I Disagree With The Narrative

Tonight on Lou Dobbs I heard Lou and his talking heads going on about how terrible a week it has been for the Obama campaign and it made me realize that there are times when I inhabit a different reality than the one presented on TV. I mean, we all do, but in the realm of politics I'm starting to realize that I'm always going to be living in BizarroLand and all the while I'll be listening to windbags either pontificate on or apologize for the mythical liberal bias.

I may go insane at some point because of this.

What Lou and Co. were doubtlessly referring to is the backlash against Obama for the "pig in lipstick" comment that we decided to pay attention to this year instead of commiserating about 9/11 happening 7 years ago. Honestly, it's a push. Anyway, I've made a conscious effort to not get myself all twisted about this manufactured bullshit story, but I will grant myself permission to bitch about it as a part of the BIG PICTURE.

Did anyone actually listen to Obama's original comments, then the phony outrage, then Obama's response to that phony outrage? He basically called the Republicans out on being full of shit and shifting the focus away from the important issues and he did so with typical nonchalance and without a hint of aggression or defensiveness. I mean, I can see how that might be a turn off to some people the same way that pretty much everything Sarah Palin does makes me want to kick her in the face, but honestly, the guy fucking HANDLED it. Well. Anyone that did follow the whole story and still qualifies it as a net loss for Obama...I just...I just...I just live on a different planet than you do. And at the risk of exposing my Eastern liberal elitism, my planet is better. Seriously, it is.

And this is how it starts every time. Liberals as a whole and the Democrats as a party are a jumpy lot. The masses have fallen for the Palin Trap hook, line and sinker and the post convention bounce has been kinder to McCain than anticipated and the left is shitting a collective brick and bemoaning the loss of the election. It's sad to watch. And all the while the guy they elected to run for the presidency has remained totally cool, calm and collected - it's been impressive for anyone that is actually paying attention. However, in the midst of all the hand wringing and wasted energy forwarding nonsense emails about Palin banning books we're once again ALLOWING THEM TO DEFINE WHAT HIS HAPPENING.

Obama didn't lose this week except in the eyes of the media. Why? Because that makes the story better. It's obvious and apparent. Now go tell someone that. Don't let them define this as a loss for Obama - you know, the guy who laid out an educational plan this week and refused to get drawn into the losing game of identity politics. Stop rolling over for this kind of garbage. And when you clarify for someone that, "uh, no, actually he didn't say that at all, what he said was this" DO NOT let them paint you as defensive or desperate. That's another trick of the right - staying cooler under pressure than the left. Just because they say it doesn't make it true, and this year we've got to stop feeling guilty about wanting the true version of events to be publicized rather than the more compelling paranoid version that the right wants the hockey moms to buy into.

Speaking of which - the next time someone starts talking to you about hockey moms or "the Walmart crowd" or small town values stop the conversation right there and have them define for you exactly what they mean by small town values. Then have them explain to you why they believe that the conservatives have that market cornered and help them to understand how wrong they are. If this election is going to be decided on ultimately nebulous and inconsequential Americana buzzwords then we'll need to stake as strong a claim to that kind of bullshit as the Republicans have. I know that to a lot of liberals this seems like a waste of time and an exercise in direct conflict with practicing common sense, but look how good that attitude has paid off for the past 8 years.

Challenge the narrative. Don't roll your eyes and throw your hands up and let the thought of defeat bring you down. Obama only lost this week if we allow ourselves to feel defeated and if you listen to what he has said you can't feel anything but positive that this is the person that will connect with more Americans and will rightfully be elected into the Oval Office. And once you listen and digest, you spread the word. Keep the conservatives on their heels - let them know that we refuse to let this all happen again. This week was about laying out a plan for education - where was McCain?

