Liberal Rapture

5 questions for Thursday

2008-08-28T07:47:00.000-07:00

Questions for Thursday.

1. Who will win the PAC 10 Opener - the Cardinal or the Beaver???

2. Who is smarter - a random group of crack head in Downtown LA or the DNC?

3. How many Obama Pods does it take to change a light bulb?

(Ten. 1 to drive the Prius to Whole Foods to get buy the light bulb.
1 to screw the bulb in.
7 to go into an ecstatic trance chanting "change the bulb, change, change, change...."
and
1 to go on MSNBC and insist the changing of the bulb is an amazing accomplishment worthy of lasting veneration.)

4. What's the best evidence so far that Obama is deranged - the fake Presidential seal or the Greek Temple set at Invesco?

5. If John McCain where 10 years younger how far ahead would he be in the polls right now? 10 points? 20? 40?

Again about polls.

2008-08-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

Again about polls. My fascination with them has deepened this year. They are so odd in 2008. As I said before I try not to be excitable about them. But they do tell a story. I wrote early this week that BHO would get a substantial bounce out of Denver. I still believe this. But what keeps happening in the polls is odd. Since Biden was announced as VEEP, McCain has gained in the Gallup tracking poll. Everything about this is counter intuitive. Nearly all candidates get a VEEP bounce. I thought BHO would, too. Albeit a small one given his "safe " choice. He didn't.

Further, the Europe trip should have given BHO a bounce. It did not. It's all so weird. What does it mean?
1. Obama has crested. Taking the long view I'd say BHO peaked overall in February. He's been very slowly declining nationally since then.
or
2. Undecideds are waiting to hear from McCain. The good news for Obama is that McCain is not ahead by much if any. The race has been almost even for a month.

Obama should be ahead by 10 now. And 15 next week. Even with all the bad news about him in the ether. Let me nip the "race" issue in the bud here - YES racism is at play. In every case we can look to recently it amounts to 5%. So by my estimation Obama should be ahead 5 now and 10 by Sunday sans any Wilder effect. The country is primed for a Democrat. Why isn't Obama ahead?
My guesses are simple:
1. McCain went at BHO hard for a month. It worked.
2. Obama is actually not very likable on close examination. Outside DNC circles and his most ardent fans there really is a "likability" gap. This goes hand in hand with "trust". We like those we trust. We trust those we like. It seems banal - but some voters do make a judgement based on who they want to stomach on their TV set for 4 years. Obama too often comes off as the High School Star everyone, except the coaches and his inner circle, resents. If he wins it will because enough people got over their annoyance. Or at least set it aside for a day.
3. Experience matters to voters. I don't understand why BHO's people don't get this yet. Insisting that it doesn't is dumb. It flies in the face of what all of us know. We may not realize it consciously but we all appreciate and take note of experience: from the diner cook to the physician. I don't think BHO has enough experience to be President. But even I could have done a better job framing his small resume. Obama runs from his resume. As for the silliness that Lincoln proves experience doesn't matter...ugh...Lincoln had MUCH more real life experience in 1860 than BHO has now. He risked his entire career opposing the Mexican war. He debated Douglas for entire days before losing his first Senate race. He took principled and wildly unpopular stances in the Illinois Legislature. (In the Democratic party, Obama's stance against the war was, in fact, popular and easy to take.) Obama won't even agree to a one hour townhall with McCain. And the Lincoln analogy simply accents the sense of unnecessary risk many have about Obama. The nation was about to disintegrate in 1860. Do the Obama fanatics think this is about to happen again? Further do they think Obama has shown any of the fortitude needed to handle a massive civil war? Yes, the nation took a risk on Lincoln. A gamble. A huge one. We were blessed and lucky. Lincoln was great because of who he was AND the advent of the civil war. Where we are in 2008 is in no way analogous to where we were in 1860. The Kennedy meme is also silly. JFK's resume was 8 times longer in 1960 than BHO's is now. Further, turning every campaign event into a stunt has worn thin. Enough already.
Skirting his experience problem is a very high risk strategy.

Opinions on most of my posts aside - this is going to be a fun 2 months.

Lunch Break: Soetoro lies/stages of Pods on L.R./ Rosen kisses Dr. Freud/ Rufus Wainright is an Angel

2008-08-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

This list is old now but I am re posting it. Obama's lies. Please add on. Random pods come around here and demand L.R. rehash what we have been saying for over a year.

Forget it.

BHO being a craven, lying politician is proven beyond all doubt. Read the archives on this blog. Read his positions in July 07 and July 08 on FISA. Google it yourselves. Start with Alice Palmer and move forward chronologically. End on Obama running over Rev Wright in April. Keep going. Get all sides. The evidence for BHO being the most corrupt empty politician in 100 years is strong.

The onus in NOW ON YOU, PODS, NOT US.

And, you Obama nim rods, the "character" of posters here - what ever they add up to - is not the issue. DUH. As far as I know none of my regular readers are a major party nominee for the Presidency. God, you guys are pathetic.
The five stages of Pods who land on L.R.

1. Pretend to be upset and flabbergasted we could be against Obama.

2. Insult.

3. Try to appear reasonable. All the while never addressing the on going and relentless concerns of this blog.

4. Insulate we "must be Republican" -

as if

A. This is the equivalent to child killer.

and

B. Being against Obama automatically equates to Republican. This, of course, is the brand of logic they always use.

5. Scream - RACIST!

6. Leave. Wherein they go back to the brackish waters of HuffinPuff and Cheetos.

What the pods never do is address the meat of a post directly.

