For those having trouble viewing video on my site, I'm going to always try to include url links to embedded video.
Simply The Best category:
Yes we can. Greatest speech by a political leader in the United States in the 21st Century. Certainly the greatest concession speech ever given. January 8, 2008. For the full video of the speech, go here.
From the Alaska Women Reject Palin rally in Anchorage, AK, on September 14, 2008. h/t Mudflats.
You can't argue with the power of 18 million cracks. Despite what anyone thinks I think, I actually do think that Hillary exited this hard-fought race with dignity and grace.
"Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Video here.
Campbell Brown is my hero. Here she is giving her now famous "Free Sarah Palin" editorial.
Other clear winners in the media portion of this election cycle: Jack Cafferty, Rachael Maddow, and yes, Keith Olbermann. Jury still out on Chris Matthews. I have also been somewhat impressed by Pat Buchanan's ability to gain a broader, occassionally non-partisan view of reality. Jon Stewart's commentary didn't seem as biting this year as the folks on the legitimate news themselves.
Then there's The Worst. Who can forget these memorable moments? I get verklempt just thinking of these.
The hands-down winner? Or should I say the "hands-up" winners??
"Senator McCain....Do you believe in evolution?"
"Yes".
"I'm curious, is there anybody on the stage that does not believe in evolution?"
Question asked during the GOP primary debate.
For those of you scoring at home, from left to right that's Brownback, Huckabee and Tancredo with their
"Our opponent … is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country." Sarah Palin stump speech, various locations.
The Ashley Todd racism incident that wasn't.
Who can forget the mocking of community organizing that went on at the Republican Convention?
This goes beyond offensive in my book. Rudy Guiliani is a dick.
Head-scratching Moments:
Video here.
KATIE COURIC: "You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?"
SARAH PALIN: "That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land boundary that we have with, uh, Canada. It's funny that a comment like that was kinda made to, char..., I don't know, you know... reporters."
KATIE COURIC: "Mocked."
SARAH PALIN: "Yeah. Mocked. I guess that's the word. Yah."
KATIE COURIC: "Well, explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials."
SARAH PALIN: "Well, it certainly does because our..our next-door neighbors are foreign countries there in the state that I am the executive of."
I'd go on, but honestly, I find it too painful and I was trying to be non-partisan.
Pat Buchannan flip-flops on Sarah Palin selection. My favorite part is where he says "If I was a Republican I would have been disheartened going to my convention if they had chosen an good man, a nice guy, in Gov. Pawlenty, we wouldn't even be talking about this."
IF he was a Republican?
Posts
Buchanan hasn't been Rep in years... extremely RIGHT wing, maybe he votes for them, but he ran on the Reform Party ticket several years ago, then would've ran on it again except the Reform party split seemingly because of horrible mismanagement by him, at least in part, leading to a weird squabble about money and Nader being the Reform Party Candidate.
ReplyDeleteI think Stewart was still better than most of the MSM, but you're right, he wasn't as biting as Maddow, Olbermann, or Cafferty -- being mean/biting isn't really his schtick. Still, I think he probably had some of the best insights and keenest awareness of where reality between partisanism lay... and of course, M/O/C probably wouldn't be as popular as they are now w/o Stewart paving the way for more plain sense approaches to news. Cafferty and Olbermann have been around a while, but I think the Stewart/Colbert shows pumped their kind of news analysis. Still, you've got a point. I still don't think Guiliani meant to start "community organizing is bullshit", I still feel like his "..What?" is surpise at the audience's response. His speech started out in tone with "I respect him, but..." I don't think the hit job was supposed to start as early as it did, but then people seemed to think community organizing was funny so it was downhill from there. Nevertheless, he is a dick.
And I couldn't imagine describing the end of Clinton's campaign as dignified, or graceful. The very end, perhaps, i.e. at the convention, but I swear, I would bet anything that she didn't stay in the race for her supposed supporters, but over her o'erweening sense of entitlement. Not to mention that she opened the door for Palin's "real america" sctick when at the end she was in rural white crowds, and saying that only she had the ability to attract those kind of down-home Americans i.e. white people. Ugly, ugly. Bowing out gracefuly at the convention doesn't erase all that, especially the line she treaded at the very end close to racism, and her horrible distortions on having the most votes (if you didn't count caucuses and counted Michigan and Florida's votes despite the agreement not to campaign there). Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
We'll see what happens come Tuesday... and then after that. I get the feeling, though, that the O. Presidency is gong to be like the 2006 Dem-dominated Congress... unimpressive and disapointing. Will President Obama not cave in on things like FISA, endorse Supreme Court decisions like the one striking down the DC gun ban, and opposing Supreme decisions like not allowing the death-penalty for child rapists?
He's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Fresh off his b'day bash (I hope), and with renewed energy for attacking my ideas and tackling the thesis.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear from you again.
=)