The first presidential election in which I was able to vote was 1992. I remember the youthful euphoria I felt as we had apparently put the Reagan era to bed.
Quite possibly my favorite moment of that political season was when the Clintons opened up the White House to the public on Bill Clinton’s first day in office. What a radical and just plain cool gesture.
Unfortunately, it was the high point of the Clinton presidency. After a few years of “triangulation,” I quickly realized that Clinton’s progressive facade was just that. The worst betrayal, however, was Clinton’s ultimate selfishness, continually putting his political future and his personal desires above the needs of the American community.
As I have written before, I have no illusions that Barack Obama’s presidency will be revolutionary. But I have great faith that it will have integrity — and it will be as progressive as possible within the constraints of present political realities.
And I also get the feeling that my affection for the Obamas will only grow as their years pass before our eyes.
I know, however, that a gesture of opening the White House to the public — while quintessentially Obamaesque — is impossible in a post-9/11 world (not even considering the security concerns that come with our first black president). And I worry, on a larger scale, that Barack Obama, for a variety of reasons (beyond simply security), will be constrained from being too personal and “soft.” After such an inclusive campaign — and one that emphasized youth and was openly anti-war — Obama will need to appear like the dignified and tough leader for awhile.
Leave it to the Obama team, however, to find a backend way — using social networking — to bring us in for an intimate moment.
Enjoy these photos from election night. While not of the highest quality, they are a testimony to the fresh perspective we hope to see in the upcoming years.
As the presidential race winds down, you can feel the Republican desperation.
Now, that’s not to say I think this election is a done deal. I’ve got my phone bank list open in another browser window (Obama’s website couldn’t make it any easier). So after reading this post — and commenting on it, if you’d like — let’s all get back to work.
But back to the desperation for a moment. Whether it’s the latest hypocritical (and just plain false) guilt-by-association with Rashid Khalidi or hitching on the Ashley Todd stereotype ride, you sense Republicans are searching for a surprise …. But it’s no surprise that they are hoping, expecting, working to make sure it’s something that plays on those good ol’ racial fears.
Thankfully, this time progressives have been meeting fire with fire — and the mainstream media has not been far behind. We’re still counting the like of Rachel Maddow and Campbell Brown as mainstream media, right?
On the frontlines has been Stop Dog Whistle Racism! — which has never let any veiled racial attack pass them by. They define “Dog-Whistle Racism” as “political campaigning or policy-making that uses coded words and themes to appeal to conscious or subconscious racist concepts and frames.” Suffice to say, they have been plenty busy.
When this election is over, we need to have a Hall of Fame of media who, like many of the canvassers and other volunteers that are hitting the streets and the phones this weekend, represent a new generation of awareness and activism.
Yes, stories of the future matter. The best science fiction, as I’ve said before, is an allegory for our present-day world.
So I think it’s extremely cool that the folks over at i09 have asked a variety of well-known pundits what science fiction texts are must-reads when considering the imminent choice for president.
I would rather they asked science fiction authors or science fiction scholars, to be honest, but the responses they got actually resurrected — for a fleeting moment — my faith in punditry.
Kos, for example, goes classic with Asimov, but Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit chooses one of my new favorites, Vernor Vinge.
The list is more than just a set of recommendations, though. The real treat is to hear why each pundit considers their text “good election-season material.” Take Amanda Marcotte’s justification of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid Tale:
It probably sounds a little trite since it gets referenced so much, but in light of the promotion of a true-believer fundamentalist to a national ticket, I have to recommend Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s not just because it’s a dystopia that shows what America would be like under a Christian theocracy, but also because the book brilliantly skewers other aspects of the right-wing culture. You have the female misogynist Serena Joy that finds out the hard way that she isn’t exempt from the category ‘woman’ just because she was a stalwart soldier for the far right. You also are reminded that the conservative men who carry on about sexual morality in public all too often have their own closet full of secrets. The book is a reminder that right wing politics isn’t so much about ‘values’, but about power and control.
From the opposite side of the political spectrum, Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online actually wins big points for choosing an episode of Joss Whedon’s Angel, but unbelievably twists it into a warning that Obama’s calls for bi-partisanship are part of an evil totalitarian plot. Really.
If I were asked, I would have a difficult time choosing — but I might go with Octavia Butler’s Dawn — which, more than any text I know, describes the difficulty of coalition-building and the special qualities a true leader must have to bring divergent factions together.
