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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Nora Ephron for president!
It was so nice to read something funny - heaven knows we can all use a little break from all of the tension. The I-Am-Legend line actually made me cackle.
I love you, Nora. Thank you so much.
Yes Ms Ephron is one of our finest wits...how about a romantic comedy on the presidential race...
This political season is full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
No candidate cares about universal health coverage in a serious way. No one will limit corporate giveaways, and certainly no one cares about the unemployed, as seen in the insipid "stimulus" plan wherein the Democrats acted exactly like the Republicans: the poor got screwed.
So pay no attention to the minute to minute changes in the race to the White House, because whoever winds up with the prize will either be unable or unwilling to offer fundamental change.
Understand this and you will not get your heart broken.
I say go ahead an elect McCain. The US has had it's fifteen minutes and will soon go the way of the Roman Empire, the English Empire, et al. If we elect McCain, the end will come much sooner and we can get on with rebuilding from the ground up. That's assuming of course, there are no more TV reality shows to keep us pre-occupied.
Then tere's always shopping.
...and celebrity rehab stories...
I feel the same way. Let's just get the most hateful and destructive of the bunch in there and speed up the momentum of "la societe du spectacle.
We almost deserve it and McCain, after the horror of the Bush years, would be the perfect ending, finalized by a profoundly timid, ignorant fool.
But what about the children? Our stupidity, born in earnest in 1980, should not engulf them.
Nora, darling,
It’s not ADD when you got data overload. There’s just too, too, way too much − of everything. Election-wise that is.
It’s not ADD; it’s Bizarro World and I don’t know which one is Superman − or Superwoman as the case may be − but I do know where the Kryptonite is. That’s entitlements. Don’t get near that or you become very, very weak − politically that is, to wring out this analogy for all its worth.
One thing America’s 9/11 Mayor’s strategy − as well as “rank’em, pack’em, stack’em*” Thompson’s strategy − has taught us is you can’t ignore the early primary. Even if you know you will not do well among the holier-than-thou or the northerner
Like you, Nora darling, I was hoping Super Tuesday would end the madness. And, for the Republican it did − sort of. This of course, reinforces the idea that Republicans would rather be “right” than win or that they prefer a faux hero who pretended to land a plane on a carrier instead of someone who actually landed a plane on a carrier.
Of course, the Republicans can always depend on the strategy that has worked for them oh so well in the past. They can depend on the Democrats to lose an election that any pundit except those from some Biazrro World blog would predict they would easily win.
Anyway, Nora darling, not blogging just commenting (too late!). Let’s do lunch. Have your bot contact my bot. Love ya’, mean it.
*One of Thompson’s lines in a Die Hard movie − the second one I believe. Wouldn’t you have just loved to hear him make at least one State of Union address? It woulda’ been a stemwinder.
You are right on the ADD. In fact most women forgot about all the Clintons' scandals, pardons for money, WH for hire, Bill's deals with arab sheiks, how both of them got so rich (upwards of $50 million) with shady deals in the last 6 years, etc...
We've been there, done that. Lets start anew : OBAMA 08!
POLITICNUT
It would be good if you could spcifically attribute Clinton's deals with arab sheiks, and specify details of this allegation.
Clinton has invested money made on lectures and books, and would be interesting to know exactly what you're talking about.
As for Mr Pure, he he's hardly pure. Coming from the cesspoll politics of Daley Chicago machine his law firm represented Tony Rezko, slumlord who with Obama's and Allison Davis [head partner of firm], approved and represented tax advantaged government subsidized low income housing developments. Eleven were in Obama's district in Illinois senate that Rezko [his major patron and fundraiser] helped Obama win. Rezko deprived heat, repairs, and allowed thousands of apts to go to forclosure, remaining empty crack houses.
This happened many times in [30] buildings in Rezko housing with thousands of tenants. Obama knew Rezko for 17 yrs, and ultimately bought landmarked manse and Rezko was neighbor. In sweetheart real estate switch, Rita Rezko paid $625,000 for backyard adjacent lot, and sold it to Obama for $14,000.Bo
Exelon country's largest nuclear plant producers had a leak in Illinois [home base], so first Obama wrote bill protecting public. Then GOP watered it down, and it's nowhere. Exelon's lobbyist in chief gave Obama $227,000.
