I’ve had more time than usual (in a Philadelphia hotel room) to note how the TV talking heads and CNN have reacted to the now famous New Yorker cover of Obama and his wife. I heard the word shocking more often than any other word on CNN. Rather pathetic, all this, revealing how the chattering class need to protect the ignorant demos, as
Jack Shafer notes. The only thing the fake outrage reveals is that many folks actually do not know much about who Obama. Perhaps that’s why he has lost steam in the last few weeks, note this Newsweek Poll. I am still waiting to see if Obama’s fund raising continues its decline (note the decline from February through May). He has yet to release the figures for June. This is not a campaign on the upswing, that’s for sure.
It is strange to watch Obama. The polls, the people, the mood of the country are all in his favor-way in his favor. Yet McCain hangs tough. And McCain runs great from behind. Perhaps it is cliche but McCain seems to have Obama right where he wants him. McCain is the underdog, the one taking the abuse. He hangs out, slowly builds momentum.
Two weeks before the election, people start to think (a little). The hero abused by Bush in 2000, abused by the GOP for 8 years, abused by the media for 6 months, abused by the guppy elitist Obama is still standing. What will they do? I won't insult anyone by answering that question.
It is also interesting to see how many Democrats have refused to be VP, and how many Republicans want to be. The VP is only the Number 1 launch pad to the most powerful positition in the world...hmmm what are they thinking?
I agree with everything you say above, Clint. You are especially right to note the VP stakes and the running from it among the Dems. The first to begin the trot away from him (while seeming, of course, to run along with him) was none other than Hillary. And I really wonder if Wesley Clark's recent performance insulting McCain's military record was anything other than a calculated maneuver to hurt Obama and remove his name from consideration as a potential running mate for O. Clark is and has long been in the tank with the Clintons. Like them, he does't really want to see Obama succeed. He doesn't want to spoil his chances for prominence in '12.
If Hillary's people start leaking that Hillary was indeed tendered the VP spot, but that she turned him down, --------------- that should throw some light on the terrain features of the political landscape.
As for Clark, he's going nowhere fast.
I wish I had all of your magical mind-reading powers . . . But then again, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with the seemingly constant line of conspiracy theories which would be revealed to me . . .
"[C]onspiracy theories....?????????"
Well Dan . . . "prominence" for Clark was probably over-stating things a bit. It's more like he doesn't want to bite the hand that has fed him and may continue to throw slop at him.
"The only thing the fake outrage reveals is that many folks actually do not know much about who Obama. Perhaps that’s why he has lost steam in the last few weeks, note this Newsweek Poll."
Nice grammar Peter. With such attention to detail, clearly, you know and care dearly of what you speak.
Being curious as to the context of this piece of work on the current cover of New Yorker I checked page 2 of this issue where it gives the title of this cover art, "The Politics of Fear" by Barry Blitt. I have not heard any of the commentaries on this New Yorker cover yet but I think the title reveals a lot, in the light of numbers of online rumors being circulated about Obama, most of which I've heard from reliable sources are not true. I am not an Obama supporter but I think it would be best to know the issues and not continue to spread the rumors or vote out of ignorance and fear. What Obama values has already been revealed in what he's supported and voted for as Senator. No lies or rumors are necessary, what is true says it all.