As a bonus, in its look at relations between humans and an intriguing but incredibly alien alien race, it reminds us of what a sensitive, peace-focused foreign policy might look like.
He’s on his own channel on your satellite television. He’s in MTV videos by rap and reggae artists. His ads pop up on the Web sites you read. He’s delaying a World Series game to buy a block of national TV time. And when you’re cruising down the street in your favorite racing video game, his face whizzes by on a cyber-billboard
The only place he hasn’t appeared yet is on a box of Wheaties.
Love him or hate him, and whether it helps him or hurts him, the presidential hopeful is everywhere.
“It’s stunning, isn’t it?” said Dick Crepeau, a contributor to PopPolitics.com and a professor of American cultural history at the University of Central Florida. “It’s very, very calculatingly done, and they’ve done it very well.”
Brooks enlists Crepeau and other cultural critics to look at the benefits and possible pitfalls of being “everywhere.” While Obama has been able to reach non-traditional voters by appearing in places like a billboard within popular video games (the image above is from Burnout Paradise on Xbox 360), the McCain campaign uses the opportunity to claim, once again, that he is more “style than substance.”
Oliver Stone’s “W” opened in theaters Friday, to mixed reviews.
“History is said to repeat itself as tragedy and farce, but here it registers as a full-blown burlesque,” writes Manohla Dargis. “It says nothing new or insightful about the president, his triumphs and calamities. (As if anyone goes to an Oliver Stone movie for a reality check.) But it does something most journalism and even documentaries can’t or won’t do: it reminds us what a long, strange trip it’s been to the Bush White House.”
If the idea of watching a fictional version of the Bush presidency gives you a headache, there is an alternative. Contributor Richard C. Crepeau was invited to a critics’ screening of a new film sure to delight young and old, as well as the “undecideds.” Here’s the trailer, as Dick remembers it:
From a time not long ago, and a place far away, comes the story of a hockey mom and Arctic Circle maverick, chosen to lead a nation …
“The Unbearable Being of Lightness: The Sarah Palin Story”
Starring …
Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin as Tina Fey
John McCain as Tina Fey’s Running Mate
With …
Viggo Mortenson as “Todd the Snowshoe Secessionist”
Charles Bronson as “The State Trooper in Question”
Frances McDormand as Katie Couric
And introducing …
Karl Rove as “Earmark” and
The Bridge to Nowhere as “The Bridge to Nowhere”
Plus …
Special guest appearance by George W. Bush as “The Man Who Thinks He’s Still President,” explaining the Bush Doctrine to a distracted crowd at a hockey rink
Don’t Miss …
- Watch a hockey mom shoot living things at the Arctic Circle from a B-52 while listening to “Jonah33″ on her iPod!
- Be amazed as the foreign policy maverick re-ignites the Cold War from her front porch, after she looks into Vladimir Putin’s eyes and sees his soul!
And, for the first time anywhere …
Sarah “The Barracuda” Palin challenges Barack Obama to go one-on-one in a half-court game!
a) decent
b) family man
c) citizen
d) all of the above.
If you, like John McCain, answered “d,” pat yourself on the back. You’ve just earned yourself some praise from unexpected corners — including much of the liberal blogosphere — for finally reining in the vitriol of your most rabid supporters. In this case? By agreeing with a woman in your audience that the word “Arab” is a slur. She pins the word on Obama; McCain says that’s just not nice.
What’s notable here is that McCain, like everyone in his audience, knew immediately where she was going with this. He knew that to “respect” Obama in this case meant to defend him from the (supposedly heinous) charge of being Arab, and he did this not by saying “actually his father’s family is Luo, from Kenya…” but by calling Obama a decent family man, a moniker he apparently believes no Arab could claim.
Ana Marie Cox of Wonkette, who was present at the event in question, reports that the woman, Gayle Quinnell, said “Arab terrorist,” which would render McCain’s comment more defensible. But in the video there is no indication that Quinnell said “terrorist.” She just said “Arab.” Some have wondered if the word “terrorist” was inaudible. This might be true, but Quinnell keeps speaking after she says the word “Arab,” before McCain reclaims the mike.
I am guessing Cox simply misremembered the exchange: that the words “Arab” and “terrorist” are so thoroughly linked by now that to make the former an adjective of the latter has become second nature.
