We did not choose wisely

[FiveGoodMen]

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/05/28-2

Obama: 'I Believe in American Exceptionalism with Every Fiber of My Being'

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. "Patriotism is the most foolish of passions and the passion of fools." Schopenhauer

[Whisp]

5. For starters it would be great to have a Congress that walks upright.

How do you expect to get to a borderless world when they don't approve of food for children and health benefits for women?

Just too much

[Whisp]

2. He's the President, for gawd's sake.

He is boss of this great big company and he's proud of the company and the people he works with and the ones he serves.

What would you expect him so say? What a Dump? Anything less would make him a Traitor in the RW and Libertarian and etc., eyes, for gawd's sake, and just to score points against him.

Truly unbelievable.

[WinkyDink]

11. THIS IS NOT A COMPANY!!!! We are CITIZENS, AND HE IS NOT OUR BOSS! God, I hate that

asinine and destructive "analogy".

[Whisp]

22. do you really believe that a President is going to diss his own country?

Dissing congress, Senate or ministries and hearings, etc., okay, he has lots of material for that and has used it - but to Diss the American People, that is what you are asking.

That's insane.

But thanks for the CAPS, I was falling asleep

[tkmorris]

47. Not believing in American Exceptionalism isn't "dissing" anyone

Claiming that you do however is dissing every other nation on Earth. Yeah I'd kind of expect a president not to do that.

[Whisp]

63. well I expect a President to do that, or at least not be surprised.

Is there a good example from the past you can fill me in - where the Pres at one time or other declared America is not that special snowflake in all the world we were all led to believe from forever, and tell me how that worked out for him?

Look, I don't believe in it - the exceptionalism, but I can easily understand that the leader of a country would talk it up like that.

[RobinA]

114. Really...

It's kinda what he's hired to say. In the eyes of most people, anyway. I'm not into exceptionalism either, but the President is a symbol above all. A leader isn't going to be much of a leader if his approach is, "Here's my team. It's sort of crappy, but we try real hard."

[Whisp]

115. Thanks for that. I thought I was at Discussionist by error. :)

[WinkyDink]

84. No, but his added "every fiber of my being" is creepy-treacly-hyperbolic.

[woo me with science]

97. [phone]

But how revealing it is of those who use it.


.

[sabrina 1]

18. This is a democracy until there is some official declaration that it is not. Until then we expect

elected officials to speak like elected officials of a democracy, NOT as the bosses of some 'great big company'.

[abakan]

36. I think we call it a democracy.....

It talks the talk......It does not walk the walk....anytime you have gerrymandering to the extent we have now...Democracy means nothing, does nothing, is nothing.

[Uncle Joe]

55. We're a nation not a company or corporation, if we were a corporation

a President could fire the people he/she deems unworthy, ie: the weak, elderly, sick, the mentally challenged, etc. etc. as a nation we're all in this together for better or worse.

Considering our shrinking planet as the human population continues to grow, as transportation and communication become ever more efficient, as war becomes ever more costly as nations become more interdependent via trade, as humanity has an ever increasing impact on the Earth's environment, I would prefer a President to speak toward a broader vision of human exceptionalism.

Perhaps that kind of vision or statement is a bit much to ask but I believe it could/would go a long way towards enhancing diplomacy which in turn greases the wheels for progress on all those other critical issues which I listed.

There is nothing wrong with taking some measure of pride in our nation but pride tends to seperate not unite and in the 21st century, the nations of the world need to be united more than ever.

[Whisp]

65. an organization, whether a government, corporation or the Toastmasters Club

same diff as in the spokesperson for the group usually speaks well of the group and it's members in public.

[woo me with science]

91. "great big company"

Well, *that* was revealing.

[TransitJohn]

92. How about honesty and thoughfulness? Too much to ask?

[Whisp]

94. Obama is thoughtless and dishonest?

Yeh, I know.
The RW keeps saying that too.

[TransitJohn]

99. Well, if he's honest about believing in American Exceptionalism whole-heartedly, he's a conservative

As for being thoughtful, sometimes, but his thoughts tend to favor Wall Street, the MIC, and the 1%. The RW should love this guy, buy all rights. It's only American stupidity, couplet with media disinformation narrative framing turning our politics into rah-rah sports fandom, that makes the RW oppose him. Tell me more.

