Category — 2008 Election

Oprah has seriously damaged her brand.  After years of preaching empowerment to women, lots of them are wondering why Oprah wouldn’t want a guest like Sarah Palin. However, according to Oprah, nobody even thought about inviting Sarah.  And if you buy that whooper, Oprah says:

At the beginning of this presidential campaign when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates.   

Come on, Oprah, you know very well that your brand is YOU.  When you endorsed Barack Obama, you threw the entire franchise behind it.  The idea that the show is somehow separated from you and your personal decisions is laughable. And judging by the comments on your web site, the majority of your fans aren’t buying it either. Hat tip: Instapundit

A graphic difference between McCain and Obama.

Second part

Cheering for one side in a war is cheering against the other side. No getting around that simple fact!

Bottom line: I was always voting for McCain because Obama is far too left-wing.  Did the speech swing anyone?  We’ll see. 

11:04 PM Country song not doing a lot for me.  :) 

11:04 PM Interesting end to the speech.  Very strident…very strong call to public service. 

11:02 PM Call to public service. 

11:01 PM Real shot at Obama and the his Messianic complex. 

10:59 PM Addressing a very interesting part of his POW status…being broken and how the men told him to fight again. 

10:55 PM Can liberals forgive him for the bombing? 

10:54 PM “the scars to prove it”…Reminds me too much of John Kerry. 

10:52 PM “Get this country moving again”…Is the country really that broken?  Not sure I see it. 

10:50 PM Makes an important point about war, and it’s cost…Something he’s not unfamiliar with. 

10:48 PM Iran is a huge problem.  Do you really want Obama dealing with it? 

10:46 PM Proposing energy independence with the usual suspects…but draws important distinction between he and Obama that we can’t abandon drilling. 

10:44 PM Grabbing some of the money from foreign aid to countries that “don’t like us much”.  Good idea. 

10:43 PM Wish he’d say go after colleges that are raising tuition at twice the rate of inflation.  Wish he’d go after colleges with large endowments that won’t spend them.  

10:42 PM Use community colleges to train people for new jobs…Make up the difference in wages for those going to new careers…   

10:40 PM Finally getting some meat…doubling child tax credits, lowering business tax rates, lowering personal rates… 

10:39 PM Booing?  Doesn’t seem that mature. 

10:38 PM Why am I thinking that McCain won’t appoint strong conservative judges?  It just doesn’t seem like him. 

10:37 PM ”Letting people keep the fruits of the their labors”…A critical component of the American dream. 

10:35 PM Challenging the Republican Party now…No doubt the Republican “revolution” got caught up in the Beltway culture of corruption. 

10:33 PM Don’t like the specific references toward hardship cases.  Seems like liberal pandering to me. 

10:32 PM Have to give him credit for risking everything on the surge.  Campaign was dead at that point. 

10:31 PM Remove money from politics?  Others, myself included, see that as limiting free speech. 

10:30 PM Kill pork spending…good start. 

10:29 PM If you work for the American people, why are you so stridently pro illegal immigration? 

10:26 PM Does anyone over the age of 30 buy the idea that a bipartisan spirit will take hold of Washington politics?   

10:25 PM Good speech so far, but we need some details. 

10:23 PM What was that disturbance?  McCain handled it well though.

10:21 PM Clearly Palin was the attack dog while McCain takes the high road. 

10:19 PM McCain is a lot less strident than Obama so far. 

10:16 PM I certainly thought we’d get more attacks after 9/11.  Say what you want about W, but he has defended the country. 

10:15 PM Interesting: McCain comes off as fatherly. 

10:13 PM How many people are watching the NFL right now?  Bad planning by the RNC. 

10:11 PM Will “renew” America; hope he gets specific. 

10:10 PM Ding! Ding!  McCain right about the surge that even Obama now admits succeeded beyond our wildest expectations. 

10:09 PM McCain wants to keep “our money, in our pocket”, but didn’t initially support the Bush tax cuts. 

10:08 PM McCain’s resume blows Obama’s away. 

10:03 PM Let’s hope McCain really lays down what he plans to do with the country. 

10:02 PM Will McCain touch illegal immigration tonight? 

10:01 PM Did CNN offer counter commentary from Republicans during Obama’s speech?

9:58 PM Listening to the enemy tonight–CNN. 

9:56 PM Being former military, I am biased toward military families.  Have to give the McCain’s credit for a long history of military service. 

9:55 PM Why is Cindy’s hair frizzy?  :) 

9:54 PM McCain never a Washington insider?  Not sure I buy that story, Cindy. 

9:51 PM Understand why Cindy discusses their charity work, but somewhat uncomfortable.  Is it old school to believe charity stays close to the vest?   

9:49 PM Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin…McCain has good taste in women.

