Election '08: Primaries

[erdogs]

Are you one of the people that think Bush was right to compare Obama to Nazi appeasers?

[Justadude]

Based on the California Supreme Court's decision overturning a ban on gay marriage in that state, one might expect gay rights to become a front-line issue again in this election.

[runawayjim]

Based on the California Supreme Court's decision overturning a ban on gay marriage in that state, one might expect gay rights to become a front-line issue again in this election.

[Charlotte_native]

Based on the California Supreme Court's decision overturning a ban on gay marriage in that state, one might expect gay rights to become a front-line issue again in this election.

[dxartist]

I feel that Edwards for VP is a remote possibility at best.....running twice in a row for VP seems uncouth to me. John Edwards would seem to have too much class to accept an offer like that anyway.

Richardson would be a great possibility in my humble opinion.

[Gusterfell]

Obama did say that John Edwards was on his short list for vice president.

[monsoon]

Bush got it wrong anyway when attempting to compare Obama's willingness to talk to the Iranians to Nazi appeasement.

This was in obvious reference to the then British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain who went to Europe and made a peace treaty with Hitler to avoid war. Chamberlain is not faulted for talking to Hitler but for rather for appeasing the Nazi's by agreeing to give them 1/2 of Czechoslovakia in return for a promise for peace. To my knowledge nobody in any campaign has said anything about signing a treaty with Iran let alone any treaty that might do anything like this.

As I said earlier, Bush is clueless about history as is his supporters it seems. No wonder we are in so much damned trouble in this world.

[erdogs]

This is nothing more than fake outrage by the Obama campaign. If you ask me, Obama protests too much. I think he did more to hurt his campaign than to help it, as he was the one to link his name to the statement. If I were him and was asked, I would say "I don't know who he was talking about, but it couldn't be me because I have never expoused those views." Instead, a comment that would have gone unnoticed is now the headline.

[monsoon]

.... Instead, a comment that would have gone unnoticed is now the headline.

[vdogg]

This is nothing more than fake outrage by the Obama campaign. If you ask me, Obama protests too much. I think he did more to hurt his campaign than to help it, as he was the one to link his name to the statement. If I were him and was asked, I would say "I don't know who he was talking about, but it couldn't be me because I have never expoused those views." Instead, a comment that would have gone unnoticed is now the headline.

[erdogs]

The comment was all over the news before Obama said anything about it. Thankfully one of the news commentators held a Bush supporter to task this afternoon by asking him exactly what did chamberline do in 1938. He couldn't answer the question. lol

[JerseyBoy]

hillary is now saying it would be a terrible mistake for her supporters to vote for mccain should obama be the nominee. it sounds like she's beginning to realize that she's probably not getting the nomination and she needs to start making amends for the good of the democratic party.

[erdogs]

Fake outrage? So if you were compared to Nazi sympathizers you wouldn't be upset?

[Gusterfell]

Again, he didn't say "Obama", Obama said he was talking about him. They jumped on this to make political points and I believe it will back fire. Show me where Bush called Obama a sympathizer.

[erdogs]

Obama is the only prominent politician, candidate or otherwise, who is publicly pushing for diplomacy with Iran. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who Bush was talking about when comparing diplomacy with Iran to appeasement. If you can't put two and two together to get four, CNN is reporting that White House staffers have said privately that this statement was aimed squarely at Obama.

[Lowerdeck]

I have heard Edwards possibly for Attorney General if Obama gets elected. That would be interesting.

And well, here comes the gay rights issue to the front lines of the political war. It was probably going to come by about August or September anyway, but thank California for giving us a few extra months of insanity. And I'm betting now that gay marriage will be voted down by the CA people in November.

[runawayjim]

I have heard Edwards possibly for Attorney General if Obama gets elected. That would be interesting.

And well, here comes the gay rights issue to the front lines of the political war. It was probably going to come by about August or September anyway, but thank California for giving us a few extra months of insanity. And I'm betting now that gay marriage will be voted down by the CA people in November.

