For Ted Kennedy

One had no choice but to leave the cynicism at the door when he took the stage and gave the speech that he gave. His promise to return to the Senate in January, his words on Health Care. He electrified the crowd, making a worthy opening-night setup for Michelle indeed.

Nothing but respect for that man.

Blog Post of the Day: "The Details"

From Matthew Yglesias:

A voter goes into a bar, I mean focus group. I mean, Joe Klein at Time goes to a focus group and hears a voter say something about the need to clarify change. Joe Klein writes about said voter:

“Change” as a theme is over. Too vague. And Obama’s rhetoric has begun to seriously cut against him. “No more oratory,” one woman said. “Give us details.”

Yglesias' response:

I always wonder about this stuff. I mean, it’s inconceivable to me that this woman is genuinely yearning to learn more about the details of Obama’s policy agenda. If she actually wanted to know, she could, you know, look into it. She could learn all about the differences between auctioning emissions permits and giving them away, about the implications of having the federal government provide reinsurance for catastrophic medical expenses, about the case for a permanent R&D tax credit, etc., etc. But all indications are that most people find politics boring, and policy details duller still. And swing voters, which is what this was a focus group of, are least interested of all.

I can only think of the movie Clerks, whch is a total non-sequitur.
Man (Who's looking for a set of keys asks one of the Clerks): "Have you seen a set of keys around here?"
Randall (Who is as annoying as bat-shit): No time for love Dr. Jones.
Man (Who is annoyed after receiving that response even though he asked a question to someone completely incompetent): "Fucking Kids."

This is what I have to say today: Fucking Kids.

DNC Protestors Versus Fox News

Already the DNC Protestors are out in force. Here's a confrontation they have already had with a FOX camerman/anchor/whatever. Apparently they didn't get Harrogate's Memo that the diff between FOX and the other cable media is no more profound than the diff between green M&Ms and other M&Ms....

For the first thirty seconds or so it is a bit hard to watch, as the suggestion of crowd violence is palpable. Nice job by whoever uploaded this video by the way. The Carlin-esque chant is in mid form, from the beginning.

And the guy at the end is priceless. Yea, Harrogate wants to go to Denver and buy this guy a drink. Check out his deadpan delivery of: "Some people say FOX is a corporate whore."

Somebody asks him, "some people say what?"

"FOX," he repeats, "is a corporate whore."

Well, there's no arguing with that, regardless of your individual position. Some people do, indeed, say that FOX is a corporate whore.

Monday Musical Tribute

It is hard to believe that the Roseland performances are over a decade gone, now. For months Harrogate has been enjoying their most recent effort, Third, which kicks ever-loving ass. But still, it is the Roseland Concert that Harrogate thinks of first, when he thinks of this group.

Here is one of the reasons why.



If Harrogate ever made a list of the smokinist Female Rockers of His Generation, Beth Gibbons would finish first, second, third, fourth, and fifth.

And the Musical Force surrounding her would quite possibly finish second, behind only Radiohead, in a list of the smokinist Bands.

A Few Convention-Day Ruminations, Opinions, Etc.

1)Word is, Biden is occasionally given to speaking in the Third Person, and also likes to say that his goal is to "Be the Best Biden I can Be." From an artistic standpoint, Harrogate heartily applauds both of these tendencies, although he would recommend Biden keep a wrap on such tendencies when in public.

2)Speaking of the Artistic Standpoint, Obama's selection of Biden underwhelmed everybody except Biden, which was probably the point. But at the same time, just about every pundit in the world is telling us that Obama needed a good attacker in the old-school, populist, union-hall, "lunch bucket," muscular Democrat mold, and most of these pundits are telling us that Obama got a good representative of this Norman Rockwell Demographic, in Biden. Who is Harrogate to disagree with all these oracles?

3)Biden came out of the gate breathing sentimental fire, and showed his determination to daisy-chain McCain to Bush. Whether or not this is fair, over the top, or both, people will now be forced to decide, because every time they see Biden speak, he'll be putting the daisy-chain front and center in their brains.


4)Some things Harrogate can't remember. In what town and state did Joe Biden grow up? As a Senator (can't remember how old he was when first elected to the Senate, either), where has Biden always gone after work, when the Senate is in session? How does he get there?

And where is Jerome Bettis from, again? To be continued........

God McCain is an Asshole

On the cusp of the Democratic National Convention, the winner of The Rhetorical Situation's Inaugural Assy McGee Award® goes to ..... John McCain

Solon has already posted, and rightly lambasted, one of the McCain Ads attempting to fan Clinton/Obama flames, and peel off voters who supported Hill in the Primary.

Here is another such Ad.



It didn't take them long, did it?

But in Harrogate's opinion these Ads went too far in the cartoonism, even for the Republicans. As Andrew "Reagan Was Awesome But Gays Should Have Rights" Sullivan and others have already stated, McCain has provided Hillary Clinton with a Golden Opportunity to hit him in the jugular on Wednesday night, for being the craven sonofabitch that he is. In fact, these Ads are so over the top that McCain has really left Hill no choice but to tee off on him.

(As a side note, it is is a bit amusing to see Sully, in his own passive/aggressive way, writing and/or linking to something regarding either Clinton, that is not total demonization.)

Pass the Salt...

And Pour it in his wounds....

Well, the campaign is officially underway. And nothing is better than to exploit perceived sexism. The add was inevitable, regardless if she was or was not on the ticket. Though there is something sinister behind this....

Here is the new ad from John McCain, which is looking to pick up votes from women despite his record of not supporting legislation the protects women.



I guess this means Huckabee is going to be on McCain's ticket then.

Update: I am sure this is just a total coincidence, but William Kristol at the Weekly Standard has a post, "The Democrats' Glass Ceiling" that argues that same point: it was sexist of Senator Obama not to pick Hillary.

I never knew Kristol or McCain were such devoted feminists. I bet they are working toward equal pay as we speak.

Why Biden II

I am not even sure if I am sold on the ticket....

However, because of the humor... It is no longer the United States of America but Barak-America!!!

It's like SnoopLahoma, only different. (thanks Megs).

And, yes, if you read or listen to the speech, it is the Clinton message without Clintons, or, as Andrew Sullivan states, some aspects of "Clintonism without the Clintons." There is a very strong economic message without the Gas-Holiday Gimmicks.

And he can kick McBush around pretty well. I'm looking forward to a Biden & Romney debate.

Update: And someone's supporters are outraged. Oh Well. But a formal vetting process was not necessary since she was the main candidate throughout the primary. She was vetted, over and over. Besides, the basic lack of trust killed the deal. And the lack of trust goes way back to when Obama announced and the Senator from New York lashed out at him on the Senate floor and before Iowa. It's the entitlement...

Why Biden

It is about having the right attitude. Remember this line:

"Rudy Giuliani... I mean, think about it! Rudy Giuliani. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11. There's nothing else!"

Gig 'Em Edwards, Whoop!!

No not that Edwards. And not that Gig 'Em or that Whoop.

According to Politico, Chet Edwards made the VP final short-list. It may not be a bad choice.

He's a sleeper, as well as Jack Reed. Though signs point to Biden. Or worse.

I'm just saying...

The solution for bad guns is

more guns, apparently.

Concealed weapons in classrooms. This alters the way in which grade appeals are conducted.

I do not think I could allow this in my class. The power dynamic between student and professor could not exist in a way that would promote educational goals. Besides, I would not trust my students even if they were properly trained.

Christina Applegate Rocks

Go to Separation of Spheres to read why.

One of the Best Articles Yet, On Russia/Georgia

It is a bizarre moment indeed, that Harrogate finds something so quite near the truth of the matter in a Townhall columnist. But then, as Rusher himself says at one point, one supposes that when it comes to foreign policy, liberal spokespeople are all so scared to death that they will be perceived as "soft" on something, that they dare not speak reason on matters of foreign policy. Because it is taken for granted that they are so darned tough, Rightists, it follows, can in some ways better afford a moment of lucid argumentation on foreign policy.

