Faulting the Palin News Coverage

My letter today to the NY Times faulting the "news analysis" of McCain's VP pick. The "news analysis" is here.

To the Editor,

In what is under the heading "News Analysis" (Choice of Palin Is a Bold Move by McCain, With Risks , 8/29), the Times frightfully headlines and writes that Senator McCain risks undercutting his central case against Senator Barack Obama with Gov Palin as his choice for VP running mate. Risks? With the central case being about experience, it blows the central argument out of the water! How can anyone not say that this choice undercuts the experience argument? Gov Palin has been in office less than two years in one of the least populous states, and before that, the mayor of a smallish town population around 9,000. She is hardly known nationally and has no foreign policy experience. That there is any question about the experience argument being undercut reflects either poor or fearful (of conservative reaction) news analysis.

McCain-Palin? A Big Goof!

John McCain announced Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate yesterday. It's a stunning and stunningly bad choice. Ms. Palin may be accomplished and popular in Alaska, but she's completely unknown on the national stage and has very little government experience (a year and a half as governor of the 47th most populace state and before that some time as mayor of a town, population 9,000+). It's incredible that McCain would elevate someone like to this to such a high position considering the presidential stakes at hand. This is a big gift to the Democrats. Now McCain's argument that Barack Obama doesn't have the experience to be president is totally undercut. That is a huge blow to the strategy of the Republicans for getting McCain into the White House. I'm sure they had a bunch of commercials planned that would harp on Obama's lack of experience, but those commercials will have to be swept aside, and a new advertising strategy will have to be developed.

The VP choice also makes Obama's theme of judgement resonate even more. McCain has years of experience, but he still makes a pick like this. The Obama camp won't directly criticize the Palin choice, but it will fire back strongly if there are anymore experience charges aimed at Obama, and it will play up the judgement theme hinting strongly that Palin was a bad choice.

I thought McCain-Romney would have been the toughest duo to face. Romney's a good campaigner and complements McCain on economics and by appearing to be still somewhat youthful (at least in my opinion). Pawlenty would have been better than Palin, but maybe not that exciting, less well known than Romney, and maybe less formidable.

Lastly, there was some pretty moronic reaction to the Palin pick last night on Hardball. Chris Matthews was trying pretty hard to stay balanced on the fence, but it was obvious that he was holding back and being nice about Palin. And then his three women guests were all somewhat complimentary of the pick, even the Barnard (sp?) woman who is an Obama supporter. I think they were all afraid, particularly Barnard, of coming across as offensive and so all gave positive or politically correct answers. The 800 pound gorilla in the room was experience, and it was hardly touched on. Why do I watch these shows??

I will say that it was highly more realistic on Countdown. Olberman obviously inferred that it was a bad pick. Howard Fineman said Sarah Palin makes Barack Obama look like John Adams. Rachel Maddow said it's a laugh out loud pick.

Change?

I was a bit underwhelmed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech last night. It was his usual standard fare with a little specificity mixed in but not much. Perhaps I've seen too many of Obama's speeches and have grown a little tiresome of his rhetoric. I actually fell asleep during the latter third of it (doesn't help to be lying on the couch with a comfy head pillow), but I don't think I missed much. I did read the text later on in the evening.

Since I wasn't impressed by the speech I haven't included a video link here. I thought Bill Clinton and John Kerry made better and the best speeches that I saw from the convention.

So my question is: What is Obama's agenda if and when he gets into office? What are his priorities? I know that he plans to get with the generals and determine a reasonable withdrawal time line from Iraq, but what else? It would have been nice to get more specificity on the priorities.

The speech called for change but not much other than the usual change of a change in parties in the Oval Office. What about change from what Obama talks about as the usual politics in Washington. How is he going to change that? I didn't hear much on that theme in his speech tonight. It was basically a safe Democratic speech.

Lastly, I thought the venue was great, and it was neat to see the wide stadium shots with it looking like every seat being filled. I didn't like though the backdrop to the stage. The columns/colonnade wasn't terrible, but it was a bit lofty and conservative. Also, when watching Obama speak, I sort of lost the sense that he was in a big stadium. He could have been in a smaller venue, because during the speech you couldn't see anything behind Obama (besides the columns). I think a more open podium, perhaps with people visible behind it, that conveyed the sense of the event being in a large stadium would have been more effective from a television viewing standpoint. Also, the stage was a terrible mess after the speech with all the streamers massively draped over one side.

Bill Clinton Speaks at the DNC

Bill doing what he does best...

John Kerry Speaks at the DNC

A stirring speech by John Kerry...

Who is this guy?

