Have we any sense of decency left?
Did this post completely change, or am I going crazy? Or was that supposed to be some clever and subtle political statement, Obama=change?
Moon landing, baby. I remember it well.
What about when that episode of The Simpsons that was followed by the premiere of the video for Michael Jackson's "Black or White"? That was a pretty epochal moment too.
My six-year-old son loves Obama. And while he's* likely trying to curry favor with me, he's still going to grow up thinking that it's normal for a black man to be the Democratic nominee for president. This stuff brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.
And yes, I think about what it would have meant for the nation had Senator Clinton, or any other woman really, been the Democratic nominee. And I hope that day will come soon.
* My son, not Obama, who really should spend more of his time trying to suck up to me.
My eight year old liked Obama, too. Then his friend at school told him that Obama wanted to kill babies (Catholic school) and he claims to have changed his mind. I'm not sure he has, though. Good thing eight year olds don't vote.
Voting for someone because of your false belief that their opponent wants to kill babies is better than a lot of real reasons people vote.
It is odd. A black man as a Presidential candidate doesn't feel special to me, which I guess is a good thing overall.
The Berlin wall coming down, now that seemed pretty unbelievable to me. Maybe it is because I was not following politics at the time and believed all the pumped up rhetoric about the Soviet Union even after it started decaying internally. I remember reading a Heinlein article where he said the USSR was dieing - he had been there and saw it but I didn't really believe him at the time.
I'm just hoping I have the willpower to avoid reading the excerpts from Obama's speech before he gives it. Who knew TPM was all SPOILERZ!
11: spoilers, AWB? A speech is its delivery. Would you feel a song had been spoiled if you read its lyrics in advance?
Voting for someone because of your false belief that their opponent wants to kill babies is better than a lot of real reasons people vote.
And here I thought you would be pro-choice. Go figure.
12: I'm writing a dissertation about political rhetoric, so, yeah, its spoilers for me.
14: I'm not sure I understand how that follows, AWB. Also.
Good thing eight year olds don't vote.
I wonder if it would make a difference. I bet the taller, better looking guy who promised to give out the most cookies would win most of the time.
I watched the M. Obama and thought if she becomes a regular public figure, Sarah Jones could take a regular part on SNL. Unity.
I keep imagining Barack having stage fright and just lip synching over David Sedaris.
I watched the M. Obama and thought if she becomes a regular public figure, Sarah Jones could take a regular part on SNL. Unity.
I keep imagining Barack having stage fright and just lip synching over David Sedaris.
I bet the taller, better looking guy who promised to give out the most cookies would win most of the time.
And that would be different how?
Tim Kaine's Spanish is pretty bad.
I'm really looking forward to John Lewis. He's a hell of a speaker.
(...and was very good.) Stevie Wonder up next!
23: Harrumph. NPR made it sound like he was tonight. I'll go watch it online.
Here's the schedule for tonight.
Why is the Indian from the Village People playing tambourine for Stevie? And is it just me, or is Stevie sounding pretty weak?
It's the longest and most boring song ever, I'm sad to say.
Having a giant backup-singer group is a pretty common ploy of singers whose voices can't carry a song anymore.
I'm going to go listen to Fulfillingness' First Finale for a while and think nicer thoughts about Stevie's voice. He sounds like maybe he's on some pain meds or something; his patter isn't making a ton of sense.
I feel an urge for a Happy Day. Hillow Hammet, I think.
Followed by a bunch of Staples.
Gore was basically doing his own version of this.
I like his tie.
That's a dirty hippie song they're playing.
Gore was basically doing his own version of this.
Heh. Pretty good, but we already decided counterfactual President Al invades Iraq anyway. We just can't decide when, before or after 9/11.
I'm a little sketchy on my history, but did Al just come out against the annexation of California?
OMG, yes. Mavis Staples Have a Little Faith and We'll Never Turn Back hit the desperate optimism spot tonight.
Whose terrible idea was having Michael McDonald sing this?
