whoffman's Blog

Nobel Prize - Celebrate It

2009-10-09T15:07:19Z

For those of us who share Obama's international policy goals and diplomatic efforts the prize should be celebrated. Yes, we should remain humble considering the challenges before us. But, we should also be encouraged that our efforts thus far are recognized and supported.

How quickly the media gets everyone spinning. Is this a bad thing for Obama? Is it too soon? If you drink too much of their coffee it acts as a depressant. Have a cup, wake up, and enjoy the day!!!

Glenn Beck: Hypocrisy, Delusion, and Minority

2009-10-02T21:15:52Z

Glenn Beck quote from 2004:

"I read a poll that stated that 60 percent of conservatives thought the economy was good and getting better, while only 35 percent of those on the Left reflected that hope. How is that possible? The facts are what they are, the economy is good and getting better. This type of pessimistic thinking is the Achilles' heal of the liberal Left. They believe themselves to be in the majority when in fact they are not."

He rubs vicks on his eyes to make himself cry. He pours "gasoline" on guests and holds up a match to demonstrate the threat of Obama. Of course the man has an audience, they are part of the delusion. For him it is grandiose, but for his viewers is persecutory. When he was looking at the economy back in 2004 I guess he was referring to the fear mongering business. He made $23 million last year, so I guess he was right. But, he was wrong about the Left...even when we have a majority we act like the minority.

Josh Marshall: 1, Sarah Palin: TBD

2008-09-05T14:41:43Z

Lalo is down on Josh and TPM, but she wants talking points. She wants a controlled response from a disparate group of people. See: http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/sarah-palin-1-josh-marshall-0.php Some blame those who sought to begin the vetting process upon Palin's announcement for turning her into a hero and will pin the blame on them should McCain win the election. But, let's consider some other possibilities? 1. Maybe getting some doubts about Palin into the media in advance of the convention was a good idea. Letting the GOP roll her out while remaining silent seems to me a very bad strategy (one you would have probably criticized had they gone that route). 2. That the Republicans would have focused on the small percentage of the angry left that cannot be controlled regardless what is done by the "Progressive" blogosphere. They are going to use whatever cards they are dealt or slipped into their sleeves. 3. It forced the GOP and Palin to overplay their hand. Yes, attacking the media plays well to the general public. But, she doesn't look like much of a victim after her speech. There are still two months for the questions about Palin (and lack of substance on issues like the economy) to be explored. The faucet hasn't been turned off. 4. A certain portion of the public, let's call them Fox News watching Republicans, love talking points. After accusing Obama supporters of drinking the kool-aid some are now advocating that all Democrats take a swig. It's not only impossible to put everyone into this little box, it would be our downfall as a party and a nation. The appeal to independents is the welcoming of different ideas and perspectives. Yes, sometimes they tend toward the extreme but these are easily criticized (some people think they are geniuses when they do so) or ignored.

Senate Voting Record - MIA or POW

2008-09-02T17:59:06Z

McCain became the presumptive nominee for the Republican party in March. Obama in June.

Based on this you might have expected that McCain would have voted more often than Obama.

McCain has the reputation of being a Maverick despite having voted with Bush 95% of the time in 2007. But, maybe 2008 is different...let's see.

Since mid-April there have been 100 votes in the Senate.

McCain has zero votes. That's right, on the last 100 votes in Senate he's not voted. Nadda, zilch. Apparently the Straight Talk Express doesn't come to Washington DC.

Obama has seventeen votes and on three of them he bucked the party line. We can go back and argue the FISA decision if you want, but at least he made a decision.

Source:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/votes/
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/votes/

New McCain Theory

2008-09-02T14:15:26Z

After being trashed by Rove and Bush in 2000, the Maverick Man decided to take on a stealth mission.

As his votes on tax cuts and other important issues show it was occassionally difficult at first to sever the few ties he had to reason and logic. McCain even swallowed his pride, FOR US, and endorsed W in 2004.

He knew to win the nomination he must vote with Bush as often as possible. In a selfless act not seen from John since his service in the military he had decided to kill any chance for a Republican to take office in 2008.

Not even his closest advisors knew what he planned. Only Cindy knew. She bought all those houses so that they would not gain the biggest and whitest one available.

