Palin needs to say one thing at the GOP convention: I expect to be held to the highest standard. I expect to be held to the same standard as Senator Obama. In fact, I welcome it.
During the Democratic primaries Senator Soetoro/Obama played hardball identity politics. Michelle Obama stated simply and directly early on that black voters "would come around." BHO's people then played the race card against the Clintons in one of the more morally depraved moves in recent memory. Insisting the Clinton's are racist is akin to insisting the pope is Jewish. But it worked. Black Democrats voted for BHO at a 90% rate through out the primaries. Obama is "black", after all. This happened despite the fact that both Clintons are better than BHO on issues most Black Americans care about. Obama was able to keep it close because of Black voters - who traditionally have gone with the "blue collar" candidate - this year that candidate was Clinton. His coalition "arugula" voters and Black voters, plus help from the media and cheating in the caucuses - equaled his nomination.
Identity politics got Obama anointed.
Fast forward to Palin. There is no doubt Palin's gender was the deciding factor for McCain.
So what.
The possibility of the first female vice President should excite women. Women should think long and hard about voting for a "sister". Black Americans did exactly that - they voted for a "brother."
The hair pulling and rants on faux liberal blogs is hilarious and pathetic. For over a generation "social justice" liberals have incorporated identity politics into every move they made. "Social justice" - which means nothing in the end - has always been code for "victimhood". True liberals may have used this meme - but the were always out doing the heavy lifting. Cesar Chavez, Dr,. King, and, late in his life, Bobby Kennedy, are examples of liberals who understood that cajoling people to vote solely based on their racial identity was a fools errand. These men were not after "social justice" - they were after justice, period. The pollution of the true American Left by the "social justice" victimhood entrepreneurs has stunted the real progressive agenda for a generation. It is a virus. It has worked against people of color attaining equality. It is anti- progressive. Asians who did not fall victim to identity politics have moved rapidly up the ladder. What White arugula "liberals" can't abide is the fact that racism has lessened. A lot. Without a subculture of victims arugulas have no power.
The "experience" horse crap coming from the arugula left is just hilarious. It will also become clearly sexist in short order. The female Palin is already being held to a different standard than the male Obama. The bigotry against women will be exploited by Kos, Avarosis, and the rest for the next 2 months. Pelosi, who finds any woman with power other than herself, dangerous is no doubt cringing.
In classic Arugula "liberal" form they refuse to accept that both sides can play identity politics.
Well, John McCain just did. Get over it. Live by identity politics, die by identity politics.
The brain dead aspect of the arugulas that I have hammered at here is on full display right now. It goes to a core belief that people like Huffington, Olbermann, and Obama carry just below the surface: "We know better than the unwashed masses." I believe this comes directly from attaining unearned wealth and/or unearned positions. Huffington has forced her opinions on us by virtue of marrying well. Olbermann talks nonsense and makes 6 figures. Obama has risen and risen while accomplishing exactly nothing. Michelle Obama made millions sitting on the board of a Wal Mart supplier. These people jet from Aspen to Brentwood never dirtying their fingers - all the while opining to real workers and dismissing them at the same time.
Mrs. Palin lives in a REAL union household. Damn right, that appeals to this liberal. While Obama caved to Exelon, Mrs. Palin took on her own party's corruption in Alaska. Damn right, that appeals to this liberal. Obama let poor people freeze in his district, while pal Rezko made millions. There is nothing "liberal" about this.
As a feminist, the fact that McCain's campaign has an equal pay for equal work policy and Obama's does not matters to me. And, damn right, as a liberal, shattering the glass ceiling the DNC refused to break appeals to me.
Obama has never appealed based on policy. He appealed to liberal guilt, delusion and based on his self created persona.
If women decide to look past policy differences and vote for a female vice president based solely on her gender - it should not surprise Obama. Arugulas have exploited identity politics for a very long time, after all.
Seriously, the DEMS should be embarrassed, except they are too stupid and delusional to feel shame and embarrassment at their asinine anointment of the BRAT from Chicago.
