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Monday, August 18, 2008
Like a broken record
By VictorM:John McCain is very vulnerable on is so-called foreign affairs experience. He only gets away with it because in part the media is unwilling to challenge that notion, but more importantly because Barack Obama is not challenging it as much as he should. Here's a good example:
McCain's first reaction to the Georgia crises was to urge action that would commit the United States to war with Russia (by having Georgia immediately admitted to NATO). Obama needs to point out that, in this test for whether McCain is ready to be commander in chief, McCain grossly overreacted. Indeed, several days later, after McCain had time to cool down, he retracted his statements, saying that military intervention should not be considered. McCain fundamentally does not understand the purpose of NATO. Obama needs be repeating this series of events like a broken record.As I've heard often, "experience is not what happens to you; it's what you do with what happens to you." And McCain has not learned that much. Say it, Barack!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Who is that masked man?
By VictorM:Conventional wisdom says that Barack Obama isn't running away with the election because people don't know enough about him. Frank Rich begs to differ -- it's the real John McCain that people don't know enough about:
The most revealing poll this month by far is the Pew Research Center survey finding that 48 percent of Americans feel they’re “hearing too much” about Obama. Pew found that only 26 percent feel that way about McCain, and that nearly 4 in 10 Americans feel they hear too little about him. It’s past time for that pressing educational need to be met...With the exception of McCain’s imprisonment in Vietnam, every aspect of this profile in courage is inaccurate or defunct.
Frank Rich goes on to detail many of the falsehoods about the perceptions people have of John McCain. Read it.
Friday, August 15, 2008
So stupid it hurts
By VictorM:This lady from Arkansas is a 87 years old and a lifetime Democrat. And this is how she feels about Barack Obama:
Man, we do have our share of stupid people on our side, don't we?Ms. Burrow said she would not vote for Mr. Obama because she believed he was either a Muslim or would, if elected, rejoin Trinity United Church of Christ, the Chicago congregation that he left after a controversy over the former minister’s racial views.
Ms. Burrow’s son, Dennis, tried to convince her that Mr. Obama was not a Muslim.
“He’d have to come to my home and eat some of my purple-hull peas before I’d believe him,” Ms. Burrow said of Mr. Obama. “And my fried okra. Anyone that breaks bread with me, I’d have more confidence in him.”
No news
By VictorM:I'm on a leave of absence from work. Had to take care of quite a few personal things and traveled two days, hence the scarce updates.
I'm all settled in now and took time to take a peek at what's new. And nothing is new, really: John McCain is still behind, still in trouble, and still trying desperate moves (more stupids ads and visibly gloating at the Russia-Georgia conflict -- the man just loves war, doesn't he?); Obama is cruising smoothly, putting up some nice ads and leading in the polls; and the media continues to pull for McCain in the hopes of making this election a nail bitter -- they will fail.
(yawn)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
And the beat goes on...
By VictorM:I know the media would love a close presidential election and they seem to be bending backwards to make sure it happens, but I'm afraid they will be disappointed. Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain by a steady margin, a margin that will continue to increase as the election wears on. This, from yesterday's Gallup poll:
The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update finds Barack Obama with a 47% to 42% lead over John McCain, when registered voters are asked for whom they would vote if the presidential election were held today.This also means that McCain's recent dumb ads are having no impact on the race, or may even be having a negative impact on his numbers.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Turn off the lights
By VictorM:John McCain has been mocking Barack Obama's comment that people can improve their mileage by making sure their tires are properly inflated. The mocking is going on despite Obama's advice being a good one -- properly inflated tires does improve mileage. It's a fact.
But guess what John McCain has himself advised the nation to do for us to break our dependence on foreign oil? To be sure, it's not bad advice but it shows the hypocrisy of his campaign:
If you can't see the video, it shows McCain saying we can turn off the lights 5 minutes earlier and we don't have to drive the extra block (he doesn't say where we should park the car).
