OBAMA'S AMATEUR NIGHT CANDIDACY AND WHY THE DEMOCRATS NEED AN OPEN CONVENTION NOT AN OPEN MIC NIGHT

Howard Dean,Nancy Pelosi, the press and super delegates supporting Obama never seemed to understand that running for the Presidency of the United states isn't the same as having open mic night at the DNC.

In the last two weeks alone Barack Obama's candidacy has had a lot more in common with amateur night at the Comedy Store than anything resembling a serious candidate for President

But a funny thing has happened to Obama on his way to Denver. No one is laughing. Obama's act is bombing. And even Howard Dean, Pelosi, Obama's supporters and the super delegates sitting in the audience are looking grim. And for good reason. Obama's act isn't funny. Except to those who didn't vote for him.

In less than two weeks Obama, the candidate who said he was ready to be President on day one, has had Jim Johnson, the person he put in charge to vet Vice Presidential candidates resign within days of his appointment because of questions over shady loans, he angered Muslims, probably all over the world but especially in the US because he removed two Muslim women who were sitting directly behind him because he didn't want them to be seen, then Mr. Agent of Change reversed himself and broke his pledge to have his campaign publicly financed showing for the millionth time his word means absolutely nothing, and last but certainly not least, he told an audience of 7,000 Jews that he completely supported an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and then 24 hours later after the Palestinians went ballistic, reversed himself again trying, almost hilariously, to say that he didn't make himself clear about what he meant by "undivided".

What he managed to do within a 24 hour time span, was completely shred his credibility with both Israelis' and Palestinians on the most important and difficult foreign policy question in the Middle East.

It looks like Obama is going to have to find another introduction to his act by Howard Dean, his possible MC, who is not going to be able to introduce him as "Mr. Words Matter," or "The Change Candidate". Some people are saying Obama sounds like a loose cannon, but given his campaign slogan maybe from now on he'll be referred to as "loose change".

It hasn't taken Obama long to show what more than half the Democratic party saw throughout the primary. There is no talent or skill there other than for lying and deception and duping the easily duped, and he is leaving no one laughing. Least of all the DNC. Jerry Seinfeld would make a better President.At least he would leave them laughing.

But for the DNC and the Democrats chances in the fall its no laughing matter. Before he has even become the official nominee ( and if the Democrats have an open and honest convention with Clinton's name on the ballot and a roll call vote anything can happen) he has had the person charged with vetting his Vice Presidential candidates resign, he has destroyed his credibility with both Israelis and Palestinians, he has insulted Muslims which can do us no good whatsoever in the war on terror, he has alienated those who believe in campaign finance reform, including the editorial boards who supported him for his position on that, but one thing he has done -- he has miraculously unified Israelis, Palestinians and Muslims who all now collectively agree that he is an idiot.

This should come as no surprise. Obama has lied, backtracked and changed his story repeatedly throughout the campaign, most evident in the Wright episode displaying the same lack of credibility and character we have come to expect. He did the same during the Florida and Michigan controversy, running on a campaign slogan that "voices must be heard" then doing everything he could to keep the voices in Florida and Michgian from counting simply to furhter his own personal ambitions. The press chose to ignore all this rank dishonesty and instead of holding his feet to the fire, acted like it was nothing.

The press actually praised his attempt to wriggle out from under the lies he was caught telling in the Wright episdoe with his Philadelphia speech, the "I am not a crook" moment which the same editorial writers who praised Bush's reasons for going to war in Iraq called his "Lincoln Moment".

Following his "Lincoln Moment", Obama lied to the people of Ohio about his position on NAFTA, misrepresented his position on Iraq which was revealed by one of his former foreign policy advisors and after the Wright episode where he lied repeatedly about his relationship to him and his church,what he knew, when he knew it, and majestically said he couldn't disown Wright or his church, any more than he could disown his own grandmother or the entire black community disowned both Wright and his church when it became to his political advantage to do so..We are still waiting news on his grandmother. And probably so is his grandmother.

Then we had this great line from Obama's Memorial Day speech, something Im sure even Seinfeld envied.

"On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors it's unbroken line of fallen heroes, and I see many of them in the audience today..."

Okay now that was funny.But not if your Howard Dean, the DNC or super delegates supporting him. And not if you were a Democrat hoping to take back the White House which is looking more and more remote every day as long as Obama is the nominee. But maybe now super delegates are starting to see why the majority of the party voted against him in the first place. And why Clinton supporters kept using the term "drinking the Kool-Aid".

But there is still something that can be done and Howard Dean needs to do it. He needs to insure the Democratic Convention in August is an open convention not a coronation. And not the open mic night Obama's candidacy has become.

There is a better act waiting in the wings. Hillary Clinton has not withdrawn her name as a candidate. She hasn't released her delegates. Her campaign is suspended, not over. Obama's actual pledged delegate lead over Clinton is only 1% -- a lead of only 77 delegates not counting the 55 disputed delegates he didn't win and didn't earn in the Michigan compromise that the Clinton campaign said they would take to the credentials committee.And lets not forget that Hillary Clinton is the winner of the popular vote.

Howard Dean and the DNC need to have an open convention with Hillary Clinton's name on the ballot which is what should happen in any case. They must have a roll call vote as the democratic process dictates, so that delegates for Clinton, duly elected have their voices heard and the votes recorded and also so that super delegates can do what they were supposed to do in the first place -- use their judgment to pick the best nominee -- not the judgement of someone with a lower job approval rating than George Bush which is what Nancy Pelosi has, and not Dean's judgement, but their own. It is the only sensible thing to do, and the only thing that can give the Democratic Party time to ensure the best candidate is the nominee.

Obama as the Democratic Presidential candidate has already become the bad joke a lot people thought he would be. And it should be obvious by now that he is not going to leave anyone laughing. Instead the time may be coming for Obama to simply flick the ash off his cigar and say, "Say goodnight Michelle". And if he doesnt, the Democrats still have that cane.

NOTE: THE DENVER GROUP is a new PAC that will be seeking to insure that Howard Dean and the DNC have an open convention and that Clinton's name will be on the ballot and that there will be a roll call vote which the democratic process demands. The PAC should be up and running by Tues and ready to accept contributions.