By David Swanson

George Lakoff has one of the louder voices in the chorus arguing that elections must be won on personality and fluff rather than policy positions. One problem with this advice is that if, at the end of it, you win an election, you won't know what you've won. You won't know whether the people you elected will do anything you want done unless they've told you their policy positions as well as making all the right moves in the area of visual dramatic superficial BS.

So far, I have managed to not write anything public about Barack Obama.

I've relished this little dance of non-declaration primarily because I have had nothing intelligent and/or productive to say about the man and the Presidential campaign has proven itself equally unintelligent.

But two things have happened: the progressive movement's support for Obama has grown exponentially and deepened. Movement people I know and trust are making startlingly starry-eye declarations about the changes this man will bring and my raised eyebrow has morphed into an expression of shocked concern.