I'll be the first to admit, at first blanch the Obama campaign has stumbled out of the post-convention gate. They haven't found a resonant message and have wilted in the face of the All Palin All The Time news cycle (and the next time someone mentions how rough the media has been on Sarah, ask them to cite specific examples from anywhere but the liberal blogosphere to back up this myth - press them on it and then ask them to defend her decision to seclude herself from the press as she runs for the second highest office in the land - don't they want to know as much as they can about her as a politician?) but I'm confident that the bloom is going to come off this rose and when it all comes down to it people are going to look at the reality of their economic situation and take it out on the party of Bush on Nov. 4th. But I don't want to count on that. I'm confident that Obama is going to find his stride and that his message will resonate when the dust settles.

But then again, I've also been guilty of underestimating the public's penchant to vote against it's own interests in the past.

I Watch Convention Speeches

After watching some of the Republican National Convention last night, I guess I just feel the need to vent. I have stopped posting in a politics forum that I used to frequent because it just got too repetitive and annoying, so I walked away for a little while. But now I'm jonesing to talk about some of the stuff that has been on my mind so here I go again...on my own...going down the only road I've ever known...

I tuned in towards the very end of Mitt Romney's speech. As some of you know ("you" of course, being me, the only person reading this) I am a fan of professional wrestling. When a wrestler takes a microphone and starts barking into it for a few minutes they call it cutting a promo. Somewhere during that promo the wrestler will usually employ the use of a catch phrase - something strongly identified with the character they are portraying that is usually plastered on t-shirts and other merchandise. It's all part of the package. As I was watching Romney I just kept thinking that he was trying out a bunch of new catch phrases for his character, or the character of his party. I mean, the guy was delivering the applause lines well, I can't deny that. And when you've got a friendly audience, why waste the opportunity. But I'll be damned if the guy actually, you know, SAID anything beyond the call and response stuff with the audience. To use another term from pro wrestling, what Romney was doing was generating cheap heat with the crowd. Getting them to cheer for standard party line crap. And that's fine. It's probably the best use of Mitt these days and he's good at it. Yay rah rah and all that crap. That's what these conventions are for, so I really didn't have much of a problem with Romney's ultimately toothless cheerleading.

Then came Mike Huckabee. I like Mike Huckabee. I think he'd be a fun guy to attend a cookout with or maybe even talk politics at a bar with. He'd probably be the kind of guy you could disagree with completely and still really genuinely like when the dust settles. He's a good face for the GOP, I think, because despite his religious past, he comes off as nearly moderate in conversation. His beliefs may be quite conservative, but his presentation is ultimately non-threatening. His speech was a big step up from Romney's I think. He seemed to be speaking with an actual interest in improving the direction of the country - as though he truly believes that McCain is the go to guy to make things better, which I'm sure he does. So it was all together more palatable on the whole than was Mitt's. All the way up until that silly story at the end about the teacher and the desks and the veterans. Talk about taking the long way home. I know that the story was ultimately about respecting the military and that it's unthinkable to ever criticize someone taking the time to remind us how every dead Iraqi means another day of freedom for our children, but this was a bit much for me. It plays to the base though, so again, it doesn't really ruffle my feathers or anything. I mean, I AM watching their show.

Throughout the night CNN kept airing the pundit reaction to the festivities, getting comments from both sides of the aisle. It was the usual mix of "Everything is perfect and brilliant and an undeniable home run!" from the right and the smarmy, wishy-washy defensiveness from the left, although to their credit some of the liberal commentators agreed that the GOP was having a very strong outing.

