So, what does a one-term Congressman, out of office for over ten years and defeated for the Senate by his own state's voters only two years ago, have to offer as his "accomplishments?" His law practice? Come on, Mr. Lincoln. You'll have to do better than that.

There are times in history when an individual becomes identified with something the public wants very badly. In 1860, it was a President who would finally bring this slavery issue to a head. (And for those who don't think that's what Lincoln was about, remember that much of the South didn't even wait for his inauguration to secede -- THEY knew what the man stood for.) In 2008, it seems to be a President who will do something about the slow impoverishment of the American working class and a war whose only remaining purpose seems to be to save the reputations of the men who demanded it and then fucked it up.

I don't know if Barack Obama is cut from the kind of cloth that can manage these things, but I do know that neither Hillary Clinton nor John McCain are BECAUSE of their accomplishments -- some horrible Supreme Court judges and some of the worst of the Bush tax cuts for McCain, NAFTA and a bollixed health care bill for Hillary, and the enabling of the Iraq War for both of them. The major decent thing that McCain has seriously fought for -- ending torture of prisoners -- has NOT been an accomplishment. When the country is being run by scoundrels out to enrich a few rich men, you CAN'T accomplish anything unless you're in bed with them. It's like asking a quarterback with a lousy offensive line why he can't win any games.

Lincoln couldn't accomplish much before 1860 because the politics of the pre-slavery era were devoted to compromise and desperate attempts to ignore the problem. When the country was ready to change that, he came to the fore and was able to do what had to be done. Obama may not be able to do this, but the fact that he hasn't accomplished much says more about his times than the man himself.

Good post, Slasher. I've often brought up Lincoln's lack of experience as evidence that experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for a great presidency.

"When the country is being run by scoundrels out to enrich a few rich men, you CAN'T accomplish anything unless you're in bed with them"

Many of those scoundrels will still be in Washington when the next Pres takes the oath. They won't magically disappear.

If it's Obama, he won't have a majority Dem congress to work with. Everything will stall just the way it does now. Sorry but that's reality (no matter who the Dems nominate)

Surely I misunderstand you here. You appear to be saying that it is possible that Obama could win the Presidency but the Republicans win control of either house of Congress. I would be stunned if that were to happen. If Obama wins, it's going to be because the electorate has decided it doesn't want another term like Bush's (which is what McCain has promised so far). So why, if it decides that, would it also elect a Congress that DOES support Bush policies?

Are you saying something here that I'm missing?

For folks that are still saying they know nothing about Obama's experience. Don't take my words, follow the link below and then access the quick links to the Library of Congress website to conduct your own research. <link>

list is too substantive, so I'll mainly categorize.

During the first (8) eight years of Barack Obama's elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. He introduced
233 regarding healthcare reform,
125 on poverty and public assistance,
112 crime fighting bills,
97 economic bills,
60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills,
21 ethics reform bills,
15 gun control,
6 veterans affairs and many others.

His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These inculded
**the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law),
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act,(became law),
**The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate,
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill,(became law),
**The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill,(In committee), and many more.

In all since enter the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096

And McCain has now flip-flopped on torture, not only voting against the Senate bill to deny US agencies the right to practice it, but also stating that Bush should veto it. From plain talk to pandering of the worst kind, especially given what he had said against torture back before he sold out 'American Values, all Americans and those serving in the Military most of all.

dotheresearch:

list is too substantive, so I'll mainly categorize.

During the first (8) eight years of Barack Obama's elected service he sponsored over 820 bills. He introduced
233 regarding healthcare reform,
125 on poverty and public assistance,
112 crime fighting bills,
97 economic bills,
60 human rights and anti-discrimination bills,
21 ethics reform bills,
15 gun control,
6 veterans affairs and many others.

His first year in the U.S. Senate, he authored 152 bills and co-sponsored another 427. These inculded
**the Coburn-Obama Government Transparency Act of 2006 (became law),
**The Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation and Conventional Weapons Threat Reduction Act,(became law),
**The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, passed the Senate,
**The 2007 Government Ethics Bill,(became law),
**The Protection Against Excessive Executive Compensation Bill,(In committee), and many more.

In all since enter the U.S. Senate, Senator Obama has written 890 bills and co-sponsored another 1096

Do you mean that he wrote and co-sponsered all of those bills during the time he has held political office? It seems highly dubious to write and co-sponser that many bills in less than one term in the U.S. Senate.