Sorry for the lack of posts, but I am unmotivated to blog.
There is this:
The Clinton impressions always kill me, although no one was as good as Hartman.
Open Thread
by John Cole| 99 Comments
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Trinity
I am only motivated by the shots released by the Rethuglican circular firing squad.
Their demise is positively scrumptious.
Punchy
Nice peeps ya got there, PA:
Yep, he’s no racist.
Gus
Yep, sure as the sun rises in the east, anyone who says "I’m no racist" is about to say something racist.
mightygodking
No doubt you’re unmotivated because you’re looking at the world financial markets plummeting and wondering how long before the missiles get fired and we leave the world to the cockroaches (and Keith Richards, who will be their king).
Seriously – Iceland’s market being down ninety percent, sure, I get that, their whole country is broke. But Ireland down seventy-five percent? Russia nearly as much? China down nearly seventy? Japan and India down nearly sixty? It’s a total financial meltdown worldwide and amazingly the United States, which is responsible in large part for it, has suffered relatively little so far.
Phoenix Woman
I understand, John. Gotta go feed the maw myself. Later!
Kevin K.
I know the feeling. November 4th can’t get here fast enough.
SnarkyShark
Hey…we live vicariously through your blogging efforts!
Get with the program! Don’t make me come up there:0)
SnarkyShark
That will change. I’m pretty sure the rest of the world is pretty pissed at us right now.
Krista
You keep using that word. I do not think it means…
Ah, fuck it. You guys know the rest.
Jon H
Punchy wrote: "Yep, he’s no racist."
But he still says he’s voting Obama because he "can’t be stupid".
A self-aware racist is (nominally) better than a flat-out irrational racist, IMHO.
kommrade jakevich
Meanwhile, the GOP stops with the smears and finally addresses the issues.
Psyche!
kommrade jakevich
Welp. Looks like Tunch ate my post.
Maybe you should let him blog.
Jon H
I’m wondering why the NY Times is reporting an alleged "shelling" incident on the Syrian border, when everyone else is reporting it as helicopters of US troops landing and blowing shit up and shooting people.
Judy Miller? Is that you?
Mr Furious
If you don’t feel like blogging, turn on the radio and listen to Glenn Beck…the sound of him losing his shit was worth at least two cups of coffee for me this morning.
Neil H
Pollster just moved Georgia into the toss-up column.
Oh, and Obama’s listed as ahead in Indiana by frigging 0.1%
Punchy
@Jon H: And a guy who kills one person is so much better than the guy who kills a half-dozen?
If it walks like a….ah, fuck it. You guys know the rest.
greynoldsct00
Good morning all…hey John if you don’t feel inspired to write, post a few pets
dmsilev
@Jon H:
Third or fourth-hand anecdote: Conversation overheard in restaurant in the deep South, "I don’t want a black man in the White House, so I’m voting for the white half".
The mind boggles, but a vote is a vote I suppose.
-dms
wvng
John. Perhaps this will help your mood. It did mine.
There is no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama. Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EADUQWKoVek
Brian J
Via First Read:
Okay, so things would have to go really well for Obama to win all of these states, but minus NE-02 and AZ, this is exactly what he needs to fulfill my prediction (which I still reserve the right to revise, at least until a few days before the election) of Obama getting 404 Electoral votes.
I don’t know if McCain really believes that he’s "closing" the race in any significant way, but if his defense on what I saw of him on "Meet the Press" is any indication, he’s trying to group polls about topics like the economy and Iraq in with horse race polls about the election. I don’t think there’s any reason to do that.
Brian J
Why is the site marking my comments as spam?
Jon H
Punchy wrote: "@Jon H: And a guy who kills one person is so much better than the guy who kills a half-dozen?"
Er, no. WTF?
Someone who can overrule their emotional impulses, in favor of self-interest, like this guy, is way ahead of the fools who follow their irrational impulses into the muck.
Being able to see such beliefs for what they are and overrule them is a big step on the path to squelching them completely.
Insistence on 100% purity is stupid. As the song says, everyone’s a little bit racist.