[Justadude]

Let's not forget that the previous go-round with gay marriage started in Massachusetts in May '04, and was a key talking point for the GOP campaign, both officially and in the media. Here we are exactly 4 years later, not much has been said on the issue in the interim, and now the debate is being resurrected again just as it appears we have set our Presidential match-up.

You better believe that this turn of events will favor McCain. He might not personally get too involved with it, but the attack dogs will be out in full force.

[runawayjim]

Let's not forget that the previous go-round with gay marriage started in Massachusetts in May '04, and was a key talking point for the GOP campaign, both officially and in the media. Here we are exactly 4 years later, not much has been said on the issue in the interim, and now the debate is being resurrected again just as it appears we have set our Presidential match-up.

You better believe that this turn of events will favor McCain. He might not personally get too involved with it, but the attack dogs will be out in full force.

[ChiefJoJo]

On Bush's comments... didn't see nor hear them, but is anyone really surprised with what comes out of his mouth anymore? I'm not.

WRT to gay rights, Obama has already said he supports "civil unions," not gay marriage. There is no way in hell he is going to let his campaign be painted into to a corner by the right-wingers on gay rights--no way. It's easier for me not being gay myself, but I agree with Charlotte native, this is 100% a social wedge issue that would drive a stake through the Democrats chances this fall. From the limited amount I know in the subject (correct me if I'm wrong), I believe that civil unions grant nearly all the legal rights of married couples, but without the "marriage" tag that so many hold dear and seek to protect at all costs. Who cares what it's called? Only the most extreme on the left would insist on that, while forgetting that the pusuit of such a cause is politically DOA. Rights under the law are what people want and what they deserve... no need to drive the GOP into a frenzy over semantics.

Democrats need to keep their eyes on the prize this summer/fall.... the economy, Iraq, and healthcare are the winning progressive issues. There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of the public believes that the GOP is not in step on the big issues of the day, and so the Dems simply must remain focused on those issues, as the GOP and 529s try to 'swift boat' Obama with racial smears. If the Democrats frame the election around those three issues, they will win for sure.

[monsoon]

If you don't want to watch the whole thing, I suggest skipping ahead to about 4 minutes. It's scary enough that we have people like this on the airwaves, but this guy used to be a Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles.

Sadder still, are their are people like this that continue to support the idiot that is sitting in the President's office.

[Justadude]

WRT to gay rights, Obama has already said he supports "civil unions," not gay marriage. There is no way in hell he is going to let his campaign be painted into to a corner by the right-wingers on gay rights--no way.

[Charlotte_native]

While I agree with your comments on the subject, I don't think it will be easy for Obama to disentangle from the gay marriage issue. Even though he is pretty close to the middle of the road, it's not easy to communicate that when the other side is constantly wedging it into any social discussion. The GOP machine is going to use it to whip up evangelical support and try to erode Democrat progress in the South. Any time Obama appears to be making progress in Republican territory, this is an issue that they can lean on to solidify their base -- including minority groups like blacks and Hispanics.

The timing of this issue could not be worse, and frankly the GOP would be fools not to turn it into another Wright-style distraction from core issues.

[runawayjim]

I would hope (note i say hope, not believe) that evangelicals and others opposed to Gay Marriage get reminded of what a big issue this was for Republicans in the last couple elections cycles, but how they have done nothing about it once in office. I've heard that evangelicals have lost a good bit of their faith in the GOP for this reason - every election they side up with them on their issues, after every election they are forgotten.

At least I believe that most people are far more worried about pressing problems like inflation, gas prices, 2 wars with no end in sight, and everything else that needs to be addressed. Whether two men or two women want to shack up -- does that really influence the lives of most Americans?

[monsoon]

Would you guys please learn not to quote the entire article previous article in your post. We really don't need to see it again, especially if you are only going to respond with one or two lines.