I spent some time surfing liberal websites and found two underlying themes. First there is a lot of hatred in that group. It goes without saying that liberals hate Bush, Republicans and John McCain. Some of their groups are still trying to get Congress to start impeachment procedures against Bush. Yup, that’s just what this economy and shaky Wall Street needs right now.
I had also heard that there was division within the Democrat Party but I didn’t realize until today how deep it went. There is a YouTube video of Howard Dean in Charlotte making a stump speech for Obama. At first all you could hear was the rhythmic monotone chanting of “Yes I Can”. It actually was rather scary as it came across so militaristic*. Then off to the side were more protesters with their own signs. Although there was no organization in their protesting they were still able to interrupt Dean’s speech. If you thought they were McCain supporters you are wrong. It was a group of Hillary Clinton supporters. Wow. I have yet to see the media cover any of this.
Hillary’s supporters are beyond mad at Obama. One of their signs requested a roll call during their convention which Dean said would happen. I’ll believe it when I see it. For a roll call of how each state voted would clearly show that Obama was not the chosen one and narrowly won the primary. If they do show it then look for it around mid afternoon when no one is watching. There were also a number of blogs by Hillary supporters who write that they will never support Obama and will vote for McCain instead.
The second point is that the Democrats are doing the same thing they did in 2000 and 2004. In those elections, along with the current one, liberals are writing that the public is stupid to vote for McCain. I didn’t get it then nor do I understand it now. Because how much sense does it take to realize that if you want people to vote for your candidate then don’t call them stupid?
The recent polls still show McCain close to Obama, and in some polls actually surpassing Obama. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the above contributes to McCain making a better show of it than expected.
* Shortly after Obama won his primary he sent out an email to say he was creating a “Fellowship”. He talked of sending people to training programs and then these "leaders" would be assigned where to work during the summer. When I first read this I was confused since not much happens in the summer. After that video I think I now understand the purpose of his “Fellowship” which in this light makes it all that much scarier.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Short Retort - A Followup
Apparently I wasn't the only one to like that article that I recommended in my prior Short Retort. Not only did Fox News like it, but they contacted the journalist and together created a very funny bit. While the author read his "parable" called The Child, Fox created a slide show of appropriate accompanying pictures. This turned a funny news article into an even funnier video clip. Here is the link to YouTube where you can see this hilarious video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0drwfnGlF_E Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0drwfnGlF_E Enjoy!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Short Retort
The Drudge Report had a link to the following article and of course I had to read this: OBAMA MOCKED IN BRIT PAPER: 'He ventured forth to bring light to the world'...
It is extremely funny and especially interesting that it was written by a British newspaper. Then again, I couldn't see our newpapers writing anything detrimental about Obama so luckily the British have stepped in for us. Anyway, I think you will enjoy it.
It is extremely funny and especially interesting that it was written by a British newspaper. Then again, I couldn't see our newpapers writing anything detrimental about Obama so luckily the British have stepped in for us. Anyway, I think you will enjoy it.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Changing Everything But His Own Mind
For some reason I keep imagining the following scene…..
Dinner time and everyone is sitting around the kitchen table.
“I don’t like this.” said Joshua looking at the peas on his dinner plate.
“You haven’t even tried them.” Replies his Dad.
“Don’t care. I just know I won’t like them.”
“Why?”
.
“Because it’s green and looks funny and it smells!” Joshua is now building up to a full fledged temper tantrum.
“Stop that screaming and just eat your peas.” Dad is starting to get another headache.
“No. You can eat them.”
“Don't talk back to me like that. You can’t get down from the table until you try them." Dad's getting annoyed with his son's attitude. "How can you say you don’t like something if you haven’t even tried it? That doesn't make any sense” (Apparently Dad has forgotten that adolescent boys rarely make sense.)
“I don't care. I just know I don't like them.”
Father and son stare at each other.
“Oh alright”, Joshua pouts. He balances two peas on his fork, puts them in his mouth and starts to make a gagging sound. “Yechhhh! Are you trying to poison me? That’s really gross! You never listen to me. I knew they would be awful even before I tasted them. And I was right - they are awful and I don't like them! So now get the rest of them off of my plate!"
Dinner time and everyone is sitting around the kitchen table.
“I don’t like this.” said Joshua looking at the peas on his dinner plate.
“You haven’t even tried them.” Replies his Dad.
“Don’t care. I just know I won’t like them.”
“Why?”
.
“Because it’s green and looks funny and it smells!” Joshua is now building up to a full fledged temper tantrum.
“Stop that screaming and just eat your peas.” Dad is starting to get another headache.
“No. You can eat them.”
