>>>>>I think it is a wise decision not to go. While I fully expect him to win in a landslide (really I do), if by some strange twist of fate he doesn't, it may be a disaster. ...
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>>>>But on the plus side, if he does not win there will be a lot of people with new flat screen TVs ...
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>>>>(reading that over it sounds nastier than I meant it - but I do dislike mob mentality of any kind and am not a big fan of huge rallies - whether they are in Chicago or Nuremburg )
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>>>Obama has been drawing huge crowds for a long time and there haven't been any problems yet. That might change if he loses, but I would like to think not. It's kind of insulting to suggest his supporters would riot if he loses. We have already seen an incredible amount of anger from McCain supporters (even here on this forum) and I haven't seen it suggested that they might riot.
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>>I think that if Obama loses there will be a lot of demagoguery about a racist conspiracy to steal the election. Are you saying that wouldn't happen? There is way too much Good vs Evil imagery in today's Presidential politics. And it is the left in this country that has supported urban rioting as justifiable venting of grievance. The right has its own demons, but rioting in the streets is not one of them. Most Obama supporters, of course, wouldn't even think of doing that, but I am concerned about 'activists' who would feel it their duty to channel outrage. The right will complain of a stacked deck, media bias etc but the loony right just has different characteristics. I'm not a fan of either wing.
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>I don't think there is any racist conspiracy. I think the Republicans try hard to steal every election ;-)

Exactly. It isn't personal or racial - it's just business ;-)


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>Also, are you forgetting that the vast majority of Obama supporters are white? Most blacks will vote for him but they are far less numerous.

I'm not contending the reason I fear rioting is because of the race of the candidate - it is because one portion of the candidate's base will be demagogued by another portion to take advantage of attitudes they have encouraged in 'urban culture'. My son in law will hardly be rioting (unless ordered to do so by the USMC ;-) , but on the South side of Chicago, if I were a Korean with a store that sold TV sets I'd be on the roof with an AK 47 tonight, no matter who wins.

America today isn't about race anymore so much as culture. In that sense Obama truly is a bridge and I can see a lot of very good stuff potentially coming from an Obama Presidency and I think he is smart enough to also see that and in many areas there will be very very positive change.

I don't want to play the hardcore Republican here - I'm not. I voted for George McGovern for godsakes. The first campaign I ever worked in was for RFK. I voted for Jimmy Carter in 76 (god help me). Then the LSD started to wear off. I am more disturbed by the prospect of a Democratic congress of the type we see now ( they ain't makin' Dems like Dan Moynahan anymore ) than I am by Obama.

People are going to vote most of the time on the economy because they want to believe the President has something to do with that because they want daddy to fix it, but in truth there isn't much the President can do about it. But national security is the big issue for a President because that is about 90% on him, one way or the other, and Congress for the most part just sees that as a political issue. I don't think Obama intends to be soft on 'terror' but I think Nov 5 is going to be a real wakeup call on what his job is really going to be. He won't have the luxury of denial, as Clinton did.



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>>>Actually I think one of the problems McCain has had is that not that many people are enthusiastic about him. Most of them just don't want Obama.
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>>I think you are quite right about that. This time the GOP is voting ideology and the Dems are voting Personality. And style is going to win over resume.
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>>And when it happens Barack Obama is going to be my President too and I will hope he becomes one of the great Presidents in our history. But with too much power in the hands of the likes of Reid and Pelosi I fear for the country.
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>>And remember my prediction that his fiercest attacks will come from the Left. The first thing Obama will get on Nov 5 is The Briefing on national security. Then we'll see change - in Obama.
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>I think you're probably right about the attacks from the left. The U.S. is still right of center even if they are temporarily disgusted with the Republican party, so a liberal agenda won't fly. As far as changing after he gets the lowdown on security issues, I have never been convinced he will be soft on terror. That's just one of the standard attacks made on any Democrat.