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A Bumpy Couple of Days on the Campaign Trail

Jesse Jackson lobbed some criticism at Barack Obama resulting in the The New York Times citing the incident as ‘a real generational shift in power and leadership underway within African-American politics‘. In effect, Jesse’s criticism seems to be strengthening Obama’s position in that he is not being embraced by the hard line black political core. While the Jackson/Obama drama had all of the ingredients for a two-day news cycle, John McCain managed to take the talking points when he switched the identity of football teams when recounting his experience during torture in Vietnam, and in doing so raising some interesting questions in the media. On top of this his top economic advisor and National Co-Chair refers to Americans as a bunch of whiners for complaining about an economy that is only in a mental recession. But that’s only scratching the surface of John’s bad week.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow provides a summation of the week that was.

In parallel, the planned Obama speech at the Brandenburg Gate is getting only background attention in the US homeland, and a lot more attention over in Germany. First of all we heard the news that the Bush Administration were throwing a wet blanket on the idea, and since then we have seen a number of differing opinions across Germany’s media reflecting a fight between their respective right and left wings of government.

In the meantime VP speculation has been ripe over at the TPM with news about Hagel and Reed joining Obama on the upcoming Iraq visit, and rumors that Hillary Clinton was under consideration for vice president (although apparently Bill may be a problem).

You have to admit, this is almost as good as The West Wing, Season 7.

332 replies on “A Bumpy Couple of Days on the Campaign Trail”

Juat watched the 7.30 report. Looks more and more like Kirri ws right despite all the sledging he copped about “Chicked Little” and predicting Aramgedon.
This economic downturn is looking unstoppable and the fallout will be global.
Wish he’d been wrong actually.

KR – if you’re out there ( hope you’re OK,) this is a hollow victory indeed i imagine.

Catrina- well done. You have done us all a great service. It’s great to see old faces (names) appearing.

jen at 302

It gets even better – we’ll be closing this thread down sometime this evening and the next post to take center stage is written by our very own EC.

🙂

Hey Megan – yr 270 ‘snap’ with my 277.
What a delight that man is.
And what afine example of a good Christian wife Cindy is.
bleh.

She should have slapped him good and hard and walked out never to return. How DARE he!!!

299 Catrina

Whatever that means. Do i get a free cheeseburger in a can to celebrate.

Thanks for keeping my serial lurking abilities alive.

I see SimonH is the first bludger to wade into the comments at 538.

^5 SimonH

Represent

Some of you have probably seen this doin the rounds but if you have not here is a quick quiz while we await the EC mould of the vote stealin diebold!

So-You Want to succeed in Business??

In 1923, Who Was:

1. President of the largest steel company?

2. President of the largest gas company?

3. President of the New York Stock Exchange?

4. Greatest wheat speculator?

5. President of the Bank of International Settlement?

6. Great Bear of Wall Street?

These men were considered some of the worlds most successful of their days.

Now, 80 years later, the history book asks us, if we know what ultimately became of them.

The Answers:

1. The president of the largest steel company.
Charles Schwab,
died a pauper.

2. The president of the largest gas company,
Edward Hopson,
went insane.

3. The president of the NYSE,
Richard Whitney,
was released from prison
to die at home.

4. The greatest wheat speculator,
Arthur Cooger,
died abroad, penniless.

5. The president
of
the Bank of International Settlement,
shot himself.

6. The Great Bear of Wall Street,
Cosabee Livermore,
also committed suicide

However,
in that same year, 1923,
the PGA Champion
and the winner of the
most important golf tournament,
the US Open,
was
Gene Sarazen.
What became of him?

He played golf until he was 92,
died in 1999 at the age of 95.
He was financially secure
at the time of his death.

The Moral:

F%ck work.
Play golf.

gaffhook-
jaundiced view and I exchanged canned cheeseburgers and in fact you have to be part of a very select and gourmet subset of PollBludgers to be eligible.
However i think anyone who has joined this new site should get an introductory offer of a cheesebuger in a can and a set of nose clips ( in memory of our patron Synchronised Swimming Coach, Mr G Growler.)
Hope some other Bludgers find their way here.

In the meantime not just McCain, but the entire US economy is looking like Toast.
Which is actually not really a good thing.

lol gaffhook. There is no plausible explanation for golf, but this goes close….troubling stuff on the news, jen….very troubling…

310 BO

Yep why play golf
Especially if you have got troops overseas getting kneeecapped day after day.
That would be enough to make you give it up specially if you were the Prez of the Unique States

I think, jen, your tryping shows you cloud be ledvelopgin actue ronitis. luckily, there is a cure: red wine and cheeseburgers

BO – trust me – I’m trying the wine but it’s not helping.
I think I may need a PoBUS exorcism!

Night Bludgers.
i think I may need to take my typing disorder to bed and try again tomorrow.
Good luck with heading the thread EC!

Great news from the west for Obama. McCain must be wondering what he can do to turn sentiment his way.

Swing Lowe @ 284….”EC. Nice pic – where did u get it from (and what’s the context)?…”

And has it been photo-shopped? It is just too good!

BoBo at 328: Just go to google homepage and click images top left. The more imaginative your search words, the better the choice. Glommed that pic with “angry McCain”.

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