It's one day away from December now.  A new season (early winter).  And it's time to haul out the advent calendars and count down to Christmas.  And the election is over and a new administration is soon to take office.  Cold weather, wool clothes, boots, sweatshirts, early darkness, frost on windshields . . .  and tons of new faces on news shows and all over downtown Washington DC. 

For your amusement and edification, I refer you to this article in the L.A. Times.  I admit to bafflement as to why Hillary would take the job since her power base is thereby immediately nullfied and as sec'y of state she's basically Obama's employee, than which I'd have thought nothing would have annoyed her more.

Labels: 2008 election, politics

After a brief hiatus, I'm going to try and revive my blogging. I've enjoyed it enormously in the past and appreciate the words of blog friends while I've been gone. And let me add just just a brief note by way of explanation.

I had been enjoying the campaign enormously in that it was a rare time of actual choices, not merely one party hack versus another, or at least so it seemed. I began the primary season optimistic about Obama running and possibly winning. As time went on, some of his statements and actions nibbled at the edges of my enthusiasm, however, and I also began to be disturbed by what seemed like endorsement morphing into idolatry in nearly all media coverage. Since most of what we voters know comes from what journalists tell us, we must rely on thorough and in-depth reporting, but electronic and print journalists alike failed to ask questions of or about him, let alone probe as hard as they probed McCain or Clinton or Palin. As a result, I wrote what I intended as questions - about him, his positions and, particularly, the moral center that is so pivotal to his campaign and himself. Quite evidently, however, I did not convey what I thought I thought, nor did I say what I meant to say. I can only blame inelegance and inadequacy as a writer, demonstrating again, I suppose, that many bloggers are not professional writers or, at the least, that Yours Truly is not. In any case, I was literally stunned into silence by the intensity and personal negativity of some reactions to what I wrote. All else aside, I very much hope that Obama is every bit the leader we need and want. And I hope that he galvanizes Americans' hopes and energies, and proves to be one of our smartest, most statesmanlike and courageous presidents.

Labels: 2008 election, blogs (mine), reflections, writing

This country has many millions of people.  At times it seems that each of us has different ideas and different convictions from everyone else. That is the marvel of America.  That somehow we have so many differences and yet have a government that works (sometimes better than others, needless to say) and a social fabric in which most of us proceed through daily life even occasionally successfully and happily is just amazing.  Cheers!

Labels: 2008 election

Good column on the puzzles of the McCain campaign here.  Good piece on the probable success of the Obama campaign here.

Labels: 2008 election

Here's the weekly pre-poll - now on Tuesdays just like the real thing.

If the election were held today, who would you vote for? John McCain Barack Obama Third party or write-in Wouldn't vote pollcode.com free polls

On what do you mostly base your vote for or against? (multiple answers okay) Candidate's views Candidate's advisors Candidate's past voting record Candidate's party affiliation Candidate's character Candidate's family Candidate's education Candidate's promises Candidate's likeability Candidate's temperament Candidate's apparent trustworthiness (or lack thereof) pollcode.com free polls

Three weeks until the election.

Labels: 2008 election

If the election were held today, who would you vote for? John McCain Barack Obama Third party or write-in Wouldn't vote pollcode.com free polls

On what do you mostly base your vote for or against? (multiple answers okay) Candidate's views Candidate's advisors Candidate's past voting record Candidate's party affiliation Candidate's character Candidate's family Candidate's education Candidate's promises Candidate's likeability Candidate's temperament Candidate's apparent trustworthiness (or lack thereof) pollcode.com free polls

Here's Monday's poll. Just one month to go until the election.

Labels: 2008 election

Thanks for participating! I'll leave this up through the weekend.

Who do you think won the debate? Biden by a mile Palin by a mile Biden by a small amount Palin by a small amount It was a tie I didn't watch pollcode.com free polls

Did the vice presidential debate change your opinion? (multiple answers allowed) Like Biden more now Like Palin more now Like Biden less now Like Palin less now Feel the same about them as I did before pollcode.com free polls

Labels: 2008 election

McCain pulled his campaign out of Michigan yesterday. Last week, Obama withdrew his campaign from Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Alaska.

