A New Day

The moment Barack Obama walked out on stage last night in front of 70,000 people at Grant Park in Chicago, my daughter Tess woke up crying. Amy & I looked at each other with the same dejected look on our faces:

"Which one of us was going to miss the victory speech?!?"

Amy hit the record button on the DVR, and I grabbed my headphones on the way upstairs. As I sat in the dark rocking my nine month-old back to sleep I listened to Obama's speech on the radio. I could not help thinking about my little girl and my boys and the challenges that their generation will face as they grow up. And I was truly grateful that our country had just elected a unifying, inspiring President in Barack Obama to lead us through the challenges ahead.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those - to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

Pick the Electoral College

Predict the Electoral College here.

Amy's pick -- Obama 320, McCain 218

• Obama wins the Kerry states plus Iowa, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, & Florida
  

Derek's pick -- Obama 318, McCain 220

• Obama wins Kerry states plus Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Virginia
  
• I think North Carolina is an election cycle away from turning blue. The state has the same influx of transplants from other parts of the country like Virginia. But the Tar Heel state has a million more people so I think VA will go blue this cycle and NC potentially the next.
  

Yes We Can

So we are finally here. Election Day 2008. It has been such an incredibly long campaign, stretching nearly two years. The Republicans started out with so many candidates -- Guiliani, Romney, Thompson, Huckabee, Paul, McCain -- before John McCain emerged as the nominee. The Democrats saw a long battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton before Obama finally clinched the nomination in June.

The interest level of the American people this election cycle has just been enormous. Much of the interest has to do with the unpopularity of George W. Bush and the desire among an overwhelming majority of Americans to move in a new direction. And regardless of which candidate the electorate decides is the best agent to bring forth that change, getting the American people engaged, motivated and participating in the process to select its leaders is a huge positive step forward.

Obviously on a personal level I am moved by the potential of a Barack Obama presidency. He appeals to me on an intellectual level as a man who thoughtfully takes in multiple points of view before making a decision. Although he lacks experience on an executive level, I admire the way he has managed a $700M campaign and stuck to a consistent message of how he will lead. On the issues I share his view for helping out the middle class with tax relief, ending the war in Iraq responsibly, and investing in our children's future with infrastructure, renewable energy and education. I do not believe that we can continue to saddle our kids and grandkids with debt and have nothing to show for it besides a corrupt winner-take-all economic system, a tax system skewed to the wealthiest 2% of Americans, and a tattered image across the world.

Barack Obama is not without his flaws, and his task would be enormous. His record is not dotted with examples of reaching across the aisle to form bipartisan legislative solutions. He will not be able to deliver on all the promises he has made in the campaign -- most notably universal health care. As a liberal, Obama cannot succumb to the temptation of the familiar -- to dust off decades old liberal policies in order to dig us out of the ditch we are in. And the path ahead is going to be extraordinarily difficult given that we face a mountain of debt with the $700B bailout plan and rising costs of entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

That said, what will it take to lead us through the tough challenges in the future? The answer is the one thing that we have been so starkly missing the past eight years -- leadership. Leadership is not surrounding yourself with ideologues who share your view of the world, sticking with decisions when they have been proven to be the wrong ones, working to undermine the Constitution so you can get your way, or using fear as a powerful political weapon to secure power.

Leadership is having the temperament, judgment, intellectual curiosity, and skill to carry out difficult decisions that face us. It involves talking with people that do not agree with us, trying to bring people into the fold instead of building walls around us to keep people out. And that is not an easy thing to do. Naturally we are more comfortable with people who think like us, look like us, and share most if not all of our values. But in this flattening world that we live in, opening ourselves up to the diversity of thought and ideas is something to embrace, not reject. Barack Obama has shown throughout the campaign that he possesses these qualities.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Obama's rally in Raleigh where people waited outside in the freezing cold for hours to get a chance to see him. The cross-section of people who have felt inspired by Obama's promise was unbelievable. At least half of the crowd was African-American, and I was blown away at the enthusiasm that the black community feels for Obama.

But beyond race, it was inspiring to see people of all walks of life unite around Obama's message. Young and old, complete strangers were talking, engaging, dancing, laughing -- all of them united not by fear of what they perceive the other side would bring but by the hope that their candidate could bring.

I for one hope that America chooses hope over fear.

Yes We Can.

Obama in Raleigh:

Colin Powell

On the heels of Colin Powell's endorsement of Barack Obama for President comes the onslaught of backlash from critics -- notably blowhard Rush Limbaugh who claims the endorsement is simply because both Powell and Obama are black. I suppose this is to be expected.

But the most interesting thing in my mind in Powell's endorsement was his criticism of how the GOP has run the Presidential campaign and its tactics for painting Obama as a Muslim and unpatriotic.

In the interview with Brokaw on Meet the Press, I found myself giving Powell an "Amen!" to his answer criticizing the Republicans for their response to those on the fringe that (falsely) claim Barack Obama is really a Muslim:

"But the really right answer," he continued, "is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?"

In the end I don't think the Powell endorsement (or endorsements in general) will sway voters one way or another. For Obama supporters the endorsement reaffirms their belief that despite Obama's relative inexperience on the national level that he possesses the judgment to be Commander in Chief. For McCain supporters the endorsement is just the opinion of one man (albeit a great man) and will not suddenly pull them over to the Obama column.

As for those that will now demonize Powell or insinuate that his endorsement was simply based on race, so be it -- let them retreat further into their own narrow little world and isolate themselves from the mainstream.

Live Blog: Debate #3

See you tonight...

7:33
An hour & a half away. This has been quite the day. Amy, GJ and I are certainly ready for a diversion.

