I honestly cannot comphrehend why any Edwards supporters can support Obama.

[saracat]

He supports corporatism, and doesn't support universal health care. Why would Edwards or any of his supporters endorse Obama after knowing he voted for this? This is from the man who "guaranteed corportions and health care a seat at the table " in Iowa. John said they should "never be given a seat at the table because they eat all the food." John vowed to fight them hard and Barack said we would bargain with them.How could two candidates be more different?

On February 10, 2005, Obama voted in favor of the passage of the misnamed Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 which seriously hampers the rights of ordinary citizens to challenge corporations. Senators Biden, Boxer, Byrd, Clinton, Corzine, Durbin, Feingold, Kerry Leah, Reid and 16 other democrats voted against it.

So did 14 state attorneys general, including Lisa Madigan of Obama’s home state of Illinois. She called it a “corporate giveaway.” The Senate also received a desperate plea from more than 40 civil rights and labor organizations, including the NAACP, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Human Rights Campaign, American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Justice and Democracy, Legal Momentum (formerly NOW Legal Defense Fund) and Alliance for Justice. SOURCE

They wrote:

“Under the Act citizens are denied the right to use their own state courts to bring class actions against corporations that violate state wage and hour and state civil rights laws, even where that corporation has hundreds of employees in that state. Moving these state law cases into federal court will delay and likely deny justice for working men and women and victims of discrimination. The federal courts are already overburdened. Additionally, federal courts are less likely to certify classes or provide relief for violations of state law”

The bill which will seriously impair labor, consumer and civil rights involved five years of pressure from 100 corporations, 475 lobbyists, and tens of millions of corporate dollars to buy influence. It also involved the active participation of the Wall Street firms now funding the Obama campaign. The Civil Justice Reform Group, a business alliance comprising general counsels from Fortune 100 firms, was instrumental in drafting the class action bill, according to Public Citizen which also said in a 2003 report that Mayer-Brown partners and employees gave close to $100,000 <$92,817> to the Obama campaign by December 31, 2007. Mayer-Brown, hired by the US Chamber of Commerce, spent $16 million in 2003 lobbying the government on class action reform.”

[Seabiscuit]

1. Neither can I. They couldn't be more unalike.

Maybe it's from sheer exhaustion from this crazy primary season - and they're so desperate for a "feel good" message that they've become vulnerable to thinking with their emotions instead of their brains. At least that I could understand. Beyond that I can't imagine any truly rational reason for it. Certain not where policy issues are concerned.

[chimpymustgo]

2. I was very impressed by Obama's speech Tuesday. Almost got on board. Then

after you think about it, you realize he didn't address the issue of his continued attendance at the church - which is his business - but he never explained that, or the lies he told about it.

I was really turned off by the Richardson endorsement. Not just the utter backstabbing of the Clintons, but his criticism of Hillary's campaign, and the implicit call for her to drop out. I've always been a little uncertain of Richardson - he frequently said goofy things in the debates, and seems like a bit of a meathead. But I have no respect for him now.

I am left with an uneasiness about Obama. He has run a brilliant, but ruthless, dirty campaign. And he has been openly cheered by the media. To see Keith reduced to crazy rantings is frightening indeed.

And his supporters are maniacal. They are so utterly hateful on this board - how can anyone become a part of that? I recently got into a rather heated argument with a (real world) friend of mine who supports Obama. To not be on board, is to wear a scarlet lettter - I will carefully limit any discussion of my reservations in the future.

I have asked it before, and I'll ask it again: what comes over people when they are hit by the bam! Do they lose their ability to think critically - to see straight?

What the hell is going on here?

[Seabiscuit]

3. Imagine how Obama would carry on as President:

Cover his ass constantly with misleading "feel good" speeches while continuing to avoid dealing with the real problems?

That speech will someday go down in history as Obama's "Checkers Speech".