Labels: 2008 election, fairness

Let's see how good we are at predicting this. My current guess is that it will be interesting and might be informative but might be something approximating a bloodbath for either person.

How do you think the vice presidential debate will go? (multiple answers allowed)

Biden will trounce Palin Palin will trounce Biden Biden will embarrass himself Palin will embarrass herself It will be a draw I have no idea what will happen It will be fascinating Ifill will go hard on Palin Ifill will go hard on Biden Ifill will go easy on both candidates Ifill will be fair to both candidates It will determine who I'll vote for

pollcode.com free polls

Labels: 2008 election

First the primaries went on for twenty-five years or so (or did it just feel that way?) and one kind of primary (Republicans) counted votes by state so the winner in each state got it all while the other kind of primary (Democrats) counted votes by individuals so the winner was just whoever got the most votes. Then there were other crazinesses such as some states getting convention delegates voided because held early primary voting (Michigan). But now, today, it's apparently fine and dandy to start real voting early in Ohio. Yes, voting began there today, a full five weeks before Election Day and the votes are going to count just like real votes. Which would be unlike the military ballots that were disallowed in 2004 in Florida, so that's good, but really, seriously, how can it possibly be legal to start voting for a president five weeks before Election Day? And they're even announcing who's ahead!? . . . . And to think Cole Porter thought his world was going mad.

Labels: 2008 election, confusion, ridiculousness

If the election were held today, who would you vote for? No one - I won't vote A third-party or write-in candidate John McCain Barack Obama pollcode.com free polls

Why do you vote for one candidate over another? (multiple selections are allowed) Candidate's education Candidate's character Candidate's background Candidate's advisers Candidate's views on the issues Candidate's likeability >Candidate's trustworthiness Candidate's children Candidate's temperament Other (please specify in the comments) pollcode.com free polls

Monday morning poll - postponed from yesterday - sorry - enjoy! Results tomorrow morning.

Labels: 2008 election

They baited each other . . . . ok, ok, it's a bit lame but at least I tried.

There is a certain ridiculousness in using debates to learn a lot about what candidates think, because it's all about media coverage and zingers and comfort (or lack thereof) and necktie colors and all kinds of other irrelevancies. I suppose there's a chance we might learn something or see something in a candidate that persuades us to -- or not to -- vote for him or her but mostly I think people watch in order to confirm that their opinions are valid. "See, he/she just can/can't cut it because [fill in the blank]!"

I thought Obama seemed slightly nervous and a bit annoyed, and I thought McCain seemed a bit testy and determined to show how much he's done and knows. Neither made me want to vote for him or like him but maybe liking someone shouldn't be part of the mix anyway. It might seem pleasant but is it a requisite for a good president that people like him/her and want to be friends? How could anyone be friends with all the (vastly different) people in this country?

I actually thought the two strangest things last night were (1) the pink and white neckties and (2) the way they spoke to each other.

• They both wore pink and white neckties, one striped and one polka dotted. What was that about? Do you suppose they worked that out ahead of time? Was it a signal to the inhabitants of Mars or Jupiter that we come in peace - or that they can?? I mean, really.
  
• And why did Obama call McCain "John" while McCain called Obama "Senator"? I wasn't sure whether Obama intended to sound friendly or casual/disrespectul but it came off mainly as puzzling and a bit patronizing. I swear sometimes he doesn't have a clue (remember the jokes he tries to tell?!). And was McCain being respectful by calling Obama "Senator" or was he being sarcastic?!

