First off, last night's Barack Obama infomercial was impressive. From a purely production standpoint, it was flawless. Twenty-six minutes of prepared footage followed by 4 minutes from a live Obama campaign event in Florida. Was it effective? I don't know. But it did showcase Obama in the best light.
At one point while I was watching, I thought back to a movie called The American President, written by Aaron Sorkin. Near the end of the movie, the president, played by Michael Douglas, says, "...making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and character." And while last night's infomercial wasn't about making you afraid (the whole thing had a hopeful overtone) or telling you who to blame (no mention of John McCain and only an insinuation toward George W. Bush), the last sentence of the quote is dead on.
Was it expensive? Yes. Did it paint a favorable picture of Obama to the American people? Very much yes. Did it draw too much attention to the fact that Obama was only able to do this because he opted-out of public financing against his own promise? Maybe. Will it help? We'll see, though even if he wins there will probably be no telling of how much, if at all, this particular ad-buy may have helped.
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In other news, there is fantastic story coming out of Florida that I need to make you aware of. There is a school district in Florida (whose name I cannot find at the moment) who has run a voter registration drive and successfully registered 3600 seniors who are of age. And what's more, they are taking the seniors on field trips to early vote.
This is amazing, and every school district nation-wide should implement a program like this. In New York State, all high school seniors must take and pass a "Participation in Government" class in order to graduate. Voting is the most fundamental participation in government. Get the students involved early, in anyway that you can.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Powell Endorses Obama
I know both of these individuals very well now. I've known John for 25 years as your setup said. And I've gotten to know Mr. Obama quite well over the past two years. Both of them are distinguished Americans who are patriotic, who are dedicated to the welfare of our country. Either one of them, I think, would be a good president. I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that's a choice the party makes. And I've said to Mr. Obama, "You have to pass a test of do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president.
And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, and I've had this conversation with him. I have especially watched over the last six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good measure of both. In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.
On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.
And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed-out terrorist. Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate.
Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.
So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we've got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.
-General Colin Powell (Ret.), Former Sec. of State, 10/19/08
And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, and I've had this conversation with him. I have especially watched over the last six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good measure of both. In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.
On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.
And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed-out terrorist. Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate.
Now, I understand what politics is all about. I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift. I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.
feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.
So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we've got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.
-General Colin Powell (Ret.), Former Sec. of State, 10/19/08
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Miscellaneous
Here are fact-check for the 2nd Presidential Debate: Factcheck.org.
And here are more fact-checks from CNN.
CNN has also posted a very good editorial from anchor Campbell Brown that you should check out: click here.
And here are more fact-checks from CNN.
CNN has also posted a very good editorial from anchor Campbell Brown that you should check out: click here.
Friday, October 3, 2008
The VP Debate
She kept her head above the water. That's the story. She didn't crumble to pieces. She did much better than expected. Gov. Palin did not implode, and in fact her performance was far from that.
Biden's job last night was to link Sen. McCain and President Bush at the hip, almost like they are the same person, and he stuck to that message. In almost every answer, on also most every issue, Biden painted McCain as "Bush 44," relentlessly putting their two names together.
And FactCheck.org has posted their fact-checks for last night's debate -- read them here.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Local Meets National
In case you missed it, the top headline in yesterday's Poughkeepsie Journal was about the resignation of Dutchess County Republican Committee Chairwoman Corinne Weber (read about it here). It turns out that Weber received one of the many, many false, nasty e-mails about Senator Barack Obama, and she did what any intelligent person would do...she "accidentally" forwarded it to over 24 of her GOP colleagues. Yikes.
Now, let's set aside the fact that I don't quite understand how you can accidentally send an e-mail to over 24 people (was she sleepwalking, or something?), and I would like to try to make a broader point.
Gov. Sarah Palin has been on the receiving end of some extremely terrible slanders since being named Sen. John McCain's vice-presidential running mate. And when McCain/Palin-supporters hear these, they nearly have a nuclear meltdown. But the truth is that throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has been the victim of the most disgusting, despicable accusations. About his faith. About his ethnicity. About his patriotism. About his family. And conservative bloggers and commentators never seem to mention the attacks on Obama. This includes local conservative commentators and bloggers who remain silent, even when it makes serious local news -- they either don't know, or they don't care. But we're not talking about some "right-wing nut-job," here. We're talking about the Dutchess Country Republican Committee Chairwoman. So, they must know, right?
You know what I do when I receive a slanderous e-mail? I delete it.
What a novel idea.
Now, let's set aside the fact that I don't quite understand how you can accidentally send an e-mail to over 24 people (was she sleepwalking, or something?), and I would like to try to make a broader point.
Gov. Sarah Palin has been on the receiving end of some extremely terrible slanders since being named Sen. John McCain's vice-presidential running mate. And when McCain/Palin-supporters hear these, they nearly have a nuclear meltdown. But the truth is that throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has been the victim of the most disgusting, despicable accusations. About his faith. About his ethnicity. About his patriotism. About his family. And conservative bloggers and commentators never seem to mention the attacks on Obama. This includes local conservative commentators and bloggers who remain silent, even when it makes serious local news -- they either don't know, or they don't care. But we're not talking about some "right-wing nut-job," here. We're talking about the Dutchess Country Republican Committee Chairwoman. So, they must know, right?
You know what I do when I receive a slanderous e-mail? I delete it.
What a novel idea.
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