I was truly disappointed in 2000 because I felt the right-wing nuts just screwed over the dems. I couldn't vote for Kerry because I just couldn't vote for a guy who was repeating the same mistakes made in 2000. He was being trashed and he just took it! Not very presidential.

This year things appear different. Keith and Rachel were great tonight. I read Joe Klein and became enthused! I always read GG and can't understand why the whole world doesn't because he makes so much sense. Kristol and Hannerty and Buchanan and Broder just seemed stupid today!

The web site set up by the Obama campaign to expose the Keating scandal and the 13 minute ad were great. It seems that the dems are fighting back, and with fervor.

If only the democratic congress could muster up some courage. OK, I know that's an impossibility but one can hope, can't I?

"Why Obama goes on Fox News."

That was, in my opinion, an excellent post.

I kept thinking that Obama was going to be like Kerry and succumb to the republican's slime-throwing. But you are so right, this guy is smart, smart, smart. On almost everything I wanted to criticize him about, he has convinced me he made the right choice. He is strategic where I just want to react against the unfairness of it all.

He is going to make a great president. I don't think he can solve the massive problems caused by Bush and Cheney, nor can he resolve the huge racist problem he has shown to exist.

But he'll turn the country in the right direction. At least he will make a sincere intelligent effort.

"how the G.O.P. has nevertheless been able to persuade so many voters of modest means that its wrongheaded, favor-the-rich, country-be-damned approach was not only good for working Americans, but was the patriotic way to go."

Bob Herbert, NY Times

John McCain and Sarah Palin, but more importantly, Davis and Schmidt, are attempting to "swift-boat" Obama. It worked before and they see no reason that it won't work now, except the economy is causing them a lot of discomfiture.

No "thinking American" accepts what McCain et al are saying. The problem is that there seems to be many more non-thinking Americans out there based on the elections of 2000 and 2004.

McCain's response to John Lewis that he is only engaging in "legitimate criticism" is typical of the Rovian strategy to attack the strong point of the other camp with outrageous prattle. And it works!

Congratulations, Joan on a fine, definitive performance against Ed Rogers, who probably gave McCain the line about "legitimate criticism."

"If it begins to seem that John McCain can offer no criticism of Obama without being labeled a racist, it will hurt Obama's campaign."

What bullshit! It sounds just like something McCain incoherently said recently.

I was going to list all the nuanced crap that goes as legitimate criticism of Obama, but which is really, underneath the sheen, racist and xenophobic subtleties but said to myself, this is useless.

The introductory quote reminds me of GG's critique of Balz of the WaPo. who claims that both campaigns engage in nasty, virulent, debasing criticism. I don't buy it and neither does GG!

Obama wants to talk about issues and McCain, et al, do nothing but lie about Obama, usually skewing the truth to indicate he is an outsider and frightening. I would posit that McCain and his campaign are committing acts that are vicious and aimed at propagating hatred. It is so Rovian! Their basic tenet is to ridicule and defame and denigrate. McCain offers no legitimate personal criticism that I can determine! I believe that he isn't a racist but he has been convinced that the only way he can win is by making Obama despicable.

All they do is criticize Obama for being a Muslim, Arab, terrorist, slum-lord sympathizer, Chicago politician, un-American and any other, and I mean literally any other mean, underhanded innuendo they can dream up.

So let me know what the McCain legitimate criticisms of Obama are.

Incidentally I don't consider calling him black to be legitimate!

A last thought. I didn't vote for Kerry (Nader) because he wouldn't fight back after being unmercifully slimed. But Obama is one cool operator. Time after time he and his people just humiliate the other side but in a classy strategic manner. Wow!

I read your story and was moved by it.

Regrettably, I have been in similar situations but hardly came out heroic. Some sort of internal reasoning that said that the other guy was stupid, and probably a lot meaner than me, and could easily beat the living shit out of me.

But I would like to say that I lived and worked in the Middle East for a while and met many Arabs. I didn't truly socialize with them closely but considered many to be my friends. Mostly to the extent that we worked and traveled together.

What repulses me about the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq is that there were about a million Iraqis killed (John Hopkins estimate) who did nothing to deserve their fate. These people were human beings like you and me. All because of the neocons. Iraqis were rounded up and tortured because they were simply Iraqis.

The Arabs I have met were solid citizens from 4 countries who were some of the kindest, gracious, caring people I have known in my life. I don't recall meeting a mean Arab.

On the other side of the spectrum I am truly embarrassed by the McCain campaign and their supporters. They are vile!