I never cross-post, but once I saw Monte's, I couldn't resist...
I had friends complain that Barack Obama's TV ad Wednesday night was "dull," but I thought it worked. Maybe that's because I spent the middle of the day getting ready for MSNBC's "Hardball," where I got to hear disgraced GOP congressman Tom DeLay smear Obama as "a radical, and at the very best, he is a socialist." They used to call DeLay "the exterminator," because that was his business before he became a politician. Watching him Wednesday, I started thinking, maybe it takes vermin to know vermin. The Republicans are running a low-road campaign, but this was real filth coming from DeLay.
DeLay, of course, was one of the most corrupt, hypocritical and divisive pillars of the 1990s GOP revolution, and he's hugely to blame for his party's sad fortunes today. But he still gets around the cable shows, and to see him on "Hardball," just a half hour before I was on, spewing hate about Obama, was kind of unsettling. Obama's a radical and a Marxist, he insisted, more radical than Al Gore, John Kerry or Barney Frank. He threw out Jeremiah Wright and Bill Ayers. Ultimately I lost track of the times he called Obama a "Marxist." But appearing right after DeLay, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz mopped the floor with him, to Matthews' apparent surprise and enjoyment. Obama should send her flowers. I should send her flowers.
So that experience shaped the way I watched Obama's 30-minute infomercial, and it was a perfect tonic. Maybe it was a dull for a moment or two, but Obama can stand to be a little dull, when he has the likes of DeLay and other vicious hit men tarring him as a dark and dangerous Marxist socialist "redistributionist." He's fighting for the right to be one of us: normal, sometimes dull and yet presidential, and his ad did it all tonight. I'll never forget Juanita Stewart, the retired Ohio woman without health insurance, trying to straighten out her arthritis-crippled fingers, watching her 72-year-old husband, Larry, return to work to pay for her medicine. (For the record, more people e-mailed me saying that they cried watching that scene than that the ad was "dull.")
But I particularly loved watching Obama finally campaign with Bill Clinton in Kissimmee, Fla., where the last Democratic president sold the current Democratic nominee as the right man for the current crisis. Claiming he hadn't gotten Obama's permission to tell the tale, Clinton shared the candidate's measured, investigative approach to the financial crisis in September: calling his advisors, calling Clintons' advisors, calling both Clintons and others. What Obama told everyone, Clinton said, was, "'Tell me what's right. Don't tell me what's popular, tell me what's right, and I'll figure out how to sell it.' That's what a president does. He will be a very fine decision maker, working for the American people."
Obama responded to Clinton in kind: "In case all of you forgot: This is what it's like to have a great president. It is such an honor and a privilege to be joined by him here tonight." He peppered his standard stump speech with examples of the glory of the Clinton years. It was a little stiff at first, but Clinton almost fell off his chair laughing at Obama's joke about being a "redistributionist" for sharing his peanut butter sandwich with a childhood friend, and after that he was a more expressive, appreciative audience, laughing and clapping on cue. By the end they were hanging on one another, whispering into each other's ears and cracking one another up as they walked offstage waving to the crowd.
Maybe I'm seeing what I want to see, but I hope they enjoyed one another tonight. It's certainly not what Clinton expected, but Obama could be his chance at finally securing his legacy. He wanted it to be his wife, but maybe it will be the first black president who will complete the job Clinton started of expanding opportunity, creating jobs, making work pay and building ladders of upward mobility between classes. Clinton deserves it, Obama deserves it, and most important, the country deserves it. After Clinton and Obama left the stage, MSNBC moved to a "Hardball" rerun, and Tom DeLay was about to speak again. I quickly clicked away, reassured of DeLay's irrelevance.
Finally it was time to watch Obama on "The Daily Show." My favorite part was when Jon Stewart asked him if he was worried that, being part white, the Bradley effect (the perhaps apocryphal tendency for some white voters to say they support a black candidate but then not vote for him) could afflict him, as a (half) white voter. "That's a problem," Obama dead-panned. Stewart couldn't believe his ears, and Obama had to repeat it. "That's a problem. I've been going to therapy to make sure that I vote properly on the 4th." Surrender, Tom DeLay and friends. You have no idea what you're up against. Love and warmth and humor trump filth, every time.
DakiniDancer
Niece of Dakini
Sheldon The Wonderhorse
Susan Walsh
Big Uncle Jack
jimmymac1025
Salon.com
Comments
Sen. Obama is an adult. That's who I'm willing to give my vote to. Yes, we can.
WOOF
http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/2008/10/tragedy-of-john-mccain.html
But what you wrote was a really wonderful summation both of breadth and depth of your involvement in this election as a journalist and of the inexplicable combination of qualities (from silly and light to painful and scary) that have made up the election itself.