Check out the comparrison between the GOP V.P. nominee and the DEM Prez. nominee. here
Sunday - so 10 pics. I think all these are taken from my phone. I dressed them up a bit with a slide slow presentation.... The pic from the Grove in front of Abercrombie and Fitch was taken by a neighbor, Masha, and it makes me happy, happy, happy.
The Santa Monica pic is blurry but is pretty much a perfect representation of "Calcutta By The Sea". Santa Monica liberalism = allowing alcoholics to rot in the midst of affluent splendor as this proves to them they are nicer than conservatives...Sometimes, when Tom Hayden is going to meet Arianna Huffington at the Ivy for lunch he throws a tofurky "wing" out his Prias window to some lucky drunk on the corner...
Please send any interesting snaps of your town/city/village/farm... to john@liberalrapture.com. I love pics about "place" - it is not about artistic merit (obviously, based on my pics). It is about affection for the place you live... I put photos up on Sundays.
In case you had any doubt that the Democratic Party has been taken over by pure scum watch this video. A Democratic Chair thinks a Cat 4 hurricane is funny. Every day in every way the Democrats become more vile.
Oh, and a candidate did get a bump out of the Dem. convention...McCain. McCain has taken a small lead in the Zogby poll taken directly after THE ONE'S speech in front of the Brittney Spears set. Very interesting. I suspect the anti-Palin, sexist Obama attack machine in the media will muscle some points back. But there you go. What's his puss gives a big speech. McCain pulls even- then ahead. It boggles the mind that the gasbags in the media can keep a straight face yapping about Palin's experience after 10 months of avoiding the topic regarding BHO. The fury of true patriots must be directed at CNN and MSNBC until they are made to heal. And we must never let up on the Ayres/Obama love affair over the years....
Listen to this ghoul snicker about the coming disaster:
I didn't watch Hillary Clinton speak at the convention.
It's a sad thing, really.
Sad, because I watched her blossom through the primaries into a vibrantly presidential person whose words I hung on and hungered for. And yet I didn't tune in. And I won't again, until 2012, should she become a candidate again.
Why?
I do not need to hear her plug Obama. I deeply believe that she doesn't mean it and that they strongly dislike each other. It's like watching a commercial for a David Spade movie. The commercial tells you that the movie's great, when you just know it sucks. So I'm not going to watch.
Why I'm not voting for Obama has morphed a bit, while the MSM keeps telling me that I'm coming around to The One's message. Funny -- I'm not, and I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed a big, cartoonish HOPE poster in my window. Maybe they misunderstood us. In what language does 'no' sound like the word for 'yes'? MSMese, perhaps.
See, the motherfucker corrupted the primary process by bullying caucus attendees with busloads of out-of-town thugs, playing the race card and other shenanigans. All the while he was being goosed along by party insiders whose motives we can only guess. To corrupt the primaries is to corrupt the democracy that we thought we lived in at it's roots. It is not okay.
So I'm not voting for him because he hasn't earned the position of POTUS, because I don't believe he stands for a most of what he espouses, and now because I've decided that to vote for him is to send the message that it's okay to have our candidates picked for us.
IT IS NOT, and never will be. I need the leaders of both parties to understand that they corrupt my democracy at their own peril. The next time they consider gaming an election with such vulgar blatancy, I want them to remember, "Well, it doesn't always work."
A substantial number of Americans still believe what they're told by the MSM, and vote accordingly. I'm not one of them, and I'm as proud of it as I could be.
Chances are good that you, the reader, are of like mind. I'm glad you're out there. Please don't be quiet about your discontent.
A commenter a few posts down happily got me thru my morning coffee by accusing me of pretending to be gay on this blog. While sipping my jo I was forced me to write a clarification about my sexual orientation (s)....that is when do I pretend to be gay, bi, or straight, and when am I actually gay, bi, or straight.
