I'm sorry. Obama is the furthest-left candidate you will be allowed to have.

[Jackpine Radical]

Dammit, I've told you this before. Why do you keep forgetting?

If you try to run an actual progressive, the media will take them out of the race with derision, and manufactured negatives, e.g. by hanging a "serial liar (invented the Internet)" label on them, or with a fake "scream," or by portraying them as delusional garden gnomes, or with Swiftboat attacks. If it looks like that isn't working, there is always the RFK option.

And, once elected, they had best stay on the leash. Remember JFK? He was under control via old Joe until the old man had his stroke, and then Jack started fiddling with the Vietnam and Cuba scripts. You know the rest.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. It must be frustrating for anybody who decides to run for president

I guess Tony Blair was modeled too.

[treestar]

2. When it comes to the American M$M, Obama is a miracle

When they started on the Ayers and Wright BS, I knew that they had nothing on him. If that was the best they could do - association with others.

[cornermouse]

3. "Allowed to have?... Allowed to have?"

Tell me. What country am I in? Is this still the U.S.?

[The_Commonist]

8. You don't believe you live in an actual democracy...

Do you?

[cornermouse]

13. If I was the only person who thought so, you might have a point.

But since I'm not, you don't.

[Popular Front]

4. Obama was the most liberal member of the Senate

And he is representing US.

[rurallib]

9. Obama was the most liberal member of the Senate?? hahahahaha

where did you get that shit?
ETA - just joined today?

[Popular Front]

10. National Journal

http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/voteratings/

[rurallib]

12. after reading that article, I doubt I would put much stock in

what they say.
Are they like NPR? Living on their reputation?

[blm]

16. the votes selected by NJ are deliberately chosen to skew perception....Schneider is a RW shill and

always has been.

Anyone who even paid HALF attention over the years saw Obama for who he is - a MODERATE leaning somewhat left.

[cornermouse]

17. National Journal

Division of Atlantic Media, owned by David G. Bradley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_G._Bradley

"David G. Bradley (born 1953<1> in Washington, D.C.<2>) is the owner of the Atlantic Media Company, which publishes several prominent news magazines and services including The Atlantic Monthly, National Journal, The Hotline and Government Executive. Prior to his career as a publisher, Bradley founded the Advisory Board Company and Corporate Executive Board, two Washington-based consulting companies...
...In 1997, Bradley made his first acquisition as a publisher, purchasing the National Journal. He hired Michael Kelly, a well-known journalist who had just been fired from The New Republic after frequently clashing with owner Martin Peretz. Kelly was known for his controversial criticisms of Al Gore and Bill Clinton, but he got along well with Bradley...
...Politically, Bradley considers himself a centrist<1>, although he has also described himself as "a neocon guy" who was "dead certain about the rightness" of invading Iraq<6>. In the 2008 U.S. presidential primaries he has donated $4,300 to Hillary Clinton and $2,300 each to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.<6>
----------------------------
On the other hand, the list of contributors isn't what you would expect but overall since the magazine is aimed at D.C. insiders, I don't think I'd take anything I saw there as very relevant to the majority of Americans...

[blm]

11. Where did you come up with that load of BS? Obama's 3yr record as Senator was moderate

leaning somewhat left.

Nowhere NEAR the most liberal.

[asdjrocky]

15. Okay, if you believe that, then you are delusional.

Where did you read that, National Review? Guess who they called the most liberal member of the Senate in 2004? Yup, Kerry.

Funny, ain't it. You can poll every Duer here, and I bet you won't find 10 that would agree with your statement.

This is too much.

[Donnachaidh]

19. bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!

Obama a liberal??? Please share whatever it is you are smoking.... :eyes: :rofl:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

24. Now there's a RW talking point you can hang your hat on

[Clio the Leo]

5. It seems to be a pretty basic concept to me.

But I'm no ideologue.

[abelenkpe]

6. Disagree

The country has been swinging to the right for my entire lifetime, the pendulum has only begun to swing back to the left. It will get better. Don't despair. :)

[jaksavage]

7. I said during the primary

Obama and Clinton will play ball with the power elite.
That is why they are at the top of the heap.
Clinton had a history of play and Obama
got "visited" with the ultimatum. Play or die.
Remember Wellstone.

[Butch350]

14. Hello, it's called _POLITICS_it favors no one!

[NashVegas]

18. I Believe This Is True - BUT

At some point I stopped caring. We need to have a plan to put into place, a viable alternative, when the shit hits the fans.

[natrat]

20. yea but this guy is so far to the right he can't even see the left anymore

[VMI Dem]

21. A right leaning centrist is the furthest left we can have?

Uh oh.

[newtothegame]

22. Disagree. Obama is the furthest-left candidate we WANTED to have.

Because we cared more about historic t-shirts and collector's plates than progressive legislation.

[cornermouse]

23. Speak for yourself, McGurk.

[paulsby]

25. are you implying

by your invented the internet thang, that ALGORE was a PROGRESSIVE? that's laughable. he's certainly moved to the left SINCE he was an actual candidate, but he was NOT a progressive when he ran. not even close. and let's not forget he chose lieberman as a running mate.

i'm not sure your point about RFK either. i don't consider a guy who uses wiretaps like his own personal plaything to qualify either.

[JVS]

26. Not good enough

[TheKentuckian]

27. A pretty hard OP to argue, in my opinion.

I've long been convinced that we as a society have to pretty much unfailingly select the most left candidates we can to slowly nudge this thing back towards the tracks. If we have to pick "Nixon" over "Reagan" then damn it we better go Nixon every time. One day they can no longer roll out a "Reagan" and the "Nixon" becomes the right and say a "Clinton" is the new left then we always take the "Clinton" no matter what until they take down the "Nixon" and the "Clinton" become right and so on and so on, aka a generational effort and exactly what they did to us by slowly moving the entire spectrum to the right.