Category: The Dish

A pretty banal speech, but what seemed like a heartfelt one. No endorsement. No inkling from his speech about whom he might prefer. Maybe he’s trying to get them to compete for his poverty themes. I don’t think either will resist.

That’s how many Chinese are stranded by cold weather, waiting for a train.

C’mon, you can do it. Ben Domenech leads the way:

He is the same man, whichever side he is on. He brings that same infuriating passion to our cause when his inner compass has led him to alliance. His support of the surge confounded the glitterati of the MSM, who gave him every opportunity to break with the president in a fashion that would’ve led to countless more cover appearances for the late-night self-pleasuring of pimply interns of the New Republic. And yet he could not be agreeable to them, as tempting as the doyennes and the cameras were: he rambled through, grousing yet triumphant, middle fingers raised to Rumsfeld on the right and the New York Times on the left. Even if you dislike McCain, you have to admit: It was a glorious moment for him.

Denmark’s national library wants them for posterity.

If you’re a Democrat, it isn’t really a contest. We all know the record of the Clintons on gay equality. In the words of Melissa Etheridge, they "threw us under the bus" when it was politically expedient for them (after they’d bled the gay community financially dry). Here are a few YouTubes of Obama’s public, proud and often risky defenses of gay and lesbian equality – in front of non-gay audiences and not prompted by questions. The Ebenezer sermon, when he called on black congregants in MLK’s church not to condemn or ostracize their "gay brothers and sisters" (after the 9 minute mark). The AU speech (around the 9 minute mark again). His stump speech, "Countdown To Change." Obama was the only Democratic candidate to mention gay and lesbian equality in his announcement address. In South Carolina, he spoke of the importance of gay outreach to religious voters.

I’ve had two core principles in my own work in defense of gay equality: supporting the simple equality of gays and straights under the law; opposing the toxins of identity politics and a balkanized gay identity. The way Obama transcends his own multiple identities, the way he both embraces his difference and yet seeks a common political discourse: this is the model that makes the most sense to me. Neither denying difference nor being defined by it is a path all minorities would be better off pursuing. And Obama’s call for self-empowerment rather than self-defeating victimology is particularly apposite for gays and lesbians.

Or rather shifts imperceptibly in his seat, and giggles a little. Bliss is bliss. Retirement must feel even better. (And, yes, I’ve been trained in TM and recommend it.)

"Rudy didn’t even care enough about conservatives to lie to us," – Republican consultant, Nelson Warfield.

How can on resist? Today’s beaut:

Total at the end of Super Tuesday without a major reversal of fortune for Romney:
McCain 745, Romney 327, and Huck 197.

It takes 1,191 delegates to secure the nomination. There are more than 900 delegates left to fight for after Super Tuesday.

McLovin’ It. Tagg-hags for the Bitter End!

By not endorsing Obama, Edwards is effectively aiding Clinton. This comment on a TPM discussion thread stood out:

By withdrawing from the race, Edwards changes the dynamic in Congressional Districts with odd numbers of delegates. It used to be that just about wherever he cracked 15%, Hillary and Obama would split the same number of delegates (1-1, 2-2, etc.) and Edwards would walk away with a single delegate. Now, in an odd numbered district, the winner will always take more delegates.

So do the math. Edwards is most likely to crack 15% in heavily-white, largely poor areas. Who gains a delegate there? He was least likely to draw threshold support in heavily-black areas. So who does his withdrawal fail to benefit?

I wish it were otherwise. But the bottom line is that 15% of the vote for Edwards almost always helped Obama more than adding that same 15% of the vote to his own tally.

Of course, focusing the entire Super Tuesday on a clear Obama-Clinton choice might also rally all the anti-Clinton feeling behind one candidate. I’d be lying if I said I had a clear idea what will happen.