The Underground Imagination

Something that confuses me

2008-10-29T11:26:00.003-05:00

In a very prominent position on the McCain/Palin website is a button that takes you to a petition to tell Barack that "it's not 2004."

Why, if you were concerned about the country and trying to be elected president, would you waste valuable time and space on your homepage for people to sign this petition? This is just one reason why McCain is a fucking idiot.

Scary

2008-10-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

This and this are terrifying.

Since when do robbers carve presidential picks on their victim's faces?

2008-10-24T15:19:00.003-05:00

Apparently, they don't.

From CNN:

"A woman who told police she was assaulted by a man angered about a John McCain bumper sticker on her car admitted she made up the report, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, assistant police chief said Friday."

Nov. 4 event in Grant Park

2008-10-22T12:04:00.001-05:00

The Obama campaign is hosting what will hopefully be a victory celebration in Grant Park.

Yes We Carve

2008-10-21T17:09:00.000-05:00

Wicked cool Obama jack-o-lanterns.

McCain defends robocalls

2008-10-21T10:40:00.002-05:00

McCain continues to talk about Bill Ayers, although the American people are obviously sick of it. In an interview with the CBS Early Show, he defended the robocalls that link Obama with Ayers.

From the New York Times Caucus blog:

“That robocall is absolutely accurate,” Mr. McCain told CBS’s Harry Smith. “And, by the way, Senator Obama is running robocalls as we speak. He’s running an ad that’s untrue about my immigration position, about stem cell research and about several other issues.”

Mr. McCain added: “He was friends with a terrorist and his wife and we need to know the full relationship.”

When Mr. Smith asked Senator McCain about comments his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin made that were critical of the robocalls, Mr. McCain replied: “Sarah is a maverick.”

David Sedaris and the Election

2008-10-20T17:40:00.005-05:00

I was lucky enough to go see David Sedaris last week. He read this column from the New Yorker about undecided voters, which I believe just went live today. He offers an interesting perspective on being undecided in 2008:

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?

......

And a little bit on being a maverick, in 1976:

The choice that year was between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. Most of my friends were going for Carter, but, as an art major, I identified myself as a maverick. “That means an original,” I told my roommate. “Someone who lets the chips fall where they may.” Because I made my own rules and didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought of them, I decided to write in the name of Jerry Brown, who, it was rumored, liked to smoke pot. This was an issue very close to my heart—too close, obviously, as it amounted to a complete waste. Still, though, it taught me a valuable lesson: calling yourself a maverick is a sure sign that you’re not one.

Palin as President

2008-10-20T13:15:00.001-05:00

If this is already up here, I apologize, but it is too funny:

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

Paul Krugman on the GOP and Ohio's plumbers

2008-10-20T10:25:00.003-05:00

I heart Paul Krugman. I'm so glad a high-profile economist is pointing out the specious claims from McCain and the Republican party. For years I've been telling my extended family members from my home state of Ohio, and who are Republicans, that the Republican party is not the party for middle-income working Americans. Read Krugman's op-ed today in the New York Times.

Tribune Endorsement

2008-10-20T09:52:00.002-05:00

This is a few days old, but it's still pretty cool. The Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama, which is the first time in the paper's history that it's endorsed a Democrat. Here's a snippet about the paper's decision to break with history:

McCain failed in his most important executive decision. Give him credit for choosing a female running mate--but he passed up any number of supremely qualified Republican women who could have served. Having called Obama not ready to lead, McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. His campaign has tried to stage-manage Palin's exposure to the public. But it's clear she is not prepared to step in at a moment's notice and serve as president. McCain put his campaign before his country.

Read the rest of the endorsement here.

Obama's Moment

2008-10-19T19:33:00.001-05:00

Obama talks with Rolling Stone about how George W. Bush screwed up, why John McCain turned ugly and what he's learned from Bill Clinton.

Joe the plumber's house

2008-10-17T17:54:00.005-05:00

I know we're all tired of hearing about Joe the plumber, but the Daily Show aptly satirized the media frenzy surrounding the whole thing. Very funny.

Lunchtime Reading: Biden's Brief

2008-10-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

Ryan Lizza profiles Joe Biden in this week's New Yorker.

To Atlantic Monthly readers/public radio supporters

2008-10-17T10:16:00.002-05:00

Chicago Public Radio, as part of its Fall pledge drive (which has been shortened because of their Buy Back the Drive effort), is offering free subscriptions to the Atlantic Monthly if you make a pledge of any amount today.

Plus, at a $150 One-time pledge amount, you can get an iGo Car Share Membership for one year.

Rape Victim Speaks Out

2008-10-17T09:30:00.000-05:00

Wow.

From my friend Tin, in Belgium:

Five Minutes With Tom Brokaw

2008-10-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

Including the following exchange:

From M L Staats: Are there times when a new development emerges that you feel a need to want to call Mr. Russert and get his opinion?

Tom Brokaw: Several times every day I say aloud, "Timmy, where are you? We need to talk."

Read the rest, here.

