Posts Tagged 'mccain'

McCain strikes a pose …

Published September 24, 2008 Trivial , Universal 4 Comments
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So McCain wants to put politics aside in order to solve the economic crisis …

Feh! Maybe I’m too cynical, but I can’t even imagine a more political tactic.

McCain just gave a speech saying he wants to suspend his political campaign and postpone Friday’s presidential debate until Congress agrees on legislation to solve this crisis.

That’s just silly.

Look, there is some urgency here to get an agreement accomplished. They may be moving more slowly than some would like, but Congress is already doing the work that needs to be done, . They’re asking the hard (and, yes, sometimes silly) questions that should be asked when we’re talking about spending hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out a paralyzed financial system. Compromises on both sides have already been made, and the debate going on now is all a healthy part of the American political system.

I’m sure advisers of both presidential candidates can adequately inform the Senators of the proceedings and keep them abreast of ongoing developments. McCain and Obama, as party leaders engaged in an intense political campaign highlighted by frequent public speeches, already have all the opportunity in the world to help steer debate and policy on this issue (something Obama has done much better than McCain has to this point).

There is just no crushing need for the senators to actually be physically on the Hill.

We may indeed be in a serious economic crisis, one that could get appreciably worse if steps aren’t taken relatively quickly, but this is no 9/11, which McCain referred to in his speech. We haven’t been attacked. No one’s been killed. If we can’t act for a few days or a week or two, it won’t really matter. It’s almost as important that a solution is designed smartly as it is that it is done quickly.

McCain’s insistence that the country’s political cycle needs to be put on pause so that we can address and solve this crisis strikes me as overstating the urgency of the situation.

As such, it also strikes me as an overtly political move by McCain, and maybe even a stall tactic signaling he’s not quite ready for the debate. Of course, even if that’s true, Obama and his campaign can’t even hint at any of those things without sounding petty, so perhaps its also a good political move on McCain’s part.

It ultimately all depends on how the American people view this tactic: As a leadership move that goes beyond politics, or as the worst kind of political grandstanding.

McCain may be the lipstick AND the pig …

Published September 11, 2008 Trivial , Universal 3 Comments
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A struggling economy. Rising unemployment. A crumbling housing market. Ballooning national debt. Disappearing social security and Medicare funds. Surging energy and food prices. Failing financial institutions. A looming environmental catastrophe. Increasing anti-Americanism. Burgeoning terrorist threats.

This is the reality.

No matter your political party or ideology, these are the issues that matter.

And yet, both political campaigns have chosen to spend a fair amount of money and time this week arguing about the phrase ‘Lipstick on a pig.” It would probably be funny if there weren’t so much at stake in this election.

Obama used the phrase in a recent speech, though it is quite clear from the context that he was using it to refer to McCain and his attempt to call himself an ‘agent of change’ despite the fact that most of his policies are identical to those of the current administration. ‘Lipstick on a pig’ has been used multiple times in the past by numerous politicians, including at least twice by McCain to describe Hilary Clinton’s latest health care plan (The phrase was even the title of a book authored by one of McCain’s former advisers).

The assertion by McCain’s campaign that Obama was calling Palin a pig is ludicrous.

First of all, Obama didn’t even mention Palin’s name anywhere near the statement in question. You have to make quite the leap in logic to assert it was a reference, even an oblique one, to her or the speech she gave at the Republican convention.

More importantly, the insult doesn’t make sense. Palin is a sexy mama. I’m not at all sure about her qualifications to be President of the United States, but if anything, she’s the lipstick here, not the pig.

Personally, I think McCain’s campaign is desperately trying to play the gender card here and it seems so beneath the image and substance of the man. I really believe McCain to be a man of high integrity, and I believed him when he insisted earlier that this campaign would be a respectful one focused on the issues.

Yet, I now have serious doubts. I believe McCain’s trying to take the high road, feigning innocence while everyone around him engages in the kind of sleazy politics the Republicans are so good at and which, unfortunately, seem to work.