I couldn't help thinking the following as Barack Obama made his "surprise" appearance at the end of Joe Biden's speech: Who is this young, thin guy coming out to emcee the festivities? Now being young and thin shouldn't be held against someone, but I mean, really, what is this guy's track record that qualifies him to put us at his command? His lead? He was only just giving a keynote address at the last convention four years ago. He was completely unknown then, and he's still really new to a lot of the country now. What has he done at the national level or at the state level that is known nationally? Obama's got to win the election, but after reading about and seeing him, I also feel that Obama can sometimes be getting a little too big for his britches.

Take the Mike Away From the Kids

At the end of Michelle Obama's speech last night at the Democratic National Convention, we had a too cutesy moment with the Obama girls. Dad was on the video screen being piped in from Kansas City, and the youngest daughter, Sasha, was given a free hand with the microphone to say things to her dad. It became a bit ridiculous though I'm sure the intention was to present a loving family moment. And to think that Barack Obama thought that they had put their kids into the spotlight too much after that TV interview earlier this summer. They've obviously gone back on that.

A Note to the Obama Campaign

A note below that I sent to the Obama campaign today. I donated another $250 yesterday ($500 total to date). Looking to get the Obama-Biden t-shirt. Also requested a bumper sticker and sign.

A comment about presidential candidates that frequently comes up in the media and seems to be mainly aimed at Democratic candidates is "whether he is one of us". Well, what is one of us?? The thing about America is that it has diversity whether it be ethnic, cultural, educational, or economic. Despite this diversity, we are all "one of us". "Us" is not just one group of people. "Us" includes the Ivy-League educated, the high-school educated, the oil field workers, the Wall St. bankers, the farmers, the teachers, the retired, the college students, those in the big city, those in the country, the black, the brown, and the white. Whether a candidate has a different background than others should not be so important. What matters is that his words and actions make sense for America.

I know that Senator Obama has sounded this type of theme before, but I think the meaning of "us" in all its forms and in terms of where presidential candidates can come from should be emphasized during the convention and the campaign.

Go Obama-Biden!

Hooliganism Beyond Football

Brits are at it again and more broadly than just at football (soccer) matches, making irritants of themselves at European vacation spots. The Times article here.

Teaching Evolution

The New York Times has a good article on one Florida teacher's struggles to teach evolution. The biology teacher, David Campbell, is shown to be quite knowledgeable about the subject (which I guess a biology teacher should be) and quick witted with answers. He's tactical as well about the subject with his students who are from a conservative community significantly influenced by religion. Campbell has also been an activist working with other teachers to get the state of Florida to have stronger standards for teaching evolution.

More power to David Campbell! He's definitely making a positive contribution to life.

Summer Olympics in Beijing

I've watched more of the olympics than I had anticipated. Today, I actually enjoyed watching the kayak races. It was a nice way to relax. I watched most of the marathon this evening (live the next morning in Beijing). Imagine, watching a marathon! But it was interesting and a good sideshow while I was cooking dinner.

I also watched some track whenever it was on this evening. Amazingly, the Americans held onto the baton and won their mens and womens 4x400 relays (they both dropped them in the 4x100 relays).

I haven't actually watched too much of the Olympics during the week. I think I will, but it doesn't happen. I guess when I hear the results earlier in the day then I sometimes figure it's okay if I miss the tape delay. However, I would have like to have seen Jamaican Ussain Bolt's 100m and 200m world record victories.

Beijing has put on quite a show. Every building seemingly lit up at night. Wonderful opening ceremony (which I only caught the latter half of). Should be a somewhat melancholy closing ceremony tomorrow night. They usually are I imagine. London in 2012 will have a tough act to follow. Would be nice to be there for that.

Finally a Post, and Finally Obama's Running Mate

I didn't think that I would fall off the blogging wagon that dramatically, but I guess I did since it's been over a month since my last post. Well, no one reads this blog. It's almost a personal journal. Does it matter? Yes. It's far too early to give it up especially after a good beginning.

Anyway, Obama finally announced his running mate for the election. It's Joe Biden. Several months ago I never would have thought of Biden being in the Presidential mix at this date, even if it is as VP. But I like the pick over the other frontrunners (Evan Bayh, boring, and Tim Kaine, unknown). Biden complements Obama well. He's got the experience that the lack of seems to be tripping up Obama, at least the perception about Obama. Biden's also can be hot compared to the supposed "coolness" of Obama. But hopefully that hot doesn't get Biden and the campaign into trouble. Biden's got a big mouth, which can be tiresome and is able to receive in it the occasional foot. There's also the plagiarism incident from years ago (I think 1988?), but I don't think that will be a problem. Enough time has passed for people to forgive Biden over it.

I've never been a fan of Biden, but I hope that he helps Obama win the presidency.