“Don't talk back to me like that. You can’t get down from the table until you try them." Dad's getting annoyed with his son's attitude. "How can you say you don’t like something if you haven’t even tried it? That doesn't make any sense” (Apparently Dad has forgotten that adolescent boys rarely make sense.)
“I don't care. I just know I don't like them.”
Father and son stare at each other.
“Oh alright”, Joshua pouts. He balances two peas on his fork, puts them in his mouth and starts to make a gagging sound. “Yechhhh! Are you trying to poison me? That’s really gross! You never listen to me. I knew they would be awful even before I tasted them. And I was right - they are awful and I don't like them! So now get the rest of them off of my plate!"
~
Hmmm. Maybe some little boys never do grow up…
Hmmm. Maybe some little boys never do grow up…
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
He Who Laughs Last....
By now everybody has seen the cover of the New Yorker depicting Obama and his wife as Islamic terrorists. You can almost hear the magazine’s staff laughing at the thought that less educated, less sophisticated and less enlightened people actually believe this about the Democrat candidate. This cover was meant to redicule these rubes while the article defended Obama's patriotism. The only problem with this satire is that, as backed up by recent surveys, there really are a significant number of people who believe that Obama is associated with Islam and US radicals. They believe that instead of being a satire the New Yorker cover actually depicted the “truth” about Obama and his wife.
No surprise that Obama is furious. He has spent millions trying to establish that he is a patriotic American and that all the rumors are lies. And yet as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this cover erased a lot of the progress he had made. The TV news and cable shows continuously showed this cover and it is so provocative that people will remember the image long after they remember that it was to be a satire. The New Yorker cover also had an unintended result which might be a key to defeating Obama this fall.
The more I watch Obama, the more I feel that he is becoming a self righteous, self important man who believes in his own hype. Think about it. What kind of man would create a seal identical to the presidential seal? How egotistical is it to move his acceptance speech from the hall to a stadium where he can speak to the masses all gathered to worship him? Or to want to speak from the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, where only President Kennedy and Reagan have spoken? He really is beginning to think of himself as the next JFK and Martin Luther King rolled up into one.
Then along comes The New Yorker cover which seems to be ridiculing Obama and his wife rather than the intended satirizing of red state Republicans. And you know what? Obama’s reaction is showing a trait that could become an Achilles heel for him. He can’t laugh at himself. Barack has become such a stuffed shirt that he can’t tolerate anyone making fun of him or satirizing him. Sure, he has some humorous moments in his speeches but these are ones he approved and it never shows him in a negative or even awkward situation.
A few days before the latest problem he and his family had been interviewed by a tabloid gossipy TV show. It was light and fluffy and cute but he didn’t even like it when his own little girls teased him. Papa Obama was clearly uncomfortable although he laughed and went along with it. It appeared that he was also annoyed that his girls got more questions and coverage than he did. What could have been a wonderful PR moment turned negative when afterwards he said he regretted doing it and will not do any more family interviews. This interview was quickly followed by the New Yorker cover plus the callous remarks by Jesse Jackson. Barack might have diffused these situations if he laughed them off. Instead he got angry, righteous and superior which only served to prolong it all.
In the beginning of the year Obama seemed to be a likeable young man. Yet it seems as if he has changed into a pompous hypocrite who no longer tolerates anyone making fun of him and instead believes he deserves to be treated as someone who is destined for greatness. These new traits also include the inability to tolerate anyone making fun of him. And that is what the Republicans must do if they want to win. Show how rediculous he has become and laugh at him. For if he has become this arrogant and this self righteous when he is only a candidate for President, can you imagine what he will be like if he is actually elected President?
No surprise that Obama is furious. He has spent millions trying to establish that he is a patriotic American and that all the rumors are lies. And yet as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this cover erased a lot of the progress he had made. The TV news and cable shows continuously showed this cover and it is so provocative that people will remember the image long after they remember that it was to be a satire. The New Yorker cover also had an unintended result which might be a key to defeating Obama this fall.
The more I watch Obama, the more I feel that he is becoming a self righteous, self important man who believes in his own hype. Think about it. What kind of man would create a seal identical to the presidential seal? How egotistical is it to move his acceptance speech from the hall to a stadium where he can speak to the masses all gathered to worship him? Or to want to speak from the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, where only President Kennedy and Reagan have spoken? He really is beginning to think of himself as the next JFK and Martin Luther King rolled up into one.
Then along comes The New Yorker cover which seems to be ridiculing Obama and his wife rather than the intended satirizing of red state Republicans. And you know what? Obama’s reaction is showing a trait that could become an Achilles heel for him. He can’t laugh at himself. Barack has become such a stuffed shirt that he can’t tolerate anyone making fun of him or satirizing him. Sure, he has some humorous moments in his speeches but these are ones he approved and it never shows him in a negative or even awkward situation.