Obviously I want to correct any misperceptions. I not only pretend to be gay on this blog. I pretend to be gay in various places through out Los Angeles. Just yesterday I dyed my hair badly, plucked my eye brows, rented a Seabring Convertible, popped in some Ricky Martin music and just drove around honking at hot men.
I also pretend to be straight at various locations. Last week I put on a size too small V-neck T-shirt, bad cologne , stuffed some tube socks in my gym shorts and walked around the Venice boardwalk saying "hey baby - how you doing? I see you like my....tan..."
Before I kick back to watch college football all day (Fight on!) I want to post my Gay/Bi/Straight Scheduleso as to avoid any further confusion. Please take note.
My Gay/Bi/Straight schedule is as follows:
Mon: I pretend to be gay from 10am - 3:15pm
From 3:16pm to Monday Night Football I pretend to be Bi.
For the first half of the game I pretend to be straight. During half time I pretend to be a eunuch. During the second half I really am gay - after the game I just pretend to be gay again.
Tues: I am mostly really gay all day - except if I see a cute Irish babe (redhead, with freckles..please...) walking down the street in which case I either pretend to be straight or really am straight - factors to consider: how much free time do I have? And really, how many Irish redheads with freckles are walking down a street in Koreatown...?
Wed: I am mostly really straight all day. Unless I see a hot Persian dude (shaved head and thick accent....please...)walking down the street in which case I pretend to be Bi so we can really be gay together - factors to consider: will he want to talk to me afterward?..ugh. What if his wife and boyfriend find out where I live?
Thurs: I pretend to be Punky Brewster all day.
Fri: I usually call Sylvia Browne early and ask her if I should like Women, or Men, or both for the day. She says with her rasp: "How the fuck should I know? Screw everybody, for all I care."
I find this advice very appealing and tip her well.
Sat: After an exhausting Fri of head turning, flirting, and leering at waiters and waitresses, I awaken to full on homo-erotic anticipation. USC Football is BACK!
I put on my Alexander the Great costume, break open a a non alcoholic beer, and pretend to conquer the known world (esp. Persia, as I alluded to earlier.) without leaving the couch and while watching college men in tights knock each other over.
Sweet.
Sun: After mass I go to confession - except I am Anglican - so when I reveal all my sexual antics the cool liberal minister says: "Yes, that sounds fun, my son - but what are your sins?"
In the afternoon I watch Pro football which starts as an exercise in pretending to be straight - but usually ends up in my actually being straight for a while... I pop in some home town porn (shot in the San Fernando Valley) in which beautiful heterosexual women pretend to enjoy lesbian sex with each other .
Sunday night I relax into a night offalling testosterone, I can't afford the Cialis this month, I am just too old to carebliss.... and flip on the history channel to watch a show about the world ending on 12/21/12 cuz the Mayans said so....and they ripped people open on rocks to remove the still beating hearts...so they must be right... (FYI: The world ends on 12/21/12 around 3pm-ish. Pre-empting the last Dr. Phil...thanks be to God)
That is my usual sexuality schedule. Please take a note of it. Back to politics later....
Jon's first segment was on Obama's speech. He showed a clip of Obama saying that with great humility he accepts the nomination. Jon's take? A less humble man would have accepted at the Grand Canyon.
Oh, delicious.
But then, guess what? We moved on to Governor Palin. Also a very funny bit with our favorite Samantha Bee. Best line was either when she said that Palin was Clinton's idealogical opposite but her gynecological twin or that women don't think with the big head; we think with the little hood.
McCain stole the show today. Convention? What convention? Let's talk about the former Miss Alaska! (True - it's how she financed college.) It was a brilliant political move. Sure, today could have been all about how amazing, fabulous, terrific, super terrific, uplifting, hopey, changey the speech was but instead the news cycle was highjacked. Yes, he did.
As John said below now the buzz is that she has no foreign policy experience. Isn't that just the worst? She's second in line and she has no foreign policy experience! Obama is the one who is first in line and he has none either but it's worse that she doesn't. Wow. He can learn on the job but she can't? It must be her tiny little woman brain!
