I think that I’ve made a major turning point in my blogging career. Politics used to bore the hell out of me. But not any more.
I’ve added two categories that I expect to get some play over the next four years: Bidenisms and The One. The first is obviously for Joe Biden’s many gaffes to come. The second is for the ridiculous cult of personality that has surrounced Obama for the past two years. Oh, and it’s for his own ego. That Greek Temple set? Totally worth posting about in The One.
John McCain? He’s like, so five minutes ago.
Sarah Palin? I’ll be watching her.
Four years from now, there damned well better be at least one more woman on the ticket. I want to see a woman president. Soon. Not later. Next time. Doesn’t have to be Sarah. But someone.
As for the content today, well, I wound up staying up until about three o’clock this morning, working on the work I wasn’t working on while I was watching election results. The drawbacks of working from home.
I think the support of Hillary was admirable. The support of Palin simply because of her gender was foolish and made the gender equality look like an insipid plot to get a woman into the White House.
Even Fox News is surprised by what they are finding as they dig – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWZHTJsR4Bc
I hope for my children that the glass ceiling is broken, but not just to be broken. I hope it is broken by a women ready to lead. There are so many viable candidates ready to make that leap. Palin wasn’t and shouldn’t be one.
Hurrah! You’re not one of those “this is an historic day because our President-elect is black” pundits–not that I thought you would be. And he’s only half-black anyway, so does it really count?
I noticed the Russians celebrated by startin’ to install anti-missle defenses along the NATO boder and Hama shot off a bunch of fireworks–into Israel.
BO gives the expression “screw the pooch” a whole new meanin’.
Kay Bailey Hutchison or Olympia Snowe, yes. Sarah Palin, no.
I don’t mind if you add lots more politics, but please never stop posting pictures of Tig and Grace! I can get politics anywhere…
Meryl,
What’s your take on Barack’s appointment of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff?
Sorry to hear that. I’ve become an avid reader of your blog because I’m interested in linguistics and how the media uses language when covering stories about Israel and the Arab/Israeli conflict. You have a wonderful ear and great insight, and I enjoy the way you parse headlines to expose their anti-Israel biases. And (surprise), when it comes to Israel, I agree with you about 95-97% of the time.
It would be a shame if you turn into just another right-wing crank, mouthing the same stuff that anyone can find on worldnetdaily or freerepublic. Barack HUSSEIN Obama! Socialist! Communist! Taking our money! Etc! Do you really think the next four years are going to be as terrible as these past eight years? Is there any possibility that Obama might turn out to be a wonderful President?
Just use caution – too much cognitive dissonance might make your head explode! For example:
For weeks, you’ve been warning your Jewish readers to beware of Obama, because he’s really in league with the Arabs and wants to destroy Israel. He has even been seen in the presence of (gasp!) Palestinians… and since they say bad things about Israel, well, that means, that Obama can’t wait to help destroy Israel.
So one day after winning the election, as Obama’s FIRST true decision as future President, what does he decide? He makes Rahm Emanuel his Chief of Staff! In case your readers don’t know, not only is Emanuel Jewish, his father was a friggin’ member of the Irgun. Emanuel attended a Jewish day school, speaks fluent Hebrew, and did a volunteer stint working with the IDF during the first Gulf War. He goes to an Orthodox shul.
So Obama, supreme hater of Israel, decides to install as the person closest to him on a daily basis, one of the most pro-Israeli guys around?
Maybe it’s a little premature to declare Obama as a foe of Israel just yet?
How would you like to cover the contest between Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton for president in 2012. That will be an interesting race.
In maryland, state workers can put the entire year’s allotment into their 401K at the beginning of the year. I know some people who are going to put the January and February paychecks directly into the (pretax) 401k before the new congress gets around to taking away the tax exemption for money that will go into the 401k.
Joshik, how did you come to your conclusions by my announcing that I was going to be posting on politics?
I’m really fascinated to know how you’ve managed to read my mind so well that you’re figuring out things I never thought. As for Obama’s choice of Rahm Emanuel, well, gee. Some of his best friends are Jewish. It remains to be seen what his actions on Israel will be. Deeds, not words, make the man.
Sabba Hillel, that would be an awesome race. I’m one of those people that doesn’t think Palin is the boob that so many people have portrayed her to be.
Harrison, Tuesday WAS a historic day because we elected the nation’s first black president. That is a magnificent step for this nation to take. I live in a state where, only a short time ago, it was illegal for a black man to marry a white woman. Forty years ago, police were using firehoses on people who were marching to attain the rights guaranteed them by the Constitution.
