One of the interesting thing about Presidential debates is how two objective people can watch the same event and yet come away with entirely different opinions as to the outcome. To a degree, this is the result of honest disagreement but I think that it can also be attributed to human nature. No matter how hard we try to be fair, we can't help but be affected by our personal … [Read more...] about A Debate Proposal
U.S. Election Campaign: Advantage for ‘Mr. Cool’ – Financial Times Deutschland
Count another newspaper calling the second debate in favor of Obama. With the world in a panic, what does America need? According to this editorial from Germany's Financial Times Deutschland: "In contrast to 'Mr. Hot' McCain, Obama doesn't proceed according to the slogan, 'Forward, no matter what!' ... Obama simply seems more sober and rational. When panic abounds, this … [Read more...] about U.S. Election Campaign: Advantage for ‘Mr. Cool’ – Financial Times Deutschland
Marjorie Deane: Formidable Journalist
With the passing away of Marjorie Deane, financial journalism has lost one of its greats, reports The Economist. "Less a financial philosopher than a real reporter, she knew the numbers, knew the gossip and knew everyone who mattered, not least the former chairman of America’s Federal Reserve. "Bankers willingly opened their doors to her in the knowledge that they would … [Read more...] about Marjorie Deane: Formidable Journalist
Quote Of The Day: Is 2008 A 1932 Hoover Versus Roosevelt Rerun?
The political Quote of the Day comes from the Washington Post's always-solid columnist E. J. Dionne, Jr., who makes the case that the 2008 Barack Obama versus John McCain election has echoes of the 1932 FDR versus Herbert Hoover election. A key quote: Obama and McCain are giving us a clear sense of who they are and how they would lead. It would seem that Obama has been … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Is 2008 A 1932 Hoover Versus Roosevelt Rerun?
McCain’s Silence on Immigration
I just read our Editor-in-Chief's "McCain In Danger Of Losing Hispanic Vote By Landslide," where he quoted The Politico, which points out that: McCain seems to have wound up with the worst of both worlds: He appears to be getting no credit from Latino voters for his past support for immigration reform, while carrying the baggage of other Republicans’ hostility to illegal … [Read more...] about McCain’s Silence on Immigration
McCain In Danger Of Losing Hispanic Vote By Landslide
More bad news for Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain -- but will there be an attempt in the closing weeks of the campaign to make sure the worst doesn't happen? Right now he's in danger of losing the Hispanic vote by a landslide: Despite championing immigration reform in 2007, John McCain is poised to lose the Hispanic vote by a landslide margin that is well … [Read more...] about McCain In Danger Of Losing Hispanic Vote By Landslide
McCain Campaign Co-Chairman Suggests Obama Is “Of The Street” And Raises Drug Use
This isn't just the kitchen sink: Republican presidential candidate John McCain's campaign seems to be throwing in the bathtub, shower, all the backyard shrubs, and the house cat, too. And it doesn't just come from some marginal surrogate but from McCain's campaign co-chair: Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating, a McCain campaign co-chairman, edged up to an explicitly racial … [Read more...] about McCain Campaign Co-Chairman Suggests Obama Is “Of The Street” And Raises Drug Use
Joe Biden on McCain’s “Bashfulness”
In my only comment on Tuesday's presidential debate, "Why Did McCain Not Use the Smear Card Tonight?", I focused on what I thought was the most remarkable aspect of that debate. I said: After all the muckraking—uncomfortably close to inflammatory incitement—by his pit-bull running mate, I was amazed that McCain did not get into the gutter tonight, even though he had … [Read more...] about Joe Biden on McCain’s “Bashfulness”
Obama and Race
Those who read my posts know that, although I am a nominal Republican, I remain somewhat uncommitted in this campaign. I have issues with both McCain and Obama and with each those issues include both ideological disagreements as well as more personal items. I am concerned about McCain with regard to his temperament and with Obama in regard to experience. However one issue I … [Read more...] about Obama and Race
Biden: Look Him in the Eye and Say It
MSNBC's First Read: Joe Biden echoed the campaign’s response to continued Republican efforts to highlight Obama’s past associations, adding a personal touch to the idea that McCain wasn’t willing to make the attacks in person. “All of the things they said about Barack Obama in the TV, on the TV, at their rallies, and now on YouTube … John McCain could not bring himself to … [Read more...] about Biden: Look Him in the Eye and Say It
Georgia in Play; Illegally Purging Voters?
