The fiasco is not the expected security fiasco but a public relations fiasco.

I know it's just beating a dead horse after all these years, but the public were today subjected to a government disinformation campaign that the media simply disseminated. "Here's the route. Here are the best spots. Make sure you take public transportation. It'll be an historical day, with tens of thousands cheering."

King Kaufman makes the good point elsewhere that this is less than a victory for the perpetrators of this fraud - San Francisco, Olympics, China, and not least, the local media. The torch relay had to run away from not only the people that went to protest but also the people that came to cheer. And this is a PR event? It all seems rather shameful. Not a shame, but shameful.

On my way into SF on the train this morning, I saw many people who were obviously going to the ceremonies, and most of the ones I saw probably to cheer. But Gavin Newsom, Willie Brown, and the others responsible basically stuck a finger in their eye. If I were these fans, I would be mad as hell that not only was I (unavoidably) subjected to a political conflict I may not have cared to be part of, I didn't even get to see the damned torch after all that, I was lied to, and they wasted my time basically canceling this event for expediency.

And if (as according to some reports) I were bused in from far afield to support the Chinese cause and then the symbol (for the moment) of that cause, the torch, ran away frightened from protest, I would feel just a little bit more betrayed - yet another instance where "the people" are asked to make a sacrifice while the powerful enjoy their rights (no doubt the Chinese consul was clued in about the real route in plenty of time).

"It was the Rosie Ruiz of torches."

That's just brilliant.

I was reading on that other lefty online magazine a quote from Lamar Alexander (former governor of Tennessee) about how people running for president are reluctant to give up the race because in a way, it's an admission that they have disappointed their supporters and that's a hard thing to do. Apparently, those responsible for today's relocation of the torch run hardly gave a second thought to their own supporters - those who longed to see the torch, who took off from work or traveled great distances to see the torch, who subjected themselves to protest they might rather have avoided.

28%(Bushies)+82%(against Bushies)=110% ? ;-)

I'm sure he has bigger dreams, than just being in the shadow of McCain.

He is disgusting thru and thru.

I don't know, how the Democrats do this, but somehow they manage to lose even the easiest elections. Dean should get the hell out of his party position. He was able to screw up his own nomination, which looked so good in 2004, but leave it to him, he will hand the presidency to McBush this time around.

PATHETIC!

This article was a space filling nonsense. Like so many others on Salon recently.

Now, howabout Sen Russ Feingold as Veep? He is just about the ONLY one in the Senate with integrity and spine. The rests are just disgusting POLITICIANS.

Lets face it, this is a raceist country. The fact that Obama is the nominee, is because the USA is even more sexist, than it is raceist. For the right, no cost is too high to defeat, smear, accuse, lie about the democratic candidate.

It is a shame!

How about racism? Does this have anything to do with the issue? Many people say "I'm not a racist, my best friend is a ...... ( fill in the blank). When I hear "my best friend is .....," I know, I'm talking to a bigot.

Just study McCain eyes in the picture for this article. If you are not scared of what you see there, than you can't read the "mirror of his soul."

In several cases in the past 15 years in California, self-financed, free-spending candidates have been shown the door by voters. Voters are often aware that these candidates are spending vast sums of their own money and have little actual support. By the way, some of these were candidates for statewide office (who, in California, do require large amounts of money to be competitive) and are therefore not affected by the court's ruling, which applied to candidates for federal office and some were candidates for federal office prior to the passage of the law shot down today by the court. But this ought to make those, such as myself, disappointed by the irrationality of this ruling feel a little better.

The voting machines will be rigged, some people, who most likely will vote for Obama, will be scrubbed from the voting lists. Democracy American Style!!!

We already saw this in 2000 & 2004.

DISGUSTING.

McCain was, is and always will be a spineless opportunist. He is a fine example of the GOP's disgusting wing. If the American people do not see this, they don't deserve anything or anyone better, now or ever.

The polls are conditioning us (by the GOP,) to a McCain "VICTORY" . If we buy this, they can say, "how is his victory a surprise?" The rigged elections are nothing new since the "non partisan SUPREME COURT" handed the country over to the criminals in 2000.

How can Obama is any wors than the present genius in the WH? If one is happy with GWB, he/she will not vote for a democrat. White, black, yellow, or purple with green polkadots. This country IS RACIST. Period. It always was and always will be. To be open minded, one need to be well educated, intelligent.

The American school system does not support individual thinking. Not to mention the churches.