The whole thing is a useful read for the 99% of us who are just beginning to learn of the dynamic between Georgia/Russia. But this blurb, in particular, seems like the only advice Harrogate has seen that is worth taking right now, both in terms of the Rhetoric our Politicos use, relatedly, and in terms of whatever strategies they are considering:

Nostalgists for the Cold War may try to seize on this development to inflame Russia's relations with the West and revive the whole East-West struggle. But I think Russia is now quite likely to let matters quiet down again, having given a useful reminder to Georgia -- and all the other small neighbors on Russia's vast periphery -- that good behavior will be appreciated.

In reaching this conclusion, I recognize that there is an inescapable element of risk. But if Russia has indeed embarked on a new policy of aggression, there will be plenty of time to recognize that fact and respond accordingly. Meanwhile, I recommend staying cool.

Cold War Nostalgists. That's nice. And doesn't it just sum up McCain to a freakin' tee? But what Rusher will not dare ask, is, what kind of a fundamentally indecent person must one be, if that is the sort of thing he is nostalgic about?

"F*@k DC Comics"

So says Robert Downey, Jr. to conclude his comments about the "highbrow" Batman film. Apparently, RDJ felt that the film was too smart and that one needed a college education in order to understand what was happening in the movie. Is he just jealous that outperformed The Dark Knight outperformed Iron Man? Here's a snippet of the interview:

"My whole thing is that that I saw 'The Dark Knight'. I feel like I'm dumb because I feel like I don't get how many things that are so smart. It's like a Ferrari engine of storytelling and script writing and I'm like, 'That's not my idea of what I want to see in a movie.' I loved 'The Prestige' but didn't understand 'The Dark Knight'. Didn't get it, still can't tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I'm like, 'I get it. This is so high brow and so f--king smart, I clearly need a college education to understand this movie.' You know what? F-ck DC comics. That's all I have to say and that's where I'm really coming from."

So, as someone in the film industry who fancies himself a serious actor, RDJ doesn't want to see really smart, complex movies. And the obvious response to something that one doesn't understand is, "Fuck [whatever it is]." Awesome.

[Meanwhile, in Tropic Thunder, RDJ's character supposedly (I haven't seen the film) mocks method acting, Hollywood egos, and racial/ethnic stereotypes: "...you have an Australian, you have an African-American, you have him disguised as a Vietnamese, and in the beginning of the movie, you see him as an Irishman - a very gay Irishman..." The trailers are pretty damn funny--I look forward to seeing the movie when it's available on DVD.]

Guess That VP

Since the time is almost upon us, anyone want to state who they think will be the next VP? Time has a list of those already scheduled to speak up until the potential VP will speak. Assuming that this list is correct and assuming that the VP will not speak twice, (I think only one person could possibly speak twice, more on that in a sec.), Mark Halperin has an updated short list.

Sebelius (speaking)
Clinton (speaking)
Warner (keynote speaker)
Bayh (speaking)
Biden (speaking)
Richardson (speaking)
Strickland (speaking, took himself out)
Webb (took himself out)
Rendell (speaking*, took himself out, thanks ivb for the link)
John Edwards (took himself out)
Podesta (hosting a brunch)
Napolitano (speaking* and hosting a women governor’s event)
MacCaskill (speaking)

This means that the real short-list includes: Tim Kaine, Chris Dodd, Wesley Clark, Michael Bloomburg, Jack Reed, Chet Edwards, John Kerry, and Sam Nunn. I would argue that Dodd (mortgage crisis), Kerry (2004), Clark (will be somewhere else), Bloomburg (um...no), and Sam Nunn (cabinent is better as he is too conservative) will not be the pick.

From this list that leaves, Chet Edwards (surprise!!!- he's a good debater, represents a military district, good experience, and is Washington outsider who may not hold his seat for long) and Tim Kaine (who I really do not know much about other than he is a semi-popular Gov. in a Red State that plays harmonica).

Oh, and for some reason, one of the most prominent Democrats, Al Gore, who opposed the war, has been outside of Washington for eight years, and who could do more for Global Warming inside the White House, is not scheduled to speak at the convention. Just saying, that seems odd.

Finally, if there is one person who would speak twice that would be (sigh) Senator Clinton. On Tuesday, she would address her campaign, release her supporters to Obama, and would address gender issues. On Wednesday, without the Obama campaign revealing who the pick would be beforehand, she would walk out on to the stage. Of course, Bill Clinton will be relocated to Antarctica to study penguins for the next 8 - 20 years.

Oh, and McCain will announce his VP pick in Ohio on Friday, August 29th, the day after the Democratic Convention ends to prevent a bounce. Good luck with that.

The Roseanne Throws in On An Old Exchange Between Supadiscomama and Megs: Calls Angelina Jolie "Evil," Brad Pitt "Vacuous"

Some time ago Supadiscomama and Megs hashed out 'resentments' and 'loves' for Angelina Jolie. It was a complex discussion that spanned, if Harrogate remembers correctly, at least three different posts, one of which is provided here, free of charge.


But although that discussion has been over for several moons now, it left blogospheric tremors, the effects of which remain palpably with us to this day. And this past Friday, no less an Icon than The Roseanne, who clearly follows The Rhetorical Situation very closely, took up the issue of Brangelina with gusto.

jon voight your evil spawn angelina jolie and her vacuous hubby brad pitt make about forty million dollars a year in violent psychopathic movies and give away three of it to starving children trying to look as if they give a crap about humanity as they spit out more dunces that will consume more than their fair share and wreck the earth even more. (just sayin'). Also miss jolie says she likes mccain too and hasn't decided who to endorse....huh? Aren't you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the african daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the republican party's worldwide economic assault on africa over the last few decades since reagan? whaaaa...??????!!!!

Tip of the Hat for Armando

Armando (AKA Big Tent Democrat) over at TalkLeft has what will likely stand out as the Political Blog Post of the Day.

After the Obama campaign tossed General Wes Clark under the bus for stating the obvious, that getting shot down in an airplane is not command experience, they better get used to this

[McCain spokeperson] Nicolle Wallace: ""The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous."


Sure it's stupid, but stupid works when you don't push back

Now first of all, Harrogate is by no means a Clark cheerleader, but it is fair to say that he has been a voice of reason in the mainstream public discourse. Which aint exactly something we've got such a surplus of that we can afford to sideline such voices in the name of some perceived political expediency.

But while that is the primary concern of BTD, it is by far the lesser concern for Harrogate. From a Rhetorical perspective, Harrogate isn't even sure what kind of Logical Fallacy this is, that Nicolle Wallace is pushing here. Christ on a crumb heap, it might be all of them.

The only comparable statement that Harrogate can think of is when Bush underling Karen Hughes said, in 2002, that after 9/11 more Americans were "valuing life," which meant, naturally, that a majority was now clamoring for Roe to be overturned. Hughes was not hammered for the statement, nor did she ever retract, or even qualify it. Remember, Readers, how Bush surrogates always referred to him as "Commander in Chief" to quell criticism of his domestic policies, ranging from Tax Policy to Education to Abortion to Faith Based Initiatives to Social Security? How dare they pick at the "Commander in Chief" during a time of war? Etc.

With McCain what we're going to get is, he got tortured and he's our "Commander in Chief" during a time of war. So, do the patriotic thing and stop making his Judiciary Appointments so difficult.

The Big Question is, Why O Why are people allowed to make public statements like Nicolle Wallace's, and then retain credibility? Indeed, one might ask, why don't they get hit with rotten tomatos everywhere they go?

Obama and the Swiftboat Bankroller

Hmmmm. Wonder what John Kerry in his private heart, thinks about this. But then, Swiftboat Financier Pickens is after all a billionaire, one who's been buying up lots of national air time & just generally throwing money all over the place to put his stamp on the "Energy Debate."

This time around, there might be something in it for the Democrat.

Blech.

Obama and Abortion Rights: After Saddleback

Last night, immediately after getting his turn at Rick Warren's event at Saddleback Church, Barack Obama granted a one on one interview with David Brody, of Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network.

