Nathaniel Salzman

What gives me pause is the fact that Bill Ayers is a supporter of Obama; not that he and Obama were in the same room together a handful of times. What is it about Obama that is appealing to Ayers’ political beliefs (which Ayers admits are founded in Communism and Marxism)? Just a something to ponder . . .

Further, Ayers’ has great influence in the academic community. If Obama gets elected, what are the chances that Ayers will somehow be a part of education reform, and if so, what sort of agenda is going to be pumped into our school systems?

As for the Right’s “propaganda machine,” the media is just as guilty. What happened to news being reported without bias? Instead we have newspapers and networks manipulating and choosing stories that fit into their own agendas. I halfway expect to see an “Obama 2008″ banner proudly emblazoned alongside the news ticker.

And speaking of Dennis Miller, he actually has a lot of level-headed, thought provoking things to say. You should give his radio show a listen.

Oh I’m a huge fan of Dennis Miller, don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see a debate between him and John Stewart. I don’t even agree with everything Obermann says here, I just really appreciate his passion and that somebody in the mainstream media finally stood up in their venue and called “bullshit!” on Sarah Palin’s idiotic stream of folksy rhetoric. I get most of my news from NPR, which I must say does a fantastic job keeping both sides of things balanced. But I’ll give Olbermann a chance now just on balls.

As for Ayers, there’s no indication that he and Obama had any kind of continuing relationship beyond their shared time on that charity board years ago. Ayers isn’t his campaign manager, or his education advisor, or any part of his inner circle of friends or advisors. Sure, he hosted a meet-and-greet during Obama’s state legislature campaign, but that wasn’t from intimacy. Rather, Obama was setting up these handshake events in anybody’s living room who would be willing to host him. He didn’t have every meeting there, he happened to have one. Furthermore, what somebody believed in the ’60s isn’t necessarily what they believe now. Granted, I’m not a defender of Ayers as I really know very little about him and from what I hear, I do not approve of his actions back in the day. What I, and apparently Keith Olbermann, take issue with is how the McCain campaign is trying to make a big something out of a whole lot of nothing. Even more stupidly, the same nothing that Hillary Clinton tried to pin on Obama in the primaries. It’s like they haven’t been paying attention. If Obama were really close with the guy, then there might be more legitimate concern. But at this point, it’s just smear. It’s not the claims that bother me, it’s the un-substantiation.

I should also be more specific when I talk about the Right. I mean the neo-con, borderline fascist Right that is making the most noise in the last decade or so. The Right that has abandoned pretty much anything it stood for in trying to constantly gain more and more power. The Right that refuses to acknowledge that other voices, other points of view in our country actually matter. Although that is as much a fault of this being a bipartisan system in the first place. The democrats are guilty of the same at other points in history. It’s not uniquely republican.

I think the McCain campaign has John Kerry syndrome. In 2004, John Kerry couldn’t pull together a coherent message beyond “I’m not George Bush” — he couldn’t meaningfully put forth any of his own ideas (if he even had any) in a way that stuck in people’s minds. McCain is in a really tough spot where he has to pander to “the base” of people that voted twice for G.W. on one side, yet try to distance himself from that line of thinking in order to sway independents. The net effect is sort of the double Kerry. “I’m not Bush. I’m not Obama. Vote for me.”

Meanwhile Obama, whether you would agree with his plans or not, has at least lately been much more concrete and specific about exactly what he’d like to accomplish as president. That’s a switch from even the Primaries. I really thought Hillary was going to beat him there for a while because though he’s an eloquent speaker, he hadn’t laid out anything particularly solid. I’m definitely no fan of Hillary, so I’m really glad this isn’t a Hillary/McCain race. As for Obama now, at this point I can quote his economic, energy, and security initiatives from memory, and not because I’m some sort of devotee — because he’s talked about them consistently. I do also happen to agree with about 90% of what he wants to get done, and how he plans to go about it makes a lot of sense. I’ve even read some great op-ed pieces from lifelong Republicans making the case that Obama is in all actuality more in-line with actual core conservative values — not the made up neo-con ones. That’s the thing. I don’t like his platform because it’s particularly Democratic. I like it because it’s pragmatic and actionable.

