CNN Is My New Hero

For the moment at least. CNN actually addresses the obvious: the pro-Obama stance in the media, and the double-standard that Hillary Clinton has faced. From TaylorMarsh.com Taylor Marsh



Down with MSNBC!!


Also, Charlie Rose was in London last night discussing the democratic primary.
Charlie Rose's Obama Love Fest

Europe approves of the United States electing Barack Obama. Thank you Europe. What would we do without their wisdom? The conversation lasts about 53 minutes and there is little mention of Hillary Clinton. Obama is the only one, they say, who can bring about a change in America's image... ALERT: Hillary is proposing Universal Health Care, a European idea! She would be by far the most progressive president we have ever had in her domestic and foreign policy. She is a woman. But only Obama can bring about change to Europeans. Only he is what "Europeans love about America". Watch at the link. Vomit disclaimer notwithstanding.

Is It Over Yet?

As we sit and wait while the media and the "movement of change" take us into a world of utopia and fairies where dictators are nice and republicans "want to work together", SNL gives us an underhanded dose of humor and reality:  

Like A CD Release...

He's young, attractive, and speaks in idealistic generalities. He is popular among the young and trendy who have a cut-throat judgment on what's new and cool versus what's old and stale. He is above the "old way" while offering a "new way". He speaks of hope and change echoing the great American leaders Martin Luther King, Jr, John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy. It feels good to support such a person. It gives a sense of purpose to be a part of a movement that appears bigger than one's self and pure of heart.  Such broad appeal has no risks, no positions to stake a political career on; no specifics that would be open to scrutiny.  Advocates may scream "but he does have specifics!  read his website!!".   Though after reading you'd find no maverick of progress or any brave new ideas, but similar if not the safer policies of any of the democrats running for the nomination.  Senator Obama is a talented politician garnering the enthusiasm of a whole new wave of voters with catchy one-liners and vague platitudes.  Critics of these platitudes are labeled as cynics, old-timers, jaded people who only want more of the same. Most of the media and blogs fail in their role of checks and balances because they haven't the courage to be "against hope".

This framing of the reality is a dangerous position at this moment in our history. It is reminiscent of the populist movements in old Europe and before. Barack Obama is a harmless politician, thankfully, making no bold sweeping changes in our way of life, and policy. He is in actuality a great speaker with a short resume. American citizens under an Obama administration could only guess to what his strengths and weaknesses would be. His greatest asset is the grass-roots and youth to which he would owe his nomination and eventual inauguration. But just like a new CD release by their favorite artist, he would fade into the past and eventually (and ironically) into the establishment. It is a fickle thing to rise so fast with so little done. And it would take his on-the-job training to prove this truth.

Hillary Clinton also inspires. She has inspired many to look into the future and know what the results of hard work and determination can be. She is a great change in direction, policy-wise, in our nation's long term future course. Imagine for a moment a new United States under a Hillary Clinton administration.  Imagine it with universal health care that covered everybody, imagine a renewed respect in the world, and imagine hope and change for the impoverished with foreseeable results. Hillary Clinton is the true tried and tested symbol for change in the legacy of America's great leaders. She has fought, worked, and succeeded in spite of great opposition. She, like all leaders who take strong positions, has earnest followers and loud but temporary vitriolic opponents. Her speeches are not designed to cast spells or be sermon-like in delivery but are more cerebral and down to earth. She doesn't need to feign change because what she offers is real change. Hillary does not have a new CD coming out, she is a presidential candidate with ideas and scars from previous political battles. This is the proof of her longevity. This is the hope of her presidency. Not a flash-in-the-pan but a stamp in our history.

Fight The Hype

Now is the moment for us to fight. We cannot buy into the narrative the networks, blogs, and pundits would have us believe: That Barack Obama is unstoppable. He is not.

Barack Obama does not have a monopoly on the word "hope" or "change". To claim he is the only one who can "save" America is similar to the unwarranted hubris we saw for the last 8 years. We do not need arrogance but humility. Above all we need solutions. He is not ready to be president.

Shout out to the Hillary 1000 for linking me ! http://hillary1000.wordpress.com/author/hillary1000/

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Messiah Syndrome

Its getting kinda scary...


Here is a quote from Mr. Obama :

"At some point in the evening, a light is going to shine down and you will have an epiphany and you'll say, 'I have to vote for Barack.'"

- Barack Obama

Here's a link to Direct Democracy's Jerome Armstrong's snarky post on how New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee just haven't seen the light! http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/9/0427/91507


I guess we can't all be believers.

The No-Shame Network

MSNBC's David Shuster described Sen. Hillary Clinton's daughter Chelsea Clinton of being "pimped out" to call celebrities and superdelegates for her mother's campaign.

This is not the first of the countless double standards that MSNBC allows for with Sen. Obama and Clinton. I think its time MSNBC comes clean and officially endorses Sen. Obama for the nomination. So we can at least know when their pundits are "analyzing" the campaigns, that they're rooting for one side.

Obama and Iraq

For all the rhetoric we hear on MSNBC, CNN, DailyKos, Talking Points Memo, etc about Obama getting it "right on Iraq" as opposed to Hillary, the real difference between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton on Iraq is one speech in 2002. He gave that speech when it wasn't a gamble for him- he was a State Senator at the time. In this interview Obama's position was virtually identical to Hillary's- have a look:

The Great Imbalance

A poster/commenter over at TalkLeft wrote this about the double standard to which Hillary Clinton is held and to which Obama is given a pass by the bloggers and media:

Another Antidote to the Hate (5.00 / 5) (#25)
by BDB on Mon Feb 04, 2008 at 05:06:26 PM EST
Vastleft on Corrente, who recently endorsed Clinton after Edwards dropped out, explains why he hates Hillary Clinton. Among the reasons:
Because she's so old, and the Baby Boomers ruined everything. Youth voting is inspiring. Older voters? Ho-hum.
Because she thinks the progressive fights of the 1960s and 1990s are still worth fighting

Because her campaign is focused on energizing Democrats instead of those all-important Independents and repentant Republicans (in case there are any)

Because her husband ran on that awful, triangulating "third way," unlike Obama's awesome triangulating post-partisanship

Because she's too much like a Republican, and not in some undefinable awesome way that appeals to Republicans but is really incredibly progressive

Because she supported the war since the beginning, while Obama was gracious enough to wait until he was in the Senate to support the war

We can only hope that reason prevails.