dharmabum's Blog

Is Goldfarb McCain's Igor?

2008-10-31T13:57:10Z

There are many serious things to be said about this election, and others say it better, so I'll just stick with being silly:

While watching this clip of Michael Goldfarb stumbling around his whopper of a fib, I kept thinking it reminded me of something I'd seen before.

Then I realized: it reminded me of this little scene in one of my favorite movies.

A frivolous post that became halfway thoughtful

2008-10-15T20:27:37Z

I was terribly amused at David Kurtz's post this morning where he said: "Tonight's the big night: the season finale of Project Runway. Also, a presidential debate."

Indeed. Must I choose between watching Tim Gunn or Barack Obama? Both are tall, elegant, dignified, beautifully-spoken men. This season Tim has had to endure the snarks from the Season 5 villianess, Kenley. Barack Obama has had to endure snarks from John McCain. At one point this season, after Kenley became extremely disrespectful towards Tim, his parting comment was: "Mind your game, Kenley." All day I've been entertaining myself by thinking of Obama telling McCain to mind his game.

That's all pretty trivial and superficial -- but we need those escape hatches, don't we? And yet, it has set me to thinking about certain parallels. The season finale of Project Runway is the big show on the catwalk in Bryant Park, during fashion week in New York City. It's pure show and entertainment. High drama and last-minute preparations precede the event. Excellent presentation is expected. Great style is rewarded. After the show, the fashion reporters run about and interview various celebrities and fashion luminaries about their impressions.

Now how different is that from a televised political debate? I know, one event is no more than cloth and frippery (that most of us could never afford) being paraded down a catwalk. The other is a discussion of the critical issues that our world is facing, including economic matters that will affect our ability to buy the fundamentals of life. And yet, for many people, much of what they respond to in the debates is style and presentation.

For that reason, the debates frustrate and fascinate me. It will be interesting viewing tonight. Carry on.

Just sayin'

2008-10-14T17:26:26Z

I find it terribly entertaining to watch the expressions and body language of the person who isn't speaking when McCain and Palin are at a joint rally. The joint rally yesterday (October 13) amused me greatly, but then again, I am easily amused. Palin had on a white blouse and a skirt and wore her hair down. While standing behind McCain, she reminded me of a piano student who was next in line to play at the recital, and who very much believed that they were better than the person who was currently playing.

When McCain made a comment that was critical of the Bush economic policies of the last 8 years, Palin visibly knotted her brows together, as if she disagreed with that statement. On a very simple level, she can't do the smile and nod-in-agreement as well as either Cindy McCain or her hubby Todd. And I bet she likes Bush better than McCain. I half expected her to whomp him on the back and say: "Hey! Stop sayin' that 'bout my W!"

There's any number of reasons that people have given for why she wasn't a good pick for McCain, but in watching her, it's almost palpable that she thinks she's the star and she should be running the show. She does not play well with others if she is not in charge. I would there's a lot of grating going on behind the scenes and it's only helping to keep the McCain campaign off-kilter. He want her as spokesmodel and she wants to rule the world.

She also delivers her speeches in the same cadence and tone of voice that Rachael Ray uses when she's really cranked up on her cooking show. (Granted, Rachael does not emply the "Fargo" accent and usually pronounces the "g" at the end of "ing" words.) It's one thing to use that loud, chirpy voice and cutie-pie demeanor on a cooking show, it's another thing to use it when delivering speeches as a vice-presidential candidate. MSNBC ran a good 10 minutes of a Palin speech on Sunday, and she never modulated down into quieter or more serious tones. Good lord, at least Rachael Ray can quiet down, or she just goes to commercial breaks! I would have hoped the media consultants could have trained Palin to hold it down a bit, but maybe they don't want to, or maybe she just refuses.

To tie this all up, this is probably the closest to having Rachael and Sarah on the same stage.

Call me way over the top

2008-10-04T16:38:18Z

.... because I probably am being that way, but here's my gut reaction to this McCain ad about Obama.

First, I think they're using the old trick of making Obama's skin tone look darker. Second, the photo of Obama at the start, where he's looking up and to the side, forehead wrinkled, reminded me of someone. This person is often pictured with that expression on his face.

Since he's in the news these days, if there's an attempt at subliminal (or not-so-subliminal) tweaking, that sort of stinks. But I'd put nothing past the Rovians.

No pity for Palin

2008-09-27T19:39:18Z

Being a woman, I read with some interest Judith Warner's blog in the New York Times, where she professes pity for Sarah Palin.

It made me groan. I feel no pity for Palin whatsoever.

What I have noticed recently is how well rested she looks. I would expect to she her looking a bit frayed around the edges, with dark circles under her eyes from putting in overtime trying to learn the issues.  And I don't see that, not one little bit.  One would think she'd be burning the candle at both ends, learning as much as she can to become a credit to this ticket.  Either than isn't happening, or the McCain campaign has decided the fresh pretty face is more important than actual substance.

I also don't see desperation or panic in her face. I think she is narcissitic enough to assent to being on the ticket when she is utterly unqualified.  She sees being on the ticket as a mark of her superiority.

Palin also doesn't have a record of being especially compassionate for people who aren't her own.  Let's not feel sorry for her.

Foreign policy and eye contact

2008-09-27T16:04:50Z

A lot has been made about McCain's lack of eye contact with Obama, and certainly, watching him made me uncomfortable. All that grimacing and grinning and squinting when he wasn't talking really impacted my ability to listen to him when he was speaking. What I saw was a nasty, twitchy control freak.

So on foreign policy, do we want a President who acts this way when talking to another head of state? Maybe that is why he doesn't want to speak to, or negotiate with, any head of state that isn't 100% on his side -- because he can't hold himself together well enough to listen in a calm and respectful manner.

Don't Americans usually want that calm, rational, look-you-in-the-eye sort of President who will project a strong image to both them and to the rest of the world? That is where I thought Obama's comments regarding restoring the image of the U.S. to the rest of the world were excellent. Bush has torn that image down, and did the man standing next to Obama show the qualities needed to restore that image, or would he only build on the Bush legacy, only in an even more disrespectful and unlikable manner?

It's all about Sarah

2008-09-12T01:34:38Z

In the Palin interview clips, it certainly didn't seem like she was very interested in talking about John McCain. While she was (at least some of the time) parroting his stances because the catch phrases had been drilled into her head, she certainly didn't say the things that I would expect, like "Senator's McCain's stance on that policy is..." or "I fully support Senator McCain's position, which is..."

It's like she's forgotten who is at the top of the ticket. I have to wonder if the McCain camp has lathered up Palin to such an extent that she could care less whether she talks about old whatshisface. I think Gibson's use of the word "hubris" was perfect. I halfway expect to see her show up at a rally with a t-shirt that says: "It's all about ME."