Kos Upset With Obama, Withholds Contribution

Daily Kos:

So many of you are upset that I pulled back my credit card last night, making a last minute decision to hold back on a $2,300 contribution to Obama. Let me explain further:

First of all, obviously Obama is a great candidate who is running a great 50-state race. That much cannot be denied. But he's had a rough couple of weeks.

. . .

Obama will be fine without my contribution, and he may even still get it before this thing is said and done, but it would be at a time when he has done something positive. That's called rewarding good behavior. And if that opportunity fails to arise because Obama goes on a Sister Souljah'ing rampage, then no worries. Chances are good that the DNC would get the money instead. But at this time, I simply have no desire to reward bad behavior.

Read the whole story: Daily Kos

Comments

[MariaHopeful]

Who is leading this and selling this anti-Obama movement? Who is trying to sabotage Obama's chances? What is the motive?

Kos: I was also a Republican. As a 17-year-old precinct captain in 1988, not even old enough to vote, I helped deliver one of the district's best precinct performances for Henry Hyde. I had a framed picture of me with George H. W. Bush..."

Now all of a sudden he cares so much about not being able to sue the companies in a civil court? That is the sticking point, that some people/organization will not be able benefit from a civil lawsuit. For that some people/org­anizations are willing to jeopardize Obama's chances to win this election. Hmmmm...is there more to this story?

[MariaHopeful]

In any contest between Kos(?) and Obama, I am for Obama. Obama has already done more for this country and thus the world than some people can even dream of in ten million years. If the petulant, whining, internet, one-issue, internet "progressives" cause the Democrats this election then we will know who is responsible. This time it will not be Nader but people who want to make a name for themselves at the expense of the country. I personally could care less about effing Kos acting as if he is some expert.

[mindlessmissy]

Ha Ha ... Baby wants Candy ... Baby get candy when Baby behave well ... Daily Kos is Fired Up ... and Ready to Go ! ... Obama, show him a sign ....

President Obama '09

[HotATL]

I'm with you Kos. I'm tired of the lesser of two evils crap.

[HumeSkeptic]

I agree with Kos.

.

[Biracial1]

I remember in the not so distant past that many members on KOS were outraged that HRC's top donors wrote a letter to the DNC basically stating the same thing that the purist on KOS are doing now, "we can't have our way so we will withhold our contributions". Fortunately, many people in politics knew well in advance that those one issue voters would become "undeciders" sooner or later.
So to you KOS, keep your dontation. I and others will stop visiting your website.

[rollingdivision]

Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.
Alexander Hamilton

[LiberTLover]

Democrats, please keep arguing and fighting and by all means, while your enemy batters your candidate, you join in and help. And when he loses because he didn't have your support, financially or otherwise, and your enemy is in the WH for another four years, you can pat yourselves on the back that you showed somebody something as you or your children or granchildren step out of a still substandard vehicle in Iran and/or Syria under real sniper fire, families live on the street after losing their homes and people lose their lives unable to get health care coverage because of pre-existing conditions and high costs - some have died already and continue to do so unneccessarily. Do you want to win the moral skirmishes or do you want to win the war? Like it or not, the reality is that you can't have everything. Obama puts his life on the line every day to fight to win this war for the people that he knows desperately need his help, the least the Dems can do is have his back.

[eljodio]

Seems to me that the waning of enthusiasm for Obama at this juncture is due to the lack of drama right now in the presidential race. Agaisnt Hilary Clinton it was nonstop, day to day drama, always something new and exciting. So things peaked, a massive high for all those left-leaning political junkies out there, and they can't deal with that. They're looking for more drama to keep the political buzz going, and trying to find it in legislation of all places. Now it's the fourth amendment, FISA, the Supreme Court's decision on hand guns, rape, etc. This is political crack, but it's pretty weak stuff, so the so-called progressives are now deciding to switch dealers or maybe even try to kick the habit all together because Obama is selling them so weak stuff, the high ain't as good as it used to be. People, it's summer. Go outside and try to enjoy life a bit. If you trusted Obama to handle the primaries, and he handled them, all this stuff will take care of itself. Witholding money or threatening to withhold your donations, while your choice, is simply immature. Keep your eyes on the larger picture. Now, as I said before, try to enjoy life a bit more. Go and listen to your old Miles Davis records and meditate on the meaning of it all.

[riverhouse]

I like and support Daily Kos. This is the kind of organization we need in this highly contained and controlled news environment this administration has created. It's a mistake to alienate the base. The campaign and Kos should be working in concert. This is not a good sign for our unity candidate.

