Tag: US Politics 2008

Because Not Only Fruitnut Cakes Have Opinions…

Lots of weirdness in the air. The forces of fear. The forces for security. But there is also an undeniable hope afoot – if you are still able to recognize hope – with those who are about to vote for Barak Obama tomorrow as this column by Andrew Sullivan illustrates, especially in this concluding passage:

…there is something about his rise that is also supremely American, a reminder of why so many of us love this country so passionately and are filled with such grief at what has been done to it and in its name. I endorse Barack Obama because I will not give up on America, because I believe in America, and in her constitution and decency and character and strength.

Now, to watch McCain introduce the SNL Political Bash 2008. He needs more TV time. He has to be the best straight man politician going. Him and Steve Martin. That would be a good team. Good like the supporting the constitution good. If, you know, you live in a western democracy.

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Confused About The Candidates? Get A List Going

I was flipping channels last night and caught Andrew Coyne on TVO’s news show The Agenda as part of a panel. He was lamenting the actual record of Stephen Harper as a conservative and listed a few items like the ignoring his own fixed election law and keeping an unelected Senator in the cabinet…not to mention that blurting out that Quebec is a nation. It got me thinking about lists. Look at this now instantly famous list from one Anne Kilkenny, the Alaskan voicing her familiarity with the arc of Sarah Palin’s career:

  • “Hockey mom”: True for a few years
  • “PTA mom”: True years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since
  • “NRA supporter”: Absolutely true
  • Social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, but vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
  • Pro-creationism: Mixed. Supports it, but did nothing as governor to promote it.
  • “Pro-life”: Mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down’s syndrome baby but declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation.
  • “Experienced”: Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
  • Political maverick: Not at all.
  • Gutsy: Absolutely!
  • Open and transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
  • Has a developed philosophy of public policy: No.
  • “A Greenie”: No. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
  • Fiscal conservative: Not by my definition!
  • Pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
  • Pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
  • Pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla’s history.
  • Pro-labor/pro-union: No. Just because her husband works union doesn’t make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.

For me, this is an effort to establish understanding rather than a purely snarky attack. And by “understanding” I mean one’s own opinion of the acts of another – not some effort to interpret in the context of either ideological purity or some fuzzy concept like the truth that the two-dimensional (to be charitable with the number of dimensions) fools on most blogs would tout but never actually comprehend. Note also the use of the word “mixed”. For me, it admits as much as about Palin as about the list maker. Each are imperfect and carries baggage.

So what would you list as the characteristics of the candidates in either the US or Canadian elections? Are you, like Coyne, one who can’t make a list for our Conservative Party Prime Minister which is “conservative”…or even arising from his “party” rather than himself for that matter. And what of Dion the Grit or Jack the Dipper? What do they stand for when we compare words and actual deeds? What is on your list for them? For me, it is important to take on this exercise for a couple of reasons. First, there has never been such a time when promises and actions were as distantly placed. The Tories have governed as Liberals, the Liberals have been the Tory’s best back benchers and the NDP have been inordinately silent through the whole thing. Second, this is an important election. If Harper is to get his majority – which he may now have earned however unlikely – it should not be though sleepwalking the electorate to the polls. If he does get it, expect a national reflection of Ontario’s Mike Harris years: low tax, high spend retreat to deficit financing with an minoritarian ideological response for every practical problem. You may want that. You may not. You may be considering this in the context of the listeria scandal. Do you actually know what you want? Third, this election seems to be entirely about voting against someone – not some policy but someone. Is it? And shouldn’t you know what you really think about them if that is the case?

What’s on your list?

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Friday Bullets For You And You And You And You…

…and especially for you, little Jimmy.

We stayed up again for a speech. I like speeches so I am something of a sucker but I thought there was just the right measure of menace and warning to the Republican party that my expectation that he would govern as an unfettered independent remains in place. I seem to have liked it more that Tiger but maybe because McCain spoke more to a person like me (internationally transposed, of course) than the party faithful. I liked this: “Let me just offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second crowd: change is coming.” Me first? Sounds like an attack on neo-cons and libertarians to me.

  • I Once Knew Someone Now Famous Update: I dimly recall taking civil procedure at 8:30 am on Monday or some other ungodly hour from Thomas Cromwell in 1989. I paid more attention to the fall of the Berlin Wall that year, however, than when to bring a third party action (know what I mean…nudge, nudge) or when to garnish (right before dinner is served, as I recollect). Wonder what grade I received. He must have done better as he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada today.
  • Up here, Dion seems to be getting all snippy. Will this help given this?
  • Earth to Fox News: you are the mainstream media, too.
  • Nice touch delivering right to Poti. What else is on board?
  • I tried the new browser Chrome from Lord Goog and the Googleplexians – but I can’t run it on my four year old computer at home! Drag. It is good. Like the recent tabs closed as well as the favorites selection when you open a new tab. Egghead debate points here.
  • One good reason to be thankful for blogs.
  • So far no “rats flee sinking ship” comments that I know of. Maybe Emerson wants to try as an NDP now but why, Monty, why? What’s that…because you never got what you deserved? Errr…because you want to start a western party that actually cares about about reforming Canadian politics? Makes sense.
  • Just in case you were wondering, Morton sucks so far.