The Palin pick is interesting on a number of levels.  Tactically, it was a brilliant stroke.  McCain undercut any Obama bounce from the DNC quite nicely.  He took advantage of the media’s natural love of “buzz” and gave them a fresh target to work on for a couple of news cycles.

Strategically, although it blunts arguments about Obama’s lack of experience, it was absolutely necessary.  Don’t get me wrong, Palin has more executive experience than Obama and Biden put together, but my guess is the general public won’t view it that way.

But how much does experience matter in this election?  The inexperience charge has been floating around Obama since he first started running.  Hillary Clinton couldn’t make it stick.  And McCain wasn’t making much headway either considering that Obama leads most polls and is competitive in some unusual states.  So, why can’t anyone make this point stick?

In Clinton’s case, I don’t think anyone really gave her presidential credit for Bill’s Oval Office tenure.  That left only 2 Senate years difference between the two and a much weaker argument for her. 

Personal experience isn’t the problem for McCain.  The American people’s experience with the compassionate conservative, AKA George Bush, and a badly damaged GOP brand is.  If your perception is that the GOP experience hasn’t been good, you’re much more likely to give a fresh, inexperienced guy a shot.

And that’s why McCain had to shake up the race.  Status quo picks like Romney or Pawlenty weren’t going move the needle.  When you’re ahead, you have the luxury of picking a Biden to run out the clock.  Picking Palin (or something similar) and seizing a reform agenda was smart and necessary when you’re playing catch-up.

End of the speech…Barack delivers it well, but what exactly will he deliver?  No idea! And that’s why I think he’s still got problems.

10:56 PM “So many lives to mend..” but no thoughts on how to do it.

10:55 PM Outdoor venue not doing a thing for me.  Heard it wasn’t great for JFK either.

10:52 PM Barack has too big of a sense of himself.  He really believes he’s Abraham Lincoln. A little humility wouldn’t hurt.

10:49 PM McCain has no record to run on?  If Barack has a record and qualifications to run on, why can’t any of his supporters list them?

10:48 PM “We all put our country first”….Says the man who described himself as a “citizen of the world” in Germany.

10:46 PM  “The times are too serious”…so says the man with a Greek temple in the background who was running a concert at his convention earlier.

10:45 PM Flip-flop alert…”end the war responsibly”?  He said he’d start pulling troops out when he enters office.

10:43 PM I will say that if Iraq wants us gone, we should leave.  They’re ultimately responsible for their country’s well being.  However, no denying Iraqi PM is playing political games.

10:42 PM  Not following McCain/Osama link..how did McCain not get bin Laden?

10:40 PM But how does throwing money at these programs encourage individual responsibility?  The bigger the net, the less responsibility one has.

10:37 PM Health care for everyone with big tax cuts?  How does that work?

10:35 PM Tax cuts for businesses/95% of Americans while investing $150 billion dollars in clean energy?  How does that work?

10:34 PM End oil dependence? Like we can snap our fingers and do that?

10:32 PM Why didn’t the Democratic Congress reward small businesses with tax breaks?  They’ve held Congress for 2 years now.

10:31 PM Finally some specifics?

10:30 PM I am my brothers keeper…sounds like big taxes to me.

10:29 PM Very average speech…just a big list of gripes so far.

10:28 PM Fortune 500 profits make jobs.

10:39 PM Shrink government?  Does anybody buy that?

10:35 PM Stadium was a bad idea.  They could have rocked the house indoors.  Feels a bit dead.

10:26 PM You’re on your own?  Has Barack seen the slate of social and welfare programs we fund?

10:25 PM The real gamble on Social Security is letting the politicians squander it.

10:23 PM  Has Obama seen the latest GDP numbers?  Revised upward significantly…Maybe Phil Graham was onto something.

10:22 PM McCain votes with Bush 90% of the time?  Dick Morris makes a great point about the number of bills commending high school football teams.  A very misleading stat by the Obama campaign.

10:20 PM Lot’s of grievances so far, but no specifics on fixes yet.

10:19 PM First Bush reference.  Are people buying the idea that McCain and Bush are synonymous?

10:18 PM How can we be one “American family” if half the family speaks Spanish? Of course, we all know which half Obama thinks should learn the other side’s language.

10:17 PM The Obama kids are cute.

10:16 PM The only “spirit” Kennedy embodies is Scotch.

10:15 PM Does anybody really believe the Clinton’s want Obama to win?

10:14 PM “Yes we can chants!” are pretty feint.

10:12 PM Barack finally takes the stage.  Maybe my expectations for crowd noise are too high?  Just not impressed.

10:10 PM I guess that was a picture of the “typical white” people grandparents.

10:07 PM Look at Barack’s Illinois state record on law and order issues.  It’s a horror show.

