England for Obama

Here’s what Obama said yesterday.

I take it back: I’m now thinking that Joe Biden should go on the attack against Sarah Palin in the vice presidential debate. Be a pitbull sans lipstick, as it were.

James Moore gets it:

“I’m a bit taken aback by all the analysts and the consultants who are suggesting [Joe Biden] needs to be careful and cautious. I think he needs to use his intellect and his experience and his range and his depth to sort of beat her about her diminutive brain and let the world know that she’s not up to this job - so that when that debate is over, everybody who’s watching it is asking the question: ‘My god, what was John McCain thinking?!’”

Jed Lewison over on HuffPo has written a piece on Sarah Palin’s debating skills and compiled this video of some of her answers during gubernatorial (new favourite American word) debates in Alaska:

The press is full of compliments about Palin’s debating skills right now; and Lewison similarly argues that on Sarah’s past form, he expects she “will do just fine”.

And while I don’t doubt for a second that Palin will excel at what Lewison calls “values-oriented language” tomorrow night, I do doubt that she will do well based on those Alaskan debates. Because while one may or may not agree with her stances in the footage above, say, she clearly knows what she’s talking about in terms of Alaskan issues and politics.

All her interviews thus far, however, have shown that she has no clue when it comes to big national issues and international affairs. Despite, y’know, reading all those papers that are put in front of her. “All of ‘em”.

If the VP debate focuses on these two big issues, I think Biden will do just fine - and Palin will hopefully come across as the clueless no-hoper she is. And if she goes on the attack, and Biden keeps cool and generous (as Obama did in the face of McCain’s sneers and body language), then hopefully she’ll receive as negative a public reaction as McCain did. And either way: if she just keeps talking for her 90 seconds without pausing for breath - as she seems to do above - then maybe America will just be sick to death of the sound of her voice by the end of the debate, and be unable to contemplate four more years of it? (In simple oratorial, cadence tones, McCain and Palin are an utter nightmare compared to the voices of Obama and Biden).

Ah well. Not that any of the above matters, really - because I doubt Sarah Palin’s performance one way or the other will have much of an effect on actual votes. People needed to see and hear Obama to be turned on to him - and many were. Most people, however, have made up their minds - very strongly - one way or the other about Sarah Palin. And tomorrow night, as they say: I’m sure that people who like that sort of thing, will find that they like that sort of thing.

From the writers of The Colbert Report, for Entertainment Weekly:

1. Sarah Palin wins debate using knowledge from Snapple Cap Facts.

2. Bill Clinton endorses Obama.

3. In an effort to appear younger and more hip, John McCain releases a sex ”talkie.”

4. Oak leaves suspend color-turning campaign until financial crisis is resolved. Urge maple leaves to do the same.

5. Sarah Palin turns out to have an embarrassing Ivy League-educated, immensely qualified sibling.

6. Lindsay Lohan goes back to dudes.

7. Osama bin Laden walks into Wasilla, Alaska police station to turn self in. Says, ”I would have been here sooner if you had a decent bridge.”

8. October admits it’s actually January. Election starts all over again.

From the Politicalwire blog:

“An early look at today’s Diageo/Hotline tracking poll shows Sen. Barack Obama now holds a double-digit lead in key battleground states.

Among registered voters surveyed in Colorado, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and Nevada, Obama tops McCain 50 to 40%. Just a week ago, Obama led 45% to 42%.

Nationwide, Obama leads 47% to 41%.”

…are all going to be in the same place at the same time.

To be precise: the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, on October 16th.

What I wouldn’t give… to be American, and stupidly rich.

Ladies and gentlemen, your moment of Zen:

Keith Olbermann looks at what happened yesterday with the scuppered bailout bill - including McCain and Obama’s responses, and what exactly Nancy Pelosi said to offend all those right-wing Republicans:

This is good. From the blog Politicalwire.com:

“A new Public Policy Polling survey in North Carolina finds Sen. Barack Obama has taken the lead over Sen. John McCain for the first time, 47% to 45%.

Key finding: ‘Over the last year there’s been a strong relationship between the number of North Carolinians listing the economy as their biggest concern, and Obama’s standing in the polls. In January when just 39% of voters said it was their biggest issue John McCain led by 14 points. In August with it up to 48% Obama trailed by just three. Last week with 58% listing it number one the race was tied, and now with the number up to a record 64% Obama has taken a small lead. He is up 55-38 among respondents citing the economy as their main concern’.'”

Also not helping McCain: A dramatic decline in approval of running mate Sarah Palin.”

Note: North Carolina isn’t on everyone’s list of swing states - probably because, according to the Wikipedia entry on the 2008 presidential election, “North Carolina has been considered a “safe” Republican state for decades. It last supported a Democratic presidential candidate in 1976.”

A breakthrough in the South would be something indeed…

John McCain last night:

“Senator Obama and his allies in Congress infused unnecessary partisanship into the process. Now is not the time to affix the blame. It’s time to fix the problem.”

Love it.