Andrew Slack, a student of my father (and one of the only readers of this blog) and one of the only readers of this blog was mentioned in last year's Time Magazine's Person of the Year issue. The year before, Time had named the Person of the Year as "You"...meaning that all of us are shaping the world.
This year with Obama on the cover, he writes in the following:
"In 2006 I was Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Then in 2007 their Person of the Year issue only mentioned me in two paragraphs. And then as an added slap in the face, this year, they've made Barack Obama Person of the Year without any mention of me any where.
"Fed up by this downward spiral, I complained to a good friend. But my friend quoted Obama, by saying "this has never been about me. It's been about you." Meaning me. So once again, I'm Time Magazine's Person of the Year. After only a two paragraph mention last year, it's nice to be back on top."
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Carrot and Stick
Where did this term come from and why does any one think that it could actually work? Carrot and Stick...really? Has any one ever got a child let alone someone of any age to do any thing by bribing them with a carrot? Why don't they call it cotton candy and stick?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Blackwater Trial
It's important when murderers are both fairly tried and convicted for their crimes. The case should be no different with Blackwater guards. But the stakes are incredibly high here. It is imperative that the Arab world see that the United States does not believe that armed Americans who kill Iraqi civilians are acting honorably. It is imperative, if we truly wish to transform hearts and minds, that we show the entire world that they are brought to justice.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Somethings Up With Chris Matthews
He's not talking like a journalist at all.
He wants to make this Presidency work? That's not his job. And he shouldn't admit that out loud unless he wants to be a liberal version of Fox News.
On Tuesday night, he mentioned how he was in various meetings in Philadelphia a handful of times. I had read a rumor that he was thinking about running for Senate in Pennsylvania against Arlen Specter. I think that's a fair estimate.
You know, I like Chris Matthews the way I like a guy who I like that is also a real dick. And to be fair, I kind of like him. But that doesn't mean he isn't a real dick. And I don't like people screwing with journalism so they can win political points even if they're on my side. On the other hand, if someone has the star power to unseat a favorite like Specter, Matthews is a good pick. Doesn't stop him from being a dick though.
He wants to make this Presidency work? That's not his job. And he shouldn't admit that out loud unless he wants to be a liberal version of Fox News.
On Tuesday night, he mentioned how he was in various meetings in Philadelphia a handful of times. I had read a rumor that he was thinking about running for Senate in Pennsylvania against Arlen Specter. I think that's a fair estimate.
You know, I like Chris Matthews the way I like a guy who I like that is also a real dick. And to be fair, I kind of like him. But that doesn't mean he isn't a real dick. And I don't like people screwing with journalism so they can win political points even if they're on my side. On the other hand, if someone has the star power to unseat a favorite like Specter, Matthews is a good pick. Doesn't stop him from being a dick though.
Time's Person of the Year 2008
Gee? Who do you think it's going to be? Sarah Palin? Steve Schmidt? George W Bush? Karl Rove? Ted Stevens? Mark Foley? Dick Cheney? John McCain? Probably not. No. I wonder if intrade already has a bet going on this. But my take is that this year it's not going to be a dictator in Russia.
Most likely, it's going to be the man who takes time out of his busy schedule to read all of the Harry Potter books to his daughter Malia Obama. And that fills me with a sense of pride.
Most likely, it's going to be the man who takes time out of his busy schedule to read all of the Harry Potter books to his daughter Malia Obama. And that fills me with a sense of pride.
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
Been away for a while but the title of this post says it all. :-)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Stranger Than Really Strange Fiction
Um...so Judith Miller is a new contributor to Fox News. This is the same Judith Miller of the NY Times that did misleading reporting that helped get the US into war with Iraq.
We've all had stories that didn't come out exactly as we had hoped? I'm trying to suppress my laughter here. Okay. I'm trying to find a rational sounding way to tackle that comment by Mr. Moody. I mean. Um. I uh...I'm kind of at a loss for words.
How does Jon Stewart come out with new material? The sheer reality of Fox News is much more satirical of itself than the words of any satirist.
