What do John McCain and Barack Obama have in common? According to senior columnist Emilie Sueur of Lebanon's L’Orient le Jour, the characteristics that have catapulted them to their respective party nominations are precisely the things that most threaten them. Sueur writes of Obama: "Obama plays on his age - 46 - and his origins - from Kenya, Kansas, Hawaii, Indonesia and … [Read more...] about Obama and McCain: Their Assets are Their Weaknesses
On Trusting White People
I've written on several occasions about my favorite quote by W.E.B. Du Bois, responding to a student who asked: "Do you trust White people?" You do not and you know that you do not, much as you want to; yet you rise and lie and say you do; you must say it for her salvation and the world’s you repeat that she must trust them, that most white folks are honest, and all the while … [Read more...] about On Trusting White People
Like Bush Jr., Legitimacy Will Be ‘Obama’s Dilemma’
Has the 'undemocratic' nature of the Democratic primaries stained Barack Obama's candidacy from the start? According to Juan Maria Alponte, who writes for Mexico's El Universal, the lack of legitimacy of his nomination victory echoes that of George W. Bush's general election win in 2000, and the notoriously complicated election of John Quincy Adams in 1824. Alponte writes in … [Read more...] about Like Bush Jr., Legitimacy Will Be ‘Obama’s Dilemma’
On “Commentgate”
In an earlier post, Michael Stickings comments on comments. He talks about some bigoted comments left on the McCain website, and while he doesn't say this reflects on McCain, he say the website is an outlet for "straight-talking bigotry." Earlier in the day, there were reports of a person who left a note on the Barak Obama website that talked about how the Jewish Lobby … [Read more...] about On “Commentgate”
All the Bigotry That’s Fit to Post at John McCain’s Website
AMERICAblog's John Aravosis has a fantastic (and invaluable) post up today examining some of the bigotry that can be found at McCain's website -- and it's pretty revealing. Entering search terms like "fag," "bitch," and "Jew," he found a discussion thread on whether or not Obama is the anti-Christ (including a comment suggesting that the anti-Christ is "an apostate Jew"), … [Read more...] about All the Bigotry That’s Fit to Post at John McCain’s Website
Gallup Daily: Obama Takes 6 Percent Lead Over McCain
Democratic presumptive Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama has now taken a 6 percent lead over GOP senator John McCain in the latest Gallup Daily tracking poll. A sign of increasing Democratic party unity? Barack Obama is enjoying a modest bump in support following Hillary Clinton's exit from the presidential race. The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update finds … [Read more...] about Gallup Daily: Obama Takes 6 Percent Lead Over McCain
What’s Going On In Italy?
Blogger Matt Eckel writes about a disturbing shift in Italian politics: Anyone taking a passing glance at European political trends in the past few months might be prompted to ask, along with Alex Harrowell, 'what's going on in Italy?' Harrowell amplifies the considerable angst expressed by the Guardian's Martin Jacques over some of the cultural touchstones that accompanied … [Read more...] about What’s Going On In Italy?
Should Turkey Ignore Europe’s Advice On Democracy?
Should turkey ignore Europe's advice on Democracy? Michael van der Galien, writing in the Turkish Daily News, raises the issue in an op-ed piece. Here's part of it: The moment Turkish secularists started raising their collective voice against the plans of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the European Union and individual European countries followed the suit. … [Read more...] about Should Turkey Ignore Europe’s Advice On Democracy?
Gas Prices: How Much is Too Much?
Over the weekend, in case you somehow missed it, the national average for gas prices spiked to over four dollars per gallon. Today, Ed Morrissey at Hot Air asks the question, "So when will Congress act?" (There is also a national, AOL online poll you can participate in at the link.) Contrary to my normal, "keep the government out of my darned business" attitude, this is one … [Read more...] about Gas Prices: How Much is Too Much?
