1) He spent far more time telling us what he went through 35 years ago than he did addressing what we went through in the last 7 and a half years. It stands to reason: his party was responsible for much of it.
2) McCain's speech, and much of the GOP convention, was just red meat rhetoric. There wasn't much substantive, which was surprising. Given how harshly they (incorrectly, IMO) criticized Obama for a lack of substance in his speech, I expected a plan from McCain. It didn't come.
3) The desperation of the Republican party is showing in the outright lies they're telling. Both candidates tax policies will increase after-tax income - though Obama's will yield about 2% more for those making under a quarter of a million a year. And yet they trot out the same old trope about Obama raising your taxes.
4) Given that Sarah Palin so derisively mocked Obama's community organizing past, it was odd to hear McCain call for people to get up and dosomething to help their communities. Wouldn't that be ADVOCATING community organizing?
5) Maverick? Maybe a decade ago. Voting in near lockstep with the Bush administration doesn't make you a maverick, it makes you a lapdog. Appointing a right-wingnut like Sarah "creationist" Palin says that you'll perform whatever quasi-sexual favors are necessary to stimulate the Christian right. Outright lies and attacks while making promises to keep the campaign civil isn't maverick, it's lying.
6) Again, the constant reliance on his POW past is now tarnishing a record that is truly honorable. His "I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not” line was really.... sad. We know he is a legitimate hero. He is diminishing his own legacy. Being a prisoner 35 years ago doesn't answer the complex questions that exist about Iraq, Iran, Russia, Pakistan and Afghanistan. He told us nothing.
We deserve better.
9.05.2008
9.04.2008
Jon Stewart does more real journalism than the MSM
xposing the hypocrisy of Karl Rove (over his defense of Sarah Palin and ripping of Tim Kaine), Bill Orally (over his defense of Palin's unwed, pregnant daughter and skewering of Jamie Sprears and her parents), Dick Morris and McCain advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer (sexism in the Palin coverage).
9.03.2008
9.02.2008
Finally, real journalistic questioning
Campbell Brown plays hardball with McCain advisor Tucker Bounds.
Campbell asks him straight out what Palin's foreign policy experience is, and he can't answer. At one point, it's her "command experience" as head of the Alaska National Guard. But when confronted with the truth that the Pentagon makes those decisions - she makes no decisions regarding troop deployments - he goes to her duty commanding the National Guard in an emergency. Which IS NOT foreign policy experience.
And what is an emergency in Alaska? A caribou jacknifed on County Road Six? The last emergency I saw in Alaska was handled by Josh Hartnett.
Finally, a journalist has the stones to confront these guys on their spin. Uncomfortable and brilliant.
FOLLOW-UP 9/3: McCain cancels interview with Larry King because the interview was "over the line". Insert your own comment here.
Campbell asks him straight out what Palin's foreign policy experience is, and he can't answer. At one point, it's her "command experience" as head of the Alaska National Guard. But when confronted with the truth that the Pentagon makes those decisions - she makes no decisions regarding troop deployments - he goes to her duty commanding the National Guard in an emergency. Which IS NOT foreign policy experience.
And what is an emergency in Alaska? A caribou jacknifed on County Road Six? The last emergency I saw in Alaska was handled by Josh Hartnett.Finally, a journalist has the stones to confront these guys on their spin. Uncomfortable and brilliant.
FOLLOW-UP 9/3: McCain cancels interview with Larry King because the interview was "over the line". Insert your own comment here.
9.01.2008
Why? (part 1)
[political rant on]
...does John McCain get to call Barack Obama "unqualified" when he nominates Sarah Palin?
Or am I just not seeing it? Shouldn't every overburdened mom of 5 with a special needs kid get a chance to negotiate a nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Vladimir Putin? As much as I love my mom, I don't think she should be deciding troop levels.
Now, this has nothing to do with her being a woman. This has everything to do with every person who thinks she's qualified because "she's a mom of 5 and knows how to run a family". That's nuts. John McCain is 72 and has survived several bouts with cancer. Has the qualification for leader of the free world now sunk to being able to successfully run a family?
So what, you'll ask, makes a first-term senator from Illinois qualified? Admittedly, on the face of it, not much. However, look further. The man has demonstrated over the last 19 months that he has an acute grasp of the issues. He's demonstrated his ability to pass significant legislation in the Senate. He's shown an ability to inspire millions of people to come to his well-articulated vision. That's why he's qualified.