Josh Hueco
@dmsilev:
Yesterday I spoke with some guy here in central Texas who was worried that Obama would be sworn in on the Koran but will still vote for him because, in his words, This nation couldn’t survive a McCain administration. Strange world…
Brian J
Via First Read:
Aside from AZ and NE-02, this is exactly where Obama wants to be heading if he is going to win 404 Electoral votes like I project him to win. (I still reserve the right to revise that projection if I want, at least up until election day.) Part of me wants to say that he’s going to do very well but not that well, but the other part listens to people like Charlie Cook who seem astonished that things are going so well for the Democrats in almost every way. I then think that it’s almost likely, if things are going to be as "seismic" as people like Carville, Begala, and Cook seem to be saying.
zzyzx
I’m definitely not happy with the polls this morning. It’s one thing for everyone to predict the race would tighten in the last week, it’s another to see it happen…
Here’s hoping we’re just seeing a blip.
Brian J
I don’t know what you’d classify that as, but suffice it to say that this may be a turning point, where a lot of people who are for whatever reason racially skeptical–they don’t have outright hostility towards people of other races, but because of cultural deficiencies and growing up in the past, aren’t entirely comfortable with the idea of a black president–will give him a shot. In other words, a lot of people will vote for him, and assuming he doesn’t start imprisoning white people and imposing Sharia law, will start to move more towards our direction. Or as I like to say, progress.
cmohr
I have a collateral relative in my family with whom there is no necessity to play "I am not a racist, but [coded words that could be taken that way]" sort of games, with all the heated arguments that inevitably follow any attempt to debate or challenge the person about the meaning behind such assertions.
He is a self-admitted, unreconstructed old-style rural southern "bubba" racist – who still often refers to some blacks as "blue-gum nig@@@@@". For purposes of determining how to regard him, it would be very convenient indeed if he was an across-the-board nasty sort of person, but alas, other than this one rather signifcant trait, he’s a genuinely good person of the sort who would e.g. stop and help a complete stranger stranded along the highway. This doesn’t excuse one whit his racism, but it does make it more challengingly difficult to quite know how to regard him – at least he’s not a hypocrite, he’s out in the open about the malignancy in his heart.
Election night would be the one night it would be fun to not live three hours away from him – if Obama wins (and I think he will), I’d love to be there to watch my relative’s head explode. It will take the first year or two after Obama takes office for my relative to wrap his head around it.
Punchy
@Jon H: So racists are OK, as long as they vote for Obama? Hmmmm…….should we do a GOTV at the local Klan meeting? I agree 100% purity is ridiculous, so maybe we should lobby Fred Phelp’s clan to vote Obama, too. Big tent, dontcha know.
Because racists, ignorant bigots who play for your team are so very different than the racist, ignorant bigots who dont. Also, and yes.
Comrade Stuck
I don’t know why. We’ve got a steady stream of stupid coming from the Wingnuttosphere at warp speed. It’s like the Gong show on crank out there. They cite a 2001 creatively (cough) edited radio interview by Obama where he states again his desire to "spread the wealth around". This coming in the wake of the Bush Administration extorting the American taxpayer for 700 bil to"redistribute" payola into the coffers of Wall Street, who was, and is, threatening to kill the economy. But of course that’s not Marxist because the money is going to enhance Capitalism.
On second thought, maybe not blogging is the way to go. How many ways can the current feast of wingnuttery be described before it begins to sound like arguing with fools that the world is indeed, not flat.
dslak
@Comrade Stuck: I first came across that link from Fox News’ website. I thought it rather odd that they didn’t even report on the story, but directly linked to the YouTube video from their homepage without even indicating that the link went to another site. That’s some pretty sloppy journalism.
Comrade Stuck
@dslak:
But it’s"Fair and Balanced" sloppy journalism. That makes it OK.
Dork
Link? Cuz I’m not seein these anywhere.
Brian J
Assuming this site doesn’t randomly delete my comments again, I think that guy’s talking about this. My guess is, it’s nothing to worry about. Most of these polls have only changed a point or two in McCain’s favor, if that. They could tighten a little more, or they could reflect, as fivethirtyeight.com so adroitly describes it, "statistical noise."
Look at where this campaign is being fought in the remaining days: it’s not being fought in Wisconsin, Washington, Minnesota, or most of the traditional blue states. It’s being fought in the marginally red states, like Ohio, and the deep red states, like North Carolina. That’s got to be a good sign.
