Elections | Economic Crisis | Jobs | TSA | Limbaugh | Fun Stuff
Follow @americablog
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Boycott threatened over meeting site of Association of American Law Schools
Good, get 'em:
Organizations representing thousands of legal educators say they will boycott the Association of American Law Schools annual meeting in January if it is held at a San Diego hotel owned by a foe of same-sex marriage.Read the rest of this post...
The four groups made up of law professors and legal writing professionals have sent letters to the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), calling for it to move the site chosen for the conference in January.
The groups object to holding the annual meeting at the San Diego Manchester Grand Hyatt, a hotel whose owner, Douglas Manchester, has donated $125,000 to an initiative to outlaw same-sex marriage in California.
The groups say that to attend the five-day event hosted primarily at the Manchester Grand Hyatt would conflict with their policies of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.
McCain negative ad strategy not playing well with key national and state media
Spring Hope (NC) Enterprise: “McCain ads petty and false” – August 6
“It is sad but telling that the presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain has already slipped into the gutter before the nominating convention has even been held. It would be even sadder, considering the nation’s desperate desire and need for a change in political leadership and policy, if American voters fall for the inane, irrelevant, mean-spirited, and flatly false commercials now attacking Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama.”
Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer-Journal: “All McCain has left is to strike at Obama’s image” – August 4
“While the midsummer timing may seem early in the election season to launch attack ads, they’re indicative of McCain’s predicament: being on the wrong side of popular opinion on just about every major issue in the campaign…All McCain has left is to strike at Obama’s image, and you can expect the attack ads to keep rolling out all summer long.”
Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter: – “Where Have You Gone, John?” – August 2
The youthful insouciance that for many years has helped McCain charm reporters like me is now channeled into an ad that one GOP strategist labeled ‘juvenile,’ another termed ‘childish’ and McCain’s own mother called ‘stupid.’…Without some compelling vision beyond support for offshore drilling, the negativity may well boomerang. ‘It’s hard to imagine America responding to ‘small ball’ when we have all these problems,’ says John Weaver, McCain’s chief strategist in 2000 who was pushed out of the campaign last year.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republicans and old advisers second-guessing” McCain’s tone – August 2
“Of course, there are risks for McCain in how he goes after Obama, with some Republicans and old advisers second-guessing the tone and content of his attacks, and worrying out loud about whether McCain is putting his vaunted personal image and nonpartisan appeal at risk by sounding negative on the stump.”
Dayton Daily News: “John McCain’s campaign so far is a disappointment.” – August 2
“John McCain’s campaign so far is a disappointment. Once upon a time, he seemed – didn’t he? –like a guy who would resist turning to the slash-and-burn tactics associated with the likes of Karl Rove. He talked about wanting a ‘respectful’ campaign. He invited his opponent to share the stage with him at multiple events. He trashed certain kinds of charges made against Sen. Obama, such as those made by Ohio talk show host Bill Cunningham and Columbus-based preacher/activist Rod Parsley. But look at what’s happening now.”
Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson: McCain running “a desperate, ugly campaign” – August 1
“It’s awfully early for John McCain to be running such a desperate, ugly campaign against Barack Obama… Negative campaigning is not a pretty thing, and it should be beneath John McCain to stoop so low.”
Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz: “Even some McCain allies have winced” at his ad – August 1
“By featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears in an attack ad against Barack Obama, the senator from Arizona has risked charges of silliness to draw attention to his frequently overshadowed campaign…Even some McCain allies have winced at the Paris/Britney spot. Republican strategist Dan Schnur, a former McCain adviser, said that ‘most voters won’t see the parallels between a presidential candidate and two party girls. So a legitimate point about inexperience gets lost in the appearance of name-calling.’”
St. Petersburg Times: “The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter.” – July 31
“The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican’s campaign and his ability to control his temper.”
New York Times: McCain “has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook” – July 30
“The candidate who started out talking about high-minded, civil debate has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook…Mr. McCain used to pride himself on being above this ugly brand of politics, which killed his own 2000 presidential bid. But he clearly tossed his inhibitions aside earlier this month when he put day-to-day management of his campaign in the hands of one acolyte of Mr. Rove and gave top positions to two others.”
Five Ohio Newspapers: “McCain ad attacking Obama’s celebrity is a ‘zero’“ – July 30
“But lumping Obama with Spears and Hilton – two celebrities who have not exactly comported themselves in public in a Mother Teresa-like manner – seems like a dubious comparison… RATES THISAD: 0 In truthfulness on a scale from 0 (misleading) to 10 (truthful)”
Washington Post: “The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation” – July 30
“The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation whose aim is to portray the Democratic presidential candidate as a craven politician more interested in his image than in ailing soldiers, a senior McCain adviser said. They come despite repeated pledges by the Republican that he will never question his rival’s patriotism…Asked repeatedly for the ‘reports,’ Bounds provided three examples, none of which alleged that Obama had wanted to take members of the media to the hospital.” Read the rest of this post...
