On the campaign trail

The Great Debate on Friday, 26 September 2008

I watched most of the debate between Senator McCain and Senator Obama having the day off and spending only enough time to gather up some veggies from my container garden to take to the Farmer’s Market the next day.  But from what I watched, Senator Obama did undoubtedly hold his own, and in more ways than one.  To put it bluntly, he held his temper in check as Senator McCain began treating a 46 year old man like a child.  A condescending “he doesn’t understand.”  At 46 years old, Senator Barack H. Obama is fully capable of understanding a great deal.  He can understand things sufficiently well enough to either agree or disagree with his opponent in this race to the White House and to express some strong opinions and lay out what he can of policy positions.  That was more than McCain could manage, since he verified exactly why Obama could legitimately run against him as a change candidate.  All of McCain’s years in the Senate, the name dropping of foreign leaders he had met.  Well, his service in the military served him good stead…  Agreed, that Obama never had served in the military, GW by the way had never served on the front lines in a time of war.  But, Captain McCain is not in the position of being the sort of high ranking officer who lays out strategies during acts of wars.  He receives those plans from those who rank higher than he does and then does his best to implement them.  Captain McCain, you are no general.  And you happened to have been among the Monday morning quarterbacks that GW thoroughly detested when it came to advising him as to how to run his war.  Or had you forgotten?  If there was anyone who did not understand, it was GW himself.  What quarrels you did have with him were in the Senate.  Quarrels that you quickly forgot when you hit the campaign trail and after all now, at least, GW is that all time all right guy.  Indeed, you committed to repeating his talking points inclusive of, “The fundamentals of the American economy remain strong,” even as the financial system was starting to buckle under its own weight of greed and the White House started going into a crisis mode.  At the debate then, as you also did on the campaign trail, you were looking for someone to take GW’s place:  “He doesn’t understand,” “dangerous naivety,” “lack of foreign policy skills and even more damaging, lack of knowledge of foreign leaders.”  Oh, by the way, that describes GW perfectly.  By the way, Obama, he’s not GW, thank the Gods.  And it’s time that condescending go along to get along McCain grew up enough to  actually realize it.

You know when a veep pick becomes more trouble than she is worth

When Kathleen Parker of the Orlando Sentinel gets utterly disgusted by the conduct of Governor Palin on the campaign trail.  Well, I have seen sound bites of Sarah Palin in the interviews that she has held with various news casters.  The kindest thing you could say about her is that she sounds exactly like a gushing housewife rattling on and on about hubby and kids.  I guess she holds to the theory that the more she talks and pushes talking points in a most disjointed fashion as possible and as quickly as possible, she can claim a modicum of intelligence, right?  Then it’s McCain this and that, always McCain, not herself, not what she really thinks.  “Airhead.”  The self-styled “conservatives” would consider themselves too kind to put it so bluntly, the (old) left would be way too generous to put it quite like that, but hey, you had to see this one coming when the GOP themselves declared “she’s a mom” as the first criteria of her being a veep.  Given how she holds interviews, that would seem to be her only qualification.  So, you have to wonder about the state of Alaska and its selection of Palin to be governor?  Real lax standards?  She can shoot and field dress a caribou and that makes her capable of holding higher office?  I likely won’t be able to see the debate next Thursday between her and Biden, having to go to work that day,   But this ought to be real interesting.  As for Ms. Parker, nice of her to have seen the light on Governor Palin, any of us feminists could have easily said, “I told you so.”  And political ideology has little to do with it.  Gary Crooks of “Smart Bombs” fame (published Saturdays in the Spokesman-Review:  http:www.spokesmanreview.com/) discussed at length Parker’s and other self-styled “conservatives” not so laudatory reaction to Sarah Palin.

Friendly fire. The reviews are pouring in for Sarah Palin. Here are some thoughts from conservatives: “Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.“

—columnist Kathleen Parker

Or,
“Couric’s questions are straightforward and responsible. Palin is mediocre, again, regurgitating talking points, mechanically, not thinking. Palin’s just babbling. She makes George Bush sound like Cicero.

—columnist Ron Dreher

Need I say more?

