What I’m wondering is: Has Sarah Palin undergone some kind of secret lobotomy?
Showing posts with label Election '08. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Election '08. Show all posts
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Pay No Attention to That Woman Behind the Curtain ...
Reihan Salam convinces himself that Sarah Palin has, sadly, lamentably, unaccountably, turned out to be a grasping, power-mad political hack in a post for the Daily Beast. This seems like the same story from the run up to the Iraq War played again, in the farce section of the program. Once again, everyone eventually comes around to the position that it was a mistake, but no one wants to admit that it was a lementable, hilariously predictable mistake from the very beginning. Read Salam's post for the sad and funny sight of a man trying to square a circle and failing:
Monday, December 15, 2008
Electoral College: Boo
The AP reports that Barack Obama has been elected the 44th President of the United States by the people actually empowered to select the president- the College of Electors.
I remember trying to explain the elegance of the American electoral system to confused Britons back in 2004, and the existence of the CoE was often central to their confusion. At the time, I would go out of my way to point out the perceived dangers of handing political power to regular people in the late 18th century, argue that the existence of this odd institution was just part of the colorful pageant of American politics, and anyway, before you go criticizing us, what's up with your "monarchy?"
Well...here it comes...flip! The whole system of voting to elect people who can then vote on your behalf is an absurd affront to democratic principles when used like this, and distorts the conduct of national campaigns in ways detrimental to public discourse. We saw a "50 State Strategy" this year, and it was a controversial and bizarre departure from the normal fighting over just a few states deemed "in play." More importantly, it undermines the main remaining reason to preserve the current system, which is that it tends to limit campaign costs. Direct election would mean that every vote really did count, and would ensure that presidential politics wasn't so easily hijacked by minorities in swing states. I'm looking at you, Florida. We've had years of argument about campaign reform in recent years generally focused on how we pay for them. We should spend some time looking at what we say about ourselves when we organize them.
I remember trying to explain the elegance of the American electoral system to confused Britons back in 2004, and the existence of the CoE was often central to their confusion. At the time, I would go out of my way to point out the perceived dangers of handing political power to regular people in the late 18th century, argue that the existence of this odd institution was just part of the colorful pageant of American politics, and anyway, before you go criticizing us, what's up with your "monarchy?"
Well...here it comes...flip! The whole system of voting to elect people who can then vote on your behalf is an absurd affront to democratic principles when used like this, and distorts the conduct of national campaigns in ways detrimental to public discourse. We saw a "50 State Strategy" this year, and it was a controversial and bizarre departure from the normal fighting over just a few states deemed "in play." More importantly, it undermines the main remaining reason to preserve the current system, which is that it tends to limit campaign costs. Direct election would mean that every vote really did count, and would ensure that presidential politics wasn't so easily hijacked by minorities in swing states. I'm looking at you, Florida. We've had years of argument about campaign reform in recent years generally focused on how we pay for them. We should spend some time looking at what we say about ourselves when we organize them.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Minnesota- What's Going On Up There?
Apparently Minnesota Public Radio is posting some of the disputed ballots from the Franken-Coleman recount.
The recent election had just about renewed my general faith in the operation of democracy, and then I saw entry number 3, with the caption, "...poll workers blamed themselves for not better explaining the voting procedure, and noted that it would be difficult for someone to fill out a ballot more incorrectly."
For the most part, these are hilarious. But you have to wonder- why bother waiting in line to do this to a ballot...and why didn't I hear more about the Lizard People during the campaign?
The recent election had just about renewed my general faith in the operation of democracy, and then I saw entry number 3, with the caption, "...poll workers blamed themselves for not better explaining the voting procedure, and noted that it would be difficult for someone to fill out a ballot more incorrectly."
For the most part, these are hilarious. But you have to wonder- why bother waiting in line to do this to a ballot...and why didn't I hear more about the Lizard People during the campaign?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Hello In There
Someone let Governor Palin know- quietly, if at all possible- the election is over. She hasn't seemed to notice. If this NYT article is any indication, she isn't so much jockeying for position in 2012 as starting a very poorly timed bid for president in 2008.
Almost beyond belief, she doesn't seem to have noticed that the tone she continues to adopt was instrumental in the Republican failure in the recently ended campaign. Worse, without RNC money she doesn't seem to be able to afford the barely effective staff saving her from the worst of herself over the last couple of months.