Anywho:
Hillary Rosen was Interviewed by Anderson Cooper after Hillary Clinton's Speech. Said this:

"It was pretty overwhelming . . . This was a clarion call of grace and power... More importantly this was a message from Hillary Clinton that basically said, "I am not your therapist. I am a Democrat. No matter what you are doing you need to get it together and vote for John McCain( ) if you care about energy and middle class tax cuts and jobs and health care ..."

HAHAHA. Smart Dems know what they've done.

And today's clip - Rufus Wainwright is an angel. This song is gorgeous.

President Clinton

2008-08-26T22:23:00.001-07:00

Hillary came through like a champ. Obama should be rubbing her feet tonight. She is a person of class, integrity, grace, and fortitude. She will make a fine President. How despicable is it that the same people who called her a bitch, whore, cunt, and murderer on blogs all year now think we should vote for Obama "cuz she says so".

NO.

Clinton supporters think for themselves. We read, assess, reason - then decide. We don't drink kool-aid and become zombies.

And, as a side note: Obama STILL has no business being commander-in-chief.

BREAKING: Barack Obama's Weak Spine Related To Whiplash

2008-08-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama's Neck Problems Grow.

From the AP wire

By Christopher Bayou.

The following was disclosed in a press release: Doctors at an undisclosed Chicago Medical Center report that Senator Barack Obama, is suffering from what is described as a severe and debilitating case of whiplash and severe cervical muscle strain.

Doctors said today in a press release that the Freshman Senator's condition is not due an isolated accident or injury, but is more commonly known as a Repetitive Motion Injury similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

The Senator's condition stems from the cumulative effects of his continuous use of tele-prompters and has been further exacerbated by his drastic neck swings from talking to his far left supporters, then talking to evangelicals on the far right. With his attempts to move his focus to the center, the Senator recently began to suffer excruciating neck pain.

The doctors' concluded that the messianic Senator's neck muscles simply cannot withstand further drastic movement and repetitive swinging back and forth. Physicians on his medical team are recommending that Senator Obama wear a neck and head brace ironically called a "halo".

The halo brace is simply that; a circular device that will be affixed to the Senator's head with screws. The device has vertical bars attached that are connected to shoulder pads that allow the weight of the Senator's head to be transferred to his shoulders. With this brace in place the Senator can only face forward.

Doctors are further concerned that the weight of the medical device designed to allow the neck to heal will further deteriorate the Senators weak shoulders and spine. His medical team is taking a "wait and see attitude" regarding whether or not the Senator's spine can continue to bear up under the weight of his own head.

Doctors are also suggesting the Senator undergo psychiatric counseling to deal with his new inability to turn to the left or the right and the psychological trauma he is likely to suffer from having to look people directly in the eye.

Doctors are suggesting he not attend the Democratic National Convention as his performance at the Civil Forum held at Saddleback Church has left the Senator in a very precarious health and mental health position, as his head spun around with every question similar to Linda Blair's in the Exorcist. If the Senator insists on attending the Convention, all of his physicians including an Orthopedic Specialist, a Neurologist, a Psychiatrist, a Chiropractor, a Shaman, Dr. Phil, some dude he smoked out with in college, and a Faith Healer named "Epilady" will be back stage.

As of this report the Senator has refused all recommended medical treatment and is instead opting for DNC Chair, Dr. Howard Dean's lips kissing his behind, along with ego stroking sessions from Democratic Strategist, Donna Brazile.

Lunch Break - Gays, Indians, Marriage, Trojans, Republicans and other notes.

2008-08-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

Some Notes:
1. Pro Obama people - you are welcome to post here. If it is long, I'll cut the comment at random. Pro Hillary folks can say what ever they like within the usual parameters. By not banning you guys outright L.R. is already treating you better than KOS and Huffinpuff treated us. I see no reason to give you more room to insult normal Democrats and normal ex-Democrats, or to give you more rope to hang yourselves. You've got plenty of both already. Plus: The insults from your side are really, really, really, stupid at this point. CNN's last poll indicates that ALL McCain's bump in the last 2 months is from PUMAs. ALL. WTF is wrong with you people? Do you WANT to lose? Imagine this: The close primary went the other way. What would both Clintons have been doing for the last 2 months? HEALING the PARTY. That's what. BHO and his people have done the opposite. They've gone out of their way to insult us, in fact.

2. Let's hear it for the professionals who stopped the assassins in Denver. I wish to god people would stop the JFK and 1968 references. I am just that superstitious.

Knock down drag out election = good. Violence= bad.

3. Only 5 days until the first USC Game! Whoo Hoo. Also, remember the big event in the football stadium Thursday? I can't wait for it! Stanford versus Oregon State on ESPN!!!

4. Hmm - I was thinking this A.M. -When is the last time a big Obama speech helped him? The last 2 that come to mind are the "race" speech and the Berlin speech. The first speech saved him but did not improve his standing .The second speech hurt his standing in the polls as it was seen by many as obnoxious and ego driven. I wonder if Thursday will help? Hurt? The rock star thing is a much bigger turn off to many than the Pods seem to understand.
I don't know. But the myth about BHO's galvanizing and unifying speeches no longer stands up to scrutiny. Thursday's should be interesting. Please tell me how it goes. I'll be watching football.

