bloviators.net BloviBlog

So much has happened again this week, so much that it’s been hard for The Bloviator to keep up with things.  Obama’s ads popped up in XBox games, we had the third and final Presidential debate – starring Joe the Plumber, the New York Times trashed Cindy McCain, the Supreme Court upheld a decision making it easier for voter fraud to occur in Ohio, and Sarah Palin makes an, albeit short, appearance on SNL.  Topping all of that, The Bloviator has been busy in his real life too (you know – the Clark Kent stuff), so there have not been that many posts this past week.  So, let’s get to the Wrap-Up…

Presidential Debate #3 and ‘Joe the Plumber’

First things first, The Bloviator wants to know where the John McCain we saw on Wednesday night has been for the last few months.  Senator McCain was fired up and, while he could have hit Obama harder on topics like his tax-cut that isn’t really a tax-cut, McCain did a pretty good job of hitting Obama where it counted.  For the first 45 minutes of the debate it looked as if McCain had Obama on the defensive, hitting him over and over again on taxes and even scoring a great hit when he told Senator Obama that if he “wanted to run against President Bush” he “should have run 4 years ago.”  That was a good line, but it may be coming at a point too late in the race to matter.  With under 20 days until election now most voters have already made up their minds…and those who were still undecided will likely pull that lever for Obama out of nothing more than pure hatred for President Bush.

Senator McCain pushed Senator Obama on his response to ‘Joe the Plumber’ earlier in the week where Obama said, among other things, that he wanted to “spread the wealth around” in his administration.  That sounds a lot like socialism to The Bloviator, and McCain attacked that as nothing more than a welfare program.  McCain brought up Joe more than 20 times through the course of the debate, and at this late point in the game, if anything is going to resurrect McCain’s campaign it is Joe the Plumber – or more appropriately Obama’s response to his question.

Aside from from pointed questions and responses about the negativity in both campaigns, and McCain’s constant attacks using Joe the Plumber as a “Joe six-pack” metaphor, the rest of the debate was pretty much just the same old talking points we’ve heard from the candidates for the past many months now.  While McCain came out strong and kept on hitting, Senator Obama more or less kept his cool and just let McCain punch himself out.  By the end of the debate Obama was back on his game and just spouting the same old lines we’ve heard from him for over a year now.

Can we no longer ask candidates tough questions?

If you’ve heard any newscast since Senator Obama dropped the “spread the wealth around” response on Joe Wurzelbacher, you’ve likely been subjected to the smears of this ordinary America.  Joe, whose real name is Samual Joseph Wurzelbacher, did not go out of his way to see Senator Obama.  He did not seek to crash a campaign rally or anything of the sort.  Senator Obama was in Joe’s neighborhood so he decided to ask him a question…and it was a good question.  In fact, as Senator McCain said recently, Joe managed to get more honesty out of Senator Obama than all the mainstream media and press have been able to for the last 20 months.

It is because of this honest question, and the honest answer Obama gave him, that the media have systematically scoured through Joe’s personal life.  They have uncovered that Joe is really named Samuel (Joe is his middle name…big deal), that he is not actually licensed as a plumber (he currently works under someone else’s license…call the FBI), he owes around $1,200 in back taxes, the list just goes on.  In 48 hours the liberal media managed to uncover more about Joe the Plumber than they have found about Barack Obama in 20 months.  This is a scary thing to The Bloviator.  All Joe did was ask a simple question, and he got a simple answer.

Senator Obama’s answer reeks of socialism, and for that the media attacks and attempts to discredit Joe rather than asking Obama about his position.  The moral of this story seems to be that if you intend to ask Obama a question that makes him look bad you’d better make sure there is nothing in your past that can be used against you, because Obama’s Gestapo will be coming for you in the night.

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

In a move that is no big surprise for anyone in politics, former Bush Secretary of State and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell announced on Sunday morning that he is endorsing Senator Obama for President.

The Bloviator really could care less who endorses who for what, as I do not think endorsements mean anything and policies and track records mean everything, however I feel I must ask a simple question.  Powell was for the Iraq war in a way that almost no one else was back in 2003.  It can be argued that without his testimony in front of the UN holding that vial he claimed was filled with WMD agents from Iraq, the US would have never gone into that war.  On the contrary, Senator Obama claims to have opposed the war from the start.  Do you think you’re going to hear Obama come out and denounce Colin Powell for his role in bringing the US into this war?  The Bloviator isn’t holding his breath.