If you have not seen the interview, which was apparently very, very brief, go here. The CBN site also provides a transcript below the video. When he gets the question about the Right to Life Committee, Obama answers it clearly and calmly, but you can tell he's had it with these people and starting to get a little pissed.

For Supadiscomama, from her BFF Gwen

Gwen got in touch with me this morning, and she asked me to post this for her BFF Supadiscomama. Oh, and she'd like to arrange a playdate between Kingston and Supa-T.

Sunday Musical Tribute, & Tip of the Hat to Megs & Solon

And while we're on the subject, here's another

Shopping Carts, Deposits, and Brilliance in Canada

As C and I get accustomed to our new home in CU Land, we're constantly noticing things that are different here than in the states. Most of these differences are not necessarily positive in our minds. For example, we cannot buy any sort of alcohol in the grocery store. Further, we can't buy beer and wine at the same store, which means we have to make two additional stops should we want both. The likelihood of us wanting to buy both, however, isn't very great considering beer is twice what it costs in the States. Wine, thankfully, is more reasonable, as is liquor. In fact, rather than buy beer last week, C actually purchased a liter of vodka last week because it was $10 cheaper than a 12-pack of any beer he was interested in.

We have found one custom that we think is absolutely brilliant and think it should be adopted in the States immediately. Let me give you a bit of background first.

Last week, in our attempts to find a nice and affordable grocery store (apparently the two are mutually exclusive in CU Land), we visited a discount store. The store was fittingly named "No Frills," and it had none. We were a bit appalled when we realized we'd have to pay for shopping bags; luckily I had just purchased a bunch of reuseable shopping bags, so this wasn't an issue. We were, however, equally appalled when we realized we had to pay 25 cents to use a shopping cart. After much digging for a Canadian quarter (we are, after all, still getting used to the currency), I went to get a shopping cart, muttering to myself that the savings at this store better be significant if I had to pay for a shopping cart. As I put the quarter into the slot and pulled the cart away from the others, I realized that I wasn't paying to use a cart; I was leaving the quarter as a deposit, which I would get back when I returned the cart to the proper location and reattached it to other carts. I think this is absolutely BRILLIANT! As I looked around the parking lot, I noticed there were absolutely no stray shopping carts anywhere. I hate it when people are too lazy to return shopping carts to the store or to the storage areas in the parking lots. This method ensures that people return their shopping carts, saving the company money as employees don't have to spends lots of time rounding up stray carts or haggling with customers whose cars have sustained damage from stray carts. In a week of learning odd customs, we found one that we love!

Saturday Fun Time

E! Online has a "Which Celebrity MILF are You?" quiz. Obviously, I'm Gwen ;) Who are you?

Happy 50th, Madge!

Follow the linky-link to see what Entertainment Weekly considers her 27 best videos.



Verily, in the Grand Old Year of 1985 she Reprised that old adage:

A kiss on the hand may be quite continental
But Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

Our Retirement Fund, Ground Floor

If someone knows how to add this as a permanent button, 'twould be worth the trouble.

My blog is worth $5,080.86.
How much is your blog worth?

Bigfoot; or, No, Not That Georgia. That Georgia.

One more link to (must. make. it. through. post.) CNN. Because the new Bigfoot Discourse seems to be capturing a slice of the public imaginary, including, admittedly, on the most inexcusably banal level imaginable, Harrogate's.

A policeman and a former corrections officer say that on Friday they will unveil evidence of what they claim is their biggest find ever: the body of Bigfoot.

Headline of the Day: "Cinderella, others arrested in Disneyland labor protest"

Some of Harrogate's Readers are going to be shocked at the following effusion, but: WAY TO GO AP! That there's a priceless photograph. (O how Harrogate wishes there was a photograph circulating of WALL-E in handcuffs, too!).

Also, it's always good when labor protests make it into Mainstream News, so Harrogate reluctantly offers a Tip of the Hat to CNN (now he needs a shower)

Linky link

The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland's gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute.

Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted.

And then:

Bewildered tourists in Disney T-shirts and caps, some pushing strollers, filed past the commotion and gawked at the costumed picketers getting hauled away. The protest shut down a major thoroughfare outside Disneyland and California Adventure for nearly an hour.

"It's changing my opinion of Disneyland," said tourist Amanda Kosato, who was visiting from north of Melbourne, Australia. "Taking away entitlements stinks."

The dispute involves about 2,300 maids, bell hops, cooks and dishwashers at three Disney-owned hotels: the Paradise Pier, the Grand Californian and the Disneyland Hotel.

UPDATE: Harrogate must extend his Tip of the Hat to Fox News also. One supposes that the sheer spectacle of the thing makes it an irresistable cover, even though the issue at stake is pretty anathematic to such coverage. How the Fox Pundits treat it is unsurprisingly smug and dismissive. Still, the video is there for viewers to see. Better than no coverage at all.

He still loves Ambre

Admittedly I have never (and don't plan to ever) watched "Rock of Love," but when I found this article on People.com, I had to post a link to it for ardent "Rock of Love" fans P-duck and Oxymoron. Apparently Brett Michaels, in spite of the fact that he is embarking on Season 3 (really, is a 3rd season necessary? Isn't that sort of like a 10th season of "The Bachelor"?), is still in love with Ambre from Season 2. I especially like Big John Studd's comments that the winner of Season 3 will just have to accept Ambre's presence in Brett's life. Any one want to bet that Season 3's finale includes a threesome with Brett, Ambre, and Season 3's winner?

A Cindy McCain Wrist Scandal Follow up

I thought about including this image in my original post about Mrs. McCain's delicate hand, but I felt it was too cruel. Some prodding from Harrogate (surprise!) led me to reconsider. But really, how old are the McCains? Apparently, John is lifting his speeches from Wikipedia and Cindy is too fragile to touch--so how are these two viable candidates for President and First Lady? Actually, maybe they're perfect representatives...

A Mildly Interesting Question, Answered

Why Are Georgia and Georgia Both Named Georgia?

Which still leaves unanswered, of course, a Rhetorically similar question that has emerged in the current wake of Colbert's bashing of several towns named "Canton" throughout the United States.

So, Slate: Why are Canton and Canton and Canton and Canton and Canton, et. al, all named Canton?

A Novel Idea to Make Harrogate Proud....

Maybe because its ratings suck or maybe because it is serious about politics, but regardless of why, CBS news has decided that it will cover the issues pertaining to the Presidential Election. According to Marc Ambinder, CBS news will run 35 separate segments, each 6 - 8 minutes in length, discussing one issue on its evening news program starting after the convention.

MSNBC has done this, somewhat, on "Super Tuesday," which happens to be every Tuesday. Each Tuesday, MSNBC picks a theme such as "economy," "Culture Wars," etc. Unfortunately, when they do this, the just have the same familiar people and the same familiar (shallow) arguments. Maybe this will be better. Maybe. Maybe Not.

The Tropic Thunder Controversy

Is the movie guilty of hate speech?

Everyone thought the lightning rod in Tropic Thunder would be Robert Downey Jr.'s comic turn in blackface. Instead, the American Association of People With Disabilities, the National Down Syndrome Congress, the Arc, Best Buddies, and a few other groups are up in arms over the film's perceived disrespect toward the mentally retarded. The coalition has put together an 11-page action kit (excerpts below and on the following five pages) urging supporters to "actively picket" movie theaters "with signs of protest urging patrons not to attend" in a nationwide "Rally for Respect," Aug. 13 through 17.

In the comedy, Ben Stiller (who also directed and co-authored the script) plays a movie action star named Tugg Speedman who (taking a leaf from Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Sir John Mills, and Cliff Robertson) tries to win an Oscar by playing a mentally disabled character in a movie called Simple Jack. This gives rise in Tropic Thunder to various jokes, including a review that declares Speedman's "one of the most retarded performances in cinema history" (Page 6).

This is obviously a sensitive issue on multiple levels. The very term "hate speech" is as infuritating to some, on free speech grounds, as is the word "retarded" to others.