There is a certain touch to losing gracefully, denoting character and maturity. McCain has hardly been seen since the concession speech that so pointedly, and sadly, marked the high point of his campaign. Palin doesn't seem to have spent so much as 15 minutes worrying about her image, preparation for office, or any ways she could improve herself as a candidate or her image with the American people. One has to wonder if the Republican party has had the sense to see this as an evolutionary dead end, or if they are planning to spend another campaign cycle on this foolishness.
Either way, someone with the temperament of a saint should be found to act as her chief of staff. At the very least, to liven up those pedestrian sound bites.
Almost beyond belief, she doesn't seem to have noticed that the tone she continues to adopt was instrumental in the Republican failure in the recently ended campaign. Worse, without RNC money she doesn't seem to be able to afford the barely effective staff saving her from the worst of herself over the last couple of months.
There is a certain touch to losing gracefully, denoting character and maturity. McCain has hardly been seen since the concession speech that so pointedly, and sadly, marked the high point of his campaign. Palin doesn't seem to have spent so much as 15 minutes worrying about her image, preparation for office, or any ways she could improve herself as a candidate or her image with the American people. One has to wonder if the Republican party has had the sense to see this as an evolutionary dead end, or if they are planning to spend another campaign cycle on this foolishness.
Either way, someone with the temperament of a saint should be found to act as her chief of staff. At the very least, to liven up those pedestrian sound bites.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Bush League
As the McCain campaign's operators are finally free to turn on one another fully, the complete scope of Sarah Palin's...I struggle for the right word...unfitness to serve in high national office is emerging more fully.
This video from Fox, linked through TPM, runs the gamut. It suggests the Palin couldn't name the three countries involved in NAFTA. Believed Africa to be a nation, rather than a continent. And of course, couldn't explain the Bush doctrine to Charlie Gibson. Incredibly, Fox goes on to suggest that the McCain campaign can't really be faulted for this, because this level of ignorance in a state governor is inconceivable.
This longer clip from the same interview also discusses how, during the last two weeks, she would fly into what aides describe as "tantrums" upon seeing her morning press clippings, with items being thrown about the room and reducing at least one staffer to tears. It got so bad that McCain wouldn't allow her to do interviews on her own, actually curtailing her air time when he couldn't be there.
John McCain, RNC,right wing pundrity, et al: you nearly put this woman in the White House, behind a 72 year old man. Really, think about that for a moment.
Palin apparently returned to Alaska today, and was greeted by "dozens" of supporters chanting "2012." Watch that underwhelming video here. According to the NYT, she has been deluged with interview requests, but has so far been hiding from the media, not even appearing at work today.
Adding insult to injury, an RNC lawyer has been dispatched to Alaska to retrieve some of the 150k worth of clothing that apparently somehow found its way back to the frozen North with the governor. Read about this embarrassment here.
Palin's personal troubles aside, the Republican party seems to be on the edge of a vast wilderness if this, this, this, or this, story are at all correct.
The leadership struggles and infighting over who lost what for whom are all very nice, but the problem seems to run much deeper. Palin was far more popular on the campaign trail than McCain was. We all saw her campaign. Where, exactly, would Colin Powell fit in her worldview? Or Edmund Burke, ideological founder of conservatism, for that matter. I'm hardly the first to suggest it, but Palin isn't capable of even pretending to appeal to intellectual conservatives. Unless they happen to be moose hunters.
She is, truly, a fitting addition to the Bush league.
** Update **
On CNN, Palin claims these stories are products of rumor being spread by upset former staffers.
Having slept on this post, I'm not half inclined to wonder if she might actually be right on this one. Fox may have had a point- could she really have believed Africa to be a nation? Could anyone be that out of it?
This video from Fox, linked through TPM, runs the gamut. It suggests the Palin couldn't name the three countries involved in NAFTA. Believed Africa to be a nation, rather than a continent. And of course, couldn't explain the Bush doctrine to Charlie Gibson. Incredibly, Fox goes on to suggest that the McCain campaign can't really be faulted for this, because this level of ignorance in a state governor is inconceivable.
This longer clip from the same interview also discusses how, during the last two weeks, she would fly into what aides describe as "tantrums" upon seeing her morning press clippings, with items being thrown about the room and reducing at least one staffer to tears. It got so bad that McCain wouldn't allow her to do interviews on her own, actually curtailing her air time when he couldn't be there.
John McCain, RNC,right wing pundrity, et al: you nearly put this woman in the White House, behind a 72 year old man. Really, think about that for a moment.