10:02 PM Obama video clearly trying to make the case he’s an American.

10:00 PM Fox not providing coverage of speakers on the stage now. Dick Durbin seems animated though.

10:56 PM Oprah with diamond studded Obama sunglasses?  I’m sure we can all relate. LOL

9:54 PM Love the Britney Spears references.  So much for escaping the celebrity albatross.

9:52 PM Another half hour till the Messiah?  Uhgh!

9:50 PM Obama repeating Kennedy’s outdoor acceptance speech.  Why am I thinking somebody who copies so much history will never make any of his own.

9:48 PM No specifics in Barack’s speech.  No surprise there.

9:43 PM Kucinich latest Democrat unable to answer why Barack is experienced enough to president.

9:38 PM Hurrah!  A picture of the Messiah entering Invesco!

9:37 PM Colmes says Obama right about prosecution of the Iraq War.  What about Obama’s opposition to the surge?

9:35 PM Lanny Davis says McCain is a conservative.  What’s he smoking?

9:33 PM Lanny Davis talking about “wrong direction” feeling in the country.

9:30 PM I tried watching the PBS coverage, but it was way to0 biased.  Fox News FTW!

9:28 PM It’s dead.  There is zero energy on the field.  I wonder if they overreached with the large venue.

9:27 PM Wonder if the shots during Obama’s speech will be different?  You can’t even see the Barack temple.

9:25 PM  Biden says America sucks.  Everyone’s being “knocked down”.

9:23 PM Biden makes a surprise visit.  Must be there to warm them up.

9:21 PM Did Mayor Booker just say he wasn’t aware of Barack’s public statements?  Yikes!

9:19 PM Newark mayor says the energy level is high.  The live shot behind him looks like everyone is sleeping.

9:17 PM Considering creation of my own Barack Obama Buzzword Bingo game.  How many times do you think he’ll say “Bush” and “change”?

9:13 PM Another hour before Obama hits the stage?  Not sure I’m going to make it.

9:08 PM  Saw Stevie Wonder earlier.  Hope Republicans avoid the Democrat’s Hollywood circus atmosphere.

9:06 PM  Could Al Gore have been less inspiring?  I’m surprised I’m still awake.

Barack’s delusions of grandeur know no bounds.  After stealing from Reagan, Kennedy, and a host of other presidents, now he’s stealing the backdrop for MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the Lincoln Memorial:

And although he’s familiar with the backdrop, designed by Britney Spears’ set designer (honestly, I’m not making that up), did he ever actually read it?  Dr. King asked us to judge people by the content of their characters, not their skin colors.  So, although I know I’m suppose to be amazed by the fact that he’s black and that we’re “making history”, it’s still his inexperience and far left policies that make him unfit to be president.

Update:  Barack’s speech will address–Yawn!–”Change We Can Believe In”.  Never saw that one coming.

Somebody please tell Maureen Dowd that we’re voting for a president and not the Grammy’s:

And Democrats have begun internalizing the criticisms of Hillary and John McCain about Obama’s rock-star prowess, worrying that the Invesco Field extravaganza Thursday, with Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, will just add to the celebrity cachet that Democrats have somehow been shamed into seeing as a negative.

The celebrity glitter surrounding Obama just adds, correctly in my opinion, to the notion that he is not a serious candidate.  Maybe some Americans want George Clooney running the country, but I don’t believe the majority do.

Democrats are worried.  Not panicked just yet, but I suspect they have some Obama buyers’ remorse.  McCain is saddled with an unpopular incumbent, a damaged party brand, a slow economy, and support for an unpopular war.  With those headwinds, Barack Obama should be up by 10 points.

But not to worry says Nancy Pelosi.  A new wave of voters not reached by traditional polling will carry the day.  I think we’ve all heard that one before.

Paul Begala says that Democrats are just too darn nice.  They need to attack more.  He even claims to have written it on his Obama contribution check.  This argument seems strangely familiar from the last campaign—something about swift boats if I recall.

Begala does prove one thing–you can always count on a Democrat to be wholly convinced of his own virtue and goodness.  Obama could claim that McCain was the spawn of Satan himself and people like Begala would still claim Democrats need to get tougher.

And speaking of swift boats, I attribute Obama’s problems to being a John Kerry clone with less experience.  Only liberals put effete liberal after effete liberal on the presidential ticket while expecting different results.

You have to wonder why he started this whole mess?

Well, let him live with it! 

The media says Obama brought Biden into the campaign to hit John McCain between the eyeballs with a pair of brass knuckles.  Yet this “potent” political operative can’t even dodge vice presidential speculation prior to the announcement without lying about it.

So did Barack Obama buy a pit bull or a gaffe machine?  I’m voting for the later.