A brief plug for the Obama muppet that I snagged from the web. This guy Dan Lacey has all sorts of interesting portraits on his blog. As for Grandpa Simpson, Matt Groening doesn't need any more money. I can snag that with a good conscience.


8:50
What a day. Minor surgery for our son this morning in a "sensitive area" that was supposed to have a recovery so quick that he would be rough & tumble playing by the afternoon. After 2 hours of him screaming in pain because he doesn't want to go to the bathroom, two parents and a grandmother have some shot nerves. We are hoping that some Tylenol kicks in to help the little guy out tonight.

On a related note, tonight's live blog is sponsored by....




9:02
Here's Schieffer....here we go. Roundtable format tonight...

In a flip on the red state/blue state dynamic, Obama shows up with a red tie; McCain in blue.


9:05
How to save the economy?
McCain: Stop home foreclosures. Obama: Middle class tax cuts.

"The Battle for Joe the Plumber"
McCain: Ohio plumbers support me. Obama's tax rates would be higher than McCain's.

Obama: Tax cut for 95% of working Americans making less than $250,000/year. 3x tax relief for middle class families.

Will be interesting to see the fact checkers on this one.

9:15
McCain & Obama are battling for the votes from this treasured demographic.



9:18
Who is it again that has been in power for the past eight years that racked up these huge budget deficits that McCain wants to take a "hatchet" to?


9:25
Schieffer with a pointed question to both: Are you willing to say to each other's face what you say in your ads?

Mr. Erratic: Obama wouldn't agree to my format so I got nasty. Hits Obama on the John Lewis statement.

Mr. Pals Around With Terrorists: Americans aren't concerned with our hurt feelings.

McCain looks like his head is about to blow off.


9:32
Obama trying to take the high road with this negative ad question. McCain absolutely looks like he wants to rip Obama's limbs off.


9:36
McCain brings up ACORN and "that washed-up old terrorist" Bill Ayers in 10 seconds....

Obama diffuses it well (yes, this is from an Obama supporter): Ayers is not involved with my campaign and will not have a role in my administration. ACORN had people paid to register voters fill out bogus forms -- they are not associated with my campaign.


9:40
Running mate question...oh joy.

Somehow painting a person with a 32% favorability rating and the worst interview in modern history with a major media figure in a non-threatening environment is a stretch, to put it lightly.

Schieffer: Is she qualified to be President?
Obama: Let the American people decide.
McCain: Biden is qualified but he has been wrong on major issues.


9:57
I am a diehard Obama supporter. I have thoroughly enjoyed his books. I am drinking the Kool-Aid. Yes, I am biased.

Ok, now that that's out of the way. John McCain is done. Stick a fork in him. He is coming across in this debate and in this campaign as a cranky, out-of-touch, frustrated old man who has sold his patriotic soul to the hitmen of the Republican machine all for a chance at the White House. He is striking out. The polls show it. This debate shows it.


10:07
GJ & Amy just brought up the great point that Schieffer has asked the best, most direct & pointed questions of any moderator in the 4 debates (including veep).

Abortion: Would you support a Supreme Court justice that opposes your view of Roe v. Wade?

Great question.

McCain: No litmus test. Tries to beat up Obama for not joining the Gang of 14.
Obama: Roe v. Wade was rightly decided.


Summary:
There was no knockout punch on either side tonight. McCain was certainly more aggressive than in the past. Personally I don't think McCain's challenges affected those in the middle/undecided (who in the world are these people anyway?). McCain's body language was very agitated. Like him or not Obama still comes off as cool, calm, & collected.

MSNBC watchers: Obama won 3 to 1.
Fox fans: McCain won 4 to 1....and Obama pals around with terrorists.

Probably just depends on which one of these guys you relate to in the first place.

Town Hall: Live Blog

Here we go...

9:02
Got in late from a meeting. But I made it. We have Amy on the couch, GJ next to her with her knitting, pets glued to the tube, and yours truly.

Brokaw moderating. And the hands have been shaken.


9:04
Economics kicking off the night. How does the little guy get bailed out?


9:06
McCain: "Senator Obama, it's good to see you at a town hall." Good line.


9:08
McCain: Eight "My friends..." so far. Drink.


9:09
Warren Buffet for Treasury Secretary. Here we go with a difference -- does economic growth trickle down from the top or do you grow it from the bottom/middle up? I hope we keep talking about this and not about Ayers, Keating, etc.


9:11
Tonight's debate is sponsored by Avery India Pale Ale. 69 IBU's of tasty refreshment. Cheers!
(Shameless plug again. Brewers email me at my link on this page for my shipping address.)




9:17
McCain trying to come across as this great economic visionary -- it's not selling very well.


9:20
Both candidates are practicing empathy here -- trying to relate to the voter's cynicism about either party being able to fix the economic mess. And then they both attack...

McCain: Obama approved $1M for a planetarium projector. (No mention about a certain bridge to a certain island.)


9:27
Brokaw trying to keep these two candidates to 1-minute answers is like herding cats.


9:28
Great email question -- what should Americans sacrifice besides brave American soldiers lives?

Sigh, McCain missing the mark -- earmarks.

Need a bigger more transcendent answer here.


9:35
Obama: Good line about using a scalpel instead of a hatchet to cut the federal budget.

9:38
McCain just said he wasn't going to give tax breaks to the rich -- that he was leaving their tax rates unchanged and giving middle class tax cuts.

Not true.

He does support tax cuts for middle income brackets -- as Obama does -- but he gives a higher percentage tax break to the highest income brackets.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html



9:45
Environment...
Obama trying to tie this to an economic breakthrough like the computer.