[Whisp]

101. You spell funny

As for being thoughtful, sometimes, but his thoughts tend to favor Wall Street, the MIC, and the 1%. The RW should love this guy, buy all rights. It's only American stupidity, couplet with media disinformation narrative framing turning our politics into rah-rah sports fandom, that makes the RW oppose him. Tell me more.

[TransitJohn]

102. Obviously, then, you win.

[Whisp]

107. Obviously, than, I do.

[el_bryanto]

3. How much political damage do you think Obama would take or have taken if he didn't claim a belief

in American Exceptionalism?

I think also you need to define what he means by that vs. what our republican friends mean by that term. I still like Al Franken's discussion of it - Republicans see America as a child sees it's mother and can't acknowledge the slightest criticism - while Democrats see America as an adult and want it to not only succeed but to do good, to be good.

Bryant

[liberal_at_heart]

6. That's the problem. He tries to please everybody all the time. You can't please the 1% and the 99%

at the same time. You either chose one or the other. As far as I can tell Obama has chosen to please the 1%.

[el_bryanto]

8. That might well be true but that's another discussion

How many of the 99% would support him if he came out and said "America is just like all the other nations and arguably worse than most?"

Bryant

[liberal_at_heart]

15. I believe they would applaud his honesty. You think the 99% doesn't know that their school system

sucks? That their paychecks suck? That their health care system sucks? That their infrastructure sucks? That their retirement packages suck? That their grocery bill sucks? That their heating bill sucks? That their gasoline bill sucks? That the median CEO salary is now $10 million while their paychecks are a few lousy hundred dollars? You think the 99% doesn't know that things suck right now? Why do you think so many don't vote? It's because they know the truth of their existence and no empty promises from well paid politicians living in the bubble of DC are really going to change their day to day existence.

[el_bryanto]

21. He's speaking at West Point - I guess I just assume that the context of those comments will be

him talking about our foreign policy and our military. I don't know that that's an ideal forum to discuss economic issues. I do wish he had done more - I'm cognizant of how difficult it would be to get anything done with this congress - but I wish he had fought for more.

Bryant

[liberal_at_heart]

24. whomever the audience, American exceptionalism is the kind of egotistical, arrogant

attitude that we need to be getting rid of not reinforcing. We as a nation need to learn how to be part of the world, not dominate it.

[el_bryanto]

27. Well that assumes that his view of American Exceptionalism is that we should dominate the world

I don't think that it necessarily is. While I haven't seen the changes I wanted in Iraq and Afghanistan, in other ways, the Obama administration has been a sharp turn from what we saw under the Bush years.

Bryant

[liberal_at_heart]

34. the word exceptional is arrogant. We need to be part of the world, not above it. I don't think we

know what it means to be part of the world. It's not a part we are used to playing. We are used to being the arrogant, dominant "exceptional" nation. But whether we acknowledge it or not we are not that exceptional anymore. We do not invest in our people or our country and it shows. We are in self denial about being "exceptional."

[el_bryanto]

35. If you were at a neighborhood block party and you heard a father say "I'm proud of my exceptional

family" would you automatically assume that meant he thought that his family was better than anybody else?

Bryant

[liberal_at_heart]

37. yes I would.

[el_bryanto]

38. Fair enough then. I'll just say that I look at things differently. nt

[Art_from_Ark]

83. I might be inclined to say

"Exceptional at *what*?"

[mike_c]

44. the term "American exceptionalism" means exactly that...

It does not mean "an exceptional family." It means "rules are for everyone else, we're an exception." It means "there's one standard of behavior for everyone else, and another for Americans." It's disingenuous to suggest that it's benign national pride. American exceptionalism is the doctrine that drone strikes are predicated upon. It's the philosophical underpinning of America's appropriation of much of the worlds resources, and our misuse of the planet-- particularly those parts where other people live-- for personal and corporate profit. It's the central basis for the "ugly American." Economic hit men are products of American exceptionalism. It's also the reason our main export is violence and oppression.

We are not an exceptional family. We're an exception to the rules that govern fair and decent international conduct.

[brewens]

33. Kind of like that opening scene rant for the News Room episode #1.

We suck and not just a little bit. I can handle the truth and think a lot more could as well. maybe not enough though. Look at what happened to President Carter.

