Z – Can’t “Negotiate with Islam”! Tell that to Bush – He’s negotiating with the Islamist pres of Iraq all the time, no? And that’s part of our victory – As per that New Yorker peice from last month (and that recent Strat Page summary) Even the crazier Islamists are rethinking the meaning of Jihad. At the risk of seeming too beamish/Sullivanish – consider that O will likely be infinitely more adept than Bush as promoting the soft power of the American idea(s) – Understand that may be hard to swallow since (as someone put it here) Bush did the heavy lifting – but I doubt even W. feels that hard done by – Time Moves On…It will discredit the anti-AMericanism of the left AND the right. And, trust me, Zenster – the folks here who persistently equate O with Hitler (or the antichrist or the hound of hell or…) are no different/better than cats on the left suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome… PS Peterike – just realized I owe you one!! Some one of these days! But for this moment – I HEAR you re the memory of Afghan – only prob wth your analysis is that O wasn’t one of wack-offs on that front…Distinctions matter – He’s not Jesse or Sharpton. He’s not Chomsky or Moore either…If you’re into Research check how he gently distanced himself from Daily Kos types – Not AFTER he became the presumed nominee (and began the hot rush to the Center!?) Nope – Two years back. Before he announced his cannidacy. From the beginning he’s been out to create a space for a genuinely New Left. One that was less snarky and self-righteous and class-bound…