Tom Brokaw fussing at them for not sticking to time limits. Enough already. 1 minute isn't enough for these two ramblers.


9:51
Health care...Obama with a very wonk-y answer here.

McCain: Obama will fine you if you don't get your kids insurance under his plan. Huh?


9:55
Brokaw with a good question:

Is health care in America a right, a privilege, or a responsibility?

McCain: Responsibility
Obama: Right


10:05
Obama doctrine & McCain doctrine -- should U.S. Military be used when national security interests are not at stake? Good question from Brokaw.

Obama: may not have national security interests but we have moral obligations to intervene in some but not all situations.
McCain: Obama was wrong on Iraq. (Reagan "my hero" -- drink.)


10:09
Should US invade Pakistan to pursue Al Queda?

Obama: Blames decision to go into Iraq for the reason AQ is building up again in Pakistan in the first place.

McCain is going to try to beat Obama up on stating that we could invade them. He did this in the first debate.


10:16
McCain: "I'll get Bin Laden. I know how to get him. I'll get him."

Oh really?


10:18
12 minutes to go....


10:20
I don't know why they are even talking about Russia. Palin has that one covered.


10:26
Would you wait for U.N. Security Council approval before sending troops to support Isreal if Iran attacked them?

McCain: No way.
Obama: Don't let Iran get the nuke. Won't take military option off the table. Have to work with other countries to prevent that from happening.


10:30
Last question...

What don't you know and how will you learn it?

Great question.

There is too much I don't know to list here. Things I do know: Avery IPA is a very tasty India Pale and Obama won this debate.

(Yes, I'm a shameless Obama supporter. At the very least, McCain didn't do what he had to do to erase Obama's lead in this campaign, and this debate was a draw.)

Cheers!

Homer Votes

Pre-debate humor for Simpsons fans among us.

Cheers!

Veep Show: Live Blog

8:20
40 minutes to showtime. I'm deliberately not watching too much pre-debate spin. I don't want to hear one side's opinion about Gwen Ifill being biased or the other side talking expectations up or down, depending on the moment. Just give me the show.

8:35
Speaking of expectations personally I don't think Palin is going to have as much trouble tonight as she had in the sit down interviews the past couple of weeks. Debates are a different animal than 1-on-1's. There are fewer opportunities to dig deeper on issues so she'll be able to play an attack dog role on Obama (as Biden will on McCain). Palin is an experienced debater from her time running for governor.

In other words I don't think there will be a repeat of Sarah's Greatest Hits collection.

8:40
Some Veep debate drinking games.

Palin:

When she leaves the g off progressive verbs or gerunds, e.g., "takin’," "leavin’," "changin’"

Every time she says "mustn’t," "maverick," "hockey mom," "Putin’s head," "pitbull," "lipstick," "thanks but no thanks" or "I’ll have to get back to you on that."

Biden:

When he mentions taking the train.

When he refers to Senator McCain as "John."

Every time he says, "Scranton" "Wall Street," "main street," "malarkey" or "Geraldine Ferraro," or refers to himself in the third person, or anyone else as his "good friend."

I don't have the liver anymore.


9:02
Gwen calls them to order. Here we go...


9:05
Biden: Bush = bad. Took him about 5 seconds to mention "middle class."
Palin: Fear that soccer moms & dads are feeling over economics.


9:10
Both seem very practiced. Palin attacks with a smile.


9:13
11 minutes, 2 "Darn right"s from Palin.

I hope Biden hammers the point home about which candidate would actually lower middle class taxes more.


9:18
Taxes:
Biden obviously feels comfortable talking taxes and impact on the middle class.
Palin's response takes issue with how to redistribute wealth.
Again, as with the first Obama/McCain debate, just depends on what your worldview is.


9:24
Neither candidate wants to take anything off the table after the $700B is committed. Obama & McCain didn't want to touch this one either when Lehrer asked the question.

9:26
Ok, we're one-third of the way through. Palin is clearly much more prepared for this than a 1:1 with Katie C.

As for JoeBi, he knows his s**t.


9:32
Palin obviously feels comfortable talking about energy.....I would argue regardless of what question Ifill asks her.

Global warming -- manmade (Biden) vs. cyclical temperature changes (Palin).


9:37
Debate shifts from taxes and energy to social issues: First up, same sex benefits. Palin gracious and tolerant in her response but clear that she does not support gay marriage.


9:47
Jumping to foreign policy to Iraq, Iran & Pakistan. I was hoping we'd get one more domestic policy question for Palin -- either her opposition of abortion even in the case of rape or incest or her thoughts on teaching creationism in public schools.

Palin calling Obama "naive." Um, that seems a bit of a stretch.


9:55
I disagree that "every administration makes blunders" quite like the last eight years.


10:00
Homestretch...2/3 of the way through.

Biden says 3 times that we spend more in 3 weeks on combat operations in Iraq than what we've spent in 7 years in Afghanistan. That's a pretty simple fact for Joe Sixpack to get his head around.


10:04
Amy's done. Disappointed in Ifill's questions. There does seem to be too much of a format where Ifill throws out a topic and lets each one ramble on to the camera. I'm an Ifill fan (even wanted her considered for Russert's replacement on MTP), but I have to agree w/ the wife.


10:15
Palin tries to rehash Reagan's successful "There you go again" line he used against Jimmy Carter in 1980.


10:17
Biden: "Dick Cheney has been the most dangerous Vice President in the history of America."


10:18
What is your Achilles' heel?
Palin talking about energy independence again.


10:24
Final question: Single issue where you had to change a long held view to accomodate circumstances....

Yawner.