“It is sad but telling that the presidential campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain has already slipped into the gutter before the nominating convention has even been held. It would be even sadder, considering the nation’s desperate desire and need for a change in political leadership and policy, if American voters fall for the inane, irrelevant, mean-spirited, and flatly false commercials now attacking Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama.”
Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer-Journal: “All McCain has left is to strike at Obama’s image” – August 4
“While the midsummer timing may seem early in the election season to launch attack ads, they’re indicative of McCain’s predicament: being on the wrong side of popular opinion on just about every major issue in the campaign…All McCain has left is to strike at Obama’s image, and you can expect the attack ads to keep rolling out all summer long.”
Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter: – “Where Have You Gone, John?” – August 2
The youthful insouciance that for many years has helped McCain charm reporters like me is now channeled into an ad that one GOP strategist labeled ‘juvenile,’ another termed ‘childish’ and McCain’s own mother called ‘stupid.’…Without some compelling vision beyond support for offshore drilling, the negativity may well boomerang. ‘It’s hard to imagine America responding to ‘small ball’ when we have all these problems,’ says John Weaver, McCain’s chief strategist in 2000 who was pushed out of the campaign last year.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Republicans and old advisers second-guessing” McCain’s tone – August 2
“Of course, there are risks for McCain in how he goes after Obama, with some Republicans and old advisers second-guessing the tone and content of his attacks, and worrying out loud about whether McCain is putting his vaunted personal image and nonpartisan appeal at risk by sounding negative on the stump.”
Dayton Daily News: “John McCain’s campaign so far is a disappointment.” – August 2
“John McCain’s campaign so far is a disappointment. Once upon a time, he seemed – didn’t he? –like a guy who would resist turning to the slash-and-burn tactics associated with the likes of Karl Rove. He talked about wanting a ‘respectful’ campaign. He invited his opponent to share the stage with him at multiple events. He trashed certain kinds of charges made against Sen. Obama, such as those made by Ohio talk show host Bill Cunningham and Columbus-based preacher/activist Rod Parsley. But look at what’s happening now.”
Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson: McCain running “a desperate, ugly campaign” – August 1
“It’s awfully early for John McCain to be running such a desperate, ugly campaign against Barack Obama… Negative campaigning is not a pretty thing, and it should be beneath John McCain to stoop so low.”
Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz: “Even some McCain allies have winced” at his ad – August 1
“By featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears in an attack ad against Barack Obama, the senator from Arizona has risked charges of silliness to draw attention to his frequently overshadowed campaign…Even some McCain allies have winced at the Paris/Britney spot. Republican strategist Dan Schnur, a former McCain adviser, said that ‘most voters won’t see the parallels between a presidential candidate and two party girls. So a legitimate point about inexperience gets lost in the appearance of name-calling.’”
St. Petersburg Times: “The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter.” – July 31
“The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican’s campaign and his ability to control his temper.”
New York Times: McCain “has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook” – July 30
“The candidate who started out talking about high-minded, civil debate has wholeheartedly adopted Mr. Rove’s low-minded and uncivil playbook…Mr. McCain used to pride himself on being above this ugly brand of politics, which killed his own 2000 presidential bid. But he clearly tossed his inhibitions aside earlier this month when he put day-to-day management of his campaign in the hands of one acolyte of Mr. Rove and gave top positions to two others.”
Five Ohio Newspapers: “McCain ad attacking Obama’s celebrity is a ‘zero’“ – July 30
“But lumping Obama with Spears and Hilton – two celebrities who have not exactly comported themselves in public in a Mother Teresa-like manner – seems like a dubious comparison… RATES THISAD: 0 In truthfulness on a scale from 0 (misleading) to 10 (truthful)”
Washington Post: “The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation” – July 30
“The attacks are part of a newly aggressive McCain operation whose aim is to portray the Democratic presidential candidate as a craven politician more interested in his image than in ailing soldiers, a senior McCain adviser said. They come despite repeated pledges by the Republican that he will never question his rival’s patriotism…Asked repeatedly for the ‘reports,’ Bounds provided three examples, none of which alleged that Obama had wanted to take members of the media to the hospital.” Read the rest of this post...
McCain and lobbyist-campaign-manager's cushy deal for DHL cost Ohio 8,000 jobs
Oops. Maybe McCain's lobbyist-campaign-chair would be willing to give the money back he made on that deal, as a small show of contrition.
