A full day of substance free posts. I feel like Sarah Palin, although I did not accuse you all of hanging out with terrorists.
And remember, McCain has always been a bad candidate this election:
Jeff Toobin at 2:30 was priceless. I wish someone would do a mash-up of all of Toobin’s greatest hits.
mgordon
OMG!!!! did I just see Barack HUSSEIN Obama do a terrorist fist jab in that video? Call Malkin, this campaign is over.
Dennis - SGMM
McCain should definitely give up attempting to smile.
Soylent Green
Thanks to my Blog Commenters Anonymous twelve-step program, I’ve been substance free for seven months.
jnfr
Thanks for bringing that clip back. Wow, it feels like decades already.
TenguPhule
Fixed.
Brian J
So I’m watching "Hardball." The current segment features Bob Shrum, he of many failed presidential campaigns, and Ed Rodgers, who sounds like he’s mocking a Southern guy who is having a testicle chopped off. He’s claiming that the polls are close enough, between four and seven points, and that McCain needs to make up a point a day. I don’t know if that will be borne out in the next day or so, but I remain skeptical. The Republicans are advertising in West Virginia and Montana. How does that reflect well on their current projections? I felt like I had something else to say, something besides political chatter, but perhaps that’s it.
Oh yeah, what’s one more reason why I think Obama will win? Shrum isn’t advising Obama! I forgot about this completely superstitious, entirely unscientific predictive measure until now.
colleeniem
Brian J,
I just saw that too. I really liked how the republican douchebag said that Obama has never done anything hard in his life, ever.
Seriously.
It’s just been one long cakewalk to nomination. Absolutely.
Go hide and blubber in your closet, Rodgers.
Stuck in the Funhouse
Wingnuts have replaced all the substance in the blogosphere with Lolly-Pops.
jakester
Not that I think I’ve watched any McCain speeches in their entirety, including the one in the clip, but from what I saw it had to be the worst single political speech of all time, in any race in any nation. Just awful, awful, awful, and in the shadow of Obama’s Minnesota speech looks horrific in retrospect.
Re. Rodgers, I hope he remembers that this is not a national race, but rather 51 individual races. If McCain makes up a FULL POINT every day in every state in this fair union, he still loses. It’s true! If Obama carries the states he leads by >7%, which means he’d forfeit OH and CO (he’s up by 6.4% and 7.0% in those two states), and NV and FL, and still win with VA, IA, NM and the Kerry states.
Bottom line, McCain needs to make up MORE than a point every day in the swing states in order to win.
Oh, and Obama has GAINED 23 projected electoral votes, according to RCP, in the past week. And a whole bunch of people are like me and have already voted. And Obama has a much more obviously impressive air and ground game, money advantage, and 30 minutes of air time tomorrow. And 90% of his supporters say they won’t change their minds, no way no how no McCain. And his approval/disapproval ratings are significantly higher than McCain’s. And Bush’s approval numbers continue to plummet. And there’s dissension in the GOP ranks. And the national tracking polls have been pretty much FROZEN over the past two months, and are almost identical today as compared to a week ago. And Senate races in the swing states of VA and CO and NH and NM are pretty much sure things for the Dems, who are also looking good in NC and possibly GA. And the most senior GOP senator just got convicted of several felonies. (And is politically tied to the GOP VP candidate. Whose own approval ratings are in the toilet.) And the governor of Florida seemingly just went off the ranch and made it MORE likely that Obama will succeed in that state. And McCain doesn’t have any gay marriage proposals on the ballot in any state that he needs.
So, in conclusion, AHHHH! IT’S TOO CLOSE TO CALL!!!!!!!!
Conservatively Liberal
My condolences. Is it terminal?
skippy
here’s an interesting piece @washpost: the specifics of how maggie o’connell used a couple of alaskan cruises for conservative pundits to worm her way into the national spotlight:
palin’s love boats
Just Some Fuckhead
When Republicans say they still have a chance, what they mean is they may be able to get it close enough to steal.
Conservatively Liberal
According to KO, "Governor Christ just blew Florida for McCain".
I am impressed! I wonder how his knees are holding up.
D-Chance.
OMG! McCainMcCain may have been involved in a FATAL auto accident!
In… 1964? Are Liberals really in THAT big of a panic just a week away from the elections?
And they’re going to use THIS tactic as their October Surprise?
Because dredging up 40+ year old driving records worked so well back in 2000…
Just Some Fuckhead
Ha, motherfuckers, gettin’ props from the Obama campaign:
It’s good to get recognition for my early and significant support. It’s almost like having a six digit ICQ number and it’ll prolly matter just as much in ten years.
Just Some Fuckhead
I might stick my one millionth part ownership of the Obama campaign on eBay and see what I can get for it.
Comrade Jake
I think if Obama just replayed that McCain speech during his informercial the pundits would call the election on the spot. Can you imagine that?
Wife: "Why is Obama playing McCain’s speech during his infomercial?"
Husband: "Did McCain actually give this speech? He sounds terrible."
Wife: "This is painful. Oh, I get it."
Husband: "Yeah. I’m glad we’re not voting for that guy!"
Comrade Darkness
Tastes like instant coffee to me.
Amit Joshi
YouTube tells me the video is no longer available?? Got another link?
Brian J
@colleeniem,
I think it was a stupid even if possibly true comment. Even if it is partly true, what does it matter? Is this race about suffering? Are they running to replace Jesus Christ?
@jakester,
I think Rodgers’ point was that if the national polls are moving in the direction of a McCain victory, the state polls could very well reflect that sort of movement, too.