The prevalence of sexism in the Obama campaign is the major untold story of 2008. L.R. has said for well over a year now that the under girding of the BHO campaign was sexism. It was the fuel and propulsion. This was proven over and over and over again on pro-Obama blogs, in the media, and by Obama's campaign. While BHO entered his rally in Iowa a song with the lyrics "99 problems and the bitch ain't one." was playing loudly. This was not an oversight. The degradation of Senator Clinton and by extension all women and girls went unabated through the summer. Howard Dean, who was party to this degradation, feigned surprise about it in early June. He then oversaw a convention that did nothing to address this bigotry. If it were not for Mrs. Clinton forcing her speech onto center stage on Tuesday, hardly a single word about the ascension of women in America would have been spoken. (BHO's people fought Clinton's legitimate presence at the convention for over a month, despite the fact that she got more votes and 45% of the delegates.) With the Palin pick another round of sexism is primed and ready to go by the BHO minions. I doubt the PODS will feel free to scream "bitch" at will like they did with Hillary. But we have already gotten a taste of what is coming. John McCain has forced Obama to talk about experience - a topic he's avoided for 10 months. The way PODS attacked Clinton was by screaming "racist" at every turn. They will now covertly attack Palin by yelping "he's old!"
FACT: All of McCain's health records have been released. Obama released a one page memo from his doctor. FACT: Mrs. Palin has 2 years of executive experience. BHO and Biden have zero between them. FACT: Mrs. Palin has 2 more years of executive experience than John Edwards did in 2004.
Simply put, everyone should welcome a discussion of experience in this election. I, for one, have been hankering for a true vetting of Obama's "experience" for well over a year. If nothing else Mrs. Palin had the common decency to visit the wounded troops from her home state.
BHO went to the gym instead.
McCain, Obama, Palin and Biden should be examined closely. Neither Palin or Obama have been fully vetted by the public yet. Yes, David Axelrod - let's talk about experience.
"Iam confident a woman can work and think and carry a baby all at the same time."
Sarah Palin.
She is also a moose hunter and her husband is a fisherman. As an old line recent ex- Democrat is it hard not to love a working man who has no problem with his powerful wife. Before the disgusting sexism of the Obama moment -that's what we liberals used to call "the goal".
The sexist bile of the the DNC, Obama, and the pods is REALLY in the docket now. What idiots Dean, Brazille and the DNC are.
PALIN IS VEEP! If so this is the FIRST GOP WOMAN ON the PARTY TICKET! Bloomberg is reporting Palin is the one. Wow, McCain is going after it. If Palin can hold up under pressure - she is a game changer. I was not going to vote for McCain or that other what's his name from Chicago - but Palin gives me pause. A vibrant, corruption, fighting mom on a Harley...damn right I'll give THAT a closer look.
Obama must be forced to explain his Ayres connection honestly. If the CNN and MSNBC refuse to examine this then WE must go after CNN and MSNBC. Ultimately, we are in charge, not the S.O.B.'s in the media... Ayres is not a far left "progressive" or even a run of the mill Communist. He is an authoritarian killer that Obama chose to associate with OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS.
...they long knew of the close political relationship between Ayers and Obama. For all we know, the relationship continues. Ayers backs a key policy proposal of Obama education advisor, Linda Darling-Hammond: to wit, the repayment of the alleged "education debt" to people of color.
More:
Bill Ayers co-founded the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and then co-chaired its Collaborative arm while Barack Obama was selected to chair the board of directors of the Challenge.
More:
Ayers and Obama knew each other well before the time the Obama campaign has stated in the past. And clearly Obama well knew that Ayers was not just a guy from the neighborhood as he stated on national TV.
A security sweep was done on Mitt Romeny's sister's house today. Some are speculating that this means McCain will announce Romney as his VEEP soon.
