This pretty much says it all...
http://www.jedreport.com/2008/08/john-mccains-wandering-eyes-ne.html
Sorry didn't write yesterday, travel day. Working today. Back to the real world. Siiigghhhh...
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
I Can Dissect That Nomination in Just Three Words!
Dan.
Quayle.
Lite.
Except that her qualifications make Dan Quayle look like the love child of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.
My god, she even says "nuke-you-ler" weapons.
Ok, so here is how cynical this nomination is: Racial warfare may not be enough, so let's re-ignite the gender wars. It's also another example of Republican Affirmative Action, a la Clarence Thomas. Let's put an intellectually not-particularly-gifted black guy on the Supreme Court. The Democrats, led by Joe Biden on the judiciary committee, caved in the face of being accused of performing a "high-tech lynching", once Anita Hill made her allegations of sexual misconduct. Joe Biden, in the eyes of many of the women of that era, did not acquit himself well on the Judiciary Committee.
So what happens if Joe Biden, in attack dog mode, goes after Sarah Palin in the VP debates? He looks like a cad and a bully. The thinking goes that the working women of Pennsylavania and Ohio and Virginia will see her as one of their own, a "Red-Neck Woman" in the song by Gretchen Wilson, and will turn on the Democrats.
And, in true Karl Rove fashion, it's a 2-fer. When Rove attacks, he attacks the strong point, and whenever possible, gets a side benefit. The forged Air National Guard documents revealed on CBS news in 2004 not only discredited the idea of W as a deserter, it cost Dan Rather his job. A Rovian 2-fer.
So, at some point, the Democrats are going to bring up the inconvenient truth that Gov. Palin is under investigation for getting a state police officer fired for personal reasons. The officer in question was the Governor's brother-in-law, married to her sister. There was a nasty custody battle. The Governor intervened in ways that seem to ignore a sentence or two in the Alaskan Legal System. ( Never mind any general ethical standard.)
When this gets out, you can be certain that her defense will be: " Listen, buster, I was just trying to protect my sister and her kids from a large, powerful man with a badge and a gun." The women referenced above in the swing states will rise up in sisterhood and turn out by the pickup truck load.
Faux News repeatedly describes her as having "impeccable ethics". This is part of the setup. Damn those nasty Democrats, attacking her ethics!
It is so breathtakingly cynical. It's Clarence Thomas Redux, except in this case it's not an unqualified black man they are putting forth as The Best Possible Person For The Job, it is a former beauty queen, who spent a brief stint as the ceremonial mayor of a village of 9,000 people, before spending a whopping 18 months as Governor of Alaska, and its 638,954 citizens.
And it's on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Heckuva job, McCain. You sure nailed the whole judgement thing.
But you know, it's so crazy, it just might work.
On the other hand, the 12,563,498 next-most-qualified Republican women might just get so cranky at being passed over by McCain's vetting team, that they will decide to vote for someone else...or not at all.
In fact, I would recommend that every Republican female officeholder who thinks she is more qualified than Sarah Palin write a letter to the editor: Why Not Me? Better yet, a series of You Tube videos: Republican women with stronger qualifications than Sarah Palin.
I am going to have to watch the Republican convention to see them praising her skills and qualifications. Oughta be a hoot. I can't wait to hear the comparisons between Joe Biden's speech and hers.
Maybe the few Republicans who actually attend the convention will revolt, declare a do-over, and draft Kay Bailey Hutchinson as the candidate. And as the next VP nominee?
I hear Quayle is tanned, rested, and ready.
Quayle.
Lite.
Except that her qualifications make Dan Quayle look like the love child of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.
My god, she even says "nuke-you-ler" weapons.
Ok, so here is how cynical this nomination is: Racial warfare may not be enough, so let's re-ignite the gender wars. It's also another example of Republican Affirmative Action, a la Clarence Thomas. Let's put an intellectually not-particularly-gifted black guy on the Supreme Court. The Democrats, led by Joe Biden on the judiciary committee, caved in the face of being accused of performing a "high-tech lynching", once Anita Hill made her allegations of sexual misconduct. Joe Biden, in the eyes of many of the women of that era, did not acquit himself well on the Judiciary Committee.
So what happens if Joe Biden, in attack dog mode, goes after Sarah Palin in the VP debates? He looks like a cad and a bully. The thinking goes that the working women of Pennsylavania and Ohio and Virginia will see her as one of their own, a "Red-Neck Woman" in the song by Gretchen Wilson, and will turn on the Democrats.
And, in true Karl Rove fashion, it's a 2-fer. When Rove attacks, he attacks the strong point, and whenever possible, gets a side benefit. The forged Air National Guard documents revealed on CBS news in 2004 not only discredited the idea of W as a deserter, it cost Dan Rather his job. A Rovian 2-fer.
So, at some point, the Democrats are going to bring up the inconvenient truth that Gov. Palin is under investigation for getting a state police officer fired for personal reasons. The officer in question was the Governor's brother-in-law, married to her sister. There was a nasty custody battle. The Governor intervened in ways that seem to ignore a sentence or two in the Alaskan Legal System. ( Never mind any general ethical standard.)
When this gets out, you can be certain that her defense will be: " Listen, buster, I was just trying to protect my sister and her kids from a large, powerful man with a badge and a gun." The women referenced above in the swing states will rise up in sisterhood and turn out by the pickup truck load.
Faux News repeatedly describes her as having "impeccable ethics". This is part of the setup. Damn those nasty Democrats, attacking her ethics!
It is so breathtakingly cynical. It's Clarence Thomas Redux, except in this case it's not an unqualified black man they are putting forth as The Best Possible Person For The Job, it is a former beauty queen, who spent a brief stint as the ceremonial mayor of a village of 9,000 people, before spending a whopping 18 months as Governor of Alaska, and its 638,954 citizens.
And it's on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Heckuva job, McCain. You sure nailed the whole judgement thing.
But you know, it's so crazy, it just might work.
On the other hand, the 12,563,498 next-most-qualified Republican women might just get so cranky at being passed over by McCain's vetting team, that they will decide to vote for someone else...or not at all.
In fact, I would recommend that every Republican female officeholder who thinks she is more qualified than Sarah Palin write a letter to the editor: Why Not Me? Better yet, a series of You Tube videos: Republican women with stronger qualifications than Sarah Palin.
I am going to have to watch the Republican convention to see them praising her skills and qualifications. Oughta be a hoot. I can't wait to hear the comparisons between Joe Biden's speech and hers.
Maybe the few Republicans who actually attend the convention will revolt, declare a do-over, and draft Kay Bailey Hutchinson as the candidate. And as the next VP nominee?
I hear Quayle is tanned, rested, and ready.
This Just In:
RedState.com is reporting that McCain has chosen Tim Pawlenty as his running mate. Quick, who was Bob Dole's running mate in '96? That's where Pawlenty is going to end up.
Debate between Biden and Pawlenty? Pawlenty would be better off getting waterboarded. It won't be as uncomfortable for him. Watch for the McMinions to set the bar so low for Pawlenty's performance that it will be considered a victory if he doesn't soil himself on national television.