Presidential hopeful Barack Obama met fantasy President Jed Barlet and received some fantasy advice. Bartlet’s voice really comes through at the beginning and there a few funny gems:
BARTLET That was a hell of a convention.
OBAMA Thank you, I was proud of it.
BARTLET I meant the Republicans. The Us versus Them-a-thon. As a Democrat I was surprised to learn that I don’t like small towns, God, people with jobs or America. I’ve been a little out of touch but is there a mandate that the vice president be skilled at field dressing a moose —
OBAMA Look —
BARTLET — and selling Air Force Two on eBay?
OBAMA Joke all you want, Mr. President, but it worked.
BARTLET Imagine my surprise. What can I do for you, kid?
OBAMA I’m interested in your advice.
BARTLET I can’t give it to you.
OBAMA Why not?
BARTLET I’m supporting McCain.
OBAMA Why?
BARTLET He’s promised to eradicate evil and that was always on my “to do” list.
It’s difficult to imagine the long tirade below, however justified. Maybe more Toby than Bartlet?
OBAMA The problem is we can’t appear angry. Bush called us the angry left. Did you see anyone in Denver who was angry?
BARTLET Well … let me think. …We went to war against the wrong country, Osama bin Laden just celebrated his seventh anniversary of not being caught either dead or alive, my family’s less safe than it was eight years ago, we’ve lost trillions of dollars, millions of jobs, thousands of lives and we lost an entire city due to bad weather. So, you know … I’m a little angry.
OBAMA What would you do?
BARTLET GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it.
McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too?
I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!
You don’t believe it? Well, as Keillor himself points out, it’s not any more of a leap of logic than what the Republicans are trying to do:
It is a bold move on the Republicans’ part — forget about the past, it’s only history, so write a new narrative and be who you want to be — and if they succeed, I think I might declare myself a 24-year-old virgin named Lance and see what that might lead to. Paste a new face on my Facebook page, maybe become the Dauphin Louie the Thirty-Second, the rightful heir to the Throne of France, put on silk tights and pantaloons and a plumed hat and go on the sawdust circuit and sell souvenir hankies imprinted with the royal fleur-de-lis. They will cure neuralgia and gout and restore marital vigor.
I heard Chuck Todd report on Meet the Press today that insiders in both campaigns acknowledge that a major factor in Wisconsin and Michigan is an unspoken (and un-pollable) racism from white rural voters — “the Bubba vote.” Todd says that the Obama campaign has a “magic number”: They need to go into election day with a 58 percent majority in the polling in those states, because they are going to lose seven percent of voters who will tell pollsters they are for Obama but who instead will vote their racial fears when they complete the ballot.
What Todd didn’t mention is that this racism isn’t simply a result of a backwards segment of the population; it is being actively fomented by the Republican party and their surrogates. And I’m not talking about intimidating African American voters and others in places like Michigan, where they are threatening to challenge all voters who have received a foreclosure notice on their home (a legally questionable and certainly “mean-spirited” tactic).
No, I’m talking about the distribution of “Obama Waffles” at the Values Voters Summit. It featured a variety of racist portrayals of Obama. While the image on the front recalls classic racist stereotypes, the image of Obama on the top shows him wearing an Arab-like headdress. The image on the back depicts Obama wearing a Mexican sombrero. Joan Lowy of the AP writes:
The box was meant as political satire, said Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, two writers from Franklin, Tenn., who created the mix. They sold it for $10 a box from a rented booth at the summit sponsored by the lobbying arm of the Family Research Council. [...]
While Obama Waffles takes aim at Obama’s politics by poking fun at his public remarks and positions on issues, it also plays off the old image of the pancake-mix icon Aunt Jemima, which has been widely criticized as a demeaning stereotype. Obama is portrayed with popping eyes and big, thick lips as he stares at a plate of waffles and smiles broadly.
Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian.
On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for “Open Border Fiesta Waffles” that says it can serve “4 or more illegal aliens.” The recipe includes a tip: “While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?”
If you want to see how a caricature can legitimately use humor and make a political point, I would suggest Steven Brodner’s illustration of Sarah Palin in a recent New Yorker. BagNews Notes, as usual, has the insightful and convincing analysis:
Palin [...] is a reality show. Sixteen days out, her visage continues to permeate the media sphere, as the electricity — primed by biographical fairy tales tightly bound to visual spin aimed at the right brain — continues to trump the reams of qualifying or damaging information that is streaming out.
