Is Barack Obama enough of an American? Can a person be well-educated, dark-skinned and a real American at the same time? Obama’s election hinges on whether a majority thinks the latter is possible or is so self-evident that the question is silly. The McCain-Palin ticket’s central strategy still is to stoke doubt and keep the first question alive. It cannot be denied that … [Read more...] about Is Obama American Enough to Succeed?
McCain, Obama: The Authenticity Gap
What's left of the real Barack Obama and John McCain after all this nonstop being seen and heard? If Obama wins the prize Tuesday, it may be, behind all the political jabber, a victory in the media war of attrition not to lose his authentic self. After eight years of having a beer with a nobody-there George W. Bush, voters gave the nominations to candidates who appeared to … [Read more...] about McCain, Obama: The Authenticity Gap
Gallup Daily Tracking: Obama Now Has Leads McCain 52% To 42% Among Likely Voters
A new Gallup Daily tracking poll suggests that perhaps Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's infomercial had some impact: he now leads rival Republican Sen. John McCain by 10 points among likely voters -- and has the same lead among "traditional" and "expanded" voters. Meanwhile, Gallup finds Obama ahead 52% to 41% among registered voters. But if you … [Read more...] about Gallup Daily Tracking: Obama Now Has Leads McCain 52% To 42% Among Likely Voters
‘I’m a PC’ Booth Outside of an Apple Store
Appleinsider: AppleInsider reader Tom submits the following photo [above], which shows a large Microsoft-branded kiosk parked outside a shopping center-based Apple retail store. "It's a friggin booth where you can record your own I'm a PC video," he said. "This is outside the Apple Store, Bullring, Birmingham, England." He added that a trio of Microsoft staffers will be on … [Read more...] about ‘I’m a PC’ Booth Outside of an Apple Store
Abortion, Politics, and the Grace of an Informed Reply
Last week, I wrote about Bishop Robert Hermann's edict that Catholics put aside other considerations and vote single-mindedly for the candidate "less permissive of abortion." Yesterday, my wife shared an email from a Catholic friend of ours, one of many such emails my wife has received in the last couple of weeks. The subject line of this most recent email was a question: … [Read more...] about Abortion, Politics, and the Grace of an Informed Reply
Late Night Election 2008 Jokes
How can you tell the conventional wisdom that's solidifying? One way is to take a look at late night comedian jokes listed on the web on sites such as this. For more than a century American humorists and comedians have been conventional political wisdom barometers. Those who effectively used humor to reflect public perceptions in the 20th century included: Will Rogers, Bob … [Read more...] about Late Night Election 2008 Jokes
More On The Death Of Studs Turkel
A must read about the man who virtually invented the oral history from the always must-read Davd Schuler HERE. … [Read more...] about More On The Death Of Studs Turkel
The Odds Of Obama Winning
A computer simulation puts the odds at 99.98%. … [Read more...] about The Odds Of Obama Winning
Poor, Poor John McCain: No More Time & So Many Excuses
With the Fat Lady about to sing, the excuses for why John McCain's campaign has sunk like a stone continue to fly fast and furious. I’ve been collecting the ripest of these excuses over at Kiko’s House in a daily feature titled “McCain-Palin Trainwreck Excuse du Jour.” Here are synopses and links to the most recent entries: McCain's "strategy" of throwing everything … [Read more...] about Poor, Poor John McCain: No More Time & So Many Excuses
The Election And The World
Elections are national events. People pick the candidates who they think will make things better in their own country and for their own citizens. Some elections, however, like those for the United States presidency, have enormous international repercussions, many of which are determined by the reactions of non-Americans to the outcome. When George Bush defeated John Kerry … [Read more...] about The Election And The World
You Can Vote However You Like! (Again)