5. Boi From Troy - a gay, republican, fierce USC Trojan football fan with a blog ( ain't life grand...on close inspection no one can be pigeon holed.) gives the heads up on Hallmarks gay marriage cards AND Gay Indians and this and such...

6. Speaking of nearly perfect gay people - the clip today is of Ellen from "Here and Now". I love this show. The tagline on the poster was "Modern life and other inconveniences." Plus the gogurt joke is priceless. Who ever wrote that tag line and the gogurt joke is a genius.

The Bump.

2008-08-25T17:08:00.000-07:00

The McCain campaign is putting out the word that BHO will receive a 15 point bump after the Denver party. They have reason to raise expectations. If the bump is 8 points, McCain wins. This is basic election gamesmanship. I don't blame them for sounding the alarm. Obama could get a substantial bump after Thursday. My prediction is he will get an 8-10% percent bump which will put him ahead 9-11%.

The GOP show the next week will shave it back down a bit. After the conventions I bet Obama will land about 6-10 points up. What happens between the GOP convention and the election remains a mystery to me. I say this because it usually is not a mystery to me.
Since I've been an adult:
Mondale never had much of a chance. The moment he announced in his acceptance speech he would raise taxes his victory chances became zero.
Dukakis was a forgettable figure who wasted an entire month while Lee Atwater destroyed him.
Clinton never looked back after the 92 convention. And contrary to Obama Pod talking points, Bill Clinton remains the best politician since FDR. Obama without a script is a trainwreck. Clinton gave entire speeches without teleprompters. And answered questions intelligently and off the cuff. Obama makes a fool of himself unless scripted. I have yet to see a moment when Obama has handled a mistake or revelation with skill. He always has a compliant media working over time to neutralize his campaign's missteps. His "amazing" race speech should have ended Hillary Clinton's campaign on the spot. Except is wasn't "amazing" to anyone outside CNN and MSNBC. Bill Clinton won every round from Flowers to the impeachment - himself. The media was not on his team. Ever.

1996 - was a rare GOP gimme.

2000 is odd. I thought Gore would win, and he did...before he didn't.

2004- Well, what can one say? I never thought Kerry would beat W after the convention. I just spent a lot of time hoping I was wrong.

All the factors this year are jumbled and add up to neutral to me. This is why I keep repeating that this is one of the rare elections when an outside event could decide it all. And, I bet, will. By this I don't mean a gaffe or a revelation from a candidate. These things do swing elections and they may swing this one. I am talking about a completely external event.

A massive market melt down favors BHO. Almost any foreign scare favors McCain.

Both candidates have large liabilities. McCain's age. Obama's inexperience. How much will knowledge that we will have a Democratic house, Democratic senate and Democratic executive influence Independents? Conversely, will fear of a very conservative supreme court swing votes? What DON'T most people know about BHO? Can McCain land a knockout blow by littering the airwaves with Ayres and Rezko? One more factor I can't yet pin down: Many GOPs dislike McCain. An Obama victory could resuscitate the GOP in 2 short years. People like Newt Gingrich have much to gain from a few years of Obama bumbling in the White House. If McCain can't put this one away by October 15 - many GOPs will begin to look toward deposing Pelosi in 2010. (Which should be a massive GOP year if Obama wins.)This year, the desire to punish Bush should not be discounted, either.

The queasy factor for both these men is high. For BHO it is worse. BUT this ought to be a year in which any Democrat wins in a landslide. There are at least 5 Democrats who would win in a landslide -Obama is not one of them. (Axelrod seems to have given up on the "landslide" scenario already. ) McCain holds the advantage on Obama on many fronts - all going back to Obama himself. The general mood of the country favors Obama.

When advantages negate each other, external factors loom large. With Russia's invasion of Georgia we have seen a dress rehearsal. McCain was Johnny on the spot. Obama was on vacation. McCain won that round.

I can't call this one. A fine place for a blogger to be.

A fine video from Native Americans Against Obama

2008-08-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

A fine video from Native Americans Against Obama

Lunch Break

2008-08-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

A little slide show for that thingy happening in Denver.

Hillary played nice. The GOP will not.

2008-08-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

OH! It's the "regular guy" schitck...that's what Biden "brings". Went to the market just now and glanced at the LA Times headline - something about "regular Joe" Biden. As the LOS ANGELES TIMES slowly dies, it's whoring for Obama so their headlines are telling. The "regular joe" meme will no doubt be all MSNBC and CNN repeat between now and November.

Mostly Veeps don't matter to voters. Sometimes they do. In 1960 LBJ mattered. In 1988 Quayle did not. My hunch is Biden is one of those Veeps who won't matter. My next hunch is that by October Obama will be severely damaged and Biden will be an after thought.

I don't think the Democratic Convention will produce anything of note this week. Chris Leg Tingle and Keith Kiss Ass may be interesting to watch just to see how far around the bend they go for Obama. I fully expect Olbermann to burst into tears of joy at some point. Otherwise, the whole event will be constructed to make you and me comfortable with handing the keys to a speeding semi to an infant. With the media acting as co-conspirators, BHO will probably pull it off.

I am baffled by the last minute appeals to superdelegates. It's demeaning to ask Clinton supporters to keep hammering our heads against a brick wall.

