More on John McCain's "Obama as Anti-Christ" Ad

This weekend, after the latest ridiculous John McCain attack ad had sunk in to my subconscious, it occurred to me that a subliminal (or maybe not so subliminal) message might be encoded there. That message could have been aimed at the readers and believers in the Rapture, Tribulation, Glorious Appearing--you know, the Left Behind crowd. I was not--it turns out--the first to have this thought. The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation.

Today, Air America Radio's Thom Hartmann devoted a good chunk of his radio show to the topic. Later, so did Nova M's Randi Rhodes. I guess I'm in good company. What no one could agree on is, is this good, bad, funny, scary, what? It is unlikely that anyone from that particular crowd would have voted for Barack Obama in the first place. But what John McCain lacks right now is a hook that will motivate his crowd to get out and vote en masse.

Could stirring up the Rapture Right accomplish that goal? Are they really that gullible? Oh wait, yes of course they are. They already think the voluminous (horribly written) Left Behind series is what will happen. Jesus as the ultimate movie monster. So why not Barack Obama as Devil's Advocate? Jesus, save us from your followers. . .

[Excerpt]

Obama Anti-Christ? McCain Ad Touches Off Religious Debate

A number of progressive religious figures are angry over the McCain campaign's recent ad "The One," which they believe paints Barack Obama as a kind of anti-Christ, specifically to conservative evangelicals:

On Beliefnet.com, Mara Vanderslice, founder and director of the pro-Obama religious group Matthew 25 Network, writes:

I found this McCain campaign ad "The One" to be one of the most offensive ads we have seen in American politics to date. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

New Barack Obama Ad: McCain & Big Oil

As John McCain keeps spewing out ridiculous ads doing no more than hitting Barack Obama's image (and possibly portraying him as the AntiChrist), Obama is hitting McCain on the issues.

Will it work? Or are we a tragically stupid country, easily lead by Rovian strategies against our own best interests? Time will tell.

Featured Blog: Totally Looks Like

Image from source, TotallyLooksLike.com

I'm often ruled by my inner child. . .which is a nicer way to say that I'm immature. Because of this, there are a chunk of posts on my blog that are probably ill advised. So, how freeing it would be to have a blog that consists of little else!

Actually, that's probably overstating things a little. TotallyLooksLike.com features "separated at birth" type match ups, and certainly they aren't all insulting. And even those that are can be uncannily accurate.

Take for instance, Cindy McCain:



Source: TotallyLooksLike.com

And some of my own!

Cindy McCain Plagiarizes Recipes?
Separated at Birth: John McCain & Lon Chaney, Sr.
Horrible Monster or Presidential Candidate?
Sean Hannity & Lou Costello Separated at Birth

Top 10 Conservative Idiots: August 4, 2008

Monday again folks! Console yourselves (or maybe start out the week angry) with the latest batch of Top 10 Conservative Idiots!

[Excerpt]

The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 347
August 4, 2008
Ad Hominem Edition

This week John McCain (1,2,3,4,8,9) goes buck wild with a series of unintelligible attack ads. Meanwhile Ted Stevens (6) goes to court, and Bill O'Reilly (10) starts to worry. . .

Read more at: Democratic Underground

John McCain Befuddled at Press Conference

This video shows three camera angles of the same question. I wondered at first, why would they do that? And by the first few seconds of angle #3, I had my answer. John McCain looks absolutely lost, befuddled. He's groping for an answer, "All right. Um. . .first of all. . .um. . . . . . .the first quest. . .you said. . .why am I?" I was expecting a General Stockdale, "Who am I? Why am I here?" question next!



From AmericaBlog, via The Jed Report.

Nancy Pelosi Offers Up Obama VP Idea

Photo from source, AOL News

Three things bother me about Nancy Pelosi's nominee idea for Barack Obama's running mate. First, it's coming from Nancy Pelosi, a decidedly unpopular Democrat among Democrats, and not a few Republicans. Would her endorsement be a taint? Second, I've never heard of the guy, and I'll bet most other people haven't either. And third, his last name is Edwards, which might confuse some of the more uninformed voters. John Edwards, the most prominent Democrat with that name, has got a few little issues going on now, which probably are more likely to break through to that sort of voter than the identity of this other Edwards.

But what do I know? Maybe he's just swell. We'll see.

[Excerpt]

Pelosi Backs Dark Horse for Obama Veep

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is behind a dark horse in the Democratic veepstakes: Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas.

