This One's for the Whiners

I'm reading a lot of handwringing over the entirely overblown Reverend Wright flap. The Republicans found something to pick at. Oh, it's just terrible that Obama goes to a church where someone got angry in the pulpit. We have a politician who refused to throw someone under a bus. Oh, the horror.

Surprise! Surprise! Obama's a BLACK MAN!

Who didn't see that coming?

What? You were surprised that Obama knows other black people? And that some of these people might have encountered racism in their lives? And that some of these people might be angry about it?

Did anyone think the Republicans weren't going to notice that? And come up with ways to remind people if they didn't notice?

Edwards? Loved the game he talked. But not so much the way he walked... before the primaries. Remember the Bankruptcy Bill, No Child Left Behind, and the Patriot Act?

John Edwards voted for them.

Thanks, John, you nutty populist you!

And HRC? People tell me they think "she's tough, and we need someone tough against the Republicans."

Yes, she's tough. But she's never tough against the Republicans!

Has anyone missed the fact that our current front runner came from nowhere to the front in such a short period of time? That's he's the front runner, and has the delegates, because of the simple reason that more people voted for him?

We ran a really smart white guy in 2000, and in 2004, and it was still close enough to steal.

Isn't insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

Neither of our smart white guys was able to deflect Republican attacks properly. And no one is sorrier than I am that our smart white woman didn't figure out a way to handle Republicans back when, and still doesn't.

So now we have a smart black guy who seems to be able to overcome the horrible handicap of being a black man, AND deflect both Republican and Democratic attacks, AND gives speeches good enough to make all kinds of people cry and give him money.

More money than either of his rivals.

So mark me down as thrilled with the way things are shaking. Democrats haven't gotten anywhere playing "me too" with the Republicans. The R's are always going to play dirtier, scream louder, and make bigger fools of themselves over lies and misconceptions. As long as the Democrats tried to play that same game, they lost. Because the R's play it better and with more gusto.

We needed a clear difference.

So we're running the polar opposite of W.

If you find ways of whining now, you'll just have to wait for Jesus himself. Though he'd have to shave the beard and cut his hair. And he's hanging around with the dregs of society! Those lepers are going to hurt him in the polls. Sure, that Sermon on the Mount thing was good, but when is he going to give a long wonky speech laying out every aspect of his policies?

In this world, we run human beings. With all their frailties, inconsistencies, flaws and (hat tip to the 60's) hangups. All that can be given to us is to choose the best person we can.

And that's what I think we've got.