Can we all be sure of one thing? Whether the US ever gets to be like what it once was before Judith Miller and Fox News or whether we fall into obscurity, in the long view, Fox News will be thought of as being on the wrong side of history. Why do people not care about their being on the wrong side of history? I mean, they're egomaniacs. Don't they want history to look well on them?
I'm just...who writes this shit?
Miller will be an on-air analyst and will write for Fox's Web site. "She has a very impressive résumé," says Senior Vice President John Moody. "We've all had stories that didn't come out exactly as we had hoped. It's certainly something she's going to be associated with for all time, and there's not much anyone can do about that, but we want to make use of the tremendous expertise she brings on a lot of other issues. . . . She has explained herself and she has nothing to apologize for."
We've all had stories that didn't come out exactly as we had hoped? I'm trying to suppress my laughter here. Okay. I'm trying to find a rational sounding way to tackle that comment by Mr. Moody. I mean. Um. I uh...I'm kind of at a loss for words.
How does Jon Stewart come out with new material? The sheer reality of Fox News is much more satirical of itself than the words of any satirist.
Can we all be sure of one thing? Whether the US ever gets to be like what it once was before Judith Miller and Fox News or whether we fall into obscurity, in the long view, Fox News will be thought of as being on the wrong side of history. Why do people not care about their being on the wrong side of history? I mean, they're egomaniacs. Don't they want history to look well on them?
I'm just...who writes this shit?
Fact Checking Statements on the Weather Underground
While I think it's best to understand the historical context that helped the Weather Undergound come to the surface, there's a lot of good reason why people from all stripes in the US (including myself) are furious at the Weather Underground.
But as far as I know, it is factually wrong to imply as the McCain campaigns Robocalls have, that the Weather Underground killed any innocent civilians. I'm pretty sure that there was a short phase within their history when their most extreme wing had decided that attacking civilians would be justified. Of course, this was crossing a line that is despicable. The result of this, however, was that this extreme wing had created a bomb and accidentally killed themselves in the process. They were the only ones to die. After that the Weather Underground reevaluated their approach and did their best to make sure that innocent civilians would not be physically harmed by their acts of terrorism. And they were not. That's not a defense of the Weather Underground. But they were a lot more like Fight Club and a lot less like what we think of when we think of traditional terrorism.
At this point, it is disappointing though not shocking to watch the mainstream media's critique of activism in the 1960's of which the Weather Underground only consisted of a tiny minority. We sometimes make parallels between Iraq and Vietnam.
However, what goes little mentioned is that the FBI's COINTELPRO program which was established under the auspices of fighting Soviet/communist ties within the US ended up being used to attack the constitutional rights of many members of BOTH the left and the right. In the case of Black Panther Fred Hampton who was expecting a child and who never laid a finger on any one, the US government assassinated him while in his sleep by shooting him about seventeen times and then made it look like it was a shoot out between he and the Chicago Police. Even writing that makes me feel like I sound like some sort of delusional throwback who thinks the government is out to get us. I don't this this. But sometimes the facts are as strange as ficiton.
Further, in the case of Dr. King, very few realize the measures to which the FBI took in order to have Dr. King either kill himself or have someone assassinate him (black mailing him with tapes of his affairs, publishing his hotel room in a local paper...the hotel in which he was killed). This would in turn remind us of what a shame it is that people can name any building after J Edgar Hoover with a straight face.
And even less mentioned are the hideous acts that COINTELPRO took against the Ku Klux Klan (though those don't involve assassinations) and were, I believe, authorized (sadly) by Bobby Kennedy who I am a big fan of.
Why I bring all of this up is that Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground as a threat were never any thing compared to COINTELPRO. In fact, most members of the Weather Underground got off without jail time because of how many constitutional rights the FBI had stripped them of. After 1978 the FBI lost it's power to declare underground wars against it's own citizens.
After 9/11/01 it regained many of those powers.