Obama claims he never took from lobbyists, and campaign manager David Axelrod [former lobbyist] was also paid by Exelon. Michelle Obama also was a paid board member on WalMart and resigned before Obma's run for his US senate run, funded heavily by Tony Rescue.
And you say the Clinton's did what??
Barack is looking down at people?
For shame!
A uniquely personal habit: more focus on *that* is what we need in this crazy election which -- my thoughts are moving so rapidly I'm not even going to finish that sentence.
If only John Kennedy hadn't pronounced "car" as "cah" or Bill Clinton hadn't pointed at people with his thumb (it's stilling pointing, bub) or Hillary didn't alternate "um" and "you know" between every word (her eyes widening for added emphasis).
Barack is too tall. The way he *looks down* at people who are shorter than him is so condescending! He should slump over, tilt to one side, and bend his right knee-- it's awkward, but endearingly awkward, because Americans may not be ready for a non-awkward, confident African American president.
I find Obama's prose less than inspiring, but since he has a chance to become the democratic candidate I decided to listen to a speech on TV, just to stay informed.
Not only does he look down but he doesn't make eye contact.
He looks right or left, very seldom straight front. And when he looks front, his eyes shift left or right. It is probably my quirky disposition, but I like people to look me in the eye when they are trying to tell me something of import.
His speeches are written by Ted Sorenson who wrote for the Kennedys.
Barack is a phoney crook and his past is all over chicago newspapers. His main patron and fundraiser, Tony rezko Obama's favorite slumlord was Obama's main fundraiser re. Illinois and US Senate runs. For 17 yrs. Rezko now idicted and in jail without bail goes on trial Mar '08.
Obama's district housed all of Rezko apts [thousands] he let forclose after receiving approved [legislature] federal subsidies to improve and rehab them. All went to forclosure
amd became empty deserted crack dumps.
Obama never made a peep and kept taking support, property, and whatever he could get from Rezko.
www.suntim
Way back in olden days, students standing in
front of the class were told to focus on something
just above and beyond the audience, and for
emphasis to sweep their gaze and body slightly
right and left. Sounds like crazy moves, but
people felt you were looking their way and taking
in the entire room, without being too distracting.
Obama may use something simular to this. During
"debates" he seems to avoid the bright lights
right around him by keeping his gaze more down-
ward. He uses a lot of gesturing too. Hillary
is moving quite a bit on stage, and looks at
at people more directly, so she may come off as
more confrontational.
Obama is on the world's biggest ego trip..yes we can yes we can...Yes we can WHAT????he offers no plans and no solutions.
Obama has plans, you just don't want to acknowledge it. He talks about incentives to support a more responsible energy policy; he has a plan for universal health (it covers everybody that wants it, as opposed to Hillary's, which covers everybody that doesn't want it); he has some interesting not-stuck-
Obama's health care plan will NOT WORK. If only those that "want it" get it, the plan will be loaded with sick people that sink the system. People would come in only when they need it. Hillary's is far more rational. You Obama people have puppy love, where you can't seem to think rationally. Too in love for now, until the icy little man disappoints & then you'll hate him.
Keep drinking the kool-aid, Kumbaya y'all
Please - I'm totally serious - I want to know where I can see or hear of actual plans? I actually do like the guy a lot, but I honestly don't know a single thing that he will actually do come January 20, 2009. Can someone please send some links to actual plans and not just bulleted talking points, where he says "I have a plan" and then offers opinions and some sound bytes? He just may be our next president, and I really, truly want to know what he is going to do with the world, and mess, that he will inherit, because talking points just won't cut it.
Barack Obama has plans. Lots of them. Go to www.barack
So now he moved the specifics to the website and in his speeches works to mobilize voters--young and older, Democrats, Independents and some Republicans, long-time voters and first-time voters--to join together in grassroots action to change the course of our government. Now he gets criticized for no specifics. He gets branded a "hopemonge
If you want specifics, go to the website and read them. Stop saying he has "no plans." Do your homework and get yourself informed before you make such an ignorant statement. You won't get cooties from going to the website of the opponent of your favorite candidate and taking the time to read his positions.
