Republican Party of Wisconsin Mailings

Although the latest Wisconsin poll shows McCain down 11 points here to Obama, the Republican Party of Wisconsin is blanketing Milwaukee with mailings. I received five of them yesterday.

Mailing 1 asks, “Who is Barack Obama?” When you open it up it is laid out like a newspaper. “Obama and His Friends” is featured at the top with pictures of Tony Rezko and Obama and Rezko’s house in the Hyde Park neighborhood. There are other questions posed on the mailing like “What has Obama done for Rezko?” This mailing tries to put Obama in a bad light by letting us know that one person he is loosely affiliated with got in trouble with the law. Couldn’t we all be attacked like this if we were running? I know someone in jail. We used to be friends. I think this person would have given me money back in the day if I were campaigning for office. Does this make me a bad person? And enough with this who is Barack Obama? bullshit. We know Obama as well as anybody else in the race. He has been appearing in public for 21 months, held countless interviews and press conferences and has had his whole life raked over with a fine toothed comb.

Mailing 2 features a quote from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, “The fall of the satanic power of the United States has come…” Below that, “Barack Obama thinks he can appease this guy?” Let’s go to the dictionary. Appease – to pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands. I wouldn’t be voting for Obama if this were his reason for talking to this nutter. However, some people, including the Republican Party of Wisconsin, confuse appease with pacify. Let’s go to the dictionary again. Pacify – to quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of. Well, I think that is exactly the reason Obama might be willing to meat with such nasty folks. At first I believe he would try to pacify the situation with words and face-to-face contact. If this fails, I believe Obama has the guts to pacify the situation with the use or threatened use of military force (the second definition of pacify).

Mailing 3 is too easy to rip apart. Featuring a quote from the esteemed Las Vegas Review-Journal, the mailing accuses Obama as being a “Recipe for Economic Disaster.” I am pretty sure we are in one now thanks to the Republican deregulation addicts. This isn’t Obama’s fault, and it won’t be his fault if he gets in the White House. It will be his responsibility to try to fix it. Fix it he might. I am much more willing to give him a shot at fixing it than I am about to give that shot to McCain.

Mailing 4 uses a quote from Ezra Klein: “Obama is that oddest of all creatures: a leader who’s never led.” You should Google Ezra Klein and find his blog. I haven’t seen the whole article that this quote was taken from, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Klein was somehow referring to the natural ability of some people’s leadership even though they technically haven’t been put in charge of anything yet. This describes Barack Obama and it doesn’t give me any doubts about putting him in the White House.

Mailing 5 unsuccessfully tries to tie Barack Obama to lobbyists. I don’t know, some people might be fooled by this if they haven’t been watching the news or reading the newspaper in the last couple of months. For a while there a new McCain staffer/advisor was having his/her lobbying history uncovered in headlines once a week. It says at the bottom, “Barack Obama. Not Who You Think He Is.” Might I add, this mailing and mailing four both feature unflattering pictures of Obama like he is constipated on the toilet. Push, man. Push. Only four days left.

The PO - Political Orgasm

When was the last time the evening news started off its broadcast with a story about Iraq? I have heard this question posed many different times, but I’ve been thinking about the answer a lot more lately because the news is completely saturated with the last four days of the campaign.

The answer for me is several weeks ago and months ago if you exclude any story about the economy. What will the pundits and journalists have to talk about and report on, respectively, after November 4^th? I am sure they will find something. Hopefully, we have a clear winner on the 4^th so that this doesn’t become 2000 all over again.

The pundits have been talking politics for a good year now and some of them hit it 24 hours a day. Actually, the news networks have just evolved into political news teams all day, every day. If you really want news you might have to read the paper. Of course you will have to turn a few pages in to get non-political news, but it is there.

I think some of the talking heads are going to spontaneously combust on Tuesday night. They have been building and building for this moment, some for months and others for years, and now it is time for them and the whole country to climax Tuesday night.

What an unfortunately accurate choice of words. 