It's not an issue that any one on wants to talk about right now before the election, but if there's any frightening parallels between now and the 1960's and 70's it's not the history of either the left or the right. It's the unchecked power of the FBI.
The Right's narration of the Weather Underground killing Americans is somewhat delusional. Not entirely wrong as they did intend to at one point and did kill their own members on accident. But still. It's factually inaccurate and on a much deeper level, ignores the larger threats being posed at that time by the FBI.
But as far as I know, it is factually wrong to imply as the McCain campaigns Robocalls have, that the Weather Underground killed any innocent civilians. I'm pretty sure that there was a short phase within their history when their most extreme wing had decided that attacking civilians would be justified. Of course, this was crossing a line that is despicable. The result of this, however, was that this extreme wing had created a bomb and accidentally killed themselves in the process. They were the only ones to die. After that the Weather Underground reevaluated their approach and did their best to make sure that innocent civilians would not be physically harmed by their acts of terrorism. And they were not. That's not a defense of the Weather Underground. But they were a lot more like Fight Club and a lot less like what we think of when we think of traditional terrorism.
At this point, it is disappointing though not shocking to watch the mainstream media's critique of activism in the 1960's of which the Weather Underground only consisted of a tiny minority. We sometimes make parallels between Iraq and Vietnam.
However, what goes little mentioned is that the FBI's COINTELPRO program which was established under the auspices of fighting Soviet/communist ties within the US ended up being used to attack the constitutional rights of many members of BOTH the left and the right. In the case of Black Panther Fred Hampton who was expecting a child and who never laid a finger on any one, the US government assassinated him while in his sleep by shooting him about seventeen times and then made it look like it was a shoot out between he and the Chicago Police. Even writing that makes me feel like I sound like some sort of delusional throwback who thinks the government is out to get us. I don't this this. But sometimes the facts are as strange as ficiton.
Further, in the case of Dr. King, very few realize the measures to which the FBI took in order to have Dr. King either kill himself or have someone assassinate him (black mailing him with tapes of his affairs, publishing his hotel room in a local paper...the hotel in which he was killed). This would in turn remind us of what a shame it is that people can name any building after J Edgar Hoover with a straight face.
And even less mentioned are the hideous acts that COINTELPRO took against the Ku Klux Klan (though those don't involve assassinations) and were, I believe, authorized (sadly) by Bobby Kennedy who I am a big fan of.
Why I bring all of this up is that Bill Ayers and the Weather Underground as a threat were never any thing compared to COINTELPRO. In fact, most members of the Weather Underground got off without jail time because of how many constitutional rights the FBI had stripped them of. After 1978 the FBI lost it's power to declare underground wars against it's own citizens.
After 9/11/01 it regained many of those powers.
It's not an issue that any one on wants to talk about right now before the election, but if there's any frightening parallels between now and the 1960's and 70's it's not the history of either the left or the right. It's the unchecked power of the FBI.
The Right's narration of the Weather Underground killing Americans is somewhat delusional. Not entirely wrong as they did intend to at one point and did kill their own members on accident. But still. It's factually inaccurate and on a much deeper level, ignores the larger threats being posed at that time by the FBI.
Colin Powell's endorsement
Endorsements are something that pundits like to make a big deal out of, but my favorite bloggers have assured me in their posts that they often mean very little. Except, I think, when you're a Democrat labeled as inexperienced in foreign policy and the endorsement comes from Colin Powell.
Nate Silver has pointed out that Obama's recent momentum surge in the polls is stalling. Not to worry, says Nate. There may be another surge once the last debate has been factored into all the polling. But I'm not so sure on that one. I mean, the last debate had Obama win but it gave McCain something of a hat to hang on...even if that something was just a line about how he's not George Bush and about a jerk who isn't a licensed plumber. Regardless of whatever bounce Obama does or doesn't get from this most recent debate, Nate assures us that just because Obama's momentum surge is stalling does not mean that it's going to reverse towards a surge in momentum towards John McCain. That sounds right.