In fact, I’m beginning to believe McCain is the real lipstick in this situation, being smeared on the pig of negative politicking. They are using his good name, his heroic past, his maverick reputation, his long and distinguished legislative career, to try and cover up the fact they are using the same old dirty political playbook in order to get elected.

My hunch is that McCain understands exactly what is going on, and has given at the very least his tacit endorsement of the plan.  And if that’s so, then McCain isn’t just the lipstick. He’s the pig, too.

Bullet points …

Published September 4, 2008 Trivial , Universal Leave a Comment
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Been away and not able to update the blog, but a lot has gone on in the past week. i won’t have the time to do a full posting for a few days, so i thought i’d throw out a bunch of quick hits, in chronological order since I began my trip.

  • Obama’s acceptance speech: I liked it much more the second time I heard it. The speech won’t go down as one of his best, much less about inspiring the nation and more about drawing a stark contrast with the opponent, but it was written and delivered flawlessly, with at least a few stirring moments. And cheesy backdrop or no, the atmosphere was indeed electric. He’s a rock star, and that’s a good thing, in my opinion.
  • McCain picks Palin as VP: I was in mid-flight watching CNN when this news came down and my first thought was ‘Who?’ My next thought was ‘Whoa – MILF!’. In general, I think the pick has the chance to totally backfire on McCain, as it’s become quite clear the vetting process was done half-assed at best. But it also was about the only thing McCain could have done to instill even a trace of the excitement the Democrats have generated in the past week.
  • My lesbian (rabbi!) cousin gets married: OK, I think I’m as open-minded as a Midwestern-born boy can be, but even I have to admit it was a bit jarring to see two women in bride dresses walk down the aisle hand in hand. But I will tell you one thing: There was as much or more love and joy during this ceremony than in any other ‘straight’ ceremony I’ve attended. This was indeed something to be celebrated, and it was sooo cool to see the parents of both women embrace and accept what is still seen by many Americans as an abomination.
  • Close call averted: Wow, pretty amazing to think that only a couple of years after Katrina, New Orleans almost got hit again. Great news that the storm ended up sparing the city, but I wanted to strangle Michael Moore, listening to him on MSNBC almost gloat over the fact Gustav was threatening the Republican National Convention. Kind of like Sharon Stone implying that China deserved its  earthquake because of the way the government treats Tibetans. Apparently, it’s not only right-wing nuts like Pat Robertson who believe that God delivers ironic political statements in the form of deadly storms and viruses.
  • If you go to LA, you gotta visit the Getty Center. The art and exhibits are top-notch but the stunning architecture, idyllic setting, and especially the amazing garden make the site an absolute must-see. Even better: Admission to the museum is FREE, aside from the $8 it costs to park.
  • The Republican convention so far: It’s quite fascinating to hear how rarely they mention the economy and how even more rarely they mention George W. Bush — you know, he’s just the Republican who’s been running the country (into the ground) for the past eight years. Pretty illuminating that as soon as Bush’s lackluster, seemingly taped speech ended, the convention moved quickly to a Ronald Reagan video. Ahhh, nostalgia.
  • Palin gave a nasty, snarky, but effective little speech last night. She delivered the talk very well, though I don’t know what that says other than the woman can be effective reading words written by someone else off a teleprompter. But she seemed competent and confident and the clever lines did the trick of bringing Obama down a notch or two. However, the speech didn’t do much to tout a specific Republican vision, and I don’t think the negative, biting tactics will fly this time, not with the country flailing and its citizens searching for serious leadership and big ideas.

Ok, that is all for now. I am sooo looking forward to tomorrow night when McCain gives his speech AND the new NFL season kicks off. great stuff!

Taking a few days off … but first thing’s first

Published August 28, 2008 Trivial , Universal Leave a Comment
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I’m leaving tomorrow for a week to go out west for my cousin’s wedding, and while I will be bringing my laptop, I don’t know if I’ll have time to update the blog.

Right now, I’m just very anxious to hear Obama’s speech tonight. so far, i don’t think the convention could have gone much better as both Clintons and Biden (who I love) delivered what I thought were dynamic, impactful speeches that should put aside any talk of party disunity heading into November.