Palin apparently returned to Alaska today, and was greeted by "dozens" of supporters chanting "2012." Watch that underwhelming video here. According to the NYT, she has been deluged with interview requests, but has so far been hiding from the media, not even appearing at work today.
Adding insult to injury, an RNC lawyer has been dispatched to Alaska to retrieve some of the 150k worth of clothing that apparently somehow found its way back to the frozen North with the governor. Read about this embarrassment here.
Palin's personal troubles aside, the Republican party seems to be on the edge of a vast wilderness if this, this, this, or this, story are at all correct.
The leadership struggles and infighting over who lost what for whom are all very nice, but the problem seems to run much deeper. Palin was far more popular on the campaign trail than McCain was. We all saw her campaign. Where, exactly, would Colin Powell fit in her worldview? Or Edmund Burke, ideological founder of conservatism, for that matter. I'm hardly the first to suggest it, but Palin isn't capable of even pretending to appeal to intellectual conservatives. Unless they happen to be moose hunters.
She is, truly, a fitting addition to the Bush league.
** Update **
On CNN, Palin claims these stories are products of rumor being spread by upset former staffers.
Having slept on this post, I'm not half inclined to wonder if she might actually be right on this one. Fox may have had a point- could she really have believed Africa to be a nation? Could anyone be that out of it?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Here We Go
Watching the election on the internet at five o’clock this morning with a fellow Peace Corps volunteer was a pretty moving experience. It’s hard not to wish I was in Grant Park for Obama’s acceptance, but sitting and watching it with a friend was definitely a moving experience. Obama’s a big job ahead of him. He’s got to fix Bush’s mistakes – mistakes that are, unfortunately, ongoing – and he has to fight against the media’s inexorable pull towards the right – excuse me, center. But that can’t distract from all the other things this election means.
The thing that stands out for me most – beyond even Obama’s cultural heritage and race – is the competence, the skill and the class with which he ran his election. Several times over the course of this cycle, I noted to myself the way that McCain seemed to run against Obama, while Obama barely mentioned McCain. Part of that, of course, was the fact that Obama was running against Bush’s legacy. But more of it is the fact that McCain didn’t have a positive agenda. He just had Sarah Palin, a boxful of Karl Rove’s shopworn tricks he picked up at a Bush family yard sale and a quickly-fading reputation. Obama, unapologetically, ran on a platform – a progressive platform. More than anything, after two razor thin elections, it feels refreshing to see a candidate win.
The thing that stands out for me most – beyond even Obama’s cultural heritage and race – is the competence, the skill and the class with which he ran his election. Several times over the course of this cycle, I noted to myself the way that McCain seemed to run against Obama, while Obama barely mentioned McCain. Part of that, of course, was the fact that Obama was running against Bush’s legacy. But more of it is the fact that McCain didn’t have a positive agenda. He just had Sarah Palin, a boxful of Karl Rove’s shopworn tricks he picked up at a Bush family yard sale and a quickly-fading reputation. Obama, unapologetically, ran on a platform – a progressive platform. More than anything, after two razor thin elections, it feels refreshing to see a candidate win.
California :(
After a night on which almost everything went well:
California voters approve gay-marriage ban
Et tu, Cali?
I guess we can start putting the agenda together for 2012.
California voters approve gay-marriage ban
Et tu, Cali?
I guess we can start putting the agenda together for 2012.
Yes We Can.
The sun came up this morning, and it is a new day.
One of the regular questions historians grapple with is the "great man theory," an endless argument about whether great historical figures such as Napoleon, Lincoln, or Churchill are individuals of such ability that they reach out and mold the events of their time with the force of their personalities, or whether from time to time the course of historical events reaches a confluence, and creates an opportunity that would elevate any reasonably competent person to extraordinary significance. Are these people creators of their own destinies, or does destiny invent them at need?
It is too early to tell if we are now embarked on one of the periods that will be ranked among these moments in future, but it is not too early to understand that the President-Elect could handle such a burden. I offer this further response: faced with the greatest challenges of a generation- two interminable wars, the greatest financial crisis of a generation, and perhaps most seriously of all, and systematic erosion both domestically and internationally of the American idea- US voters reached for a man of ability and vaulted him ahead of the entrenched interests that would otherwise have dominated this election cycle. Faced with a less systematic assault on the checks and balances of the government, would a fresh-faced minority candidate have been able to outmaneuver Hillary Clinton and her inherited death grip on the party? Obama ran an amazing campaign, but voters would not have responded as energetically without such a poisoned climate for him to operate in.