Read the rest of this post...
Oh please
"US: Ivins solely responsible for anthrax attacks." And he just killed himself, so he really can't defend himself. How convenient.
Read the rest of this post...
McCain "wouldn't know a tire gauge from a Web page"
A reader writes:
On McCain, the Obama people are missing a golden opportunity with this tire pressure thing. Hit McCain back in the teeth. "Of course he wouldn't understand, Millionaire McCain hasn't driven in years. He's been in a chaffeur-driven limo, or on his wife's plane. Jet-setting among his 10 house. He wouldn't know a tire gauge from a Web page."Read the rest of this post...
Hit the man in the teeth. piss him off. Start calling him Daddy Warbucks. Seriously, pull out the stops. It puts all of the critiques together. He's old. He's a war monger. And he's rich. Why the hell didn't they put out an ad saying McCain was gonna make million off the sale of Budweiser? Jesus, this is getting ridiculous. Hit McCain in his wheelhouse and piss him off. All it will take is McCain losing his cool once and he'll drop like a stone. The ads write themselves.
Obama bumper stick on McCain bus
Silly but funny. Then again, McCain does have us debating the merits of Paris Hilton, so silly season began long ago. Read the rest of this post...
ACLU Guest Post: “Trusted Traveler” Program Suspended After 33,000 Customers’ Records Went Missing
By Melissa Ngo, ACLU Technology & Liberty Project
The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that it has suspended “Verified Identity Pass, Inc. (VIP) -- the company that operates Registered Traveler (RT) programs under the brand name Clear® -- from enrolling new applicants in RT due to vulnerabilities discovered in the company's storage of Clear® applicants' sensitive personal information.” TSA suspended the company after learning the company had lost an unencrypted laptop with “pre-enrollment records of approximately 33,000 customers” on July 26. The laptop reappeared yesterday in the same San Francisco International Airport office that it was taken from, but not in the same location, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Clear says the computer held names, addresses, birth dates, and driver's license, passport and green card data for program applicants, but no biometric data or Social Security numbers. However, this data is still valuable to thieves and the unencrypted laptop could be seen as containing 33,000 identity theft kits.
Clear records can contain even more sensitive data: an applicant’s credit card information; “a digital photo and digital images of all of the applicant's fingerprints and his or her irises”; previous home addresses for the past five years; and digital images of passports and driver's licenses.
Not only is Verified Identity Pass violating TSA security requirements by leaving sensitive data unencrypted on a laptop, the company is also breaking its own promises to customers. Check out the company’s statement on data security, “We use encryption (a strong data coding process) for all program sensitive data communications.”
Verified Identity Pass is notifying customers of the breach and says they “will now include the finding that the laptop has been found and that no one attempted to access that information, let alone obtained it.” However, this is based on the company’s own “preliminary investigation.” Law enforcement officials are separately analyzing the unencrypted computer and have not announced whether the data was accessed or copied.
The Registered Traveler/Clear program was created under the mistaken assumption that if one can identify an individual, then one can learn that person’s intent. But that is just wrong. Criminals will choose applicants without previous links to terrorism, who can pass the background checks, to commit their crimes. For example, Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber could have passed the background checks – they had no previous links to terrorism.
In an excellent analysis of the problems in Registered Traveler, security expert Bruce Schneier explains, “The truth is that whenever you create two paths through security -- a high-security path and a low-security path -- you have to assume that the bad guys will find a way to exploit the low-security path. It may be counterintuitive, but we are all safer if the people chosen for more thorough screening are truly random and not based on an error-filled database or a cursory background check.” Read the rest of this post...
The Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that it has suspended “Verified Identity Pass, Inc. (VIP) -- the company that operates Registered Traveler (RT) programs under the brand name Clear® -- from enrolling new applicants in RT due to vulnerabilities discovered in the company's storage of Clear® applicants' sensitive personal information.” TSA suspended the company after learning the company had lost an unencrypted laptop with “pre-enrollment records of approximately 33,000 customers” on July 26. The laptop reappeared yesterday in the same San Francisco International Airport office that it was taken from, but not in the same location, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Clear says the computer held names, addresses, birth dates, and driver's license, passport and green card data for program applicants, but no biometric data or Social Security numbers. However, this data is still valuable to thieves and the unencrypted laptop could be seen as containing 33,000 identity theft kits.
Clear records can contain even more sensitive data: an applicant’s credit card information; “a digital photo and digital images of all of the applicant's fingerprints and his or her irises”; previous home addresses for the past five years; and digital images of passports and driver's licenses.
