"And that needs to be the norm, for all candidates, so they realize that they have to offer campaign policy honestly. An accurate understanding of a presidential candidates agenda is, after all, critical information for voters. When the press lets candidates slide by with incoherent or internally contradictory or simply unworkable plans, it cements the impression that candidates can use policy as they'd use ads, or direct mail -- as a simple form of voter targeting."

Which is what we critics of Obama have been saying for MONTHS. Where are the actual policies behind "hope" and "change?" Please don't point me to reactions to/against Clinton/McCain's. Where are Obama's policy papers?

FYI: "go to his website" still doesn't count.

It's a mistake to treat them as mere posturing, even if that's what they are. If he's offering nonsense for policy proposals, the best approach is to take them seriously.

FYI: "go to his website" still doesn't count.

Uh, why? Getting a little irritated that everyone derides you as an illiterate, uninterested non-reader when you spout off the ignorant anti-Obama talking points? You're not a "critic" of Obama, you're against Obama, and so telling you to read up on his policy proposals isn't going to help. We simply tell you to, knowing you haven't and knowing you won't when you claim that Obama doesn't stand for anything. Tell you to "go to his website" to read up on his proposals isn't done in the hope that you will -- because you already haven't, and if you cared you would have -- it's to expose you as a dishonest, broker making disingenuous arguments. You claim you "don't know what Obama stands for" because you're lying or you have no interest in the matter. It is you, not Obama, who has no interest in policy. Normal people would respnd, "Ah. Those policies he has shown are interesting." The dishonest, reflexive anti-Obama faction will say " 'go to his website' still doesn't count." We've exposed you as the latter.

Obama regularly releases policy proposals. They're just not part of his stump speeches.

Both Obama and Clinton are interested in policy issues. McCain is activiely disinterested. That's why it's noteworthy, today.

Where are Obama's policy papers?

FYI: "go to his website" still doesn't count.

So he should mail them to your house?

You are ignoring the fact that at least since 2000, only Democrats must have actual policy proposals so that the media can critique them. Republicans will only offer ponies and that is good enough for our media.

I guarantee the majority of the debates will center on specific and detailed questions regarding Obama's policies and the only policy comments required of McCain will be in the rebuttals to Obama's answers.

LOL, Tyro, great at the insults...not so great at describing Obama's policies (because there aren't any!)...still waiting.

Anonymous: you have not answered the question. You're not an honest broker. You're someone only interested in attacking Obama.

Anonymous--name an issue.

mark f, Anonymous doesn't actually care. it's why he says, " 'got to his website' doesn't count."

he doesn't want to know what Obama stands for, he wants to attack Obama. That's why he says that being told to read Obama's policy positions "doesn't count."

Tyro, not seeing what your "question" is.

Mark F., I'd like to know what Obama has in mind to deal with poverty. Thanks for the question.

Anonymous, the question is, why doesn't the invitation to "go to Obama's website" "count"? It would seem that it only counts if it's not an answer you like, simply because you have no answer to it. I think it's pretty clear that you're simply not interested and don't like having your willful ignorance thrown in your face over and over again.

Anon: I'm not saying that you should go to his website -- but I'm providing a link to his Poverty plan, which is on his website.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/FactSheetPoverty.pdf

And if you are interested in a somewhat different comparative analysis between Hillary and Obama's poverty plans, look for Ben Brandzel's piece in the Huffington Post.

The media generally isn't interested in the hard work of analysis. It's a lot easier to go to McCain's BBQ's and have him tell you he doesn't want the government in charge of his health care. Nice, easy to understand talking point without the pain of reading.

But, the RNC will helpfully "analyze" and distill into talking points for the media all the bad ideas contained in Hillary and Obama's plans. Again, nice, easy talking points for the lazy media.

On a completely different subject, why the hell is it someone else's job to read and summarize Obama's policies for Anonymous? Just because Anonymous is lazy doesn't mean Obama has no policies.

Thanks, Jesse!...very helpful and exactly what I was looking for.

Anonymous, is there a reason why, if you were so interested in the issue, that you were incapable of looking that up yourself? It would strike me that anyone interested in Obama's stance on that particular issue who had been told "look at his website" would have found that particular policy paper. I can't imagine why anyone who was an honest broker would not have, particularly if such a person supported another candidate and likely found detailed policy papaers on the same issue from the same sort of sources.

If you can find Ezra Klein on the intertubes you damn sure should be able to find out where Obama stands on poverty and what he proposes to do about it. McCain...probably not so much, so perhaps our anonymous troll is just your standard freeper rather than a Hillbot and just assumes that most candidates don't have actual policy positions and therefore was just too ignorant to google 'Obama poverty policies' and then do a little reading. I imagine the same search for McCain doesn't lead to any specifics and hence our troll's issues.

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