RNC Convention Comment Thread.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-09-05 04:49pm

Oops, brief update. Who watches the West Wing? For various reasons I was watching quite a bit earlier today. When the character Santos makes his announcement of becoming a candidate, guess which building is used?

Eframepilot · Post by **Eframepilot** » 2008-09-05 07:26pm

SirNitram wrote: Dems will apparently have some kind of statement on this madness.

Like what? A GIF of Ronald McDonald saying "lol Republicans" in a speech balloon?

If the Republicans manage to win despite their utter incompetence in this campaign, every horrible thing you guys have said about intelligence of the American people will be proven true.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2008-09-05 09:13pm

SirNitram wrote:Oops, brief update. Who watches the West Wing? For various reasons I was watching quite a bit earlier today. When the character Santos makes his announcement of becoming a candidate, guess which building is used?

Coincidentally enough, RedImperator and I were watching old West Wing DVDs today too, but from the fourth season. We actually watched the reelection part of the show, and the parallels to today were pretty fun.

I would love to see Obama pull something like Bartlet did in the debate: after calling Ritchie out on criticizing government but accepting $12.6 billion for his state in federal money, he said, "I'm supposed to use this time to ask you a question, so here it is: can we have it back, please?"

Terralthra · Post by **Terralthra** » 2008-09-05 09:34pm

Metatwaddle wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Oops, brief update. Who watches the West Wing? For various reasons I was watching quite a bit earlier today. When the character Santos makes his announcement of becoming a candidate, guess which building is used?
Coincidentally enough, RedImperator and I were watching old West Wing DVDs today too, but from the fourth season. We actually watched the reelection part of the show, and the parallels to today were pretty fun. I would love to see Obama pull something like Bartlet did in the debate: after calling Ritchie out on criticizing government but accepting $12.6 billion for his state in federal money, he said, "I'm supposed to use this time to ask you a question, so here it is: can we have it back, please?"

The parallels between Santos and Obama are not all-encompassing, but they are definitely there. Both are the first major candidate of their race, and fought hard contested primaries to get the nomination. Both have a strong religion, but do not allow it to drive their policy initiatives, and a lot of those policy initiatives are very similar.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-09-05 11:14pm

Terralthra wrote:
Metatwaddle wrote:
SirNitram wrote:Oops, brief update. Who watches the West Wing? For various reasons I was watching quite a bit earlier today. When the character Santos makes his announcement of becoming a candidate, guess which building is used?
Coincidentally enough, RedImperator and I were watching old West Wing DVDs today too, but from the fourth season. We actually watched the reelection part of the show, and the parallels to today were pretty fun. I would love to see Obama pull something like Bartlet did in the debate: after calling Ritchie out on criticizing government but accepting $12.6 billion for his state in federal money, he said, "I'm supposed to use this time to ask you a question, so here it is: can we have it back, please?"
The parallels between Santos and Obama are not all-encompassing, but they are definitely there. Both are the first major candidate of their race, and fought hard contested primaries to get the nomination. Both have a strong religion, but do not allow it to drive their policy initiatives, and a lot of those policy initiatives are very similar.

Whereas, by contrast, McCain could only wish he had the credibility of Arnold Vinnick.

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-09-06 02:58am

Well, I just finished watching McCain's speech on YouTube.

That has to be about the third worst political speech I've heard in my life. The snatches of it I'd caught Thursday night were bad enough. But to hear it in its entirety...

Even as old as he is, even as much of a tool as he's made himself into just to hang on to that fleeting hope of gaining the presidency, knowing that the man is not a grand orator, I thought he'd at least deliver something that was better than that utterly content-devoid hybrid of an Amway pep-rally and one of those assembly inspirational talks they used to make you attend in high school. And I don't know what was sadder —that tired old man's ramblings or the spectacle of the crowd in the Xcel Centre eating that shit up so enthusiastically instead of saying "what the fuck?" Half the time when he wasn't outright lying about Barack Obama's policy positions or spewing empty promises, he sounded like a moron.

It was, in fact, a worse speech than Sarah Palin's, and that one was pretty awful in its own right.

McCain is a loser. A burned-out, tired old husk of a man who's spent too much time as a willing tool of others and who is going to have to be propped-up simply to look like he's still alive and nominally cogent, nevermind his belonging anywhere on a presidential stage. The only way the Gimp wins this election is if Obama throws the race or the GOP blatantly steals the vote, because he sure as hell cannot win this in anything approaching an even contest. He looked like he had less on the ball than Vice Admiral James Stockdale —Ross Perot's running mate back in 1992 who had the self-awareness at one point in a VP debate to ask "Why am I here?", knowing he was in waaaaaaaay over his head.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2008-09-06 02:39pm

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before (probably has, but I dont feel like digging through pages to find it, so if someone else mentioned it sorry) but it seems like since being picked Palin is doing more and more of the speeches with McCain standing behind her like some faithful butler/servant/advisor/old guy. I wonder if that had any reason for her being picked.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2008-09-06 02:54pm

Remember this from McCain's speech:

I fight for Bill and Sue Nebe from Farmington Hills, Michigan, who lost their real estate investments in the bad housing market.

It struck some people as odd he'd phrase it that way ('investments' plural instead of 'home' singular), so a diarist over at dKos did a little googling and this is what turned up.

It turns out that Bill and Sue Nebe are Team Nebe Realtors.

So Straight Talk McCain wants to bail out speculators.
Nice.

Gerald Tarrant · Post by **Gerald Tarrant** » 2008-09-06 03:03pm

The base is apparently very excited about Palin. I've seen semi-serious campaign posters advocating "Palin-McCain, can we get a swap". I think the latest from RealClearPolitics sort of reveals the upped interest in the party.

I don't really see what it can be attributed to except Palin. McCain hasn't changed anything fundamental, he's still a marginal and unexciting speaker. I think the RCP graphic demonstrates the "Palin bounce".

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2008-09-06 04:38pm

Connor MacLeod wrote:I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before (probably has, but I dont feel like digging through pages to find it, so if someone else mentioned it sorry) but it seems like since being picked Palin is doing more and more of the speeches with McCain standing behind her like some faithful butler/servant/advisor/old guy. I wonder if that had any reason for her being picked.

Well, in what has emerged as the current GOP scheme of unitary executive governance, the president is a figurehead while the real levers of power are worked by the vice president, the new "fourth branch" of government. But then, in a Gimp/Barbie administration, Barbie would be in way over her head and I would expect real power devolving upon the people picked to run the NSC. Either alternative is scary enough for differing reasons.

Gil Hamilton · Post by **Gil Hamilton** » 2008-09-06 05:47pm

SirNitram wrote:This is on top of the artists who recorded Barracuda objecting to the use of their tune, because just like the other four times with music, McCain isn't even bothering to ask the people.

Well... I suppose using Heart is somewhat of a step up over when Reagan tried to use Springstein's "Born in the USA" because the organizers liked the title and it was on the charts then, but without actually knowing what it was about.

Darksider · Post by **Darksider** » 2008-09-06 05:57pm

Glocksman wrote:
So Straight Talk McCain wants to bail out speculators.
Nice.

Hey now glocksman, we can't be prejudiced against those poor upper-class whites. Don't you know they have so little going for them?