re: #71 jamesfirecat

To which I in turn would respond, it’s not about a few people who are hob-nobbing with those in power it’s about the state of your base. Politicians will do what it takes to get elected and the way the right base is trending crazier (as evidenced by recent polls Charles has posted among other things) would argue that the candidates you end up electing are going to by nature be crazier, or at least in thrall to the crazies. I feel the braying of the masses matter far more than a few words whispered in anyone’s ear…

(No offense intended trying to be scholarly about this.)

To which I’d reply:

Yes, the base are the telling thing; the base & the leadership on the Left seem to have no real problem with courting and/or seeking out the support of, some tremendously questionable folk on the Left. These associations are important to the extent that they suggest the leadership is in touch with the base, and is aware that these open associations are not only known and acceptable to a large portion of the base, but are, indeed, appealing to certain influential elements within the base itself.

Not to beat a dead horse, but the fact that a centrist like BHO had to go to and be seen in, the church of Jeremiah Wright in order to firm up his bona fides tells one a great deal about the state of Democratic politics in Chicago.