One more for Joe

2008-10-17T09:10:00.005-05:00

I'm sure everyone's tired of reading about Joe the Plumber, but I couldn't help drawing some attention to this article from Politico.com:

NEW YORK — John McCain hung his final presidential debate performance on an Ohio plumber who campaign aides never vetted.

A day after making Joseph Wurzelbacher famous, referencing him in the debate almost two dozen times as someone who would pay higher taxes under Barack Obama, McCain learned the fine print Thursday on the plumber’s not-so-tidy personal story: He owes back taxes. He is not a licensed plumber. And it turns out that Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000 a year, which means he would receive a tax cut if Obama were elected president.

Read the rest of the story here.

Shoot. Me. Now.

2008-10-17T09:10:00.000-05:00

Personally, I think maybe Obama was talking about Condi becoming Secretary of State, but in an effort to be bipartisan....

Show Dick Some Love

2008-10-17T09:08:00.000-05:00

During the past two debates, McCain has started his address with a "someone is in the hospital" moment.

Debate # 2: Ted Kennedy.
Debate # 3: Nancy Regan.

But ironically, Dick Cheney was hospitalized before the 2nd debate, too, but he didn't get a bit of love from the Mav.

Check it out.

Wag the Dog?

2008-10-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

Yikes. McCain goes nuts after the third debate:

The Evil Eey

2008-10-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

From my emerging journalistic crush, Andrew Romano, at The Stumper:

McCain Ad Showcases Joe the Plumber

2008-10-17T08:45:00.002-05:00

Liddy On Hitler

2008-10-16T23:32:00.001-05:00

When he [Liddy] listened to Hitler on the radio, it "made me feel a strength inside I had never known before," he explains. "Hitler's sheer animal confidence and power of will [entranced me]. He sent an electric current through my body." He describes seeing the Nazis' doomed technological marvel the Hindenberg flying over New Jersey as an almost religious experience. "Ecstatic, I drank in its colossal power and felt myself grow. Fear evaporated and in its place came a sense of personal might and power."

Read the rest here, courtesy of mediamatters.org.

G. Gordon Liddy

2008-10-16T23:28:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Letterman for pointing out something we've all forgotten about: John McCain's relationship with G. Gordon Liddy.

From the Chicago Tribune:

What McCain didn't mention is that he has his own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy. Now a conservative radio talk-show host, Liddy spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary. That was just one element of what Liddy did, and proposed to do, in a secret White House effort to subvert the Constitution. Far from repudiating him, McCain has embraced him.

How close are McCain and Liddy? At least as close as Obama and Ayers appear to be. In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns -- including $1,000 this year.

Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great."

Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn't disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist?

Liddy was in the thick of the biggest political scandal in American history -- and one of the greatest threats to the rule of law. He has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as "a prisoner of war."

All this may sound like ancient history. But it's from the same era as the bombings Ayers helped carry out as a member of the Weather Underground. And Liddy's penchant for extreme solutions has not abated.

In 1994, after the disastrous federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, he gave some advice to his listeners: "Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests. ... Kill the sons of bitches."

He later backed off, saying he meant merely that people should defend themselves if federal agents came with guns blazing. But his amended guidance was not exactly conciliatory: Liddy also said he should have recommended shots to the groin instead of the head. If that wasn't enough to inflame any nut cases, he mentioned labeling targets "Bill" and "Hillary" when he practiced shooting.

Given Liddy's record, it's hard to see why McCain would touch him with a 10-foot pole. On the contrary, he should be returning his donations and shunning his show. Yet the senator shows no qualms about associating with Liddy -- or celebrating his service to their common cause.

Hire Those Writers!

2008-10-16T21:12:00.000-05:00

Obama gets off a number of funny lines at the Alfred E. Smith dinner. This list compiled by Marc Ambinder:

"People tell me I share the politics of Alfred E. Smith and the earns of Alfred E. Neumann"

"I was originally told that we would able to move this outdoors to Yankee Stadium. Can someone tell me what happened to the Greek columns I requested."

"On the Waldorf Astoria: They tell me, from the doorstep, you can see all the way to the Russian Tea Room."

To Al Smith IV: "I obviously never knew your grandfather, but from everything Sen. McCain has told me..."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's term limits maneuverings caused Bill Clinton to say: "You can do that?"

The housing crisis "has been eight times harder on John McCain."

"The last few weeks, John's been out on the campaign trail asking the question Who Is Barack Obama. I've got to admit, I was surprised by the question: the answer is right there on my Facebook page."

"I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on krypton...."

"I got my name Barack from my father.... it's actually Swahali for "That one."

My middle name, it's not what you think. It's actually "Steve."

"There was a point in my life when I started palling around with a pretty ugly crowd.... that's right... I've been a member of the United States Senate."

"Fox News accused me of fathering two African-American children in wedlock."

ACORN

2008-10-16T19:02:00.000-05:00

Hertzburg breaks it down:

During this election cycle, the Times reported today, ACORN has deployed thirteen thousand mostly paid workers, who have registered 1.3 million new voters. One or two per cent of these workers turned in sheaves of forms that they filled out themselves with fake names and bogus addresses, and, even though at least a hundred of these workers have already been fired, the forged forms have been submitted to election boards.