The crossed arms on two screens and in the larger caricature reflects her inherent defensiveness and hostility. The fish “that big” and the hand gestures on “Bridge to Nowhere” call out the chronic double speak. The way the eyes track in relation to the angle of her head speaks to how well she knows where the camera is (while the disappearing neck telegraphs the underlying reality of “the empty suit.”)
In real life as well, one can easily sense all this, but still she rolls.
Even though many Democratic activists are calling for it, I’m not yet sure that the Obama campaign needs to meet the Republicans down in the muck. I think the alternative narrative — which keeps them on a high road — might hold the most power, if we can afford to be a little patient.
Regardless, they need to seize control of the narrative. And an image, I’ve heard, can be worth a thousand words.
Paul Reiser (of Mad About You fame) uses some much-needed levity to express his own frustration with the lies and innuendo that appear to be the entirety of the McCain-Palin campaign:
We’re in the 3rd grade again. The skinny, smart kid who just moved in to the neighborhood is getting roughed-up by the asshole bully. The kid who hits you in the head with your hand and says, “Why’re you hitting yourself? Why’re you hitting yourself?”
“Um, actually I’m not. You’re hitting me.”
“You calling me a liar?”
“No, I’m just pointing out that…” SMACK!
“Why’re you hitting yourself?”
And, although he no longer speaks because of his battle with cancer, Roger Ebert is still able to give a devastating “thumbs-down” to those tactics. Along the way he explains why Sarah Palin is the “American Idol” candidate:
I think I might be able to explain some of Sarah Palin’s appeal. She’s the “American Idol” candidate. Consider. What defines an “American Idol” finalist? They’re good-looking, work well on television, have a sunny personality, are fierce competitors, and so talented, why, they’re darned near the real thing. There’s a reason “American Idol” gets such high ratings. People identify with the contestants. They think, Hey, that could be me up there on that show!
My problem is, I don’t want to be up there. I don’t want a vice president who is darned near good enough. I want a vice president who is better, wiser, well-traveled, has met world leaders, who three months ago had an opinion on Iraq.
And Matt Damon thinks we’re all living a “bad Disney movie” nightmare:
Of course, why should the opinions of celebrities matter? I mean, the only place farther away from the political realities of Washington than Hollywood is … a small town in Alaska?
Before we say a final goodbye to the Republican National Convention (and the good times had by all!) let’s take a moment to spotlight news stories, columns and an open letter to the Alaskan governor that transform the “R” for Republicans into Reality.
Jesus Was a Community Organizer: Joe Klein explains, in language simple enough for Rudy Giuliani to understand, exactly what a community organizer does — and specifically what Barack Obama did. The MoJo blog has more. And the Boston Globe has a story today featuring community organizers who are none too happy about the insults.
In a column titled “Mirrored Ceiling,” Judith Warner asks, “Why does this woman — who to some of us seems as fake as they can come, with her delicate infant son hauled out night after night under the klieg lights and her pregnant teenage daughter shamelessly instrumentalized for political purposes — deserve, to a unique extent among political women, to rank as so ‘real’?”
Calling Out Contradictions: Kudos to Jim Kuhnhenn and Jim Drinkard of the Associated Press for putting together a handy rundown of false claims and exaggerations made at the convention. The issues covered include Obama’s tax plan, the infamous “bridge to nowhere” and Mitt Romney’s back-to-the-future moment.
Meanwhile, Ted Anthony, who covers culture and politics for the AP, notes that the Republicans want it both ways when it comes to the Palin family: “Hey, media, leave those kids alone — so we can use them as we see fit.”
Finally we turn to “The Daily Show” for a delightful exchange between Jon Stewart and Newt Gingrich on the politics of language:
In an article published in PopPolitics magazine, Anthony A. Cupaiuolo, an expert on public administration and municipal management, raises questions about the mayor’s role in Wasilla, Alaska and what Gov. Sarah Palin’s two-term record as mayor says about her managerial skills.
Small town adherents love to talk up the positives of the small town experience, how everyone knows each other and is likely to help out in a crisis. True, but the flip side is that local leaders, who are generally not trained in public administration, are more likely to cross the line between official responsibilities and personal agendas.
Case in point: As mayor of Wasilla (pop. 7,025), Palin set out to fire a librarian who didn’t share her interest in book-banning (resulting in a community outcry); requested the resignation of city employees who had shown support for her opponent; and successfully terminated the well-liked police chief.
