Category: The Dish

The original YouTube legend is here. But I missed the best parody, as several readers have noted: Chad Vader rocks.

A reader writes:

I’m a Clinton supporter – most of the objections I had to her have faded, for some of the reasons offered by other readers you have quoted, such as her obvious competence and willingness to work hard.  These days, certainly, I don’t need warm and fuzzy in a President.  But for those, like yourself, who can no longer abide the current crop of Republicans but who are desperately looking for an alternative to Hillary, on paper Obama may well be the most desirable option – he provides a fresh and calm global perspective, one much more likely to earn vital cooperation from abroad; a new and thoughtful articulation of what has gone wrong with our politics and how to right it; credibility on the problems of our inner cities; and a much greater sensitivity to the economic, health, and educational issues that ordinary Americans confront every day.

But he’s not going anywhere, and here’s why:  His inexperience is not only a hurdle in itself, but carries with it the added burden that after the disaster of the Bush years, voters just aren’t going to take another chance on another inexperienced candidate.  That’s the real reason his poll numbers haven’t moved.  Obama is ahead of his time, and in four or eight years his moment may come.  But for now, however unfortunately and unfairly, Bush has made Obama impossible.

And yet it could also be argued that Bush has made Obama essential. But that’s an argument for another day. I’m working on it.

Some movement – coming from the top:

The High Court judge Michael Kirby highlighted the inequity recently when he pointed out his partner of 38 years, Johan van Vloten, would have no access to Justice Kirby’s pension if the judge died before him.

Under current law, if a retired judge in a heterosexual relationship dies before his or her partner, the partner is entitled to 62.5 per cent of the judge’s pension. But Mr van Vloten would not receive anything because he is not female.

One minister supporting the change expressed amazement there was opposition to the idea.

"There shouldn’t even need to be a debate," the minister said.

Mark Blumenthal has some cautionary words about reading too much into the early polling. As the graph above shows, although may more are following the campaign than at this point in previous cycles, the real game has yet to start. We’re entering Act II now. Much of the critical action – and events – are yet to come.

Some hopes for a revival of ecclesiastical architecture can be found in a teensy building in Uruguay.

The distrust is real:

Just 59 percent believe it is possible to be a Muslim and a citizen of their country, a smaller proportion than in France, Germany, Spain, Italy or the US – the other countries surveyed.

More class acts in Israel.

First Allawi’s weird op-ed. Now this. It’s probably a trial balloon – and a sign of growing panic in the White House. More tomorrow.

How did the Dish miss this one? There’s an instant parody, of course, as well.

He spent a fraction of the time there that the rescue workers did; and spent more time at Yankees games in that period than at the remains of the WTC. The more you find out the more understandable it is that the 9/11 rescue workers despise him.