Nice stuff

By Creature

From ninshubur at the orange place:

First, there was the doorman at the Soho Grand Hotel, where we spent our enchanted wedding night. As he ushered us into us cab in the morning, he admitted that he was less concerned about whether his taxes go up or down than he was about our standing in the world. It turns out he works part of the year in Ghana, coaching a soccer team.

"You used to drive through the streets and see posters everywhere of Osama bin Laden," he told us. "He was the first person people felt represented them in the world." Now all of the posters have been replaced -- with posters of Obama. "It makes them feel completely differently about America that a half-African black man could be elected president of this country."

America's makeover would be instant.

More:

After a friendly half hour in the slowly creeping line, a young black man drove up and helped an elderly black man out of his car. "Go on, grandad," he said. "They'll let you go first. Just tell them you have a hard time standing."

"Oh, all right," said the older man. He wore a loosely perched baseball cap, and a light brown canvas jacket. He could hardly walk, but he was smiling wide, laughing and joking as he came forward on his grandson's arm. We all made way for him without a word.

"I guess I gotta get past you," he said to us, apologizing for jumping in ahead. "I gotta vote for that black kid for president!"

The importance of tonight cannot be overstated.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

Angry John McCain

By Creature

This pretty much sums up the whole presidential debate experience for me [h/t Jed].



(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

Spinning victory out of utter defeat

By Creature

I guess we all had it wrong. John McCain didn't blow the bailout deal, he paved the way for a new better one. Except not.

Here's the positive spin from House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) [via AMERICAblog]:

"I do think that John McCain was very helpful in what he did. I saw him this morning, we've been talking with his staff. Clearly, yesterday, his position in that discussion yesterday was one that stopped a deal from, uh, finalizing that no House Republican, in my view, would've been for. Which means it probably wouldn't have passed the House. Now, Democrats are in the majority, they can pass anything they want to without a single Republican vote. But they don't seem to be willing to do that. I'm please we can have negotiations now that guess us back to things that we think can protect the taxpayers better, create more options, are, frankly, be better understood in the country than the plan, than the path that we were on just a couple of days ago."

And here's the McCain campaign's spin on how John McCain didn't blow the whole damn deal up [via TwoGlasses]:

"The difference between Barack Obama and John McCain was apparent during the White House meeting yesterday where Barack Obama's priority was political posturing in his opening monologue defending the package as it stands. John McCain listened to all sides so he could help focus the debate on finding a bipartisan resolution that is in the interest of taxpayers and homeowners. The Democratic interests stood together in opposition to an agreement that would accommodate additional taxpayer protections."

No. No. No. Up is down all over again. I really can't take much more of this.

(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)

The Reaction in Review (Sept.12, 2008)

A week's Reactions that deserve a second look:

Friday

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Sullivan on Krystol on Palin" -- Stickings, with his Straussian beginnings, likes it when Andrew Sullivan calls Krazy Kristol's hand on (Doug Feith neocon) Sarah Palin.

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Palin and the polls" -- Comparing state-by-state polls with nationals shows a much more nuanced picture of the race than the CW would lead us to believe.

By Capt. Fogg: "The secret Cindy" -- Tom Gosinski knew the truth about Cindy McCain's substance abuse, but it was supposed to be a secret.

Thursday

By Capt. Fogg: "9/11" -- On regaining a more appropriate perspective about the day and its implications.

By Carol Gee: "Seventh Anniversary -- 9/11/2001" -- Obama, McCain mark the solemn day together, U.N. tackles terrorism, Bin Laden not the mastermind?

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Delusions of the way we were" -- The presidential election is turning into a referendum on the myth of America and all romanticization; HT to Joe Klein on Palin's myth that isn't real.

Wednesday

By Edward Copeland: "Nattering nabobs of nonsense" -- McCain campaign makes issue out of trivialities with partners in stupidity, cable news; they need to return to the role gatekeeper.

By Libby Spencer: "Meghan McCain on war and lipstick" -- Meghan says, "No one knows what war is like other than my family. Period!" (+2 videos).

By Carl: "When worlds collide" -- Thoughts on the Switzerland big success with a super-collider.

By J. Thomas Duffy: "Yeah... but was she a good tipper?" -- Per Diem Plus on Governor Palin; includes Per Diem Bonus Riffs.

Tuesday

By Michael J.W. Stickings: "Obama's fight: Taking on the lies and smears of McCain, Palin, and the GOP machine" -- We can all join Michael who says, "I do think Obama needs to fight back, and hard."

By Carol Gee: "Looking For the Light" -- Congress, though back in session, is preoccupied with the election and bipartisanship is needed.

Monday

By J. Thomas Duffy: "Elmera Gantry" -- Sarah Palin prayed for a pipeline, + bonus "Jesus, Bring The Pipeline" Riffs.

By Carl: "The MacGuffin" -- Alfred Hitchcock's "macguffin" is a pointless, useless piece that advanced the narrative but in the end had little to nothing to do with the actual movie; meet Sarah Palin.

By Creature: "Do not underestimate Sarah Palin" - A warning that "the Palin-McCain momentum may just snowball" brought some comments.