But it is worth remembering that none except perhaps a few fringe elements have called for the movie to be shut down. What they want is social refuation in the form of a consumer boycott.

And, what of intent? Harrogate heard the interviewer on NPR ask the Chair of the Special Olympics committee if it mattered to him that the objects of mockery in Tropic Thunder are not those whom the movie actors denigrate, but the movie actors themselves. He said no, this does not matter. The sheer bandying about of the word "retard" some twenty times over the course of the movie is hurtful, regardless of context, he argued.

But regardless of what we think about the issue, perhaps we can at least all come together in giving thanks that neither Elisabeth Hasselbeck nor Whoopi Goldberg have (yet) emerged as representative interlocutors on the subject.

And Now a Moment of Therapeutic Cleansing

:-)

Billy Joel's "Prelude/Angry Young Man"



There's a place in the world for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl,
And He's always at home with his back to the wall.
And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost,
And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

Give a moment or two to the angry young man,
With his foot in his mouth and his heart in his hand.
He's been stabbed in the back, he's been misunderstood,
It's a comfort to know his intentions are good.
And he sits in a room with a lock on the door,
With his maps and his medals laid out on the floor-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

I believe I've passed the age
Of consciousness and righteous rage
I found that just surviving was a noble fight.
I once believed in causes too,
I had my pointless point of view,
And life went on no matter who was wrong or right. OHHHHHHHH

And there's always a place for the angry young man,
With his fist in the air and his head in the sand.
And he's never been able to learn from mistakes,
So he can't understand why his heart always breaks.
And his honor is pure and his courage as well,
And he's fair and he's true and he's boring as hell-
And he'll go to the grave as an angry old man.

There's always a place for the angry young man
With his working class ties and his radical plans
He refuses to bend, he refuses to crawl,
And He's always at home with his back to the wall.
And he's proud of his scars and the battles he's lost,
And he struggles and bleeds as he hangs on his cross-
And he likes to be known as the angry young man.

Seriously?

So, Cindy McCain took a trip to the hospital after an overzealous supporter sprained her hand when he shook it.

I really don't know what else I can add to this...

Colin Powell Versus William Kristol, With a Dash of Obama

Rhetorical Pyrotechnics, Colin Powell Style

ABC News' Teddy Davis and David Chalian Report: Gen. Colin Powell told ABC News on Wednesday that he will not be going to the Democratic National Convention, disputing a suggestion made earlier in the day on the Fox News Channel by Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol.

"I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol's musings,” Powell told ABC News. “I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear."

No time for Kristol's musings!!!! O, the humanity!!! What gravitas! How statesmanly!!!! Too bad he had so much time to waste on Kristol and the other neocons leading into the Iraq Stoopidity, when it actually counted for something.

He's a proven and confirmed liar. When ye think bloody hands, think Powell. Don't believe the hype about his "behind-the-scenes opposition" to Rummy anbd Cheney. He gave the UN speech didn't he? And, his lies helped get over a million killed, didn't they? And yet if he endorses Obama, he'll be able to 'disappear' that truth in the hearts and minds of millions.

A Word on Fox News' Exclusion From the Debate

Lots of bloggers are no doubt pleased with the fact that Fox News got 'snubbed' by the Commission that selected Presidential Debate Moderators.

There was a time, not at all so long ago, when Harrogate would have been pleased too. But that was before he finally gave in and recognized the Writing on The Wall: far from exceptional, Fox has been and remains little more than a scapegoat for the broader Rhetorical Situation in which it participates. Verily, singling out Fox makes about as much sense as singling out Green M&Ms with the warrrant that they somehow taste differently than other M&Ms.

The Hagel Talk Still Won't Go Away

Well, given the proximity of the convention, Obama's text message announcement of his Veep pick ought to be coming in any day. Speaking of: Have any Board Members signed up to get the text message as soon as he sends it?

Whatever the case may be, until that hallowed moment descends upon us like golden raindrops from above, the Hagel talk follows Tim Gunn's advice, and carries on.

This has been going on for a while. And Hagel as the Dems' VP nominee would be Theater of the Absurd Indeed, sort of an ecstatic mix of Brecht and Mamet and then whoever it was that wrote Legally Blonde 2, all rolled into one.

Harrogate's prediction: No Way in Hell Obama will do it. But even that seems less a product of ideological conviction than because of the sheer hubris it would take.

Dog Bites Man; or, Most U.S. Corporations Do Not Pay Any Income Tax

Hmmmm. Linking to ABC, Harrogate wonders if he isn't taking ye to one of the two-thirds of the corporations that got Representation without taxation.

The only surprise is, the story came out at all.

The Slender "Two Americas" Narrative: Now Completely 'Disappeared,' with Edwards' Political Judgment and Personal Cred, Into Rielle Hunter's Vagina

Papa Bear O'Reilly makes the move Harrogate has been expecting him to make since the Rielle Hunter story finally broke out of the tabloids and into the MSM.

It was out of respect for Elizabeth Edwards that O'Reilly, and other "responsible" guardians of the National Framejob known as Our Fourth Estate, had refused to run this story way back then. But no matter, quoth Papa Bear:

What we did do was expose Edwards as a dishonest politician, a man who tried to exploit American military people to prop up his preposterous theory that the United States economy punishes the poor.

Here he's telling the truth. Harrogate is not being sarcastic. Here Papa Bear is telling the Truth that throughout the Spring he attacked Edwards' "prepostorous theory."

Only much deeper into the Memo does O'Reilly actually Lie. It always makes Harrogate a Sad Panda to see Papa Bear lie, when he already has so much to Crow about, what with "Robin Hood" being dead and all. But here is the Lie:

There's no question the liberal media loved the message Edwards was putting out there that America is a place that caters to the rich and hammers the poor. That's why the committed left press ignored the National Enquirer investigation that proved to be true.

Really. It really really really doesn't get any worse than this. Even he ought to be ashamed of himself; knowing full well that there was no point during the Primary where Edwards or his arguments receieved more than a sound-blip, unless it was some Talking Head (like O'Reilly) trying to smash those arguments to smithereens.

What's that? The media is "politically correct" and therefore, Edwards was doomed as a white man running against "history"? Ovaries and pigmentation being more important than questions of social and economic justice? No, these ravings might sound good on a reflexive level, but the real reason they buried Edwards' message from the get-go is that no industry, including the Oil Industry, stands as much to lose by the ascendance of Progressive Politics, than the Media.

Anywho. Thank God nobody has to listen to Edwards anymore. That nobody is really left to take up the mantle of even tangentially challenging the further consolidation of wealth, unless you count Nader (heh). For example, Disney-ABC-ESPN-Anaheim Angels-Etc-Etc-Etc., was tiring of the compulsion to run a sound bite every few months.

Why I Love Gwen Stefani (and why I hate her just a little bit)

I'm a great fan of Gwen Stefani's music (both solo and with No Doubt), and I love her style. As a kind of response to P-Duck's most recent post, I thought I'd add another reason: she actually gains a normal amount of weight when she's pregnant! Unlike some celebs, who try to gain as little weight as possible (dubbed pregorexia by the media), Gwen lets her belly and her baby grow!


At the same time, though, Gwen also ended up looking like this after her first baby:

Granted, she probably worked out like a madwoman and was hungry a lot of the time (breastfeeding doesn't burn that many calories, ladies). I have "no doubt" that Gwen will be baring her famous abs at some point after the birth of baby #2 as well. Good for her. I will eat an extra slice of pizza on her behalf--and I won't run an extra 5 miles to burn it off!

P.S. Kingston is totally Supa-T's long lost twin! Gwen and I should be BFF :)

Beauty VS Baby

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26081703/

If you watch this article’s accompanying video about celebrity moms, the rhetoric is overwhelmingly congratulatory to the celebrity moms who lost weight fast (for some, within 2 weeks after giving birth) and got back to their pre-baby weight. In the video (not article), exercise and diet are encouraged for the benefit of the mother, but nothing is said about how excessive exercise/diet can in some situations prove harmful to developing fetuses, or, how too much exercise too fast can prove detrimental to a woman’s healing body. The uterus must contract, ab muscles must heal and reattach, etc. Moreover, the push to exercise and diet immediately after birth runs counter to the advice of most doctors.

