The Day Pigs Flew
This is also the NH just had two fillings replaced and needs to pass out open thread.
Yesterday, September 9, 2008 will live in Barack Obama's nightmares forever. It is the day his campaign all but ended, The Day Pigs Flew.
Now, I know he just used a common expression that even John McCain uses and I feel confident he was not calling Governor Palin a pig. But that doesn't matter. Perception is everything. A lesson drilled into any marketer or salesperson's head. Perception is Everything.
Reality and re-takes don't matter in real life politics and Barack Obama is experiencing the first real challenge of his political life. Probably the last too.
It doesn't matter if he was scratching his face that tme with his middle finger. His audi
ence and all of us assumed he was fliipng off Hillary. A Presidential candidate is responsible for every word and every gesture and the context within which they are used. Had Barack been in a hotel suite just finishing his 3rd. glass of Pinot Noir and some jerk filmed him slurring about his hatred of women, I honestly don't think we'd care. Context is the point. I don't mind my politician's getting loaded now and then and I will not hold them to anything they say under the influence and in private.
But the context of a campaign event so soon after Governor Palin used lipstick as a swipe at herself is the issue. Obama and his people knew what they were doing and if they didn't they are dumber than I thought. The problem is they are still speaking to the blogger boyz in the crowd, the ones there for the free concert. They haven't figured out yet that this is now the general election and the rest of us are listenning.
Perception is Everything!
This my friends is an open thread.
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<p>what they were doing. Turns out not so much.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I hear Obama is going to "address" that remark. This one ought to be good. He's in trouble if he does that in an unscripted form. The reason his speeches at the 2004 convention and addressing the racism issue in the primaries went over so well is that they were carefully written. He'd be a fool to "address" the pig-wearing-lipstick controversy in any kind of interview. Even with a sympathetic host he'll still come off as semi-coherent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wonder if someone on the Republican side is saving all the film clips of Obama's subtle middle finger. Wouldn't that make a great montage?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh! 'Morning, furry thing.</p>
<p>What the repubs are doing without any real nastiness or ultra-negatives is keeping the Dems on the defensive. Democrats are lousy at defense. Causes lots of uh, well, maybe, but what I meants..... Not a great thing in a leader.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>#1 and 2 projects are to get the spelling checker working and images for all you folks. Any Drupal/TinyMCE experts out there who aren't o'bots?</p>
<p>But not this morning as I have a RL job calling</p>
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
<p>But the image from last night's open thread is just a box with a red "x" and the word "Piggy". </p>
<p>Don't drink any water for awhile until your drugs wear off, NH. Drooling is not attractive, ask Tweety. ;)</p>
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
<p>Same here. I see the winged pig on this post but the ones last night do not come up. Not even the broken image icon appears...just blank space.</p>
<p>I couldn't see her in last night's thread when I pulled it up the first time (saw a big blank spot. But when I pulled it up the second time, she was there. I wonder if it has anything to do with the CSS surrounding the img tag.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Still blank spaces where Miss Piggy should be. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I checked my settings last night and can't find anything that should inhibit images. But there's so much security crap on this computer it's a wonder anything comes through.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And while we're on the subject, I wish the fool thing would quit churning away on its own. It's getting to the point where I have to make an appointment with it to use it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Removed all automatic update stuff. Maybe that'll help.</p>
<p>...to you too, creeper. Have you tried to post images? I tried to post something yesterday from my photobucket account and when I hit preview, no image, only a string of code.</p>
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2410/2103135430_fcf8fba341_m.jpg" width="240" height="172" /><br /><br /><br />Oh man, it worked! But I have NO idea how I did that. The first three attempts were total failures.</p>
<p>Image showed up on typing screen. Didn't make the trip to the page. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bummer.</p>
<p>One issue is you have to go below the edit box and in "Input format" select full html.</p>
<p>I've tried to make that default but I'm clumsy.</p>
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
I knew that...or should've from reading last night. Let's try this again...
Hokay. It's showing up here. Hail Mary...
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
The view from here. Sunset over the river.
Still no cigar. :(
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
and took up cashews.
