The Obama Nation: Increasingly Desperate
Posted: September 21, 2008 Filed under: No Obama | Tags: No Obama, Obama can't get above 50% 11 CommentsI’m noticing a distinct tone change in the MSM and among many key Obama supporters. It’s that sound of desperation. It’s the sound of whining … PULEEZE vote for him! After all, the world will fall apart if we get
another Republican in office. Today’s New York Times Op Ed page is full of the whine of the Obamanation.
Among the many issues voters need to consider in this campaign is this vital fact: The next president is likely to appoint several Supreme Court justices. Those choices will determine the future of the law, and of some of Americans’ most cherished rights.
John McCain and Barack Obama have made it clear that they would pick very different kinds of justices. The results could be particularly dramatic under Mr. McCain, who is likely to complete President Bush’s campaign to make the court an aggressive right-wing force
source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21sun1.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
While that’s a really nice argument , we need to remember that it takes two to stack a supreme court. The President may appoint the justices, but remember, there is that advice, consent, and approval of the senate thing stuck right there in the constitution. If progressive Senators would’ve grown a pair (or borrowed them from Hillary), we wouldn’t be in this position now. Obama was going to happily vote for Roberts until an aide told him otherwise. Think Bork. He was stopped. Hell, Joe Biden could have prevented the appointment of Clarence “Uncle” Thomas had he acted like he had some sense and a pair! The head of the senate just needs to make sure that the president knows who will get through and who will experience nomination hell and then make it so! This is why it is important that some one like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton holds leadership in the Senate. We will not see this kind of leadership from Senator Reid.
Also, overturned laws go back to the states. The bottom line is, if you want to live in a state that resembles the christian version of the taliban nation, move to nebraska. If you want rights and civil liberties, move to california, new york, or minnesota. I think you see what population patterns suggest here. You live in nebraska, you live among cows. You live in minnesota, you live among university attending people.
The next whine I’m hearing over and over as Obama’s numbers vacillate but never reach that 50% number is that we’re just not ready for a black president. This is despite the fact we have black governors, black mayors, black representatives, and black senators in places where there are indeed, white voters. Just ask me! ALL of my local government leaders and representatives are nonwhite. I’d never vote if I had an issue with black or minority candidates. Democrats think that only by gerrymandering the country and the primaries, we’ll finally get a black president because americans follow their lesser angels. I will grant you, there are some racist hold-outs all over the country, but they are not the majority.
A lot of these “They are RACIST!” whines come from folks that think they know places like the South and the midwest and then slime us with some outrageous caricature. Obama’s own characterization of us as bitter folks clinging to religion and guns shows exactly how unaware many folks are about the nature of the citizens of this country. With the exception of a few nasty people, most americans are willing to give just about any one a fair shake until you insult them and their intelligence. We all might not be Harvard-educated, but we have our own set of skills and sense by which we get by in life. Why can’t we just call it what it is. We’re rejecting Obama not on his race, but on his merit. He is pathetically short on merit. McCain may be a crusty old goat with a temper, but he’s a crusty old goat who put his time in the military and the senate and paid his dues. Americans like some one who shows stick-to-itness. The only long term commitments Obama has made are to his very irregular friends and associates. Folks that just about no one can imagine putting into their address books, let alone clinging to for years. Well, I don’t cling to a bible or a gun, and I sure don’t cling to a former weatherman who bombed the pentagon and is sorry he didn’t do more effective bombing. Nobody gets Obama because of his ‘not us’ element, none of us get Obama because he shows poor judgement in the selection of his friends and associates. If there’s one old slogan Americans do cling to it’s “Birds of a feather, flock together.” If you want to mistake that and intrepret it for racism, I’d suggest you develop some critical thinking skills. That old saying is far deeper than that.
Then there is the whine, you lost, just get over it and get on the bus! Pelosi is the head whiner on this one. She is also the one that ensured the roll call at the DNC broke every rule in the book. “Stop the Hate” Brazille has also taken this tact. She being one of the main instigators of the gerrymandered primary system that delivered one more weak and unsuitable candidate to us. Listen, I voted for Mondale, I voted for Kerry, and I even voted for Dukkakis! I’m way pass the fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me … I’m into some other zone here on being fooled that the DNC-delivered candidates will get elected outside of those solid blue states. The deal is, we didn’t lose, and that makes us not get over it. I didn’t even have a chance to get my voice heard before Iowa handed me John Kerry. I didn’t like it. I thought he’d lose. I did get on board, because the process delivered the outcome in a way with which I could not argue. It sucked but it was a process no one gamed. I also thought Kerry was capable of doing the job, even though I figured he wasn’t going to be a Truman, a Jefferson, or a Roosevelt. Obama was the result of gerrymandering and tricks AND he’s not capable of doing the job. Biden probably is … but if that’s the case, put Biden up there on top. What? He never garners any votes? Go figure! What is this? Win the presidency by putting a silver tongued puppet up there then let the VP run the show? Didn’t we get enough of that with Dubya and Cheney?