McCain also says the price of gas isn't going down anytime soon, but in fact, it did. Oops.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Like a broken clock
By VictorM:Conservative columnist Andrew Sullivan is like a broken clock -- he's right every once in a while. This time, I think he nails why American conservatism is bound to be booted aside:
But this is nothing new, Andrew. On policy, conservatives would always lose. Their success is in the mind games, the clever wording, the lies, etc. It has been this way every since conservatives started winning. Before that, they knew nothing but defeat.Instead of actually fighting on the core questions...we are debating people's cultural insecurities and food choices.
The slow collapse of conservatism as a coherent governing philosophy is not unrelated to this. If you never want to fight campaigns on policy, why bother crafting any?
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Tim Kaine
By VictorM:One of the names being mentioned as a possible vice president for Barack Obama is Virginia's governor Tim Kaine. I don't know much about him so I decided to watch this interview by Charlie Rose. If you are as curious about governor Kaine as I am, and you have 56 minutes to spare, take a look:
I need to dig deeper into where he stands on the issues, but I have to say he was impressive in this interview.
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Answers to the Spears / Hilton ad
By VictorM:Here are some answers to the Britney Spears and Paris Hilton ad that I'd like the Obama team to use, but they probably won't:
"We don't think the Spears/Hilton ad is negative at all. After all, it's a well known fact that Senator McCain has a special affection for young, thin, rich, blond ladies. Whatever the intent of the ad, I'm sure he means well."
"The question we should all be asking is, which of the two -- Britney Spears or Paris Hilton -- would Senator McCain like to have an affair with. Based on is track record, I'm guessing it would be the one with the most money."
"Senator McCain's self-confessed ignorance of economic issues is so obvious that I'm sure he feels that easing the tax burden of those two young ladies is of paramount importance to the country, and is, therefore, the central focus of his tax plan."
Friday, August 01, 2008
Going negative
By VictorM:Contrary to earlier proclamations, John McCain has gone negative, a la Karl Rove, in a recent ad tying Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Whether that attack will have an impact remains to be seen, but let's get real! According to Pollster.com, and going state by state, here are the reasons for those attacks:
- Obama holds a 336 to 202 electoral vote lead over McCain
- if we count only states where each candidate holds a 10+ point lead over the other, 210 electoral votes are safe for Obama, but just 72 for McCain
- if we consider what Pollster.com considers tossup states, we have Obama 284, McCain 147, Tossup 107. It takes 270 electoral votes to win. Today, Obama is 14 EVs above that threshold, while McCain is 123 below it.
Of course, one could argue that the ad is not negative because after all, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton remind McCain of his own wife. :-p
Happiness
By VictorM:I suppose the findings of this study explain my perpetual grin, even if I'm not yet "older":
Less able to achieve their life goals, women end up unhappier than men later in life, even though they start out happier, a new survey of Americans suggests.Early in adult life, women are more likely than men to fulfill their family life and financial aspirations, leading to greater overall happiness.
Later in life, however, the tables turn and men report coming closer to reaching their goals for consumer goods and family life. Men are more satisfied with their financial situation and family life, and are happier than women in later life, the study shows.
In women's defense, living with a smelly, hairy old man can't be much fun.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
McCain strategy
By VictorM:It's obvious that John McCain, desperate after trailing Obama in most polls, is succumbing to the strategy that has worked before...
including the Bush team’s tactics of seeking to make campaigns referendums on its opponents — not a choice between two candidates — and attacking the opponent’s perceived strengths head-on. Central to the latest McCain drive is an attempt to use against Mr. Obama the huge crowds and excitement he has drawn, including on his foreign trip last week, by promoting a view of him as more interested in attention and adulation than in solving the problems facing American families.That this strategy has worked before and might work now says a lot about how rotten most Republicans are for being receptive to this kind of garbage.
I just hope Obama is better at dealing with these attacks than Kerry was.