I argued earlier in this blog that the weekend after the first bailout package failed to correct the financial crisis the McCain campaign was doomed- yes, in part because it further dented the Bush legacy, but more, because it made the election that much more serious. The more clearly we perceived the damage of Republican government, the less prepared voters were to, "...make a big election about small things."
George Bush, Karl Rove...Richard Nixon- your failure is, for the moment, complete. Voters under the age of 30 voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Voters making less than 50k voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Voters making over 200k- the voters Obama explicitly told were going to pay more taxes- voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Obama won in states that Democrats have not won in decades (what up, Virginia?). Markets around the world (what's wrong with you, Japan?) surged at the news of his victory. An Irish friend of mine, sitting stunned before the images from grant park, half-jokingly welcomed us back to the community of nations. Around the world, people who couldn't even vote celebrated. And he did it by trying to see the best in us, not as part of what my polysci classes taught me was the inevitable demographic chiseling that has marked recent American politics. What remains of the Republican party is increasingly old, white, isolated, and most seriously, morally bankrupt. I'm not one who believes in so-called "permanent majorities," but all those younger voters trending Democratic can only be ominous for conservatives.
Do men shape their own destinies? Yes, but to lift this rather out of context, they do not do so just as they choose. Obama is a product of this time as much as of his own will. It remains for him to master it.
And one final thought. To what extent does electing Obama constitute a final overcoming of the original institutional sin of the Republic? We obviously haven't swept away the many problems race still holds for US society, but surely this morning would have been almost as unthinkable in 1976 as it was in 1776.
The idea is the thing. The idea that this is the place you can come and make it, with ability, rather than any other measure of fitness. Today, that idea is greatly strengthened. What an amazing place this country is.
One of the regular questions historians grapple with is the "great man theory," an endless argument about whether great historical figures such as Napoleon, Lincoln, or Churchill are individuals of such ability that they reach out and mold the events of their time with the force of their personalities, or whether from time to time the course of historical events reaches a confluence, and creates an opportunity that would elevate any reasonably competent person to extraordinary significance. Are these people creators of their own destinies, or does destiny invent them at need?
It is too early to tell if we are now embarked on one of the periods that will be ranked among these moments in future, but it is not too early to understand that the President-Elect could handle such a burden. I offer this further response: faced with the greatest challenges of a generation- two interminable wars, the greatest financial crisis of a generation, and perhaps most seriously of all, and systematic erosion both domestically and internationally of the American idea- US voters reached for a man of ability and vaulted him ahead of the entrenched interests that would otherwise have dominated this election cycle. Faced with a less systematic assault on the checks and balances of the government, would a fresh-faced minority candidate have been able to outmaneuver Hillary Clinton and her inherited death grip on the party? Obama ran an amazing campaign, but voters would not have responded as energetically without such a poisoned climate for him to operate in.
I argued earlier in this blog that the weekend after the first bailout package failed to correct the financial crisis the McCain campaign was doomed- yes, in part because it further dented the Bush legacy, but more, because it made the election that much more serious. The more clearly we perceived the damage of Republican government, the less prepared voters were to, "...make a big election about small things."
George Bush, Karl Rove...Richard Nixon- your failure is, for the moment, complete. Voters under the age of 30 voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Voters making less than 50k voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Voters making over 200k- the voters Obama explicitly told were going to pay more taxes- voted overwhelmingly for Obama. Obama won in states that Democrats have not won in decades (what up, Virginia?). Markets around the world (what's wrong with you, Japan?) surged at the news of his victory. An Irish friend of mine, sitting stunned before the images from grant park, half-jokingly welcomed us back to the community of nations. Around the world, people who couldn't even vote celebrated. And he did it by trying to see the best in us, not as part of what my polysci classes taught me was the inevitable demographic chiseling that has marked recent American politics. What remains of the Republican party is increasingly old, white, isolated, and most seriously, morally bankrupt. I'm not one who believes in so-called "permanent majorities," but all those younger voters trending Democratic can only be ominous for conservatives.
Do men shape their own destinies? Yes, but to lift this rather out of context, they do not do so just as they choose. Obama is a product of this time as much as of his own will. It remains for him to master it.
And one final thought. To what extent does electing Obama constitute a final overcoming of the original institutional sin of the Republic? We obviously haven't swept away the many problems race still holds for US society, but surely this morning would have been almost as unthinkable in 1976 as it was in 1776.
