Excellent behind the scenes stories and information on the campaign from Newsweek. Some of this stuff is great.
Barack Obama: How He Did It
John McCain: Back From the Dead?
The Long Clinton-Obama Siege
McCain Camp Retools, Targets Obama
Conventions: Obama Sweats the Clintons, McCain Gambles on Palin
Battling It Out in the Great Debates
The Final Days
Not sure if these are going to be published in print, each "chapter" is pretty long. Enjoy!
Showing posts with label obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obama. Show all posts
Friday, November 7, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
John McCain
Two news "events" have recently been spotlighted in the presidential race: first, that John McCain keeps referring to the non-existent country "Czechoslovakia", and second, that John McCain doesn't know how many houses he and his wife own. Neither of these are really news-worthy in the sense that deserve more than a passing mention - in fact, I doubt they would have lasted one news cycle if this wasn't an election year.
But being as it is, the Obama campaign and the media has made mention of these two items frequently over the past two weeks. Common extrapolations of the "don't know how many houses I have" McCain quote is typically the Democrats emphasizing that McCain is a "rich guy" that doesn't relate to the American populace, and that the Republicans are calling the Democrats out for playing low politics.
I don't buy any of that - it's spin on both sides, but then again, when is it not? I see these two quotes from McCain as the passing remarks that they are. But THAT is where the real story lies. That fact that McCain doesn't know that Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, and that he doesn't know how many houses he owns reveal (to me) a man who isn't fully plugged in. Now to be fair, I can only tell you that Czechoslovakia fact because I just looked it up - but I'm a Biology teacher, not running for President! This is like Bush mispronouncing half the countries in the world and the word "nuclear". The second quote is even more disturbing - it shows me a man who is not in control of his own life! I know that he is rich and his wife inherited umpteen millions of dollars, but not knowing how many houses you own?? Ridiculous! That last quote is especially damning in the light of the current state of the economy, when many people are losing their homes (albeit deservedly). McCain may be an experienced politician, but nobody would ever claim that a politician has a good sense of reality, and these two remarks fully support that idea.
But being as it is, the Obama campaign and the media has made mention of these two items frequently over the past two weeks. Common extrapolations of the "don't know how many houses I have" McCain quote is typically the Democrats emphasizing that McCain is a "rich guy" that doesn't relate to the American populace, and that the Republicans are calling the Democrats out for playing low politics.
I don't buy any of that - it's spin on both sides, but then again, when is it not? I see these two quotes from McCain as the passing remarks that they are. But THAT is where the real story lies. That fact that McCain doesn't know that Czechoslovakia peacefully separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993, and that he doesn't know how many houses he owns reveal (to me) a man who isn't fully plugged in. Now to be fair, I can only tell you that Czechoslovakia fact because I just looked it up - but I'm a Biology teacher, not running for President! This is like Bush mispronouncing half the countries in the world and the word "nuclear". The second quote is even more disturbing - it shows me a man who is not in control of his own life! I know that he is rich and his wife inherited umpteen millions of dollars, but not knowing how many houses you own?? Ridiculous! That last quote is especially damning in the light of the current state of the economy, when many people are losing their homes (albeit deservedly). McCain may be an experienced politician, but nobody would ever claim that a politician has a good sense of reality, and these two remarks fully support that idea.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Non-Policy Comparison of Presidential-ness
I just watched President Bush give a press conference, followed immediately by Barack Obama delivering a speech on foreign policy. The contrast between the two is staggering.
Mr. Bush's press conference consisted of him rambling from topic to topic, never spending more than three minutes on any one idea, and leaning lazily against the podium so much that the camera actually had to follow him by moving laterally. His cavalier attitude, both in stance and speech, certainly does not give off an aura of even being vaguely presidential. His responses to reporter's questions were barely on topic. When asked to suggest when the economy might turnaround, he responded "I'm not an economist! Look at all these reporters, saying recession this, recession that, as if they were all economists!". What?
When asked if oil companies had fully explored the millions of acres they have under contract now, rather than opening up even more offshore drilling, Mr. Bush responded "You know, you don't have to drill on top of a reef anymore. They can drill, uh, horizontally. Like in Alaska, you can have one pad, and drill horizontally. We have the technology." What?
He also blamed the economy's woes on trade - specifically, with Columbia. Because Columbia is the lynch pin of the American economy. His complaint was that Columbia was placing a tariff on imported American goods while America did not on imported Columbian goods. Or as he put in, "You can buy stuff from Columbia duty free, but they're charging more for American goods. That's not fair. I don't understand that." What this man doesn't understand could fill the Pacific ocean.
It was then that he revealed he's 62 years old. This person is 62 years old and is on a podium, giving a press conference as the acting President of the United States of America, and he's blustering on, hardly answering questions some times and utterly failing to address them at others. He's exhibiting a shocking lack of knowledge or understanding about how the world works at any level, and he's leaning like a drunk. It was shameful. The only time I've seen an old person act like that is when he's three quarts drunk at a shady bar. Mr. Bush was acting like a damn fool.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, gave a thirty-minute speech while standing straight-backed, spoke clearly and intelligently, even inspirationally at time. It is true that he was giving a pre-written speech, but Mr. Bush could not hold a candle to Senator Obama in terms of acting presidential. When I listen to Senator Obama give a speech, or take questions from an audience, or debate another politician, I see someone who would hold the office of President with respect and dignity, and would be a role model citizen. I, yes I know it's trite, but I see hope. When I see Mr. Bush, I am embarrassed. I am just plain ashamed of him.
Mr. Bush's press conference consisted of him rambling from topic to topic, never spending more than three minutes on any one idea, and leaning lazily against the podium so much that the camera actually had to follow him by moving laterally. His cavalier attitude, both in stance and speech, certainly does not give off an aura of even being vaguely presidential. His responses to reporter's questions were barely on topic. When asked to suggest when the economy might turnaround, he responded "I'm not an economist! Look at all these reporters, saying recession this, recession that, as if they were all economists!". What?
When asked if oil companies had fully explored the millions of acres they have under contract now, rather than opening up even more offshore drilling, Mr. Bush responded "You know, you don't have to drill on top of a reef anymore. They can drill, uh, horizontally. Like in Alaska, you can have one pad, and drill horizontally. We have the technology." What?
He also blamed the economy's woes on trade - specifically, with Columbia. Because Columbia is the lynch pin of the American economy. His complaint was that Columbia was placing a tariff on imported American goods while America did not on imported Columbian goods. Or as he put in, "You can buy stuff from Columbia duty free, but they're charging more for American goods. That's not fair. I don't understand that." What this man doesn't understand could fill the Pacific ocean.
It was then that he revealed he's 62 years old. This person is 62 years old and is on a podium, giving a press conference as the acting President of the United States of America, and he's blustering on, hardly answering questions some times and utterly failing to address them at others. He's exhibiting a shocking lack of knowledge or understanding about how the world works at any level, and he's leaning like a drunk. It was shameful. The only time I've seen an old person act like that is when he's three quarts drunk at a shady bar. Mr. Bush was acting like a damn fool.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, gave a thirty-minute speech while standing straight-backed, spoke clearly and intelligently, even inspirationally at time. It is true that he was giving a pre-written speech, but Mr. Bush could not hold a candle to Senator Obama in terms of acting presidential. When I listen to Senator Obama give a speech, or take questions from an audience, or debate another politician, I see someone who would hold the office of President with respect and dignity, and would be a role model citizen. I, yes I know it's trite, but I see hope. When I see Mr. Bush, I am embarrassed. I am just plain ashamed of him.
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