How is it that some people have such a lack of faith in the Obama campaign that they somehow think criticism of him over FISA will result in a complete meltdown of his campaign, his supporters, his fundraising, and his message, resulting in a McCain presidency? Personally, I think Obama is more than strong enough to take our criticism, as how he has weathered various issues from Wright to "bitter" to HRC have pointed out. Look at Unity...now if there was an issue that might have broken the party, it was a fight to the convention. During the primaries, a lot of words were said on both sides, and the MSM predicted (and still try to predict) that the party would never come back together. It did, and the polling supports that it did. Our discussion here of FISA and Obama will not result in a McCain presidency. The fear that it will is completely overstated, and is only meant to prevent a discussion on the issues of those who care about the issue.
Folks here who are saying that we "critize Obama at our own peril" fail to notice some pretty significant facts. One, the netroots, and DKos in particular, is not that important. I know we think we are, and some big names are associated with DKos, that Markos is vitally important, there are many important diarists, and that many politicians post here. But in terms of derailing a Presidential Campaign, I do not think we are THAT important. Individually we are not going to have any significant impact on the general election, and most of the people who visit the DKos are voting for Obama. IF (hypothetically) some people stop supporting Obama wholeheartedly, stop donating time and blood, from DKos, I do not think the Obama campaign is going to lose any sleep over that. The campaign is focused on winning the election, and they made a political decision on FISA, which, while I disagree with it, is theirs to make. I would bet that if anything, the Obama campaign takes Kossacks for granted, knowing that even if he pisses them off in the short term, they will come home in the general.
Second, Obama has 1.5 million contributors. He is the first politician in U.S. history to cross the million contributor threshold. If some disaffected Kossacks withhold support, I would bet that Obama will still significantly outraise McCain, and will end up with 8 times more contributors than McCain. So a little grousing by folks over the FISA issue is not going to slow him down that much. Besides, the grousing is the best way to get over it and move on.
Third, the last way to convince people of something is to jump all over them, especially with arguments that attempt to close down discussion. I know it is all the rage on the blogs, and we are all seriously guilty of it. Admittedly, there are some comments that seem to imply that some folks are going to vote for McCain, but, despite how much people try to hold up that straw man, those numbers are not significant. Most people have a more generalized problem with the FISA situation, some have been trying to stop it all along, and are frustrated with the immunity that will not die. They do not blame Obama exclusively, but they think he could have done more on the issue. That is a debate that can be had without telling people that they are not entitled to their opinions or criticisms, or that somehow any criticism from little ol' me is going to result in a McCain presidency. That argument is as insulting as it is hyperbolic.
Fourth, it is all about the environment in the country, not the environment at DKos. Go to 538 and read. Read all the diaries here and elsewhere that show republicans are in serious trouble. This is a systemic problem for McCain to overcome. Our small debate is not a problem in the scale that anti-republican sentiment is. If our debate over this issue would in some unlikely way truly spill over into the consciousness of the general public, and the MSM trumpeted it up and down the airwaves, and it caused people to reconsider Obama and not vote for him (in numbers that would overwhelm the anti-republicans voters this go around)...then there are a lot of problems with the system that have NOTHING to do with criticism here. It means that the MSM is picking the president, and that the Obama campaign goofed in understanding this issue, and that people really did CARE about the issue. All of which may (or may not) be true, but that will not change based on our FISA debate here.
Finally, these debates in the background do not lose elections for candidates, especially candidates of Obama's caliber. Do you think he didn't consider that his statement might piss off the activists on this issue? Elections are won and lost by the candidates and campaigns. As has been pointed out here on DKos, HRC did not lose because of sexism, she lost because Obama outplayed her in the ground game. Likewise, Obama will not lose because some minority of crazy activists here are upset. He will lose because he did not adequately respond to some attack from the right that the general population identifies with. Will that issue be his being weak on terrorism? I am sure the republicans will trot it out. But look at how much traction that is getting. People do want change. His response to issues is his to make and if people became disenchanted, it is because of HIS actions, not some people here.
Blogging is, at its heart, about criticizing issues. I think we are all happy to debate, get up in it, yell, scream, get political. I just think that blowing a lot of smoke in comments about some overstated fear of a McCain presidency is not debating, but an attempt to squelch the debate. The reason that so many diaries are popping up on both sides of the FISA issue is that many people consider this issue very important. That is what we are all here for, to discuss the political issues we find important. Obama is tough enough and smart enough to handle whatever of our little debate manages to reach him. Please, give him some credit.