Sooner Be Blue

Mostly politics, a few current events, a squirt of seltzer down yer pants .. a little blog for my rambles and rants.

2008/8/29

"Eight is enough!"...genius.

Tags:
@ 09:23 AM (20 hours, 50 minutes ago)

The Democratic convention has had an embarrassment of riches in terms of the speeches.
 
Sen. Obama's acceptance speech last night was brilliant, inspiring, forceful and confident.
 
In a word, PRESIDENTIAL.
 
It's so refreshing to hear a politician talk like a grown up...responsible, caring, intelligent and grammatically correct. Wow.
 
Get this -- rightie Pat Buchanan said it was the best convention speech he has ever heard!
 
Indeed it was, what else could we have asked for?
 
What gets me is how the guy is simply unflappable. Look at all the pressure that was on him last night; not only did he HAVE to give the best speech of the Convention -- against the competition of Teddy, Hillary, Bill, Biden, and even Michelle -- but he knew it was the anniversary of "I Had A Dream" and it had to be 'worthy' of that.
 
It was.
 
Imagine the pressure he was under to perform, to have the ability to inspire, yet to deliver the details. He HAD to put some red meat on his political bones...knowing the success and direction of his campaign for the next two months hinged on his performance.
 
Yet, he walked out on that stage as cool as a cucumber.
 
Obama made very clear his vision for this country. An intelligent man who spoke with passion about things he believes in. His Race in America speech moved me more, this one was more State of the Union  than "on the mountaintop"...but I think that was a good choice. He needed to keep doing what got him here, yet show he's Presidential and talk specifically about his plans...which this speech did.
 
I loved how he pushed back against John McCain's disgusting attack on his patriotism. His message clearly was -- I am a fighter and I am not backing down, nor will I let you cheapen me.
 
It was great to see a Democrat show some genuine anger and confrontation...instead of the sticks-and-stones let-them-swiftboat-us approach.
 
The comment "let's not make a big election about small things" was not just a shot at McCain, but also at the press. Skillful, subtle.
 
I doubt the press heard it that way.
 
What a spectacle last evening was. I might have nixed the fireworks, but hey, they couldn't drop balloons. Whoever planned and staged this event is going to make the Republicans look like corn-fed teens with zits putting on a high school play. And I'll bet they're going crazy trying to round up more black people...JC Watts is the only one they have I can think of.
 
The wingnut hissy fit about Obama's staging sure tickled me! How dare he use a backdrop looking like the Lincoln Memorial on the 45th anniversary of MLK's I Have A Dream speech! How dare he use Greek columns the way Bush did in 2004!
 
Let the Republicans rant about Paris Hilton, Greek Columns, and I don't know what all...all they have to offer is sneers and jeers and childish behavior. And let's see John McCain and the R's fill that stadium. Maybe they could if they danced naked at a Bronco's half-time.
 
Barack succeeded in making McCain and Bush look small, petty, and churlish, while being careful not to mention anyone's character. I like Obama's strong dare for McCain to make national security an issue.
 
Barack Obama made ME feel proud to be a Democrat and an American.
 
"I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and I haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington.
 
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me; it’s about you."
 
The full text of the speech is here:
 
http://tinyurl.com/5jq9xj
 
Oh, and it turned out to be a perfect summer evening, so we know who the Lord is backing this time around.
 

2008/8/28

The mountaintop

Tags:
@ 10:29 AM (1 day, 19 hours ago)

Let's stop and reflect on this for a second. An African-American nominee. Of our party. The party of inclusion. The party who welcomes all Americans. It was a great night to be a Democrat.
 
I've seen many of these conventions in my lifetime, and have gotten used to their hokeyness -- the silly hats, three-sided state signs, the bad pop music, the buttons and stickers and people decked out in all manner of get-up.
 
Democratic conventions are true snapshots of the melting pot in action, with many minorities scattered around the arena. But this year is different, because this year the people of color aren't just out in the audience.
 
I don't want to rush past this moment too quickly. Yesterday Barack Obama became the first African-American nominee of a major party in history. That is a tremendous accomplishment that I honestly wasn't sure I'd see in my lifetime.
 
When the images of your youth are of black people being sprayed with hoses and bitten by police dogs and beaten bloody with police batons for just trying to peacefully march...
 
Democrats have provided nearly all the drama of this campaign season, a long 18-month run, the story of a race between two people to open the door of history. Sadly, a door that could only admit one leader at a time...
 
Call me a sap, but I was moved to tears as Hillary Clinton stood with her New York delegation yesterday and officially put a stop to the roll-call vote, and moved to nominate Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee.
 
Many were in tears. The first female candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States officially nominating the first African-American for President of the United States.
 
"With eyes firmly fixed on the future," she said, "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together in one voice right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president!"
 
As she uttered those words, the convention hall went into a delirious uproar. The applause for Obama's nomination was deafening. No one could hear Pelosi's gavel as it opened a new chapter in American history.
 