The one good thing is that the long knives will now come out. Hillary played nice. The GOP will not. The fact is that BHO has been slowly fading since March. He will recover a bit this week.They will pump a little life into the Hope Change crap. (Remember that?) How long it lasts depends on the GOP show next week.

As political junkie I am looking forward to a campaign in which both sides are ruthless. BHO is still at a disadvantage here, though. His baggage is massive, true and NEW to most people. The "fight the smears" web site should be called "fight the facts". McCain's baggage is old and known - like him. McCain is a sonofabitch in a street fight. Obama is a prick. The S.O.B. versus the Prick. It should be fun.

I don't relish another GOP administration. But I do want Obama vetted. Harshly. I want to see the ads Clinton refused to run. With BHO as the actual, not presumptive, nominee there is no reason for the GOP to hold back. Even relatively minor bashing of Obama in the last 2 months has harvested good numbers. A full on assault is brewing. Infanticide, Ayres, and Rezko - oh my.

But don't think for a second BHO's peeps won't respond in kind - they will. Let the games begin.

PS-A few journalists have admitted "it's hard to be objective" since they love BHO so much. The whole truth is "it's hard to be objective, so we weren't."

PPSS- McCain should chose Sarah Palin of Alaska as his VEEP and make a one term commitment right after the GOP convention. He won't do either - but he should.

Sunday photos

2008-08-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Regular reader Jeannie sent these ten photos of old gas stations across the western United States. They are terrific. I love this part of the recent American past. Click 'em to make 'em bigger.

If you have photos of your hometown or just places you've been and love send them to john@liberalrapture.com. They should be pics YOU took mostly of your town, city, village, farm - but travel shots are good too.

Jeannie is in Denver this week fighting the good fight! Prayers for her and her family!

Obama, Odinga, and the ODM

2008-08-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

I wrote about Part One of this 3 parter in early august. You can read it here. My take on it is on the August archive page here - go down about 4/5ths of the way to the bottom.

In light of what is coming to light about the Obama campaign's gangsta tactics in the caucuses BHO's connection to Odinga is more relevant than ever. Has there EVER been a candidate with this many freakishly suspect connections - that the media just outright ignored?

From Part Two:

The employment of ODM strategies continues with "The age issue" citing "our core supporters are essentially young people who are angry about the domination of politics by frail septuagenarians. Billboards and leaflets "ridiculing the old people"...Saving the worst for last, the ODM's final category of action is simply headed "Rigging."

Read the rest here.

The Democratic ticket: two small yappie dogs.

2008-08-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Delaware is nice. I've been there. It's where they keep the credit card companies. Still, after a day of letting it sink in, my take on Joe Biden being the VP nominee hasn't changed much.

I'm bored with it.

It's boring.

It's a boring pick made by a man afraid. Afraid his cover will be completely blown. Afraid of being out shone by a ballsy pick, like Nunn or Clinton. It also says something about his ego. He did not pick someone who can bring electoral clout to the table. This is not an oversight - it's simply a belief he doesn't need any help convincing people. Axlerod's refrain before every state Obama lost was "we just don't have enough time to turn it around in..." As if more Barry always wins elections. The opposite is true. Axlerod knows this. But political operatives are professional sycophants so he had to say it.

Nothing about Biden excites me. He has experience where BHO doesn't. Then again, so does most of the population. His involvement with foreign policy is helpful. Still, his knowledge does not give one the sense that he carries authority or wisdom. Lloyd Bentsen oozed Presidential authority and wisdom. Sam Nunn or Hillary Clinton both carry Presidential authority into the room. Biden, by all rights, should. Yet, his authority is entirely senatorial in nature. Lots of talk - followed inaction.

The choice for VP is a nominee's first "buck stops here" moment. Color me unimpressed. Not put off - just...bored. The one thing I can come up with that is a genuine asset: Biden is funny. Funny is more important than most think. (Reagen could be funny, Carter never was.)

He's also up to the job of President. On that count it's an okay choice. There will not be any "one heart beat away" cracks like there was with Quayle. Obama/Biden is not a BAD team. It's just not a GOOD one either.

It does seem to me BHO has lost the South. Probably would have happened anyway. Still, this choice does not help. The effete Black Yankee chose an effete White Yankee.

Both these men are prone to using words to masturbate. The idea of four years of these two yapping is not enticing. The one blessing of Bush/Cheney has been that one avoids talking much because he doesn't speak English and no one knows where the other is half the time.

Obama's self reverential need to make a massive event of everything is now officially tiresome. He could have gone to Europe and just met leaders - but no - the Lightbringer had to host a concert to boot. The hullabaloo surrounding the "announcement" warranted at least 3 eyerolls from me this week. And all the media frenzy was for who??? Joe Biden? Yawn.

Anything can happen. A millions events decide elections. It is going to be an interesting 2 months. Still, with polls so close - Obama chose safely . Not a bad choice. But it is not a game changer. Obama is a Coke that has gone flat. He needed some fizz.

Obama/Biden could be packaged expertly like Clinton/Gore was in 1992. People could get excited about it. But I doubt it.

As for the "ticket should be inverted" meme. Nonsense. Obama is not worthy of the vice presidency either.

Say It Aint' So, Joe

2008-08-23T04:00:00.001-07:00

I'll admit, I've had a crush on Joe Biden since the Thomas confirmation hearings.

