Time to Unify Against Our Common Enemy

A reminder of why Barack Obama was such a great, inspirational communicator who could get right to the point and clearly make his case. Below is an excerpt from his recent endorsement of Joe Biden's presidential candidacy (from Slate):

Because one thing everybody has learned by now is that the Republicans occupying the White House and running the U.S. Senate are not interested in progress. They’re interested in power. They’ve shown themselves willing to kick millions off their health insurance and eliminate preexisting condition protections for millions more, even in the middle of this public health crisis, even as they’re willing to spend a trillion dollars on tax cuts for the wealthy. They’ve given polluters unlimited power to poison our air and our water and denied the science of climate change just as they denied the science of pandemics. Repeatedly, they’ve disregarded American principles of rule of law and voting rights and transparency—basic norms that previous administrations observed regardless of party. Principles that are the bedrock of our democracy. 

So our country’s future hangs on this election. And it won’t be easy. The other side has a massive war chest. The other side has a propaganda network with little regard for the truth. On the other hand, pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us of what is real and what is important. This crisis has reminded us that government matters. It’s reminded us that good government matters. That facts and science matter. That the rule of law matters. That having leaders who are informed and honest and seek to bring people together rather than drive them apart—those kind of leaders matter.

Below is the full video of President Obama's endorsement.

Run, Bernie, Run

I have to say that Bernie Sanders' appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert made me a bit of a believer.



No, he's probably not electable and I'm not sure at the end of the day whether he'll make a difference in shaping the conversation as we get closer to election day. But in the same way Trump's unfiltered personality has struck a chord, Sanders' unapologetic indignation on how the system has become increasingly stacked against both the poor and middle class is a breath of fresh air.

Better yet, I admire how Sanders doesn't run away from labels like "liberal" or "progressive," let alone "socialist." At the end of the day, Sanders probably sees labels as pointless, other than being an easy signpost for an electorate that really doesn't try to delve too hard into the issues. But at least he owns them and seems to be a good avatar for showing that these words have little meaning and, more importantly, aren't dirty words whose definitions and traditions have been co-opted by the right.

I can't believe that anyone watching Sanders on the Late Show wouldn't have seen good common sense in words, if not becoming a convert.

On the other side of the coin, Sanders' rumpled, angry old man demeanor has also understandably made him attractive fodder for the late night set, the most brilliant being Larry David's channeling of Sanders on the October 18, 2014 cold opening of Saturday Night Live. (When I saw David come out, I said, "He doesn't even have to act!") Whether Sanders' campaign has any legs will help determine whether David's impersonation makes him the breakout star of this coming campaign as Tina Fey's was of Sarah Palin four years ago.

More Election Post-Mortem: Spin Zone RIP

As observers have noted, one of the deserving casualties this election cycle has been the “spin zone.”

In a remarkable ceding of their authority as journalists who should report and analyze, media outlets have often allowed party hacks to “spin” the news and shape the message that went out from the media. This was especially egregious after presidential debates when whatever first messages came out often became accepted as conventional wisdom. I often found it appalling that news organizations would happily report these spins as fact. While the media often rather humorously noted the obvious biases of the spin zone, they nevertheless happily submitted to the system. It’s yet another example of how media has become part of the establishment rather than a critical check on government.

The rise of “snap polls” immediately following the debates have fortunately neutralized the ability of pundits and party hacks to shape the message to their liking. While the talking heads, of course, are free to make pronouncements on their thoughts, they nevertheless risk losing all credibility and being seen as seriously out of touch should their comments be completely at odds with what the instant polls of ordinary citizens are saying.

Right wing conservatives have always been notoriously adept at “truthiness”—stating outright lies knowing that if it’s said enough times it becomes accepted truth. But, again, snap poll technology has served to counteract such tactics because of the danger of making the pundit look seriously delusional.

I Couldn’t Have Said It Better Myself….

Amid all the sturm and drang of this election campaign, here are a few noteworthy and eloquent endorsements for Barack Obama, some of which are significant given their sources:

• The New Yorker
• Endorsement from National Review columnist Christopher Buckley, son of the late leading conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. (Buckley was forced to resign from the magazine afterwards)
• A follow up piece from Buckley discussing the epic failures of the Bush Administration and GOP
• A piece from conservative founder Barry Goldwater’s granddaughter
• An endorsement from Vanity Fair columnist Christopher Hutchins
• Endorsement from Republican and former Massachusetts Governor William Weld
• Endorsement from Reagan appointee and former McCain Adviser Charles Fried
  

And from Sarah Palin’s home state of Alaska, an endorsement for Barack Obama from the Anchorage Daily News.

As of October 27, the total number of newspaper endorsements received by Obama is 180, versus 75 for McCain. These include at least 35 papers that endorsed George Bush in 2004.

Angry Grandpa!

There's still a lot of time yet until election day, but for now neither the trends nor the momentum are in McCain's favor.

While McCain and the GOP predictably have moved into attack mode, given people's worries about the economy, his attempts to avoid the elephant in the room (i.e., the economy) and instead engage in mudslinging and character attacks further reinforces many people's belief that McCain is out of touch and doesn't understand the concerns of middle class Americans. Plus it smacks of desperation.

McCain, of course, didn't help himself in the recent debate. While McCain pushed for the town hall format, he came off as stiff and uncomfortable. McCain conveniently forgot that the town hall meetings he has participated in and finds so invigorating consist of audiences who are selected to be enthusiastic and support him. True, the format used for the debate was hardly a true "town hall" meeting, and instead was clinical, controlled and cold. But Obama adapted easily while McCain, perhaps showing his age, did not.

McCain has partly painted himself in this corner. In instant responses and polls, viewers reacted negatively when McCain went on the offensive, which only served to underscore his unlikability and reputation for being a hothead. So McCain must tread a delicate balance to avoid looking too unhinged. (One commentator likened McCain as coming off as an "angry grandpa" when he referred to Obama as "That one.") By contrast, Obama's ratings went UP when he went on the offensive.

McCain also has the disadvantage of being closely tied to this Administration and the GOP. As much as he tries to run away from it and portray himself as a "maverick," McCain nonetheless is part of the status quo and the Washington beltway, who supported deregulation with his Congressional colleagues and has been an especially vocal proponent of going to war, whether it be Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran or North Korea.

Though some have expressed amazement that there still remain a significant group of "undecideds" as we approach election day, my take on it is that many of these people simply are trying to get comfortable with the idea of Obama as president. Obama's cool, measured performances in his debates have served him well and made him look more presidential.

One month left to go!