Sounds suspicious—unless you know that groups like ACORN are required by law to submit them, even if they’re obvious fakes. This is to prevent funny business, such as trashing forms that look like they might be Republican (or Democratic, as the case may be).

Sounds suspicious—unless you know that ACORN normally sorts through forms, flags those that look fishy, and submits the fishy ones in a separate pile for the convenience of election officials.

Sounds suspicious—until you reflect that the motivation of the misbehaving registration workers is almost always to look like they’ve been doing more work than they really have, and that the victim of the “fraud” is actually the organization they’re working for.

Sounds suspicious—unless you know that even if one of these fake forms results in a nonexistent person actually being registered, now under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, “any voter who has not previously voted in a federal election” must provide identification in order to actually cast a ballot. This will make it tough for Mickey Mouse, even if registered, to vote, no matter how big, round, or black his ears. Likewise, members of the Duck family (Donald, Daisy, Huey, Dewey, and Louie) who turn up at the polling place will have a hard time getting into the voting booth. (Uncle Scrooge might be able to bribe his way in, but he’s voting Republican anyway.)

Sounds suspicious—unless you know that despite all the hysteria, from 2002 to 2005, only twenty people in the entire United States of America were found guilty of voting while ineligible and only five of voting more than once. By contrast, consider the lede on this story, published a week ago today:

Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.
And take it from Sarah Palin: the Times is “hardly ever wrong.”

Scary Ass Footage from a Palin Rally in Ohio

2008-10-16T15:33:00.001-05:00

Don't expect any major American networks to pick this up; this was reported by Al Jazeera.

Sad realization

2008-10-16T15:08:00.002-05:00

Recently, I was thinking about how much I can't wait for Obama to win this election, just so I don't have to hear about Sarah Palin anymore.

Then it hit me: This is probably just the beginning of her political career.

Or at the very least, the beginning of a career that will keep her in the public eye. The rumor mill is already swirling about her very own post-election talk show. Scary thought? You betcha.

Why College Rankings Are A Joke

2008-10-16T12:00:00.031-05:00

Baylor is paying admitted students to retake the SAT. Students get $300 if they retake the test, $1000 if they beat their previous score by at least 50 points.

Joe Not Registered?

2008-10-16T12:00:00.030-05:00

Joe the plumber might not be registered to vote. The lunacy of the McCain campaign continues...

But What About Strippers?

2008-10-16T12:00:00.028-05:00

Turns out the economy is hurting them too.

Chavez Chides Bush

2008-10-16T12:00:00.027-05:00

When a socialist dictator calls you comrade...

Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mocked George W. Bush as a "comrade" on Wednesday, saying the U.S. president was a hard-line leftist for his government's intervention of major private banks in the U.S. financial crisis.
Chavez, who calls capitalism an evil and ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, ridiculed Bush for his plan for the federal government to take equity in American banks despite the U.S. right-wing's criticism of Venezuelan nationalizations.

"Bush is to the left of me now," Chavez told an audience of international intellectuals debating the benefits of socialism. "Comrade Bush announced he will buy shares in private

banks."

How They Talked About Abortion

2008-10-16T12:00:00.026-05:00

William Saletan on how the candidates talked about abortion during the debate:

McCain has been trying to make the election a referendum on character: Country first, Obama pals around with terrorists, yada yada yada. How does abortion fit that mold? By exposing Obama as an extremist. Here's McCain's key passage tonight:

"Sen. Obama, as a member of the Illinois State Senate, voted in the judiciary committee against a law that would provide immediate medical attention to a child born of a failed abortion. He voted against that. … Then there was another bill before the Senate judiciary committee in the state of Illinois not that long ago, where he voted against a ban on partial-birth abortion, one of the late-term abortion, a really—one of the bad procedures, a terrible. … I don't know how you align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro-abortion movement in America. … It was clear-cut votes that Sen. Obama voted, I think, in direct contradiction to the feelings and views of mainstream America."

Bad. Terrible. Extreme. Clear-cut. Feelings. Mainstream America. This is the way McCain, Sarah Palin, and George W. Bush talk: There's honor and evil, good guys and bad guys. We fight for the good side. Our opponents don't. They're extreme.

Obama argued that "women, in consultation with their families, their doctors, their religious advisers, are in the best position to make this decision." But his key passage was very different from McCain's:

"This is an issue that—look, it divides us. And in some ways, it may be difficult to—to reconcile the two views. But there surely is some common ground when both those who believe in choice and those who are opposed to abortion can come together and say, "We should try to prevent unintended pregnancies by providing appropriate education to our youth, communicating that sexuality is sacred and that they should not be engaged in cavalier activity, and providing options for adoption, and helping single mothers if they want to choose to keep the baby." Those are all things that we put in the Democratic platform for the first time this year, and I think that's where we can find some common ground, because nobody's pro-abortion. I think it's always a tragic situation. We should try to reduce these circumstances."

Common ground. Prevent. Options. Help. Reduce. These are defusing and calming words. They fit Obama's personality. But more than that, they're pragmatic. They convey action, progress, solution. Obama has been talking about abortion this way all along, when the subject comes up. He doesn't like us-and-them language. He doesn't like fights. Even on this issue—one of the nastiest, angriest, most polarizing topics in modern politics—he looks for a course most of us can agree on.

