Letters to the Editor
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My God ...
I agree with you, on Hillary. I thought her Saturday speech was fine, though; her true character oozed out on the previous Tuesday. I don't think I hate her as you do, though. Strong distaste, and a fervent wish she and Bill would go away. And I defended them through the '90s against the scum GOP.
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What's on Camille's iPod?
"Low-budget 'alternative' musicians are just as programmatic, with their rote political bromides or their dated affectations of urban irony."
Does Camille know anything about "alternative" music? If she did, she'd know that you have to look under every rock between Portland and Austin to find anything remotely political. I'll bet she's thinking of U2 and Radiohead when she makes this gross generalization.
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Same Subject (Obama's VP), Same Post From a Few Days Ago
Biden's Got Foreign Policy/Iraq War Gravitas, Obama's Got Enough Charisma for Both of Them
One way to choose a running mate is the Electoral College calculation: What state or states, that could go either way, would the VP candidate add to the ticket? I'll leave that to the professional political consultants out there.
Another way to decide is based on issue-analysis.
Whether accurate or not, we have one candidate--McCain--who still seems to be perceived as a foreign policy/national security guru. (That perception's validity can be discussed at a later time and place.) The other candidate--Obama--has some holes in his resume in that policy sphere, holes that McCain may be able to exploit.
On the other hand, McCain is generally perceived to lack both knowledge and interest in domestic/economic affairs, and has not as yet done or said anything of substance to disabuse voters of that perception. Though not an economist or businessman, Obama's domestic policy credentials have not been questioned, though some of his specific policies have been challenged on their efficacity. But his interest in domestic affairs is beyond dispute.
For the Dems, who has been and currently is the undisputed, most knowledgeable and most articulate foregn policy/national security spokesperson the party has? It's good, ole, charisma-lacking, but gravitas-dripping Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.
Obama himself has enough charisma to fill Yankee Stadium many times over. McCain has as sort of pathetic charm that comes across occasionally, but is as charismatic as a tuna sandwich.
Biden's expertise in the Iraq adventure, his towering stature as an (almost) non-partisan expert on the issue--remember, even the Bush Adminstration privately sought his counsel--makes McCain's "shoot-from-the-hip" approach look dangerous, unthought-through, simplistic and confused, which it is.
Also, Biden has a long resume of speeches and talks that he has given on the Iraq subject. Never has he misspoke, and although Bush supporters may have disagreed with Biden's conclusions, he was never subjected to any type of dsicrediting based on lack of knowledge or partisanship. In other words, just the kind of teflon VP, Iraq expert running mate Barack needs.
McCain obviously needs a running mate with domestic policy credentials. Observing today's US economy, no one in the Rep Party jumps out as a likely choice.
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"Talk radio will lose its broad audience if it continues on this nakedly partisan path."
Said Alice, drowsily, with an absent-minded sort of air. She was just drifting off to a cozy nap, when she spied a white rabbit with pink nose, running through the underbrush.
"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!", said the rabbit, as it pulled out a pocket watch from its vest pocket.
Even though this wasn't so unusual, Alice realized with a start that the rabbit might be some sort of enormous and sanguine metaphor acting upon her own life. What if it were true, she thought, solidly and squarely, although a bit emptily. "And what on earth am I going to write about when Dear Little Hillary moves away?", she cried to her cat.
(With apologies to the divine LC).
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Obama -- more flawed, Hillary -- more grace . . .
. . . than you are willing to credit. I grant that Obama appears to have the kind of gifts long absent from the public arena -- mental processes that measure, evaluate, and express succinctly. But I have seen two troubling character traits -- a tendency to appear rattled, or, at least, ill at ease, when on the receiving end of stinging criticism, or a strong challenge to his positions. Secondly, that "you are nice enough," or whatever the exact quote was, showed an inability, perhaps temporary and perhaps somewhat excusable in the debate forum, to either forebear or be kind (enough) when a helpless jugular is exposed. I never saw this in Robert, or Jack, or Martin -- those now slightly tarnished idols of my youth. But then I may be blinded by nostalgia for my, and our, youth.
On Hilary, you are reluctant to credit grace where a more generous nature might, albeit grudingly. I was moved by parts of her speech. She was sincere, I truly believe, in exhorting her most rabit followers to accept Obama as the standard bearer of our common zeitgeist. She never alluded to her pre-speech motif of being the best prepared, or of having received the greater number of votes (although the 18 million votes received were mentioned more than once).
I must add that nothing became her candidacy as much as her leaving it. I wish only that I had seen more evidence of this stateswoman-like quality earlier, and more often before that night. If we had all seen such qualities in her, she may have become the candidate of the Democratic Party, and not Mr. Obama.
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The paragraph on Hillary's appearance made no sense
It's an "advantage" that a sixty year old woman with wrinkles is derided for her appearance and everyone focuses on how she looks/what she is wearing?
Men take care with their suits and ties and their appearance. I can understand anyone who is on the national stage wanting to look their best. It seems a given--not worth mentioning. That paragraph was distracting from whatever the point of this column was supposed to be (Camille hates Hillary?).
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Almost the piece
I had to read all the way to the last page, but there it is. Madonna. Jeez Camille, what is it about her? Are you getting paid by her publicist? She can dance OK, sorta carry a tune and definitely can't act. Just another pop culture hack forced down our collective throats for far too long. And this relates to Obama's choice of running mate how?
BTW my governor, Janet Napalitano, should be appointed to the Supreme Court or maybe Attorney General. We will miss her as the progressive voice of reason here in AZ, but it's time she takes her place on the national level.