Blue In The Bluegrass

Say it Ain’t So, Joe

Jon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:17:21 +0000

Turns out the now famous Joe The Plumber from last night’s debate,

1) isn’t really a plumber (at least not a licensed one)

2) isn’t really named Joe. His official name is Samuel Joe Wurzelbacher.

Ouch.

Oh, and it turns out his question to Obama wasn’t really legit either. If the business he wants to own earns more than $250,000 a year, but Joe’s INCOME after all business expenses is less, then he won’t be subject to the taxes Obama proposes.

The New York Times political blog is running the story.

Obama to Supporters: Don’t get Too Giddy

Jon — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:54:58 +0000

Talking Points Memo shares this post to the Obama faithful, echoing the candidate himself – don’t get too giddy, we’ve gotten spanked before.
With Obama’s trouncing of rival McCain at last night’s final debate, it seems complacency or a late-October surprise may be the two biggest challenges left for the Obama campaign.

Let’s not get complacent. Donate $10 (or more) today or sign-up to man the phones or canvass. The Obama team makes it incredibly easy to get involved via my.barackobama.com.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Four Days in Denver – Video from the DNC Convention

Jon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:20:34 +0000

So this is a bit long – 15 mins. Worth it if you have the time. There is some great behind-the-scenes footage from the DNC convention.

My favorite bit though, is watching Barack watch Michelle give her speech. That starts at about the 2:40 mark and runs until about the 3:50 mark.

There have been some stories out there about the Obamas’ relationship, but they are an amazing couple. Such a positive example of what a 21st century marraige + partnership should be.

Also – the blooper reel at the end is fun. For me it reaffirms that Obama + Biden laugh like the rest of us.

The American Promise – Why I’m Voting for Barack Obama + You Should Too

Jon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:45:24 +0000

We see the job of the president to set the tone. To inspire. To make judgments. To put into place the more specific experts and individuals that will carry out his or her vision.

To provide leadership. Trust. Hope.

The ability to motivate a crowd, a nation, to elicit their hopes and dreams, is not empty rhetoric. It is leadership. It is vision.

And no candidate in the past 40 years has done as good a job as Barack Obama. Just check out this video:

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Powerful Profile of McCain in Rolling Stone

Jon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:09:39 +0000

Rolling Stone’s October 16th issue features a powerful, hard-hitting profile of presidential hopeful John McCain. A biopic of his life + career, the piece appears largely researched and informed by some of McCain’s own writings and best summed up by the article title “Make-Believe Maverick.”

A rather lengthy (but worth it) read, the piece is a detailed character-indictment, none too glowing.

Aside from the sheer magnitude of contemptible behavior McCain has demonstrated over his life, the portrayal should leave any reader sick to their stomach that this man could be poised for the presidency.

If McCain thinks glowing, personal attacks are now fair-game in a campaign where the subject of the conversation is one he can’t win, does he really think that with his storied past, that continues to be the right approach?

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Dow Drops Below 10,000

Jon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:38:14 +0000

Hey John McCain – good luck not talking about the economy.

From CNN:

Dow drops 800 points, closes 350 down + below 10,000.

What’s McCain’s next move? Suspend his campaign so he can miss the next debate?

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Palin wants to talk about Jeremiah Wright

Jon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:31:50 +0000

Bill Kirstol talked with Sarah Palin over the weekend, when she mentioned her interest in Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former, embattled pastor.

Said Palin, “To tell you the truth, Bill, I don’t know why that association (with Wright) isn’t discussed more.”

Again, really? Palin herself has some pretty un-mainstream religious views.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Really.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

Palin says “Voters don’t know real Obama” – Is she serious?

Jon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:35 +0000

Sarah Palin is out playing “pit bull” (insert lipstick joke here) on the campaign trail this weekend.

One quote from California (why are they even in California? Any chance it’s not going blue this year? But I digress) is that voters don’t know “the real Barack Obama.”

Is she serious? Does she? Has she even met him before?

Have they even been in the same TIME ZONE before? We all know before she was tapped to be VP, Palin didn’t get out of Alaska much. Hard to see why she would know who Barack Obama is…

Oh, that’s right – she reads any and all media put in front of her. Maybe she does know him best.

On listening to this again, I think my favorite part is where she assumes that Katie Couric thinks Alaska might be a foreign country.

Thank God Sarah Palin is here to reassure us it’s not.

Doomsday Scenario

Jon — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:36:15 +0000

With fear of loss gripping the McCain camp, most political blogs are reporting on a Washington Post story that McCain + Co. are going to be beefing up their personal + character attacks on Barack Obama in an attempt to turn the campaigns away from the economy.

Sounds like Sarah Palin has already landed the first blow.

We all know that while Palin is folksy and has (somewhat) electrified the GOP base. We also know that most Americans still think she isn’t ready to step into the White House, let alone the Presidency (should something happen).

But what if the McCain camp knows this? What if it’s part of the “plan?”

Imagine: Palin goes on a rampage for the next week or so. I mean blistering. Tears into Obama with everything she’s got. Crosses the line. Repeats lie after lie (what else is new?) Goes after his name, his race, calls him a Muslim. You name it. Earns herself the disdain of the media and the voter. They want her gone, even if a few of her lies have dealt Obama a strategic blow.

So McCain does the unthinkable and throws a hail mary pass for 400th time and picks a NEW VP running mate. Palin’s out. Someone new is in. Obama’s character has been assassinated by the new defunct Palin.

Crazy? Think she won’t do it? Think she’ll put her career before winning? Stranger things have happened. What if she doesn’t even realize what’s going on. She could think she has the full faith and support of McCain and then, poof. She’s gone.

Would he really want to win that badly? We’ll see.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

VP Debate – Our Take

Jon — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:28:50 +0000

So admittedly we might be a bit biased (GO BIDEN!) but it’s about 5 mins to the end of the VP debate and I think that Biden’s won it.

Sure, Palin has exceeded expectations, but she wasn’t that likable. And while she seemed knowledgeable, it seemed staged. Memorized. Wooden. Had a few zingers, but no real fire like at the convention. Could the lack of audience feedback have played a role?

By contrast, Biden displayed passion and seemed intelligent and vice presidential.

I watched on CNN and the real-time focus group results they displayed on the bottom of the screen seemed to agree. Biden’s answers achieved and average CONSISTENTLY higher than Palin’s.

Still, it will be interesting to see the puntits + spin machine’s at work.

Not to mention the polls.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08