I am not Joe the Plumber

There is a McCain commercial out right now featuring a bunch of middle-aged women and a few men saying, “I’m Joe the Plumber.” One guy agrees with Joe, in that he doesn’t want those working harder than him and those making more money than him (presumed to be the same groups of people) to be taxed because of their success.

If you have an issue with the rich being taxed at a much higher rate than the middle and lower classes, fine. That’s a reasonable concern of yours, but do you, and does the McCain camp, really think that people making more than you are automatically working harder than you?

I hope not. I concede that there are a lot of people making $250,000 a year that work harder than me, but I am not convinced the majority of them are necessarily working harder than the people I know that don’t make $250,000 a year (a.k.a. almost every single person I know).

The man featured in the McCain spot also seems to express the anger he might feel if one of his harder working friends, making over $250,000 a year, is taxed at a higher rate than he is.

A warning to all of you: Call me crazy, but if you start making over $250,000 a year and put yourself into that higher tax bracket, I am just not going to feel frustrated for you. I know, freaking mean. You can call me a wealth-spreader like Palin does, you can call me a socialist like McCain does, you can call me a terrorist like some of McCain’s supporters do, but it won’t change a thing. 

Cops

Check the cable news. There is a sweet car chase going on in Miami right now. This guy is a decent driver and he is in a minivan. That is pretty impressive.

The Shack

I am going to start The Shack today. It will be like reading Blue Like Jazz for the first time in that many, many people have read it so far and the book seems to be on display in any bookstore. On top of that, Costco has about 250 copies on hand every time I go in there. So, it has to be good, right? 

Honestly, I am expecting to enjoy the book. I want to enjoy it. I've been warned about the writing style/quality, but that hasn't kept me from enjoying a story before. 

I'll write when I am finished.

Pulling the Lever

I tried to write this post on Saturday and it came out like total crap. So, this is a warning. This is not Saturday's draft, but still not a pretty draft. These are only thoughts.

I spent the summer working for Obama. I ran into all sorts of people during my work this summer. Some of the people I had encounters with definitely made me doubt the work I was doing. No, these people weren't McCain supporters who gave me doubts about voting for Obama. These people were Obama supporters and even some staffers who, at times, would get a bit carried away with their praise for Obama. 

For these people, Obama is the answer. Literally. They have so much faith in him that they believe he is going to magically solve all the problems that plague this nation. He will wave his magic wand and send gas down to $1.50 a gallon and with his upward wave he will launch the market back up to 13,000 points. On top of that, Obama will have this magical solution to the quagmire in Iraq. Not only will we pull the troops out, but Iraq and the Middle East won't slide into a massive war. All terrorist attacks will cease. The nations of the world will see our valiant comeback and fall in behind us in lockstep with a new American foreign policy. 

I started to feel that by working for the Obama campaign I was supporting this deranged following and felt very uncomfortable with it. I would equate some of the faith people have put in this man to faith put in a god. No, that doesn't make him the anti-Christ, but it was enough to make me stop and realize, once again, that the change many people want is only going to come from knowing and loving Jesus. 

I don't necessarily think that a lot of problems in this world can't be helped/solved by an Obama administration, but to exhibit the kind of faith I saw this summer was foolish. It made me sick of politics. It made me sick of our groveling nature as human beings looking for importance, power and fame. It just wasn't pretty.

With that said, I don't at all regret the work I did this summer. I loved it and I would do it again. Seeing how much people believed in Obama didn't make me doubt my own reasons for voting for him. And those reasons have only grown in the last few weeks of this 21-month campaign season.

In one week I will pull the metaphorical lever for Obama. In reality, I will finish the giant arrow pointing to Obama, my ballot will be scanned, I'll head off to work, get home, have dinner and watch the returns. 

Hoping.

"The power of hypnosis is being used by Barack Obama."

This was said at a church meeting in Colorado Springs. Also among my favorites, "...in England the Muslims are taking over." This is all from a video produced by the Guardian. I can't embed it, but you can watch it here. 

