I feel compelled to weigh in on the Obama infomercial tonight. What will it be?
My sense is that Obama will re-assure voters about who he is. McCain's been slinging some crap for a couple weeks, and I think Obama will re-affirm his positions on tax policy, health insurance, energy policy, and foreign policy. The big ones.
Now, 1/2 hour is not a lot of time so expectations should be ratcheted down. It would be terrific if Obama had a specialist on to sell these Obama programs. Would it be effective for Warren Buffet to make a 5 minute appearance and sell the Obama tax/economic program? Colin Powell selling the foreign policy?
Does this make sense?
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
What's Going On?
McCain's Truman analogies are enough to make me gag. As McCain describes it, the polls are all wrong, and like Harry, his comeback will be the stuff of legend. I suppose when you trail in the polls as McCain does, you need to do some serious morale boosting to keep the campaign going. Who wants to vote for a loser, let alone work for one? McCain must maintain his fictional reading to keep everyone from jumping ship, and lowering turnout.
That said, his use of Truman is offensive to me. Not that I'm a huge Truman fan, mind you - Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the first things that pop in mind when I hear his name - but we'll save that argument for another day. The problem I have is that Truman was a populist, a common man for the common good. In every conceivable way, Truman is the antithesis of McCain.
Truman supported civil rights and a national health care system. Compare that to McCain's complicity in the fear mongering and creating racial tensions. If nothing else, his silence is deafening. McCain deserves everything his poorly run campaign has coming to them. So pay no attention to the man behind the curtain this week. McCain is simply going through the motions trying to stop the train wreck.
Look for for all remaining passengers to get off at the next available stop.
That said, his use of Truman is offensive to me. Not that I'm a huge Truman fan, mind you - Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the first things that pop in mind when I hear his name - but we'll save that argument for another day. The problem I have is that Truman was a populist, a common man for the common good. In every conceivable way, Truman is the antithesis of McCain.
Truman supported civil rights and a national health care system. Compare that to McCain's complicity in the fear mongering and creating racial tensions. If nothing else, his silence is deafening. McCain deserves everything his poorly run campaign has coming to them. So pay no attention to the man behind the curtain this week. McCain is simply going through the motions trying to stop the train wreck.
Look for for all remaining passengers to get off at the next available stop.
Bright, Bright,
Sunshiney Day!
Man it was cold this morning. 34 degrees and windyyyyy. Brrrrrr.
Yet we still had 8 at our viz in our rural, small NH town! We held signs and received cheers from 7 am to 9 am. Our GOTV efforts are in full force - we have canvasses and visibilities scheduled right through election day.
Last night, in a driving rain storm, we turned out 35 volunteers to help plan our GOTV! I am so jazzed! (you know I'm jazzed when I use multiple exclamation marks in one paragraph.)
Another viz scheduled for me at 4 pm. What are you doing?
Man it was cold this morning. 34 degrees and windyyyyy. Brrrrrr.
Yet we still had 8 at our viz in our rural, small NH town! We held signs and received cheers from 7 am to 9 am. Our GOTV efforts are in full force - we have canvasses and visibilities scheduled right through election day.
Last night, in a driving rain storm, we turned out 35 volunteers to help plan our GOTV! I am so jazzed! (you know I'm jazzed when I use multiple exclamation marks in one paragraph.)
Another viz scheduled for me at 4 pm. What are you doing?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Race for the White House
What is the state of race in the US?
I live a fairly isolated life here in rural NH. We don't have to work at race relations, because, quite frankly, we don't have any diversity to relate to. It's easy for people like me to underestimate the impact of race in areas of the country where race is a factor.
I remember talking to an in-law a few years ago. This particular person grew up in an integrated city in New England, and rationalized a racist perspective on isolated personal experiences. Knowing this person as I do, I'm fairly confident in believing that his distrust and low opinion of minorities is reciprocated in-kind. These types of beliefs are difficult to camouflage, and tend to be reinforcing.
The final results on November 4 will be instructive. My best guess, and what I truly want to believe, is that the vast majority of Americans will vote for who they think can best guide our country during these difficult times. I understand that there is a small segment of our population that will choose a candidate based on skin color alone, but I am resolved to believe it is, indeed, a small segment.
I live a fairly isolated life here in rural NH. We don't have to work at race relations, because, quite frankly, we don't have any diversity to relate to. It's easy for people like me to underestimate the impact of race in areas of the country where race is a factor.
I remember talking to an in-law a few years ago. This particular person grew up in an integrated city in New England, and rationalized a racist perspective on isolated personal experiences. Knowing this person as I do, I'm fairly confident in believing that his distrust and low opinion of minorities is reciprocated in-kind. These types of beliefs are difficult to camouflage, and tend to be reinforcing.
The final results on November 4 will be instructive. My best guess, and what I truly want to believe, is that the vast majority of Americans will vote for who they think can best guide our country during these difficult times. I understand that there is a small segment of our population that will choose a candidate based on skin color alone, but I am resolved to believe it is, indeed, a small segment.
Say Goodbye
Watching McCain flail around is somewhat sad, although tempered by a healthy resentment of Republican policies. I think when historians look back on this era, they will write admiringly of the hoodwink job that the Republicans were able to pull on the American public.
You simply can't make me believe that there are 50 million Americans who have benefited from Bush/Frist/Delay policies during the past eight years. Yet, that's how many people will vote for a continuation of these policies. If not more.
You simply can't make me believe that there are 50 million Americans who have benefited from Bush/Frist/Delay policies during the past eight years. Yet, that's how many people will vote for a continuation of these policies. If not more.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Debate II, also
I watched the debate with about 20 hard-core Dems last night who were revved up when Biden was deftly attacking McCain. Good stuff. We had a min-discussion of our own about Palin's use of the word "also."
My humble opinion is that the word is a verbal crutch for her. "Also" in the context that Palin uses it, reflects her intellectual incapacity to relate the initial verbal argument to the argument for which "also" refers.
Others thought it sounded like a tick, something she is saying as talking points come to her at the last minute.
One thing we all agreed on. Never had we heard the word so mis-used by anyone under any circumstances. It was awful.
My humble opinion is that the word is a verbal crutch for her. "Also" in the context that Palin uses it, reflects her intellectual incapacity to relate the initial verbal argument to the argument for which "also" refers.
Others thought it sounded like a tick, something she is saying as talking points come to her at the last minute.
One thing we all agreed on. Never had we heard the word so mis-used by anyone under any circumstances. It was awful.
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