[liberal_at_heart]

39. You're probably right about that. Most people like to think of themselves as middle class when

they are not. Denial is a powerful coping mechanism.

[Jamastiene]

79. +1000000

[treestar]

20. Then why does the 99% elect him President twice?

[tech3149]

43. Because they are sold a story

Face it, politics in our country is just a matter of selling a story to the most people that will tug on some emotional trigger to get votes. The "candidates" are rarely those that we would choose to represent us. They are chosen for us and we have a choice between two that are "acceptable" to the powers that really control things.
I read an interview with an emigrant from Soviet Russia years ago and she was so surprised that we didn't realize the level of propaganda we were exposed to from our media. This was back in the 80's! Can you understand how much worse it has gotten since then?

The most exceptional things about the US are out total lack of understanding of the world around us, our history(real history not the lies my teacher told me), and our ability to justify screwing over the rest of the world for our own interest, assuming you're a multi-million dollar corporation.

[treestar]

81. So you are insulting the voters by saying they are morons

They can be controlled with propaganda. So then why doesn't the left become competitive with the propaganda?

[tech3149]

85. I'm not insulting the voters, I'm just stating facts

There have been numerous studies to show the effect of PR/propaganda. It doesn't matter your level of intelligence, as measured by current standards, we are all affected by it. Other studies that show that decisions in elections are driven more by emotion than rational thought.

PR/propaganda works! That is why companies spend so much on advertising that really doesn't tell you anything about the product as try and instill a warm and fuzzy feeling about it.

I don't know why the "left" doesn't use the tools available. If I were to guess, I'd say the "left" want's to present it's ideas and policies in a more honest and direct manner.

[bvar22]

57. Then why does the 99% elect him President twice?

Its called Forced Choice,
and ALL the good con men know it.

[Rex]

105. Because he is NOT George Bush and never will be.

Also, I would expect ALL POTUSes to say that...even the 'every fiber in my being' part. It goes with the office imo.

[Lee-Lee]

7. While I agree

It's disappointing that the best we can do is hope he isn't being 100% open with us for political expediency.

[el_bryanto]

12. What does American Exceptionalism mean, though? I know it's a dog-whistle for Republicans to say

"All the other nations of the earth suck." But does it mean that to Obama? He's not a citizen of the world; he's the President of the United States.

Bryant

[TransitJohn]

93. Now's the time for POTUS to show some political bravery, for once.

What does he have to lose?

[Warpy]

4. His isolation from us is now complete

The inner circle is now bankers and generals.

[stevenleser]

9. Every head of state says their country is the best and is special. That's not the point.

The point is, do their policies suggest to other countries that we have the right to do things and break international law because we are special.

I would argue that Obama has not had an "American Exceptionalism" based foreign policy.

[Adrahil]

96. This guy ^^^^ gets it. NT

[Blue_Tires]

10. It's West Point?

Was anyone expecting the generic touchy-feely peacenik speech for that audience?

[Autumn]

13. I really don't believe we get to choose. We vote for whom we are given.

[Jamastiene]

80. We are presented with a list of candidates

that TPTB have chosen for us. We don't really get to chose. No matter which one we pick, the country continues down the same path it was going to go down anyhow. We'll just hear different ideologies expressed merely for show to shut us up for that four years. Rinse, repeat.

[blue neen]

14. That's a mighty big responsibility you're taking there...

in speaking for everyone.

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Are you taking issue with 'we' or with 'choose wisely'?

[Skidmore]

17. Well, freaking go back and get me some Mitt.

Cause I want Mitt. NOW, dammit, he's sooooo much better....



Keeerist! Gag!

[tkmorris]

50. I think Big Macs kinda suck

That doesn't mean I think the McRib is an awesome sandwich.

[MineralMan]

19. Speak for yourself, please.

You do not represent me. Speak for whom you do represent, which is yourself.

We elected President Obama in 2008 and re-elected him in 2012. If the election was tomorrow, we'd elect him again. You may feel as though the voters chose poorly. However, they chose.

Unless you have an organization that agrees with you, you are speaking for yourself. The word "I" is appropriate. The word "We" is not.

Sorry.

[ucrdem]

25. I'm sure president Palin would be making us very proud.

McCain I'd expect to have lasted 4 months.

[MineralMan]

26. Indeed. And then there was Rmoney.

I think we chose rather well both times, frankly.

