The Atlantic - Latest Comments in Dumberr

Re: Dumberr

JMS — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:09:32 -0000

Dennis Kucinich would be a better model for what excites the left wing base, I think. Not saying that Howard Dean would be a good choice to RUN for president, so I'm with you there. However, I still think he'd be a great choice to BE president, even if he'd have trouble getting there. I don't think he'd govern to the Democratic "base" the way we'd expect someone like Palin to act toward the Republican base.

Or maybe I just still have fond memories of 2003, but yet don't have much use for Dennis Kucinich.

Re: Dumberr

Sarah in PA — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:39:46 -0000

This post hits the mark for me, and firms up why I am allowing myself to yell at the TV when I see and hear boldfaced lying but why I'm not worried. With McCain's pick of Palin for VP he has certainly energized his base, but I don't see how he can win with just that base. Both candidates need the independant vote this year, it's crucial. I didn't see anything in last night's speeches that was meant to reach out to the independant voter who is likely sick to death of the partisan crap that's plagued this country for the last 8 years.

Re: Dumberr

Beth in VA — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:22:23 -0000

I have to think after tonight that Palin is exciting the left-wing base just as much as she is the right-wing base.

Corny as it sounds, I was really hoping that Obama's sense of decency, dignity and class would spill over onto the right-wing, but they'll have none of it, apparently.

Re: Dumberr

GKM — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:43:48 -0000

You're not alone, br. My love affair with Obama's cheekbones was waning over FISA, until McCain put that creationist whack job on the ticket. Now it's all about getting Barack elected. My car magnet is in the mail. This is war.

Re: Dumberr

ae — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:22:22 -0000

"Obama hasn't confused his base for the country."

You are a very smart man.

Obama should use that in a speech.

Re: Dumberr

JT (Chicago) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:12:20 -0000

Great analysis Chris.

While I know agentzero makes a great point that hasn't been proven wrong yet, so many of our elections are based upon emotional appeals rather than rational arguments. This makes me think that Palin is the booby trap well placed by the RNC.

Re: Dumberr

elhondo — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:09:09 -0000

In '04, that excited republican base re-elected George Bush and Darth-friggin-Vader.

I'd start to take this a little more seriously. Maybe realize that some of these Atlantic readers lean conservative and are open to honest discussion.

Vitriol is going to have people flocking to Palin in the states that matter.

Re: Dumberr

Adam — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:43:28 -0000

Would I want Dean running for either position? Absolutely. You realize the netroots were heavily Dean supporters (and they're a noticable percentage of your blog commenters) who feel he got absurdly railroaded out of the '04 primaries.

Personally, Dean was one of the candidates I would have been incredibly happy with for vp, along with Gore and Schweitzer. Whether that would helped in the election, I don't know. I guess such people are sufficiently confident that a generic Democrat ticket would win in this environment.

Re: Dumberr

Ta-Nehisi Coates — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:45:37 -0000

I agree whole-heartedly, Joel. But would you want him running for president right now? Or VP?

Re: Dumberr

Joel W — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:38:54 -0000

What's your point on Howard Dean? He's been a great leader of the party. He was right on Iraq when no Dems were. He was a very successful governor. He's a great, normal guy.

Re: Dumberr

JonF — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:16:36 -0000

Re: in 2004, the get out the vote strategy aimed at the Republican base & orchestrated by Karl Rove was effective and successful.

Maybe it was, but the GOP base is still only about 30% of the electorate and even Karl Rove, evil genius that he is, can't repeal the laws of arithmetic-- 30% is NOT a mjority! Bush won reelection in 2004 not because of the GOP base, but because he managed to entice enough independents to his side, mainly by a lot of flag waving over the WOT and some whining about gay marriage. To the extent Karl Rove tried to play to the base, he may actually have cost Bush votes by turning off more of the centrist voters. Recall that Reagan in 1984 won a landslide reelection not by campaigning to his base, but by appealing to the whole broad electorate, while the awful base-pandering at the 1992 GOP convention was one of several factors that cost Bush the Elder public support.

Re: Dumberr

Asher — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:06:01 -0000

So what? You can't win without an excited base. You guys have one; we didn't, or at least we didn't until last week.

Re: Dumberr

JK — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:05:36 -0000

Brilliant posting by John Ridley on Huffington Post

"Your Pocket Guide to Speaking Palin-guage (Vol. 1)"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-ridley/your-pocket-guide-to-spea_b_123606.html

Re: Dumberr

AlexG — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:55:19 -0000

Remember, we have to fear the unstoppable Republican Base. They are apparently the kingmakers in this country.

Re: Dumberr

agentzero — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:46:03 -0000

JJR,

The following watchword has not steered me wrong yet: Relax, BHO *really* knows what he's doing.

Re: Dumberr

Guest — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:42:36 -0000

Guys, she's not dropping out. I don't care what comes out at this point. Ain't happening. More likely, she delivers a crowd/base pleasing speech tonight which will give the conservative chattering class more ammunition for the Sarah's the "greatest threat to liberals and that's why they're attacking her" meme. Meanwhile, they'll continue to pump this fake populism angle to the general electorate, hoping that the facade holds up long enough (two months to be exact) for a left leaning commentator to make a sexist gaffe that sticks, diverting the debate away from the issues. After all, everybody likes a reformer. Everybody roots for the underdog getting picked on. Not everybody roots for banning books, unrestricted access to guns, putting a town of 7,000 in $20million in debt, banning abortion even in the case of rape and incest, etc. et al.

Again, the more this whole debacle calms down a bit, the better it is for Obama. The only way McCain wins is if Palin continues to be measured against this strawman liberal media vs. the hockey mom meme. In that world, it doesn't matter what she does or does not know, what qualifications she does or does not have...she wins just by being there.

Re: Dumberr

br — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:41:23 -0000

And what I think what the media narrative is missing big time is the amount that this energizes Obama's base without Obama doing anything! I never thought I'd say it, but I think this ticket is more terrifying than Bush-Cheney. And I am going to do everything in my power to stop them from winning this time, and I don't think I'm alone.

Re: Dumberr

jay — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:29:56 -0000

Barack Obama is better standard-bearer

Now my comrade, pass Stoli

Re: Dumberr

JJR — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:23:27 -0000

in 2004, the get out the vote strategy aimed at the Republican base & orchestrated by Karl Rove was effective and successful.

I hope the Obama camp doesn't do what the Hillary camp did vis-à-vis Obama, ie underestimate the opponent.

Re: Dumberr

JK — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:17:36 -0000

Peggy Noonan Goes Off Script: Calls Palin Pick BS

http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs/index.php/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-goes-off-script-calls-palin-pick-bullshit

A shoutout to Peggy Noonan for speaking the truth. Noonan is a former speechwriter for Ronald Reagan. Maybe her comments will start a chain reaction among top Republicans causing Palin to get dumped from the ticket and throwing McCain's campaign into chaos.

Re: Dumberr

Freddie — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:07:28 -0000

Right. There's so much crowing over this from the right, but who is she going to attract that wouldn't vote for McCain who wouldn't have voted for him anyways? Contrary to popular belief, Obama does not have a women's vote problem. In fact, he is in a dominant position with women. And women tend not to vote for women just because they're women. It's kind of an insulting notion.

Re: Dumberr

MoeLarryAndJesus — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:07:08 -0000

The Republican base always seems to be excited by small-minded bigots. And this one is a creationist!