Now, I should also say that I admire and respect Gen. Powell a great deal, but in his press conference this morning he claimed that the recent negativity from the McCain campaign was part of his reason for deciding to support Obama.  Powell went so far as to say that McCain had called Obama a muslim.  I feel I must point out this could not be further from the truth, and in fact Senator McCain stopped to chastise someone at a recent rally for suggesting that fact.  One would think that Gen. Powell could have at least had his facts straight.

Sarah Palin Appears on SNL

This Saturday evening there were two Sarah Palins on Saturday Night Live, the character played by Tina Fey and the real deal, Governor Palin herself.  I should preface that I have not paid one bit of attention to SNL for many years now as it has been many moons since that show was anything close to funny.  However, it still gets Tivo’d in my house, so I happened to see the two short skits the Governor was in this week.

I have only one comment about the appearance.  What was the point again?  Governor Palin did herself no service by appearing on the show, except perhaps to look Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels in the face behind the scenes.  Her skits were not funny, and she had about 60 seconds of total speaking time.  The only thing of note Palin managed to accomplish was to deliver the “live from New York, it’s Saturday night” line.  Perhaps I’m just biased against SNL as I truly hate that show now, but I just do not see what Governor Palin gets out of a deal where she in turn validates the jack-asses on SNL by proxy of her presence.

Security Clearance Shopping Season Starts Earlier and Earlier

It was announced on Sunday morning the the government has approached both Senators McCain and Obama to determine who will have potential seats in their respective cabinets so they can begin the initial research portion of the security clearance process.  This is reported as a needed step due to potential terrorist activity immediately following the election, however The Bloviator wonders if this is actually a move to vette some of Senator Obama’s potential cabinet members before he has a chance to take office as President (as it does look more and more like Obama is going to the White House).  No, I am not a subscriber to the “right-wing conspiracy” mentality, but seeing as how Obama would not even qualify for security clearance in his own administration this may be a prudent step to take while the government still has the power to do so.  More on this story as it develops over the coming days…

In the interest of time…

Other events of note this week included the fundraising Al Smith dinner at which the candidates both appeared and gave very funny speeches, the roller-coaster that is the Dow, and the horrible article in the New York Times attacking Cindy McCain, however The Bloviator is out of time in this week’s Wrap-Up, so analysis of those items will be forthcoming in the next few days.

 
This past week was a doozy, including lots of fireworks from each presidential campaign, a 20% drop in the Dow and other markets, accusations of voter fraud, a boring debate, and an OJ Simpson conviction.

“Nuts” to ACORN

As I discuss at length in my post, Something’s Rotten at ACORN, there are accusations of voter fraud by the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, or ACORN, in at least 12 states across the country.  Barack Obama is doing his best to distance himself from the group, even though his campaign paid one of their proxy groups more than $800,000 to help register voters on behalf of the Obama campaign.  Obama has…sort of…condemned any illegal actions ACORN may be involved with, but when asked about the group and their links to Senator Obama, his campaign tries to change the subject to Republican “voter suppression.”

The reality is that voter fraud and suppression, by either side or by neutral groups, is completely unacceptable.  Actions such as those of ACORN, should they prove true as the many, many investigations shake out, amount to stealing the election from the American people.  The Bloviator does not quite understand why such actions would be necessary from the left as their candidate is supposed to be the second coming and should not need any help from us mere mortals.

North Korea Tests Missiles, Removed from US Terrorism List

North Korea tested medium to long range missiles earlier this week after moving several missile launchers to the coast at the beginning of the week.  We are told the tests were successful, however in today’s day and age we must take everything North Korea claims with a grain of salt.  Remember their “successful” underground test of a nuclear weapon in 2007 that turned out to be, at least according to US officials, a failed test?  I have also heard reports that Kim Jong Il has resurfaced at a sports event after he was presumed to have a severe stroke, although no pictures of the Korean leader have been circulated.  

In a classic example of bad timing on the part of the US State Department, North Korea was removed from the State Department’s list of terrorist-sponsoring nations this Saturday.  This move the the US government was actually our part of a deal reached between the US and N. Korea months ago in return for their destruction of key nuclear facilities and allowing UN weapons inspectors to return to the nation.  Recently, though, in a series of saber-rattling moves by N. Korea, they have begun to reassemble some of these dismantled facilities, have kicked-out the UN inspectors, and have requested the IAEA remove the seals placed on their reactors.

So…while the removal of N. Korea from the terrorism list was our part of the deal we have now given the appearance that we are soft on this issue and will give in to foreign dictator’s demands if pushed enough.  The Bloviator thinks this was a bad call, or at least bad timing, on the part of the State Department.

Dow goes down, down, down…is it Obama’s fault?

