Is the the best ad ever? Nah, but McCain and team have picked an issue to go after and are hitting it again and again. Attacking Obama's strengths and weaknesses at the same time is just smart poker.
Judge for yourself:
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
East Village Republican vs. Billyburg Commie Pinko Liberal
Our latest debate over my last post:
BCPL:
the mccain campaign's press release for this ad confirms that all these quotes were pre-2006, when mccain's brand as a straight-talking bi-partisan maverick was still alive and well.
EVR:
Please, the accolades stopped because everyone knew he was going to run for president. Minus some recent (and slight) political maneuvering, McCain’s bi-partisan brand of governing is alive and well. See: Feingold’s latest praise.
This is in sharp contrast to your boy Obama who is second-to-none when it comes to Clinton-esque triangulation and can’t claim a single battle scar from choosing principle over popularity. This is why he lacks any significant across-the-aisle respect.
BCPL:
it's too bad he is in the process of reversing that image with his:
1. flip-flops (now supporting regressive bush tax cuts for the super-rich, now seeking political support of the christianist "agents of intolerance"),
EVR:
1) Looking at the entire picture, McCain’s original stance against the Bush tax cuts was due to his desire to have them accompanied by spending cuts. He’s been a supply-sider his entire career and has been as tough as anyone on fiscal restraint. He took a principled stand against the Big Government Conservatism that Bush brought to the White House, knowing that it could haunt him one day. He also rightly admits that at this point, repealing the cuts would be devastating for the economy.
2) The Bush tax cuts were incredibly PROGRESSIVE. The wealthiest 1% of the pop earn 19% of the income but pay 37% of the income tax. The top 10% pay 68%. The top 25% pay 85%. The bottom 50% pay 13%.
3) Can we please put the "seeking support of evangelists" complaint to bed? He needs these votes if he has any chance to win. Would I like him to denounce these crazies? Yes. Do I blame him for looking for their support? No. There is a stark difference between looking for evangelical votes (or votes from "agents of intolerance") and actively joining and participating in a church that is lead by a total religious nut case. For the sake of intellectual honesty, let's not equivocate on this one.
BCPL:
2. double-speak (erroneously offering off-shore drilling and a gas-tax suspension as a salve for high gas prices, falsely claiming "obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign"), and
3. political chicanery (blaming barack "paris/brittney" obama for high gas prices, claiming that obama snubbed wounded troops because he couldn't bring along cameras).
EVR:
Agree that the claim that Obama snubbed wounded troops was lame. But claiming that Obama is more deserving of a front cover on Entertainment Weekly than Congressional Quarterly is a fair argument. Second, I agree that the Dems would rather lose the war than lose their power. Their treatment of this war has been one of the most disgraceful things I've ever witnessed as an American. From Harry Reid declaring, prematurely, that the war is lost, to Obama's refusal to admit that the current stability in Iraq might be due mainly to the surge, it certainly appears that these positions have more to do with Democratic Party politics than a desire to see America achieve victory.
Regarding energy, off-shore drilling and a gas tax suspension would indeed lower gasoline prices at the pump. Drilling would drive prices down immediately (see: laws of supply and demand and global speculation) and the gas tax suspension is obvious. That said, the gas tax suspension is a quick fix political ploy and no substitute for sound, long-term strategy. Besides all the political maneuvering, the truth is that we need a comprehensive plan; one which includes both short term, environmentally sound drilling, and long term investment in renewables and nuclear. P.S. hasn't Obama actually recently reversed on drilling? Gosh, what a quandary for the Democrats! A candidate is actually making sense on energy! Also, Paris Hilton may be on to something on this issue.
BCPL:
much like these video quotes, i've always maintained respect for mccain and his message even while disagreeing with many of his policy positions. however, he has allowed this campaign to bring out the worst in him, and that respect is now in incredibly short supply.
and sorry, no uber-links this time. ;)
BCPL:
the mccain campaign's press release for this ad confirms that all these quotes were pre-2006, when mccain's brand as a straight-talking bi-partisan maverick was still alive and well.
EVR:
Please, the accolades stopped because everyone knew he was going to run for president. Minus some recent (and slight) political maneuvering, McCain’s bi-partisan brand of governing is alive and well. See: Feingold’s latest praise.
This is in sharp contrast to your boy Obama who is second-to-none when it comes to Clinton-esque triangulation and can’t claim a single battle scar from choosing principle over popularity. This is why he lacks any significant across-the-aisle respect.
