10:07: "I think [the Supreme Court] has made a lot of bad decisions... I'm a federalist, let the states decide." Sounds like the Supreme Court is going to get a turn in the bathtub, once McCain finishes drowning the government.
10:04: I believe McCain just equated cosmetic surgery with organ transplants.
10:01: Yes, McCain, it's surprising that Obama is claiming to be levying a fine of $0 on Joe, the much maligned plumber, but use your words to express your disbelief. Holding perfectly still with your mouth open and blinking rapidly is a little too literal.
Barring any big moments, I'm signing off. Looks like it will be status quo ante bellum, with Obama's coolness playing well opposite McCain's agitation.
9:47: Look, I'm a fan of nuclear power, much more so than for "clean" coal, but "No problem" is a little flip, McCain
9:33: Obama talks about the "Kill him" remark, McCain takes umbrage that Obama doesn't recognize that "the best people in the world" come to his rallies. Then he says he's quite put out about the t-shirts people wear at Obama rallies.
9:25: People yell "Kill him" at Palin rallies because Obama didn't agree to Town Hall debates?
9:24: Obama said McCain never breaks with Bush on economic issues. McCain responds with a list of non-economic breaks.
9:23: The FoxNews line got the only laugh of all three debates.
9:21: The more defensive and desperate McCain looks, the better off Obama looks. As long as he stops smirking.
9:19: If McCain is proposing dropping the tariff on sugarcane ethanol, he must really be pulling out of Iowa
9:17: An across the board spending freeze?!? Really?!? So we, what, just stop paying Medicare doctors if treatment rates go up?
9:17: McCain is sill shilling for PUMAs.
9:15: Obama going through the budget line-by-line is still a laughable idea. Plus, without a line-item veto, it's hard to see what he'll accomplish.
9:14: Good to have someone point out that the $700 billion isn't meant to be a gift.
9:11: McCain hates redistribution. But if he keeps characterizing it as "spreading the wealth around" I fail to see how that's an effective attack.
9:08: "Senator McCain, do you want to ask Senator Obama a question?"
"No."
Wait, really? I'm calling an Obama win right now. What a terrible first impression.
Showing posts with label liveblogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label liveblogging. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Lateblogging Tony Blair
No laptops allowed in the hall meant no liveblogging. (And, for a slapstick-filled hour, the changing rules books but no bags, nothing held in your hands, newspapers but no magazine supplements to the NYT, and finally, books allowed again necessitated several trips off the line back to my dorm. Thanks ever so, Scotland Yard.) Below are my thoughts on Blair's speech:
First: Blair is a consummate showman. Anyone who watched this interview without knowing who he is would assume he was a well-known actor or author, rather than a politician. Again and again he chose to go for the laugh line, rather than the applause line in his responses to questions. He was well-spoken and utterly at ease in a manner that seems foreign to American politics. While Obama and other politicians may be comfortable in interviews because of lengthy prep work, they (and the audience) are always aware of the (high) stakes. Blair seemed to have lowered the stakes to a more relaxed, Oprah-like level, never becoming flustered or too intense.
On to policy:
It figures that Yale put the Iraq question in the mouth of the student, the person Blair is least likely to take seriously. Blair doesn't regret his actions in Iraq, but never once does the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" (let alone "Downing Street Memo") escape his lips. Blair's ultimate objective is setting up a viable counter-narrative to that presented by extremist, anti-modernity Islam. Since he explicitly stated that this goal can not be achieved solely by applications of violence, the obvious question was: Why did Iraq become the front line of this narrative-war? Why was violence necessary there, but not other countries (like, oh, Saudi Arabia)?
These questions were neither asked nor answered.
Overall: Entertaining, but not particularly enlightening.
First: Blair is a consummate showman. Anyone who watched this interview without knowing who he is would assume he was a well-known actor or author, rather than a politician. Again and again he chose to go for the laugh line, rather than the applause line in his responses to questions. He was well-spoken and utterly at ease in a manner that seems foreign to American politics. While Obama and other politicians may be comfortable in interviews because of lengthy prep work, they (and the audience) are always aware of the (high) stakes. Blair seemed to have lowered the stakes to a more relaxed, Oprah-like level, never becoming flustered or too intense.
