Here we go again with Mr. "Not much hope for not too much change."

And our alternative to that is the Mushmouth Express.

Maybe I'm better off laughing at the whole thing.

Otherwise I'd be crying...

Well, he did make a video address for Netroots Nation. And people from his campaign had a panel there, which Joe Rospars from the campaign wrote about in a diary, which is now at the top of the Daily Kos recommend list. If he didn't care about the netroots, then I imagine they wouldn't have taken the trouble. Personally, I think his international trip is more important, at this time.

I don't think being a no-show at Netroots Nation is that big a deal but then I'm probably expecting much worse from Obama - on the level of OKing White House crimes while calling for the death penalty for child rape. It's not as if America has ever had child abuse witch hunts - late '80s early '90s, nationwide. And every person convicted of a capital crime is always guilty, so why not include more people in that group that we as a nation will kill?

At this point, for me, the only thing of value about Obama is that he isn't the full out wacko that John McCain is. I think that speaks more about the process of selecting our leaders, but then America isn't exclusive in that fault.

Obama is better than John McCain. His (Obama's) religion is politically motivated. His principles are politically motivated. His very essence is politically motivated. Should I say snake oil salesman again? But McCain is worse. Where Bush was the guy you'd want to have a beer with McCain is the mean spirited borderline psychotic Vietnam vet who sits alone at the end of the bar telling everyone that they owe him everything because he was in Vietnam (he's a hero, never mention the Commie propaganda tapes!). John McCain will destroy Social Security. Barack Obama likely will give it a slower "post-partisan" death. And Social Security was a dead issue till Obama brought it back into focus. Pretty much the same for the rest of the core populist issues. Obama 'says' he'll bring the troops home from Iraq (or maybe send them to Afghanistan and Pakistan). McCain says they'll be there for "maybe a hundred years."

I feel so motivated. Hooray for Obama!!!

Netroots, you've had your accountability moment.

not just one segment of our society.

That means he'll be president of even--God forbid--Republicans, Independents and even people that don't bother to vote for anyone.

I did inhale.

I don't expect you to be there, s-p, you have a job that you worked hard to get.

I think in this case,re "netroots nation", what we have a is a manufactured "issue".

I do think it is more important to junket in the Middle East than to junket at netroots.

_{1."George Washington did not cross the Delaware for Capitalism," -Shmuley Boteach.
2.The Dems haven't punished the GOP enough, so you're going to reward the Republicans?}

PrairieStateBlue

Based on his embracing hope and change, a lot of people on the left have created an imaginary vision of Obama as an idealistic progressive. He was never that with regard to specifics. He has always emphasized that he is a uniter who aims at bipartisanship. He clearly believes that politics is the art of the possible, and that the country is tired of polarized politics. As a result is running largely with an eye toward the center, which is made up of conservative Dems, independents, and disaffected Reagan Dems and moderate Republicans.

For example, Faria Zakaria, definitely on the right, wrote an article essentially praising Obama as a pragmatic realist in foreign policy, like Bush 41, whom Obama praises, in contrast to the ideological idealism of Bush 43 and McCain.

As a result, Obama has tended to ignore and even downplay his leftist, liberal and progressive base, which is now getting agitated. The big question is how many will stick with him enthusiastically enough to be active in the campaign, and how many will either sit out the election or vote for a third party.

Polls seem to indicate that so far, the left is still with him for the most part, and unless that seems to be breaking down, I doubt he will be paying all that much attention to progressive causes, let alone throwing much red meat to the base, like Rove, Bush, Cheney and now McCain. It seems to be necessary on the right, but it may not be on the left. We'll see.

But this was obvious from the get-go if one was paying attention instead of dreaming, just as Bush 43's campaign rhetoric about being a uniter rather than a divider and a "compassionate" conservative was easy to see through if one was looking, or listening to those who were looking.

However, the difference between Bush 43, still a frat boy and dry drunk who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and Obama, a self-made person who had to struggle against huge odds, lies at the core. And it’s the core that's important, not the campaign rhetoric or behavior that's designed for winning an election more than governing.

But if Obama is elected, don't expect him to throw the elite under the bus either. He will still need them to get things done, and he's well aware of this.

that O'Bama doesn't care about netroots when he rejected traditional forms of financing his campaign? Seems to me he gets his support in dribs and drabs of small donations?