Remember: The kids from the Ron Clark Academy were the ABC News Person of the Week this week. (Typical of our dinosaur broadcast networks, the story isn't embeddable and you must sit through an irrelevant commercial to watch it!) Via the AJC's Political Insider, Jim Galloway, "[a] video that’s everything 'High School Musical 3' is not. Intelligent, for instance." … [Read more...] about You Can Vote However You Like! (Again)
Obama Admits He Admires McCain … When He Loses
With apologies for the groan inducing headline, we go to the New York Post. (Who actually endorsed Obama this week, by the way.) Barack Obama says he admired John McCain, the 2000 version. These days? Not so much. Hours after McCain released an ad citing past praise from Obama, the Democratic nominee said Friday he respected the unsuccessful 2000 primary campaign McCain … [Read more...] about Obama Admits He Admires McCain … When He Loses
In Berlin, Republicans are Scarce and Americans Vote Democratic: Der Tageszeitung, Germany
According to this article from Germany's Die Tageszeitung, the mood of American Democrats living in Berlin can be described as excitement mixed with cautious anticipation. And Republicans? At a recent election-related series of lectures at the Amerikahaus, a library/holdover from the days of the Marshall Plan, the only Republican present was a German ... … [Read more...] about In Berlin, Republicans are Scarce and Americans Vote Democratic: Der Tageszeitung, Germany
Taking the Fight to Arizona, Now a Battleground State
Kos is reporting that Arizona is "neck and neck." McCain is up by just a single point in a new Research 2000 poll, 48 to 47, with Obama leading 54 to 42 among early voters. (And, in a possible preview of the 2010 Senate race, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano, who has an extremely high favourability rating in the state, is ahead of McCain 53-45.) With the Obama campaign … [Read more...] about Taking the Fight to Arizona, Now a Battleground State
Studs Terkel Has Died
Chicago Tribune: Studs Terkel dies - The author-radio host-actor-activist and Chicago symbol has died. "My epitaph? My epitaph will be 'Curiosity did not kill this cat,'" he once said. Louis Terkel arrived here as a child from New York City and in Chicago found not only a new name but a place that perfectly matched--in its energy, its swagger, its charms, its heart--his own … [Read more...] about Studs Terkel Has Died
Why McCain’s Former Supporters And Republicans Are Increasingly Jumping The McCain Ship
And so now former President Ronald Reagan's former chief of staff Ken Duberstein endorses Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama. The parade is getting almost as long as Pasadena's Rose Bowl Parade. So exactly what is happening to John McCain and his campaign? It's worth noting again that what you're seeing is not Republican disloyalty but manifestations of … [Read more...] about Why McCain’s Former Supporters And Republicans Are Increasingly Jumping The McCain Ship
Welcoming Ken Duberstein to the Traitors’ List
Welcome aboard, Mr. Duberstein -- you "former Reagan Chief of Staff and longtime GOP insider" you. With Pressler and Mathias, that makes three more of us this week alone. And so on ... as Mr. Vonnegut (were he still alive) might conclude. ------------------ THE LIST Susan Eisenhower, Christopher Buckley, Alison Goldwater Ross, C.C. Goldwater, Francis Fukuyama, … [Read more...] about Welcoming Ken Duberstein to the Traitors’ List
Scary Halloween
Larry Wright, The Detroit News … [Read more...] about Scary Halloween
T-STEEL REPORT: ELITES KICK ELITE MEDIA OFF CAMPAIGN PLANES!
"Elite" Senator Barack Obama has taken a cue from "Elite" Senator John McCain to kick certain "Elite" mainstream media off his plane. The "Elite" MSM body count: "Elite" Senator John McCain: Time Magazine and New York Times. "Elite" Senator Barack Obama: Washington Times, New York Post, and Dallas Morning News. "Elite" Washington Times Executive Editor John Solomon was … [Read more...] about T-STEEL REPORT: ELITES KICK ELITE MEDIA OFF CAMPAIGN PLANES!
Election 2008: Signed, Sealed & Almost Delivered
Being a big believer that public-opinion polls are merely snapshots in time, I have been loath to cite let alone read too much into the blizzard of polls this fall. But the latest Gallup Poll using the traditional model is a shocker and, for all intents and purposes, a very real indication that Barack Obama has sealed the deal. Gallup's traditional "likely voter" model is … [Read more...] about Election 2008: Signed, Sealed & Almost Delivered