Hillary Supporters Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant Here are two more cartoons: … [Read more...] about Cartoonists View The Democratic Convention
Interview with John Martin: Republicans for Obama
Today, in the first half of our radio show, we interviewed John Martin of Republicans for Obama. Mr. Martin is a Republican living in New York City and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. You may consider this as the second in a two part series of interviews we shall call, "People voting for people from the other party." (Tres clever, no?) In the interest of balance, we … [Read more...] about Interview with John Martin: Republicans for Obama
The Key Question About The Democratic Party And Convention
Was last night's convention a sign that the Democratic Party is now on the path to unity rather that forming a circular firing squad? The conventional wisdom seems that it's all coming together -- but some spot signs at the convention and elsewhere that the Democrats are again working overtime to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. … [Read more...] about The Key Question About The Democratic Party And Convention
After Hillary
I continue to go back and forth on Hillary's speech last night. It was, on the whole, rather impressive. As I put it last night, she did what she needed to do for Obama, for the Democratic Party, and, perhaps first and foremost, for herself and her political future. Regarding that last point, I didn't care for all the gratuitous self-promotion, but, of course, such … [Read more...] about After Hillary
Memo To Barry: Ditch The Greek Columns
PLEASE! BUT BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN STAYS, OKAY? … [Read more...] about Memo To Barry: Ditch The Greek Columns
“The worst thing to happen to journalism in 20 years.”
That's how Obama's communications director, Dan Pfieffer, described the Gallup Daily tracking poll when discussing the campaign's polling strategy. I think he's being a little hyperbolic—but only because several bad things have happened to journalism and it isn't fair to give the Gallup Daily all the credit. He's right to point out that there's too much focus (from … [Read more...] about “The worst thing to happen to journalism in 20 years.”
Smear-Hurling Romney Gets It All Backwards on Obama, McCain, and the House Flap
From yesterday's Boston Globe: Romney: McCain earned his homes; Obama didn't Yes, Romney really is a twisted partisan fool. In a speech yesterday in Denver -- of course! -- he claimed that while McCain deserved all his houses because of his and his family's "hard work," Obama "got a special deal from a convicted felon." That "convicted felon" is Tony Rezko -- and the … [Read more...] about Smear-Hurling Romney Gets It All Backwards on Obama, McCain, and the House Flap
Bill Clinton Watch
Which one will show up, the starry-eyed boy in the photograph reaching out to shake JFK's hand or the LBJ lookalike of later years, all guile, ego and appetite? Tonight will punctuate the quarter of a century we have lived with the many Bill Clintons--the centrist with ideals, the "it's the economy, stupid" realist, the target of right-wing hatred, the self-destructive … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton Watch
RFO (Republicans for Obama)
By popular demand, today on Mid Stream Radio (at 1 pm eastern 10 am pacific) we will be talking to John Martin of Republicans for Obama. We'll try to get essentially the same set of questions answered that we put to Silverio Salazar. (A Democrat who is voting for John McCain.) We'll examine the other side of the coin and what might be driving some traditional Republicans to … [Read more...] about RFO (Republicans for Obama)
Civil Rights Roundup: 08/27/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news The LPGA (woman's international golf organization) is requiring all of its players to be able to speak English if they want to compete. The Tour has been dominated in recent years by foreign-born players, and there are questions about whether this requirement violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. A Filipino man … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 08/27/08
Fox Panel’s Critique of Hillary’s Speech Revisited
Last night I posted my reaction to the Fox Brit Hume panel's initial comments on Hillary's speech in "Bill Kristol and His Fox Team See No Good, Hear No Good and Say No Good in and about Hillary’s Speech." After listening a while to what I felt were Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru, and Shizaru doing an antithetical version of "see no evil, hear no evil, and say no evil," I could … [Read more...] about Fox Panel’s Critique of Hillary’s Speech Revisited
