Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Barack and the Debate

I' ll say it. Barack's philosopher-prince routine is boring me. Not angering me. John McCain and the President are angering me. Nah, Barack's elliciting something different from me. Here you have an incredibly lame stunt, underwhelming ploy of John McCain's--"suspending his campaign"--apparently coupled with the president's even lamer speech, providing Barack with a perfect opportunity to drive a stake in the GOP's heart. Yes, Barack declares that the debate will go on. But this could have been a defining moment. Hit him hard and no need to take the high road. All this while Bill Clinton's clowning Barack. Folks, Obama groupies, please--explain to me why you can't win first, worry about the audacity of hope later? Putting Hillary on the ticket would have helped. But no...
MSNBC's Tim Curry reports here. Republican reaction ranges from shrugged shoulders to knee-jerk (and bumbling) support from the usual Fox News attack dogs and of course Sarah Palin. Of course, in 1864, Abraham Lincoln was struggling to be re-elected during the darkest days of the Civil War. FDR pressed on to knock Herbert Hoover out of the White House during the Depression. America was falling apart 40 years ago in 1968, and yet neither Nixon nor Humprhey suspended their campaigns in the midst of war, rising prices, social protest, riots and the assassinations of RFK and MLK, Jr.
So there, I am 99.9% less eloquent than Barack and I've given a basis, a thesis for a turfing-the-scared old man speech (turfing in a nice way, sort of; I'd also extend a hand and say, may we issue a joint statement expressing our dismay over Paulsen's blank check, and the complete abdication of the government's regulatory and consumer protection role in the last 8 years?). I'm serious: get Penn and Carville on the payroll. It might be too late but hey, they provide some cushion come Election Day...for the last thing my acid reflux needs to deal with is the lament of hundreds of dejected bourgies, intellectuals and "young professionals" whining about the perfidy of knuckle dragging whitefolks should McCain win. Even the knuckle draggers and Wal Mart Moms could have been moved by a decisive, bold statement last night. Instead, we got more Barack...

10 comments:

Lisa said...

Amen yet again.

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

It seems like O. is too Honest to be a GREAT [opportunist - that is the definition!] Politician!

Maybe he thinks USA's citizens ARE mature enough!
I SEE you think NOT!

Anonymous said...

Apparently Bush is meeting with the both of them today in your town. Does this not remind you of "Blazing Saddles" when Mel Brooks says "We've got to save our phony-baloney jobs, gentleman."

I'm revealing my age a little with that, but this is all not so new to me.

Deocliciano Okssipin Vieira, aka Ochyming said...

You gonna LOVE this youTUBE : The Dark Bailout- G.W. Bush or Jocker?!
... Stright from The Dark Knight.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Chambers, you are preaching to the choir here. I don't think this is sinking in with the true (die-hard) Obama supporters yet.

lincolnperry said...

Nat, don't be such a naysayer...now do you actually expect Barack to behave in a Nat Turnereques manner, Nat Turner only comes out when the White Folks and the ignorant niggas here at work f**k with me.
Cut O some slack man, he is going to embarass the old man tonite!
The era of ignorance and rethuglicism must end! White Folks got you guys so fatalistic!

Anonymous said...

The latest rumor is that he's delaying in order to keep Palin out of a debate with Biden. In a Biden debate, the "Wal Mart" and hockey mom thing isn't a factor, but no one expects her to do well.

Robert M said...

You raise a great point about those of us whom support Obama. do we want to win or do we want hope. I want to win.Leave martyrdom for other folks.

Anonymous said...

Chris,

Your western Boston suburb McD classmate chiming in here re: the first "debate" last night. My impression of McCain was of abject and insulting hypocrisy. He would have us believe his list of countries visited imparts abilities critical to conducting foreign policy. Lost somewhere was the fact that his running mate hasn't traveled ANYWHERE. McCain, in his his groveling for the teat of the hardcore social conservatives and a cynical effort to capture dejected Clinton supporters, picked a running mate only a dress suit's breadth away from ignorant white trash. Its offensive beyond description-some weird and surreal Republican-Orwellian wet dream melange.

I do hope the American press finds its cojones over the next few weeks and pushes hard on Palin. I'm looking forward to some more Tales from the Trailer Park.

If you haven't read it already, see
Sam Harris'"When Atheists Attack" in the most recent Newsweek. To those of faith, the article's title is disaffecting but its a misnomer of sorts. Read it then judge.

As Chris knows, my impressions aren't particularly noteworthy save for my being an affluent white professional.

Anonymous said...

Irony: Barack wins, saves Capitalism's ass the way FDR did.