Wow.

After watching Obama’s half-hour spot on TV last night I thought to myself, “Who in their right mind would not vote for this man?” As a mere commercial it was impressive. As a piece of politicking it was absolutely astonishing.

Obama hit all the right notes from the very beginning: the waving fields of grain, the smiling children, the old veterans waving at the crowd. In these few powerful images Obama showed us America.

Then he set forth what he regards as the problems facing this country, interspersed with the stories of typical families beset by these problems. Between each story he clearly told us what he would do as president to address and resolve them.

Obama ended all this by reiterating his faith in the American people to surmount these challenges.

“In six days, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future. In six days, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo. In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history."

These are beautiful, powerful words. For me they say it all. From the other camp I hear nothing except why we should be fearful. I hear nothing about unity and hope for the future.

Yes, yes. I’ve heard all the objections about boilerplate phrases and packaging over substance. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that this was never presented as anything more than a political commercial. And it’s a damn good one at that! It wasn’t intended as a State of the Union address.

And for once a candidate did exactly what people claim they want to see in a political ad. He spoke clearly about the issues and what he intends to do to address them if elected to office.

Astonishingly, not once did I hear an attack on his rival. Which, when you think about it, was attack enough.

And unlike many who express open hostility toward Barack Obama I believe there is substance behind the image. It is the reality of a thoughtful, intelligent, deliberative yet decisive individual.

It is the reality of the person the American people need in the White House at this time.

Today on NPR I heard a reporter state that much of the success of the Obama campaign is due to the almost “friction-free” quality of his campaign organization. Despite the huge sums it has raised its spending has been incredibly efficient. I guess Obama’s experience as a community organizer stood him in good stead.

This is the kind of intelligent organizational experience I want to see in the White House. I couldn’t give a damn that he’s never been a mayor of some moose-butt burg, or the governor of a state with less people than most big suburbs.

That’s why I’m voting for Barack Obama on November 4th.

Okay, okay. I get it.

Wall Street’s in trouble. The market’s imploding. Capitalism is in its death throes. Lenders are taking their lines of credit and going home. The Treasury Secretary and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve are pleading with Congress to give them 700 billion (that’s with a ‘B’) dollars to bail out the banks by buying up their bad debt. Not for what it’s worth, which is nothing. But for what the banks want it to be worth.

And without saying that this huge gift of tax dollars will actually do any good.

I understand all this.

But, I can’t shake the gnawing, persistent suspicion that this move will go down in history as one of the biggest con jobs pulled on the American people by the Wall Street greedmeisters ever.

I guess I’m not the only one harboring such suspicions. Which is why the bipartisan bailout plan went down in flames over the House floor today.

Which is probably good.

After all, nationalizing the American economy should take more than a week.

Check and Mate?

The Republicans have come up with a masterful electioneering move by taking advantage of the current financial debacle engineered by the ineptitude of the Wall Street plutocratic elites. I only hope Obama’s strategists are smart enough to respond effectively.

McCain has announced that he is suspending his campaign pending the passage of legislation on the Hill addressing the financial crisis. This includes passage of the 700 million dollar bailout package pretty much on the Administration’s terms.

It also includes suspension of Friday’s debate with Obama.

And having his fellow Republican, and President of these United States, call for a “leadership meeting” in Washington which would include him and Obama.

The move effectively hijacks Obama’s campaign, and makes any further move extremely problematical.

Why? Okay, most voters are simple, good-hearted folk, and they will not see the cynical political thinking behind McCain’s statements.

First, it postpones a national forum at which Obama cannot but come off as the clear winner, owing to his polished and powerful speaking style. McCain will undoubtedly appear wooden, uncomfortable, and a bit befuddled.

Second, it forces Obama to alter his own campaign to suit McCain’s electioneering strategy. If Obama shows up for the debate who do you think will be the winner in the eyes of the electorate?

McCain, of course. He’ll claim to have put aside his own political ambitions in the interest of the American people, and he’ll accuse Obama of engaging in politics-as-usual at a time when he should have been more concerned with the welfare of the nation. Obama would be screwed.

Of course, if Bush does decide to play along and call his phony “leadership conference” Obama couldn’t refuse to heed the call of his President. To do so would be political suicide.

Thirdly, McCain’s move fosters the illusion that he’s providing some kind of national leadership at the time of crisis.

No! It ain’t so! Leadership should be coming from the President and his cronies. (By the way, have you seen Cheney lately?) McCain is only a Senator. Like Obama. His sole role in this fiasco is to speak on the floor of the Senate either for or against the legislation. That’s all!

The truth is, McCain has simply called a halt to the campaign at a time when the latest ABC poll shows him trailing Obama by nine points. This can only redound to his benefit.

Obama’s response? Well, that’s a toughie. McCain’s put him in a tight bind. But I would recommend simply playing along for the time being, making the most to emulate McCain’s “leadership” posturing.

Two can play at this game.

Believe me, the Republicans won’t be able to resist the urge to engage in character assassination for long.

Then Obama will be able to take up the campaign again, expose McCain’s move for the sort of cynical electioneering ploy it is, and walk away with the election.

The Revolution is Here!

Look!

I’m sick and tired of turning on the news and hearing some pundit blame me for the meltdown of the global economic structure.

Believe me, I didn’t do it!

When my wife and I bought our home we did it the old-fashioned (read ‘correct’) way. We made sure we could pay the mortgage each month. We made sure we came up with a twenty percent down payment. And we made sure to get a fixed rate.

