Missouri

Even though it looks like McCain will win Missouri, my brother tells me that 85% of state turned out to vote. 85% !!!!

My brother voted Obama.

My sister, McCain.

If this keeps up

I might have to move south of the border again!

New Mexico for Obama

A second red state. That's 200.

Checkmate

MSNBC and ABC calls Ohio for Obama. Obama flips a red state.

McCain cannot reach 270.

Obama sits at 195. California, Washington, Oregon, and Hawaii will bring 77.

195 + 77 = Presidency.

Update: 195 + 5 (New Mexico) + 77 (California + Washington + Oregon + Hawaii) = Presidency

Nice!!!

Ohio.

Texas is Too Close to Call

Texas is too close to call!!

Obama wins Pennsylvannia & New Hampshire

According to MSNBC, Pennsylvania goes to Obama. Fox states it is too close to call?

What is McCain's path if Obama wins Colorado, Iowa, & Nevada....

Inquiring Minds Want to Know...

...how the news organizations can predict winners in states that have 0% reporting.

The First of Many?

In Virginia, a judge scheduled hearings for November 10th to decide whether or not to include some military ballots. You can read about is here and here.

This means that if the election is close and Virginia matters, then we will not know the result until November 10th.

Virginia, the new Florida?

The Democrats have attacked our imaginations

Overheard today by a student (not mine) wearing a "Beat the Hell Out of OBAMA" T-Shirt.

"Well, at least it won't be ManBearPig in charge."

I consider that the first official "knell" here in B/CS.

Soon will come the wailing and the gnashing of teeth.

Then: CHANGE!!!


Bwah-ha-ha!!!

Well...

Polls are closed in the eastern parts of Indiana and Kentucky.

I know you have been checking today.

Will you say anything?

A Sign of the Times

The new argument from Sean Hannity, Mary Matalin, and Peggy Noonan: "I am a conservative, not a Republican."

Why the dissociation now? Any reason in particular?

Predictions

The political realignment begins tonight.

My prediction for tonight: Obama wins the Kerry states plus: Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri and Ohio (though Missouri and Ohio will be very close).

Obama's victories in Pennsylvania, Florida, and North Carolina will occur because of his campaign's ground game and, in Florida and North Carolina, early voting. His victory in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Virginia will occur because his campaign capitalized on the changing demographics though his campaign will move them from toss-up to solid blue quicker than they should have been. Missouri and Ohio are just toss ups and they will be for years.

McCain wins Georgia, Indiana, North Dakota, Montana, and Arizona.

Chuck Todd and Pat Buchanan just stated that the next swing state, in four years, will be Texas.

Republicans face being a regional party in some southern states and in some western states. They deserve this.

At Swampland, Joe Klein has a brief but moving piece on the passing of Obama's grandmother. The first of three paragraphs:

Word comes that Barack Obama's grandmother has died. The timing is ridiculous. But think, for a moment, if you will of Madelyn Dunham, a white woman from Kansas, strolling the aisle of a supermarket, or having lunch in a coffee shop, with her grandson--way back at the turn of the 1970s, when such sights were uncommon, even in Hawaii. Think about what her friends might have thought, or said, about her...situation. Think about what she poured into the child during the years when her daughter was in Indonesia and she was the closest thing to a mother that Obama had; think about the impact that she and her husband had on creating the man we've come to know, and the satisfaction she must have felt in her dying days.

Klein's title, "To the Mountaintop" seems fitting as it echoes MLK's last speech, "I've Been to the Mountaintop." To come so far...but to know that the dream continues...

Ben Smith notes that Madelyn Dunham voted early for her grandson via absentee ballot. Her vote will count tomorrow.

A Republican Endorsement

On The Daily Beast, Jeffrey Hart, a speech-writer for Nixon and Reagan, endorsed Senator Obama and called him the "real conservative" in the race.

This definition rests on a distinction between philosophical conservatives, (the lost Edmund Burke wing of the party) and social conservatives (the Theocrats that dominate the party). In order to make his point, Hart discusses Roe and stem cell research, arguing that the real conservative position would examine the social consequences to such matters. Though tragic, these issues are important to society.

File Under Anxiety

Well, the next 34 - 36 will be quite fun.

How are you spending them?

The Rhetoric of Polls

Interesting. In polls that incorporate cell phones, Senator Obama has an average lead of 9.4. In polls that include only landlines, his lead is 5.1.

During the Democratic primary, Chuck Todd stated that Obama's poll numbers, especially in Gallup, increased at the end of the week, especially on the weekends, but would go down during the beginning of the week. A possible reason why: Gallup polls cell phones and people are harder to reach on cell phones during the week rather than on weekends because of the number of free minutes available on weekends.

Will the cell phone vote show up in the polls?

For the Quasi-Malicious Delight of All: Celebrating the Phone Call in which Governor Palin got 'Pranked'

Here is the phone call in which a comic radio duo from Canada recently, and quite famously, "pranked" Sarah Palin. Directly, very publicly, inescapably, sublimely: Governor Palin has been humiliated on a baseline level only days before the election.

It's funny. But as one pundit asked on Friday night, is it "Funny-ha-ha"?, or is it 'frighteningly funny'"? Harrogate reports. You decide.



ha ha

Well, What about the White Supremacist Vote?

(via Yglesias). If you were wondering, Esquire has the answer. The short of it: "three out of four white supremacists prefer Obama, while McCain is the clear favorite among black nationalists." Quite interesting.

Now if we could only get their views on the financial crisis and NATO. And Global Warming.

Quote of the Day

Rick Davis, McCain Campaign, on ABC's This Week when discussing early voting: "We are winning the vote that have not yet been cast."

Paging Baghdad Bob; your services are no longer needed.

Give me a break

Is this really what this election has come to? Are people so determined to get their candidates of choice elected that they will post signs on their lawns saying they won't give out Halloween candy to the children of people who support the other candidate? This may be a personal choice, as the woman points out in the MSNBC article about this, but here's my response to that: grow up!

I Heart Ben Affleck (and Keith Olberman)

"As you know, throughout this campaign, I have repeatedly called for Senator McCain's arrest." Awesome.

Progress

Amanda Jones, who is 109-years-old and the daughter of a former slave, cast her ballot for Senator Obama this week. Her family has lived in Bastrop, TX for five generations.

Now, as you pump your fist, I reminisce

Harrogate's right: let's celebrate this weekend before the tension slams back down next week.

Although I am going to avoid aiming at early-70s Adult Contemporary of Chicago V (and they have entire albums that sounded like that, man!).

Baghdad Bob

Predicts McCain landslide!!! Well, I mean Rick Davis does since Obama is searching for 270 through Georgia, North Dakota, and Arizona. Right.

The Cook Report has a different take.

But it is fun mentioning Baghdad Bob anyway.

Without Wild Man's Consent

Despite Wild Man's good taste in music, he does not care for the following song, which is one of my all time favorites from one of my favorite bands. It reminds me of my long-forgotten college days, as I imagine it will for most of the Situationers.

Happy Saturday!!!!!!!