Sweet Map

This map shows endorsements each candidate has received. Awesome. I love maps.

Endorsing Alterra

Every once in a while the Burnside Writers will endorse something on their blog. You can check out their blog here. I always liked the idea. Endorsing something is to say you like something, but it sounds so formal and gives a false sense of influence to the blogger. I need that. So, I'll be endorsing something today. 

Six Hours on Sunday endorses Alterra Coffee Roasters. Alterra is a local coffee shop with several locations throughout Milwaukee and the suburbs. It started in 1993 and is native to the Milwaukee area. Their focus: strong coffee. But strong takes on several meanings at Alterra. Of course their product is strong, all beans roasted in Milwaukee (on site, depending on what cafe you go to), but the coffee is also strong environmentally and within the Milwaukee community. 

Alterra, just like a favorite brewer back home, is wind-powered. They also use corn-based plastics for utensils and cups that can dissolve in as little as 45 days in a landfill. I haven't been to all Alterra locations, but as far as I know they have not built their own, stand alone building like a Starbucks or McDonalds. They move into existing locations, some of them old, and renovate with an intention of using recycled materials from the original use of the building. 

Kate and I were sitting at an Alterra yesterday when I thought of New Belgium Brewing. If Alterra was in Fort Collins, if New Belgium was in Milwaukee, the companies would complement each other perfectly. Beer drinkers need coffee in the morning. Coffee drinkers like a good beer in the evening. It would be quite a match, but for now, one that only exists in an imaginary city that has within it all my favorite companies, ideas and people. 

I am in the process of defining that city with this new series. More endorsements to come.

Mac and Me

Into the night.

MacBook Pro Pics

The machine's profile. Very thin screen.

Ports on left side of laptop.

CD/DVD loading slot.

Backlit keyboard.

Mac software and well, everything else.

Inside the box.

The box. Very small. At most 4 inches thick. 

The MacBook next to Kate's laptop.

My New Toy

I am typing this on my new MacBook Pro. Immediately after practice I drove to the nearest Apple store and went right up to the first guy I could find, pointed at one of these babies (MacBook Pros) and said "I'll take one of those."

I was out of there in short order with a Pro, Microsoft Office and a new HP printer, scanner and copier. The HP was free with the purchase of a new laptop. I didn't know this deal was going on, but it was a nice surprise.

Also, I got an educator discount. Although I don't have a valid .edu email address at UWM, I will soon, and I do carry around a piece of paper in my wallet that says I am a new hire. One of the ADs signed it. So, I took that out, showed it to the guy, and he said that worked for him and he took $100 off the total.

I took many pictures while I was unwrapping this beauty. I'll put those up tomorrow. Eventually, I want to do a first impressions blog about making the switch to Mac. Although I am sort of familiar with using a Mac, this is the first time I have actually owned one so I have a lot to learn.

This keyboard is so quiet.

Life in Wasilla

I promise actual writing and thoughts soon.

I'm buying a Mac tomorrow.

The Powell Endorsement

I missed it. The only shows I watch on Sunday, if any at all, are Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. On top of that, Kate was off this weekend and we stayed very busy on Saturday and Sunday.

Luckily, there is TPM, which cuts through all the crap and gives you great summaries of the days news. No, they did not pay me for that plug. Unfortunately.

Anyway, if you missed Powell's endorsement, it is below. I found it very eloquent. I like listening to Powell's voice. C'mon, read the phone book for me. It isn't quite near James Earl Jones, but still smooth.

Yesterday on Lake Michigan

Kitesurfing on a very windy day.

Occasional elevation.

Windy days help bring waves to the shore. Waves bring surfers to Lake Michigan.

Pretty cool to see on a cold fall day in the heart of the Midwest.

Talk Them Down

Friends, it is time to have the talk.



http://www.mccainfreewhitehouse.org/

I was surprised to see this is from Move On because it actually is clever and funny.

