Fear Not

1:37 am EST February 12th, 2008 | News | Comments Off

Eugene Robinson has a good column here on the topic of Democrats being such scaredy cats and trying to anticipate the Republicans super evil plan for the fall. Some have taken it upon them to yell Admiral Ackbar style that “it’s a trap” when Republicans compliment Sen. Obama or when, like this weekend, President Bush attacks him by name – elevating him in a way to that circle of competition. But neither Sen. Obama nor Sen. Clinton are idiots. They both know that the Republican/conservative attack and smear machine will be aimed at them. Neither believes that this fall’s election is a cakewalk, but it is silly for grassroots Democrats and progressives to make their nomination choices all about what is amenable to the other side.

I’m personally for Obama because I believe that he brings the right judgement, temperament, and motivation to be an effective president and commander-in-chief. Do I think he can attract independents and a few Republicans? Yes. But that isn’t why I and many others back him, and it isn’t why others back Sen. Clinton. When parties choose candidates without doing a gut check they tend to end up with candidates like Bob Dole, John Kerry, and John McCain.