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With the election of Barack Obama just a day away, I wanted to take a few moments to consider what an Obama presidency means for this country. It’s not going to result in socialism and riots, per his opponents, or in a new Golden Age, per his adherents. But it will represent a major break … Continue reading Predicting the Obama Presidency
With an Obama presidency looking inevitable, it’s time to turn our attention to the critical question: What will an Obama presidency mean for America and the world? I’ll be providing meatier pieces in the future, but for now, here’s an appetizer: One of Obama’s perceived strengths as a candidate is his gift for oratory. But … Continue reading Do Great Orators Make Good Presidents?
The pundits are already busy burying the corpse of the McCain campaign, and rightly so. As I noted *before* the market crashed, for all intents and purposes Barack Obama had this election in the bag several weeks ago. Yet as they heap dirt on McCain’s political grave, I can’t help but feel that the punditocracy … Continue reading It’s The Voters, Stupid: Why John McCain Lost
At this point, it’s pretty apparent to all that Obama’s campaign, led by “the Ax,” has outflanked the McCain campaign at every turn. It’s telling that Karl Rove refuses to acknowledge “the Bullet” as a protege…I wouldn’t either given his pathetic showing. This is no evaluation of policy or character, simply an assessment of campaign … Continue reading Obama Plays Cat-and-Mouse With McCain
It’s late, so only a few quick observations. 1) Obama won this debate. As in the previous debate, he got the best single shot in (Last time, it was “You were wrong.” This time, it was “Next up, Baghdad.” The old adage is all too true–live by the sword, die by the sword. McCain’s sword … Continue reading Debate #2: Obama Wins On Style Points
As I’ve noted several times, Obama is the liberal Reagan…down to the temperament. Here is something that Joe Klein just wrote about Obama’s temperament: I’ve also gotten the sense, in the times I’ve interviewed and chatted with him, that calm is Obama’s natural default position. He is friendly, informal, accessible…and a mystery, hard to get … Continue reading Obama: The Liberal Reagan
John McCain turned in a relatively strong showing to stem the bleeding after an absolutely disastrous week (The bailout! The Katie Couric/Sarah Palin interview! The debate cancellation fiasco!). But Barack Obama also performed well, landing the sharpest blows of the night with his series of statements about the Iraq war (“You were wrong”). I’m inclined … Continue reading US Presidential Debate: A Strategic Victory for Obama
In the words of the immortal Chick Hearn, this election is in the refrigerator. The lights are out, the eggs are cooling, and the butter is getting hard. The Jell-O is jiggling. Thanks for playing, John McCain, you can now take your place with Dole (no good reason to run), Gore (inexplicably, ran as a … Continue reading It’s Over: Obama Will Win The Presidency
A quick roundup of some interesting posts:Megan McArdle of The Atlantic tears Obama a new one for pandering to the populists by criticizing the Bush administration for the credit crunch:What, specifically, should the Bush administration have done, Senator? Don’t tell me they should have beefed up SEC enforcement, since this is not a criminal problem … Continue reading Daily Political Roundup: Credit Crunch Pandering and Democratic Dumbassery
After a disastrous two weeks following the Palin announcement, Obama’s campaign finally seems to be recovering from the shock, and fully recognizes the value Sarah Palin brings to the McCain campaign. As I’ve mentioned before, Obama’s strengths in the “ground war” of voter turnout make a McCain victory in November unlikely. But McCain could still … Continue reading What Obama Must Do To Win