Out in Gresham, a little less of a rock show.

Not really any news coverage of the walk to raise awareness and funds for NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally ILL)The walk was occurring just on the other side of the river, at about the same time. Too Bad

Charley B

Still no substance other than the " Hope and Change " broken record.....

Talk about broken records. You guys are to political commentary what George Bush is to a real job: losers. And about to become overwhelming losers in November. It's been fun, but you're done.

IMO, I think it has become fairly apparent that Obama is not the guy to be a first Black President. He's too far left wing and is perceived to have a Wright wing chip on his shoulder towards whites.

Leaving him stranded with not enough white votes. That may be just the way it is.

If Alans Keys were the Republican nomineee the left would be saying similar things.

At this point in time it would take a Juan Williams, a Colin Powell or any number of other moderate Blacks to have shot at becoming the first black president.

But not a left winger and not Barak Obama. Despite how badly the left want's him to be.

Perhaps a little too badly.

I wonder what the left would do if Hillary steals the nomination.

It might not be a healthy reaction.

Obama is the next President. Get used to it.

Uhh...Alan Keyes is a total nut job. Not exactly an apt analogy. Great day.A day in January will be even better when President Obama is sworn in.I think Tuesday will demonstrate a rebuke of West Virginia.

When it comes time to decide whether they want to continue the steep decline of America under the Chimp, the people of West Virginia will decide that they can tolerate a half-black guy.

Obama the next Prez ?!?!?! ROTFLMAO !!!

Don't forget that Hillary will go to court to seat the Michigan and Floriduh delegates, and further damage the lefties.... Again... Obama can't close the deal on the big electoral vote states. It will be entertaining to see the Obamamaniacs shedding tears of sorrow when their " Hope and Change " dreams are crushed....

You know what? I'm not going to deal with you all summer. Come back in November and tell us what crow tastes like.

Jack, what made you come to the conclusion that Obama, rather than McCain, will be our next president? I agree with you about this, but I'd like to hear the reasoning behind this apostasy.

John McCain's doomed candidacy can be summed up in two words: George Bush.

The neocons got what they could, but now it is so very over. I can't wait 'til this awful era -- the worst in my lifetime -- is officially concluded in January.

Wish I could have been at Waterfront Park this aft. to see the next President. Puhhhleeeeeze don't let me jinx it by typing that out--gonna knock on wood right now!!

Full vid here (I hope).

Oh yes the insirational frenzy,,,but what about substance to actually pursuade those needing more than the crowd photos?

Here's your substance: He's not an idiot like George Bush.

I got down there about two hours before the gates opened and managed to squeeze into a spot about 75 yards back from the stage. Amazing, simply amazing...and these are words coming from a political cynic who graduated from college and immediately slammed head first into GW's America. I was so disgusted by the Democratic party and politics in general that I wrote in "Pepe the Dancing Mule" for president on my 2004 ballot.

To all those who think Obama lacks substance and there's nothing to him beyond a broken record, hippie-dippy "hope" chant, here's an idea: try looking at his campaign's website. Pages and pages of ideas and positions on issues ranging from the economy to immigration and Iraq, all of them far more realistic and practical than the pandering "tax holiday" nonsense McCain is cranking out.

And when he comes to town, adoring throngs turn out. Quite the contrast with our current "leader," who's (quite rightly) afraid to show his face.

John McCain's doomed candidacy can be summed up in two words: George Bush.

The neocons got what they could, but now it is so very over. I can't wait 'til this awful era -- the worst in my lifetime -- is officially concluded in January.

Yeah, I know.

After LBJ, Nixon, Reagan, GHW Bush, and Clinton, that is no small claim.

I do think that the Presidential Chimp will go down as the worst president in the history of the nation. He has outdone Grant, Hayes, and Harding in sleaze, cronyism, and corruption.

Well, Jack...For the Bushes, this is "Little Beirut". The throngs which turn out for Dumya's showings here in PDX are of a completely different tenor than Obama's throngs.

sleaze, cronyism, and corruption.

Actually, I think Clinton had more of all of that. What makes Bush the worst ever is sheer lack of intellectual capacity, exacerbated by past and present drug use, coupled with a blind faith in the Reagan snake oil and a complete lack of interpersonal skills.

And when he comes to town, adoring throngs turn out.

It's happening everywhere. Even in 2004, I doubt GWB could have pulled 25,000 anywhere in the country. 75,000 is astounding, even in Portland OR.

I wonder what Gordo is thinking tonight.