So, anyway, stop the whining! I’m still note voting for him!
None of the Above …
Posted: September 17, 2008 Filed under: No Obama, U.S. Economy | Tags: mccain, none of the above, Obama 7 CommentsAs this depressingly stupid but important presidential election drones on, I have to say I’m more inclined to opt out by the day. There are simple truths that both campaigns are avoiding. Perhaps it is true that common sense is a most uncommon trait. Let’s look at just a few things my mother taught me that I thought was pretty much common sense. I wasn’t sure if she got them all from Dear Abby or if they were under the collection of old wives’ tales, but damned some body in these campaigns needs their mom to tape some old copies of Dear Abby to their bedroom mirrors. Just like my mom did for me so that I would develop some common sense.
First, I was taught that People in Glass Houses shouldn’t thrown stones. That means if every one supporting Senator Barack Obama is going to criticize Sarah Palin for lack of experience, they better take a good long, hard look at the top of the ticket. Which is worse? An inexperienced Presidential candidate with a Washington Hack at the second position or an inexperienced Vice Presidential candidate with a Washington Hack at the top of the ticket? You decide.
Second, I was taught to not open my mouth when I don’t have a clue what I’m talking about. Neither McCain or Obama seem to know enough about the economy that either of them can answer questions without sounding clueless. Maybe I’m being hypercritical here since I am a financial economist, and what’s going on is right up my area of expertise, but PulEEZE tell me that one of these candidates had your basic macroeconomics and microeconomics courses somewhere on their college transcripts? Oh, right, we have NO idea about that because Obama won’t release his … and McCain was busy crashing planes and trying not to be absolutely dead last in his class. I’m not expecting a Rhodes Scholar for President, but … wait, we did have a Rhodes Scholar, as I recall, and things went pretty well then … maybe we SHOULD start asking for candidates that did their homework for a change.
Third, I was taught not to talk out both sides of my mouth. McCain has evolved into a Teddy Roosevelt Republican who likes government oversight seemingly overnight. None of his primary stump speeches would’ve lead any one to that conclusion. Obama has taken so many sides on one position, I feel like that little green possessed girl in The Exorcist every time I hear another speech. I mean, really, how many sides to a single issue can there possibly be? Obama seems to find a new one with every new audience.
Fourth, i was taught if you keep on lying it increases your chances of being caught and that people really NEVER trust anything a liar says. I don’t even know where to begin here. The first thing thing that comes to mind though is the Obama interview with O’Reilly. He just keeps brushing off those specious friends of his. They just folks he knows in his neighborhood. That was it, these are the people in his neighborhood, in his nieghborhood, in his neighborhood … yes these are the people in his neighborhood, they’re the people that you meet each day. I mean, right, we all have thousands of folks we know, and each of know at least one person who tried to blow up the pentagon and was sorry they didn’t blow up more buildings, another person who is in jail for corruption and fraud, yet another person who says Goddamn America and blames the country for 9-11 … sheesh, I know I’m highly odd, that I don’t have any friends like this? and I mean… you do, don’t you? Then there’s this week’s McCain thing: the fundamentals of the American Economy are strong and what I meant was the American workers are the most productive in the world. Yeah, right, that’s not a non sequitur there.
Fifth, I was taught Birds of a Feather flock together. Neither of these candidates can say they are outsiders looking in on the current financial crisis. Senator Obama with his limited amount of time in Washington is the number two Senator to get funds from both Fannie and Freddie. Penny Priztker is the mother of the subprime mortgage meltdown as well as his finance chair. Half of his finance committee has major connections to most of the big players in the current housing bubble and investment banking blow up. John McCain relies on Phil Gramm for advice. Puhleeze! You think we don’t know if you weren’t part of the problem you at least turned a blind eye to it? Or were so busy on the campaign trail you wouldn’t even have known what was going on even if you read the news?
