To those that favored Obama over Edwards or Kucinich: Are you surprised?

[Smith_3]

That is what I wonder. I see alot of threads here about Obamas FISA vote. During the hot phase of the primaries though, as if Obama had very strong support here on DU. I cannot say that I am particularly surprised about the vote. I'll vote for Obama of course, but I am surprised that people who favored Obama over Edwards or Kucinich are surprised.

[cyclezealot]

1. Too many people think speeches have meaning.

Making a pretty speech is the least important criteria when choosing a candidate. From the beginning Obama has sounded like a pied piper. Many are not impressed. We don't need pretty speeches, we need sound policies. Yes, with the McCain - Gramm alliance we are all on the same page. But, not all of us have to like it. From the beginning, we did not particularly like Obama's domestic advisor's. That is the best clue to see if those who make nice speeches will be a triangulator. How much of a traingulator Obama will be, time will tell.

[Selatius]

2. I favored Kucinich and then switched to Edwards as the compromise, but...

Edwards was largely ignored by the media and eventually dropped out. After that, I sort of sat on the sidelines and watched Hillary and Obama duke it out.

[cyclezealot]

3. Ever since Kucinich was forced out by the media

we have been so bored with the debates, we rarely watched one. Of course one interesting aspect of watching the media's ridicilious debates, to see if the angry crowd will form a lynch mob with the likes of ABC's, Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos.

[Rageneau]

4. If Hillary were still in the race, Obama would have voted differently on FISA.

There is NO way that BO would have voted for FISA if he was still competing with Hillary for the nomination.

He would have voted the most politically advantageous way -- he would have voted against FISA.

But now that Hillary is gone, BO still votes the most politically advantageous way -- by voting FOR it.

This is the kind of CHANGE we can count on?

[bowens43]

5. Yes, but I still prefer him to Edwards and Kucinich.

[NNN0LHI]

6. That makes two of us

Add Hillary to that list too.

The best candidate won the primary. There is no doubt about that.

[Bob Dobbs]

9. "The best candidate won the primary."

But not the best politician or leader.

Kucinich is still the only one of the bunch doing the right thing all the time.

[Bandit]

10. Well that is only your opinion and you know what they say about opinions..

:shrug: I happen to have a different one..

[NNN0LHI]

11. So the guy who couldn't get enough votes from Dems was the best guy to be our nominee?

Yea if someone wanted another Republican president to replace Bush that would certainly be the case.

Don

[mdmc]

7. I was a DK fan, but I doubt you beat Clinton without being charming

I only supported Obama cause it looked like he had a shot of beating Clinton. And he did.

[mmonk]

8. I'm one of those that moved to Obama after

Kucinich and I'm not surprised. Disappointed, yes, but I know there is something wrong with a large amount of the elected Democrats. I still support Obama for president but have no illusions.

[Clark2008]

12. Edwards would have done the same and more.

Sure, Edwards TALKED like a populist, but his DLC membership (when he was in the Senate) and his voting history proved he was far more right-of-center than Obama is - even as Obama is moving toward the center.

Please, can we stop rewriting Edwards' history? He was not, is not and never will be a real populist. He is a centrist, Southern politician.

[liskddksil]

17. Edwards has learned from his mistakes

The progressive and anticorporatist policies he ran on in 2008, which I would argue were other than Kucinich the most liberal, was a clear move to the left. He has said repeatedly that he ran that campaign from his heart, not the advice of bad DLC strategists who had talked him into voting for the war in Iraq. In fact he lambasted Senator Clinton's campaign, after the Kyle / Lieberman vote, for campaign advisors saying she was moving into "general election mode." Edwards responded by saying we should have tell the truth all the time mode. I do not believe Edwards would have strategically moved after winning the nomination like Obama has been perceived to do.

[Javaman]

13. Please post in the correct forum. This should be in GD:P. nt

[exothermic]

14. Well, Obama's no Miller or Lieberman but then he's fer sure no Wellstone or Kucinich either.

:shrug:

[LWolf]

15. I never moved to Obama. And I'm not surprised. n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. Kucinich...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Fireweed247]

18. Unfortunately Kucinich cannot run a campaign, Obama is better organized

He knows how to play the game, and quite frankly it is a miracle that anyone could overcome the Clinton machine. It was pretty obvious they were stealing the primaries, every time there was an electronic vote the numbers seemed to be reversed...

Kucinich was my choice, but as his biggest supporter and someone who did everything possible to help with the campaign...he has been a big disappointment. He is a horrible manager when it comes to his campaign, so unfortunately I do not think he would do well as president, as much as that saddens me.

My hope now is that Obama is just playing the game, and that he will support the will of the people when we get him in office. The only way he will get in office is if we stop allowing the corporate media to use us to manufacture the reality that McInsane even has a chance.

We need to FOCUS our efforts on DU. Imagine Obama (and those cute little girls) in the White House, now imagine McCain...inviting Bush and Cheney to dinners at the White House, shoving it in our faces that they evil ones are still controlling our Country....

What is equally important right now as getting Obama in the White House, is electing a new Congress that will defend and protect the Constitution. WE have(had) coequal branches of government for a reason.

[SidneyCarton]

19. Nope

He ran as a centrist, I accept him as a centrist.