(health care). The policies will endure.

But I'm not persuadable on oratory (or, more precisely, the oratory needs to include real, verifiable, policy commitments. For example, the mere word "universal" isn't enough.)

And what you said:

Given the antipathy toward the GOP this year, no Democrat should “need” the kind of help “that only Hillary Clinton” can bring to the ticket. When the role of the VP nominee becomes “saving the campaign from the candidate himself”, the question of “the right” VP candidate becomes irrelevant.

And, as I keep saying, that means that Clinton has power over Obama, rather than the reverse. Hopefully, she uses that power for good ;-)

[ ] Very tepidly voting for Obama [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.

That, more than anything, will be what kills his candidacy.

Then add at #2 - Misogyny and sexism. Whether you hold him responsible personally, or by respondeat superior, all the hatin' on women (half the country) during the campaign is what created PUMA

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“I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat.” - Will Rogers

He should end up still winning, because this year's anti-Republican wave is so big, but he's doing everything he can to minimize the margin of victory.

I would also add to your list: failing to once reach out to the masses of folks seeking populist economic solutions to their very real problems. Yes, abstract economic theory says that efficient market-based solutions work best, but economic theory has been used for far too long to justify anti-labor, pro-capital policies that have decimated the working class in this country. If Obama starts railing against Big Business, the culture of greed, and the outsourcing of American jobs in the name of short-term profits, he will win a lot of the Hillary supporters out there. But he won't do that, because he is an elitist, embracing elitist economic policies, and too too comfortable with the white-gloved cocktail hour set (Clive Crook, the entire Washington Post editorial board, and most of Wall Street come to mind), which he certainly doesn't want to offend with dirty "class warfare".

that's one damn fine summation, friend. economic populism would guarantee a tremendous dem sweep this fall, but of course obama and his UChicago econ team would never, ever allow that sort of talk. i weep to think of all the new voters such a campaign could bring in, knowing that such will not happen, given the mushy, nonspecific talk coming from the obama camp.

people are hurting a great deal more than the consultant class Villagers understand. i guess we'll just have to see for how long they can insulate themselves from that reality.

A word Hillary put in her speech. You won't see anyone else mention that word all week.

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Around these parts we call cucumber slices circle bites

When she let unionization, gay rights, and universal health care roll off her tongue? The crowd had been waiting for that since she dropped out of the race. It wasn't just her supporters who gave those things standing O's, either, it was the entire damned room.

These are the things we've been waiting for, and why the candidate no longer running has to be the one to finally reintroduce them back into the narrative of the race is ridiculous. Obama should be talking about these things, and more, every single day of the campaign.

The country is crying out for this kind of nourishment, and all he can seem to do is toss us crumbs, if even that. He's starving his base, and they are starting to atrophy. Hope & Change are incredibly light treats. They aren't sustenance, and if he hopes to have this body politic strong and ready to deliver for him on November 4th, he better start providing us with some food quickly.

This man is foolishly watering the leaves, when he should be watering the roots.