This has to be the worst set of candidates I have ever seen or heard of in U.S. History. Why can’t we just have some folks that show a little decency, wisdom, and common sense? If we don’t get some primary election reform soon, I’m going to expatriate to some place that appreciates democracy pretty soon. It’s a lost art form here.
Banksy’s Gifts to the Ninth Ward …
Posted: September 11, 2008 Filed under: New Orleans | Tags: banksy, graffiti art, New Orleans 5 CommentsIf you’ve followed any of my New Orleans-related posts, you know i live in the ninth ward and you’ve read
about NOLA rising, the Grey Ghost, and urban art. Well, in honor of the third anniversary of Katrina, infamous British grafitti artist Banksy blessed us with his incredible art. He even took on the Grey Ghost!!! Here’s a sampling of his work and links to give you some more information. Folks in the neighborhood are scrambling to ensure these whimsical marvels become permanent installations.
Banksy’s website:
http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/horizontal_1.htm
Times Picayune on the works here by British Grafitti artist Banksy:
http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2008/09/banksy_i_presume.html
http://blog.nola.com/living/2008/09/graffiti_art_update.html
More On Banksy and the New Orleans Installations:
One of the works (the marching band shown at the bottom of this this thread) was already painted over by the custodian of the abandoned building. Say good bye to a great piece of art, let alone the price that original Banksy’s can fetch! Not only did it beautifully capture some of the best of New Orleans Culture, it was probably worth hundereds of thousands of dollars. The “National Looters” shown above was recently covered by plywood yesterday. Driving by it today, the plywood is down. My understanding is that the owner of the building is trying to protect this piece. (Smart and savvy person that one!) They are still searching out locations of several of the works seen on Banksy’s website–including a helmet morphed into a turtle and a little girl screaming from atop a chair at the trademark Banksy rat. This rat uses a crack in plaster exposing the bricks for its body. One of the Banksy’s has also been damaged. The link above to gawker talks about that senseless act.
Banksy’s sense of humor is in full play here. He obviously has used the Grey Ghost (Fred Radtke) for the basis of this statement on the anti-grafitti artists block out of grafitti in New Orleans with gray swaths of paint.
What Goes around Comes around …
Posted: September 10, 2008 Filed under: No Obama, Women's Rights | Tags: 2008 presidentional election, Obama and lipstick on pigs, racism and sexism, Sarah Palin 2 Comments
Senator Obama is learning that karma is a bitch! During the primary, his entire campaign screamed racism whenever they could portray comments by Senator Clinton, President Clinton, or her supporters in the worst possible light. It was almost a game to them. Wait for the slightest sign of a code word, send in an Obama surrogate to claim racism, then send the candidate out to say, well, I’m sure they REALLY didn’t mean that! Clinton spent a lot of time off message due to this tactic.
Well, now the table is turned! Now that the country has focused on the rampant sexism during the primary, there is heightened sensitivity to any potentially sexist comment and definitely to comments that drip with misogyny. We’ve already seen Senator Obama’s less than subtle third finger to Hillary so we know he’s incapable of nuanced references. Remember the after victory party that blared Jay-Z’s “99 problems (But a bitch ain’t one)?” Well, as the good pastor Wright might say “chickens are coming home to roost”.
The McCain campaign is playing by different rules which maybe why Obama struggles with a response other than, really, I didn’t mean that and you all know better and shouldn’t be picking on me. Word from McCain: You meant it and it’s sexist! If this isn’t more proof that McCain is gunning for the 18 million cracks in the ceiling and being serious about it, I don’t know what is. Obama is so flustered that his message has been virtually lost in the spin cycle.
And now, yet another chicken’s roosting in Obama’s hen house.
South Carolina Democratic chairwoman Carol Fowler reportedly lashed out at Sarah Palin Wednesday, saying the Republican vice presidential candidate’s “primary qualification seems to be that she hasn’t had an abortion.”
Politico.com reports that Fowler, wife of former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler, said that John McCain’s decision to choose an abortion rights opponent would not boost his candidacy among many women.
“Among Democratic women and even among independent women, I don’t think it helped him,” she told Politico.com.
You remember South Carolina. It’s the home of the claim that the fairy tale comment by Bill Clinton was about Barrack Obama and not his stand on the Iraq war. That lunacy cost Hillary many, many black voters. I guess they can dish out the claims on racism but sputter over sexism. Now we’re hearing Senator Obama whine about swiftboating. Well, Senator, what did you expect? It seems Senator Hillary Clinton was right. Senator Obama can whine about phony outrage, but he better toughen up quickly, it’s not even October yet. He’s acting completely discombobulated and has been over-explaining rather than just saying sorry, didn’t mean it that way, then getting back on message. What an amateur! We told you so … another DNC loser foisted on the masses!