Regardless of what happens from here on out, the world is a different place because this country is a different place today.
 
I also think it is a better place. The time is right, and we are ready.
 
As I watched many African-American delegates break down on camera, trying through tears to express their joy and hope for a better America, I realized just how great the Democrats can be.
 
My heart swelled for the minorities among us. It's so true what Obama said in the early months of his campaign --“Somebody’s gonna turn on that television and say: ‘Man - if he can be president of the United States, then what can I do?’"
 
So dream big little brown children, dream big.
 
For all the jokes about Democrats, like the Will Rogers quote -- "I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!" -- we can get it right, we CAN be fearless enough to carve new paths.
 
I truly feel proud to be a Democrat.
 

The Big Dawg came through

Tags:
@ 07:01 AM (1 day, 23 hours ago)

Last night at the Democratic Convention Bill Clinton came out swinging and gave one of his best speeches ever, boldly stating right up front -- "Barack Obama is ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world. Ready to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."
 
Now was that so hard, Bill?
 
Those who thought he would never match his wife's enthusiastic backing of her former rival needn't have worried.
 
You know, Bill's political life seems to follow a certain pattern -- he rides high and he falls low...but he always finds a way to redeem himself when he is down. He did it again with this speech.
 
If there were any Democrats in that audience who were still pissed at Bill Clinton for his behavior during the primaries, they were drowned out by all the wild cheering that erupted when he took the podium.
 
Everyone seemed to leap to their feet in a frenzy of screaming and flag waving...I thought they never would shut up.
 
It crossed my mind that he would get carried away and suddenly accept the Democratic nomination.
 
Hillary really laughed when he was trying to shush the cheering and said, "As much as I love this..." Because she knows how much he revels in the limelight and the applause. You know he misses it.
 
Yet, he put most of his ego on the back burner, and restored his position as the patriarch and elder statesman of the Democratic Party. He spoke about our lives, our hopes, our possibilities...the world we live in and the world we want to create.
 
He was a statesman in his assessment of where this country is and how desperately we need reform and change...and how we need to restore diplomacy, wisdom and prudence overseas. He really nailed it with this line:
 
"People around the world have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."
 
Gosh, remember when Preznits were lucid and could speak complete sentences and stuff?
 
He also nailed it when he brought up the obvious similarity of Barack in ‘08 and Bill in ‘92 -- “The Republicans said I was too young and too inexperienced to be commander in chief. Sound familiar?” Zing!
 
This speech definitely helped heal the Democratic Party, and will help Obama in the general election. Obama would be wise to draw on Bill extensively in the days ahead.
 
Of course, Bill had to get a couple of chops in about his own administration, contrasting how much better Americans lived -- peace, prosperity, etc. -- under his administration versus under George W. Bush’s. But we can allow him that, because he tied it in nicely with Obama's presidency.
 
Yes, Bill was a mixed blessing on the primary campaign trail...he worked tirelessly for his wife, but often strayed off message and delivered angry, finger-wagging tirades.
 
That was the worst of Bill Clinton...last night we saw the best.
 
BTW -- Someone needs to find the wiseguy who is choosing music for the convention and smack him. "Chain of Fools" was on the music track after Obama formally clinched the nomination...and "Addicted to Love" was played when Clinton was leaving the stage.
 

2008/8/27

Late-night jokes recap 8/27

Tags:
@ 07:22 PM (2 days, 10 hours ago)
 
"The theme of the Democratic Convention is unity. Unfortunately they can't agree on how that works." --David Letterman
 
"Yeah, the Democratic Convention is in Denver, and security is tight out there, it is very tight, it's tighter than Nancy Pelosi's face." --David Letterman
 
"But here's what they got lined up for the Democratic Convention there in Denver. Nancy Pelosi will give a speech tonight, then there's a film about Joe Biden, then there's a introduction to Denver by Mayor Hickenlooper, and I'm telling you break out the dip, c'mon! Speakers include Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and former Representative Lee Hamilton, cut me a slice of that!" --David Letterman
 
"Joe Biden is Barack Obama's running mate. Yeah nothing says change like a guy who's been in the Senate for 35 years" --David Letterman
 
"This Thursday, Barack Obama is gonna give his acceptance speech, and reportedly it's going to include performances by Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Yeah. And they say Obama's not black enough!" --Conan O'Brien
 
"Tomorrow night at the Democratic Convention to show her support for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton is going to give a speech. Everyone's waiting to hear what she says, yeah. Hillary's speech is entitled, 'Forget All Those Things I Said During The Primaries.'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"The current issue of Newsweek magazine has a picture of President Bush on the cover with the headline, 'What Bush Got Right.' Yeah, it's true. Newsweek says 'What Bush Got Right' is their shortest cover story since January's issue on famous Korean rabbis." --Conan O'Brien
 