Political this and that

Seems there was far more interesting news on CNN today than even in the Spokesman-Review editorials.  That was when CNN singled out Senator Joe Biden on his own earmarks=bridges, museums, and etc.  True enough.  Just about every member of Congress has a favorite earmark, pork barrel project and etc.  We can also make mention of the fact that through Senator Ted Stevens, Mayor to Governor Sarah Palin got tons of yours and mine tax dollars.  If this is going to be an argument of earmarks v earmarks as a campaign issue, we the voters already know about how politicians work in Washington, DC and sometimes we stand to benefit from truly useful projects.  What Biden was trying to do, was impress the Dem base with the fact that Palin was happy to get the money from the rest of the American taxpayers, even after she bowed to the political winds and opposed what it was initially supposed to be used for:  thus the “bridge to nowhere.”  There is a significant difference and I truly fail to see how CNN can draw such a connection.  Failing to be honest is politically more important—Sarah Palin, about those earmarks than the fact that they exist.  It would be good overall, to find cause to reduce and even eliminate those earmarks.  Unless the states and districts can come up with just cause as to why they can continue.   And just cause, should come under truly stringent requirements.

In the Spokesman-Review was the latest what I call a batch of crap from Thomas Sowell.  The guy calls himself a “conservative” and right off the bat quotes first communist Karl Marx.  No kidding!  He quotes Karl Marx as some kind of master of economics who should suddenly be listened to over a hundred years after his demise.  What comes next was the hilarity of his taking the usual jabs at the Democrats, replaying a McCain talking point about one of Obama’s policy advisers being the head of Freddie Mac (former head of Freddie Mac), etc.  Uhm, if Sowell wants to quote Marx as a credible argument about why gvt should not be involved in the market—do remember here that gvt has indeed been deeply involved in the market since the time of Marx’s communist revolution and we all saw how that turned out—but the people most involved in wanting gvt now inserting its power in the markets are not in fact Democrats, no where does Sowell mention Bush, Bernanke, Paulson and etc.  And the utter panic they are all engaging in if the Congress does not in fact pass that “no strings attached” 700 billion dollar bailout right away.  Given the economic mess that the deregulation fervor has given us over the last twenty years, I would proceed with caution and pass only legislation that has many strings attached as possible.

Here are some kickers that has been revealed by CNN, brief blurbs that none the less, CNN discussed as quickly as possible and then passed on to address more minor issues with presumably greater importance.  IE:  earmarks.  Well, there is this failed bank in Somewhere America.  The FDIC has guaranteed deposits of up to a hundred thousand.  But something went terribly wrong with this bank and it failed, and those who with good faith made deposits with this bank have lost significant amounts of money.  Now, for the ties to high places:  John McCain’s son was a member of that bank’s board.  Some two months before the bank failed, he left his position.  What was not asked, was why.  CNN did not care to probe more in-depth into what could easily be a scandal in the making of a McCain presidency than oh Biden’s earmarks.  GW after all has an S&L in his family’s history.  And his father only papered over what could easily have become a serious political and legal problem that one of his sons was quickly getting him into.  McCain’s son had to know the bank was on the ropes long before the innocent depositers did.  Shades of Enron, Silverado?  Two months before the bank fails is pretty tricky.  Further, McCain has on his staff of advisers, a CEO(?) Rick Davis of Fannie Mae.  This, CNN had a bit more of a discussion about, referring to McCain’s attack ads and attack lines, but get this folks, McCain has as an adviser a fellow who failed Fannie Mae.

Earlier today, Senator Joe Biden had a lot to say about Senator McCain’s “judgment” especially as it involves Al Qaeda.  He said, in my estimation, a lot of truth.  McCain’s response, he actually disputed nothing of what Biden said believe it or not, but did insist on an old half-truth when it came to Obama and Biden wanting to end the funding of the War in Iraq, in order to end the war in Iraq! That’s doing nothing to refute what Biden said about McCain.  And it sure didn’t refute the facts of what we aren’t accomplishing in Afghanistan.  Bottom line that even this Republican can agree with, if you are going to fight terrorists, you go where they are and eradicate them.  We didn’t do that in Afghanistan.  Now we are facing the consequences.

