Sarah Palin, “Small Town Mayor”
Those who've read my previous commentary on Sarah Palin, notably yesterday's post on the announcement of Palin as McCain's VP pick, know that I think she's a poor choice. While she has many fans and may be possessed of some remarkable political gifts, she's a tough sell as "Ready On Day One" and thus undercuts McCain's best argument against Barack ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 30, 2008 08:58
McCain ‘Biden’ Ad
Well, that didn't take long. The McCain campaign already has a spot out called "Biden," highlighting newly anointed Barack Obama running mate Joe Biden quotes saying Obama lacks the experience to be president and that he'd be honored to serve with McCain. VIDEO SCRIPT ANNCR: What does Barack Obama's running mate say about Barack Obama? ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: You were asked, "Is he ready?" ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 23, 2008 11:14
McCain Rules Out One-Term Pledge. Again.
Politico is very excited to have a scoop: "Exclusive: No single-term pledge for McCain." [Must credit Politico! -ed.] John McCain stated unequivocally in an interview with Politico Wednesday that he would not pledge to serve only a single four-year term, rejecting a suggestion that some allies believe would “No,” McCain said flatly, “I’m not considering it.” This would be exciting news if it ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 21, 2008 08:35
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
Obama and McCain Polls: Dead Heat Going into Conventions
I saw the headline "Poll Finds Little Support for Obama" on memeorandum and, of course, clicked out of curiousity. It turns out to have been a poll in Oklahoma, where John McCain has a comfortable 56-24 lead. That's not exactly surprising. If it was even close in Oklahoma, we'd be looking at an absolute rout. What's more interesting, though, ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on August 4, 2008 09:08
On Being a Citizen of the World
Said an American politician, speaking to an international audience:"I speak today as both a citizen of the United States and of the world. I come with the heartfelt wishes of my people for peace, bearing honest proposals and looking for genuine progress." I mean can you imagine? Didn't this politician know that he was an American? What kind of ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 27, 2008 22:48
Obama Berlin Speech After Action
Barack Obama's speech to the throngs gathered at the Berlin Tiergarten Park was a solid effort, saying most of the right things about the Transatlantic relationship along with some unfortunate banalities. The allusions to our shared history with Western Europe in general and Germany in particular were well done. The reminder of our efforts in the Berlin Airlift and helping ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 25, 2008 09:07
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
Presidential Succession Crisis?
Bruce Ackerman has read a novel and heard unsubstantiated rumors and from these concocted a Constitutional crisis which he's convinced the folks at Slate to publish. New Yorker writer Jane Mayer's new book, The Dark Side, opens with a shocker. Apparently sometime in the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan issued a "secret executive order" that in the event of the death of ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 15, 2008 18:04
McCain Killing Iranians with Cigarettes, Risks Killing Presidential Chances with Bad Jokes
John McCain's secret plan for Iran: kill them with cigarettes. Presidential candidate John McCain, who once sang in jest about bombing Iran, on Tuesday reacted to a report of rising U.S. cigarette exports to the country by saying it may be "a way of killing 'em." McCain, known for acerbic comments and for sometimes firing verbally from the hip, was ...Posted in Outside The Beltway | OTB on July 9, 2008 09:50