I saw the Obama ad and felt the same way as you. In the midst of all the crazy cries and hollers, it was.....relaxing to just witness the steady pace that is the man Obama. I did not get to see, yet, Obama/Clinton nor Stewart's show, but I'm happy that i first viewed it through the lens of your experience. You've been fully submerged in this thing. And you've taken all your intelligence, heart and guts with you. And humility, I might add.
Because we are so close to the gate and because this post of yours somehow integrates the whole of the election for me, I want to take this little moment to thank you for providing a fun, intelligent and open hearted context in which to participate in this election. It's been wild. Thanks much.
Now let's all just push the gate open on Tuesday
Tom DeLay is just a snake oil salesman from a hateful bygone era. He and his destructive ilk will always be around, preying on the Know Nothing segment of our society. I think Obama-Biden will convincingly win this election, but even if they don't we have been summoned to carry on the long struggle to improve the character of our nation. Win or lose, this is a pivotal moment in American history which will call upon our participation to wrest the American experiment in democracy from the money-grubbing plutocrats, lobbyists, and snake oil swindlers. There's no turning back on our responsibility to see these changes through.
The fact that he is not black-balled from all public broadcasts is, in my opinion, a sad testimony about our current status as a nation.
rated
I also heartily agree with you that " . . . love and warmth and humor trump filth, every time. Thank you.
I would also say that, given the kinds of leaders they have offered this country over the past 30+ years, there is nothing sad about the fortunes of the Republican party today.
Almost as pleasurable as watching the coprophages
and prostitutes of Fox Netjerk squirming as the tide of change approaches like a tsunami...
And i am embarrassed to admit that I used to consider your view of politics sentimental and girly.
I think the infomercial worked for middle America, and wasn't that the idea?
How is it that a disgraced man like Daley even has the opportunity to be on programs like Hardball? Mr. Daley may not have been convicted yet for his actions, but it is well documented that he is 'slime in the 10th degree'.
I sadly did not see the Hardball piece, but will greatly enjoy seeing seeing Tom DeLay publicly humiliated. Off I go to YouTube to look for it.
To hear that anyone gives him the time of day now only resurrects some of those awful feelings. I posted a video that might make you feel better Joan:
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=35800
I think Chris Matthews should put him on next time they are thinking about hosting DeLay.....it would be much better TV for sure.
It was another one of those "I'm ashamed of my country" moments for me. Ashamed at least that this spew of venom was allowed on a show I respect so much.
Thing One: Why, after McCain and Minions accuse Barrack of being a "redistributionist", doesn't anyone point to the last eight years of redistribution of wealth OUT of the country (that portion that's not redistributed to Halliburton, KBR, etc).
Thing Two: When people tremble and wring their hands that Obama is a socialist, why doesn't anyone point out how this should APPEAL to the Christian right? Jesus was the most progressive socialist in history. Need a quote? Matthew 25:40.
I frankly don't know how men like that do it. Delay's attempt to gerrymander Texas was one of the most egregious attempts to circumvent democracy in the name of prejudice since the civil war, and yet he is still allowed to stand there on public television spilling his bile into the collective mind.
As a liberal, I am bound to the right to free speech, but know full well with a man like DeLay that right would not be reciprocated were he in position to have control. Motormouth Matthews did more talking than DeLay, as usual, but in this case maybe that was a good thing.
The program was smooth--not slick--but well-produced and well-thought out. The point that Obama understands regular people came through without turning into the sincere but vulnerable-to-satire Gore habit of citing the specific individual and telling that person's story. It was masterful.
We all should send Rep. Wasserman Schulz flowers. I was so happy to hear her response, I stood up and cheered.
I stood up and cheered a lot yesterday. I cheered when I saw the "McCain's Choice" ad. And I cheered when I heard Obama's "In case you all forgot.....great president" comment.
Hope I get to do a lot more of that cheering in the next 5 days.
Additional thought: What also had me shaking my head yesterday was Joe Scarbourgh's nonstop whining about how Obama has bought the Florida election through TV ads. Pleeeze! Maybe Joe would be happier if Obama did it the old-fashioned Republican way...by stealing it.
"I see that you had Tom Delay on Hardball today. Shame on you.
You would be well advised to avoid giving slimeballs like Delay a forum for their lies and vitriol.
Tom Delay, along with Newt Gingrich, is responsible for the divide between the parties which has so thoroughly poisoned bipartisanship in the country as a whole, and in congress in particular.
Surely you can find guests who are fair and tolerant.
You risk losing the viewership of not just me, but every American who is sick to death of the polarization Delay and Gingrich introduced and defend even today.
I know you can do better.
Respectfully,"
I encourage every OS member to send their own thoughts to: hardball@msnbc.com
DeLay is scum. And it amazes me the depths to which the Republican party will sink. I mean, seriously, it's becoming unbelievable.