As you may know, I live in Salem. My house is about a mile from our waterfront park and in easy earshot of any big event there. We're also close to a couple of the major east-west arterial roads to downtown. Today my wife took our daughter to the pool, walking across one of those arterials, Center Street. Finding the pool full, they walked back home. It turns out she was out walking around right about the time Clinton was to speak here.

There was no extra traffic. There was no crowd noise. She had no idea there was anything unusual going on. Interesting contrast, no?

Anyway, as for Obama's national electability, one should pay attention to the recent special elections for vacancies in the US House, particularly in Mississippi's first district. Could it be that Obama might put the deep south in play come November?

I wonder what Gordo is thinking tonight.

Probably the same thing that a lot of the R's are thinking in Congress: The presidency is already lost; will I be able to hold on to my seat?

Obama's throngs

Ohmygod. He wears a throng? It was bad enough already with the briefs and the boxers.

Oh yes the hate for Bush frenzy,,,but what about Obama substance to actually pursuade those needing more than the he's not Bush?

Bush isn't running.

I mean let's keep it real. The left hating Bush doesn't Obama elect.

And Portland is hardly a micro of the the country.

Howard,
Okay, I'll keep it real for you. You go through life and you make judgments about people. For example I met George W and I thought he was extremely shallow - someone it would be mildly fun to have on your tavern pool team...maybe. I was wrong about the depth of his depravity but I've forgiven myself for that. I guess I simply couldn't imagine a person being that twisted and getting this far in life. The man killed hundreds of thousands of people.
I get a sense that Obama is the real thing. I think he's a good guy. Many of Bush's followers viewed W as practically a messiah. I think they were badly duped. I see Barack as quite normal, and yet a star.
Now maybe you thought George W was - how did the GOP like to put it - "Our Winston Churchill"? In that case, history has proven you were wrong.
Maybe history will prove Barack was just an act, but I'd be very surprised. I sense greatness here but I could be wrong. However, I don't think I am.
Why? Because I'm smart and the same person who knew W was a loser, is the one analyzing Barack. I trust my instincts on this stuff, because I am bright. Is that real enough for you?
By the way, the ability to inspire 75,000 people to come down to listen to a speech is already a sign of greatness. Isn't it?
It is increasingly irritating hearing people criticize Barack Obama especially if they belong anywhere near the party that just gave us one of the all-time creeps in American History.
I'd respect the GOP more if they just came out and apologized and said, "We aren't running anyone this time because - after that last clown - we don't deserve to run anybody."
Okay, substance? Barack believes in the Constitution. That's a huge leap of substance right there.

Obama is the only canidate that has integrity in my opinion

What about Obama substance to actually pursuade those needing more than the he's not Bush?
It's true. Obama has artfully avoided doing much in the way of verbally committing himself to any specific course of action once in office. He speaks in generalities, symbols, gestures. His rare and direct "asks" of his audiences have primarily been to support is corporate sponsors. All true. But this only makes him difficult to distinguish from other professional politicians in general. In terms of differentiating himself from Bush, well, that's an insult to any drunken, scheming Villefort inside politics or out. That he doesn't have eight years of senseless predatory corruption on his record is a good start.

Bush isn't running.
It's not about one person. True again. If Tom DeLay was The Hammer of party loyalty enforcement, the Bush administration was The Forge. Exclusive, militaristic loyalty to the powers within the party drove the machinery of the Republican Party elites from Gingrich forward. For high-ranking Republicans this is called organizational discipline. For everybody else it's called gangsterism. Bush isn't running, but the single-party authoritarianism that elevated him certainly is.

I mean let's keep it real. The left hating Bush doesn't Obama elect.
Probably correct. Unless by the "left-hating Bush" you mean all of the Americans left of the Atlantic coast and right of the Pacific.

And Portland is hardly a micro of the the country.
Partly true. I mean, I sure feel like we're real Americans. But then again the NY Times said that we have an aerial tram. So who knows.

exacerbated by past and present drug use

seriously?

I'm not trying to rain on your parade but there has to be more than a "sense" or feeling that Obama is the real deal or ???

Attracting a crowd is a limited measurement and Portland is not the country. Sure the left is fired up and would be no matter who their front runner was. IMO if it were someone else nearly the same thing would be happening.

As far as McCain being Bush?

Bush isn't even the Bush the left imagines. I'm not a real big Bush fan but I don't pack every extreme evil into his leagacy either. Certainly not the constitution burning, 911 architect characature the left wing paints him with. I wouldn't even call him a right winger.

And that brings me to the left being selective.

Bush the lefty.

No Child Left Behind was an expansion of government that the twisted left blames Bush for. Yet he joined Ted Kennedy and others to thrust that junk on American schools.

