Last night, Jon Stewart took President Obama to task for performing so blandly on Wednesday night’s debate. I have to agree. What happened to the eloquent Obama, the POTUS who could?
Anyway, here are a few more grabs from the piece since I can’t post Comedy Central videos here on WordPress . . .
This man got 21 mentions by John McCain and 4 from Barack Obama. It was almost farcical. I mean really. I almost snorted Pepsi up my nose when Obama turned to the camera and said with a straight face that he was talking to Joe, too. I know that when McCain gets a phrase under his belt, he just cannot let it go (e.g., “My friends” used 22 times in the last debate), but the promises that McCain was making to Joe tonight made me wish, just for a moment, that I could change my gender and career because, gee golly dontcha know, Joe is going to get a lot from the Senator if he makes it to the White House.
For the record, Senator McCain, I really DO want to spread the wealth around. I’ve been waiting around since Reaganomics was first implemented for that trickle down effect to trickle down to me, and it still hasn’t happened, so how about spreading the wealth around to some people who are really hurting. I nominate our household for the first round of spreading. Seriously. Here we are. Go ahead. Use a backhoe.
And that comment about not taxing anyone? Isn’t that just plain stoo-pid? Hello? Aren’t we in an economic crisis, which means that we need an influx of capital, and isn’t money from taxes capital going into the system? And don’t give me that cutting the capital gains tax line. Republicans have been hauling that out every year since Bush I, and the only people with substantial capital gains have more than 7 zeroes in their incomes, and hey, they don’t need tax breaks.
Ooh, now I know why we haven’t put the two candidates at the same table before. It’s scary to have a close-up of John McCain. Have you ever looked into his eyes? Kind of like looking at a shark’s eyes—black and soul-less. And how about the rolling of the eyes and smirking when Obama was talking? Interrupting? Snarky. Naughty, naughty.
But putting the candidates in proximity was perfect for making them talk about Bill Ayers and ACORN. Let’s put it out their and see who blinks first. I believe that McCain was the one who said, “I don’t care about an old washed up terrorist.” Perhaps the senator should put that in a memo and distribute it to his surrogates, especially his pet pit bull. Nevertheless, the always smooth Obama was ready and answered the charges on Ayers and ACORN. However, I really wish that he had thrown the fact that John McCain, in March of 2006, headlined an ACORN event in Florida.
Nevertheless, my blood pressure soared when McCain had the audacity to say that he has “repudiated every time someone has been out of line whether they were in his campaign or not.” Can we all say liar, liar, pants on fire? And ooh, McCain’s feelings were hurt about what Representative John Lewis had to say regarding the dirty politics going on in the McCain camp. Obama responded by bringing up the point that people at the rallies were saying “terrorist” and “kill him.” To which McCain said that he is proud of the people who come to his rallies and there are just a few fringe elements out there.
Now strategically, I understand why Obama didn’t go there when Bob Schieffer asked the candidates about their opponent’s running mates, the better part of valor and all of that. But was it my imagination or did I see just the faintest twinkle in his eye as he thought about it for a nano second, just a passing moment in which he thought, why not? But the statesman in him held him back and he gave a responsible, respectful answer when you know he wanted to say, “Are you kidding me? Seriously? I wouldn’t let that woman run my sprinkler system.” At least, that’s what I imagine he wanted to say. But didn’t. Because he’s a lot nicer than I am. But you know that Michelle was thinking it.
Senator McCain, Trig Palin has Down’s Syndrome, not Autism. If you are going to exploit a special needs child, at least get the damned facts straight. Geez.
And by the way, the most disappointing statistic of which we need to be ashamed as a developed nation: U.S. ranks 29th in the world for infant mortality even though we are supposed to have the best health care. As 29th, we tie with Slovakia and Poland, but lag behind Cuba. Singapore is first, and the Czech Republic is 8th. This is truly an abominable statistic, yet no one seems to be outraged. WHY NOT????????????
Tired now. More later . . .
Madeleine Albright’s quote is actually supposed to be the following:
“There’s a special place in hell reserved for women who don’t help other women.”
Governor Palin, in all of her vast reading, including a Starbucks cup, couldn’t quite get even this short quote correct. She chose to change the word help to support because, of course, support makes it seem that all women should support the governor because of her gender. Sorry guv, can’t do it. You need to have a brain and a conscience before I can go there.
“The day that Sen Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body,” said Cindy McCain. “I would suggest that Sen Obama change shoes with me for just one day and see what it means… to have a loved one serving in the armed forces and more importantly, serving in harm’s way.”
Obama first voted for a version of the bill that included a timetable for withdrawal. President Bush vetoed the bill. Obama then voted against a version that did not contain withdrawal language. And for the record, McCain himself voted against the troop-funding bill when it contained withdrawal language.
For more on this particular story go to http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008.
“We’re building a nearly $40-billion natural gas pipeline, which is North America’s largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever.”
Not quite, Governor Palin. It’s sort of like your bridge to nowhere. Construction isn’t anticipated to begin until 2015 with an anticipated cost at this date of $26 billion.
For more on this particular story and other stories about both candidates and their running mates, go to award-winning site http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/775/.
Just thought that I’d spend a few minutes catching you up on what the women in McCain’s camp have been doing. While they do have nice suits (okay, Cindy McCain does, love her shoes), their ability to dissemble seems to be something at which they excel.
Oh, and congratulations Sarah P. on a job well done at over-reaching in the power department in the governorship. I knew that you had it in you. I’m not exactly sure how you can say that the Dems were behind it, though, especially since the committee who found you at fault was composed of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats. That seems to be more than a little bi-partisan to me. Seems to me they mentioned something about Todders overstepping his bounds, especially since he is not a state employee? Not really sure how that whole review by the employee review board is going to help since you appointed most of those people. Have you boned up on your civics lately, especially the sections on ethics, censure, and impeachment? You know, just in case you don’t get to fill Cheney’s big boots and you have to take the plane back to Alaska with your proverbial tail tucked between your, well, you know . . .
By the way, just a word to Senator McCain before the third and final presidential debate: Before you put your hand on a CPO’s shoulder and try to have a sincere everyman moment, you might want to make sure you are carrying a grade better than a D with the Vets on your performance review. Seems they don’t think that you are all that sincere in your appreciation of Vets once they return home from serving their country.
Personally, I just don’t buy your act of learning things from a non-com. You strike me as the kind of officer who looks right through anyone who is an E-grade, that very rigid demarcation of Academy grads. In fact, your wife made it pretty clear in her interview with Marie Claire when she said that her husband didn’t have cold sweats from his POW days: “The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. He was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing.”
Okee dokee. That clears things up for me. Officers, no problems. Grunts, problems. I don’t think so. It’s never that clear cut. Never that easy. And only a fool would think so, even a humanitarian, Bud Light-drinking, XBox fanatic who wears jeans and cannot curse kind of fool. Please.
And on that note . . . more later.
Lola's Curmudgeonly Musings 