But two new factors have been introduced today. One is the announcement record amount of money that Obama raised in September. That announcement won't help him too much in the polls, I wouldn't think. On the one hand, his fund raising ability shows how competent he is, on the other hand, it paints John McCain as the underdog, and Obama has done well as an underdog. It will however, help Obama overshadow McCain in advertising.
But going back to endorsements. Despite the fact that endorsements often do not translate into big bounces in the polls, this one from Colin Powell will, I think, mean something. It may cause a big bounce but I'm betting that it won't. What it will do is further justify why Obama supporters support Obama and give very little left for the McCain campaign to hang it's hat on. I mean, say bin Laden does make a video right now. Everyone just assumes that it will mean a surge in support for McCain. But why? Especially when you've got Colin Powell backing the other guy. The ramifications of Powell's endorsement may or may not show up in the polls. But it does mean something very substantial.
And it is telling that a moderate Republican foreign policy guy has clearly stepped over to Obama and condemned his own party. If the Republican Party loses this November, they may have to reconsider their entire playbook if they ever want to regain much of any thing.
Plus, on a much more profound level, Powell didn't simply endorse Obama today. He endorsed American Muslims. And outside of the world of presidential politics and back to reality, that's got to be the most profound endorsement that's happened all election season.
Nate Silver has pointed out that Obama's recent momentum surge in the polls is stalling. Not to worry, says Nate. There may be another surge once the last debate has been factored into all the polling. But I'm not so sure on that one. I mean, the last debate had Obama win but it gave McCain something of a hat to hang on...even if that something was just a line about how he's not George Bush and about a jerk who isn't a licensed plumber. Regardless of whatever bounce Obama does or doesn't get from this most recent debate, Nate assures us that just because Obama's momentum surge is stalling does not mean that it's going to reverse towards a surge in momentum towards John McCain. That sounds right.
But two new factors have been introduced today. One is the announcement record amount of money that Obama raised in September. That announcement won't help him too much in the polls, I wouldn't think. On the one hand, his fund raising ability shows how competent he is, on the other hand, it paints John McCain as the underdog, and Obama has done well as an underdog. It will however, help Obama overshadow McCain in advertising.
But going back to endorsements. Despite the fact that endorsements often do not translate into big bounces in the polls, this one from Colin Powell will, I think, mean something. It may cause a big bounce but I'm betting that it won't. What it will do is further justify why Obama supporters support Obama and give very little left for the McCain campaign to hang it's hat on. I mean, say bin Laden does make a video right now. Everyone just assumes that it will mean a surge in support for McCain. But why? Especially when you've got Colin Powell backing the other guy. The ramifications of Powell's endorsement may or may not show up in the polls. But it does mean something very substantial.
And it is telling that a moderate Republican foreign policy guy has clearly stepped over to Obama and condemned his own party. If the Republican Party loses this November, they may have to reconsider their entire playbook if they ever want to regain much of any thing.
Plus, on a much more profound level, Powell didn't simply endorse Obama today. He endorsed American Muslims. And outside of the world of presidential politics and back to reality, that's got to be the most profound endorsement that's happened all election season.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Barack Obama is not only a Senator.....
And he's not only the Democratic nominee for the US Presidency. He's also something of a historian. Here he is today:
"Don't underestimate the capacity of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Don't underestimate our ability to screw it up."
If there's any thing Democrats have been good at in the last thirty years, it's selling out their principles in order to win, losing at the last minute, or just blindly losing. I'd say this trend changed after Bush seriously proposed privatizing social security and Nancy Pelosi showed the President what it looks like to go up against a politician from Baltimore. She rallied Congress and the American people led by different groups like the AARP and MoveOn to say, "you fuck with FDR's legacy one more inch and you fuck with us all. And guess what? We won't let you." And the rest is a new history. A history of winning.
But the old history can repeat itself. So I like Obama's advice. It keeps us on our toes.
"Don't underestimate the capacity of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Don't underestimate our ability to screw it up."
