Good lord. Was that really broadcast?
Good god.
The first couple of Osama/Obama fuckups, I was willing to attribute to incompetence instead of malice, but...
That's my hometown station. So, so proud.
What was the footage they were showing while they talked about the molester?
That . . . uh . . . I had to watch it three times. And yeah, the first time was with the sound off--just headline and image. Niiiiice.
This lede just went over the ap wire:
WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said Tuesday he is taking the initial step in a presidential bid that could make him the nation's first black to occupy the White House.
Is this normal?
No, it's unprecedented -- see the final clause of the sentence you quoted.
You mean the usage of 'black' as a noun, rather than 'black person' or 'African American'? It does kind of clang. Or did something else about it seem off?
I find it sounds better if you pronounce it "blick".
Could you precis the footage? Computer doesn't like it for some reason.
12 -- a newscaster is talking about a teacher convicted of child molestation, with text on the screen that says "Sex offender sentenced" and a knowing smirk on his face, while behind him the monitor is showing people carrying "Obama 2008" banners with pictures of the senator.
And not just pictures -- huge headshots, so that Obama's face fills the screen.
There's also a very weird, short clip of a giant blank-and-white xeroxed head of Obama, being carried on a stick by a supporter.
The Carpetbagger's analysis on Obama's announcement is interesting---and has a transcript.
It may surprise you to know I'm on his supporters/activists list, and got the announcement early this morning. It's quite well done.
Why would that come as a surprise? I thought you had already posted about liking him.
17: You should write a Modern Love column about your attempted relationship with Obama, despite the fact that he's a convicted sex offender!
I'm glad he's running and the announcement was good, but at some point he's going to have to realize that talking about the need for a higher, more moral politics is not the same thing as engaging in it. That kind of *talk* is utterly conventional.
Show, don't tell.
Surprise because I seem always to be expressing reservations here; I seem to remember doing it at the Chicago meet-up last year. I'm on the list from the early organizing in 2004.
After all the endless talk about an Obama-bid for office, I just did a double-take at comment 9.
But, I can't shake the feeling that Obama is playing his handl wrong. I guess I'd be advising him to lay low for the next 9mo, only making occasional TV appearances, and trying to stay out of the headlines. Too much air-time, and the news will start going negative just so they have something to talk about.
This is going to be one painfully long presidential campaign season.
Yup. And Josh Marshall just noted that by a strange coincidence, the U.S. Attorney for Arkansas was recently forced out and replaced by a guy who's spent the last several years as a Republican Party opposition researcher.
This has to be just about the Slatiest Slate piece ever.