MikeJ
Punchy, I think you’re being deliberately obtuse. Yes, we want everyone to vote for Obama, even if they’re racist. We should go out and campaign for those votes. We should campaign on on Obama’s competence and sound policies. We shouldn’t pander to racist instincts.
A woman at a rally once told Adlai Stevenson that he had the vote, "of every thinking person." Hwe replied, "Madam, I need a majority." You don’t turn don’t votes from anybody, but taking those votes doesn’t mean you endorse everything they believe in. So yeah, if you can get Fred Phelps to vote for Obama, great.
Josh Hueco
@Brian J:
I agree. White folks in rural Texas are very much products of their culture, but contrary to stereotypes they don’t all have eyeholes in their bedsheets. Additionally, there are quite a few here who I believe will at least come to a grudging respect for a President Obama if he proves he can be a steady hand on the ship of state (and more importantly, if the economy rebounds). The haters and the crazies will continue to marinate in their juices, hallucinating about concentration camps and Sharia law and whatnot. That crowd will provide us with much amusement, but most average folks will go on with life and not care.
greynoldsct00
You know, I just have to share. I just got pulled over in the office by one of the owners where I work. He just had to tell me how "worried" he is about the potential of a Democratic president and congress and that he’s so afraid we’ll never hear the truth and the "liberal" media will go along. My comment was that they haven’t told us all of the truth for the last eight years because of pressure from the White House — and he claims they’ve been Bush-bashing all this time (except for Fox, natch). Are some people paying attention to current events in some wormhole? And he even likes Obama. I know, I should know better and not be suprised.
Punchy
@MikeJ: I gladly support your willingness to accept rank homophobia, blantant racism, and general wanton ignorance into the Democratic party. Because it worked wonders for the Republicans.
I, however, do not. We disagree. Full stop.
Shade Tail
@Punchy: So racists are OK, as long as they vote for Obama?
Why are you deliberately misreading what he wrote? He made it pretty clear that he considers racism something to be stamped out. His point is that racists who can look past their racism and do the right thing are ahead of those who can’t. That is the exact opposite of saying that racists are OK.
Doug H. (Comrade Fausto no more)
@Brian J: Let’s see… Obama at 50 to 51, McCain at 42-46. Consider margin of error and we’re still at the 5 to 6 point margin I expect to finish up with next Tuesday. What’s there to worry about?
Brian J
Last night, I talked to one of my uncles, a very smart guy (valedictorian of his high school class, went to MIT before he was mugged there, software engineer for one of the big defense firms), who made some comment about the Democrats getting away with something (voter fraud, I think) and never being prosecuted for it. I said this was very interesting, considering the Republicans have been in power for most of the past eight years. I guess it was nice of them to let the Democrats off the hook for fucking them over so many times.
dslak
There is a distinct difference between encouraging racists to vote for your preferred candidate and encouraging the party to change to accomodate racists.
No one who has suggested the former here has suggested the latter, nor is it obvious that the second necessarily follows from the first.
Far Left American Hater Incertus
@Punchy: Think of racists like alcoholics–the first step to recovery is recognizing that you have a problem. A racist who will vote for a member of another race has recognized something important about him or herself and is going to make a change, even if it’s a small one. That needs to be encouraged, not just because it’s the first step on the road to recovery, but because it’s a way to move beyond this real America crap.
NonyNony
What’s there to worry about?
Ohio. Because we suck.
I’m so glad that Obama has a zillion different ways that he can win, and that a lot of those don’t include Ohio, because it’s not going to be a blowout here, it’s going to be a squeaker at best.
smiley
Don’t look now (literally, don’t) but Drudge is linking to a You Tube clip where, in 2001, Obama uses the phrase "redistribution of wealth." That , my friends, is proof positive that Obama is a Marxist.
greynoldsct00
Yeah, this guy is very educated and smart too. I forgot to mention he’s also "suspicious" of all the campaign contributions Obama received over the last month or so, that Fox is saying something about how they are not verifying people who contribute. Again, I’m trying to wipe the shock off my face since we all know of the campaign BS the R’s have been pulling.
4tehlulz
@Brian J: Also, the polls that show them close (LOL Zogby and IBD) are trash and can be ignored.