If there's any thing Democrats have been good at in the last thirty years, it's selling out their principles in order to win, losing at the last minute, or just blindly losing. I'd say this trend changed after Bush seriously proposed privatizing social security and Nancy Pelosi showed the President what it looks like to go up against a politician from Baltimore. She rallied Congress and the American people led by different groups like the AARP and MoveOn to say, "you fuck with FDR's legacy one more inch and you fuck with us all. And guess what? We won't let you." And the rest is a new history. A history of winning.
But the old history can repeat itself. So I like Obama's advice. It keeps us on our toes.
Oh and Governor Palin
Good luck to you on your soon to be obscurity. I hope that wherever it takes you, be it throwing eggs at Planned Parenthood offices or Internet porn videos about the naughty after hour antics of Catholic school teachers, that you will be living in a state that is so pro-America it'll make you barf up your moose steaks all over every newspaper that you read...since you read all of them. Please tell Corey Feldman I loved him in the Burbs and give my regards to the Runaway Bride.
Boy, my contempt for Sarah Palin is getting so ridiculously heavy handed. To my 1 to 5 readers* (1 includes myself) I apologize for my most ungentlemanly behavior and tone.
I just can't stop myself. See I'm a straight talking maverick who bucks his own party and so I just cut through the Hebrew National Bologna of Washington insiders and tell it like it is. I think every Joe from Joe Six Pack to Joe the Plumber to Senator Joe Biden of Scranton to Joe Mamma would understand that as a true American, I just have to tell it like it is and be a complete asshole with no regard for other people's feelings or livelihood so long it is profits my shallow and compulsive drive for prestigious positions where I can make decisions that ruin people's lives and profit a few oil executives that mask their underlying depression and low self esteem with narcissistic plans to gain more power and control while eradicating 1 in 4 mammals and putting the entire human race in grave peril. I mean, after all, that's what we straight talkin' mavericks do. So while I may not have the polished Ivy League snobbish eloquence of say, Barack Obama, at least I tell it like it is and would never mean any disrespect to Joe the Plumber since he's proven to be such a useful pawn and gimmick for my fake populist surface talk that hides my contempt for America, humanity, and all sentient beings including my own family and self. I'm sure all true Americans would understand.
And yes, I am heavy handed. I'm a straight talkin' maverick. Being heavy handed goes with the territory. You got a problem with that and you'll get bitch slapped by Bill Kristol and David Brooks. So look out. 'Cause there's nothing scarier than getting bitch slapped by incompetent thinkers that the New York Times keeps employed to make it appear that they are not liberally biased.
Any way, Governor. Best of luck. With all sincerity I hope that you have enough health insurance for serious psychoanalysis and a full regimen of healing while serving time (for Troopergate, etc) in a new prison system that values rehabilitation over retribution.
Boy, my contempt for Sarah Palin is getting so ridiculously heavy handed. To my 1 to 5 readers* (1 includes myself) I apologize for my most ungentlemanly behavior and tone.
I just can't stop myself. See I'm a straight talking maverick who bucks his own party and so I just cut through the Hebrew National Bologna of Washington insiders and tell it like it is. I think every Joe from Joe Six Pack to Joe the Plumber to Senator Joe Biden of Scranton to Joe Mamma would understand that as a true American, I just have to tell it like it is and be a complete asshole with no regard for other people's feelings or livelihood so long it is profits my shallow and compulsive drive for prestigious positions where I can make decisions that ruin people's lives and profit a few oil executives that mask their underlying depression and low self esteem with narcissistic plans to gain more power and control while eradicating 1 in 4 mammals and putting the entire human race in grave peril. I mean, after all, that's what we straight talkin' mavericks do. So while I may not have the polished Ivy League snobbish eloquence of say, Barack Obama, at least I tell it like it is and would never mean any disrespect to Joe the Plumber since he's proven to be such a useful pawn and gimmick for my fake populist surface talk that hides my contempt for America, humanity, and all sentient beings including my own family and self. I'm sure all true Americans would understand.
