The Dish

A reader writes:

Enough of this rah rah Obama crap.  Yes, he’s a captivating speaker.  He could potentially unite us, lead us, and revive our international reputation.  We get it already.  But of all the "pro-O" bloggers (and there are many), I was really hoping that you would be the one to really scrutinize his policy positions.  What happens when when he turns to Plouffe on election night and says, like Redford in The Candidate, "What do we do now?"  When are you going to stop cheerleading and start asking the tough questions?  Get to it, man!  The idol-worship is wearing thin!

I find this criticism bewildering. Obama has a host of policy positions, on taxes, healthcare, Iraq, Afghanistan, immigration, climate change, and this blog has mentioned or debated many of them. There seems to be a meme that because someone is inspiring, there has to be no substance. But they are not mutually exclusive categories. In the Democratic race, the only real substantive difference is healthcare mandates, which I’ve aired a great deal. And compared with McCain, Obama is a wonk.

The rhetoric is getting more toxic:

…what these people say about the zealotry behind the Obama campaign is not only alarming, but dangerous to our democracy. It is akin to emails I’ve received over the years from the anti-abortionist zealots on their own personal political war path. The insanely reactive, accept no compromise, unhinged religious fervor of a movement that was not only destructive to women, but to our politics. It is the same unbending group think that leads people off cliffs. That’s what I’m getting from Obama fans. It’s something that is unhealthy, even destructive to the Democratic party.

Then again, this is Taylor Marsh.

Not certain yet – but looking like a big endorsement, especially useful in Texas, could be imminent.

A reader writes:

I was surprised that you so easily bought into the notion that McCain would "do the right thing" on torture.  McCain has an election to win and needs the support of the Christianist pro-torture crowd.  And if he wins, I assume that many of the appointees (and outright hires) who enabled or encouraged torture would remain in place as the price McCain must pay for the nomination and the support of the base in the election.  I can never support a Republican in 2008 for the simple reason that I think a change of party — whether led by Hillary or Obama — is necessary to clean the Bush disciples out of the executive branch, starting with Monica Goodling’s Regent University Law School classmates.

Another adds:

You are not the only one who is heartbroken. It is hard to believe that on an issue about which he seemed to feel such conviction, McCain bended so swiftly when bullied by the unforgiving right wing of his party. He’s got the nomination sewn up, and yet he is still so intimidated that he offers up this tribute to Bush, his new BFF in these primary skirmishes.

I think it will be McCain who, in the end, is the most heartbroken of all. How will he look back on this moment, when he realizes that he was not strong enough to stand by his principles? That his hunger for power overwhelmed him at last? He is not on a road to victory. He is on a road to self-betrayal and despair.

Yep, it’s Valentine’s Day.

Jon Chait sees a new strategy for the GOP nominee: try to keep his most formidable opponent from gaining strength.

"This demonstrates not only a gross ruthlessness on the part of Clinton’s campaign, but an astonishingly cavalier attitude towards the preservation of the progressive coalition. To be willing to blithely rip it to shreds in order to wrest a nomination that’s not been fairly earned is not only low, but a demonstration of deeply pernicious priorities — namely, it’s an explicit statement that the campaign puts its own political success above the health of the party and the pursuit of progressive goals, and one can’t but help assume that’s exactly the attitude they would take towards governance, too," – Ezra Klein. More scales, more eyes.

It also appears Romney will ask his delegates to back McCain. Looking at the delegate numbers, it seems like that should put McCain near the tipping point. Will Huckabee drop out?