As bad as NCLB is it did come with added revenue and at least has some consequenses.

Here in Oregon CIMCAM was much worse, it was driven primarily by democrats, was unfunded, unproven and continues today behind the scenes. Where's the left?
Ignoring it. Too busy trashing Bush and NCLB.

Among other spending, Bush supporting prescription drug coverage? What an outrageous expansion. Trillions. Because it's not means tested resulting in the non needy getting government assistance. Pure foolishness.
Where's the left?

Illegal immigration? Bush is as lame and left as most Democrats. [McCain the same].

Global Warming? Apparently Bush has even caught that affliction. [like McCain and Newt]

"Barak believes in the Constitution?"
Sorry my friend but that is hardly substance.

And I don't view any far lefty as a constitution defender. More they would like to alter it and the country to mold out the socialistist untopia so many of the left enamour for.

With all the left's chatter about Bush torture and spying on Americans not a one of that 75,000 has really lost any rights at all.
Bush will be gone soon and the Constitution lives.

One thing we can all agree on, this election cycle is beyond interesting.

"Now maybe you thought George W was - how did the GOP like to put it - "Our Winston Churchill"? In that case, history has proven you were wrong."

Oh, I dunno Bill. It might be apt. Churchill was in large measure responsible for the military disaster at Gallipoli.

"Pages and pages of ideas and positions on issues ranging from the economy to immigration and Iraq, all of them far more realistic and practical ..."

Funny, I had the opposite reaction to his website. Yes, he has pages and pages of ideas but they are woefully short on how he plans to impliment them. How he plans on funding them. Let's take a look at a few of his ideas (these are directly from his website) -

Help Americans Grab a Hold of and Climb the Job Ladder: Obama will invest $1 billion over five years ... please notice he hasn't explained WHERE this billion dollars is coming from.

Create a Green Jobs Corps: Obama will create a program to directly engage disadvantaged youth in energy efficiency opportunities ... again, a wonderful idea and again, no mention of where or how he is going to fund it.

Create a Living Wage: Obama will raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing. - A living wage in one area of the country is not a living wage in another area. Try living in NYC or SF on minimum wage, plus he obviously has no idea what raising the minimum wage does to small businesses.

Support Parents with Young Children: Obama will expand the highly-successful Nurse-Family Partnership to all 570,000 low-income, first-time mothers each year... again, no mention of how he plans on funding this.

Pick just about any page, any idea that he has and you will see he is painfully shy on the funding details. From my vantage point he seems to HOPE that he can figure it out and make it all come true. He wants us to BELIEVE, I believe that he lacks enough experience to do what he wants to do and lacks enough experience to lead this country.

Ok so the left made Obama into an instant icon early on and now many months later he's here in Portland. The crowd was obvioulsy impressive but what did Obama say that was impressive or inspirational?

This pretty much sums up my tighty righty
view of Obama.

Bromide Obama

Bro"mide\, n. A person who is conventional and commonplace in his habits of thought and conversation. [Slang] -- Bro*mid"ic, a. [Slang]

The bromide conforms to everythyng sanctioned by the majority, and may be depended upon to be trite, banal, and arbitrary. --Gelett Burgess. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

please notice he hasn't explained WHERE this billion dollars is coming from.

That's easy, just end the war in Iraq. Why is it that conservatives are willing to spend hundreds of billions on an optional war that is harming our national interest, but they're not willing to spend a few billion actually creating jobs and improving the lives of Americans?

With all the left's chatter about Bush torture and spying on Americans not a one of that 75,000 has really lost any rights at all.

Really? When a right is taken away, it's gone whether you would have exercised the right or not. Bush has pushed for and successfully secured the power to label any American citizen an enemy combatant, after which you lose your right to habeus corpus, a trial before a jury of your peers (or any trial at all, for that matter), the right to question your accuser, and just about every other right that most of us associate with freedom and democracy. You may be comfortable living under a government that has such power, but I'm not.

I was out of town this weekend looking at real estate in another state. I got home just in time to see the big news stories about the Obama Rally. While he attracted a large crowd in this overly leftist city; one has to ask what else was going on in Portland that was of major interest? I'm aware of NOTHING else, other than enjoying a great spring day.

"not a one of that 75,000 has really lost any rights at all"

You sure Brandon Mayfield wasn't there?

Well there it is.

There's plenty wrong with Bush that I can come up with on my own but can anyone give me a name of any American citizen who has lost the right to habeus corpus, a trial before a jury of your peers (or any trial at all, for that matter), the right to question your accuser, and just about every other right that most of us associate with freedom and democracy.

