SATURDAY QUESTION: Is Barack Obama the Sex and the City Candidate? Later today we should have fresh numbers out of Gallup which include interviews with some of the 38 million people who watched Barack Obama's speech on Thursday night. At that point we should see if the convention's 8 point bounce for Obama holds, grows or fades. It will likely be early next week before we … [Read more...] about Gallup Sees Palin as Attempt to Solve McCain’s “Women Problem”
Europeans (Mis)Understand John McCain’s Appeal to US Voters
The Economist has a good cover story about John McCain and explains quite well why Americans might elect him as president. It is a good summary for the average reader, who is not a news junkie. Such an analysis is missing in the commentary of a Washington correspondent with the German public broadcaster ARD: Anna Engelke fails to understand McCain's appeal. Instead she … [Read more...] about Europeans (Mis)Understand John McCain’s Appeal to US Voters
Mallika: Sri Lanka’s Pioneering Journalist
Sri Lanka is today known more for the performance of its fine cricket team and the conflict between the government and the LTTE. The passing away of its highly talented and sensitive journalist Mallika Wanigasundra went almost unnoticed. I came to know of her passing away while going through the website of another dedicated and respected Sri Lankan journalist Nalaka … [Read more...] about Mallika: Sri Lanka’s Pioneering Journalist
McCain and the Beauty Queen
Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner … [Read more...] about McCain and the Beauty Queen
Obama’s Speech: Democratic Convention Highest Convention Ratings In History
Democratic Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama had a massive viewership for his acceptance speech Thursday night in a convention that got the highest ratings in televised U.S. political convention history, the New York Times reports: At least 40 million Americans watched Senator Barack Obama accept the Democratic nomination for president Thursday night, a record for … [Read more...] about Obama’s Speech: Democratic Convention Highest Convention Ratings In History
‘Sixty Seven Days’: the Obama ‘System’ for Beating McCain – Le Figaro
How do the French see the results of the Democratic convention and Obama's strategy to win? Philippe Gelie, Le Figaro's chief Washington correspondent, writes on part: "Long divided between Obamistas and Clintonites, the Pepsi Center arena in Denver definitively shook Wednesday night, in one of those theatrical political coups the Americans are so fond of. … Barack Obama … [Read more...] about ‘Sixty Seven Days’: the Obama ‘System’ for Beating McCain – Le Figaro
‘The Day the Democrats Finally Grew Teeth’: Nachrichten of Switzerland
Among the many perceptions emerging across the Atlantic since the end of the Democratic National Convention is that Joe Biden has helped U.S. Democrats get over their traditional hesitance to fight as hard and nastily as they need to, in order to beat the Republicans. Writing of Senator Biden's speech, Patrik Etschmayer writes from Switzerland's Nachrichten: "On … [Read more...] about ‘The Day the Democrats Finally Grew Teeth’: Nachrichten of Switzerland
Proof Palin was Panic Pick
According to ABC News' Jan Crawford Greenburg, John McCain did not decide on Sarah Palin until last night. His first choice was, indeed, Joe Lieberman. But when told by GOP strategists that the party base would revolt, McCain faced Pawlenty, Ridge and Romney. But after the successful Democratic National Convention, which united the Democratic Party behind Barack Obama in … [Read more...] about Proof Palin was Panic Pick
The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin
That was the title of the post I did on Joe Biden after Barack Obama chose him to be his running mate for the Democratic President/Vice President ticket. I figured, I might as well have a mini-series or two-parter and use the same title for Arizona Senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain's VP selection, Alaska Governor and fellow Republican, Sarah … [Read more...] about The Wisdom of Choosing Sarah Palin
Praying for a miracle!
I'm not a religious man. But I'm praying something miraculous happens and Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna dissipate. I have family in Lake Charles, Louisiana who are evacuating now. My cousin and her husband are staying with us while a few other family are going to Cincinnati, Ohio (where other family resides). Hurricane Gustav scares me on what it can do the … [Read more...] about Praying for a miracle!
SURPRISE : SARAH PALIN
Patrick Chappatte, Le Temps, Switzerland … [Read more...] about SURPRISE : SARAH PALIN
The Fully Vetted Sarah Palin
UPDATED (Yet Again!) Keep in mind, before we wind up the Friday night activities in Blogistan, that this is still only ten hours after the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain's VP announcement caught so many of us flat-footed. In ten hours, though, the hits keep on coming. Let's take a quick look at a few more. UPDATE: Please see Update #3 below regarding the first … [Read more...] about The Fully Vetted Sarah Palin
Conservative Pioneer Viguerie: Palin Is Perfect Vice Presidential Pick
Conservative pioneer Richard Viguerie just sent out this email-press release praising GOP Presidential nominee-to-be Sen. John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President as "perfect." Here it is in full: Richard Viguerie: She’s perfect With VP pick, McCain “unites the GOP, gives conservatives a stake in the election, and puts a real reformer on the … [Read more...] about Conservative Pioneer Viguerie: Palin Is Perfect Vice Presidential Pick
Palin: An Inspired Choice for McCain Running Mate
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been on my radar screen since she won election in 2006. So, while her selection by Senator John McCain to be his running mate surprised me, I think it was also an inspired choice. Why? The woman appears to have guts and integrity, both rare assets in Alaska's oil-saturated politics of corruption. If you watched a recent profile of Alaskan … [Read more...] about Palin: An Inspired Choice for McCain Running Mate
Al Gore’s Regrets
To warm up the crowd for Barack Obama last night, Al Gore did something he has resisted for eight years, replay the 2000 election and express bitter regret over what might have been. "Take it from me," he told Democrats, "if it had ended differently, we would not be bogged down in Iraq; we would have pursued bin Laden until we captured him. "We would not be facing a … [Read more...] about Al Gore’s Regrets
Palin on “Troopergate” and Abortion
We're not even eight hours into the era of the McCain - Palin ticket, but I am quickly becoming more and more convinced that John McCain had previously decided upon T-Paw or Romney but hit the panic button and selected Sarah Palin after Obama's Mile High Stadium speech without full vetting. Two items have already jumped to the front page. The first, of course, is what is … [Read more...] about Palin on “Troopergate” and Abortion
Sarah Palin Pantsuit
Adam Zyglis, The Buffalo News … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin Pantsuit
Palin’s interesting but…
The pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin by John McCain to be his running mate neither wowed nor depressed me. From what I've read about Gov. Palin and some of the videos I've seen she's intelligent, speaks convincingly, and is a pure conservative. As expected, some on the Right say this will pull disenchanted Clinton supporters (I really don't think so) and the Left is in … [Read more...] about Palin’s interesting but…
Reflections on the Palin Pick
Unconventional, and surprising. As I wrote recently, I think this a year (and perhaps an age) for big-name, national-celebrity politics. Look at who ran for both parties in the primaries. For the most part they were all big names: Hillary, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson, McCain, Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, etc...Huckabee and perhaps Dodd were the major exceptions. Which … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Palin Pick
Panel Discussion on Obama’s Speech and the Palin Pick
For those of you who didn't catch the show, we had a great panel discussion today on the radio. In the first half we discussed the Obama speech from last night and, in the second half, we covered the Palin nomination. Cindy and I were joined by my producer / wife / boss Georg, (a hard core liberal, feminist Democrat) along with our Editor-in-Chief here at TMV, Joe Gandelman. We … [Read more...] about Panel Discussion on Obama’s Speech and the Palin Pick