How Stories Get Told

I'm sorry, but did I awake in what Seinfeld once called Bizarro world? Has the space-time continuum contorted itself so badly that what's down is left, and what's up is - well - not there?

I was watching the coverage leading up to the much anticipated Senator Hillary Clinton speech Tuesday night. I wanted to hear what all the pundits had to say.

What must She say to help Obama?

How can She get all her supporters into the Obama camp?

However, something else was being discussed that sent me into a mini-cerebral hemorage. This "glass cieling". You know, the proverbial foot on women's necks, forever holding the ladies back from their full potential and participation in this society. Brian Williams was mentioning how that glass ceiling could only get cracked, but not quite broken because of Senator Clinton's loss.

Now, let me not seem too insensitive. Of course, women have it tough in this society. The pay scale's yet to be equalized, single mothers are practically told to go out and find a husband when considering how our government dishes out services to better their lives, and when it comes to the leadership positions in this nation, let's face it, it's a man's world.

But is Senator Clinton one to be held down by what may hold the rest of us back a bit? I told Chris Meehan a year ago that her campaign would be like a freight train, and anyone in the way should really - REALLY - consider moving out of the way. And that's what makes all this talk of glass ceiling seem rather awkward. Senator Obama didn't just beat a lady, he beat the Democratic party. He beat back an establishment that demanded he get in line and wait his turn.

Senator Clinton might've been the first "viable" woman to run for President, but her viability was evident at least since 2000, and her run for the highest office even before then. A glass ceiling would not have been broken with a Clinton win anymore than racial unity will come to full fruition with an Obama win. It's as if for the sake of the narrative, let's forget the steep mountain Senator Obama climbed and instead consider Senator Clinton as the underdog who almost made it.

Like Andrew Jackson preached, "To the Victor, Go the Spoils". The body count has yet to been seen, as reported by Matt Bai in this piece, in the wake of an Obama victory (or Clinton loss). There has been a seismic shift in Democratic politics that has opened the door for a younger generation with fresh ideas and vigor. Let's not belittle Senator Clinton by making it seem as though this loss places her in the back burner. And I won't let others forget something equally important, that Barack Obama is running for a place in not just a man's world, but The Man's establishment. And he'll probably win.

Baracky II

A while back we posted a great video take of the primary battle between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, themed to the classic underdog movie Rocky. Check it out:



But now, in true Rocky fashion, a sequel has debuted, "Baracky II."

This time around, Baracky is taking on an even harsher opponent in even scarier times:

8 Short Years

Much has been made, and rightly so, of Barack Obama's meteoric rise in Democratic politics. We all know where he was at the last Democratic National Convention in Boston, delivering a stirring keynote address as a Senate candidate.

But few know where he was at the convention before that, the 2000 DNC in Los Angeles. Today, I heard a reporter from the New Yorker detail Obama's 2000 convention experience on NPR. It's a time he's called a low point in his life.

Back in the summer of 2000, Barack Obama was a failed Congressional candidate. He'd run against incumbent and former Black Panther Bobby Rush, and was soundly defeated-- 62%- 31%-- in the Democratic primary.

His marriage to wife Michelle was also on the rocks. She hadn't wanted him to run in the first place, they were short on money and looking to expand their family.

After his trouncing, Obama seriously considered giving up on politics. He asked friends for advice, and they suggested he fly out to LA and try to network at the Democratic National Convention. Short on money, Obama found a cheap ticket on Southwest and headed to LA with big dreams.

But like so many others who make that trip, things didn't go as planned. When he landed he tried to rent a car, but his credit card was rejected. After hours of pleading and negotiating he was given a break-- they took a check. He showed up at the Staples Center, but couldn't gain the credentials to get in.

So he stood outside, waiting to recognize someone who would bring him inside. Meanwhile, most of the very people who will nominate him for president this week celebrated. He was 39 years old, and his political future looked uncertain at best.

But Obama didn't give up. He held onto his seat in the Illinois Senate, and won the primary to succeed retiring Sen. Peter Fitzgerald in 2004. Locked in a tight battle with investment banker Republican Jack Ryan, Obama was tapped to deliver the keynote address of the event he was shut out of just four years earlier. When scandal engulfed the Ryan campaign, Obama had a cakewalk in his November election, garnering 70% of the vote.

This time around, after dismantling the greatest Democratic political machine in a generation, Barack Obama won't need credentials to get into the DNC.

And I'm guessing that his rent-a-car will be long, black and paid for.