BCPL:
it's too bad he is in the process of reversing that image with his:
1. flip-flops (now supporting regressive bush tax cuts for the super-rich, now seeking political support of the christianist "agents of intolerance"),
EVR:
1) Looking at the entire picture, McCain’s original stance against the Bush tax cuts was due to his desire to have them accompanied by spending cuts. He’s been a supply-sider his entire career and has been as tough as anyone on fiscal restraint. He took a principled stand against the Big Government Conservatism that Bush brought to the White House, knowing that it could haunt him one day. He also rightly admits that at this point, repealing the cuts would be devastating for the economy.
2) The Bush tax cuts were incredibly PROGRESSIVE. The wealthiest 1% of the pop earn 19% of the income but pay 37% of the income tax. The top 10% pay 68%. The top 25% pay 85%. The bottom 50% pay 13%.
3) Can we please put the "seeking support of evangelists" complaint to bed? He needs these votes if he has any chance to win. Would I like him to denounce these crazies? Yes. Do I blame him for looking for their support? No. There is a stark difference between looking for evangelical votes (or votes from "agents of intolerance") and actively joining and participating in a church that is lead by a total religious nut case. For the sake of intellectual honesty, let's not equivocate on this one.
BCPL:
2. double-speak (erroneously offering off-shore drilling and a gas-tax suspension as a salve for high gas prices, falsely claiming "obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign"), and
3. political chicanery (blaming barack "paris/brittney" obama for high gas prices, claiming that obama snubbed wounded troops because he couldn't bring along cameras).
EVR:
Agree that the claim that Obama snubbed wounded troops was lame. But claiming that Obama is more deserving of a front cover on Entertainment Weekly than Congressional Quarterly is a fair argument. Second, I agree that the Dems would rather lose the war than lose their power. Their treatment of this war has been one of the most disgraceful things I've ever witnessed as an American. From Harry Reid declaring, prematurely, that the war is lost, to Obama's refusal to admit that the current stability in Iraq might be due mainly to the surge, it certainly appears that these positions have more to do with Democratic Party politics than a desire to see America achieve victory.
Regarding energy, off-shore drilling and a gas tax suspension would indeed lower gasoline prices at the pump. Drilling would drive prices down immediately (see: laws of supply and demand and global speculation) and the gas tax suspension is obvious. That said, the gas tax suspension is a quick fix political ploy and no substitute for sound, long-term strategy. Besides all the political maneuvering, the truth is that we need a comprehensive plan; one which includes both short term, environmentally sound drilling, and long term investment in renewables and nuclear. P.S. hasn't Obama actually recently reversed on drilling? Gosh, what a quandary for the Democrats! A candidate is actually making sense on energy! Also, Paris Hilton may be on to something on this issue.
BCPL:
much like these video quotes, i've always maintained respect for mccain and his message even while disagreeing with many of his policy positions. however, he has allowed this campaign to bring out the worst in him, and that respect is now in incredibly short supply.
and sorry, no uber-links this time. ;)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
A Response to The Pinko Commie Liberal
My well-intentioned friend, the Commie Pinko responded to my previous post. My responses are interstitial within his:
wow. okay, this will be easy:
1. obama's campaign did not approve the publication of the prayer nor did they distribute its contents beforehand. it's clear the paper is trying to find a defense against their possibly-illegal violation of privacy charges. the offending student who took the note has since apologized and the note has been returned.
EVR: And yet, Obama hasn’t denied it and the spokesman’s line, "We have neither confirmed nor denied the prayer to anyone" is pretty damn hazy.
2. while despicable to me (as both a political junkie and a secular humanist) the politicization of faith in american politics is nothing new. see such exhibits as:
A. GWB's lying about his conversion with billy graham, in order to curry political favor with evangelicals and be elected president.
EVR: Read the article and it doesn’t convince me that Bush lied. Graham didn’t outright say that he wasn’t the one to convert Bush (plus, I wouldn’t expect Graham to disregard humility and take credit for something as subjective as, “the moment I truly accepted jesus.”
This is in Stark contrast to Obama’s clearly political “come to jesus moment” when he was “interviewing" churches that could provide him with a black political face card: (click view single page, then word search for "Trinity United Church") http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/21/080721fa_fact_lizza?currentPage=all
B. lieberman's embrace of a fundamentalist christian who preaches a gospel that praises the destruction and painful death of lieberman's very people via the rapture.
EVR: This is the most complex topic of the bunch. As a Jew, I understand the cognitive dissonance that a relationship with the fundamentalists inspires. I believe that Lieberman is a good man and an honest man and while I disagree with 90% of his politics, I’ll trust him that this wasn’t a political move. You may disagree, but I think it is highly subjective. What I know for a fact, is that in a world in which it seems that you’re still everyone’s scapegoat … in a world in which the land that we belong to (and belongs to us is questioned daily, threatened daily) we are faced with choosing friends that make strange bedfellows. I’d also say that since we don’t really believe in the fundamentalist version of the apocalypse, it’s easier to take their hand in friendship. Only the future knows the philosophical (and perhaps political) cost of this odd symbiosis.