The Playmate Indicator

2008-10-16T12:00:00.025-05:00

From Marginal Revolution:

The Environmental Security Hypothesis says that in tough times men will prefer women who are good at production, generally older, taller, heavier, less curvaceous women with less body fat. In good times, they will prefer women who are good at reproduction, generally younger, shorter, lighter, more curvaceous women. Pettijohn and and Jungeberg look at the characteristics of playboy playmates from 1960 to 2000 and find:

Consistent with Environmental Security Hypothesis predictions, when social and economic conditions were difficult, older, heavier, taller Playboy Playmates of the Year with larger waists, smaller eyes, larger waist-to-hip ratios, smaller bust-to-waist ratios, and smaller body mass index values were selected. These results suggest that environmental security may influence perceptions and preferences for women with certain body and facial features.

Econometricians who wish to investigate further may download the data here (yes really).

CNN's New Electoral Map

2008-10-16T12:00:00.024-05:00

Obama: Winner. McCain: Loser.

More here.

Obama Debate Spin

2008-10-16T12:00:00.023-05:00

David Plouffe:

We came into the debate with two thirds of the American people thinking that John McCain is running a negative campaign, and Senator McCain spent 90 minutes trying to convince the other third.

Why You Can No Longer Support Palin

2008-10-16T12:00:00.022-05:00

She is a sports-team panderer:

Ms. Palin visited Salem, N.H. Wednesday night and said she looked forward to watching Senator John McCain debate Senator Barack Obama “right here, in the heart of Red Sox Nation.” Ms. Palin said that “Red Sox fans know how to turn an underdog into a victor,” a timely applause line given that the Sox trail the Tampa Bay Rays three-games-to-one in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.
It seems, however, that Ms. Palin voiced a similar sentiment – actually, identical sentiment – last week at a rally in Florida.

“How about those Tampa Bay Rays?” Ms. Palin said after the Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox.
“You know what that tells me? It tells me that the people in this area know a little something about turning an underdog into a victor.”

Lunchtime Reading: The Final Frontier

2008-10-16T12:00:00.020-05:00

Stephen Hawking on the importance of exploring space.

Silent Debate

2008-10-16T12:00:00.019-05:00

Watching the debate with the sound off.

The images and body language of Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain spoke volumes tonight, even with the television muted. I watched a good portion of the debate with the sound off because I was writing on deadline.

C-Span showed the entire debate in split screen and whenever I looked up I saw Mr. McCain looking across at Mr. Obama with a strained look of incredulity, or the pained smile of an indulgent teacher listening to a recitation from a particularly dim-witted student.

There were obvious flashes of anger and aggression, when it looked as if Mr. McCain might actually cross the vertical split-screen line separating the combatants and wring Mr. Obama’s neck. (I may have been watching too much “Saturday Night Live.”)

Toward the end of the debate, I saw Mr. McCain use the universal “air quotes” gesture, a clear sign he was mocking something Mr. Obama had said. It almost didn’t matter what.

Mr. Obama, for his part, either listened stolidly, scribbled notes or smiled at his opponent with that Ronald Reagan “There you go again” smile.
For much of the time Mr. McCain was on the attack, Mr. Obama just sat there absorbing the blows as if wearing body armor. Which, in a sense, he was, in the form of a double-digit lead in national polls.

Plumbers Endorse Obama

2008-10-16T12:00:00.017-05:00

The United Plumbers Association endorsed Obama.

(Don't tell Joe!)

Someone Thinks McCain Won Debate

2008-10-16T12:00:00.016-05:00

An Associated Press writer!

The feisty Republican tried hard to find a lifeline Wednesday night, challenging his Democratic rival at every turn over his truthfulness, associations and record.

By that measure, McCain won the last debate of the 2008 campaign.

Anyone Think McCain Won?

2008-10-16T12:00:00.014-05:00

Any evidence out there that McCain won the debate?

Rear Their Head Watch

2008-10-16T12:00:00.013-05:00

Palin, asleep on the job:

The campaign of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said the Alaska governor was unaware of a visit by Russian oil officials to Anchorage on Monday.

Eight high-level officials from Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled oil conglomerate, traveled to Anchorage earlier this week to meet with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the chief executive of ConocoPhillips to discuss energy projects and the possibility of expanding into new markets.

Pro-Abortion Movement And Women's Health

2008-10-16T12:00:00.012-05:00

McCain mentions the pro-abortion movement and dismisses women's health as a subterfuge for more abortions.

President Obama

2008-10-16T12:00:00.011-05:00

There. I said it. We all better get used to it.

MediaCurves: Obama Wins

2008-10-16T12:00:00.010-05:00

Obama wins independents 60%-30%.

