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Yeah -- You and Whose Army?
So everyone's talking about the nasty spike of nastiness in the presidential race -- a spike brilliantly orchestrated by the Republican machinery -- and Republican John McCain takes a moment to point out that even this is Barack Obama's fault.
Y'see, all the crap being thrown at Obama -- the fear-mongering, the half-truths, the full lies -- all the character assassination hurling Obama's way, is in fact, his own doing.
"I think the tone of this whole campaign would have been very different if Senator Obama had accepted my request for us to appear in town hall meetings all over America," the Senator from Arizona tells us.
Am I just losing my friggin' mind? Seriously. I keep looking around the room to see if I'm living in some suddenly altered state where everything we know is now called the opposite, and nobody notices. Or can stop it.
"I wish I didn't have to take your lunch money, but you should'nt of hadda brung it."
We're in the 3rd grade again. The skinny, smart kid who just moved in to the neighborhood is getting roughed-up by the asshole bully. The kid who hits you in the head with your hand and says, "Why're you hitting yourself? Why're you hitting yourself?"
"Um, actually I'm not. You're hitting me."
"You calling me a liar?"
"No, I'm just pointing out that..." SMACK!
"Why're you hitting yourself?"
And there seems to be no one to appeal to. There're no grown-ups around when you need 'em. No one to step in and say, "Alright, that's enough now. We don't do that here, fella." And in the absence of any authority, the asshole gets to keep doing it.
"Why're you hitting yourself? SMACK! Why're you hitting yourself?"
From the few minutes of the GOP convention I could stomach watching, all I could think was that Giuliani and Sarah Palin were doing some big-person, lethal version of "I know you are, but what am I?"
America: "Well, respectfully, Governor Palin, it could be argued that you are, in fact, relatively inexperienced."
Her: "I know you are but what am I?"
"Hm? No, perhaps you misunderstood. We are talking about you."
"I know you are but what am I."
"Well, Governor, just listening to your speech, you seem awfully caustic."
"You are."
"And, frankly, a little bitter."
"You're bitter."
"I mean, where's your sense of humility?"
"I'm rubber, you're glue. It bounces off me and sticks to you."
"My God - you're... dangerous."
"I know you are, but what am I?"
Maybe that's the problem. Obama treats us like adults, and McCain's team treats us like children.
Obama seeks to inspire and raise us as a nation. McCain's people want to reduce us to infants.
Obama asks us to be deep. And courageous.
McCain prays that we're simple. And cowardly.
Now everyone is calling for Obama to "get angry." "Get out there and frown this way, curl your lip that way, and clench your fist like so." And, I don't know..... That'd be cool. Sure. But I don't think the fix can come just from him. There's only so much the guy can do. It's going to have to be us. I don't know what exactly we need to do, but I know we'll do it. I have to believe -- I mean I really have to believe we're big enough, strong enough and smart enough to reclaim what's ours. I love my children too much to let the assholes take over the school yard.
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I am so disturbed by the reviews of the outcome of the debate. There is no way McCain even came close to the class that Senator Obama displayed. Mr. McCain was so wanting to be in control, it was downright scary. This man has no shame.
Lets face it, it is 2008 and presentation means everything. If you were a recruiter for a job would you even consider him for the lowest level position? My response would be; thank you very much, we will let you know if we feel you are qualified for the position.
Next.
If Senator Obama just would have agreed to his proposal for town hall meetings the tone of the campaign would have been different , so since you wont agree to my rules I'll just take my ball and go home.
Then he suspends his campaign AND the debate???
Who does he think he is?
Buddy, you have to win the election before you get to make these decisions!!! Times have changed, spare me the lecture.
Country first? Yeah right....
It's Bizarro world, Paul. Remember the Superman comics where he'd go to Bizarro world and everything was bassackwards? It's where everything they act like is important in the news, really is the least important things they can direct our attention to. How dare they call themselves journalists. Those bastards have to know that real journalists are spinning in their graves at the very notion that some actually believe any of it is real news. It used to be just the "fox not real news" fake news show. Now it's the Fox-Cnn-Abc-Cbs-Msnbc not real news.
This article is not about humor people!!!!!! It is about reality......who is Paul Reiser.....obviously a human being who cares about what will happen if the republicans get into office. Have you seen the commercials where mccain/palin are called mavericks? Do you want them shooting up our towns? Mavericks are slicksters who will grab your wallet while you are watching them do it.....
Yes I know who Paul Reiser is......but he isnt sitting on his duff he is trying to get the word out....
ARE YOU LISTENING?????
Paul Reiser was the star of "Mad About You" that was on NBC years ago. He also authord books on fatherhood. I think he started out as a comedian.
Paul Reiser's commentary has to be humorous. He is not a fool and in case you haven't noticed there has not been any meaningful improvement in public policies or government program performance in 50+ years.