Then came Rudy Guilliani. Now, I may not have the world's greatest memory, but I honestly can't remember a more short sighted and embarrassing performance in a major political address by anyone not named George W. Bush. Again, it was all applause lines with absolutely zero substance. And it wasn't even delivered well (although truthfully, Rudy has never been all that great at the podium to begin with). The fact that his borderline insane ramblings hit home with the conventioneers doesn't bother me. I'm sure a lot of the stuff I was rallying behind last week made conservatives feel the same way - that everyone in attendance at the DNC must be completely and undeniably stupid to cheer such nonsense. Again, that's what the convention is for, I get it. What bugs me is that the people out here in the real world actually think this is a person of prominence in the party and that he should be taken seriously. Last night Rudy Guilliani was awful, and the fact that close to 50% of the country probably thinks he was spot on with his commentary is something I'll probably never understand. That is, until I grow up, have kids and pay a mortgage. At least that is what my conservative relatives and friends have been telling me. For 16 years now anyway. One of these days.

The last speaker of the night was someone named Sarah Palin. You've probably never heard of her. Last week on Real Time with Bill Maher, on the day she was announced as John McCain's running mate, Michel Martin made the point of saying that the Democrats take Sarah Palin lightly at their own risk. Last night, the VP nominee proved that to be the case. She delivered a strong speech that will ultimately boost John McCain's standing with the conservative base. Never mind that the reality of the situation is that they are rallying behind someone CHOOSING LIFE!!!!! right in front of their eyes and not really 100% sold on Palin the wonder-mayor-governor-mom-wife-sorta-hot-but-not-really-ultra-everything-true-conservative-breath-of-fresh-air. They're not. I mean, they say they are, but I ain't buying it yet. Without the pregnant daughter and the dimwitted view of her situation as some kind of blessing rather than a perfect example of the failed policy of abstinence-only education that the governor so strongly supports, the Evangelicals would not be flocking to McCain the way they are now. The right is selling Palin as the great white hope and a better brand of change, but the reality is that she is doing more to move the party back to the Bushies than Karl Rove could hope for - and he should know as he is likely behind her ascendence to the #2 spot. It seems to me that this convention has a goal of rousing the single-issue, religious voters whose numbers gave Bush the final push to actually win an election in 2004. It's actually a smart move, seeing as McCain is making little to no headway with the moderates and independents. And seeing as he does not possess the attributes to fire up those millions, Palin was called in to bring them back home. I don't know if it was all planned to come out this way, but it's working and it might just end up being the dumb mistake that really does change this election.

I'm not saying that I think Obama will lose. I still think he is going to win and win strong. I really do. But I've been fooled before and I'm at the point where nothing surprises me. The Democrats have a history of shrinking from a fight and Palin has shown that she is not afraid to get dirty. I'm very anxious to see how they react to her bravado once we get past the conventions and into the trenches. I just know that Obama has stepped up to every challenge placed in front of him thus far, and while he certainly hasn't hit every pitch out of the park, I think his average has been better than good. He's too smart to get tripped up by the attacks that have been lobbed at him this week. What silenced and stymied John Kerry hasn't slowed Obama down at this point and his campaign has shown an uncanny ability to change the questions once the right supplies the answers. He's not throwing haymakers (despite his performance in Denver last week which should have been underscored with LL Cool J's "I'm Gonna Knock You Out"), but he's quick enough on his feet and good enough with the jab to keep the competition from getting too comfortable with him and I still think he is going to land that knock out blow before all is said and done. In order to do that though, Obama is going to have to make it very clear that the Republicans take him lightly at their own risk. This week has seen the right get EXTREMELY comfortable with their attempts at belittling the senator by labeling him a "community organizer," as though his humble beginnings in the public sphere are something he should be ashamed of. Already Obama’s camp has embraced these attacks and turned them on their ear, reminding Americans via an email sent out this morning that it is community organizers that give individuals a voice in response the failures of government. This message needs to be amplified by Obama as a way to remind every American that pitches in to make their community a better place that the GOP has no time for them – laughs at their efforts to exuberant response from their base.