McCain And The Middle Class

2008-10-16T12:00:00.009-05:00

Number of times McCain mentioned Ayers: 6

Number of times McCain mentioned ACORN: 3

Number of times McCain mentioned the middle class: 0

Number of times McCain mentioned Joe the plumber: 1,279,042

NYT Editorial: McCain Is Nasty

2008-10-16T12:00:00.008-05:00

The New York Times did not approve of McCain's (non)message:

When John McCain embarrassed himself last month by declaring that the “fundamentals of our economy are strong,” he quickly claimed that he was talking about his belief in the American worker — and darkly implied that anyone who disagreed was less than patriotic.
For all of that concern, it’s a shame that Mr. McCain hasn’t come up with policies that would actually help America’s workers. Instead, he’s served up the same-old trickle-down theories and a government-is-wrong, markets-are-right fervor that helped create this economic disaster.
Wednesday night’s debate was another chance for Mr. McCain to prove that he is ready to lead this country out of its deep economic crisis.
But Mr. McCain stuck to his script, and the nasty tone of his campaign, including a rather bizarre claim that Barack Obama had told a plumber in Ohio that Mr. Obama wanted to take away his wealth.
In one astonishing exchange, Mr. McCain acted as though he was the truly aggrieved party. And he insisted that he had repudiated all of the attacks on Mr. Obama by surrogates and misguided supporters. Mr. McCain didn’t mention that his vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, is one the loudest attackers — and he certainly didn’t repudiate her absurd, repeated charge that Mr. Obama has been “palling around with terrorists.”

Intrade Update

2008-10-16T12:00:00.006-05:00

Barack Obama's stock is soaring on Intrade. McCain's, not so much.

McXplosion

2008-10-16T12:00:00.004-05:00

Ambinder on the debate:

Debates aren't usually won on points.

They're won on valence and visuals.

Emotions and body language.

And tonight, we saw a McXplosion. Every single attack that Sen. McCain has ever wanted to make, he took the opportunity tonight to make. Around 30 minutes in, McCain seemed to surrender the debate to his frustrations, making it seem as if he just wanted the free television.

Only in a state that supports McCain

2008-10-16T10:56:00.002-05:00

I won't even comment.
click me

Noon

2008-10-16T09:01:00.000-05:00

We'll be back at noon/1pm EST with another batch of posts.

Temper Much?

2008-10-16T09:00:00.020-05:00

McCain is one angry dude.

McCain Rolls Eyes At Assasination

2008-10-16T09:00:00.019-05:00

McCain rolls his eyes during last night's debate when Barack Obama mentioned Columbian union leaders being killed.

Obama Wins Debate

2008-10-16T09:00:00.018-05:00

From CNN's instant poll:

Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said Democrat Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best.

The poll also suggested that debate watchers' favorable opinion of Obama rose during the debate, from 63 percent at the start of the debate to 66 percent at the end of the debate. The poll indicates that McCain's favorables dropped, from 51 percent to 49 percent.

Obama Blows Out McCain

2008-10-16T09:00:00.017-05:00

According to CBS's instant poll, Obama won the debate 53%-22%. More findings:

More uncommitted voters trusted Obama than McCain to make the right decisions about health care. Before the debate, sixty-one percent of uncommitted voters said that they trust Obama on the issue; after, sixty-eight percent said so.

Before the debate, fifty-four percent thought Obama shared their values. That percentage rose to sixty-four percent after the debate.

Before the debate, fifty percent said they trusted Obama to handle a crisis; that rose to sixty-three percent afterwards.

[M]ore trusted Obama than McCain to make the right decisions about the economy. Before the debate, fifty-four percent of uncommitted voters said that they trust Obama to make the right decisions about the economy; after, sixty-five percent said that.

Before the debate, sixty-six percent thought Obama understands voters’ needs and problems; that rose to seventy-six percent after the debate.

The Critical Anchor

2008-10-16T09:00:00.016-05:00

Jon Stewart puts the other nightly news anchors to shame on occasion. This is one such occasion.

Pro-Abortion Movement

2008-10-16T09:00:00.015-05:00

During last night's debate John McCain spoke of the "pro-abortion movement". He did so on multiple occasions. He clearly is under the impression that there is a group of people in this country sizable enough to be called a movement that is interested in going around and aborting babies.

On the right you have the champions of life. On the left you have the champions of choice. And then somewhere else -- probably between McCain's ears -- you have the champions of abortion. Huh?

On weekends do they get together, impregnate the female members, wait eight weeks, and then have group abortions? Do they have a Meetup.com group?

Internet: Good For Your Brain

2008-10-16T09:00:00.014-05:00

It's true! Especially if you're old.

Take My Word For It

2008-10-16T09:00:00.013-05:00

Until (unless?) I find a screen grab you'll have to trust me when I tell you that during the debate women didn't take kindly to McCain saying Palin was a role model for women. At least not those undecided female voters in Ohio turning the nobs for CNN.

Who Won The Debate?

2008-10-16T09:00:00.012-05:00

Joe the plumber. No contest.

Who plays him on SNL this week?

Passports And Experience

2008-10-16T09:00:00.010-05:00

Sullivan makes a good point during his live blog of the debate:

"Maybe you ought to travel down there." C'mon, McCain, this is weeeaaak. And petty. And incoherent. McCain's veep only got a passport last year and McCain is attacking Obama for not visiting Colombia. He needs to look like a big man to become an independent president. Instead this campaign has made him look very, very small. Even against a freshman senator.

