Kos your front page post on Obama on FOX was dripping with disappointment and tinges of regret. Yet you can't come forward and honestly see that Barack as a human being will be a much stronger candidate because although the perfect image was great for motivation and fund raising, the actual person is the repository of all integrity, wisdom and knowledge. More importantly, it is at the personal level that the individual can triumph against what is holding him back from his/her dreams.
I wrote a poorly read diary recently that essentially called on Obama to toughen up promptly. I will reprise some of what I wrote then. My concern was mainly that in taking the constant road of conciliation and compromise he is not serving his campaign or himself well because he becomes less clear, more political while undermining his basic appeal of honesty. He thus appears more weak with every passing month.
Senator Obama for the next stage of securing the Democratic nomination and especially for November needs to move from his current consensus 24/7 manner to display some of the killer instinct essential for a winning run at the Presidency. I am speaking of coming forward and defending himself, when appropriate, in clear and forceful ways.
He clearly also needs to know that going on the offensive forcefully and with class is part of the campaign and an essential part of winning the Presidency. It helps differentiate his candidacy by drawing sharp and strong distinctions but also leaves the impression that in tough situations he is someone to be counted on and not tampered with. In these last areas he needs coaching.
We are not selecting the President of Princeton but rather the US. We are a trading and capitalist nation of the first order as much as a beacon of hope and democracy for the world. Many Americans see the world as uncertain in both economic and security terms and want a leader that they can feel safe with and that will be as tough as required. I don't think he has yet reached that bar.
I was very disappointed that he went on FOX and even more disappointed that he didn't come close to being as tough as he should have been given their obvious lies and distortions. He gave them credibility by going on their show without gaining anything I could discern.
Kos, I do think you and your many fervent acolytes on this site have placed him on a very high pedestal and have damaged the great brand you were creating for Daily Kos in the process. You have pissed off many bright supporters of the cause that actively used to visit this site and now look at you as more baldly partisan and less reasonable than I know you to be.