A few days before the latest problem he and his family had been interviewed by a tabloid gossipy TV show. It was light and fluffy and cute but he didn’t even like it when his own little girls teased him. Papa Obama was clearly uncomfortable although he laughed and went along with it. It appeared that he was also annoyed that his girls got more questions and coverage than he did. What could have been a wonderful PR moment turned negative when afterwards he said he regretted doing it and will not do any more family interviews. This interview was quickly followed by the New Yorker cover plus the callous remarks by Jesse Jackson. Barack might have diffused these situations if he laughed them off. Instead he got angry, righteous and superior which only served to prolong it all.
In the beginning of the year Obama seemed to be a likeable young man. Yet it seems as if he has changed into a pompous hypocrite who no longer tolerates anyone making fun of him and instead believes he deserves to be treated as someone who is destined for greatness. These new traits also include the inability to tolerate anyone making fun of him. And that is what the Republicans must do if they want to win. Show how rediculous he has become and laugh at him. For if he has become this arrogant and this self righteous when he is only a candidate for President, can you imagine what he will be like if he is actually elected President?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Ultimate Reality Show
A decade or so ago it appeared as if everybody loudly proclaimed that they were “victims” based on their gender, religion, race, heritage etc. etc. It became so ludicrous that even white men, the group that everyone felt were the ones in control, soon believed that they were victims because they were now being excluded from opportunities going to minorities. We were told that political correctness was the solution to all of our problems. We had to make sure that everyone went through sensitive training and in order to be diverse we had to actively strive to include “victims” from each group.
Political correctness quickly filtered down to our schools. In order to be fair to all children, schools tried to eliminate any situation where a child might be perceived as a loser. To this end most of the games we grew up with were deemed inappropriate and it seemed as if every parent was given a “My child is on the honors list” sticker. And in both schools and work if you didn’t like someone then you were assumed to be prejudiced of whatever group the person was in. So if you disliked a person it was considered to be your fault and you needed to change because you had to like everyone.
Then along came a new show – Survivor. Shortly thereafter there were a slew of similar shows: American Idol, Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, Hells Kitchen etc. etc. What these shows all had in common was the new idea of actually saying somebody was a loser. Instead of being inclusive, as we were told we had to be, these reality shows were actually kicking someone off the show and not only was someone ousted but they were often told why they were losers. We loved it when Simon would tell someone what we all wish we could say sometimes – that the person did not have any talent or that they were strange or creepy or weird.
How refreshing! After being beaten over the head with the notion that you must accept everyone and how it seemed as if everyone were victims and needed special treatment, here were shows that had people saying to someone “we don’t like you” or “you’re terrible no matter what your mother said”. Even those with disabilities were treated the same as everyone else and were given no special treatment. Regular folks, victims, minorities, disabled, and famous people were all treated equally and eventually were each called losers and kicked off the show. Wow. How politically incorrect is that? But we loved it as evidenced by the continuously high ratings these shows had.
Now we have the election, the biggest reality show there is. What makes this interesting is that it is also a clash of sensitivity against the Survivor type meanness. After watching both blacks and whites being called losers on reality shows will people be mean to both candidates? Or will all that sensitivity training and diversity create a fear of being called racist even if we simply are disagreeing with Obama’s positions? I guess it boils down to which is more important: To be a survivor; someone equally mean (or nice) to everyone and to identify who you like or don’t like, regardless of race, gender, religion etc. or to be politically correct and sensitive to people who are victims and to give them preferential treatment. So ask yourself this: Are you politically correct or are you a survivor?
Political correctness quickly filtered down to our schools. In order to be fair to all children, schools tried to eliminate any situation where a child might be perceived as a loser. To this end most of the games we grew up with were deemed inappropriate and it seemed as if every parent was given a “My child is on the honors list” sticker. And in both schools and work if you didn’t like someone then you were assumed to be prejudiced of whatever group the person was in. So if you disliked a person it was considered to be your fault and you needed to change because you had to like everyone.
Then along came a new show – Survivor. Shortly thereafter there were a slew of similar shows: American Idol, Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway, Hells Kitchen etc. etc. What these shows all had in common was the new idea of actually saying somebody was a loser. Instead of being inclusive, as we were told we had to be, these reality shows were actually kicking someone off the show and not only was someone ousted but they were often told why they were losers. We loved it when Simon would tell someone what we all wish we could say sometimes – that the person did not have any talent or that they were strange or creepy or weird.
How refreshing! After being beaten over the head with the notion that you must accept everyone and how it seemed as if everyone were victims and needed special treatment, here were shows that had people saying to someone “we don’t like you” or “you’re terrible no matter what your mother said”. Even those with disabilities were treated the same as everyone else and were given no special treatment. Regular folks, victims, minorities, disabled, and famous people were all treated equally and eventually were each called losers and kicked off the show. Wow. How politically incorrect is that? But we loved it as evidenced by the continuously high ratings these shows had.