Silly season 2. Or do be ridiculous

There are a number of different items to be discussed on this post today, so really, just bear with the author. CNN offered up quite an assortment of zany political moments: Watch the channel and out comes a McCain ad, sneering at Obama as all talk and taxes. Interesting. “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” proceeds to discuss McCain’s past record as a deregulater when it came to business interests and business practices. So now that we have all seen the effects of deregulation on say AIG, credit and lending, Mortgage industries, Lehman Bros, Bear and Stearns, McCain has proceeded to turn on a heel and rant and scream about the sort of regulatory mess that we are now in and the need to “reform” it all in Washington, D.C. That is, the regulatory mess he helped to create… All talk, that he projects onto Obama. How about taxes? Well, we are as deep into a financial hole as say, Lehman Bros. We are also in hock up to our eyebrows continually borrowing from other countries to finance tax cuts, subsidies to business interests, two wars, and etc. Even if it seems a lovely idea that we “keep more of our own money,” unfriendly nations can hold our current debtor status over our heads just in case, readers, that we try say asserting human rights issues with that nation. A conservative would at this time, recognize the financial peril we are in, tell the truth about it, and inform the taxpaying public what they need to hear. You know, some straight talk. Yep, it is inevitable that we raise your taxes. Either it is done now, or your children will be paying them instead. But McCain is obviously not up to “straight talk” these days.

Her name is Rothschild, she is well off, married to a rich baron, and a Democrat. When she spoke to Wolf Blitzer today, 17 September 2008, the woman made the commitment to side with McCain. One of her arguments was that she had all these wonderful opportunities (and I suppose that rich barons are a dime a dozen) and felt that only through McCain would the rest of this country also have equally wonderful opportunities. McCain didn’t exactly buck GW or the GOP on the sort of issues that ultimately did a number on the middle class. Rothschild proved to be delusional on the matter of “opportunities” as much as she was delusional about McCain’s current stance on abortion. Okay lady, that must be what’s meant by “liberal.”  Seeing the sunny side of life, even when it is not there.

Now this gets hilarious, a GOP type was all atwitter over Palin’s “midwestern accent.” Okay!?! Thought Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho and then moved to Alaska. Idaho isn’t exactly in the midwest by any stretch of the imagination.  So where did Palin’s “midwestern accent” come from?

And finally, when does Senator McCain plan to look in the mirror when it comes to 1. Senator Obama didn’t show up to vote on his own stated proposals. Just how many votes did McCain miss while he was CAMPAIGNING AT THE SAME TIME? Or is it only okay if one presidential candidate actually goes out on the hustings, but you Obama, need to get back to work. 2. Obama is only looking out for his political future. Question, how is it that McCain spent all his time in the Senate, if he wasn’t looking out for his own political future? Or seeking the job of president, twice? Or agreeing with GW at least 90% of the time? Or cozying up to people such as the late Rev. Falwell, whom he once labeled an agent of intolerance? 3. Slamming Obama for fundraising with Hollywood’s finest, such as Barbara Streisand. Now just how many people have chosen to shell out for McCain’s campaign on the fundraising level, especially since Palin came on board? Or achieved campaign draws about equal to Obama’s only because of Palin? Oh, yeah, do be ridiculous, at all costs.

So much to discuss…

I watched late night, PBS “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.”  For a change, Mark Shields debating David Brooks came out quite forcefully against what he called McCain’s dishonesty.  Yeah, because of his ads.  Of course, David Brooks tried to be highly dismissive of it, but did still agree that McCain’s ads were by far the most misleading.  Of course Brooks missed the point.  If a candidate hinges the whole premise of his campaign on the idea of “straight talk,” of telling voters what they need to hear, then misleading ads can’t do you a whole lot of good.  What you would call one of McCain’s many flip flops.