As far as his 30 minute segment tomorrow, I think this is going to be the knockout punch. Apparently, it’s taped, so there’s no chance for some live television screw up. As if the air advertising assault wasn’t enough, he’ll dominate the news coverage for at least a day or two, if for no other reason than nobody has done this, well, possibly ever. There are some people, like one of my brothers (not the one I talked about earlier today), who are leaning towards Obama but wanted to hear what he was going to do for the economy. Granted, we live in New York, so it’s not like we’re deciding the election, but he seems like a decent representative of the typical middle class voter. Of course, the last time I talked to him was a week or so ago, so perhaps he made up his mind already, but for those who haven’t, I think this will push them over to Obama’s side.
If this goes over well tomorrow night, I think that we’ll see very good numbers for Obama in a lot of states by Saturday.
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
That point would, fortunately, not be one that’s supported by the evidence:
Brian J
Which speech are you referring to? The one where he claims Obama is running to be Re-distributionist-in-Chief?
LiberalTarian
I am so ready for this election to be over.
jakester
Really interesting rundown of how the Slate staff is going to vote. Note: I don’t read Slate. But along with Chris Hitchens and Mickey Kaus and Dahlia Lithwick and the other famous peeps on staff, all but a couple are voting for Obama (one is voting for Bob Barr).
They all give little essays, and by far the best one is this:
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
No, it’s the speech in the video Cole posted. It’s the one McCain gave the night Obama sealed the Dem. nomination, with the green jello sheet behind him.
Dennis - SGMM
Lightweight. I for one am looking forward to continuous campaigns, costing billions of dollars, for every office in the land. Campaigning will replace borrowing and spending as America’s main industries. I take heart from the fact that we’re almost there.
Glyph_2112
What a quiet day. I keep expecting the republicans to try for the hail mary, but it really looks like a case of bad clock management. Or maybe they should just take the knee and let it expire. Run back to the locker room and start complaining about the Refs.
Palin can be the T.O. of the team and blame everyone that she didn’t get the ball enough.
Brian J
I think Rodgers was talking about something that would happen over the course of a few days. In other words, if by Saturday, McCain was gaining in the national posts, he’d probably be up in the state polls, and then there would be more reason for him to think he could win. Hasn’t Nate Silver or one of the other guys at that site said something similar about the state and national polls moving in the same direction?
Regardless, I’m not saying it’s going to happen, only saying that, in theory, it could happen.
Kali's Little Sister
One of the unaddressed problems with the impending socialist takeover of our country is the screwed up political party colors. I mean RED State…come on, really…are these guys just trying to squat on the pinko-commie domain?
My husband is what we like to call a "fucking limey" around my house–and he has been concerned about the color coding issue since he hit our sacred shores. I laughed it off (ignorantly) never dreaming it would be an issue. But now…well…how do we sort this out? How can we really take our place amongst socialist countries if we are wearing the wrong color of jersey?
Comrade Jake
@Dennis – SGMM:
Sadly, this campaign season has resembled a bad reality TV show on more than a few occasions. Look for Mark Burnett to produce Palin’s 2012 bid: Survivor Nominee
tavella
In theory, yeah, but something would have to trigger it. I’m not even sure that an Osama video would do it this time around. The Repugs are pretty much down to hoping bombs go off somewhere.
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
In the past the state polls have trailed the nationals, but that was in large part due to a difference in frequency. At the moment, we get state polls every day.
We should see tightening this week as the undecideds break. That should happen both nationally and at the state level, but the issue is that Obama’s lead in several key states is significant. Moreover, the early voting stats look really good for him.
I won’t rest until Miss YouBetcha squeals, but I’m not going to be wringing my hands this week either.
jakester
@Comrade Jake: I really think The Palins could be a great reality show, and could set her up for a serious run in 2012. Being on TV all the time would probably force her to make better decisions at work, and her telegenic family and all their nutty drama could easily keep viewers glued to the screens.
I for one would love to watch it. There’s no way in hell I’d ever consider voting for her, but I think she’d be smart to try it.
What am I saying — it’s certain to happen.
Brian J
Ah. I think we should figure out a way to get Nancy Pfotenhauer on television in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Colorado, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina Indiana, North and South Dakota, Missouri, West Virginia, and perhaps even in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin just to be safe. She can say a bunch of crazy things, and then she and Joe the Angry Motorist, also known as Joe McCain, the senator’s brother, can return to the state of Virginia to say, "You know what Virginia? FUCK YOU!" Hell, throw her on the air in Arizona to see what sort of trouble she can create for the McCain campaign.
Tom Ames
@Just Some Fuckhead
Win.
Stuck in the Funhouse
@LiberalTarian:
Amen to that. What else is there left to say. Something like "man the wingnuts have all gone insane" that’s been said ad nauseum. Given that the McPalin Funny Car Express has mowed down about every goddamn collective brain cell we have, it’s time to vote. If Obama wins, we can start to fix things and run around with nets to throw over the likes of Redsate and the House of K-Low. And If Mccain wins, we put in a conference call to try and coax Dr Kevorkian out of retirement.
Martin
Shit, they’d make the Osbornes look like Leave It to Beaver, I guarantee. Those people are absolutely much crazier than we’ve gotten on camera.
Brian J
That makes sense.
Is the consensus that the undecideds are going to break heavily for McCain? if so, why?
Comrade Jake
This video of an elderly Obama volunteer from Boulder is worth a watch. I’m pretty sure Team McCain is genetically incapable of producing something comparable.
Ash Can
"Given that the McPalin Funny Car Express has mowed down about every goddamn collective brain cell we have…"
Well, I hope you have just a few of those cells left. Time for a laugh, folks. There’s fail, there’s epic fail, and then there’s McCain-campaign fail. (The link leads to a concise summary of the latest clusterfuck, with further links for your reading enjoyment.)
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
Pretty much. They’re the people who haven’t been paying attention, which basically puts them right in McCain’s wheelhouse. I’m only half joking.
I suspect, however, that these same folks aren’t exactly super-motivated to vote. They might get to the polls late, see the lines, and decide to go bowling instead.
