I think Obama has the capacity to change people from ass-sitters to active participants. If Obama wins, it’ll be because normal people supported him. And if he doesn’t show himself to be an agent of change, the same people who put him in the White House will go after him.

If anyone could inspire “the majority of lefty types in the US” to take to the streets and take the government back, it is/was Bush. But even he couldn’t rouse people from much mass action beyond complaining to like-minded people, with the notable exception of the run-up to the Iraq War.

Having a president who lefty types disagree with strongly wasn’t enough to motivate them to sustain political action. Maybe having a president who is more reliant on the people will keep them more atuned to what’s really going on.

And is playing the “blame Chavez for Colombia’s war crimes and support Uribe-the-fascist” game.

And has spoken in favor of military action against Pakistan and Iran.

And supports expansion of coal infrastructure.

And is an anti-black-power reactionary who is all about getting mainstream corporate acceptance.

And is a liar who says he wants to renegotiate NAFTA then admits to the Canadians that it’s all talk.

But hey, he’s not any more evil than Clinton or McCain. And his lack of experience means it’s a lot harder to point to specifically evil actions in his past. Fortunately, his public statements make his allegiance to corporate power and US imperialism very clear.

“Right now, our democracy sucks?” All democracy sucks. It’s a political system very cleverly designed to encourage people to abdicate their power to “elected representatives.”

Important questions (“how do we feel about fossil fuels?”) are never going to be on the ballot, and no politician will challenge the basic “death to the planet” direction of this society.

I don’t care who becomes president. What does alarm me is that if Obama wins, the majority of lefty types in the US will spend two years sitting on their asses waiting for change from Washington before realizing that Obama is just another Bill “Plan Colombia/Effective Death Penalty Act/Bomb Iraq and Kosovo” Clinton.