36: Jimmy Carter's rosy-red Georgia-peach-picking ass
I love that piece. I just picture Carter reading it over his morning coffee and snickering to himself.
Why do we have troops in Djibouti? (I mean that, but feel free to make the required jokes.)
Sorry. 46 to 45. With the failed states in the horn of Africa, it has become a haven for pirates. There is an international naval patrol of those seas to try to combat them.
"You know how many people we buried in concrete in this very stadium? Don't cross us, motherfuckers. Buy Union."
Is this the Obama speech thread? When is he talking? I'm really beat and have no patience to sift around trying to figure it out. My roommate is not terribly interested, and is watching some program about lions and gazelles on the veldt over there in the room with the television, so while I've asked him to give me a shout-out, I have doubts about this happening.
I've asked him to give me a shout-out
Obama? That's impressive.
Has anyone seen a list of the retired generals and admirals that were on stage a minute ago? Wes Clark was one, but the others . . .? The DNC site is unhelpful.
I don't think Wes was there - Obama told him to bug off.
No, Wes Clark was definitely there on stage a minute ago. Sort of weird that he isn't speaking, though.
I do so love seeing the variety of peoples as they pan the crowd. That's America!
56: Yeah, Matt (and I!) are right. Wes was totally there.
Chiasmus! Or whatever the hell that's called.
OK - Wes was there if you say so. Good. Too bad he didn't speak but good.
That's America!
I.e., carefully managed by the marketing geniuses.
Crikies - the marketing geinuses control the camera pans?
64: While cynicism is in general warranted, marketers have no control over 1) who's elected as a delegate; 2) who got into this rally; or 3) what camera angles PBS (or whomever you're watching) chooses.
54: Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Scott Gration (Ret)
69: Yeah, his is the one name listed. I was wondering about the backup folks standing behind him.
68. But the director sure does, and will make every effort to make sure to deliver a "rainbow".
TLL -"the director" doesn't exist I believe. The camara feed if under the control of one of the networks or cable dubes
73: Ah. I was particularly interested in a retired admiral who had on a navy blazer and a striped shirt, had floppy hair and wire-frame glasses -- very WASPy, looked like he should be holding a G&T. I didn't catch his name.
74. I'm not watching, but surely each news organization has its own camera people, and there is a director for each in those trailers out back choosing which shot goes out over the airwaves.
oudemia jonesing on the admiral?
So this is what Obama means by improving our image abroad: showing the world that we're nothing more than the dorkiest dance party ever.
78: I like tall WASPs, what can I say?
What would Jesus do.... for a klondike Bar?
80: That is a joke. (Well, no, that is true. But.) I think I might have met him.
I understood that there was just one feed.
Obama soon.
When will the name "Dick" finally vanish from the stage of American public life?
surely each news organization has its own camera people
We were flipping back and forth between CSPAN and MSNBC and the feed was identical, so I don't know.
If you had nerves on the inside of your blood vessels would you feel wet inside?
85: I read somewhere that Fox (!!!) was in control of the feed for everyone.
There is one feed. It is controlled by Fox. I don't know who the floppy-haired officer was. Stop with the questions, okay?
89: ari, you are just jealous and will not tell me who he was!!!!
In that video, the "current" footage of Michelle reminded me a lot of Reese Witherspoon. Never noticed that before; it was some of her facial expressions and mannerisms that really triggered it.
His lapel pin looks suspiciously narrow.
96: Red, black, and green! You know what I mean!
Hear me now, officer corps, no man, no matter how well armed or floppy haired, will stand between me and oudemia. Mark my words.
Looks like he's standing in front of Chinese bamboo screens. I was promised a Greek temple!
Japaneese bamboo - keep it straight Spike.
102: A pagan sex temple! Cult of Cybele type stuff!
"Eight is enough"? Does he really want to raise the specter of Dick Van Patten?
103: Invented in Japan, yes, but everything's made in China these days...
I guess I'm a bad, bad person and a bad Democrat. I got bored. I'd flip to a rerun of Buffy or something equally uplifting and inspiring, but there's nothing on. So I guess I'll go read some trashy science fiction.