Krista
Well, Obama better win because now it’s gotten personal. I have a $20 bet with a local blowhard. And more important than the $20, I want to be able to gloat.
And even more important than the gloating, I am really, really, really scared of the global repercussions of a McCain presidency.
And I want to be able to gloat. ‘Cause that’s fun.
Comrade Stuck
Update for
@Comrade Stuck:
That well known Bastion of Marxist Ideology The Financial Times has endorsed Barack Obama. Adam Smith must be spinning in his grave at this news.
ks
No one was as good as Hartman
True not only for presidential impersonations, but for SNL in general.
aarrgghh
meanwhile, in other news …
… freepers smell a rat in their midst …
this is almost like watching the evolution of man.
Punchy
@Far Left American Hater Incertus: But I dont see any of these PA voters voting for him because of some racial epiphany. Instead, they’re voting their wallet and 401K. Any while I can hope that they’ll shed their racist views, if they don’t, the PA Democratic party is stuck with a bunch of old, white racists. I guess I just have a much more intense, viceral intolerance for these people and zero hope that they’ll change in any significant way.
Done.
Brian J
Well, the Zogby has some polls out today that show Obama doing very well in some red states, so perhaps he’s not that bad :]
Put it this way. I’m going to freak out internally at every sign of distress until he’s sworn in come January, but externally, I’m going to be positive. I’m going to remember that this guy climbed to the top of American politics in less than eight years after being denied a floor pass to his party’s convention. He took down one of the top political families in the country and has raised more money than any candidate in history, stunning people on both the left and the right. He’s also cool, calm, collected, and extremely mature, with a vision for how things are going to go. He’s not like the other guy, who seems to do nothing more than win the news cycle from time to time. When it looked like McCain would stumble into the end zone because of McCain picking Palin, Obama didn’t lose his shit. He’s made alterations as time as progressed, but he’s remained, in the words of McCain, a steady hand at the tiller. My guess is, he’s going in for the kill right now, slowly and steadily, and his closing arguments will be to remind people that if you aren’t better off than you were four or eight years ago, he’s the guy who can change that. In other words, he knows what he is doing, and I have ever reason to believe that he’s going to succeed. If we end up losing, it’s almost certainly going to be because of matters that were out of our hands.
Napoleon
@NonyNony:
I am still convinced Obama is going to lose Ohio, even if he wins Va and NC.
The Other Steve
What are you talking about!?
I had like $15k in an emerging markets mutal fund.
It’s now with $4k.
though I got some cash available, and I was thinking maybe I’d double down now that it’s cheap.
Rosali
I lost $100 in 2004 when I bet that there was no way that the country would re-elect W after seeing the mess that resulted from his first term.
Face
You stoopid libruals want more proof that your socalist nergo is a terrorist? Apparently your favrotie book-readin elitist website says so
Far Left American Hater Incertus
@Punchy: They’re not going to transform from "practically Klansmen" to "marry my child" overnight, and the older ones may never get over their racist feelings. I would be surprised if they do. The political side of me says "I’d rather win without them if I can," but the part of me that’s looking for increased racial harmony says this is a first step, and even if it doesn’t turn into a journey, it’s still a step and a sign that we can still make progress.
Krista
Precisely. There are degrees of racism, and there are a lot of people who are at least aware that they have racist thoughts, but do their best to not let those thoughts define their actions. Those people stand a good chance of eventually becoming a lot more open minded, as they become more and more exposed to different ideas and different people. So they should be encouraged in their efforts, not excluded.
The Other Steve
My Great Hope…
I don’t care why people are voting for Obama. It may very well be pocketbook issues rather than because he’s a Democrat or whatever.
I don’t care. My hope is once he’s in office, we’ll see a different way of governance which will be effective and it’ll set the brand.
This is what Republicans are most afraid of. For all their wailing about socialism, etc. what they’re most afraid of is a Democrat who gets things done, and as such is remembered for it. The reason why they were against Clinton’s healthcare initiative wasn’t because they hated socialized healthcare it was because they were afraid it’d make him popular… and more importantly the program would be popular.
Billy K
I still miss Phil. There really hasn’t been anyone close to him since he left us.