Obama went to Harvard and was the President of the Harvard Law Review. Not the University of Idaho with a minor in poli-sci. With a job out of school as a sports reporter. Are we joking here?
Is this a Lifetime movie with Kate Jackson?
Please don't tell me Wolf Blitzer is going to sit on his thumbs and let the GOP pretend that Obama and Plain have similar credentials. Please. Please?
Additionally, over the last 19 months Obama has put in the time and made the case. Sarah Palin has not. He's withstood the challenges of far more seasoned opponents, and he's not only still standing, but he's still standing strong. And she only has 8 weeks to attempt to do the same. The American people should demand more.
All of this brings McCain's judgment into serious question. Of course finishing 894 ou
t of 899 at the Naval Academy brings lots of things into question. Not to mention losing 5 jets. What is he, Lloyd Bridges as Admiral Benson from "Hot Shots"? ("You know, I've personally flown over 194 missions and I was shot down on every one. Come to think of it, I've never landed a plane in my life. ")
Did 2000 and 2004 not teach us a lesson? All in all, everything being equal, we're always better going with the smart, intellectually-curious guy. Not the one who put as #2 a total lightweight who advocates teaching creationism in schools and once belonged to a group calling for Alaskan succession.
On Sunday, August 31st, both the McCain campaign and Cindy McCain attempted to make the case that Sarah Palin is qualified on foreign-affairs matters because "Alaska is our closest state to Russia".
Are we serious here? Or has Presidential politics turned into a reality show? I'm embarrassed.
...does John McCain get to call Barack Obama "unqualified" when he nominates Sarah Palin?
Or am I just not seeing it? Shouldn't every overburdened mom of 5 with a special needs kid get a chance to negotiate a nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Vladimir Putin? As much as I love my mom, I don't think she should be deciding troop levels.
Now, this has nothing to do with her being a woman. This has everything to do with every person who thinks she's qualified because "she's a mom of 5 and knows how to run a family". That's nuts. John McCain is 72 and has survived several bouts with cancer. Has the qualification for leader of the free world now sunk to being able to successfully run a family?
So what, you'll ask, makes a first-term senator from Illinois qualified? Admittedly, on the face of it, not much. However, look further. The man has demonstrated over the last 19 months that he has an acute grasp of the issues. He's demonstrated his ability to pass significant legislation in the Senate. He's shown an ability to inspire millions of people to come to his well-articulated vision. That's why he's qualified.
Obama went to Harvard and was the President of the Harvard Law Review. Not the University of Idaho with a minor in poli-sci. With a job out of school as a sports reporter. Are we joking here?
Is this a Lifetime movie with Kate Jackson?
Please don't tell me Wolf Blitzer is going to sit on his thumbs and let the GOP pretend that Obama and Plain have similar credentials. Please. Please?
Additionally, over the last 19 months Obama has put in the time and made the case. Sarah Palin has not. He's withstood the challenges of far more seasoned opponents, and he's not only still standing, but he's still standing strong. And she only has 8 weeks to attempt to do the same. The American people should demand more.
All of this brings McCain's judgment into serious question. Of course finishing 894 ou
t of 899 at the Naval Academy brings lots of things into question. Not to mention losing 5 jets. What is he, Lloyd Bridges as Admiral Benson from "Hot Shots"? ("You know, I've personally flown over 194 missions and I was shot down on every one. Come to think of it, I've never landed a plane in my life. ")Did 2000 and 2004 not teach us a lesson? All in all, everything being equal, we're always better going with the smart, intellectually-curious guy. Not the one who put as #2 a total lightweight who advocates teaching creationism in schools and once belonged to a group calling for Alaskan succession.
On Sunday, August 31st, both the McCain campaign and Cindy McCain attempted to make the case that Sarah Palin is qualified on foreign-affairs matters because "Alaska is our closest state to Russia".
Are we serious here? Or has Presidential politics turned into a reality show? I'm embarrassed.
I Laughed
Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw pretaping Gerald Ford's death notice
Writing a song with John Mayer
Writing a song with John Mayer
See more John Mayer videos at Funny or Die
Guidos. Bless 'em
Lots of people have seen this already, but it's still hysterical a year later.
Love the bronzer, dudeness...
Love the bronzer, dudeness...
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