I guess I don't understand the pont of watching a speech which isn't going to tell me anything I didn't already know.
This is a small criticism, but Jill Biden is not a great clapper.
I'm really surprised that Obama decided that he would be the one to deliver the strongest attacks of the convention.
It's a happy surprise -- it's good to know that he isn't so scared of being cast as a "scary black man" to stop him from hitting hard when he wants to.
There are a lot of apocryphal Americans getting shout-outs in this speech.
108: You mean both read and watch the speech right? No reason not to do both, certainly I am.
that "celebrity" line was niiiiiice....
108
I'm old - I've been through and been aware of conventions since 1960. They've been a special end of summer process every 4 years since forever. The process no longer holds any suspense but it still is a time when we get a clear view of who these people are.
And this one is special - our country has selected a BLACK man as the nominee of one of the major parties. It is a special thing. Wake up Michael.
I don't think that we'll be independent of Middle Eastern oil in 10 years--much as I''d like it.
117: He says through "Clean Coal"... me no likey.
OK, she is a coastal "elite,*" but my elderly white mother is WHIRLY EYED right now.
*Lower-to-middle middle class. But right on the beach!
Clean coaol was endorsed by Al Gore - I don't know. Is is real or not?
The sections of this speech are interesting- it's like he's taken all the criticisms that have been floating around the last month and spitting on them one by one.
You think I'm a celebrity? Here's my life story rising from poverty, suckers.
You think I don't offer enough specifics of what I'd do? Here's my policy, bitches.
You think were going too soft on McCain? Here's the red meat, dumbass.
116: you're not old. You're my age.
Yes, he's black. And he delivers great speech. And he's making all kinds of wonderful (if, in part, vague) noises about how we'll make this country better. Yes, he's far, far better than McCain (but so is Richard Nixon, and I hated him deeply)
I don't see the point in having a shared experience as audience. If I can actually do something, fine, I'll do it. But if participation in the US political process means listening to the (mostly) same speech over and over again for decades - why bother?
120: For all I know, Clean Coal may be fine from a carbon perspective. But its the blowing tops off of mountains I object to.
122: Shout-out to the Welsh! My last name is Williams...
f John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next Commander-in-Chief, that's a debate I'm ready to have.
I would have preferred that's a debate I'm ready to win, but still good, and maybe that feeds the presumptuous meme?
I hate this bit about how Iraq needs to pay for its own reconstruction. We trash the place and then present them with the bill.
127: Yeah, but were broke and they aren't.
123
OK - I see what you mean. I can still allow myself to be swept away by the moment. If I were a bit more cynical (which, given the evidence I probably should be) I would where you are. On the other hand - I am enjoying his speech.
PGD, do you favor maintaining anything close to our current level of Iraq-related expenditures? If not, what do you mean? He didn't blame the Iraqis for anything, he said we should spend less money there.
I'm sorry to hear that tax "relief" has entered into common parlance, even amongst Democrats (not an Obama-specific criticism, btw).
128: we're certainly not broke. And even if we were, we could just stop spending so much on occupying Iraq.
But I have to say the foreign policy section was really, really effective and well done though.
(Didn't like the curb Russian aggression/stand up for Georgia bit, and other stealth shout-outs to American hegemony, but what can you expect).
129: If you enjoy it, have fun.
Personally, my taste runs more towards paperbacks with pictures of scantily clad barbarian princesses, of the impossibly buxom yet incredibly bouyant variety. And dragons. Or old mystery stories.
(I follow my whimsey)
"Of the ten most common surnames in Britain, six are of Welsh origin. Jones, being the second most common name in Britain, is followed by Williams in third place, Davies in sixth place, and Evans and Thomas in eighth and ninth places respectively. Roberts, which is ranked tenth is also of Welsh origin."
When he said McCain wanted the election to be about small things, I suddenly noticed that he was wearing a flag pin.
Or old mystery stories.
(I follow my whimsey)
Isn't the motto of the Wimsey family, "Where my whimsy takes me"?
