Daily Dose

This Has Totally Never Been Said Before

A completely original piece in Slate about Philadelphia sports fans.

[Slate]

I'm Getting Weepy Over Election Stories Already

You have to read this from Ben Smith on Politico:

Early voting in Evansville

Here's an early voting story from a medical student in Evansville, Ind.:

I squeaked in just before the 7pm deadline to find two very frustrated poll workers and a line of a couple dozen people, due to problems with the computerized voting system not accepting people's driver's licenses. It was taking about 7-10 minutes per person just to get the computer to accept them as valid and to print out their ballot, causing very long delays.

For me the most moving moment came when the family in front of me, comprising probably 4 generations of voters (including an 18 year old girl voting for her first time and a 90-something hunched-over grandmother), got their turn to vote. When the old woman left the voting booth she made it about halfway to the door before collapsing in a nearby chair, where she began weeping uncontrollably. When we rushed over to help we realized that she wasn't in trouble at all but she had not truly believed, until she left the booth, that she would ever live long enough to cast a vote for an African-American for president. Anyone who doesn't think that African-American turnout will absolutely SHATTER every existing record is in for a very rude surprise.

There were about 20 people in front of me but remarkably not a single person left the room without voting over the 2 hours it took to get through the line.

Daily Dose

Also, since my absence, I haven't mentioned Monday's Daily Show, which was really good. It addresses what I just talked about in my post on Michelle Bachmann: this whole idea that there is a "real" American and a "fake" America--that somehow we who live in cities are not representative of America (although we certainly make up most of the population at 80%). Jason Jones's trip to Wasilla is very telling.

You can check out the whole episode here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/episodeId=188632

If Michelle Bachmann Loses I Will Laugh So Hard

Okay so if you're ever watching any of the 24-hour news networks and there is a brunette conservative commentator who you can't decide if she's really attractive or if she's really insane, you're probably watching Michelle Bachmann. Bachmann is the conservative Republican Congresswoman from Minnesota that makes Sarah Palin look like Bambi. Well, last week she was on Chris Matthews and said some ridiculous things. Here's the video:



Okay, so my problem is not her argument that Barack Obama has connections with shady characters. I certainly don't agree with that argument because I think it's dubious at best, but I can understand conservatives making that argument. My big problem is the idea that "leftist" and "liberal" makes one "anti-American." The fundamentalist, neoconservative movement of the last decade has defined what it means to be "American" in such narrow terms, that "liberal" has become a curseword and anyone leaning left of center is considered unpatriotic. I'm not sure what America she grew up in (although, I must admit I live in "fake Virginia," so what do I know), but I learned in Social Studies that our democracy was founded on the principles of free speech and a healthy dose of dissention. Because someone has political beliefs based on a different set of ideologies does not make them evil, it makes them different. And Bachmann may not have noticed, but our elections have been very very close in the last few cycles; a little less than half the country agrees at least in part with "leftists." Does this mean we half of Americans are all anti-American?

Look, just as liberals have a right to say what they please, so do conservatives like Bachmann. But Bachmann's assertion that we need to root out all of these "leftist anti-Americans" is something right out of an Arthur Miller play. It's a ridiculous notion. But luckily, this country isn't buying this anymore. In the days following Bachmann's tirade on Chris Matthews, the opponent for her congressional seat raised more than $1.3 million, doubling his funds. The NRCC even pulled its television advertisements in support of Bachmann in the district. Her seat that just a week ago was seen as very safe is now seriously in jeopardy.

Additionally, I hate how when some political commentator gets asked to clarify their obviously ridiculous and illogical statements, the interviewer is somehow "cornering" them, like Bachman says Matthews did to her. What? I can't just spew nonsensical, hysterical bullshit and people won't just love me for it? She's the new Ann Coulter--she just wants to say shocking shit and get on tv. But unlike Coulter, whose job it is to just be loud and dumb, Bachman has something to lose. And lose it she apparently might.

We're Not Getting Swept!

[philly.com]

Okay, this is not the positive thinking I should be practicing. But seriously, Phillies win Game Numero Uno of the World Series by a score of 3-2--in Tampa no less--meaning, mostly, that we are not getting swept. So far, that's good enough for me. But dear god: if the rest of this series is going to be like this game, I will need to consult a cardiologist daily. Because, I lied, just not getting swept is not going to be enough. Now that we've won one, I want to win them all. I'm already thinking about how I will be in Philly on Sunday if we maybe--just maybe--clinch. It's unbelievable.

It certainly wasn't the prettiest game. Coley was amazing, just great. And my boyfriend, Chase Utley, hit a two-run-homer in the first that really turned out to be the key to the Phillies win. The rest of the team had a terrible time hitting. Howard looked just awful. No one could produce any situational hitting. We stranded 11 runners in scoring position, which is unacceptable. If we want to win any more games in this series, we are going to have to do way more. Coley can't pitch every game. And Lidge may be perfect to this point, but that's bound to end sometime, although I hope that some time is later rather than sooner.

So tonight I will go to bed happy and tomorrow I will obsessively read about how we won and watch highlights and interviews and feel warm and fuzzy. Until tomorrow night when the nerves start all over again.

Charlie Manuel at his post-game conference: "Cole's pretty good, man. I'm glad he's pitching for us."

Me too, Charlie. Me too.

Oh ps: I really hope they get rid of the cowbells for Game 2. That was so fucking annoying, even more so than those damn thundersticks in Milwaukee.