The Senator from Arizona will do everything he can to ensure the GOP will not win in November. It's a difficult battle against the forces of apathy and stupidity in our country. The media is doing everything it can to overcome this sabotage. But, as the Palin pick shows John is determined and he will succeed!!!

Hillary and Bill's Speeches

2008-08-26T15:34:41Z

I'm looking forward to Hill and Bill's speeches! It will be fun to see the McCain camp and republican pundits scrambling afterwards. It will provide the shift in narrative that will allow Carville and others in the media to move on and stop feeding the fires of animosity. Sure there will still be some focus on the PUMAs, but the bigger story will be whether McCain can untie the knot.

The Clintons will tie McCain to Bush like we haven't seen yet. Richardson and others will help to tighten that knot.

They can keep repeating Maverick all they want, but when Cheney opens the Republican National Convention those who want real change will know McCain is more of the same.

Give 'em your best Hillary!

McCain, The Maverick Man

2008-08-01T13:51:45Z

The Marlboro Man was one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history. But, as more people became aware of the health risks the image began to suffer. Two of the men who appeared in ads died of lung cancer. One of them (McClaren) had even fought for anti-smoking legislation. For many the Republican brand is as difficult to let go of as it is for a smoker to let go of their Marlboros. They increasingly recognize the risks to the health of our economy, climate, and national security. We have seen the death of a Republican majority in Congress. There are many Obamacans, but none are more important than Senator Hagel. Phillip Morris successfully suppressed a documentary entitled, "Death In the West", looking at the myth of the Marlboro Man. It eventually aired, but how many more were hurt? The neocons could not silence Hagel and for this I could not be more thankful. We will see more and more distraction and Rovian tactics from the "Maverick" rather than focusing on the issues. Why? Because McCain is on the wrong side of them with the great majority of the American people. The only reason he has a chance in this election is because a significant number of our citizens fall into one of three categories: 1. uninformed/apathetic 2. misinformed/manipulated 3. addiction/compulsion The more we can debate the issues the more we can impact the first two groups. For the third, think about what is most effective at kicking the habit. Try to get them into DeFOXication. Understand that they have built up a tolerance to intolerance. Talk to them about the effects of second-hand smoke on those around them, especially their children. On a related note, I hope Obama has been able to give up his smoking habit. Either way I'm confident he will leave the Maverick Man behind come November.

Prediction on McCain's VP

2008-07-25T17:09:34Z

It will be Lieberman based on McCain's recognition that he's becoming a big underdog and none of the conventional choices will impact the leaners. He's got to take the risk that the base crying out for Romney, Pawlenty, and Jindal will hold their nose in an effort to prevent a Democratic president.

Lieberman obviously recognizes his fate is tied to McCain. His political future is extremely cloudy unless he gets the VP or a cabinet position. So, forget the denials made in January and follow his trail since then. At a certain point you will find only one set of footprints and you'll find him riding on McCains back. He knows John is probably not strong enough to carry him past November, but what choice does he have?

McCain's recent attacks on Obama's overseas trip and the surge

2008-07-25T15:37:48Z

The media is giving McCain entirely too much latitude with his recent attacks on Obama's overseas trip and on the surge.

I believe McCain visited some foreign countries while campaigning. Since there was so much focus on Obama's making a possible gaffe, shouldn't we talk a bit more about McCain's market stroll and mixing up the Sunni and the Shii'a. Since part of the criticism is that he should be focused on domestic problems, what exactly has McCain achieved during this time...and no, repeating the same ole' same ole at every town hall doesn't count. I'd say the only thing he's shown is a sense of humor with the JV jokes, but for me it's just another comparison to our current Comedian/Commander-in-Chief.

Obama has spoken recently about his views on the surge, but McCain and the media to a large extent continue to ignore it. In the Couric interview he gave credit to the surge and our troops for the reduction in violence. Why is McCain not asked about whether the $200 billion spent on the surge could have had a more positive result in making America safer had it been put into Afghanistan? Why is McCain allowed to ignore or distort (changing the timelines) the impact of the Anbar awakening. How can he be allowed to pretend to know whether more political pressure and some change in tactics without a surge would have led to a worse situation? When thinking about that last question think back to his predictions of the Iraq war at it's start.

Please encourage your favorite media outlets to look at McCain's recent attacks a bit deeper.

Why not McCain?