134
G RR Martin then.
As Gower said:
Nay, that's right; but why wear you your leek today?
Saint Davy's day is past.
OOTB, are you spying on me? I'm reading Feast of Crows while watching.
140
I've been waiting for 2 years for the next volume. Lucky you in that Dance of Dragons should be out soon.\
Arrrrrgh
I suppose it' a good thing that our potential elected representatives are pretty people.
where chauvinism just IS patriotism...only in America...
Yeah, they need more fireworks. They should pull a Beijing.
144: Jim Lehrer made a point of noting the lack of balloons, blaming the lack of a ceiling. Who the fuck cares, man?
Fireworks! Cue fireworks! Where the fuck are the fucking fireworks!!!
Is this the soundtrack to The Patriot?
Yea, Beijing kind of puts anything the dems do in a shadow. Commies!
Oh, there are the fireworks.
Now I feel like I'm watching an Aaron Sorkin movie, only more implausible.
This was superb. Right down to the country music to finish. Strong, optimistic, tough, hit the values buttons...excellent. He even excels at delivering the standard policy laundry-list sections of these speeches.
PGD, do you favor maintaining anything close to our current level of Iraq-related expenditures? If not, what do you mean?
Minor issue, but the "Iraqi surplus" thing is inside baseball for replacing U.S. reconstruction aid with Iraqi spending. I think we owe the Iraqis reconstruction aid.
I'm so happy that I might finally see one of my peeps in the White House: Michelle is almost 6' tall. Woo! Hoo!
I'd rather see him go for McCain's throat. I'd like to have seen a speech that reflects my anger. But at least on MSNBC, Olbermann and Matthews are goinng berserk in support of Obama. It's freaky.
I feel like someone hit the wrong track on this CD.
Pretty good, I think. Not that it makes any difference to me, I'd vote for Beavis or Butthead over McCain.
Preacher has a distracting lisp.
Preacher has a distracting lisp.
165
I'd vote for zombie Eisenhower over McCaijn!
"Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama. When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President."
David Brooks was underwhelmed. Less emotional than he needed! Mistake to be outside! David Brooks has spoken. TV: now off.
Olbermann and Matthews are goinng berserk
They sure are.
172: Yes, David Brooks tells me that the average American will be hugely put off by that speech! Thank you and good night, says Mr Teddy Bear Button Eyes.
Weaksauce cheerleading, Pelosi.
I'd rather see him go for McCain's throat.
I thought the attacks on McCain were very good and also pretty tough.
All the youth/optimism/energy/future stuff was also a good implicit contrast with McCain.
Obama - Fuck yea!
Or somthing - I'm not good at this.
AWB is apparently right about the soundtrack!
178: Jon Stewart? Where's Jon Stewart?
Was I imagining things or did we get a close up on Bitch?
I didn't like his stated refusal to question the sincerity of McCain's policies, but the rest was good.
I'm smirking at the idea of David Brooks moving the goal posts about a speech delivered on a fucking football field.
Jon Stewart? Where's Jon Stewart?
On Comedy Central!
I thought the speech was meh, actually.
Just kidding! It was a fantastic speech, obviously, and brilliantly constructed. The first ten minutes or so I did find a bit flat, but: it was moving toward, and building up, to something.
As a tv viewer, I think they shouldn't have switched into 'movie set' mode at the end (the music and fireworks and etc): looked too much like the spectacle of empire that reminds me of the scary America, and I thought it took away from the power of the oratory.
But: Brooks is a wanker, and it was an excellent speech.
Someone on C-SPAN wants to write Romney in!
180: Really? I never saw that movie.
"Every time Barack Obama speaks, an angel has an orgasm."
"Everytime Barack Obama speaks, an angel has an orgasm."
I thought the attacks on McCain were very good and also pretty tough.
Not bad, I agree - but you can see that part of the strategy of this convention was to lower expectations on truth-telling. Compared to the rest of the convention, Obama was tough. Compared to the crimes of the Bush administration - the crimes that McCaini is proud of supporting - Obama's speech was a bit weak.