In a rather uncomfortable moment in the interview, the fitness expert questions how the pregnant interviewer manages to look so fantastic and mentions how great she looked after her first child's birth. The interviewer clearly looks uncomfortable, perhaps aware that she too may be judged by celebrity standards.

I understand that it is celebrities’’ “jobs” to look good, but I find the pressure to look good as a new mom too much. Logically, I know their lives are very different from mine. Celebrity moms have an entourage of individuals who take care of the day-to-day things that often bog the rest of us down. I went to Target yesterday, only to have bought the wrong thing, and now I have to go back. Had I an entourage, I’d send some poor fool to do the task for me while I consumed a smoothie made by my nutritionist, check in with my daughter and the nanny, and then hit the gym for 2 hours with my personal trainer. Instead, duckling and I will trek out in the rain in search of BPA-free sippy cups. If I’m lucky, she’ll nap today allowing me to get some work done.

Furthermore, the visual rhetoric of contrasting the pregnant female body with a post-partum body implies that the pregnant body is far from the ideal. A sample magazine cover in the article announces “How I got my body back” and later includes a before/after picture of Heidi Klum. The before/after images suggest that Heidi Klum in a bikini is far more attractive than Heidi Klum pregnant (isn’t she always attractive?). These images are all over the tabloids and news, celebrating a new mom’s return to her “normal” body. Cameras scrutinize tummies both for baby-bumps (always on the lookout for the next pregnant star) and for any remaining flab after childbirth. When celebrity tummies are deemed “normal” and “fabulous” so soon after birth, it implies that the poochy belly I had while my abs were healing and my uterus was contracting to its normal size in the few weeks (okay, months) after childbirth was neither normal nor fantastic (admittedly, I have never had, nor will I ever have, Klum’s abs).

For many of us moms, our bodies will never be “normal” again. Instead, they bear the marks of pregnancy – stretch marks and sometimes a new element of squishiness. Perhaps we should learn to celebrate these changes as badges of honor rather than shameful reminders of the pregnant—read, “fat”—body. This website is trying to do just that: http://theshapeofamother.com/

"College Classes for Conservatives to Avoid"; or, Oxyomoron Had Better Hope His Prospective Students Don't Read Ashley Herzog

Not too long ago, word was that Oxymoron almost made it onto Horowitz's list of the 100 most dangerous college professors. Now, though, Oxymoron is surely being targeted.

Don’t register for English classes that revolve around the writings of some allegedly oppressed group, such as “Gay and Lesbian Literature” or “Women and Writing.” These classes typically have nothing to do with great, or even good, literature. I once signed up for a Women’s Writing class to fill a requirement. Did we study the classic works of history’s best female authors, such as the Bronte sisters and Jane Austen? Nah. Instead, the class mostly revolved around short pieces by untalented women who whined about America’s “sex/gender system.” The only assigned book was the biography of Assata Shakur, a female Black Panther who fled to Cuba after she was convicted of murdering a cop.

But to be fair, it's not just oxymoron, he's only the most obvious culprit. In truth all Board Members of The Rhetorical Situation had better look out. Even as we speak Harrogate himself is putting together a syllabus the sole purpose of which is to destroy Western Culture.

The Clinton Campaign

In the September issue of Atlantic Magazine, Joshua Green provides an incredibly in-depth report about the problems and divisions within the Clinton campaign leading to the fall. What may be even better than the article, "The Front Runner's Fall," Green scanned in volumes of the email he relied upon to write the article.

Rarely do we get a look at the author's non-artistic proofs to see how the author wrote the article. This could be a very interesting pedagogical tool for teaching argumentation.

Green's method:

To find out, I approached a number of current and former Clinton staffers and outside consultants and asked them to share memos, e-mails, meeting minutes, diaries—anything that would offer a contemporaneous account. The result demonstrates that paranoid dysfunction breeds the impulse to hoard. Everything from major strategic plans to bitchy staff e-mail feuds was handed over.

What would be useful about these non-artistic proofs is that this evidence does not concern after the fact justification to a large public in the way that an interview is a newspaper article would.

Instead, Green provides is with the emails from major players in the campaign as they attempt to persuade one another over the direction of the campaign. This could be a great resource to see how the arguments developed internally, especially in relation to what arguments and strategies were selected, as well as the consequences of those arguments.

Again, I cannot explain how amazing this resource is. Check it out. Click on the summaries to examine the actually documents.

After a quick read, here are a few thoughts:
1) Not running in 2004. I thought this would be her best bet since 2004 presented a weak field. It would have been close though, maybe too close for because of war. Yet, according to the article, polling numbers were there. One of the main problems of her campaign is she never could master kairos.

2) Target audience: women, lower & middle income, and play defense with men and upper class. A memo by Penn suggests to tap into the consciousness of sexism:

"1) Start with a base of women. a. For these women you represent a breaking of barriers. b. The winnowing out of the most competent and qualified in an unfair, male dominated world. c. The infusion of a woman and a mother’s sensibilities into a world of war and neglect

To counter this theme of division, Penn focuses on the Lower and Middle Class to show you care, you are one of them, and you support their goals. Additionally, Penn's strategy was to, "Contest the black vote at every opportunity. Keep him pinned down there," meaning make Obama defend this vote to cut in his base and... prevent him from expanding. Green notes that this is the coalition that worked for Clinton and this memo, "reinforces rather than confronts the Clintons’ biases."

3) The odd connection between Edwards and Clinton, especially in light of his recent allegations... Edwards says his vote on Iraq was wrong but Clinton does not. This is tragic for her. Edwards hurts her in Iowa, which hurts her nationally.

I do not believe in what ifs, especially about Iowa since the people there were not going to vote for her. He populist personae for Pennsylvania would not translate there because of demographics and ideology. Her best bet would have been to avoid Iowa as it proved too costly. But Edwards did hurt here there in perception...

One interesting point on the press and the Clinton campaign (and there are many) that concerns the pre-Iowa time frame: "The more the Clinton team became paralyzed by conflict, the more it was forced to rely on the press to write negative stories that would weaken Obama—to, in effect, perform the very function it was unable to do for itself." The failure of Clinton was the failure to drive the narrative. This explanation doesn't occur, well it doesn't occur here. Well, maybe because focusing on Obama's 3rd grade essay "I want to be President" is the reason. Poor judgment.

And the beginning of the end was Iowa. No matter how the media tried, the race was not competitive throughout the primary.

Update II:
This article has a terrible ending. Maybe it is because of space requirements but it is still terrible.

Insomnia and Celebrites...

Tonight may be possibly the last night that I will get a full night's sleep for the next year. But instead of sleeping, I have insomnia...

To honor that occasion, here is the new round of celebrity ads. The first is by John McCain and it is quite funny in that 1980s movie promo kind of way. I would not vote for a candidate to allow that ad, especially with the blatant lies in it, but it made me chuckle. It is no way to run a presidential candidate but I guess McCain is attempting to stop the youth vote turning out for Obama-- at least this is the only guess I have over the campaign's strategy because it is an incredible stupid strategy as tax increase line would not hit that audience. Or maybe it is trying to create a generation crisis in that the fans of the teenagers in love have parents and those parents will see how stupid their kids are acting and do the opposite. Instead of people voting on policy issues or even values, we get vote this way because your kids will vote another way.



The second ad is Obama's response, "Emcraced." While McCain's ad is the campy 1980s movie trailer, Obama's style is Oceans Twelve. The ad just attacks McCain's hypocrisy since McCain is the real celebrity in the campaign. Its strategy is to argue that with McCain it will be the same old crap. At least there are some nice photos with McCain and Bush.



While these ads are humorous, the level of discourse in the election hit a new brand new low. Sigh. Listen to Harrogate gently whimper.