Steve Benen points out that today Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.), chairman of the DSCC, told reporters: ...Schumer and the Democrats have added other previous-cycle crimson states to their target list: Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi and Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's seat in Kentucky. He went so far as to call Georgia and Kentucky "even-steven races." The … [Read more...] about Georgia in Play; Illegally Purging Voters?
The Anchorage Press on Palin’s Email Exploits
We've all heard of the infamous “Frank, This not the Governor’s personal account” email written by a Palin aide to someone who accidentally used the governor's official state email address. At the time, the governor was under fire because when she had the opportunity to nominate three appointees to the seven-member Board of Game, there were no Alaska Natives amongst her … [Read more...] about The Anchorage Press on Palin’s Email Exploits
Does “Phone Sex” Make One a Terrorist?
I personally would not call "phone sex" one of the most wholesome activities. But, then again, "it's a free country." Or is it? According to an ABC investigative report published today: Despite pledges by President George W. Bush and American intelligence officials to the contrary, hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and … [Read more...] about Does “Phone Sex” Make One a Terrorist?
Brooks on Palin: “A Fatal Cancer to the Republican Party”
Far be it from me, your humble blogger, to disagree with the great David Brooks, distinguished New York Times columnist and leading conservative intellectual. On Monday, at an event celebrating the redesign of The Atlantic magazine, Brooks said this, among other things: [Sarah Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party. When I first started in journalism, I … [Read more...] about Brooks on Palin: “A Fatal Cancer to the Republican Party”
Netflix: Paving the Way to Online Movies
Saul Hansell says that Netflix -- "a company whose success began with a knack for efficiently mailing a lot of envelopes" -- may be the bridge we all use to move to the online distribution of movies and television: What I’m paying attention to is the company’s still-small incursion into delivering video over the Internet. Until now, Netflix had a collection of about 10,000 … [Read more...] about Netflix: Paving the Way to Online Movies
Civil Rights Roundup: 10/09/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news It's election time, and you know what that means: illegally keeping eligible voters off the rolls! Polling places may not have the resources to handle the expected crush of voters this election. The Supreme Court is examining whether employees who cooperate in discrimination and harassment cases, but are not the … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 10/09/08
Gallup Poll: Pluses May Slightly Outweigh Minuses In Obama Race Issue Impact
A new Gallup poll suggests that the "race" issue may be a double-edged sword for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama -- one that could actually turn out to be a plus in terms of votes: While 6% of voters say they are less likely to vote for Barack Obama because of his race, 9% say they are more likely to vote for him, making the impact of his race a neutral … [Read more...] about Gallup Poll: Pluses May Slightly Outweigh Minuses In Obama Race Issue Impact
A Dead Campaign Beats A Dead Horse
With even many sycophants in the right-of-center punditocracy saying that the McCain-Palin ticket is toast, it was with more than the usual amount of interest that I waited for what the campaign promised would be a major announcement this morning. The major announcement: A 90-second Internet commercial beating the Bill Ayers-Barack Obama dead horse a few more … [Read more...] about A Dead Campaign Beats A Dead Horse
McCain Campaign Leaks On Resuming The High Road Prove False: Ayers Issue Extensively Used
Late yesterday there was much new and old media buzz about rumblings that the McCain campaign supposedly was planning to resume the high road, drop it's emerging push on using the Ayers story and get back other substantive matters -- such as talking about the economy plus other issues that polls indicate worried voters' care about. Yours truly got an email from a co-blogger … [Read more...] about McCain Campaign Leaks On Resuming The High Road Prove False: Ayers Issue Extensively Used
Obama’s Ceiling
Following up on a recent Gallup tracking poll that has Obama ahead of McCain by 11 points -- I want to pick up on a question posed by Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight: What is Obama's ceiling? Basically, Nate says, "[i]f Obama is ahead by something like 7-8 points ahead nationally, that means that he has persuaded just about all of the persuadables." In other words, he's … [Read more...] about Obama’s Ceiling