Tonight’s Debate. The Transcript.
For those of you that missed the debate.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/presidential.debate.transcript/index.html
One To Go… Go Obama!!!
So, after finishing tonight’s Presidential Debate ABC News’ Channel 7 team had two groups of voters – one a group of students and the other a group of everyday New Yorkers. Each group was asked what camp they sided with before and then after the debate, and I wasn’t surprised by their positions before and after.
The students that were undecided, citing Education and Obama’s discussion on the topic, switched from undecided to voting for Obama, while no student in the room said they would vote for McCain after being on the fence. The only students that will still vote for McCain are the four that started out the evening on that side of the fence – and based on their demographic I wasn’t surprised at all.
The everyday New Yorkers had broad opinions, and honestly none that I found intelligent enough to merit discussion, but one of them did say they would now vote for Obama – although not certain.
Most pundits on the news broadcast, including Republican pundits, immediately said that McCain simply didn’t do what he had to do tonight to move himself forward in the race – in fact all of them agreed that he may have even done some damage. Most of his rhetoric tonight continued to be on attacking Obama and his record, while never quite speaking clearly about his own. Obama did a little bit of the same, though in a more defensive posture.
McCain doesn’t get it. He believes that Americans are dumb to the realities of many of the topics that are discussed whenever he has the ability to address the American People, and I swear that every single time I heard McCain say, “My friends…” with that sugar eating grin on his face I wanted to rip through the camera and ask him just when exactly he became our friend? He doesn’t get that he comes across as fake when he drops that line and the smirk on his face doesn’t help – especially when anyone other than he speaks. The smirk makes him look childish and defensive.
He speaks to us like children, and we should not react like children, but like educated adults, and let him know this on Election Day.
It’s no wonder that most immediate polls online show that 85% of the people voting say that Obama was the clear winner tonight.
Sphere: Related ContentTit for Tat… Palin Says Obama’s Palls With Terrorist? And McCain? What?
I’ll let the video speak for itself… But suffice it to say that I’d rather vote for someone that knew someone that was a “domestic terrorist” (Palin’s new phrasing) before I vote for someone that has so much potential to create the next biggest meltdown of our Financial System.
Dare I say more?
Sphere: Related ContentSo, Now She Can’t Even Read?
Beyond all of the obvious gaffes of the past few weeks, and her extraordinary performance on the Vice Presidential debates last Thursday, it’s amazing to me now that we’re learning that Governor Sarah Palin can’t even read, or is learning to read as attentivel as those 3rd graders she praised during the debate.
Governor Palin is now being positioned as the bulldog of the McCain/Palin campaign in their desperate stretch to win the White House in a few weeks. While it was inevitable that this would occur it is at the same time a bit discouraging. Why do we need to start the partisan attacks? When this campaign has been the cleanest, in my opinion, in several years.
Palin’s quoted by CNN as saying that her and her running mate, “see America as the greatest force for good in this world,” Palin said at a fund-raising event in Colorado, adding, “Our opponent though, is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.” Referring to Bill Ayers, a founding member of the radical Weather Underground, which was involved in several bombings in the early 1970s, including attacks on the Pentagon and the Capitol.
Even though she got the soundbite, similar to her 3 second lapse of memory before spurting out her “White flag surrender” comment during the debate last week, in typical Palin fashion she fails to have any real basis for the comment and worse doesn’t seem to connect that, in fact, Obama was a child when Ayers was a “terrorist” according to her – using the world’s current fear inducing word to connect Obama to terrorism.
Maybe Palin will try to connect Obama to Osama next?
So? Did Palidiot check her facts before making her statements? CNN did… And here’s what they find:
The Facts: In making the charge at a fund-raising event in Englewood, Colorado, and a rally in Carson, California, Palin was referring at least in part to William Ayers, a 1960s radical. In both appearances, Palin cited a front-page article in Saturday’s New York Times detailing the working relationship between Obama and Ayers.
In the 1960s, Ayers was a founding member of the radical Weather Underground group that carried out a string of bombings of federal buildings, including the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, in protest against the Vietnam War. The now-defunct group was labeled a “domestic terrorist group” by the FBI, and Ayers and his wife, Bernadine Dohrn — also a Weather Underground member — spent 10 years as fugitives in the 1970s. Federal charges against them were dropped due to FBI misconduct in gathering evidence against them, and they resurfaced in 1980. Both Ayers and Dohrn ultimately became university professors in Chicago, with Ayers, 63, now an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Obama’s Chicago home is in the same neighborhood where Ayers and Dohrn live. Beginning in 1995, Ayers and Obama worked with the non-profit Chicago Annenberg Challenge on a huge school improvement project. The Annenberg Challenge was for cities to compete for $50 million grants to improve public education. Ayers fought to bring the grant to Chicago, and Obama was recruited onto the board. Also from 1999 through 2001 both were board members on the Woods Fund, a charitable foundation that gave money to various causes, including the Trinity United Church that Obama attended and Northwestern University Law Schools’ Children and Family Justice Center, where Dohrn worked.