It's 3 A.M. and there's a phone ringing.......

Presidential candidate Barack Obama announced his running mate, Senator Joseph Biden, in 3 A.M. text message to supporters. Random timing? Or is he sticking it to a former opponent.... remember this ad?.........

Good Cop/ Baby Cop

On the eve of the DNC, let's take a quick break from politics to laugh at this hilarious video from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.

See more Will Ferrell videos at Funny or Die

Who is Joe Biden?

For Obama, Time to get Tough is Now

To the surprise of many, Zogby's monthly presidential poll has John McCain +5 points, a 12 point swing since just last month.

The nerves of many Democrats are frayed because Sen. Barack Obama has stumbled even though the public's general view of Democrats remains more positive than it is of Republicans. There are many explanations for Obama's false start:

First, race probably plays a role.

Second, Obama took a long vacation, anticipating a lull in campaign coverage and interest during the Olympics. This was probably a strategic decision to prevent peaking too early, and to minimize the public fatigue before the hard campaigning of the fall.

But another contributing factor to his under-performance is Obama's reticence to attack his opponent. McCain's consistently hard hits have been met with tepid reactions. Too many of Obama's attacks are mere responses, allowing the McCain camp to control the narrative of the campaign and making it a referendum on Obama, rather than about the struggles of the last eight years. For example, when McCain hit Obama as a "celebrity," Obama debuted an ad pointing out that McCain is also a celebrity.

Unless Obama can get back in front of the curve and control the story, he's in real danger of losing under the most favorable conditions Democrats have seen since FDR.

For instance, McCain inaccurately stated multiple times that Iran trained al Qaeda insurgents in Iraq. Not only untrue, but demonstrative of a failure to understand a basic premise of Middle East relations-- the deep differences between factions of the Muslim faith-- something George W. Bush didn't understand until too late.

If Obama had made those mistakes, a barrage of "Is he ready to lead?" ads would have hit the air that week. Because it was McCain, those gaffes have been all but forgotten.

Up to this point, Obama's campaign can be readily contrasted with how Sen. Clinton would have run, which may cost him confidence in his own party. She'd have hit back, and hard.

It's no wonder that Obama hasn't gotten too dirty yet, staying above the fray was a precept of his campaign and a key to his success. But the time to engage is here. In choosing a VP, Obama would be wise to pick a pit bull, someone (like Joe Biden) who will criticize Republican policies openly, honestly and without any reservation.

Obama was probably smart to wait this long, but now he should make a move, and quickly, because his campaign may depend on it.

Quote of the Day 8/22

"I'd love to go one on one with Lieberman in the Octagon."

- Doug Flynn, who hopes that McCain chooses Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) as his running mate.

Formidable Opponent!

Stephen Colbert debated the number one issue in the Meehan household against the only worthy opponent he could find: himself. It's a segment called "Formidable Opponent."



And, just because I love this thing and it's getting too far down on my page I'm posting the Barack Roll video again:

Oh COME ON!

The Huffington Post reports that 100 University presidents are meeting to discuss the lowering of the drinking age from 21 to 18.

The presidents seek to combat campus binge drinking, and figure that if students are exposed before coming to school they'll be better prepared to handle alcohol.

Obama/ Biden (?)

Word on the street is Barack Obama will announce his VP pick in the next day or so (don't worry, I'm one of the millions who signed up to have the selection immediately texted to their phones). The most recent buzz favors Delaware Senator Joe Biden, whom SAM endorsed for the spot back in February.

Although I remained confident in SAM's prediction of VA Gov. Tim Kaine, I'd personally prefer Biden, and it appears giving Senate candidate Mark Warner the DNC keynote address will be Obama's nod to Virginia.

I gave my thoughts on Biden in a profile all the way back in October, not much has changed, except that his Iraq plan fell out of favor, and the Russia/ Georgia conflict put foreign affairs (Biden's forte) back on the front page.

If you don't want to sift through my write up (which includes an intellectually stimulating comparison of Biden and West Wing president Jed Bartlet), you can always check out this more recent and (some might even say) better profile in the New York Times.

In the end, it's probably still more likely we'll see a Secretary of State Biden than a VP Biden, but nothing's official yet, so keep checking your cell phone's in-box.

Amazing: Barack Gets Rick- Rolled

No explanation necessary...

... Starting now: New Quote of the Day 8/13

I can't believe he said that...