Not only is Verified Identity Pass violating TSA security requirements by leaving sensitive data unencrypted on a laptop, the company is also breaking its own promises to customers. Check out the company’s statement on data security, “We use encryption (a strong data coding process) for all program sensitive data communications.”
Verified Identity Pass is notifying customers of the breach and says they “will now include the finding that the laptop has been found and that no one attempted to access that information, let alone obtained it.” However, this is based on the company’s own “preliminary investigation.” Law enforcement officials are separately analyzing the unencrypted computer and have not announced whether the data was accessed or copied.
The Registered Traveler/Clear program was created under the mistaken assumption that if one can identify an individual, then one can learn that person’s intent. But that is just wrong. Criminals will choose applicants without previous links to terrorism, who can pass the background checks, to commit their crimes. For example, Timothy McVeigh and the Unabomber could have passed the background checks – they had no previous links to terrorism.
In an excellent analysis of the problems in Registered Traveler, security expert Bruce Schneier explains, “The truth is that whenever you create two paths through security -- a high-security path and a low-security path -- you have to assume that the bad guys will find a way to exploit the low-security path. It may be counterintuitive, but we are all safer if the people chosen for more thorough screening are truly random and not based on an error-filled database or a cursory background check.” Read the rest of this post...
Has McCain Walked Into An Energy Trap?
From Sam at Huff Post:
On Friday, a group of ten Senators, hoping to break a stalemate on the nation's energy debate, unveiled compromise legislation to open new areas in the Gulf of Mexico to drilling (in addition to allowing exploration as close to 50 miles off of Florida's Gulf coast) while also raising taxes on major oil companies.Read the rest of this post...
The five Democrats and five Republicans behind the effort were quickly joined by Obama, who objects to drilling but called the compromise "a good faith effort at a new bipartisan beginning." For this he was labeled a flip-flopper by Republican critics and given a slap on the wrist by some environmental advocates.
The short-term backlash may pale in comparison to the potholes that confront McCain. The Arizona Republican's campaign has been opaque in its response to the Gang of Ten. An anonymous aide to the Senator was quoted in the Wall Street Journal applauding the efforts, but said his boss wouldn't support the proposal because "he cannot and will not support legislation that raises taxes."
McCain is too old to serve in the Air Force
Before McCain and his surrogates, and the media, feign outrage over a discussion of McCain's age, it is interesting to note that in other fields, including the US military, we have mandatory retirement ages that no one seems to complain about - McCain included. The first person who complains that we're discussing McCain's age needs to explain if they support lifting the other age restrictions out there, on the military, and beyond.
MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGES
Air Force: "The mandatory retirement age for all general [Air Force] officers is 62 (this can be deferred to age 64 in some cases)." (About.com)
State and local police (55-60)
firefighters (55-60)
federal firefighters (57)
federal law enforcement (57)
federal corrections officers (57)
air traffic controllers (56, if hired after 1972)
commercial airline pilots(60) (65)
(source CATO, 2004) Read the rest of this post...
MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGES
Air Force: "The mandatory retirement age for all general [Air Force] officers is 62 (this can be deferred to age 64 in some cases)." (About.com)
State and local police (55-60)
firefighters (55-60)
federal firefighters (57)
federal law enforcement (57)
federal corrections officers (57)
air traffic controllers (56, if hired after 1972)
commercial airline pilots
(source CATO, 2004) Read the rest of this post...
Kansas Democrats gay-bait state legislature candidate
UPDATE: Link is fixed. Grrr.
Good to know bigotry is alive and well in the Democratic party in Kansas. This is rather disgusting. I hope we'll be hearing soon from the DNC and Kansas Democratic governor Kathleen Sibelius. Democrats don't gay-bait. And when they do, like Kanasas' Gail Finney, they need to be shown the door, loudly and publicly. The DNC and Governor Sibelius wouldn't stand for Democratic candidates, let alone party officials, using race-baiting or attacks on Jews or other minorities, and we assume they'll be just as vocal in defending gay and lesbian Democrats (and considering the other stories circulating right now, this doesn't help). I sincerely hope this woman Gail Finney isn't credentialed to attend the Democratic convention. Feel free to contact the local Democratic party here. Read the rest of this post...
Good to know bigotry is alive and well in the Democratic party in Kansas. This is rather disgusting. I hope we'll be hearing soon from the DNC and Kansas Democratic governor Kathleen Sibelius. Democrats don't gay-bait. And when they do, like Kanasas' Gail Finney, they need to be shown the door, loudly and publicly. The DNC and Governor Sibelius wouldn't stand for Democratic candidates, let alone party officials, using race-baiting or attacks on Jews or other minorities, and we assume they'll be just as vocal in defending gay and lesbian Democrats (and considering the other stories circulating right now, this doesn't help). I sincerely hope this woman Gail Finney isn't credentialed to attend the Democratic convention. Feel free to contact the local Democratic party here. Read the rest of this post...