10:29
Closing statements...

Palin: "I like to answer these questions without the filter of the mainstream media." Huh? She & McCain will fight for freedom so we dont' have to tell kids & grandkids about the good old days of freedom. Cold war-ish.

Biden: "Most important election you've voted for in your entire life."


Summary
I think both candidates where strong in presenting their views and their candidate's positions. In short, I think this Veep debate had a lot of pregame hype but in the end won't change anyone's positions one way or the other. It simply reinforced support for both sides.

Veep Show

Vice Presidential Debate
We'll be live blogging it here at 9pm tonight. In the meantime, here are some great moments in Veep debate history:

Lloyd Bentsen's "You're no Jack Kennedy" dismissal of Dan Quayle:


George Bush dismisses Geraldine Ferraro's lack of foreign policy knowledge:


Al Gore pokes fun at himself in 1996 debate with Jack Kemp:


And the king of Veep debaters, Admiral Stockdale, loses his train of thought...


....and his hearing aid.



Cheers!

Live blogging here.

Frank Criticism

Barney Frank in his trademark bluntness in response to the alleged 12 representatives that supposedly changed their vote to oppose the bailout because of an (admittedly misguided) partisan speech by Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

$1.1 Trillion Loss

Here's an understatement. Today was a really bad day.

Democrats and Republicans in Congress failed to come to agreement on a $700 billion bailout for Wall Street investment banks as the vote failed 228-205 in the House. Reacting to the unexpected stalemate, the stock market plunged a record 777 points in two hours. How big is that? A 7% drop that we saw this afternoon is a $1.1 trillion loss in wealth. Everyone with 401k's, IRA's, individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds in the market -- we're all affected. And the bloodbath is sure to continue tomorrow.

There is no shortage of blame to go around here. Investment greed is part of it -- from Wall Street banks to irresponsible mortgage peddling to individuals that bought homes they could not come close to affording. I'm not going to pretend I understand derivatives and complicated mortgage backed securities that fell like a house of cards. But that is why I, Joe Average American citizen, rely on elected officials to appoint people to positions to understand this and oversee it. So lack of regulation was a part of this collapse too.

So while I want the causes of this collapse to be investigated so we learn the lessons for the future, I am even more disheartened by the vote today. First of all no one wants to sign up for a $700 billion bill. It is a mind-boggling sum of money on top of all the problems we face and our kids and grandkids will face.

But when two of the foremost financial minds in the country -- the Treasury Secretary and the Federal Reserve Chairman -- beg and plead for bipartisan action to be taken to avoid certain impending financial hardship for the country, it is deflating when politicians fail to take action. No wonder people think so little of their elected government in Washington D.C.

Politicians from both sides have to shoulder the responsibility of this not passing. From the Republican side this vacuum of leadership from the President to push this through is the single biggest reason why I want a change in November. The President's capital is so bankrupt from all the failures and missteps for the past eight years that he cannot rally a majority of his own party in Congress to support the bailout his Administration put forward.

Enter the Democrats. To their credit they got 2/3 majority of their Representatives to support the buyout. But what does the Speaker of the House do right before the roll call vote? She takes the opportunity to lecture the Republicans with a snotty partisan "We told you so" speech that added a degree of divisiveness that completely could have been avoided if she would have taken the "This is for the greater good and unfortunately is the medicine we have to swallow" approach.

So while I understand the Republicans' frustration with her pettiness and I somewhat sympathize with the reluctance of many not to support government intervention in the free market (I'm a free marketer myself), the majority of Republicans in the House refused to put the needs of the country ahead of either pure ideology or childish partisanship. It is just completely disheartening and frustrating.

How bad is it going to get? We are about to see. This piece from Steven Pearlstein's is the best summary I have read on the situation in one page -- "They Just Don't Get It."

The basic problem here is that too many people don't understand the seriousness of the situation.

Americans fail to understand that they are facing the real prospect of a decade of little or no economic growth because of the bursting of a credit bubble that they helped create and that now threatens to bring down the global financial system.

Politicians worry less about preventing a financial meltdown than about ideology, partisan posturing and teaching people a lesson. Financiers have yet to own up publicly to their own greed, arrogance and incompetence. And leaders of foreign governments still think that this is an American problem and that they have no need to mount similar rescue efforts in their own countries.

In the coming weeks and months, all of these people will come to understand how deep the hole really is and how we're all in it together.

They'll come to understand that the giant sucking sound they hear is of a massive deleveraging of the global economy and the global financial system as households and governments, businesses and investment funds adjust to living in a world with less debt and more inflation.

SNL

"Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines."
"I'm sorry?"
"I'd like to phone a friend."

Funny stuff.

Live Blog: Debate Numero Uno

8:48
12 minutes to debate time. McCain chose to go forward with the debate, which was the right call. Regardless of what people think about the bailout -- and frankly I'm not completely onbaord with either position myself -- voters deserve to know what each of these guys think, especially in a challenging time such as the one we find ourselves in this week.

8:50
Tonight's live blog is sponsored by Wolaver's India Pale Ale. (I'm hoping that the Vermont brewers will see this plug and fill up my fridge accordingly.)

8:51
On a sobering note, Ted Kennedy was taken to a hospital tonight for a seizure related to his brain tumor. No matter the ideological differences people have with the man, he's one of the admirable figures of all time in politics.

8:59
One minute to go. The spinsters have already started. McCain's people saying he could be tired so don't expect much. Obama's people are tampering down expectations by admitting that their candidate rambles professorially.

Huge Jim Lehrer fan. He's a down the middle guy. Here we go!


9:04
Lehrer points out that the financial crisis is fair game tonight. Indeed.

