Infinite Monkeys
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Infinite Monkeys
Remember, back in January, when Bill Clinton was whining in South Carolina about the press going to easy on Obama — not subjecting him to the scrutiny the media has inflicted on Hillary? I'm beginning to think he had a point. Clinton was talking about then about what we all know about now: Obama's pastor disaster.
It goes without saying that the Clinton Machine's opposition research department is without peer. They knew all about Jeremiah Wright's insane, divisive, anti-American sermons and how they could (and should) sink Obama's candidacy. But think about the pickle the Clinton camp was in.
They couldn't bring this up — not even through surrogates. Look how well Bill Shaheen's allusions to how "Republicans" would soon be bringing up Obama's admitted drug use. The co-chair of Hillary's New Hampshire effort was sacked 24 hours later. No. That episode, and even Bill's relatively gentle South Carolina complaint that Obama's anti-war stance and idea that he's got the experience to be president were "a fairy tale" brought down universal scorn and hurt Hillary. In a Democratic primary, where courting black votes is vital, you cannot be seen as attacking a black candidate.
So the Clinton Camp, knowing full well of Obama's No. 1 liability, could say nothing. It would have to be up to the press to reveal this stuff. They did, of course, but too late. Obama already has the nomination. And now the scandal is poised to torpedo the Democrats' chance to end the Republican Terror.
Imagine how different the race for the White House would be today if Democratic voters had a chance to absorb Obama's liabilities before he was crowned. In fact, only after Obama has moved out to an insurmountable lead has any scrutiny been applied to the young senator. And more damaging things will be coming.
So, just this once, I almost feel sorry for the Clintons. They were right.
Cross-posted at RedBlueAmerica (please visit, and comment if you feel so moved).
Hugh is shocked (SHOCKED! I tell ya!) that St. Barry Obama would do the audio recording of a conversation Obama had with his buddy Ray years ago in college. Ray is apparently a (moderately) foul mouthed clown with a chip on his shoulder because he is Black.
Hugh misses a critical point of the excerpt he played. Obama is slamming his buddy Ray for seeing racism in every action by Whites and Asians. Obama gives a reasoned, thoughtful explanation to Ray that everything "bad" that happens to him isn't racism. I'm not sure you can argue with that. (Reverend Jeremy Wright would, but that's another story.)
As to the foul language, so what? I don't like Obama in the least. But he comes across pretty well in the excerpt as the voice of reason. In the face of the vulgarity of his buddy Ray. If anything, this could help undermine the the impact on him of the racism of Reverend Wright as Obama's reply to "Ray" is 180 degree opposite of what the good reverend spewed from the pulpit.
What's a blini? Well, Hillary knows. If Obama is asked if he wants one on his first day in the White House, will he think it's one of those champagne and peach drinks? If he gets a 3 am phone call asking which fork you use to eat mutton, will he be able to handle it?
It's just too big a risk.
Obama's very-late coming denunciation of the his racist, deranged "spiritual mentor" and "moral guide", Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is pretty slick. So it warrants a good parsing.
Let me say at the outset that I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy.
Ok. What about when other deplorable, hateful statements are made public? Are we going to go through the dance of statement/denouncement ad infinitum? If so, that's going to be one long song.
I categorically denounce any statement that disparages our great country or serves to divide us from our allies.
Fine. Great. But it is simply inconceivable that Wright's statements that "disparage our great country" were rare. Merely the passion in Wright's voice makes that clear. So why stick around, Obama, if this was common and you "categorically denounce" it?
I also believe that words that degrade individuals have no place in our public dialogue, whether it's on the campaign stump or in the pulpit.
But Wright's M.O. was hardly to denounce individuals -- though we can guess that Bush earned the dishonor. Wright denounced whole groups of people -- whites, middle-class people, the "rich," Israel, and "sell-out" blacks. So, that sentence is pretty worthless.
In sum, I reject outright the statements by Rev. Wright that are at issue.
Again, Obama qualifies -- which leaves the presumption, for now, that other statements that have not yet made the YouTube parade are OK.
It's a congregation that does not merely preach social justice but acts it out each day, through ministries ranging from housing the homeless to reaching out to those with HIV/AIDS.
Which reminds me. Wright thinks the racist, white power structure of the United States invented AIDS to kill black people. Do you agree, Mr. Obama?
In other words, he has never been my political advisor; he's been my pastor.
If Wright has never been your political advisor, why have you consulted him before every political move in your career?
The statements that Rev. Wright made that are the cause of this controversy were not statements I personally heard him preach while I sat in the pews of Trinity or heard him utter in private conversation.
This is simply not believable. Every time Wright went off the deep end, Obama was not present? Did he not talk to other congregates over post-service coffee and donuts about what he might have missed? But, yet again, we hear Obama qualifying about the statements that are "the cause of this controversy." What happens when other comments come up?
But because Rev. Wright was on the verge of retirement, ...
What the hell does Wright's imminent retirement have to do with what he has said for years? Completely irrelevant.
There is a part of me that almost feels sorry for Obama. I have the feeling that he joined the influential church -- so influential that it counts Oprah herself as a member -- to boost his political fortunes when he was just getting started in his career. It is certainly a smart political launching point as a black politician in Chicago, as long as your aspirations remain relatively small time. Even members of Congress can get away with this kind of affiliation.
But Obama is now in the Big Time. He wants to be president of all the people. And Obama's spiritual mentor sees a bitter, racially divided America. Obama is now learning the dangers of picking racist, hateful friends and "spiritual mentors." And the Democratic party is going to learn the dangers of picking this man as their nominee.
[Cross-posted at RedBlueAmerica.com]
Here she is. The expensive kind of woman NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer threw away his life for.
He could have done worse in that profession — especially for the brunette category Spitzer was jonsin' for.
I guess you get what you pay for.
As for the good-looking one. The over/under on the Playboy spread starts with the July issue.
You may have seen the latest video that the brilliant will.i.am produced for his messiah, Barack Obama. If you haven't, you should. It's great for laughs -- that is, if you're not even more disturbed by the fact that the crappy music impressario has managed to top himself in creepy false idol worship -- something I had once considered a difficult trick. But your observations of this year's political dynamic are not complete unless you listen to Jessica Alba stammer through an endorsement of her man, and observe a mysterious "celebrity" declare he supports Obama because he wants to "end fear."
The chants of "Obama! Obama! Obama!" which drive the beat give the ad a "Riefenstahl-meets-Gap-ad aesthetic," in the words of The Corner's Mark Hemmingway. Creeeep-eee. Especially since it has brought people to tears.
Yet, the wonders of YouTube allow almost immediate counter-videos to be produced. The one below sets the Obama phenomenon to the one song to which it really applies: "Building A Religion," by Cake. (I love that band, and should have thought of that song long ago....drat!)
[Cross-posted at RedBlueAmerica]
McCain's got to be praying that no one gets a decisive win out of the Democratic race...Howard Dean tried to put a good face on it, that the competition is keeping interest on the Democratic Party. There's some truth to that, but if this race continues, the stakes in each primary are smaller, and the fighting will be more vicious--especially from the Clinton Machine.
Should be fun to watch...