Big deal so he wasn't able to attend this meeting you feel is important, he decided to go to Europe instead. Isn't it up to the candidate to decide his/her own priorities?

According to a previous post, at least O'Bama took the time to produce a video when he couldn't be in attendance. It isn't possible to be in two places at the same time.

Please elaborate on how you will be there Sean-Paul for this very important meeting, didn't you elect to go to Singapore instead?

Call me a cynic, but the power of the netroots is not in the people who own blogs, the power of the netroots is in precisely those net citizens who avoid self-congratulating conventions and actually DO SOMETHING.

So I think I can forgive Obama from avoiding the big blogger circle jerk...

No offense, SP... The Agonist rocks, and your editors work hard. But there are hundreds of sites with hard working editors who fail to achieve what you have... Your site works because of its community as well.

--
http://bexhuff.com
Of COURSE you can trust the US Government! Just ask the Indians.

he ought to be there. A simple search reveals some varied opinion on the source of the money.

from the brits:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412045.stm

from the right:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/donations.asp

from the candidate:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/deborahsimmel/gG5hcy

from one "etc.":

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/06/the_halfbilliondollar_obama_ca.html

http://mauberly.blogspot.com/

by so many "handlers" he don't know which end is up.
Webster Tarpley says the Obama/Brezinski connection could be far more destructive that Bush and his neo-cons.

Some have already said it in different words, but it needs repeating: The blogosphere is bigger than this one convention, and is comprised of many more people than were in attendance at Netroots Nation. I would have liked to go, but here I am in Taiwan and just couldn't. I am here reading about it and watching it all unfold on-line (well, some of it, at least). I'm also here following Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, and I find it exciting. I find it exciting that he will speak in Berlin, with over a million people watching, not to mention all of the people world-wide watching as well. And maybe, just maybe, what he does on his trip will bring more people into the netroots, get more people involved. Is that such a bad thing? The funny thing is that besides the minor eruption here on this site, I haven't noticed too much complaining by people who were actually in attendance. Sometimes you just have to look beyond your niche, you have to see the bigger picture.

proves to be true…what a refreshing change!

He's from the modern era, and understands the power of the Internet. Provided his ethics hold, I expect he'll introduce town-hall on-line type democracy in communities where people will be able to voice their opinions. You can be sure someone will be writing down the results of what people are discussing and reports will be forwarded to him.

I'm repeating myself...big deal...he couldn't make it to one meeting. Cut him some slack--he went to Afghanistan instead.

Like this writer, I'm watching to see whom he picks to be in his cabinet. If he's been bought there won't be people in it that have the potential to excel.

I am sorry but I have little sympathy for those pissed that Obama didn't show at Netroots. He's still your candidate, and mine. I am not convinced that the left wing of the Internet is also the headquarters of the progressive wing of the Democratic party. How could people with enough time on their hands to blog much of the day represent the disenfranchised Americans needing a progressive agenda? Those of us blogging and online are generally not the poor that John Edwards championed earlier in the campaign.

What's the alternative? McKinney? Nader? C'mon -- Obama's our guy, and let's not get as whiny as the wingnuts bummed about how "liberal" McCain is.

Many Republicans have admitted what a shrewd politician Obama actually is. Even those in the Clinton campaign so doubtful of Obama's skills got tripped up again and again by a more sophisticated and thoughtful campaign.

Do you really think Obama has just veered to the center-right for good? Oh, c'mon, everyone: he is trying to win this election, and not just barely like Gore or Bush, but with enough of a mandate to turn the country around. It will take a lot of "center" campaigning to do this, but with 56 or 57 Democratic senators, and even more Dem house members, he will preside over a government we haven't had for a long, long time. Of course it won't be as progressive as you want, but that's the ongoing frustration of being a leftist in the USA. At least the oil tycoons will be sent packing, and we can start dealing with a pile of issues left behind.

And in case you're personally offended, this is not a personal flame -- I am talking issues, and I want this unique Democrat called Barack Obama to take the White House by storm. To do that, I am sure he will run right of my positions but well left of the losers still governing.

Tom Robinson