Hurricane Sarah hits the lower 50! MSM rushes to LOW GROUND!
Posted: September 9, 2008 Filed under: No Obama, PUMA | Tags: Biden, mccain, Obama, Palin, Presidential campaign Comments Off on Hurricane Sarah hits the lower 50! MSM rushes to LOW GROUND!I just spent a good week with nothing but a radio. It was also broadcasting nothing but Gustav news 24-7. So, i’m back reading the MSM and trying to catch up with the blogosphere. I feel like I’ve emerged from a cacoon to find the oxygen sucked out of the presidential campaign by Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. While I was concerned with Hurricane Gustav, Hurricane Sarah was the story every where else.
It appears the press has spent the majority of that week vetting Palin. I wonder where all that hyper-vetting was when we needed that done with Senator Barrack Obama. Will they ever get around to checking out his relationship with all those Chicago thugs? How about figuring out if he still holds citizenship in Indonesia?
Yesterday was a treat for those of us starved for some one who really did look presidential. Hillary gave a great speech in Florida. Too bad she was having to ride to the rescue of the hapless DNC candidate. The Obama campaign is now begging her to offset the huge momentum coming from the McCain campaign after the suprise vp pick. Hillary has even taken on the white knite mantle in such low low places as Daily Kampf and Huffington Poop. Ah, what could have been …
Obama looked positively starved for oxygen and tired on George’s ABC morning talk show to the point he said he was having to take hits for his “muslim faith”. He was so completely unaware of his gaffe, George had to remind him he was a christian. Meanwhile, Biden showed he may be part of the Washington problem, but at least he understands the issues by discussing the current bail out plans of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Biden is the ultimate Washington insider and there is absolutely no way the Obama campaign is going to successful repackage this canned ham.
McCain is just smiling and basking in the Palin glow as he enjoys a much bigger post-convention bounce than Obama. He’s decided team campaigning sells well, and the power duo have been going from city to city while attracting crowds evoking the rock star label again. It also looks like McCain has pre-empted the change mantra and is successfully riding the maverick pony with his new wild west sidekick. Ah, the American Western, what a completely wild, wild image.
Meanwhile, the NY Times says Obama’s fundraising is suffering from the same anemia shown by the candidate. It appears there’s a max to Obamamania and it was reached a long time ago.
Even Pumas have changed the conversation. Overexposure abounds!Obama is so yesterday! The focus in the PUMA movement has gone three ways now. First, there are those intent on reforming the current democratic party and the process that keeps giving us losers. The Denver Group has gone that direction. I’m not sure if an outsider movement can overcome the most insider of problems, but more power to them. We need to get rid of caucuses and reform the primary system for both parties. This is an ambitious, long term goal. A second group is focused on Hillary and pressuring the senate to recognize her as senate majority leader. This is again an outsider movement focused on an insider problem. I think we can all say that the democratic congressional leadership is a big disappointment. It’s only real accomplishment has been earning congress a lower approval rating than President Bush. What exactly does it say when you’re more unpopular than the worst president in history? The third group has jumped on the McCain wagon train and will ride it until Hillary comes back into play again in 2012. I’m not there with McCain and his dependence on fundie fanatics. I think he can handle the presidency but I just can’t support irresponsible tax cuts and anyone who hangs with folks that take the bible literally. I didn’t spend so much of my life sitting in university classrooms and studying science to turn my brain off in the voting booth. I just can’t hold my nose and vote for someone beholden to the religious right.
Personally, I think it’s important we start to focus downticket and ensure a reasonable group of senators and representatives will hit Washington to ensure that McCain’s Maverick side will be rewarded while his pandering to the social right side goes completely punished. Meanwhile, as Hurricane Ike becomes less relevant to Louisiana and I return my focus to research and the blood sport of politics, I’m taking bets on how long the Palin momentum will continue and if the Obama campaign can get a jumpstart again.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the misogyny that is deeply embedded in US culture. We’ve seen the re-ignition of the mommy wars which is unwinnable as was the cold war. I’ve also seen perfectly good progressives tell jokes like ‘well, at least she has TWO things going for her’. I may just return to my old feminist roots and burn a few bras. One thing hasn’t changed for me though, I’m not voting for Obama.








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