This endless parsing of the "facts" and interpretations of who meant what and when they said it or may not have said it.

Enough.

You'd have to be an imbecile to conclude that since using race has worked in the past, politicians would not use it now. This includes Obamas campaign. And why shouldn't Obama use race, blacks have been excluded from the presidency because of race in the past and now that race can be used in his favor, he is supposed to walk away? He is a good politician and not that stupid.

The risk isn't race for Obama, it is like gay bashers who get caught in gay sexual relationships, it's not the gay relationships that sinks them it's their lying about who they really are. The risk for Obama is that his platform is about his "new" voice in politics and there is nothing new under the sun in politics, and if voters figure that out, it could be trouble. There is a similar kind of risk for "Straight Shooting" McCain.

What this election does show is how far women have to go. How many dumb blonde jokes are there still going around? How many dumb black guy jokes? Gender slurs in political postings relating to menstrual cycles, "evil btch", stupid cnt", are still common while racial slurs against blacks are rightly banned. Look at the religious right where a solid, defined Huckabee voting bloc clearly state that based on God and the Bible a woman should not and could not lead the country. These "valid" voters are interviewed on NPR of all places, however a voting bloc explicitly stating according to God a black should not lead the country would rightly be treated with disdain and horror.

Again, for blacks there is great progress, for women, still a long way to go.

As Jimmy Chitwood pointed out, Obama never rejected Farrakhan. Renounce has a separate meaning than reject. Renouncing anti-Semitism is different than renouncing an anti-Semite. Rejecting the support (as in votes) from an anti-Semite is different than rejecting someone’s anti-Semitic views.

This episode further points out that Obama fans are so in love with the power of words, well… except when they are not.

Reminds me of how Obama in speech after speech tells us to stop dwelling in the past - it’s about the future, well… except when it’s about Iraq, then for Obama it’s all about the distant past when he gave a speech in 2002. Since that speech in 2002, which had ZERO impact on the Iraq debate, he has offered ZERO except going along with the status quo.

Maybe Obamas campaign is not about

“Change” and “Hope”

it’s about

“Well…” and “Except...”.

Israel is one of the arguments or props for our continued military strategic goals in the Middle East.

If Israel truly pursues peace, military initiatives get dinged - kind of like what happened when the march to war with Iran got dinged when the NIE concluded Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.

It is yet another subversion of debate. The debate simplisticly and inaccurately becomes: being against military solutions is anti-Israel, being for Israel means being for military solutions.

The Obama statement, "the U.S. pro-Israel community is a little more protective or concerned about opening up that conversation", while diplomatic and a step in the right direction, it is also quite the understatement and I am not sure recognizes the forces behind keeping the debate closed.

It's great the second coming of the uniter (sorry Obama supporters, Obama is not the first, Bush Jr campaigned as the first great uniter), already has a leg up on devisiveness. Leaping over race bias, he lands squarely on whats needed for hope and change: age divisiveness.

Whoopee for unity.

-----------

Friends, people at work, everyone I hear talk about the healthcare issue doesn't like the idea of "mandates." -- saintzak

Well thats certainly a scientific poll: "friends, people, and everyone I hear". Rasmussen and other pollsters are scrambling to catch up with this new polling paradigm. BTW, do "friends, people, everyone I hear" know that Obama has mandates in his plan as well? Do "friends, people, everyone I hear" also know that BOTH plans suck?