Obama Lead Solidifies Going into 2nd Debate
Barack Obama and Joe Biden continue to pull away from John McCain and Sarah Palin in the national polls, bolstered by the economic crisis and superior performances in the first two debates. The new WSJ/NBC poll parallels recent findings: Voters were much more likely to say they felt good about Sen. Obama's handling of the current economic crisis than they were ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 7, 2008 09:06
Obama a Terrorist! McCain a Crook!
We've reached the seemingly inevitable part of the campaign where the trailing candidates start hurling charges out of desperation and the leader responds in kind. In the closing days of 1992, President George H.W. Bush, ordinarily among the most decent, genteel fellows you'd ever meet, was running around calling Bill Clinton and Al Gore "bozos." He simply couldn't ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on October 6, 2008 08:05
Experience: Obama v. Palin
Josh Marshall headlines as "Sadly Nuts" a post responding to John McCain's retort, to questions of Sarah Palin's qualifications to serve as president, "If they want to go down that route, in all candor, she has far, far more experience than Senator Obama does." Says Josh, Set aside the bravado. Can McCain possibly believe that? And if he does, what are we ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on September 1, 2008 07:52
Best. Speeches. Ever.
I just haven't been able to muster the enthusiasm to watch much of the Democratic Convention coverage. It's a shame, too, as I understand John Kerry, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden all gave the best speeches of their lives last night. Really, though, what were the odds? I'll watch Obama's performance at Mile High Stadium tonight, though. I understand it's ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 28, 2008 07:54
Obama as Jackie Robinson
Adam Serwer laments the fact that Barack and, particularly, Michelle Obama have to humanize themselves to the electorate and fight back against an elitist caricature. [T]he Obamas are still fighting Jackie Robinson Syndrome, the reflexive double standards and often small, sometimes large, but always public humiliations that come from being the first black person to do something. Ezra Klein thinks this "beautifully ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 27, 2008 14:07
Obama and McCain Not ‘From’ Anywhere
Peggy Noonan laments "The End of Placeness." OK, quick, close your eyes. Where is Barack Obama from? He's from Young. He's from the town of Smooth in the state of Well Educated. He's from TV. John McCain? He's from Military. He's from Vietnam Township in the Sunbelt state. Chicago? That's where Mr. Obama wound up. Modern but Midwestern: a perfect place to begin what ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 16, 2008 07:58
Arkansas Democratic Party Chair Murdered
Bill Gwatney, the chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party, has been murdered. A man barged into the Arkansas Democratic headquarters and opened fire Wednesday, fatally shooting the state party chairman before speeding off in his pickup. Police later shot and killed the suspect after a 30-mile chase. Police said they don't know the motive for the 51-year-old suspect, whose name has ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 13, 2008 18:45
Bill Clinton Champions Monogamy
From the Department of You Can't Make This Stuff Up: Bill Clinton is now the poster boy for monogamy. Clinton's advice to beat Aids: stay faithful Bill Clinton made a plea yesterday for a new emphasis on monogamy as a key element in the battle against Aids. The former US president, not noted for his ability to keep his ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 6, 2008 14:53
Falling Out of Love With Obama
Josef Joffe pithily captures a point I've made repeatedly: In Berlin, hundreds of thousands will cheer a projection rather than a flesh-and-blood Obama on Thursday. After Inauguration Day, alas, Europe and the world will not face a Dreamworks president, but the leader of a superpower. Whether McCain or Obama, the 44th president will speak more nicely than did W. in his ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 24, 2008 14:20
Obama Running Away with European Vote
Barack Obama would easily win the presidency if the citizens of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom were doing the voting rather than Americans, Gallup reports. Unless I've missed something, Europeans aren't eligible to vote in our elections. These surveys nonetheless provide interesting insights into how different cultures view things. Gallup's Zsolt Nyiri, Frank Newport, and Jeffrey Jones provide ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 23, 2008 12:07