9:05
It took Obama a minute to try to tie McCain into Bush's policies. McCain touts bi-partisanship.

9:08
Lehrer: "Let's go back to my question. Do you favor this plan?"

Just answer the @#%$ question.

9:10
McCain ties in Eisenhower (?!).

Ah, he's getting at accountability. Hard to argue with that. Yawner so far.

9:15
McCain recycles a stump line about pork barrel spending with the money for the study of DNA of bears. Interesting that a certain bridge to a certain island wasn't mentioned.

9:18
McCain points out that he didn't win Mr. Congeniality in the Senate. Amy points out that Sarah Palin won Ms. Congeniality in her beauty pageant days.

9:19
Obama attacks McCain directly for his tax cuts for the wealthiest of Americans. Good move.

McCain jumps to the business tax & Ireland. Answer the #@%# question.

9:22
Obama, responding to the criticism that he wants to raise taxes: "95% of you will get a tax cut." This directness is exactly what he has to do. K-I-S-S, Keep It Simple, Stupid.

9:25
Potential testy exchange over who is the bigger champion against wasteful spending. Bad night for oil companies. Both accuse the other of being in bed with them.

9:28
Obama doesn't address Lehrer's question about priorities given the cost of the buyout. He's also falling into the Al Gore sighing trap by laughing under his breath and mumbling catty comments towards McCain.

9:32
Lehrer tries to rope them back to commit to what each candidate will cut in the face of the financial crisis one of them will inherit in January.

Obama: Get out of Iraq.
McCain: Tries to tie pick on Obama re: offshore drilling in nuclear power.

Not sure what offshore drilling has to do with spending cuts.

9:34
Lehrer tries to ask the effect of the bailout question for a third time. He's persistent.

9:37
Obama: "It's your President that presided over this orgy of spending." Bam.

9:39
Sarah Palin is going to be pissed if McCain keeps dissing Miss Congeniality awards.

9:41
Amy just points out (via Chuckie Todd) that Obama is wearing a flag pin on his lapel; McCain is not. Funny.

9:43
Obama: $600B in Iraq, 4,000 lives, "we took our eye off the ball." He's doing better on his long-winded tendencies.

9:44
Good line from McCain: "The next president is not going to have to make the decision of whether or not to go into Iraq."

9:45
Obama just hammered McCain on judgment -- 2003 vs. 2007.

McCain: Obama cut off funding for the troops.

Lehrer can't get it off this back and forth.

9:50
Iraq is just a cesspool of debate....moving to Afghanistan. In theory this one should not be as contentious.

9:51
BTW, when bathing the boys tonight I asked them who we wanted to be President. Knowing that I like Obama, they shouted in unison, "John McCain!!" So I did what any responsible father would do.

I explained to the boys that John McCain wants to take their gummy fish and chocolate away.

I have twin three year-old Obama supporters now.

9:56
The body language is noticeably different between these two. Obama seems to be addressing McCain more when he speaks. McCain is looking away toward the moderator more.

9:59
The problem with foreign policy debates is that at the core, this is re-fighting Vietnam.

Both of them have bracelets from family members of soldiers. I hate this "Who loves America more" garbage.

10:01
McCain's temper is visually showing.

10:03
Moving to Iran....

McCain: No nukes. No argument there. A "League of Democracies?"

Obama: Policy on Iraq contributed to Iran's rise.

10:11
McCain hammers Obama on meeting with dictators (Iran, Cuba, Venezuela) without preconditions.

Obama completely fumbles this answer away. I agree with his premise that you have to keep diplomacy at the forefront. But Obama has GOT to be able to net his arguments out.

10:13
The "preconditions" argument is a complete difference of world views. Do you talk to your enemies or does giving them an audience legitimize their positions just by entertaining the discussion?

I agree with Obama, but he has to be able to explain this in a clear, concise manner for the average voter.

10:16
On to Russia....

Obama is really backed into a corner b/c unfortunately for him he can't see Russia from his house.

10:25
This debate spiraled downward. He said, he said.

Last question....

Chance for another 9/11-type attack on the United States....

10:27
McCain: America is safer than it was on 9/11, but we have a long way to go.

10:28
Obama: Safe, but a long way to go. Biggest threat is nuclear threat in a suitcase, not a missile.

10:31
I don't think either McCain or Obama tanked it. No major gaffes. Some good lines and points from both men. But so much of which one of these two appeals to voters depends on a person sees the world.

For me the nutshell of the two candidate's foreign policies is that McCain favors a stronger, more aggressive approach to dealing with those countries that have differences with the United States. Show them our might first, discuss with them second.

Obama on the other hand favors a more subtle approach where diplomacy is the first and second option, choosing to try to shore up America's image in the world as the best foreign policy tool to guarantee security.

Next Thursday, JoeBi and Tina Fey.

Cheers everyone!

To Debate or Not to Debate

What an odd, bizarre day for a birthday...

Congress is trying to hammer out a $700 billion buyout for Wall Street. Democrats back President Bush for the first time in years. The stock market tumbled 150 points in the first 5 minutes from the opening bell. There is a Presidential debate tonight that may or may not happen. And rather than preparing for the potential debate in Mississippi the two candidates are in D.C. (posturing?) trying to help hammer out the deal for the buyout.

On the bright side, Amy & I celebrated our birthdays with a rare night out last night. The kids were well taken care of by our friends Ann and Jeanne from our church. So we went into Raleigh to our favorite restaurant and enjoyed a couple hours away. We intentionally scheduled our night out for Thursday instead of tonight knowing that we would want to watch the debate. So it better happen! :-)

Cheers!