Not one of yo have lost any of those rights yet you persist in pretending you have.

You may be comfortable imagining such things but I'm not.

No not a one of that 75,000 has lost any rights at all.

Brandon Mayfield is not an example of either his rights lost or anyone else's.

His own lawyer was convinced the FBI matched Brandon's finger prints making his arrest legit. He was later cleared becasue all of his rights were fully intact.
Get the truth an get over Brandon.

Golly Jack, why should we even bother to hold the election? Lets just hand Obama the keys to the WH and be done with it.

Of course one cannot lose an inalienable right. And yet...

here's an idea: try looking at his campaign's website.

Kerry tried that, and it didnt work.
I kinda wish candidates were banned from the internet. Then they would have to TELL us what they want to do, instead of having some staffer put it on the web.
Kinda like it was before the "internets."

Of course one cannot lose an inalienable right. And yet...

Um, Im no expert, but I do watch Law & Order...Mayfield was found not guilty and let go, right? Doesnt that mean the system worked as it should?

"Mayfield was found not guilty and let go, right? Doesnt that mean the system worked as it should?"

Followed by a two million dollar settlement and a formal apology from the government? Sure, sounds like everything went exactly according to proper procedure. :-)

Mayfield was rich with rights and used them to enrich himself.

Yet lefties hold him up as an example of Bush destroying our constitution?

The fact is our constitution and rights are safe and sound.

Despite the left's Bush Hating wild imaginations.

Howard,
Wow, really wow. I admire you for standing your ground but from a GOP strategery move defending for defending's sake is not going to help. Let's assume that Obama wins the demo nod. Let's assume he beats McCain fairly or unfaily based on 8 previous years of GOP leadership. It does not matter if Obama is great or average. The GOP needs to focus on 2016, the senate, the house, the local movements in the blue states. Go back to small non-intrusive government, fiscal responsibility, the foundation of the 20th century GOP.

I'm just hoping that the Republican Party will split into neo-con and paleo-con parties. That ought to keep them out of power for some time.

I say this because it's going to take more than four, or even eight, years of sane governance from our national leaders to counteract the idiocy and malfesance of the Bush administration...which, as noted already, has been piled atop eight earlier years of Reaganite idiocy and malfesance.

The Republicans keep telling us that large, centralized, and unrestrained government is a bad thing...and every time they get elected, they proceed to prove it. I certainly hope this Supreme Court interprets the Second Amendment in a manner that allows us individual rights to bear arms, because the last eight years have been proof enough that I need to hold on to mine...because these Bushite types are not going to go away overnight. They will be back.

I'm quite amused by all this talk of "lefties" and how "lefty" Portland is....that's pretty sinister. The problem is that these claims seem to be coming from people whose politics seems to be extreme, and totally ignoramus, right-wing types.

I'd say the people they are painting as leftists are, in reality, the great middle of the American electorate. I don't think of Obama as a leftist at all. I worry about him being a bought and paid-for corporatist middle-of-the-roader when he should be taking in more of the critiques and suggestions of the true left....Like single-payer health care.

Oh...And thank you Ronnie the Alzheimer president, with Georgie Senior offering assistance in using the CIA, for arming and training the Taliban and al Qaeda. $600 million a year over several years is nothing to sneeze at...seemingly, bin Laden made good use of it.

Followed by a two million dollar settlement and a formal apology from the government? Sure, sounds like everything went exactly according to proper procedure. :-)

Please...People are picked up and held on slim evidence all the time. None of them get 2 million dollars. They are lucky if they get an apology.
That settlement was a P.C. "dog and pony show". If he wasnt Muslim the whole thing would have fizzled away like a bad fart.

Maybe I'm missing the joke, but doesn't it seem odd for all of the Obama endorsements alongside an ad for a book detailing how he has ties to some Russian overlord bent on world domination?

Barack will be the next president. The Dems already know how to beat McCain...remember, Karl Rove wrote the playbook back in 2000. All those tactics will work now, plus McCain's foot has been in his mouth more than once since then. Once Hillary concedes (please, do it quick) the Dems will come together within 24 hours. Obama will pay off her campaign debt and everyone will make nice. There is just too much at stake for the party and really for the future of our country. And when Repubs that I know are still talking about Rev. Wright, I think - wow, is this the best that they've got? Plus look at McCain - you think anyone is going to believe a 72 y.o. man when he is talking about the FUTURE?! I predict an electoral landslide for Obama, and I urge you fence-sitters to really take a hard look at what you want your country to look like in 4 years.