Surely that is enough. Surely your incessant demands for more bullet points has an end, a satiation point.

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The Somewhat Surprising Mrs. Palin

I have admitted I have a slight crush but am more amazed by the strength of anger focused on Mrs. Palin from some Democrats and also perhaps the degree of adoration by certain Republicans. There is a very good article in The New York Times – that bastion of leftiest lies – entitled “The Unusual Challenges Palin Faced in Alaska” that points out that the Governorship there is never a cakewalk and that her two years were more active than most.

I don’t need to hear the lipstick and bulldog joke again, however. We should not be in a position where her family, gender, age or decision to work in leadership become questions. We do not question absentee Dads ever and she has no plan to be an absentee. Her speech was more than polished – it balanced that somewhat embarassing effort by Rudy Giuliani. I have a sense (avoiding the now worn out word “hope”) that she will be able to speak to specifics – perhaps even demand them – in the campaign. That would be good. I have a sense that the Vice-Presidential debate may be more interesting than the senior circuit’s one.

But she has flip-flopped on the Bridge to Nowhere, lives (like Canadian conservatives) with the dillusionary effects of resource based surpluses, has a love hate relationship with earmarks and has to decide whether she is rejecting or embracing the apparently gushingly offered title of “American’s Sweetheart”. I hope she rejectes it and the accompanying cloy. I hope this is about capability as much as experience. But having hope about politics is a bit of a mug’s game.

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How Does Gustav Affect The Race?

I know this is grim especially if this is Katrina II, but is it possible that the response to Gustav that may hit New Orleans this week could be a defining moment in the Presidential election? Apparently George Bush has canceled his trip to the Republican convention. At what point does the convention get canceled? Here are a few scenarios:

  • Gustav misses a major center or fails to, say, cause major damage even with a direct NOLA strike: no issue and everyone sighs in relief.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding but no huge losses and convention continues: response has to be perfect but that may only mean reduction in presence of convention which, given the Palin announcement, may be fine with McCain – the opportunity to avoid association with the party may help.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding but no huge losses and convention canceled mid-week: this is a tricky one as there could be over reaction. Tension over the idea that there was nothing the convention attendees could do anyway.
  • Gustav causes levee breach, flooding and things get really serious: Can the convention continue? And any peep by anyone including the Democrats becomes a huge negative. The balance of the election campaign is entirely taken up with the response. Confusion as the three leader situation – Bush, McCain, Obama – leads to an expectation that each of the three lead…somehow.

Any other possibilities? It is easy to imagine how to botch things but what is the response that a candidate can make to a crisis that honestly elevates their esteem in the public mind? Ever since Hurricane Juan hit Halifax I have been conscious of that late summer warm shore water pop a storm can get. Usually, the worst of consequences means that nothing else really matters – except maybe a Presidential election.

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Friday Bullets For The Week Your Life Changed Forever!

OK, it didn’t change. It’s pretty much the same as last week – but it is really like that week twenty-seven weeks back if you think about it. It’s kinda eerie when you think about it like that. Or mid-May 2005. It’s like that, too. Weird:

  • Georgian military update: Castle Aaarrgh knows all.
  • Best Job Title Update: “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus Alexander Surikov said…” Wow. What a handle. I don’t care what he had to say but what a handle.
  • The Olympics are apparently on. I would like to maybe see the shot put. Not much else. Why not just have two weeks of shot putting on TV, you know, when the Red Sox aren’t playing. That would be better.
  • Olympic Update: is this pair of images to the right, including one created today, one of those separated-at-birth things? Click for more detail.
  • Even this link it so a .pdf, it is to a .pdf of a new map explaining international claims to the Arctic…and guess what: we are losing Santa.
  • Baywatch: it’s working out just fine.
  • Oh dear. This is the first real bit of bad economic news for Canada in yoinks. Pray for the return of the eighty cent dollar.
  • You know I like NCPR and you know I like “The Beat Authority” on Friday afternoons. Well, there is a Beat Authority Blog now, too. It’s the future and it’s all about that 1998 convergence thing. And throbbing dancing beats.
  • Australian monachists hate puns. Buns? No, puns.
  • Would a McCain Presidency with the Democrats running both houses be so bad?