GOPs are not my tribe so I have a hard time speculating about them. But I think Romeny is a bad pick. McCain has few choices. But my guess is that Romeny is a weak one. I think racism is overrated in elections. It exists to be sure. But there is also ample evidence that most voters are past it. However, attitudes about Moromism are another story. I believe Anti- Mormon feeling is strong. I am not saying this is fair or unfair. I am saying Romeny's religion is a problem politically.
Besides that I don't see what Romeny adds. The 3 states it would matter in are Utah - a GOP gimme, Massachusetts which is probably out of reach anyway, and Michigan, where is father was Governor. The only possible pick up Romeny brings is Michigan and I doubt his strength there.
McCain needs to appeal to Independents first and foremost. Secondarily, one could argue, that he needs to give hard core conservatives a reason to get off the couch. Unless, I am missing something a Romeny pick does neither. I think the hard Right will vote for McCain anyway after the 527's have their say. But I bet Independents will break to Obama if Romeny is on the GOP ticket. At least initially.
McCain needs a woman. Further, McCain needs a VEEP that will excite the nation, otherwise the GOP convention becomes an afterthought.
We shall see.
I'll add - if McCain has devastating info on Obama it does not matter who he picks. The GOP has been tame so far - by GOP standards.
1. Who will win the PAC 10 Opener - the Cardinal or the Beaver???
2. Who is smarter - a random group of crack head in Downtown LA or the DNC?
3. How many Obama Pods does it take to change a light bulb?
(Ten. 1 to drive the Prius to Whole Foods to get buy the light bulb. 1 to screw the bulb in. 7 to go into an ecstatic trance chanting "change the bulb, change, change, change...." and 1 to go on MSNBC and insist the changing of the bulb is an amazing accomplishment worthy of lasting veneration.)
4. What's the best evidence so far that Obama is deranged - the fake Presidential seal or the Greek Temple set at Invesco?
5. If John McCain where 10 years younger how far ahead would he be in the polls right now? 10 points? 20? 40?
Again about polls. My fascination with them has deepened this year. They are so odd in 2008. As I said before I try not to be excitable about them. But they do tell a story. I wrote early this week that BHO would get a substantial bounce out of Denver. I still believe this. But what keeps happening in the polls is odd. Since Biden was announced as VEEP, McCain has gained in the Gallup tracking poll. Everything about this is counter intuitive. Nearly all candidates get a VEEP bounce. I thought BHO would, too. Albeit a small one given his "safe " choice. He didn't.
Further, the Europe trip should have given BHO a bounce. It did not. It's all so weird. What does it mean? 1. Obama has crested. Taking the long view I'd say BHO peaked overall in February. He's been very slowly declining nationally since then. or 2. Undecideds are waiting to hear from McCain. The good news for Obama is that McCain is not ahead by much if any. The race has been almost even for a month.
