Those who follow this space closely will know that we, from time to time, scout around and see what the other members of my blogging community are up to.
The "Blogpower" bloggers are primarily based in the UK, but others are located in the US, Canada, Australia, Italy...and even the Sudan.
We'll see how they reacted to the US elections-and we'll discover that while many are happy, it's not all strawberries and cream out there.
We'll meet the happy, we'll meet the silly-and we'll meet the not-so-very-happy as well.
So with that said, let's head over to the UK, shall we?
There are but three days to go, Gentle Reader, and the McCain campaign is now down to fear and Joe The Plumber.
Those who seek to spread The Fear are resorting to fantastic schemes and amazing leaps of logic in an effort to find something to make The Fear rise in voters.
But to be honest, the crazy speculation lacks...imagination.
I believe I can present crazy speculation that is at least as interesting as what they've put out-and funnier to boot-and with that and the Halloween just past in mind we present the final weekend edition of the 2008 campaign cycle's blogging.
So, ya wanna hear a few debunked made up rumors that, frankly, have a lot more creative style?
This year's presidential campaign has not involved the "urban decline" rhetoric that rallied politicians - and policymakers - to the cause of cities in the mid 1960s and late 1970s. Instead, as Alex MacGillis pointed out in Sunday's WaPo, Senator Obama
"has adopted the framing increasingly favored by many mayors and urban-policy types - promoting America's cities based on their strengths, not their failings."
This framing involves a slight shift of perspective from urban cores to metro areas. In many ways, this optimistic view of cities as nestled within metros (which aren't as politically, or racially, charged as cities) is productive. Economics backs up the sunny view, as MacGillis notes, with the majority of the nation's GDP generated and of its population and jobs located in metro areas.
But the champions of the metro perspective fail to defend the political relationship - the partnership - that is necessary between the federal government and cities. In interviewing mayors from cities across the country, I have consistently heard that cities will not truly prosper until mayors are provided more substantive opportunities to influence federal policy. This influence would extend beyond calls for more funds for the CDBG and COPS programs to provide mayors and other parochial officials occasions to highlight model local policies and coordinate with state officers and, indeed, with other officials inside their metro area.
Mayors have already joined together in ad hoc groups to meet Kyoto Protocol targets and in official organizations like the Conference of Mayors, but they have little formal means to influence federal policy. If mayors are heard at all, they are heard to be begging for money; if they receive money, they often receive too little or are constrained in its use. Providing mayors a platform for influence, exchange, and coordination - similar to Senator Obama's White House Office of Urban Policy - would capitalize on the economic power of metro areas while restoring urban policy to its proper place in national discourse. At its best, this would mean strengthening the power and authority of mayors at the federal level--something that Obama's transition team should embrace.
In today's WSJ, June Kronholz points out that few mayors become president. They have often been overlooked when they should be empowered. Today, mayors nationwide overwhelmingly want the next presidential administration to reverse that trend.
A recent interview DMI's MayorTV did with Mayor Dannel Malloy of Stamford, CT explores the much-needed political partnership between cities and the federal government. Check it out.
When last we met, Gentle Reader, we were talking about more or less $150,000 in clothing and beauty services that had been purchased mostly for Sarah Palin's use by the Republican National Committee.
Since then, we have learned that John McCain himself once tried to outlaw the very type of contribution that led to this situation, we've heard McCain's campaign offer a very non-maverick-y denial...and we've learned that the highest paid member of the McCain campaign staff-the person who presumably has the magic touch needed to turn this thing around-will be working her magic with a makeup brush.
As we discussed yesterday, I think I could have dressed Palin for 1/3 of what the RNC paid. Yesterday we "purchased" five of the outfits I think she needs...and with half the shopping done, we're $670 over budget.
Can she be dressed for a mere $43,000?
Let's see if we can pull it off...
So you're the Governor of a State...but the next thing you know, you're running for Vice President. The boss says you gotta bling up the ol' Governor clothes-and the next thing you know, you're having to explain how you can be the common "hockey mom" from Wasilla and how you can be clothed in more than enough money to buy Joe The Plumber's house...both at the same time.
In the interests of telling the story fairly, I decided to conduct my own online shopping experiment.
Let's head over to Saks and Neiman's...and Bergdorf and Goodman's to boot...and let's just find out exactly what you would need to spend to look fabulous-and what you should probably be avoiding if you really want to project that whole "woman of the people" kind of thing.
That's right folks, today, we play "Joe The Personal Shopper" for Sarah Palin.
