Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Obama: Change Comes Harder Than We Thought

When Obama said he wanted to bridge the divide between blue and red, some of us may have thought that he would be reaching out with his left-leaning hand to the middle and middle-right and pulling them closer to the left.

He never said that.

Perhaps we thought that we would emerge from such a bridging with all of our hopes and issues intact.

I don't believe Obama ever thought that.

Turns out it hurts to walk half way across that bridge. It hurts both sides. That this is the legacy of Republican politics is beside the point. Change means change for us, too. What is now being called the "Netroots," which yesterday was called the "Liberal Blogosphere," is all upset about some of Obama's policies. It has always been upset over his health-care plan, and even though there are many plusses in the FISA bill, and a giant loophole which allows an Obama Justice Department to investigate and prosecute the Telcoms, the blogs are screaming bloody murder over Obama's support for it.

I don't like that he supported it either. I'd like to see the CEO's in the same Federal Prison with many of the Bush administration.

I'd like to see Obama elected President first.

One of Obama's strengths is that he allows us to write our own beliefs on to his bandwagon. It's one of the things that make him such an attractive candidate. Blacks write their history on him, whites understand that he was raised by white folks. And on and on.

It's hard to compromise when you've spent your whole life being uncompromising, but what's the alternative? John McCain? Moving to a self-sustaining farm?

this also appears on huffingtonpost.com

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Talon News Endorses George Pappoon, Really

That Jeff "James Guckert" Gannon, former paid shill purportedly representing "Talon News" at Presidential press conferences is still passing himself off as a journalist is funny enough. That he denies he had anything to do with a male escort service, the same male escort service that had a nude picture of him advertising his service(s) is a good Republican joke. They're awful good (or awful bad) at trying to convince you that your eyes are telling you something that just isn't true…like that naked picture of big Jeff is what? a doll?

What's funny is that Talon News has just endorsed George Pappoon for President.

Yes, the same George Pappoon that the Firesign Theatre has run for President for decades. Remember his slogan? "He's Not Insane."

There are lots of other very funny stories on here. Intentionally funny, not like Fox.

Could it be that someone else has gotten ahold of that domain? Maybe someone connected with Firesign Theatre?

A recent item read:

June 16, 2008
PALOOKAVILLE: Surrealist Presidential candidate George Papoon agreed to debate his opponents in a series of "Town Hall" meetings. Papoon had never agreed to debate anyone before, or had much use for any kind of personal interaction that didn't involve pet grooming, so his agreement marks an historic change in campaign strategy.
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain agreed to the meetings with Papoon, so the effect on the horserace will be negligible. "Really, I'm all about the horserace, and grooming the horse after the race," said Papoon, relapsing into an unusual degree of consistency. "That," continued Papoon, "and Paraguay."

Don't miss "D'Antoni & Levine" (two Huffington contributors) live Thursdays at www.blogtalkradio.com/tomandart

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Clinton as V.P. Grrrrrrrrrr....Well OK.

I think we're feeling a huge amount of residual fear and loathing of the Republican hate and slime machine; and a similar size helping of non-confidence in how Democrats have responded to it in the past. Both feelings are totally justified.

Will America vote for an African-American? Better to ask if they'll vote for someone with brains.

First of all, there is at least 20% of the population of the U.S. who hate Black folks, always have, always will. Ingrained bigotry is a part of human nature that will always survive. Face it. There's nothing we can do about it. Write them off. They were going to vote Republican, anyway. Republicans have portrayed themselves as the party of hatred and bigotry. Let them have it their way.

The ray of hope is that, except for those 20% (who believe that Obama is a Muslim, and all the other Rovian lies), none of the Republican slime has stuck to Obama.

Will America vote for an African-American with a woman as his running mate? If that woman is Sen. Clinton? As much as it pains me to say so, Obama would do well to swallow the bitter pill and take her on as running mate. And send Bill to be ambassador to anywhere.

It's a good thing that "white working class men" weren't watching the proceedings on TV Saturday when the Florida and Michigan votes were settled. Trust me on this, and men you back me up. There is a gut reaction in men, not based on logic, but solely on emotion, to women like the ones who wouldn't shut up, and kept screaming. Any man who has ever had an acrimonious break-up with a woman knows it and felt it as they watched. I know I did.

The male brain goes, "Will you please just shut the fuck up and leave me alone! Go away. I can't stand this shit anymore. No, really! You're driving me out of my mind. Do whatever you want, just shut up and leave me alone!" But they don't. And you feel like you want to run and never stop running just to get away from it.

This male reaction takes place no matter who is to blame, or if both are to blame. Maybe it's a female weapon. Did they talk about that in "Sex and the City?' It just IS. This isn't sexism. This is based on experience. If there are men out there who haven't experienced it, God love ya.

That is part of Obama's Hillary problem, if he offers her the V.P. slot. I never understood why the right wing hated her so much. I have a better idea now. She has waged a dirty campaign, not based on issues but on character destruction. I'd rather see Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebalius as his running mate, but I understand that sixteen million people voted for Clinton. I just don't know why.

The other part is what does he do about her Iraq vote?

As the campaign begins, I'm trying to hold to my original belief, that the Democrats could run a dirty catbox and win this year. Running a man with the intelligence and compassion of Obama almost seems like too much to ask for.

this also appears on huffingtonpost.com