Friday, July 06, 2007

I've got a question for Barack Obama


I like Senator Obama's post-partisan, 'can't we all just get along,' 'bringing America together again' themes as much as the next guy. But my question to Senator Obama is, what are you gonna do when they come for you?

Because the one thing we know from past presidential campaigns is that if you get the nomination, they (Republican media operatives) are definitely gonna come for you. They're gonna run some sort of Willie Horton, Swift Boat, call me, Playboy! ad against you. That sort of hit piece is GUARANTEED to appear in the campaign--so don't act like you didn't see it coming.

And when they come for you, are you gonna sit around with your thumb up your ass like Michael Dukakis, John Kerry, and Harold Ford, saying, 'aw shucks they shouldn't have done that, it's racist' and meekly ask your opponent to pull the ad, or are you gonna go nuclear and take the mutherf*ckers out?

Because that's really the question facing every Democratic candidate--not are you competent, can you govern, do you understand policy--every single Democratic candidate can do all of those things. The question that needs to be answered is, do you have that killer instinct, can you finish, if they come for your family will you do WHATEVER you have to do to save them? Will you order Sherman's March to the Sea in order to win the civil war or do you not have the stomach to do what it takes to actually govern and win?

As long as we're talking, I've got a question for Terry McAuliffe and Howard Dean--yeah you guys know how to raise lots of money but HOW COME IT'S ALWAYS REPUBLICANS GOING ON OFFENSE in the presidential election? How come I can name an infamous Republican hit piece from every single freakin election and I CAN'T NAME A SINGLE DEMOCRATIC HIT PIECE!!!!!!???????

Interestingly enough, when I survey the Democratic field, Hillary Clinton stands out as the only candidate so far who gets this concept. In fact, her Sopranos spoof (announcing the winner of her campaign theme song) was a pitch perfect tell to let voters know that she understands that politics isn't pretty and she understands how to play hardball along with the best of them.

A Democrat who knows how to go on offense will win this election. I like Barack Obama a lot--I get goosebumps every time I hear him speak. But in order to win this election he's gonna have to learn how to play hardball.

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