tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33284356.post1708113201899615499..comments2023-11-03T09:03:31.520-07:00Comments on Old Tales Retold: Obama begins campaignManfredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12371908794759510886noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33284356.post-50459626626775764902007-02-13T18:21:00.000-08:002007-02-13T18:21:00.000-08:00The high-handed intervention described in your In ...The high-handed intervention described in your In These Times link is disturbing. <BR/><BR/>I agree that some grit needs to be added to the Obama campaign, by which I mean a willingness to engage hard-fighting activists like those sidelined in Illinois and, as The Nation post noted, a willingness to engage the fight itself, the FIGHT that is a part of change.<BR/><BR/>Still, I'm just judging things by how things are spun. And I like how Obama has spun things into a bigger liberal tradition. <BR/><BR/>And I liked the Abraham Lincoln nod--it's been a while since liberals have been able to root things in American history without looking wooden. American history is, after all, a story of the progress of American liberalism, the enlargening of the scope of rights, etc.<BR/><BR/>Myself, I prefer the liberal-and-left tradition. I like the rights plus the fight. I like the Joe Hill history. <BR/><BR/>I'll be a little more wary about Obama, but I don't want to wear him out yet with skepticism.Manfredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12371908794759510886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33284356.post-17842467143549949702007-02-12T07:48:00.000-08:002007-02-12T07:48:00.000-08:00"...other politicians have ditched progressives af..."...other politicians have ditched progressives after the primaries, anyway."<BR/><BR/>Or in Obama's case, worked to <A HREF="http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2511/" REL="nofollow">defeat progressives in primaries</A>.<BR/><BR/>Look, I want to be convinced that Barack Obama is going to be a great progressive force. I really do. But as of now, based on what he's done with his time in the Senate - he's just not. I don't need him to jump through hoops, but appealing to some sort of high-minded, above-the-fray "hope" is not how a progressive agenda gets advanced: taking strong stands on important issues and then actually fighting for them, is.jkdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17735094589150138519noreply@blogger.com