Harrogate has had a difficult time of it, lately, thinking of things to post, beyond offering up some good music/videos for the delight and amusement of fellow Board Members. The difficulty is, what is there left to say this close to the election. We are all very anxious and revved up and the moment has come and now we must wait.

But in the meantime, Harrogate will keep posting Music, just to stay in the conversation. What a great song this is. Too bad the band didn't do more stuff like this......

Conservative Goes to Obama Rally

with 10' sin picturing Obama in traditional African dress. The man states not is not the time for a Muslim-leaning President. Hilarity ensues. Watch it here.

McCain's Final Push....

Rick Davis released a memo (via Mark Ambinder) on behalf of the McCain campaign to argue that the election is close and McCain will win. If John McCain accepts the evidence in this memo, then he should be disqualified from office.

The thesis is that the election is close and, consequently, undecided voters will decide the election for McCain (but only if those undecided voters live in swing states and if they can make up the deficit between Obama and McCain.)

Refutations to Davis' arguments:
(1) Polls show national polls are tightening, especially a Gallup poll that had the gap at two. Problem: Gallup now has the gap at eight.

(2) State polls: you have Iowa to very close; Obama has Iowa as close but still in double-digits. No one trusts you. In the South West & Colorado, you stopped advertising in Colorado, meaning you cannot win it. You will not win New Mexico and will most likely not win Nevada. Besides: it does not matter if McCain, at some unmentioned time, has made up ground on voters. He is not doing that now.

(3) Ohio and Pennsylvania: what exactly is your evidence? That you have been campaigning there? Well that makes sense.

(4) Obama has a challenge hitting 50%. Well, he may not win Missouri, North Carolina, or Indiana. I bet he comes close in those states than McCain does in Colorado, Virginia, or Pennsylvania.

(5) Early Voting: Sorry, those sporadic voters are turning out. There is actual evidence of this.

(6) Expanding the field: Done that. See Virgina, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina.

(7) The elctrocty on Monday will help the GOTV on Tuesday? Money, which you spent on advertising, would have been better.

By the way, if your campaign were doing so well, you would not need to count on others to help you. Just saying.

This is NOT What Democracy Looks Like

Palin on the First Amendment:

[Q, host Chris Plante:] ... Is the news media doing its job? Are you getting a fair shake, the Republicans getting a fair shake, this year?

[Palin:] I don't think they are doing their job when they suggest that calling the candidate out on their record, their plans for this country, and their associations is mean-spirited, or negative campaigning. If they convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media. Look at Joe the Plumber, good old Joe the Plumber in Toledo, Ohio, he just asked a simple, straightforward question, and the media started investigating and attacking him. So, you know, there is some fear there, and in those terms, no, I don't think that they've been doing their job in that kind of context.

Palin believes the First Amendment covers politicians and not the press.

I wonder if she has ever read the Constitution and its Amendments. I honestly do no think she has.

This Is What Democracy Looks Like

Here are photos of early voting in metro Atlanta. There is an 8 - 10 hour wait to vote.

As Mark Ambinder notes, Obama's campaign manager, Davis Plouffe, stated in a conference call today, "The Die is Being Cast as We Speak." This comment refers to the strength of the numbers in the early voting states where a good percentage of the Obama vote is from non-traditional voters.

The Gallup traditional likely model, which is different from the expanded model, has Obama by eight. At the beginning of the week, Obama was up by two.

Four Days to go.

"The cracker over there / He try to keep it yesteryear"

I offer this not just as a McCain dig, but because this song--hell, this album-- marked the awakening of my political mind. At least at a level deeper than "there's nothing on TV because of this dang Iran-Contra hearing."

I also credit this album for my not becoming a racist, d-bag cretin, but that's a whole other story.

Indocrination

In addition to suffering an embarrassing moment-- calling out for Joe the Plumber when the plumber was off with Sarah Palin or signing a PR contract-- there was another oddity about McCain's rally in Ohio today.

It appears that with a rally of just over 6,000 supporters, 4,000 of those there were students from the neighboring school districts. From First Read at MSNBC:

A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses.

This is just blatant hypocrisy on the part of the Right.

My father is rolling over in his grave!

My ballot has been marked, put in its envelope, and signed. I did my part Situationers, now do yours!

The nation is watching you, North Carolina!

"Neither candidate has gone on record regarding same-sex hog coupling"

Institutional Design Flaws

The New York Times reports that on the free market women pay more than men for health care for "individual insurance policies providing identical coverage."

Video of A&M Protests

From CNN: Video of the YCT event.

The YCT's would gain more respect if they could put together a coherent argument rather than the shit it peddles.

In its their defense, one member plays the Socratic victim card: no one is presenting the conservatve argument and, hence, the truth. It is hard to believe that at A&M there is no one defending the conservative view. It is certainly hard to believe that no one, not the National Review, Weekly Standard, Fox News, etc. etc. etc. is defending the conservative view. I cannot believe that the members of the YCT are that stupid.

Their other defense by the YCT is that the group is asserting its first amendment right. This is just an off topic argument as no one is calling for the censorship of the YCT, much to the conservative's group dismay. Those who protest the egg-toss argue to the YCT that the group's message is counterproductive, ineffective, and offensive-- it's not bloody persuading anybody you fools. This is not a call for censorship and certainly not a call for prior restraint.

But, if you think its your best argument, play the role of victim. In your own ignorance, you weaken the institution of A&M. In your failure to develop a responsible argument, you make it easy for people to call you a bunch of racists. It a shame that your acts must reflect on the university.

'Everybody hates a tourist": A secret message for the Republican Party

"They're laughing at you and the stupid things you do"





Well, maybe they will "fail like common people," right, Bill?



"There's nothing else to do."

Update:

Did you want to add something, Keith?

"Dick Fingers"

This will help recruitment....

The Immature, I mean Young Conservatives at Texas A&M hosts an anti-Obama carnival where you can throw eggs at Senator Obama. You can see photos here and I highly encourage it, especially the photo where an A&M football player protests the egg-toss. Hopefully, that football player will continue to show courage and transfer to a different school in the fall.

Devoid of any irony, Jay Cunningham, a member of the YCT, stated:

"Please step up and let people who actually do support our views have a voice because right now there is no voice for conservatives because of the crowd that was surrounding me."

There is no voice for the Conservative movement, especially at A&M. Right. We believe you. The world has tried to silence you. Boo-Hoo.

According to reports, there will be another event on Friday. I hope that people in Texas will protest it.

Update: After thinking about it, I guess we can say that the use of an egg toss as a protest is a sign of progress. I have not heard reports about videos that concern black-face or of parties with a "ghetto" theme occurring on the A&M campus. Maybe someday the YCT will not feel so insecure about their viewpoints and try to debate rather than intimidate dissenting viewpoints on their conservative campus. I guess that would involve diminishing their racists and misogynist attitudes though. It is easy to bully people when you possess a super-majority.

As the YCT at A&M demonstrates, once again, childish antics are the best way to start a debate a reasoned debate.

Harrogate Endorses Barack Obama for President; and, a Happy Thursday Musical Tribute

Here you go, Andrew Sullivan. You can add this to your list of "stunning" endorsements.