Dork
So when McCain loses the election, but only by 20 EV instead of 100, this will be lauded by the media as GREAT NEWS FOR JOHN S. MCCAIN, POW and terrible, catastrophic news for Democrats, right?
I cannot wait for all the "Well, Obama won the general, but he lost Missouri and Idaho, so we highly doubt he’ll be able to do anything for his first 3 years in office" from Chris Matthews.
Richard Bottoms
Hey! Sarah Palin is not a Rogue, she’s The Phoenix, and Magneto has just been de-powered.
Brian J
Except for the issue of trade, I’m really not sure what they would include in the "not so good and downright bad" category. Even when you think about trade, I’m not sure there’s a reason to worry. We can say that he’s pandered to protectionists, sure, but unless he has plans to impose protectionist policies, I’m not sure it really matters. It’d be nice if he could move the Democrats towards talking more openly about the benefits of trade. I guess we’ll see how that goes.
Ash Can
@SnarkyShark:
I agree about the pissed part. However, I can’t help suspecting that the rest of the world is waiting until after the election to decide on courses of action vis-a-vis the US. If Obama — who is perceived as being more aware of the world around him and more willing to listen and cooperate — is elected, other nations will be more favorably disposed toward the US. If McCain is elected, on the other hand, we’ll be a write-off to the rest of the world. The era of American leadership will be effectively over and allies will make themselves scarce. Moreover, and probably worst of all, the trade/financial implications of this, coming as it would at a time when we’d be trying to get our economy back on its feet, would be somewhere between grave and horrendous. And there would be no quick or easy way out.
Yet another reason to vote for Obama, and give the GOP a little time in the wilderness to get its shit together.
Far Left American Hater Incertus
@Krista: I think what happens with those people who say "I’m not racist, but" and then say something racist is that they perceive racist as applying to a small group of extremists–Klansmen who burn crosses in black people’s yards–and because they don’t do that, they think they’re not racist. A moment like this, where they’re deciding to vote for a black man despite their prejudices, can be–and I want to emphasize the "can" here, because it’s not a guarantee–a learning moment for them.
DFH no. 6
I agree, John, no one was as good as Phil Hartman (and not just his Clinton impressions). Many great comedians over the years on SNL (and not a few lousy ones, too). Hartman was the best of all, IMHO. What a shame.
Goin’ to New Mexico (from AZ) next weekend thru Election Day for GOTV. It’s what we’re pushing here at Obama HQ in Phoenix.
That’s what will win this, GOTV.
Eyes on the prize!
Egilsson
Greatest post on Redstate ever.
I love the compassion.
There’s a lot of material on Redstate to mine for easy yet very funny blog content John.
Is Erickson really as stupid as he posts?
These guys will be curled in a fetal position just sucking their thumbs soon. Read the rage and anguish over there.
gbear
I’m in agreement with both your hopes and your fears, but I’m not going to have the pleasure of gloating because I honestly don’t know ANYone who’s not voting for Obama (although I have one sister with whom I dare not talk politics. She might have come around, but I’m afraid to ask).
Brian J
Like I’ve said, maybe it’s because I’ve only started watching him more in the last few weeks, but he’s seemed pretty good. I don’t know if he’s just had it with the Republican nonsense, but whatever the case, he seems like he has no problem throwing the shit that they toss out right back in their faces. There have been at least a few appearances by McCain campaign personalities on his show where they have been noticeably uncomfortable after Matthews refuses to accept their garbage.
charlotte
Redistribution of wealth after the last 8 years, hell, make it 20, is a bad thing because, ah, why again now? Drudge is a fool and going the way of Perry Como … zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Our side has 2-3 minutes of Ms. Palin–Pretty in Pink!– talking about her favorite consignment shop in Anchorage, her 35 dollar wedding band, and her beaded earrings. Presidential material! And John McCain lost in the wilderness of his own mind on yesterday’s MTP. Let me interrupt your lame-ass question, Tom, by shouting out "George Schultz!!!"
Phil Hartman was a comic genius. Terrible loss. And Maya R is always amazing.
Comrade Nixon Hailfire Palin
I grew up in a very white suburb of Chicago (I’m 55), and I think a lot of casual racism was facilitated by the fact that most of us didn’t know any black people — they may as well have been cartoon characters. This has changed a good deal, but depends a lot on your demographics. I think having a black man as President of the United States will change this for a lot of folks who may be casual cultural racists.
