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THAT ONE, MY FRIENDS
Here are a few random and discursive observations about the second Obama-McCain joint appearance:
A personal plea to Senator Walnuts. Please, please stop saying "my friends" over and over again. I, for one, am not your friend. Plus it sounds patronizing. It may have worked for FDR but he actually liked people, which you obviously do not. As the old Motown tune goes, I ain't too proud to beg:
McCain's worst moment was when, grinning maniacally, he pointed at Obama and said of an energy bill: "guess who voted for it, that one." Yikes. It was another rude and condescending moment. I shuddered and I suspect that Miss Manners shuddered as well. I haven't checked to see if Emily Post rolled over in her grave but I'll do so and get back to ya...
If Hubert Humphrey was the "happy warrior," John McCain is the unhappy one. This is his big moment and he looks miserable; as if his dentures don't fit. While he wasn't as cranky as in the first debate, he was still in full tilt Mr. Burns mode. I think he thought Tom Brokaw was Smithers, actually...
I hate the town hall format even when, as it did tonight, it favors my candidate. Obama moves beautifully; he's graceful, cool, calm and poised. McCain was stiff and awkward, sort of like the Lionel Atwill character in Son Of Frankenstein:
Obama's best moment was when Smithers-Brokaw asked if health care was a privilege, right or responsibility. McCain who has benefited from "socialized" medicine his entire life said it was a responsibility, whatever that means. Obama gave the correct answer: R-I-G-H-T. He went on to describe his mother's arguing with her insurance company when she lay dying of cancer. A fine moment.
Obama's worst moment was when he mixed his metaphors and said that McCain was claiming that he was "green behind the ears." Barack was all wet there but Walnuts was still green with envy...
Once again, I know that some of my friends on the left will think that Obama didn't attack enough but his mission in these debates is to show that he's a plausible President as well as a darn nice guy. He did both, you betcha.
The least surprising thing about the joint appearance: the fact that the name Bill Ayers wasn't uttered once. Other than dittoheads, rabid wingnuts and Sarah Palin nobody gives a rat's ass. That kind of smear only works when it's tied to something voters care about at that given moment. Right now the campaign is all about the economy.
The Bottom Line: Obama is one cool customer. He's a combination of Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman. He had the clear advantage on both style and substance. Adrastos Grade: B+
McCain was less angry this time around but his attempts at uplift fell flat. His answers on economic issues seemed rote and memorized; almost Palinesque but not as goofy. He reminded me not only of Montgomery Burns but of Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter. Nobody would have wanted either of them as President. Walnuts needed a clear win and it didn't happen. Adrastos Grade: C+
Absent an alien invasion or Cheney led coup, I think we'll make history on November 4th and do something I never thought would happen in my lifetime: elect a Veep with a killer smile and hair plugs.
I've quit wanting him to go in for the kill. He clearly knows so much
better than I do. My li'l bro' (the political dude who mos' def' knows
better than I do) says it's the smartest campaign he's ever seen run. I say
to Barack: Pay us no attention. Keep doing what you're doing, hand on the
tiller, steady on course.
"My friends" sure di get to be annoying after the first twenty times...
"He's a combination of Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman."
Hero worship? Nope just casting by analogy. I didn't even support Obama for
the nomination until mid-way through but has he grown on me? Sure, he's a
good candidate. Has that turned me into an imbecile? Nope.
sorry, didn't mean to say you were an imbecile. That quote just made me
feel all icky inside, just as it would if someone tried to compare McCain
to . . . who, I don't even know.
Understood, Stevo. As a lifelong film buff I often think of who Hollywood
would cast to play pols. To me, Steve McQueen was the personification of
cool but he was too instinctual for Obama, which is why Paul Newman
occurred to me. The Poitier analogy is obvious, which is why the McCain
camp and the Clintons before them have had such a hard time dealing with
Obama.
McCain's worst moment was when he corrected a questioner who used the word
"bailout" instead of "rescue" he then went on to further condescend to the
guy, "I'll bet you'd never heard of Freddie and Fannie before"
Well, somebody has to think that McCain's campaign is competent, Pants.
It's not going to fly this time: it's not 2002 or 2004.
Jeffrey, the condescending Fannie/Freddie remark jumped out at me too. How
stupid does he think people are? The rest of your analysis is frighteningly
sensible. Finally, how did you make that tiny URL here? My Twitter client
does it but.... ? TIA
Tinyurl.com
A,
Sigh. The smears that have worked in the past have been tied to genuine
fears: Horton and crime; Swift boat and terrorism. The public has moved on
from 2002 and 2004 where fear of dying were central. Do I think the
Ayers/Other thing could have a minor effect? Yes but it's too amorphous to
stick with anyone who's not a dittohead. Too many on the left are like
generals fighting the last war. 2008 is new terrain and the electorate is
solidifying. I know you disagree, Pants. Being a contrarian is part of your
charm.
Heh. Now who's "fighting the last war" Obama is not Clinton. Sure he's
every bit as phony and his campaign theme sounds very similar and, yes, the
Republicans are running a similar campaign against him (still running
against the 60s, etc)
Whatever, Jeff. I'm not as cynical as you: I only think that 30% people
suck and you seem to think it's 90%. The only question about the election
now is the margin. If McCain's message was working why are they defending
NC and Indiana?
I'm talking bout T Boone's big McCain's the man to solve this energy
problem I've been whining about so expensively all month ad that I just
can't wait to see.
Obama is up in all the polls:
Jeffrey's a natchal born contrarian. Those trends are *why* he's convinced
everything will go to hell.
"Those trends are *why* he's convinced everything will go to hell."
Back to the Newman/Poitier comparison. I just remembered "Paris Blues".
Kerry was ahead in the polls, too. Right up until he lost.
I don't think my view on McCain's failure to mention to Ayers is that
different from Adrastos' view. It was absurd for the pundits to act like
it was either mystifying or evidence of McCain's fundamental decency.
Apparently, everybody but the pundits (and, of course, the wingnuts who eat
up that stuff) realized that it was just red meat for the base stuff. I do
think the McCain camp hoped that Obama would somehow be stupid enough to
waste debate practice time defending against that, instead of the attack
that McCain really had no choice but to make, i.e. the CRA and Fannie Mae
caused the credit crisis attack. Obviously, it didn't work because Obama
answered "Fannie Mae" with "Phil Gramm." The format kept the exchange from
going any further, but McCain will have to try to hammer it hard in the
final debate. Let me be the first to predict that the funniest that about
that debate will be the networks' post-debate fact checks -- they'll never
get something that complicated right.
Bullet: In 2004, Bush wasn't trying to hold on to North Carolina and
Indiana 29 days out. Kerry had also given up on Missouri by now. The map
heavily favors Obama. Plus, the Repubs had the ground game advantage in
2004 and this time the Dems do.
It's perilous, but he has no choice but to try to spread the blame around.
I'm glad he's mad at Carly Fiorina, I thought it was going to be a long
election when I saw Fiorina and Claire McCaskill on one of the Sunday
morning shows several weeks ago. I'd hate to see those two debating it.
But really, I don't see where he has any choice but to try to confuse
people about the cause of the credit crisis.