Palin's Rise

My mom sent me an article from the Guardian that she received in a forward. However dated (it covers the VP debate), it is still relevant. Here:

Asked what her [Palin] achilles heel is - a question she either didn't understand or chose to ignore - she started in on how McCain chose her because of her "connection to the heartland of America. Being a mom, one very concerned about a son in the war, about a special needs child, about kids heading off to college, how are we going to pay those tuition bills?"

None of Palin's children, it should be noted, is heading off to college. Her son is on the way to Iraq, and her pregnant 17-year-old daughter is engaged to be married to a high-school dropout and self-described "fuckin' redneck". Palin is a woman who can't even tell the truth about the most quotidian and public details of her own life, never mind about matters of major public import. In her only vice-presidential debate, she was shallow, mendacious and phoney. What kind of maverick, after all, keeps harping on what a maverick she is? That her performance was considered anything but a farce doesn't show how high Palin has risen, but how low we all have sunk.

The Last Debate - Live Blogging

7:58pm - Okay, looks like things are about under way. The cable news countdown clocks are at 1:11. I don't know if I'll have as much to say during this debate as I did for the only VP debate because Palin isn't on the stage, but stay tuned.

8:00pm - Their countdown clock seems to be a little off. It is almost 8:01.

8:01pm - A sit down debate...this will be even more boring. No wandering from McCain. Dang it. Alright, here are the candidates. "Let's get to it," Bob Schieffer. Now, how long before Ayers rears his head?

8:05pm - That was a close one, Obama barely getting "Hofstra" out. That would have been a bad start, mispronouncing the host university's name.

8:08pm - "He's been watching some ads of Senator McCain's." - Obama gets the first laugh from the crowd for this one, but McCain's story about Joe "Plumber" was good I thought. Whether you like his proposal or not, I thought he was a little more convincing than in previous debates.

8:12pm - Obama talking about the core of the economy, the middle class, is where he is going to win over the people that, according to the polls, he doesn't necessarily need to win over. Sullivan says Obama is boring and McCain looks cranky. Agreed.

8:17pm - "Across the board spending freeze." McCain needs to elaborate more on this. He threw this out there in the last debate and it just sounds bad. Get rid of it and explain. A lot of "I know"s from McCain in this bit. "I know" how, why, etc. Oh, and that overhead projector is a high tech projector for Chicago's planetarium. This isn't some $3 million dollar projector from Office Max. Let's clear that up.

8:20pm - Damn. McCain getting a little cranky. "I am not President Bush." Right, you're only 95% of him.

8:22pm - McCain's eyes when Obama says "Fox News". Those were hilarious. We are going to see a freeze frame of that later on.

8:24pm - Oh boy. Here come the campaign tactics questions. Snap, good question, Bob. McCain "town hall meetings", blah, blah, blah. Let's go McCain, accuse Obama of palling around with terrorists. I am waiting....I think everyone is. Oh, it's Obama's supporters that are hurting McCain's feelings. "Very unfair and truly inappropriate," McCain says....you have to be kidding, man? "You didn't tell the American people the truth because you didn't." Nice one, McCain. Well, he didn't bring Ayers up. If Ayers was going to come up, I thought it would have been then.

Obama's response to the tactics question is very good. People don't want to hear about hurt feelings, they want the issues. Obama will put up with it, but is it healthy for the American public to see the next three weeks devoted to nasty attacks? No.

8:30pm - An attack ad on a health care plan is completely different than an attack ad on someone's supposedly "dangerous" and mysterious background.

8:34pm - McCain really wants to keep going on about unruly crowds and whatnot. Put it to rest, gramps. He just seems so irritated. I don't understand why. Up...there it is, Ayers. We need to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with him and ACORN. WOW! He really did bring it up.

8:36pm - Obama's response...so far, so good. He gave it to us straight. Now, clear up this ACORN business. Oh, well, that took about 20 seconds. That was easy.

8:38pm - Again, ACORN, why is this such a bad organization? McCain, trying valiantly to tell us what his campaign is really about.

