Overt racism in America maybe dead, but subtle hidden racism is alive and well. Remember the ads the GOP ran against Harold Ford last election? What kind of ads you think they'll run against Obama? Let's be smart here. If we want to take back the White House, which we need to do, the best candidate to that is Edwards.

I'm very much inclined to agree. Racism is still pervasive even though the average person may not see it because it's hidden. American exceptionalism prefers to pretend that the country as a whole is fair and honest and admired by the rest of world, but it is still woefully reactionary.

Hilary probably can't win for similar reasons, but she's a closet neocon anyway. Besides that, she's stiffed the press and has conscientiously avoided taking any controversial positions in the Senate, much less any stands. No 'leadership' there. She wouldn't be running for president if she wasn't already married to one. Her much-vaunted 'experience' is unimpressive. She's already being discounted.

The US isn't ready for a minority or female candidate. One wonders if the DLC is promoting Obama and Clinton as their leading candidates for the purpose of engineering yet another cave-in to the Republicans. I perceive Democratic weakness in Congress to be more than a little contrived by the DLC, which is known to be beholden to corporations nearly as much the pubs themselves.

Interestingly enought, the usual fearmongering tactics of conservatives can't work this time because people are at least as afraid of corporatist conservatives as they are of anybody. Even the leading pub candidate is anti-corporation, which is very telling.

Edwards it is. He probably has the best overall message and the best progressive political history anyway.

Glen should know something about bottomless personal animus and how it needn't have any basis in fact or reason; his blog exists for the sole purpose of attempting to rationalise his.

Translation: "I cannot argue against GGs facts or reasoning. But I can always resort to projection and fact-free smears."

Your propaganda is failing you, neocon. America less afraid of your bogeymen and your scapegoats than they are of you.

Neocons: "Lie faster! Lie faster!"

Rove: "I don't understand. Smear campaigns and fearmongering always worked for us before."

The two highest serving African Americans in a US cabinet were appointed by Repubs - as was the only sitting African American supreme court justice.

Oreos, neocon. Nobody is fooled. We still see that Southern Strategy in place.

Try again.

Yes, there is a strong undercurrent of hatred in this country but there is also a veneer of civility which is also part of the national character.

That's the problem, Paul. It's a veneer.

You've also pointed out that the 'American character' is shallow.

To think that we shouldn't nominate the best candidates because the foamers won't like them is to concede defeat before we've even tried.

You're mistaken. Or rather, you're making unjustified assumptions. Obama and Hilary aren't the best candidates. Their track records are short and thin, and both have taken right-wing positions and talking points, which clearly shows they're trying to sell themselves to the corporatist establishment at least as much to the electorate.

Maybe you need to get out more.

That's because is it inconceivable to you that a black person could have the indepence of mind to think differently from how you believe black people should think.

Now you're just making it up.

Try again.

You do thrash well, though. Maybe you should try contradicting yourself next.

The fact is, African-Americans vote overwhelmingly Democratic, and not Republican, because they see that the racists vote Republican, and Republicans promote policies contrary to the interests of African-Americans.

That fact has not eluded you. You're just trying to put up a smokescreen over it with the usual deceptions and lying.

Is the Republican party promoting any black candidates this election season? What, not even a couple of tokens?

You know it's true guys.

It's already been shown to be false.

Neither does flailing about constitute a compelling argument.

Is the Republican party promoting any black candidates this election season? What, not even a couple of tokens?

Can you point to any Republican policies aiming to elevate the condition of poor blacks?

No? Neither can blacks. Blacks can point to lots of racist Republican policies, though.

I'm not suggesting they're the best candidates. I just honestly believe that you're incorrect when you say they can't win.

I didn't say they couldn't win.

The fact is, Obama is black, Hilary is a woman, and the US still has, as you pointed out, a substantial undercurrent of racism. Sexism too.

That puts Obama and Hilary at a built-in disadvantage. Maybe they can overcome that disadvantage.

But I doubt it.

People don't vote their 'veneers', Paul.

I'm not trying to persuade you people. You are haters, and thus beyond persuasion.

Fact-free again, neocon. It's already well-established that racists vote overwhelmingly Republican, and not Democratic.

It's a foregone conclusion that the KKK isn't going to vote for Obama, dude.

Try again.

What happens when one side quits returning the (adjective) lobs of the other side?

Wrong analogy. Pro War dug himself into a hole. I just handed him a bigger shovel. I figure the sides will cave in of their own accord.

Early on in this thread you mentioned "Pub front runner". I assumed - correctly or incorrectly, I don't know - you were referring to Huckabee now being the 'front runner' since the Iowa win.

I'm going by caucus results - actual votes counted - rather than by polls.

The anti-corporatist Huckleberry doesn't stand a whelk's chance in a supernova of being nominated by the pre-eminent party of corporatism. But it amuses me, as a progressive, to advocate his candidancy until they squash him. Devisiveness among pubs is a goodness.