[bpeale]

6. as has been said before about Richardson

<<I was really turned off by the Richardson endorsement. Not just the utter backstabbing of the Clintons, but his criticism of Hillary's campaign, and the implicit call for her to drop out. I've always been a little uncertain of Richardson - he frequently said goofy things in the debates, and seems like a bit of a meathead. But I have no respect for him now.>>

Richardson is for Richardson. first he was our governor, then he was a candidate, then he was our governor again, now he's pandering for a job elsewhere while stabbing a longtime friend (Clinton) in the back in the process. all i can say is WTF????? he could only get ONE PERSON to caucus for him in Iowa, hispanics didn't vote for him because they don't perceive him as hispanic ... and this translates how to a win for Obama? i don't get it. Even Diane Denish, our Lt. Governor is distancing herself from him so what does that say about him? i no longer trust Richardson, and have zero respect for him now. it was Obama who brought up the race thing, not Clinton. but Clinton is right about one thing. Obama is no longer electible (if he ever was).

[Andrea]

7. You know, I don't get Richardson

He seems to be a paradox. How can he have so much diplomatic success on one hand, and then say and do such clumsy things on the other? Like that debate comment about being gay being a choice? That was just an incredibly stupid thing to say, especially at the gay debate. He's said other such things, too. And yet, he has had real success diplomatically - like with getting the soldiers' bodies back.

Since you clearly know much more about him than me, I'd be interested to know your thoughts about this.

Thanks.

[MissDeeds]

4. I cannot understand why an Edwards supporter

would endorse either one of the two remaining "Dem" candidates. Neither are worthy of the nomination, and are in fact pathetic representatives of this party. Their preference for name calling and attacking the other instead of addressing the dire needs of this country have left me disillusioned, disheartened, and disgusted. Neither is worthy of an endorsement by John Edwards or his supporters. :thumbsdown:

[Andrea]

5. I agree with you completely

that's why I'm working to help get the Draft Gore movement going again. He's the only chance left for a candidate I can get on board with. A Gore/Edwards ticket would be heaven. A Gore/anyone ticket would be pretty damn good. I cannot get behind Obama or Clinton. I obviously can't get behind McCain. It looks like for me it's either Gore or Canada.

[spooky3]

8. So much of Obama's platform seems "borrowed" from Edwards.

Even the "hope" campaign them is recycled from Edwards circa 2003.

That is what made me suspicious of him initially.

Clinton, in contrast, has a bit more of a history of her own work on health care, child care, etc.

I feel that politics is a messy business that requires compromise in order to succeed, and requires very careful awareness of when one must avoid letting the perfect stop the good, vs. when one is about to cross over a line that must not be crossed. So the best we can hope for is a somewhat "clean" candidate. Therefore, I could understand why Edwards would get behind either Clinton or Obama (and I will support either of them in general election, though I am increasingly angry about the sexist and unequal treatment of Clinton by the media and other parties throughout this campaign). But I am happy John has stayed out thus far. I am glad that he, unlike many other politicians, is fortunate to have earned enough wealth so that he does not need a job in any future administration and can decide on the basis of what would best advance the causes that matter most to him, or where he can do the most good, rather than who throws him the biggest bone or some other less lofty motivation.

[Two Americas]

9. "he's better than McCain"

As always, we are down to "at least they are better than the Republicans."

Of course, that is effective for each little person to make up their own little mind - then after that I guess we are all supposed to just believe very, very hard and chant in unison some mindless slogan.

"They are better than Republicans" is completely useless in the general. But who cares? Each little individual person must discover "their own truth" and believe very hard in it. The goal is for each person to be "right" in a very narrow self-centered and self-righteous way and expreeeeeess themselves.

Being "right" is the consolation prize in politics. The right wing ruthlessly and relentlessly goes for results, we go for being "right." We can see where this all leads when we look at the Obama supporters.

If the Obama phenomenon leads people to question the way we have been approaching politics - as a matter of personalized pseudo-spiritual "belief systems" and "personal choice" and "personal truth" - that will be a very good thing.

The personalized individual choice approach to politics - ironically - leads to less true individualism and sets the stage for cult behavior and thinking, and cult behavior and thinking among the public is the primary requirement for fascism and tyranny to arise.

"We are all true to our own personal belief systems - together! As one! All identical! Burn the heretics! Chant with me now, and hope...."

Now, close your eyes, and tap your toes together three times and say "they are better than Republicans, they are better than Republicans, they are better than Republicans, they are better than Republicans..."

"If I only had a brain...."