CNN’s review of project records found nothing to suggest anything inappropriate in the volunteer projects in which the two men were involved.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt told CNN that after meeting Obama through the Annenberg project, Ayers hosted a campaign event for him that same year when then-Illinois state Sen. Alice Palmer, who planned to run for Congress, introduced the young community organizer as her chosen successor. LaBolt also said the two have not spoken by phone or exchanged e-mail messages since Obama came to the U.S. Senate in 2005 and last met more than a year ago when they encountered each other on the street in their Hyde Park neighborhood.
The extent of Obama’s relationship with Ayers came up during the Democratic presidential primaries earlier this year, and Obama explained it by saying, “This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood … the notion that somehow as a consequence of me knowing somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago — when I was 8 years old — somehow reflects on me and my values doesn’t make much sense.”
The McCain campaign did not respond Saturday to a request for elaboration on Palin’s use of the plural “terrorists.”
Verdict: False. There is no indication that Ayers and Obama are now “palling around,” or that they have had an ongoing relationship in the past three years. Also, there is nothing to suggest that Ayers is now involved in terrorist activity or that other Obama associates are.
So? Maybe next time Palin and her handlers can make use of some fact checking before she rants off with her goofy comments.
Sphere: Related ContentJust Another Manic Monday…
I guess you can think of the lyrics to the infamous song by the Bangles and mark a stark contrast to how many of us felt today as Wall Street was bought to it’s virtual knees again after experiencing the largest single drop in the past 7 years – the last biggest was a few days after September 11th, 2001.
CNN Reports that stocks skidded with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 778 points bringing Wall Street and investors everywhere with them on a crazy downward spiral that made all of the Dow component companies scream in pain as every one of their stock prices also fell.
All of this on the heels of Congress rejecting the plan to save our troubled economy, for which a compromise was supposed to have been reached over the weekend. Why did the House not pass the Bill? One can only wonder, but it certainly shows that we were far from a compromise this weekend, and all those soundbites we heard of Congressman applauding the agreements were just that. Soundbites.
What is our Government waiting for? A complete meltdown, so Bush can pass another Patriot Act like law to control our financial markets completely? Is it not enough to have a stake in some of the most powerful companies in the world? What the ___ is going on? And why isn’t this being taken care of like we’ve taken care of all our past ailments in economy that is supposed to drive the planet?
Who knows?
Meanwhile consumers are feeling the crunch with less jobs than ever, and less money available for much ado about anything. I wonder if the DIY Network and Do It Yourself shops all over will beging to air episodes on how to simply cope with mounting debt and troubled mortgages, because I am sure that Home Depots everywhere are empty these days – at least if people are smart they should be empty. It is now harder than ever to get a loan for much of anything from any bank as they have all begun hoarding cash to help themselves ride out this wave of troubles.
It looks like you can get loans from smaller banks still, and maybe that is what the future of America is going to look like. I mean? Honestly? If we decide to bail out large companies are they REALLY going to remain clean enough to stay in business for the duration? Look at AIG. We can bail these companies out over and over again, and until we have REAL regulations in place to control spending, etc., etc., they will get right back into these positions over and over again.
We need a solution and we need it now. What that solution is, I don’t know – again, not an economy major or Finance guru by any stretch of the imagination, but what I can assure you is this – we NEED to fix this NOW.
Sound off, what do you think? How do you feel? Foreclosed recently? Banks tightening up?
Sphere: Related ContentWhy Not Just Reset the Economy?
I remember a day many many many years ago when I sat in front of my first Atari playing Asteroids or some simple game like that where I got to a point where I was bound to loose with low point and decided. Heck. Let me hit the reset button. And voila. New game and a chance to earn higher points.
Why can’t we do this with our economic woes right now? I mean, can the Economists out there respond to this? Why does it take a Bush Administration funded US$700 BILLION DOLLAR plan to SAVE the banks of the United States of America by basically buying up bad debts from bad deals made by banks that were only thinking of THEIR bottoms lines? I mean Aunt Jenny didn’t buy the house she bought thinking she would someday take down the entire U.S. Economy because the bank decided to hedge her mortgage or worst sell it off to foreign-owned subsidiaries and the like hoping to make quick fast profits that turned out to be bad deals.
Aunt Jenny didn’t count on the economy getting so bad that she’d loose her job and subsequently her house which is now being written off as a bad debt only to be purchased by another bank to try and sell again later for profit, etc., etc,.
Why can’t lawmakers just let companies that make bad business decisions go bankrupt or out of business? I mean, yes, save jobs, etc., I’m all for that, but if a company as big as AIG doesn’t know how to manage it’s finances why should we – the American People – shoulder their burden?
I agree that something needs to be done? But I ask? Why not just let the economy takes its course and let these bad decision makers go belly up? Why not just reset things? Make the bad debts good and move on?
Of course, I’m not looking at all the angles here, but with an agreement being reached and Americans about to be hit with a US$700 BILLION dollar bill, should we even care about all the angles?
Sphere: Related ContentAnd now… The Real Palin…
When Senator John McCain chose to put Sarah Palin next to him on the ticket as his Vice Presidential running mate, thus removing that Glass Ceiling for women in the Republican, I was actually kinda happy. Yes, I was happy. The move showed me that change is really possible in America, and I actually even applauded McCain for the courage to do what he did.