Harrogate, after considering the many brilliant brain things in his head, Officially endorses Barack Obama for Presidency of the United States. For further explanation, see at least half of the posts that he has posted on this site in 2008.

Also, here's the song that Harrogate has listened to three times today already. It's really a wonderful song. He thinks Readers are familiar with it.

What we learned tonight....Obama's Political Ad

Overall, it was well done though I can see how if you have been following the campaign for two years it was not "new." Somtimes its best to reassure voters. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

Obama's political ad marries the problems of average Americans with solutions to those problems. Its strength resides on, first, Obama's calmness and, second, the ability of American voters to reach out to other voters. For example, in a time of economic crisis, the story of the women who opens her fridge to find very little for her family reminds the audience of the failures of the Bush Administration and warns against a repeat. The lack of health care for the second couple adds to the country's pain as those who have worked for this country are on the verge of receiving little. Yet, these problems receive rational proposals from the candidate.

While I found the arrangement awkward at times, i.e. the discussion of Obama's mother and his solution for Health Care should have been placed after the older couple whose wife needed insurance for arthritis and the husband, at age 72, worked at Wal-Mart, the production was excellent. As was the timing from the political ad to the live address in Florida. The conclusion of the "Closing Argument" speech is nicely done as well.

I am most impressed with his vision of democracy as it weakens a conception of elite democracy but does not engage in the anti-elite demagoguery that Palin and McCain expounds. While Obama may play an important role (at times narrator) most of the solutions will need the support of the main actors (the American people) in our drama of democracy. We see this with his discussion of the economy and education. Obama asked the American people to participate in government and, more importantly, in their own lives as the life of one presents consequences for another. The story of the American Democracy is the story of those who participate in whatever way they can...

Obama also argues where President Bush went wrong and offers a corrective reading on the American promise: in times of crisis, the people must sacrifice.

While the are many differences between Obama and McCain, he does not attack McCain, which makes McCain's post-ad attack seem childish, again. On Fox News, O'Reilly interviewed someone about William Ayers to make the case against Obama. At one point O'Reilly asked the former FBI agent why his testimony mattered. Exactly.

The critique of the ad will be that Obama is buying democracy. This argument seeks to weaken Obama's electoral authority, especially before the election. But this argument rests on conceptions of campaign finance and political equality that remain unmentoned by its advocates. It seems odd that those on the right criticize the aspects of capitalism they cannot control. Wait, did I say odd? I meant something else.

To Walt Whitman, who said, "Did you, too, O friend, suppose democracy was only for elections, for politics, and for a party name? I say democracy is only of use there that it may pass on and come to its flower and fruit in manners, in the highest forms of interaction between [people], and their beliefs -- in religion, literature, colleges and schools -- democracy in all public and private life...."May this vision return some day....

Anyone Have a Snow Shovel I can Borrow?

6" and still falling!

Voting in Florida

Spurned Lover, I mean, spurned VP McCain possibility, Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, announced that he will extend the hours for early voting in Florida so that voters can participate 12 hours a day through Saturday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and a total of 12 weekend hours, between 7 a.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday.

Gov. Crist stated that the right to vote is sacred and that "many have fought and died for this right....This is not a political decision. This is a people decision."

In response, one plugged in GOPer stated, "He just blew Florida for John McCain."

As Jonathan Chait at TNR stated, the quote by the "plugged-in" Republican "quote concedes a lot in terms of the GOP's claim to democratic legitimacy."

After eight years, maybe democracy will arrive in Florida after all.

Is campaign finance dead?

And should it be? Law Professor Richard L. Hasen examines campaign finance regulations in regards to Senator Obama's campaign.

In this piece, Hasen refutes most of the arguments that focus on Obama's money and political corruption. Additionally, he points out the competing conceptions of political equality in this campaign: whether political equality ought to refer to whether or not both candidates possesses the same amount of funds or whether or not the candidates should possesses money in proportion to the support they can receive in the polity. The first argument seems ideal, until you consider the factors that can be a problem such as some media markets are more expensive than others; limiting the money that the candidates receive does not limit the money some 527s can spend (Swift Boat Veterans for Truth). The second argument provides a better vision of democratic as more people can contribute.

Hasen concludes that because of Obama's success, the nominees in 2012 will not participate in the public financing system.

It's always the Party's Fault

On The Daily Beast, a former speechwriter for John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama states that the party left her because of the way in which in treats women, represented by Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, and the working class, (poorly) represented by Joe the Plumber.

Interesting story. I'll say more later.

Why not let Palin be Palin?

Well, Robert Draper notes that according to the McCain campaign, Palin just cannot grasp national issues. Enjoy:

I’m sympathetic to Eskew and Wallace, and not just because they’re decent people. They’ve held their tongue from leaking what a couple of McCain higher-ups have told me—namely, that Palin simply knew nothing about national and international issues. Which meant, as one such adviser said to me: “Letting Sarah be Sarah may not be such a good thing.” It’s a grim binary choice, but apparently it came down to whether to make Palin look like a scripted robot or an unscripted ignoramus. I was told that Palin chafed at being defined by her discomfiting performances in the Couric, Charlie Gibson, and Sean Hannity interviews. She wanted to get back out there and do more. Well, if you’re Eskew and Wallace, what do you say to that? Your responsibility isn’t the care and feeding of Sarah Palin’s ego; it’s the furtherance of John McCain’s quest for the presidency.

With seven days to go, this infighting is surreal. Bizarre really.

The campaign fell to the high school level where McCain "snubbed" Palin aboard the Straight Talk Express. This is the presidency, not supreme ruler of Homecoming.

McCain: "Now don't say anything mean, otherwise I'm gonna be angry."

Barbara West's interview with John McCain, conducted yesterday.

Tips for the Ladies

From Chelsea Lately (on E!--if you haven't watched it, you should). Amy Sedaris teaches Chelsea about keeping her hooha clean--using a model designed by Todd Oldham. Very funny stuff, though not for the prudish ;)

Boring

I was just watching a clip of McCain at a rally. As usual, Cindy McCain was standing right behind him. She looks rather bored, although she does do a good job smiling, laughing, and clapping at the right moments. She probably knows all his speeches, or at least their basic formula, by heart by now.

I'd hate to follow any of these candidates around for more than a few days. How these people do it is beyond me.

Happy Tuesday Music Tribute; Or, Things That Make Oxywife Moan

As some of you already know, I have been slowly resurrecting my once-famous and now defunct listening room. It's been a slow process because I've had to acquire a few additional components. What's more, the pieces I want are not always readily available on the used market. So there's a lot of waiting involved.

But finally, last week, one of my two preamp choices was listed for sale. The price was right, so I bought it. It's a full-function tube preamp with a 100% tube phono stage. This is my first foray into vacuum tubes, so I was eager to give a listen.

Because the conditions for the reestablishment of the listening room have not yet been met, my audition of the new preamp was rather makeshift. The active monitors sat on floor, flanking both sides of the preamp, which sat in the middle of the room, also on the floor. My iPod was connected directly to the preamplifier.

I have say that I didn't expect much out of the system on this particular evening because the audio files on my iPod are compressed to the point that songs lose their sense of realism. But when I pushed play, the music just sang. Everything sounded so right. I could not believe how realistic the tubes made vocals and instruments--especially acoustic instruments--sound. And again, this is through the iPod.

