As luck, and poor scheduling, would have it, Barack Obama and John McCain gave their Super Tuesday victory speeches at roughly the same time last night, causing cable news directors across the dial to go split-screen, then finally jump from the tail end of McCain's speech to the first part of Obama's. (Hillary Clinton, her campaign a well-oiled machine, had given her speech earlier in the night, when she had the cameras all to herself.)
Watching Obama and McCain speaking side-by-side, I couldn't help but think to myself: if this is a preview of the general election, bring it on!
Trust me, I'm not predicting. There is far too much voting left -- and super delegate lobbying, and party leader waffling about seating Florida and Michigan delegates - for anyone to be able to pick the Democratic winner.
But it was hard not to savor the powerful contrast that Super Tuesday's split-screen moment offered.
The overlapping oratories could not have been more dramatically different. One soared; the other plodded. One caused goose bumps; the other caused eyelids to flutter shut. One felt newly minted; the other could have been given by Herbert Hoover (and maybe was).
For some reason, I kept picturing a singer like Perry Como standing in the wings during the old Ed Sullivan show, watching the Beatles hit the stage, and thinking: "What do I do now?" or "Oh. My. God." or "The world just changed, didn't it?" or "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
I'll leave it to you to decide which Super Tuesday speech was "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and which was pure Perry Como.
Read more Super Tuesday coverage on HuffPost
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
Oh- I liked Perry Como but he was a boring old fart compared to the Beatles, who could sing rings and Ringos around him.
awful and traitorous, want her--but we want to win as
the cruel opportunism of dogma insists. WE MUST WIN==a third term making it GEORGE III cannot do
howsover timely the name_ George III is a perfect tyrant
of our history, and is what McCain will be.
HILLARY looks cranky and weak--sounds worn out
and machine like. If she has problems, it owes to what we all feared--too much of Bill. I do not think she even makes the dream ticket anymore. The VP should be Edwards--white and the South--and Hillary
could be in charge of a special Health-Educ+Welfare dept that aims at one thing: Health Insurance for all.
James Mc James Gorman
Arianna, note the new Clinton media narrative. They put forward, through CNN, a poll taken in Louisiana tonight that says that Clinton voters won't like it if Obama wins. Rachel Maddow, a big Edwards supporter who has appeared to me to hate Obama with a capital H (because he succeeded where Edwards failed?) seems now to favor Clinton, no surprise there and she is frantically spinning the notion that this Clinton-promoted Louisiana poll of who-knows-whom is extremely important.
Let's see if the blog-of-note has political analysts savvy enough to deconstruct this desperate Clinton narrative.
Obama himself hasn't missed this. He says "Give it up for Michelle." He says "let's give a big hand to Ted ..." like he's Ed Sullivan. He imitates rock stars at a concert: "Hello PhilaaaadelPHIA."
This is ridiculous. This guy doesn't talk about anything but how great everybody feels cause he's so cool. In fact, he keeps saying "this campaign isn't about governing."
Thanks, HP, for promoting another Jimmy Carter. "Let me make you feel good again by investing in my campaign."
And then what?
Do you have ANY IDEA???????
Time has not been spent on reviewing and revealing to the voters Obama’s past record, (positive or negative), yet every breath of Hillary Clinton receives undue, unfair criticism, which gets played and debated over and over again. It seems only praise is aired for Obama. Are we expected to actually believe he walks on water?
Obama has failed to vote in the Illinois Legislature for at least 130 votes. He instead voted “PRESENT.” Obama recently admitted; ‘that on at least 5 occasions, he wanted to vote one way, but pushed the wrong button.’ ’ HE PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON? A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON! AND HE DID SO 5 TIMES!
Doesn’t it occur to anyone that the President, from day one, needs to know how to correctly push many buttons and make many decisions?
With the status of the Economy, Health Care, Iraq and the instability of the entire Middle East, you must ask yourself the most important question. Wouldn’t we all sleep better at night having a person with her experience in the White House, on day one, rather than one who must learn how to correctly push buttons while on the job?
We are suffering huge, and long lasting, scars from 8 years of a young, charming, on the job learner. Let’s hope this country can survive if the outcome is the election of another young, charming, on the job learner! God help us!
Internet users are bleeding into mainstream media and causing voters not to have the ability to use their vote to hire the best person for the job of president.
Not all the voters have decided how to use their vote yet. Not all the states have voted. The media, however, is talking about what the internet users want to talk about. The voters are not being heard - just the internet users. We are being told our votes won't count because of super delegates.
Affirmative action is being used by Obama so we cannot conduct a proper interview process between Hillary and Obama. Voters are being asked to overlook Obama's voting record on Iraq and a small resume and the differences in policies. Voters are being asked to give Obama an advantage because of his race. If we criticize him in any way, we are told we are playing the race card.
Obama wants us to not be critical of his record and resume and just vote with our hearts. Obama wants affirmative action! Tell Obama to stand on his own two feet and not make us carry him.
Vote against Obama!
* A great statesman is he who knows when to depart from traditions, as well as when to adhere to them.
- John Stuart Mill
* And statesmen at her council met
Who knew the seasons when to take
Occasion by the hand, and make
The bounds of freedom wider yet.
- Lord Alfred Tennyson,
* Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations–entangling alliances with none.
- Thomas Jefferson, in his first inaugural address
* We say that someone occupies an official position, whereas it is the official position that occupies him.
- Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
* Honest statesmanship is the wise employment of individual manners for the public good.
- Abraham Lincoln