Heck of a Job, Johnny
~moon rising before sun~Mount Shasta
When I got up this morning (still riled up about last night’s debate) the sky was pretty dark, but there was this incandescent spotlight peeping over the southern rim of Mount Shasta. Within seconds the crescent moon, its dark side back-lit by the sun, rose up to complete roundness, complete with a bright white sliver.
This was the first time I had ever seen such a thing, so I made a lot of noise so Chris would have to wake up and get a good picture of the event for posterity’s sake. The fate of the world aside, folks, sometimes it’s just good to be alive.
Back to politics. Last night, Chris and I watched the presidential debate. I can’t believe it, but we actually sat through the whole thing twice, the second time on CNN: There were these six score cards along the sides, and three lines down at the bottom supposedly graphing the democrat, republican and independent reactions.
Following these constantly changing lines during a debate seemed stupid, though. It was more interesting to watch the negative and positive points appear. “I think Bennet fell asleep,” Chris kept saying. “Why didn’t anybody give Obama one for that?” I’d ask. Sometimes, we had to back the TV up, ’cause a point would sneak by us.
Finally though, Chris succumbed to tiredness. Left to my own devices, I sat up and watched three more hours of jabbering commentaries, everything from right wing conservative Pat Buchanan to the new kid on the left side of the block Rachel Maddow. I couldn’t wait to get up this morning and see how the debate was spinning after a night’s sleep.
Now, I’ve even gone to the web for more: The BBC online provided snippets from eight different political writers who analyzed McCain’s and Obama’s performances. They also list some key quotes— none that memorable from my point of view, although Obama did diss McCain for singing bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran to the tune of the Beach Boy song, ‘Barbara Ann’.
Follow the link for a youtube video of the McStupid rendition of Bomb bomb Iran, complete with a defense of his stupidity. “If somebody can’t understand that,” Senator McCain said “my answer is then, please, get a life.”
Speaking of which, I find it disturbing that a world leader could sing about bombing men women and children’s body parts into oblivion. Any analysis of his so-called joke weighs so heavy on McCain’s fitness to govern that absolutely nothing can be said to justify that kind of imprudence, no matter how much torture was endured at the hands of the Viet Cong. Now that I know this pugnacious character, I’m not even sure I believe what he says about his imprisonment. Whew!
Steam clearing.
I also tend to agree with the analysts who say McCain showed more passion. But who wants that kind of passion? You’re doing a ‘heck of a job’, Johnny, especially in the anger department. Ezra Klein of ‘The American Prospect’ had this to say: “McCain was certainly more impassioned… His emotion, his passion, came from a nearly uncontrollable contempt for his opponent…”
The fact is, McCain, highly irritated to be on the same stage with Obama, avoided looking directly at his opponent for ninety minutes straight, even after the moderator (Jim Lehrer) ordered both candidates to face each other—something else I found obnoxious. According to the freepress.net, however, I’m in the 10% minority with any harsh assesment of the moderator. Most thought PBS personality Jimmy did a heck of a job.
Moving on. In the end, it was Barcak Obama who graciously made his way across the stage to congratulate McCain. I read Obama’s lips as he held out his hand to Senator McCain. “Good job, John,” he said patting his colleague on the arm with a smile.
For a more in-depth grading of each candidate’s performance—one that involves substance, style, offense and defense click here on Time.com. Political analyst, Mark Halperin, assigned each candidate an overall letter grade: Mccain got a B-, while Obama snagged an A-.
“Two more performances like that and he (Obama) will be very tough to beat on Election Day,” Halperin said.
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