This Just In Part 2: Since I started writing this, Karl Rove has leaked the name of Sarah Palin, beleaguered governor of Alaska, as the VP choice. Keep the pundits talking about the VP choice, not Obama's speech. Won't work well.
Obama's speech last night was not what I had expected. I noticed myself thinking part way through it " Why am I strangely unmoved by this?"
But he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to the naysayers, the curious tuning in for the first time, the undecideds who had heard this guy was all rhetoric, and no substance.
Well, the boy had substance in spades.
So, did you gasp when you saw that? or guffaw? Why? All I said was "the boy had substance in spades." What's wrong with that? Men often call each other "boy", and having something "in spades" just means there is a lot of it. Right? Wait, you're telling me I am using racist language? There you go, dealing out the race card again.
And that, children, is what it will be like in the next two months. All the coded language will be brought out. And everytime they get called on it, we will be the ones called out for playing the race card. Just a little hint. Look for a running glossary of Dog-Whistle terms to show up here soon.
Anyway, back to the speech. Imagine you're John McCain watching this thing. Obama looks right into the camera and calls you out on questioning his patriotism. To paraphrase: "Don't mess with me, suckah. I'm coming for you."
Now, if you're John McCain, you've just been challenged to a fight, mano a mano. Obama is all up in your grill, and the veins in your neck are starting to throb, and steam is starting to come out of your ears. Your cage has been thoroughly rattled. McCain in fight mode doesn't engage the brain so thoroughly, and the remark about "I have the temperament, and judgement, to be President" just stokes the boiler.
And rest assured, we will hear a lot about temperament, and McCain voting with Bush 90% of the time. Expect to see photos of McCain and Bush in a man-hug in just about every ad you see.
Things You Probably Didn't See on TV:
There were celebrities of every description in the hall. We constantly had people coming by and getting mobbed by people who wanted pictures of themselves with What's-His-Name, which is who most of them were to me. I did have fun meeting Mike Dukakis, though. I introduced myself: "Governor, I'm Chris O'Brien, from Duxbury. I have always been a huge fan. Great to see you!"
( For the non-O'Briens reading, my brother Chris has the same deep and abiding affection for Dukakis that I have for Dick Cheney.)
Anyway, I was constantly taking pictures of other delegates with famous politicos, media types, TV actors and actresses, most of whom I didn't recognize.
Case in point: Wandering around behind the media booths, getting a look behind the scenes, I found myself standing next to this nattily dressed young African-American man. He was sporting a fedora, a long jacket resembling a nehru coat, and blue jeans. We nodded to each other, and I moved on. I saw him a little later, on the stage, singing with John Legend. Yeah, I was hangin' with Will.I.Am, who did the "Yes We Can" video, and didn't have a clue. ( So what else is new?)
The california delegation was in front of us, and one of the actresses from one of the CSI shows was there, apparently a delegate. Damned if I can remember her name. She's one of the lab types, I think, the one with the short brown hair and radiant smile. She was a good sport about getting pictures taken with her, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself like a regular person.
The Absolute Best Moment I Wish I Had on Video:
Between speeches, they often play music so the crowd can get up and dance. They played "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", and of course I was up and dancing. Turned around, and saw that everybody, and I mean everybody, in the CBS booth was up and dancing. The makeup person, camera operators, director, CBS news executive types, didn't matter the pay grade, they were ALL up and shakin' it. And I am not talking about just tapping their feet and bobbing their heads, they were all WORKING it, baby. Looked over to NBC, CNN, FOX, ABC...sitting there, stonefaced, watching the proceedings. Meanwhile the CBS crew was interacting with the delegates, waving and winking and looking like they wanted to come down and dance with us. After the song was over, they cheered wildly, we cheered wildly, and chants erupted from 4 delegations: "CBS! CBS! CBS!"
I know which network *I'm* watching from now on.
Here is how smart the Obama people are: One of the organizers from Colorado got onstage and urged everyone to text "DNC" and their first name to 62262 (OBAMA) and add a little message about why they got involved. 84,000 people in the hall. Subtract from that maybe 30,000 delegates, media, family members, etc. Now you have 54,000 people. If half of them actually text to Obama, that's 24,000 cell phone numbers Obama's campaign has captured, most from the swing state of Colorado. Those are numbers that they can text to get out news, requests for volunteers, and get-out-the-vote information.
Brilliant.
ok, off to read some reactions to the speech. I wanted to write before I was tainted by talking heads.
Debate between Biden and Pawlenty? Pawlenty would be better off getting waterboarded. It won't be as uncomfortable for him. Watch for the McMinions to set the bar so low for Pawlenty's performance that it will be considered a victory if he doesn't soil himself on national television.
This Just In Part 2: Since I started writing this, Karl Rove has leaked the name of Sarah Palin, beleaguered governor of Alaska, as the VP choice. Keep the pundits talking about the VP choice, not Obama's speech. Won't work well.
Obama's speech last night was not what I had expected. I noticed myself thinking part way through it " Why am I strangely unmoved by this?"
But he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to the naysayers, the curious tuning in for the first time, the undecideds who had heard this guy was all rhetoric, and no substance.
Well, the boy had substance in spades.
So, did you gasp when you saw that? or guffaw? Why? All I said was "the boy had substance in spades." What's wrong with that? Men often call each other "boy", and having something "in spades" just means there is a lot of it. Right? Wait, you're telling me I am using racist language? There you go, dealing out the race card again.
And that, children, is what it will be like in the next two months. All the coded language will be brought out. And everytime they get called on it, we will be the ones called out for playing the race card. Just a little hint. Look for a running glossary of Dog-Whistle terms to show up here soon.
Anyway, back to the speech. Imagine you're John McCain watching this thing. Obama looks right into the camera and calls you out on questioning his patriotism. To paraphrase: "Don't mess with me, suckah. I'm coming for you."
Now, if you're John McCain, you've just been challenged to a fight, mano a mano. Obama is all up in your grill, and the veins in your neck are starting to throb, and steam is starting to come out of your ears. Your cage has been thoroughly rattled. McCain in fight mode doesn't engage the brain so thoroughly, and the remark about "I have the temperament, and judgement, to be President" just stokes the boiler.
And rest assured, we will hear a lot about temperament, and McCain voting with Bush 90% of the time. Expect to see photos of McCain and Bush in a man-hug in just about every ad you see.
Things You Probably Didn't See on TV:
There were celebrities of every description in the hall. We constantly had people coming by and getting mobbed by people who wanted pictures of themselves with What's-His-Name, which is who most of them were to me. I did have fun meeting Mike Dukakis, though. I introduced myself: "Governor, I'm Chris O'Brien, from Duxbury. I have always been a huge fan. Great to see you!"
( For the non-O'Briens reading, my brother Chris has the same deep and abiding affection for Dukakis that I have for Dick Cheney.)
Anyway, I was constantly taking pictures of other delegates with famous politicos, media types, TV actors and actresses, most of whom I didn't recognize.