But that's not really a gripe. I'm satisfied for tonight at least that Obama knows more about this stuff than I do. And if he doesn't want to talk about torture or due process or McCain's cynical flip-flops, then maybe that's the way to go.
Oudemia: I am a tall WASP. Or a bald-faced liar. Or, if you are very lucky, both.
"...and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess."
How can two people have thought of that joke at the same time? Alien subversion? Obama subliminally planted that meme in the speech?
193: That's the way I like 'em, baby. Arrogant? Formerly coke-headed?
They both saw it on the Daily Show.
195: The text messages! They control me! (No, The Daily Show.)
198 -> 196.
197: But who planted it on the Daily Show, the Obama campaign's subliminal message team? Or the aliens?
Seriously, people -- Obama FTW. For. The. Win.
CSPAN has really odd callers. How does that work?
Tom Brokaw is now openly mocking the Republican response.
Wow. I took 171 to be a clever parody. That's the actual McCain statement.
He's not that skinny - 33" waist?
Out Of The Blue
"The son of a black man from Kenya and a white man from Kansas."
Oh my god.
Oh God Oh God Oh God - I can't deal with this until November. Somebody shoot me.
McCain veep announcement did not come, to attempt to steal the thunder? Good.
Actually, I don't get excited to hear that someone on my side did something awesome. And I don't get happy to hear that someone on the other side did something monumentally stupid. I only get excited to see that someone in the media is spreading memes that help my side. The only thing in this thread that made me say "Good." was 203.
207: That explains why they had to fake the birth certificate.
On Comedy Central!
Uh, right. I'd checked, and they were showing some chick in her bra, which looked like an actual program rather than a commercial.
The truth is that I became bored with Obama's speech. A little surprised that he walked through the media-flogged drama of the last month or two, as SP says in 121:
The sections of this speech are interesting- it's like he's taken all the criticisms that have been floating around the last month and spitting on them one by one.
My attention began to wander until the "free from Middle East oil in 10 years" bit. I confess I was moved to talk to the television set: "What?"
I've listened to the speeches from this convention with my mother always a reference. She's the one who, though a lifelong Dem, doesn't trust Obama, 'can't say what it is, just don't trust him.' Anything that sounds like empty, grand promises, meaningless trashing of the opponent with reference to things she's not aware of, is not going to work with her. I shall have to ask her!
Jeez, this is like watching a Super Bowl post-game. People standing around and cheering.
Also, Matthews is out of his mind.
211: Guy on CNN said it; it was the moment of Zen at the end of the Daily Show.
I thought his speech was amazing. I have spent the last 3 days fretting about how the other speakers lacked fire and inspiration- but tonight, Obama proved he did not need assistance in getting his message across. For those of you habitual snarks, I wish for you that someday, somehow, you feel inspired.
My son's comment on McCain, while listening to audio of the introductory video: "I really don't think we should vote for another old white guy...no offense, Dad."
If he's sick of voting for you, install some other family member as puppet while you rule as regent.
Also, Matthews is out of his mind.
Oh, Matthews lost his mind months (if not years) ago. And now that Hillary's out of the race, just how will he attempt to resolve his early childhood issues on national broadcast TV, and just who will serve as the organizing principle for his normally undisciplined and inchoate anxieties and angers?
Have you guys been seeing this "Harry and Louise return" commercial?
137, 149: yep. I botched not only the motto but the spelling of the name. I blame age related diminished mental capacity. If I'm wrong in thinking that there were three mice on the family crest, don't tell me.
222: I heard about it. It's a strange group of bedfellows supporting it. Families USA (a progressive consumer organization) is involved as is the National Federation of Independent Business. The Health Care Blog did a post on this.
Oud, that was John Hutson, I think you meant.
Schneider's commentary strikes me as not going to the Christmas service because you already know the songs.
Hey, what's up with this Silverlight shit? Is Obama trying to get me to vote for McCain?
