My first presidential election vote was in 1980.  That was 28 years ago and this is the first time in all that stretch that I really feel like we actually have some kind of chance to see what a truly liberal agenda will look like in action.

The only question will be whether Obama, if elected, will go in that direction with the vigor we are hoping for.  It is really uncharted territory in my lifetime.

"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity"

Liberals maxed out on Kerry.  There is a hard-core bunch of wack libs who will vote only for Kucinich, Nader or others.  That's the 15 %.  Kerry got the rest, and so does Obama.

It's a ceiling effect.

It's not that I'm not excited; it's not that I'm a dead-ender; it's not that I need to loosen up.

I remember 2004, as Philadelphia literally erupted with joy on election day because it looked like Kerry was goign to pull it off.  I remember a whole crew of door-knockers like me, literally dancing down Broad Street.  And then Ohio hit like a texas-sized cocaine-and-bourbon hangover.

So while I am really excited, I'm tempering any exuberance until the election is over and Obama is in office.  I may even wait until January, when the lame-schmuck adminsitration slinks out the door.

So by all means, be excited, but let's not celebrate until this thing is won.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

Right on. Stop the hand wringing. Even the Drudge, the assignment editor, is hopping on board. He has put up his assignment for the next few days- editors and lazy journalists will take their cue. Landslide like Reagan citing the unreliable Zogby. I see an agenda to get us complacent.  But

I wanna encourage

Shop On, Sarah Palin, Shop On baby.

as per (Hilzoy) It's good for up end retail sales and a few more moderate pissed-off Republican votes being directed our way. Average 'hard working, small town, rural, pro-Americans' can't shop at Saks, Atelier or Neiman Marcus...not even for a pair of socks or half a pair.

That's quite some week McPalin is having, huh?

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

Well, I'm as liberal as they come. I supported Kucinich in the primaries because none of the front runners were too moderate for my tastes. The primaries are over. Do I still wish Obama was more progressive? Yup. Do I get that none of the issues I care about -- health care, security, the economy, the environment and LGBT economy -- will fare well under a McCain/Palin administration? (Or a Palin/whoever-she-would-pick-as-veep administration?) Yup. My decision is to support Obama for election, and once he's elected join what I hope will be thousands of other progressive activists in pushing an Obama administration and a majority Democratic congress to take more progressive positions. That, to me, is when the real work begins.

Terrance Heath
Washington, DC
www.republicoft.com

Liberal dead ender is apparently the new purity troll.  Maybe you need to add to the title, BooMan.

Fear will keep the local systems in line. -Grand Moff Tarkin -SLB-

This is one dead ender that is suspicious of Obama.  I will join you briefly in celebration as America demonstrates not all is lost and that we have enough good sense to reject the ugly politics of modern conservatism--at least for now.  I will be very happy John McCain is not President.

But I am not foolish enough to think that Obama shares my liberal agenda.   In fact, he seems somewhat hostile to it.  

Obama, the man, was able to overcome the hatred from the Right.  Just as Bill Clinton, the man, was able to vanquish the conservatives.  It drives conservatives crazy and I look forward to Obama driving them crazy just like Bill did.  But Clinton and Obama are unique examples.  They used their unique personalities to win.  They didn't win by running on liberal ideas.  They ran away from as many liberal ideas as the party would let them.  That's their whole strategy.  Like Clinton, Obama may win the public's support during his presidency, but at a cost of jettisoning his liberal brethren and liberal agenda.  I remember Clinton more for beating back the insane politics of destruction from the Right than I remember him for his policy achievements.  

My problem is that Obama is a conservative Democrat.  He is more likely to reach out to the right wing than he is to reach out to liberals.  Will he put a real liberal on his cabinet?  I bet he is more likely to put a right-winger on his cabinet than a liberal.  Name me one bone Obama has thrown liberals.  I can name you a bunch of punches to the nose he's given liberals.  All he does is ask us to support him as he votes against our interest with a wink and a nod that he's on our side, for reals.  

Why should liberals be excited over the policy issues? Will Obama compromise with Republicans on Social Security?  Will he fight for the middle class and reform bankruptcy and ensure corporations honor their pension promises?  Will he give more "stimulus" to banks so that they are able to lend to us consumers again (at interest of course)?  Will he remedy and punish the illegal actions of the Bush administration?  How many more wars will he start?  On almost all of these issues Obama disagrees with liberals and is closer to the Republican position.  

Plus, I fear and expect the right to return.  Their tactics have been wildly successful for almost 4 decades and I'm not yet ready to consign them to history's dustbin.  They are setting up the myth that the election was stolen and that the blacks are ruining the economy for real Americans like Joe the Plumber (see e.g., http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/18/164724/48/474/633127 ).

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on.

15% for McCain and 13% for Bush in 2004?

No, those aren't liberals. Those are Republicans who don't want to identify as conservatives. If they were liberals, it would be 15% for Kucinich.

Stomach. Still. In. Knots.

OK, I admit it. And I am ashamed. But I am scared that maybe enough white folks will say, I'm about to vote for who? Hell no. Can't do it. coupled with a healthy fear of challenging enough votes on bogus charges to steer the outcome.

I know. It's not rational. Polling is better than it was 20 years ago. The statewide races in Texas, Tennessee and Massachusetts (Kirk, Ford, Patrick) were all accurate to what was predicted. The registration numbers are way up; the under-35 numbers are up. Lines are long, and people are voting early. People are telling me they voted early. Tens of thousands attend his rallies and volunteer; millions have donated.

Maybe it's because it's because we have so much riding on this, and we've been so close before. I feel like we're on the cusp of finally, FINALLY ending this conservative nightmare. The world is watching is watching--they're tired of catching hell, too.

Please don't think I'm a bad person. I really am ashamed to admit this. I want to believe this is happening but the nervousness is never far behind.

I won't believe it until they declare it for him.

Presumptuous is the new uppity.

Isn't 2% (15% - 13%) within the MoE?

The Underground Railroad