Case in point: Wandering around behind the media booths, getting a look behind the scenes, I found myself standing next to this nattily dressed young African-American man. He was sporting a fedora, a long jacket resembling a nehru coat, and blue jeans. We nodded to each other, and I moved on. I saw him a little later, on the stage, singing with John Legend. Yeah, I was hangin' with Will.I.Am, who did the "Yes We Can" video, and didn't have a clue. ( So what else is new?)
The california delegation was in front of us, and one of the actresses from one of the CSI shows was there, apparently a delegate. Damned if I can remember her name. She's one of the lab types, I think, the one with the short brown hair and radiant smile. She was a good sport about getting pictures taken with her, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying herself like a regular person.
The Absolute Best Moment I Wish I Had on Video:
Between speeches, they often play music so the crowd can get up and dance. They played "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", and of course I was up and dancing. Turned around, and saw that everybody, and I mean everybody, in the CBS booth was up and dancing. The makeup person, camera operators, director, CBS news executive types, didn't matter the pay grade, they were ALL up and shakin' it. And I am not talking about just tapping their feet and bobbing their heads, they were all WORKING it, baby. Looked over to NBC, CNN, FOX, ABC...sitting there, stonefaced, watching the proceedings. Meanwhile the CBS crew was interacting with the delegates, waving and winking and looking like they wanted to come down and dance with us. After the song was over, they cheered wildly, we cheered wildly, and chants erupted from 4 delegations: "CBS! CBS! CBS!"
I know which network *I'm* watching from now on.
Here is how smart the Obama people are: One of the organizers from Colorado got onstage and urged everyone to text "DNC" and their first name to 62262 (OBAMA) and add a little message about why they got involved. 84,000 people in the hall. Subtract from that maybe 30,000 delegates, media, family members, etc. Now you have 54,000 people. If half of them actually text to Obama, that's 24,000 cell phone numbers Obama's campaign has captured, most from the swing state of Colorado. Those are numbers that they can text to get out news, requests for volunteers, and get-out-the-vote information.
Brilliant.
ok, off to read some reactions to the speech. I wanted to write before I was tainted by talking heads.
The Speech
Without going into too much detail right now, because I am exhausted, here is what you need to know if you didn't see or hear The Speech:
Patrick Buchanan, speechwriter for Richard Milhouse Nixon, erstwhile Presidential candidate, ultra conservative talking head for MSNBC, spent so much time praising the speech that he had to be cut off because he was taking up too much time.
Patrick Bleeping Buchanan, raving about how great the speech was...amazing.
These guys are so damned smart.
Patrick Buchanan, speechwriter for Richard Milhouse Nixon, erstwhile Presidential candidate, ultra conservative talking head for MSNBC, spent so much time praising the speech that he had to be cut off because he was taking up too much time.
Patrick Bleeping Buchanan, raving about how great the speech was...amazing.
These guys are so damned smart.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
After last night's speech, is Bill Clinton "Black" again?
Umm...no.
But at least he is no longer a scumbag.
Off to INVESCO. I'll have the Downeast Beverage martini-in-a-lobster-claw hat on, a green shirt with a red tie...and a kilt. Shouldn't be too hard to spot, but we're off in the bulrushes somewhere between Arkansas and Oklahoma, so might be hard to find.
Can't wait!
But at least he is no longer a scumbag.
Off to INVESCO. I'll have the Downeast Beverage martini-in-a-lobster-claw hat on, a green shirt with a red tie...and a kilt. Shouldn't be too hard to spot, but we're off in the bulrushes somewhere between Arkansas and Oklahoma, so might be hard to find.
Can't wait!
God Must Be a Democrat and other random ruminations
Focus on the Family's Stuart Shepherd has been asking Christian folks to pray for rain on Obama's speech tonight. They even made a video, which has since been pulled from their website.
The National Weather Service precipitation prediction for today in Denver: 0% chance of rain. That's zero, folks. Maybe they should have prayed a *little* bit harder. Or maybe they don't really have enough faith. Or maybe, just maybe, God don't truck with no nonsense like this.
( Understand, I have been living this week with Craig Hickman, a poet/performance artist/Bed and Breakfast owner. Black, gay, dreadlocked and outspoken, he has been just the perfect roommate for this week. I have been blessed, as he would say. Classic Craig-ism of the week, upon seeing Michelle Obama, beaming in the audience, when Barack came out onstage last night: " That Michelle, she luuuvvv her some BarACK!" He's blogging for the Kennebec Journal. Check him out.)
For many of the speeches, there are little musical introductions, snippets of musical cues. It has been heavy on Motown and 80's pop, leading to some peculiar, if downright thoughtless juxtapositions.
For instance, just before Clinton's speech, the musical number for people to get up and groove to was Aretha's " Chain of Fools". Hmm. Is there a message there? But more bizarre was following Bill Clinton's speech with "Addicted to Love". I wanted to dope slap the musical director and shout "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??!?!"
To all the people I said I would call from INVESCO Field today: Ain't gonna happen. I will text message people to the extent that I can, but if 80,000 cell phones called friends and family at once, it would shut down cell service all over Denver, which we can agree would be a bad thing. People can try calling in, but it might not work. So, be not offended if I don't get through to you.
Almost Immortal Alert: There is a great picture of a woman on the front page of the NY Times today. I was standing 2 feet behind her at that very moment. Another foot closer and I woulda been immortalized!
There are still lots of events going on. Panels, forums ( forae?), demonstrations, fairs...and I just don't have the energy to get out there. In 2012, I am going into quarantine 2 weeks before the convention so I don't have to worry about getting sick again.
I will shop for a hat to wear. We will be out there with no shade. I am buying a 5 gallon jug of SPF 9,000 sun block so I don't come home as Democrat jerky ( yeah, I know, already a jerky Democrat...)
Looking forward to some good music at the event. Rumored performers include Sheryl Crowe, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonder. Wicked cool.
So, everybody get together with friends, and people who don't know about Obama, or aren't sure. Watch. Listen. And get ready for some history to be made.
And can I just say, to all the folks who helped me to get here, I am so very honored to be in this place. Thank you.
The National Weather Service precipitation prediction for today in Denver: 0% chance of rain. That's zero, folks. Maybe they should have prayed a *little* bit harder. Or maybe they don't really have enough faith. Or maybe, just maybe, God don't truck with no nonsense like this.
( Understand, I have been living this week with Craig Hickman, a poet/performance artist/Bed and Breakfast owner. Black, gay, dreadlocked and outspoken, he has been just the perfect roommate for this week. I have been blessed, as he would say. Classic Craig-ism of the week, upon seeing Michelle Obama, beaming in the audience, when Barack came out onstage last night: " That Michelle, she luuuvvv her some BarACK!" He's blogging for the Kennebec Journal. Check him out.)
For many of the speeches, there are little musical introductions, snippets of musical cues. It has been heavy on Motown and 80's pop, leading to some peculiar, if downright thoughtless juxtapositions.
For instance, just before Clinton's speech, the musical number for people to get up and groove to was Aretha's " Chain of Fools". Hmm. Is there a message there? But more bizarre was following Bill Clinton's speech with "Addicted to Love". I wanted to dope slap the musical director and shout "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??!?!"