Sure, we bought an old split-level ranch that needs work. No cathedral ceilings. No marbled foyer. Small closets. Clunky old bathroom.

But we bought what we knew we could pay for. After twenty-two years I continue to pay for it, on time, each month.

I also pay off my credit card balance each month.

So to the dour economic analysts who stare at me from the television screen so severely, as though expecting me to shoulder the cause of their fear and panic, and who judgmentally pronounce, “Who’s to blame for the mess on Wall Street. Well, we all are,” I have only one thing to say:

“BITE ME!”

I’ll tell you who’s to blame. The greedy runaway free-market capitalist speculators who wanted to get something for nothing as quickly as possible are to blame.

The only good thing to come out of this whole mess is the nationalization of a large part of the economy. Why is this a good thing? Because it’s happened during a Republican administration. That’s amusing.

The same party that has screamed for smaller government, that gutted and hobbled regulatory agencies, that has sought to privatize as much of the federal government as possible, that has foretold the demise of Medicare and Social Security because of bureaucratic mismanagement, that has wagged it’s finger at the American people for shouldering our grandchildren with unbearable governmental debt,

I say this same Republican Party has now taken the biggest step toward a socialized American economy in modern times.

Bush came into office prepared to dismantle the federal government and hand it over to his plutocrat robber-baron buddies.

As he leaves office the federal government owns a larger part of the economy than ever in modern times.

Now, some might call this socialism. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Unfortunately, I’m afraid the right-wing pundits will avoid the term by pointing out that, unlike under true socialism, ordinary people are not receiving any benefits as a result of hundred of billions of dollars in federal bailouts.

Still, I bet they’re glad those tax cuts didn’t come before they had a chance to rob the federal coffers to save their capitalist asses.

Bottom line, the unregulated free-market fucked up. The revolution has come. And it was led by Wall Street.

Obama Waffle Flap

I couldn’t help but wonder what racist idiot came up with this idea. I was further astonished that the people involved in making and selling this item couldn’t understand how it could be regarded as offensive!

Boxes of Obama Waffle mix were sold by a lobbying firm at a Values Voters Summit held in Washington, D.C., last weekend. They were ostensibly sold as a satirical souvenir item by a lobbying group calling itself the Family Research Council.

This nexus of the words “Values”, “Family”, and racism is one reason why I immediately distrust any group which refers to itself as “Family” or “Values” anything. The same applies to any individuals who appeal to “Family” or “Values” as a justification for their position on anything.

I immediately regard such individuals as right-wing, conservative racists.

Or Republicans.

Same thing.

The box is the creation of two writers who claimed to be having a little fun during this election season, and disingenuously claimed that the box couldn’t be regarded as racist or offensive. Now, these guys are either totally obtuse, and failed to see its similarity to an offensive racial stereotype portrayed on a well-known trademark (Which would make them very poor writers, indeed.), or they are simply liars.

Or Republicans.

Same thing.

The self-appointed and allegedly “independent” tribune of the people, Lou Dobbs, reportedly bought a box of Obama Waffle mix with delight. One more reason I can’t stand the self-important asshole.

Earlier this week I was watching an episode of The View featuring Whoopi Goldberg and some other women. The subject of Obama Waffle mix came up, and there was general agreement that the political satire depicted on the box crossed the line into racism.

At that point, one of the women (Surely the one who drew the short straw.) objected, “What if the Democrats had put a picture of John McCain on a bottle of Metamucil? Wouldn’t that be age-ism?”

An argument ensued over what, exactly, is Metamucil, and whether or not the addition of the suffix “-ism” to any term legitimizes its use as a vehicle of rhetorical outrage.

In my opinion, the question of whether or not the Democrats could be accused of age-ism if they put a picture of John McCain on a bottle of Metamucil is wholly moot.

BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T.

The Democrats don’t play that game. The Republicans do.

Which is why I’m voting for Barack Obama.

“Today, we are all Georgians.” – John McCain, August 12, 2008

"Ich bin ein Berliner" – John F. Kennedy, June 26, 1963

You may have known Kennedy, Senator. If so, you yourself know that you’re no John F. Kennedy.

At least Kennedy had the good grace to speak only for himself. John McCain committed all Americans to honorary citizenship of a country most of us can’t even locate on a map, and whose favorite son was one of the most notorious mass murderers of the Twentieth Century.

We don’t want this guy running our foreign policy!

And we certainly don’t want his rabidly hawkish hockey-mom sidekick running it.

The end of the Cold War was a good thing, right?

Well, she’s all gleeful about starting it up again. She wants to go toe-to-toe with the Russkies over some obscure country in the Caucuses over the fiction that it’s a poor innocent victim of Russian expansionism.

No way!

Can’t happen!

And Now, Another View

I've known about and respected Arianna Huffington for quite some time. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she's not an outspoken Republican apologist, as I'd expected when I first watched her on TV. Maybe it's the Republican emphasis on style over substance. Maybe it's my inherent distrust of big money.

But Huffington is the sort of intelligent, insightful, and energetic woman who is characteristic of the type of woman who made up Hillary Clinton's basis of support. She's hardly the type of person to be found among the ranks of hockey moms, which pollsters have suddenly found in disturbing numbers among female voters.

Huffington has expressed her own insights into the true nature of Sarah Palin and posted them on the Huffington Post. I especially like her phrase "repressive GWBush acolyte." So le mot juste.

Oh and another thing. It's not sexist to make an issue of a candidate's family obligations if that candidate uses every available public forum to trot out her kids and display them as examples of her political values.

Same goes for her religion.