Office Space Anticipated the Aforementioned Obama Poster

Is there any issue. Any issue at all that Office Space did not tackle?




Heh.

Captions Needed

Ummmm... I don't even know what to say, other than how proud I am of our Olympic Booty-Smacker-in-Chief.

Obama, Orwell, & the 'O for God's Sake' Category

O For God's Sake. Now, Harrogate thought it mildly amusing when, after the invasion of Iraq, Bush supporters began the "'W' stands for Women" tripe. But then comes this:

George Bush had his three-fingered W salute that supporters flashed when greeting him at presidential campaign events in 2000. And now, if a Los Angeles creative agency gets its way, Sen. Barack Obama will see fans meet him with his own salute like the one above. "Our goal is to see a crowd of 75,000 people at Obama's nomination speech holding their hands above their heads, fingers laced together in support of a new direction for this country, a renewed hope, and acceptance of responsibility for our future," says Rick Husong, owner of The Loyalty Inc.

.....Some are even begining to whisper that Obama's running mate is going to be one of the Aggie Yell Leaders.....

"You interlace your hands in a circle, the interlacing being a symbol of different types of people coming together and the circle a symbol of unity," he says.

.....But then maybe this stuff isn't so funny after all.....

"We want to see it everywhere, but more importantly we want this sign to take the world by storm."

As a human being, Harrogate is embarrassed.

Congratulations, Dr. Reads!

On Affairs and Love Childs

As CNN reports, Former Senator John Edwards announced today that some aspects from the National Enquirer's story from October of 2007 are true and he did have an affair with Rielle Hunter. Edwards still denies he is the father of Hunter's child though he has yet to take a paternity test.

The question of this "controversy" does not concern why Edwards had the affair in the first place. I do not care and I wish others did not care. Yet, since some people care and it would have an effect on his political career. Consequently, the question is why did Edwards think he could run for President having had an affair while his wife was ill with an incurable form of cancer?

If anything, he shows a lack of political and personal judgment. He show a lack a political judgment thinking this affair would remain undercover and would not be an issue conservatives would use against him. He shows a lack of personal judgment for the lack of concern he shows for his wife and family.

Imagine for a second if Edwards were the Democratic nominee: how would he have made charges of corruption against Bush but be liable for "personal corruption" in the eyes of the American people?

On a Side Note I: reports state that Elizabeth Edwards will speak at the Democratic convention but, after this, John Edwards will not be in sight.

Side note II: Talk Left has a post that discusses how Katie Couric interviewed the candidates on "infidelity" as a sign of personal character.

The sumamry of Edwards' answer:

Couric: So you think it's an appropriate way to judge a candidate?

Edwards: Yeah. But I don't think it's controlling. I mean, I think that, as you point out, there have been American presidents that at least according to the ... stories we've all heard, that were not faithful, that were in fact good presidents. So I don't think it controls the issue. But I think it's certain ... something reasonable for people to consider.

President George W. Bush Appropriating John Kerry

According to ABC News, Defense Sec. Robert "Gig Em'" Gates unveiled a new Pentagon Report concerning how to fight terrorism. The reports states:

"The struggle against violent extremists will not end with a single battle or campaign. Rather, we will defeat them through the patient accumulation of quiet successes and the orchestration of all elements of national and international power. We will succeed by eliminating the ability of extremists to strike globally and catastrophically while also building the capacity and resolve of local governments to defeat them regionally. Victory will include discrediting extremist ideology, creating fissures between and among extremist groups and reducing them to the level of nuisance groups that can be tracked and handled by law enforcement capabilities."

In this new policy, the Pentagon adopts the language of John Kerry, circa 2004... a language that President George W. Bush mocked. During the 2004 Presidential campaign, Kerry stated:

'We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance. As a former law-enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life."

When Kerry delivered these remarks, the Republicans argued that these remarks revealed "Kerry didn't get it" as President Bush stated:

"Senator Kerry talked of reducing terrorism to - quote - 'nuisance' - end quote - and compared it to prostitution and illegal gambling," President Bush said. "See, I couldn't disagree more. Our goal is not to reduce terror to some acceptable level of nuisance. Our goal is to defeat terror by staying on the offensive, destroying terrorists, and spreading freedom and liberty around the world."

Bush-Cheney also went after Kerry for using 'nuisance' as pertains to terrorism in a TV ad.

"Nor can we think of our goal in this war in the way Senator Kerry described it yesterday in The New York Times," said Vice President Dick Cheney. "Quote: 'We have to get back to the place,' he said, where terrorism is 'a nuisance,' sort of like - and these are his comparisons — sort of like gambling and prostitution. This is naive and dangerous."

While this new report provides the proper definitional argument, defining the poorly named "War on Terror" as an ideological and not a military conflict, it is still a sad fact that George Bush adopts the vision of John Kerry, who was by no means a god presidential candidate, four years after the fact.

Does anyone else wonder if President Bush knows he is using the language of Kerry? I suppose that even if he knew, he would not care.

And you thought the Democratic Presidential Primary was Bad

Last week Supadiscomama wrote a post about the need for an apology about slavery. In the comments, we discussed a Democratic Congressional Race in Tennessee since the person who sponsored the Apology Bill is a white Democratic who represents a majority-minority district.

Well, the primary race between Stephen Cohen, a white incumbent, and Nikki Tinker, a black challenger, has been brutal. In one ad, Tinker criticized Cohen's support for not removing a Monument honoring a Confederate, a Slave-Trader and a founding member of the KKK. While there are numerous first amendment issues involved with monuments, public space, and free speech, Tinker overlooks these to show Cohen desires to support groups that would terrify most of the people in the district. The juxtaposition between Cohn and the KKK figures is quite racially hostile, especially since the candidates are fighting to represent a majority-minority district.

The latest ad (see below) may be worse. Not only does Tinker race bait, she attacks him on the basis of religion as Cohen is Jewish. The ad states: "Who is the real Steve Cohen anyway? He is in our churches, clapping his hands and stomping his feet."

I also hate the pathetic fallacy over school prayer: "He's the only Senator [when he was a state senator] who voted that kids shouldn't be allowed to pray in schools." Rather than discuss the history of school prayer or the constitutional problems with it, we get "that mean old, white man won't let your kids prayer. Their eternal damnation will be his fault."

With commercials like this, it would be best if Tinker loses her race. Emily's List supports Tinker, which just reinforces their lack of judgment on electoral candidates.

Nikki Tinker race baits Steve Cohen. @ Yahoo! Video

Sponsored by Krispy Kreme Donuts

After a two year visit to the United States, Michelangelo's David is returning to Italy...

Voter Interest and Campaign FInance

If you possessed little interest in politics, did not vote, and are not registered to vote, why would you donate the maximum amount allowed under campaign finance laws? And further, how could someone persuade you to part with $2300/ person or $4600/ couple?

I ask because published a story about campaign finance. http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif In the article, the writer discusses numerous individuals, who are from middle-class backgrounds and show no political interests, yet they donated the maximum possible. All of these individuals wre persuaded to donate the maximum allowed by a political "bundler."

Either the actions of the bundler are not on the level, and there is not evidence that this view is correct, or there are serious flaws with campaign finance laws.

Obama and Anti-Anti-Intellectualism

Though he has not yet written this on The Rhetorical Situation, some time ago Harrogate realized that all along, his favorite thing about Obama by far is that he does not cede an inch to the anti-intellectual strain in our culture. Sure, he's as fond of soundbites as any of them, if not moreso than most. But whereas Kerry wore his associations with intellect as an albatross, Obama unapologetically reminds us that, well, most of the shit candidates for president debate is complicated, and success depends on our willingness to synthesize concepts, to use (gasp) abstract thought.

Here we get a perfect example of this wonderful quality of Obama's, although channeled indirectly. Townhall's green-blooded reporter, Amanda Carpenter, has the headline right: Obama Calls GOP Ignorant on Oil.

“It’s like these guys take pride in being ignorant!” Obama told an audience in Berea, Ohio on Tuesday.

