Our first contestant, a former Florida Governor Charlie Crist. Crist, more convincingly tanned than John Boehner, changed parties since the last time, and acquired a wife, though that hasn't put a stop to the rumors about his sexuality. Our next contestant, is the impossibly creepy, oily, borderline-scary Rick Scott, he of the massive payout for Medicaid fraud.
For the life of me, I can't understand how Scott was ever elected in the first place, as he really does look like a Hollywood special effect. But he did, and now he's trying to get reelected. He might win again too, because--you know--Florida. But I'm hoping for Charlie, if only by process of elimination. Either way, nobody could have expected how their debate would go down.
[Excerpt]
Rick Scott Almost Refused To Debate Charlie Crist Over Fan
Florida's second gubernatorial debate got off to a bizarre start Wednesday evening when incumbent Gov. Rick Scott (R) initially refused to debate his opponent because he had a fan under his lectern.
Democratic candidate Charlie Crist, the former Florida governor hoping to unseat Scott in next month's election, had a small electric fan placed under his lectern. This, Scott's campaign claimed, violated the debate's "no electronics" rule. . .
Yes, another Rachel Maddow Show clip. Can't help it, this is good stuff. Rachel interviewed former Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist. And the most interesting part of the interview is Crist's certainty that all of the voter shenanigans in the State of Florida were a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise Democratic voters. I mean, we knew that, but it's nice to have an in-the-know politician admit it.
Now that we're on day 6 (or 10, counting the days between) of the conventions, I'm glad to say this stage is over. I anticipated President Obama's speech, but my brain is full, I want a couple of "no politics" days somewhere in here before the election! And, truth be told, days 1 and 2 of the DNC were hard acts to follow. Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton raised the bar so high, day 3 was bound to feel a little slow.
Of course, nobody better say one negative word about former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords saying the Pledge of Allegiance. If you do--and I say this as an atheist--you're going to hell. [Story continues below]
I missed a rather large chunk of the convention due to work and exercise on Thursday. So, I missed speeches by Caroline Kennedy, Scarlett Johanssen and Eva Longoria, though I plan to catch them in the next day or so (so much for politics-free days, I guess). I came in on Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, who was very feisty, and on message. Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist--now apparently a converted Democrat, or close--gave a nice speech that endorsed Obama while jabbing a finger in the eye of the party that he says left him.
John Kerry's speech was great, showing much more fire and spirit than I remember from his run in 2004. It was like he was getting his revenge or something, really zinging Romney, Ryan and the Republicans. . .oooh, RRR? Does that work out to 666 in some numerology thing? Never mind, moving on. . . Dr. Jill Biden was lovely and eloquent, which is great because she opened for her husband.
Joe Biden. . .sigh. . .oh, Joe. So earnest, so eager, so long. Joe said "literally" too much when he meant "figuratively" Joe wandered off script a few times. The material of his speech was fine, there was nothing wrong with his message. But I've really never been a fan of his style, and I think it slowed down the whole proceedings. Or, maybe that was the idea? [Story continues below]
The showcase for the night was of course President Barack Obama, his acceptance of the nomination, and his pitch to the country for reelection. By anybody else, this speech cooked. But from Obama, it was just very good. It wasn't lofty like Michelle's speech, and it wasn't a barn burner like Bill Clinton's. I think by design it was necessary to scale it back from the soaring rhetoric from 2008.
As Obama said--and I know it's going to infuriate conservatives--he's not a candidate anymore, he is the President of the United States. He's not a blank slate as he was (and as Romney is), and can't base the entire speech on hope and change. He had to ground this speech, and build it upon the notion of continuing hope and change begun, but not yet finished. So, necessarily, this couldn't be the spiritual high we all got from Invesco Field in Denver the last time. And though his speech didn't top his wife's, and didn't top President Clinton's. . .he still blew Mitt Romney's speech out of the water. No contest.
I really like The Washington Post's Eugene Robinson's writing style and his wry humor on Countdown with Keith Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show. So, when he writes a column titled "Attack of the Palinites," how could I resist posting it?
The editorial is a warning to moderate Republicans, or even seemingly moderate ones to spiff up their conservative cred, or face the wrath of the tea bagging Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin disciples. I'm sort of hoping they don't take his advice. Watching the crazies take power from the GOP folks who used to pander to them is scary. But it is also very entertaining.
[Excerpt]
Attack of the Palinites
Democrats have some thinking to do after Tuesday's elections, but Republicans don't have time to think. They're too busy trying to survive the party's internal purge and avoid being shipped off to political Siberia. . .
Does it really have to start already? And could it be that challenger Marco Rubio is using the rumors of Florida Governor Charlie Crist's alleged proclivities as a wedge issue? That's a mighty pre-smooch looking photo with Obama that spins out of the mist there. Oy.
I am conflicted on the practice of "outing." As a general rule, I believe that gay people ought to be able to "come out" on their own schedules. Nobody forced me out, and I really appreciate that. Sometimes a person is constrained by circumstance, some are conflicted internally. . .there are as many reasons to stay closeted as there are gay people. Most of us feel a great sense of relief once the deed is done. But then, most of us picked our own coming out moment.
A new documentary called "Outrage" is apparently going to be naming names, of closeted gay politicians. Now here is where the waters get murky. Politicians have the ability to make or influence law. And if a closeted gay politician is working to pass anti-gay legislation, that's when I say--wholeheartedly--"out them!"
When it comes to Florida Governor Charlie Crist--who is rumored to be outed in the film--I really don't know what to think. I don't know his record on gay rights issues. I guess it's time to study. . .
[Excerpt]
First Look: Kirby Dick’s “Outrage”; New Tribeca Doc Names Names
The current governor of a major U.S. southern state, the campaign manager of a U.S. president, a senior West Coast congressman, a former mayor of New York City, and others are among those outed in Kirby Dick’s “Outrage,” a provocative new documentary debuting tomorrow night at the Tribeca Film Festival. Unseen in its finished form until yesterday, the film is likely to cause waves in political and media circles as word gets out about its subject matter. . .