Yes! Obama has plans, ones he took from Hillary and Edwards. Download for example his Katrina recovery plan, which he came out with in Aug 07, then download Hillary's out in May of 07, clearly first. Other than change a verb and ocassional adjective. Obama copied this plan, and it goes on and on with many other issues as well. Edwards main complaint was Obamas theft of his ideas. There is nothing about Obamas plans that are Obamas
Wise up, He is all talk, no walk
I'm afraid that with Hillary,it's just going to be more of the same politics-as-usual that we've had to endure for WAY too many years. In that regard, Obama is the candidate who is most likely to get us out of the rut we're in. Hell, I'd sooner vote for the counter guy/gal at the Seven-Eleven before any career politicians who have spent years getting us into the mess we have now. We need change. We need a new way of looking at things. We need it NOW.
Obama is a huge coward and doesn't want to debate Hillary.
He's afraid his ideas will go up like the smoke and mirrors they are made of.
He has a cult following who demand nothing. So why should he risk being exposed as an empty suit?
Hillary might just ask him why he keeps stealing her plans, and uses them for his own. ALL talk, no walk
Golferling, What does Hillary mean when she says ready on day one? She never explains how she'll be ready. In her speeches she points out many problems, but she never suggests how we would actually change them. She brags about 35 years of experience, when we all know that includes 4 years at WalMart and renting out the Lincoln bedroom. Will that really work next to McCain's experience? I don't know where Hillary stands on anything. What is her plan for Social Security? Obama has a plan. If Hillary is president, will she be the Hawkish Hillary we've seen in the past? Or will she be the crying Hillary when things don't go her way? She says she can reach across the isle, but will she send her husband out to insult her opponents? The one thing I do know about Hillary is that she voted for the war in Iraq, and she refuses to say that was a mistake. Are we now to believe she'll really get the troops out? Not sure she wants to, she does have a lot of money from the Defense industry. How hard would it be for her to come up with a reason to stay?
We have a vague memory--or is it just a fantasy?--of Hillary having once said that if she were elected (to Congress), the first piece of legislation she would introduce would be to abolish the Electoral College. Did she really say that, and if so, what happened? Did she introduce such legislation and it didn't get anywhere, or did she just forget about it, or did she never make such a statement?
Phyllis & Eberhard Kronhausen
No doubt the Clinton's will claim the $5 million as a charitable donation on their tax returns.
Please ask Obama to give back the difference he took from indicted crook now in jail, Tony Rezko. He paid $104,000 for neighbor Rezko's backyard property that cost Rita Rezko $625,000.
He should quick give up the difference.
Rezko trial goes on in March, and when Chicago
SunTimes asked him about this, Obama said it was "boneheaded". It sure was.
She never said that. Another misattribution. After the Gore Florida fiasco she said that personally she felt Electoral College was dated and presented problems, but it would reqiuire an amendment and vote and very difficult to do. With a GOP congress can you see Hillary or anyone else trying to abolish electoral college?
Mr Democracy could not do this either. Frankly I don't know ehat he can do.
To a tuned-in worldwide audience the 2008 American Presidential election has only a single issue, the War in Iraq.
Will the American voters nominate and elect a candidate who will bring a swift end to a policy defined by a preemptive strike, invasion and occupation of a weaker nation in an ongoing attempted armed-robbery of its oil resources? Or will they endorse it.
They understand that all other issues such as the economy, immigration, experience, hope, gender and race are secondary, promoted by the MSM to divert the voters from confronting the truth about the criminality of the Iraq undertaking.
Imagine if Germany in 1940 held a free election and the issue were not the war, but the economy. The German people never had the opportunity to endorse or reject their leader's war policy.
ADD will not excuse us, if we opt to Stay the Course.
The choice for American voters is between Obama's 'End the War, change the mindset' and McCain's 'Stay the Course, shoot our way out of our problems' solutions.
Time to focus.
I once spoke with a very bright women, not to say that I haven't spoken with many of the same. That particular woman seemed very happy. "Why are you so happy," I asked. "It's easy," she said, "I don't read a newspaper and I don't watch TV news. I don't know what's going on, and I don't care."