Yes, he talks to much, he puts his foot in his mouth. But I still like him. I'm probably a bit alone on the crush thing, though. And I still won't vote for Obama.

So as we prepare for Obamapalooza, I will be getting the seventh season of Buffy to watch next week. Yes it was the worst but anything is better than the suck fest of love for the other chosen one. We now know who the running mate is. Does it matter? It feels a bit "Odd Couple-y" to me. Can two senators run for office together without making each other crazy? Or us?

I've been completely tuned out. Too much work and a bit of the blues followed by my fabulous staycation where I managed to catch a bug during a tropical storm that has dumped more rain on Central Florida than all the storms that hit in 2004 combined. I feel like I'm living back in Germany - no sun. The weather has matched my mood - very Lear like.

What I've managed to pick up in the air is that Senator Obama didn't bother to vet Senator Clinton for VP. Not a shock but a nice insult. The Times today posits that Senator Clinton is too tepid in her support for Obama. Really? Wonder why. Obama keeps slipping in the polls. It must be Clinton's fault.

In an election where most people aren't excited about either candidate Joe Biden is a luke warm choice. Can he deliver the key Del-Mar-Va votes? Who cares?

One week until college football starts. Now there's something to get excited about.

Obama and his crib.

2008-08-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Senator whats his name from Illinois and his gangsta peeps are in a dither about McCain's real estate holdings. They want to talk about real estate. I am all for it. Let's talk about candidates' houses.

So Biden is the choice....hmmm my reaction....so what.....Obama is still not qualified.

o BOMB a and his pal Ayers

2008-08-22T18:59:00.000-07:00

Why would Barrack Obama be friends with someone who bombed the capitol and is proud of it...this ad nails Obama. As No Quarter states - What is fascinating is that the add sticks to known facts. It does not get hysterical. One note: I thought Ayers bombed the pentagon not the capitol building as the ad states.

My My My how I want KOS to attack the ad as dishonest since they got Ayers' target wrong. I can see it now: NO! LIARS! AYERS BOMBED THE PENTAGON! NOT THE CAPITOL! GO OBAMA! The Ayers question is what caused the Obama Pods to become nutty after the PA debate. They blamed ABC - of course.
Good Stuff:

It tough to judge the effectiveness of ads. The Aryres/Obama connection is so lethal and is new info to many just tuning in - it will be interesting to see how this pans out. It is airing in Michigan and Ohio.

Lunch Break - Rep. Tubb-Jones

2008-08-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Geeklove always gets it right:

The one in which John blows another cog about race.

2008-08-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

Rev. Wright has sent me a bit to the Right on issues surrounding race. The culture of victimization must end, not because it hurts the majority - but because it destroys entire sub-cultures it purportedly defends. I see no reason to be anything but forthright about this. White liberals skitter around race. I am done doing it. I am calling out white liberals on this one. For most white liberals respecting racial diversity and working for civil rights long ago morphed into a slothful game of hide and seek with words used as cover.

Obama's campaign has been poisonous for race relations and he is at fault. Obama weaponized his skin. He took racial pain and used it. By doing this he has cheapened real racism and made it harder to combat. The only thing a sane individual can do is to repudiate and refuse to play the game. Ferraro got it right when she said Obama was where he was because of his race. The vicious attack on her was not about a racial remark she made - it was to CENSOR any discussion of BHO's qualifications and teeny resume. See, if there wasn't a faddishness about white liberals voting for OBama - then they were left having to discuss his qualifications. This had to be avoided by Camp Obama and white liberals. Obama could not withstand a true vetting and if white liberals had to THINK about the person they supported it would take EFFORT. White liberals voted for Obama for one reason: He is not white. Layer all the excuses you want on top of that - none of them hold up to scrutiny. He's accomplished nothing, he has no resume, and his past is so suspect it makes Nixon look like an altar boy.

Howard Dean did not give a s**t what BHO said or did either. The Dean equation was "not Clinton" plus "He's Black". That is all. The content of Obama's character was and is irrelevant. This is the opposite of civil rights.

Now this phenomenon has morphed into being force fed "issues". McCain and Obama are to be spread out before us as if they are equals. They are not. One has a long resume. The other does not. One has a tangible list of accomplishments. The other does not.

Its like saying since I watched all the swimming at the Olympics Micheal Phleps and I should debate stroke technique as equals. BHO put together a ruthless team and can make a speech Obama has no other qualifications. Don't get me wrong a ruthless team and a good speech matter. But that's ALL he brings to the table. I would be writing the exact same thing about his qualifications if he was as white as my butt. That, my friends, is "post-racial".

I have tried mightily to get white liberals to defend Obama. They can't with any depth. A few
are honest about it and support him anyway. I respect that. Disliking the other guy more is a reason, at least.
As an individual there is not much one can do to combat "victimization" as social policy except to speak out against it. I'll start by pissing a few people off right now: Whites say "African-American" instead of "Black" out of politeness and fear. Most think it is an annoyance and nonsense. African American is a stupid, foggy designation. I am done with it. It served whatever purpose it had a while ago. European -American is just as dumb.

I had 2 Nigerian students when I taught. They were black. They were here because their parents worked at the Nigerian consulate. They had no intention of ever becoming American. What "racial" box were they to check? Asian-American is just as retrograde. Are Siberians Asians? Are Iranians? YES. THEY. ARE.

