[citalopram]

I've been thinking about the upcoming election with what some might call surprising optimism for the Democrats. I still think Obama stands an excellent chance at reelection, and as I posted in one of the other threads, he has lived up to my expectations on a number of items. I can't hold the economic situation against him 'cause Washington is still fighting over keeping the failed Bush plan intact. Obama didn't get us into this mess, and congress is doing little to help dig us out.

What excites me though is it's finally time for the Democrats to get dirty. For the last 12 years, they've been Swift Boated by fringe groups which now have unified organization in the Tea Party. The Democrats played too nice, which was admirable in some ways and annoying in others. Now though, as a party they will have the opportunity to fight on two fronts. They'll be able treat the individual candidates with respect as they have: No throwing around inflated stories about Vietnam, no Curious George dolls, just hammer away at the facts, but they can decimate the Tea Party candidates now. Hopefully they nuke 'em in the political landscape. If they Dems hammer at the driving force of these candidates and let the individual candidates (mainly Obama in this case) play the same campaign game as he has been, they can play it both ways and look good doing it... And hopefully turn everyone who isn't on the fringe against it.