faith and politics

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by UtahDan

As a follow up to this thread, I was actually in my car last night and got to listen to most of this.

Here is Michael Gershon's take on it:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...d=opinionsbox1

He absolutely right. If you didn't hear it, you need to find it on the internet. It is well worth listening to and is the most important event of the campaign to date. Gershon is also correct that agree or disagree with him, McCain is much, much better at these sorts of things. I still believe this election is Obama's to lose, but after listening to both of them last night, I am becoming more convinced that it is not an accident that Obama doesn't have a big lead over McCain. I do not think it is hopeless for McCain. We'll see how this evolves.

I know nobody takes me seriously because I'm a junior cali, but I'm okay with that. With that preface...

It's true that everything about this set-up played to McCain's strengths. However, it's no wonder McCain's answers seemed so well-prepared considering the possibility that he heard Obama's half of the q-and-a:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpu...n-the-con.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us...cs&oref=slogin

Even so, with at best thirty or forty minutes to prep (or zero), I still came away very impressed with McCain's ability to work the audience and seem reasonably comfortable with material that would make any of us squirm. If you remember how awkward he was a few years back, and even how incoherent he was last summer, his performance on Saturday was nothing short of miraculous.

Obama's got to come up with a plan and come up with one quick. Because if, for example, they're both reasonable coherent, but one comes across as honest and amiable, and the other comes across as logical and cerebral, I'd imagine the American people will cozy up to the former. Nobody wants to hang with Spock. (Well, I do, but, you know, that's just me.)

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

I know nobody takes me seriously because I'm a junior cali, but I'm okay with that. With that preface...

It's true that everything about this set-up played to McCain's strengths. However, it's no wonder McCain's answers seemed so well-prepared considering the possibility that he heard Obama's half of the q-and-a:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpu...n-the-con.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us...cs&oref=slogin

Even so, with at best thirty or forty minutes to prep (or zero), I still came away very impressed with McCain's ability to work the audience and seem reasonably comfortable with material that would make any of us squirm. If you remember how awkward he was a few years back, and even how incoherent he was last summer, his performance on Saturday was nothing short of miraculous.

Obama's got to come up with a plan and come up with one quick. Because if, for example, they're both reasonable coherent, but one comes across as honest and amiable, and the other comes across as logical and cerebral, I'd imagine the American people will cozy up to the former. Nobody wants to hang with Spock. (Well, I do, but, you know, that's just me.)

that's brilliant . we need to photoshop Obama as Spock. It's so true, and so damning at the same time. and funny as well.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

that's brilliant . It's so true, and so damning at the same time. and funny as well.

thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. (well, actually I'm kinda flaky.)

Great av, Mike.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

I know nobody takes me seriously because I'm a junior cali, but I'm okay with that. With that preface...

It's true that everything about this set-up played to McCain's strengths. However, it's no wonder McCain's answers seemed so well-prepared considering the possibility that he heard Obama's half of the q-and-a:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpu...n-the-con.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us...cs&oref=slogin

Even so, with at best thirty or forty minutes to prep (or zero), I still came away very impressed with McCain's ability to work the audience and seem reasonably comfortable with material that would make any of us squirm. If you remember how awkward he was a few years back, and even how incoherent he was last summer, his performance on Saturday was nothing short of miraculous.

Good Lord you've gone off the deep end. It's sad to see that it's come to this. Do you have any more damning links?

[Venkman]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

I know nobody takes me seriously because I'm a junior cali, but I'm okay with that. With that preface...

It's true that everything about this set-up played to McCain's strengths. However, it's no wonder McCain's answers seemed so well-prepared considering the possibility that he heard Obama's half of the q-and-a:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpu...n-the-con.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us...cs&oref=slogin

Even so, with at best thirty or forty minutes to prep (or zero), I still came away very impressed with McCain's ability to work the audience and seem reasonably comfortable with material that would make any of us squirm. If you remember how awkward he was a few years back, and even how incoherent he was last summer, his performance on Saturday was nothing short of miraculous.

Obama's got to come up with a plan and come up with one quick. Because if, for example, they're both reasonable coherent, but one comes across as honest and amiable, and the other comes across as logical and cerebral, I'd imagine the American people will cozy up to the former. Nobody wants to hang with Spock. (Well, I do, but, you know, that's just me.)

Is there any actual evidence that "serious" journalists like Andrea Mitchell can produce to show that John McCain knew the questions in advance?

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Venkman

Is there any actual evidence that "serious" journalists like Andrea Mitchell can produce to show that John McCain knew the questions in advance?

Nobody's suggesting that he DID know. They're suggesting that he could have known. That Warren failed to guarantee he integrity of his forum, which is interesting, because Warren knew that there was some concern that this event was intrinsically unfair to Obama.

But if you re-watch the debate with this possibility in mind, that McCain was familiar with the material, I have to say there are a couple of things that make you wonder. In light of Y's comments about my growing conspiracy-tropic attitude, I won't mention any details.

I just like McCain's camp's response.

“The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous,” Ms. Wallace said.

[YOhio]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

In light of Y's comments about my growing conspiracy-tropic attitude, I won't mention any details.

It's better you don't mention details. You never know who is watching you Babs.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by YOhio

It's better you don't mention details. You never know who is watching you Babs.

Yikes. Just look at that sweater! Probably a Texas fan. Now that I think of it, I'd start to believe in conspiracies, too, if I had the top recruiting class every year and only managed to win the conference once a decade.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Yikes. Just look at that sweater! Probably a Texas fan. Now that I think of it, I'd start to believe in conspiracies, too, if I had the top recruiting class every year and only managed to win the conference once a decade.

Ouch.

Painful, but true.

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

Ouch.

Painful, but true.

D'oh! I was sitting here thinking, "okay, there are no Longhorns on the board, right? I've seen Trojans, Ducks, maybe a Husky or two, a couple of Hoyas. Even an Aggie. But nope, no Longhorns. Can't possibly offend anybody."

But darnit of course there's a Longhorn!

JL, I'll have to ask you sometime what you think of Mack's coaching. I hear some Longhorns say he shoulda been gone years ago and only VY saved his rear; but then I hear others talk about him like he's deity incarnate. Perhaps it's that way with all coaches, though.