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Letters
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 12:00 AM

Obama's faith in the reasoning abilities of the American public

His speech underscored both the promise and the risk of his campaign strategy.

The letters thread is now closed.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:28 AM

h0tr0d

http://www.magicmud.com/zCIMG0514.jpg

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:29 AM

@ h0tr0d

@Aycharaych

Your wrong. Justice is not blind.

Aych was being sarcastic. He is a very strenuous opponent of our drug laws, in part because of the terrible toll they take on the black community, effectively disenfranchising a third of all blacks as well as playing havoc with their lives and careers.

And justice is not blind, indeed; the continuation of the crack/cocaine disparity, and the fact that poor blacks will see prison while rich whites with lawyers will see probation, are just a part of that (not to mention your increased chances of a DP for black-on-white crime, while black-on-black crime is ignored).

He'd like to ask you to consider talking about this other "third rail", and perhaps devising a more same drug policy.

I agree with him completely. That being said, I try to keep this from entering every conversation.....

Cheers,

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:30 AM

The speech must have endorsed wantonness in American Ladies?

B. Obama may be Promiscuous? He thinks Salon readers are all dang wanton?

He wants to replace his wanton soup with seasoned chicken doe dumplings?

He seems like a black man who might like matzo balls in the white houses?

He may make a horrible home? Or a man who wants a white vice resident.

Obama might enjoy Shepherd Pie, and matzo balls with white spuds taters.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:33 AM

@blank-

[blank-] ”But that's not the same thing as seeking out the wildest most extremist views and embracing them because you believe that's the way to be inclusive.”

and

[blank-] ”In many ways, especially if you still embrace it like Obama seems to be proud of today.”

I’m not quite sure how you get from Wright’s extremist views to the conclusion that Obama embraces and is proud of them. Perhaps you could quote something that Obama said with regard to these comments, and spell out the logic that leads to your conclusion.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:34 AM

@RyanHartman

[RyanHartman] ”I turned it off when he said that the reason we attacked Iraq is because of Islamo-fascism.”

Quote please?

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:35 AM

For better or worse

If you're right, Glenn, in your opinion that Americans simply won't bother to understand Obama's nuances--then we'll get what we deserve.

If you're blessedly wrong, huh... we'll also get what we deserve.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:40 AM

Arne

But this is a conversation where the absence of my bete noir is rather conspicuous.

It is almost impossible to even shame people into a rational discussion of the drug war.

I tried hard yesterday on several threads regarding Obama's speech, both on Salon and a couple of other sites..

As Silenced has pointed out.. The drug war is now the de facto secular religion of America, its received wisdom may not be questioned and only very minor tweaks of its dogma are even thinkable.

And yet the very core rationale for the drug war is so easily refuted that more people do not do so is clear evidence that they either fear some retribution or are comfortable with the results.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:42 AM

Obama has pulled off a media coup

I think Obama's speech will work for the counter-intuitive reason that most of the public won't hear or read much of the actual speech at all. They will, however, be exposed to the endless parsing of the speech by media pundits, and thus far, most of those pundits have been showering it with praise. That much warm fuzziness in the media ecosphere can't help but burnish Obama's image.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:46 AM

Maureen Dowd

You could tell it was personal, that he had worked hard on it, all weekend and into the wee hours Tuesday. Overriding aides who objected to putting race center stage, he addressed a painful, difficult subject straightforwardly with a subtlety and decency rare in American politics.

Maureen Dowd

She goes on to find multiple things wrong with his campaign and his abilities that won't be erased by a speech - there has to be a critical section if you're going to be a critic - it shows sophistication, I guess.

But I liked this paragraph. He wrote his own speech, and he wrote it over the objections of his hired spinmeisters. Overriding the blather machine and staying up late to do a good job on something isn't something we've seen in a while.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:46 AM

apologies. What can one do to ruin a reputation?

A elder Lady gave a me a note yesterday:

It was colored in many children's crayons.

On the outside Cover. You Dirty Blogger.

`

The Note Read: This Admit One To dinner.

You Be There! A sketch of a dog crapping!

`

I'm not teasing. Believe you me? O Honest?

Inside the folded Note: You Dirty 'ole Cat!

We had beans-rice soup & olive oil-bread.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:48 AM

I abhor what David Duke says and stands for

but I think he's a nice guy who's done great work for Southern Racists...Wow, I guess this doesn't sound the same from a White person...

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:48 AM

Sometimes it's better not to read

To GoodCelery!, Mr. James:

Bucky1 blames you because you went. Judged on the basis of his comments here, he lacks the moral authority to blame you or anyone else.

You went. Like Bucky1, I didn't go, but unlike him, I don't blame you; not then, not now, not ever.

I think that needs to be said, and I'm happy to be the one to say it.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:51 AM

@Aycharaych

maybe nobody brought up the prison issue because this thread isn't really about whether or not - or in what way - there's racism in America, but about Obama's speech and the "controversy" of his association with the good reverend. The fact that you think any discussion that touches on race in any way absolutely must include rants about unequal justice in our prison system - and you get mad if it doesn't - is a good example, I think, of what Obama means when he talks about unconstructive racial dialogue.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:51 AM

ondelette. One more for a rainy day.

She said, "O I love You."

So I said, "You must be crazy?"

Her lush pink lips drive me crazy!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 07:52 AM

Just as the vets at the American Legion

do not wish to speak of why they are burying their dead brothers in arms..

Because they know deep down that it is their own fault for ignoring Twain's War Prayer.

So too do liberals not wish to discuss the drug war, because they know deep down it is their own fault for ignoring the very clear lessons of alcohol prohibition.

Everyone knows the lessons of alcohol prohibition, all you have to do is advocate for making alcohol illegal and they will be falling all over themselves to scream them in your face.

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