The A.D.D. Election
Last week it turned out that Hillary Clinton had had to lend her campaign five million dollars. I couldn't believe it. And I meant to write about it. But now several days have passed and no one seems to care any more. When I first heard about the loan, I thought it was big. In fact, I thought it was Big. I thought that if the news about the loan had come out two days earlier, just before Super Tuesday, it would have hurt Hillary. Also, it seemed to me it must have been completely traumatic for her. Let's face it, the Clintons are not exactly famous for picking up checks. I don't think they've paid for a Coca Cola in the last thirty years. The whole episode made me start thinking about women and money, and I could definitely have written an entire piece on the subject if I'd had time, but by the time I had time, no one really seemed to be talking about it; they'd moved on.
And so had I.
This is the attention-deficit-disorder election. Everything is happening at warp speed. Everyone is bouncing around on the net and changing the channel. Everything is shifting so quickly that there's almost no point in trying to keep up, but I'm trying. The other night, at a Super Tuesday gathering, I was so busy trying to keep up that I changed the channel and I managed to crash the entire cable system. It was not my fault. I kept saying that. I had changed the channel very carefully, because I know from my personal life how much trouble you can cause by crashing the system. Everyone at the party was good-humored about it, even though it took about forty-five minutes for the cable system to reboot and they had to move to the bedroom. Meanwhile I went home and flipped from channel to channel desperately trying to figure out what had happened on Super Tuesday. The day it was all leading up to. The day that was going to change everything. The day it was going to be decided. You remember Super Tuesday. It was seven days ago. Before the loan. Before the end of Mitt. Before David Shuster said "pimping" on television. Before the Virgin Islands and Maine. Before we all realized there was no avoiding learning about the superdelegates. Before Hillary fired her campaign manager.
By the way, I turned out to be wrong about the $5 million loan hurting Hillary, because now it turns out she raised $10 million this week. Women and money. Big subject. Too bad I'm no longer focused on it.
Why is John McCain so strangely subdued?
I have a fantasy about myself and Barack Obama. My fantasy is that he calls me up, asks for my advice, and I tell him to stop looking down at people. It makes him appear supercilious, especially on the debates. When he's on Meet the Press, it sometimes seems as if his eyes are closed. Maybe it's the set. I don't know. I'm sorry this is the sort of thing I focus on in my political fantasies, these petty cosmetic things, but I do. Sunday morning we changed the channel to Face the Nation, and there was Mike Huckabee. Such a funny guy. Loved the bit about eating squirrel. Of course I disagree with him on pretty much everything and there's no circumstance, including some sort of I-Am-Legend scenario, wherein I would ever vote for him. But I swear, if he were a serious candidate, I would be having a fantasy about telling him to fix his teeth.
Buy orange juice.
Less than two months ago, everyone I know thought that Rudy Giuliani had the Republican nomination sewed up. And then, suddenly, he was over. I've never seen anyone vanish so quickly. I wasn't surprised, though. Rudy wasn't having any fun and you could tell: it was as if he believed he'd died and gone to hell. Running for president has to be the worst job there is. Last week everyone who was running for president was hoarse. Bill Clinton was on 1010 WINS, and he was so hoarse you couldn't even tell it was Bill Clinton. Even I am hoarse, just from talking about the election.
Here's something British journalist Peter Pringle said recently that bears repeating: he said that watching Bill Clinton in this election made him realize he could not spend four to eight more years worrying about whether Bill Clinton would get home at night.
Sunday morning, as we were changing channels, we saw George Bush on Fox. He looked great. He laughed in a strange inappropriate way when he was asked if he had approved waterboarding. You know that laugh, that weird heh-heh laugh. He seemed cheerful and peppy. And why shouldn't he be? He's not running for president. He didn't have to live through Super Tuesday.
You remember Super Tuesday. It was about a zillion years ago.
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You know what this election needs, Nora? More twinkle lights. (grin...)
nora,
try this: spend no more than 30 minutes a day surfing the internet for news. turn the TV on 3 times a week but don't watch any "news". read your newspapers in the morning.
you'd be surprised how much you can stay on top of the issues without having to consume every little morsel that's thrown out. not to mention saving time and your mental health.
A.D.D.....
"it sometimes seems as if his eyes are closed. Maybe it's the set. I don't know."
......i see this too, but i think it gives him a "regal look".....
Agreed. He does looks kinda regal when he does that and most importantly he does NOT look robot like. Yes Mitt is gone but one robot still remains. She's just had the best acting/speech coaches in to world to mask her android like speaking mannerisms. I guess everyone's ADD has made them forget that.