I was so impressed that I called Oxywife into the room to listen. I knew she would also be impressed. And this is no small assumption, as she tends to think that I spend too much money on audio equipment. For the record, she is probably right. She also tends to say things like, "Well, I don't really hear much of a difference," usually just to emphasize her belief that a purchase was wasteful.

But the night my preamp arrived, things were different. As I shuffled through numerous songs, I paused the iPod on Michael Buble's cover of "You Don't Know Me." Since Oxywife likes Buble, I invited her to listen to this song. To my surprise, she said "Wow! That really sounds good." And then shortly thereafter, it happened: Oxywife experienced her first eargasm.

So as a tribue to my beautiful wife, I post here for you the song that made her moan.

FYI

The Rhetorical Situation is five days ahead of David Brooks and The New York Times.

RNC in Montana

That's right. The RNC must protect its lead in Montana. In 2004, Bush won the state by 20 points.

In 2008, the RNC must advertise for John McCain in Montana. (The RNC conceded Colorado (9 Electoral Votes), Virginia (13), New Mexico (5), and will lose Iowa (7) & Nevada (5)). That's 286 (Bush 04) - 39 (C, V, NW, I, V) = 247, or, no path to 270, even with Pennsylvania.

This is just a terrible media buy. What difference does Montana make? If McCain loses there, he will still not win Colorado.

Update: Here is a realistic McCain 270 strategy. I think number one is the best option for McCain.

Sarah Palin and the War on Science

And the GOP base wants her around after November?

From Slate: Christopher Hitchens on Palin. Basically, Palin is so ignorant that she does not even know she is ignorant. It's the fruit flies, stupid.

And the GOP does not care whether or not she is ignorant. That is sad for the American voter.

A Cartoon for Consideration

Are you joking? Is this a joke?

I finally got around to watching this interview. OMG!

Are you reading Mr. P-Duck

According to Politico, these are the words of NASCAR's Junior Johnson:

These days, I run a small country ham and pork skins business. Barack Obama will fight for a fair economy where small businesses like mine have the freedom to grow, and he'll defend the Second Amendment to protect the hunter's way of life.

I'm just saying Mr. P-Duck. The times are a changing.

Too horrific for words

As most of the bloggers at the Situation know, I'm no fan of guns. This story, of an 8-year-old boy accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi (yes, you read that correctly) under adult supervision at a Massachusetts gun show, reminds me just why I am not a fan of guns.

Happy Monday Musical Tribute

Here's the Way to Get the Week started Right. The day and the week are young yet. Take a moment, here.

Frozen in the place I hide
Not afraid to paint my sky with
Some who say I've lost my mind
Brother try and hope to find

A question

Do you think that the media or the general public would care about the deaths of a black man and a black woman and the abduction of a black child if they weren't related to a celebrity? Unfortunately, I'm not so sure...

Saturday night on Sunday morning

"Don't you...forget about me..." Awesome.

Palin Drops Puck Again,

Hurts Goalie for St. Louis Blues. Seriously. Hip Flexor.

Quote of the Day

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone.... She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

From CNN: A unnamed McCain spokesperson on Palin.

Harrogate's Assy McGee Award® Nominee for the Weekend: John Hawkins

Link. Christ on a Crumb Heap.

Fox News on the Hoax

A message from John Moody, the Executive Vice-President of Fox News.

And Moody stated this before the lady, from College Station, TX, revealed it as a hoax.

Friday Musical Tribute; or, Texas State Board of Education Races to the Bottom, Seeks to Institutionalize Creationism

Sigh

Texas has earned a reputation as an innovation powerhouse in fields ranging from agriculture and life sciences to high technology and space exploration.

But in a report issued this summer, a panel of Texas business, education and government leaders warned that without "critical changes" in state schools — especially in science-related instruction — the state will lose its global competitive edge.

It appears, however, that some members of the State Board of Education are working on a different agenda. Last week, they appointed three anti-evolution activists, including a leader of the "intelligent design" religious campaign, to a six-member panel that will review proposed new science curriculum standards.

The new standards will shape how science education is taught in Texas for the next decade, and it would be a terrible mistake to water down the teaching of evolution in any way.

Given the concerns about the state's future work force, the appointments are a troubling signal. At a time when most educators are working to prepare students for 21st century jobs, the board members' action threatens to confuse students, divide communities and tarnish Texas' reputation as an international science and technology center.

This linked article does a good job laying out the pedagogical and Enlightenment-based arguments for why Texas' parents need to put a stop to what these people are trying to do.

Now, Harrogate humbly offers a Humanistic Argument against the Evolution Deniers:

They prosecuted some poor sucker in these United States
For teaching that man descended from the apes
They coulda settled that case without a fuss or fight
If they'd seen me chasin' you, sugar, through the jungle last night
They'da called in that jury and a one two three said
Part man, part monkey, definitely

This one is for you, Harrogate

Just imagine that Supadiscomama is singing it to you, as I well know how crazy she is for you

Tip of the Hat to Kathleen Parker; or, an Update on Harrogate's Father, a Nader Sympathizer and Ohio Voter

Harrogate has long resisted the urge to proffer a Tip of the Hat to Kathleen Parker, whose ideological leanings diverge so dramatically from Harrogate's own.

But really, you've got to hand it to her. She took an awful lot of flap for simply pointing out Palin's vacuousness. But she did not back down. Like George Will and Andrew Sullivan and "Christo" Buckley, Parker doesn't like it that the GOP as currently configured represents an almost total capitulation to the most vicious anti-intellectual impulses in this country. And so they are complaining about it. They want their Party back. And there is nothing wrong with this, indeed, this revolt might well lead to a more moderate, reasonable GOP in the future, should Obama win.

Parker's recent column, wonderfully entitled "Maverick's Tragic Flaw" and linked herein, is a doozy, a must-read for those following the GOP implosion.

Explaining McCain's choice of Palin, Parker actually writes this:

As Draper tells it, McCain took Palin to his favorite coffee-drinking spot down by a creek and a sycamore tree. They talked for more than an hour, and, as Napoleon whispered to Josephine, "Voila."

One does not have to be a psychoanalyst to reckon that McCain was smitten. By no means am I suggesting anything untoward between McCain and his running mate. Palin is a governor, after all. She does have an executive resume, if a thin one. And she's a natural politician who connects with people.

But there can be no denying that McCain's selection of her over others far more qualified -- and his mind-boggling lack of attention to details that matter -- suggests other factors at work. His judgment may have been clouded by ... what?

Science provides clues. A study in Canada, published in New Scientist in 2003, found that pretty women foil men's ability to assess the future. "Discounting the future," as the condition is called, means preferring immediate, lesser rewards to greater rewards in the future. (Harrogate's emphasis)

UPDATE: Parker's article is so awesome Harrogate now adds another snippet from it:

The Canadian psychologists showed pictures of attractive and not-so attractive men and women to students of the opposite sex. The students were offered a prize -- either a small check for the next day or a larger check at some later date.