[ucrdem]

32. I'd say so.

We should at least give ourselves credit for that much.

[ucrdem]

23. Who are these people tweeting, and why?

Note to Medea: Obama has not invaded any foreign country with the possible exception of Syria and that was a UK op that we reluctantly backed.

[MineralMan]

29. Uncommon Dreams.

Uncommon people. Uncommon ideas.

[ucrdem]

31. They're tweeting the author?

Personally I find these twitter convos about as newsworthy as a 2-rec Lounge thread.

[villager]

28. We didn't, but that's been apparent for awhile, alas

n/t

[bigtree]

30. I know President Romney certainly thinks so.

[AverageJoe90]

49. This. Times a million. nt

[Brigid]

40. I am not sure how Obama was defining "American Exceptionalism . . ."

But I do know that we are facing extremely serious problems with our infrastructure, educational system, health care system, income inequality, stagnant wages, and in a myriad of other areas -- with very little progress being made in any of them, ACA notwithstanding. I still vividly remember Ted Kennedy, a year or two before he died, on "The Daily Show" saying, "We used to be able to get things done in this country. What happened?" That question should not be asked in an "exceptional country." Maybe we started out that way, and maybe we were that way for a while, but no more.

[GeorgeGist]

41. Balderdash with every fiber of my being.

[Drunken Irishman]

42. Says who?

You?

Well fuck. I didn't know you spoke for all of us!

[MohRokTah]

45. JESUS CHRIST ON A POGO STICK!

Words fail me, so take this as my response:

[whatchamacallit]

46. Fuck American Exceptionalism!

It's turned us into Exceptional Assholes.

[Ikonoklast]

59. "Us"? If you feel someone else can turn you into an asshole, well...okay.

Doesn't work that way for me.


Of course, I'm smart enough to realize I can only speak for myself.

[whatchamacallit]

60. "Us" as in what we collectively, as a nation, manifest in the the world

What were you saying about smart?...

[Ikonoklast]

73. Travel outside this country.

No one hates America more than some Americans.

[whatchamacallit]

75. I travel outside the US frequently

and there's a spectrum of opinion. Everything from admiration to downright hate. Usually following a curve of invasion and exploitation.

[bvar22]

61. Yes.

It IS impossible to turn you into an asshole,
just as it is impossible to turn a Black Pot into a Black Pot.

[Ikonoklast]

72. Good thing I'm not a Black Pot, then.

What else you got?

[KamaAina]

48. So do I.

But what I mean by "American exceptionalism" is different. It boils my red, white and blue blood every time I see us ranked 24th or whatever in education, or 1st in incarceration.

[quinnox]

51. Huge K&R. Yes, it has been clear for a very long time that we made a mistake in the 2008 primaries

when choosing between Hillary C. And B. Obama.

Thanks for saying the truth!

[Skidmore]

52. ....

[quinnox]

56. Shocking I know, not everyone thinks Obama's presidency has been the "most progressive in history"

and that Hillary Clinton would have been a better pick. Heresy!

[Skidmore]

62. She's still not at the top of my list on the next go.

Waiting to see what that primary/caucus season brings. Right now, I am more concerned with getting Braley in Harkin's seat and a liberal in Braley's. Bigger fish to fry.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

53. Strange thing to say for a Kenyan...

[pinto]

54. The one line quote in context -

I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being. But what makes us exceptional is not our ability to flout international norms and the rule of law; it’s our willingness to affirm them through our actions. That’s why I will continue to push to close GTMO – because American values and legal traditions don’t permit the indefinite detention of people beyond our borders. That’s why we are putting in place new restrictions on how America collects and uses intelligence – because we will have fewer partners and be less effective if a perception takes hold that we are conducting surveillance against ordinary citizens. America does not simply stand for stability, or the absence of conflict, no matter what the price; we stand for the more lasting peace that can only come through opportunity and freedom for people everywhere.

Which brings me to the fourth and final element of American leadership: our willingness to act on behalf of human dignity. America’s support for democracy and human rights goes beyond idealism – it’s a matter of national security. Democracies are our closest friends, and are far less likely to go to war. Free and open economies perform better, and become markets for our goods. Respect for human rights is an antidote to instability, and the grievances that fuel violence and terror.