2008-06-04T18:49:23Z

Here are three reasons: Poor judgement, abuse of power, and manipulation of the media. No, I'm not talking about Iraq yet. I'm talking about his handling of Cindy McCain's prescription drug addiction. It's not a case of his trying to protect his wife from public scrutiny, that would be understandable. He was driven by revenge and self-interest.

Supreme Court Appointments - It's not only roe-vs-wade, but issues such as electronic surveillance, gun control, capital punishment, etc... that you must consider.

Middle East - Maybe you are thinking "The Surge" wasn't such a bad idea, but you know what is? Electing a president who doesn't understand the complexities in Iraq. We need political progress in Iraq and you cannot expect this from somone who confuses Sunni and Shiites. You need somone who doesn't look only at how many US soldiers have died recently to judge our success, but considers the impact on our ability to confront and respond to threats elsewhere. He is a warmonger, at least thats the only reasonable explanation I see for his making false claims about Iran seeking to acquire nuclear weapons when the intelligence community says they did so five years ago. And, that Iran is training al-Qaida.

Economy - The only thing McCain has is to call Obama a "tax and spend" liberal. Don't like taxes? Then don't put them off by adding to our public debt, but remember the interest rates are a killer and someday the bill will come due. Economists see McCain's proposal going way over budget, so he fits into the recent conservative mold of "spend and spend". The benefits go to the top, but don't trickle down.

In a recent interview in The Wall Street Journal, he was unaware that his Web site endorsed a different plan regarding Social Security than the one he was touting to the interviewer. It's understandable when you consider something he said back in 2005.

"I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated." But, “I’ve got Greenspan’s book,” he assured the audience.

Military - If you are a veteran or currently serving, thank you! If you admire McCain for his service, I suggest sending him a letter telling him so. But, before you use this as a reason for your vote look at his record. Not just his stance on the recent GI Bill. For years he has opposed legislation that veterans and their advocates deem vital.

These are some reasons why not, feel free to add others...

McCain's Rove Campaign - Focus on Your Neighbors

2008-05-16T15:47:37Z

As expected McCain is running a Rove campaign.

As an Obama supporter I've been called naive throughout the primaries. It's assumed that I drank the kool-aid. But, I made my decision after careful consideration of the issues and the candidates themselves. I had no doubt that McCain would go to the gutter. The fear card will be played again. And, we'll see lots of attempts at character assassination and swiftboating from 527s.

If we didn't I would be worried. McCain wants to maintain his image of a maverick and to run what is perceived to be a high-minded campaign so he can maintain his cross-over appeal. It's in part what allowed him to capture the Republican nomination, but the perceived success of the surge was a bigger factor.

But, unless something drastic changes in Iraq perceived success will not be enough in the General Election. Even if he gets some help there, the economy is the number one issue with voters an area where he is weak.

McCain is really stuck in the middle. While the base has shifted a bit towards the center, he still needs to reach out to those on the extreme right. And, he is under pressure from the establishment (who have even less to hang their hat on than McCain) to do so.

But, when he takes it too far he risks not only the independents but some moderates and true conservatives that want to send a message that they want their party back. I don't see any way he will be able to play both sides of this and come out ahead.

I would have been much more worried if he were to maintain a high-minded campaign and done more to separate himself from Bush, Limbaugh, and the like.

This does not mean we ignore the attacks. No, the Obama campaign and Democratic party should respond as they have already. Call them out and each time make it clear that it's an attempt to distract from the issues and divide us.

But, knowing that they will not change I encourage you to focus your efforts on your neighbors. Write an op-ed asking whether these kinds of attacks really represent their values. Look for opportunities to remind them about the real issues (Iraq, healthcare, jobs, etc...).

172 days...

Hillary Clinton - Perception or Deception

2008-05-06T14:28:58Z

The below quote is from an article in the NY Times dated January 10, 1995 entitled "Hillary Clinton Asks Help In Finding a Softer Image".

"I am surprised at the way people seem to perceive me," she said, "and sometimes I read stories and hear things about me and I go 'ugh.' I wouldn't like her either. It's so unlike what I think I am or what my friends think I am." Mrs. Clinton added: "So I can only guess that people are getting perceptions about me from things I am saying or doing in ways that don't correspond with things I am trying to get across. I didn't get this whole image creation thing. I see what it can do but I'm not sure I get it. I have let other people define me."