The men made perfectly rational decisions, opting for the delayed larger amount after viewing the average-looking women. You know where this is going. (Women, by the way, were rational no matter what.)

That men are at a disadvantage when attractive women are present is a fact upon which women have banked for centuries. Ignoring it now profits only fools. McCain spokesmen have said that he was attracted to Palin's maverickness, that she reminded him of himself.

Recognizing oneself in a member of the opposite sex (or the same sex, as the case may be) is a powerful invitation to bonding. Narcissus fell in love with his own image reflected in the river, imagining it to be his deceased and beloved sister's. In McCain's case, it doesn't hurt that his reflection is spiked with feminine approval.

As my husband observed early on, McCain the mortal couldn't mind having an attractive woman all but singing arias to his greatness. Cameras frequently capture McCain beaming like a gold-starred schoolboy while Palin tells crowds that he is "exactly the kind of man I want as commander in chief." This, notes Draper, "seemed to confer not only valor but virility on a 72-year-old politician who only weeks ago barely registered with the party faithful." (Harrogate's emphasis)

Heh. But anyway. Last night Harrogate had a long talk with his father, who had called to announce his decision to vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming election.

"What finally swung it," asked Harrogate. "Was it the incontrovertible nature of my arguments, the beauty of my speech, the sheer magnetism of my political thought?"

"Pish! 'Twas none of that," stated old Dad from his residence in Ohio. "I just watched the McCain/Palin interveiw with Brian Williams. And it is important that Palin go back to the utter mediocrity from which she came, and to which she belongs. I just couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. No wonder even Colin Powell has endorsed Obama."

No wonder, indeed.

"Dress You Up" Now Counts as Political Music!!!

This was always one of Harrogate's favorite songs by Madge, anyway. Go ahead and make fun of him for it & see if he cares. It's a damned good song, and certainly merits consideration as the new GOP theme song.

You've got style, that's what all the girls say
Satin sheets and luxuries so fine
All your suits are custom made in London
But I've got something that you'll really like

Quote of the Day

"I will be voting for Barack Obama."

— Scott McClellan, President Bush's former press secretary.

The McCain-Palin Division Widens...

Politico has a story that discusses the Republican "Circular Firing Squad."Marc Ambinder reports on the McCain aids who are beginning to whisper about Palin, especially for the way in which Palin has deliberately veered away from the McCain message and strategy on Michigan, Rev. Wright, "palling around with terrorists," as well as not providing enough information during the vetting process.

This is an interesting debate between the conservative "base" and moderates, as well as the fight between the Conservative intellectuals, those that defend Palin and those that lament that Palin represents Conservatism.

But this debate ought not occur 11 days before an election. Just as Senior McCain aids should not send out their resumes before the election.

Also, Palin is denying, incoherently, the $150,000 wardrobe. Her defenders say that it could not have added up to $150,000; it is an unfair gender bias to bring this up; the clothes were for the Convention only; she has not worn the clothes and they have not left the "belly of the plane;" they are for charity; the devil made her do it.

This seems to be an easy thing to check: either the receipts add up or they do not.

By the Way

Testifying in front of Congress, Alan Greenspan admitted free market principles did not work the way in which he thought they would. According to TNR:

“I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in the firms,” Mr. Greenspan said.

Referring to his free-market ideology, Mr. Greenspan added: “I have found a flaw. I don’t know how significant or permanent it is. But I have been very distressed by that fact.”

Mr. Waxman pressed the former Fed chair to clarify his words. “In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working,” Mr. Waxman said.

“Absolutely, precisely,” Mr. Greenspan replied. “You know, that’s precisely the reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.”

I am shocked! Just shocked! A corporation adopting a philosophy of self-interest over public virtue.

Maybe if someone were to "invent" an economic theory that researches how people actually behave economically rather than examine the normative aspects of economic behavior. Then, maybe someone could write a book or someone else could write another book about it.

And, on top of it all, maybe if one of the two presidential choices believed in this theory, maybe for health care or retirement. If that were to happen, then just maybe we would have a better economic policy on how people actually behave.

But, someone will probably object and say "It's not true; it's just a theory!"

Establishing Interpretive Dominance: The GOP in 2012

Earlier today, I referred to an article in The New York Times Weekend Magazine that attempts to save the honor of John McCain, while attacking his operatives and Sarah Palin. This is not the only article to preemptively establish blame for the Presidential race, if McCain were to lose.

In The New Yorker, Jane Mayer examines how McCain selected Palin. While this is not a definitive, or even an "insider" piece, it sets blame on the conservative "elite," I mean commoners that write serve thr Republican Party in Washington [and write for The Weekly Standard and The National Review]. This article ends on the idea that McCain and his campaign was betrayed by the Palin pick as it sunk his campaign. Consequently, McCain is uncomfortable with everyone, including himself. According to the article, a top Republican close to McCain [and hence, not Palin nor the Washington Insiders], stated:

“John’s personal comfort level is low with everyone right now. He’s angry. But it was his choice.”

Yet, with two articles seeking to protect McCain against Palin, it would not take long for a response. At Politico, a Senior GOP Adviser attacks McCain for attacking Bush instead of attacking Democrats:

One of the most senior Republican strategists in the land warns the McCain campaign after reading the WashTimes interview: “Lashing out at past Republican Congresses instead of Pelosi and Reid, and echoing your opponent's attacks on you instead of attacking your opponent, and spending 150,000 hard dollars on designer clothes when congressional Republicans are struggling for money, and when your senior campaign staff are blaming each other for the loss in The New York Times [Magazine] 10 days before the election, you’re not doing much to energize your supporters. The fact is, when you’re the party standard-bearer, you have an obligation to fight to the finish. I think they can still win. But if they don’t think that, they need to look at how Bob Dole finished out his campaign in 1996 and not try to take down as many Republicans with them as they can. Instead of campaigning in Electoral College states, Dole was campaigning in places he knew he didn’t have a chance to beat Clinton, but where he could energize key House and Senate races. I think you’ll find these sentiments shared by MANY of my fellow Republican strategists.”

Instead drawing from the Palin playbook and running the Rove style campaign, the McCain camp avoided the Wright issue.

The focus of this article suggests that McCain will not win because he did not follow the Rove style campaign. If the GOP is to win in 2012, then the eventual nominee will need to follow this playbook. And Sarah Palin will. Of course competence does not matter but we already knew that. See Bush, George W.

By privileging Palin, the "forces of Rove" seek to symbolically preserve the future with Palin and, more importantly, preserve a style of campaigning: Rev up the base and engage in forces of the Culture War.

Happy Thursday Music Tribute; Or, Don't Judge Me Because I Like This One Better

When Solon was in town a few weeks back, I rode with him and Harrogate to a local bar. A discussion of Beatles covers ensued. Generally speaking, we agreed that most fall short of their originals.

Here is one I prefer, though. It's a cover of "If I Fell," performed live by Adam Levine of Maroon 5. It's a beautiful song. For me, the cover works better than the original because the slightly slower tempo and stripped arrangement make it all the more intimate.

Infuriating Comments of the Day: The Virtues of the GOP

Instead of doing something productive, I am watching MSNBC. David Schuster is interviewing spokespersons from the Obama and McCain campaigns over the $150,000 wardrobe.