[Spider Jerusalem]

88. So is he planning to ratify the Kyoto treaty anytime soon, then?

Or the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court?

[pinto]

90. I have no info on his plans.

[Spider Jerusalem]

110. If the answer to those questions is "no"...

then that context is as much meaningless drivel as the bit about "American exceptionalism".

[pinto]

116. I think you ought to direct your questions to the Administration, directly.

I don't have the answers to your queries. Sorry.

[greatauntoftriplets]

113. Makes all the difference, doesn't it?

[SidDithers]

58. He's no Rand Paul, right Medea?...nt

Sid

[Union Scribe]

64. Just curious

How do you feel about the attitude of American exceptionalism?

[bhikkhu]

66. "just as I suspect the Brits belive in British exceptionalism..." a snipped quote is often misleadin

“I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism,"

and then more in closing: "We have a core set of values that are enshrined in our Constitution, in our body of law, in our democratic practices, in our belief in free speech and equality, that, though imperfect, are exceptional.... I see no contradiction between believing that America has a continued extraordinary role in leading the world towards peace and prosperity and recognizing that leadership is incumbent, depends on, our ability to create partnerships because we can't solve these problems alone."

Its not a bad statement, and I think we chose very wisely. Needless to say, the above quote most often inflames repugs who see it a statement of how Obama doesn't really believe in American exceptionalism. I wonder what it feels like to make well-crafted and balanced statements, and have bits pulled out for excoriation on both sides.

Do people really care what he really thinks and says, or he just a convenient target for "the outrage of the day", something to get one's blood pumping?

[Swede Atlanta]

67. I doubt he really believes that.......

but it was a required sound byte.

There is NO American exceptionalism. We are not special. We were not chosen by God. She doesn't love us more than any other nation. No God isn't letting hurricanes and tornados and 9/11 happen because she is unhappy with us.

We are a very blessed nation in terms of having much of a continent full of resources. But is was a continent we stole from the peoples who were already here. What kind of "exceptionalism" is that? Any sense of "exceptionalism" has, from the nation's start been won at the end of a gun. Oh there have been the fringe benefits of things like the Peace Corps, foreign aid, etc. but any stature we have had has been the result of outright brutal militarism.

I don't know who coined it but they said the 20th century was the American Century much like the 19th Century was the British Century. While the U.S. and will continue to play an important role in the world if for no other reason than our size and population, the torch will be passed to another nation or nations. I'm betting on the 21st century to belong to China. .

And in time they will pass from fame and it will pass to another. India?

This is how it has gone on for thousands of years. We had the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the British, the Americans, etc. Each one of these predominant powers has faded away from pre-eminence. The same is going to happen with this country.

[Rowdyboy]

68. I knew exactly who I was voting for-a centrist Democrat. He never claimed to be a progressive icon

That people convinced themselves otherwise says more about them than about him.

[FiveGoodMen]

69. Would you have liked to vote for a progressive (if the Dems had backed one)?

[Rowdyboy]

70. I've voted for every Democratic nominee since 1976....I'd love a chance to vote for a Democratic

progressive. Sadly, I rarely have that chance. Voted for Fred Harris in the 1976 primary. Supported Mondale in 1984. Wanted Mario Cuomo (a far better man than his son) in 1988 and 1992. All out for Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004. I liked Edwards a lot until his true character was revealed in 2008.

I have no problem voting for progressives-they just don't get nominated often and when they do they tend to lose. In 2016 I'd love to see Sherrod Brown or Elizabeth Warren run but neither will so I guess it'll be the same old story. And I'll vote for the nominee, not expecting a damn thing more than I eventually get.

With the supreme court in the balance to do otherwise would be unthinkable.

[bvar22]

74. I disagree.

Obama ran as a Populist Anti-Centrist, Anti-Hillary.

He made at least one public proclamation that he was unaffiliated with the Centrist DLC,
and made them remove any reference to his name.

While he was able to remain artfully ambiguous most of the time,
he DID make several indisputable Populist Promises.

*He promised to "immediately" re-negotiate NAFTA to protect American Jobs.

*He promised to make EFCA "The LAW of the LAND".

*He promised to Raise Taxes on the RICH.

*He promised to remove or raise the CAP on Social Security deductions
to protect Social Security

*He promised to "Hold Wall Street Accountable".

*He promised a National Public Option "To Keep them Honest".