Obama Cracks 95%

2008-10-16T09:00:00.009-05:00

Nate gives Obama a 95.1% chance of winning the election. Interesting finding:

[O]ur model is starting to make some decisions about just where it thinks Obama's momentum is manifesting itself. Specifically, it thinks that he's gained the most in states with lots of white, working class Clinton voters -- a result which might be intuited by the huge numbers that he's posting in Pennsylvania, or the fact that there's now another West Virginia poll out that shows the race nearly tied.

As a result, we're now coloring West Virginia white (toss-up) rather than pink (lean McCain). The model also thinks that Arkansas could be quite interesting the next time that it gets polled. The flip side is that Obama doesn't seem to have quite as much momentum in the Western half of the country, where Clinton generally performed poorly during the primaries.

If Obama wins West Virginia and Arkansas he's cracking 360 electoral votes. It'll be a massacre.

RNC Not Spending In Wisc, Maine

2008-10-16T09:00:00.007-05:00

The Republican National Committee is pulling its money out of Wisconsin and Maine to focus on the red states Bush won in 2004. You don't need to be a weatherman to tell which way the wind is blowing.

[Am I a) an elitist hippie snob for quoting Bob Dylan or b) a terrorist for quoting the line that inspired the name of the Weatherman or c) both?]

Debate Thought

2008-10-16T09:00:00.006-05:00

McCain was having his strongest debate performance right up until the moment when he claimed to be the victim of negative advertising. From that odd moment he went on to say that he's proud of the people that come to his rallies, which includes people calling Barack Obama a terrorist. Then McCain hit on ACORN committing the greatest voter fraud in history, which is both outlandish and technically not true. (If ACORN is committing any fraud it's registration fraud.) He said that ACORN was threatening the fabric of democracy.

The story of the night thus far is that McCain seems like the reflective candidate who's looking back on the campaign and trying to piece together how things went wrong. Obama keeps steering the conversation back to the issues.

(Would be nice if he'd raise his voice at McCain when McCain keeps repeating lies, but then we'd have an angry black man moment. It wouldn't be worth it.)

McCain Lies About Negative Ads

2008-10-16T09:00:00.005-05:00

And MSNBC fact checks him immediately:

McCain was wrong... when he said that 100% of his ads weren't negative. According to a recent study by the University of Wisconsin Advertising Project, 100% of McCain's ads have been negative.

US To Surrender In Iraq In 2011

2008-10-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

Wonder what John McCain and Sarah Palin have to say this:

Washington and Baghdad have reached a final agreement after months of talks on a pact that would require U.S. forces to withdraw from Iraq by 2011, U.S. and Iraqi officials said on Wednesday.
The bilateral pact replaces a U.N. Security Council resolution enacted after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and will give Iraq's elected government authority over the U.S. troop presence for the first time.

Iraq said it had secured the right to prosecute U.S. soldiers for serious crimes under certain circumstances, an issue both sides had long said was holding up the pact.

Read that last sentence again. Not only are we surrendering but we're allowing them to arrest us on the way out. Right, John?

Bad Cell Phone Reception?

2008-10-16T09:00:00.002-05:00

Too bad your name is not Cindy McCain. Because if it were you could request your own cell phone tower and then let your husband, who sits on the committee that oversees the telecom industry, deliver it to you.

In June, Verizon delivered a portable tower free of charge to the ranch property after an online request from Cindy McCain's staff.
The "cell site on wheels" is ordinarily reserved for restoring service during emergencies.

AT&T brought in a tower in July.

The Illusion Of An Imagined World

2008-10-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Sarah Palin does not live in the same world as you do:

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin rejected the idea that she has launched negative attacks against Barack Obama Wednesday.

“What I’ve done is call Barack Obama out on his record,” Palin said in an interview with WMUR, a New Hampshire television station. “That’s fair and that’s appropriate and it’s what is best for the American people to know what the choices are.”

“I do not think it is negative or mean-spirited at all, not whatsoever, when you call someone out on their record. And of course when we talk about Barack Obama’s associations that he has had in the past, and may have today, when we talk about ACORN, when we talk about Bill Ayers, those things are fair game,” Palin said.

“I don’t characterize at all our campaign being negative when we talk about someone’s record and associations. That’s what the electorate deserves to hear.”

Fact-checking Joe the Plumber

2008-10-16T08:59:00.000-05:00

From The Washington Post:

Joe the Plumber
10:08 p.m.
McCain was wrong to state that small businessman "Joe the Plumber" would end up paying a fine if he refused to provide his workers with health insurance. Under the Obama plan, small businesses are specifically exempted from a requirement imposed on large companies that they contribute to a national health fund if they fail to make "a meaningful contribution" to their employees' health care costs.
--Michael Dobbs

Live Blogging

2008-10-16T08:57:00.000-05:00

No, not by me or by Joel, but Elizabeth Edwards and former McCain advisor Todd Harris had at it during the debate last night. Click here for the transcript.

Sideways Or Just Backwards?