Schuster asks the McCain supporter about the clothes, especially since a number of RNC supporters are upset over the expenditures, especially when the money could help down-ticket races. Here is the spokesperson's response:

Schuster: Are you embarrassed [over the expenditures]?

McCain supporter: Not at all. First of all, she is worth every penny. And I think most of the people in the Republican party and those writing checks for this campaign and the RNC would agree that she is. Sarah Palin is a...

Schuster (interrupting): Do you think most independents and moderates in this country would agree?

McCain supporter: Yes I do, quite frankly, if they were given a fair shot to really looks at the facts at this, which I do not think they have. Palin has been taking this beating in the media.

Schuster: [I'm paraphrasing] Well, lay out the facts.

McCain supporter: Well, when you look at what type of family that the Palin's are, they are not a wealthy family. And I think when you are put on the national stage and running for the Vice-President you are expected to look good and it takes more for women and we all know that. I do not think anyone has a problem with that. Sarah Palin...

Obama supporter, interrupting: I do not think anyone is begrudging her new wardrobe.

McCain supporter (responding to the interruption): I'm making my point. The fact of the matter is Sarah Palin didn;t the cash in to make a lot of money on a book deal to become wealthy, like the Obama's did and the Clintons quite frankly. So she doesn't have the wealth behind her. Plus the women just gave birth in April and doesn't have a wardrope. She had to come up with this quickly.

I don't think there is any problem with this. I think that it is petty that people are looking at it like this. And I think that if she were not an attractive woman, that she didn't look good in those clothes, we wouldn't be talking about this.

Schuster: It was her choice, or the RNC's choice, to shop at high end stores.

Using this conversation as the representative anecdote of the McCain campaign and Palin supporters, we can see the virtues of the modern day GOP.

First, it does not matter what the facts of the candidate's personal life. Palin is an averaqge "Joe" or "Jane" "Six-pack" even though, according to the Anchorage Daily New, she lives in a $552,000 home, her family owns a small plane, as well as other recreational vehicles. I know a lot of "average" people with her level of income, personal net worth, and recreational vehicles.

Second, intellectual achievements, such as receiving a book deal or writing your own book, are virtues that need to be scoffed at and publicly ridiculed.

Third, what matters most is not how much money was spent but how the candidate looks and, does Palin looks good even as it diminishes her ethos.

Fourth, it's the media's fault. They just aren't fair. [They should be like Fox News.]

I will give credit to the McCain spokesperson for one thing: pointing out that it may be difficult to have clothes that fit after pregnancy. However, by connecting to the importance of appearances and diminishing intellectual capabilities of individuals, the modern day GOP appeals to those who care little about coherent arguments, especially in a reality-based community.

The Remaking of John McCain

There is a very interesting article in this week's New York Times Weekend Magazine on the McCain campaign. It is odd in that it is a postmortem of sorts as it attempts to establish the presumption of blame while, at the same time, it is a last ditch attempt to show that McCain is a good, honorable man, which is exemplified through the campaign narratives. Further, it is an excellent example of the invention process, which observers rarely see, and the attempt to gain interpretive dominance for those choices.

The beginning of the article discusses the choices that McCain faced back in September, after the beginning of the economic meltdown but before the first debate. As McCain stiffed Letterman but spoke at Bill Clinton's Global Initiative, McCain's campaign guru, Steve Schmidt, reports that at the Global Initiative, former President Bill Clinton stated this to John McCain:

Schmidt evidently saw the financial crisis as a “true character” moment that would advance his candidate’s narrative. But the story line did not go as scripted. “This has to be solved by Monday,” Schmidt told reporters that Wednesday afternoon in late September, just after McCain concluded his lengthy meeting with his advisers and subsequently announced his decision to suspend his campaign and go to Washington. Belying a crisis situation, however, McCain didn’t leave New York immediately. He spent Thursday morning at an event for the Clinton Global Initiative, the nonprofit foundation run by former President Bill Clinton. As McCain headed for Washington later that morning, he was sufficiently concerned about the situation that Schmidt felt compelled to reassure him. “Remember what President Clinton told you,” Schmidt said, referring to advice Clinton had dispensed that morning: “If you do the right thing, it might be painful for a few days. But in the long run it will work out in your favor.”

Anyone want to interpret Clinton's remarks, especially as they relate to the Presidential campaign and who Clinton supports?

Yet, though this article makes former President Clinton look bad, it makes the Palin selection seem like an absolute farce and absurd political theater intended to appeal to the lowest set of political desires:

One tape in particular struck Davis as arresting: an interview with Palin and Gov. Janet Napolitano, the Arizona Democrat, on “The Charlie Rose Show” that was shown in October 2007. Reviewing the tape, it didn’t concern Davis that Palin seemed out of her depth on health-care issues or that, when asked to name her favorite candidate among the Republican field, she said, “I’m undecided.” What he liked was how she stuck to her pet issues — energy independence and ethics reform — and thereby refused to let Rose manage the interview. This was the case throughout all of the Palin footage. Consistency. Confidence. And . . . well, look at her. A friend had said to Davis: “The way you pick a vice president is, you get a frame of Time magazine, and you put the pictures of the people in that frame. You look at who fits that frame best — that’s your V. P.”

Country first?

The McCain campaign utilizes Palin to achieve certain rhetorical tropes. First, the campaign hopes people see her as a "conservative activist," hence, the heavy visual use of the family and, especially, the use of Trig. Second, the campaign employs her as a "reformer," which coincides with the "original mavericks" roll out. Further, there is the notion that McCain relies on Palin to fulfill the "Palin as woman" trope whereby people are to view Palin as a woman instead of her talents to appeal to Clinton voters. This trope is to cut ideological distinctions while appealing to identity politics that ripped through the Democratic primary.

The campaign relies on her appearances, i.e. "beauty queen" image to introduce her to the public because of the cultural premise that beauty is desirable or the longstanding notion that beauty reveals the essence of a person- the sign--person or sign--quality correlation. However, beauty for Palin, becomes the issue instead of political substance. When Palin interviewed with Couric and Gibson and these interviews revealed that this sign/person correlation was incorrect, this is where the McCain campaign ran in to some problems and people who supported her needed to argue their case on beauty as an end rather than a means. Hence the movement toward an unwanted "President Barbie" trope and the attacks against Tine Fey where commentators point out that Palin is more attractive than Fey, which is to replace the notion that Fey provides the substance to the relationship between Fey and Palin.

This is why Davis's comments about the cover of Time magazine and "And . . . well, look at her," reinforce the campaign's intent to have a President Barbie...even better is they can play the victim card, which worked well in the Democratic Primary. People like victims in society, so long as they can relate to them. In this regards, beauty helps.


After discussing Palin, the article discuss the contradictions and limitations of the campaign: the search for authenticity and honor; McCain 2008 running against McCain 2000; McCain v. Obama; the loss of political agency because of the media and Obama. While it attempts to recapture the honor of McCain, it reveals that he is a candidate "out of time" in both senses of the phrase: he may be unable to catch up in the presidential race and he was a man that never understood his political circumstance, i.e. he lacked a sense of kairos.