John McCain's got more campaign finance scandals brewing: Where's he really getting his money?
John McCain's campaign has shown no compunction about scamming the campaign finance laws. He's basically breaking the public finance spending caps imposed by the public finance system for months.
But, an article in today's Washington Post brings questions about McCain campaign fundraisers to a whole new level. Seems Harry Sargeant III, one of McCain big bundlers (who he shares with Charlie Crist), has been raising gobs of money for the GOP nominee from some unlikely sources -- and there seems to be some kind of code of silence surrounding the contributions:
If this seems kind of shady, it is. This isn't the first time. Greg Sargent at TPM has been tracking large contributions from Hess Oil employees. Some of those seem fishy, too.
McCain and the RNC are desperate for money to fund the negative campaign against Obama. Desperate. Read the rest of this post...
But, an article in today's Washington Post brings questions about McCain campaign fundraisers to a whole new level. Seems Harry Sargeant III, one of McCain big bundlers (who he shares with Charlie Crist), has been raising gobs of money for the GOP nominee from some unlikely sources -- and there seems to be some kind of code of silence surrounding the contributions:
The 2008 presidential campaign, which could see each side spend close to $500 million, has heightened the importance of "bundlers" such as Sargeant, who not only write checks themselves but also recruit scores of other donors to give the legal limit of $2,300. Questions about such donor networks have repeatedly emerged as points of stress for the campaigns.Huh? FYI, foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to any U.S. political campaigns. So, where did the money come from? The contributors themselves didn't want to talk to the Washington Post.
In January, Norman Hsu, a top Clinton bundler, was indicted in part on charges of circumventing legal giving limits by routing contributions though "straw donors." Earlier this week, McCain drew questions about more than $60,000 in donations that were made this year to the Republican National Committee and his campaign by an office manager with the Hess oil company and her husband, an Amtrak track foreman. In that case, the couple said they used their own money.
Some of the most prolific givers in Sargeant's network live in modest homes in Southern California's Inland Empire. Most had never given a political contribution before being contacted by Sargeant or his associates. Most said they have never voiced much interest in politics. And in several instances, they had never registered to vote. And yet, records show, some families have ponied up as much as $18,400 for various candidates between December and March.
Both Sargeant and the donors were vague when asked to explain how Sargeant persuaded them to give away so much money.
"I have a lot of Arab business partners. I do a lot of business in the Middle East. I've got a lot of friends," Sargeant said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I ask my friends to support candidates that I think are worthy of supporting. They usually come through for me."
If this seems kind of shady, it is. This isn't the first time. Greg Sargent at TPM has been tracking large contributions from Hess Oil employees. Some of those seem fishy, too.
McCain and the RNC are desperate for money to fund the negative campaign against Obama. Desperate. Read the rest of this post...
Gay-Baiting 08
A very good, in-depth article from AfterElton.com about gay-baiting in US politics, and where it's come over the past 8 years or so.
Read the rest of this post...
Actuarial analysis says McCain won't be "healthy" by end of second term as president
The actuarial says McCain has 8.4 "healthy" years left. He mistakenly drew the conclusion that McCain would therefore be healthy through two terms in office, thinking that eight years from now is the end of McCain's term. That's incorrect. The end of the term is in 8 years 5.5 months from now. Statistically, that means McCain won't make it through two terms as a "healthy" president. By healthy, he means “the person does not require the care provided by an assisted living facility and is free of Alzheimer’s disease.”
By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, that means McCain wouldn't even be able to complete two full terms in office. His time runs out on December 30th or so of 2016, a good three weeks before the new president would be sworn in. So that means, statistically speaking, before the end of two terms, we should expect President McCain to have to be moved to a retirement home because he'll no longer be able to care for himself, and we should expect that he'll already be suffering from Alzheimer's.
This isn't a joke, and it isn't an attempt to mock McCain or elderly people. There's a reason that 72 year old men aren't professional football players or even commercial airline pilots (commercial pilots are required to retire at age 60). And there's a reason that there's no great uproar over the fact that senior citizens don't work in those professions. It's the height of political correctness to suggest that the presidency of the United States during war time requires less skill, stamina, and mental acuity than flying the friendly skies.
