Born on the Planet Krypton
Marc Ambinder tells some of Obama's jokes from the Al Smith Memorial Dinner.
I saw Obama and McCain deliver their speeches on Rachel, tonite. There was one interesting moment of body language. Obama looked at McCain and said it deserved to be repeated, that McCain had distinguished himself with honor in the service of his country--or something to that effect--and McCain visibly swelled. He was clearly having an emotional reaction. Obama was very gracious, and when he left the lectern, having finished on a note about walking together in the sunshine, McCain rose to his feet and tried to hug Obama with the limited range of motion he has in his arms. You can only imagine the panopoly of emotions he must have felt to be publicly honored by the man whose character he has devoted himself to assassinating.
It was a very interesting moment that came on the heels of a speech where Obama once again appealed to the better Angels of our Nature. It is remarkable to hear a politician deliver a speech that he wrote himself--but to hear a speech that is articulate and eloquent, and high minded without being maudlin, is very rare, these days. You can't help but get the feeling that he is the real thing, the American 'archetype', what Will Rogers used to call, the Real Bird.
I saw Obama and McCain deliver their speeches on Rachel, tonite. There was one interesting moment of body language. Obama looked at McCain and said it deserved to be repeated, that McCain had distinguished himself with honor in the service of his country--or something to that effect--and McCain visibly swelled. He was clearly having an emotional reaction. Obama was very gracious, and when he left the lectern, having finished on a note about walking together in the sunshine, McCain rose to his feet and tried to hug Obama with the limited range of motion he has in his arms. You can only imagine the panopoly of emotions he must have felt to be publicly honored by the man whose character he has devoted himself to assassinating.
It was a very interesting moment that came on the heels of a speech where Obama once again appealed to the better Angels of our Nature. It is remarkable to hear a politician deliver a speech that he wrote himself--but to hear a speech that is articulate and eloquent, and high minded without being maudlin, is very rare, these days. You can't help but get the feeling that he is the real thing, the American 'archetype', what Will Rogers used to call, the Real Bird.
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Rachel showed both McSham and Obama's speaches at the Al Smith event...
McSham was a hoot! He really was! And he was gracious in the end...
Obama was funny... (although I think McLame's writers were better)...
It was a lot of fun to watch the two of them doing a different dance.
Obama got the last word and he knocked it out of the park...
October 16, 2008 10:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah I was watching. McCain seemed to be roasting the Clintons. Zoroastrian New Year? No way he came up with that, himself. I am sure it will be up on youtube soon. It was a great piece of political theater.
October 16, 2008 10:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
They did fantastic, McCain's was freakin hilarious though. It's good to see them in that same venue though, shows that more than likely they can come together after this election. I just want to make sure it is caught on tape when McCain calls Obama, MR. PRESIDENT.
October 16, 2008 10:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, it's like he was free to be who he really is, which is a prankster, at heart. I think this campaign and it's iron bands of discipline has damaged him deep down in his soul. All those guys who used to hang with him on his bus and drink vodka with him were mystified at his transformation. It's weird. Cause if he had been the guy we saw at the Al Smith dinner things might have turned out totally differently...
October 16, 2008 10:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's Ambinder's McCain jokes: Click Here
October 16, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a nice write up from The Swamp
October 16, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Definitely a good hearted night for all involved. I actually detest John McCain a little less tonight, that's until saw that robocall headline once again.
October 16, 2008 11:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. This is some schizophrenic sh*t...what Gregory Bateson called 'a double bind'.
October 17, 2008 7:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
That was indeed a telling -and surprisingly moving- moment, c4logic. I really do not want my lingering memories of Johnny Mac to be bitter ones. The diehard liberal optimist in me can only hope and pray that he groks matters a bit more humanely after tonight.
It is truly not worth losing your very soul over, John.
October 16, 2008 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, I am definitely in the we are all one big family camp. What kind of world would we have if nobody was ever able to forgive and let live?
October 17, 2008 7:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Alaska?
Cheney-world?
October 17, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
good call. Cheney is probably the patron saint of Alaska.
October 17, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
As I commented elsewhere, McCain seemed so much more comfortable and at home in this liberal, largely Democratic setting than he did at his own convention (or, for that matter, *any* Republican events...). Sad.
October 17, 2008 2:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Now here is something that puzzles me. At the write up of the event at the Chicago Tribune, I read the following:
"He drew boos from the crowd when he tried making a joke about AIG, noting that the fine wine and gourmet food resembled a retreat of the troubled insurance company."
Why did they boo Obama over this line? Can someone explain this? This is lost on me.
October 17, 2008 8:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think they were booing at AIG, not McCain. I noticed the same thing on those response graphs shown for the debates. The line (sometimes) dipped at the mention of something unpopular, regardless of what the candidate was saying about it. Did anyone else notice this?
October 17, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ahh--that makes sense. I have been to the Hilton in Half Moon Bay that was the location of the AIG junket. It's very nice. Very nice. Too nice for taxpayers to pick up the tab.
October 17, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink