Scary or scared? … [Read more...] about The American News Media
Change Agents? Mavericks? I Don’t See It.
McCain and Palin are presenting themselves as change agents who will bring a new way of doing things to Washington. I'm not seeing it. On Iraq, they want to fight until victory is achieved. That's the long-time Bush aim. They want to keep the Bush tax cuts that are so weighted to the rich. Where's the change? They want to appoint the same-caliber Supreme Court Justices when … [Read more...] about Change Agents? Mavericks? I Don’t See It.
Executive Experience Is A Joke (Guest Voice)
Is executive experience a serious issue in the campaign or is something politicians in both parties pull out when it's in their best interest to try and use it against an opponent? What does recent political history show? Columnist Bill Steigerwald in this Guest Voice takes a look at it. Guest Voice columns do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its … [Read more...] about Executive Experience Is A Joke (Guest Voice)
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: RNC Wrap-Up & Convention Memories
Larry J. Sabato's CONVENTION MEMORIES One of the privileges of age is an assumed right to bore others with remembrances. Here are a few of mine about national political conventions. We are in the midst of convention season, a grand attempt to make interesting two weeks of predictable political propaganda staged for TV. Barack Obama becomes the reincarnation of John F. … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: RNC Wrap-Up & Convention Memories
Is Attacking Palin “Sexist”?
A sample of some differing views. … [Read more...] about Is Attacking Palin “Sexist”?
Estimate of White Audience at Republican Convention Off By a Whopping Six Percentage Points
In my post, “’Right’ Convention, Wrong Country?”, I commented on how the Republican attacks on Democrats---who make up about one-half of voting-age Americans---and their selected candidates, gave me the sensation that I was watching a political “revival” in some foreign country. I also noted that,My feelings that this convention was not being held in the U.S.A. were … [Read more...] about Estimate of White Audience at Republican Convention Off By a Whopping Six Percentage Points
‘Jitters in Russian Media Over Georgia’: Le Temps of Switzerland
Many of us have gotten used to viewing the Russian press as a kind of tamed animal, for the most part parroting the Kremlin line on all things political. So it was with some surprise that I came upon this article written by a Swiss journalist stationed in Moscow. According to Alexandre Billette, who writes for Switzerland's Le Temps newspaper: "If the Kremlin is … [Read more...] about ‘Jitters in Russian Media Over Georgia’: Le Temps of Switzerland
Turn Your Back On Palin … You’d Best ‘Watch Your Rear-End’: O Globo of Brazil
It seems that Sarah Palin's reputation for being a 'barracuda' has captured the attention of the planet. Now William Waack, O Globo of Brazil's chief foreign columnist, has weighed in - warning U.S. Democrats in part: "Attack a woman like Palin, and the result is to make her a victim of machismo, sexism, prejudice, etc. Turn your back to her and you'll be left with a nice … [Read more...] about Turn Your Back On Palin … You’d Best ‘Watch Your Rear-End’: O Globo of Brazil
The GOP Takes Aim at the First Amendment
In 35 years of newspapering and teaching, I developed a quiet amusement over the general public's almost total ignorance of how the news media does its job. Then, last year, I received the following email from a reader, one Stuart Jewell, complaining about media content: “It’s strange to me, that almost all columnists and reporters assume the talent of being able to define what … [Read more...] about The GOP Takes Aim at the First Amendment
A 9/11 Break From Rancor
For an instant next Thursday, the election-year tide of acrimony and attack ads will be rolled back as Barack Obama and John McCain come together at Ground Zero to mark the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001. “All of us came together on 9/11--not as Democrats or Republicans--but as Americans,” the candidates said in a joint statement today. “In smoke-filled … [Read more...] about A 9/11 Break From Rancor
Stupid, Unpatriotic, Wrong and Stupid (NOT?) (YES?)
