Especially after the shellacking McCain gave him last night (in many minds), Barack Obama could use a little toughness on his team. Someone a little like McCain, but without the "ev-l" parts. Kucinich? Edwards? ...
Hey, where's Jim Webb?
Actually, McC could learn a lot from Obama (e.g., having the right positions), but McC was punchy, succinct, and made the campaign sound epic, e.g., fighting The Terrorists Everywhere, etc., in Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum tonight.
A. Obama needs to say things succinctly, and be less Kerryesque.
B. He needs to sound punchier and more aggressive. Why didn't he say anything about getting Osama?
C. Stories. He talked about his ancestors who fought in WWII, but he--or a running mate--could sure use some personal stories with the "I was in a Hanoi hellhole for my beloved country" tang that McCain exhibited.
I'm voting Obama; but not enough other people may do so unless he ramps up his speech and debate style. Forewarned is forearmed.
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, ...
...We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions.
, but one wonders what happened to the "rare" part of "safe, legal, and rare". Bill Clinton invented that--the best thing he ever said--; so if unlike the 2004 platform, the '08 platform doesn't even include "rare", Dems will look like they're
less sexually restrained than Bill Clinton.
Is that something the party can afford these days, especially after John Edwards' zipper problem? Probably not.
--And "We also recognize..." is sort of tepid language, I must say. Again, where's "rare"? It was there in the '04 platform...
(Cross-posted from O.o...although the version HERE is longer, due to the "minimum diary length" suggestions)
Just a thought.
...and have a look at Wik for more info supporting the badness of Dasch for VP,
...Daschle is married to lobbyist and former Federal Aviation Administration official Linda Hall....
Democratic losses in the November 2002 elections returned them to the minority in the Senate in January 2003 and Daschle reverted to being Minority Leader. ...
Daschle has not made intentions clear as to whether or not he will run again for office; however, he has signed on as a Senior Policy Advisor [lobbyist] with the K Street law firm Alston & Bird. Daschle was recruited by the former Republican Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. Daschle has refused to discuss his salary, but Dole, performing a similar role at the firm, has admitted to making in the region of $800,000 to $1 million per year. ...
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--except for the photo of Sho'nuff, which has to be seen to be believed, so take a little visit there to peep it)
For our first lengthy interview (as opposed to short ones) here at Obamaism.org, we have the honor to feature Professor R. L'Heureux Lewis from the Department of Sociology and the Black Studies Program at the City College of New York, City University of New York ("CCNY-CUNY"), seen in his "hmmm" pose below,
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--which has much much more on Jolie's posing than I can say here, due to the three-paragraph rule at DKos, so pop off to the original when you can)
I'd long been thinking of writing something about Angelina Jolie, and her not-so-great side, but her own terrible judgment has preempted me here: see Variety offshoot "Wilshire and Washington" yesterday, Angelina Jolie's Endorsement,
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--which has a much fuller account of Bernie Mac's jokery, due to the three-paragraph rule at DKos, so have a look)
The beloved Bernie's death has already been diaried (at Daily Kos), but one interesting feature of his life to note is that Barack Obama recently criticized him for his "un-family values" jokery: see ABC, "Political Radar", Bernie Mac Makes 'Inappropriate' Jokes at Obama Fundraiser,
On this rather sad day for Dems, there is some good news: Obama's new ad, which resembles some advice I gave on my own site...(!)
All right, I don't know that he reads Obamaism.org, though his staff know about it. (I may have told them in person about it, in fact)
I'm not going to embed O's Olympic "Hands" vid on my site [or here at DKos], since I have fear of too much Intertubes technology etc.; but you can check it on the BO site here.
For those not into clicking vid links, the video shows average Americans making the world better through making more green jobs etc., per Barack's plan. And Ob appears himself near the end, though not super-obtrusively. (Showing he's not just some Berlin cabaret type, you know, some Joel Grey who wants to be in the Oval Office)
The Paris Hilton spoof of John McCain's "Celebrity" anti-Obama video is not sans amusement but doesn't go far enough: it doesn't seem to include the prime laff potential for McCain's own person and family with their "celebrity" tendencies.
For example, you could have
A. Footage of McCain offering up his wife as a sacrifice to the gods of toplessness...what are the McCains, a bunch of CELEBRITIES?
Having the words "FAMILY VALUES" in some bright color flash across the screen during this sequence might be neat.
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org, though the short version here doesn't have the link to another blogger's crazed and color-coded look at O and the Olympics, so you can look over there)
Not necessarily, those obtuse oddities; but one is concerned. See, e.g., this post by Bil (who took the extra "l" from his name?) Browning, Obama Will Name Bayh his VP Choice on Wednesday,
I'm going to put my neck out on the line by making a prediction. Barack Obama will announce his vice-presidential choice Wednesday morning.