Obama should be ahead by 10 now. And 15 next week. Even with all the bad news about him in the ether. Let me nip the "race" issue in the bud here - YES racism is at play. In every case we can look to recently it amounts to 5%. So by my estimation Obama should be ahead 5 now and 10 by Sunday sans any Wilder effect. The country is primed for a Democrat. Why isn't Obama ahead? My guesses are simple: 1. McCain went at BHO hard for a month. It worked. 2. Obama is actually not very likable on close examination. Outside DNC circles and his most ardent fans there really is a "likability" gap. This goes hand in hand with "trust". We like those we trust. We trust those we like. It seems banal - but some voters do make a judgement based on who they want to stomach on their TV set for 4 years. Obama too often comes off as the High School Star everyone, except the coaches and his inner circle, resents. If he wins it will because enough people got over their annoyance. Or at least set it aside for a day. 3. Experience matters to voters. I don't understand why BHO's people don't get this yet. Insisting that it doesn't is dumb. It flies in the face of what all of us know. We may not realize it consciously but we all appreciate and take note of experience: from the diner cook to the physician. I don't think BHO has enough experience to be President. But even I could have done a better job framing his small resume. Obama runs from his resume. As for the silliness that Lincoln proves experience doesn't matter...ugh...Lincoln had MUCH more real life experience in 1860 than BHO has now. He risked his entire career opposing the Mexican war. He debated Douglas for entire days before losing his first Senate race. He took principled and wildly unpopular stances in the Illinois Legislature. (In the Democratic party, Obama's stance against the war was, in fact, popular and easy to take.) Obama won't even agree to a one hour townhall with McCain. And the Lincoln analogy simply accents the sense of unnecessary risk many have about Obama. The nation was about to disintegrate in 1860. Do the Obama fanatics think this is about to happen again? Further do they think Obama has shown any of the fortitude needed to handle a massive civil war? Yes, the nation took a risk on Lincoln. A gamble. A huge one. We were blessed and lucky. Lincoln was great because of who he was AND the advent of the civil war. Where we are in 2008 is in no way analogous to where we were in 1860. The Kennedy meme is also silly. JFK's resume was 8 times longer in 1960 than BHO's is now. Further, turning every campaign event into a stunt has worn thin. Enough already. Skirting his experience problem is a very high risk strategy.
Opinions on most of my posts aside - this is going to be a fun 2 months.
This list is old now but I am re posting it. Obama's lies. Please add on. Random pods come around here and demand L.R. rehash what we have been saying for over a year.
Forget it.
BHO being a craven, lying politician is proven beyond all doubt. Read the archives on this blog. Read his positions in July 07 and July 08 on FISA. Google it yourselves. Start with Alice Palmer and move forward chronologically. End on Obama running over Rev Wright in April. Keep going. Get all sides. The evidence for BHO being the most corrupt empty politician in 100 years is strong.
The onus in NOW ON YOU, PODS, NOT US.
And, you Obama nim rods, the "character" of posters here - what ever they add up to - is not the issue. DUH. As far as I know none of my regular readers are a major party nominee for the Presidency. God, you guys are pathetic. The five stages of Pods who land on L.R.
1. Pretend to be upset and flabbergasted we could be against Obama.
2. Insult.
3. Try to appear reasonable. All the while never addressing the on going and relentless concerns of this blog.
4. Insulate we "must be Republican" -
as if
A. This is the equivalent to child killer.
and
B. Being against Obama automatically equates to Republican. This, of course, is the brand of logic they always use.
5. Scream - RACIST!
6. Leave. Wherein they go back to the brackish waters of HuffinPuff and Cheetos.
What the pods never do is address the meat of a post directly.
Anywho: Hillary Rosen was Interviewed by Anderson Cooper after Hillary Clinton's Speech. Said this:
"It was pretty overwhelming . . . This was a clarion call of grace and power... More importantly this was a message from Hillary Clinton that basically said, "I am not your therapist. I am a Democrat. No matter what you are doing you need to get it together and vote for John McCain( ) if you care about energy and middle class tax cuts and jobs and health care ..."
HAHAHA. Smart Dems know what they've done.
And today's clip - Rufus Wainwright is an angel. This song is gorgeous.
Hillary came through like a champ. Obama should be rubbing her feet tonight. She is a person of class, integrity, grace, and fortitude. She will make a fine President. How despicable is it that the same people who called her a bitch, whore, cunt, and murderer on blogs all year now think we should vote for Obama "cuz she says so".
NO.
Clinton supporters think for themselves. We read, assess, reason - then decide. We don't drink kool-aid and become zombies.
And, as a side note: Obama STILL has no business being commander-in-chief.
The following was disclosed in a press release: Doctors at an undisclosed Chicago Medical Center report that Senator Barack Obama, is suffering from what is described as a severe and debilitating case of whiplash and severe cervical muscle strain.