The idea is the thing. The idea that this is the place you can come and make it, with ability, rather than any other measure of fitness. Today, that idea is greatly strengthened. What an amazing place this country is.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Almost Ohio...
Fox just called Ohio. Then uncalled it.
Someone is now standing outside Fox studios holding the contents of their desk in a box.
** UPDATE **
Fox has recalled Ohio. IF THIS HOLDS IT IS OVER!!
Someone is now standing outside Fox studios holding the contents of their desk in a box.
** UPDATE **
Fox has recalled Ohio. IF THIS HOLDS IT IS OVER!!
Pennsylvania...
Pennsylvania goes Obama...
Lots of people seem to be calling things with no numbers reported...
Foxy.
Lots of people seem to be calling things with no numbers reported...
Foxy.
Durr
Not liking how McCain seems to be out to early leads everywhere, even if it is with .2% of precincts reporting.
Anytime you're ready, Virginia...
Anytime you're ready, Virginia...
GAME ON!!
So Matt Drudge is covering his site with voting irregularities, including the first lawsuit, as McCain sues in North Carolina to allow military voters an additional two weeks to have their military ballots arrive. So far, I don't care.
The morning was, again, spent in GOTV activities here in my corner of the Republic, and let me say this- to the Obama volunteer who brought in the homemade oatmeal-walnut-chocolate chip cookies: You were the reason I was sleepy all afternoon, and I worship the mixing bowl you bake with. Seriously. Mmmmmmmm...
The first polls are about to close. My new dual-monitor setup is streaming more information than I can possibly process at once. The fridge is full. Seat belts are fastened and tray tables have been set to their upright positions.
One more hour to wait until the blackout lifts.
Are you ready for some complex statistical analysis?
The morning was, again, spent in GOTV activities here in my corner of the Republic, and let me say this- to the Obama volunteer who brought in the homemade oatmeal-walnut-chocolate chip cookies: You were the reason I was sleepy all afternoon, and I worship the mixing bowl you bake with. Seriously. Mmmmmmmm...
The first polls are about to close. My new dual-monitor setup is streaming more information than I can possibly process at once. The fridge is full. Seat belts are fastened and tray tables have been set to their upright positions.
One more hour to wait until the blackout lifts.
Are you ready for some complex statistical analysis?
Buzzkill
The Old Gray Lady is here to remind us that, while you’re out and voting, Bush is still in office destroying the country. Most people would be content with the level of destruction Bush has been able to engender. But not our man Georgie. It’s good to know that the old guy still has it in him.
The Election from Over Here
It goes without saying that if you haven’t voted yet, you should stop reading this and go make sure that that gets done. Take the afternoon off work, if you’re still at work. Democracy is too important to be left to other people.
If you haven’t read PW’s great post about going door to door for Obama this week, you should check it out. I used to live in the same area, and it’s a pretty amazing story to hear. Can the Bush years really almost be over?
I live abroad at the moment and I wasn’t able to do any volunteering for the Obama campaign, although I would have liked to. It’s fascinating to read PW’s take on the sentiment in the US right now. Living in a small town in Eastern Europe, I don’t feel much of a connection with US news. People don’t know a whole lot about it, and they usually care even less. One of the most interesting things about this election, though, is the fact that my high school students know about Barack Obama. Some of these kids are in the eighth grade they were born in 1994 and 1995 – even Bill Clinton is ancient history to them, above and beyond being the president of a foreign (albeit hugely important) country. George W. Bush is the only US president they’ve ever really known. And over and over, they’ve told me that they think Obama is cool. They don’t even know who John McCain is. (I asked them how old they thought Obama was – they thought twenty-seven sounded like a reasonable age, the bastards) These are not kids who have any interest in politics.
Barack Obama is not going to solve all or even most of the US’s problems. If he wins, he’s got a lot of work ahead of him just getting us back to where we were before Bush. But, talking to people about the election it’s really convinced me that Barack Obama is exactly the president that we need right now. Plus, my students think he’s really cool.
If you haven’t read PW’s great post about going door to door for Obama this week, you should check it out. I used to live in the same area, and it’s a pretty amazing story to hear. Can the Bush years really almost be over?