Guy Ritchie Rumors: Give Us Dirty Laundry

Consider the sources:

But the news of a new woman in his life is hardly shocking, as rumors of cruelty and infidelity in the former power-couple’s marriage run rampant.

Click here to see photos of Madonna.

Madonna would reportedly taunt Ritchie by telling him she should have married someone stronger, more intelligent and ambitious. According to Us, the singer would even physically abuse Ritchie by slapping him or poking him.

But Ritchie was hardly a pushover in the relationship and Us reports that he would often call her fat, old, ugly and wrinkled. Ritchie also reportedly told her she was stupid and a terrible singer.

UPDATE: At first Harrogate was going to make this about how FOX loves to smear people. But now he sees it's more than just the NY Post racing FOX to the bottom. Apparently Us Weekly won that race handily:

See photos of Madonna's biggest scandals.

For more on Madonna and Guy - including how they would go months without sex and how Ritchie may not have been faithful during their 7 1/2 year marriage - pick up the new issue of Us Weekly today!

Blech. For Harrogate's part, he's sorry it didn't work out for them, at least as sorry as one can be who didn't know either of them personally. But that's pretty boring headline material, admittedly.

Rep. Bachmann's Richly-Deserved Economic Freefall; or, A Follow-Up to Amanda Carpenter's Assy McGee Award® of 10/20

Amanda Carpenter is outraged:

The National Republican Congressional Committee, tasked with raising money for GOP congressional candidates, is blowing off Rep. Michele Bachmann after she came under fire for a recent appearance on Hardball.

In a brazen assertion that there are indeed entire parts of the country and entire voting demographics that deserve to be called anti-American, Carpenter adds this:

Here is her online contribution page if any Townhallers are inclined to step in and help where the NRCC won't. Bachmann is a reliable conservative vote in the House and you all know her from her blogs here at Townhall.

Meanwhile she adds plenty of ethos to her argument by pointing out that the bastion of truth known as Red State is also upset about Bachmann's obsene victimization. Writes Red State Poobah Erick Erickson:

Now, in the height of all douchebaggery, he has pulled all funding from Michelle Bachmann's very winnable race in Minnesota, in which she is presently leading, though not by a great deal.

Why? Because Bachmann had the nerve to point out Obama pals around with anti-American domestic terrorists and other unsavory characters, i.e. she's echoed Sarah Palin.

But that's okay. Apparently we have Republicans to spare.

Help Michelle Bachmann. This race is absolutely winnable. Hell, she's winning right now. But she needs our help.

Republican Big Wigs, Pundits, and Politicians--bereft of even the shred of an argument with which to persuade Real Americans (heh) of their "case" that Barack Obama is a terrorist/Radical Muslim/Pagan/Atheist/Communist--are now on their way to being reduced to identifying Douchebaggery in one another.

Geez. Surely the American people will not reward this party for its behavior on election day. Surely sanity will pevail this time.

I couldn't agree or disagree with you more...

I think we are officially past the point at which this election is no longer humane.

In this clip, Senator McCain cannot even slam an opponent. His best bet is to ask, "Where am I?" and go home.



However, megs and I have been laughing all night over this clip. This is karma for the recent robo-calls. Enjoy!!!

A Rambling, Sentimental, Political Response to M

In her most recent post on Separation of Spheres, m wonderfully discovers herself as a Bette Davis figure, and ruminates on what it all means.

What's serendipitous about this is that, while reading the Post, Harrogate was also listening to what he considers to be--STRONG STATEMENT COMING--the Kinks' Greatest Song: "Celluloid Heroes," which points out how very much we ask of our Movie Stars, the Grandiosity of the Mythos that surrounds them, and the often terrible toll this role takes on the much-envied Hollywood Class (here we might pause to reflect on megs' warning that in our hunger for gossip and glee at celebrity's expense, we too-often venture into Really Hurting Real People territory). [LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!} {heh}

And, not to go too far into politics with this post, because Lord knows we've got enough of that going on in the Situation. But it does strike Harrogate as somewhat disturbing, how much zest the Right takes in pillorying "Hollywood." Don't get Harrogate wrong: nobody is a harsher--often to the point of intentional unfairness--critic of our most cherished stories than he.

But Rhetorics suggesting that Moviemakers count less, not only as thinkers but even as "Real Americans" (or for that matter even as human beings) is really ridiculous, considering how much, and on how many moral, practical, and imaginative levels the entire nation relies on them and what they do.

Hmmmm ... Leave it to a British Band to nail the American Pathos Harrogate is trying to get at, here. "Celluloid Heroes" includes the following verse:

You can see all the stars as you walk down hollywood boulevard,
Some that you recognise, some that youve hardly even heard of,
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame,
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain.
Rudolph valentino, looks very much alive,
And he looks up ladies dresses as they sadly pass him by.
Avoid stepping on bela lugosi
cos hes liable to turn and bite,
But stand close by bette davis
Because hers was such a lonely life.

Unfortunately. . .

there are still individuals who will not be voting for Obama because they are convinced he is a Muslim. Paperweight's mom is visiting us this week, and last night we had a lengthy conversation about how she doesn't like John McCain but can't vote for Barack Obama because she's not convinced he's a Christian. I asked her to clarify. She said "his middle name is Hussein, M, and his father was Muslim." Well, my father is a Republican, but I don't hold that against him. Seriously though, when PW and I pressed her for concrete evidence to support her argument, she admitted she had none. The conversation quickly devolved from there. She also told us that she is angered that so many African Americans in her hometown are going to vote for Obama simply because he is black. She argued that they should inform themselves about the candidates before choosing whom to vote for. When I pointed out that there are many, many whites in her hometown who will be voting against Obama simply because he is black, she said "That's different." And when I pressed her to explain, she refused, saying "we'll just have to agree to disagree." At that point, I decided it was time to give Wild Man a bath.

Happy Wednesday Musical Tribute

Here's a hit from one of Oxymoron's favorite musical years, 1989 (although, it is likely not the song that Oxy or anybody else would first associate with that year). Great song to take in with that morning cup of coffee, whilst contemplating where to go next on a forbidding Word Document.

Sarah P. Natural

I've been pondering two post topics for the last week. One--where I explain how a McCain America will force me to become a giant jackass-- will wait until after I early-vote later this week. The other is simple, sullen, and petty.

"Hey, Roof, who does Sarah Palin remind you of?" you ask, because that's the necessary set-up to the joke.


"What would you know about dignity?"


Part one is here for completists:Bad touch

A Provocative Photo-Essay Response to a Possible Palin Presidency

A Palin Presidency would indeed be "A Frightening Prospect".

OMFG: Ed O'Neil Making a Little Rhetoric on Obama's Behalf

Harrogate has always liked Ed O'Neil. His performance in Blue Chips, for example, was astonishingly subtle, and contributed significantly to the movie's overall feel.

Nice to see him throwing back to the shoe salesman bit, here.

It also reminds us how old we are. Doesn't Married With Children seem like forever and a half ago?