So that is it for now. A late beginning to the day and an internet connection that fails makes for short bullets even when I write most of this through the week. I’d get a new internet service but I fear change.

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Things I Didn’t Know About Until Today

When you think about it, blogs really should be just Friday Bullets. No one really wants to know the half-baked opinions of strangers. No one really is interested in how many ways the unhappy and unintelligent drop-outs and dopes who post comments can insult. They want to know about the stuff that fills the internet that, frankly, anyone would get along fine without ever knowing. Stuff like:

  • The contribution of Alan Blumlein to the invention of stereo sound is only now starting to be appreciated.
  • The RCMP spied on Rita MacNeil.
  • The cops are also after an Olsen twin.
  • Someone at The Globe and Mail actually thinks “Canadian team invades Beijing” is a good headline.
  • People apparently think customers paying for cell phone spam is good business.
  • The Calgary Herald apparently believes that calling an argument a myth is enough to refute it in an partisan editorial written in the 1908-ish style…or one borrowed from bloggers.
  • A man in Bulgaria had the equivalent of 60 beer before driving and then blowing 0.851 – over ten times the Canadian limit.
  • Obama’s lead in the polls may have vanished and advising to keep your tires inflated likely won’t help.

There might be more. There always is. And if Obama is actually in the pocket of big tire gauge industry, expect that to be the thing that swings the presidential election more than anything else.

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Is Obama Really The Next Paris Hilton?

While I have to admit I still really have no idea what the policies of an administration led by Mr. Obama might look like, I really had no idea that this sort of thing was what would be going on:

After spending much of the summer searching for an effective line of attack against Senator Barack Obama, Senator John McCain is beginning a newly aggressive campaign to define Mr. Obama as arrogant, out of touch and unprepared for the presidency. On Wednesday alone, the McCain campaign released a new advertisement suggesting — and not in a good way — that Mr. Obama was a celebrity along the lines of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Is this unfair? Is there a ring of truth? I think the contrived protests that “the media ♥ Obama” are whacked. When did it dawn on those unhappy with his popularity that popularity is a factor in the political game? When did it dawn on them that the media is the conduit for information? What will be the charge against him next – that he is maybe anti-Bush? But is he really Paris Hilton?

Still…there is that “change” thing. As I was a wee laddie in the Maritimes I was familiar with the scenario of an opposition party facing a well-entrenched well-operating government and campaigning on “time for a change”. Whoop-tee-doo. Meaninglessness. So is this “change” of Obama’s the same as that “change”? Can we identify yet what change means?

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Friday Bullets For Stay-cation Week

Well, I suppose that the promised break in the days of rain that have been mid-July in Easlakia has to stand for something. I can’t think when I last took a summer week off and did not load the family for somewhere – which is just as well as a van full of damp is not a happy van. It has been a time of napping and of reading something other than the glowing screen. I did not home repair. Of that you can be truly proud.

  • Byelection Fever Update: About 1% of the Canadian electorate go to the polls on 8 September. Woooot!!! This is what we have been waiting for.
  • Ben is proxy blogging Berlin. I hear we need change.
  • What do you think about the fence?
  • My new found status as Canada’s sixth most popular political blogger demands that I make some obtuse observations on the state of doings in Ottawa. Except nothing seems to be going on. Who cares about election plans – I want substance. But aside from the general quality of Federal leadership, there seems to be only one big issue: carbon tax. I still think this is a yawner and a loser for whoever gets marked with the green tint. It shouldn’t be so but as there are no strong answers yet, proposing the unpopular and the unlikely-to-succeed is seldom a yellow brick road to a majority hold on Parliament. And it’s no more than a plank at best. We need more.
  • So which Federal issues deserve more airplay?? The recent premiers’ gathering raised the prospect of actual steps towards First Nations reconciliation. Wouldn’t that be nice of real steps were taken towards that national quandary? How about infrastructure – Ottawa and Toronto have made nice to buy bridges and buses. But do you run an election on that? Rideology not ideology??
  • Al Purdy’s cottage is for sale. Owning that would be rather neato.
  • This week’s weather shattered the promise of a massive harvest for a lot of Ontario fruit growers. Hailstorms. We need to start the “Buy A Peach With A Bruise” campaign. Why do all the farmer’s protests have to be around the combine harvesters? Who’s behind this anyway?
  • Apparently the oversight committee decided to lay off hitting each other in the head with hammers. Who thought that was ever a good idea?

Full disclosure: I wrote most of this Thursday. Between the dodgy internet access and my new found love for not being up at 6:15 am, I thought it would be prudent to plan ahead so as to ensure you desk jockeys have your moments of bulletty bliss at the crack of dawn.

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