Comments on: Historiann’s greatest hits: don’t drink the Kool-Aid edition.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:39:45 +0000

Hi Amity–I’m sorry that Obama has been a disappointment. Can I say, like Bill Clinton, “I feel your pain!” And I hope you conquer the hangover soon.

Obama’s not a hypocrite, at least not by pol standards. He’s just a pol–that’s what they do, so don’t get too angry or down on yourself. It’s like being angry with a cat for licking hir butt–that’s just what cats do. A lot. So, remember: try not to kiss pols or cats on the lips, or share a popsicle with them.

By: Amity

Amity — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:36:07 +0000

I’m ashamed to say I count myself as one of many who did indeed drink Obama’s Kool-Aid and found that it was spiked with Adderall and Prozac. Let me tell you, the hangover’s a real bitch.

But I do hope that some of your astute observations about the “nature of the game” in U.S. politics help to quell some of the Barack backlash:

“Politicians are not causes–they are a means to better ends, not the ends in themselves.

…Organizing and effective advocacy of issues–and making politicians understand that they will pay a price if they don’t toe the line–is the only way to go.”

–I don’t think many of us punch-drunks firmly believed Obama would singlehandedly change the elections process and transcend the politics of appeasing values voters, but it truly is sad for me to see the hypocrisy of this man shine through.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:43:09 +0000

Well–they denied the reality of his moderate record during the primary, so of course many will insist against all evidence that he’ll become suddenly Progressive Man when he’s installed. Sad!

By: SF

SF — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:26:09 +0000

Yes, I do remember this conversation, and I also remember commenting that Obama is not a panacea. Now I’m hearing from Obama-ites that he will not be this conservative once he gets into office. A little back-peddling?

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:39:14 +0000

Hi hysperia–yeah, the third-party thing is a no-go here, because of our winner-take-all system. Organizing and effective advocacy of issues–and making politicians understand that they will pay a price if they don’t toe the line–is the only way to go. Don’t trust politicians to do the right thing–MAKE them do the right thing!

And Rad–you’re mistaken. WE’RE the People’s Front of Judea, and the bad guys are the Judean People’s Front! We drink Vitamin Water, not that inferior hummingbird food called Kool-Aid.

By: Rad readr

Rad readr — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:31:32 +0000

I’m glad you have finally found the enemy — the People’s Front of Judea!!!

By: hysperia

hysperia — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:42:44 +0000

Sorry for spelling errors - I’ll just go to bed now!

By: hysperia

hysperia — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:41:16 +0000

Hi Ann. Like you I put my precition about Obama to page quite awhie ago, just so I’d have an historical record of my intelligence! Big ha ha. But I find myself curiously disappointed and peeved with the guy. Some people are saying, Hilary would have done it too”. I don’t care whether that’s right or wrong because Hillary’s not in it anymore so Obama has to take the heat.

Since not one American I’ve yet spoken to will give the creation of a “Third Party” a moment’s notice, the only thing “we” can hope now, it seems, is that the flocks of disappointed people can push Obama to move back towards the centre (I just can’t call that the place where he is now). It’s too bad about all the disappointment, but perhaps it will get big enough and loud enough to make him and those running his campaign that he’s not going to pick up centre-right constituencies and, at the same time, he’s gonna lose the voters he thought he had in the bag.

The worrying thing, to me, is that there are Obama supporters who are managing to fool themselves into thinking that what Obama’s doing now is just political positioning and he’ll “do the right thing” when (if) he becomes President. That can only be the result of drinking WAY too much Kool Aid.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:50:25 +0000

(Spit take)

Ha! Good one, Indyanna! I had to wipe the remains of my Quebec Libre off of my computer screen. That sure would be convenient, wouldn’t it, if McCain would just drop out? Does he hate America or something, expecting us to go through the ordeal of an actual general election?

By: Indyanna

Indyanna — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:47:56 +0000

The Aussies are having great fun with this, that is, when they aren’t scratching their heads nervously and rounding up Yanks to ask what’s up. But I heard he already had an “insurmountable” (100 delegate) lead back in late February, and I figured this was good through the general election too. What’s to worry? Did I get the wrong memo? The other guy should just drop out!