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July 29, 2004
Brooks, the Professional
After the Networks cut off their coverage of the Convention last night I turned to PBS for commentary. I had just missed commentary by David Brooks and Martin Shields on Edwards speech but tuned in to actually here what some independent historians thought of the speech.
Apparently Brooks and Shields were disappointed thinking that Edwards could have been better (apparently holding him to Godly standards - the old expectations game perhaps). That flabbergasted me because I thought Edwards was great. The historians who had only heard snippets of Edwards stump speeches before were overwhelmingly impressed. They talked about his excellent oratory skills and the impressive message and theme.
I flipped around and caught some coverage of the Tour de 'Toona on the local news. Then flipped back. Brooks was trying to explain why he was such an ass in his review od Edwards' speech. I can't do it justice now. However, he ended up saying that he thought the difference might be that his was the perspective of "the professionals". He went on to complain about Edwards' tempo and that the view of "the professionals" was probably effected by having seen snippets of the speech so often.
Tempo - In complaining about the tempo Brooks blamed it on the rigid rules set up by Democrats for the convention. Any professional would have known, and many here observed, that the reason the tempo was up was in order to hit the crescendo and finish by 10:55pm so that the networks could wrap their shows up with flowery language and pass it off to the local news.
Speech - Brooks seemed to be under the impression that Edwards would have failed by repeating much of his Two Americas stump speech. Apparently, Brooks thought that "professional" way to judge the speech was by judging it based on his previous viewings and that Edwards somehow failed by repeating much of the same material he had used earlier. What Brooks doesn't seem to understand is that that is exactly what Edwards should not do. Like those historians, most of America has never heard most of the Edwards' Two Americas talk. Edwards' success has nothing to do with how "the professionals" like hearing the material for the sixteenth time. Success is defined here by using your best material for a new, national audience. The thing is, that if Brooks were a true professional he would have known that this is Edwards first national prime time speech on network television and that most of his audience (and the prime targets of the speech) had never heard 80% of his speech before. A true professional would have known that the best thing Edwards could do was use the best parts of his best speeches again. You don't throw out good material when facing a new audience.
Other Observations -I staid up long enough to catch glimpses of commentary from the local news, Nightline, PBS, and Letterman. Letterman did a pretty funny Top 10 based on things people were heard oversaying during Theresa Heinz Kerry's speech (the one I remember - "Even with that thick accent she annunciates better English than President Bush"). And Letterman also spliced together some of Ted Kennedy's speech to have him declaring Kerry and Edwards gay. Pretty lame but funny. Nothing earth shattering anyway.
PBS was just awful. I'm pretty sure it was an PBS that they were talking about the media networks and they claimed that Republicans turn to Fox for their news and Democrats to CNN. They seemed to be suggesting that CNN had some sort of liberal bias. I laughed pretty hard.
One of the local news channels had a question and answer with Sharpton after his speech. They seemed fascinated that he went off of the script. He answered well declaring that there was no pressure to stay on script. He then said he would have stayed on script if President Bush hadn't made some statements. I missed Sharpton's speech so I'm not sure what statements he was talking about but it was great stuff!
Nightline was interesting. They had Jon Stewart on the show talking about news coverage. Stewart kicked their butts talking about hot the news media acts like they are doing a good job by "playing the middle" between the rabid right and the mainstream instead of challenging untruths and helping the viewer get to the facts.
I also caught a glimpse of Kimmel's show who had a pretty funny photo worked up of Bush photoshopped onto Cat Woman's body. He also showed numerous convention clips most of which were great.
Not sure why I thought I'd post a review of what I saw, but alas I did.
Posted by seamus at 09:06 AM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2004
Greenwood Retires, Virginia "Ginny" Schrader Steps In
The news broke last night, but it appears that Jim Greenwood, one of the better Republicans in the US House of Representatives may be retiring from the Congress. Apparently, if Mr. Liberal's report is correct, Greenwood will be stepping down in order to take a private position (no doubt fueled by the takeover of his Party by the radical fringe).
This leaves us with Virginia "Ginny" Shrader, who has been outraised $615,000 to $14,000 to date. That is correct, nearly 40 to 1. But with an outpouring from the blogosphere she raised $14,000 in four hours yesterday. Give to Ginny (add $.01 so that it can be recognized as a blogosphere donation).