Jesus Saves- Quote of the Day 8/13

"[Pelosi] is committed to her global warming fanaticism to the point where she has said that she's just trying to save the planet. We all know that someone did that over 2,000 years ago, they saved the planet -- we didn't need Nancy Pelosi to do that."

- Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) on why we don't need to worry about global climate change.

A Cold Winter Ahead, my father said

The high price of energy has put a tight squeeze on the middle class. With rampant speculation manipulating the oil market, and banks extremely leery of such a volatile industry (thanks, mortgage crisis) many small heating oil companies in New England could go under this winter. Not only would that decimate a major part of New England's economy, but it would leave customers, quite literally, out in the cold.

My father, Jim Meehan, owns two companies, and is president of the Independent Connecticut Petroleum Association (a group of oil dealers). The CBS Evening News recently talked with him and others about a possibly tough winter ahead.

Bulworth

Recently I reviewed my top 10 political movies, and tonight I watched a film that could give some of those a run for their money-- Warren Beatty's Bulworth.

Made at a time when center-thinking Democrats (led by Bill Clinton) reshaped (some might say rescued, others bankrupted) their party, Beatty's protagonist is a disillusioned and hollow pol on a suicide mission.

He regains his sanity and moral center only as he embarks on a journey through Black America, trying to unite the masses against the establishment through rap music, awkward dance moves and a lot of swearing.

Check it out below:

Celeb- Reality

Even back in February it was easy to spot the easiest (perhaps only) way for John McCain to beat Barack Obama. McCain needs paint his rival as part of a movement and culture very separate from "regular folks." The best way to do that is to capitalize on the celebrity- culture backlash.

That's what McCain's done, quite effectively, with his ads likening Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, and habitually referring to him as "the biggest celebrity in the world." The notion that Obama is revered based relatively few accomplishments is not new, but the parallel between him and an heiress famous for nothing is startling to many, even though it's patently unfair.

In response, the Obama campaign came up with this spot, which I think is good. It reminds voters that it is McCain, not Obama, who, for nearly a decade, has been the media's ultimate DC darling. From appearances on Letterman, Leno, SNL, the View and other programs, not to mention several Hollywood blockbusters, McCain's celebrity is substantial.



After viewing this ad, voters will likely question the validity of McCain's "my opponent's a celebrity, and I'm not" tag-line.

Edwards Webisode

The Edwards campaign hired Rielle Hunter and her documentary team to follow the candidate 24 hours a day immediately after he announced his run for president. Looking back on their affair (detailed in the post below), Edwards said he was narcissistic and felt invincible at this point.

The footage does not dispute that.

Would We Lie?- Quote of the Day 8/11

"Of course it wasn't hush money!"

- Former John Edwards Finance director, confidante, and rich guy Fred Baron on whether the $15,000/ month he's been giving to former Edwards aide Andrew Young and former Edwards mistress Rielle Hunter is in exchange for the pair's stance that Young (and not Edwards) is the father of Rielle's baby.

Baron said he's given money to both Young and Hunter to leave North Carolina and escape press, and has also covered their "overhead" costs. He denies Edwards ever knew he was funding the pair.

Edwards recently admitted to the affair with the 42 year old documentarian, but denied he's the father of her child, even though he was photographed visiting them recently.

So, to recap:

• Oct. 10, 2007: The National Inquirer reports the affair
  
• Oct. 11, 2007: Hunter issues a denial: "The innuendoes [sic] and lies that have appeared on the internet and in the National Enquirer are not true, completely unfounded and ridiculous... my conduct was completely professional. This concocted story is just dirty politics and I want no part of it."
• Same day: Edwards denies affair
  
• Dec. 19: National Inquirer reports Hunter's pregnant and Edwards is the father
• Later that day: Through an attorney, Young issues statement that he's the father, is leaving the campaign, and Edwards had no idea about the relationship
• July 22, 2008: National Inquirer reports that Edwards visited Hunter and baby at an LA hotel
• July 23: Edwards denies story again- "The tabloid trash is full of lies"
• August 8: National Inquirer publishes photos of LA hotel meeting
• Same day: Edwards admits affair

So, after all that lying, they contend that Edwards is not the father and that he had no idea his close friend was paying the alleged father and mistress $15k/ month. Because that's something he'd be kept in the dark about...

Edwards claimed he met with Hunter at the assistance of a "mutual friend" to hear her story of struggle with the publicity.

Although Edwards claims he would take a paternity test, Hunter said she will not allow it.

The Chosen One

This is a new McCain ad, although it's kind of hard to tell.

Obamaone1
by dollarsandsense123