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Friday, September 5, 2008
‘Uppity,’ the explanation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to his spokesman, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a Southerner born and bred, had no idea on earth that the word “uppity” had racial connotations when he used it to describe Barack and Michelle Obama.
No idea at all. Could have knocked him over with a feather when someone told him. Really, who knew?
I wonder what they call that line of defense in PR school. I propose we name it the “My client is stupider than dirt” defense. (Here’s the audio of that bit of the interview.)
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McCain convention, Night Four
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
That was John McCain.
He’s a tough old bird. And I admire tough old birds. I like tough old birds. I just don’t think that being a tough old bird is the skill set required in the presidency at this moment in history.
Just some thoughts. The Democrats were criticized heavily for overpraising Barack Obama, building a Greek temple for him, etc. As it turns out, they were mere pikers compared to the Republicans. McCain put on a convention whose entire purpose was to celebrate the utter McCainness of McCain, to wallow in day after day of McCainophilia. I think they want McCain to replace George Washington on the dollar, Lincoln on the penny and Jefferson on the nickel.
Was Jefferson ever a POW for five and a half years? Did Lincoln ever parachute into a lake in Hanoi with two broken arms? Nah, didn’t think so.
John McCain did.
And despite his nice talk about bipartisanship and reaching across the aisle, McCain and his party made it quite clear in this convention that this is going to be an ugly, personal campaign. His campaign strategists have been blunt in saying it’s going to be about personalities, not policies. In other words, McCain has committed to the type of race that will guarantee that 51 percent of the American people will go to bed on Nov. 4 hating the other 49 percent, and vice versa. That’s not good for the country, but McCain thinks it’s good for him. So be it.
It’s going to be fascinating to watch how well this played in living rooms around the country. I expect the race will return to what it was before the conventions, a narrow Obama lead, but who knows? McCain has taken several big gambles — in picking Sarah Palin, in turning his convention into a personality cult rather than a chance to discuss issues — and big gambles pay off big or lose big.
Onward.
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