I've gotten feedback from some readers asking if McCain has had a "cognitive impairment" test. I'm told that everyone should get them as they get older, and that it's not clear from the medical records released (you'll recall that McCain only let a select group of reporters review his medical records in a sealed room for a few hours). I hope some reporters out there have the gumption to ask the McCain campaign for a specific answer to the question - has he recently taken a cognitive impairment test and what were the results? Read the rest of this post...
By my back-of-the-envelope calculations, that means McCain wouldn't even be able to complete two full terms in office. His time runs out on December 30th or so of 2016, a good three weeks before the new president would be sworn in. So that means, statistically speaking, before the end of two terms, we should expect President McCain to have to be moved to a retirement home because he'll no longer be able to care for himself, and we should expect that he'll already be suffering from Alzheimer's.
This isn't a joke, and it isn't an attempt to mock McCain or elderly people. There's a reason that 72 year old men aren't professional football players or even commercial airline pilots (commercial pilots are required to retire at age 60). And there's a reason that there's no great uproar over the fact that senior citizens don't work in those professions. It's the height of political correctness to suggest that the presidency of the United States during war time requires less skill, stamina, and mental acuity than flying the friendly skies.
I've gotten feedback from some readers asking if McCain has had a "cognitive impairment" test. I'm told that everyone should get them as they get older, and that it's not clear from the medical records released (you'll recall that McCain only let a select group of reporters review his medical records in a sealed room for a few hours). I hope some reporters out there have the gumption to ask the McCain campaign for a specific answer to the question - has he recently taken a cognitive impairment test and what were the results? Read the rest of this post...
Is David Gergen Right?
I watched This Week this weekend and saw these comments from David Gergen (via Sam Stein @ Huffington Post):
His remarks and the subsequent reaction on the news channels got me thinking about how exactly it is that we go about crafting messages in advertising. Now none of what Gergen mentioned is, per say, overtly messaging "uppity", but does anyone think it's an accident that NRA hero Heston shows up as Moses? Things are communicated in code in advertising, and this is a great example.
Now Washington journalists will deconstruct each and every image and word choice of McCain's ads, trying to find a smoking gun of racism. There isn't one, and there won't be. What these ads do is attempt to hit on subconscious emotions, not overt ones. And that's what David Gergen is trying to say. Someone will see a hint of it (like Gergen), understand what's really going on, and then try and make the case.
I think Gergen is making a good point here, but I think that it's getting lost in the delivery. I believe he is right - just look at the plain facts of the last two weeks of John McCain's TV campaign:
Voters seem to be taking away that message in a more subtle form - in growing numbers they don't believe that Obama shares the same view of America that they do. From Rasmussen:
I've become a big fan of Morning Joe on MSNBC in the mornings. Obviously, the last week of ads has been the main topic of discussion of late. Pat Buchanan has been saying for months that Obama's biggest liability is his ability for average voters to relate to him (the "have a beer" question that pollsters usually ask). Earlier in the primary, it was that Obama was too "faculty lounge" for the average voter. His current take is that many in the public went from asking "who is Barack Obama" to "who does this guy think he is". I'm loathe to say it, but he's right - polls show that Obama's numbers on this issue are moving, just not in the right direction.
So what's the antidote to this kind of campaign? You have to take this head on (I think with paid TV ads) - you can't just ignore it. What might that TV ad look like? Think of images of Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton drawing huge crowds overseas - paired up with the exact footage from the McCain ad of Obama in Berlin - and ending with Obama making his case clearly and forcefully that not only can an American President earn the respect of the world, but can also lead the world.
See, that subconscious thing can work both ways. Deep down, I believe that most Americans want their President respected - and even more so their country respected. Visuals of Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton remind voters of a time when we were respected in the world, and our President was a leader. Obama needs to tell the public himself that he wants to get our country where we all want to go - not hope that it gets through the media filter that's all a-flutter with Paris and Moses. I believe that average Americans won't care what race the President is if he's getting the job done - Obama just has to make sure getting the job done is what he's talking about. He can't respond to McCain's attacks weakly, Americans don't want a weak President. That was Kerry's mistake, and it's not a mistake Obama can afford to make.
P.S. You can see Ms. Hilton's reaction in John's post below. In case you were wondering what Paris Hilton's mom (a McCain donor, you know, casue she's rich and probably loves those tax breaks) thinks about all this, you can read that on the HuffPost. Read the rest of this post...
"There has been a very intentional effort to paint him as somebody outside the mainstream, other, 'he's not one of us,'" said Gergen, who has worked with White Houses, both Republican and Democrat, from Nixon to Clinton. "I think the McCain campaign has been scrupulous about not directly saying it, but it's the subtext of this campaign. Everybody knows that. There are certain kinds of signals. As a native of the south, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, 'The One,' that's code for, 'he's uppity, he ought to stay in his place.' Everybody gets that who is from a southern background. We all understand that. When McCain comes out and starts talking about affirmative action, 'I'm against quotas,' we get what that's about."You can watch the video here.