"I hope he will be the nominee," Pelosi said Sunday on ABC's "This Week. . ."

Read more at: AOL News

Latest Meme: Barack Obama Playing Race Card?

Ah, me. I'm in the middle of watching the tedious Sunday morning political shows. Meet the Press was a difficult way to wake myself up today. In fact, I woke up a little late, so joined the program a few minutes in. On the panel (currently hosted by Tom Brokaw), were two Democratic losers. Literally. One was Senator John Kerry, nominee for President in 2004; the other was Senator Joe Lieberman, nominee for Vice President in 2000. Snooooooze!

You'd expect more camaraderie between the two Democrats, but no. Lieberman seems to be completing his transition from D to R, and is speaking (in his Willie Tanner on ALF voice) at the Republican National Convention. The round table segment was a snooze as well, with Chuck Todd the only guy with anything of interest to say.

FOX "News" Sunday was its typical self, with some usual suspects. Senator Lindsey Graham continued his histrionics, his bad note-reading skills, and still looks like a constipated, sexually frustrated turtle.* Opposite him was Former Senator Tom Daschle, who is far too "inside the beltway" to adequately argue for Barack Obama. Graham, fulfilling a blog prophesy from earlier in the week played the race card, by saying that Barack Obama played the race card. Sneaky! Frustrated Lindsey read (with disgust in his voice) Obama's jokey "doesn't look like other Presidents" and "by the way, he's black" comments with disgust dripping from his voice. He really is quite the drama queen thespian.

The "by the way, he's black" comment that Obama said in a joking manner, is probably an allusion to a racially themed public service announcement often heard on the radio. The ad I'm talking about--if I'm remembering the right one--has a man going through resumes, looking to hire someone. He tosses out each one with a discriminatory remark, one of which is something like, "by the way, he's black." It's a sound clip often played and parodied on The Stephanie Miller Show. And it is not out of place. I absolutely guarantee that the 527s, if not John McCain's campaign, will be playing the race card, sublty and overtly, many times between now an November. Mark my words.

Face the Nation was on, but I lost interest. And This Week was delayed here by sports. It's just as well. After the first two, I was so over it. And you probably are too, so goodbye for now!

*One last thing. Sorry for my potentially childish assessment of Graham, but in truth it is a gentle substitute for what I wanted to write. Graham has an air about him that gives me a wiggins, and having Chris Wallace at the same desk makes that worse. I can't put my finger on why, but they give me the creeps. 'Nuff Said.

McCain's "The One" Targeting Left Behind Readers?

As noted here in several posts, John McCain has had a series of back-to-back attack ads, all attempting to portray Barack Obama in a negative light. In large part, they are all based on Obama's perceived image (or at least that which the right wishes to portray). Like the PUMA Hillary Clinton supporters, they are projecting the way that Obama is talked about in the press, and the behavior of some of his more ardent supporters onto Obama himself.

They are doing so with a lot of distortions, out-of-context quotes, and sometimes outright lies. But that isn't the point of this post. I'm more interested in what McCain hopes to illicit from these ads. In the recent Paris Hilton/Britney spears ad (seriously), bloggers and cable news speculated that the intent was to portray Obama as an empty, airy celebrity. Famous for being famous and nothing more. And a hint of race-baiting with two hot white chicks and a black man.

But what about the new ad, "The One?" This ad--stealing Rush Limbaugh's current theme--casts Obama as a self-proclaimed messiah. His supporters are his adoring flock, and Obama will deliver us. Is the ad trying to paint Obama as conceited and self-important now? Or is there a more insidious aim, as with the race-baiting?

Then I got to thinking about the fabled Republican base. Family values. God, guns and (no) gays. The Heartland. Left Behind readers! In that apocolyptic Christian fiction series of books, a charismatic, self-proclaimed messiah captures world adulation. On his charisma (and help from the Devil), he changes the world--and ushers in the rapture and the tribulation! Is this what McCain is getting at? Is he trying to portray Barack Obama as the Anti-Christ?

Just wonderin'! Here's the ad again. Make up your own mind.




Turns out, I wasn't the only one wondering. From Daily Kos: McCain's Left Behind Attack

Mad TV Takes on the BBC

This clip just ran on Mad TV, and it really cracked me up. The joke is the rather unphotogenic personalities seen on British television. I don't know about their news programs, but did you ever watch Are You Being Served? or Keeping up Appearances? On those an many other British shows, many of the performers are just regular people. . .in some cases dentally and physique-ally challenged.