Those are the ones voting for Hillary, out of sheer ignorance, not researching the facts.
Wake up women! Obama is the best solution if you get informed.
How dare you say this about Hillary supporters. We are professional, educated, and activists who have soent time in the trenches opf politics. life. and business and know what it's about.
Your ignorant rant of insulting stupidity is a forecast of what Obama cultists bring to the table, and frankly it will give us all indigestion.
The facts? Look up Obama's dirty record in Chicago with slumlord Tony Rezko awaiting trial in jail in march'08. Obama is a crook and if you were not either so blind,ignorant,or lazy you could see what he actually did with Patron and main fundraiser, crook Rezko. www.suntim
His sweetheart real estate kickback deal from Rezko was atrocious, and done while Rezko was under federal investigation. Obama's remark when sun times asked him in '06 and '07. "it was boneheaded". Sure.
No those are the ones voting for Obama. Ask one what he stand for and their answer is HOPE. Yeah, that and $5.00 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
how shameful to find that ignorance is bliss!
That's why they vote for hillary based on her sex alone.
I think StanQ has a point in a strange way. I do stay informed but I do also avoid the day to day BS that passes for news these days. The MSM has ADD and if one were to follow the constant barrage of up one day down the next info it can get very discouraging if not confused. I for one do not watch the local evening news and therfore do not have motion lights surrounding my house. My neighbors watch and their houses look like prisons. Their is an old Taoist saying that states one can become more confused by being too informed. I think that is what one should take away from stanq's joke.
politcsnut, you should be thrown off this site. You're a sexist troll.
Your hatred of women, intolerance and ignorance makes for a typical Obama cultist. Hillary is my choice because she is smarter,more experienced, and she's got the stuff that can lead during crucial times.
This Chicago Mr Inspirational crook with no experience is and empty suit.
We vote for Hillary based on her sheer brilliant mind and our own.
politicsnut:
"That's why they vote for Hillary based on her sex alone."
No, she also has the support of neocons and Israeli firsters. Ask Morris1030.
I don't know if I can forgive the Democratic Party for letting Obama's candidancy divide the party. I don't know if I can forgive Howard Dean and all the players that allowed all of this to happen. Obama's candidancy is so lacking in substance, the party needs to fight back. Obama is a motivational speaker for hate toward Hillary and Bill. He used the caucus states (beginning with Iowa) to gain momentum, intimidated the media (with getting IMUS fired) and used MSNBC to silence President Clinton as an important surrogate for Hillary. MSNBC timed Obama's surge just right.
Obama trying to change the rules for super delegates is wrong. Howard Dean should stand up to Obama forcefully and try to save the party. If he doesn't, I will not be able to stay in the Democratic Party. Find the money and redo all the primary elections in caucus states. Give the silent majority in the Democratic Party a voice or we will lose our souls and lose in November.
It's not Obama who lacks substance but the era in which he lives-- the ADD era. CNN's "Ballow Bowl" for instance-- they show the same stump speeches over and over, then Candy and Suzanne talk a little about the latest polls, and back to another stump speech.
If Obama spent his time talking about his plans he would be down by thirty points. No-- he'd be out of the race by now.
After all, "it's the economy, stupid" wasn't exactly an in-depth, scholarly analysis of how interest rates work.
What a completely off-base post. Obama a "motivational speaker for hate towards Billary"?
Obama set an example on dignified loosing in New Hampshire by giving one of the most riveting speeches of any campaign; a concession speech in which he graciously acknowledged his opponent Hillary.
The speech went on to inspire the nation along with the Caroline Kennedy endorsement, followed by the Ethel and Ted kennedy endorsemen
That unsolicited video averages one million hits per day, Hillary's hallmark special was viewed by maybe 250,000.Th
Hillary couldn't bring herself to congratulate obama on his wins last Saturday though they were both at the same Dem dinner.She couldn't be bothered to give a concession speech in SC and had Bill give one instead while she fled the state. Then she wonders why people are turned off.The ill will has been all one-sided from the Billary camp.