I live abroad at the moment and I wasn’t able to do any volunteering for the Obama campaign, although I would have liked to. It’s fascinating to read PW’s take on the sentiment in the US right now. Living in a small town in Eastern Europe, I don’t feel much of a connection with US news. People don’t know a whole lot about it, and they usually care even less. One of the most interesting things about this election, though, is the fact that my high school students know about Barack Obama. Some of these kids are in the eighth grade they were born in 1994 and 1995 – even Bill Clinton is ancient history to them, above and beyond being the president of a foreign (albeit hugely important) country. George W. Bush is the only US president they’ve ever really known. And over and over, they’ve told me that they think Obama is cool. They don’t even know who John McCain is. (I asked them how old they thought Obama was – they thought twenty-seven sounded like a reasonable age, the bastards) These are not kids who have any interest in politics.
Barack Obama is not going to solve all or even most of the US’s problems. If he wins, he’s got a lot of work ahead of him just getting us back to where we were before Bush. But, talking to people about the election it’s really convinced me that Barack Obama is exactly the president that we need right now. Plus, my students think he’s really cool.
The Beginning of the End
Well, Election ’08 has officially gotten underway: a tiny town in New Hampshire has opened the polls. I live in Eastern Europe at the moment, so I voted absentee this year, about three weeks ago. It’s somewhat anticlimactic to mail off an absentee ballot. You don’t even get that voting sticker. At any rate, it’s interesting that the final voting is actually really here. At some points, back during the primary, it seemed like it would never get here. Now that we can look forward to a truly monumental moment in American history: the first time I have ever voted for a winning presidential candidate.
This will be the first time I haven’t stayed up to watch the poll results, too – I have to be at work early tomorrow morning. It should be exciting. We’re likely to know fairly soon whether or not Obama has it wrapped up, though. According to Five Thirty Eight, if McCain loses in Virginia, Georgia, Florida or Ohio it’d be very, very tough for him to pull it off. It just looks like McCain is really stuck with some long odds here. Ah, well. Such is the way of the world.
This will be the first time I haven’t stayed up to watch the poll results, too – I have to be at work early tomorrow morning. It should be exciting. We’re likely to know fairly soon whether or not Obama has it wrapped up, though. According to Five Thirty Eight, if McCain loses in Virginia, Georgia, Florida or Ohio it’d be very, very tough for him to pull it off. It just looks like McCain is really stuck with some long odds here. Ah, well. Such is the way of the world.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
A Few Steps On the Campaign Trail
I spent the first half of today "getting out the vote" for Barack Obama.
I realize that this has been something of a popular topic in thinky media sources recently, so I thought I'd go one up on them and publish my first-hand account. I will also admit, in the nature of full disclosure, that I am writing at this time on a wave of what our Victorian forebears would dismiss as "enthusiasm."
I would contend that my enthusiasm is not unreasonable. I canvassed today in the swinginest swing district of the swing state of Ohio, in the county with the highest poverty rate in the state, and I did it over the same ground that I covered for the same candidate during the primary election.
Canvassing, for those who prefer to sleep in, involves getting a regional media pack containing fliers for distribution, a script or talking points, a list of names and addresses for registered voters, and maps, then knocking on every door on the list and engaging whomever opens it. The mass use of this practice, for those who prefer not to follow politics, has been a hallmark of the Obama style of campaigning.
During the primary, it was a difficult business. People, obviously home, refused to answer their doors. Many who did answer their doors, dismissed us with relative indifference, if not mild hostility. This, after all, is Real America, where churches still win votes for candidates railing against the evils of alcohol and gambling. Needless to say, there is a strong tradition of conservative voting. A few people shooed us off their porch last March with choice words about voting for racial minorities. Certainly, there were Obama supporters, but I would say they amounted to, at best and including some very liberal neighborhoods, half the doors we knocked on.
All of which made today a revelation. Maybe all the door-knocking practice has refined our style. Maybe it was the absurdly pleasant 60 degree sunshine. Certainly, my small canvassing "team" was well past needing the talking points provided by the campaign, and that no doubt helps. In any event, at least 3 out of every 4 people we spoke to eventually expressed their support for Obama. Those who didn't, weren't even rude about it. They answered the door, took the fliers, chatted for a minute, sheepishly admitted they were for McCain, and sort of backed away. Even the folks for whom 11am was Miller time, and who pointed out that they didn't vote because everyone in Washington was a lying bastard who would burn in hell, seemed happy to discuss that interesting perspective with us.
The best part of today was the ten minutes I spent engaging a man in conversation who was still so angry over Hillary's defeat that he was going to vote for McCain.