"Black Americans" is just as respectful and is more on point than "African -American."

There was a time not so long ago when liberals thought the point of civil rights was integration. INTEGRATION WITH RESPECT FOR DIVERSITY. Not categorization to ensure a generations long bitch fight that enriches a few "leaders" and is used as a guilt tipped battering ram to win votes from the spineless.

The late Stephanie Tubb-Jones was about as American as one can get. No hyphen required. And her race is entirely relevant. Forceful, take no prisoners, American Black women, from Harriet Tubman to Shirley Chisholm are embedded in the American psyche. They are part of what makes us - us. They were Americans. And I thank God for it.

Tip O'Neil was a quintessential American as well. Taking away his Irishness would be taking him away. And a United States without Irish pols would be a greatly diminished United States. Ditto for James Carville and Tiger Woods and 99% of the population.

Native Americans may be the one exception. The simple cold facts are these: Europeans invaded from the East and the South, killed the people here, and took the land they lived on. Indian is no good. Tagging an entire people with a mistake a conqueror made centuries ago is insulting. Native American or AmerIndian is as good as English is going to get in this case.

Let me get to the final obnoxious hyphen: All - American. This means White. "An All-American guy" is code for strapping white male. An "All-American" girl is a pretty white girl. All-American dismisses pretty much all other Americans. Dr. King was All American. So is Tiger Woods and the late Ms. Tubb-Jones.

Categories diminish. We can't get to character unless we stop the foolish, lazy word games.

End of rant.

Lunch Break - Phelps

2008-08-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Very important event one week from today - in a Football stadium! I can't wait! Set your TIVOs! Click here for the details.

And don't miss Our VIEW with Patsy and Sugar

I have no work today. The Internets are wobbly around here (ATandT SUCKS). So i am going to a matinee at dodger stadium and have a commitment at church later - so the charming Bob Barker - (pictured above with "shush" collar on - the little monster will wake the dead if he doesn't wear it when home alone.) - will be in charge of L.R. for a few hours.
During lunch, let's all take a Michael Phelps moment:

Why polls matter. Why polls don't matter.

2008-08-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

First up and more important than anything below: Send prayers for the repose of the soul of Rep. Tubb Jones. Her death is a heartbreaker. I am partial to fierce women and she was one of the fiercest. She fought the good fight. She was the first black women to represent Ohio in congress - an amazing feat by itself. She fought many other battles - including refusing vote for the Iraq war resolution for the principled reason that it connected Iraq to 9/11 - which was false.

My God, she will be missed. This death is awful.

The post for tonight:

As I've said in the past I like polls. As a political junkie I find them intriguing. Once I've staked out a position the polls are just that to me: intriguing. I was against the war in Iraq when it was unpopular, when it was popular, when it was unpopular again, and even now when support for it seems split. Haven't liked Bush since 2000. He had some very popular months in the last 8 years. Events and actions could have changed my attitude on W and the war - but none did. Polls certainly had no part in my stance.

The same goes from Obama. My evolution on this man is pretty simple. I liked him after the 04 convention speech. Still liked him until about December 07. For me some things started to raise red flags around Iowa. Mostly I had a bad feeling we were not getting the whole picture. And his supporters were so weird about their support. And the media was TOO in love. Something was fishy.

Still I try to vote on information - not my hunches.

I thought Hillary was toast before New Hampshire and I thought I'd better look closer at BHO. This was a grudging attempt at making peace with him since I thought he was going to win and I was going to support him. The problem was Clinton was not toast, so I kept writing about BHO's flaws - mostly because Clinton kept on keeping on. The more I looked into Obama the less I liked him. And less. And less. My bad feeling was panning out into unpleasant facts about BHO's behaviour, tactics, and history. It wasn't just a feeling anymore.
I came to discover that Obama has no business being President - whether I like him or not, whether he defeated Clinton or not, whether he was 10 points up in the polls or 5 down as Zogby reported today, whether he wins in November or not. Unless and until the facts are somehow mitigated about BHO I see no reason to stop writing about him the way I do - sometimes with earnestness, sometimes with contempt, sometimes with humor. L.R. spent 2 long years with a tiny audience writing about the deceit and idiocies of the W team.

So the Zogby poll today is notable because of the sizable shift in the electorate. Getting too excited about it is a fools errand. I am not going to set myself up to moan and groan if BHO wins. He could. It's the weirdest year in America in my adult lifetime. The decline in leadership is palpable. The disintegration of the media is alarmingly rapid. On the media front it is clear the wheels have come off. For one of the two major parties it is clear the wheels have come off.

Conversely, while I'd feel safer if McCain wins it hardly excites me.

I don't think 2008 is a game changer politically. If BHO wins a racial barrier is broken. THE racial barrier is broken. That's good. Sadly, the person who will break the barrier is pathetic. I see no reason to believe we are going to witness a massive movement in the electorate like 1800 or 1932. W has boxed in his replacement. The population is deeply divided and will remain so - for a thousand reasons.

The polls of late are certainly interesting. I see comments elsewhere in which anti-Obama folks are giddy about them. I won't play that tune. My current hunch is that BHO will get a bump next week. If he leads McCain by 20 next Friday I still won't trust him. (Barring a message from GOD that says "You're wrong, John." Even in that case I'll ask for a second opinion. And I'll certainly say "GOD, with all respect and humility - I need REASONS. Give me REASONS. Faith doesn't work for me in this case. I am sorry to say I would not have taken my son to be slaughtered like Abraham. I thank you for not asking me to do any such thing...") Anyway, I doubt I'll see in a non burning burning bush in LA any time soon.