2008-10-16T08:45:00.001-05:00

From Poynter:

More than 100 demonstrators picketed the Register building in downtown Napa to show their opposition to the paper's endorsement of John McCain. "I made the final decision, and I stand behind the process, and I welcome the conversation to continue on the editorial page and on our website," says publisher Brenda Speth.

If you care, read the endorsement here.

It's A Little Late, But...

2008-10-16T08:43:00.000-05:00

Roland Martin wants Sarah Palin to "sit down and answer tough questions. "

With less than three weeks to go, this is doubtful. But a man can try.

Taxi Talk

2008-10-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

Last week, my cabbie asked me to help him get an absentee ballot so he could vote for Obama (in Florida of all places).

Tonight, my cabbie told me he thought Obama was a Muslim.

You just never know what you're going to get.

Enter the adorable Andrew Romano and his column Taxi Talk.

On the Record with Remnick

2008-10-16T08:33:00.000-05:00

David Remnick joked some say the difference between writing and editing is like the difference between a wife and a mistress - though he added he has never actually had a mistress.

"When you are writing, it's you and your thing. And when you're the editor, it's the work of others," said Remnick, editor of The New Yorker and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

"One's a wife and one's a mistress, but never having had the latter, it's hard to distinguish the difference in relationships. But there is one," he joked.

...

One of the questions from the audience was about the controversial July 21 New Yorker cover of Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.
The cover portrayed Obama as a terrorist and unpatriotic, while Michelle was shown as a modern-day black panther.

"Around July during the Obama campaign, there was a persistence of racism in some parts of the United States," Remnick explained. "What we wanted to do in this one image was throw all the - excuse me - bullshit into one image."

Remnick said he believed The New Yorker's readers would understand the intent of the cover.

"It was my feeling that the New Yorker readership was smart enough and clued in enough to figure out what we were doing," he said of the Obama cover. "We were not branding him or charging him with this. We were, however, attempting to rip this image out of the psyche of Americans who believed this."

Read the rest, from the Daily Orange, here.

Censorship At Its Finest

2008-10-16T08:23:00.002-05:00

From 60SecondSmackdown:

For days now, I've been hearing how critics are "raving" over Oliver Stone's new movie about George Dubya Bush. I am not, however, hearing this from the critics. I live in Houston, you see. For some reason, Lionsgate has chosen not to show the film to critics here in Daddy Bush's home town. Even critics who live elsewhere but who write for Houston publications were out of luck. The Houston Chronicle's reviewer lives in Albany, N.Y., for some reason. Lionsgate wouldn't screen it for her.

Whoops

2008-10-15T23:53:00.000-05:00

From Think Progress:

McCain called education the civil rights struggle of the 21st century, but he voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1990.

Gergen's Straight Talk

2008-10-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

Anderson Cooper: If you were John McCain tomorrow ... what is the message? How does the race change now for John McCain?

David Gergen: Beats the hell out of me. ... You need to see if you can leave this with your honor intact.

Joe The Plumber

2008-10-15T22:28:00.005-05:00

John McCain: Focusing on the issues and people that matter.

Also on YouTube.

Correct Me if I'm Wrong

2008-10-15T21:35:00.004-05:00

McCain: Sarah Palin knows about kids with autism more than most [people].

Last time I checked, Sarah Palin's son has Down's. He's not autistic...

Dial Testing 101

2008-10-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

What are those squiggly lines on CNN telling you?

A Little Treat

2008-10-15T18:27:00.001-05:00

For Joel:

Crush of the Week

2008-10-15T12:38:00.000-05:00

I'm not in love with David Gergen, but I'm jealous of Jessi Klein's Crush of the Week column.
What a great idea...

Barack, I Love You

2008-10-15T12:11:00.000-05:00

The top nine shameless celebrity election videos, courtesy of The Daily Beast.

Obama Wins Fox Pseudo-Poll

2008-10-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

A clean sweep for Obama:

Virtually the entire Frank Luntz focus group on Fox News, which was staged tonight in Miami, said that Barack Obama won the debate. Luntz termed it a "clear majority," but not one person raised their hand when asked if they thought McCain won.
Said Luntz: "None had made a decision to support Sen. Obama before the debate, but more than half supported him after the debate. It was a good night for Barack Obama."

No Nailin' Paylin' While Flyin'

2008-10-15T11:55:00.000-05:00

From Wired:

Carriers Say No to Airporn

People get bored on long flights, which is why we love in-flight Internet access. It lets people check email, read Wired.com, watch the stock market collapse and enjoy their favorite scenes from On Golden Blonde and Forest Hump.

Airlines, worried the wi-fi services they're rolling out will turn planes into flying porn theaters, are installing filters to prevent passengers from surfing smut. The decision is hailed by flight attendants -- who've so far been responsible for preventing porn peeping -- and by activists concerned that children and other passengers might be subjected to objectionable material. They also worry unfettered onboard Internet access poses a security and safety risk.

American Airlines says it will "implement technology to filter pornographic content over it's Gogo in-flight Internet service." It's an about-face for the airline, which had said it would leave the nannying to flight attendants. The course correction was prompted in part by the vocal concerns of flight attendants who didn't want to be morality cops after the airline started offering in-flight wi-fi last month.