It will be Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. ...
...The Olympics start on Friday and run until the Democratic convention starts. He won't want to compete with the Olympics for press coverage. He'll announce before the Olympics starts. If he announces on Wednesday morning, he'll get coverage all day and be on the news cycle until the Opening Ceremonies knock him off the top spot. ...
(Cross-posted in part from Obamaism.org--although the restrictions on excerpting articles here mean that the version at O.o is longer and more complete, so remember to go look at it)
As foreshadowed in our previous post: it was a pleasure to interview Democratic congressional candidate Darcy Burner at Netroots Nation, but before I relate more about that.....I thought it would be interesting to ask Charlie Brown, who was also at NN08, which Peanuts character Barack Obama most resembled (cf. the cartoon which is also at our previous post): a harmless and amusing question.
However, Mr. Brown made himself hilariously unavailable, with various "reasons", over the several days I told him I was interested in a brief one-minute interview. Among other things, I heard from Brown's campaign staff, after he walked away from me, that he was in a tight race and they had to be careful about message control, or words in that direction. (Should I have gotten a crewcut before talking to him? ...Or was he worried I'd pull the football away like Lucy did?)
Shall note I am "launching" (like a rocket, you hope it doesn't explode) today my new blog Obamaism.org, which is about what the blog title denotes (plus anything else I feel like opining).
I have various people lined up as guest commenters/interviewees at Obamaism.org already, including
--a brainy AND artistic Southwestern state legislator;
--a professor of sociology and African-American studies at a well-known East Coast school;
--a proprietor of a supremely snarkily-named blog;
--etc. (I guess everyone is interested in Barack Obama)
Enjoy!
You'll see some humorous content in my first post at "O.o", including some parody of Peanuts (not Jimmy Carter) vis-a-vis politics. But there will be more serious comment later, so feel free to check back frequently. Until your refresh button wears out.
Guest posters welcome; that means you.
Some will have a fit for my even saying "McKaine" instead of "Tim Kaine", but the ugly fact is that "irrational" things like wordplay, mockery, etc. often have a bigger impact than rational things. I can just smell McCain spurting "The change candidate? Then howcum Obama chose someone with my name? --or, HALF my name! Haw haw!", or, "...Kaine? I'm the REAL McCain! And I served in the military unlike that other guy who just sounds like me..."
As for more ""substantial""" stuff:
A. Well, the military thing is substantial. Despite Webb having the staffer with the gun accident recently, etc., maybe Obama should try talking to him again after all. Or anyone who's served. (Except for Air Force vet Daschle; see this DKos remark about D's problems...)
If you don't think having worn a uniform for our country is important, try October when Netanyahu (Olmert's replacement?) blows up Iran and people go into panic mode and look for traditional alpha males...including certified war heroes like McC.
President Bush has approved the Army's request to execute a soldier convicted of rape and murder, the White House announced Monday evening.
Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since 1988. His execution would be the first for the U.S. military since 1961, but the White House said it expects further appeals before the sentence is carried out. ...
Gray was convicted of raping and killing a female Army private and a civilian near his post at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He was also convicted of the rape and attempted murder of another fellow soldier in her barracks at Fort Bragg. ...
Gray seems like a loathsome human being, but I seem to remember reading about plenty of killings committed by U.S. soldiers, some being Iraq veterans. Why Gray, who seems to be an African American (from the CNN photo)? And why now?
Could it be because of the election, and Barack Obama?
While I enjoyed NN08 immensely (except for the cold brunch, the lack of plug outlets in the big hall, a candidate who repeatedly ducked a brief interview with me--although a more famous candidate did an interview with me!!--, and other minutiae), I did wonder about the explosion of New Age spirituality in the exhibitors' area.
"Share International USA" had a booth featuring their teachings/propaganda about "Maitreya the World Teacher", complete with photo!! how convenient!! (see here on Share Int'l site for the same pic of Maitreya. Ain't it great they got a photo of the Holy One?)
Did Arianna Huffington have anything to do with this?? Ouch.
Sam Stein, in the Huffington Post (a publication I respect less and less for its tawdry "TMZ"-type infotainment, but that's another story...), revealingly notes in his article Webb: I Couldn't Speak Openly If I Were V.P. that Jim Webb, everyone's favorite killer senator from the Old Dominion, doesn't want to be considered as Barack Obama's Vice-President because...
he doesn't like power?
he doesn't like "Vice"?
he's afraid he'll morph into Richard Bruce Cheney?
--No, it's because, the article says,
...In essence, he was concerned about his ability to speak openly. ...