On to policy:
It figures that Yale put the Iraq question in the mouth of the student, the person Blair is least likely to take seriously. Blair doesn't regret his actions in Iraq, but never once does the phrase "weapons of mass destruction" (let alone "Downing Street Memo") escape his lips. Blair's ultimate objective is setting up a viable counter-narrative to that presented by extremist, anti-modernity Islam. Since he explicitly stated that this goal can not be achieved solely by applications of violence, the obvious question was: Why did Iraq become the front line of this narrative-war? Why was violence necessary there, but not other countries (like, oh, Saudi Arabia)?
These questions were neither asked nor answered.
Overall: Entertaining, but not particularly enlightening.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Liveblogging: Clinton/Biden
9:07 - coming in late from dinner, but luckily Bill's applause went way over
9:10 - "My 8 years in office convinced me Barack Obama is the man for this job." Apparently, those 8 years took about 8 months to kick in.
9:13 - "Barack Obama is ready to lead... is ready to be POTUS" Check. Bill's in the clear.
9:15 - You have to feel a little bad for Hil, as she watches hubby praise BO and his "excellent VP pick"
9:16 - "People across the world have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power" Fabulous line
9:20 - Nicola, Bill always hits his stride when he gets to talk about people. He's not putting that on, he really does get that energized by empathy
9:22 - "Third time is not the charm" got a smile from Michelle. No word on whether she was thinking of the Bush dynasty or the Clintons
9:23 - Comparing Obama's youth to his own is a smart (and gracious) move for Clinton
9:25 - Bill nailed it. And he's still a rock star
9:29 - From MSNBC: "Elvis was back in the hall tonight"
9:31 - I'd blog about the coverage during the gap, but I have to return this copy of Watchmen tomorrow, so I need to finish it tonight.
9:34 - It's a tough gig, speaking right after Bill Clinton, so it must have been hard to decide whether to give the slot to Mark Warner or John Kerry. Can't make them duller on delivery.
9:44 - Kerry's actually gotten off some good lines. I was a little harsh before.
9:46 - I actually feel a little bad for Kerry, too. It's not as tough for him as for Hil, but he must be a little jealous that everyone loves his talking points... as long as they come out of Obama's mouth
9:47 - Can retired servicemen and women still wear their uniforms? It seems like if the general the Dems just brought out were a man, she'd have suited up
9:50 - Looked it up, she is eligible to wear her uniform
9:55 - Biden won't be on for half an hour. I'm taking a break
10:21 - The shakycam effect on the Biden montage is strange
10:25 - Overall, the quality of the Biden vid is way below Hil's
10:26 - Michelle is crying as Beau Biden speaks
10:27 - I like Biden, but not part of Washington is ridiculous. It's not a bad thing to have an experienced veep to help push through your agenda
10:29 - News Flash: Obama is no longer the most popular person on facebook. Michael Phelps out touched him.
10:30 - Biden looks delighted. Finally a Dem without reason to be bitter
10:31 - Biden is choking himself up. Still manages to quip about his wife being the only one who can leave him speechless. Quoth my mother, "He's going to be a pip."
10:33 - Leave off, Will. That moment about his son was very real and sweet. I'm sure Biden's big mouth will give them other options
10:35 - Biden's mom is also in tears. It's a three-hankerchief speech
10:36 - "[My mom] told me to go out and bloody their noses" Cut to his adorable mother mouthing "It's true"
10:37 - I'll admit, "everyone is your equal" is a pretty creepy philosophy
10:39 - Second John/George "freudian slip" of the night. It wasn't funny enough to do twice
10:41 - "Work is more than a paycheck, it's respect" Dead on.
10:44 - John McCain was his friend, even though that was fairly restrained (for Biden)
10:45 - The Dems need to sync up on what data their drawing their percentage of time McCain voted with Bush. Biden just said 95%, but Kerry said 90% earlier.