D. Mason
@Punchy: You stretch the definition of racism way beyond its meaning. A 77 year old man voting for a black guy while also admitting he is uncomfortable with his race does not seem like a sign of racism to me. That’s just evidence of what most people already know – older people are often uncomfortable with big changes(the first non-white President in this case). How is that indicative of hatred, racial or otherwise? The guy is stepping outside his comfort zone, voting for a guy who probably has much less in common with himself than the other candidate, because he seems to think it’s the right choice, and you call him a racist because he dares to be honest about his failure to be crazy for Obama. So anyone who is not a frothing Obama fanboy is a racist. I guess you subscribe to the Sarah Palin school of ism definitions.
Comrade Jake
I’m just going to go out on a limb here and suggest that the vast majority of right-wingnutters have no idea what the word "bombshell" actually means.
I’m referring to the Drudge link. These people are Fruit-Loop crazy these days. Look for increasing signs of desperation this week.
Brown Man
When I click around the internet, checking the latest the latest political tidbits, I know I can count on two things – a condescending potshot at Sarah Palin on Huffington Post and a blaring anti-Obama headline at The Drudge Report. The latest treat from Matt Drudge is this Monday morning mouthful:
2001 OBAMA: TRAGEDY THAT ‘REDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH’ NOT PURSUED BY SUPREME COURT
I guess the next big revelation will be “Obama Point Shaving Scandal During High School Chess Tournament”.
Obama Controversy # 137
Jon H
@52: "You stoopid libruals want more proof that your socalist nergo is a terrorist? Apparently your favrotie book-readin elitist website says so"
Eh.
For those who are just tuning in, Amazon.com has some Obama masks for sale. User-submitted tags such as ‘terrorist’ led to Obama masks coming up if you searched for terrorist costumes.
It’s been fixed now.
Yawn.
Comrade Jake
FWIW, Sully once again eviscerates the wingnuts.
bedlam UK
I always thought that greed overcame stupidity.
I’m quite surprised that greed is overcoming Racism easier than stupidity.
"I dont want a black guy in the White House, however, I want a tax cut and a chance at market recovery, so I’ll swallow my opinions and vote Obama"
that versus Palins fanclub,
" I earn less than $200.000pa by a margin of about $180,000, and Obama wants to give me a tax cut meaning I’ll have more money. However McPalin tells me thats ‘socialism’ which is BADDDDD, so I’m gonna vote for the rich to get the tax cut, and keep the Muslin Hussain out.
Hur Hur. She winked at me hur hur.
Really bizarre. Stupidity trumps greed. who woulda’ thunk it.
Comrade Nixon Hailfire Palin
It’s impossible for me to believe that Obama does not understand the basic case for free trade, whatever "yes, but" arguments he may also subscribe to, which is more, I think, than you can say for most of the voters. It’s too bad you can’t win an election while being completely honest, but that’s the way it is.
Jon H
Punchy: "But I dont see any of these PA voters voting for him because of some racial epiphany. Instead, they’re voting their wallet and 401K. "
That’s better than the people for whom race hatred is such a primary motivator that they write in Hillary, or don’t vote at all.
Would it have been better if Jackie Robinson had said "You’re all just a bunch of racists hiring me for the profits of a winning team, so go to hell"?
Punchy
@D. Mason: Nice try, expect the part you missed where he says (and I already highlighted):
“I’m no racist, but I’m not crazy about him either,” said Mr. Piroli, 77. “I don’t know, maybe ’cause he’s black.”
Not "cause I’m afraid of change". Not "cause he’s inexperienced". Not "cause he’s got some crazy name". He doesn’t like him (maybe) cause he’s black. No other criteria. But you think that’s not racist. OK.
geg6
@Punchy:
Ha! Please know that this is not ALL PA peeps, Punchy. This is Beaver County, a place I know well having been born, raised, and living here my whole life.
In fact, I actually know who some of those people interviewed are, was born in Aliquippa, and grew up in neighboring Hopewell Township. This is pretty much par for the course among the people who are older and who are, mostly, uneducated beyond high school.