As the media ripped into her though and found out every nuance of nuances that could be found I started to wonder what the heck John McCain was thinking. According to him and his entourage they spent several months vetting Vice Presidential candidates yet didn’t know that Sarah’s daughter was pregnant? Family matters, I guess, but to not know that your potential Vice Presidential pick’s daughter is pregnant?! Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Putting all that aside, why not pick someone that could handle the media better? Better still? Why not prep them for what’s to come and how to handle the interviewer, I mean Gibson’s been around for quite some time, and is known for being one of the toughest interviews on television. Judge for yourself.
Sarah Palin on “The Bush Doctrine”
And the full interview…
Interesting choice…
Sphere: Related ContentSarah Palin and Hillary Clinton Together?!
Saturday Night Live has done it again. Tina Fey does a WONDERFUL impersonation of Palin and I could not stop roaring here.
Enjoy…
http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/palin-hillary-open/656281/
(Thank you Elin for the good link… This link is on NBC’s site, so I hope they keep it online for a good while.)
Sphere: Related ContentHow Soon We Forget… September 11th 7 Years Later…
I’m not sure if I saw any news specials last night about the 7th Anniversary of one of the most horrific attacks on American soil in recent history. I’m not sure that I saw all the media blitz that covered the airwaves on 09/11/01 and in 02, 03, and I think even in 04 while the media was still interested. ‘05 showed a sharp decline in coverage, ‘06 less, don’t even remember ‘07, and here we are. Today. 09/11/08. Where’s the coverage? Where’s the interest? Where’s America?
In the months after the attacks on that dreadful day people all over the United States Americans stuck flags on their car antennas, bumper stickers, shirts, houses, jackets, everything. You could not look anywhere and NOT see an American flag. Notice I didn’t say “Americans stuck flags…” I’d be insulting all those illegal aliens I witnessed in my old neighborhood of East Elmhurst putting out flags and wearing “our Colors” even while the Country may not have wanted them around – immigration and what not. People all over the United States cried for weeks and swore never to forget, blah blah blah.
Well. Here we are 7 years later. 09/11. Forgotten.
Hit CNN right now, and you’ll see what I mean. It isn’t even Headline News. September 11th has been trumped by Texans Fleeing Ike and stories about the disasters of Hanna among other things. Oh, wait, there’s 09/11 on the sidebar under “Latest News” on the CNN Home Page. How very much we forgot. Well, at least NY1.COM has it as a Top Story on their Home Page.
What’s more important than today? A hurricane? Has America become so complacent that we’re returning to our roots after the first attack on the World Trade Center? Why aren’t the memorials completed already? And why, oh, why in the hell did McCain and Obama visit the World Trade Center site? Even though they were, “[t]aking a day off from election squabbles…” If there isn’t Political motivation behind that visit then we’ve got something else to worry about.
Every year on this day I share MY STORY about what happened on that day, and I ask everyone to remember what happened, where they were, what they saw, who they were next to, at the moments when the airplanes ripped through the World Trade Center towers and in the minutes after each tower collapsed. I was running for my life. I was scared.
This year I’d like to ask you to find a quiet place, where you won’t be disturbed. Sit or lay down and think of nothing for 9 minutes, close your eyes for the last minute. Read my story. Now find the person you most love and be with them for 11 minutes without saying a word – and no other distractions.
I hope, as I usually say, that I don’t offend anyone that will read my story, but it is what it is, and it’s what I wrote.
09/11 – We Will Never Forget…
Please read… September 11th – My Story…
Sphere: Related ContentThe Electoral Map Begins to Shift…
According to NBC’s FirstRead,
After the conventions and the candidates’ VP picks, Obama still maintains a slight lead electoral lead, according to NBC’s map. Obama has 228 electoral votes to McCain’s 200, with 110 electoral votes in the toss-up column. The changes from last month, when Obama held a 217-189 advantage: Missouri moves from toss-up to Lean McCain, Pennsylvania moves from toss-up to Lean Obama, and Wisconsin moves from Lean Obama to toss-up. We came VERY close to moving North Carolina to toss-up, but until we see one decent poll showing Obama ahead, we’re not there yet. Every North Carolina poll has had McCain ahead, though it is worth noting the RNC and the campaign are finally up in the Tar Heel state with paid media.
This shapes things up as follows:
Likely Obama: CA, CT, DE, DC, HI, IL, ME, MD, MA, NJ, NY, OR, RI, VT, WA (190 electoral votes)
Lean Obama: IA, MN, PA (38 votes)
Toss-up: CO, FL, MI, NV, NM, NH, OH, VA, WI (110 votes)
Lean McCain: AK, GA, IN, MO, MT, NC, ND, SD (64 votes)
Likely McCain: AL, AZ, AR, ID, KS, KY, LA, MS, NE, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, WV, WY (136 votes)
So, it begins, and our eyes are firmly set on how this map will end up on Election Day. If you live in a Toss-up state take the initiative and get your neighbors initiated and let’s get Barack Obama elected this Fall!
Sphere: Related Content