Quote of The Day: The Battle Over The Lieberman Vice President Option
Ailing conservative columnist Bob Novak is still going to write occasional columns, and he provides us with the quote-of-the-day over the battle within the McCain ranks as to whether Connecticut independent Sen. Joe Lieberman should get McCain's Vice-Presidential nod: Reports of strong support within John McCain's presidential campaign for Independent Democratic Sen. Joseph … [Read more...] about Quote of The Day: The Battle Over The Lieberman Vice President Option
Bill Clinton Sends Yet Another Signal
Yet another signal from former President Bill Clinton, in an increasingly long list of news reports indicating that, unlike most professional politicians, he is unable to put on a happy face to show that he favors party unity over a specific candidate: he's going skip Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech. … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton Sends Yet Another Signal
More Indications McCain Could Announce Vice Presidential Pick Thursday Night
Thursday night is the big night for Democrats when their certain-nominee Sen. Barack Obama gives his acceptance speech -- a speech that, for years and years, party nominees have given as the opposition party steps back and lets it be delivered as a kind of unspoken courtesy. But that may change this Thursday night... According to Marc Ambinder, an earlier report that McCain … [Read more...] about More Indications McCain Could Announce Vice Presidential Pick Thursday Night
Book Review: ‘The Star Machine,’ Making A Product That Couldn’t Even Be Defined
I'm no actor and I have sixty four films to prove it. -- VICTOR MATURE If you want to see the girl next door, go next door. -- JOAN CRAWFORD There is a marvelous scene in the 1956 hit High Society that distills the greatness of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby not as terrific singers, which they of course were, but as consummate movie stars. It is their rendition of … [Read more...] about Book Review: ‘The Star Machine,’ Making A Product That Couldn’t Even Be Defined
Russia ‘Dying’ to Be What it Hates Most: A New America – Le Monde
The Sign Says: 'Russian Sphere of Influence' NATO Representatives Tell Georgia: 'They Are Withdrawing' Why has Russia gone on a rampage in Georgia? Thornike Gordadze of the Caucuses Observatory at the French Institute of Anatolian Studies has an interesting and compelling take: "Russia is dying with desire to be what it hates most - a new America. An America which goes … [Read more...] about Russia ‘Dying’ to Be What it Hates Most: A New America – Le Monde
‘Obama’s Flaw: The Electorate Doesn’t Understand His Plans’ – From O Globo of Brazil
It's the question that's been on almost every political junky's lips: Why has Obama failed to connect to parts of the electorate his candidacy promises to help the most? For William Waack, chief international affairs columnist for O Globo of Brazil, his message either has not - or cannot be packaged in a way that those he needs to reach can grasp. In their lack of nuance, … [Read more...] about ‘Obama’s Flaw: The Electorate Doesn’t Understand His Plans’ – From O Globo of Brazil
Clinton Shows Class
On the day after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries, I wrote a piece in which I asserted that Senator Hillary Clinton's post-election speech indicated that she knew her quest for the presidency was over for 2008. Near the end, I said: ...for the first time in my recollection, Senator Clinton allowed for the possibility of defeat and, in a possible effort to assuage the … [Read more...] about Clinton Shows Class
Clinton’s Twin Killing
I wrote earlier that Hillary Clinton needs to eviscerate John McCain. She obviously did not take up all of my suggestions, but she certainly made it abundantly clear that nobody who remotely supported her in the primary could, in good faith, support John McCain. She tied her entire agenda to Obama's and declared that the fate of the nation rested on Obama's election to the … [Read more...] about Clinton’s Twin Killing
Bill Kristol and His Fox Team See No Good, Hear No Good and Say No Good in and about Hillary’s Speech
Immediately after Hillary Clinton's passionate speech praising, supporting, endorsing Barack Obama and urging her supporters to elect Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States, Bill Kristol and Brit Hume's Fox "Election '08" panel declared that Hillary not once urged her supporters to vote for Barack Obama and that she did the absolute minimum to support … [Read more...] about Bill Kristol and His Fox Team See No Good, Hear No Good and Say No Good in and about Hillary’s Speech