10:46 - Would it kill Biden to say 'more of the same' in rhythm so he can stay in sync with the floor-chanters?
10:47 - "Any country that out teaches us today will out compete us tomorrow" Another good line
10:48 - It's not looking too good in Pakistan, "the central front of the war on terror." The coalition government is fragmenting, and the likely prez has a history of mental illness
10:51 - Way, way too hawkish on Georgia. I don't know what the Dems are thinking
10:53 - Biden's done, but Obama's on the way
10:55 - Obama's on stage, and the hall is going wild. Anyone got a stopwatch to contrast with Clinton?
10:57 - Hillary gives a very ironic looking "Thank you" to Obama's comment that she "rocked the house." Surprisingly, hothead Bill pulls off a better reaction shot for his compliment
10:58 - That didn't really merit trotting him out. Ah well, at least I get to listen to the Boss singing "The Rising"
10:59 - "The Rising" sure beats Hillary getting played out to "Love Train" earlier today
11:00 - MSNBC apologizes to me for spoiling Obama's 'surprise' appearance.
11:01 - Looks like all is over. Time to sign off and check out that episode of Project Runway I just taped
9:10 - "My 8 years in office convinced me Barack Obama is the man for this job." Apparently, those 8 years took about 8 months to kick in.
9:13 - "Barack Obama is ready to lead... is ready to be POTUS" Check. Bill's in the clear.
9:15 - You have to feel a little bad for Hil, as she watches hubby praise BO and his "excellent VP pick"
9:16 - "People across the world have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power" Fabulous line
9:20 - Nicola, Bill always hits his stride when he gets to talk about people. He's not putting that on, he really does get that energized by empathy
9:22 - "Third time is not the charm" got a smile from Michelle. No word on whether she was thinking of the Bush dynasty or the Clintons
9:23 - Comparing Obama's youth to his own is a smart (and gracious) move for Clinton
9:25 - Bill nailed it. And he's still a rock star
9:29 - From MSNBC: "Elvis was back in the hall tonight"
9:31 - I'd blog about the coverage during the gap, but I have to return this copy of Watchmen tomorrow, so I need to finish it tonight.
9:34 - It's a tough gig, speaking right after Bill Clinton, so it must have been hard to decide whether to give the slot to Mark Warner or John Kerry. Can't make them duller on delivery.
9:44 - Kerry's actually gotten off some good lines. I was a little harsh before.
9:46 - I actually feel a little bad for Kerry, too. It's not as tough for him as for Hil, but he must be a little jealous that everyone loves his talking points... as long as they come out of Obama's mouth
9:47 - Can retired servicemen and women still wear their uniforms? It seems like if the general the Dems just brought out were a man, she'd have suited up
9:50 - Looked it up, she is eligible to wear her uniform
9:55 - Biden won't be on for half an hour. I'm taking a break
10:21 - The shakycam effect on the Biden montage is strange
10:25 - Overall, the quality of the Biden vid is way below Hil's
10:26 - Michelle is crying as Beau Biden speaks
10:27 - I like Biden, but not part of Washington is ridiculous. It's not a bad thing to have an experienced veep to help push through your agenda
10:29 - News Flash: Obama is no longer the most popular person on facebook. Michael Phelps out touched him.
10:30 - Biden looks delighted. Finally a Dem without reason to be bitter
10:31 - Biden is choking himself up. Still manages to quip about his wife being the only one who can leave him speechless. Quoth my mother, "He's going to be a pip."
10:33 - Leave off, Will. That moment about his son was very real and sweet. I'm sure Biden's big mouth will give them other options
10:35 - Biden's mom is also in tears. It's a three-hankerchief speech
10:36 - "[My mom] told me to go out and bloody their noses" Cut to his adorable mother mouthing "It's true"
10:37 - I'll admit, "everyone is your equal" is a pretty creepy philosophy
10:39 - Second John/George "freudian slip" of the night. It wasn't funny enough to do twice
10:41 - "Work is more than a paycheck, it's respect" Dead on.
