Philly Debate
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It's the morning after the Obama/Clinton thingy in Philadelphia. I watched the first hour, then turned the tv off while expecting to come back to it later. Never did, partly because I was sleepy and talking on the phone and whatnot, but also because I had seen where it was going, because by then it had already gone there. Barack is deeply tired of being beaten on -- tired in that aghast and insulted way that comes from being grossly, maliciously, and (most galling of all) opportunistically misinterpreted.
Maybe his campaign should take today off. Be seen playing around. Talk casually about how the campaign news cycle is just out of control, and that last night's debate is what you get when it's all about gossip. Some pundits will call them wussies for taking a 24 hour breather, but most people will see that they're just being... human.
But seriously, what's disappointing to me is how many opportunities Barack missed in his responses to the, um,"key"..."issues"... last night. (I'm leaving aside for a moment Hillary Clinton's total inability to do what's right for the party and country, rather than what immediately and crappily gives her a way to attack him, although I'd love to just pound on her awhile inside this parenthetical. But no.) Here are some examples of what I mean, and what I wish Barack had said:
When asked why, if he had been indeed totally unaware of Rev. Wright's "worst" YouTube utterances, the campaign had from the beginning been keeping Wright from public view?, well, duh!, he should have talked about the nature of Wright's preaching style, like saying something like, oh, for example, "Jeremiah Wright tackles difficult topics and uses the entire course of his sermon to put his raft down in several streams, some of which are rocky, and it takes you on a journey, and you see many different things, you're guided by the Bible and by tradition; and he also is influenced by what he has seen in his life, which is a complex subject, I know, and he doesn't always react to his experience in the ways that I would like to see, but I admire the way he perseveres in the face of some doubt about the way his country has treated his fellow African-
Americans, and the way we sometimes interact with other countries, to still put so much energy into positive contributions to the community. He's been my pastor for twenty years, and I stayed at Trinity Church because I know that he loves the good book, he loves the word and the world. I literally pray that people will at least be open to the idea that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who is a wonderful pastor but definitely wouldn't really cut it as a politician, who wants what is best for this country, even if he doesn't always know what is best, who is leading people on a spiritual path, and who speaks to the passions of Americans and of people around the world, that he does have a strong and admirable sense of right and wrong, and a deep love of the ideals upon which this country was founded. "
Speaking on the William Ayers association, he needed to explain the Ayers rap sheet. People will assume the worst, otherwise. I'm not quite clear on it yet, but I don't think he actually killed any innocents himself, and he was disowned by the Weathermen. Then he went through the judicial process. And now he's a free man who does not actually believe he "should have done more" bombings, although folks were likely to take that impression away last night, too. Obama could have explained how people who use extreme and violent methods in political protest are criminals, and should be treated as such. When someone goes through that legal process, and is now an education professor in Chicago, go ahead and assume he's not a huge villain. Also go ahead and realize that if "we succeed in Iraq," as they say, there will be a whole lot of William Ayers-type dudes who will have to be held to account and then treated with compassion, not demonized and ostracized.
It's funny... Barack's obvious agitation onstage last night... you know, I can't help but think the man really could have used a cigarette. I also can't help but think that he needs a masseuse on the road with him. Last night, more than anything, he needed a shoulder rub and/or a ciggie. But then, of course, can America deal with a candidate who gets a daily rub-down? If it's a woman therapist, it's tabloid city. If she's white... oi. If it's a man... well. Now's time, though. Introduce my long-standing plank that calls for a National Massage Corps. Everyone gets a rub-down. Health-care costs go down. Productivity goes up. Divorces go down. Crime goes down. More babies.
Lastly, sadly... Now the Bush/Cheney/Rove insistence on closed-door rallies and fundraisers featuring exclusively ideologically-vetted audiences seems like a ruthless but highly effective tactic. By speaking freely at a San Fran houseparty, Obama lost control of his message. Who knows how many things were said at GOP functions during the last election. I doubt Obama gives himself as many opportunities to speak freely to key supporters. If he's going to use quasi-Marxist frames, he needs to be a little more fascistic at the door!
(TO BE CON'T AND EDITED)
... Or, not.