<p>by the weekend I'll open image uploads so we can be sure where the image comes from. Cross domains and certain restricted domains cause securty conflicts.</p>
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
<p>It's usually pretty reliable, albeit a bit clumsy sometimes. </p>
<p>I can barely get a link in one of these.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Speaking of which, should I be seeing that link icon up there? It's still faded out. OTOH, I have figured out that when I copy a link to the body of a message it does work even though it's not highlighted in blue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Did you hear Mike Gravel's interview on Pacifica? They're obviously in the tank for Obama but it didn't faze Gravel. I thought the interviewer's referring to him as "Mike" from the get-go was a bit cheeky. Got the feeling he didn't care for it, either.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(displaying ignorance) What's an "RL job"?</p>
<p>Real Life.</p>
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
<blockquote><br />"This is just the kind of discussion that the Obama campaign does
not want to be caught up in right now, whether it’s a manufactured
controversy or not" said <b>CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs</b>. "Every day in which the contest appears to be one between Obama and Sarah Palin is a good day for John McCain."</blockquote>
<blockquote><br /></blockquote>
<blockquote>Ack! Can't get out of quote format. Ignore please. </blockquote>
<blockquote><br /></blockquote>
<blockquote>This is exactly what is wrong with the Obama campaign. They have framed it to their own disadvantage. Not surprising, in a way. Obama's never faced a tough fight. He's either had his opponents removed from the ballot or run against sitting ducks. </blockquote>
<blockquote><br /></blockquote>
<blockquote>I'd better add popcorn to my shopping list.<br /></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote><br /></blockquote>
<blockquote><br /></blockquote>
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<p>it's often more cringe-worthy than the gaffe itself. I had to turn off the tv before he started speaking.</p>
<p>I can't watch, either. Will wait for the post-mortems and YouTube. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't think there's anything Obama can say that's going to repair the damage from this one. The OFB is the only bunch who will believe him. Right now the election is about undecideds and they're obviously sick of the attacks.</p>
<p>...at the tee vee, "stop digging, BO!" After the "pig" remark, he talked about her stinking like a fish. Yeah, of course, that was just another "innocent" mistake. And when he (or someone in his campaign) called her a "porker", of course they were onnnnly referring to her pork-barrel spending ways. Of course, that had to be it, right?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sexist code talk, every bit as nasty and vile as racist code talk. Poor Barack, after he beat down Hillary, he thought his days were over with those damn intrusive women standing in his way! bwahahahaha </p>
"Right wing sledge hammers never, ever help us." Pacific John
<p>He wouldn't be making these "gaffes" that only backfire on him.</p>
<p>that the "old fish" remark referred to McCain.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Obama needs to shut up. He's giving fish a bad name. We KNOW fish are good things...at least catfish are.</p>
<p>But hey I've had a lifetime of fish jokes, I can take it. Even from The One.</p>
<p>about Obama's explanation of the "lipstick on a pig comment". The readers aren't buying it. Same on ABC. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Spare me the phony outrage, spare me the phony talk about change," Obama scoffed.
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Geez, does this man have any idea how nasty he sounds? He's driving away voters with a whip and a chair.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
But this time I noticed that he once again scrathes with his middle finger. This time his forehead. I think he's still shouting out to the blogger boyz.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
<p>exactly what he is doing. They weren't just cheering his words.</p>
<p>The guy is disgusting. How uncouth! I cannot believe the DNC did this to 18 million Americans by propping him up and rigging the Primary.</p>
<p>Yeah, he's driving away voters. What do you think Bill Clinton will say to him at lunch. I would LOVE to be a mouse in the corner. Do you think Bill will "dress him down" a bit?</p>
<p>I think Bill will calmly offer Obama his best advice...which will be promptly ignored.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Obama doesn't want to hear what Bill has to say. He just wants the photo op with him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sickening how the Obama campaign is running to Bill and Hillary to save it. They don't even offer anything in return. Remember that campaign debt they were going t help retire? Of course, with contributions down to a trickle there's probably not a lot of money to spare to the lady you want to save your bacon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hmmm..."save your bacon"..."lipstick on a pig"...must work on this one.</p>
Will be explaining the finer points of eating good Harlem soul food.
Yummm. Seriously. One reason I married a southerner.
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Needs greens with salt pork and cornbread.
On second thought, maybe I should've said, "Oh, dear...catfish stew."
Soup's on!