The news media frantically pick up and run with every little tidbit related to the election in hopes of getting higher ratings. Those items that don't catch on are gone before you can react. Instead of news we have a whirlwind.
Like Ephron, I constantly wish that I could tell the candidates what I think will help them. As for Obama, I want him to find a prominent Latino to endorse him before the critical Texas primary. (BTW, I think he "looks down" on others primarily because he is so tall.) I want the Democrats in their advertising to circulate the photo of McCain hugging Bush everywhere they can think of. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Also, I wish he would ditch his free-market economic advisors.
Also McCain can be damned with his own words. The video of his singing "bomb, bomb, Iran" should ask the question if it is presidential to find the subject of war to be funny. He also said recently that the electorate needs to be prepared for other wars.
The Democrats have been losing the propaganda war for years mainly because they don't really understand what motivates people. Because they don't know, they hire consultants who advise them not to educate, persuade, or argue with facts to the public, but to move politically to the right.
The Republicans' value system primarily comes from a Puritanical religious history that sees right and wrong in terms of sexuality: abstinence, abortion, gay marriage, authoritar
I recommend everyone start watching the FKN News on YouTube. Much better than MSNBC, CNN or FOX.
http://www
Great piece. I'm a Huffpo regular, have been posting about twice a week (which for me a lot), and have five in-process election pieces, each which I continually revise as events keep changing and whip-sawing them.
Of course if half the states in America hadn't dog-piled onto Super Tuesday, this might be playing out at a saner pace (or maybe not) but with Obama's recent victories, I'm hoping that we'll actually elect a pretty amazing candidate.
PS--contrary to the rhetoric about inexperienced "obamabots" I happen to live and breathe in a world of very hard-headed and experienced citizen activists, all of whom are breaking overwhelmingly for Obama, even though many did like Edwards before.
Agree Paul. I too get a kick out of people complaining that the most exciting and motivating candidate I've seen in my life is saddled with the fact he has no "experience". What experience did (arguably) one of the best presidents we've had in recent history (Bill C) have when he started his run? Governor of Arkansas?? Now that is some major foreign policy experience there! It's ridiculous. If I could tell Obama something, I would say to pick some GREAT foreign policy thinkers and get them behind you and start talking about how you will utilize them in your cabinet. If he's as good as I think he is, that is what will happen. He will surround himself with the smartest people he can find....an
Some say Hillary is on a downward turn and
Obama is destined to be the Democratic
Presidential Candidate. Funny how people fade
in and out again.
President Bush made a comment on a TV special
before "super Tuesday". He said he would exit
the stage at the appropriate time. Ok. That
might mean next January. But the comment gave
me the creeps, mainly because of the smirk
that accompanied it.
If Bush bombs Iran he can suspend the constituion and stay in office. Nothing is beyond the Bush/Cheney boys.
I agree with you.
The American people are watching the wrong momentum. The Russians buzzing the U.S.S.Nimi
I agree. Or he could concoct a terrorist attack and declare martial law with his lawless, illegal army.White
I hear you. And it's funny. But I have never felt more focused in my life.
On Saturday my husband and I caucused for the first time. We didn't even know what we were supposed to do. We just found our location online and went there. And it was glorious. People of all ages and walks of life, all races, all jobs, all of us awake and alive and THERE.
We had such a great time (two delegates for Clinton, SEVEN for Obama) we volunteered to be alternates.
I've never loved Democracy more, and it's all because of Barack Obama.
I know exactly what it going on, and I am thrilled to be part of it.
I hear you too....Thi
"We didn't know what we were supposed to do." Of course you didn't. Obama doesn't know it either. His speeches are empty rethorics and lack any substance. His plan is "We can," but he's yet to figure out how. Did any of you bother to read his "universal" healthcare plan, or his foreign policy plan? Oh, that's right it's either not that universal or not existent. Our country is in recession, our dollar is worthless, gas prices and mortgages are skyracketing, parents are fighting insurance companies to get medications for their sick children, and you think that "hope" is going to fix it?
I don't know if "hope" will fix it, but I do know that inspired, motivated people who "have hope" "can" fix it if they put their minds to it. That will never happen now in a country of people who are reminded to "be afraid" every 15 minutes, and reminded that "we have to fight the terrorists over there yada yada yada". I'll take hope over fear any day!!