*He promised to have our food LABELED with Country of Origin
and GMO contents because "Americans have a right to know what they are eating."

ALL of the above are well, WELL Left of the "Centrist" position of the current Democratic Party,
and except for some weak theater around the Public Option,
none were mentioned again by President Obama after his Inauguration.

So saying he ran as a "Centrist", while it is repeated often,
just isn't true.

[Rowdyboy]

78. I pay very little attention to what any contemporary politician says or promises.

After Mondale was crucified for saying taxes had to be raised to balance the budget most office seekers learned to hedge, equivocate, and generally slime themselves around any issue. You usually know they're lying when their lips are moving.

I looked at his record in the Illinois legislature and noted how he voted and with whom he allied himself. Then a closer look at his "friends" in the US senate-he partnered with Dick Lugar, John McCain and Tom Coburn. He was generally considered by most liberal interest groups to be one of the least liberal Democratic senators.

Couple that with his relentless "outreach" to unified Republican animosity and you have a recipe for exactly what we got-6 years of centrism. Disagree all you like-you choose to give far more value to his words while I followed his actual voting record and relationships. You turned him into the candidate you wanted-I accepted him for the compromise he was. I've been disappointed by his time in office but not surprised. He is what he is, and that a damn sight better than anyone else on my ballot in 2008 and 2012.

[bvar22]

86. No.

Last edited Thu May 29, 2014, 01:54 PM - Edit history (2)

In Post #68, you said:
"He never claimed to be a progressive icon."
During Campaign 2008, Obama did indeed claim to be at least an Economic Populist Icon,
and I supplied the evidence.


I guess if you never listen to their words,
you must have missed that part.
Thats OK. We all make mistakes.

[Rowdyboy]

87. Oh, I've made plenty of political mistakes in the past but believing campaign promises is not one

of them-at least not in many years. And I'll admit Obama can give a killer speech-at the convention in 2004 he had me in tears. He said all the right things but his record and political history did little to suggest (to me anyway) that he intended to follow through. When he didn't I was disappointed but not surprised. And he has done many, many things I'm happy with.

What I didn't miss was his emphasis on bi-partisanship and reaching out to Republicans. I heard it and disliked it and he did exactly what he said he would-over and over and over to the point of ridiculousness.

I can't speak for you personally but many voters did project their desires into Obama the candidate-it happens every election. I prefer to look at what they've done in the past to get an idea of what to expect in the future.

[bvar22]

95. So you ARE admitting..

...that Candidate Obama did INDEED claim to be something of a Progressive Icon during Campaign 2008.
Whether you believe him is not the issue.
Thank You.

[Rowdyboy]

112. If my stating the obvious (that Obama campaigned as a "real" Democrat) makes you happy....

then be happy. So did John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Mike Dukakis, Walter Mondale, Jimmy Carter and every nominee back to FDR in 1932. And I fully expect every Democratic nominee for the next 50 years will do the same. That's how Democrats campaign-that Obama campaigned on those issues shouldn't surprise anyone who knows any political history. And how did Carter and Clinton govern? You can only be burned so many times before you start filtering put the noise of the campaign and looking to the actual record. Carter, Clinton and Obama all gave ample evidence of what to expect under their administrations-moderate centrism.

Of course whether one believes everything a candidate says is the issue. Its the difference in words, which mean very little and deeds, which mean everything.

[woo me with science]

104. Thank you for not tolerating revision of history.

[Throd]

71. Damn him! Why didn't he give 'em the full Chomsky!

He should have droned on about Guatemala and the the 1910 Fruitgum Company.

[m-lekktor]

76. we don't have much choice when it comes time to vote.

it ends up being, "at least he isn't McCain/Romney/Palin/RonPaul " etc.

[FiveGoodMen]

77. I know.

But we've really got to do better in the primaries.

[MineralMan]

109. So, I take it that you will be working in the primaries

for this mid-term election. And then, you'll be working in the primaries in 2016. I do that, too. In fact, I start working to help choose candidates long before those primary elections. We have the caucus system here in Minnesota, and starting in February every two years, we work on finding and endorsing candidates in the primaries, which are held in August.

Each election year, I get to talk to everyone running as a Democrat (DFL) in my state and national districts and in statewide elections. They come to the caucuses. They come to the district conventions. I ask them questions. I state my preferences for action. Then, I work hard for the ones I like best among those who put their names forward.