PaulW
O RLY??? If McCain was a bad candidate, that has to make Giuliani, Romney, and Huckabee total f-cking disasters for losing the primaries to him…
Try to remember this, kids, when the GOP whiners complain that McCain wasn’t a real conservative candidate: the primary voters, the ones that make up the voting base of the Republican Party, voted for McCain in huge numbers and secured an early primary win for him. The party base chose McCain over Mitt, over Rudy, over Fred, over Duncan Hunter, over Huckster, over Ron Paul for the love of God. Remember that. To guys like Rush, or Rove, or the other ‘insiders’ who tried to get more ‘electable’ guys in place: BWHAHAHAHA, losers.
The Grand Panjandrum
And RedState comes through again:
Its good for a few yucks.
LiberalTarian
@Comrade Jake.
Omigoodness. I’m all verklempt.
I’ve been reading a lot of stories like that this election, like 538’s tale of The three Ashleys (heh, and I mean the good Ashley at the end).
Brian J
Is there really a lot of overlap between this group and Independents? Is it really the same group? People don’t seem to use these terms to mean the same thing at all times, so that’s why I am asking.
Comrade Jake
It’s probably an outlier, but the polling group is top-notch. Anyway, it’s looking like a laugher in NH.
I grew up in NH, and still have relatives there. Those numbers reflect a strong aversion to Palin, IMO. That’s why I think her 2012 bid won’t ever get very far. She might win Iowa, but she’d get creamed in the NH primary.
Notorious P.A.T.
LOL
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
I don’t think so, no. I think plenty of indies have made up their minds.
Shibby
@The Grand Panjandrum:
Yeah I especially liked the one about Jewish voters.
75% or so of us are voting for Obama.
Hemorrhaging support?
I call BS.
LiberalTarian
More verklempage:
From NPR.
Brian J
How do you think this group of undecideds will impact the race? I’m still betting on Obama’s 30 minute block tomorrow helping him to win in a blowout, whether it’s through motivating people to go vote or through helping people make up their minds, but I’m always interested in hearing an alternative view.
sistermoon
Please help the call center workers who had the courage to walk off the job on Monday, rather than read a script attacking Barack Obama for supposedly “coddling criminals” and voting against “protecting children from danger.”
They lost their day’s wages, and this site is taking a collection to cover their losses.
Mad props to these people for having the courage of their convictions
Jon H
skippy @11 "here’s an interesting piece @washpost: the specifics of how maggie o’connell "
That, sir, is a base slander on Janine Turner, and as god is my witness, it shall not stand, foul varlet.
Well, okay, she’s got some plastic surgery weirdness going on these days, but back then she was Teh Hawtt.
Comrade Jake
@Brian J:
If Obama’s getting 50+ percent in a state, it doesn’t matter how the undecideds break. McCain can lock them all up and he still won’t win.
I do honestly believe that Obama’s GOTV game is far superior to McCain’s. The early voting stats are something of a testament to that. IMO, that’s a lot more important than what the undecideds do.
I suspect the infomercial won’t affect things much, except around the edges. It’s just another thing that’ll be discussed on Thursday though, sucking more time and media attention away from the other side.
jcricket
I think this is only 1/2 true. Half will end up "voting for whomever looks like a winner" (Obama) and half will end up voting McCain because they just can’t bring themselves to vote for the scary black guy.
I actually think that even if all the undecideds broke for McCain, Obama would still end up doing slightly better than his current polling (nationally that is, on a per state level it will vary). This due to enthusiasm, new registration and higher turnout levels than expected in certain voting segments.
Once again proving, when more people get out there and vote, Democrats win. Republicans can only win at this point by scaring or suppressing the vote combined with the power of the "Almighty coalition of the frightened and backwards" ™.
jcricket
She’s a right-wing religious nut, you know… Along with Victoria Jackson (oddly enough).
Jon H
OT: Here’s a bit of brainiac pork.
There’s a new high-level infectious disease biological research lab in Texas, that will be studying things like Ebola.
It’s in Galveston
Jon H
"She’s a right-wing religious nut, you know"
Oh, crap, that’s right. She’s from Texas.
Oh well. As you were, then.
Jon H
"I do honestly believe that Obama’s GOTV game is far superior to McCain’s. The early voting stats are something of a testament to that."
Maybe, but I worry about the safekeeping of the ballots and/or vote data. Early voting means more time for them to find their way into someone’s attic or /dev/null.
Comrade Darkness
Let me guess. Dan in his personal diary last week wrote: "Supermodels are giving up their Mercedes-driving successful male mates in droves, so I fully expect Elle Macpherson to knock on my door next week, begging to lick the cheetos stains off my fingers."
Brian J
Holy crap, did anyone here catch this? If it’s old news here, I apologize, but out of all the things I thought we’d be discussing during this election, a "sexy" robocall isn’t one of them. Listen the clip here, if you haven’t already.
Ron
I would love that. Jeff Toobin cracked me up. I loved watching him towards the end of primary season. The rest of the people on CNN would hem and haw and say "Well, maybe this or maybe that" and he would just look and say in that tone of his "Look, its over"
Rick Taylor
Ok, this is getting more and more surreal. Now Joe the plumber is making campaign appearances for McCain?
Comrade Scrutinizer
@Brian J:
Ross Perot?
Punchy
Is there some sort of drinking game associated with the election nite? Something like a beer for every state Obama wins by more than 15%, a beer for every swing state he takes, and a swig for every time the announcers say "it’s going to be very difficult for McCain to win"…..?
Brian J
A sort of random story…
I went to college in Binghamton. It’s the sort of place that’s pretty economically depressed overall, as the manufacturing base left town decades ago. The university I attended is one of the big employers in the area, if I remember correctly. I think you can all imagine the sort of area that I am talking about.