Internet? It's Me, Caitlar

Okay so I've been noticeably absent since Friday. Boyfriend and I went to a family wedding (my godfather's daughter) in Delaware and we had a great time all around. Such a great time, in fact, that I spent all of Sunday in bed/couch once we got home. On Monday when I still felt like crap, I realized that it was probably beyond a hang-over and I was seamlessly transitioning into my change of season cold. So I've been trying to de-stress myself and lay off the internet (about which I can get somewhat obsessive). Sometimes we all need a little internet vacation. So I signed out of gchat, closed all my tabs, and let the blog sit for a few days. It's hard to jump right back into it though. Where do I start? Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama? Michelle Bachman and her interview with Chris Matthews right out of an Arthur Miller play? The fact that the Phillies are playing the Rays and not the Red Sox? Sarah Palin's $150,000 shopping spree with RNC donations?

And then I read the NYT today and I just knew what I had to do. You might want to sit down for this: Maureen Dowd wrote a really good piece today. No, seriously. And that's the thing--she wrote seriously for once and stopped trying to be, as one friend put it, "cutesy like Tina Fey doing Palin." She talks about talking to Colin Powell and his reasons for backing Obama, focusing on the growing sentiment that Muslim-Americans are not Americans. It's the same theme that the Daily Show picked up on last week, but without the sarcasm and with real people. It's definitely worth a read.

[Slate]

Okay, Just One More Thought

I just watched John McCain's speech from last night at the Al Smith dinner. And he pretty much nailed it. Like, if I were a Republican, I would be asking where has this John McCain been? He seems at ease, he's funny, he can make fun of himself, and he says some really nice things about Obama that actually seem sincere. I have not been a member of the camp that says that McCain's been so upset recently because he doesn't like being so mean, that his advisors are making him do it. And I still don't believe that because he is the leader of his own campaign and could control it if he wanted to. But in that speech I at least saw the glimmer of a man I could feel a little bit of sympathy for.

Friday

Happy Friday! I'm not going to be posting much today because I'm getting ready to go to Delaware for the weekend for a family wedding. Fun times! But here are some things I've read this morning that are worth attention.

The Washington Post Editorial Board announced their endorsement of Barack Obama. Not entirely surprising, given that they are totally in the tank, just like the rest of the liberal media, for Obama. But in all seriousness, the actual essay outlining why they support Obama is an excellent comprehensive, yet compact, piece that seems like an even consideration of both candidates. It's a great piece of support for any Obama supporter looking for a good way to explain their choice.

There's a lot of fishy stuff going on with ACORN, the FBI, and the DOJ. TPM has been on this like white on rice for a while now, reminding us that the whole DOJ attorney firings two years ago occurred because certain attorneys were given the task of investigating voter fraud in hotly contested regions of the 2006 elections. The attorneys who did not find any evidence of wrongdoing in those regions were fired. Reminiscent of that situation, now there is word that the FBI will be investigating ACORN and their involvement in voter registration in, again, hotly contested districts for this year's election. For a good and simple explanation of the ACORN controversy, read this editorial in the NYT today.

For some laughs, watch the videos of the candidates at the Al Smith dinner last night. Good times.

This weekend, Sarah Palin will appear on SNL. Penn State plays Michigan in the homecoming game tomorrow at 4:30 at Beaver Stadium. The Eagles have a bye this weekend, which is good for Brian Westbrook to rest up. And the Phillies don't start the World Series until Wednesday. Their opponent is yet to be decided, as the Sox came back in their game against the Rays last night to bring the series to 3-2. Keep on playing you guys, we don't mind if you go to 7.

I'm also taking suggestions for what I can concentrate my brain on after Nov. 5. It's pretty soon and by then both baseball and the election will be over and everything I've cared way too much about in the last year will be gone.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Daily Dose

[Slate]

More on Joe the Plumber

I just saw this linked from TPM: an article from the NYT who did some basic research on America's new representative, Joe the Plumber. Turns out Joe is not a licensed plumber and owes back taxes. I sort of feel bad for Joe himself because he didn't ask for this kind of attention. But it is another example of how McCain jumps into things, like using a specific man's story, to further his scattered message without doing the research.

McCain's Debate with Women's Issues

I was listening to the Diane Rehm Show on NPR this morning, on which they were discussing the debate last night. A listener, a 60-year-old man (I don't remember from where he was writing) wrote in an email about three things that John McCain said last night that really stuck out to him. I wish I could get my hands on the transcript because his email was concisely written, but this is basically what he said:

Three things McCain said last night struck him:

1) McCain championed Sarah Palin as a "role model to women and to other--to reformers all over America," even as she has been found to have grossly violated Alaskan state ethics laws;
2) McCain more or less dismissed consideration of a woman's health in the abortion exchange, calling an exemption for abortions when the health of the mother is at risk as "extreme";
3) McCain seemingly does not know the difference between Down syndrome and autism, repeatedly referring to Sarah Palin and her knowledge of autism, when her son does not have autism, but rather Down syndrome. Any parent who has a child with either of these disorders knows the difference, including Sarah Palin.

The listener then goes on to argue that John McCain has very little grasp of women's issues in this election; his views are outdated and come from a time where old, white men decided the lives of women in this country. I didn't watch the debate last night, so I can't say I also noticed these things (although the blogs I read certainly picked up on 2 and 3), but I can definitely say that I'm not surprised. McCain's attitude towards women--even in his own family--has been less than respectful. I'm curious what Palin and Puma feminists think about this.

Update: After a little bit more research, I found out that #3 may not be entirely true. What appeared to be a McCain gaffe about autism vs Down syndrome may in fact be a reference to Sarah Palin's nephew, who does have autism. I'm still waiting to see her record on actually championing the causes of autism and Down syndrome (which may actually exist, I just haven't heard about it yet). One may understand the difficulties of having a special needs child from experience, but understanding alone does not help a cause.