Obama’s recent op-ed piece in the NY Times was pretty easy to skewer. And yet somehow the Times found it good enough to print.
But the schoolmarms at the Grey Lady have rejected McCain’s return offering on the subject, saying that it just doesn’t cut the mustard. Continue reading →
Remember one of the main agents of the downfall of Presidential nominee Mike Dukakis? It was his failure to respond with sufficient vigor to his wife Kitty’s rape-murder when posited as a hypothetical in one of the Presidential debates.
Here’s the story (strangely, it involves Susan Estrich again):
Because she knew the Willie Horton issue would be brought up, Dukakis’s campaign manager Susan Estrich had prepared with Bill Clinton an answer highlighting the candidate’s empathy for victims of crime, noting the beating of his father in a robbery and the death of his brother in a hit-and-run car accident. However, when Bernard Shaw, the moderator of the debate, asked Dukakis, “Governor, if Kitty Dukakis [his wife] were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?” Dukakis replied coolly, “No, I don’t, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life,” and explained his stance. After the debate, Dukakis told Estrich he was sorry and didn’t realize it was that question. Many observers felt Dukakis’ answer lacked the passion one would expect of a person discussing a loved one’s rape and death. Many—including the candidate himself—believe that this, in part, cost Dukakis the election, as his poll numbers dropped from 49% to 42% nationally that night.
Fast forward to now. Obama may not be much of a student of history, but I strongly suspect that, consummate politician that he is, he has closely studied the history of previous liberal Democratic campaigns and where they went wrong. Avoiding any sort of repeat of Dukakis’ downfall would naturally be uppermost in his mind. Continue reading →
Query:
If, as Evan Thomas of Newsweek said in a moment of unguarded candor:
The media, I think, want [Democratic presidential candidate John F.] Kerry to win. And I think they’re going to portray Kerry and [running mate John] Edwards…as being young and dynamic and optimistic and all, there’s going to be this glow about them that is going to be worth, collectively, the two of them, that’s going to be worth maybe 15 points…”
—then how much is Obama’s press worth?
I’d say about double that.
And aren’t Evans’ remarks even more on target as a description of the Obama mystique than they ever were for Kerry/Edwards?
…and try to mess up the comments, perhaps I should take it as a compliment.
Will John McCain end up regretting his challenge to Obama to finally visit Iraq for himself?
Obama’s trip is starting to resemble that of a rock star, with an entourage and a press corps the likes of which even the Pope doesn’t receive. In fact, at this point Obama might say—as John Lennon did before him—that he’s more popular than Jesus, although I’m not totally sure Obama wouldn’t think the theological comparison somewhat apt. Or maybe a Moses analogy would be better, since Obama believes—no, scratch that; he is absolutely certain—that his election will favorably affect the ocean levels. Continue reading →
Susan Estrich is worried that Obama’s lead in the polls isn’t what it should be at this point. Her opening gambit is pretty funny:
July polls don’t tell you who’s going to win in November. Just ask President Dukakis or President Gore, both of whom were well ahead in July and went on to lose in the fall (although Mr. Gore still doesn’t quite see it that way).
Estrich speaks with the (in her case gravelly) voice of experience. Continue reading →
Yesterday commenter Roy Lofquist wrote:
Obama’s 57 state comment was an obvious attempt at humor. That it was taken as a gaffe illustrates something, but damned if I know what.
I hadn’t heard that defense before, but I wanted to keep an open mind since I’d never seen the actual clip. Continue reading →
Just incorporate a short part of this clip, from 1:10 to 1:18, into some sort of ad. This speech was given in January 2008, back when this sort of statement was still believable:
In case you missed it, here it is:
This is part of what we have to change, you know—folks just willing to say anything to get elected. That’s how Washington works.
But never quite so flagrantly as Obama’s performance in this campaign.
This:
Obama’s angry reaction to the New Yorker cover has highlighted a fact that has been obvious for some time: the man has no sense of humor.
Oh, I know, every now and then he tries a little quip. But his heart’s not in it. Continue reading →
I’ve pointed out before that the WaPo editors seem to have gotten a clue lately about the self-serving awfulness of some of Obama’s recent moves, especially on Iraq.
Well, they’re at it again, with an editorial that hits Obama quite hard despite its calm tone—and they even sneak in a slight defense of Bush’s relative flexibility (gasp!) when compared to Obama’s rigidity on the subject. Continue reading →
Michael Totten certainly gets around. This time he reports from Kosovo. Edifying, as always.