To be sure, Rush Limbaugh is an ignoramus on radio, and is buffoon-like when televised. He readily admits that the poison he spews over the airwaves is meant to be “entertainment”. So of late I have been imagining what fun he would have given us if it was Senator Obama’s 17 year-old un-wed daughter that was pregnant.
Would we be given a daily diatribe about his (Obama’s) inability to manage his household, so how dare he attempt to manage the country? Or perhaps the line of attack would be a nasty “baby’s momma” joke. Or would we be reminded that their family values are out of line with “mainstream America”?
After Senator Clinton and former President Clinton both ‘hit the ball out of the park’ at the Democrats convention, followed up by Senator Obama’s masterful analysis and delivery, the McCain Camp panicked. They had spent weeks stoking whatever residue of malcontent remained among Senator Clinton’s supporters. Now their Machiavellian plans were unraveling – fast.
They knew that the true reading of the recent evenly divided poll results, was not a gain for McCain but a loss for Obama, due to supporters of Clinton who were still holding out. Now with the Democrats leaving the convention energized and more united than ever, McCain panicked. Hence his hasty pick of Sarah Palin as VP. (I wonder how he would handle that 3am phone call.)
As soon as it was announced, she unashamedly went directly after Senator Clinton’s supporters: even having the gall to quote her “18 million cracks in the ceiling” line. It was laughable. I haven’t seen so much entertainment since Limbaugh said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen.
What John McCain needs to be concerned about are the 10,000 people who showed up for Ron Paul’s convention and the 38% of Republicans who say they wish their candidate for president was someone other than McCain. Your house is on fire, McCain. (But please don’t panic!)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Georgia the U.S. is with you, maybe.
To really understand or even be accurately informed of what is happening in the world, one has to use the U.S. media sparingly. They are afflicted by the herd mentality; and feeding frenzies. Theirs is a world of sound bites. So we are given gossip instead of news and sound bites instead of facts.
If you really desire to know what the rest of the world think, spend more time with the BBC. Or if Peter Jennings was here, we could at least get the other side of the story. But then again, he was Canadian (and probably spoke French too) which would make him elitist.
Take that little spat between Russia and the darling of the U.S. - Georgia. When it began we were shown images of John McCain shouting with glee "Georgia the U.S. is with you".
This is where John McCain is supposed to be "strong"- war. So he was given free reign to 'play president.' We were told that the president of Georgia was in daily touch with him and the people were even chanting his name in the streets. He understands how to deal with Russia, it was said, and even spoke some "strong" words. Barack Obama accurately describe it as 'bluster instead of a (foreign) policy'.
If all you listen to is CNN and FoxNews you would think that the fearless leader, John 'Wayne' McCain, had confronted evil and defeated it.
The fact is that Russia has for all purposes annexed those two regions of Georgia that are in dispute. And all that the Bush administration could do was to "plead" with the Russia parliament to hold off on their vote, ratifying the move by Putin. It was pathetic the way the Russians poked John 'Wayne" McCain and his other blusterers in their collective eye.
What is most interesting - and you hear very little of this in the U.S. media - is Putin's assertion that Georgia was encouraged by the Bush administration to make that tragic move against Ossetia in order to favour one presidential candidate. Putin may be on to something.
Oh how I miss Peter Jennings.
If you really desire to know what the rest of the world think, spend more time with the BBC. Or if Peter Jennings was here, we could at least get the other side of the story. But then again, he was Canadian (and probably spoke French too) which would make him elitist.
Take that little spat between Russia and the darling of the U.S. - Georgia. When it began we were shown images of John McCain shouting with glee "Georgia the U.S. is with you".
This is where John McCain is supposed to be "strong"- war. So he was given free reign to 'play president.' We were told that the president of Georgia was in daily touch with him and the people were even chanting his name in the streets. He understands how to deal with Russia, it was said, and even spoke some "strong" words. Barack Obama accurately describe it as 'bluster instead of a (foreign) policy'.
If all you listen to is CNN and FoxNews you would think that the fearless leader, John 'Wayne' McCain, had confronted evil and defeated it.
The fact is that Russia has for all purposes annexed those two regions of Georgia that are in dispute. And all that the Bush administration could do was to "plead" with the Russia parliament to hold off on their vote, ratifying the move by Putin. It was pathetic the way the Russians poked John 'Wayne" McCain and his other blusterers in their collective eye.