His remarks and the subsequent reaction on the news channels got me thinking about how exactly it is that we go about crafting messages in advertising. Now none of what Gergen mentioned is, per say, overtly messaging "uppity", but does anyone think it's an accident that NRA hero Heston shows up as Moses? Things are communicated in code in advertising, and this is a great example.
Now Washington journalists will deconstruct each and every image and word choice of McCain's ads, trying to find a smoking gun of racism. There isn't one, and there won't be. What these ads do is attempt to hit on subconscious emotions, not overt ones. And that's what David Gergen is trying to say. Someone will see a hint of it (like Gergen), understand what's really going on, and then try and make the case.
I think Gergen is making a good point here, but I think that it's getting lost in the delivery. I believe he is right - just look at the plain facts of the last two weeks of John McCain's TV campaign:
In "The One" John McCain is tearing down the idea that a President has the capacity to change a culture and lead change in the world. That's what Presidents do, change the course of history, either for good or bad. If you don't want that job John, and if you don't think think that it's possible for a President to change history, why are YOU running for President?So is Gergen right? Is there uppity in here? Just look at the questions that the ads ask. Who are you to change the world? Who are you to get all the attention? Just who do you think you are telling us we have to change?
In "Celebrity" McCain is marginalizing the public appeal Obama obviously has, comparing it to the same appeal the public finds in pseduo-celebrities with night-vision sex tape specials. It specifically mocks the power of a president to use words to change the world ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" anyone?) - dredging up the Bible and Moses to complete the message - only God changes the world.
In their web ad "Obama Love" McCain mocks huge international crowds. Yeah, because the last thing we would want is a President who is admired by the rest of the world. How does he turn this obvious positive into a negative? By pulling out a handful of extreme political views and painting all of Europe with the broad brush of socialism. McCain is tapping into the feeling in his base (and perhaps beyond) that the last thing that we want is socialism - hint hint - he's talking about Obama's health care reform plan.
Voters seem to be taking away that message in a more subtle form - in growing numbers they don't believe that Obama shares the same view of America that they do. From Rasmussen:
Forty-six percent (46%) of voters nationwide now say that Obama views U.S. society as unfair and discriminatory. That’s up from 43% in July and 39% in June. By a three-to-one margin, American voters hold the opposite view and believe that our society is generally fair and decent.And McCain is feeding that perception with these campaigns. Just who does this guy think he is?
I've become a big fan of Morning Joe on MSNBC in the mornings. Obviously, the last week of ads has been the main topic of discussion of late. Pat Buchanan has been saying for months that Obama's biggest liability is his ability for average voters to relate to him (the "have a beer" question that pollsters usually ask). Earlier in the primary, it was that Obama was too "faculty lounge" for the average voter. His current take is that many in the public went from asking "who is Barack Obama" to "who does this guy think he is". I'm loathe to say it, but he's right - polls show that Obama's numbers on this issue are moving, just not in the right direction.
So what's the antidote to this kind of campaign? You have to take this head on (I think with paid TV ads) - you can't just ignore it. What might that TV ad look like? Think of images of Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton drawing huge crowds overseas - paired up with the exact footage from the McCain ad of Obama in Berlin - and ending with Obama making his case clearly and forcefully that not only can an American President earn the respect of the world, but can also lead the world.
See, that subconscious thing can work both ways. Deep down, I believe that most Americans want their President respected - and even more so their country respected. Visuals of Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton remind voters of a time when we were respected in the world, and our President was a leader. Obama needs to tell the public himself that he wants to get our country where we all want to go - not hope that it gets through the media filter that's all a-flutter with Paris and Moses. I believe that average Americans won't care what race the President is if he's getting the job done - Obama just has to make sure getting the job done is what he's talking about. He can't respond to McCain's attacks weakly, Americans don't want a weak President. That was Kerry's mistake, and it's not a mistake Obama can afford to make.
P.S. You can see Ms. Hilton's reaction in John's post below. In case you were wondering what Paris Hilton's mom (a McCain donor, you know, casue she's rich and probably loves those tax breaks) thinks about all this, you can read that on the HuffPost. Read the rest of this post...
Paris Hilton responds to John McCain, or as she calls him, "that wrinkly white-haired guy"
Brilliant. Kind of makes me even like her.
See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die
Read the rest of this post...
Wednesday Morning Open Thread
Good morning.
Obama is campaigning in Indiana today. That fueled a lot of intense speculation and very confident predictions that Obama was going to pick Evan Bayh as his running mate today. No signs of that, yet.