McCain’s, and especially Palin’s message of late is mostly “I can do it. I know how to fix this.” but then neither of them follow through very far on the how. They’re confident they can do well by the country, but we’re just supposed to trust them on the details, I guess. Assertions of confidence do not a leader make. Sarah Palin has turned the word “maverick” into a television drinking game and their laughable co-opting of the “change” message is as transparent as McCain’s “suspension” of his campaign because of the financial crisis.

I’m no democrat, as you well know, Whipple (if that is you’re real name!). In 2004 I felt like I had nobody to vote for. This time I do. If Obama is shady, show me where. But the best his detractors have been able to do from the primaries forward is “Well, he knew a guy once…”

I must say Keith is RIGHT ON! The only thing going for Mr McPain is his war record which he brings up almost every chance he gets. OK, OK he was in a prison camp for 5 years…. this makes him a hero? Palin! Palin!.. would you trust the country to her if the Old guy dies? DTS!

But to each his own. Good Luck to us all if McPain wins as it will just be more of the same… Remember he sired deregulation.

BTW…. Nice blog.

I do think that John McCain’s wartime service and prison camp experience is very heroic. I just don’t think that qualifies him to be President more than his Senate service does. I think that John McCain would have been a great president eight years ago. I think he would have handled this whole thing a lot better than George has precisely because he’s actually stood for things over the years and bucked his party when he felt like he needed to. The problem is, at this point, that he’s not bucking anything that will help get him elected. Though I can’t fault his character for having ambition to the land’s highest office, he has — at least in my opinion — sacrificed the good things he stands for upon the alter of getting elected. He could indeed be a great president, but I could never vote for his campaign persona. Never before has the constituency been expected to have higher expectations of the officer than the candidate. We’re used to lots and lots of candidate promises that they don’t deliver on in office. But in this case, it’s almost as though McCain is asking us to ignore the grumpy, wish-washy, reactionist campaign persona and “trust him” that he’ll be better in office.

Good points.

HERO is?…

My comment about McCain was not meant to say he’s not a very courageous man but I still don’t see the whole hero thing. I myself went AWOL during the vietnam war, oh I’m sorry… police action, I can’t imagine having endured what he did? My choice to not serve was a very hard choice for me and my wife to make. I risked being incarcerated in one of the worst prisons in the USA, Leavenworth, and losing my freedom that those gallant service people have fought for during my 62 years.

I guess we have different definitions of hero. A hero to me is a person who runs into a fire to save another human being, takes a bullet for a fellow soldier, stands against fellow soldiers who want to burn and kill all in a vietnam village, as a friend of mine did. He then received “Friendly Fire” a few hours later, he did survive and was sent home. He joined us “Hippies” in fight against the “WAR”. I think a “Courageous” thing to do if you recall the politico climate is the USA then. On the other side… I had a situation with some of my fellow hippies who wanted to call all soldiers “Killers”. I did not support that thought.

McCain was on a bombing mission, doing his job, got shot down and paid the price for our economic… whoops, I mean failed foreign policy. He, we are lead to believe, survived inhumane treatment at the hands of his captures. Courageous yes, heroic… I don’t think so.

Where are the protests by draft age people? No protests because no draft.

Now back to politics…

McCain choose the wrong person as his running mate. At the time he choose Palin I was undecided. I did some fact finding on her and was shocked at what I found. Not because she is a woman but because she is way too far off the beaten path for me and my tastes. I would have voted for Hilary over Barrack, easily. Hilary is a brilliant person and Bill, if he had just let the big head do his thinking, had a very good intelligent time in office. She and he would have been a good team.

Barrack has let me down with his wishy washy talk at the last debate. He never did answer the questions and McCain at least tried to be somewhat communicative. Both are a joke to most europeans I know.

I’m voting for Barrack because I hope he’s NOT more of the same not because he’s a brilliant individual he’s just been packaged really well.

My dollar and a half… sorry for the long rant, I hope it’s respectful of others.