Do not in any way belittle or denigrate Obama’s accomplisment as the first black president of the United States. He deserves all the credit and accolades for that.
And so do the Americans who voted for him. I honestly didn’t think, two years ago, that a black man had a chance of being elected president. I thought it was too early.
I’m very glad to be wrong.
Bryan, let me ask you a question. I went to that link, and I’m wondering: Do you have what is known as critical thinking abilities?
Do you truly believe that Sarah Palin could be the governor of Alaska–a state that effing BORDERS Canada–and wouldn’t know the makeup of the three states of NAFTA, when she lives in one and borders the second?
This is a hit piece, plain and simple. She doesn’t know that Africa is a continent? What is she, a moron?
How can you possibly refer to a video like that and expect me to take you seriously?
There is still a long road ahead, of course, but here is some reason to be cautiously optimistic about it:
Still, Tehran feels the Obama team represents potential new threats to Iran, analysts say.
Bush’s polarizing persona may have alienated some countries that do business with Iran, but a unifying figure like Obama might help convince fence-sitters such as India, China, Turkey, Malaysia and Russia to synchronize their Tehran policies with the U.S.
“There is the thought that Obama could be as dangerous as Bush, but in a different way,” said Abolfazl Amouei, a conservative-leaning political scientist at Imam Sadeq University in Tehran.
* * * *
Obama’s victory could take the wind out of the sails of hard-liners who have consolidated their power on the threat of an American attack and weekly chants of “Death to America!” at Friday prayers. Leylaz predicted that outreach by the Obama administration might spell the end of Ahmadinejad and usher in a more pragmatic government more amenable to compromise over Iran’s nuclear program.
“The radicals will be weakened, because they have lost their partner in the United States,” Leylaz said. “They cannot silence critics by saying we are under pressure by the United States if Mr. Obama starts direct negotiations.”
In any case, it might be a tough sell to condemn a country whose leader’s middle name is the same as that of the prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Some in Iran entertain the theory that Obama, whose last name means “he’s with us” in Persian, is partially descended from Iranians who migrated to East Africa centuries ago.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran6-2008nov06,0,2054831.story
Actually it was me Jeff who posted the video of the Palin hit job and the reason I am inclined to believe it is because over the past 6-8 weeks she has given me no reason to believe otherwise. She comes across as intelligent, but intellectually lazy and uninterested in anything but talking points and getting ahead. When facts are presented to her in clear disagreement with her world view, she either dismisses them outright or ignores them.
Jeff, Bryan posted the video too, but now I have even less respect for you since you’re trying to defend this utter bullshit.
Stop and think for a minute just how profoundly stupid and uneducated this woman would have to be not to know that Africa is a continent.
I think the fact that you believe this crap says more about you than the video says about Sarah Palin. It’s as bad as the rap that Dan Quayle got for misspelling potato.
And strangely, Joe Biden did not get the same kind of rap for declaring that Obama had a three-letter answer for America: “J-O-B-S.”
That one’s documented, bubelah. Find me absolute proof that Sarah Palin was caught on tape not knowing that Africa was a continent, and I’ll give you posting privileges here for a month.
Looks like Abunimah is unhappy about the pick of Emanuel:
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article9939.shtml
Drew:
While a lot of what he said is reassuring, this quote is somewhat disturbing.
Similarly, this appeared on Arutz Sheva
Perhaps he has learned from his mistake then and will actually advise President Obama properly. However, he was named Chief of Staff, not Secretary of State.
Reports have surfaced in a number of places that John Kerry is under consideration for that post. That would really be frightening.
A quick google of the subject found a number of reports that Kerry is trying to get that post. We will have to wait and see what will happen.
For those frightened of what an Obama presidency might do, consider that it may be like the Carter presidency. Carter was needed to make things so bad that Ronald Reagan could become President and lead to the fall of the Soviet Union. Now that Vladimir Putin is trying to reconstitute the Soviet Union, perhaps four years of Obama are required in order to set up his successor (Sarah Palin anyone?)
What a disgrace that Palin doesn’t know that Africa is a continent! That’s almost as bad, say, as the President not knowing how many states there are.
“When facts are presented to her in clear disagreement with her world view, she either dismisses them outright or ignores them.”
If true, I’ve got the perfect job for her – reporter for the NYT.