C. and most galling of all, mccain's complete and utter flip-flop regarding jerry falwell and other "agents of intolerance". i strongly support mccain's 2000 position on this issue. this reversal is most disturbing.
EVR: Blah blah blah … McCain betrayed some values here for sure. But it’s different to accept support from one of these crazies than to sit in their church every Sunday for 20 years. This is no subtle distinction.
all-in-all, this entire "god triangulation" charge smacks of typical right-wing campaign smear jobs, where issues are not debated honestly (see: mccain's current crop of dishonest TV propaganda) and personal attacks on one's character substitute for political discourse (see: mccain's "would rather lose a war" nonsense).
EVR, i'm disappointed to hear your voice in that echo chamber.
EVR: I'll see you at 8p for dinner tonight you damn Commie Pinko. We'll slug it out more then.
wow. okay, this will be easy:
1. obama's campaign did not approve the publication of the prayer nor did they distribute its contents beforehand. it's clear the paper is trying to find a defense against their possibly-illegal violation of privacy charges. the offending student who took the note has since apologized and the note has been returned.
EVR: And yet, Obama hasn’t denied it and the spokesman’s line, "We have neither confirmed nor denied the prayer to anyone" is pretty damn hazy.
2. while despicable to me (as both a political junkie and a secular humanist) the politicization of faith in american politics is nothing new. see such exhibits as:
A. GWB's lying about his conversion with billy graham, in order to curry political favor with evangelicals and be elected president.
EVR: Read the article and it doesn’t convince me that Bush lied. Graham didn’t outright say that he wasn’t the one to convert Bush (plus, I wouldn’t expect Graham to disregard humility and take credit for something as subjective as, “the moment I truly accepted jesus.”
This is in Stark contrast to Obama’s clearly political “come to jesus moment” when he was “interviewing" churches that could provide him with a black political face card: (click view single page, then word search for "Trinity United Church") http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/21/080721fa_fact_lizza?currentPage=all
B. lieberman's embrace of a fundamentalist christian who preaches a gospel that praises the destruction and painful death of lieberman's very people via the rapture.
EVR: This is the most complex topic of the bunch. As a Jew, I understand the cognitive dissonance that a relationship with the fundamentalists inspires. I believe that Lieberman is a good man and an honest man and while I disagree with 90% of his politics, I’ll trust him that this wasn’t a political move. You may disagree, but I think it is highly subjective. What I know for a fact, is that in a world in which it seems that you’re still everyone’s scapegoat … in a world in which the land that we belong to (and belongs to us is questioned daily, threatened daily) we are faced with choosing friends that make strange bedfellows. I’d also say that since we don’t really believe in the fundamentalist version of the apocalypse, it’s easier to take their hand in friendship. Only the future knows the philosophical (and perhaps political) cost of this odd symbiosis.
C. and most galling of all, mccain's complete and utter flip-flop regarding jerry falwell and other "agents of intolerance". i strongly support mccain's 2000 position on this issue. this reversal is most disturbing.
EVR: Blah blah blah … McCain betrayed some values here for sure. But it’s different to accept support from one of these crazies than to sit in their church every Sunday for 20 years. This is no subtle distinction.
all-in-all, this entire "god triangulation" charge smacks of typical right-wing campaign smear jobs, where issues are not debated honestly (see: mccain's current crop of dishonest TV propaganda) and personal attacks on one's character substitute for political discourse (see: mccain's "would rather lose a war" nonsense).
EVR, i'm disappointed to hear your voice in that echo chamber.
EVR: I'll see you at 8p for dinner tonight you damn Commie Pinko. We'll slug it out more then.
Obama's God Triangulation
At best, this is offensive to Jews; At worst, this is offensive to American voters; At the very worst, this is offensive to a man's relationship with god.
From Today’s Wall Street Journal:
The other day Barack Obama was visiting Israel's capital, and he stopped at the Western Wall to partake of a Jewish tradition: He deposited a written prayer into one of the wall's cracks.
This set off a bit of a kerfuffle, as the Israeli newspaper Maariv published the prayer, purportedly filched by a seminary student.
Lord--
Protect my family and me.
Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.
Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.
And make me an instrument of your will.
Haaretz reports that "Jerusalem lawyer Shahar Alon asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz yesterday to order a police investigation into the removal and publication of Obama's note":
"By making the note public," Alon wrote to Mazuz, "Maariv violated the law protecting holy sites, several clauses in the penal code and also infringed upon the basic rights of a person's honor and freedom."
Maariv's response: "Obama's note was published in Maariv and other international publications following his authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem.
Thus…"what initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign." Obama's so-called prayer was at best an open letter to God--a sentiment intended for public, not divine, consumption.
