On Drinking Kool-Aid

There is a good deal of animus towards the Obama campaign at Edwards HQ, as is to be expected. Rob, a staff member, 27, who graduated from law school about a year and a half ago was ripping Obama as a fake. I said to him, "Oh sure, Rob, but if he wins the primary you'll be voting for him in November." "I'm not so sure of that," he responded.

Now, this is probably just aggressive campaign talk. In one way, how can you blame these poor sacks? They've been working 50-60 hours a week for Edwards since the summer or even spring. That energy is often directed right at the opposing candidates. (Another staff member, Sara, told me of being dropped off on a corner, 3 miles from the Tom Harkin Steak Fry this September in 100 degree heat and humidity. They were told to "Do Visibility!" So they walked 3 miles, shouting at the top of their lungs for Edwards and waving signs. My favorite chant was one directed at Hillary before she'd released a healthcare plan: "We've got healthcare, yes we do. We've got healthcare, how 'bout you? " and then pointing at a group of Hillary supporters.)

But back to the fierce campaign partisanship. Every one of the Edwards staffers believe Obama is a fraud. In the office, if a voter is mentioned as supporting Obama over Edwards, almost the entire room responds, "Look at the policy!" It is a fact that Edwards has the most detailed plans about the widest variety of issues. Ever other campaigns would admit--off the record--that this is true. Now, would Obama be a more effective advocate for the much discussed "change"? He'd sure like you to think so.

I've grown more and more anti-Obama, primarily as a result of Paul Krugman. Progressives have very, very few mainstream media voices, but Krugman, an economist who writes Op-Eds for the NYTimes, is one of them. Here is an absolute must-read piece comparing the approaches of Edwards and Obama: READ ME, PLEASE!

Here's another piece by Krugman, published on Slate.com, that articulates what is possible for the progressive movement in this election, but only if we seize the moment.