OCCOM BILL wrote:
Rox, while sitting around a campfire, smoking a fat one and listening to some perennial college student sing and strum his guitar; it's all fine and good to suggest that Democrats should embrace their liberal roots, stop being Bush-lite on terror and preach make love not war. In reality, to have any effect at all, their going to have to reach the voting public and neither Pelosi nor Murtha are reasonable liaisons to do so. My vested interest in attempting to talk you out of such desires is in the fact that I too would like to see a move to the left, just not as far to the left as you (not by a long shot
). Feel free to disagree; but don't mistake my assertions as anything but what I consider to be constructive criticism to be addressed to the mutual benefit of us all.
Murtha was considered a rare breed, leftwing hawk in some quarters, until his relatively recent public revolt against the present administration's handling of Iraq. To say, even tongue-in-cheek, that bringing Murtha along as a part of a Democratic bid for power is akin to musing around a campfire while sharing a blunt is at the least a stretch.
The Democrats will need to take a chance. They will not excite any substantial enough numbers to win elections by hedging their bets. They will need to sound off like they have a pair. That's why Gore's speeches that leave no doubt about what he thinks of Bush's "betrayal" cause such a stir. That's why Edward's brave apology for his vote on the Iraq war meets with much approval. That's why I don't think Murtha as speaker is such a hippy-dippy idea.
While it is interesting to read everyone's guesses about what Obama would have to do and be in order to win, I think one thing is sure. The Democrats no longer have the luxury of being as wishy-washy, and boldness will be necessary. Risks will have to be taken, but isn't part of what makes Obama so exciting as a candidate is the audacious "damn! he might actually try it!!" aspect of the thing? The popularity of Obama as evidenced in this thread arises largely from his persona as independent and progressive thinker; bold and unaffected doer.
I say all that to say, call it "too far to the left" or "reefer madness" as you will, but there will need to be considerable risk taken in order to achieve the kind of power move that I'd like to see.