And yes, I am heavy handed. I'm a straight talkin' maverick. Being heavy handed goes with the territory. You got a problem with that and you'll get bitch slapped by Bill Kristol and David Brooks. So look out. 'Cause there's nothing scarier than getting bitch slapped by incompetent thinkers that the New York Times keeps employed to make it appear that they are not liberally biased.
Any way, Governor. Best of luck. With all sincerity I hope that you have enough health insurance for serious psychoanalysis and a full regimen of healing while serving time (for Troopergate, etc) in a new prison system that values rehabilitation over retribution.
Anti-American States in the United States of America
Governor Palin says that North Carolina is one of the patriotic, pro-American states.
I'm proud to live in a state that Sarah Palin most probably does not consider pro-American.
What's interesting is that I hail from Philly and Boston. Arguably these two cities, more than any city in the United States produced intellectual elites who argued the United States of America into existence and led the fight to make sure that that existence was made manifest. While the Joe Sixpack loyalists were completely content to buy overtaxed six packs of tea from the British, it was intellectuals from the cities that I'm from that made the United States exist. Sadly though, according to omnipresent authorities like Governor Palin, I no longer reside in a state that is pro-American. I guess it's because we don't have high enough populations of people who want to secede from the United States of America to be pro-American. What a fucking shame.
I'm proud to live in a state that Sarah Palin most probably does not consider pro-American.
What's interesting is that I hail from Philly and Boston. Arguably these two cities, more than any city in the United States produced intellectual elites who argued the United States of America into existence and led the fight to make sure that that existence was made manifest. While the Joe Sixpack loyalists were completely content to buy overtaxed six packs of tea from the British, it was intellectuals from the cities that I'm from that made the United States exist. Sadly though, according to omnipresent authorities like Governor Palin, I no longer reside in a state that is pro-American. I guess it's because we don't have high enough populations of people who want to secede from the United States of America to be pro-American. What a fucking shame.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Live Blogging Last Debate
9:07: Both off to a good start. Obama is putting things down into numbers. He looks more presidential and is doing better right away.
9:08: John McCain is talking to a guy named Joe. Joe Six Pack? Any way, not bad Senator. Well played.
9:09: Oh sorry. It's Joe the plumber.
9:09: Watching ads from Senator McCain? Damn Gina!
9:09: Obama is getting all populist and shit. Nice.
9:10: Joe the Plumber: you gots to make sacrifices g. You been rakin' in all that shit and flushing the rest of us down the toilet.
9:11: Holy shit. My drinking game had Joe the Plumber means five shots. I'm already wasted.
9:17: We have to nuclear power? Sen McCain: answer the question bitch.
9:11: Class warfare? No you dittint. McCain is such a shit head. He's the one playing class warfare.
9:11: Obama is so cool. Joe the Plumber again. I'm so drunk I can hardly type.
9:14: Obama is the political answer to the Birth of Cool.
9:17: McCain. Your party was in charge of everything when all this shit went down. Where the fuck were you? Smoking grass? I wish you were and not showing up to vote. You were in lock stop with the bad guys every step of the way.
9:19: Nurse. Get me a scalpel.
9:19: No one likes pork. As usual, we Jews win.
9:20: Talk surplus to me B.
9:20: McCain's not President Bush? Well played again Senator. But you're still a fuck head.
9:23: Hey B, you got to stop playing into their hands. But then again, you're so good looking. Stay awake dude. We need you awake.
9:24: McCain is on the defense. He's a maverick. What's a maverick? Wasn't that a movie with that antisemetic fuck head Mel Gibson?
9:27: The question John, was about accountability for your own campaign.
9:30: Joe the Plumber again. I am so drunk.
9:32: McCain, you stepped into a fucking trap by talking about John Lewis. Obama got you.
9:33: McCain. You messed up by bringing up John Lewis.
9:37: Obama is point blank winning this debate right now.
9:46: Live blogging sucks. I just want to just watch this now.
9:52: Senator Obama has never traveled south of the border? What? Governor Palin has never traveled any where.
