Pentagon's Message Machine

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/washington/20generals.html

This article was the precursor to Barstow's expose of General Barry McCafferey's evil doings.

General Barry McCafferey: Shame on You Sir

The article below was written by David Barstow and published in the NYT on November 29th. It made me nauseous. Is there anything more disgusting than a man who dedicates his life to profiting from increasing death tolls in war-torn nations? Please comment below if you feel moved to do so.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/washington/30general.html?_r=1&hp

Biden on the Campaign Trail

Since Palin was selected as McCain's running mate, Joe Biden's role in this election has been reduced to that of fourth fiddle. Joe's rallies, which have been held in middle and lower class neighborhoods in swing states, have been drawing limited national media coverage and at times, disappointing crowds.

But please take a look at the video below and comment if you please. My take on this speech from Michigan is that Biden's well documented friendship and familiarity with McCain makes for powerful ammunition on the stump. He spends roughly 3/4ths of this speech railing against "John's" voting record and vision for the country. Biden is able to drive the points home effectively by sprinkling in commentary on how the man he once considered a good friend has become a two-faced, Carl Rove styled politician over the past few months. The sincerity of his disappointment can't be doubted.

Biden is targeting at risk Hillary supporters and white working class voters. With more speeches like this one, he may just have a bigger impact on those groups than the media coverage would make us believe.

Here's the speech:




Biden's reference to the GOP's recent "Lose Your Home, Lose Your Vote" scheme is talked about in more detail here: http://maxwellshammer.blogspot.com/2008/09/gop-lose-your-home-lose-your-vote.html

Palin's Substance

The McCain camp hasn't allowed Sarah Palin to answer a single question from the media since her nomination. Nevertheless (and possibly as a result), her personal story and charisma have revitalized the GOP over the past week. Her speech at the RNC received rave reviews from both liberal and conservative commentators who commended her for hitting "all the right notes" in her introduction to the nation. It even appears now that "the speech" was so dead-on in its message that it has propelled McCain ahead of Obama for the popular vote, according to CNN's "Poll of Polls".

And who doesn't love a great political speech? We chuckle with each witty quip and jab at the opposition. Some of us clap, some of us hoot and holler, and plenty of us Americans go into chants of USA when the speaker's voice hits a crescendo and an emphatic point is made.

But you know, as much as we value a good speech, we should value the knowledge and vision of a leader more. We should value the substance of a person over the style. Right now, in 2008, American citizens have a crucial responsibility; to vote for those individuals who are capable of solving out country's crises.

How do we, the voters, tell who will be capable of addressing the issues that loom over the '08 Presidential race? We look to their records first, and then we listen. We listen to their answers to tough questions and we see how they either match-up with or conflict with our viewpoints. That's how we decide who to vote for.

So, a news flash for those managing the McCain campaign: The Vice President of the United States becomes President of the United States if the Presdient dies or is otherwise unable to continue serving as Commander in Chief. The Vice President is therefore a rather important post. Given McCain's age (72) and the average life expectancy of American males (75.2), we'd really like to hear Sarah Palin's solutions to our nation's problems. The sooner the better, because we messed up pretty badly the last two times and we want to be sure to get it right in '08.