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1D6103BF933A25752C0A963958260

I don't think there has been enough discussion about the challenges of a woman running for President.

Maybe they were crocodile tears earlier in the campaign, but that's a difficult judgement to make. Politics don't leave much room for empathy. And, more than any other candidate Hillary must maintain her tough "guy" image with the general public. Many see it as a contradiction and perceive her to be cold and calculated. Even calling into question her decision to stay with Bill. I don't think this is fair.

But, since when is politics fair. The only things we have to determine what a candidate is trying to get across are their words and actions. At the beginning of this campaign I allowed that others may have defined her and my perceptions of her were unfair. But, what I see now is that she is the one tangling the web.

What do you think?

Digging our way to China...

2008-05-05T12:40:18Z

You will not find it in your credit report.
You will probably not get a reminder in the mail.
But, you owe $30,751.

That is each citizen's share of the Outstanding Public Debt.

$9,346,419,103,203.92 divided by the estimated population of 303,932,643.

Please inform your Republican friends that during the last seven and half years this bill has increased by $11,470.

Bush dug that hole another 3.7 trillion dollars deeper. Ask them if they want McCain to pickup the shovel. If they do suggest they learn Chinese because you really can dig your way to China.

Source: http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np

My Moment of Truth - March 19, 2003

2008-05-02T17:50:57Z

Below is what I wrote on March 19, 2003. It is an unedited look at what I was thinking one day before the war began.

"The withdraw(al) of the resolution is actually a diplomatic effort in itself and every statement up until the start of the war is as well. The US, Britain, and Spain would welcome further backing from the world...it would certainly reduce anti-americanism. The argument that the US have always wanted war is irrelevant from the view that Saddam/Iraq has had the time needed to show the world it has changed. They have not willingly given up anything. Longer time for inspection will not slow down any plans for terrorism or uncover well hidden weapons of mass destruction. It will also not mean freedom for oppressed Iraqi people. It is a choice of action versus appeasement and history has shown us that tyrants do not change and waiting means only more destruction. More hinges on what we find in Iraq than who was with or against us. If there is no evidence that Saddam was a great risk to the world the US reputation will be damaged, but many would call this a benefit. If no evidence and it is a precision operation Iraq will still be better off, the greatest risk is that we find nothing and many civilians are killed as it will be an impetus for attacking the US. But, if the risk is shown the UN and governments around the world will find it easier to act for democracy in the future even if it means war. If we are not united for peace, we can not afford the cost of it."

I wish that I had given more voice to my doubts. But, I clearly allowed my fears to override all of it. My eyes were open to the worst possibilities, no WMD and loss of innocent lives. Yet, I did not act. I can try to excuse it by saying that I trusted our government and leaders to make the right decision. I can blame the media or war hawks. But, it was me or more accurately "not me". I lost my individuality and sense of personal responsibility. The disasterous results of our invasion make this easier to see, but had "we" been proven right I would still have been wrong.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

Obama = Roger Maris

2008-05-01T15:03:00Z

How many delegates needed to win nomination? 2024

How many more does Obama need? 291

How many is Obama expected to pickup in Guam, Indiana, and North Carolina? 100 (give or take a few)

How many undeclared superdelegates? 233

Will 191 of them endorse Obama by May 7th?

Unlikely.

But, look down the road. Obama can be expected to win about 100 more delegates in remaining primaries and 30 from add-ons to be named.

So, how many new superdelegates does Obama need? 61

A lot of people were angry when Roger Maris hit 61 homeruns in 1961 surpassing Babe Ruth's record. He was considered an outsider despite having won the American League MVP in 1960. Many fans wanted their hero Mickey Mantle to be the one to do it.

Mickey said "It was all I lived for, to play baseball." and Roger was quoted as saying "All I wanted was to be a good ballplayer."

Baseball was better for having those two exceptional and gifted athletes. I didn't get to see them play live, but I'm thankful to witness this historic campaign and for these two talented politicians. Like baseball it's a long season and easy to get frustrated from one game to the next.

Obama will be the one to break the record. I believe he will be our first African American President. When Obama gets the nomination I will celebrate his achievement and hope his hard work earned him new fans. I will not revel in the disappointment of Hillary fans. She's our teammate.

One final note: I look forward to seeing our first woman President one day (maybe it will be one of my daughters).