Well anyway, during my first or second year, one of the meetings of the College Democrats I attended featured a local elected official whose husband was a chemistry professor at the school. She talked about the things she wanted to do and had done, one of which was to secure a big piece of land down the street from the school so that it could be acquired and turned into science and technology labs. That way, the already pretty reputable programs in these fields at my college could attract talent and provide a source of employment of good jobs in the area, both for graduates who might otherwise more to a more desirable area and for everyone else. It seemed like the sort of policy that was smart for several reasons.
My guess is, since Binghamton is a state school, even if they are trying to run it as a private university, any moves like this would be funded with taxpayer money. Even if this isn’t technically "pork," it’s very similar. I don’t know what sort of area Galveston is, but even if it was, before the hurricane, a reasonably prosperous place, spending like this would only help make the area better.
When I hear people speaking so generally about this sort of spending, I want to scream. A lot of it is stupid, but a lot seems like it could be important.
Brian J
Ah, the perils of being young. I forgot about him.
Josh Huaco
@Punchy:
Or a swig for every time someone says, "Obama only won Virginia/Indiana/Florida/North Dakota/North Carolina by five points. This is good news!!! For John McCain!!!"
Josh Huaco
@Jon H:
I’m starting the screenplay now. Think 28 Days Later meets The Day After Tomorrow.
mannemalon
Don’t forget about this classic:
McCain in Pennsylvania
jcricket
Who can forget Mr. "Can I finish? Can I finish here? Can I finish" Perot. That was hilarious.
Hyperion
Be careful what you wish for.
Toobin was out here flogging his book on the Supremes. I saw an hour long interview. His smarminess is very like Bill Kristol’s. And he clearly loves the sound of his voice. Who needs another self-important pundit?
Comrade Jake
I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest Obama’s infomercial will be slightly more entertaining than Ross Perot’s.
jcricket
I fully expect the MSM and conservative media to be spinning the Obama sweep as some mild move to the center or something that really means the country is center-right.
Democrats pick up another 25-35 seats in the House, 8-10 seats in the Senate and the presidency (by some large margin, esp. considering the last two election tallies) and the media will be saying, "but Americans still don’t love Democrats or trust single party rule".
The best thing the Democrats could do would be to take their mandate and run with it. By that I don’t mean spend time talking about having a mandate, or run "far left" (which almost no Democrats are). What I mean is getting shit done, bringing daylight to all the Republican shit that went down, and taking credit for the shit Democrats do that prevents the next Great Depression.
I think we will be "assisted" in 2010 and possibly 2012 by the Republicans running farther to the right, but it’s our advantage to lose.
Josh Huaco
@jcricket:
I agree. One of the most savvy things Republicans did was making their ideas seem to be not partisan but rather mainstream and ‘common sense.’ If (knock on wood) President Obama and the Democrats can do this they will be very successful the next several years.
Loneoak
Good lord, we didn’t even need to hold any election related events, did we? McCain of today is perfectly presaged by the lime background, surrounded by the grumpy old racists. I had forgot about that speech.
demimondian
@Josh Huaco: Look, dude, as long as the stuff is non-alcoholic, that’s safe. Otherwise, it’s attempted suicide, and nothing less.
Brian J
I’ve actually been thinking about this as it relates to the idea that if Bill Clinton had tackled welfare reform before health care reform, perhaps he’d have been more successful at the latter.
It might be a good idea if Obama did a few small scale things upon first entering office. Maybe he could make a few gestures to the Libertarians on issues where most Democrats and they agree. Maybe he could try to do something that reduces his powers in some way. Whatever it is, perhaps the idea is to appear serious and forceful, so as to shape the narrative that he’s trying to get things done while the Republicans piss and moan like children, as they are bound to do.
Tsulagi
Speaking of the clown show that is RedState, a post after that brilliant prediction alerts real American RS readers to a conspiracy in the big tent. Clown Gruppenfuhrer Erick briefs…
It may be hard for you to believe, but there are Romney supporters now working on John McCain’s campaign who are, in fact, indisputably out to damage Sarah Palin’s reputation. I am not just convinced of it. I know it to be fact. (bolding is Erick’s)
Oh noes, it’ll be a four-year catfight! Multiple Choice vs The Diva. The comedy would write itself.
Time to pick a side, patriots. Erick already has…
…if November 5th ushers in President-elect Obama, I stand with Sarah.
That’s very good news for Neiman Marcus and makeup artists.
Dulcie
I’m going to early vote tomorrow in Nevada with my parents. My mother hasn’t missed voting in an election since she was old enough to vote. My father, however, hasn’t voted for anyone since LBJ in ’68. I’m going with them because I cannot believe he’s actually going to vote! I want to see this with my own eyes.
They never thought they’d see a black (well, biracial, like their grandkids) man elected president in his lifetime. I am so happy that both of my parents are around to see Barack possibly become the next president.
Mom and Dad both grew up in Mississippi, pre-civil rights. In the town my father grew up in, black people had to step off the sidewalk when a white person walked by. Segregation was the name of the game.
They moved away when they were a young married couple so their children could have better opportunities. Dad joined the military, went to college on the GI Bill, and retired at sixty from AT&T.
He sent us all to college, and we all have good jobs and mostly stay out of trouble. For my parents to actually be alive to see the possibility of Barack – the possibility that this person can bring change to our nation has them both proud to be American. They knew what Michelle meant when she said that she was proud of her country for the first time in her adult life. And so do I.
Sorry for the long post, but I really wanted to share.
JWW
Hey John,
Will you ever add up the associations that Obama has had or currently has.. I had continued, but erased anything that may offend your Nerdly readers. Fact being, I have never been a bad judge of horse flesh, Obama would not have any market price if the truth were known, no I should not say known, if the truth were to be printed. You had problems with Rudy and his associations, you have again proven yourself as nothing more than a "Carpet Bagger" only of a new age.
kommrade jakevich
Wrong.