The McCain campaign is beyond desperate, at this point, and as you might expect, the emails are full of things McCain supporters would like us to know.
I had one of those emails cross my inbox yesterday morning...and I thought to myself:
"Self...since the author of this email asked me to look up her facts, maybe I should."
So I did.
Next thing I knew, I realized I was looking at a giant load of hooey.
Follow along, and I'll show you what I mean.
As final preparations for the last presidential debate are made - water glasses weighed and secret memoranda consulted - both candidates have revamped their economic plans for the economic crisis now gripping the country.
McCain was uncertain, at first, about whether to release a revised plan. But even after deciding that certain "economic news and conditions" demanded such action, he seems to have omitted several critical elements from the proposal. No, if you were concerned, he remembered to include a cut in the capital gains tax. And yes, if you're worried he was going soft, he will employ a surge strategy to prevent foreclosures.
Barack Obama is a Threat To America, we are told, because he served on a board of directors and had other contacts with William Ayers, who, in the 1960s, was, or was not, involved in terrorist acts for which he was never convicted of any crimes.
So imagine how serious of a Threat To America we would have if, last month, one of the two candidates hired someone to lead their transition team-the person who would recommend who should be selected for every appointed office of the new Administration-who, at the time of the 9/11 attacks, actually worked for Saddam Hussein...and who ended up working for him for five years.
Well, one of the candidates did, and I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Obama.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to meet William E. Timmons, Sr.
Every morning lately, we have turned anxiously to the news to see if financial markets are in freefall...and some days, they actually are.
Governments across the world have responded over the past two weeks--including a massive commitment by the United States Treasury that is, to say the least, highly controversial to the American voter.
As this is being written markets are opening in Asia. At the moment things are somewhat stable, and except for Shanghai and Taiwan, they're heading upward. During the writing process, Europe has opened, and there are gains there today as well.
The US credit markets did not open today (although the stock markets did) because of the Columbus Day holiday-but anyone who recalls Mr. Dow's Wild Ride last Friday is quite nervous ahead of the Tuesday opening.
Despite all that bailout stuff we're hearing about, confidence doesn't seem to be returning to the markets. Why?
Excellent question, Gentle Reader, and I have a few helpful answers.
So the second debate is in the books, my friends, and it seems that McCain is not getting out the message as well as he might wish.
I have no doubt that some of the problem is related to McCain's policies as he presents them...but to be completely honest, there may be an additional factor.
To put it as bluntly as possible: McCain looks a little...creepy.
And it's not just me: The Girlfriend was mentioning how creepy he looked in the debate as we talked about it this morning. Ask around, and someone might describe him that way to you.
Why is that so, how is this observation going to affect McCain going forward; and most important of all...how does this connect to the Burger King and the design of video game characters?
To help answer the question, let me introduce you to Dr. Masahiro Mori.
BBQ smoke hangs thickly in the air, the rain is getting cooler than it usually is in the summertime, and the Mariners are securely in last place.
And it is also time to return to school. For the new voter about to enter (or return to) College, all the crazy living can make you forget about important things, like...oh, I don't know...maybe an election or two.
To make sure this does not happen I'm going to put College and Politics together to create this year's first...wait for it...synchronized Sarah Palin drinking game.
So start pairing up your shotglasses, find the Scotch tape, and when you get back I'll tell you how it works.
Once a year the professional golf community comes to visit my neck of the woods, in the form of the PGA's Champion's Tour.
It's an event that changes the character of the community in several ways: spectators swell the size of the town, there's a media focus that usually doesn't exist...and an actual, no kidding, traffic jam might develop-on a weekend.
It's a great economic barometer, as well. Despite the efforts of the Professional Golfers Association (the PGA), there is a lot more of an upper-income demographic attending the tournament than there is a Happy Gilmore kind of crowd.
Which brings me to the point of today's examination: what can we learn about the state of the economy from the perspective of the tricklers, as opposed to how it looks from the point of view of the trickled upon?
I'm supposed to be finishing another story tonight, but I've just come from Darcy Burner's primary night party...and I have in front of me the results of the important races tonight in Washington's newfangled "top two" primary.
It is unfair to extrapolate the results of elections in the "People's Republic of Washington" directly onto a national map, but as I look as these results it seems fair to say that if any Republican strategists aren't sweating bullets this morning it's because they'll be hustling for votes in towns like Maggie Valley, North Carolina (don't forget to stop by Saratoga's for the Wednesday night jazz...)...or, perhaps, Bessemer Bend, Wyoming.
