Month: November 2008

All we need now are better graphics.

Here’s the Palin presser video. Three minutes:

Some of the other governors were squirming:

The GOP governors spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity. One called it awkward: “I’m sure you could see it on some of our faces.” Another Republican governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012 told CNN the event was “odd” and “weird,” and said it “unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party." There has been palpable tension among some GOP governors gathered in Miami that Palin has been sucking up all the media oxygen.

A museum assistant looks at a skeleton at the ‘Darwin’ exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, November 13, 2008. The exhibition is the highlight of ‘Darwin200,’ a national program of events celebrating Charles Darwin’s ideas, impact and influence around the two hundredth anniversary of his birth. By Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images.

Ilya Somin doesn’t think that Obama will roll back executive power. We’ll see. But you know what? At least we’ll be able to tell who was attacking Bush for partisan and who for principled reasons. I consider myself part of the loyal and constructive opposition, as of January 21. Promise. Of no party or clique.

Greenwald argues that it isn’t a good idea for Obama supporters to stay silent until policy has been enacted:

It simply is noteworthy of comment and cause for concern — though far from conclusive about what Obama will do — that Obama’s transition chief for intelligence policy, John Brennan, was an ardent supporter of torture and one of the most emphatic advocates of FISA expansions and telecom immunity.  It would be foolish in the extreme to ignore that and to just adopt the attitude that we should all wait quietly with our hands politely folded for the new President to unveil his decisions before deciding that we should speak up or do anything. 

Politicians respond to constituencies and pressure.  Constituencies which announce their intention to maintain respectful silence all but ensure that their political principles will be ignored.

No silence here. If Obama hesitates in any way to end torture everywhere in the CIA and military, the Dish will be relentless in holding him to the same standards applied to Bush. Because there is only one standard for America.

Exclusive video.

Bingo!

A reader writes:

Your post on Sarah Palin moved the ball. The issue is whether the media and the political class in the country can break through the persistent delusion of normalcy that has gripped our politics for too long. The delusion is that whatever happens is normal, simply because it happened. No historical perspective, no sense of proportion. Everything is just part of the normal give and take of politics.

It is too clever by half.

What is missing is the step of coming to judgement, drawing a conclusion, letting go of the self-willed inconclusiveness.

Actually, what was most infuriating about the election was watching people on TV pretend to not know what they knew.  You could tell that numerous analysts and pundits knew that Sarah Palin was unqualified to be President, that McCain was not running a serious campaign, and that he was headed for a serious loss, yet none of that could be said aloud. It was like living in house where Daddy passed out every night, but everyone pretended that he liked to turn in early.

It is Bill Kristol’s shtick: this world-weariness to outrage. Abu Ghraib was not normal; it is not normal to fabulize the case for war; it is not normal to pick a delusional know-nothing as a potential president. And it isn’t sophisticated to pretend that none of this matters. It is craven.

I hope Obama is vigilant:

“You watch,” he said. “In a year, the Clintons will orchestrate a campaign to declare this a failed Presidency.”

They will if they can. Obama’s most dangerous foe remains now who it has always been. And she’s not a Republican.

Priceless:

Asked why she chose to hold her first formal news conference now, she replied, "The campaign is over."

She took four questions.