Silly girl, don't believe the hype. Obama is a disheartening hypocrite - Hilary is for business as usual, McCain is clearly dangerous - where is the Great Democracy? Why did these Great Democrats support the exclusion of the competition? Why is Obama pretending to be Black? Where are the issues in these campaigns? Why are the troops still in Iraq? Why are these Senators spending so much time and money to get elected? Shouldn't they be doing their jobs? See AMERICASOVER above.
I just saw a poll that said something very important.
The other candidate I saw was against everything.
I'm going to vote against the other person in the primary.
What was you're question again?
..of the few intellectually mature people i have spoken to who are trying to persuade me to vote for Obama today in the maryland primary ( vis a vis the naive younsters and the almost scary "Obama-bop"
Cultist types) i am beign told Obama is coming across as moderate because he is holding his real cards close to his vest and if elected will unleash a true liberal/ progressive agenda he simply cannot yet reveal becuase of his being a black male...hmm
Dude, there has got to be a better way than Hillary's divisiveness. Quit being a cynic and let's change the discourse. Let's change the mindset that got us into Iraq. You know, the war that Hillary voted for. If you're against the Neo-cons, why would you vote for their biggest supporter?
Dude,
All this 'she voted for war' crap is a red herring; it was a vote to give weight to the threats. (And, don't get me wrong, I never saw Iraq as a threat; but the Bush administration played it as such, and did a good job of it.)
Most of the Democrats who voted 'yes', expected negotiations to continue. It wasn't a vote "to go to war!" Study up...
Another red herring is the 'divisiveness' of the Clintons; there were a hell of a lot of Republicans who voted for Bill Clinton's re-election. The haters are a small and vociferous faction. There's no more reason to be scared of them, than there is to abandon the term "Liberal," just becasue they've turned it into a dirty word.
Are you are Karl Rove clone? i.e. "Hillary's divisivness" is from HIS 90s script and it simply is not true and you do not know what you are talking of. If she is such a bad-ass, mean, nasty witch as you Hillary haters like to put forth, why did she get overwhelmingly re-elected in New York with many Republicans voting for her as well? Why is she so well respected in the halls of the senate where she has been praised for working with both sides of the aisles? Those nasty words you and others use when speaking of her come from the power brokers and war mongers, who are far more scared of her being President than Obama. They all know he'll be a pushover, especially now that he has falsely branded himself as a "uniter"..
Catfish, I agree with Lee. We gotta change the channel man! I understand what you're saying that at least Hil knows how to hit back on day one, that doesn't mean we should keep putting beltway bandits back in. The madness has gotta stop sometime, and boy, we've had the worst 8 years of madness I've seen so far with Bush/Cheney.
Give me a break. Hillary's divisiveness is a media narrative. The good old boys of the media simply cannot stand that a woman is smarter than them. They have spun the "racist" meme and the cultists have bought it. It is classic Rove tactics...
Dare say anything negative about Obama (like his rhetoric on Iraq is a fairy tale), and it is racist.
Dare say his talk to a conservative newspaper was complimentary to Reagan, and you are mean, and nasty and unfair...a
Hillary talks to an all female alma mater and dares mention women's issues and she is "playing the gender card".
Obama travels on a tour to speak with all black church crowds and he is crowned the new savior.
Dude, there has to be a better way than liberals defending the blatant sexism of Chris Matthews and MSNBC, and supporting lying rhetoric about a woman whose entire life since college has documentation about her work on behalf of minorities being a racist.
One more thing, Dude, women are not stupid, nor are we blind. We know sexism when see it. We knew from the get go that men would resist a woman as leader. And save the "it's not women, it's THIS woman" crap. Heard the same crap with Jesse Jackson...
thank you cat,,,,you just voiced my feelings better than i ever could have.
The U.S. voter has been changed (not recently but now almost completely) into nothing more than an audience for a dog and pony show that no longer even resembles the vision of the much revered but rarely obeyed "founding fathers". And the most disheartening thing is the proclaimed Democratic candidates, neither one even close to being fit to hold the job, yet everybody is jumping on their preffered bandwagon.
Hillary voted for the war, and what? Obama didn't. No, because HE WASN'T PRESENT. I'm so tired of hearing that he was against the war. No, he wasn't. Had he put himself in the right place and be present in the Senate, he'd vote for the war too. He even said that he's not sure how would he vote. Why don't you talk to your "guru" and confirm with him?