The roller-coaster ride in US and world markets continued this week as the Dow and other key indexes were down another 20% in the first 8 days of trading in October.  It now seems that every day either President Bush or Secretary Paulson will make a “don’t panic” speech timed with the daily opening of the markets, which is promptly followed by a several hundred point loss during the course of the day’s trading.  Given the track record of the past week The Bloviator wishes that the President and the Treasury Secretary would just shut the hell up.  Telling American’s not to panic is a recipe for disaster, and we need to stop the panic selling before there are no markets left.

On top of the daily “don’t panic” speeches from Bush & Paulson, I wonder how much of the recent selling has to do with the recent polling in the Presidential election.  With just 23 days remaining before the election time is short, and as the economy continues to dive into the tank it looks more and more like Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States.  Obama makes no secret of the fact he intends to double capital gains taxes.  If I had a large market portfolio I might be tempted to sell off now too, before the taxes on whatever income I might receive double while market value continues to fall.  

It does not take a graduate economist to figure out it is a bad idea to raise taxes in an economic downturn or recession, but that is precisely what Barack Obama promises to do.  He has had many chances, including in both recent debates, to back down from that position but he continues to boldly champion his plan to raise taxes on the very class of citizens that create the precious jobs we will need to recover from the current situation.  Our society is on a dangerous crossroads between capitalism and socialism, and The Bloviator fears we are already headed down the wrong road.

OJ Simpson Convicted…Karma or Racism?

Thirteen years – to the exact day – O.J. Simpson was found guilty in Nevada of a host of felonies, including kidnapping, armed robbery, and ten other counts related to his self-described “sting” operation involving sports memorabilia.  Sentencing is scheduled for December 5th, and Simpson will be held without bond until then.  As soon as the ‘Juice’ had been taken from the courtroom after the jury’s verdict was read his attorneys began to claim that racism and vengeance were the primary factors in the conviction, however the jury members say that the recordings made during the crime were the most compelling evidence.

True, it may be difficult to find anyone in this country that does not know about the 1995 double-murders and the following trial in which OJ was acquitted.  Memorable one-liners like “if the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit” come to mind immediately.  It is insulting to think that the jurors, all of whom where interviewed and approved by both the prosecution and the defense, are somehow incapable of separating their opinions about the 1995 murders and the 2007 armed robbery.

Regardless of which side of the argument you happen to be on, one thing is almost certain – the ‘Juice’ is going to do time this time around.  His legal team promises to appeal, but there does not appear to be much chance of success…although OJ has proven to be a modern-day Houdini when it comes to the legal system.

Supports to McCain:  ”Take it to him”

If you happened to see the second Presidential debate you might not think John McCain has much passion and fight left in him.  That debate was an exercise in dullness, with both candidates reading from their campaign’s talking points and neither getting fired up about anything.  Senator McCain and Governor Palin have been traveling the country this week holding town hall style rallies, and several citizens have stood up and literally begged McCain to take the fight to Senator Obama.

McCain was asked in Wisconsin why he is allowing “socialist to take over our country” from a citizen upset about the potential of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama controlling our country.  The gentleman went on to say he was “mad” and that “it’s time for you two [McCain and Palin] to start fighting for us.”

Similarly, McCain was literally begged to attack Obama when a supporter said ”We have the good Reverend Wright. We have [the Rev.] Pfleger. We have all of these shady characters that have surrounded him.  We have corruption here in Wisconsin and voting across the nation. I am begging you, sir. I am begging you. Take it to him.”

On Friday McCain had to step back and tell his crown not to “fear” an Obama presidency, which was received by silence and boos from the crowd.

Perhaps McCain will get the message…voters are upset and many are fearful that an Obama administration will be the straw that breaks the fragile camel’s back.  At this point, though, The Bloviator is less than optimistic.  I’ve said many times recently that this is no longer McCain’s race to win, but Obama’s to lose.  We’ll see on November 4th.

Alaska “TrooperGate” Report Released

The so-called “TrooperGate” report surrounding Gov. Sarah Palin’s potential abuse of her powers was released on Friday evening…with mixed results.

The report claims that Governor Palin abused her powers in that she did not stop her husband, Todd, from his attempts to get trooper Wooten fired for his alleged misconducts and threats against the Palin family, however there was no wrong-doing cited on the part of the governor and no sanctions or disciplinary actions were imposed.  Apparently the governor abused her powers by not preventing her husband from following up and pressing the issue.

The Bloviator fails to understand how not preventing a private citizen from asking questions within their rights is an abuse of power.  Is this Democratic senator French’s “October surprise” that he promised earlier this year?  The McCain campaign calls this report the result of a politically motivated “kangaroo court” and dismisses the findings as a $100,000 waste of Alaskan taxpayer dollars.  At best this report is based on speculation and here-say, at worst it is a politically motivated attack on the popular governor.  