“They’re sending like little tire gauges making fun of this idea as if this was Barack Obama’s energy plan,” Obama said. “Now, two points. One, they know they are lying about what my energy plan is, but they are making fun of a step that every expert says would absolutely reduce our oil consumption by three or four percent.”

Yes. Yes. Yesssssss!!!!! A great method for fighting the GOP affect of blue-collar common sense, point out it's only an affect!!!! Point out that proud ignorance may not be so much of a selling point for politicians as we may have thought.

(In a note of delicious irony that will surprise no Board Members, Harrogate neither has, nor knows how to use, a tire gauge)

A Sign You're Having a Bad Day

Well John McCain, it is bad when Kathy Hilton, the outstanding political analyst and mother of Paris Hilton takes a shot at you, even as she contributed the maximum possible to your campaign.

It is much worse when Paris Hilton responds to your "Celeb" ad and sounds more coherent on energy policy than you do.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Stop the Presses--Kerry Really Can Be Funny!!!!

Okay, Harrogate has to post this, partly to make up for the rants he has levied against Kerry for the incompetent, even anemic campaign he ran four years ago. This, coupled with a desire to show the silliness of the outrage expressed by some over Kerry's quite reasonable refusal to withhold praise for McCain's military service.

But today CNN posts this on Kerry, who is campaigning vigorously on Obama's behalf. Provocatively entitled "Kerry: McCain is 'dangerous' for the country," the piece includes this discursive nugget, which shows that the caricature of patrician liberalism, John Kerry, really can be funny. It's a nugget that also left the RNC mightily pissed.

“I don’t know if you know this,” joked Kerry, “John McCain is looking for someone for vice president who has more economic expertise than he does. So congratulations to all of you, you’re on the short list.”

The Case Against Crocs: In Which Harrogate Renders an Ardent Tip of the Hat

Harrogate could not let this pass without enthusiastically awarding a Tip of the Hat to a good writer, an even better cultural critic, and clearly a man who takes his fathering responsibilities with the utmost seriousness. Yes, here's to Steve Tuttle, who has not given up in the war of reasonable people against Crocs.

Yes, I'm really, really late to the Crocs-bashing party. Really late. Plenty of fashionistas have written screeds over the years. But the damn things are still here, so this is no time to stop fighting. To quote the great John Belushi: "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!"

A Wise Voice from the Past

Politico has a story on the potential Democratic VP Pick. For some reason, probably to stir controversy, the story quotes Geraldine Ferraro of all people. The quotes from Ferraro:

Geraldine Ferraro, a Clinton supporter who in 1984 became the first woman on a major party presidential ticket, said Obama should be “gracious” enough to offer Clinton the vice presidency, considering how narrow the race was....

“If he picked Claire McCaskill or [Janet] Napolitano [or Kathleen] Sebelius, I think it would annoy women,” Ferraro said.

Ferraro added that “those are women who we spent our lifetime helping run for office” and that “a lot of us are not happy with these women for not supporting Hillary because they came to us for help based in large part on their gender.”

Let the Cult of Personality continue. At one point I thought sexism referred to discriminatory attitudes or holding stereotypical views on the basis of sex or gender. But thanks to Ferraro, I now know that women are the same, especially in their support of Hillary Clinton. If Obama were to pick Sebelius it would not be seen as an advancement for women or breaking ceilings but demeaning to one woman and most women would feel that way.

If there were other explanations, I would like to know. Her first reason may be valid as Clinton received the second highest number of votes in a Democratic primary. But noting that the selection of another woman would reinforce the notion that an "experienced" woman was passed over makes sense if Senator Clinton possesses the necessary experience in the first place.

And yet, Ferraro perpetuates what she is against...

The NFL/Reebok Commercial

The song is by Vashti Bunyan (Harrogate had never heard of her), and it is called "Train Song."


One of the most well crafted sports commercials we have had in a long time.

McCain Explaining the Race Card...UM...Maybe?

Last Week, I discussed McCain's awkwardness in an interview with CNN reporter John King about the use of the Race card. Well, via The Jed Report, it seems McCain's interview came back to haunt him while campaigning in Florida.

As this video shows, he cannot explain the attack he made against Senator Obama.



And the town hall format is McCain's best?

Rhetorical Strategies of the Day

Concept One- Perspectives by Incongruity: This concept, as discussed by Kenneth Burke in Attitudes Toward History, occurs when a rhetor engages in "Verbal Atom Cracking," and takes a word or concept from one category and applies to a new category (308).

This is an unofficial Obama ad that performs perspectives by incongruity on the McCain "Celeb" ad, increasing the ethos of Senator Obama through the ethos of Ronald Reagan and, in the process, diminishes the arguments of Senator McCain. As this ad reminds the listeners of the attacks on Obama by McCain, it situates them next to similar complaints employed against Ronald Reagan. The intent is to make you rethink the attacks on Obama since they were false against Reagan.

Concept Two- Stealing the Symbol: The ability to appropriate the meaning of a symbol and redefine it to one's advantage. By presenting the virtues of Reagan, the ad claims that Obama, and not McCain, possesses the virtues of Reagan, which is important to the "Reagan Democrats."

Another Pelosi Plug for Chet Edwards

CNN is reporting the Nancy Pelosi put in yet another plug for Texas Rep Chet Edwards for Obama's VP. He doesn't stand a chance, but he does seem like a damned good guy...

Anthrax, Iraq, and Religion: Lifestyle choices runnning amok

Salon has a good article on the use of chemical weapons in the US after 9/11 in order to incite a rhetoric of fear about Iraq.

All of this developed from the investigation, and presumed guilt, of Dr. Bruce E. Ivins who the FBI believes is the person responsible for mailing the Anthrax to journalists and representatives, killing five people in the process.

In the reporting about Ivins, someone found a few letters to the editors that he wrote about end-times prophecies. If these letters are correct, then he is a Dominionist, believing that Christianity should guide politics and law, especially in regards to the Middle East. It seems that the purpose of a war n the Middle East was to "speed things ups" and usher in end times. How narcissistic.

You can read the letters here.

Backlash from the Celebrity Ad

Political Analysts Kathy Hilton, the mother of Paris Hilton, responded to John McCain's celebrity ad. At The Huffington Post, she writes:

I've been asked again and again for my response to the now infamous McCain celebrity ad. I actually have three responses. It is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign. It is a complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs. And it is a completely frivolous way to choose the next President of the United States.

Oddly enough, the Hilton parents maxed-out with their contributions to McCain.

The Olympics, Human Rights, and ... LeBron James?

8-8-08. Day one of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

I'll admit it right up front: I'm an Olympic junkie. I'm NBC's favorite customer. The sound of the Olympic theme song gives me the goosebumps. I love the competition, the national heroes that return for another try at the gold, the human interest stories that tug your heartstrings. I have a wild crush on Michael Phelps (known in my household as my Olympic boyfriend) and, when I grow up, I want to run just as fast as Allison Felix. Anyone else remember Ian Thorpe? Well, I have kept the flame burning these last four years; don't worry, he'll be back to compete in Beijing.

The Olympics, as solon and I have recently discussed, have--at least in recent (and I use the term loosely to mean the last century or so)--been political. To pretend that they haven't is pretty dishonest. There's always some group that has good reason to protest the selected location of the Games and this year is no exception. In fact, China's human rights violations--not to mention their sweeping unconcern with industrial and environmental standards--have got a lot of people, including this Olympic fan, up in arms.

Which is why I was so pleased, initially, to see the ESPN interview (done, I believe, in May) with LeBron James in which the basketball player spoke out about China's human rights violations and said he would use his celebrity in Beijing (a huge new NBA market) to raise awareness specifically about the situation in Darfur. James's USA teammate Kobe Bryant, having participated in a recent PSA about Darfur, was also expected to lead the team in public statements on this issue. But a recent interview with the players at a Team USA practice told another story. Nearly word for word, all of the players rejected the notion that they would use their international platform as a way to publicize China's violations. "We're athletes, not politicians," they claimed. Team USA officials and the NBA have claimed to have no part in this turnaround. But the millions of fans and billions of dollars in China hint otherwise.

