cognitorex

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Obama has embarked on a profound sociological and political gamble. He gambles by offering the electorate a deep respect by quietly and firmly telling truths. His campaign, to a degree unparalleled in normal campaigning, constantly and repetitively gambles that voters of all stripes, indeed, can handle the truth. It must be at times agony to watch the 'gotcha' spin from opponents and the press while waiting to see if the American citizenry can make intelligent decisions faced with a cacophony of spin.

So far the voters have proved Obama's respect for them to be well placed. They have showed their common sense by ignoring mindless spin battles and continuing to vote increases in Obama's winning lead primary numbers.

Hillary has made herself into the politician's worst nightmare, a caricature of the pandering politician. This week I am against trade deals says she as she enters a post-industrial state. This week I am a bird hunter she advertises. Last week I was a policy wonk and before that Mrs. Experience and whoops I find myself in rural hinterlands so fetch me a shot and a beer.

Obama was thoughtful, honest and a bit perhaps too cerebral last week. He was thoughtful, honest and trusting of the electorate and a bit perhaps too cerebral the week before. He said his white Gramma distrusted black people and that she said bigoted things, which was honest, thoughtful, respectful of his listener's intelligence and a bit too cerebral the week before that. Pennsylvania's rural voters in the majority accept that there is bitterness and a penchant to be angry over race, guns and religion but Barack's delivery would have been better couched in more palatable down to earth terms.

It must be agony for Barack and Michelle to watch and listen to twaddle gossip cast as news, waiting and waiting to see if common folks respond with common sense to not particularly revelatory truisms, that widespread unemployment encourages bitterness and that racism at varying levels is part of America's culture.

I'd like to think that the Obama family is actually in a "win-win" situation. They will continue to rise above pandering political showmanship and tell truths, although perhaps in a voice a bit too cerebral. They will ask and tell the electorate that their understanding is required to define and tackle America's open sore problems in health care, job creation, a dollar driven Washington culture and the USA's international posture. If Americans in a majority can actually "handle the truth" we/they will stand with the Obamas when they inherit the White House and begin a brutal slog to "change." If, on the other hand, voters revert to distraction over race, religion, sexuality and Annie Oakley panderings then Barack's quest for truthful definitions to guide America will be seen as a bridge too far of an endeavor; a bit perhaps too cerebral.

Labels: Barack Obama, bitter, bittergate, gay marriage, Hillary Clinton, honesty, K Street, Michelle, not so trustees, racism

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Hillary says. "When in Pennsylvania cracker land, talk cracker."
"That is in no way condescending" she said, "It's simple political play book, page one tactics. Talk guns and beer."
"Barack, however, is different" she said. "Even tho' he was telling a known version of cracker truth, he used a five syllable word plus complicated syntax. That, my friends, is elitist. Knee slappin' elitist."
"Back when Momma, Poppa and I were on welfare.......and the revenuers were looking for our stills........"

Labels: Barack Obama, elitist, food stamps, gun control, Hillary Clinton, hypocrisy is in the mouth of the beholder, keep it stupid - simple, pennsylvania, southern crackers, welfare

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Translated, what Mrs. Clinton and her campaign executive staff are now actually trying to (ill) logically conjure into a spin is:
"Obama's overall campaign is so superior to ours in terms of attracting adherents, attracting donations, attracting and organizing primary state volunteers and placing advertisements that if he doesn't beat us handily everywhere we will attain a quasi pyrrhic victory."
Or to put it more crudely.
"Obama's out in front of us by every measure. If he doesn't run the board that will show that we are winning."


Then there was McCain's: "We're winning in Iraq. We're winning big time in Iraq. But not so much that we're actually going to defeat the two to three thousand foreign Jihadists and domestic thugs that call themselves Al Quaeda in Iraq and stop America's bleeding

We win,
troops stay,
spend big money,
our kids'll pay.

Labels: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Mark Penn, McCain Al Quaeda, Wolfson

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Hillary used the pronoun 'we' exclusively in her closing remark. It was an inclusive remark, inclusive of her, Barack, the attendees and all Democrats and voters.

Those standing in ovation were applauding themselves, the Democratic party, high ideals and the fine decent manners forthcoming from Hillary. They were also celebrating the debate itself as it closed.

If someone had conveyed to the audience that their applause was partisan, akin to a vote for Hillary and against Obama, the applause and comity would have been several degrees muted.

