy spokesperson or advisor. I really like her and she's wicked smart and compassionate and not a Washington establishment player. She said he first contacted her before he even announced he was running and she hadn't even heard of him. Someone told her to listen to his speech from the convention and she was so impressed she called him back. When they finally met, he asked so many, detailed intelligent questions about foreign affairs and policy that she was convinced he was the real deal and wanted to work with him, the first time she had ever wanted to work on a political campaign. She is not your average campaign advisor and I really like that she is on board working for him. If that's an example of how he wants to be engaged I'm more optimistic about his motivations. I think, when he became Senator, somebody told him he could be President, and advised him to keep his head down in his first term as a junior Senator. At least I hope that's the practical reason for his underwhelming record and votes since 2004. Maybe, in the WH, with a Democratic Congress he'll become the progressive we all hope he actually is. I don't know. Listened to Chalmers Johnson interviewed by Sam Seder yesterday, he thinks no President can get us out of the mess we are in, and that all talk of hope and change is futile, that we are in the 'last throes if you will' of our democratic republic. I sure hope he's wrong.

Yes, I'll vote for our nominee in November but for sure, nobody's really rocking my world in a good way so far.

[Mabus]

12. LOL

I just finished getting a stain out of my husband's "Al Gore 2008" t-shirt. Gore is, was and will be my first choice for president for the foreseeable future.

I know that whomever takes the oath of office in 2009 will be inheriting a huge mess here and abroad. America is in a sorry state and I find myself comparing what's going on to the fall and decline of other once-predominant civilizations.

I think we're on the same page with what's going on.

[SharonRB]

13. As you know, I'm sure, I'm still on that train with you

Unfortunately, it's not going to happen, so I've jumped on Obama's train -- it's a consolation prize, but a much better one than Hillary, IMHO. I just hope Obama can convince Al to take a large role in some aspect of the new administration. I know he said he wouldn't want a cabinet post, but we really need him at some high level in our quest to solve the climate change problem and move toward a greener future.

I suppose there's still at .5% chance that we'll move on to a brokered convention, leaving the door slightly ajar for Al to save the day, but I'm being realistic here. I'd love more than you can imagine to see a Gore/Obama ticket.

[SharonRB]

14. You know where I stand as far as Gore is concerned, BunBun

See my response to Mabus below.

My dad is concerned that Brzezinski is one of Obama's advisors and he's afraid he's not very good for Israel. Do you know where Samantha Power stands? I've never heard of her. On the bright side, my dad actually likes Obama and if his concerns about some of his advisors are addressed and he feels he'll be good for Israel, he may even vote for him over McCain. Oh, happy day! He really dislikes Hillary, though, and I don't think there's any way he'd vote for her.

[bunny planet]

16. You can tell your dad that Brzezinski is not in any formal advisory position

on Obama's campaign. Actually some conservatives (ahem, Bill Kristol and others) are trying to scare away American Jews from voting for Obama, all they have to do is mention Carter or anyone who worked under Carter and sometimes that accomplishes the smear. I know the Anti Defamation League and also AIPAC have endorsed Obama (heard that yesterday but haven't checked it out to see if its true yet). I know with my relatives just a whisper of Carter or his former cabinet is enough to have them clang the doors shut on their open minds.

Samantha Power was on with Sam Seder at some point either last week when he was subbing for Randi or during his interviews this weekend. I heard her speak to Cyenk (sorry don't know how to spell his name) on TYT too. I've heard her speak before. Her name might be Powers not Power, but you can find her on the google I'm sure.

[bunny planet]

17. Here you go Sha-sha

http://ksgfaculty.harvard.edu/Samantha_Power