This was her election to loose; she was crowned the favorite all of last year by the media and she and bill have stopped at nothing to squander wahtever good will americans, especially african americans, had towwards them.The Clintons are not the victims you want to portray.
Wouldnt it be nice if we could vote for the Charismatic good looking gifted speaker?
Well, we cant afford to. We have 2 wars and other potential hot spots in the world
An unbelievable debt, global economic problems
Environmental problems and poverty. Give me experience, I'm not looking for a Valentine
GO HILLARY
Vsign,
A great post. The party is already divided and no one vetted Obama as the Dems were so anxious to destroy Clintons they took Obama, [Kerry groomed him] an unvetted speechifier and made him a religios cult inspirational tv hero.
His background, now hidden and covered up is tainted, scrubbed and absurdly damaging. Even Vanity Fair did an outrageously scrubbed and inaccurate Bio puff piece of obama's background in the cesspool and sewers of the Daly machine of Chicago Politics. Left out all of is "deals".
Obama operated with cunning in this swamp yet the Party has endorsed him! If the delegates are influenced by Obama pressure the party will be seriously hurt and divided. Dean must deal with this and the issue denying Michigan and Florida of delegates.
Super delegates will be a gangstered brokered convention tactic known well by party elders like Kennedy,Kerry, et al.
Should this happen the Democratic Party is headed for the cliff. I for one, would leave the party as would so many i know.
Ummm...has a bad week for Hillary Clinton made you completely lose your mind? Obama got Don Imus fired? He is a "motivational speaker for hate toward Hillary?" MSNBC silenced Bill Clinton? And this is all the fault of the democratic party? Is there a single solid fact in your entire post? What next--Obama shot J.R.?
Nora's post was hilarious as always--I'm sorry that this thread was taken over by angry crazy-pants posters.
It's not just an A.D.D. election: we live in an A.D.D. society in general. Our priorities (if we even have any anymore) are seriously messed up, and things fly through the "news" at warp speed, only to be forgotten 10 minutes later. George W. Bush could walk into a nursing home and slaughter everyone in sight in broad daylight, and that would be the top story in the news....un
All sound bites, no substance - perfect climate for the Obama Nomination until people wake up and go oh yeah he isn't really qualified is he???? Whoops oh well at least he gives a good speech. Once again, form over substance.
You are right on the ADD. In fact most women forgot about all the Clintons' scandals, pardons for money, WH for hire, Bill's deals with arab sheiks, how both of them got so rich (upwards of $50 million) with shady deals in the last 6 years, etc...We'v
Qualified?! QUALIFIED?! Oh, that's rich! Stop--you're killing me!!!
I do remember when qualifications were important. Now, electibility hinges on how much the candidate hates gays and immigrants, how much he/she loves Jeezis, and how much rednecks in Alabama want to have a beer with him/her.
Face it: America as we know it is GONE, and the frightened idiots now run the show.
And wait until they find out about his jailed fundraiser and patron in chicago...
There is no substance. Just fire and brimstone.
Oh perfect...
My candidate is gone, Kucinich! However, I settle for Obama before voting for Hillary.
Obama is still fresh, still new, has no baggage,
and cannot be attacked by the GOP like they can bring it on with Hillary, she has plenty.
Obama is HOPE, Hillary is more of the same!
This country is in so deep NOBODY is going to be able to do much. Getting the economy going, ending the war, creating jobs, health care...eac
He has tremendous baggage but you are ignorant of what he's done in Chicago, etc.
Sun Times did investigative story by Tim Novak in '07 and '06 about his dealings with slumlord Tony Rezko. see Obama www.suntim
Why shouldn't Bush laugh? Nancy P. Lousy and Harry (where are my testicles) Reid have given him a get-out-of
No matter how many more crimes he piles on his other ones, they will not hold him accountable. Other crime family bosses pray (or pay) for that kind of immunity.
In case you haven't been paying attention, the experiment in democracy begun by the Founders ended a few years back. And, electing HillBilly or Obamarama isn't going to fix it. We're on the downhill slide, folks.
Peter Pringle needs to check his priorities. Talk about not having your eye on the ball. Maybe we all could use a lil' self-re-ex
How about both?
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