Update: McCain just announced he is attending the debate so the show will go on. Phew!

Typewriters, baby, typewriters

Of all the Sunday op-ed's I read today, this was easily the best. Thomas Friedman -- normally an energy columnist rather than a political columnist -- talks about the short-sightedness of an oil-only energy policy and the distractions from today's major issues by a campaign that chose to reignite the culture war in its attempt to win an election.

Why would Republicans, the party of business, want to focus our country on breathing life into a 19th-century technology — fossil fuels — rather than giving birth to a 21st-century technology — renewable energy? As I have argued before, it reminds me of someone who, on the eve of the I.T. revolution — on the eve of PCs and the Internet — is pounding the table for America to make more I.B.M. typewriters and carbon paper. “Typewriters, baby, typewriters.”

........................................................

I respected McCain’s willingness to support the troop surge in Iraq, even if it was going to cost him the Republican nomination. Now the same guy, who would not sell his soul to win his party’s nomination, is ready to sell every piece of his soul to win the presidency.

In order to disguise the fact that the core of his campaign is to continue the same Bush policies that have led 80 percent of the country to conclude we’re on the wrong track, McCain has decided to play the culture-war card. Obama may be a bit professorial, but at least he is trying to unite the country to face the real issues rather than divide us over cultural differences.

A Washington Post editorial on Thursday put it well: “On a day when the Congressional Budget Office warned of looming deficits and a grim economic outlook, when the stock market faltered even in the wake of the government’s rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, when President Bush discussed the road ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan, on what did the campaign of Senator John McCain spend its energy? A conference call to denounce Senator Barack Obama for using the phrase ‘lipstick on a pig’ and a new television ad accusing the Democrat of wanting to teach kindergartners about sex before they learn to read.”

Politico Friday

I was a good boy this week. No snarky comments about the GOP convention from the RutlFarm.

(Did you know John McCain was a P.O.W?)

Well, almost all week.

John Stewart sums up the spinsters' take on Sarah Palin better than anyone.

Cheers!

The Speech

I am still absorbing Obama's nomination acceptance speech a day later. Without trying to be melodramatic I believe it was one of the best speeches I have heard in my lifetime. I think it was that historic of a moment.

The punditocracy has not surprisingly moved on to the next story with McCain's surprising VP pick today. Frankly the selection baffles me -- at least from an initial impression standpoint. I really thought McCain would pick the Minnesota governor, Pawlenty, to counter the out-of-touch argument and score points with social conservatives.

I suppose choosing Sarah Palin will play well with the social conservative base. But I think choosing a two-year governor of a state with fewer people than metro Raleigh and a former mayor of an Alaskan town of 9,000 people is a knee-jerk reaction at best and a Hail Mary at worst. But I'll stop there -- need to remember to keep an open mind and get more information before passing judgment.

So back to the speech. I'm posting it on the blog really to document this moment. I hope to be able to look back on this years from now and tell my kids about the excitement, patriotism, and feeling of unity that Obama brought to America and the world in 2008.

More to come in the days ahead. Looking forward to a 3-day holiday weekend. For our readers who are sick of my fawning over Barack Obama I'll try to get some pix of the kids out here to break the political cycle! :-)

Cheers!

Denver: Day 4 - The nomination

Tonight is the big night for Obama supporters as Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for President in front of 75,000 people at Mile High Stadium in Denver. There have been some rumblings that moving the acceptance speech from the indoor arena to a massive outdoor stadium further supports the "rock star" claim that McCain and the Republicans have made against him the past few weeks (think Paris Hilton).

Maybe there is some credence to that argument. But I like Obama's take that there have been so many people that have supported the movement behind his candidacy that he wants everyone who wants a chance to see the nomination to get a chance. No word on who the opening band is.

My favorite quote came from Obama's campaign strategist David Axelrod in defending the decision to move the acceptance speech to the cavernous confines of an NFL stadium:

“I know that Senator McCain and his people are shooting barbs on the opulence of our convention from the mountaintop in Sedona from the McCain estate,” said David Axelrod, the campaign’s chief strategist. “I don’t think it warrants a response.”

Touche.

We'll live blog it here tonight.

8:51
Al Gore lighting up Bush/Cheney/McCain on energy, Iraq, torture, special interest ties and the Supreme Court.

"If you like the Bush/Cheney approach then John McCain is your man."

8:58
I doubt John Elway likes it that all these Democrats have invaded his stadium. Elway maxed out $2,300 to McCain.

9:11
The Republicans have Zell Miller and Joe Lieberman. The Democrats bring you Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the late Republican president.

9:13
Wow, go Susan.

"Too many people in power have failed us. Belligerence has become the substitute for stubbornness. Stubbornness has been a substitute for leadership. And impulsive action has replaced measured, thoughtful response. "

9:35
Half hour away from the speech. Amy says the speech is "make or break" for Obama. There is certainly a lot of pressure on the guy as expectations is in the stratosphere.

Win over moderates, Independents, whites, Clinton supporters, swing voters, fence sitters, evangelicals, motorcycle-driving soccer moms and SUV-driving latte-drinking dads and do so in front of 75,000 people in person and 25 million people on television.

9:43
(CL) Boston infiltrating your family again...

9:44
(DR) Awesome. Welcome, good sir.

Did you hear Maddow's comment that McCain will not be leaking his Veep pick tonight but that he is having trouble filling the 10,000 seat arena in Minneapolis? That's one of the knocks of the coverage that the "enthusiasm gap" has not been properly covered.

9:48
(CL) That's great. I hadn't heard that.