I just keep feeling that the most amazing thing that has happened is the "swiftboating" of Hillary Clinton. Love her, hate her, whatever - there really is no sustainable argument on why she wouldn't make a fantastic president. A great speaker and intelligent person, who really only has a shitty vote for a bullshit war that neither side has ended, a philandering husband and a too-aggres
An intelligent person who lays out great plans for the future, versus my Illinois state senator who doesn't discuss any real plans for anything, just throws out the words "hope" and "change" a lot...but no real discourse on how he'll accomplish that change in a system he hasn't yet studied adequately. The prodigal son has been shielded thus far from any criticism from the media, or dare I say, the Huffington Post...but by all means, give him the keys to the car.
A do'er versus a dreamer? My state senator from Illinois, who happened to win because his frontrunning Republican opponent needed to resign, leaving Alan Keyes as his running mate...He'
I fear that his time will come too soon, and another Jimmy Carter will indeed be seated. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. And empty rhetoric.
OH CatfishJohn, what you have just said has been my mantra since this whole circus arrived. Shades of media darling Carter and the effete ineffectualism that ensued. I'm afraid people like you and I are way too knowledgable of the real nuts and bolts of the power elite. Obama may win, but the back room dealers that shape our lives will probably chew him up and spit him out....
Yes Nora,
We have a nation of kiddos raised at the teat of 15 second entertainment blasts, who - so detached from reality- now scream, cry, whine and throw temper tantrums when the war will not shift entertainment venue- when franticly click their remotes.
The do not see the value in good manners.
There's a slug of us oldsters raised to "stay on task until it's completed properly," "buy something only when we can pay cash for it," and "do no harm to thy neighbor, who have been steady goes for Mike Huckabee since day one.
Even though socialists have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on their psychological warfare against our freedoms, anything healthy, doable, needed, Huckabee will prevail. You heard it here first.
Those kiddos are going to do your job and mine at the same time. They are quite scary and their potential is being wasted
I don't know how old you are Silk, but it's the folks around 60 who've brought us illegal, immoral war with no end, crippling federal debt, a failed economy, weak dollar, loss of respect in the greater world, a looming environmental disaster they were too greedy to address, etc.
If the task was to destroy our country, then I'd agree with you that the oldsters stayed "on task."
Mamabird:
Bravo! And don't forget that the children of that generation reject the consumer, materialist/soul sick values that the Baby Boomers have settled into.
MamaBird,
Yes, I agree with you regards "folks around 60...", for amongst "us" there were trust fund babies who...with monies their mommy and daddy gave them, had the luxury of time and money to serve no purpose other than to fry their brains on costly drugs. We'll never know to what extent the ripple affects of the huge mess their self-indulgence, lack of self-discipline, and disconnect from reality has- and will continue to cost this nation.
Some - but not enough - kept their heads clear, exercised a great work ethic and thoughtfulness to their neighbor, and reared terrific children. And they give me hope.
Just clarifying who was who then.
Aura of influence is a mighty thing, and until we recognize how our "unhealthy" actions horrifically impact those around us and ourselves, and embrace a willingness to behave in ways that bring no harm to thy neighbor, we're truly doomed.
If we instead, hold ourselves accountable to our actions, clean up after ourselves, and "think" about the results AND consequences we want "before" we act, there's hope.
Thank you.
Old people always talk shit about the younger generations. But children learn from their parents and elders. If you buy video games and televisions and inundate your children with all of the societal propaganda that freedom means shopping and eating toxic food... you get highly confused, A.D.D.-pro
cg4 - right on!!!
You are right on the ADD. Forgot the vote for the war? The most important vote in her life and she got it WRONG and won't apologize, offering ridiculous excuses!Bu
Obama has everything except the ability to shun socialism. If he publically denounced such, and made a firm committment to honor our US Constitution, private property and STATES rights, that young man would have my vote in a heartbeat!
As long as we've broached the subject of a candidate's teeth, did you catch Michelle Obama on Larry King last night (sleeveless dress, triple-strand pearls)? What is with the self-conscious mimicry of a decades-old conservative image? Are we going to see lots of tableaux of the Obama's going too church, maybe the adorable daughters in little white gloves? Or a White House prayer breakfast, with silly big hats, and maybe Donnie McClurkin praising Jesus for delivery from homosexuality? The thing is, if I vote for change, I'd like to be sure I'm getting change, and not just the same old conservative American Christian nuclear-family ethos wrapped up in a telegenic bourgeois black family.
"The thing is, if I vote for change, I'd like to be sure I'm getting change, and not just the same old conservative American Christian nuclear-family ethos wrapped up in a telegenic bourgeois black family."