You want to do better in the primaries? That's good. Go do that. Let us know what you're up to. That will help stimulate others to act and engage in election activism.

Tell us what you're up to and how it's working out. What are you doing to change things in your own districts? What will you be doing this year and in 2016 to help us have better candidates to vote for?

In case you think it doesn't matter, go look at who's in office in Minnesota's 4th Congressional District, and in the 67th Minnesota State Senate District and in Minnesota's legislative district 67A. My input into our US Senate elections is less important, since it's a statewide election, but I did help Al Franken's campaign, and will be doing so again this year.

What are you doing, exactly, aside from posting on DU, to help in the primaries?

[PowerToThePeople]

82. where's my f'n pony!

Seriously.

Can I please get the chance to vote for someone who is NOT a fascist?

Lesser of two fascists is bs.

[warrior1]

89. You don't speak for me.

[Liberal Veteran]

98. Obama: The sky is blue.

His detractors: Ridiculous! The sky is azure! We should have voted for someone else!

[struggle4progress]

100. From the speech:

... At least since George Washington served as Commander-in-Chief, there have been those who warned against foreign entanglements that do not touch directly on our security or economic well-being ... A different view, from interventionists on the left and right, says we ignore these conflicts at our own peril ... Each side can point to history to support its claims. But I believe neither view fully speaks to the demands of this moment ... I believe we have a real stake – an abiding self-interest – in making sure our children grow up in a world where school-girls are not kidnapped; where individuals aren’t slaughtered because of tribe or faith or political beliefs. I believe that a world of greater freedom and tolerance is not only a moral imperative – it also helps keep us safe. But to say that we have an interest in pursuing peace and freedom beyond our borders is not to say that every problem has a military solution. Since World War II, some of our most costly mistakes came not from our restraint, but from our willingness to rush into military adventures – without thinking through the consequences; without building international support and legitimacy for our action, or leveling with the American people about the sacrifice required ... I would betray my duty to you, and to the country we love, if I sent you into harm’s way simply because I saw a problem somewhere in the world that needed fixing, or because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak ...

[Rex]

103. Yes we did, what would you have us do? Vote for McCain or Palin?

We picked the person that would NOT start WWIII! For that we should all be thankful! And I might add, I believe ALL POTUSes would say exactly what Obama said.

[Demo_Chris]

106. I am no Obama supporter, but respectfully, this is weak criticism...

First because there is nothing else he can say.

Second, because when people (from all over the world) talk about American exceptionalism the are talking about the IDEAL, the DREAM, the HOPE. It's loving your wife despite her wrinkles and gray hair. You look beyond those surface imperfections, past the creaky joints and the nagging petty irritations, and see only the girl you married. It might not be perfect, life never is, but it's still good.

[FiveGoodMen]

108. I think when people talk American Exceptionalism

it usually amounts to "Such and such an action would be horrifyingly wrong and cruel ... EXCEPT when WE do it."

[Demo_Chris]

111. Of course, and it's the same way with parties and positions, but Obama is speaking to...

The WORLD. And they get it. Really, they do. Perhaps somewhat because they don't live here, but perhaps also because the so often experience the horrifying alternative to this dream. It's a matter of perspective and scale. Like, for example, going to the emergency room with insurance you were only able to purchase thanks to the Obamacare bill you opposed. The hypocrite in that example would be me, in case you were wondering.

Bigger example. Here on DU we rage about Iraq and Bush's illegal war and all that. You practically cannot mention Iraq without also mentioning the hundreds of thousand of civilians maimed and killed, and the total devastation we left behind. It was a complete horror show and all right thinking people know it.

All right thinking people HERE. But the people who aught to be the angriest, the Iraqi people who suffered the most, are not by and large sharpening their knives and masturbating over the thought of dead Americans. It's not that they are a thousand times more compassionate than we are, but that they have a different perspective. Hussein was truly EVIL. That's the part the party loyalists don't get. Bush might be a smirking piece of shit (and I truly think he was) but he can smirk all the way to his grave knowing he at least managed to kill that twisted motherfucker Hussein. The chemo might have been horrid, but the cancer is dead and the Iraqi people can hope for a better tomorrow. That's the dream we forget here.

Anyway, got to go. Have a good one.