Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

Thoughts on the Reverend Wright Interview

I just watched the Reverend Wright interview with Bill Moyers. While it was a typically good Billy Moyers interview and did shed some insight behind all of the hullabaloo over the Reverend Wright's oft circulated statements, I don't think it is anything but a net loss for the Obama campaign.

Nothing said, or probed for that matter, in the interview will do anything to change anyone's opinions that had been formed after the craziness over the Wright statements began. If you were pre-disposed to follow the sound bites into your own private hell, you most likely still are. If you were pre-disposed to apply your brain and give things a fair hearing, you probably did.

There are many on both sides of this piece of political pageantry that are left holding the bag. Though I think those that want to use this to keeping knocking Obama have more in their sack than those who hoped (and perhaps prayed) that it would help.

Amazing how politics, which is supposed to be the "art of the possible" is in fact so far away from actually living up to that old saw.

Clinton Commercial Proves White Kids Can't Dance

So, I'm just asking, is there anyone of legal voting age anywhere in this country that this might appeal to?

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton

America Guilty Until Proved Innocent?

Peggy Noonan has an interesting three part article in the Wall Street Journal. Interesting, but for her, really poorly done. She's writing from an airport and in the first part of her three part lounge thoughts she questions the whole TSA security thing (among other things) and wonders if the demoralizing treatment doesn't mean that we are looked at as being guilty before being proved innocent. You know that old American legal saw don't you? It is just another great myth of America. A myth you say? That's why we have a constitution. Go read some of the thoughts by the 'venerable' founding fathers who wrote the dang thing. They saw us as the guilty, greedy creatures we are and that's why they tossed some restrictions on government, to keep those impulses from following their natural course. She quotes Samuel Johnson. Ben Franklin would have served her purposes better.

In her second act, she goes on to talk about Obama vs Clinton and says Obama needs a second act. Says Clinton and McCain understand history and America better. She wonders who taught Obama to love America and what does he think about it? She says snooty lefties get angry when she brings those questions up. Only when she does so without completing the argument and letting all the players have their do. Her second act fails for poor dramaturgy.

In her act 3 she talks about conservatives dislike for George Bush and how no one challenges her on this. More like denouement than third act.

I guess all that travel go to her.

The Patriots Still Want That 19-0 Trademark

Taking a cue from both Pat Riley and Hillary Clinton the New England Patriots, or at least there lawyers, still want to trademark the phrase 19-0, even though they didn't quite pull that mark off with a loss to the Giants in the SuperBowl. I remember well when Pat Riley quickly trademarked the phrase 'Three-Peat' during the Chicago Bulls run for three championships in a row. Hillary and her campaign are up to the same thing, but in a different way, as they keep trying to redefine winning and the campaign. Amazing what you can do with a room full of lawyers isn't it. Smoke and Mirrors.

Via TechDirt

How Times Change

Via Thinking on the Margin

Redefining Winning

According to this article in Newsweek, as well as most of the talking heads on the Boob Tube last night, the rush is on by the Clinton campaign to redefine what "winning" is. Given that the numbers don't work out in Clinton's favor between now and the convention, her hopes rest with a couple of things.

First, somehow getting the Michigan and Florida races to count even though they were outside of the rules as agreed to. Second, convincing superdelegates that she has a better chance to beat McCain in the fall, or that Obama doesn't. The media's stake in keeping this silly story alive is more than evident in the credence they continue to give both of those strategies. 

How simple would it be to bring up all of the criticism leveled at the Clinton's during Bill's turn at the wheel over their constant redefining any issue or point that didn't fit their way of doing things?  Or even better the defenses used by the Democrats in the wake of the great hanging chad fiasco would make a nice comparison.

But the media has too much invested in keeping this moving forward and for some reason seems afraid to take on Clinton's claims. Even the anti-Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, lost his balls when he interviewed HIllary Clinton recently and let her off with power puff questions.

Some keep calling it Spinning. Yeah, maybe so.Too bad so many have so much invested in this merry go round.

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton,Barak Obama,spin

Bob Herbert: Clueless in America

Bob Herbert in the New York Times has a great editorial on Education in America and how we continue to neglect this very crucial aspect of our future. It is well worth a read.

Watching the Presidential Follies play out, it is both surprising, yet not so surprising that we are not hearing more about education in the discussion. But then I guess talking about all of the really important stuff like who's staffer said what to whom is infinitely more important.

Or as Bob Herbert analogizes this is one of those issues like the country's infrastructure or search for better energy solutions, that we don't put on the front burner until the bridge collapses or gas prices skyrocket. Of course with the education of our young, the downward spiral is a much more gradual collapse than a bridge falling down. 

Happy Birthday to the Bard

Today is William Shakespeare's Birthday. I understand he has a new play coming out. Party like you were Falstaff.

Technorati Tags: William Shakespeare

Andrew Sullivan: The Near-Triumph of Rovism

Not sure how near or far but it doesn't matter. Just read Andrew Sullivan's piece.

US Artistic License

I need to get me one of these. Trademark Gunderson is now issuing US Artistic Licenses for $20. I can see this coming in handy in any number of ways.

Via BoingBoing

Technorati Tags: Artistic License