Before his term is half-way over President Mavericky McCatastrophe (R-RealAmerica(R)) will have realized the only way he can back up his claim that he knows how to win wars (he knows how to win wars) is by
bringing back the draftinstituting a Mandatory Overseas Patriotism Exhibition program.Then we watch the fReichtards run around screaming "OTHER PRIORITIES!" while squirting fear shit all over the place. THEN we watch Palin try to calm the angry, adipose mob with a few winks.
Then it gets really funny.
Bad Horse's Filly
I’ve been amusing myself with the slap down Obama’s campaign has given ABC News. They haven’t withheld interviews (that would be non-productive), but no debate moderators and they were left out of the million dollar ad buy.
Meanwhile, ABC had to cut news division staff and everyone has to stay at less than 5-star hotels for the near future.
I’m sure it has nothing to do with the embarrassing debate performance Charlie and George gave during the primaries.
And yes, I remember it…and relish these snubs, even if they’re a coincidence.
Meanwhile, all this pre-celebration is making me nervous. I agree with whoever said it was like being a Cubs fan (or Red Sox fan, even with two series wins, I expect them to tank in September…okay, October this year).
I’ll breathe easier Nov. 5 – hopefully.
Just Some Fuckhead
I think it’ll be pretty blah for us political junkies but it’s gonna be exactly what the last few holdouts need to hear. It’s gonna garner ungodly ratings (relatively speaking) and feed into the perception that he’s walking away with the election which will in turn lure in a bunch more bandwagoners who like to back a winner.
It’s a wonderful finale for a candidate that won a simply brilliant primary contest and then smoothly surfed current events to make it to this point as the odds-on favorite.
It almost makes up for the fact I had to blow three campaign office workers to get a fucking bumpersticker. Me, one of the first million owners of the Obama campaign, bitches!
kommrade jakevich
Shit. It found an untended computer.
jcricket
This last part is super key to realize. There is nothing we can do that will keep the Republicans from pissing and moaning. Hell, even giving in to their demands didn’t stop it.
So might as well say "fuck em". Do a bunch of stuff like you said, stand by our guns, and make it clear that it’s Republicans that stand in the way of what needs to be done.
Republican opposition to Social Security (in the 30s) and Medicare (in the 70s) didn’t work out so well. I expect their opposition to the necessary consumer-helping reforms, bailouts, stimulus, government programs, etc to be similarly opposed, and similarly disastrous for them – as long as we are (as you put it) serious and forceful.
When we are eventually forced into something like a single payer system, expect Republican opposition to be insanely fierce, and the electoral benefits to Democrats that stand up to that opposition to be insanely awesome.
JWW
Hey John,
Leo
Along these lines, I am really looking forward to Obama passing his agenda with bipartisan support from the likes of Susan Collins, then going on TV and talking about how mainstream his ideas are (see, they’re bipartisan!) while at the same time expressing his regret that more Republicans don’t join in his common sense policies.
Heads will explode all over talk radio, and I will love every minute of it.
JWW
Hi John,
Bad Horse's Filly
@Dulcie: That was a wonderful story.
I was lucky enough to be at Invesco and what made me proudest was the diversity of people I met that day. Not just black and white, but Asian, Indian, Pakistani, American Indian, young, old, gay, straight. They were all so proud and everyone talked to everyone about everything. Go figure, like we were all one people.
And so many children were there, who will be able to look at America in a new light because of this candidacy, no matter the outcome.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
Gavin de Becker, security consultant and author of The Gift of Fear (highly recommended, especially for women), distills McCain to his essence in this article at the HuffPo. (My emphasis, not his, in the last excerpt.)
KRK
My understanding is that ABC got the offer like every other network, but dithered too long over deciding to agree and missed the window.
gwangung
Well, for one thing, it’s along the lines of what worked in Seattle, Silicon Valley and Boston.
Good universities are economic generators; they produce knowledge and dollars by attracting cutting edge people and producing educated workers. And a good chunk of the faculty are pretty happy to help the capitalists make money…
Only dim bulbs nowadays slag on universities and higher education. Hm. What party are they in?
Bad Horse's Filly
@KRK:
Technicality…but still ;-)
boonagain
Hey Fuckhead,
I got one of those emails , too, about being one of the first (million ) donors.
How much did it hit you up for a donation?
Brian J
I’m sorry if this is a stupid question, but has Obama ever said his overall goal is a single player plan? Some say he has, but I don’t remember hearing it.
Personal Designation
Vote for me and I’ll make it free!
"Politics is screwing your enemies, winning is screwing your friends". My fave democrat truism
~roflcopter~
PS I once had a dog called Hyperion, but Eos, Helios, Selene voted him out. This is a dog eat dog world in a moonlight sonata.
Stuck in the Funhouse
When we clear away the wreckage of the McPalin pileup, I think the whole socialism crapola, combined with the shrieking hordes of Palin Bloodworms, will get top billing for the differential diagnoses of fail. When they went down the red bait boulevard, it was a turn that not even the fawning Mccain press bootlickers could follow. He probably would have lost anyway, but that charge was the final nail in the coffin for the Mccain campaign. Just about every interview I’ve watched recently with wingnut Mccain surrogates, the first question the bobbleheads ask is "Do you really believe that Obama is a Socialist" and none, or very few, will say yes. It is true that most of the press are democrats, but they also know who butters their bread and careers. And it ain’t the GOS or the DNC. But letting wingnuts get by with the S word tag would hit too close to home, and that label, if left to stand about Obama, would paint them with the same red brush. IMHO
Manchester2
I can hardly remember an election when I’ve waited so long to decide on my choice for President. One week from today, I’ll cast my vote for Sen. McCain, and here’s why:
1. MCCAIN SEEKS TO LIMIT ABORTION – Sen. Obama’s position may be called the "audacity of hopelessness." He is out of step with his own running mate, Joe Biden, who in 2003 with 63 other senators voted to ban the practice of partial birth abortion. Under a President Obama, a Federal Freedom of Choice Act would increase the number of abortions performed annually, defying the "safe, legal, and rare" rhetoric that is often heard by abortion’s proponents. On the other hand, Sen. McCain has consistently voted to protect the unborn, the right to life prerequisite to all other rights that we enjoy in this country.
