Views on the Bailout: Part 1

Just to get it out of the way, I know pretty much nothing about the proposed bailout. I've read about it in the newspaper and heard people talking about it online, but my understanding of what's really going on is as superficial as Paris Hilton. But of course this is America and mere ignorance will not stop me from voicing my opinions, or, more accurately, repeating the opinions of smarter people.

The first opinion piece that I enjoyed is from the Times (London, not NY). It essentially argues that free-market concern about the bailout is misplaced. It's a well-written piece by someone who knows vastly more about the whole mess than I do and it is full of very British humour:

As Charles Goodhart said in the FT this week, the time to worry about moral hazard is in the boom. Worrying about moral hazard now is like “refusing to sell fire insurance just after the Great Fire of London for fear of adversely affecting future behaviour”.

I can't help but wonder, though, if it does not unfairly simplify some of the concerns that people have about the bailout. Moral hazard is surely one of the boogymen that has been invoked, but I suspect their are other legitimate worries. In any case, it is worth reading and will make for good conversation over the proverbial dinner table or water cooler.

Ghost-Writing For McCain

Salon has an interesting feature today, written by Margriet Oostveen who writes a weekly column called "Message From Washington" for the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Oostveen has volunteered in various political campaigns and then written about the experience, and in today's feature article on Salon she documents her experience writing fictional letters to the editor that will eventually be circulated to McCain supporters as possible letters for them to sign and have sent into their local newspaper.

I have no idea how common this practice is, or if I'm even all that worried about the act itself, but I do think her story is an interesting one, fun to be along for the ride. Meanwhile, if you're curious about more details on her task, you can read up on sample letters and guidelines the campaign gave her.

Email Hacking!

Obama's email hacked by the Onion! (click image to see more):



Hat tip to Purple State.

If Democrats were Republicans, they would air this... um... maybe

Wow. 23/6 has put together some interesting stuff this cycle, but today I caught up with two ads following the theme, "If Democrats were Republicans they would approve this message."

Both ads play that interesting mix of fun and disturbing... thought provoking, and laugh-inspiring. Here's one that works from the supercute Piper Palin video I posted awhile back:




And there is another tied to the Manchurian Candidate idea here.

... meanwhile back in Alaska

The state government up in Alaska is systematically being shut down by the McCain campaign to prevent anyone from knowing anything about Sarah Palin's actual activities in office as Governor... anything other than the campaign talking points about lipstick, hockey, and "saying no to that bridge to nowhere"

Like it or not, did SNL have an impact?

Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton closed the intro skit between her and Tina Fey's Sarah Palin last week with the line, "I invite the media to grow a pair, and if you can't I will lend you mine."

Now, whether you found the skit funny or kinda flat, whether you found Tina Fey's Palin inspired or insipid, it would seem, from this week's events, that the media has, to some degree taken heed of that call. Just today the McCain campaign arranged for a big photo op/media moment surrounding Sarah Palin's meetings at the UN with various foreign dignitaries. These meetings were set up as an attempt to give Governor Palin more foreign policy cred, but to me seem, well, a bit showy and strange on their face.

At the last minute the campaign announced (this morning) that no actual reporting would be allowed of these meetings, only photographers and a video crew from CNN would be allowed in (with CNN to provide video coverage for other news networks). When this was announced, however, CNN reacted to the barring of reporters from this event by pulling their crew entirely, denying video coverage to what the McCain campaign no doubt hoped would be a nice press moment for their incredibly popular (some might say celebrity-esque) VP candidate. Ultimately it turns out that a producer was allowed in, but isn't this back-and-forth strange and troubling.

It also isn't something happening in a vacuum. The Huffington Post has a nice rundown of increasing press frustration with McCain camp unavailability (on the part of both the Presidential and VP candidates). Some are trying to spread the term, "No Talk Express" as a new substitute for the McCain classic image of the "Straight Talk Express."

Still, why does any of this matter? Certainly Obama isn't being grilled on a daily basis by the press, and when he is perhaps we can see reasons why McCain is more hesitant. Both men have made gaffes, from the one mentioned by Venice in a post late last week to some of the gaffes that almost immediately pre-dated the McCain camp moving to curtail reporter proximity to their Presidential candidate, and to end the famous bull sessions that gave the Straight-Talk name to McCain's campaign bus in the first place.

I was thinking through these sorts of issues when I watched Tony Blair on the Daily Show last night (it was a repeat from last week). Mr. Blair's courage to go on and face some comical, but ultimately tough questioning shows something I think we should ask our politicians for, namely more honesty and less spin.

