Today on the Dish, a reader deftly summed up the tale of two presidents, Obama's messaging failed, and Andrew told the real story of the last three years. Qaddafi is dead (the tyrant's final moments here, blogger reax here, and Hillary's reaction to the news here).
Ambiguity beleaguers R2P, Hamas failed a core test, and many Middle Eastern autocracies still retain key structural advantages. Matt Duss sparred with Islamaphobes in their own magazine, Panetta went native at the Pentagon, and the riots in Greece turned bloody. An Israeli novelist drew a distinction between his ethnicity and his religion, and Ali Abunimah pooh-poohed the post-Qaddafi celebrations.
Austin Frakt speculated about Obamacare's legacy, Republicans tend to blame Bush more than Democrats blame Obama, but we can put off fretting over Obama's approval numbers until February. We wondered if the GOP field was exceptionally weak as a totally unserious candidate took the lead in Iowa, the problem with Godfather's pizza is that it doesn't taste good, and Cain's position on abortion flummoxed the right (and everybody else). Romney and Perry rarely disappoint (but neither do the British tabloids), readers shared Mormon "secrets," and a conservative demanded an annulment. Santorum still doesn't have an argument on marriage, and Palin had the gall to criticize her former colleagues for not answering questions from the media.
Blue-collar whites rallied around OWS as Lessig pointed the occupiers to K Street, and Frum confronted the challenges of inequality and growth in America. Timothy Zick didn't want OWS to let the Tea Party set the terms of the debate, Wall Street seems, er, conflicted about Obama, and Geithner "decimated" Rubio and not the other way around. Rohan Poojara lobbied for legislation to keep American-educated immigrants in the U.S., liberals were divided on border security, and someone read a bit too much into the Twitter hashtag. Susan Sarandon called Pope Benedict a Nazi, a Google car drove itself, city parking garages drive bad behavior, and the earth is getting heated fast. Siri grappled with the inane, focus groups don't make great product planners, and progressive grooms-to-be suffered through wedding plans. Andrew eats meat in spite of it all, and unfortunately he's still on the injured list.
Chart of the day here, VFYW here, FOTD here, and MHB here.
— M.A.
(Photo: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks with people at a fire station October 19, 2011 in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Obama was on the final day of his three-day bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia to push for his Jobs Bill. By Jay Paul/Getty Images.)
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