And these people are the first ones who whine about how few jobs are created here, how little investment is being made in our infrastructure, and why their educated children choose to get the hell out of here and never come back.
It’s because these idiots are more concerned about the Skeery Black Man!!!! than about their own self-interests.
I can’t wait for their little delusional world to come crumbling down around them.
Comrade Jake
Yeah I think expressing reservations over someone because of the color of their skin is pretty firmly in racist territory. There’s not much gray area there. Could be just me though.
Brian J
I’m referring to the Drudge link. These people are Fruit-Loop crazy these days. Look for increasing signs of desperation this week.
Gina Cobb says that Californians hate socialists, Marxists and Communists (that state got back into Real America in a hurry)
Krista
You nailed it. Right now, the U.S. economy is a very large, unwieldy anchor, and it’s dragging down the rest of the world. The question is: should the rest of the world begin the process of cutting the U.S. adrift? And we’re all waiting until next week to know the answer.
However, regardless of who is elected, I think it’s very possible that we’ll still see a restructuring of global trade markets, so as to avoid having this one giant financial behemoth whose every fart reverberates throughout the entire world.
So I don’t think that the era of American leadership is over, if Obama is elected. But I do think that the era of complete U.S. dominance just might be.
Third Eye Open
So the hamster is approaching Mach in my skull, trying to work out the ramifications of our little panty-raiding party in Syria.
My immediate thought is who gains? Israel, amirite? But then the question that arises is why does the US announce we did it?
Could it be that this is just another bully move by an EXTREMELY lame-duck child-king, or are we still holding out hope that Iran is dumber than we are, and will retaliate in an overt military fashion?
demimondian
Schiller put it better, you know…
Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens
Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.
demimondian
I doubt it, actually. Our "little panty-raiding party" seems to meet all the standards for when we would classically allow cross-border incursions: a direct threat with little time and a well-defined target in the immediate vicinity of the border — the attack was clearly audible in Iraq.
This seems more like the kind of thing which both Obama and McCain have endorsed in Pakistan, you know…
Blue Raven
I’m still trying to figure out the logical leap that takes us from "the bigot’s voting for Obama against his biases" to "the bigot’s joining the Democratic Party." I don’t belong to any political party, and voting for Obama won’t switch my lack of affiliation any more than taking the Democratic ballot option in CA’s open primaries does. So no, being pleased a bigot’s voting for your favorite candidate is not the same as welcoming the Grand Wizard of the KKK into the party with open arms. Please, gang. Perspective, OK?
This, however, is too far the other direction. Yes, judging someone negatively on the basis of their skin color IS racist. If you want to get all sociological about it, this is where the "hatred plus social power" comes into play. But small-scale racism happens. I shudder to remember myself at 16 being so sure I was open-minded when I uttered the phrase about "good blacks and N-words" and meant it. The fact I carried that somewhat to the rest of the races in the world isn’t much of an amelioration.
D. Mason
@Punchy: Yeah, he’s not crazy about him, maybe because hes black. That’s a really hateful racist screed. I bet such speech could have been overheard nightly at klan rallies around the turn of the century. I can see it now – 50 foot cross burning in the background, confederate flags waving here and there, and the grand dragon master unleashes his tirade about how this "black guy" must be hanged here and now because "we’re not crazy about their kind around here". Hell, "not crazy about him" might just be the new "nigger". What a joke. Like i said, this is stretching the definition of racism well beyond anything actually resembling prejudice or hatred based on race.
The guy says he’s voting for Obama because "I’m not stupid" which seems to indicate that failure to do so is stupid. This statement leaves him admonishing some of his own friends for not supporting Obama. These are clearly hallmarks of seething bigotry bubbling to the surface. This man must be stopped from casting his vote in favor of Obama lest every Democrat and like minded voter across the nation be infected with this vile brand of hatred.
You fall squarely into the camp of people who said every attack on Hillary was sexist, every attack on Palin is sexist and every attack on McCain is ageist(whatever that means). It’s a myopic mindset that doesn’t allow for nuance or differing ideas.
Oh yeah, don’t forget to call me a troll, I did disagree with you after all.