Let's not overlook the very fact that Obama is campaigning in Indiana, which has been a reliably red state. As Nate at FiveThirtyEight.com reported Obama already has fourteen offices in Indiana and will be opening up to a dozen more. On the other side, McCain does not have even one campaign office in Indiana and, apparently, isn't going to open any.
Thread the news. Read the rest of this post...
Obama is campaigning in Indiana today. That fueled a lot of intense speculation and very confident predictions that Obama was going to pick Evan Bayh as his running mate today. No signs of that, yet.
Let's not overlook the very fact that Obama is campaigning in Indiana, which has been a reliably red state. As Nate at FiveThirtyEight.com reported Obama already has fourteen offices in Indiana and will be opening up to a dozen more. On the other side, McCain does not have even one campaign office in Indiana and, apparently, isn't going to open any.
Thread the news. Read the rest of this post...
Some actual positive news about gorillas
I'd been meaning to write about this, but got caught up in all the political drama.
While there remains a dire situation for many primate species, for lowland gorillas, there's some surprisingly good news:
While there remains a dire situation for many primate species, for lowland gorillas, there's some surprisingly good news:
A grueling survey of vast tracts of forest and swamp in the northern Congo Republic has revealed the presence of more than 125,000 western lowland gorillas, a rare example of abundance in a world of rapidly vanishing primate populations.Read the rest of this post...
As recently as last year, this subspecies of the world’s largest primate was listed as critically endangered by international wildlife organizations because known populations — estimated at less than 100,000 in the 1980s — had been devastated by hunting and outbreaks of Ebola virus. The three other subspecies are either critically endangered or endangered.
The survey was conducted by the Wildlife Conservation Society and local researchers in largely unstudied terrain, including a swampy region nicknamed the “green abyss” by the first biologists to cross it. Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, the president of the society, marveled at the scope of what the survey revealed. “The message from our community is so often one of despair,” he said. “While we don’t want to relax our concern, it’s just great to discover that these animals are doing well.”
The society is to release its findings on Tuesday at a meeting of the International Primatological Society in Edinburgh. Conservation society scientists said the continuing threat of Ebola precluded a change in the gorilla’s status. But the discovery was mainly stirring excitement.
“This is the light of hope you look for,” said Richard G. Ruggerio, a conservation biologist at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. But he cautioned that the large gorilla populations in the two studied tracts, which cover 18,000 square miles, should not lead to complacency. “It’s a different kind of alarm call, an opportunity that is increasingly rare on this planet — to do something before there’s a crisis,” he said. A separate global update on primates is being issued Tuesday at the Edinburgh meeting, showing that — with a few exceptions — forest destruction and, increasingly, hunting for meat, pets and Chinese medicinal products are imperiling monkeys and other primates, from Congo Republic to Cambodia.
In Vietnam and Cambodia, 90 percent of primates — including gibbons, leaf monkeys and langurs — are considered at risk, said scientists affiliated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which issued the update with Conservation International.
See the Miss Buffalo Chip Contest -- the one John McCain wants Cindy to enter
On Tuesday, we posted the video of John McCain in Sturgis, South Dakota. He thought Cindy should compete in the Miss Buffalo Chip beauty pageant.
See that contest for yourself, courtesy of our friends over at Talking Points Memo.
Now, imagine what the Republicans would do if any Democrat said their wife should participate in a topless and sometimes bottomless beauty pageant. Imagine the field day the traditional media would have. We'd never hear the end of it from the talking heads at CNN, MSNBC and Fox. The GOPers would be sending out Buffalo Chip tiaras and sashes. But, John McCain said offered to pimp his wife in a topless, sometimes bottomless, beauty pageant. So, under the rules of this campaign, no one can do anything or make hay with it.
We could just refer to Cindy McCain as "Miss Buffalo Chip." That's better than calling her a former drug addict who stole drugs from a charity. We can't mention that either. Read the rest of this post...
See that contest for yourself, courtesy of our friends over at Talking Points Memo.
Now, imagine what the Republicans would do if any Democrat said their wife should participate in a topless and sometimes bottomless beauty pageant. Imagine the field day the traditional media would have. We'd never hear the end of it from the talking heads at CNN, MSNBC and Fox. The GOPers would be sending out Buffalo Chip tiaras and sashes. But, John McCain said offered to pimp his wife in a topless, sometimes bottomless, beauty pageant. So, under the rules of this campaign, no one can do anything or make hay with it.
We could just refer to Cindy McCain as "Miss Buffalo Chip." That's better than calling her a former drug addict who stole drugs from a charity. We can't mention that either. Read the rest of this post...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