2. MCCAIN FAVORS CUTS IN MILITARY SPENDING – He has been very clear that we don’t need new weapons systems that cost billions, and would cut them from the bloated Pentagon defense budget. That money can be used elsewhere, perhaps to expand peaceful programs that are working, such as PEPFAR, the U.S. initiative against the spread of AIDS in Africa.
3. MCCAIN IS CORRECT ON IMMIGRATION AND GLOBAL WARMING. He seeks a path to citizenship for those who are living in the U.S. illegally, and wants to tighten border control. Also, he acknowledges the need for "Creation Care," that we must take care of this earth, as God’s stewards, and this includes keeping the thermostat in-check.
4. MCCAIN WOULD MAKE THE GOVERNMENT LIVE WITHIN ITS MEANS. There is a huge disconnect between the average American who must carefully budget and Washington, that spends like there’s no tomorrow. We need a Dave Ramsey approach to federal spending! McCain has the record to show he’d stand-up to wasteful spending.
On these four issues, Sen. McCain is dead-on. Together, they tip my vote in his direction.
Just Some Fuckhead
He said if he was designing a health care system from scratch, he’d prefer single-payer.
Brian J
Ah.
Tattoosydney
There’s an echo in here somewhere…
Just Some Fuckhead
Boon, it didn’t "hit me up" for a donation. It said early investors were being offered a chance to get on the ground floor of even bigger gains. I’m hoping for a civil service job or a clock radio w/CD.
jcricket
If you read what I read carefully, I say "forced into" – and I mean by circumstance, not by politicians, per se. I don’t think Obama is going to lead the charge for single payer – nor should he be. In fact, I don’t think any Democrat will, despite it being the only way to spend less, contain costs, cover everyone and improve healthcare outcomes in one fell swoop (see Taiwan). There’s just not the political or public will in this country for that kind of sweeping change.
I expect Obama to support the stuff he has said he will, which is a model similar to what Massachusetts implemented. But as the economy gets worse (which it will), healthcare costs explode (which they will) and costs aren’t contained (which they can’t be in the existing model) – pressure will mount for a response like the bailout(s). Healthcare related bankruptcies are going through the roof, and the public will eventually support a much expanded role for the government as they realize the for-profit insurance industry has no ones’ interest at heart but their CEOs.
Actually, the easiest model for America to switch to, given the private insurance industry’s state right now, is something like Switzerland. They spend more than most other countries, but still only 1/2 of what we spend. They get the best healthcare, and it’s a private/public mix, but with a high "floor", due to all the regulations on their private insurance companies (all are not-for-profit, no pre-existing conditions, etc.).
Not really single payer, but tons better than what we have.
jcricket
BTW – this is what Taiwan did, to great effect. Went from healthcare system just like ours (all the pros and cons) to single-payer, over about a 7 year period. At the start, their version of Republicans gnashed their teeth and said it would be a disaster. During the transition costs rose at a rate just slightly higher than expected, causing their Republicans to again say "I told you so". Their Democrats responded by simply raising the healthcare tax a teensy bit (we’re talking like .4%), solving the financing problem.
The net result was that they lowered cost growth from 10-15% to 5%, covered everyone, spent less as a % of GP, had better outcomes, increased satisfaction rates, etc. Oh, and the transition happened faster than planned (7 instead of 10 years).
If only we had Democrats with such balls.
JWW
Hi John Cole,
This is a response to being blocked again for asking John Cole and the Ballon Juice blog a question.
Now that you have found a filter that keeps your reader’s from the truth. That may well be a good thing, for I would hate for them to find out your mother was a whore and that you are a bastard child, some of us would not care, as long as you were honest. You and the vast majority of your responders live in a world of mud, but when the rain stops and the sun comes out, it starts too tighten up from the loss of moisture. Then you beg for rain. You are the weakest(so called ex-militatry) blogger I have seen. You can’t even handle one person dogging your sorry ass. You post lie after lie to keep your dipshit responders on call. Even for an ex-military guy you should have some sort of respect for the country. But over the past two years being blocked from your site several times. I have found that you have never once told the whole truth fearing you may offend your readers and therefore diminishing the fools who follow you. I would like to say you Butt Stroked all of them, but then again, Michael would feel offended. I say too bad, Michael doesn’t know what it means. Since, Balloon Juice will not allow freedom of speech, I will copy this and post it on any truely open format.
John Cole,
As I have stated in the past, we have met, we did serve together and I find you totally(I as an Infanrtyman would say) a piece of shit,(and yes I know you are a Tanker) but we have met and served together. You have proven yourself even lower since you decided to serve only yourself.
Comrade Stuck
Hmm, this is velly interesting.
News Orgs Investigate Possibly Fatal McCain ’64 Car Crash.
story at Huffpo
kommrade jakevich
Christ, when do the libraries close?
Just Some Fuckhead
JWW, you can email John at the address in the top right corner and thereby avoid publicly embarassing yourself any further.
The Moar You Know
@JWW: It’s always sad to see self-humiliation on the intertubes. But do post some more – this sounds like a fascinating story.