Labels: Barack Obama, closing remarks, debate, Hillary Clinton, ovation, partisanship, we'll be fine

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FOX might just as well have used the N’ word
(my recap of the FOX coverage of the Democratic S. Carolina primary)
As Obama was piling up the votes in South Carolina the FOX pundits kept repeating over and over again, ”The black man is getting the black vote.”
It was obnoxius, so obnoxius in fact that FOX’s imported experts refused to pick up their black-man black-vote spin. Up popped Heraldo, ”ah I said a Latino”, who promptly said black man gets black vote to which his guest politely disagreed or as I say, averred (avoid plus demur.) They all might just as well have used the N’ word.
Did I say that FOX didn’t even cover BO’s victory speech, choosing instead to concentrate (for the tenth time in an hour) on the Florida Gov endorsing McCain.
There was absolutely no pretense that FOX is other than a straight up Republican partisan advocate. Actually it knocked my socks off, the shamelessness of the programming, of being a news channel wholly in bed with one political persuasion.
Unless Hillary gets an up/down vote in advance on the questions, she’s frankly nuts.

Labels: bigotry, debate, FOX News, Hillary Clinton, N' word

A husband retires and starts going grocery shopping with his wife, the long serving cook and Mother of the family. By trip two he not only catches on but envisions he can shop smarter and better.
Oochy Momma!
His out loud suggestions should engender a cartoon like humor response but they're actually grating to the ear. Human nature is not logical and certainly some parts of human nature don't bear public scrutiny well.
Then, there's the case of two Presidents residing in the White House simultaneously. Oh yeah.
But. But. You know what. This Presidential "Double Occupancy" scenario could easily become an international comedic soap opera.
Poof! The raging hatred and loss of prestige for America that hallmark Bush's actions in office could evaporate into winks and smiles as Bill and Hill bring "He said - she said" domestic relations to international diplomacy.
Set aside those suicide bomb suits guys. This is going to be fun.

(I want the copyright on "Double Occupancy" as a White House based plot)

Labels: "Double Ocupancy", Bill Clinton, co Presidents, Hillary Clinton

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Bill Clinton nakedly lied to the nation and the fact that the Democrats are not discussing it in no way means that it has gone away. His national standing was then so hemorrhaged that he became quasi toxic in the 2000 election thus single handedly denying Gore his Presidential due. It somehow seems dead wrong that a process has begun, the culmination of which will be to again place this once disgraced man in the White House. We live in the era where stardom supersedes values for the masses, a la American Idol and the "Brittany" effect, but primary voters and the Democratic Party should think long and hard before they offer philandering Bill the first spouse position.
I love Bill and could easily vote for the Clinton him/her or her/him combo but there is a "Fairy Tale" being told in the Clinton electioneering speeches.
The fairy tale is that Hillary can remotely match Mr Obama's ability to affect change in Washington. She/he can claim more experience in the legislative process, etc. but the fact that so many people despise her/him will end up with the legislative process being hallmarked by brutal antagonism. Look for the first ever Republican congressperson to perform self immolation rather than give Bill and Hillary passage of any historic legislation. Sadly, they simply have too much negative baggage to approach Mr. Obama's potential for a massive November turn out and his potential for systemic change in Washington and some modicum of national healing.

Labels: Barrack, change, Clinton, fairy tale, Hillary Clinton, Obama

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It would behoove everybody to remember that Monsieur Limbaugh is a comedian. He and his arch supporters only have to sit back and wait to hear the howls from Democrats and feminists before then doubling over in great gales of laughter.

If you can step back from the stage, so to speak, and gain some perspective you can enjoy a master vaudevillian doing his shtick (at your expense.)

Personally, I fell in love with Golda Meir when I was in my 20’s.

Labels: aging, feminism, Hillary Clinton, photoshop, Rush Limbaugh

If Cheney and Rumsfeld had not, in what is called an act of depraved indifference, blocked plans and strategies by State, CIA and the Military to prepare for worst case scenarios before engaging in Iraq, America would today have significantly less casualties.
When Hillary says where is the exit plan, which of course the Military has game-played for ten different scenarios, she is saying that America will not again tolerate political operatives to force our Military into incompetent life and death alternatives.
Hillary is stating that America does not want a White House political slogan or Bush/Cheney political plan to masquerade as a well thought out withdrawal plan.
Congress and the troops deserve a set of plan outlines, in hand now thank you very much, created by the best minds so that the withdrawal will neither be delayed nor botched to give political advantage to the creators of this mess.
Military planning will indicate how many deaths, how much cost and what time frame(s) their withdrawal plans indicate.
Knowing the Military's best estimates makes the overall cost of withdrawal more of a debatable factual matter and less open to Bush/Cheney/Rove fear mongering, propaganda and general political sloganeering.
Craig Johnson

Labels: depraved indifference, Hillary Clinton, Iraq exit plan, Iraq withdrawal