The backdrop used for the woman reporter is area I've visited called Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset. The Other Half's friend (and witness at our wedding) Brendon once lived near there, so when I saw this I knew I had to post it. Enjoy!

Mad TV Takes on the BBC

Financial Woes Hitting Las Vegas

The other day while driving home, I had the local Las Vegas talk radio station on. Why? I dunno. Host Casey Hendrickson was interviewing national host Mark Levin, so the fact that I stayed tuned in took a lot of restraint. Levin asked the local host if it was true that the economy was bad in Vegas. Hendrickson said, oh you hear that we're the foreclosure capital of the US, but hey, massive building is still happening at the strip, and the hotels were all full. Hendrickson implied that it was really all overblown.

Then, on Friday, Boyd Gaming Group halted building on the massive new Echelon project. Sitting on the former grounds of the Stardust, Echelon is one of those multi-use properties, with boutique hotels, shopping, casinos, condos, and more. It's partially done, but because of the economic downturn, it is being completely shut down for at least a year. 800 people were laid off.

On top of that, the 1st National Bank of Nevada closed its doors a couple of weeks ago, but was fortunately snapped up by Mutual of Omaha. But a second bank has now failed, Silver State. That bank counted John McCain's son as a board member until a few days ago, until he resigned due to "personal reasons." Curiously, this has gotten little play from the national media.

I have no doubt that Las Vegas will weather the storm, and come back bigger than ever. But when will the rosy glasses view expressed by right-wing talk radio come down to earth?

Links:

KTNV: Economy Delays Construction On Echelon

Las Vegas Sun: Foreclosure central; Neighborhoods need protection in light of area’s leading foreclosure rate

Times Online UK: Nothing local about the First National Bank of Nevada

Las Vegas Now: John McCain's Son Resigns from Henderson Bank Board

Las Vegas Now: Another Local Bank in Trouble

Thanks once again to Stupid Monkey Planet for the inspiration and some of the links for this post.

New McCain Ad: Obama's the One

Oh, please, make it stop. Or not, if you're of the opinion that more Americans see John McCain's current strategy--stupid political ads--as a sign of weakness. McCain has been at this tactic for a couple of weeks now, ad after ad slamming Barack Obama on image more than anything. At the same time, he's offering little or nothing on any positive alternative McCain might have.

Let's be honest. John McCain's campaign relies on image as much as Obama's does. The image of a war hero, of a maverick of a straight talker. We're obliged to let the "war hero" label go unquestioned, even though John Kerry was robbed of that status. But "maverick" and "straight talker"--those terms may have defined McCain in 2000, but surely no longer.

Now, McCain is picking up on Rush Limbaugh's theme of the week. Obama as "Messiah" or "Barack Obama, the Most Merciful." As idiotic as it is to take the fervor of some of Obama's admirers and act as though Obama purposefully presents himself as a Deity, it goes from Rush's mouth to McCain's campaign. And that--my friends--is reason enough to be wary of a John McCain Presidency. That and he's given us few reasons to vote for him. How is it "straight talk" to air a political ad that consists almost entirely of misleadingly edited, out of context comments?

One short-sighted aspect of this (and other videos) should be pointed out. The end of the ad says "Barack Obama may be 'The One,' but is he ready to lead?" Um, Mr. McCain? Based on the massive crowds and chanting "disciples" you show him in front of. . .I'd say yes, he's ready to lead. Or certainly to be followed.

Blogiversary: 14 Months! Over 3,100 Posts!

Tooms photo from source, Wikipedia

Wow, that was a fast month! Summer seems to be zipping by this year. And given the tedium and stupidity of the ongoing Presidential election, that is probably a good thing. Unless of course, we're speeding into a McCain victory. In that case, I'm thinking of holing up like Eugene Victor Tooms of The X-Files and staying in my nest until it's all over. But I don't think I'll be eating any livers. Bleccch.

Anyway, I'm up to 14 months of blogging now. At what point do parents stop referring to their kids' ages in months? I suppose if this blog should survive past 2 years, I'll stop doing monthly "Blogiversary" posts. As it stands now, much like in the early stages of a relationship, I'm always pleased, proud and a little surprised that it has lasted yet another month! And what a month for me, blogwise. More people visited my blog in July--more than 3,500 hits--than in any other month since I've been posting. In fact, the visits tripled over last July.