Comrade Stuck
When we clear away the wreckage of the McPalin pileup, I think the whole socialism crapola, combined with the shrieking hordes of Palin Bloodworms, will get top billing for the differential diagnoses of fail. When they went down the red bait boulevard, it was a turn that not even the fawning Mccain press bootlickers could follow. He probably
would have lost anyway, but that charge was the final nail in the coffin for the Mccain campaign. Just about every interview I’ve watched recently with wingnut Mccain surrogates, the first question the bobbleheads ask is "Do you really believe that Obama is a Socialist"and none, or very few, will say yes. It is true that most of the press are democrats, but they also know who butters their bread and careers. And it ain’t the GOS or the DNC, or Obama. But letting wingnuts get by with the S word tag would hit too close to home, and that label, if left to stand about Obama, would paint them with the same red brush. IMHO
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
Kommrade, this is why we need Carl Monday.
Punchy
god damn that was one horrific TDS interview w/ Steve Martin. Steve looked like he had no clue WTF he was. Unfunny and brutal. Yikes….
Soylent Green
John, please allow freedom of speech and stop blocking JWW from the vast majority of your responders.
Hurry, before the mud tightens up from a lack of moisture.
Brian J
How is it that something like this isn’t bigger news?
I’ll admit, I don’t think highly of many Republicans in almost any way, but I’m skeptical to accuse them of outright fraud. Suppression? Probably, but fraud seems like it’s going a step too far.
srv
This is the only news there should be.
10 cents on every dollar of the bailout goes to pay & bonus. F**k Wall Street and all of their Dem and Rep enablers.
If Obama isn’t roasting Paulson about this this week, I regret my vote for him.
burnspbesq
@Punchy:
Are you looking to be passed out on the couch by 7:09 p.m. Eastern?
Tattoosydney
@JWW:
Do you have any pamphlets? or a newsletter?
If so, I would like copies (provided they don’t have any of that horrible mud on them).
I am also strangely intrigued and titillated by your use of the term "Butt Stroked" – if you have any pamphlets on that, then sign me up….
jcricket
If it makes you feel any better (kidding) Paulson is behind the recent rise in leverage from around 10/12-1 to 40/1 at most major brokerage/wall st. firms. In other words, Paulson lobbied the government to loosen the maximum leverage cap so that the current situation could be that much worse (not sure that was the reasoning he used, but you get the idea).
dobrojutro
Shorter JWW: I’m a closet fanboy.
Church Lady
Zuzu- Answer is two threads down at #165.
TenguPhule
It’s like a troll family reunion.
TheHatOnMyCat
JWW: I recommend Ativan.
Take it as needed for meltdowns.
r€nato
Poll porn: according to a KAET/ASU poll, McCain leads Obama by just 2 points in Arizona.
Suck.On.THIS. McCain!
Josh Hueco
@TheHatOnMyCat:
Nah…this looks like a job for Seroquel or Zyprexa to me.
r€nato
the only bit of closeted homoeroticism missing from JWw’s screed was a threat to cock-slap John.
And to think John theorized for all of 5 minutes about ‘peak wingnut’. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Phoebe
Go look at this from hilzoy. Every so often it’s like she lays a shining platinum egg of snark:
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2008/10/a-lurch-to-the.html?cid=136818233#comment-136818233
No, I don’t know how to link besides the cut’n’paste. Deal.
Polish the Guillotines
Am I the only one who misses Lyndon LaRouche’s half-hour election year crazy-thons?
Ah, the simple days when Queen Elizabeth was the head of an international drug cartel…. Good times.
gwangung
Can we PLEASE have some sane and knowledgeable Republicans running their party? PRETTY PLEASE????
cs
So apparently I’m one of the first million too though my email is asking for more money. I get a lot of emails from the Obama campaign tailored around my donation amount and asking for a repeat of the same amount.
I don’t mind. It’s how things get done and collected in this game and that’s ok with me. But since my emails are custom tailored around my previous amount, I’m really curious about what the emails to maxed-out donors look like. Anyone in that position care to share?
At any rate, I’m still hoping that the first million gets on the White House Christmas card list. We need something to hold over those slackers in the second and third million.
cs
Speaking of campaign emails, I’m on the list for several candidates: Obama, McCain, DNC, RNC, Kucinich, Paul, Libertarians, Bob Barr, etc. I’m a glutton for punishment.
Anyways, I just received the best promotional email of the entire campaign, from Bob Barr.
Which candidate for president has a permit to carry a concealed firearm?
This leads to the best political donation promotion ever! Give money to Obama and you’ll get some little car magnet thingy. Give money to Bob and you’ll get an autographed Mossberg!
iluvsummr
Just found out courtesy of Colbert that there is actually a Socialist Party candidate for president (Brian Moore). And to think I already voted early for Obama. Oh well, there’s always 2012. Hang in there Brian, McCain is helping you like you wouldn’t believe.
all-my-posts-auto-deleted
Have had eight posts vanish into the ether today, so I’m changing my handle (used to be iluvsummr).
Just found out courtesy of Colbert that there actually is a socialist party candidate for president (Brian Moore — he was on the Collbert Report tonight). And to think I already voted early for Obama! Oh well, there’s always 2012. Hang in there Brian – McCain has done an excellent job for you.
all-new-posts-auto-deleted
Have had eight posts vanish into the ether today, so I’m changing my handle (used to be iluvsummr).
Just found out courtesy of Colbert that there actually is a socialist party candidate for president (Brian Moore — he was on the Collbert Report tonight). And to think I already voted early for Obama! Oh well, there’s always 2012. Hang in there Brian – McCain has done an excellent job for you.
Rick Taylor
A video of Joe the Plumber on Fox news defending his agreement that a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel. Asked about Joe’s remarks, the McCain campaign said,
I can’t help but think how up in arms conservatives were about a child saying a few words on behalf of SCHIP.
harlana pepper
Still in love with the beagle-kitteh pic. So cute it hurts. Beagles are adorable and cats rock.
The next few days are going to be exciting, nerve-wracking, but also a great deal of fun, watching repubes eat their own without a hint of shame. I feel like I’m at a Roman circus.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
Shepard Smith tries hard, but is almost rendered speechless by Joe the Plumber.
boonagain
cs,
That’s why I was asking. I was wondering if they asked all of us to max out. They actually asked me for more than I can give and stay under the $2300 limit.