For example -
(1) Urban elementary and secondary school systems are terrible,
(2) Social Security and Medicare are bankrupt for all practical purposes
(3) Air, transit, and highway systems become less and less efficient each year,
(4) Our health care is the most expensive in the world,
(5) Nothing has been done to increase domestic energy supplies
(6) Poverty rates have hardly changed at all since 1970
and the list goes on and on.
Yes, significant improvements were brought about in important areas such as equality, poverty, economic opportunity, medical care, etc. by “Great Society” programs adopted in the 1960's. However, since then, those programs have stagnated and not produced any further measurable improvements in our lives whether being administered by Democrats or Republicans.
Neither Obama nor McCain propose real change. They simply offer only slightly different ways of managing the same old, out-dated programs developed to address our mid-20th century issues.
So keep arguing about whether Dems or Repubs are worse instead of examining how bad both parties have performed. The result will be that politicans won't be held any more accountable this year than they have been in the last 30.
Perhaps Obama should have done what I did as a child, who attended a number of schools growing up due to my father's naval career. His advice was to deliberately pick a fight with the biggest bully I could identify the first day.. My father told me that win, lose or draw no would pick on me after they knew I would fight. It worked like a charm.. It also helped that my father who was a boxer himself trained me to fight from kindergarten on.
Obama should have gone after McCain from the get go. Instead, late in the game, he takes on a woman. Rove probably can't believe his luck in getting Obama to allow himself to be diverted into trying as hard as he can to snatch the proverbial defeat from the jaws of victory. It didn't seem possible this time, but you can't underestimate the ability of a democrat to perform such a difficujlt feat..
That's why people don't trust Democrats on national security. Democraric presidential candidates, for the most part, can never defend themselves properly during presidential campaigns, making themselves look weak. People draw certain conclusions from that.
You just don't get it. I don't want to see two grown men fight like cavemen to get my vote. Obama was right to do it the way he did. Instead of watching him fight, I listened to what he was saying. I watched him focus on the pain of the American people instead of mudslinging. I watched him remain cool in the midst of all the smears and lies, and I watched him calm people's fears and encourage them to be hopeful.
John McCain's problem is that he's a grunt, not a general. Look at how he supported every pea-brained whim of George Bush and followed orders, no matter how ridiculous they were. He's a soldier, not a commander. He relies too much on others to do the really hard thinking for him.
Obama is a general. This is a man who knows his Sun Tzu. I trust him completely on national security. He knows how to make his enemies defeat themselves. He's the skinny smart kid who learned how to out-think a bigger opponent and win without getting himself dirty. And he knows how rally support and inspire others to fight for him.
I'd much rather have a cool, even-tempered tactician taking that 3 a.m. call than a hothead that's always spoiling for a fight and lets his advisers do all his thinking.
Paul, good to hear from you again. Don't be a stranger in the future.
Yeah, I agree that Obama needs to keep being the adult and not get infantile, but a lot of Americans would like to see more PASSION behind his campaign. I think its not lack of adult seriousness that has hampered Dems in this and past elections, it is lack of serious energy. We don't want a bully, but we also don't want a spineless waffler. Some other people have talked about needing righteous indignation--not a bully's anger but true adult USEFUL anger.
I'm not sure that disagreees with your point but maybe sharpens it.
Does Paul Reiser honestly believe he helps Senator Obama efforts by writing this kind of superficial pap? Why would he write words such as "I don't know what exactly we need to do, but I know we'll do it." Say what?
Mr. Reiser has the right to publish anything he wants but unfortunately his article has been reprinted as serious commentary by some MSM newspapers (especially the ones that are failing economically and can't afford real commentators). Mr. Reiser's overly sophisticated humor just reinforces middle America's already very jaded view of the Hollywood crowd and it only make life more difficult for Senator Obama.
Holloywood personalities always have the right to voice their views but Senator Obama would be better off if they just stuck to acting and let him handle the politics
I DISAGREE. Paul Resier has always had a very clever way of reaching people, and his timing is always perfect.
Despite the fact that Paul Reiser is one of the most handsome men on Earth, and always follows through with his dreams, whatever they may be, I've always respected his opinion.
It can be annoying to relive childhood where bullies existed, and most people find it uncomfortable I'm sure to read about the analogy as if this campaign is a school yard. However,
those that can do and those that can't teach, so perhaps Palin in her odd way is playing the teacher because she does not know what to do. ( If this is the case, McCain must be the priciple.)
Love you forever Paul.
Sorry, I meant McCain must be the Principle.
( I should say I've missed you Paul. So much.)
I think Reiser was right on the money!
