September 5, 2008
September 5, 2008
I missed John McCain’s speech entirely, since he was rude enough to give it at 4AM in Austrian time (I’m at the Ars Electronica festival), but I had a good laugh when I woke up and checked the coverage: The headline in the NY Times is:
John McCain Vows to End ‘Partisan Rancor’
Of all the themes to pick after the intensely partisan ads and speeches, and the night after nominating a self-described “pitbull in lipstick”! I do appreciate McCain’s gracious ad congratulating Obama on his nomination, but even that ad noted that it was a momentary lull (“We’ll be at it again tomorrow”) in a firestorm of partisan negativity.
Maybe the headline was just due to the Times’ impish sense of humor.
September 3, 2008
I’m sorry to say that I think Jay Rosen’s analysis of how the Sarah Palin candidacy will be played by the media, and how the media will be played by the Republicans, is right on the money.
September 2, 2008
Jennifer Ouellette at Cocktail Party Physics posts a long post comparing the science policies of Obama and McCain, including Obama’s answers to the excellent 14 science questions posed to both of the candidates; McCain has not answered yet, but he has said that he will. She does not find herself torn. (Neither do I.)
August 31, 2008
Zogby reports that McCain’s insulting selection of Sarah Palin has given his campaign a bounce back up to equivalency with Obama’s. But Slate reports that Obama continues to lead in the right states, so that his electoral count remains strong.
I do not understand America. Seriously. Never have. Apparently I never will.
August 30, 2008
Two weeks ago, Stuart Shepard of Focus on the Family put out a light-hearted video urging McCain supporters to pray that there be a sudden burst of rain just as Obama came on stage for his outdoor acceptance speech.
I took him up on it, suggesting that we take the presence or absence of rain as a sign of divine political preference.
It was a beautiful, clear night in Denver.
That should be enough to settle the issue. But, just in case there were any lingering doubts, it looks like the higher power will unleash upon the Republican convention a torrential rain.
Case closed.
August 28, 2008
Here’s a quick video by the Massachusetts Republicans about the opening up of a McCain campaign office in Boston, complete with an optimistic “Victory Wall” that is likely to seem at best ironic on election eve.
It’s tough being a Republican in Massachusetts, but everyone’s entitled to, well, hope.
Wasn’t Bill Richardson supposed to speak last night? Aswini Anburajan at HuffingtonPost posts that Obama will unveil a “massive” voter registration drive tonight, which would be a fantastic move — symbolically right, but, more important exactly how you win an election without running to the middle. Perhaps Obama is going to bring out Richardson to help kick that off?
Also from Rumor Land comes the idea that McCain may name Kay Bailey Hutchison as veep. No reason to think it’s true, but, what the heck, there it is.
The Strayed-Talk Express |
August 23, 2008
If McCain hadn’t become Karl Rove’s sockpuppet, this is what he might have said in response to the selection of Joe Biden as Obama’s running mate:
I congratulate my friend and colleague Joe Biden on his being selected as a vice presidential candidate. Joe and I have disagreed frequently over the years, and we disagree now on many of the important issues facing this country. But I’ve also worked with him, count him as a friend, and respect him as a capable man who loves the country he’s served for so many years.
That said, I remain convinced that the solutions Joe and his running mate are proposing are dangerous, and dangerously out of step with the American people. We’re going to keep on making that case up and down this great land, offering our own practical, down-to-earth solutions that will make a real difference in the lives of hard-working Americans.
McCain’s actual response, in full, from his Web site:
ARLINGTON, VA — Today, McCain spokesman Ben Porritt issued the following statement on Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden as his running mate:
“There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama’s lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama’s poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing — that Barack Obama is not ready to be President.”