LOLOLOL

[THE SHRINK]

I don't need to repeat the accolades Barack Obama has received on his acceptance speech the final evening of the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Suffice to say that neither those who love Obama's soaring oratory nor those hungry for hard, specific detail were disappointed. The climax of a highly successful convention with all the right kinds of drama and none of the wrong kind, Obama's speech shot him and running mate Joe Biden out of Denver on a rocket straight to the White House. Obama's choice of the tough, experienced senator from Delaware seems also to have been a home run: a ticket, not of making up for weakness as Republicans have suggested, but of combined strength.

John McCain, on the other hand, has made the choice of a vice-presidential running mate on the same basis he has made all of his political decisions in this campaign: <b>pandering.</b> In his choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin, McCain is clearly pandering to woman Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton in the primaries and whom McCain hopes will now vote for him insead of Obama. Stupid right-wingers, without a doubt, will proclaim loudly that McCain "hit it out of the park" with this choice, and that Democrats had better be running scared. They will think what they like, of course (if what right-wingers do in their little heads can truly be called "thinking"), but a closer look at Palin reveals a choice that could hardly have been a more superficial one. Sarah Palin has scarcely half the experience as governor of Alaska that Barack Obama has in the US Senate, and before becoming governor less than two years ago was the mayor of a town with a population of around 8000. Before that she was a sportscaster.

As the running mate of a 72-year-old presidential candidate whose mental acuity seems to fade almost by the day, Sarah Palin is hardly prepared to step in and take over as president. With precious little experience even in state politics, Palin has no experience whatsoever in national politics, and no background in foreign affairs. Finding Republican women governors and senators with more experience than Palin would have been easy for McCain; finding one with less experience would been the difficult task. It is obvious that McCain chose Palin not on the basis of any qualification to serve as president on day two if necessary, but only because she is a woman.

This will all become apparent, of course, when Gov. Palin has to face Joe Biden in the vice-presidential debate scarcely a month from now - hardly enough time for her to make up for the vast knowledge gap between herself and her Democratic opponent. It will be a little sad to watch poor Sarah get disassembled by Biden (certainly far less satisfying to watch than McCain being taken apart by Obama), but it will be a reflection on McCain's judgment America needs to see.

Mark C. Eades
http://www.mceades.com

 

[ouch]

Re: LOLOLOL

There are two ways you know this election is over:

1. Pat Buchanan absolutely gushed on MSNBC about how Obama's speech last night was the best political address he had ever heard. He went on for so long that Keith Olbermann had to cut him off so they could go to commercial. Pat Buchanan, a hardcore conservative, knows it is over.

2. Culver is on Obama.

 

[texansfan]

Re: LOLOLOL

From Newsweek

MICHAEL GERSON
It was an important historical moment ... a moment that helped heal some of our nation's deepest and oldest wounds . a moment for all Americans to be proud of the great but still partial progress of our country. But it was not a historic speech. It was, in fact, very much as advertised: "workmanlike." The setting invited comparisons to JFK. The anniversary invited comparisons to Martin Luther King, Jr. The stage invited comparisons to Zeus. But Obama delivered a political stump speech. Not a bad speech, just a small one?designed for focus groups, not for history. Not ineffective, just unmemorable.

Obama argued it was "not a time for small plans"?then talked about toy safety and "the next generation of biofuels." His applause lines were generally weak and uncreative?"We are a better country than this," "Enough!", help people "afford a college education." The speech was lacking in effective humor and wit. "Eight is enough"? A reference to a 1970s sitcom?<NOSCRIPT> </NOSCRIPT>

<!--AD END-->But the speech was smart in its own way. It asserted generally popular Democratic themes - almost indistinguishable from any of Bill Clinton's convention speeches or States of the Union - in a year when typical Democratic themes may be enough for victory.

Yet something was lost tonight. The speech had little to do with the freshness or promise of Obama's initial themes running in Iowa?the themes that raised the hopes of many that he might be a different kind of politician entirely. That Obama of hope and unity now seems (as Bill Clinton once said) like a fairy tale.

Obama delivered a deeply partisan speech. It was even, on occasion, snide and small. "I've got news for you John McCain," Obama exclaimed, "We all put our country first." It was a moment of touchy defensiveness that bordered on nastiness. And there were others. Is John McCain actually responsible for a tripling of American oil imports during his Senate career? Is he really at fault for not entering bin Laden's cave himself? These were cheap shots. In a better, nobler speech, similar points might have been made with humor and a lighter touch.

On the anniversary of "I Have a Dream"?America's preeminent speech about unity?Obama chose to emphasize division. It may have been politically smart. But it was very much politics as usual.

 

[royalfan]

Re: LOLOLOL

Might want to take a step back Shrink. From my point of view, you are coming accross as kind of an unknowledgable homer here. At least take that under consideration.