For the rest of the Republican community, tonight's events are not good news.
We have a fair amount to cover, so let's get to it.
For those who did not know, I'm a contract worker; and as a result I'm a direct beneficiary of the trend toward outsourcing.
And let me tell you, everyone's doing it. At different times I've worked for school districts, a company that makes tax preparation software, agencies of State Government...even the Navy.
So it was no surprise when I found out from the agency that I was to be assigned to a Human Resources Department to help with the overflow of employee evaluations that needed to be completed-and it was no surprise when they told me the job was like working in Hell.
I was a bit surprised, however, when it turned out they were telling the literal truth...and that's how I came to spend last week as a temp in Satan's HR Department-vetting John McCain for his annual evaluation.
Across my desk recently came the news that the Republicans have chosen the members of their Party's Platform Committee.
The Party Platform being an aspirational document that represents the hopes and dreams of a Party; we should be able to look to the framers of that Platform for an idea of who the Republicans think are the hopers, the dreamers...the aspire-ers, if you will, of a Bright and Shiny Republican future.
So who are these leaders that RNC Chairman "Mike" Duncan says "will be integral to ensuring that our Party creates a forward-looking platform that is rooted in our core values and principles"?
A question has come across my inbox today, and as I am wont to do I began to answer my email friend (who I've known, by the way, since we both posted on the John Edwards blog). More or less 100 words into the reply it occurred to me that this was a question best answered in front of a larger audience.
The question? My friend is having trouble committing to Obama.
Why? I'm paraphrasing, but it would be fair to say that the sudden emergence of Obama's "handlers" was a factor...and although it's not in the note, I suspect the fact that Obama has "tacked to the center" recently on various issues is part of the problem as well.
It's a great question...and in an effort to provide a great answer I'm going to offer a few words of my own-and then I thought we might reach back a bit into history and see if there might be something we can learn.
Having come to the metaphorical tee and taken the first shot, let's head down the fairway and see where that ball might be...and where we can get it to go.
I bring to you today a story that is eight years old and as recent as today's headlines.
A foolish tale of mirth and merriment it is indeed--and for those who want a real all-American Fourth of July story, well...this one fits better than a glass slipper on Cinderella's foot.
The story, as you might have guessed from the headline, starts with a simple premise and ends by paraphrasing Ronald Reagan's famous question:
Had we elected Jerry Springer in 2000 instead of George Bush the Younger, would we be better off today than we were eight years ago?
Come along for the ride, Esteemed Reader, and we shall see...
Just yesterday I was doing some reading at the BlueNC site, and I found this story by persondem who is planning to make and presumably distribute anti-McCain yard signs.
persondem was asking the community for slogans...which got me to thinking, "why not?"
Before I knew what I was doing I had created roughly 50 of the darn things-and that's how we get to today's story...
Our Republican friends have begun the campaign season with their usual class and style; and the resulting Internet gossip has reported that Obama is a secret Muslim, that his Christian Reverend is the scourge of American religion, that he's no patriot...and that he associates with every evil person on the planet, either by allowing them into his campaign or by his willingness to talk to those who hate us the most.
And Obama has, to this point, chosen to remain above the fray.
Because Obama has chosen the high road, I wanted to offer a few words about how we can be a more civil blogging community-and about a few things we should seek to leave off the table.
Do you believe we can win another 32 House seats from the GOP this cycle? I do. We have two simple goals for the 2008 congressional elections: more and better Democrats. These goals require different, but complementary strategies, and these will be the subject of a forthcoming series of posts. More Democrats posts will focus on those seats Democrats can take from the GOP and those that must be protected, looking for winners. Better Democrats posts will focus on those races where truly better, that is more progressive, Democrats are running, looking for candidates specially deserving of our help.
In comments in this and the last election cycle I have proposed a rough division of labor in which the DCCC protects incumbents and recruits and promotes candidates who, in their judgment, stand a good chance of winning. The Netroots dilutes its clout if it then simply piles into the same races as the DCCC. In a seminal article about "Spreading the Field" Ruy Teixeira, quoting political scientist David Krasno, advocates spending less money on the obvious, high-profile races which end up costing several million dollars, and more on mid-level races where the dollars go farther and the marginal value of each additional dollar is greater.
That should be the main job of the progressive blogosphere--finding and promoting strong candidates in other than the high-profile races. There are several advantages to this.