10:00: Jon Stewart is going to have so much fun with Joe the Plumber.
10:03: Joe you're rich? What does he even mean? Joe is rich. Joe is rich. I'm not a plumber. My name is not Joe. Not Joe Sixpack. Not Joe the Pumbler. Not Mario the Plumber. Not even Luigi the Plumber.
10:05: Senator Government? That wasn't bad.
10:09: McCain says no litmus test than says litmus test.
10:10: Lily. Bring it back to the economy B. Nice.
10:13: Obama is balancing the abortion debate pretty well. I hope.
10:15: Obama: say "safe, legal, and rare." Geez. I fear that McCain beat you on one of the most delicate issues in this country.
10:17: Okay, okay. Andrew Sullivan thinks Obama wins on abortion. That calmed me down.
10:23: America's youth are not an interest. They are our future. Too true.
10:31: Obama wins this debate.
Wrap Up Thoughts:
Look, I think McCain did pretty well. He did. He tried. He annoyed the shit out of me but on a political level he didn't do terribly. But Obama did better. Way way better. Obama had so many moments when he could have attacked McCain. And what's amazing is, I think he knew those moments were there and he didn't seize them. Instead of taking the quick win he went for the long win. Instead of making a whiny jab by correcting McCain on a point, he just accepted it and moved on because he recognizes that his warmth and tone are more important than the merits of tit for tat exchanges. McCain did just the opposite. Everything was an attack with barely any warmth or empathy. He was trying to deliver some kind of knock out punch, but too desperately. To bring this to dating, you don't "go all the way" with someone or "score a date" with someone if you're that desperate. Attraction is about being a warm human being with lots to give, lots of empathy and cleverness and interest and not being too needy and desperate. While McCain did well on some of the tit for tats, if these two fellas we're courting a lady, the lady is going to go for Obama unless she has a weird complex where she feels like she needs to take care of a needy desperate guy. So McCain did well on arguing but he didn't come off as human. Obama did fine on the arguing but what was remarkable was the moments where he didn't argue--where he nodded, where he smiled, where he said "congratulations" on McCain's baseball team winning.
Then we get to the places where Obama did argue. And he slammed McCain. Slammed him. And did so with a deft cool demeanor. McCain stood there shocked when Obama said that his fine for not having health insurance was zero. McCain looked like he wanted to be a member of that health care plan.
And then there was the closing arguments. McCain basically said he's a decent guy who is a good senator and wants to do more. There was a sadness and a desperation that I feel for, but really Senator, what you showed by saying how much you love serving is that you should stay senator. You did a really decent job at proving to the American people that you are a good senator.
Obama on the other hand showed that he's not only running cause he wants to serve and be president. He showed that he wants to elevate this country to a new level.
Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com just ended the debate by saying, "Congratulations, President Obama."
I don't want to commit hubris here, but it was really nice to see that from Nate. And at the moment, each time I hear Senator Obama speak I no longer see a candidate for president of the United States. I see the President of the United States. Well done Senator Obama. Well done.
9:08: John McCain is talking to a guy named Joe. Joe Six Pack? Any way, not bad Senator. Well played.
9:09: Oh sorry. It's Joe the plumber.
9:09: Watching ads from Senator McCain? Damn Gina!
9:09: Obama is getting all populist and shit. Nice.
9:10: Joe the Plumber: you gots to make sacrifices g. You been rakin' in all that shit and flushing the rest of us down the toilet.
9:11: Holy shit. My drinking game had Joe the Plumber means five shots. I'm already wasted.
9:17: We have to nuclear power? Sen McCain: answer the question bitch.
9:11: Class warfare? No you dittint. McCain is such a shit head. He's the one playing class warfare.
9:11: Obama is so cool. Joe the Plumber again. I'm so drunk I can hardly type.
9:14: Obama is the political answer to the Birth of Cool.
9:17: McCain. Your party was in charge of everything when all this shit went down. Where the fuck were you? Smoking grass? I wish you were and not showing up to vote. You were in lock stop with the bad guys every step of the way.
