Debate Parties
Tonight, as on the evenings of prior 2008 debates, I'll be joining friends clustered around a television set to watch the debate between President-elect Obama and Senator-Since-Before-Keating-Scandal McCain. It's kind of a funny phenomenon, but I've participated in and heard about more such parties this year than in prior years. For the home-bound, there's even a blogger chat-room to provide a sense of community, hosted with video by Kansas City's most awesome blogger.
It sucks to be a Republican right now. Most polls show McCain/Palin down by double digits, and the Dems have this overwhelming sense of community, anticipation and excitement that must really be annoying from the perspective on the lesser side of the aisle. Even hopes of some October surprise (what could it be? bin Laden surrendering to McCain personally?) are fading, as they realize that the real October surprise is going to be quarterly retirement account statements that count as campaign mailers for change.
I think tonight is going to be the best debate of the bunch. McCain, quite correctly, believes he needs to score big. He's abandoned the high road already, so look for him to start slinging mud, and look for him to finally summon the courage to look Obama in the eye when he does it. And look for Obama to respond calmly and firmly, triggering that famous McCain rage that is causing him facial spasms already. The only question is how ugly it will get.
Through it all, though, McCain will be somehow less than Obama - an attacker trying to bring down a bigger man. In the end, Obama will appear more presidential than McCain.
It will be good to see it all with friends. Somehow, seeing Obama wax Presidential while McCain wanes is something to be enjoyed with a sense of community, and celebration. Yes, we can.
Labels: Barack Obama, John McCain
posted by Dan at 10/07/2008 07:33:00 AM
19 Comments:
Question: Will Brokaw, who is officially the network "liaison" to the McCain campaign lest our "liberal" media offend against the wingnut wurlitzer, actually interrupt Johnny Mack, or will he just sputter on about the first question for the whole evening?
even if obama showed up drunk and groped mccain's wife on the way in, you'd still stay that he "appeared presidential".
Clearly, Meesha is best at writing about things that aren't politics (or life).
even if obama showed up drunk and groped mccain's wife on the way in, you'd still stay that he "appeared presidential".
I believe you're thinking of Bush's foreign policy style...and it ain't presidential...
"Everything was absolutely ideal on the day I bombed the Pentagon.
The sky was blue. The birds were singing. And the bastards were finally going to get what was coming to them."
Bill Ayres
Enjoy yourself.
Sinking pretty low there, Travel. If the best you can dig up is that he served on a board with a Professor who did bad stuff when Obama was 8 years old, you must be getting pretty desperate.
Travel, I hope you are not believing that nonsense.
What's very clear is that Obama served on at least one (or more) Boards with Ayers - and we know Board appointments are not based upon hiring pairs of friends.
The political support of Ayers for Obama's run for state office was arranged by the incumbent in his district (who he was replacing).
Ayers is a fixture in Chicago, (right or wrong) and has been praised by Mayor Dailey and others.
It's very clear that Obama did not have a close collegial relationship with the guy.
There are many Republicans that have served on Boards with Ayers. Is Palin saying those Republicans were "palling around with terrorists"?
I mean really - do you really think that Obama supports terrorists, as Palin wants you to believe????
And, as Palin and McCain provide this fodder to their supporters, on camera you can hear people saying
"Kill him!" (referring to Obama)
"Terrorist!" (referring to Obama)
Oh, and several supporters turned on the "drive by media" at one event, and called a black camerman "nigger".
And told him to "sit down, boy".
Nice.
You can despise Ayers, but why on Earth believe the hatred that Palin and McCain are spreading to win the presidency?
I'm really exercising alot of self discipline here.
I was just about to post a anothefr more pointed comment regarding travel's statement above. And I'm not going to.
yet.
You're an inspiration, Mainstream.
Dan you are a total dirtball.
You have increasingly devoted yourself to the cause of right-wing extremists who deny reality. That is why Travel and those of her ilk make up more and more of your readership. They are the only ones who can stomach your stupid exchanges with truth and justice.
You are scum and I hope you contract a painful and fatal condition, which is too embarrassing to discuss with your family.
By the way at the last few political events you have attended I have noticed that your body smells. Just thought you would want to know.
Ok, the above comment is weird. Must be a full moonnie tonight.
Well, anon, abuse can have long lasting effects. Sad.
The incumbent denies inviting Obama to the party.
In any event, would you sit on a board and work closely with Tim McVeigh or any known terrorist for years? They couldn't pay me enough money and I question the judgment of anybody who would, Republicans, Daley, included.
Hmm, lessee, McVeigh--proudly uneducated and ignorant, member of a broadly militant militia movement, killed several hundred people (including daycare staff and children) as an adult. Ayers--educated, intelligent, member as a youth of a militant fringe group of a widely non-violent movement, warned innocents before largely ineffectual bomb attempts; completed education, recognized expert and activist in early education, serves with (and is recognized as positive and effective by) Chicago/Illinois dem and repub politicians advocating education reform, on board of Annenberg Foundation (Annenberg being a major league conservative/repub).
I assume Trav would prefer McVeigh, since he's no DFH; personally, I'd probably lean to Ayers.
Trav, like McLiar and Bible Spice, will be unable to support "works closely with" in re Obama and Ayers; but even if it could be supported, it puts Obama in pretty good bipartisan company.
Jeesus Les, you remind me every day of why I'm a conservative. Educated vs not terrorist? Bomb made its mark and killed innocents vs the bomb that didn't?
trav, I doubt if you are aware of, far less understand, who or what the Weather Underground were, or what was going on then. You probably admire Richard Nixon, the president who sabotaged peace talks and continued a useless, pointless war for years to ensure his domestic rule; a criminal administration responsible for more deaths than any terrorist you can name. Ayers: 0 deaths; hapless attention getting bomb bursts; protesting a proven criminal politician. Your bar for "terrorist" is mighty low, son. Oh, right, you're a "conservative;" anyone who disagrees with you is a radical, anyone who states their disagreement out loud is a traitor, anyone who acts on their belief is a terrorist.
Do I agree with Ayers' acts? Didn't then, don't now--although, in a time when the national guard was shooting non-violent protestors and student organizers, and a draft was sending hundreds of thousands to fight and die in a war continued for political purposes only, it wasn't hard to understand. I'm sure you would have been in the "love it or leave it" brigades, chanting "country right or wrong" and conveniently forgetting the balance of the quote.
Whatever you do, don't think, understand or challenge--obey authority, little conservative. Ayers, then and since, has done more for this country than you're likely to. The people closest to the man, including many of your beloved conservatives, seem able to discriminate; you just keep following Sarah.
Lost in the dust of knee-jerk conservative horror of Bill Ayers is the fact that Obama is not actually "pals" with him, whatever you may think of the man. Take a look at McCain's actual relationships:
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015097.php
Um, savory.
In the unlikely event that anyone still cares, here's a brief, sane take on Ayers:
http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2008/10/getting_passionate.php
I really gotta figure out how to embed links, I really do.
Proud to be a conservative?
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015114.php
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