Georgia Congressman Injects (more) Race into campaign:

Democratic Congressman John Lewis from Georgia attempted to inject race into the campaign by comparing the atmosphere of some recent McCain rallies to former Gov. George Wallace’s racially inflammatory statements in the 1960’s.  Lewis’ comments are a little surprising as McCain cited the Congressman as someone he would consult if he became president earlier this year at Pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church forum.

Lewis, speaking of segregationist and former Gov.  George Wallace, saying Wallace “never threw a bomb.  He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights.  Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.”

Lewis concluded that “Senator McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all.  They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy.”

Senator McCain took great offense to the Congressman’s statement, commenting that ”Congressman John Lewis’ comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale.  The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama’s record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign.”

McCain called on Obama to “immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments.”  The Obama campaign released a statement over the weekend distancing themselves from Lewis’ comments, and even Lewis himself has since changed his tune a bit, however when directly questioned about Lewis’ comments on the campaign trail Sunday Senator Obama effectively ignored the question and offered no comment.

 
Last night was the first, and only, debate between Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden, and what a show it turned out to be.  About half of the audience was tuning in to watch what they expected to be the last stop on the Palin train-wreck of the past week while the other half tuned in to (hopefully) watch the Governor redeem herself after what appeared to be disastrous interviews, specifically her performance with Katie Couric late last week.  It became obvious after the first few minutes of the debate that Gov. Palin was not going quietly into the good night.

The Bloviator will post a more in-depth analysis of the debate once I have had a chance to review the transcript in detail, but I could not resist posting a few comments this morning.

Wait – you mean George W. Bush is NOT really running again in 2008?

My favorite moments of the debate surround one of my own rants of late – that George Bush is not running for re-election in 2008.  There are no shortages of comparisons between John McCain and George Bush on policy, practice, ideals – you name it.  The only problem with that argument, at least to someone who has actually been paying attention to the political process all along and not just during the election season.  Senator McCain has worked across the aisle with Democrats and independents on important legislation more than any other senator, and in many cases he has taken strong positions against his own party.  This has created a lot of waves over the years.  Some specific examples include the McCain-Feingold bipartisan campaign reform act of 2002, the McCain-Kennedy immigration reform act, and the McCain-Lieberman bill that imposed caps on greenhouse gas emissions.  None of these measures were popular with the Republicans, and in some cases, were not popular with the Democrats either.  The point is that Senator John McCain is fully capable of marching to the beat of his own drum when it comes to what he believes in.  Anyone who attempts to call John McCain a “third Bush term” is either just plain ignorant, or is trying to distort the record.

But I digress – I think that Governor Palin did an excellent job of calling attention to Senator Biden’s constant rhetoric surrounding the policies of the current administration.  At one point, and I am paraphrasing, Governor Palin told Senator Biden that she thought the Obama-Biden ticket was supposed to be a champion for change…looking ahead to the future.  She added that for a ticket that is so forward-looking, they sure seem to be living in the past.  Perhaps those efforts from Governor Palin will wake up some of those angry Americans who are voting for change out of hatred for President Bush alone.

What McCain Should do Now:

After his running mate’s performance in last night’s debate, John McCain should clearly see that his campaign staff – those who have wanted to sequester Governor Palin and keep her away from the media – deserve to be fired.  Anyone who would consciously prevent someone who can perform like that away from the media, town hall meetings, and the American people just does not get it.  Governor Palin demonstrated her unique ability to connect with the average American last night, and when you are running against two elitists that connection with the regular folks is a must-have.

For weeks now I have been hearing the call from everyone who knows Sarah Palin to “let Sarah be Sarah.”  After last night’s performance there should no longer be debate on the issue.  Send Sarah Palin out there.  Send her often…and send her out with no purse strings.

If John McCain wants to win the election in November he needs to learn some lessons from Gov. Palin’s performance last night.  He needs to go on the offensive and speak his mind rather than getting lost in the details of politics.  The American people do not want to hear “Washington Insider-Speak,” we want that “straight talk” that McCain claims to enjoy so much.  McCain needs to stop telling us who voted for what on bills no one has ever heard of and start speaking directly to the American people about how his administration will help us – the regular folks.

The Bloviator is tired of hearing about “tax cuts” that are really tax increases, health-care reform that will only make it harder for all of us to get care, and who is (or is not) to blame for the current mess on Wall Street.  If Senator McCain doesn’t get his act together we may have a situation where the election is not his to win, but only Obama’s to lose.  We might already be at that point, which is a very unnerving thought to The Bloviator.