Third Eye Open
@demimondian:
What I think I was getting at was the ‘audible’ nature of the incursion in the American media. Taking into account this administrations’ history of honest and transparent information released to the fourth (or is it 5th?) column. You have to wonder why he would give a chance for Obama to make political hay out of it, or is he just salting the fields, so no matter who makes the call next year it looks like me-too’ism. You admit that it is both in McCain’s, and Barack’s policy wheelhouses’
I guess I may just be jaded to the point of emotional-sclerosis to believe that all of a sudden Bush decided that the way to handle a situation is to listen to the experts who surround you…but I just don’t think so.
On the other hand, maybe Condi is getting all Cat-woman on some Arab ass behind the scenes. Watch out for her and B-Rock to team up in 2012 for wicked-awesome action and suspense. Cameo by Bane, and cover by Jim Lee.
Punchy
I’m not crazy about him either,” said Mr. Piroli, 77. “I don’t know, maybe ’cause he’s black.”
Nope, that’s not prejudging someone based on race. Nope. Doesn’t resemble that at all. It’s clear he hates Obama’s cowboy hat and bolo tie. Looks like I was mistaken.
Comrade Stuck
I won’t call you a troll, but I will say you do appear as an apologist for any kind of racial bigotry that doesn’t include the Klan and lynchings. We’ve had this discussion before and I don’t know if your being personally dense on the subject, or maybe trying to explain away some of your own impulses. Here’s a newsflash, there are different degrees of racial bigotry. Choosing the worst case of hatefulness as your measuring stick for what is an inappropriate, or race based, decision to vote or not vote for someone is your prerogative. But when someone says “I don’t know, maybe ’cause he’s black.” that is a case of a vote choice for someone for racial reasons. ergo racism, racial fears racial bigotry etc….
You are wrong, as usual.
demimondian
Yeah, I understand that. I would dearly love to see this as an October surprise, but I just can’t make myself do so. Damascus *did*, after all, call our Charge d’Affairs on the carpet about this, and *did* release an account for publication. Now, for better or for worse, "Syria" is one of those words which causes journalists in the US to sit up and take notice.
In short, yes, the timing is suspicious, and one would have to be John-Cole-of-2004-level credulous to not notice it. That said, one would have to be an Ohio-was-stolen-in-2004 conspiracy theorist to conclude that there’s sufficient evidence to prove an October surprise. Yet. I plan on continuing to watch — but, right now, on the basis of the evidence currently available, I can’t convince myself that this was for political consumption.
Third Eye Open
@Punchy:
Y’know, I never understood the line of thinking that says, You’re required to instantly become exsanguinated of your personal experience, and cultural zeitgeist to have a respected opinion."
I also understand nuance and shibboleths, but that is a bit elitist for this board, so fuck, shit, cocksucker, tits…and three others.
Third Eye Open
@demimondian:
Oh, I have no doubt that Syria was caught unaware’sd, and I know for a fact what this is playing like in Lichtenstein (something about world police). But watching Bush be frivolously antagonistic just stinks of drunken rabbit-snaring, and I don’t think Darth would let Georgie play with toys without his permission, especially with his steady hand on the tiller, short on days.
D-Chance.
I guess impersonation isn’t the forte of anyone other than Tina Fey… because that’s the least convincing and most unfunny 4 minutes I’ve viewed today. You owe me, Cole. What a waste of time and bandwidth.
D. Mason
If I’m wrong then we’re wrong together because even though the guy said he wasn’t crazy about Obama, he also said would vote for him because he’s not stupid. His choice of words might loosely support some claim of racism but his actions discredit that claim in my eyes.
Comrade Stuck
Don’t think so mason. The guy says ordinarily he wouldn’t vote for Obama cause he’s black, but he will because he’s afraid of the current economic troubles. So the fear of not having enough money, trumps his racist tendencies. Can’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the blackness overtakes him in the voting booth.
Yorr wingnut like logic is unbecoming, and your still wrong.
Jon H
"[if Obama is elected] other nations will be more favorably disposed toward the US"
Yep.
Also, i think the magnitude of the change from Bush to Obama could give our antagonists a great opportunity to back down and deescalate without losing too much face in the eye of the citizenry.
Will they take advantage of this? Who knows. But a country like Iran would be foolish not to. It’s not like the status quo is doing them any favors.