From the previous thread:

The point where I started rooting for Obama instead of just the Democratic party was his speech in response to the Rev. Wright imbroglio. That was masterful and really gave me a better sense of who he was, and how he would govern.

I think the thing that sold me lock, stock and barrel on Obama was his "half time locker room" speech he gave to his staff in Chicago the day after accepting the nomination. The theme of the speech was "we've made it this far by promising things to people in tough situations. Guess what? Now we have to win."

It was incredible.

I do, however, think that they will hurt rather than help themselves if the leadership of the party tries to cater to the Palin base. I think that base is a shrinking pot in America.

Yeah. They're losing the college educated voters bigtime. Plus demographics are strongly favorable for the Dems in the future. But yeah, we can't take it for granted.

Still, let's assume Obama runs for reelection in 2012. What will the Republican attack critters be saying? "A vote for Obama is a vote for socialism! Yeah, he didn't carry out his socialismizing of America in his first term, but that's because he's a stealth socialist! Even more of a stealth socialist than we were saying in '08! See, the fact that we don't have socialism yet just proves we were right!"

tommy - you assume that they need to say anything resembling the truth. That has never been the strategy, and the stratgey has been effective a great deal of the time.

Cash, I love the pictures of Joe with the Obama girls-- he always seems so completely genuine with kids. And I loved the pic of Jill and Michell embracing.

By the by, can we adopt Mama Biden?

tommy - you assume that they need to say anything resembling the truth.

Yeah, I had to do that to try to make my joke funny.

I think it sounds nuts but it still hasn't quite sunk in for me. Pictures like this choke me up and make me realize that BARACK OBAMA WON.

Right there with you. I can't quite let go of the fact that I should still be worrying and trying to convince my co-workers and weird family to vote for Obama.

Sullivan: Quote For The Day

"Does any reasonable person not believe that gays and lesbians deserve respect and equality? Not today’s Republican Party. Expert translators from Arabic have been dismissed for being gay. And applicants for the post of certified public accountants in the Iraq Green Zone have been asked about their view of Roe v. Wade," - Jeffrey Hart, one of the founders of the conservative movement.

Hart was removed from the masthead of National Review a little while ago.

Cash, I love the pictures of Joe with the Obama girls-- he always seems so completely genuine with kids. And I loved the pic of Jill and Michell embracing.

It had to have been an intense evening and even if they were the front runners, there was still a slim possibility of losing. And yet EVERYONE seems so warm and comfortable with each other. The shots of Biden and Obama alone together look so casual and friendly--they genuinely like each other.

The whole photo set just drives the feeling home for me that these people can work together and make things happen.

From the last thread:

I did. While it was moving to see so many people demonstrating, it felt like the message got a bit diluted. It seemed more about bashing the Mormons than about equal rights. I mean, I'm pissed with the Mormons as well and thought rallying in front of their temple was a great move. I just think we could have left the Mormon connection at that.

Wednesday night, I had to work in Beverly Hills, pretty late at night. As I was driving down Santa Monica, a large group of protesters passed by my work truck. I stuck my hand out the window and touched, slapped or shook hands with a bunch of the people passing by. It was touching and beautiful.

When I left the job site at 2:00 in the morning, I again ran into protesters who were blocking the intersection at Santa Monica and San Vicente.

That group of people was much more drunk and hostile, and didn't seem to be interested or care if any of the cars they were refusing to let through the intersection were on their side. I tried to talk to some of them, but they just drunkenly told me "NO ON 8!" and that I needed to find some other way around in a somewhat hostile manner.

It was sort of depressing and disheartening, and I wanted to knock their heads together and tell them they weren't really helping their cause very much.

I do, however, think that they will hurt rather than help themselves if the leadership of the party tries to cater to the Palin base. I think that base is a shrinking pot in America.

Except the conservatives disagree. And I rolled my eyes because the moderates lost seats because they are in areas where there is greater political diversity! Der.