I can't give the "full Palin" to John McCain's acceptance speech because a) he wasn't as interesting and b) I'm too exhausted. His story of his years in the Hanoi Hilton is a compelling saga of courage that anyone would belittle at their own risk, but I do wonder if that's what 30 million Americans were really tuning in to hear tonight. His call for "change" was shockingly light on detail -- could that be because his program of never-ending tax cuts, school choice, health care for Americans who can afford it, etc. -- wasn't so different from the two terms of the two words this maverick dare not utter, "George" and "Bush."
Reminder: I would have liked a lot more details from Obama, too. On the reality-based front, I'd give Obama a B- and McCain a C+. I hope the debates can fill in some of the blanks but I'm not holding my breath. America has too many problems that don't have bumper sticker solutions.
Stay tuned for one more important point about the man who was hailed on one poster as a "mavrick."
Posted by Will Bunch @ 12:03 AM
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22 comments
While Obama did not give a dull explanation of every detail of his proposals (all of which are available and well known if you pay attention to CSPAN and, if you have XM, POTUS 08), he at least mentioned most of them and gave a brief summary of the effects he is aiming at by changing the tax system, energy production, business growth, health care, and so forth. I give him an A for a convention speech. If we have better moderators and formats in the debates this time--the debate questions 4 years ago were a disgrace, esp. Bob Shrieffer, and so were most of the ones during the primaries this year--there is a good chance that flesh can be put on these ideas. But on a daily basis Obama is asked sensible questions by his live audiences and in his answers clearly explains his proposed policies. These sessions are played on radio, not television, so I guess no one but me hears them. What I don't understand is why he did not bite on McCain's Town Meeting proposal; my guess is bad advice from his political team, which is almost as bad as Gore's and Kerry's were. In fact, a lot of them are the same guys.
While Will has provided us with his leftist "take" on McCain's acceptance speech, I must provide mine on the Obama acceptance speech: His call for "change" was shockingly light on detail -- could that be because his program of never-ending tax increases, mind-numbing committment to the teachers unions and failing public schools, a socialist health care system that America simply cannot afford, etc. -- wasn't so different from some policy proposals once put forth by someone the Obama-messiah dare not name, "Karl" and "Marx?"
And I'm going to make my wife change out of those $280,000 earrings.
McSame will just borrow more money and pass that debt onto our children's children. All for a war that we should never have started in the first place. If we really wanted Saddam out, he could have been bought for .01% of what we've spent in Iraq not to mention the lives lost, American and Iraqi.
Considering the fact that if McCain gets elected the same basic people (behind the scenes) will be running the show, just how much change are we supposed to expect? For real change, IE something different than what we have had, the only chioce is Obama/Biden!
On taxes: Someone has to pay for the last 8 years worth of sprawling goverment, all around mis-spending, ludicrous tax rebates, and the never-ending money pit called Iraq. Of course, no one wants to. God forbit its the wealthiest 1% of the population. Keep cutting taxes, and let our kids and grandkids deal with the real problems, huh? Great idea.
RG - Reagan reversed many of his own tax cuts, especially in the 1983 and 1984 budgets. A lot of people like to forget that.
Bon, this is from a report published by the Tax Policy Center...."(Under Obama), middle-income taxpayers would see their after-tax income rise by about 5 percent, or nearly $2,200 annually....McCain would lift after-tax incomes an average of about 3 percent, or $1,400 annually, for middle-income taxpayers by 2012." But, in sharp contrast to Obama, he would cut taxes for those in the top 1% by more than $125,000, raising their after-tax income an average 9.5 percent.
Bon: You can't be preaching "change" when you've been hugging & kissing this administration for 8 years. The same party doesn't have the ability to make the change. "Change" is new & different...not the same. McCain has made good decisions durig his time in office(not recently Palin) and I respect his commitment to this country, but I can't give this party another 4 years of my life...I can't afford it.
bon, Obama has worked on various ethics and budget reform bills. Coburn-Obama, Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending , and Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. He also pushed for support of an ethics bill in the IL Senate.
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McCain talks about "change." lol....Change from the GOP which has controlled the WH and Congress for the past 8 years?
zenhen: McCain has written reform, uncovered corruption and, effectively, put Washington crooks in prison. This is all a Senator can do, in the end. As President, McCain will finally be able to clean up Washington. (Obama, by contrast, touts his reform credentials from being one of 96 senators to vote in favor of an ethics bill that was far less expansive and comprehensive than McCain wanted. Obama has to do that, of course. That is all he has "done" and it isn't much. There is nothing else to backup Obama's claim that he is a reformer.)
RG: I will not defend Bush's spending policies. (Reagan won us the cold war. I am willing to accept some deficit spending to avoid a third world war.) That is not really relevant, though. Obama is promising the better part of a trillion dollars in new spending and also trying to say he will not increase the tax burden in any meaningful way. It is gibberish. (McCain is promising to cut spending, though election year politics do dictate that he not map out where or when. Still, Obama's promises are far, far grander and far, far less believable.)
McCain looks so old and out of touch.His speech did nothing for me.Palin scares me.This country can not afford 4 more years of Dubya.
McCain had 26 years to "change" Washington and he didn't. Why should we believe he is suddenly going to do it in the next 4.
Give Obama a chance, with Biden by his side they are a win-win team. At least that is the basis of their campaign and not the smear attacks that the Repubicans are running. Stick with the issues that need attention now! Of course it won't happen automatically, but let's face it, if in the past 8 years nothing has gotten better, do you honestly think anyone linked to the Bush Administration can get it done? Obama is young and dedicated to get this country back in shape and, Biden is experienced, intelligent and knows the ins and outs of the political process. Their concerns are genuine and that is what we need. No more smear campaigns from the Republicans because that is the only way they know how to win. Undermine the intelligence of the voters with their scare tactics. Don't let it work this time, vote for the right ones for the job - Obama & Biden all of the way on 11/04/2008.
"Somehow Democrats always convince themselves that $800 billion in new tax revenue is going to walk through the door the instant they are sworn in." bon, after Reagan lowered the insanely high taxes, he also overspent, resulting in deficits. Bush I and Clinton raised them again, and we end up witha balanced budget in the late 90's the only 2 years in the past 47 years that we've had one. of course, dubya cuts them, spends like nuts now the defict and debt are high again. whats your solution?
Election season always sees promises being made that cannot and will not be kept. Somehow Democrats always convince themselves that $800 billion in new tax revenue is going to walk through the door the instant they are sworn in. :)
The McCain campaign knows they can't win on the issues, so they have to make it personal.
I don't expect McCain to offer any details. He won't provide thoughtful answers in the debates. He'll provide soundbites - the media loves soundbites. Remember, what Rick Davis said:
"This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates."
They can't let it be about the issues because they don't have anything that's any different from Bush.
And don't expect to learn anything from Palin. She's going to be controlled. According to Jim Carney in Time:
"According to Nicole Wallace of the McCain campaign, the American people don't care whether Sarah Palin can answer specific questions about foreign and domestic policy. According to Wallace -- in an appearance I did with her this morning on Joe Scarborough's show -- the American people will learn all they need to know (and all they deserve to know) from Palin's scripted speeches and choreographed appearances on the campaign trail and in campaign ads."
They are contemptuous of the American voters.
McCain gets a C+. Wow. Shocked you didnt flunk him for not being Obamaesque.
Why are you so exhausted? Certainly not from writing your book,
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About Will Bunch
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Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
Will Bunch, a senior writer at the Philadelphia Daily News, blogs about his obsessions, including national and local politics and world affairs, the media, pop music, the Philadelphia Phillies, soccer and other sports, not necessarily in that order.
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