9:19: Nurse. Get me a scalpel.
9:19: No one likes pork. As usual, we Jews win.
9:20: Talk surplus to me B.
9:20: McCain's not President Bush? Well played again Senator. But you're still a fuck head.
9:23: Hey B, you got to stop playing into their hands. But then again, you're so good looking. Stay awake dude. We need you awake.
9:24: McCain is on the defense. He's a maverick. What's a maverick? Wasn't that a movie with that antisemetic fuck head Mel Gibson?
9:27: The question John, was about accountability for your own campaign.
9:30: Joe the Plumber again. I am so drunk.
9:32: McCain, you stepped into a fucking trap by talking about John Lewis. Obama got you.
9:33: McCain. You messed up by bringing up John Lewis.
9:37: Obama is point blank winning this debate right now.
9:46: Live blogging sucks. I just want to just watch this now.
9:52: Senator Obama has never traveled south of the border? What? Governor Palin has never traveled any where.
10:00: Jon Stewart is going to have so much fun with Joe the Plumber.
10:03: Joe you're rich? What does he even mean? Joe is rich. Joe is rich. I'm not a plumber. My name is not Joe. Not Joe Sixpack. Not Joe the Pumbler. Not Mario the Plumber. Not even Luigi the Plumber.
10:05: Senator Government? That wasn't bad.
10:09: McCain says no litmus test than says litmus test.
10:10: Lily. Bring it back to the economy B. Nice.
10:13: Obama is balancing the abortion debate pretty well. I hope.
10:15: Obama: say "safe, legal, and rare." Geez. I fear that McCain beat you on one of the most delicate issues in this country.
10:17: Okay, okay. Andrew Sullivan thinks Obama wins on abortion. That calmed me down.
10:23: America's youth are not an interest. They are our future. Too true.
10:31: Obama wins this debate.
Wrap Up Thoughts:
Look, I think McCain did pretty well. He did. He tried. He annoyed the shit out of me but on a political level he didn't do terribly. But Obama did better. Way way better. Obama had so many moments when he could have attacked McCain. And what's amazing is, I think he knew those moments were there and he didn't seize them. Instead of taking the quick win he went for the long win. Instead of making a whiny jab by correcting McCain on a point, he just accepted it and moved on because he recognizes that his warmth and tone are more important than the merits of tit for tat exchanges. McCain did just the opposite. Everything was an attack with barely any warmth or empathy. He was trying to deliver some kind of knock out punch, but too desperately. To bring this to dating, you don't "go all the way" with someone or "score a date" with someone if you're that desperate. Attraction is about being a warm human being with lots to give, lots of empathy and cleverness and interest and not being too needy and desperate. While McCain did well on some of the tit for tats, if these two fellas we're courting a lady, the lady is going to go for Obama unless she has a weird complex where she feels like she needs to take care of a needy desperate guy. So McCain did well on arguing but he didn't come off as human. Obama did fine on the arguing but what was remarkable was the moments where he didn't argue--where he nodded, where he smiled, where he said "congratulations" on McCain's baseball team winning.
Then we get to the places where Obama did argue. And he slammed McCain. Slammed him. And did so with a deft cool demeanor. McCain stood there shocked when Obama said that his fine for not having health insurance was zero. McCain looked like he wanted to be a member of that health care plan.
And then there was the closing arguments. McCain basically said he's a decent guy who is a good senator and wants to do more. There was a sadness and a desperation that I feel for, but really Senator, what you showed by saying how much you love serving is that you should stay senator. You did a really decent job at proving to the American people that you are a good senator.
Obama on the other hand showed that he's not only running cause he wants to serve and be president. He showed that he wants to elevate this country to a new level.
Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com just ended the debate by saying, "Congratulations, President Obama."
I don't want to commit hubris here, but it was really nice to see that from Nate. And at the moment, each time I hear Senator Obama speak I no longer see a candidate for president of the United States. I see the President of the United States. Well done Senator Obama. Well done.
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