To all the people I said I would call from INVESCO Field today: Ain't gonna happen. I will text message people to the extent that I can, but if 80,000 cell phones called friends and family at once, it would shut down cell service all over Denver, which we can agree would be a bad thing. People can try calling in, but it might not work. So, be not offended if I don't get through to you.
Almost Immortal Alert: There is a great picture of a woman on the front page of the NY Times today. I was standing 2 feet behind her at that very moment. Another foot closer and I woulda been immortalized!
There are still lots of events going on. Panels, forums ( forae?), demonstrations, fairs...and I just don't have the energy to get out there. In 2012, I am going into quarantine 2 weeks before the convention so I don't have to worry about getting sick again.
I will shop for a hat to wear. We will be out there with no shade. I am buying a 5 gallon jug of SPF 9,000 sun block so I don't come home as Democrat jerky ( yeah, I know, already a jerky Democrat...)
Looking forward to some good music at the event. Rumored performers include Sheryl Crowe, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonder. Wicked cool.
So, everybody get together with friends, and people who don't know about Obama, or aren't sure. Watch. Listen. And get ready for some history to be made.
And can I just say, to all the folks who helped me to get here, I am so very honored to be in this place. Thank you.
Here It Comes
Yesterday our joy at the proceedings here in Denver was tempered by news that a threatening email was sent to one of the members of our delegation, saying that all the black people of Maine were going to be killed. The perpetrator also sent the message to Gov. Baldacci's office. State police and Secret Service jumped on it, and a suspect was arrested last night.
Folks, it will get ugly. Be prepared. Go forth and work in hope and strength, but be ready. It's coming, and we will have to be strong, and better than them.
And on that note...Obama has to win. Must. If he doesn't win, he loses Secret Service protection. If he wins, he and his family get that for the rest of their lives.
Now for some fun inside baseball: While the roll call votes were being taken, I stood close to the CNN stage. James Carville, one of Hillary Clinotn's biggest supporters and advocates, was standing there surveying the crowd. I leaned over and said " Mr. Carville!" and extended my hand. He smiled, expecting a fan. As I shook his hand, I asked "Did you ever think it would come to this?" He lost his smile, looked away, and sat down.
Contrast that with Donna Brazile's response. Donna Brazile was an Al Gore campaign manager, and is currently a pundit for CNN. I first came across her in the 1984 Jesse Jackson campaign, and she was tough as nails then.
When Obama went over the top, she was on the edge of the CNN stage, pumping her fists, cheering loudly, whooping it up. She started leading cheers of "Yes We Can!" pointing back into the crowd, and generally carrying on. We locked eyes for a moment, and it was clear she was enjoying every bit of this. Then she had to scurry back into her chair so she could be the reserved pundit again.
If anybody was watching the roll call, they saw the usual bloviation of the delegation spokespeople as they rumble " The great stae of *****, home of the 1958 Junior Tiddlywink Champion Armadillos, proudly casts its votes for Candidate X!" This is a tradition, and people try to make the most of it.
Maine, however, took it to a whole new level. Our chair, John Knutsen, rambled on and on, losing track at one point and saying " Whatever.."...and rambled some more. It was somewhat embarrassing...unless you knew what was behind that performance. Originally the plan was for Illinois to pass on casting its votes, all the other states were to be skipped, and Hillary Clinton would announce from her delegation that all of NY's votes were to be cast for Obama, and would urge the convention to nominate Obama by acclaim.
But Hillary was late. So they went on to include other states. Just as Knutsen was about to go on, the phone rang, and the Obama campaign asked him "Can you talk for an extra couple of minutes?" So he had to fill in off the top of his head. Makes sense now, but at the time I thought " Great. We'll forever be known as the 'Whatever' state.
Folks, it will get ugly. Be prepared. Go forth and work in hope and strength, but be ready. It's coming, and we will have to be strong, and better than them.
And on that note...Obama has to win. Must. If he doesn't win, he loses Secret Service protection. If he wins, he and his family get that for the rest of their lives.
Now for some fun inside baseball: While the roll call votes were being taken, I stood close to the CNN stage. James Carville, one of Hillary Clinotn's biggest supporters and advocates, was standing there surveying the crowd. I leaned over and said " Mr. Carville!" and extended my hand. He smiled, expecting a fan. As I shook his hand, I asked "Did you ever think it would come to this?" He lost his smile, looked away, and sat down.
Contrast that with Donna Brazile's response. Donna Brazile was an Al Gore campaign manager, and is currently a pundit for CNN. I first came across her in the 1984 Jesse Jackson campaign, and she was tough as nails then.
When Obama went over the top, she was on the edge of the CNN stage, pumping her fists, cheering loudly, whooping it up. She started leading cheers of "Yes We Can!" pointing back into the crowd, and generally carrying on. We locked eyes for a moment, and it was clear she was enjoying every bit of this. Then she had to scurry back into her chair so she could be the reserved pundit again.
If anybody was watching the roll call, they saw the usual bloviation of the delegation spokespeople as they rumble " The great stae of *****, home of the 1958 Junior Tiddlywink Champion Armadillos, proudly casts its votes for Candidate X!" This is a tradition, and people try to make the most of it.
Maine, however, took it to a whole new level. Our chair, John Knutsen, rambled on and on, losing track at one point and saying " Whatever.."...and rambled some more. It was somewhat embarrassing...unless you knew what was behind that performance. Originally the plan was for Illinois to pass on casting its votes, all the other states were to be skipped, and Hillary Clinton would announce from her delegation that all of NY's votes were to be cast for Obama, and would urge the convention to nominate Obama by acclaim.
But Hillary was late. So they went on to include other states. Just as Knutsen was about to go on, the phone rang, and the Obama campaign asked him "Can you talk for an extra couple of minutes?" So he had to fill in off the top of his head. Makes sense now, but at the time I thought " Great. We'll forever be known as the 'Whatever' state.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Drama Si, Trauma No.
Mercy sakes, what a night!
So, everybody wondered about how Bubba's speech would play. Would he get on board?
Get on board? He was Casey Freakin' Jones! Who knew that he could be that generous?
The veterans' tributes had me teary, Beau Biden's tribute to his dad was a two hanky moment.
Joe Biden was fabulous. John Kerry was surprisingly good. Tammy Duckworth was killer. It was a powerful, powerful night.
More tomorrow, I'm exhausted. What a night. How hard must it be to be John McCain tonight?
So, everybody wondered about how Bubba's speech would play. Would he get on board?
Get on board? He was Casey Freakin' Jones! Who knew that he could be that generous?
The veterans' tributes had me teary, Beau Biden's tribute to his dad was a two hanky moment.
Joe Biden was fabulous. John Kerry was surprisingly good. Tammy Duckworth was killer. It was a powerful, powerful night.
More tomorrow, I'm exhausted. What a night. How hard must it be to be John McCain tonight?
What They Ask Of Us
Just got back from the Denver Coliseum, where Rage Against The Machine is playing, sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War. The hall was filled with young people, protesting the war and the general political situation in this country. Tattoos, piercings, inflammatory t-shirts and signs, a telephone number written on many arms, the easier to get bailed out if there is an arrest.
Ah, the passions of youth.
And yet...
