Thursday, July 31, 2008

There you go again

Obama
I do have to ask my opponent– Is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what this election’s about? Is that what is worthy of the American people?

McCain

Billmon (welcome back) posts an excellent mini-biography of John McCain that demonstrates all the ways he has twisted and turned in the past two decades in order to always seem to be on the right side of an issue (and win over the media as his base in the process).
The suckers [in the press] are even starting to suspect McCain’s been lying about them, too. Despite the cozy chats on the Straight Talk Express, the Arizona barbeque weekends, the cheerfully misogynist jokes and the teary-eyed moments when John tells one of his patented POW stories – despite, even, the donuts with sprinkles – he isn’t actually their friend at all. In fact it’s pretty obvious he despises them almost as much as he despises a system that forces him to pander both to them and to the voters.
I agree that the bloom is off the McCain rose as far as the media is concerned. But if, as billmon suggests, McCain pivots "back to a softer, more upbeat message in September" than we can expect that a lot of those confused journos will start to wilt before the McCain charm all over again (proposed storyline, "McCain, facing a rough summer, toyed with the dark side. But, not having the taste for it, he has returned to his more natural sunshine campaign.")

Do I sound cynical?

I can't understand the words coming out of your mouth



Loved The Dark Knight, but honestly, the "Batman Voice" got a little irritating at times.

Jim Davis is officially cool

NEW YORK, NY – July 30, 2008 – Paws, Inc. and Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, announced last week at Comic-Con International that Ballantine will publish a book inspired by the popular webcomic Garfield Minus Garfield.

Garfield Minus Garfield (www.garfieldminusgarfield.net) made its online debut in February 2008 and quickly became an online sensation based on a simple premise: What would Jim Davis’ Garfield comic strip be like without its lasagna-loving fat cat? Without the presence of Garfield and other characters such as Odie the dog and Nermal the kitten, the strips “create a new, even lonelier atmosphere for Jon Arbuckle…Jon’s observations seem to teeter between existential crisis and deep despair.” (New York Times)

The full-color book format will give readers the experience of having both the original and doctored Garfield strips together on the same page for comparison. Dublin, Ireland-based Garfield Minus Garfield creator Dan Walsh will provide the foreword to the book.

Garfield creator Jim Davis was intrigued by—and pleased with—the concept. “I think it’s an inspired thing to do,” Davis said. “I want to thank Dan for enabling me to see another side of Garfield. Some of the strips he chose were slappers: ‘Oh, I could have left that out.’ It would have been funnier.”

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

John McCain is a respectful man

Ari Berman finds gold in a McCain campaign strategy memo from back in March:
"It is critical, as we prepare to face off with whomever the Democrats select as their nominee, that we all follow John's lead and run a respectful campaign focused on the issues and values that are important to the American people," Davis wrote. "Throughout the primary election we saw John McCain reject the type of politics that degrade our civics, and this will not change as he prepares to run head-to-head against the Democratic nominee.
Unless, of course, it starts looking like we might lose to some upstart.

I'm a war hero dammit!

The Trail
But it was McCain strategist Steve Schmidt, also on the call, who laid out in clearest terms the exact contrast the McCain camp is seeking to draw with this spot. "Do the American people want to elect the world's biggest celebrity or do they want to elect an American hero[emphasis added]?" he asked.
And remember, McCain refuses to use his POW history in this campaign.

When they start to pity you...

McCain's Risky Ad Strategy - The Fix
"Sigh," emailed one senior party strategist who later added: "Every Obama ad since his announcement has fit nicely into a theme, an argument. McCain ads are just catch as catch can, one wild swing at Obama after another. Their increasing bitterness reflects a campaign that is more about some sort of therapeutic frustration venting for the staff than any coherent strategy to elect McCain. It's unprofessional to the core."

Another high-level party operative grumbled: "It seems like they are talking to the press pack, not voters."
McCain believed that the press was is base. His base is starting to rebel. Now he is trying to win it back by shaming it and berating it.

(Aside, I've watched the latest McCain ad attempting to paint Obama as nothing more than a celebrity whore and I have to say that it is more laughable than outrageous. The production qualities of it suck and I'm not even an expert on these things. The disconcerting insertion of images of Britney and Paris make it look like a YouTube video. I have to ask again: have all the professional political operatives abandoned McCain?)

Blinders II

Jonathan Chait:
Over the last few years, McCain gave up nearly every substantive position that undergirded his maverick image. But he did retain the basic image that made him so popular among moderates -- the jocular yet dignified bipartisan figure who had a core sense of decency. (I acknowledged as much in a recent column.) Now, I think McCain is in danger of losing that as well, and that's why you see people like Weaver taking the extraordinary step of complaining in public.
Chait has worn some of the biggest blinders when it comes to obscuring McCain 2008 with McCain 2000. If even he is starting to wake up then McCain is in real trouble.

Obscured by the past

"childish"

I, of course, agree. But what other option does McCain have?

Weaver argues that, "[McCain] needs to begin telling the American people how he intends to lead us. That McCain exists. He can inspire the country to greatness." The McCain of 2000 is such a large figure in so many people's eyes that it blocks their view of the McCain of 2008.

Sorry John. That McCain no longer exists.

Don't Feed The Pidgeons!




Probably staged, but who cares?

You will be absorbed

The RNC launches a Facebook parody of the Obama campaign. How do online progressives respond? By taking it over and turning it into a pro-Obama site.

Maybe someday the GOP will figure this Internet thing out.

McCain can't stop talking about Obama

New McCain Spot: Obama The Celebrity - Horserace
"I do notice he doesn't seem to have anything to say very positive about himself. He seems to only be talking about me," Obama said.

"You need to ask John McCain what he's for and not just what he's against," Obama added.
This is pretty much the point I was trying to make with yesterday's post. McCain is complaining about the campaign being all about Obama. Yet, by his very complaints, he adds to the "All-Obama-All-The-Time" atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I suspect the Obama campaign would like it if people focused more on McCain. More on how McCain has flip-flopped worse than a landed mackerel. More on how McCain has nothing new to offer. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the McCain is secretly happy most of the press coverage is about Obama. Because if people really started to look at McCain then his campaign really would tank.

Gore-Al

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Thought for the day

John McCain keeps complaining about everyone talking more about Obama than himself. How does he deal with it? By talking more about Obama than himself.