Look, when I said Obama wasn’t bright, I was not commenting on the man’s intellect. I was commenting on his political savvy. In that context, I’m sorry, I think the man is a lightweight. He has a lot of charisma, but if you look beyond that to his views on the issues, he comes off as naïve at best. I never thought I would ever agree with Hillary Clinton on anything, but she’s right – I wouldn’t want Obama getting the 3 A.M. phone call; he’s just not experienced enough.

Bill Clinton, on the other hand, was a masterful politician. Love him or loathe him (there are very few in between), he always gave the appearance of being on the right side of every issue. Yet even he (and that’s the point I was trying to make) made the tactical error that he was elected because people had bought into the liberal agenda. Clinton won in 1992 mainly because people were mad at George Bush the Senior for breaking his “no new taxes” pledge (and having Ross Perot siphoning off 19 percent of the vote didn’t hurt either), not because they wanted their taxes raised and wanted federalized health care. When Clinton moved to enact these unpopular policies, it led to the bloodbath of 1994.

Fast forward fourteen years, and you have a very similar scenario. People are again mad at a George Bush, this time the Junior. But they’re mad at him because he’s not holding the line on federal spending and because gas is $4 a gallon. They are not mad at him because they are ready for Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and company to implement a liberal agenda. Barack Obama needs to understand this, or whatever gains the Democrats make in 2008 will be overturned in the backlash that will come in 2010. I just don’t believe that Obama, due to his inexperience, is bright enough POLITICALLY to realize this, especially considering that Bill Clinton, who is a very bright POLITICIAN, didn’t realize it either.

I totally agree that the Republicans have been fiscally irresponsible. I believe that is a big reason they’re getting their tails kicked all across this country. The day that Republicans start acting like true conservatives in regards to fiscal policy is the day they start winning elections again.

SamfordDem –

I think that you give Obama too much credit with regard to implementing a leftist agenda if he is elected; he isn’t called the most liberal senator in the U.S. Senate for nothing. Also, you give him too much credit for beating Hillary. Yes she had the money and endorsements, but she is also one of the most polarizing political figures of our time. It didn’t take a whole lot other than charisma to beat her.

By the way, I also happen to think that those stupid Curious George shirts are racist, and I resent your implication that if I find exception with Obama that I ought to buy one. Just because I disagree with the man doesn’t make me a racist, and if the Democratic Party tries to use that type of logic in the Fall it will blow up in their faces.

I’ll be the first one calling for a shift in my own party if Obama and co start advocating radically liberal social policies at the expense of common sense legislation like the New GI Bill and a phased redeployment from Iraq but I think Sen. Obama is a lot smarter than that.

By the way, Sandy, Obama was able to beat a national political machine that Bill the “bright guy” (who I do believe was a great president most of the time) had been building over the past three decades. In terms of fundraising, endorsements, organization, and polling, Hillary Clinton was arguably the strongest non-incumbent presidential candidate in modern American history as she entered the Democratic primary.

Obama, a one term US Senator whose middle and last names happened to sound exactly those of America’s greatest enemies, was able to defeat her. Not to mention his Presidency of the Harvard Law Review and a scholarship to one of the top prep schools in the nation. Disagree with his policies if you must, but if that doesn’t equal bright for you, you need to go out and buy one of those grossly offensive Curious George ‘08 shirts.

Samford Dem, Agree with you in #5, he will have to move to the center and a new GI Bill would be a good start and maybe a revamped Pell Grant program. Card check for the unions would also be a good step to keep the base happy (which will send the ASEA into a tail spin). His main problem will be managing expectations but that’s a problem all elected candidates face.

It’s about time to stop trying to legislate morals and focus on taking care of the country’s business.

Either way, the next few years will be spent in the wilderness for the GOP.