...some of those youths have been to Iraq and Afghanistan. They have seen it all and more. The IVAW crowd are soldiers who oppose war, based on their experience of war. They know whereof they speak in a way that no politician or theorist or talking head can.
They also know of war in a way that nobody who flew jet fighters and bombers can. I don't care how many years you spent in a prisoner of war camp, you haven't been there. You have been somewhere, it's true...but you haven't been there.
It takes a remarkable amount of courage for these veterans to stand up for what they believe in, facing the obstacles and derision they face from some quarters. What they ask of us, simply, is to listen to them. Hear their side of the story. And then act.
I am one of 4500 delegates. I don't have a lot of influence. All I can do is stand in the convention center with my IVAW t-shirt on, and perhaps engage someobdy in a conversation that will have an effect somewhere. But I at least have to do that. Maybe it will get shown on TV, or someone will take a picture, and someone will see it...and at least they will know they had one voice in the hall for them.
A vignette from yesterday: I was eating lunch at a local landmark, Sam's 3. As I sat at the counter a man sat down next to me. I asked if he was a delegate. He said no, he was a security guard from Philly, just here to take in some of the action. I asked him where he was staying. He said he didn't know, but he just had to be here to be a part of this.
Just found out the roll call vote hs been moved to 3. Gotta fly.
Ah, the passions of youth.
And yet...
...some of those youths have been to Iraq and Afghanistan. They have seen it all and more. The IVAW crowd are soldiers who oppose war, based on their experience of war. They know whereof they speak in a way that no politician or theorist or talking head can.
They also know of war in a way that nobody who flew jet fighters and bombers can. I don't care how many years you spent in a prisoner of war camp, you haven't been there. You have been somewhere, it's true...but you haven't been there.
It takes a remarkable amount of courage for these veterans to stand up for what they believe in, facing the obstacles and derision they face from some quarters. What they ask of us, simply, is to listen to them. Hear their side of the story. And then act.
I am one of 4500 delegates. I don't have a lot of influence. All I can do is stand in the convention center with my IVAW t-shirt on, and perhaps engage someobdy in a conversation that will have an effect somewhere. But I at least have to do that. Maybe it will get shown on TV, or someone will take a picture, and someone will see it...and at least they will know they had one voice in the hall for them.
A vignette from yesterday: I was eating lunch at a local landmark, Sam's 3. As I sat at the counter a man sat down next to me. I asked if he was a delegate. He said no, he was a security guard from Philly, just here to take in some of the action. I asked him where he was staying. He said he didn't know, but he just had to be here to be a part of this.
Just found out the roll call vote hs been moved to 3. Gotta fly.
The Lean Times
Oh lordy, no lobbyists to pay for breakfast this morning. Bagles and fruit, not even a toaster. What's a poor delegate to do?
Not only that, but the receptions with food and drink are starting to dry up. Delegates are having to face the grim reality that they will actually have to pay for meals and liquor. Oh, the humanity.
So, I got lucky in the elevator. ( No, not that way.) I met someone from Kentucky ( we share hotel with their delegation.) We exchanged the usual " where you from" chat, then I joked that the Maine delegation had been hoping that the Kentucky delegation would bring bourbon samples to give to us. The guy winks and says " Follow me". We go to his room, and he hands me a goody bag with gift samples of 5 different Kentucky Bourbons. A discussion of the various merits of each product followed, along with an offer that if he ever comes to Maine, I'll treat him to lobster.
( Ken Bosley, whose wife is a delegate, runs a place called Moonlite Bar-B-Q. He also sells BBQ stuff, www.moonlite.com. Hey, least I can do is promote his website.)
I voted for Barack Obama this morning. We were given a sheet to vote with. The roll call results will be later today. Sen. Clinton is meeting with her delegates later this afternoon, so at 3 p.m. local time, they will vote based on how those discussions came out. I predict that Senator Clinton will get at least 2 votes from the Great State O' Maine.
So, Mark Penn is going to write Bill Clinton's speech. Wonderful. I'll be watching to see if he will be as supportive of Obama as his wife was. I'll also be watching to see if Clinton goes too long, forcing Biden's speech to get off schedule.
A tidbit on Clinton that didn't show up on TV: Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts, was giving a speech. In the middle of it, Bill Clinton gets up and starts to acknowledge the crowd. The Arkansas delegation starts to chant "Bill! Bill!" Part of the California and New York delegations chime in. Sort of makes it hard for people near those delegations to pay attention to Gov. Patrick's speech. I'm sure the fact that it was during the speech of a prominent black politician who supported Obama was the merest coincidence. It's all about the Clintons.
Heard a great symposium yesterday on media and politics. Basically, the problem with "new media" is that so many people just talk to or read the blogs of people who reinforce what they already believe, leading to more hardened, extreme positions on both sides. With the diminished role of network news, and the fragmented sources of information available to people, debates on any issue can't even include the same set of facts over which to argue.
At the delegation breakfast this morning we heard an Obama advisor on environment and energy. Damned if I can remember his name. He essentially explained that Obama's energy policy sees offshore drilling as a possible small part of a component of an overall energy strategy that will focus mainly on alternatives to fossil fuels.
If I were advising them, I'd say " What would we drill with? There is a world-wide shortage of oil rigs. They take 2 years to build. What do we do between now and 2010?"
There was also a woman who spoke in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act. People need to be reminded that the current system allows employers to delay elections and pressure employees into voting against a union. The new plan allows them to sign a card, and if there are enough signed cards, that signifies a pro-union vote. It's no more invasive than asking someone to declare a party preference when they register to vote, which everybody does.
ok, off to today's events, and the search for sustenance.
Not only that, but the receptions with food and drink are starting to dry up. Delegates are having to face the grim reality that they will actually have to pay for meals and liquor. Oh, the humanity.
So, I got lucky in the elevator. ( No, not that way.) I met someone from Kentucky ( we share hotel with their delegation.) We exchanged the usual " where you from" chat, then I joked that the Maine delegation had been hoping that the Kentucky delegation would bring bourbon samples to give to us. The guy winks and says " Follow me". We go to his room, and he hands me a goody bag with gift samples of 5 different Kentucky Bourbons. A discussion of the various merits of each product followed, along with an offer that if he ever comes to Maine, I'll treat him to lobster.
( Ken Bosley, whose wife is a delegate, runs a place called Moonlite Bar-B-Q. He also sells BBQ stuff, www.moonlite.com. Hey, least I can do is promote his website.)
I voted for Barack Obama this morning. We were given a sheet to vote with. The roll call results will be later today. Sen. Clinton is meeting with her delegates later this afternoon, so at 3 p.m. local time, they will vote based on how those discussions came out. I predict that Senator Clinton will get at least 2 votes from the Great State O' Maine.
So, Mark Penn is going to write Bill Clinton's speech. Wonderful. I'll be watching to see if he will be as supportive of Obama as his wife was. I'll also be watching to see if Clinton goes too long, forcing Biden's speech to get off schedule.