[This] tale leads one to suspect that if Obama were really praying to God, he'd have asked for something more earthly: Lord, give me a landslide!
If Obama is insincere about his religious faith, that does not speak well of his character. Then again, it is reassuring in a way, given that wacko church he belonged to for 20 years.
From Today’s Wall Street Journal:
The other day Barack Obama was visiting Israel's capital, and he stopped at the Western Wall to partake of a Jewish tradition: He deposited a written prayer into one of the wall's cracks.
This set off a bit of a kerfuffle, as the Israeli newspaper Maariv published the prayer, purportedly filched by a seminary student.
Lord--
Protect my family and me.
Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair.
Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just.
And make me an instrument of your will.
Haaretz reports that "Jerusalem lawyer Shahar Alon asked Attorney General Menachem Mazuz yesterday to order a police investigation into the removal and publication of Obama's note":
"By making the note public," Alon wrote to Mazuz, "Maariv violated the law protecting holy sites, several clauses in the penal code and also infringed upon the basic rights of a person's honor and freedom."
Maariv's response: "Obama's note was published in Maariv and other international publications following his authorization to make the content of the note public. Obama submitted a copy of the note to media outlets when he left his hotel in Jerusalem.
Thus…"what initially seemed to be a journalistic scoop of dubious moral propriety now seems to be a case of an Israeli paper being played by the Barack Obama campaign." Obama's so-called prayer was at best an open letter to God--a sentiment intended for public, not divine, consumption.
[This] tale leads one to suspect that if Obama were really praying to God, he'd have asked for something more earthly: Lord, give me a landslide!
If Obama is insincere about his religious faith, that does not speak well of his character. Then again, it is reassuring in a way, given that wacko church he belonged to for 20 years.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Democrats: "A Grande Bailout!"
News from Scrappleface:
(2008-07-02) — Democrats in Congress today plan to introduce a bill to halt the recently-announced closing of some 600 Starbucks coffee stores, noting that the displacement of 12,000 Starbucks baristas would overwhelm government aid offices not prepared to handle so many clients for whom English is a second language.
“These people can’t just walk out of Starbucks and get a job at a grocery store or a factory,” said House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-CA. “They would need ESL classes and cultural training to learn how to relate to ordinary Americans and function in society.”
Rep. Pelosi’s bill would subsidize the 600 money-losing Starbucks locations by giving away millions of taxpayer dollars in so-called ‘Venti Vouchers’ to residents of these hard-hit neighborhoods. If the effort fails to revive the flagging stores, Rep. Pelosi said Democrats would “seriously consider nationalizing the coffee industry to ensure the free flow of java at fair prices.”
“This is just another one of our Democrat efforts to protect Americans from the impact of the Bush economic policies,” said Rep. Pelosi. “Under this president, America has become a cold and desolate place where corporations cut unprofitable activities to focus on increasing the bottom line, and returning value to shareholders. When Democrats retake the White House next year, we will reverse that trend.”
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Jews and Joe Lieberman
My gloating friend, the Pinko Commie, posted this link to our shared Google Reader page today.
It talks about the fact that in a recent poll of 900 Jewish folks, Barack Obama was more poular than Joe Lieberman. This is clearly about Iraq and Joe's supposed defection (though really an ousting) from the Democratic party.
Now I love my peeps, but next to Blacks, Jews are the most monolithic block of voters out there. Two things:
1) Lieberman, though ousted from his party, still won in a landslide in a very moderate (though left leaning)state with a large Jewish presence
2) The fact that Obama only has 60 percent of Jews polling for him now is amazing. The last president to get only 60 percent or less of the Jewish vote (besides Jimmy Carter who got votes taken away by an Independent) was Adlai Stevenson in 1956. This, mind you, was against Dwight Eisenhower, liberator of Nazi Germany.
Anyway, the neo conservatives and the Hasids will change all that eventually. And if i have anything to do with it, so will I.
It talks about the fact that in a recent poll of 900 Jewish folks, Barack Obama was more poular than Joe Lieberman. This is clearly about Iraq and Joe's supposed defection (though really an ousting) from the Democratic party.
Now I love my peeps, but next to Blacks, Jews are the most monolithic block of voters out there. Two things:
1) Lieberman, though ousted from his party, still won in a landslide in a very moderate (though left leaning)state with a large Jewish presence
2) The fact that Obama only has 60 percent of Jews polling for him now is amazing. The last president to get only 60 percent or less of the Jewish vote (besides Jimmy Carter who got votes taken away by an Independent) was Adlai Stevenson in 1956. This, mind you, was against Dwight Eisenhower, liberator of Nazi Germany.
Anyway, the neo conservatives and the Hasids will change all that eventually. And if i have anything to do with it, so will I.
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