Also, I can’t wait for the next correspondence from John’s secret admirer. I’s like deciphering a code…until the mud dries.
boonagain
OUCH!
The first shot at Palin.
kommrade jakevich
via LG&M, looks like they’re starting to collect for Palin 2012.
Laters, wrinkly old guy!
On the next line you can see who ever designed the webpage wasn’t confident of the average user’s ability to get to the store.
‘Store’ is considerately linked, as is ‘here.’
Tattoosydney
You can tell that somewhere deep inside Shepard Smith a journalist was trying to get out and scream "Fucking hell! You are such a dick. Joe the fucking moran."
Dennis - SGMM
I got to wondering what McCain’s health care plan would do for those with pre-existing conditions so I went to McCain’s website and found this:
Hmmm. A bit ambiguous. I know that my state, California, already has a high risk pool for the otherwise uninsurable so I did a little digging and found this article from yesterday’s LA Times.
But California’s publicly subsidized high-risk pool, long one of the least generous in the country, has atrophied over the tenure of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — even as the governor put the plight of the uninsured at the top of his political agenda.
Rising premiums and limited subsidies have made the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program either unaffordable, unavailable or ineffective for many of those who most need health insurance.
The program now covers about 13,000 Californians — about 2% of the medically uninsurable.
Enrollment has dropped by almost a third since Schwarzenegger became governor.
Further on:
One of the major obstacles is the cost of premiums, which the law sets at 125% of commercial insurance rates. More than a third of pool participants who dropped out this year told the pool’s administrators that they couldn’t afford it anymore. A 55-year-old Los Angeles County resident with one dependent would have to pay $11,240 in premiums and a $450 deductible this year for the cheapest plan.
I wonder how Real Americans with pre-existing conditions that are covered under their employer provided health insurance would feel about instead paying $11,000 for bare-bones coverage.
liberal
@Dennis – SGMM:
I don’t see why everyone focusses on just the premiums, etc. The focus should be exactly where you’re putting it: to wit, that people who lose employer coverage will be forced into the non-group market, where it might be very hard to get insurance.
Comrade Jake
Just watched the Smith interview of "Joe the Plumber". Jesus.
Good for Smith on pushing back on Joe’s beliefs. You get the sense from that clip that he’s starting to appreciate the absolute nonsense that the McCain campaign has fostered, and how dangerous it is.
Still, the fact that Joe’s beliefs are being discussed on national TV in the first place is pretty thoroughly depressing. Thanks McCain. I didn’t think it was possible to run a campaign that banked just so much on the stupid, but you’ve certainly exceeded expectations there.
kommrade jakevich
Oh good fucking FSM what a pile of shit. We already have something like that, it’s called Medicare Advantage and it sucks. You could encourage someone to establish a nonprofit that provides insurance directly but dear me no. How would the poor souls AHIP get a piece of the pie?
GAP? More like GRAFT.
r€nato
wtf?
it’s really insane that we are willing to fuck over people in order to guarantee insurance company profits.
time for national health care. This country has to get over its irrational fear of socialized medicine. It works fine everywhere else, it can work here too.
DonnaInMichigan
It’s funny.
Joe the Plumber, calls for a press conference, where he speaks with some type of "authority" about the issues. Even though he is wrong on most.
Yet, he has had more tv interviews, and press conferences now then the Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
cleek
shorter JWW : waahhhh! pay attention to meeee!
kommrade jakevich
He doesn’t have to spend as much time in make up and wardrobe.
MR. Bill
Did y’all see William ‘the Bloody’ Kristol in the NTY Monday?
Looking at the situation, I find a more appropriate quote, for the Republicans comes from another French General, August Ducrot, as he looked down German gunbarrels before the disastrous Battle of Sedan (where Napoleon III was captured and the Second Empire expired): “Nous sommes dans un pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdes” ("We’re in the toilet bowl, about to be shit on.”)
And from what I can recall of Barbara Tuchman, Foch’s strategy basically meant that the French Army’s cavalry and infantry charges were sliced to ribbons by German machine guns..
Dennis - SGMM
True but, unlike the rest of the McCain campaign, Joe the Plumber doesn’t contradict the candidate.
MR. Bill
Weird, I can’t seem to get the whole cite in block quotes: it begins with the Foch quote and ends with "..Commander in chief in time of war."
And no, I won’t leave the link..
bedlam UK
A little song to cheer up your day;
The Russians can see Sarah Palin too
Made me chuckle.
boonagain
@Comrade Jake:
I just don’t understand why they are bothering to talk to the ignorant douchebag. You can tell from the interview that he’s starting to believe McCain’s press releases when he starts talking about opinions from ‘Middle America’, like they are intrinsically valuable.
Josh Hueco
@boonagain:
If Middle America is so awesome than why are the midwestern/plain states emptying out?
Rick Taylor
Inserting paragraph tags between the paragraphs inside the block quote seems to fix that. a paragraph tag is a less-than-sign followed by a p followed by a greater-than-sign.
charlotte
McCain at 4:58, followed by Wolf’s "We’re going to break away from John McCain now …" is a great laugh. And, yes, Toobin is refreshingly blunt and honest. Hilarious to see the expression on Gergen’s face, sitting right next to him. And I’m a Gergen fan. Carville laughs at his own jokes, a lot.
Whatever will we do with ourselves when the most entertaining campaign ever comes to a merciful end? So many great moments.
Phoebe
What killed me about the Joe the Idiot clip was how, when pressed to back up his incendiary remark with evidence, Joe reverts to saying that voters should do their own research, because he, Joe, certainly is no foreign policy expert. But nothing will prevent him from spewing this unfounded garbage into any microphone placed in front of him, of course. So what’s your problem, Sheppard Smith? He’s just saying his opinion.