Doctors said today in a press release that the Freshman Senator's condition is not due an isolated accident or injury, but is more commonly known as a Repetitive Motion Injury similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
The Senator's condition stems from the cumulative effects of his continuous use of tele-prompters and has been further exacerbated by his drastic neck swings from talking to his far left supporters, then talking to evangelicals on the far right. With his attempts to move his focus to the center, the Senator recently began to suffer excruciating neck pain.
The doctors' concluded that the messianic Senator's neck muscles simply cannot withstand further drastic movement and repetitive swinging back and forth. Physicians on his medical team are recommending that Senator Obama wear a neck and head brace ironically called a "halo".
The halo brace is simply that; a circular device that will be affixed to the Senator's head with screws. The device has vertical bars attached that are connected to shoulder pads that allow the weight of the Senator's head to be transferred to his shoulders. With this brace in place the Senator can only face forward.
Doctors are further concerned that the weight of the medical device designed to allow the neck to heal will further deteriorate the Senators weak shoulders and spine. His medical team is taking a "wait and see attitude" regarding whether or not the Senator's spine can continue to bear up under the weight of his own head.
Doctors are also suggesting the Senator undergo psychiatric counseling to deal with his new inability to turn to the left or the right and the psychological trauma he is likely to suffer from having to look people directly in the eye.
Doctors are suggesting he not attend the Democratic National Convention as his performance at the Civil Forum held at Saddleback Church has left the Senator in a very precarious health and mental health position, as his head spun around with every question similar to Linda Blair's in the Exorcist. If the Senator insists on attending the Convention, all of his physicians including an Orthopedic Specialist, a Neurologist, a Psychiatrist, a Chiropractor, a Shaman, Dr. Phil, some dude he smoked out with in college, and a Faith Healer named "Epilady" will be back stage.
As of this report the Senator has refused all recommended medical treatment and is instead opting for DNC Chair, Dr. Howard Dean's lips kissing his behind, along with ego stroking sessions from Democratic Strategist, Donna Brazile.
Some Notes: 1. Pro Obama people - you are welcome to post here. If it is long, I'll cut the comment at random. Pro Hillary folks can say what ever they like within the usual parameters. By not banning you guys outright L.R. is already treating you better than KOS and Huffinpuff treated us. I see no reason to give you more room to insult normal Democrats and normal ex-Democrats, or to give you more rope to hang yourselves. You've got plenty of both already. Plus: The insults from your side are really, really, really, stupid at this point. CNN's last poll indicates that ALL McCain's bump in the last 2 months is from PUMAs. ALL. WTF is wrong with you people? Do you WANT to lose? Imagine this: The close primary went the other way. What would both Clintons have been doing for the last 2 months? HEALING the PARTY. That's what. BHO and his people have done the opposite. They've gone out of their way to insult us, in fact.
2. Let's hear it for the professionals who stopped the assassins in Denver. I wish to god people would stop the JFK and 1968 references. I am just that superstitious.
Knock down drag out election = good. Violence= bad.
3. Only 5 days until the first USC Game! Whoo Hoo. Also, remember the big event in the football stadium Thursday? I can't wait for it! Stanford versus Oregon State on ESPN!!!
4. Hmm - I was thinking this A.M. -When is the last time a big Obama speech helped him? The last 2 that come to mind are the "race" speech and the Berlin speech. The first speech saved him but did not improve his standing .The second speech hurt his standing in the polls as it was seen by many as obnoxious and ego driven. I wonder if Thursday will help? Hurt? The rock star thing is a much bigger turn off to many than the Pods seem to understand. I don't know. But the myth about BHO's galvanizing and unifying speeches no longer stands up to scrutiny. Thursday's should be interesting. Please tell me how it goes. I'll be watching football.
6. Speaking of nearly perfect gay people - the clip today is of Ellen from "Here and Now". I love this show. The tagline on the poster was "Modern life and other inconveniences." Plus the gogurt joke is priceless. Who ever wrote that tag line and the gogurt joke is a genius.