10:44 - John McCain was his friend, even though that was fairly restrained (for Biden)
10:45 - The Dems need to sync up on what data their drawing their percentage of time McCain voted with Bush. Biden just said 95%, but Kerry said 90% earlier.
10:46 - Would it kill Biden to say 'more of the same' in rhythm so he can stay in sync with the floor-chanters?
10:47 - "Any country that out teaches us today will out compete us tomorrow" Another good line
10:48 - It's not looking too good in Pakistan, "the central front of the war on terror." The coalition government is fragmenting, and the likely prez has a history of mental illness
10:51 - Way, way too hawkish on Georgia. I don't know what the Dems are thinking
10:53 - Biden's done, but Obama's on the way
10:55 - Obama's on stage, and the hall is going wild. Anyone got a stopwatch to contrast with Clinton?
10:57 - Hillary gives a very ironic looking "Thank you" to Obama's comment that she "rocked the house." Surprisingly, hothead Bill pulls off a better reaction shot for his compliment
10:58 - That didn't really merit trotting him out. Ah well, at least I get to listen to the Boss singing "The Rising"
10:59 - "The Rising" sure beats Hillary getting played out to "Love Train" earlier today
11:00 - MSNBC apologizes to me for spoiling Obama's 'surprise' appearance.
11:01 - Looks like all is over. Time to sign off and check out that episode of Project Runway I just taped
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hopping on the liveblogging wagon
10:10 - Rachel Maddow and Pat Robertson agree, the Dems (esp. Warner) should be making someone angry. Robertson says, "Where's Cheney? He has an 18% approval rating; it's a free shot!"
10:13 - Highest praise for Warner comes from Mark Shields who said something approximating: It was pretty good for someone who's generally known as a crappy speaker. My mom asks, "Why put him as the keynote?" I assume it was part of the deal with the Clintons. Well played, Hil.
10:35 - Finally, the delegates are showing a little life. They were so muted for Warner.
10:37 - Picture of young Bill Clinton with dark hair quite cute. Surprising that they captioned him "Hillary's Husband"
10:39 - Strange to use "Weekend Update" as a testamonial in the Hillary montage
10:46 - Hillary's going down her list of unity buzzwords, but I'm mostly just encouraged by the fact that CNN spent an entire news segment looking for Hillary Holdouts at the convention without finding any
10:51 - "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits" just became the new name of at least six bands
10:56 - Hillary's speech doesn't seem pro-forma. The "what are you in this for" is the absolute best she could have done
11:03 - Hillary: It makes sense that Bush and McCain will be together at the convention...
McCain: No! Didn't you hear? We're there on different nights! It doesn't count
11:05 - Harriet Tubman was also known for saying, "If you don't keep going, I'll have to shoot you."
11:09 - Speech is over. Hillary was pretty much perfect for what she needed to do. Now I'm off to Comedy Central for less fatuous coverage
10:13 - Highest praise for Warner comes from Mark Shields who said something approximating: It was pretty good for someone who's generally known as a crappy speaker. My mom asks, "Why put him as the keynote?" I assume it was part of the deal with the Clintons. Well played, Hil.
10:35 - Finally, the delegates are showing a little life. They were so muted for Warner.
10:37 - Picture of young Bill Clinton with dark hair quite cute. Surprising that they captioned him "Hillary's Husband"
10:39 - Strange to use "Weekend Update" as a testamonial in the Hillary montage
10:46 - Hillary's going down her list of unity buzzwords, but I'm mostly just encouraged by the fact that CNN spent an entire news segment looking for Hillary Holdouts at the convention without finding any
10:51 - "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits" just became the new name of at least six bands
10:56 - Hillary's speech doesn't seem pro-forma. The "what are you in this for" is the absolute best she could have done
11:03 - Hillary: It makes sense that Bush and McCain will be together at the convention...
McCain: No! Didn't you hear? We're there on different nights! It doesn't count
11:05 - Harriet Tubman was also known for saying, "If you don't keep going, I'll have to shoot you."
11:09 - Speech is over. Hillary was pretty much perfect for what she needed to do. Now I'm off to Comedy Central for less fatuous coverage
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