Castellanos and Madow agree Americans are too stupid to

[chieftain]

understand an intelligent, coherent and comprehensive answer to questions of national importance.
Alex who put out the ads with the subliminal message that Democrats are rats could be expected to hang on to the theory that the voters don't want want a smart, thoughtful president. I cannot understand why leftists should subscribe to that approach. If true, we lose. Obama didn't run a "selling of the president" campaign, he ought not change his winning style in governing.

[firedupdem]

1. President Obama needs to continue to speak directly to the people

of this country. That is why we elected him. They can keep their sound bites.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. They all said the same about the debates

Until the user polls came back showing Obama wiping the floor with McCain.

These people are living in the past, and in a dream world.

[BlooInBloo]

3. And they're completely correct....

That's not the issue - the issue is how to *respond* to that fact. Option (a) Dumb everything down. Option (b) keep talking intelligently until Americans either catch their illiterate anti-intellectual lazy asses up, or die not trying.

I advocate (b), personally.

[chieftain]

4. And I guess that explains why McCain won.

[BlooInBloo]

5. My thanks for holding yourself up as an example, but really - it's unnecessary.

But I truly appreciate it.

[chieftain]

8. What I believe is both unnecessary and counterproductive

is folks on the left side of the political spectrum disparaging the intelligence of the American people. And I would further suggest that the campaign that Obama ran proves that when given an intelligent alternative, a majority of the electorate responds positively. Over the last few years our citizenry has been bombarded by the propaganda of RW radio, ill-served by the utter failure of the corporate media to accurately report the news and abused by slick multi-million dollar campaigns that substitute distraction for content. Yet when Obama ran a campaign that talked sense to the American people, they responded with a substantial victory. I truly don't appreciate your disdain for the American people in general. As for the personal jab, I gotta tell you it was very weak.

[BlooInBloo]

11. The fact that stupid people don't appreciate being called "stupid"...

is one of the primary means of stupidity's persistence, and hence reproduction.

Fuck THAT.

[Spazito]

6. People rise to meet expectations, imo...

If all you provide is "bumper-sticker sound bites" then that is what is expected but treat people with respect and speak in REAL terms about REAL problems and people will rise to the occasion and understand exactly what is being said. The people did so in the election, are doing so when asked in polls and will continue to do so now that they are being treated with respect.

[zeos3]

7. Holy Crap

I forgot about that ad. Is this why all the right wing douche bags say DemocRAT Party instead of DemocratIC Party? I really hate them. They excel at childish bullying. Sorry if I'm late in realizing this.

[Hansel]

9. Amen. Obama has always spoken to the American people like they are adults.

And the funniest thing. We understood him well enough to elect him president. And to give him a 76% approval rating.

I can't remember one time where Obama dumbed it down for the American people and somehow he seems to be doing just fine.

Personally, I like being spoken to like I'm older than 5.

[Avalux]

10. The American people have been insulted for 8 years. Obama speaks to us -

and he expects us to participate and work with him. He is empowering us to think and it is scaring the shit out of the corporate media.

[chieftain]

12. Your and Hansel's points bring to mind the song Kodachrome.

To paraphrase Paul Simon: When we look back at all the crap shoveled on us by the corporate media, RW talk radio and Fraudulent GOP politicians, it's a wonder we can think at all. Obama is going to elevate the political discourse in this country to a level that the MSM will not be able to ignore and the Republicans and their shills will not be able to match.