Was tonight's victory HOPE IN ACTION??

[polichick]

Hope can be a pretty empty word, a word often associated with wishing ~ but I think what we saw in SC was truly hope in action. It was a moral victory against what people think of as dirty status quo politics.

I haven't been easy on Obama (or Edwards and Clinton either, at various times) but if people continue to put action behind words like "hope" and "unity" (a word that has really bugged me), there is a good chance that we could win a huge electoral AND moral victory over Republicans in November.

My husband and I have been supporting Edwards, but after tonight it's clear to us that he simply does not capture the imagination of enough voters. We're on board with Obama ~ inspirational rhetoric and all!

[mth44sc]

1. If Obama can pull it off

we are talking about a sea change in American politics...

[avaistheone1]

8. What change would that be?

Do you expect the Republicans to roll over if Obama comes to power?

Why would they do that? Either we are going to be in more gridlock if Obama wins, or Obama will kowtow to the republicans.

All Obama has is happy talk - that is not a sea change. That is just a bunch of noise.

[polichick]

10. Republicans have a lot of Congressional seats up for grabs...

It the Obama phenomenon helps us take most of those seats, gridlock will loosen up considerably.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. When people express reservations about Barack's ability to get things done

I point to his campaign as a perfect example of what he can accomplish. He is giving the uber-frontrunner a serious challenge, and he did it by building an organization from the ground up.

[avaistheone1]

11. Building an organization if one thing.

However, winning the presidency - and being an effective president is another.

[cooolandrew]

22. Exactly he is hugely underestimated and I suppose in some ways it's worked hugely to his advantage.

[swoop]

3. I don't think it would be a 'moral' victory over the Republicans.

The ones I know--and from all I've ever read and seen this whole election cycle--leads me to believe they have no objection whatsoever to a black man becoming President. They might want their man to win--but it's on ideological grounds--not moral ones. They have overcome THAT barrier themselves.

[polichick]

6. I was referring to their dirty tricks...

If Obama can beat the Clintons' game, maybe he can beat the Republicans' game.

[swoop]

12. Well, they haven't done any dirty tricks--yet. n/t

[polichick]

14. They'll make the big dog look like a pussycat...

If Obama can stay positive and let surrogates do the heavy lifting, he could beat them in more ways than one.

[AndyA]

4. No, tonight's "victory" was sheeple doing what the corporate powers that be want them to do.

Part of the trouble Edwards has sparking imagination in some is his lack of coverage. Do you really think that if Edwards had equal time in the media people wouldn't respond to him?

His donations are growing. He's brought in more in the first 25 days of this month than he did in the 4th quarter in 2007.

Support for Edwards is growing. Do not let 5 states and the corporate media elect your next President. Vote for the candidate you believe is best to fix our problems as a nation.

Inspirational rhetoric will not beat the GOP machine in the general election. John Edwards is the only Dem candidate that consistently beats all Republicans in the general. And this is based on multiple polls from multiple sources going back over six months, the most recent one in South Carolina tonight.

[Skidmore]

17. Sheeple, eh? Straight from the RW lexicon.

[AndyA]

23. The term fits.

The corporate media are just thrilled with how cooperative everyone is being. Yes indeed, things are going just as they planned.

[silverweb]

5. Yes it was!

And there is nothing empty about words that galvanize people and inspire action!

Welcome to Team Obama!


GObama! _YES, WE CAN!_

[avaistheone1]

9. Galvanizing people and inspiring to action - not necessarily good.

Some people were galvanized and inspired to action by Jim Jones.

Some people were galvanized and inspired to action by Joe McCarthy.

Some people were galvanized and inspired to action by....you get the drift - the cult of personality is pretty empty.

I am not buying the Obama type. I'm not going for the sizzle. I want to see the steak.

[efilon]

13. Exactly

All sizzle, no steak.... I went to Obama's site again tonite to see what all the fuss is about. I didn't see much that I thought would help this country a whole lot.
I caucused in Iowa...the Obama crowd was more than half college students. Lots of noise and hype, but when I asked what his ideas were and if they had a synopsis of his stand on issues. All I heard was he's great,no literature,just Hope and Unity and Change.

I've been HOPING for 8 years that things would get better and if I remember correctly, GW ran on unity and change. Look where that got us. I truly hope if Obama becomes the candidate he will be able to change some things.

I'm just sick with worry that all this HOPE and UNITY is going to backfire on us and we will end up with another 4 to 8 years of Repub rule. :scared:

[polichick]

15. "worry that all this HOPE and UNITY is going to backfire"

That's one reason I've been supporting Edwards ~ but now that it looks (to me at least) that he doesn't have enough support to get people to the polls and win big, I'd rather give Obama the benefit of the doubt than accept the ugly side of the Clintons that we've been seeing.

As far as the college kids go ~ I'm thrilled that Barack moves them. I know a group of kids who voted for the first time for Kerry, and were devastated when Republicans were able to steal the election again. I want to see them empowered instead of cynical and disconnected. I'm not keen on uniting with Republicans, but I sure want to see blacks and whites, rich and poor, baby boomers, their parents and their children unite to take this country back.

[JanusAscending]

7. I think you might say that!!

Welcome aboard "the love train" ( sorry , I just couldn't resist that, I'm sure you'll all forgive me) :pals: :rofl: but I'm just GIDDY tonight !! What with the great win, ( I'm really, really sorry that Edwards didn't get many more votes than Hillary!)also with Caroline's endorsement coming tomorrow, and then his victory speech.....I just can't contain myself!!! Welcome aboard, we need all of you to win this!!

[cooolandrew]

18. " Peole all over the world join hands..."

[cooolandrew]

16. Politics can be done practically which goes so far but bein inspired can move the world forward to .

... a better place.

[babsbunny]

19. Stupidity in action

The people I know, and there are not that many, say they will simply not vote, or vote Republican. ME? I'll vote for the Dem who is nominated, knowing what the Repubs are capable of.

[cooolandrew]

20. Turnout was high it's going our way every Demcrat can celebrate that. Barack inspiration 4new voters

[jackson_dem]

21. Obama has run an ugly campaign. So has Hillary. It was a loss for clean politics

The guy who ran clean in South Carolina finished third.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

24. How did he run an ugly campaign?

As an American abroad, I've been looking at the various websites about the campaigns and I've yet to see a news report about Obama smearing either candidate. It seems to me that Hillary is doing that on her own. Robocalls against Edwards in SC and bringing up race whenever she talks about Obama.

I am deeply disappointed with the Clintons at the moment. All respect I had for Bill has gone out of the window because of the way he's campaigning for Hillary.

[polichick]

25. Bill Clinton's behavior lately has been eerily reminiscent...

...of the finger-wagging scolding in his past ~ but have those robocalls been tracked back to the Clinton campaign too??