While I have been trying to erase all Harry Potter references out of my mind, the DCCC has been busy showing all kinds of... well... non-support. They aren't criticizing her but they aren't massaging her reputation either. Exactly what they are up to only they know, but the issuance of a "no comment" where a "We feel great about Ginny's chances" would do just fine. At least Kos is trying to keep them honest.
And be sure to read Al Giordano's report on Greenwood. Dailykos has really kicked ass on this turn of events with supreme coverage.
Posted by seamus at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
July 16, 2004
Kerry Gets the Edge in Pennsylvania
Kerry has inched forward in Pennsylvania according to the Rasmussen Poll of June.
Pennsylvania: Kerry 48% Bush 43%State data from National Survey of 15,000 Likely Voters
June 1-30, 2004Pennsylvania 2004
Presidential Ballot
Bush 43%
Kerry 48%
Other 5%
Not Sure 4%July 9, 2004--In Pennsylvania, the latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows Senator Kerry with 48% of the vote and President Bush with 43%. Four years ago, Bush lost Pennsylvania's 21 Electoral College votes to Al Gore by five percentage points.
These results represent an improvement for the Senator compared to the prior month. In that earlier survey, Bush was up by a single point, 45% to 44%. As a result, Pennsylvania moves from the "Toss-up" category to "Leans Kerry" for our Electoral College projections.
Posted by seamus at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 13, 2004
Rendell Gaining Steam Within Party
This could be good for Pennsylvania. Although I have mixed feelings about Rendell (he has been very good at times, and less good at others) it does appear he is gaining recognition and power within the Democratic Party Establishment. The latest is that Rendell was picked as Co-Chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Here is the blip from the PA Democrats via DailyKos:
GOVERNOR RENDELL NAMED CO-CHAIR OF 2004 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTIONHarrisburg, PA
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) today announced that Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell will serve as Co-Chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention, hosted by the city of Boston, July 26-29, 2004. Governor Rendell previously served as General Chair of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 Presidential election.
The Governor will be joining New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who was announced as the Permanent Chair for the 2004 Convention last year, as well as Senator Edward Kennedy (MA), who will serve as Honorary Chair, Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (SD) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) who will serve as co-chairs.
"This year's convention theme, 'Stronger at Home, Respected in the World,' says a great deal about what the Democratic Party stands for and what the Kerry-Edwards team represents," said Governor Rendell. "It demonstrates the hope and leadership Kerry-Edwards offers our country this critical election year. I could not be more proud or more excited about this honor."
Governor Rendell will appear on CNBC's Capitol Report and CNN's Inside Politics this evening to discuss the appointment.
Posted by seamus at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)
July 07, 2004
NY Republican Says Dump Cheney!
At least someone gets it. Former NY Senator D'amato (not exactly a liberal) says it is time to dump Dick Cheney:
ALBANY, N.Y. - President Bush (news - web sites) should consider dumping Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) from the Republican ticket this year, an influential former GOP senator said Wednesday.Alfonse D'Amato said Bush should consider putting Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) or Sen. John McCain of Arizona on the GOP ticket.
There was no immediate comment from the Bush-Cheney campaign.
Of course, D'Amato is a good Republican so his comments are tempered with praise. But that is one kind of like a poisonous kiss, no?
Posted by seamus at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
Dich Cheney is a Lying Liar
That is correct. Cheney lied when he said he had "secret" information supporting a link between Iraq and Al Quaeda.
The leaders of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks on Tuesday disputed Vice President Dick Cheney's suggestion that he probably had access to more intelligence than the commission did about possible ties between the Qaeda terrorist network and Iraq.In a one-sentence statement, the panel's chairman and vice chairman said that "after examining available transcripts of the vice president's public remarks, the 9/11 commission believes it has access to the same information the vice president has seen regarding contacts between Al Qaeda and Iraq prior to the 9/11 attacks."
And remember, Cheney lied when he claimed there was a connection in the first place. So this is a lie to cover up a lie.
Why isn't this guy being forced to resign?