I realize that still puts me in pre-peewee league by the big blog standards. But it makes me happy, and gives me reason to continue. I'm still enjoying this alot, though I'll bet I'm starting to irritate my friends. When you follow politics closely enough to blog about it, you find you can't just leave it on the screen. It seeps into your language, and you find yourself bringing up political minutiae to friends, only to be answered with blank stares.

August will likely be a slower month than usual here at Greenlee Gazette. The Other Half and I are having a wedding reception (6 weeks after our wedding in Palm Springs) next weekend, so half the world is descending upon our household. I'm going to depend upon good friend Stupid Monkey Planet to sub for me for a good chunk of a week, while we prepare for, receive, and entertain guests for a long run of days. But the Monkey has an active and full life, as well as a Mrs. Monkey, so the posting will be more sparse. I'll still be stopping in whenever I can.

Anyway, thanks for reading this far. I ain't done yet. And I'll try (I keep saying this) to bring a little less of the serious, and a little more of the fun around here! Bring your friends!

News of the Weird: Montauk Monster!

Image from source, Daily Intel

OK, first we had faceless aliens. They turned out to be a marketing gimmick. Now we have the mystery of the Montauk Monster! Could it be one too? Or have the bowels of hell opened? Where's Buffy the Vampire Slayer when you need her?

[Excerpt]

Investigating the Montauk Monster: The Story Deepens!

Yesterday, Gawker ran what appeared to be a photo of a bloated, leathery animal corpse — only it was like no animal anyone had seen before. A stout, hairless creature with a beak, claws, and the almond-shaped eyes familiar from renderings of space aliens, it looked, in short, like a monster. Hence the headline: "Dead Monster Washes Ashore in Montauk." The photo had come over e-mail to Anna Holmes, the managing editor at Jezebel, from an employee at Evolutionary Media Group, in Los Angeles; Holmes passed it on to Gawker. Because it came from a marketing company, Gawker surmised, "our guess is that it's viral marketing for something. . ."

Read more at: Daily Intel

Is John McCain an Elitist?

Image from source, Slog

Whaaat??? Don't I mean, "Is Barack Obama an Elitist?" After all, that was one of the--now many--common themes floated during this increasingly silly campaign season. But the case could be made far more easily for John McCain. After all, isn't he married to an ever-so-slightly older version of Paris Hilton?

A common argument from both sides of the political aisle is to say, "Could you just imagine if Candidate A had done what Candidate B just did? The other side would have a field day!" But let's play this game for a minute, all right?

[Excerpt]

Shoes.

Check the photographic evidence (Ferragamos in the applesauce aisle! Ferragamos in front of an oil pump! Ferragamos with the Dalai Lama!), and then check out this very good point from The Nation’s Christopher Hayes. . .

Read that point at: Slog

Pentagon Defies Congressional Subpoena

Photo from source, TPM Muckraker

Notice to Congress: This is what happens when you let the Bush Administration defy Congress again and again. Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten defied subpoenas, claiming "executive privilege." Karl Rove defied his, and denies that he's using executive privilege. . .he just thinks he's beyond the law. A judge has ruled that the excuse doesn't work anyway, but what's being done about it? More threats, more deadlines. But no teeth.

Now, the Pentagon is getting in on the act, and John Conyers is not amused. But what did he expect? He's had the power for months to haul Miers, Bolten and Rove before the Congress and charge them with inherent contempt. But he hasn't. And now they're all thumbing their noses at you. Congress had better stand up for themselves soon, before it is too late. If it already isn't.

[Excerpt]

Defying Subpoena, DoD Orders Sexual Assault Program Chief Not To Testify Before Congress

The Pentagon defied a Congressional subpoena yesterday by refusing to let the head of its sexual assault program testify at an oversight hearing about sexual assault in the military.
The House panel had issued a subpoena for Dr. Kaye Whitley, the director of the Defense Department's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. . .

Read more at: TPM Muckraker

Blogger Alert! SiteMeter Fixed

UPDATE 08/02/08: SiteMeter is working again. Too bad it was out too. At the time I removed the meter, I was on the road to my best day ever for visitors. Rats!

ORIGINAL POST:

Apparently, the cause of my Blogger woes was a problem for many of you too. If you're using Internet Explorer and the site you're visiting contains a SiteMeter. So, this is a public service announcement:

BLOGGER ALERT, BLOGGER ALERT!