"Flight attendants are on board to provide security and safety for passengers, not to monitor their Internet usage," Corey Caldwell of the Association of Flight Attendants told Wired.com. "We're glad the airlines have responded to our concerns and to those of passengers."

But at least one privacy rights advocate opposes the idea and says blocking porn is the first step down a slippery slope.

Tax Man

2008-10-15T11:49:00.001-05:00

If you don't want to watch the video Joel posted here, you should at least go here and see how your taxes will be affected by Obama and McCain.

Blogging As A Literary Form

2008-10-15T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sullivan's article on blogging as a literary form from the new Atlantic. It's worth reading in its entirety but since I like etymology I enjoyed this passage on the origins of the word log:

A ship’s log owes its name to a small wooden board, often weighted with lead, that was for centuries attached to a line and thrown over the stern. The weight of the log would keep it in the same place in the water, like a provisional anchor, while the ship moved away. By measuring the length of line used up in a set period of time, mariners could calculate the speed of their journey (the rope itself was marked by equidistant “knots” for easy measurement). As a ship’s voyage progressed, the course came to be marked down in a book that was called a log.

Spooky Stuff

2008-10-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

Download Obama, McCain, Palin and Biden Halloween masks here.

Lunchtime Reading: The Irration Electorate

2008-10-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

In electing leaders do we act rationally?

Obama Tax Cut Ad

2008-10-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

A friend of a friend who works for the Obama campaign made the following video, which was released yesterday.

Nobody fucks with John McCain!

2008-10-15T11:07:00.001-05:00

I hope no one already posted this.

McCain's Brother Speaks Out

2008-10-15T11:01:00.000-05:00

From The Swamp:

John McCain has few stronger supporters than his younger brother Joe, who recently got himself into hot water when he described the fiercely contested Northern Virginia suburbs as "communist country." But that remark pales beside Joe's latest blast, in a new email to friends, that criticizes the conduct of those piloting McCain's campaign as it sails into shoals and makes a desperate plea for the campaign to change course. ...

He also pleads with the campaign's top managers to "let us talk to these reporters and tell them of the John McCain we know. Some reporters will get it wrong, most will not get it perfectly, but almost all will appreciate the reopening of the gates of information and reward us for it."

Read the rest, and the email he sent, here.

Nine Hours And Counting

2008-10-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

Illustration courtesy of www.cocotos.com.

Lovely Ladies

2008-10-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

All of Joe Biden's ladies, photogrpahed in the latest issue of Vogue.

Read the article here, courtesy of Style.com.

Let The Excuses Roll

2008-10-15T10:23:00.001-05:00

First up, voter fraud could make McCain lose Florida:

Soldier Just Wants Her Puppy

2008-10-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

From the AP:

WASHINGTON - More than 10,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Army to let an Iraqi puppy come home with a Minnesota soldier, who fears that "Ratchet" could be killed if left behind.

"I just want my puppy home," Sgt. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis wrote to her mother in an e-mail Sunday from Iraq, soon after she was separated from the dog following a transfer. "I miss my dog horribly." Beberg, 28, is scheduled to return to the U.S. next month...

Operation Baghdad Pups' program coordinator, Terri Crisp, is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday. Crisp said the adopted dogs left behind face death on Iraqi streets.
She said Iraqis view dogs and cats as nuisances and carriers of disease, and U.S. soldiers have rescued many of them from abuse.

You can sign the petition here.

This Guy Is A Genius

2008-10-15T09:50:00.002-05:00

From the Chicago Sun Times:

Obama will be the first candidate to advertise in video games

Sen. Barack Obama is taking his presidential campaign somewhere no political campaign has gone before — to video games.

The Obama camp has bought “billboard space” within nine video games, all from Electronic Arts: “Madden ’09,” “NBA Live ’08,” “Burnout Paradise,” “Nascar 09,” “Need For Speed Carbon,” “Need For Speed Pro Street,” “NFL on Tour,” “NHL ’09” and “Skate.”

The virtual ads in the games are frequently updated with real advertising through online downloads. They feature a photo of the senator with text indicating early voting has begun and direct gamers to the Obama Web site voteforchange.com.

Not that EA is endorsing the Chicago Democrat. “Like most television outlets, we accept advertising from credible political candidates,” said Holly Rockwood, a spokeswoman for EA, the video-game giant.

John McCain’s campaign was also approached but passed on placing any ads, Rockwood said.

Palin as President

2008-10-15T09:50:00.000-05:00

Go here and start clicking around:
http://palinaspresident.com/

Bill Ayers On the Downlow

2008-10-15T09:47:00.002-05:00

Short but interesting piece about Bill Ayers in this morning's Chicago Tribune.

Personally, I love the way his office door is decorated:

Ayers' office door is decorated with pictures of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Che Guevara and Malcolm X. It is also home to pictures of children, bills of rights for students and parents, and a rainbow-hued greeting card advising "How to Be Really Alive." A place of prominence is give to a New Yorker cartoon of a man interviewing for a job. The interviewer says, "I'm trying to find a way to balance your strengths against your felonies."