I still can't quite believe that he existed. It was like seeing bigfoot- you know what you saw, you've seen the sketchy photos, but damn, seriously? I pointed out that if he supported Hillary's policies, Omaba was much closer to them than McPalin ever would be. I pointed out that in a state Bush won in 04 by an average of 9 votes per precinct, swing state voters could ill afford protest votes. We wondered aloud, together, how someone who'd voted for Democrats his whole life could possibly support 4 more years like the eight we'd just been through. In the end he shook my hand, said I reminded him of his son-in-law, and promised to think it all over again. Who knows how he'll actually vote. I have mostly convinced myself that if I had that conversation back, I could have been a little bit more aggressive, and I could have flipped him.
Either way, today was fantastic. I couldn't have had a better experience if I'd been running for something myself. I guess this is the merest taste of how it feels to ride on presidential coattails? It is also, no doubt, the fruit of people winnowing down the canvassing lists to people who were mostly either favorable, or at least undecided, with regard to Obama. Still, today was qualitatively different from the experience of doing this job 8 months ago. I guess that's my slice of political America, on 1 November 2008, with 3 days to go.
I realize that this has been something of a popular topic in thinky media sources recently, so I thought I'd go one up on them and publish my first-hand account. I will also admit, in the nature of full disclosure, that I am writing at this time on a wave of what our Victorian forebears would dismiss as "enthusiasm."
I would contend that my enthusiasm is not unreasonable. I canvassed today in the swinginest swing district of the swing state of Ohio, in the county with the highest poverty rate in the state, and I did it over the same ground that I covered for the same candidate during the primary election.
Canvassing, for those who prefer to sleep in, involves getting a regional media pack containing fliers for distribution, a script or talking points, a list of names and addresses for registered voters, and maps, then knocking on every door on the list and engaging whomever opens it. The mass use of this practice, for those who prefer not to follow politics, has been a hallmark of the Obama style of campaigning.
During the primary, it was a difficult business. People, obviously home, refused to answer their doors. Many who did answer their doors, dismissed us with relative indifference, if not mild hostility. This, after all, is Real America, where churches still win votes for candidates railing against the evils of alcohol and gambling. Needless to say, there is a strong tradition of conservative voting. A few people shooed us off their porch last March with choice words about voting for racial minorities. Certainly, there were Obama supporters, but I would say they amounted to, at best and including some very liberal neighborhoods, half the doors we knocked on.
All of which made today a revelation. Maybe all the door-knocking practice has refined our style. Maybe it was the absurdly pleasant 60 degree sunshine. Certainly, my small canvassing "team" was well past needing the talking points provided by the campaign, and that no doubt helps. In any event, at least 3 out of every 4 people we spoke to eventually expressed their support for Obama. Those who didn't, weren't even rude about it. They answered the door, took the fliers, chatted for a minute, sheepishly admitted they were for McCain, and sort of backed away. Even the folks for whom 11am was Miller time, and who pointed out that they didn't vote because everyone in Washington was a lying bastard who would burn in hell, seemed happy to discuss that interesting perspective with us.
The best part of today was the ten minutes I spent engaging a man in conversation who was still so angry over Hillary's defeat that he was going to vote for McCain.
I still can't quite believe that he existed. It was like seeing bigfoot- you know what you saw, you've seen the sketchy photos, but damn, seriously? I pointed out that if he supported Hillary's policies, Omaba was much closer to them than McPalin ever would be. I pointed out that in a state Bush won in 04 by an average of 9 votes per precinct, swing state voters could ill afford protest votes. We wondered aloud, together, how someone who'd voted for Democrats his whole life could possibly support 4 more years like the eight we'd just been through. In the end he shook my hand, said I reminded him of his son-in-law, and promised to think it all over again. Who knows how he'll actually vote. I have mostly convinced myself that if I had that conversation back, I could have been a little bit more aggressive, and I could have flipped him.
Either way, today was fantastic. I couldn't have had a better experience if I'd been running for something myself. I guess this is the merest taste of how it feels to ride on presidential coattails? It is also, no doubt, the fruit of people winnowing down the canvassing lists to people who were mostly either favorable, or at least undecided, with regard to Obama. Still, today was qualitatively different from the experience of doing this job 8 months ago. I guess that's my slice of political America, on 1 November 2008, with 3 days to go.
Case in Point
So, right on cue, here is the story alleging that Obama's aunt is an illegal alien on Politico.