A tidbit on Clinton that didn't show up on TV: Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts, was giving a speech. In the middle of it, Bill Clinton gets up and starts to acknowledge the crowd. The Arkansas delegation starts to chant "Bill! Bill!" Part of the California and New York delegations chime in. Sort of makes it hard for people near those delegations to pay attention to Gov. Patrick's speech. I'm sure the fact that it was during the speech of a prominent black politician who supported Obama was the merest coincidence. It's all about the Clintons.
Heard a great symposium yesterday on media and politics. Basically, the problem with "new media" is that so many people just talk to or read the blogs of people who reinforce what they already believe, leading to more hardened, extreme positions on both sides. With the diminished role of network news, and the fragmented sources of information available to people, debates on any issue can't even include the same set of facts over which to argue.
At the delegation breakfast this morning we heard an Obama advisor on environment and energy. Damned if I can remember his name. He essentially explained that Obama's energy policy sees offshore drilling as a possible small part of a component of an overall energy strategy that will focus mainly on alternatives to fossil fuels.
If I were advising them, I'd say " What would we drill with? There is a world-wide shortage of oil rigs. They take 2 years to build. What do we do between now and 2010?"
There was also a woman who spoke in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act. People need to be reminded that the current system allows employers to delay elections and pressure employees into voting against a union. The new plan allows them to sign a card, and if there are enough signed cards, that signifies a pro-union vote. It's no more invasive than asking someone to declare a party preference when they register to vote, which everybody does.
ok, off to today's events, and the search for sustenance.
Hillary's Speech
Well. Didn't she acquit herself well? The consensus seems to be that she did what she needed to do to help the ticket. One observer, noted on www.Electoral-Vote.com, suggested that her endorsement was something shy of ringing. She never came out and praised his virtues, leadership ability, or vision. She essentially said "he'll fight for the things I believe in, so support him". But she at least said it enthusiastically, and without any irony or undercurrent.
It will do the job for most of Senator Clinton's supporters. There will undoubtedly be some dead-enders who will never, ever give up. oh well.
There will be a brief hiatus while I traipse downstairs. Some lunatic ( I'm looking at you, David Bright), called me at 6:15 a.m. to ask me to distribute some DVD's to the delegation. I croaked something resembling a positive response. An hour later his local contact calls me breathlessly to ask if she can come up to the room and drop the packages off. I suggested that the whole not- wearing -clothing thing might be an issue. She chirped " That's ok, nothing I haven't seen before." I suggested that it would be better for all, (especially my roomate, livid at being awakened) if I met her in the lobby. She proceeded to give me a detailed description of what she was wearing. As if there would be a flock of people with crates of DVD's in the lobby...
I can't repeat my roommate's observations on this episode. They were colorful.
Off to breakfast and whatever fresh hell this DVD escapade entails.
It will do the job for most of Senator Clinton's supporters. There will undoubtedly be some dead-enders who will never, ever give up. oh well.
There will be a brief hiatus while I traipse downstairs. Some lunatic ( I'm looking at you, David Bright), called me at 6:15 a.m. to ask me to distribute some DVD's to the delegation. I croaked something resembling a positive response. An hour later his local contact calls me breathlessly to ask if she can come up to the room and drop the packages off. I suggested that the whole not- wearing -clothing thing might be an issue. She chirped " That's ok, nothing I haven't seen before." I suggested that it would be better for all, (especially my roomate, livid at being awakened) if I met her in the lobby. She proceeded to give me a detailed description of what she was wearing. As if there would be a flock of people with crates of DVD's in the lobby...
I can't repeat my roommate's observations on this episode. They were colorful.
Off to breakfast and whatever fresh hell this DVD escapade entails.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday
Sorry I haven't been writing. I have been spending a lot of time sleeping, trying to get over this cold. I'm functional, if not exactly healthy.
I'l try to go more or less chronologically, though I may wander.
Sunday night was the opener, with the big New Orleans party. As I was standing on front of the stage dancing to Tab Benoit and the Save the Wetlands All-Stars ( there's a catchy name for you), I was struck by the marvelous diversity of the delegates: a black couple from Alaska, the Hawaiian delegation in matching Hawaiian shorts/pantsuits, people of every shape and description all dancing and cheering for New Orleans recovery and Democratic candidates. I couldn't help but compare our party to the other party- and we do look more like America than the Republicans do.
Monday morning we had our first delegation breakfast, sponsored by Tyco Electronics. They make mobile communication devices, and would like to sell some to Maine. I have decided that I will try to ask every sponsor of an event for our delegation what exactly they hope to get out of sponsorship. Tyco is pretty straightforward, they just want to get their brand name out there. Other sponsors are less forthcoming; more on that later.
Insert random celebrity sighting here: Sunday night, at a reception for civil rights organizations, Danny Glover. I don't know whether I'm numb from all the fatigue and cold medicines, or whether I am just jaded, but I find it amusing the extent to which celebrities get some people all ga-ga and frantic to get a picture taken with them or of them.
As long as we're talking celebrities, here's who I have seen so far, in no order at all: Caroline Kennedy, Howard Dean ( breakfast this morning), Chris Matthews, Sen. Joe Biden ( I was nearly knocked over a man in a wheelchair by the Secret Service), Bill Richardson, some famous talking head whose name I can't recall, and probably dozens of celebriities I have seen but didn't recognize.
Here's a little bit of what a convention is like: You try to find your way to an event, on the way you meet someone from somewhere, and have a fascinating 5 minute discussion, whereupon everybody moves on. You pick up material that you hope to read, which of course you'll never get a chance to read because there are so many other things going on.
Another piece of the convention experience: swag. Eveyrbody is promoting their company/product/organization, so one is given all sorts of free stuff. When we went to pick up our credentials, we were all given a bag full of goodies. The bag itself is union-made, natch, assembled by Goodwill Industries, and features the AT&T logo on one side, the Coca-Colo logo on the other.
Inside we find:
-an AT&T ringtone gift card,
-a Ford Escape Hybrid green whistle, compass, and flashlight keyring,
-a couple of cans of Joint Juice, a dietary supplement with glucosamine ( what, they think we're all arthritic?),
-a VISA/US Bank Nalgene water bottle, with health and enviironment tips,
-a miniature emergency radio from Protecting America.org,
- a foam lump of coal from Peabody Coal Co. ("Coal Can Do That"),
-the ever-popular Kraft Macaroni and Cheese "Democrats in 2008" with stars and donkey dinner,
-coupons from lots of local merchants,
-SEIU refrigerator magnet slogan composition kit,
- a glossy catalog promoting Cherry Creek Mall, featuring an ad for the PUMA store ( was that deliberate?)
-JARGON ALERT: PUMA stand for "Party Unity My Ass", the Hillary Clinton dead-enders.
-a box of Ibuprofen from Walgreens
-a UPS envlope and labels,
-FedEX lip balm,
- an AT&T pin,
-an invitation to Solar Fest, a solar power fair at Coors Field,
-a blurb from The CELL ( Center for Empowered Living and Learning), talking about worldwide terrorism,
-mints from ProLogis and UPS,
-and more paper advertising than I care to catalog.
Everywhere one turns, there is advertising. Attractive young women in crisp white shirts and khakis pass out icy cold water bottles touting how clean coal is. ( Bet they have never shoveled coal.) Street teams publicizing products or websites are everywhere. It all becomes a blur, at least to me. Again, could be fatigue and cold medicines, but I am thinking a lot of money is getting spent on ads that nobody will pay attemtion to.