This venue is great. People will take their shots at the "rock star" image but how can a 70,000 seat stadium full of screaming people not be a good thing for Obama. Great move...

9:50
(CL) Unfortunately, I think we can all go to bed because MSNBC has already read the entire speech.

9:53
(DR) You can always switch over to ESPN. State is in a barnburner with South Carolina -- 3-0 in the 3rd.

9:55
(CL) I can't believe Amy hasn't switched to the US Open yet. Roger must not be on tonight.

9:56
(CL) When did they decide that tonight would be in the stadium? Was it always the plan? I wonder if they made it on the fly knowing that it would contrast with McCain's much sparser crowd.

I think the Obama camp has a mole. They have been right on the money with every punch and counter-punch. Perhaps Belichick is secretly running the campaign.

9:58
(DR) Federer is tied up in my basement. Bet on Nadal.

Finally, here's Durbin.

10:01
(DR) Just got a sense of what 75,000 people screaming "Yes we can" sounds like. I predict some major chills coming in the next 30 mins...

10:16
(CL) A shout out to the Hillary team right out of the gate. Good move. She certainly did her part two nights ago.

10:19
(DR) "America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this."

10:22
(CL) My first cringe of the night. Obama starts a chant modeled on a 70's family TV series. (Eight is Enough). Dick Van Patten is smiling. I'm not...

10:26
(DR) Two thoughts. First, Obama is swinging. Doing exactly what he needs to do to CONTRAST Republican policies and ideas with what he stands for. And second, look at the diversity in all the crowd shots -- white, black, Asian, ethnic, young, old. There is a lot of diversity in this crowd. Symbolizes people from all the different walks of life that he has inspired.

10:31
(CL) "I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks celebrities lead, but this has been mine." Great line. It's on! You're right, he's on the offensive tonight. I love it. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."

10:36
(DR) Do you think John McCain just leaned over to Cindy and asked her where she stashes her pills? There is no way McCain comes close to this.

10:38
(DR) Amy: You really get the impression that he has seen so much, that he really gets it.

I couldn't agree more. The thing that comes to mind as I listen to him is genuine empathy.

10:41
(CL) You're right, McCain can't match it. I love how they've preempted the experience attack but continually citing all of the failures that have occurred during his tenure. Granted, some of them probably aren't attributable entirely to McCain, but it sure is an effective campaign strategy.

10:46
(DR) My first chill moment.

But what I will not do is suggest that the Senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America – they have served the United States of America.

10:55
(DR) Wraps it up with Martin Luther King. Quite a moment.

10:59
(DR) Here's a parallel for you. Obama is like Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" ushering out what had passed for rock n' roll for so many years.

11:03
(CL) Great Nirvana reference.

Wow... what a speech. He nailed it flawlessly.

It's interesting... a few days ago I thought Biden would be the heavy and Obama would be more the good cop. Completely the opposite. He can bring it. Biden's speech makes a lot more sense now.

11:08
(DR) I'm still absorbing it all. The text is here. I'll be reliving this one for a while. Barack Obama is a special leader.

11:14
(CL) So Amy, what is your verdict? Did he make or break it?

11:18
(ABR) I think he did what he needed to do. My beef with Obama has always been that his soaring oratory was great but I wanted substance. He went after McCain and showed the contrast in specific terms on what he stands for and how he differs from McCain. My favorite thing was that he showed the world is not black and white.

Tonight I think he absolutely nailed it.

MSNBC

MSNBC has become the network of choice in our household -- and yes, probably because it is an Obama-friendly cable network compared to its competitors. I made the point last night that I thought MSNBC was vying to become the anti-Fox. The whole "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality. That since MSNBC was perennially stuck in third place among the cable networks behind Fox and CNN that the network decided to go in a more partisan direction -- like Fox only to the other end of the political spectrum.

So as the convention has played out this week we have seen examples on the network where Republicans spouting GOP talking points have been shot down on live TV by MSNBC commentators. In addition to the partisan angle there is another sub-theme with the drama between the personalities over at MSNBC. Watching these spats happen live on the air has become a voyeuristic little sideshow that has kept us entertained between speeches.

I found these clips on YouTube at lunch to illustrate the point. All of these have taken place this week.

First, here is Olbermann interjecting a "Let's wrap him up" comment into an interview with Republican strategist Mike Murphy. Granted, Murphy was rambling with a silly point about how he thought Bill and Hillary Clinton would actually pull the lever for John McCain in the privacy of the voting booth. Then Matthews goes on to berate Murphy for making such an unsubstantiated claim.


Next, this clip illustrates the tension between Chris Matthews, the sometimes obnoxious but informed and frequently entertaining host of Hardball, and Keith Olbermann, the sarcastic, witty and very partisan host of Countdown who has rescued MSNBC from dismal ratings as his show has increased in popularity.


Finally, I found this one featuring a snip between Olbermann and Joe Scarborough, former Republican congressman and host of MSNBC's Morning Joe program. I don't have the animosity that a lot of die-hard liberals have for Scarborough. I think he's much more down the middle than say a Lou Dobbs or a Sean Hannity/Bill O'Reilly. But if MSNBC is going in more of a partisan direction to win viewers and compete with Fox and CNN, people like Joe who try to pull themselves above the partisan fray are probably a dying breed.


Anyhow, for those of us who are political junkies this has been a fun diversion during the convention. If you watch MSNBC, see if you spot some of this kind of stuff.

____________________________________________________________________

Update: Of course The Daily Show does a much more humorous job of summing up the infighting over at MSNBC.

Stewart: "Wow, looks like the weather in Scarborough Country is partly bitchy with a chance of 'Reeooowwwrr'"

Denver: Day 3

These late nights are taking their toll with the lack of sleep. But hey, it's politico season -- when in Rome...