"As you all know by now, Barack Obama sent out a cell phone text message at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning to tell everyone he picked Joe Biden as his vice president. How do you think this makes Hillary Clinton feel, huh? Finally, she gets a telephone call at 3 a.m., it's to tell her they picked Joe Biden." --Jay Leno
 
"Although Joe Biden is in great physical condition, Republicans are raising questions about his health now. I guess he had a brain aneurysm a couple of years ago. Hey, you can't expect every vice president to be the picture of health like Dick Cheney." --Jay Leno
 
"As you know, John McCain is an older, white-haired man who has been in the Senate for over twenty years, voted for the Iraq War, and said Barack Obama did not have the experience to be president. I'm sorry, that's our intro for next week when Joe Biden is on, I got confused." --Jay Leno
 
"Tropical Storm Fay has soaked Florida, ruining thousands of homes, most of them belonging to John McCain." --Jay Leno
 
"In fact, to make Senator McCain feel at home tonight, we gave him seven dressing rooms." --Jay Leno
 
"Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will not be going to the Dem convention, yeah, having some problems. As you know he originally got in trouble for allegedly having an affair and lying about it, to which John Edwards said, 'That's illegal?'" --Jay Leno
 
"How about this John Edwards thing? Imagine that, a personal injury attorney who turns out to be a sleaze ball. Who could have seen that coming?" --Jay Leno
 
"John Edwards has admitted to having an affair, but he's denying that he is the father of the woman's baby. In fact, he says a member of his campaign staff is the baby's father. Campaign staff, how does that work? What, was Edwards running late that day? Huh? Had to send an advance man in? 'Look, I can’t have sex with you. I'm sending Bob down." --Jay Leno

To the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits...

Tags:
@ 08:07 AM (2 days, 22 hours ago)

Hillary Clinton delivered the political speech of her career last night, paving the way for the rest of this convention to be about winning in November...not about some pissed off group of sore losers.
 
She definitely had a message for the PUMA's (which stands for "Party unity my ass"). To paraphrase -- 'I did not work this hard or come this far to have a bunch of soreheads cut off their noses to spite their faces and elect John McCain...one of the worst misogynists ever to run for president."
 
At the beginning of the speech the camera focused on Bill Clinton in the audience and he kept saying (really mouthing), "I love you, I love you, I love you." That was a great personal moment...he could not have looked prouder of her at the beginning nor at the end of the speech.
 
Maybe the key to what keeps them together through thick and thin is the turn-on of politics. Kinky.
 
She was gracious and enthusiastic in her words of support for the Obama-Biden ticket. Her speech will go a long way toward securing the party unity.
 
I wonder if Obama is sitting somewhere thinking about whether he made a mistake in not picking her as VP?
 
She delivered a powerful speech to an audience that returned her emotion, enthusiasm and passion. You could see the admiration in those faces for this woman who has changed the course of presidential politics forever. She put every one of those 18 million cracks in the commander in chief ceiling.
 
She thanked her supporters, calling them her champions -- "my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits. You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history."
 
Here is the part that really touched me:
 
[...] "You know, America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to every challenge in every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good. And I know what that can mean for every man, woman, and child in America.
 
I'm a United States senator because, in 1848, a group of courageous women, and a few brave men, gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.
 
And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter, and a few sons and grandsons along the way.
 
These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes and imagined a fairer and freer world and found the strength to fight, to rally, to picket, to endure ridicule and harassment, and brave violence and jail.
 
And after so many decades, 88 years ago on this very day, the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, became enshrined in our Constitution.
 
My mother was born before women could vote. My daughter got to vote for her mother for president. This is the story of America, of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.
 
So how do we give this country back to them? By following the example of a brave New Yorker, a woman who risked her life to bring slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad.
 
On that path to freedom, Harriet Tubman had one piece of advice: "If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."
 
And even in the darkest moments, that is what Americans have done. We have found the faith to keep going.
 
I have seen it. I have seen it in our teachers and our firefighters, our police officers, our nurses, our small-business owners, and our union workers. I've seen it in the men and women of our military.
 
In America, you always keep going. We're Americans. We're not big on quitting.[..]"
 
http://tinyurl.com/5wapdp
 
Loved --"No way. No how. No McCain."
 
Also --"It's fitting that John McCain and George Bush will be meeting in the Twin Cities next week, because it's getting pretty hard to tell them apart."
 
Attack attack attack, she didn’t give McCain an inch, and yet there was strong, very strong advocacy for Obama.
 
I'm expecting more McCain/Bush attacks from the Big Dawg, that is if he can keep his ego zipped. It would be a very good way for him to earn some respect back from those he pissed off during the primaries.
 
Biden will be another good attack dog...leaving Obama above the fray. A gripe I have with Obama is that he wants to be Mister Rogers of the lovely day in the neighborhood instead of a down and dirty fighter. But then again, Obama routinely speaks against what he calls the ‘‘divisive politics that is all about tearing people down instead of lifting this country up.’’
 
Anyway, the RNC better be wearing a cup because this is not the Democratic Party of 2004.