Obama and the Anti-Christ

Yesterday, I stated that some believe that Obama is the anti-Christ. Well, according to Hal Lindsey, an advocate for Dispensationalism -- with the emphasis on sensationalism-- and a popularizer of the "end times" prophecies/ mythology, Obama is not thee anti-Christ but just prepping the world for the Anti-Christ. I wonder if he felt the same when Reagan spoke in Germany? Oh, wait...

Since when do lifestyle choices such as religion get to determine the fate of the world?

McCain, Obama, and Evangelical Voters

When I first saw this ad, I thought it was a web parody. CNN tells me otherwise.

In Grandpa McCain's new ad, he calls Senator Obama "the One." Of course, shouldn't McCain know better as he lived to see the development of all of Western Civilization, as well as the BCE - CE change over.

The video seems to be an attempt to reach out to Evangelical voters as well as develop a third argument about Obama, he is arrogant. This is on top of the other two, he is risky and he is an empty vessel celebrity. After watching the ad, it ridicules Obama by taking his words well out of context, beyond recognition, the the point of lying. This of course should not make people want to vote for McCain as each attack diminishes the ethos of Grampa Simpson.

Second, the ad appears to reach out to Evangelicals and to warn them about "false prophets." I would imagine that the reasoning behind this move is that if the Evangelical voters will not vote for McCain, they better not vote for Obama, who appears blasphemous in the video. Well, then again, maybe he is the anti-Christ.

Well, he appears blasphemous if you possess no sense of irony or no sense of humor.

Update: According to David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, because of McCain's attacke, 100,000 donated money to the Obama Campaign. One-third of those who donated were first time donors. Good job John, thanks for your support.

The Democratic Divide Continues

Backers of Senator Clinton write the problems of the primary into the Democratic Party Platform. From the L.A. Times:

As her chances of becoming vice president recede, some of Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters are pushing for the Democratic Party's new platform to state that the primary elections "exposed pervasive gender bias in the media" and to call on party leaders to take "immediate and public steps" to condemn future perceived instances of bias.

The push for the plank in the party's statement of principles reflects a lingering unhappiness over Clinton's treatment during the Democratic primary, and over what her supporters say was an inadequate response from party leaders.Some Clinton supporters have complained of jibes against the New York senator by TV talk show hosts, off-color novelty items and incidents such as the time when hecklers yelled "Iron my shirt!" at a Clinton rally.

A Democratic committee devoted to writing the platform is to meet today in Cleveland to hear presentations from policy advocates, then draft the document.

"There were so many examples in the media of sexist comments where we never heard from the party leadership or Barack Obama," said Stacy Mason, executive director of a political action committee called WomenCount, which claims thousands of members. The group ran newspaper ads in the spring urging Clinton to stay in the contest.

"We're focused on why the Democratic leadership was so silent about it during the campaign," Mason said. "It was their obligation to come to the defense of one of their own primary candidates, and they didn't. They stayed silent during the campaign, and that's not OK."

There are no specifics yet but this will be an interesting development, especially as it seems clear that Clinton will not be the VP and that she will speak on the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. While other aspects of the Democratic Platform will concern ending the war in Iraq or passing legislation for universal health care, it is not clear what legislative action will occur, if any.

Race and the Election

In the past few days, race entered in to the Presidential campaign for the first time though it is not as explicit as it was in the Democratic Primary. On one level, the purpose of interjecting race, for both sides, is preventative. On another level, the purpose of raising the issue of race is to increase racial resentment.

The Obama camp wants to raise the specter of to race to warn against its use, redirecting the campaign to the issues because he is winning on almost all of the issues (Economy, Health Care but not necessarily Iraq). This is why he states, “they'll state I'm different and not like the other presidents on our currency;” “he has a funny name;” and “I’m black.” By preemptively redirecting, he hopes to keep the focus on the issues and avoid race. Ironically, in a web ad, the McCain campaign used the face of Senator Obama on a dollar bill, as well as on the Statue of Liberty and Mt. Rushmore.

The McCain camp wants to raise the issue that Senator Obama and not Senator McCain is playing the race card in the election, focusing the campaign on the issue of race and on character. Since McCain is not winning on the issues he must win on character. Consequently, McCain's campaign has two main arguments about Senator Obama. First, he is risky (he is a celebrity and not a politician; he has "fans;" he would rather win the campaign and not the war; he delivers great speeches but does not have great ideas).

Second, Obama is different (he likes arugula; he goes to the gym three times a day; he appeals to foreigners; he prefers MET-RX chocolate roasted-peanut protein bars and bottles of a hard-to-find organic brew -- Black Forest Berry Honest Tea). At Open Left, Chris Bowers notes the premise behind this is "different who are people suck." The is just tribal politics of which identity politics is a sub-category.

In addition to his arguments, McCain's new race strategy is to push the issue of race as far as possible without every being explicit. The celeb ad is one part of the strategy. The creators of the "Celeb" ad are the creators of the attack against Harold Ford Jr., in "Call Me." However, "Celeb" does not go as far as "Call Me" did. It went far enough to move the discussion to race but it is only suggestive and implicit in a way that "Obama did drugs so maybe he is a dealer" is over the top and explicit, right Mr. Penn?

By moving the topic to discuss race we move further away from the issues, especially when the end of July numbers shows even more problem with jobs and corporations. This would be all bad news for McCain if we would focus on it. Instead, the McCain campaign stirs the pot of racial resentment, especially within the "blue collar" and lower-income demographics. As Ben Smith at Politico discusses, while racism is not necessary a campaign strategy, racial resentment is necessary to increase racially-polarized voting, which would only hurt Senator Obama or any racial candidate in most majoritarian voting systems.

In an interview with CNN's John King, Senator McCain awkward addresses the race issue, claiming that there is no place for it in this campaign, the Obama campaign used the race card, and then ends the interview with no chance of rebuttal. His campaign manager, Rick Davis, said Obama pulled from the bottom of the Deck to play the race card. For Obama to use the race card, McCain suggests, is to try to win on style and not substance, reinforcing argument one, and McCain cares too much for the Ameircan people to let that happen, reinforcing argument two that states Obama is different, since Obama is not patriotic and does not care about the American people as a president should. Subsequently, McCain cares the American people, hence, he is more patriotic.

Another potential topic where McCain can use this strategy is affirmative action. Recently McCain's reversed his position on affirmative action, as he now will vote for the anti-affirmative action initiatives in Arizona. All he needs is the media to ask him about it and he can reinforce his to arguments about Obama: Affirmative Action provides people with benefits who do not deserve them, making that group "special." The first argues that the people receiving the benefits are less qualified (aka, they lack substance) and these practices create special groups and treat citizens differently.

Conincidently, there are are three states with anti-affirmative action initiatives on the ballot this fall and two of them are the "Swing States" of New Mexico and Colorado. Imagine that: a controversial initiative hoping to stir the emotions just like, on a limited scale, the Gay-Marriage Initiatives of 2004.

By walking around the issue of race, the McCain campaign entices the media to pick up the story, which it did because there is little else to cover (or what there is to cover may require too much substantive reporting of actual issues) and draw the Obama campaign to discuss race, which they have to in response to McCain and the Media. When everyone discusses race, especially potential double-standards on race, this may raise racial resentment. And if there is a discussion of race or the development of racial resentment, Senator Obama loses voters.

If Senator Obama continues to make comments to defend himself against the different charge, then the McCain campaign will make the argument that Obama is playing a game with race. This provides he McCain campaign to interject race as they can quickly counter with a Chicken Little argument or "There he goes again." Of course, McCain will not be able to play this game throughout the fall as, at some point, he must actually address the issues and not Senator Obama.

Some Pedagogical Help, Please

I was thinking about including a section on visual rhetoric in my upcoming freshmen composition course. I thought that I would start with the following picture. I'm certain that it's ripe for analysis, but I'm not really sure what to say about it, or where to go from here. Any advice...?