Though I didn't have the chance to glue myself to the whole day/night of DNC coverage, I was at least able to catch some big hitters.
Mark Warner (former Virginia gov) showed why wonky isn't always bad: he was not the most exciting guy, and his speech was not exactly the "Obama 04" speech. But people understand that details on creating jobs and other economic stuff are not always light and fluffy; MW's somewhat technical-tinted presentation added some intellectual ballast to the evening. --Warner wouldn't have been a bad Vice President!!
Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana was somewhat in the same vein, though more exciting and excited. His presentation was largely about energy issues, and his joke about McCain's proposed $4 billion tax break for oil companies not being the kind of "change" we need echoed a "change" pun I'd wanted to make for a while.
The first day of the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado best not be like the subsequent days: although not everyone loves Dave Gergen and Jimmy Carville, they were probably right that Day 1 was a little light on substance and punch. (Not light on bloviating, though: if boring someone to death were a felony, a lot of the speechmaking politicians I saw last night would be looking for a bail bondsman right now.) Hopefully Obama has planned this as a "build-up" thing, i.e., start out light as meringue, then punch heavy as plutonium later on. We'll see.
I'm wishing for the former, but I thought I should bring up the possibility of the latter, as unlikely as it may be. (Although Tom Eagleton didn't have any real slips on the McGovern campaign trail per se; he'd just had electroshock therapy when younger. Meanwhile, Biden comes up with new zingers like "Barack Americans", which gives me little hope...)
By the way, this will probably be one's last diary that evokes Biden's past much. (Cf. this comment from my diary yesterday, noting that people were not being very honest in the poll about whether Biden should be VP.) But as we all hope that Joe doesn't use his Joementum in a self-destructive way that could hurt others too, let's ask about the NON-conscious reasons that Barack may have picked Bi to be his partner.
Over the course of his presidential bid, Biden cemented his reputation as -- how to put this nicely? -- less than disciplined on the campaign trail. ...
Plagiarizer In Chief ...
Washington Insider ...
Joe Loves Joe
One of the most overlooked episodes during the 1987 collapse of Biden's campaign was a snippet of footage captured by C-Span in which the Delaware senator, in response to a question about where he went to law school and what sort of grades he received, delivered this classic line: "I think I have a much higher IQ than you do." ...
CURTAIN RISES. LIGHTS ON Godotbama, center stage, sitting in a chair with a skull in his hand, he looking at the skull intently.
ACT I
Godotbama: I am the change I've been waiting for--give or take 50 cents. But I am now waiting...waiting...waitingwaiting for the perfect VP. For me. G.
I think and weigh, but whom shall I choose? The flawless one, without whom I shall lose? (taps skull, looks pensive)
...And so too doth the AUDIENCE (nodding towards audience) wait and pine; to see which, which helper shall be mine.
ACT II
(Shuffling out of the darkness, stage left, a female figure wearing a pantsuit, an "H" embroidered on her jacket:)
H: Is this a dagger I see before me? Hie hie. The Lady cometh, and not too late; if thou choosest not her, she shalt thee OBLITERATE.
G: Get thee hence, milady: thou art a ghost of sorrowful sounds, of clinging tones past.
As noted before: even if Obama has picked a VP, he can unpick. Biden in particular: slurs against Asians are more McCain's territory, you would think; why would Obama want to go there with his VP pick? And I almost wonder if Georgia got a little hint from Bush to call Biden, to make him look better to Obama, or at least to confuse Obama? Hm. May be worth a diary...
...I try to surround myself with people who are about getting the job done, and who are not about ego, self—aggrandizement, getting their names in the press, but our focus on what's best for the American people.
I think people will see that I'm not afraid to have folks around me who complement my strengths and who are independent. I'm not a believer in a government of yes—men. ...
Especially after the shellacking McCain gave him last night (in many minds), Barack Obama could use a little toughness on his team. Someone a little like McCain, but without the "ev-l" parts. Kucinich? Edwards? ...
Hey, where's Jim Webb?
Actually, McC could learn a lot from Obama (e.g., having the right positions), but McC was punchy, succinct, and made the campaign sound epic, e.g., fighting The Terrorists Everywhere, etc., in Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum tonight.
A. Obama needs to say things succinctly, and be less Kerryesque.
B. He needs to sound punchier and more aggressive. Why didn't he say anything about getting Osama?
C. Stories. He talked about his ancestors who fought in WWII, but he--or a running mate--could sure use some personal stories with the "I was in a Hanoi hellhole for my beloved country" tang that McCain exhibited.