Wednesday night at the Democratic convention will feature President Clinton and Vice Presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Today the pundit class is dissecting Hillary's speech from last night -- did she go far enough? Was she convincing enough? Was her heart really into it? Why didn't she reassure voters that Obama was in fact experienced to be President?

Personally I think the talking heads were going to ask these questions regardless of what she said. I thought her speech plain and simple was an attempt to unite her supporters behind Obama -- especially with that "I want you to ask yourselves. Were you in this campaign just for me or were you in it for the [cause]" line.

And in true melodramatic fashion the drama is building for President Clinton's speech tonight. Will he put his ill feelings on the shelf and wholeheartedly endorse Obama? (see "Obama and Bill Clinton: So Similar, So Distant") Again, I think too much is being made of this. I think Bill Clinton has everything to lose -- including the legacy of his accomplishments -- if he sulks and doesn't give a rousing full endorsement. But we'll see -- I could be wrong. Either way it is fun drama.

Hopefully we are treated to Mr. LeDuc's guest blogging again tonight.

9:00
Amy & I are dragging a bit tonight. We are loving all this wall-to-wall coverage of the convention and people talking about important issues of our day. Just need some sleep.

Here comes Bill.

"Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" -- shades of 1992.

9:04
Crowd giving him a HUGE ovation. Still going on 5+ minutes into it.

"You all sit down. We gotta get on with the show here."

"Sit down." (laughing)

So much for the Obama crowd not giving Bill any love.

9:12
Bill likes him some Joe Biden. "With his [Obama's] first presidential decision in selecting a vice president, he hit it out of the park."

9:13

"Barack Obama is ready to be President of the United States."

There it is. That was our biggest question. He wouldn't answer this very question to an ABC reporter a few weeks ago ("You could argue that nobody is ready to be President."). Glad to see Bill has come around.

9:16
Clinton brings the house down:

"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."

Wow, what a line.

9:23
Clinton is crushing balls over the fence like they're slow-pitched softballs. He is drawing the line between McCain's (Bush's) policies and the Democrats like no speaker at the convention yet.

James Carville will sleep well tonight.

9:28
I cannot imagine any pundit saying the Bill Clinton didn't do his part to throw his full support behind Barack Obama. (Of course, I'm not watching Rove over on Faux News.) Seriously though, he showed how powerful of a politician he can still be when he wants to.

"Fantastic," quoteth Amy B.

9:32
Bring us out some Joe Biden. I bet we have to endure an hour of analysis and spin before JoeBi graces the stage.

10:07
Pundits -- you just have to love their sense of reality sometimes. On MSNBC Mike Murphy (former advisor to McCain) just claimed that Bill and Hillary Clinton would now leave Denver and vote for John McCain in the voting booth.

Chris Matthews: "Where would you find an audience in sane America that would believe what you just said?"

Filler, filler, until Biden speaks.

10:12
I really think that MSNBC is trying to carve out a niche as the antithesis to Fox News. Fox -- for all its bogus "Fair & Balanced" claims -- really champions Republican causes and points of view very, very well. My beef with it has always been that Fox claims to be down the middle when it is not. Now MSNBC has begun to lean Democratic. Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews -- these folks are definitely very -- ahem -- supportive of the Dems.

I think that's the trend we are in now that these cable networks are just saying screw it, we're not going to try to be something we're not. We can't please everybody so let's please a group of people really well.

10:17
David Letterman's Top 10 ways to make the Democratic Convention more fun:

10. Offer John McCain $1 million if he correctly guesses how many homes he owns.
9. Every night, one lucky lady gets to go home with John Edwards
8. In honor of party mascot, serve assortment of delicious donkey and mule treats
7. Each delegate gets a kitty, superdelegates get a super kitty!
6. Special appearance by the exhumed remains of Lyndon Johnson
5. Call the Pepsi Center something crazy like the Bird's Nest or the Water Cube
4. Give John Kerry's crazy wife five minutes to say whatever she wants -- remember her?
3. Kick things off with a song from Dennis Kucinich
2. Five words: hot volleyball babes in bikinis
1. Try to squeeze Al Gore into the same suit he wore at the 2000 convention

10:23
It's Biden time.

10:31
Rumor that Obama is about to make a cameo after Biden.....interesting. Most Presidential candidates build up the suspense until they speak on the last night of the convention. Obama has appeared Monday (after Michelle's speech), Tuesday (shown watching Hillary's speech), and now apparently tonight.

10:34
Biden (to his wife): "The only one who leaves me both breathless and speechless at the same time."

10:36
Biden takes a shot at Cheney. No longer will you have to dread the words, "The Vice President's office is on the phone." Funny.

10:38
Over/under on how long Biden will speak - 4 hours, 11 mins. He's been on for 7 minutes and he hasn't even stopped thanking his family.

10:47
I have never been a fan of the call & response in political speeches. Kerry/Edwards had "Help is On the Way" four years ago which I thought was corny. Biden tries to light up John McCain with the "That's not change, that's more of the same" chant in which the audience joins.

Maybe I just need some sleep...

10:52
Amy points out that Biden has the red light. He is just getting fiery in pointing out instances where he thinks Obama has shown better judgment than McCain.

10:55

"I'm ready. Barack Obama is ready. This is his time. This is our time."

I am reminded of Mikey's "It's Our Time" speech from the Goonies. I think the Democrats are like the Goonies -- the lovable, idealistic losers.



11:02
Springsteen sings Day 3 to a close. 70,000+ will be on hand tomorrow night from Mile High.

Cheers!