The SiteMeter service--which I love, and a complete addict of--is apparently being upgraded right now. But something is causing Internet Explorer (and AOL) to crash, if the site contains the SiteMeter script. Use FireFox to open your blog (FireFox seems unaffected), remove the widget for SiteMeter, and your blog will work again.

It breaks my heart to do this. I love and probably obsess too much over my "hits" for the day. I'm pretty sure removing the script will halt them completely. I'm definitely going to be going through withdrawal! I'm not sure if SiteMeter itself knows about this glitchy little problem yet. I'll be sending them a letter forthwith.

The error message that appears when hitting a blog with a SiteMeter is: "Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet Site"

Computer Woes: Internet Explorer 7 Issues

I may not have much up on the blog tonight, due to computer issues. For some reason, every time I try to load my blog, I get an error halfway through loading. I read that installing Internet Explorer 8 (Beta) might solve the issue, but that keeps hitting a glitch as well.

I'm using FireFox, but unlike many, I'm not as fond of that program. Once I get this all sorted out, I'll be back. Thanks for visiting anyway!

McCain: When Does Age Become an Issue?

Image from source, Wall Street Journal

Age is a very dicey subject to cover. For one thing--if we're lucky--one day we will all get old and anything we've said in the past might come back to haunt us. For me, making fun of somebody's age can be fun. . .up to a point. Everybody likes to rib their friend who's turned 30, 40 or 50. But 60, 70 or 80 are more like celebrations--yay! You made it! Age digs lose their humor.

Outside of the humor realm, there are practical situations where age becomes an issue. Many people have suggested mandatory retesting for drivers' licenses after a certain age. Pilots have mandatory retirement ages. People dispute the cut-off ages, but everyone realizes that you don't stay sharp forever. Now, what about the office of the President?

I am not about to make some sort of proclamation that John McCain is too old. I'm just going to make a couple of observations. First, I know a few 70+ year-olds. Some are robust, and sharp as a tack. Some are starting to fade. Whatever you may say about McCain, he is not a young 72. Also, from reviewing video and written accounts of his 2000 bid for the Presidency, he is quite a different man today. I don't know if this issue can be dealt with easily. But if McCain is slipping, do we just ignore it?

[Excerpt]

Is John McCain Stupid?

Is John McCain losing it?

On Sunday, he said on national television that to solve Social Security "everything's on the table," which of course means raising payroll taxes. On July 7 in Denver he said: "Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I won't."

This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation.

Read more at: Wall Street Journal

Great "Lost" Muppets Video!

Having just posted a classic "PBS Children's TV Shows from the 70s" post, when I happened upon this clip on AmericaBlog, I couldn't resist posting it. Enjoy. And forgive me. . .










Yes, yes, you've been "Rick Rolled."

Blast from the Past: PBS Children's Shows of the 70s

Well, it's the dawning of a new month, and as I scroll through my recent posts, I see political post after political post. . .McCain, Obama, Rove, Bush. . .It's all very important, and I find it fascinating, exasperating, frustrating and exciting. But enough is enough! It's time for another fun post.

As is usual when I hit my political breaking point, I dive into my 70s pop culture memories. This time, I was inspired by--what else--a political video that spoofed PBS's The Electric Company. It got me to thinking about how different things were for kids like me in the 70s, versus today. Nowadays, they've got Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, The Cartoon Network, and hundreds of other channels to choose from. We had four. The major networks, and PBS. Eventually, we'd get (very) basic cable, but that only expanded our viewing to umpteen viewings of Speed Racer and Spider-Man. But til then, we had mostly PBS to keep us company.





#1 - Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood - I was never young enough for this show. I thought it was silly when I was four. But, hey, there was nothing else on! This is from the first episode.

#2 - Sesame Street - Like Mr. Rogers, I never felt young enough for this show either, though of course I enjoyed the Muppets. And a recurring skit about consequences sticks with me to this day.

#3 - The Electric Company - This was my show. I loved it. And it helped me get the jump on some of the other kids, because I actually tried to learn. And this is undoubtedly the coolest theme song of all the shows.

#4 - Mulligan Stew - I'm not positive this show was actually on PBS. But it fits with the general theme of this post. I tried to find Ville Alegre and Zoom, but YouTube ain't got 'em. Mulligan's taught kids about nutrition. I loved it at the time.