I'm voting Obama; but not enough other people may do so unless he ramps up his speech and debate style. Forewarned is forearmed.
The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, ...
...We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions.
, but one wonders what happened to the "rare" part of "safe, legal, and rare". Bill Clinton invented that--the best thing he ever said--; so if unlike the 2004 platform, the '08 platform doesn't even include "rare", Dems will look like they're
less sexually restrained than Bill Clinton.
Is that something the party can afford these days, especially after John Edwards' zipper problem? Probably not.
--And "We also recognize..." is sort of tepid language, I must say. Again, where's "rare"? It was there in the '04 platform...
(Cross-posted from O.o...although the version HERE is longer, due to the "minimum diary length" suggestions)
Just a thought.
...and have a look at Wik for more info supporting the badness of Dasch for VP,
...Daschle is married to lobbyist and former Federal Aviation Administration official Linda Hall....
Democratic losses in the November 2002 elections returned them to the minority in the Senate in January 2003 and Daschle reverted to being Minority Leader. ...
Daschle has not made intentions clear as to whether or not he will run again for office; however, he has signed on as a Senior Policy Advisor [lobbyist] with the K Street law firm Alston & Bird. Daschle was recruited by the former Republican Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole. Daschle has refused to discuss his salary, but Dole, performing a similar role at the firm, has admitted to making in the region of $800,000 to $1 million per year. ...
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--except for the photo of Sho'nuff, which has to be seen to be believed, so take a little visit there to peep it)
For our first lengthy interview (as opposed to short ones) here at Obamaism.org, we have the honor to feature Professor R. L'Heureux Lewis from the Department of Sociology and the Black Studies Program at the City College of New York, City University of New York ("CCNY-CUNY"), seen in his "hmmm" pose below,
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--which has much much more on Jolie's posing than I can say here, due to the three-paragraph rule at DKos, so pop off to the original when you can)
I'd long been thinking of writing something about Angelina Jolie, and her not-so-great side, but her own terrible judgment has preempted me here: see Variety offshoot "Wilshire and Washington" yesterday, Angelina Jolie's Endorsement,
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org--which has a much fuller account of Bernie Mac's jokery, due to the three-paragraph rule at DKos, so have a look)
The beloved Bernie's death has already been diaried (at Daily Kos), but one interesting feature of his life to note is that Barack Obama recently criticized him for his "un-family values" jokery: see ABC, "Political Radar", Bernie Mac Makes 'Inappropriate' Jokes at Obama Fundraiser,
On this rather sad day for Dems, there is some good news: Obama's new ad, which resembles some advice I gave on my own site...(!)
All right, I don't know that he reads Obamaism.org, though his staff know about it. (I may have told them in person about it, in fact)
I'm not going to embed O's Olympic "Hands" vid on my site [or here at DKos], since I have fear of too much Intertubes technology etc.; but you can check it on the BO site here.
For those not into clicking vid links, the video shows average Americans making the world better through making more green jobs etc., per Barack's plan. And Ob appears himself near the end, though not super-obtrusively. (Showing he's not just some Berlin cabaret type, you know, some Joel Grey who wants to be in the Oval Office)
The Paris Hilton spoof of John McCain's "Celebrity" anti-Obama video is not sans amusement but doesn't go far enough: it doesn't seem to include the prime laff potential for McCain's own person and family with their "celebrity" tendencies.
For example, you could have
A. Footage of McCain offering up his wife as a sacrifice to the gods of toplessness...what are the McCains, a bunch of CELEBRITIES?
Having the words "FAMILY VALUES" in some bright color flash across the screen during this sequence might be neat.
(Cross-posted from Obamaism.org, though the short version here doesn't have the link to another blogger's crazed and color-coded look at O and the Olympics, so you can look over there)
Not necessarily, those obtuse oddities; but one is concerned. See, e.g., this post by Bil (who took the extra "l" from his name?) Browning, Obama Will Name Bayh his VP Choice on Wednesday,
I'm going to put my neck out on the line by making a prediction. Barack Obama will announce his vice-presidential choice Wednesday morning.
It will be Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. ...
...The Olympics start on Friday and run until the Democratic convention starts. He won't want to compete with the Olympics for press coverage. He'll announce before the Olympics starts. If he announces on Wednesday morning, he'll get coverage all day and be on the news cycle until the Opening Ceremonies knock him off the top spot. ...
(Cross-posted in part from Obamaism.org--although the restrictions on excerpting articles here mean that the version at O.o is longer and more complete, so remember to go look at it)