8:43pm - Did McCain almost say "breast of fresh air" when speaking about Palin coming to Washington? That would have been the best slip ever.

8:46pm - McCain correcting Bob, "Climate change." Just sort of funny. I am wondering, how many gray hairs on Obama's head wouldn't be there if he hadn't been campaigning for 20 months? A lot, probably.

8:54pm - A pretty boring debate so far. Obama wins a boring debate, but there is still 36 minutes left. If The Daily Show was coming on at 9 around here I would probably change the channel, but I'll stick with this.

From Sullivan, a great point:

9.53 pm. "Maybe you ought to travel down there." C'mon, McCain, this is weeeaaak. And petty. And incoherent. McCain's veep only got a passport last year and McCain is attacking Obama for not visiting Colombia. He needs to look like a big man to become an independent president. Instead this campaign has made him look very, very small. Even against a freshman senator.

8:59pm - Joe the Plumber returns. Where is Joe Sixpack? I bet he feels left out. "You would love England." No, McCain, I do. I would move there tomorrow.

9:05 - Okay, McCain. 10 minutes...time is up. Brokaw would have blown a gasket there. Bob just gently mumbles.

9:13pm - Finishing the debate with ... zzz. Geez. So boring from both. That is McCain's heavy breathing you are hearing.

9:15pm - Last question. Yeah! I think Bob has done a very good job so far. McCain and Obama have actually been able to go back and forth during the last 80 minutes. Just let them fight.

9:18pm - "Put away the video games." I never liked this line from Obama. I love video games. Obviously, there can be unhealthy obsessions, but my obsession during my formative childhood years and even into college somewhat was completely beneficial to my health.

9:24pm - Palin is qualified for the VP slot and potentially the presidency because she knows about autism. Is this McCain's answer for the last question? What is with McCain constantly interrupting Obama? I know it's a debate, but seriously. Some of his interjections are off. And that last punch line didn't work. I love when McCain laughs at his own jokes.

9:28pm - Closing statements ... McCain, a couple stumbles, but for the most part fine. Not much to say there. Obama's last few lines were studly, I must say. Reminding voters that he has been out there for 20 months was good. Anyone who has been paying attention knows who Obama is.

And the debate ends with a very firm handshake and what sounded like ten "Good job"s from McCain.

Master Debater

Some of you may have already voted, but for the millions of undecided voters (including myself), the last presidential debate is tonight. I am not going to pass it up.

I hope that it goes smoothly for Obama. I don't think either one of them will have some knockout performance, so, tonight should be similar to the last debate. However, if McCain brings up Ayers, which he says he will, I think he (McCain) becomes the loser. The country need not focus on that extremely loose affiliation between Ayers and Obama. That tactic is not going to win new votes for McCain, it is only going to strengthen his frantic base and as we have seen lately, those people don't need encouraging. See "Terrorist" "Treason" "Kill Him" "Obama Bin Laden".

Supposedly, there is this new McCain that is focusing on the issues, but that just doesn't seem to be the case most of the time when McCain is being interviewed. Watch this clip at TPM, McCain essentially is blaming ACORN for his possible defeat in Florida. Really.

I just don't see McCain wooing undecided voters this way. What I don't understand about McCain campaign tactics is that months ago there was this high road to take. I imagine (and that is what I have to do) this road would involve an issues-based dialogue and discussion between McCain and voters. There would never be a need for McCain attack dogs because McCain could have sold his whole candidacy on decades of experience, theoretically articulate plans for reversing poor economic trends and improving America's standing in the world, specifically the Middle East.

But McCain didn't take that road. The path McCain has taken is riddled with fear and saber rattling, much of which is done by an Arctic politician completely unqualified for office who represents the right's lame grab at Hillary supporters.

McCain's numbers are plummeting and tonight I think he might be left to wandering the floor, literally, much like the last debate.

*And as for the title of this post, how could I resist?

The new MacBook

Finally. It has arrived. And I am getting one this time.