I watched the opening via CNN.com and listened to a portion of the Q&A. Obama was naturally focused on the economic situation, while emphasizing that "there can only be one president at a time." Translation: I could talk for hours but can't do a damn thing until Jan. 20. His focus then, per his opening statement, would be on: (1) Extending unemployment insurance, as … [Read more...] about BREAKING: Obama’s First Presser
Civil Rights After Obama
Obama was elected President this week (didja hear?). And that's fantastic. But most people of color are not Barack Obama. And declaring that his victory means the era of significant racial inequality is over, or that racism is effectively dead for the Black community writ large is a serious mistake that must be avoided. … [Read more...] about Civil Rights After Obama
Jobless Rate Soars As Unemployment Hits 14 Year High
In yet another sign of the trouble economy that will face a new President Barack Obama and his advisers: the jobless rate in October soared as unemployment hit a 14 year high: The American economy lost another 240,000 jobs in October, the government reported Friday, as cash-strapped consumers pulled back sharply and businesses hunkered down, intensifying the distress … [Read more...] about Jobless Rate Soars As Unemployment Hits 14 Year High
Where McCain Did Well: Poverty, Race, and the Vote against Obama
Via Yglesias, check out this interesting map showing where McCain did well in '08 in relation to Bush in '04. It makes sense that he would do better in Arizona and Alaska, as well as in the Florida panhandle and parts of Georgia (given his military record), but his strength was clearly in that dark-red swathe that, from west to east, begins in Oklahoma, sweeps across … [Read more...] about Where McCain Did Well: Poverty, Race, and the Vote against Obama
GOP Regrouping
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post … [Read more...] about GOP Regrouping
Generation Obama
The day after the election, I received an e-mail from my father: "Congratulations to you and your generation. The torch has been passed." Obviously he didn't mean in terms in governance. Although a torch has been passed in that sense, my generation wasn't the recipient; I'm 26, and Obama is closer to a Baby Boomer than a Millennial (or Generation Y, or whatever we're … [Read more...] about Generation Obama
We Have Shown We Can Look at the Quality of a Man’s Character and Not the Color of His Skin …
... but we still have more to overcome. There have been many political cartoons, blog posts, news columns, and other statements saying that we have proved that the American Dream has been realized, that anyone can become President of the United States after the victory of Barack Obama, a man of mixed race. Yes, anyone can become President unless they are: gay (see … [Read more...] about We Have Shown We Can Look at the Quality of a Man’s Character and Not the Color of His Skin …
Great God Almighty, Freedom of the People
This is a strange feeling I am having for the last couple of days, since I woke up Wednesday morning, went out to get the Times, slipped it out of its wrapper, flipped it open, and saw the one-word headline in a huge, fat, boldface font: Obama I thought: Free at last. Not him; ME! And now I think that’s what Dr. Martin Luther King meant, or at least it strongly and strangely … [Read more...] about Great God Almighty, Freedom of the People
Fox News Blames Stock Market Ills On (You Guessed It) Barack Obama
The stock market is still in turmoil. So who is to blame? If you're a financial expert, a typical American, or an economist you'd stand back and point to a bunch of factors, which would include putting some but not all of the blame on the current President. If you're purely partisan Democrat you'd will blame it totally, completely, entirely on George Bush - the guy … [Read more...] about Fox News Blames Stock Market Ills On (You Guessed It) Barack Obama
Could Obama Actually Win an Electoral Vote in Nebraska?
Believe it or not, yes (like Maine, Nebraska apportions its electoral votes by congressional district): [Obama's] odds of bagging an electoral vote in Nebraska grew stronger this morning, with word that 10,000 to 12,000 early ballots and 5,200 provisional ballots are left to count in Douglas County. Obama won about 61 percent of the early votes counted before Tuesday's … [Read more...] about Could Obama Actually Win an Electoral Vote in Nebraska?
The Funniest Election Season Ever: A Retrospective & Analysis
It's difficult to imagine having made it through the long and hard fought 2008 campaign without so many memorable comic moments. We're used to election news making good comedy but this year we had good comedy making news as candidates abandoned their campaign speeches to do stand-up on late-night TV. Good political satire and comedy about the election was at an all time … [Read more...] about The Funniest Election Season Ever: A Retrospective & Analysis
Something Stinks in Alaska
"What In The Hell Happened in Alaska?" asks Nate Silver. Good question. As of right now, Republican incumbent Ted Stevens is leading Democratic challenger Mark Begich 48 to 47 (with 99 percent reporting) in their Senate race. The margin is 3,353 (with almost 210,000 votes counted). As I mentioned the other day, however, there are tens of thousands of ballots left to … [Read more...] about Something Stinks in Alaska
We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Moderates
So says Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. Money quote: "What Tuesday was, was a fact that people wanted change, and it's a rejection of a moderate view." The meeting that Perkins attended sounds like it was a remarkably productive affair. Per another attendee, the singularly focused Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform: "There's no one leader. … [Read more...] about We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Moderates
New Politics of the Common Good: Running Risks on the Side of Honesty
The only way President-elect Barack Obama can expect to live up to the hopes invested in him is to run all the risks on the side honesty. In his forthcoming press conference and speech, he should tell the people about sacrifices he expects from them to rebuild America as well as how he plans to honor his many promises especially for the economy. Obama’s resounding victory … [Read more...] about New Politics of the Common Good: Running Risks on the Side of Honesty
New Political Landscape
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post … [Read more...] about New Political Landscape
Obama Names Rahm Emanuel His Chief of Staff. So What Does It Mean?
Clintonite and Congressman Rahm Emanuel has accepted Obama's offer to be his chief of staff. Like David Corn and Ezra Klein, I'm ambivalent about it. On the one hand, Emanuel hasn't exactly been an ally of the liberal-progressive elements in the Democratic Party. On the other hand, he's a tough, hard-nosed insider and aggressive partisan with White House experience. So what … [Read more...] about Obama Names Rahm Emanuel His Chief of Staff. So What Does It Mean?
Rahmbo: Bringing a Gun to a Knife Fight (continued)
As a follow-up to my previous post on Obama appointees I would invite you to take a critical look at this editorial from Mark Karlin. The very progressive (or liberal, as you like) editor of BuzzFlash describes his long, storied and occasionally dysfunctional relationship with Rahm Emanuel, providing us with an excellent insider perspective on what the new Chief of Staff will … [Read more...] about Rahmbo: Bringing a Gun to a Knife Fight (continued)
Bush’s Dog Barney Bites Reuters Reporter
Usually reporters are used to getting the finger at the White House, not getting their finger bit: This video shows you how pervasive anti-press feeling is at the Bush White House... … [Read more...] about Bush’s Dog Barney Bites Reuters Reporter
Name This Dog
It would seem that our merry band has increased by one. My wife finished all of the paperwork and legal wrangling and brought home a new addition. He's a schnauzer who was rescued by animal protection services from a puppy mill where he had been kept in a crate as a stud dog for six years. He's had virtually no human contact or warmth, so he is understandably skittish and … [Read more...] about Name This Dog
A Quote for the Day
"Some wonder if Barack Obama is a hard leftist or more a pragmatic politician who simply rose in leftist precincts (that would be you, Hyde Park, Chicago). A less charged way to put the question would be: Is he a strict modern liberal, or possibly a man of some considerable moderate instincts? The obvious answer is: We're about to find out. But I think the more interesting … [Read more...] about A Quote for the Day