Posted by seamus at 01:27 PM | Comments (0)
Post-Gazette on Edwards
Gotta give the Post-Gazette Credit, this is an excellent editorial on John Kerry's choice for VP:
According to the conventional wisdom, the choice of a vice presidential candidate has the potential to hurt more than help. By that or any other standard, Democratic hopeful John Kerry has chosen wisely. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina is not going to hurt the ticket; he is more likely to help it.In making his much-awaited announcement before an enthusiastic crowd in Pittsburgh's Market Square yesterday, Sen. Kerry unwittingly showed why he needs Sen. Edwards. The dour man from Massachusetts never quite matched the excitement of the occasion, never lifted his rhetoric to match the music and the mood. You might call his sonorous voice presidential, but you should also call it dull.
In short, this ticket needs more excitement, and, by picking this running mate, Sen. Kerry has provided it. What he has in Sen. Edwards, 51, is the sunny face of liberalism.
To be sure, Republican strategists will make much of the fact that Sen. Edwards made his fortune as a trial lawyer, a profession that does not rank universally high in public affection. They will say he is not experienced enough to occupy a post a heartbeat away from the highest in the land.
To take the last first, Sen. Edwards' nearly six years on Capitol Hill are not to be discounted. He can claim more experience in seeking to be vice president than George W. Bush, the former governor of Texas, did in running for president. Under the Texas system, the office of governor is not as significant as it is in states such as Pennsylvania.
As for being a successful lawyer, Mr. Edwards' career as a plaintiff's attorney does not endear him to business interests, but with the public it may have some appeal. He did not make his name by defending corporations but by seeking damages for ordinary Americans who believed they had suffered unjust injury, including one famous case that involved a 9-year-old child severely injured by a faulty swimming pool drain.
...
Of course, the presidential election will mostly be about the top of the ticket, and matters of style will count for less than issues such as the war in Iraq and the economy.
But out of the refining fire of the primary elections around the country, a good candidate for vice president has emerged to help the Democrats around the fringes, particularly in Southern states, and in a close election, that may make a difference. The White House has reason to be alarmed.
Posted by seamus at 01:15 PM | Comments (0)
Protecting Corporate Interests
Apparently, both the NY Times and Washington Post are corporate protectionists. Both welcomed Edwards selection as a Vice Presidential Candidate (for the most part) but both attacked Edwards for his popular position on Corporate Traitors who export American jobs overseas.
The NY Times: "It is likely that Mr. Edwards will be dispatched to critical industrial states like Ohio to talk about jobs, as he did with such force in the primary. We hope that he'll refrain from falling into protectionist rhetoric in the process. He has a habit of giving angry workers the impression that he's in favor of far more drastic action against job outsourcing than he has ever actually advocated. The public debate would be better served by more candor."
The Washington Post: "Yet his lurch toward protectionism on trade was disappointing for a candidate who we thought knew better. When the two were the last plausible candidates standing, Mr. Edwards sought to make trade the defining difference between them. "Senator Kerry and I have very different positions on the issue of trade," Mr. Edwards said. Mr. Kerry responded to all this in a way that diminished his candidacy, railing against "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who outsourced jobs abroad while trying to obscure his commendable record on free trade."
To the extent that Edwards might have oversold his positions on trade I'd have to agree. However, holding American corporations accountable for creating jobs in America (and paying fair wages abroad) is entirely appropriate. And quite frankly, it is the right thing to do. When manufacturing jobs went overseas we attempted to replace them with service jobs. The manufacturing jobs never came back but for some time service jobs held down the forst. But now we are exporting the service industries abroad as well and there is no substantial substitution available. This is, and will, impact jobs for the long-term in the United States and we need courageous leaders to stand up on this point.
I'll leave commentary on the corporate trade agreements for another day...
Posted by seamus at 10:35 AM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2004
Murdoch Says Dewey is back!
Posted by seamus at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
July 05, 2004
Supreme Court in 2004
The New York Times has a descent review of the recent Supreme Court term. They have an interesting take on the Rehnquist minority although I would have a slightly different conclusion myself. I think part of the increasing minority votes from Rehnquist et al also reflects their dissents in conservative victories (where they apparently think the Court hasn't been conservative enough). In any case, its a good read and great overview if you didn't follow the rulings coming out of the Court.
Posted by seamus at 01:15 PM | Comments (0)