wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

AWM,
That is probably because you supported him from the beginning and never had anyone question your progressive cred. Just a guess. I'm only encouraged by the symbolism, but I am just as discouraged by the way the Dem party handled this whole thing. If it didn't lock me out of local primaries I would have quit the party a long time ago. They clearly don't really care about someone like me.

Cynicism is healthy, but you and I haven't had the same experience with Obama's run, I've been encouraged by it.

Let's agree to disagree on that.

I think both of the candidates have to appease the most rabid wings of their parties. I also think that when either of them becomes president they will move to the center. I don't see them as ideoolgy whores. That is about the limit of my idealism.

AWM - no need to "educate" me

for those who want a society with a strong, honest, progressive messiah who is never "muzzled" by anyone and will "educate" the idiot masses and where there is universal healthcare, fortunately there is a paradise on earth near the US.

Last I heard though, Americans have not risked their lives by cramming into little boats to sneak into Cuba.

AWM,
I'm not exactly ecstatic about being cynical. I just see a lot of people excusing one candidate for things they excoriate others for doing. I also really resent the "liberal" media, which is what we started out talking about, for pushing this liberal orthodoxy that if you weren't for Obama you were not a progressive, or you were racist or you were rooted in the "old" way of doing things.

He is not that progressive and he is NOT different from the others. If you are looking for different, take a look at McCain. I'm not going there, but that is because "different" is not what is important to me.

mc #26,

A rough ride is inevitable for ANYONE looking for a savior. There are no saviors, especially among politicians. If you make the case for idealism, cynicism from your audience is not far behind, and the choices you make will either encourage or discourage doubt.

In the case of searching for the next president you have to take what you don't like and you do and make your decision. Cynicism is fine but so is a viewpoint that is based in reality. You can’t have it all.

megan #25,

If you can't answer that for yourself you need to find out on your own. I'm not here to educate you on the process of running for president in this country.

megan,
He's no different. Muzzled by fear of not being elected. What a "change."

#25

why can't he say that?

who is stopping him?

AWM,
Then he shouldn't go around trying to sell himself as some kind of "new" politician. It makes people like me even more cynical than we already were. He has plenty that he can use to sell himself. I get very impatient with people who criticize other candidates for pandering but are blind to him doing it. There is nothing wrong with anything he's done, but people who think he's some kind of new savior are in for a very rough ride.

mc #24,

You absolutely should not stop your criticism.
What he has promised puts him under greater scrutiny. But some things, like it or not, are par for the course.

I'm sure he'd like to say "Iran helped us in the early stages of our military operations in Afghanistan, I see that kind of collaboration as an opening to further diplomacy" or “Israel should consider the dismantling of more settlements.”

Maybe he doesn't... but we know he can't.

AWM,
I agree it will be a substantial change (thank God), but I am going to go out on a limb and be totally unorthodox (left media would hate me for it), and say that we will get that regardless. I am also not buying that McCain is Bush III. Not voting for him, but he has a history of bucking his party that Obama does not. Granted McCain has dialed back on a lot of it, but it did happen and he did pay a price.

I have seen no evidence in Obama's campaign of changing from politics as usual. He gets my vote because he is better on the issues. That does not mean I won't criticize him harshly when I think he's being hypocritical.

You should be skeptical, that is part of the process. Without skepticism we’d all be wearing the same outfit.

Unfortunately, certain types of campaign rhetoric from the candidates are necessary parts of the process as well.

We know, unless he’s Limbaugh’s Manchurian candidate, that he will be a substantial change from the last 8 years.

I’ll gladly take that.

We expect a lot from him because he has promised a lot. We would like him to own up to his “change of politics as usual in Washington” pledge.

We’ll see if he can or is willing to, but he’s gotta get there first.

AWM,
Do I want change? Of course I do. I was being sarcastic. I don't buy Obama's change message; he looks no different to me than the rest; just voting the lesser of evils.

We shall see if electing him initiates change. I am deeply skeptical based on the record so far. I hope I am wrong.

hjs,
They were into this lockstep mentality about which candidates were progressive and which were not based on appearances, nothing else. Then they failed to find good sponsers to advertise; some of the advertisers were rather nasty actors in themselves.

#16

Are you sure you want change?

The first step is to look around you and develop a realistic view of how you can initiate that change.

I'm not sure how portraying Obama as a war embracing hypocrite is a good start. It's misguided.

mc
"Air America is a flop because it alienated half its audience and had a sucky business model."

what did they do?

Will,
Watch the "liberal" media carry half the water for the "conservative" media.

Neat trick, huh?

Theoria,
Liberal media=conservative media=all white men.

#14. Right. That's change I can believe in.

Moveon.org is pretty disgusting -- helping to sink Hillary, skeevy bullying tactics at caucuses. The Petraus ad, etc.

if this is the great "blue" media, it's depressing.

#11,

Yes, he should get up and say "war is not the answer, peace on earth" and subsequently watch his chances to become president disappear.

#4,

Why is Moore a charlatan? Explain...

New blue media = All white men?? YEESH.

Re: anti-war Obama - he's beginning to show his true colors now, to wit: recent comments about Jerusalem and Iran.

They're not "moderate." They're not even progressive. They don't want facts to confuse them.

phil donahue on MSNBC got ratings and was fired.

Ed Schultz is a left blowhard. We should lock him up in a room with Rush.

Yes they are imitating them.

Air America is a flop because it alienated half its audience and had a sucky business model.

Poulo, Thank you.

'liberal' is really 'moderate'. lots of people are more liberal than what liberal media is.

PLEASE don't associate Jon Stewart with the charlatan Michael Moore and the stident hardliners like MoveOn.Org.

You know why "style" makes a difference? Because when you're satirical, it means you take things seriously but not TOO seriously.

I agree about Jon Stewart but disagree about Keith, Ed Schultz, Randi, Maureen Dowd, and many others.

The label of "liberal" has been arbitrarily attached to anything that is not conservative.

The Reagan fetish and W's administration show us what a collection of disingenuous clowns conservatives are.

Jon Stewart et al like to point out the absurd on the left and right, the right just provides more material.

The liberal media has become just as narrow minded as the right wing media. I feel just as marginalized by them. Too much of the same orthodoxy; if you don't subscribe to it you just aren't cool. Ugh!