Starting to fade here, more later.
I'l try to go more or less chronologically, though I may wander.
Sunday night was the opener, with the big New Orleans party. As I was standing on front of the stage dancing to Tab Benoit and the Save the Wetlands All-Stars ( there's a catchy name for you), I was struck by the marvelous diversity of the delegates: a black couple from Alaska, the Hawaiian delegation in matching Hawaiian shorts/pantsuits, people of every shape and description all dancing and cheering for New Orleans recovery and Democratic candidates. I couldn't help but compare our party to the other party- and we do look more like America than the Republicans do.
Monday morning we had our first delegation breakfast, sponsored by Tyco Electronics. They make mobile communication devices, and would like to sell some to Maine. I have decided that I will try to ask every sponsor of an event for our delegation what exactly they hope to get out of sponsorship. Tyco is pretty straightforward, they just want to get their brand name out there. Other sponsors are less forthcoming; more on that later.
Insert random celebrity sighting here: Sunday night, at a reception for civil rights organizations, Danny Glover. I don't know whether I'm numb from all the fatigue and cold medicines, or whether I am just jaded, but I find it amusing the extent to which celebrities get some people all ga-ga and frantic to get a picture taken with them or of them.
As long as we're talking celebrities, here's who I have seen so far, in no order at all: Caroline Kennedy, Howard Dean ( breakfast this morning), Chris Matthews, Sen. Joe Biden ( I was nearly knocked over a man in a wheelchair by the Secret Service), Bill Richardson, some famous talking head whose name I can't recall, and probably dozens of celebriities I have seen but didn't recognize.
Here's a little bit of what a convention is like: You try to find your way to an event, on the way you meet someone from somewhere, and have a fascinating 5 minute discussion, whereupon everybody moves on. You pick up material that you hope to read, which of course you'll never get a chance to read because there are so many other things going on.
Another piece of the convention experience: swag. Eveyrbody is promoting their company/product/organization, so one is given all sorts of free stuff. When we went to pick up our credentials, we were all given a bag full of goodies. The bag itself is union-made, natch, assembled by Goodwill Industries, and features the AT&T logo on one side, the Coca-Colo logo on the other.
Inside we find:
-an AT&T ringtone gift card,
-a Ford Escape Hybrid green whistle, compass, and flashlight keyring,
-a couple of cans of Joint Juice, a dietary supplement with glucosamine ( what, they think we're all arthritic?),
-a VISA/US Bank Nalgene water bottle, with health and enviironment tips,
-a miniature emergency radio from Protecting America.org,
- a foam lump of coal from Peabody Coal Co. ("Coal Can Do That"),
-the ever-popular Kraft Macaroni and Cheese "Democrats in 2008" with stars and donkey dinner,
-coupons from lots of local merchants,
-SEIU refrigerator magnet slogan composition kit,
- a glossy catalog promoting Cherry Creek Mall, featuring an ad for the PUMA store ( was that deliberate?)
-JARGON ALERT: PUMA stand for "Party Unity My Ass", the Hillary Clinton dead-enders.
-a box of Ibuprofen from Walgreens
-a UPS envlope and labels,
-FedEX lip balm,
- an AT&T pin,
-an invitation to Solar Fest, a solar power fair at Coors Field,
-a blurb from The CELL ( Center for Empowered Living and Learning), talking about worldwide terrorism,
-mints from ProLogis and UPS,
-and more paper advertising than I care to catalog.
Everywhere one turns, there is advertising. Attractive young women in crisp white shirts and khakis pass out icy cold water bottles touting how clean coal is. ( Bet they have never shoveled coal.) Street teams publicizing products or websites are everywhere. It all becomes a blur, at least to me. Again, could be fatigue and cold medicines, but I am thinking a lot of money is getting spent on ads that nobody will pay attemtion to.
Starting to fade here, more later.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Random thoughts upon arrival in Denver
You know you're in a different place from Maine when the sign on the Men's Room door in the Denver Airport says "Tornado Shelter".
There is a lof ot flat between the airport and the Rockies.
Arrived at the room, crashed as much as I could. Thought I was getting over the cold, I was wrong.
Decided to attempt going to the Friends of New Orleans reception at the Convention Center. What to my wondering ears should appear but, not only the Big Chief Crewe from New Orleans, but the Friends of the Wetlands All-Stars, featuring Tab Benoit, and other stalwarts of the NEw Orleans music Scene.. A little gumbo, a little Tab Benoit, and I was restored, dancing in front of the stage, glorying in the music, Special guests like Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas added to the festivities.
Then Randy Newman comes out with one of the Marsalis brothers and does a song...marvelous. Then Howard Dean comes out to speak.
More later, I am almost comatose.
There is a lof ot flat between the airport and the Rockies.
Arrived at the room, crashed as much as I could. Thought I was getting over the cold, I was wrong.
Decided to attempt going to the Friends of New Orleans reception at the Convention Center. What to my wondering ears should appear but, not only the Big Chief Crewe from New Orleans, but the Friends of the Wetlands All-Stars, featuring Tab Benoit, and other stalwarts of the NEw Orleans music Scene.. A little gumbo, a little Tab Benoit, and I was restored, dancing in front of the stage, glorying in the music, Special guests like Marcia Ball and Irma Thomas added to the festivities.
Then Randy Newman comes out with one of the Marsalis brothers and does a song...marvelous. Then Howard Dean comes out to speak.
More later, I am almost comatose.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
My Delegate Condition
One last day of work, and I am off to Denver in the morning. Hope it goes quickly, so I can get some sleep. Nothing like a good summer cold to get you in a traveling mood...
So it's Biden. That's a good choice, I think. I was impressed with him in the debates. He's got more Senate experience than McCain, and is "clean as a hound's tooth" according to Electoral-vote.com. ( Don't want to be accused of plagiarizing...)
Speaking of which, that isolated incident was in the same era as McCain's bribery scandal. McCain was one of the Keating 5, Senators accused of taking bribes from Charles Keating, a wealthy banker. If the R's want to re-visit the 80's, "bring it on", as George W. Bush would say. ( OK, enough with the quotes and referencing.)
With the Biden choice comes this odd sense of calm before the storm. We know who our team will be. We'll hear the plagiarism talk, and the "he's clean" remark at the beginning of the primary season that effectively killed his campaign, ad nauseam. There will be the lame name gags ( Biden: His Time, Biden off more than he can chew, blah blah ) and then we'll get a chance to hear how thoughtful, knowledgable, and experienced he is. He's a fine debater, will make a great attack dog as long as he doesn't say something stupid, and will give Romney fits during their VP debate. ( I am assuming McCain will pick Romney.)
The Clinton wing of the party won't be happy, but nothing short of Senator Clinton on the ticket will make them happy. As long as they can get on board by October, I'm happy. Sooner is better, but I'll settle for October.
Time to go to work.
So it's Biden. That's a good choice, I think. I was impressed with him in the debates. He's got more Senate experience than McCain, and is "clean as a hound's tooth" according to Electoral-vote.com. ( Don't want to be accused of plagiarizing...)