This is the party that McCain has sold himself out to represent. The party of constant victimhood. The party that will forever blame the big liberal government for all the problems in America despite running the country lock, stock and barrel for 6 of the past 8 years. The party that is happy to poke fun at his elite education - as though actually voting for someone smarter than you is something to shy away from when there is a perfectly good drunken failure to vote for instead. As though a graduate of the most prestigious college in the country is someone we'd rather not have making important decisions. This is the party that is constantly crying foul at the “liberal” media – the same media that McCain once referred to as his base during his former run for the White House – you remember – the one where he made a principled stand against the kind of government George W. Bush would usher in to power. The same media that has been falling all over themselves for a week to gush about McCain’s genius Hail Mary choice of Sarah Palin while simultaneously declaring that her shortcomings as a political figure are decidedly out of bounds for political commentary because they may be intrinsically linked to her private life. This isn’t a liberal media – this is a prostitute media – one that will gladly bend over for anything new and worth a ratings point here or there. If nothing else, the Palin explosion in the past week should make some people understand that.

But no, it won’t. It will just lead to more of the same. If it’s not uber partisan, it’s not worth mentioning anymore, it seems, and as long as the GOP can tell their story about being held down by the evil journalists, even amidst this giant Sarah Palin circle jerk, without rebuttal from the weak-kneed Democrats or even the thoroughly neutered media itself, then they deserve to be the ones defining the issues (which, we should all remember, according to the McCain campaign, don’t really matter anyway).

It’s almost comical at this point. No, you know what, it is comical. During CNN’s severely flawed convention coverage last night (I’ll be honest here, I thought Fox news did a better job with the Dems for the hour I dared watch their coverage last week) they read Harry Reid’s response to Palin’s speech about a half an hour after all was said and done. In the press release Reid made mention that the attacks put forth by the governor were "shrill", among other things. For the next 5 minutes the gaggle of talking heads CNN had assembled all clucked about how Reid and the Democrats had better be careful with that kind of language because it reveals the sexist nature of their reaction to Palin. No one seemed to take issue with this assessment of the situation. Not one person, right of left said that after 4 hours of mocking Barack Obama, of using every sophomoric and sarcastic comment that an army of speechwriters could come up with to undercut and flay the Democratic nominee and attempt to make a joke of his campaign, not one person felt the need to point out that maybe the senate majority leader had a point. Shame on you – evil, liberal-agenda oriented media.

How about the fact that the shotgun wedding groom was flown into St. Paul from Alaska to pretend to love Palin's daughter and hold her hand all night? I mean, I get that we're all in on the joke at this point and that the whole ridiculous charade is "off limits" but are you telling me NOT ONE FUCKING PERSON is going to bother to mention what a sham this all is? What's the point of having Joe Biden on the ticket if he can't say "outrageous" things that expose the hypocrisy of the whole stupid game we're playing here? Are we this fucking numb that we will allow ourselves to be accomplices in this bold faced lie because we're afraid of being called mean and uncaring? I'm dumbstruck by the whole thing. It's simultaneously hysterical and terrifying. No one could get away with writing this movie. It'd never get made. And here we are, watching it all unfold before us, unrivaled in it's transparency, and we're all just nodding and playing along, wishing there was more fake butter on our popcorn.

Tonight John McCain takes the stage. Everyone in the world knows he simply does not have the talent to follow his running mate up. I’m assuming his speech will be boring and unremarkable in every way, which is sort of what I think the GOP is hoping as well. They know they hit their high note last night and now they just want the old guy to spike the ball and call it a convention. Maybe they’ll try to offer and olive branch to the moderates and independents they have given the shaft to this week, but I doubt it, nor should they, really. This convention will be deemed a success because of the work they have done to repair the base of the Republican Party, and more than anything else, the right has two horny teenagers to thank for that. Ultimately this week has been about half of America getting a crush on Sarah Palin and seeing as McCain has not a single policy to sell to the voting public (at least, that’s how it appears considering that this entire convention has been free of any of that kind of boring stuff) he oughta just close his eyes and enjoy the ride. This is, after all, what he signed up for when he decided he wanted to be President more than he wanted to be John McCain.