It really does mystify me why this community, and most of the liberal blogosphere, has been so enthusiastic about Barack Obama as a candidate. Yes, he is a compelling and inspiring speaker, and yes, he had the courage and foresight to oppose the Iraq war even at the height of the militaristic frenzy of 2002.
But there are negatives about him too; negatives that bother me as much as similar complaints about John Kerry in 2004. Once again, I feel I am getting a candidate I have to hold my nose for; rather that someone I'd truly get excited about - such as, say, John Edwards.
This is not to say Hillary Clinton is any better; I have just as many doubts about her, for some of the same reasons. However, her negatives hardly need elucidation on this site; she is already deeply unpopular here, and with her chances of winning looking increasingly slim, there is no point in criticizing a candidate who may soon be on the way out.
My doubts about Obama go all the way back to late 2005, when he posted a diary here at Daily Kos. In it, he was sharply critical of not just the netroots' policy positions, but the entire way we view the world.
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