It's the morning after the Obama/Clinton thingy in Philadelphia. I watched the first hour, then turned the tv off while expecting to come back to it later. Never did, partly because I was sleepy and talking on the phone and whatnot, but also because I had seen where it was going, because by then it had already gone there. Barack is deeply tired of being beaten on -- tired in that aghast and insulted way that comes from being grossly, maliciously, and (most galling of all) opportunistically misinterpreted.
Maybe his campaign should take today off. Be seen playing around. Talk casually about how the campaign news cycle is just out of control, and that last night's debate is what you get when it's all about gossip. Some pundits will call them wussies for taking a 24 hour breather, but most people will see that they're just being... human.
But seriously, what's disappointing to me is how many opportunities Barack missed in his responses to the, um,"key"..."issues"... last night. (I'm leaving aside for a moment Hillary Clinton's total inability to do what's right for the party and country, rather than what immediately and crappily gives her a way to attack him, although I'd love to just pound on her awhile inside this parenthetical. But no.) Here are some examples of what I mean, and what I wish Barack had said:
When asked why, if he had been indeed totally unaware of Rev. Wright's "worst" YouTube utterances, the campaign had from the beginning been keeping Wright from public view?, well, duh!, he should have talked about the nature of Wright's preaching style, like saying something like, oh, for example, "Jeremiah Wright tackles difficult topics and uses the entire course of his sermon to put his raft down in several streams, some of which are rocky, and it takes you on a journey, and you see many different things, you're guided by the Bible and by tradition; and he also is influenced by what he has seen in his life, which is a complex subject, I know, and he doesn't always react to his experience in the ways that I would like to see, but I admire the way he perseveres in the face of some doubt about the way his country has treated his fellow African-
Americans, and the way we sometimes interact with other countries, to still put so much energy into positive contributions to the community. He's been my pastor for twenty years, and I stayed at Trinity Church because I know that he loves the good book, he loves the word and the world. I literally pray that people will at least be open to the idea that the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who is a wonderful pastor but definitely wouldn't really cut it as a politician, who wants what is best for this country, even if he doesn't always know what is best, who is leading people on a spiritual path, and who speaks to the passions of Americans and of people around the world, that he does have a strong and admirable sense of right and wrong, and a deep love of the ideals upon which this country was founded. "
Speaking on the William Ayers association, he needed to explain the Ayers rap sheet. People will assume the worst, otherwise. I'm not quite clear on it yet, but I don't think he actually killed any innocents himself, and he was disowned by the Weathermen. Then he went through the judicial process. And now he's a free man who does not actually believe he "should have done more" bombings, although folks were likely to take that impression away last night, too. Obama could have explained how people who use extreme and violent methods in political protest are criminals, and should be treated as such. When someone goes through that legal process, and is now an education professor in Chicago, go ahead and assume he's not a huge villain. Also go ahead and realize that if "we succeed in Iraq," as they say, there will be a whole lot of William Ayers-type dudes who will have to be held to account and then treated with compassion, not demonized and ostracized.
It's funny... Barack's obvious agitation onstage last night... you know, I can't help but think the man really could have used a cigarette. I also can't help but think that he needs a masseuse on the road with him. Last night, more than anything, he needed a shoulder rub and/or a ciggie. But then, of course, can America deal with a candidate who gets a daily rub-down? If it's a woman therapist, it's tabloid city. If she's white... oi. If it's a man... well. Now's time, though. Introduce my long-standing plank that calls for a National Massage Corps. Everyone gets a rub-down. Health-care costs go down. Productivity goes up. Divorces go down. Crime goes down. More babies.
Lastly, sadly... Now the Bush/Cheney/Rove insistence on closed-door rallies and fundraisers featuring exclusively ideologically-vetted audiences seems like a ruthless but highly effective tactic. By speaking freely at a San Fran houseparty, Obama lost control of his message. Who knows how many things were said at GOP functions during the last election. I doubt Obama gives himself as many opportunities to speak freely to key supporters. If he's going to use quasi-Marxist frames, he needs to be a little more fascistic at the door!
(TO BE CON'T AND EDITED)
... Or, not.
posted by shimmy at 7:48 AM
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