Continuing on from there, Shields missed the next big one, when he called Obama’s ad, that had McCain still unable to use a compurter, unable to send an e-mail…  Dumb.  Oh?  Not only would I call it funny as hell, but to anyone also paying attention…  Here we have a fellow who can’t use a computer, but he does put a woman on his ticket.  Flip flop.  He doesn’t do modernization of thinking, until he does.  But then again, even though his surrogates send out ugly e-mails on the behalf of McCain’s campaign, McCain himself puts out pathetic little attack ads in which he presumes that his running mate can’t fend for  herself with the evil political wolves at her door and must have “heroic McCain” riding to her rescue.  Very dated, like his inability to use a computer.  Hardly dumb if you connect the dots.  And let us put it bluntly, the many women who enter the political fray know already how tough the situation can get.  That the majority of their male opponents and male voters won’t refrain from attacking them just because they are women.  Certainly not to date as no doubt House Speaker Nancy Pelosi can surely testify.  So if McCain wants to get with modern times and grant some respect to his running mate, he has to enable her to sink or swim on her own. Flip flop.  The computer analogy compared to the McCain campaign was very well thought out.  Mark Shields, dumb.

Turning now to “The Pacific Northwest Inlander,” two editorials about the upcoming election.  Ted S. McGregor Jr. who groused about the Rovian trained team working for John McCain.  All they had to do was wave red meat—like flag pins and comparing Obama to Paris Hilton—and the news media behaves like Pavlovian dogs.  Which got me to thinking; is all that Sheilds and Brooks really being asked to do is analyze the latest campaign ads?  In none of McCain’s tantrum throwing ads does he suggest that he recognizes the dire straits of housing, mortgages, credit and lending that even William Greider of “The Nation” recognizes has put this nation in dire financial straits.  That given the financial free for all of the last, especially 8 years, this nation is in debt to people who aren’t necessarily our friends.  That is one issue this conservative can agree with the (old) left The Nation about.  Instead of McCain running an ad that suggests he knows how much the economy has tanked and why Obama can’t possibly take care of it all in his first four years, McCain turns his running mate into a whip to beat Obama across the head.  As McGregor wrote, “Making a big election about small things — for the third time.”  Just as his surrogates on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” use such minutea as “She’s a mom,” as though that were the singular qualification to be veep.  In which case, moms across the country can line up to take Palin’s place if she were to prove to be too much of a political embarrassment.

Speaking of embarrassing.  Yes, I work, no I had no actual occasion to see Charles Gibson’s interview with Governor Palin.  But, Wolf Blitzer showing clips of the interview, gave anyone with a brain a full frontal view of the inept pol.  Only in Alaska, given the sparse population, could you get a success rate out of Murphy’s law.  Palin is popular, because of the earmarks she got for the state.  What if she hadn’t?  She is popular, because she knows what to do on the behalf of certain special interests.  But how about the long term health of the state she governed?  From what I could tell of the sound bites, Palin came off as sounding that she had rehearsed McCain’s talking points, but.  Now what if I had been such a running mate?  Let me give an example:  Russia was mentioned, we all know from the news that Russia sought some pretext for invading Georgia.  Presumably, it was to protect the friendly to the Russian gvt, South Ossetia, etc.  But ultimately, because of the invasion, Russia got control of the oil pipeline.  Like GW, for Putin as well, it was all about the oil.  My answer to Gibson would be:  Georgia has a gvt that is friendly to the west, to the U.S.  Even if they are not NATO members we should still take a stand on their behalf.  Perhaps that would have given the Mark Shields of this world a heart attack, but I would have continued.  Not only must we take a stand on the behalf of Georgia, but also work with European leaders to come up with energy alternatives so that Russia can not use oil as a tool of blackmail.  Not simply “sanctions” but to cut off the sort of wealth that Russia has accumulated to now build up a military force that now war games in the Carribbean.  I would have further argued, that given the nature of Russia engaging in “military exercises” too close to American shores, we can also activate ships and planes to engage in military exercises of their own.  From what I could tell of Palin’s answer, she sounded too close to Obama as to how to address the problem of Putin’s Russia.  From McCain’s original “bring it on” position when Russia first invaded,  to the talking points that Palin rehearsed before meeting with Gibson, flip flop.  Yeah, Greider mentioned that we were in hock to Russia.  So?  Are we defending mammon or are we defending the nation?  Can’t have it both ways.