[jjasonham]

I'm not saying I think Obama needs to compromise on this issue in order to get elected. I don't think he should compromise either. However, we only have a statement from him so far about what he thinks about the program. We know that he's against telecom immunity from civil lawsuits. We don't know how he will vote yet. Its not so black and white. In my opinion, I don't see him choosing between our civil liberties and national security. It may seem like a blatant disregard for civil liberties, but I don't view it that way in the long run, not with the judicial oversights it gives to the laws that are currently in place and the prevention it would put into place for presidents to create new war-time powers. Kos can do whatever he wants to with his money, as can everyone else. Are people waiting for Obama to be a pure progressive? What is a pure progressive? Where is that list that tells us exactly what a pure progressive is? It is completely subjective. Does change happen overnight? Will it jump from far right to far left without hitting the middle at all? I just see it as counterproductive to withold all investments into a portfolio if you can't get a 100% return. 80% sounds damn good to me.

[chrissy22]

BLAH BLAH BLAH GET OVER THE FISA THING JEEZ MILLIONS OF HIS SUPPORTER DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT IS LOL

[xcrunner77]

Kos you are right on. And let's add "faith based initiatives" to the list. Christ, I'm holding my breath waiting to hear him say "the Iraq war isn't such a bad thing.... let's stay for awhile."

I gave Obama the max of $2300 during the primary -- not in one big check to some fancy dinner, I wasn't mentally there yet, having never given money to a campaign before -- but in smaller and then larger increments over the 16 month primary. I'm definitely an Obamamaniac if you want to use that term.

But now I'm also astonished. And I too am holding on to my checkbook. Whether I start writing again depends in large part on whether he gets back on track -- and by that I mean living up to his own rhetoric -- and who he picks for VP. If he picks Sam Nunn, forget it. I won't send him another penny.

As kos said, others will probably pick up the slack and he won't miss my dollars. But I wonder how many other people are feeling the same way, how many of us grassroots, firsttimers, who have given so much time and energy to this campaign, looked at Plouffe's "midnight deadline" email and quoted our hero silently to ourselves: "not this time."

It hurt not to answer that call. But Barack is not being the candidate I put my heart, soul and money behind. He's becoming the sort of politician that made me stay uninvolved.

[harriscrl3]

Wow they never really knew Obama did they. I guess its all nice and dandy to talk inclusion when its people on the left gays women progressives, people of color but when it really means INCLUSION as in everyone Progressives dont want to hear it. Well others like me will just double what we've been giving because we believe in INCLUDING all even people who have different philosphy than us. That is what is wrong with this country and what Obama has been running against. When you are the President of the USA you are President of ALL not just some. Progressives are no different from those DOGMATIC center or people on the right that they criticize. This is partly why I find them EQUALLY annoying. Unity mean sacrifices it doesnt mean always getting your way. I'm sick and tired of these ideological BS and I certainly dont want to trade one for another which just makes half the country happy and the other half miserable how the heck is that better.

Thats a lesson some of you need to learn.

Carol

[Independent voter]

Carol, it seems like you're doing quite a bit of whining on your own as you declare your own middle of the ideological BS.

[MariaHopeful]

I am beginning to hate them myself. Attempting to hijack the agenda and diverting money, time and attention from the real work at hand. Screw them!

[Independent voter]

There are people here who will support Obama no matter what he does and who will harangue anybody who has the courage to dissent with Obama, but I believe that your enthusiasm has eclipsed your rational thinking.

Many make the point that Obama has to move to the right in order to win the election - and then POOF everything will be wonderful. I'm skeptical - and I have been an ardent supporter who has contributed heavily to Obama.

I don't know who Obama is anymore. How much moving to the right is acceptable? How much of this right shift is campaign bluster and how much is the true nature of the man finally revealed.

Mukaasey, FISA, failure to support Wes Clark all bother me, but not enough to loose my vote yet. But what comes next? Invade Iran? Right to life? Privatize Social Security?

Moving to the right means abandoning the left, and it is largely the left that won the nomination. Hillary had the right locked down fairly well.

When we as a country are done chipping away at our civil liberties for the sake of political expediency, I wonder what we will have left. A place where we gave up our freedoms in order to be free?

Obama must be held accountable. Right shift for political gain is not change I can believe in. Taking a position and defending it vigorously is of greater importance than waving like wheat whichever way the wind blows.

[allonfla]

he's moving to the right? I thought he was moving to the center? What is he doing, the electric slide?

Were you guys listening during the primaries? - Team of Rivals, Bi-partisanship, Dems don't have a monopoly on good ideas. You have a right to disagree with Obama and the right to express it. I don't like his stance on ethanol and a couple of other things, but what I know for sure is this---Obama is always on the hunt for ideas that are different than his --- ideas that may be different , but better.

And why is it that when someone mentions faith - they are automatically right wing lunatics? There are milllions of faithful church goers that vote Democrat. Everyone deserves to be courted in this election not just the left/progressives.