Tuesday Night Musical Tribute

It might surprise some Readers (doubtful, but it might), but Harrogate has indeed been infinitely thankful for the existence of this song since the first time he heard it on the radio, many moons ago.

"Two Pina Coladas" proffers a sense of life that is, pun intended, top-shelf. And such is the wondrous Rhetoric of Song: tis hardly necessary to drink the drinks, to drink the drinks.

So tell me about yourself...

I just saw this commercial for the first time in like six months. I almost forgot about it. It must be posted here this evening, if only to keep it fresh in our minds for another week.

What Constitutional Authority Does the VP Possess?

Don't ask Sarah Palin. Seriously. Don't. It is not worth it. She doesn't know. Still. She still doesn't know.

You have better things to do. Paint the House. Walk the Dog. Sit on Pete's Couch. Do some laundry. Kiss your spouse. Take your child to the park. Join Big Brother or Big Sister. Build a fort in your living room. Go to an Art Museum. Talk a walk in a park or garden. Lose weight. Learn about behavioral economics. Read John Rawls, Richard Posner, Michael Sandel, Michael Walzer, or Michael Ignatieff. Write the next great American novel. Play 52 pickup, over and over and over. Clean out your sock drawer. Learn Trigonometry; or Alchemy. Get extra sleep. Write a Blog Post.

Just don't ask Sarah Palin.

Irony: Sarah Palin, Non-Elitist Populist

Politico reports that since McCain announced her as the VP Candidate, the RNC spent $150,000 on Palin's clothing and accessories.

According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

Politico asked the McCain campaign for comment, explicitly noting the $150,000 in expenses for department store shopping and makeup consultation that were incurred immediately after Palin’s announcement. Pre-September reports do not include similar costs.

That figure is roughly three times greater than the average for an American.

During a financial crisis, the RNC thought this would be a good idea to show how the McCain ticket understands the economy and, more importantly, the financial needs of Middle America.

Update: What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick and a $150,000 clothing allowance which ruins the identification with John and Jane six-pack.


Bewildered Customer: You see a set of keys around here?
Randall: No Time for Love Dr. Jones.
Bewildered Customer: Fucking Kids.

What It Means to Be an Elitist, Explained by Ben Shapiro; or, Assy McGee Award® for 10/21

For today's Assy McGee Award® Harrogate throws a link out to Ben Shapiro's probing analysis of what it means to be an elitist. Shapiro's Column, entitled "You Know You're An Elitist If....", lists off a wealth of markers whereby we can see if we are, indeed, elitists.

Verily, his rubric couldn't be more helpful in our current Rhetorical climate. Because you know, we haven't had nearly enough talk yet about Real Americans®, Real Virginians®, Real Patriots®, and the like.

Readers, what are YOUR favorites among the items Shapiro enumerates? There are so many to choose from, but Harrogate is gonna have to opt for the one that Paperweight will likely find most amusing:

You’re an elitist if you know what arugula is but don’t know who Jimmie Johnson is.

Proposition 8 Campaign: "Proposal"

While M. posted an ad opposing Proposition 8 earlier today, I though I would contribute to the debate.

I think the ad "Proposal" does a better job of highlighting that marriage is a fundamental and individual right that should not be subjected to a majority. Further, if Proposition 8 were to pass, it would constitutionalize discrimination and second-class citizenship.

A Little Tuesday Laugh

If you liked this:



And this:



You'll love this:

Prop 8

Thanks to Kate for reminding us that there is more at stake in the Nov. 4th election than just the presidency. If there are any Californians who read The Situation, vote no on Proposition 8.

State of the Race

With two weeks left in the Presidential Race, Senator John McCain is attempting to hold on to most of the Bush states from 2004 and win Pennsylvania or hold on to most of the 2004 Red States, win New Hampshire, and one electoral vote from Maine. These are the only scenarios available to McCain.

In 2004, Bush won the election with 286 electoral votes. The key in that race was either Ohio (20 electoral votes) and Florida (27 electoral votes).

Right now, polls show that McCain is behind in Virginia (13), Colorado (9), New Mexico (5), Nevada (5), and North Carolina (15).

According to TNR, The McCain campaign is withdrawing from Iowa (7), Colorado (9), and New Mexico (5) and will put all of his resources in Pennsylvania (20) though McCain is not polling well there (See 538 which suggests Obama has a 9 point advantage through the poll averages). Even if McCain does not win Pennsylvania, he has options in New Hampshire (4) and Maine (he could pick off one Congressional district since Maine splits its electoral votes), which would get him to 270.

Essentially, these are McCain's hopes:
(1) He must hold the Red States from 2004 = 286 Electoral votes. This will not happen.
(2) He must hold all of the Bush states except Colorado, Iowa, and New Mexico AND win Pennsylvania. This is unlikely.
(3) He must hold all of the Bush states except Colorado, Iowa, and New Mexico, AND win New Hampshire and 1 Congressional District from Maine. It is easier to campaign in one state than two, especially when your V.P. refers to New Hampshire as being in the Northwest.

If McCain loses Florida, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, or Virginia, McCain has no path to 270 since he will lose Iowa, Colorado, and New Mexico.

The polls in Virginia close at 7pm EST. Once these polls close, the country will possess a good idea of who will be the next president.

Let's not forget. . .

. . . in the midst of all our fervor about the upcoming election that George W. Bush, lame duck though he may be, is still in charge of the U.S. until mid-January. As this article at the NY Times on his adminstration's attempts to revoke policies against mountain top removal (policies that are tenuous at best and took years to put into place--I should know; my great-grandfather and grandfather were coal miners in the Applachian Mountains, and they both firmly believed in the necessity of such policies), Bush is still hard at work screwing things up.

Assy McGee Award® for 10/20--Amanda Carpenter, Both Currently and Retroactively

First: Carpenter this evening, blogging on and on about the sadness of Tina Fey's life, when juxtaposed against the one and only Sarah Palin.

And here's Carpenter from Sunday the 19th, vociferously defending Rep. Michele Bachmann's performance on Matthews' Hardball, which Solon recently committed to the eternal Memories of Situationers everywhere. Snippets just won't do it justice. Really, ye have to read. the. thing. to. believe. it.

Why women shouldn't vote for John McCain

I, unfortunately, didn't write the well-crafted post I'm linking to, but in it, the author of "Suburban Bliss" clearly articulates why I will will be voting for Barack Obama.

Happy Birthday, Wild Man!

Rolling with my Homies

Our friend, Sarah, has turned me on to a cultural movement known as "Rick Rolling"--here's Wikipedia's definition of the term.

So, did you hear that there's video of McCain making out with Sarah Palin? Look here! Psych.

Apparently, someone has taken this to a whole new level, called "Barack Rolling." Clearly, this person has too much time on his or her hands, but holy shit it's pretty damn funny :) Even if you don't want to watch the Rick Astley video, you should take a couple of minutes to what the Obama splice--just for funsies.

The Invention by Colin Powell

Earlier in the day, Megs posted on Powell's statement about Religion and Politics. There is an interesting back story to his comment.

After Powell differentiated between the "correct" and "right" choice, he cited a photograph from The New Yorker that displayed a mother against the grave of her son. Here is Powell's quote from MTP and the photo.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life.