Prepare Yourselves for a ‘Spectacular’ Political Campaign
In bringing his Brazilian readers up to date on the U.S. presidential campaign and giving them an idea of what they can expect from a McCain-Obama matchup, William Waack, O Globo's chief foreign affairs columnist, puts it this way: "On the day that Obama seized the Democratic nomination (Tuesday, June 3), O Globo began telling readers to prepare for a spectacular political … [Read more...] about Prepare Yourselves for a ‘Spectacular’ Political Campaign
New Campaign Pocketbook Issue? School Lunches Impacted By High Food Oil Costs
Talk about political timing. On a week when Democratic Senator Barack Obama will start a two week economic tour underscoring the role of the economy in his campaign for the White House, there's yet more bad news about a "pocketbook issue" -- and one that hasn't not come up before in such an economically grim context. It's an issue under the political radar -- but one that … [Read more...] about New Campaign Pocketbook Issue? School Lunches Impacted By High Food Oil Costs
William Kristol on a “Commander-in-Chief’s Moment”
Last week, Kristol raked Barack Obama over the coals for not having specifically included military service as part of ”public service” in a commencement speech the Senator gave at Wesleyan. In his much awaited, once-a-week column in the New York Times this morning (“A Campaign We Can Believe In?”), Kristol tries another tack. First, and rightly so, he deplores the fact … [Read more...] about William Kristol on a “Commander-in-Chief’s Moment”
Recession, Heck. It’s A Regression
Experts are having a hard time pinning a label on the present American economy. It still has a few too many positive elements to fall into the traditional recession category. But it's far too weak to be just a very mild expansion. And it doesn't have the requisite combination of recessionary and inflationary markers to be tagged stagflation. Perhaps we need a new name for … [Read more...] about Recession, Heck. It’s A Regression
Out for Awhile
Shortly after I started blogging in the fall of 2006, I was surprised by the anxiety I felt whenever I faced an extended absence from this voluntary practice. Eighteen months later, I'm still surprised by that emotion. Worse: I can't explain it. There's not a shred of logic behind it. I don't get paid to blog. The world will survive just fine without my voice. So why do … [Read more...] about Out for Awhile
Our digital fate is better represented by Google than by government
So says Jeff Jarvis in the NY Post today: The white spaces are the spectrum that will be freed up when TV broadcasters finish switching to wavelengths reserved for digital transmission in 2009. Google wants the spectrum liberated so any of us can freely use it, as we do now with wi-fi frequencies. Google cofounder Larry Page made a rare appearance in Washington recently to … [Read more...] about Our digital fate is better represented by Google than by government
Hillary Obama And Victory Victorillary
Frederick Deligne, Le Pelerin, France … [Read more...] about Hillary Obama And Victory Victorillary
Quote Of The Day: Al Hunt On Hillary Clinton’s Loss
The Quote of the Day from Bloomberg News' Al Hunt: So, knowing this will anger some woman readers, here goes: Hillary Clinton didn't lose the Democratic presidential nomination because she is a woman, and gender no longer is a big deal in American elections. There are two basic reasons the most formidable front-runner in contemporary presidential politics failed: … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Al Hunt On Hillary Clinton’s Loss
iPhone pre-launch: rumors & Steve’s brain
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2008 keynote begins at 10am Pacific today, June 9th, 2008. It is universally believed that the new 3G iPhone with (most likely) GPS will be unveiled there. For a roundup of the best of the rest of the rumors, click here. In anticipation of the occasion Salon's Farhad Manjoo chatted with Leander Kahney, author of Inside Steve's Brain, … [Read more...] about iPhone pre-launch: rumors & Steve’s brain
The war on vegans is at hand!
To arms, citizens, to arms! I will confess that I do, on occasion, make jokes with some of my more Libertarian leaning friends about rounding up all the conservatives and liberals and sending them off to reeducation camps once President Barr is sworn into office. All humor aside, though, I'm opposed to internment for anyone. Stories like this, however, make it awfully … [Read more...] about The war on vegans is at hand!
Can Yet Another Old White Guy Win?
In the 20-year sweep of the last five presidential elections, two of the three Republican candidates have been old white guys and the third was the son of one of them. For reasons having everything to do with the ossification of a political brand that is toxic to many women (who make up half the population) and most minorities (who make up a quarter), the field of GOP … [Read more...] about Can Yet Another Old White Guy Win?