Side note:

Hillary fans out there still considering staying home on election day or voting for McCain ought to be ashamed. Obama won the hard-fought primary fair and square, and his politics are nearly identical to hers. I’m assuming of course that most of these people trying to stir up the pot, if they’re not Republicans in disguise, are feminists who feel Clinton got shafted because she was a woman. Even if that were true, which I don’t buy for a second, you would think that there is too much at stake, too much for feminists to lose under a McCain presidency, for these women to take a stand on principle. We saw how well that worked for the Green Party environmentalists who voted for Nader (who has probably hugged far fewer trees than Gore in his lifetime).

End of side note.

But back to the convention … It’s been great theater but i am still amazed at how soft the Democrats have been on the Bush presidency and by extension, McCain. To me, reminding people of Bush’s failures (and failures is a generous word – crimes could be more accurate) would be the best way for Democrats to appeal to independent voters and keep the focus off of Obama’s relative inexperience.

As far as Obama’s speech is concerned, I’m a little worried. Expectations couldn’t be much higher, but this pre-speech talk about Obama having a conversation with voters doesn’t sound particularly inviting, and I think he’s going to lose a lot of the atmosphere by having the speech inside a massive football stadium that seats 70,000-plus rather than in a packed convention hall filled with diehard partisans (I mean, have you ever seen a halftime show at a football game that didn’t look lethargic and lackluster??).

However, another part of me can’t imagine Obama letting people down. I’m an all-around Obama fan and even I have to admit that, to date, his oratorical skill is probably the main reason why he’s made it this far this fast in politics. Speeches are his bread and butter, and I don’t believe I’ve heard him deliver a bad one yet … and there’ll end up being no bigger one in his career than this one (barring of course a hopeful inauguration speech!).

(And then there is also my paranoid side that just hopes they are able to keep the stadium secure and safe. An open venue like that scares me.)

Whatever happens tonight, I am sure of one thing: The Republican convention is going to be an absolute snooze-fest – and ratings nightmare – compared to these last few days of high drama and compelling politics.

Grampa McCain wants to take Obama’s ball away …

Published August 6, 2008 Deep , Universal Leave a Comment
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While growing up in a St. Louis suburb, a bunch of kids who lived on my street would often get together in my neighbor’s backyard to play some soccer. Occasionally, the ball would be kicked too hard and roll into the yard next door, and sometimes all the way to the back of that house, which sat perpendicularly to our soccer field. This was always a dicey, somewhat traumatic moment for us, and we would usually argue for quite some time about who had to go retrieve the ball.

You see, the guy who lived in that house and the source of our fears and consternation was a mean, nasty, grouchy old man, a regular Grampa Simpson-slash-Ebenezer Scrooge who would yell and scream at us if he caught us in his yard, and threaten to take the ball away if he ever got it first. For a bunch of nine- and ten-year-olds, the dude was just plain scary.

I’m bringing this up because John McCain has lately been reminding me of that scary old man (and Obama’s the kid with the errant soccer ball). The real odd thing is, I think it’s the image he’s trying to cultivate.

How else can one explain McCain’s recent behavior and ads, where he basically mocks Obama’s lofty, inspirational rhetoric, and derides his popularity as a symptom of our shallow, celebrity-based culture (comparing him to both Moses and Britney). I know what he’s trying to say – that there’s no there there with Obama – but to me, he just comes across as a crotchety old guy with no message of his own, nothing positive to say, so all he can do is complain about those darn whippersnappers.

McCain isn’t the first person to try this strategy with Obama; in the primaries, Hillary Clinton often questioned Obama’s substance and occasionally mocked his speeches, and I thought she too looked petty and shrill while doing so. But for McCain, who already has an age problem, this will prove to be a particularly unhelpful tactic because in addition to being mean-spirited, it also makes him look old and out-of-touch.

Or have we truly gotten to the point where we automatically scoff at terms like hope and change, pass them off as more Camelot myth-making, just part of an impossible and foolish dream that will end up doing more harm than good.

