The lighter side of politics - OT

[Ray]

As long as we have a long debate thread going, with plenty of serious discussion, I was heartened to see the clips of both McCain and Obama at the Al Smith dinner last night. They're both funny. Obviously from joke writers, but well done. And it does say something about the strength of our democracy that two guys involved in such a bitter campaign can put it aside for a couple of hours and laugh about it. IMHO, McCain had a more natural comedic delivery, but they're both pretty good.

You can find the clips on youtube. Here's a link to my local tv station where the clips were a little cleaner than the other ones I saw:

http://cbs3.com/topstories/al.smith.dinner.2.842466.html

-Ray

[michael white]

As long as we have a long debate thread going, with plenty of serious discussion, I was heartened to see the clips of both McCain and Obama at the Al Smith dinner last night. They're both funny. Obviously from joke writers, but well done. And it does say something about the strength of our democracy that two guys involved in such a bitter campaign can put it aside for a couple of hours and laugh about it. IMHO, McCain had a more natural comedic delivery, but they're both pretty good.

You can find the clips on youtube. Here's a link to my local tv station where the clips were a little cleaner than the other ones I saw:

http://cbs3.com/topstories/al.smith.dinner.2.842466.html

-Ray


Ray, why do you say this campaign is bitter? Now, the Democratic primary--THAT was bitter. This campaign is a game where one team flat out schools the other, which reacts by throwing bombs with no one open. These sort of games get boring; ymmv.

mw

but, yeah, I thought the humor was healthy.

[Ray]

Ray, why do you say this campaign is bitter? Now, the Democratic primary--THAT was bitter. This campaign is a game where one team flat out schools the other, which reacts by throwing bombs with no one open. These sort of games get boring; ymmv.

mw

but, yeah, I thought the humor was healthy.
I have this insane wish for civilized, issue based campaigns without resort to lowest common denominator advertising. I don't know that I've ever seen one - if I have I was probably too young to remember it. I heard the Massachusetts senate race between Weld and Kerry several years ago came pretty close but I only saw snippets of it. I don't expect to see one at the presidential level in my lifetime, but I can always wish. And, yeah, the kind of ***** that's getting flipped around in this one feels bitter to me.

-Ray

[DukeHorn]

Sorry, I'm putting a rain on this parade.

I think I would laugh except for the fact that here in California, a Republican women's group down in the Inland Empire published a newsletter with an "Obama Buck" showing Obama on a donkey torso surrounded by KFC fried chicken and watermelon. Nice, almost close to bringing out the Sambo.

Top that off with a comment to "Waterboard Obama" on a Republican site in Sacramento

It said: "The difference between Osama and Obama is just a little B.S." The site also encouraged members to "Waterboard Barack Obama," a reference to a torture technique. The Sacramento County party took down the material Tuesday after being criticized.

These are "official" Republican organizations mind you. I never had an issue with McCain till he nominated Palin as a VP candidate. I've always been more concerned about the "rank and file". I just love it when folks say racism doesn't exist. Try traveling around the rural deep South (heck rural California) as an Asian. You learn things....

[Ray]

Sorry, I'm putting a rain on this parade.

I think I would laugh except for the fact that here in California, a Republican women's group down in the Inland Empire published a newsletter with an "Obama Buck" showing Obama on a donkey torso surrounded by KFC fried chicken and watermelon. Nice, almost close to bringing out the Sambo.

Top that off with a comment to "Waterboard Obama" on a Republican site in Sacramento

.

These are "official" Republican organizations mind you. I never had an issue with McCain till he nominated Palin as a VP candidate. I've always been more concerned about the "rank and file". I just love it when folks say racism doesn't exist. Try traveling around the rural deep South (heck rural California) as an Asian. You learn things....
Duke, I couldn't agree with you more about how disgusting much of this campaign has gotten, particularly from folks not quite directly associated with the campaign. I was just glad to see the jokes told at the dinner last night to be reminded that there are still human beings underneath those tough political exteriors that they have to wear almost all the time during a presidential campaign. It doesn't excuse ANYthing else that's happening out there. Its just a short but refreshing breath of fresh air.

-Ray

[malcolm]

I got an email today from a friend entitled horrible knock knock joke and it is a knock on Obama and racist beyond belief. I don't even know what to say, I wouldn't have expected this sort of thing to be passed along by this person. I'm sure it would be justified as all in good fun, but it made me just a little nauseous.

[Louis]

I got an email today from a friend entitled horrible knock knock joke and it is a knock on Obama and racist beyond belief. I don't even know what to say, I wouldn't have expected this sort of thing to be passed along by this person. I'm sure it would be justified as all in good fun, but it made me just a little nauseous.

Just imagine what it was like when the civil rights movement was in full swing back in the 60's... :crap:

Let's hope that in the long run things do improve. :)

[Ray]

Just imagine what it was like when the civil rights movement was in full swing back in the 60's... :crap:

Let's hope that in the long run things do improve. :)
Just think about how much things HAVE improved that a black guy can be a major party nominee and a strong favorite to become president in a few weeks. I just saw the movie "The Express" about a black Syracuse football player who, when they played in Texas, all but started a race riot just for being there. This was in 1962, when I was three years old. In my lifetime we've gone from that to this and I'm not all that old. If Obama does get elected, which I refuse to assume and won't believe until it happens, think about how much progress there will be from the remaining racists in this country just getting used to having a highly competent black guy running the country. Whether he does a great job, a decent job, or a poor job, people will get used to having him as a figure of authority and a lot of underlying racist assumptions will likely drop away over four or eight years. And if not for the older and most entrenched racists, then for most of their kids. It won't end racism - I don't know if anything will - but I suspect it will put a huge dent in it. In addition to giving blacks that last piece in the puzzle of feeling like they really do have the same opportunity as everyone else.

Don't under-estimate how important this would be historically, if it happens.

-Ray