I think I pick at Obama's statements more than McCain's because McCain seems more "usual" in his approach. It would be great if there were a way to shake things up and change something almost fundamental so our daily lives could be more livable and more pleasant. So I guess I'm hoping to find that Obama makes sense to vote for and would really have ideas that could get us somewhere good. But I keep feeling disappointed and thinking maybe he just isn't the one. When he said he wants the country to be a place people want to come to again, I said "yes!" but then he added that he meant to a place like the one his father wanted so badly to come to in the 1960s and I stopped in my tracks. The sixties were probably our social and military nadir; the Vietnam War had everyone here and around the world in utter disarray and loathing us. One wonders if he adlibbed that line because sure he didn't think about it before he said it. (And then there's the minor detail that his father deserted his family, left them in that wonderful America he'd wanted to come to and went far far away. Is this whole exercise for Obama an attempt to regain his father??) And, by the way, it's not as if immigrants aren't still flocking here by the gazillion so I guess they didn't get the memo about how bad it is. I certainly don't want a jingoistic president, but realistic would be nice.

I thought McCain seemed knowledgable and determined. Certainly more assured than Obama. Perhaps the expectations were very low because neither is known for good debating skills but Obama seemed downright nervous at times and never conveyed the calm secure tone that drew so many to him in the first place.

Most distressing was that neither was straightforward even about his own positions (some details here).

Well, one down, three to go. Next is Thursday: Palin and Biden.

Labels: 2008 election, disappointments

I wonder how tonight's debaters will fare... and whether the event will have any impact. Predictions?

Labels: 2008 election

I, like Betsy, have been startled at Bill Clinton's magnanimousness and generosity about McCain. But she says it so much better than I would have:

Democrats must be pulling out their hair as Bill Clinton makes his apologia tour for the McCain-Palin ticket. He's talked about why Americans like Sarah Palin. He went on The View and talked about why Americans admire John McCain so much. He was quite kind to McCain when Clinton was on Larry King. . . . In describing their relationship, Clinton said of McCain: "I like him and I admire him." He went on to note that the Arizona senator had helped him normalize relations with Vietnam and fight the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo.

What especially caught my eye in her post was her pointing out that Clinton "defended McCain on postponing the debates to work on the financial crisis and reminded us that McCain was the one who wanted more debates" because I thought I remembered that "McCain wanted more debates" and indeed that turns out to be the case. So if McCain's behavior the last few days is a ploy on his part, I guess it's in hopes that voters will believe how very serious he is about the financial situation.

Labels: 2008 election, blogs (others')

McCain has just announced that he's suspending his campaign to go to Congress and work on the financial crisis. He's called on Obama to do the same. It sounds responsible but one wonders. Suppose it doesn't get solved over the weekend? Suppose it doesn't get solved in two weeks? What's the Constitutional requirement for the election's timing? And loads of other interesting questions . . . .

Labels: 2008 election

Even Joe Biden thought the anti-McCain technology ad was bad (here). One in-the-know friend of mine thinks Biden is the cat's meow and that this is an example of what a decent and clear-headed guy he is. Hope it doesn't get him into trouble with his "boss". Hope it isn't just the first pebbles of a foundation about how they can't be a team any longer - say it ain't so, Joe.

Labels: 2008 election, ridiculousness, ugliness

Could Bill Clinton be sincere when he says he "gets" why Sarah Palin is so popular (article here)?  Let me rephrase that.  I believe he understands her popularity because his popularity is at least partly based on the same ordinary-person identifications as hers.

I think he's might be saying this because he wants to lower the volume on the democrats' attacks so sympathy and defensiveness don't send voters flocking to Palin.  Or he might be saying it so people look more kindly on Palin and vote for McCain and put him in office for that famous one term before Hillary runs in 2012.  Either way, don't you have to smile when you read what he said, for all kinds of reasons?

"My view is ... why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don't we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?"

Kind of applies to him and to Hillary, too, doesn't it?  How calmly generous, right?  Sure, let's acknowledge each other's strengths and go on from there.  But then why did Hillary refuse to speak at the U.N. on tomorrow's panel when it turned out Palin was speaking too.  She said some nonsense about partisanship but in this spirit of generous acknowledgement, it would have been much better to spin it as unpartisan because they both were speaking.  As I say at least a hundred times a day (okay, maybe sometimes it's only ten times), if the noise and ridiculousness and lies were removed, then the voters could listen to the issues and decide who they really want to elect.

Labels: 2008 election, people, reflections