What is most interesting - and you hear very little of this in the U.S. media - is Putin's assertion that Georgia was encouraged by the Bush administration to make that tragic move against Ossetia in order to favour one presidential candidate. Putin may be on to something.
Oh how I miss Peter Jennings.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Polls and the U.S. Presidential Elections
What is it with these polls?
There was a time when the Gallup organization was the definitive polling source. Internationally they still are the best known.
After the Democratic Convention I tried in vain to get any election poll results through the media. There were none. After three days the most that David Gergen, a commentator on CNN offered was that the results are still being tabulated and the "bounce" looks like an 8-12 point lead for Obama over McCain.
So yesterday I visited both CNN and the Gallup web sites. CNN had their so called "poll of poll" showing a tie at 47% each (taken before the convention). I then visited my (still) trusted source - Gallup and surprise, surprise; there was Obama at 49% and McCain at 41%.
There seems to be a concerted effort by most sections of the media to report a "close" race. Maybe it is good for ratings. But does this reflect 'truth' or balanced reporting?
Now last night Wolf Blitzer with the best poker face possible announced from the GOP convention floor: "This just in. The latest CNN poll has Obama -49% and McCain 48%. So there was no 'bounce' from the democratic convention for Obama. "
CNN couldn't give us any poll results for almost 5 days. Now that the GOP convention has been postponed ( some would say by act of God), they produce poll results that look and sound as if they were hurriedly put together. Who are they working for?
Are Americans this fickle? Or do they think we all are stupid.
A close election is in the interest of the republicans. Remember Gore/ Bush 2000? Remember Ohio 2004? They (the republicans) are adept at stealing elections.
They could teach any third world quasi- dictator a thing or two.
There was a time when the Gallup organization was the definitive polling source. Internationally they still are the best known.
After the Democratic Convention I tried in vain to get any election poll results through the media. There were none. After three days the most that David Gergen, a commentator on CNN offered was that the results are still being tabulated and the "bounce" looks like an 8-12 point lead for Obama over McCain.
So yesterday I visited both CNN and the Gallup web sites. CNN had their so called "poll of poll" showing a tie at 47% each (taken before the convention). I then visited my (still) trusted source - Gallup and surprise, surprise; there was Obama at 49% and McCain at 41%.
There seems to be a concerted effort by most sections of the media to report a "close" race. Maybe it is good for ratings. But does this reflect 'truth' or balanced reporting?
Now last night Wolf Blitzer with the best poker face possible announced from the GOP convention floor: "This just in. The latest CNN poll has Obama -49% and McCain 48%. So there was no 'bounce' from the democratic convention for Obama. "
CNN couldn't give us any poll results for almost 5 days. Now that the GOP convention has been postponed ( some would say by act of God), they produce poll results that look and sound as if they were hurriedly put together. Who are they working for?
Are Americans this fickle? Or do they think we all are stupid.
A close election is in the interest of the republicans. Remember Gore/ Bush 2000? Remember Ohio 2004? They (the republicans) are adept at stealing elections.
They could teach any third world quasi- dictator a thing or two.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
The U.S. Presidential Election
My first blog.
So many things are happening in the world that will affect our united future. One of the most important is the presidential election in the U.S.
After the Bush administration squandered it's goodwill in the world by attacking Iraq, it is important that the Americans elect a leader who will at least attempt to create a world where 'might is not always right.'
Have you noticed how John McCain's answer to every question start's with "when I was a prisoner of war".
'So John McCain what do you think about sex?'
"when I was a prisoner of war..."
I think that's the problem with John McCain. He is still a prisoner of a forgotten war. My great fear is that if he ever becomes president, he will attempt to make the whole world prisoner of the wars that he is still fighting - in his head.
So many things are happening in the world that will affect our united future. One of the most important is the presidential election in the U.S.
After the Bush administration squandered it's goodwill in the world by attacking Iraq, it is important that the Americans elect a leader who will at least attempt to create a world where 'might is not always right.'
Have you noticed how John McCain's answer to every question start's with "when I was a prisoner of war".
'So John McCain what do you think about sex?'
"when I was a prisoner of war..."
I think that's the problem with John McCain. He is still a prisoner of a forgotten war. My great fear is that if he ever becomes president, he will attempt to make the whole world prisoner of the wars that he is still fighting - in his head.
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