I’d like to think that after eight years of George W and his cronies, and now mired in a rather depressing economic situation, most of America is looking for someone with a vision and fresh ideas, someone who is more interested in unity and compromise than party and ideology, a leader who can inspire and motivate us and help us become that more perfect union our forefathers intended (Well, I tried, but Obamaian rhetoric is hard to do without sounding cheesy!!).

Now I’m sure an Obama presidency will likely fall short of the ambitious, lofty vision he espouses in his speeches. The real business of politics and governing can be gritty, even dirty at times; The way Obama is alternatively shifting to the center (offshore drilling OK) and pandering to his base (windfall profit tax for oil companies) may not be very appealing, but it also shows that he’s not a total idealist, that he understands this aspect of the business as well.

And in any case, I’d much rather a leader start with his head a bit in the clouds and fall short of best intentions, than have him begin in the gutter and try to rise up out of it.

In other words, I’d much rather vote for a Ned Flanders than a Grampa Simpson…

p.s. speaking of grandpas, my mom just called and reminded me my grandfather’s 97th birthday would have been today. he died about ten years ago from complications after a stroke. until he got sick, there was a guy who knew how to do the old thing right!! what a sweet beautiful man. happy birthday zeydeh!!

Ageism may just be the -ism that matters most this election …

Published July 30, 2008 Deep , Universal 2 Comments
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Many of my liberal friends and family (and since this is New York City, that means basically everyone I know) believe there is no way Barack Obama will win the presidency this fall. Partly, they feel conservatives will at the last minute find or fabricate some scandal that torpedoes Obama’s campaign (tho I can’t imagine how to top Reverend Wright), but mainly they are convinced that America is just not ready to elect a black man to the top office in the land.

Now, I’m not about to deny or underestimate the prevalence of racism in this country. I’m pretty sure it has a lot to do with why recent polls show this contest remaining close (With George W’s incompetence, a nasty economy and an unpopular war, almost any Democrat not named Hillary or Barack would likely have a double-digit lead).

But I’m making the call now that it will be McCain’s age and not Obama’s race that ends up mattering more and giving the White House back to the Democrats. The Arizona senator turns 72 this week, and I’ve noticed several occasions during this campaign where he is looking and sounding at least that old.

People who disagree will obviously point to Reagan as evidence that old age doesn’t matter, either in terms of voter perception or performance in office. But remember, Reagan was still in his 60s when he was first elected as President; i believe if he hadn’t built up such goodwill in his first term, people would have been much more critical of his health and state of mind during his reelection campaign. And in terms of performance, well, there’s still a lot of debate about when exactly Reagan began suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s.

McCain walks and talks like a man in pretty good shape, and he has certainly handled the grueling campaigning schedule well so far. But he’s had a tough life, and there are moments when you can really tell how old the guy is, and it makes you wonder if he’s up for the most stressful job in the world.

The gaffes so far have been minor – slip-ups of the tongue, some general misspeaking – nothing that can truly be called a senior moment. But his health has been an issue – the latest example being a biopsied mole on his face, which raised fears of skin cancer recurrence. And he looks absolutely lost in front of a teleprompter (I’m not sure if you can chalk that issue entirely up to age, but that’s how I think a lot of viewers will regard his scripted speeches).

The rubber will hit the road when McCain and Obama go head-to-head in the debates. Obama isn’t the greatest debater – he often strays off message and gets caught up in reeling off facts and stats – but the stark difference between Obama’s health and vitality and that of McCain will come through crystal clear through the magic of live high-def television. I guarantee you at some point McCain will stumble and bumble through an answer, spend too much time searching for a name, and the implication will be obvious: He is not fit for the job of U.S. president. The late night jokes will run rampant, and McCain will not be able to slough it off by trotting out his 95-year-old mother or using self-deprecation.

That may not be a fair response; I know I forget things and do my fair share of stumbling and bumbling, and I’m almost forty years younger than McCain. But that’s the thing with -isms: They have nothing to do with being fair.

 

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