I'd been meaning to write about Barack Obama again ever since I watched Meet the Press back on Sunday, May 4 and saw Tim Russert's interview spend THE FIRST 15 MINUTES talking about the Reverend Jeremiah wright. Lest you think I exaggerate, check out this. Given ABC News being ridiculed for doing a similar thing during the "debates", Russert should have known better. This came up after both George Will and my local paper scolded Obama for not severing his association with Wright sooner; a related story generated mucho comments.
But assuming that Obama is the Democratic party nominee, the conversation shifts to who will be the Vice-Presidential candidate. Hillary Clinton shows up in the mix, of course, and her strengths (support among women and older, rural Americans, et al.) are as well known as her liabilities (generally, the baggage of being a Clinton), so that she'd be portrayed like this.
Gordon let me know about the buzz over John Edwards.
I'm still keen on Bill Richardson. In fact, I've been touting him since December of 2005, when I thought that Russ Feingold was running for President.
Obama's Vision (30 minute video).
Tangentially, I was reading this quote on CNN yesterday:
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, an uncommitted superdelegate, said the delegate numbers are in Obama's favor, but the popular vote is important to the people of his state.
"I think we see what happened in 2004, when Al Gore won the popular vote, and where the country has gone and the feelings toward government since then. I put a lot of stock in that," he said on CNN's "American Morning."
I just had to know: did the governor of West Virginia really think that Al Gore ran only four years ago? No, the transcription of the video was wrong.
Tom Hanks Endorses Obama (video). Actually quite funny, I thought.
Observations from my favorite Albany grouch and my favorite American expat in New Zealand.
Finally, at the request of a good friend of mine, I was asked to comment on some specific comments about racism and the race in this dialogue on the Daily Kos. Part of the thrust of the conversation was about Hillary Clinton, whether her campaign engaged in racist campaign tactics. And I find I can't go there. Those liberals fighting is far more irritating than the conservatives I check out, maybe because I care more. I must admit that while I sometimes read the stories, I seldom follow all the comments, especially when they descend into Sturm und Drang; they tend to exhaust me. But no, I didn't think the comments you made were racist or even insensitive, but I'm sure some of the participants would disagree...
Photo courtesy tsevis' photostream
ROG
2 comments:
I appreciate your feedback re: the DailyKos article, Greenfellow, and aye, I do think that I'm more sensitive to Librul firefights because, as you say, I care more. Passion is a tricky thing; while it can be energizing, kick it up a notch too high and it turns off the thinking process altogether, and the Left can be every bit as asinine as the Right.
On the other hand, I think that the Wright "nontroversy " gave Obama the opportunity to do something vital and long overdue, even though it might not be entirely to the benefit of his campaign; get a painfully candid discussion of the state of race relations in America going.
As far as Barack's VP selection, Richardson remains my first choice, because of his experience in international relations, his backing of alternative energy, and the potential to attract the Latino voters. 2nd choice is Wesley Clark, to help bring Clintonistas into the fold, and, of course, his successful military experience.
I wouldn't want Hillary considered for the VP spot, it would muddy Obama's theme of "Change;" however, if President Obama were to select her for, say, the Supreme Court, I would applaud.
Lead Rooster
John the farmer was in the fertilized egg business. He had several hundred young layers (hens), called "pullets,"
and ten roosters, whose job it was to fertilize the eggs.
The farmer kept records and any rooster that didn't perform went into the soup pot and was replaced. That took an
awful lot of his time, so he bought a set of tiny bells and attached them to his roosters. Each bell had a
different tone so John could tell from a distance, which rooster was performing. Now he could sit on the porch
and fill out an efficiency report simply by listening to the bells.
The farmer's favorite rooster was old Butch, a very fine specimen he was, too. But on this particular morning
John noticed old Butch's bell hadn't rung at all! John went to investigate. The other roosters were chasing
pullets, bells-a-ringing. The pullets, hearing the roosters coming, would run for cover.
But to Farmer John's amazement, old Butch had his bell in his beak, so it couldn't ring. He'd sneak up on a
pullet, do his job and walk on to the next one. John was so proud of old Butch, he entered him in the Renfrew
County Fair and he became an overnight sensation among the judges.
The result... the judges not only awarded old Butch the No Bell Piece Prize but they awarded him the
Pulletsurprise as well.
Clearly old Butch was a politician in the making. Who else but a politician could figure out how to win two of
the most highly coveted awards on our planet by being the best at sneaking up on the populace and screwing
them when they weren't paying attention.
Vote carefully this year... the bells are not always audible.
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