Speaking of which, that isolated incident was in the same era as McCain's bribery scandal. McCain was one of the Keating 5, Senators accused of taking bribes from Charles Keating, a wealthy banker. If the R's want to re-visit the 80's, "bring it on", as George W. Bush would say. ( OK, enough with the quotes and referencing.)
With the Biden choice comes this odd sense of calm before the storm. We know who our team will be. We'll hear the plagiarism talk, and the "he's clean" remark at the beginning of the primary season that effectively killed his campaign, ad nauseam. There will be the lame name gags ( Biden: His Time, Biden off more than he can chew, blah blah ) and then we'll get a chance to hear how thoughtful, knowledgable, and experienced he is. He's a fine debater, will make a great attack dog as long as he doesn't say something stupid, and will give Romney fits during their VP debate. ( I am assuming McCain will pick Romney.)
The Clinton wing of the party won't be happy, but nothing short of Senator Clinton on the ticket will make them happy. As long as they can get on board by October, I'm happy. Sooner is better, but I'll settle for October.
Time to go to work.
Friday, August 22, 2008
McCain and "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques"
Andrew Sullivan had a piece yesterday about how the Bush definition of torture would apply to McCain's experiences.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/was-mccain-tort.html
Basically, he says that inder the Bush/Gonzalez definitoin of torture, what happened to John McCain at the "Hanoi Hilton" did not qualify as torture.
One wonders if McCain thought of that when he supported Bush's torture bill. Something to ponder: If torture works, then McCain collaborated with the enemy, in all likelihood. he can't be blamed for that, he was tortured. But if torture doesn't work, then it does more harm to us than good, because we act on information that is probably inaccurate.
When I was a kid, I learned, and believed, that America was better than the "bad guys" because we didn't torture POWs. I cannot fathom how badly America's image in the world has suffered because of this. We didn't torture Russian or Soviet-bloc spies when we were threatened with nuclear annhilation. Why would we start now?
These people who put forth this policy are the real un-Americans, and are as criminal as the "unlawful enemy combatants". I can't wait to see them gone, and I hope they can be prosecuted. Send Bush, Cheny, Rumsfeld, and Gonzales to Gitmo for a few days. See if they think that's torture.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/was-mccain-tort.html
Basically, he says that inder the Bush/Gonzalez definitoin of torture, what happened to John McCain at the "Hanoi Hilton" did not qualify as torture.
One wonders if McCain thought of that when he supported Bush's torture bill. Something to ponder: If torture works, then McCain collaborated with the enemy, in all likelihood. he can't be blamed for that, he was tortured. But if torture doesn't work, then it does more harm to us than good, because we act on information that is probably inaccurate.
When I was a kid, I learned, and believed, that America was better than the "bad guys" because we didn't torture POWs. I cannot fathom how badly America's image in the world has suffered because of this. We didn't torture Russian or Soviet-bloc spies when we were threatened with nuclear annhilation. Why would we start now?
These people who put forth this policy are the real un-Americans, and are as criminal as the "unlawful enemy combatants". I can't wait to see them gone, and I hope they can be prosecuted. Send Bush, Cheny, Rumsfeld, and Gonzales to Gitmo for a few days. See if they think that's torture.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
What the world really needs is another Obama Blog...
...and yet here I am with my very own blog.
OK, for starters, if you know about this, you probably are from Peaks Island, or a family member, or one of my friends/bandmates/acquaintances. If you're not any of the above, welcome anyway.
This is my first blog, so be gentle.
I'm setting this up so I can let people know about my experiences at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, 8/25-8/28. I will also use this blog to help people learn about the Electoral College and my experiences being a Presidential Elector.
First of all, I want to take this opportunity to thank Rita Kissen for her help in setting up a fund-raiser for me to help defray my travel expenses to Denver. Delegates travel on their own nickel, so every nickel helps. And the generous people of Peaks Island have made it possible for the trip to be a lot more affordable. Thank you, one and all, for your generosity. I'll try not to blow it all on lottery tickets in the airport.
In addition, I want to thank musicians Kevin Attra, Ronda Dale, Nancy 3 Hoffman, and Mike Richards for generously providing entertainment for the evening. We're lucky to have so much talent on the island.
At this point, everybody is waiting to hear who the VP nomination will go to. Although, I suspect that Obama wants to hold off, and not step on the media's interest in McCain's inability to recall just how many houses he owns. Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't houses, you know, big, lumpy, hard to misplace items?
" Honeyyy...have you seen the condo? I can't find it anywhere..."
His press flack's response was along the lines of " Hey, he was in one house for 5 years...IN NORTH VIETNAM!"
Anybody else see that as a bad excuse for putting this guy in charge of things that are a little more complicated than REMEMBERING HOW MANY DAMN HOUSES YOU OWN????
Imagine what that does to someone who lost her house because of the subprime mortgage meltdown?
"Uh, excuse me, Senator? Would it be okay if my family lived for awhile in one of the houses you can't remember is yours? You can have it back if you need it...and remember it belongs to you."
All right, enough screed. It's late. The next 2 days will pass ssslllowwwlllyy...but off to Denver soon! I will do my best to keep people updated.
Thanks for tuning in.
OK, for starters, if you know about this, you probably are from Peaks Island, or a family member, or one of my friends/bandmates/acquaintances. If you're not any of the above, welcome anyway.
This is my first blog, so be gentle.
I'm setting this up so I can let people know about my experiences at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, 8/25-8/28. I will also use this blog to help people learn about the Electoral College and my experiences being a Presidential Elector.
First of all, I want to take this opportunity to thank Rita Kissen for her help in setting up a fund-raiser for me to help defray my travel expenses to Denver. Delegates travel on their own nickel, so every nickel helps. And the generous people of Peaks Island have made it possible for the trip to be a lot more affordable. Thank you, one and all, for your generosity. I'll try not to blow it all on lottery tickets in the airport.
In addition, I want to thank musicians Kevin Attra, Ronda Dale, Nancy 3 Hoffman, and Mike Richards for generously providing entertainment for the evening. We're lucky to have so much talent on the island.
At this point, everybody is waiting to hear who the VP nomination will go to. Although, I suspect that Obama wants to hold off, and not step on the media's interest in McCain's inability to recall just how many houses he owns. Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't houses, you know, big, lumpy, hard to misplace items?
" Honeyyy...have you seen the condo? I can't find it anywhere..."
His press flack's response was along the lines of " Hey, he was in one house for 5 years...IN NORTH VIETNAM!"
Anybody else see that as a bad excuse for putting this guy in charge of things that are a little more complicated than REMEMBERING HOW MANY DAMN HOUSES YOU OWN????
Imagine what that does to someone who lost her house because of the subprime mortgage meltdown?
"Uh, excuse me, Senator? Would it be okay if my family lived for awhile in one of the houses you can't remember is yours? You can have it back if you need it...and remember it belongs to you."
All right, enough screed. It's late. The next 2 days will pass ssslllowwwlllyy...but off to Denver soon! I will do my best to keep people updated.
Thanks for tuning in.
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