This is good, good news.

I like "hair-trigger," "reckless," "out of control," and "foolhardy" better than "hothead" or "trigger-happy." The latter two have elements of machismo to them while the other terms don't. Then again, "confused and hot-headed" as a combination is pretty devastating. The core truth of these descriptions is inescapable.

This also paves the way for a great line: "We need a steady hand in the White House." This simultaneously hits McCain's age and lack of self-control, and puts Obama's cool temper in a positive light.

Posted at August 20, 2008 9:38 PM in response to Obama Campaign: McCain Is A Reckless Hothead

I'm not even sure if what you claim is true. If it is, however: countries that don't allow dual citizenship for adults frequently allow it for children. See, e.g., Japan (dual citizenship fine until you turn 20).

Posted at August 20, 2008 12:19 PM in response to McCain: I'm Questioning Obama's Patriotism? Moi? Never!

"John McCain has eight houses, thinks that you're only rich when you make over five million dollars a year, and wants to give tax cuts to millionaires. John McCain doesn't understand the economy and how hard things are for ordinary folks.

"John McCain said our troops could stay in Iraq for a hundred years, and said that timelines were unacceptable. Then he said he supported a timeline. Then he said he didn't. John McCain doesn't understand Iraq and is too confused to lead.

"John McCain keeps talking about countries that haven't existed for a decade. In a time of international crisis, we need a President who understands the world, not someone who's confused by world events.

"John McCain said he doesn't know how to send an email and that he 'watches the internet.' John McCain is too confused about technology to give us the leadership we need in times of fast progress and complexity."

Etc., etc. This obviously needs some fine-tuning, but I think it's a powerful line of attack.

Posted at August 20, 2008 12:17 PM in response to McCain: I'm Questioning Obama's Patriotism? Moi? Never!

It's unbelievable that McCain is still getting away this. But it's becoming such a consistent theme of his that I can't imagine him getting a pass on it much longer; if this gets shoved in the faces of the news anchors enough (a big if, I suppose) they'll have to start dealing with McCain smearing Obama and then lying openly about the smears he has made days or hours earlier.

I'm still partial to branding McCain as a kind of crazy, Bush-lovin', war-mongering Grandpa Simpson—a senile old man who doesn't know what's going on around him most of the time and votes with Bush in his rare moments of partial lucidity. McCain's preposterous, brazen lies about his own conduct fit pretty well into that narrative.

Posted at August 20, 2008 12:08 PM in response to McCain: I'm Questioning Obama's Patriotism? Moi? Never!

Fellow Obama supporters, enough with the handwringing. We nearly passed out from hyperventilation when the Clinton campaign got Samantha Power's resignation and HRC began talking about the "Commander-in-Chief threshold." Obama's campaign steered him through that, through Reverend Wright, through "Obama's not a Muslim, as far as I know," the Somali garb photo, and everything else. His campaign is being run by professionals.

Here is what I think is going to happen:
1) The campaign is going to keep their responses fairly restrained this week. Doesn't mean they won't strike back, but it won't be as shrill as McCain's campaign is right now.
2) They are going to go into the convention with a lot of positive energy. That's an absolute key in cementing the narrative: Obama is an all-American family man, not the oh-so-feared angry black man (even if his anger is directed at an imbecilic war-monger who is slandering him).
3) VP selection.
4) Obama campaign, VP included, kicks in the media offensive into gear.
5) As the campaign heats up, Obama raises over $100 million in September.

On that last point, I stopped donating for a few months after the primary because I had donation-fatigue and nothing was really pissing me off in the way that Clinton's attacks had. Now that McCain is ramping up the sleaze machine, I'm starting to get angry again and my money has once again started flowing to Obama. All my donations up until now have been for $50-$100, and I gave $50 last month. Watching McCain try to re-ignite the cold war, call Obama treasonous, and refer to "President Putin of Germany" has me thinking it may be time to drop $1,000 into the Obama campaign.

Posted at August 18, 2008 11:43 AM in response to McCain Just After 9/11: "Next Up, Baghdad!"

This is EXCELLENT NEWS!!! FOR HILLARY!!!

Posted at April 16, 2008 10:53 AM in response to Poll Gives Obama Narrow Lead In Pennsylvania

Every single person I have ever met who claims to have "moved beyond race" has been (1) white, and (2) tragically (and massively) ignorant of how the vast majority of non-white Americans perceive the influence of race today. It's very easy to "move beyond" a problem that has only secondary effects on you.

Posted at March 19, 2008 3:16 PM in response to E Pluribus, Unum

What I found particularly remarkable about Obama's speech was its tremendous efficacy in exposing the base quality of mainstream media analysis of race issues.

I think regardless of whether you're a Clinton or Obama supporter, we can all agree that the media has done an abysmal job of looking at how race plays a role in this campaign. They've been content to touch the topic on only the most superficial level: what level of black votes versus white votes versus Latino votes Obama or Hillary has won in each successive state; whether Gerri Ferraro "went too far"; whether Obama has a "Farrakhan problem." I haven't seen a single media personality actually evaluate the content of Wright's sermons and ask why such a large number of African Americans in the audience voiced their agreement with him. The talking heads aren't willing to take a step back and actually consider what motivates the demographic voting trends we've seen beyond simplistic references to "identity politics." And the media has been quick as ever to give voice the cretinous bamboozlers who focus on monumentally trivialities like Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel pin and his so-called "patriotism problem."

Obama's speech—in its breadth and depth, in its seriousness and potency—shocked me. I had become so used to the idiotic squabbling in the media that I had quite literally forgotten that this kind of measured, profound assessment of the issue was possible. And Obama offered more than an assessment; he offered a starting point, a recognition of the many identical desires held by people of all races, from which we can embark in trying to solve the problems that plague this country.

When you compare what Obama offered us last night with what Brit Hume offered us last weekend (endless commentary on Wright to the exclusion of any substantive disccusion about issues Americans face today), Hume looks like a worm. He is pathetic and petty and—most importantly—bad for America as a nation. The media's obsession with black anger has prevented us from recognizing the goals common to the vast majority of us Americans and the steps we need to take to accomplish those goals. Obama's speech allowed me to take a step back and recognize just how profoundly wretched the quality of debate is on this issue.

Posted at March 19, 2008 3:01 PM in response to E Pluribus, Unum

Are you an attorney, Fly? I see some of the language of lawyers here ("classic captive agency," etc.).

Just curious. Your writing is excellent.

Posted at March 17, 2008 12:36 PM in response to It's the Economy, Stupid

The more Wright stuff I read the more I agree with the guy. Of course, I'm sure 99% of the American public has a different perspective.

Posted at March 14, 2008 12:00 PM in response to Obama: I "Profoundly Disagree" With Pastor Over "God Damn America" Comments