15 September 2008

Social Distortion

An old friend (Tim, who has recently begun reading and commenting) sent me an interesting email, listing some suggested reasons as to why Obama is slipping in the polls. It seems intelligent and well reasoned and might even be right. It could be, though, that there is a simpler reason: this is the same country that twice elected George Bush.

Scott (commenting as LSD) pointed me to a Camille Paglia essay at Salon. An excerpt:

Oh, the sadomasochistic tedium of McCain's imprisonment in Hanoi being told over and over and over again at the Republican convention. Do McCain's credentials for the White House really consist only of that horrific ordeal? Americans owe every heroic, wounded veteran an incalculable debt of gratitude, but how do McCain's sufferings in a tiny, squalid cell 40 years ago logically translate into presidential aptitude in the 21st century? Cast him a statue or slap his name on a ship, and let's turn the damned page.


We finally have a woman VP candidate and a black presidential candidate. Obama was raised in Hawaii, Palin in Alaska. Apparently there were no qualified blacks or women in the lower 48. Who knew we were looking in the wrong place all this time?

Since 2001, the percentage of Americans believing that humans are causing climate change has dropped by 4%. Dropped. Meanwhile, in the last century the average length of a heat wave in Western Europe has doubled.

By 2007, 41% of Americans believed that it was Saddam Hussein, not Al Qaeda, who was responsible for 9-11. Worse, 85% of service personnel in Iraq believed that the US mission was mainly to retaliate for 9-11.

8 comments:

Allen said...

The Republicans are like the New England Patriots of pro football in that they have a very controlling coach at the helm and an offense that last year (and years previous as well) kept scoring at will, until the Super Bowl, of course.

But like the Patriots (oooh, just saw the coincidence between the NE team name and the patriotic fervor of the GOP), the GOP is incredibly adept at relentlessly attacking the Dems. And the Dems try to take the high road but end up getting totally run over by the incredible offensive power of the GOP.

If Obama doesn't keep relentlessly hammering away at how 4 years of McCain is another 4 years of Bush, I fear the Dems will once again totally blow it, to the point where the GOP will control the White House for many, many years.

I want to see some REAL fire and passion from Obama. I want to see the man's dander get raised.

"Steady as she goes" won't work if Obama wants to win. Not against the GOP.

Anonymous said...

The point of referencing Camille Paglia's article was to commend the fact that here is one (the only one?) Obama supporter who feels she can afford to compliment Palin. (Aside from Joe Biden's snide remark that she is good-looking.)

The section you chose to highlight does show that Paglia is no friend of the McCain campaign.

I hope you have a happy birthday. -Someday I may figure out why your birth seems to have given Mexicans such a sense of independence.

Ron Davison said...

ALLEN!
Time for a dander raising party? Is that what you are saying? I'm not sure how Obama wins. There seems to be an inherent conflict between successful politics and successful policy in this country. Sigh.

Scott,
I realize that your intent was to point to a Obama supporter who also saw Palin as a positive character. I just thought the line questioning how being a POW makes a person qualified for president was worth repeating.

Ron Davison said...

Oh, and Scott, about those Mexicans and their sense of freedom. I think it might just be because I have never felt obliged to coerce their behavior in any way. (I might have tried if only they didn't outnumber me by millions.) I am sure Veronica has mentioned her sense of gratitude for this?

Allen said...

Ron,

Are you angry with me? Why the CAPS and exclamation point whenever you respond to my comments? Or are you trying to capture my attention better? :-)

Concerning your not feeling obligned to coerce the behavior of Mexicans in any way, probably a VERY smart move on your part, especially considering your close geographical proximity to their country.

Ron Davison said...

ALLEN!
Angry? No. Just that happy to have your attention. (And you should know that I have been accused of using your name to post comments to myself.

And yes, given that the Mexican border is about 8 miles from house, all the more reason to placate them whenever possible.

Anonymous said...

I guess I should revise my comment to wonder how a Mexican sense of independence might usher in the birth of you! -Rather than to suggest the alternative.

(I should be clear that our R-World host's big day is tomorrow.)

nunya said...

Keep in mind the (corporate) media consolidation , and take the polls with a grain of salt.

:)