Norman, Coordinate

The war in Afghanistan will be a major problem for the president's base to digest. They don't really think it is the "good" war, yet President Obama appears to be determined to fight the war (and I hope that determination extends to fighting long enough to win that war).

The basic problem is that his base is "progressive," which means they have to oppose a racist war against people of color (which for many was a war sparked by 9/11 attacks caused or allowed by Preident Bush anyway).

They are progressive so they oppose the war.

Yet as widespread protests unfold against President Obama's (and Speaker Pelosi's and Senate Majority Leader Reid's, if you must know) plans to enlarge our government's role in our economy to potentially disastrous levels, progressives also "know" that protesting President Obama is just concealed racism. Never mind that Republicans have continued to not support the president since the election and the recent loss of presidential support comes from the universe of people outside the Republican Party. Progressives know that opposing the president is now the highest form of racism.

So progressives can't oppose the war.

But progressives must oppose an unjust and failed war.

But President Obama supports the Afghan war and only racists oppose the president.

I think you know where this is heading. There are many Krugmans and Riches and Dowds and Gores and Friedmans and Sullivans and Zakarias.

But only one Norman:



Skip ahead to the 9:00 minute mark if you can't stand the suspense.

The smoke is the funniest part. I bet there will be a lot of people out there looking just like that.