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1

Thought throught the blueprints?

Um, we tried that. Don't you remember how America reacted to the first Clinton plan, with all the charts and blueprints?

First get elected - then do what 90 percent of America wants and install single-payer national health care like every other industrialized nation.

Posted by Will in Seattle | August 18, 2008 5:17 PM
2

Wake up. Its about gaining power and then holding it, and that takes infrastructure. The possession (and retention) of power IS the ideology. Hows that for change...

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | August 18, 2008 5:28 PM
3

We are not passive consumers of government anymore, Eli. We're not waiting for "our leaders" to tell us what *their* programs are going to be.

The programs will come from *us.* And it will be up to *us* to provide the conceptual and organizational muscle to get those programs implemented.

Obama's approach is the correct one. He is building the organizational muscle. He is our employee and not our guru.

Posted by ivan | August 18, 2008 5:38 PM
4

Obama's been consistent his whole damn life. I don't get the constant handwringing about him. It's like the flipflopper bullshit from 2004 induced Stockholm syndrome.

The guy is kicking ass, and people gotta make up reasons to worry. Come on people, Saul fucking Alinsky here. You have to make power before you can use power.

You wanna know what he's going to do? It's not a secret:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/21472234/a_conversation_with_barack_obama/print

Q: Is there a marker you would lay down at the end of your first term where you say, "If this has happened or not happened, I would consider it a negative mark on my governance"?

A: If I haven't gotten combat troops out of Iraq, passed universal health care and created a new energy policy that speaks to our dependence on foreign oil and deals seriously with global warming, then we've missed the boat. Those are three big jobs, so it's going to require a lot of attention and imagination, and it's going to require the American people feeling inspired enough that they're prepared to take on these big challenges.

Posted by Chris | August 18, 2008 5:46 PM
5

If Obama is to accomplish any of these goals he has to get elected first. I would much rather be disappointed four years from now that Obama didn't accomplish everything he set out to do than see McCain get elected and know with absolute certainty that the disastrous policies of Bush will just simply continue.

Posted by RainMan | August 18, 2008 7:03 PM
6

this post is stupid. Organizing is good and is one of the more unique positives Obama brings to this race. A traditional weak spot of democrats has been failure to build long term orgnizations. Volunteers aren't going to disappear because of the intracacies of the health care policy.

I'd worry when worrying is due and not when not. The fact that he's basically tied in an electoral college sense seems to be studiously ignored. Solutions: organize and turn up the vote, check. Go for it. But--can you really get a half million more votes in NC GA VA?

Name the VP choice who actually bumps him up significantly in the polls, check.

Be more specific on those answers and messaging. It sure was nice to see him follow advice today and come out today and instead of talking about vague change, or talking vaguely about "the 1990s" and the years since 200, today he said what he should be saying:

"during the Clinton years the working families in America gained $6,000 in income. During the Bush years you've lost $1,000 in income."

(my recollection, precise words not guaranteed).

Bravo. Amp that up.

D's are fucking money in your pocket. Pretty simple message, right?

Too bad McGovern Carter Mondale Dukakis Gore Kerry
couldn't figure it out.

Posted by PC | August 18, 2008 11:12 PM
7

One exciting thing is that the Obama campaign called for grassroots organized events to help shape the party platform. There was one on immigration in my neighborhood. It is a very, very different approach, one based on the idea that grassroots organization is the backbone of a strong political party.

As far as the blueprints are concerned, have you seen McCain's website? The guy's policy statements read like a textbook case of all hat, no cattle.

Healthcare? McCain gives you vague ramblings about "tax incentives". The war? McCain says we'll win, but never says how. Gas prices? Drill, drill, drill, and let the free market take care of the rest.

It blows my mind that Obama is accused of lacking substance, while McCain gets away with calling platitudes and his faith that the free market cures all ills an economic policy. Let me guess, anyone who spends FIVE AND A HALF YEARS in the Hanoi Hilton doesn't need to have real economic policies to become president.

November can't come soon enough.

Posted by Tania | August 18, 2008 11:55 PM
8

Building a strong coalition is very important if you actually want to get any major bills passed. Like health care, for example. Remember Hillary's grand plan when Bill was president? And it was a good plan. And you see where it got? Nowhere. That's what having a vision and having a plan, but NOT having an organization or coalition gets you.

If we want to pull out of this stupid fucking war, do something meaningful about global warming, and get any sort of national health plan (regardless of whether it looks more like Hilary's or Obama's in the end), then Obama will need a LOT of support once he's in office. Having a strong organizational structure in place will help immensely. This is a very good idea. Otherwise he'll just flutter around the White House with lovely ideas and no way to get them pushed through congress. Like Hilary's original 1994 health care plan.

Posted by Reverse Polarity | August 19, 2008 12:12 AM
9

Like Jimmy Carter's, an Obama administration would be analysis to paralysis.

Posted by raindrop | August 19, 2008 12:22 AM
10

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Posted by clintonsarmy | August 19, 2008 8:56 AM
11

@3

So then Obama's not only not ready to lead, but has no intention of leading?

Posted by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me | August 19, 2008 10:06 AM
12

NO-Bama is piece of empty-suit w/o so freaking little experience nobody would hire in their right mind to lead a company let alone the US of A. Fuk him!

Posted by deadender | August 19, 2008 11:10 AM
13

NO-Bama is piece of empty-suit w/o so freaking little experience nobody would hire in their right mind to lead a company let alone the US of A. Fuk him!

Posted by deadender | August 19, 2008 11:14 AM
14

Motherfucking trolls always gotta ruin an Obama post.

Posted by Greg | August 19, 2008 11:22 AM

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