My angry criticism and frustration with Camp Obama is about his history and his character. Not poll numbers.

I'm not going to watch much, if any, of the Democratic convention. I see no reason to. The entire event is a fiction.

Here's how it goes: Big show on Monday with speeches. Tuesday Mrs. Clinton is the star. She gives a great speech. Wednesday Mrs. Clinton releases her delegates -like Ted Kennedy in 1980.
President Clinton gives a great speech. The V.P. nominee gives a speech. Somewhere in here Obama wins the nomination on the first ballot. Thursday BHO gives a boilerplate speech to 4 zillion rapturous numskulls in a football stadium. Keith Olberman has an orgasm on the air. Pundits wax poetic about the boilerplate speech and begin insisting BHO be put on Mt. Rushmore. The Clintons are on stage at the end, along with the BHO family and his cute kids. The rapturous media declares the Democrats unified.

The end.

A lot of folks are still think something explosive is going to happen in Denver. I don't. The Pumas are a force. However, they are not stand in front of a tank in Tienanmen Square types. Also, the whole idea that something that disqualifies BHO will emerge soon is nonsense. There is no reason for it to. If it exists the Clintons would know have sent that balloon up by now. The GOP has no reason to release damning info before Denver. Besides, IF there is something that disqualifies Obama - or even something really really bad - there is nothing to stop the party from removing him in October. A party nomination is not a Federal court appointment. He does not have to be impeached. He simply would have to be removed by the party.

And don't get me started on the ratatattat to contact superdelegates. The one place Clinton supporters can become as delusional at PODs is when they insist a 1000 emails matter to people who have been bought and paid for. As for the meme that they will see the light because in the end they want to win...ugh! No. No they don't. Winning is not part of their calculation. Superdelegates voted for Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis. Nuff said.

To top it all off - the GOP is doing just fine without a "whitey tape" or dual citizenship conundrum. They can beat him without it.

Oh, and by the way - the war was about OIL

2008-08-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

More proof the Iraq invasion was ALL about oil here.

Rightwingers need to stop the holier than though rants about "W being right". He wasn't "right". He went after the oil and he lied about it. He was "right" in knowing we needed to control a large oil reserve in the Middle East to keep the lights on in at least a few suburbs. And Cheney got to save his old company with our tax dollars....

And Lefties shut the _ _ _ _ up about how immoral the war is while you buy food grown in Chile at a Whole Foods in Santa Monica and Jet Ski around Malibu. Lefties you have no right to complain about the "evil" war - unless ALL your energy use is Solar, Wind, or Nuclear. We either fight wars for oil (as Russia decided to do in Georgia.) or we cut our energy usage by 50% RIGHT NOW. Almost all limo liberals are perfectly happy to allow wars to be fought for resources they use while driving to protest the wars in air conditioned SUV's.

Limo Liberals - you want to keep your lifestyle? WAR IS THE ANSWER. - you better update the bumpersticker.

Another Clinton Super Delegate hospitalized

2008-08-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ardent Clinton supporter and superdelegate Stephanie Tubbs was hospitalized today and is in serious condition at this writing. She was found slumped over the wheel of her car.

A week ago Clinton supporter and superdelegate Bill Gwatney was shot to death.

Both Tubbs and Gwatney stated they supported Obama after Clinton suspended her campaign. It is unclear how they would have voted on the first ballot - presuming Ms. Tubbs will not recover in time for the convention in Denver.

On a Totally Unrelated Note -

Obama decides sounding like a gangsta suits him -says McCain "doesn't know what he's up against" .Which is a little funny coming from a senate waif with no track record who cheats to win elections and votes present on tough issues unless the murder of a baby is involved...

Lunch Break - More Bo. Plus Zogby

2008-08-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

I miss Bo. So today's lunch clip is more bo burnham.

McCain up by 5 in the latest Zogby poll.

Don't watch if you are easily offended.

If the scarecrow has a brain he'll choose Clinton

2008-08-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

First up: the pic was taken by a friend in NYC. The graffiti goes with today's post. I particularly like placing the "...or else" below the alphabet for effect.

More than likely Obama will not choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. The foolish and mindless contempt his hardcore base has for the Clintons goes right to the top - as we saw in the primaries. Still if he's as smart as some say....here's why he might...

Reasons why Hillary Clinton is the politically right choice for VP and reasons why BHO may want her:

1. Some are insisting BHO is a Communist. Some say he's a corporate stooge. (They are only mutually exclusive after he gains power.) I favor corporate stooge born of the Chicago machine myself. But one thing is certain: Obama looks out for Obama. If the socialist organisation ACORN helps him - he's their man. If Goldman Sacks writes checks - he's their man. If the black theology church helps him - he's their man. This is the one distinctive pattern of his public life. With rare exceptions (the infants born alive act) , if there is no definable benefit and he must act - he punts. This year, the Left wing of the Democratic Party has had it's best run since 1972. But the party remains Clinton based. Hillary proved this over and over again in the primaries. With a big assist from the media and the DNC - BHO pulled off the "win." But it is an unnatural fit. BHO's poll numbers may actually be high at this point. A strange inversion is occurring - the more people look at BHO the less they like him, the more people look at McCain the more they like him. Many factors remain that favor BHO in the general. But one by one McCain is picking them off. The past 2 months have been very good for McCain. I have no idea if he can keep it up. But it is savvy so far. This brings me back to Clinton. Obama the opportunist knows Hillary commands a large audience. He knows this is the best ticket. Webb would have been great. Nunn is a strong choice. At this moment in time though Clinton brings in exactly who he needs - and he knows it.
Why do I think he knows it?