Now we have the election, the biggest reality show there is. What makes this interesting is that it is also a clash of sensitivity against the Survivor type meanness. After watching both blacks and whites being called losers on reality shows will people be mean to both candidates? Or will all that sensitivity training and diversity create a fear of being called racist even if we simply are disagreeing with Obama’s positions? I guess it boils down to which is more important: To be a survivor; someone equally mean (or nice) to everyone and to identify who you like or don’t like, regardless of race, gender, religion etc. or to be politically correct and sensitive to people who are victims and to give them preferential treatment. So ask yourself this: Are you politically correct or are you a survivor?
Monday, July 7, 2008
Summer Flip Flops
I seem to recall an old saying that went something like “You leave the dance with the one that brung ya.” This came to my mind after listening to the recent reports about how McCain and Obama are flip flopping on a variety of critical issues. Both candidates now seem to be moving towards the center in their need to acquire the largest voting base possible. But as so often happens, this is angering the far right and left supporters who elected these candidates in the first place. And any movement to the center can only hurt Obama more than it hurts McCain.
The far right has always been wary of McCain’s more centric outlook, as well they should be. He paid lip service to the basic tenants of the Christian right during the primary but now that he is the candidate he is moving back to the center again. No one is really surprised at this change, including the far right candidates. There is discussion of making this an issue during the convention but it is doubtful if much will happen. As long as McCain promises to stay the course in Iraq, continue to support the Second Amendment and be pro-life then most Republicans will continue to support him.
On the other hand, Obama cannot afford to anger the far left that elected him over Hillary this spring. Yet he did just that when he tried to sneak in during the start of the long weekend an idea of taking more time on bringing the troops home. But it backfired on him and Obama now has to spend time trying to explain that he didn’t really mean that. It is on this promise, of bringing home the troops immediately, that most differentiated Barack from Hillary and his supporters will not give him any leeway on this issue.
Yet if Barack stays true to his far left supporters then he won’t be elected. It is as simple as that. We have seen this happen time after time in the Democratic Party. Candidates who promote far left issues find themselves out of sync with the rest of the nation. Bill Clinton, the only Democratic candidate in the past 25 years to be elected, ran on a centrist theme from the start and therefore was not tied to far left extremist ideas. All the other recent Democratic candidates relied on far left supporters to win the primary and found they had very little room to move towards the center. And so they lost.
Barack Obama’s first effort to move slightly towards the center, even during a four day weekend when no one is supposed to be paying any attention, did become an issue and was met with resistance from his supporters. It will be interesting to watch over the next four months if Obama can become more centrist in order to appeal to a bigger voter block. Or perhaps I should rephrase it to read; if Obama’s supporters will allow him to move to the right from their far left stance. Can he appeal to more centrist voters or is he stuck with the far left ones that he brung to this dance?
The far right has always been wary of McCain’s more centric outlook, as well they should be. He paid lip service to the basic tenants of the Christian right during the primary but now that he is the candidate he is moving back to the center again. No one is really surprised at this change, including the far right candidates. There is discussion of making this an issue during the convention but it is doubtful if much will happen. As long as McCain promises to stay the course in Iraq, continue to support the Second Amendment and be pro-life then most Republicans will continue to support him.
On the other hand, Obama cannot afford to anger the far left that elected him over Hillary this spring. Yet he did just that when he tried to sneak in during the start of the long weekend an idea of taking more time on bringing the troops home. But it backfired on him and Obama now has to spend time trying to explain that he didn’t really mean that. It is on this promise, of bringing home the troops immediately, that most differentiated Barack from Hillary and his supporters will not give him any leeway on this issue.
Yet if Barack stays true to his far left supporters then he won’t be elected. It is as simple as that. We have seen this happen time after time in the Democratic Party. Candidates who promote far left issues find themselves out of sync with the rest of the nation. Bill Clinton, the only Democratic candidate in the past 25 years to be elected, ran on a centrist theme from the start and therefore was not tied to far left extremist ideas. All the other recent Democratic candidates relied on far left supporters to win the primary and found they had very little room to move towards the center. And so they lost.
Barack Obama’s first effort to move slightly towards the center, even during a four day weekend when no one is supposed to be paying any attention, did become an issue and was met with resistance from his supporters. It will be interesting to watch over the next four months if Obama can become more centrist in order to appeal to a bigger voter block. Or perhaps I should rephrase it to read; if Obama’s supporters will allow him to move to the right from their far left stance. Can he appeal to more centrist voters or is he stuck with the far left ones that he brung to this dance?
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