SEE THE UPDATE BELOW: It is now claimed that the story below resulted from a some dirty tricks and the flags were destined for other events, but stolen. UPDATE AGAIN: Sources from Fox News (Yes... I know) are disputing the claims in the update and say that the flags were definitely found "stored" in Hefty Bags "near a dumpster." Odd storage if true, but apparently the game … [Read more...] about Stupid, Unpatriotic, Wrong and Stupid (NOT?) (YES?)
The difference between Palin and Bush? Lipstick.
I know, Sarah Palin is a Washington outsider with no direct ties to the current administration. In that sense, she does represent a clean break from George W. Bush. But when you get past the narrative and look at her positions on actual issues, she's much closer to Bush ideologically than McCain is. The Palin pick was designed to fire up the segment of the Republican party … [Read more...] about The difference between Palin and Bush? Lipstick.
Random Observations from an Absentee Amateur Pundit
My last post was dated August 21. Slightly more than two weeks ago. I'm amused (and somewhat dazed) at how much things have changed since then. Sean Quinn phrased it well, last night, at FiveThirtyEight: For all the drama it generated back in March, Jeremiah Wright feels like so long ago that it might as well have happened in the 1988 election. Even the text message VP … [Read more...] about Random Observations from an Absentee Amateur Pundit
Where’s Waldo? errr… Obama?
It has been noted by some that there have been a plethora of items here about Sarah Palin and not much else. I'm clearly guilty of the same sin of omission, but not for lack of searching. It's just that not only does the entire country seem focused on the fresh, red meat of the Alaskan Governor, but the Democratic ticket doesn't seem to be doing very much of note this week. … [Read more...] about Where’s Waldo? errr… Obama?
Sarah Palin’s Incredible Lightness Of Being
He got invited to the convention because he had pre-marital sex with her. John McCain proclaims that he is for open government. Palin, meanwhile, is for closed government. Palin's handlers say she and her family have nothing to hide. But fisherman husband Todd Palin's former business partner filed an emergency motion to have his divorce papers sealed, surely a coincidence … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin’s Incredible Lightness Of Being
McCain’s Next Task: Win Undecideds And Moderates
Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has now accomplished several major tasks: he was last-man-standing in the GOP primaries, he moved enough to the right to satisfy many Republicans and he hit -- to use the now-tiresome cliche -- "a home-run" among the party's conservative base by picking conservative red-meat serving Gov. Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential … [Read more...] about McCain’s Next Task: Win Undecideds And Moderates
Kicking the Palin “Experience” Meme Around (Again)
As we march on through day nine of the Sarah Palin Cone of Silence Watch, my old friend Ed Morrissey has offered to share a recent Fox News piece, featuring Greta van Susteren, which purports to highlight a few of the various aspects of Palin's background which speak to her experience and readiness to possibly lead our nation. I dislike nitpicking with Ed, but we do it enough … [Read more...] about Kicking the Palin “Experience” Meme Around (Again)
Indecision 2008 GOP Convention Sampler
The Comedy Central gang had fodder for a terrific week. As a freshly-minted small town guy, I'll start with their "best news team on the planet" finding out what small town values really mean at the RNC: … [Read more...] about Indecision 2008 GOP Convention Sampler
Who is Sarah Palin?
After we heard that AK governor Sarah Palin had been chosen as McCain's running mate, I wrote that I am "anxious to see how Palin handles the klieg lights of the national media circus." Well, it seems that the McCain campaign may simply see to it that she doesn't have to face the national media anytime soon. Marc Ambinder reports that a "senior McCain campaign official" told … [Read more...] about Who is Sarah Palin?
Sarah Palin will change the way government does business
And let's face it, she has some experience in this area. In fact, Sarah Palin has apparently made some major changes in the way Sarah Palin does business, and has done so in only six months. Buried at the very end of this Washington Post article on Palin's somewhat-dubious history as a champion in fighting the "old boys network" regarding pork-barrel spending comes this … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin will change the way government does business