<p>I cannot imagine having to listen to O' for the next four years. The guy can't speak without a teleprompter. I'm sick of his "preacher cadence" - so phoney. If he was speaking in his "Senator voice" I might actually be able to listen to him. Regardless, I agree what some are saying; that Obama is a Democratic George W. Ugh!</p>
<p>Thought you said "This is also the NH just had two fillings replaced and needs to pass out ON open thread."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(clearing brain of mental image of small, furry creature asleep on mousepad)</p>
Kindred spirits are out there, folks. The Rantings of a P.T.A. Mom:
<blockquote>
<p>I do not get invited to lecture on third world eco-sustainability on luxury<br />
cruises</p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Nice whack at <i>The Nation</i>. I tried to get them to cancel my subscription. Nothing doing. It runs out this month and it'll be a cold day in hell before I renew.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Poor Sandra Loh. Hard to believe this disaster of a selection could cause divorce. The kool-aid is even more poisonous than I thought.</p>
She is not really getting divorced, but it sounds like she's in the same position as New Hampster and many others across the country.
She's a really hilarious performance artist/journalist. She did a hilarious routine on trying to find a public school for her kid in Los Angeles. She concludes she can't afford to send her kid to a public school because the real estate prices where the schools are good enough are simply too high. But here's the gem:
<p>Lotsa affluent Dems aboard conducting and attending lectures and forums.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>TN lost a lot of subscribers when they went into the tank for Obama. There are probably lots of open bunks of this year's cruise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nice to know the "divorce" isn't real. But it sure wouldn't surprise me. If hubby were in the tank for Obama I'd consider filing tomorrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It IS a shame Republicans get the cred on women. This should never have happened.</p>
Oh that is so perfect - The Nation luxury cruise.
The Republicans aren't just grabbing the cred on women - Loh's point is they're grabbing the "emotional real estate" of a public school parent! You know, sending your kid to the public school, doing your part for "the greater good" - which is supposed to be a Democratic value! The greater good! The public trust! Like Social Security - but don't get me started, Obama will want a free market "solution" to the Social Security non-"crisis". I can't wait until he loses.
Tom Friedman says today:
<p>Yes, there are more than a few of us that are have acrimony at home due to the Democratic "Uniter". It's ugly when barbs fly, and you cannot watch the news in the same room as your spouse. <img border="0" src="/modules/tinymce/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-sealed.gif" alt="Sealed" title="Sealed" /></p>
<p>I'm glad he doesn't gloat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He would've voted for Hillary and can't believe how corrupt the Democratic party has become.</p>
<p>I, myself, cannot believe how corrupt the Dem Party has become -- and I refuse to make excuses for them. It's disgusting. As an aside, my mother, a 'anybody but Clinton" Repub, actually told me this Spring that she did not like McCain; would not vote for Obama; but would pull the lever for Hillary! And the blogger boyz seem to insist that Repubs would have never voted for Hillary. Wrong! </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He voted for Gore but then switched to Bush on the second term. He bought into the "can't change Presidents in the middle of a war" argument.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This year he was almost as desperate as I was to get Clinton in. His reasoning was a little different, though. "I'd vote for Hillary just to get Bill back."</p>
<p>Do you think Sen. Barack Obama went too far with his 'lipstick on a pig' remark? * 100072 responses </p>
<p> <br /> Yes, he has crossed the line this time. 36%</p>
<p><br /> No, this is just part of the rough-and-tumble of political campaigning. 63%</p>
<p><br /> I don't know. 1.4% </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Given the level of kool-aid addiction there this is remarkable. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I note references on CBS's comment page to the OFB playing "cut and paste" with comments. Is it just me, or is this a sign of utter desperation?</p>
<p>The Kool-Aid crowd is big-time desperate.</p>
<p>keeps reminding me not to become too complacent. The mainscream media is nowhere near done with their hatchet job on Palin. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Can someone tell me why I had the Daily Howler bookmarked? They're up with a screed this morning on Palin's per diem payments. Did they go in the tank too?</p>
<p>On the bookshelf in my office, un-opened for a future flea market.</p>
<p>I'm wondering what we'll see for Palin. The Sarah corkscrew?</p>
Civil Discourse - ERA - A Mother President - Women's Rights - Primary Reform
Someday that Hillary nutcracker will be worth a bunch.
As for the Sarah corkscrew, I wish they would. It looks like they're in free-fall already. That would only speed it up. People would laugh at it and put an X beside her name.
<p>The man who Obama described as "a friend, though if he is found guilty he will no longer be a friend" ??? got scant coverage when he was, in fact, found guilty on mutliple counts.</p>
<p>But this morning ABC spent several minutes on a question Palin asked the Wasilla librarian - again, that's fair game. But Rezko - they didn't ask Obama his reaction to his "friend" being found guilty.</p>