And this should come as a surprise? We've been through the rabbit hole for nearly a decade already. Some of the more glaring examples:
The "Clear Skies Act" allows more pollution of the skies;
The "Healthy Forests Initiative" allows more destruction of the forests;
"No Child Left Behind" leaves thousands of additional students behind;
The "Protect America Act" removes our legal protections.
You are so right Paul! It is up to all of us to band together and stand up to these bullies.
I keep wondering, "Where are the voices of the more powerful people who can get our attention? Why are we all hiding and wondering why we're getting behind? Why are we letting them take over?"
Thank you for speaking up! And as only you can -- you said it so perfectly. Your analogy to the playground bully is spot on.
Now, take your message EVERYWHERE you can! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved your show, I love your book and I love your comedy. But mostly, I love my son too much to let this be our future. Please gather your friends to take your message to EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And thank you for being brave enough to stand up and tell it like it is.
Senator McCain promised no negative campaigning. He's not a man of his word. Boo hoo, Senator Obama won't change all his plans to speak simultaneously in the same town hall meetings. The American people will soon be able to compare the candidates in their two debates. If Senator McCain saying if he doesn't get his way, he can lie?
Senator McCain IS acting just like a school yard bully. Senator Obama needs a strong reaction. Why? Because the future President has to be able to stand up to bullies. Senator Obama is strong. He needs to do more than react to the lies; he needs to go toe-to-toe with Senator McCain and tell him to stop - to stop because McCain's repeatedly lying, because he's showing he can't be trusted now or ever. A true democracy functions with transparency and by being open with information. Senator McCain brings us eight more years of lies and manipulation to get his own way. Tell Senator McCain to stop throwing tantrums and grow up - Senator Obama isn't someone he can manipulate and neither are the American people.
Paul, welcome to the twilight zone. Up is down, down is up. We're down the rabbit hole sitting at the Mad Hatters table, and our brains are trying to make logic out of it. And the more "crazy" the McCain campaign becomes, the more fearful that they will win. Fear of the idea that this "illogical universe" they are creating will take power in this country. Eight years was enough. Now we have the possibility of four more even worse.
Who is Paul Reiser?
Paul Reiser is a 51 year old beautiful man who does not like to be bossed around apparently. Who is Wasp35?
I love this article. Thanks for some humor about this sad, sad situation. I hate sleaze and spite. It really is so junior high. I'm like, DUH????
What we need to do is just drown out the B.S. with unity-with optimism- and with resolve to make a better tomorrow. Love is the only thing that can conquer hate. As the kids say, they're hatin' on Barack big time, we just have to show them that we're united and strong in our trust of Obama/Biden to heal our nation rather than bring it down further.
After seeing Joe Biden's Bio. That guy is SUPERDAD and he knows how to love a woman. He's the kind of guy you can trust. No one could ever convince me of anything bad about him. I am quite sure that anything he does, he does for good and sufficient reason. I get that feeling when I listen to Barack too. And when they make a mistake (cause no one's perfect), it's an honest mistake. Barack and Biden have the character that I want in the leader of our country. We have to be able to trust that we're getting it straight and I have that confidence in them.
I so totally agree with your post.
Paul's article shocked me as to how deep the man is. As for Biden's "revealed" on CNN excellent view of how passionate and deep his love goes. Jill and Nilia (sp) have been and are lucky women.
Only complaint regarding CNN's "Revealed" is they never made mention of the fact that, Biden had ALWAYS referenced dude in London he quoted from except that one time. Have never, ever likeD Dowd since '88.
"Obama asks us to be deep. And courageous.
McCain prays that we're simple. And cowardly."
Too True!!!
Obama does NOT ask us to be deep and courageous! Look deep into his 'policies' and it will scare the heck out of you. He's a socialist; wants to redistribute wealth, close the income gap, increase the size of government, stifle capitalism, prop up jobs that have fallen behind in the global market, and let renegade nations run loose! Deep? That's W-E-A-K in my book.
Paul, you are so right. and even say it with a bit of humor, except it's true.... and yes WE have to do something about it. I don't want the bullys to win either.
STOP THE FEAR MONGRELS! (pun intended)
Things definitely feel Orwellian; they have for a while. Thanks Paul for posting what so many of us have been thinking (note, not feeling, but thinking)
And, per the article in Sunday, Sept 14th's NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html
The Sarah Palin veneer is already cracking -
"And four months ago, a Wasilla blogger, Sherry Whitstine, who chronicles the governor's career with an astringent eye, answered her phone to hear an assistant to the governor on the line, she said.
"You should be ashamed!" Ivy Frye, the assistant, told her. "Stop blogging. Stop blogging right now!"
I just found Sherry's Whistine's blog--
http://syrin.vox.com/library/post/gearing-up-for-the-rnc---republican-for-a-reason.html#comments
That is worth spreading, as it makes Ann Kilkenny's letter look mild...the amazing thing is she's a conservative!
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