The McCain campaign is putting out the word that BHO will receive a 15 point bump after the Denver party. They have reason to raise expectations. If the bump is 8 points, McCain wins. This is basic election gamesmanship. I don't blame them for sounding the alarm. Obama could get a substantial bump after Thursday. My prediction is he will get an 8-10% percent bump which will put him ahead 9-11%.
The GOP show the next week will shave it back down a bit. After the conventions I bet Obama will land about 6-10 points up. What happens between the GOP convention and the election remains a mystery to me. I say this because it usually is not a mystery to me. Since I've been an adult: Mondale never had much of a chance. The moment he announced in his acceptance speech he would raise taxes his victory chances became zero. Dukakis was a forgettable figure who wasted an entire month while Lee Atwater destroyed him. Clinton never looked back after the 92 convention. And contrary to Obama Pod talking points, Bill Clinton remains the best politician since FDR. Obama without a script is a trainwreck. Clinton gave entire speeches without teleprompters. And answered questions intelligently and off the cuff. Obama makes a fool of himself unless scripted. I have yet to see a moment when Obama has handled a mistake or revelation with skill. He always has a compliant media working over time to neutralize his campaign's missteps. His "amazing" race speech should have ended Hillary Clinton's campaign on the spot. Except is wasn't "amazing" to anyone outside CNN and MSNBC. Bill Clinton won every round from Flowers to the impeachment - himself. The media was not on his team. Ever.
1996 - was a rare GOP gimme.
2000 is odd. I thought Gore would win, and he did...before he didn't.
2004- Well, what can one say? I never thought Kerry would beat W after the convention. I just spent a lot of time hoping I was wrong.
All the factors this year are jumbled and add up to neutral to me. This is why I keep repeating that this is one of the rare elections when an outside event could decide it all. And, I bet, will. By this I don't mean a gaffe or a revelation from a candidate. These things do swing elections and they may swing this one. I am talking about a completely external event.
A massive market melt down favors BHO. Almost any foreign scare favors McCain.
Both candidates have large liabilities. McCain's age. Obama's inexperience. How much will knowledge that we will have a Democratic house, Democratic senate and Democratic executive influence Independents? Conversely, will fear of a very conservative supreme court swing votes? What DON'T most people know about BHO? Can McCain land a knockout blow by littering the airwaves with Ayres and Rezko? One more factor I can't yet pin down: Many GOPs dislike McCain. An Obama victory could resuscitate the GOP in 2 short years. People like Newt Gingrich have much to gain from a few years of Obama bumbling in the White House. If McCain can't put this one away by October 15 - many GOPs will begin to look toward deposing Pelosi in 2010. (Which should be a massive GOP year if Obama wins.)This year, the desire to punish Bush should not be discounted, either.
The queasy factor for both these men is high. For BHO it is worse. BUT this ought to be a year in which any Democrat wins in a landslide. There are at least 5 Democrats who would win in a landslide -Obama is not one of them. (Axelrod seems to have given up on the "landslide" scenario already. ) McCain holds the advantage on Obama on many fronts - all going back to Obama himself. The general mood of the country favors Obama.
When advantages negate each other, external factors loom large. With Russia's invasion of Georgia we have seen a dress rehearsal. McCain was Johnny on the spot. Obama was on vacation. McCain won that round.
I can't call this one. A fine place for a blogger to be.
OH! It's the "regular guy" schitck...that's what Biden "brings". Went to the market just now and glanced at the LA Times headline - something about "regular Joe" Biden. As the LOS ANGELES TIMES slowly dies, it's whoring for Obama so their headlines are telling. The "regular joe" meme will no doubt be all MSNBC and CNN repeat between now and November.
Mostly Veeps don't matter to voters. Sometimes they do. In 1960 LBJ mattered. In 1988 Quayle did not. My hunch is Biden is one of those Veeps who won't matter. My next hunch is that by October Obama will be severely damaged and Biden will be an after thought.
I don't think the Democratic Convention will produce anything of note this week. Chris Leg Tingle and Keith Kiss Ass m