Right now both campaigns are attempting to tightly orchestrate the choreography needed to move from a tight race now to a November victory, and in so doing they are both hesitant to take chances, risk mistakes, and open themselves to missteps. Even so, I think what I want most from either or both of them right now is to display the sort of confidence in themselves and in the American public that would allow them to be bold and actually get out there, put their feet above the fire, take hard questions and give real answers.

Will I see this anytime soon from Barack, John, Joe or Sarah? I'm not holding my breath. Still, if the media continues to push hard and act like they really want the investigative, independent, respected credentials they should be chasing... we'll see if anything will change.

Has the world been turning or what?

So... not much going on in the last week, huh? Just the collapse of the western financial markets, the Bush administration's new-found love of communism (and consistent war against anything resembling reasonable oversight, even when dealing with a crisis likely caused at least in part by a lack of competent oversight), Tina Fey kicking ass at the Emmys after kicking ass as Sarah Palin on SNL (pasted below in case you haven't contributed to this being NBC's most watched web video... EVER).



I think there was also some Phillies retaking first place in the NL East from the Mets, some presidential campaigns coming slightly unhinged from reality. Not much, right? Not so very much.

What's ahead? Naps and workouts make for presidential debate prep (guess who's napping and who's working out)!!!

Money quote from the article on debate prep:

"The McCain campaign is having some trouble finding the right person for Gov. Palin's practice sessions. Sen. Joe Lieberman was considered, but dropped for being insufficiently fiery and loquacious to do a good Biden impression."

Typewriters, Baby!

I adore a good op-ed -perhaps because I don't think I'll ever pen one myself. With that in mind, I really enjoyed what Thomas Friedman had to say in the New York Times the other day about drilling for oil. Aside from agreeing with what he said, I think it's just a well crafted piece, complete with the immortal line "Typewriters, baby, Typewriters" in mockery of Rudy Giuliani. It's worth the two minutes it will take you to read it.

Amazing Bear Butt Itching

Wonkette, even in my busiest week of late you come through with incredible content to make me get back to blogging! YAY!!!

Somebody Check the Thermostat in Hell

This is a truly amazing editorial by Wick Allison, of National Review fame. What makes it worth reading, besides its thoughtful argument, is that it endorses Barack Obama for President. Of the United States.

No, really.

And it isn't one of those " vote for Obama so in four years we can get a real conservative" pieces either. It's the real deal. The central thesis is that Obama should be president because he is the real conservative in this race. Anyway, you've got to read it in its entirety, but in the meantime, consider this little tidbit:

It gives me comfort just to think that after eight years of George W. Bush we will have a president who has actually read the Federalist Papers.


Enjoy.

Why Republicans get to call Obama an "elitist"

We've all often wondered how Republicans manage to slap the Elitist label on Obama and other Democrats, given that said Republicans wear $300,000 outfits and live in 7 glass houses. I think the answer is that the kind of elitism that Republicans have in mind is, for lack of a better term, intellectual elitism. The idea is that Democrats are pointy-headed, smarty-pants professors, who look down their nose at the beliefs and tastes of regular folks. It's not universally true of course. you'd have a hard time convincing me that the union voters, who tend to vote Democratic, are the sort to laugh off NASCAR and country music. But the idea is not entirely untrue either. If you meet someone with a graduate degree at an art gallery or wine and cheese party, the chances are pretty good that he or she is voting blue.
Obama doesn't help the case with comments like these:

The one thing that I want to insist on is that, as I travel around the country, the American people are a decent people. Now they get confused sometimes. You know, they listen to the wrong talk radio shows or watch the wrong TV networks, um, but they’re, they’re basically decent, they’re basically sound.

How this will sound to voters in Indiana: Now, the American people may disargeee with we enlightened liberals, but that's not because they're bad. No, it's just because they're confused, see. They listen to talk radio instead of reading The Nation. But eventually they'll come around to the One True Way.

I expect these comments to get a lot more attention, because that sentiment, folks, is exactly why some conservatives see Obama as an elitist, regardless of the size of his bank account.

I Find Your Lack of Taste in Fashion Disturbing

Gawker had a post last night that made me giggle at first, but then got me thinking... What would have happened if Obama had chosen Hillary as his running mate? Would we be treated to her in a Padme-accidentally-ripped-her-shirt-in-a-sexy-way outfit? How long would it be before we saw a metal bikini on the campaign trail. You made the right choice Barry! Now, somebody go get Joe Biden a Porkins costume!

"I can hold it!"
(Apologies for not photoshopping this with Biden's face... maybe later?)

Finally, as an astute commenter said after reading the Gawker article, this is all funny, but if you follow the parallels of Palin = Tarkin too far you realize that McCain = Vader and the United States is now Alderaan.