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=35947
Second thought: This is the guy who was actively and openly working for a "permanent Republican majority" in DC with the full support of his party members. The same party members who are now talking hysterically about an all-Democratic DC as being the precursor to Armageddon. It's the hypocrisy, stupid!
"Love and warmth and humor trump filth, every time" - as some of my relatives would say, "From your lips to God's ears!" I'm sure I'm not the only one to be waiting breathlessly until Tuesday to find out this is true.
And I see great things ahead for Debbie WS. She is a rising star and has the same kind of calm that Obama exudes.
You fleshed out the interview very well, gave some great background, and then added some positive things we could take with us.
I too was also particularly impressed by Debbie W-S who took Delay down. What irritated me was that Chris let her do his work for him. How could he be so aggressive with Bachman, who, in my estimation is just plain stupid and no real threat to anyone, except maybe herself, and be so easy on Delay, who is a real jerk and has a track record of hatred a mile long and has a long record of implementing his venom?
In any case, I appreciate that your post helped me regain some balance and to focus on some of the good things that happened last night.
Thanks,
Monte
...so...
...THANK YOU, Joan.
The "tell me what's right, not what's popular" was also used by Harry Truman.
When I hear Obama speak, my stomach gets calm,
Love, warmth and humor trumping filth---I could get used to this!
I have a sinking feeling that we might be seeing more of DeLay as a regular FOX pundit, he might even get his own show, between O'reily and Hannity.. I will not be watching..
I see lots of OSers signing up to express their dismay and disapproval of Tom DeLay and of MSNBC for giving him face time. What I DON'T see is anyone actually DOING something about it.
As I said in an earlier comment: "I encourage every OS member to send their own thoughts to: hardball@msnbc.com"
You wanna fish, or cut bait?
The people who believe that fantastical crap are never going to switch their vote to Obama anyway - but those undecided voters in the middle who are looking for decisive and real advice on which to make their decision are leaving the Republican side in disgusted droves, pushed over the edge by uber-negative campaigning.
If you have read anything I've written it will be no surprise that I don't agree with you about Obama. But you are right about one thing. Goes to prove even a broken clock is right twice a day.
"'Tell me what's right. Don't tell me what's popular, tell me what's right, and I'll figure out how to sell it.' That's what a president does. "
We will never elect anybody that has complete knowledge about everything. Therefore we have to elect people who will ask questions and make the right decision.
Rev Wright didn't bother me. We all have wacko friends. It wasn't until all the wachos started coming out of the woodwork that I started to wonder about his decision making ability.
If it makes you feel better I am going to vote for a Dem this year for congress. Howard Coble (R) NC has to go. Other than that tomorrow I will vote for Sen. McCain and Sen. Dole.
The owners are suppose to take all the profits. That's why they are owners and invest their money. Besides, workers don't get profits. They get wages. Profit is what is left after workers are paid wages.
Workers are not powerless. They have the power to go and find another job if they don't like the one they are in.
Been there, done both. Doing the first one again.
Another un-understanding. I absolutely do not understand why people like Chris Matthews keep having that indicted rat, Tom DeLay on their shows. And Matthews rarely gives him a hard time, although my daughter said he did. I couldn't watch.
Wasserman-Schultz. Gotta love her. Glad she's on our side. We'll be hearing much more from her in the future. She'd have my vote for president!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27457480/
Your mood when you watch something definitely colors it. I had had a day from hell, was totally stressed and exhausted, had not eaten when I saw the infomercial and I HATED it. Beyond boring. I could only make it ten minutes in until the next day. It's one of the few times I have not cared for Barack.
I have a feeling that the breakdown for who liked/disliked falls along the same lines of how we each felt about the stream of "real people" right before the acceptance speech at Invesco. I was among the ones yawning and a bit angry at the schedulers for ruining the lead-up with a really awful program. My buddy and I were rolling our eyes, but then noticed that our other friend was in tears.
I think "dull" is necessarily a fair word, because to the people who love it it sounds like we don't care about real people. I think people in my camp would say we get it already from the concept. We don't need examples. I kind of feel talked down to in a way, like, "OK, here's what it's like for someone to not be able to afford health care."
I guess underneath a part of me feels insulted that way, but mostly annoyed, the same way I did in school when they would teach us a concept, and I'd get it and then they'd go over and over and I'd want to blow my brains out I was so restless. Can we move on to the next thing PLEASE! I get it.
Mostly I'd be looking out the window, watching what some squirrel or bird was doing. That's how I felt during the infomercial.
and tom delay . . . i must say a little prayer of thanks that i've not had to spend time absorbing that vile creature's vile karma. sorry you had to.