Observations from the Window 1.21

Today is Inauguration Day, along with Martin Luther King Day, and President Obama will be sworn in yet again followed by the official celebration of the beginning of his second term. Confused because you thought he was sworn in yesterday? Under the Constitution the president automatically begins his term on Jan. 20. This year the date fell on Sunday so President Obama and Vice President Biden followed tradition by being sworn in at a private ceremony. President Reagan did the same in 1985 which was the last time the inaugural fell on a Sunday. Never let it be said that I didn't teach you something.

Yesterday The Telegraph posted a gallery of photos chronicling President Obama's first term which is totally worth looking at. This photo from the 10^th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks just jumped out at me when I saw it. I may have seen it before but I didn't remember it if I did, either way it's just a gorgeous shot. The angles, the broken light falling on the waterfall, the way the leaves frame to top of the shot, it's just one of those photos you look at and nod because you know it's exactly what you would have done in that situation or like to think you would have.

Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy
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Observations on Election Day 2012

I'm not sure how much I'm going to do here tonight, I seem to be spending too much time on twitter, but I have one thing for you to keep an eye on. The Republican attempt to limit voting in Florida may have backfired as there are reports of record turnout in that state. People don't like being told they can't do something that they have every right to do. Florida covers two time zones so even though the polls close at 7 PM it will be 8 PM EST until we know anything from there. A win by President Obama in Florida would be huge because it might make Ohio, and any possible recount there, a little less crucial.

8:50PM - With pro-choice Independent Angus King replacing Republican Olympia Snowe in Maine and Democrat Chris Murphy easily defeating Republican Linda McMahon, who spent $77 million, in Connecticut it seems the Senate will stay safely Democratic. Still early though. The Connecticut seat was Joe Lieberman's who was Independent but leaned Republican so the King win is a good trade.

10:00PM - SENATOR Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin becomes the first openly gay member of the United States Senate. No matter what else happens tonight it has been a historic election.

11:12PM - With wins in Ohio and Iowa President Obama declared winner of the 2012 Presidential Election. I told you so ...

Observations on the 2012 Election

The vice presidential debate is tomorrow night and it seems to be up to VP Joe Biden to make us all forget President Obama's dismal performance in last week's debate. What Biden needs to do is force Paul Ryan to talk actual facts and figures when discussing the GOP budget plans yet not let him look like he is smarter than the rest of us. Ryan supposedly knows more about the budget than anybody in Washington and could make all our heads spin if given the chance.

While I'm looking forward to Biden's 'happy warrior' side I also hope he doesn't get too happy and stick his foot in his mouth. The media needs to be talking about the this debate and not the last one but for the right reasons. He needs to be in the form he was in for a 2008 Democratic presidential primary debate in which he had this to say about then GOP candidate and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; “There only three things he mentions in a sentence: A noun and a verb and 9/11, I mean, there’s nothing else.” Sadly I guess he should refrain from using the f-word too.

Looking ahead to the second Presidential debate I have faith President Obama will come back strong against Willard. The format is town hall style so more suitable to the President. Also Bain and the 47% video are sure to come up with the public, or the public as the Gallup people see it, asking the questions. But if I were given just one political wish it is that this man could fill in for Obama for just one night ....

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Observations on the 2012 Election 10.4

I know, I know, calm down, this too shall pass. Willard looked good in last night's debate, like he was giving a presentation to some board of directors, and President Obama didn't look his best, like he would much rather be somewhere else on his wedding anniversary. But when all the dust settles the President will still be ahead and in all likelihood Romney will have stuck his foot in his mouth again or had it forced there by his VP choice Paul Ryan.

I only found one thing troubling last night and that was the fact that neither Bain or the 47% video were mentioned even once. After some thought I finally decided it was on purpose, it had to be on purpose, and came up with my theory on Obama's performance last night that I think is as good as anyone else's.

Last night's debate was heavily scripted and played to Romney's strong suit, speaking to a board of directors or in a planning meeting of some sort. It was totally wrong for Obama who is at his best when he is talking to real people. If you don't believe that simply Google Obama at a rally in Denver today. My theory is that Obama decided to let Romney have his best shot, pass the baton to Biden next week, and take Romney head-on in the second debate with its town hall format where Bain and the 47% are sure to be questioned. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the President just didn't show up for some reason, either way Willard can't perform like that for another month. The only problem is in the perception because in politics if you aren't winning you seem to be losing.

One other thing that is certain after the debate is that Romney is every bit as good a liar as his partner Ryan. Hopefully next week Vice President Biden doesn't let Ryan get away with it without challenging him. I honestly can't see why anybody would decide to vote for Romney when so much of what he said last night was simply not true. But than I remembered a quote from an old Seinfeld episode.

"Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it."

10/5 update - From Mother Jones today; "On a conference call with reporters, a defensive David Axelrod, Obama's chief strategist, noted that the president's supporters would have liked to see Obama slam Romney on Bain, tax returns, and the 47 percent video. But, he added, "a lot of these issues are well known to the public," and Obama's "choice was to talk about the main things people are worried about in their lives." Obama, Axelrod said, had wanted to avoid an insult-fest and instead use the debate to discuss the future. He did note that following the debate the campaign would "make some adjustments.'"

Observations on the 2012 Election 9.6

Watching the final night of the DNC I keep thinking back to last night's speech by former President Bill Clinton. If there is such a thing as a rock star in politics this is the man. One of the most popular politicians in the world he was able to quote the Republican god Ronald Reagan at the Democratic Convention and have it seem totally natural. At the RNC the the Repubes mentioned Reagan endlessly without ever having it seem as natural as when Clinton did. Maybe the fact that he would be way too moderate for today's GOP had something to do with that.

I managed to fall asleep and miss the end of Clinton's speech, and was called a dork because of it, but I saw more than enough. In a speech which was almost half ad lib Clinton made this election not a personality contest but a choice between two worlds. "We believe ‘we’re all in this together’ is a far better philosophy than ‘you’re on your own.’" With that line Clinton said more about what is at stake in this election than any speech that had come before him in either convention.

I talked to a few Republicans today, honestly I do know some, and they told me that listening to Clinton's speech scared them. They say that sometimes the truth hurts, I suppose the truth scares when it is delivered by somebody with Bill Clinton's oratory skills.

Joe Biden currently firing up the DNC for President Obama. Best line of the vintage Biden speech; "A future where we promote the private sector, not the privileged sector."

Sadly no f-bombs.