I am no more immune to democratic handwringing than anyone else (well, except the $@(@$*$@( New Republic writers who feel it was needlessly risky and potentially alienating to white Americans to mention the King anniversary.), & was pretty nervous & depressed about the campaign a couple weeks ago. But I did say to my husband at one point: maybe things look bad because he's on vacation, which he's using to write a kickass speech.
also: Eight is enough?
You know what I learned tonight? I had no idea that RFK had eleven kids. Holy moly.
228: Katherine, I can't tell from what you say whether you liked the speech or not.
Barack Obama gets it exactly right.
Barack Obama: The heebie-geebie of meatworld.
So, which is it that impresses people the world over? Is it the heebie-geebie of our meatworld, or the meatworld of our heebie-geebie?
the meatworld of our heebie-geebie?
Perv.
Perv.
Ah, so it's the latter. Thought so.
"The finale of a political convention is a little like a wedding: the bride is always radiant, and the nominee is always stirring. In an unusual turn, even Senator John McCain, the expected Republican nominee, felt compelled to pay tribute to Mr. Obama's historic milestone with a television advertisement congratulating his opponent on 'a job well done.' (No good ad goes unpunished: after Mr. McCain's spot on CNN came a Mutual of Omaha commercial about retirement plans for the elderly, and another promising to reverse baldness.)"
promising to reverse baldness
New attack line: Obama's ideas are *warmer*.
I liked when Obama questioned McCain's "temperament". It's like the "uppity" of codger-bashing.
I liked when Obama questioned McCain's "temperament"
That was slick, yes. He'd do good to keep repeating that.
I just read a transcript of Obama's speech, and note that it is the second which I read/heard to invoke the concept of a dream's being deferred.
This is obviously a veiled threat of terrorist violence.
Or does it explode?
(rhymes with "doughy pantload"...)
Iris, btw, was very taken with Susan Eisnehower's look. Turns out a smart, classic outfit can win over even the most Princess-addled among us.
This is, of course, a ridiculous thing to base any political opinions on, and so I'm not, but I'm really going to enjoy eight years of seeing Obama's little girls playing in the White House. They just look like great kids. Malia particularly was doing a beautiful job of "I may be ten, but I can be as dignified as anyone when I'm on camera." She reminds me of Sally.
Is this the soundtrack to The Patriot?
I wondered about this, too. I thought it might be from The Postman for a moment and then I thought "Surely, no one has the balls/sense of humor to co-opt The Postman for the Obama campaign."
"There's something about you, Barack. You give out hope like it was candy."
The speech was superb. And as political theater, the spectacle was crazily, ridiculously, supercalifragilisticexpialidociously superb. Sullivan gets it right, I think.
McCain veep announcement did not come, to attempt to steal the thunder? Good.
Rah mentioned that he had read speculation McCain would leak the VP pick during the speech to try to steal some thunder and I said, "There's no way he'll do that and gamble that nobody gives a shit."
I loved the "temperament" jab. I hope there's a whole team researching topics most likely to make McCain bite someone on the torso face.
Rah and I clinked glasses when Obama mentioned the queer community.
Also, I caught only a few seconds of the Daily Show on the way to bed and they were the few seconds that included the "and a white man from Kansas" line. Am I correct in reading, up-thread, that this was said by a for reals CNN guy and not as part of a bit for the show?
247: She even said, "her hair is kind of like mine."*
Oh, and in Conspiracy Theories You Never Even Suspected: [on hearing that LBJ would have turned 100 Weds., indicating that he's dead] "Maybe the same person who shot Abraham Lincoln also shot him."
* It isn't.
I've been so busy I'm at least a day behind now but even so I am proud to say that I have known Chelsea was good looking all along. Can't really say that openly about a teen girl but even then she was like the quote ugly unquote girl in a teen flick who is really a pretty actress with wild hair and wearing glasses. They fix the hair and remove the glasses and, wow, what a surprise, a beauty.
For the record I've always thought Hillary was attractive too. Not that that should matter. Unless you are in politics, where it shouldn't matter but does. But it shouldn't, and we shouldn't talk about it.