Then quit worrying about what Mrs. Obama is wearing. the change we're talking about doesn't concern fashion.
Don't confuse my interpretation of one aspect of the Obama imagery with prioritization; I know it's not foremost. But take a really tired, conservative presentation, and couple that with the senator's inexcusable (and unnecessary, don't you think?) use of gay-hating McClurkin, and it starts to raise doubts. You Obama boosters caught up in a frenzy of excitement can be as dismissive as you want, but I don't feel like spending another four years with a president of two attractive daughters who blabbers on about his relationship with Jesus.
I enjoyed Larry King last night! Michelle Obama is a breath of fresh air. The Obamas are very open about where they came from and have every right to be proud of what they have accomplished personally and professionally. They come from the heartland of this country, no one bought their educations like our present El Presidente', they worked in their communities, fought the fight and made their way. Sure Senator Obama is young, fresh and damn smart, the organization he has built is truly impressive. It will take many bright, highly motivated people from all walks of life to make a difference in where this country and its citizens are headed. I trust Barack Obama to surround himself with the best and brightest to realign this country for us all and not just those of a certain party or religion. He is going to need us all to re engage in life and politics and not by just going shopping..
Hats and pearls and gloves? Exactly what is wrong with the nation.
Why not ask Mr. Obama to give specifics about his policies? Why not learn about the differences in policy between the two candidates?
How about remembering you are electing a President, and change is not about what anyone might choose to wear, but it is about taking our country in a different direction than our idiot, incapable, incompetent President has taken us?
GO HILLARY! And Yea Obama for 2016 when your experience matches your ambition anc charisma! I will support you then. But right now, things are too dire, and we need someone who is not all rhetoric. I want someone who knows what to do, and how to do it, and how to do it NOW!
His whole plan is exactly like Hillary's only he chickened out on health care and goes way too far on nuclear power is green power, which is bull, for my tastes. His whole plan is the same, but he's a change...y
When Hillarys pitbill starts humping your leg do you look to the left or the right? or look down at him to see if his eyes are closed? Hillary and her business partners in the lobbyist money game have run a fair campaign if business as usual is what you want. Has this country gone any where but down since congress has deadlocked ? There approval rating is 13% should anyone tell them? They should be ashamed of themselves but, they aren't they still get paid and get raises regardless of if they even show up. Hillary is part of this! remember the backroom deals Bill made? Well, its all part of her EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!!!
Oh give it a break! Can't you laugh at Ephron's blog?
Obama is also a member of that same low rated congress..
If you think back room deals are not the norm in politics--wake up!
And that is never going to change.
You can hope for change all you want. And hopefully, we will get it.
But back room deals is how the system will always work. It is called negotiation. Politicians have constituents. Everybody wants things. As long as people have money, and as long as people want things, and as long as there is democracy--that is how it will work. The best that you can hope for is good back room deals that get things done!
It isn't as if Obama will wave his magic wand on Inauguration day and all the people in DC will suddenly change into new people that will only co-operate with Obama. They will be the same, so who's gonna change, not them.
Is it genetic gift, skill, money, connections, dumb luck, or alien invasion of the human body or purely the extensive number of days spent on the job that ensures good job performance?
Reviewing the past defines for humanity that the "More Experience Meter" is one of the better ways to shield us from stupid decisions, haste, wild emotion, and foundational bias for one way of thinking or another.
It is the only sure way to elect a candidate for office, pick a great boss, stock broker or for that matter a good horse in any race.
All the best people have their leg up, so to speak, on the "More Experience Meter". Feeling more confident now?
Some people just happen to have a lot of experience at making awful decisions. I wouldn't want that person to be my candidate, boss, stock broker or horse for that matter. Oh, and Cheney and Rumsfeld had TONS of experience.
Clearly I am misunderstood. Possibly I should have been less obtuse, or facetious. My point was that experience in all the above referenced have let us down.
'THE MORE EXPERIENCED" AIN'T OBAMA..REG
First, please lose the caps lock.
Second, I'll take Obama's experience over Hillary's any day. He has spent his entire adult life helping people less fortunate, with community service and public office (of which he has more than her). Hillary claims 35 years, but that includes her 4 years at WalMart. Nothing against WalMart, but it doesn't really count for presidential experience, and neither does renting out the Lincoln bedroom. The only thing worse than her flimsy experience, is the fact that she misrepresents her experience. Can't she just be honest?
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