2. Both Clintons have been given a strong presence in Denver. Over and above what is perfunctory. I don't think Obama "blinked" in a battle with the Clintons - I think he opened his eyes.

3. Clinton delivers states.

Ohio is now in the McCain column by a whisker. Biden or Bayh do not change that. Clinton does.

Arkansas is certainly a McCain state- unless a certain ex-President is sent home to do some heavy lifting for his wife. Bill Clinton can deliver Arkansas.

Now Florida - again we have McCain winning in a close race. Unless he chooses Crist - Clinton can switch that state to blue - by a whisker...

New Mexico should go to Obama- barely - Clinton can solidify New Mexico.

Now to my home state: California. Is it loco to think California is winnable for McCain? No. California is strongly DEM in voter registration. But unless a Clinton is on the ballot there is no certainty a Dem wins. For all our "blue" credentials there has been only 5 years in which a DEM has been governor since 1982. That's 21 years GOP - 5 DEM. Since 1889 there have only been 22 years of DEM gubernatorial rule total. 16 of those are from the Brown family exclusively. Gore and Kerry won the state. I would argue for the former - that the landslide for Gore here had everything to do with Clinton. As for the latter - his landslide here was a no to Bush more than a yes to Kerry. California likes moderate GOPs. "Moderate" and "Maverick" are labels that appeal here. Ask Arnold. "Effete" and "Out of Touch" are damning here. Ask recalled Governor Grey Davis. McCain may put his best efforts elsewhere. But California is do-able if he continues degrade the Obama brand. A Clinton on the ballot in California makes a GOP win here impossible. Additionally, gay marriage is on the ballot - which will bring the GOP base out in force. Some moderate voters - esp women - will vote no on gay marriage and FOR VP Clinton. They won't "split" for Obama/Biden.
BHO and Axelrod have to be looking across the landscape and see some scary stuff.
Clinton can deliver where he's weak.

4. Party Unity. Much has been written about "deadender" PUMAs. This is nonsense. PUMAs are a force. BHO knows this. 2 months of insults and attempted marginalization have only solidified PUMAs against Obama. This amounts to 20-25% of Democratic voters. Hillary can't bring them all back. But she CAN bring 5-10% back. That's more than enough in a close race. And the Democrats can leave Denver with a legitimate claim to unity. Hardcore PUMAs may be right - but they will be marginalized.

5. Experience. This is important to me so I hammer at it a lot. But from a purely political stand point Obama had better watch his back on this GOP talking point. Anyone on BHO's short list has more experience than him - so they help. Clinton is the only person who can make begin to deflate what will be the main problem Obama has against McCain. Hillary did an amazing thing during the primaries - other than winning the majority of votes - she re-created herself. In political speech "experience " is often code for "tough". Hillary's brand now is "tough fighter". Even in the Clinton hating media, even among Clinton hating conservatives. Obama will never win the toughness argument with McCain. But he can accent his strengths with a "tough" team.
Here's an example: Kerry needed to appear more "tough". Edwards made his convention speech and looked like a boy scout. Where as Bush negated the experience question in 2000 by choosing Cheney. We've all grown to hate him - but in 2000 he added much needed ballast to the GOP ticket.

Even if he chose Attila the Hun the attack on Obama's experience is inevitable - and justified. Biden, Nunn and Hillary Clinton ALL add to Obama's toughness factor - not hard to do - but only Clinton adds toughness and a base and is a known quantity.

Clinton is the best choice he has.

2 Caveats: much depends on McCain's choice. If he goes too far Right he blows the election. Conservatives can squeal all they want - but in this case they will pony up. Obama scares the Right too much.

Also- Sam Nunn brings much of Clinton's strengths to the ticket. It is a politically sound choice. However, he is an unknown to most of America. He adds no sparkle. no pizazz.

As for the eruption a Clinton pick would cause on the Daily Kos, Huffington, Arugula chewing, Dum-Dum Left - they will get over it by the second day of the GOP convention. They'll scream and make offensive and actionable remarks - and then settle down and focus on their DEAR LEADER.

Finally, BHO loves to be compared to Lincoln and Kennedy. Both made seemingly contradictory choices VP because the politics of the moment demanded it. Lincoln chose a Democrat during the civil war. JFK chose a Texan he did not like and no one in his family liked because he knew a Catholic from the Northeast was a tough sell in the South, and he needed at least some of the South.

I still can't quite see the Obama Resentment Express getting over itself enough to choose Clinton - but he does want to win. Either is ego is so big he won't choose her or his ambition is so voracious that he will.

nobama

2008-08-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

It is simple. It is direct. It is for sale in our store. Until the conventions are over our mark up is just 1.00 on all products. So no one here is out to get rich. L.R. is out to help get the word out.
Let everyone in your world know where you stand.