"But Mr. Obama, instead of emphasizing the harm done by the other party’s rule, likes to blame both sides for our sorry political state. And in his speeches he promises not a rejection of Republicanism but an era of postpartisan unity.Mr. Krugman may anger Obama partisans, but in his typical measured tones, he lays out his case point-by-point.
That — along with his adoption of conservative talking points on the crucial issue of health care — is why Mr. Obama’s rise has caused such division among progressive activists, the very people one might have expected to be unified and energized by the prospect of finally ending the long era of Republican political dominance."
"The trouble is that faith in Mr. Obama’s transformational ability rests on surprisingly little evidence."It has been repeatedly pointed out that Senator Obama has less than one full term in the U.S. Senate and some experience in the Illinois House. This would not be the thinnest resume ever to adorn the White House, but it is a legitimate concern.
"What we do know is that Mr. Obama has never faced a serious Republican opponent — and that he has not yet faced the hostile media treatment doled out to every Democratic presidential candidate since 1988."And there's the rub: for all the Senator's 'outreach,' we already know that the GOP machine is going to have no restraint or compunction in its attacks. Their slimier megaphones are already calling Senator Obama a traitor, a terrorist sympathizer, a plant, and a dupe. Their mainstream mouthpieces will be only less restrained. How will Obama respond? The only honest answer is: we do not know, because he has never faced it.
I strongly recommend reading the whole column. These are not issues and questions that are just going to go away; they need to be addressed, and preferably before the general campaign.