That Palin allegedly demonstrated the same lack of professional judgment as governor when she removed the state public safety director for refusing to fire a state trooper who was involved in a messy marital situation with Palin’s sister should come as no surprise, but let’s stay in Wasilla.
In my experience, the city’s form of government is atypical for such a small community. Wasilla has what’s considered a “strong mayor” system, where the mayor has executive responsibilities. This system is usually associated with larger communities (250,000 or more), where there is a significant number of interest groups in competition with one another. It is therefore important for the mayor to have the executive power and political leverage to garner sufficient support for his/her goals and policies. In cities of this size, the mayor is also likely to have a deputy trained in public administration.
Update (via DailyKos): Okay, Heart actually doesn’t appear to have legal standing, since “Barracuda” has been “licensed for public performance under a blanket fee paid by the venue to ASCAP, the firm that collects royalties on behalf of composers and copyright owners.” But Roger Fisher, a former guitarist of the band, says he will donate his royalties to Obama: “With my contribution to Obama’s campaign, the Republicans are now supporting Obama.”
You gotta have Heart, I guess.
Yes, Heart — one of my youthful guilty musical pleasures — has sent a cease-and-desist order to the McCain-Palin campaign via their record label. They objected to their use of “Barracuda” after the Republican convention speech of VP nominee Sarah “Barracuda” Palin (the nickname she supposedly gained on the basketball court).
Four years ago I saw John Fogerty on the “Vote for Change” tour supporting the Kerry-Edwards ticket with Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M. and others. His extra-bitter performance of “Fortunate Son” made it clear what he thought of George W. Bush.
So why isn’t he publicly objecting to the use of “Centerfield (Put Me In Coach)” — which bridged the speeches of Joe Gibbs, former coach of the Washington Redskins, and Senator Lindsey Graham at the convention?
Now, I don’t know if a cease-and-desist order would have any legal basis, but as Dave Burdick at the Huffington Post reports, many other artists and their labels have made their objections known.
CNN just showed what is presumably a member of the Indiana delegation with a button, featuring a logo and picture of McCain and Palin along with the following: “Hoosiers for the Hot Chick.”
Since the Republicans have just discovered the concept of sexism, I guess we can understand if they are not yet up to speed on the whole “politically correct” thing.
(Wait, now that I think of it, political correctness was a Republican creation in the first place).
Update: Indiana’s WTHR television news has the story.
They’re moving delegates around on the floor to put more women in front of the stage before Gov. Sarah Palin speaks. The gender breakdown of Republican delegates explains the need for the seat shuffle: the number of male delegates overwhelms female delegates by 2 to 1.
Speaking of gender, NPR tonight noted that the speech originally written for the vice-presidential nominee was deemed too “masculine” and was thus rewritten when Sen. John McCain selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.
As for other demographics, in a historic shift, only 1.5 percent of the total number of delegates at the RNC are African Americans — amounting to only 36 delegates, according to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. It marks a sharp drop-off from 2004, when 6.7 percent, or 167 delegates, were African American. That was the all-time high.
In contrast, at the Democratic National Convention, nearly 25 percent of the delegates were African American, and slightly more than half were women (a first). The full demographic breakdown is available here.
Back at the convention, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a former Republican presidential candidate, practically did air-quotes around community organizer to minimize Sen. Barack Obama’s experience.
Meanwhile, the current Republican mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, opted out of watching Palin’s speech. His pick tonight? Whoopi Goldberg — in “Xanadu.”
Update: The Washington Post has a front-page story on the mostly white convention.
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As I have written before, I have no illusions that Barack Obama’s presidency will be revolutionary. But I have great faith that it will have integrity — and it will be as progressive as possible within the constraints of present political realities.
Yes, stories of the future matter. The best science fiction, as 
The list is more than just a set of recommendations, though. The real treat is to hear why each pundit considers their text “good election-season material.” Take Amanda Marcotte’s justification of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid Tale:
What Todd didn’t mention is that this racism isn’t simply a result of a backwards segment of the population; it is being actively fomented by the Republican party and their surrogates. And I’m not talking about 
If you want to see how a caricature can legitimately use humor and make a political point, I would suggest Steven Brodner’s illustration of Sarah Palin in a 
CNN just showed what is presumably a member of the Indiana delegation with a button, featuring a logo and picture of McCain and Palin along with the following: “Hoosiers for the Hot Chick.”