Here is the excellent piece on TPM detailing how Rupert Murdoch's Times of London newspaper broke that story, just in time to have AP pick it up and make it sound all respectable.
It certainly could be that the Times might have just acquired this story in time for publication today. There are other, less savory possibilities. No proof either way. Convenient timing for a scoop though, isn't it? Murdoch has an unpleasant habit of weighing in on political campaigns, and this does fit his penchant for drama.
Now that we've started, more no doubt to follow.
Obama, rather lamely, responds that he was unaware of his aunt's status on Huffpo. Even if that's true, it comes off awfully weak.
Here is the excellent piece on TPM detailing how Rupert Murdoch's Times of London newspaper broke that story, just in time to have AP pick it up and make it sound all respectable.
It certainly could be that the Times might have just acquired this story in time for publication today. There are other, less savory possibilities. No proof either way. Convenient timing for a scoop though, isn't it? Murdoch has an unpleasant habit of weighing in on political campaigns, and this does fit his penchant for drama.
Now that we've started, more no doubt to follow.
Obama, rather lamely, responds that he was unaware of his aunt's status on Huffpo. Even if that's true, it comes off awfully weak.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Magic Hour
And so we drift, or is hurdle perhaps a better word? into that golden space of time where the most insane of political allegations can be directed at one's opponent, with reasonable confidence that there won't be time to disprove them until just after the election, leaving you the longest possible time before you have to run for anything again.
I should probably put more time into coining the perfect phrase for this period- happy hour, perhaps. Actually, I think I like the Twilight Zone, although someone probably still owns the copyright to that (please don't sue me- I'm really not worth it).
It's appropriate, because this is the period where you are rewarded for just the right sort of lie- of sufficient scale to flip huge numbers of voters, aimed at the sort of character assassination that lingers even when evidence mounts that the allegation probably isn't legitimate.
I thinking here of, say, "evidence" of attendance at Obama's childhood mosque, or "allegations" that McCain is secretly a vegetarian. If you're reading this, you probably don't require anything like this much explanation of what I'm getting at, so I'll stop providing it.
But if either campaign has been saving up the loony juice for their last big push, it's time to start the keg stands. On the one hand, Obama may feel comfortably enough ahead...well, to be frank, I'm trying to be impartial, but Obama has run the sort of campaign that makes this sort of thing almost unthinkable from him.
Which leaves McPalin. Despite all his rhetoric to the contrary, it's hard to believe that McCain is really as confident of victory as he keeps claiming, and any move like this would have to tarnish not only the tatters of his reputation, but any hopes Palin has of emerging as the leader of the opposition in the upcoming months. Then again, I've never run for President, and the sort of motivation you must need to do it probably complicates rational analysis. And McCain has a reputation for comebacks, not least in his own mind, and seems to leave a great deal of this sort of decision making in his staffer's questionable hands.
Let's hope there's nothing more to say about this between now and the 4th. We can only wait and see.
I should probably put more time into coining the perfect phrase for this period- happy hour, perhaps. Actually, I think I like the Twilight Zone, although someone probably still owns the copyright to that (please don't sue me- I'm really not worth it).
It's appropriate, because this is the period where you are rewarded for just the right sort of lie- of sufficient scale to flip huge numbers of voters, aimed at the sort of character assassination that lingers even when evidence mounts that the allegation probably isn't legitimate.
I thinking here of, say, "evidence" of attendance at Obama's childhood mosque, or "allegations" that McCain is secretly a vegetarian. If you're reading this, you probably don't require anything like this much explanation of what I'm getting at, so I'll stop providing it.
But if either campaign has been saving up the loony juice for their last big push, it's time to start the keg stands. On the one hand, Obama may feel comfortably enough ahead...well, to be frank, I'm trying to be impartial, but Obama has run the sort of campaign that makes this sort of thing almost unthinkable from him.
Which leaves McPalin. Despite all his rhetoric to the contrary, it's hard to believe that McCain is really as confident of victory as he keeps claiming, and any move like this would have to tarnish not only the tatters of his reputation, but any hopes Palin has of emerging as the leader of the opposition in the upcoming months. Then again, I've never run for President, and the sort of motivation you must need to do it probably complicates rational analysis. And McCain has a reputation for comebacks, not least in his own mind, and seems to leave a great deal of this sort of decision making in his staffer's questionable hands.
Let's hope there's nothing more to say about this between now and the 4th. We can only wait and see.
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