Miscellaneous

• I caught Senator Obama's stump speech today in Montana, and I think he’s been very effective at countering President Bush’s remarks in Israel suggesting that anyone who wants to sit down and talk to people like the Iranians are appeasers. He is punching back with good arguments and doesn’t sound at all defensive. Kerry and Gore always sounded defensive, and therefore weak, whenever they tried to fight back.
• All media may be lame but TV is the worst. NBC makes me crazy. First Tim Russert, blowhard extraordinaire, interviews Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) on Meet the Press Sunday, and practically nominates him for Vice President. What a wet kiss, softball exchange. This morning “NBC-medical-correspondent-Dr.-Nancy-Schneiderman” diagnoses Ted Kennedy from the video of him being loaded into the ambulance (by several strong men). What is the point? Finally, Richard Engle had an “exclusive” interview with President Bush. What does that mean, exactly? That no other network was interviewing W. at that exact moment?
• Senator Obama is warning the Republicans to “lay off my wife” after the Tennessee Republican party ran this ad: http://youtube.com/watch?v=YmWEaqxkGtU
  What do you think? Is the ad fair or not?

Yes We Can

I'm sorry, but I'm a little creeped out by this Obama "Yes We Can" video on YouTube. The man can speak, he has a powerful message, and I believe he is sincere, but the marriage of his spoken words to a gospel beat, and the rhapsodized looks on the faces of the heavenly chorus are just a little too much for me. If the technology had been available they'd have made one of these for Mao, or Evita. Chavez and Kim Jung-il are probably working on their own as you read this. And can you imagine if a conservative politician made something like this? They would be condemned as the worst possible kind of demagogue. Reagan was accused as such for using too many sunrises and flags in his ads; this makes those things look like ads for lawn care products.

“Yes we can?” I assume we’re supposed to think: “I have a dream.” Manipulative is really not a strong enough word for it. Haven't we had enough political personality cults in this country? Didn't people vote for GWB over Gore because he was “more likable”? That worked out well.

Making Obama into a religious figure takes rational thought out of the electoral equation and creates a very dangerous atmosphere. If you disagree, ask yourself how you'd like a Mike Huckabee ad starting Jesus as his biggest supporter.