Nothing Is Set in Stone

NOTE: This post is both on my Xanga site and the smaller blog I’ve started up on my Kizyr for Obama page.

In 1936, Democrat FDR took every state except for Vermont and Maine.
In 1972, Republican Nixon took every state except for Massachusetts and Washington DC.
In 1976, Democrat Jimmy Carter swept the entire South (except Virginia), while Republican Gerald Ford won the West Coast.
In 1992 and 1996, Democrat Bill Clinton took half the southern states.

There’s a simple point I’m trying to make here. It’s very easy when trying to predict the outcome of an election to assume one state will go one way, and another state will go another. It’s easy to assume that, say, Utah, Texas, and the entire Southeast are eternally Republican, and the West Coast and Northeast are eternally Democratic, that cities are always Democratic and small towns are always Republican.

Things aren’t set in stone. And the fact that, now, Barack Obama is winning over many supporters across the entire country, that the Republicans are scrambling in places like North Carolina, Virginia, Iowa, and Missouri, should tell us something.

And the fact that things can always change should motivate you to vote, even if you’re in a so-called “Solid Blue” or “Solid Red” state. KF

Here We Go Again

NOTE: This post is both on my Xanga site and the smaller blog I’ve started up on my Kizyr for Obama page.

I’m coming back from a business trip this past week, so I’ll keep this short. There’s just one minor thing I wanted to air some grievances about…

What does the McCain campaign have against professors? First it was Ayers (all the nonsense about him and the connection to Obama is already explained in full elsewhere). Now it’s Rashid Khalidi (more information about that is here, but I was going to go in a slightly different direction about that).

Let me start by clarifying a few things…

• Obama knows who Khalidi is, yes. But knowing someone does not mean you agree with him (otherwise, everyone who knows me would be out-of-luck with politics for the rest of their lives). Guilt-by-association is the basic principle behind bigotry and prejudice, and it’s troubling that it’s coming from a Presidential candidate in this day.
• The International Republican Institute, while McCain was chairman, provided $500,000 worth of grants to the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, co-founded by Khalidi. So, both candidates have some tie to him. And, both ties are meaningless compared to the candidates’ own views.
• Obama has articulated over and over his “unshakeable” commitment to Israel. It’s one of the few things on which I disagree with him (I believe we need to seriously revisit our relationship with both Israel and Saudi Arabia). But, my overall view of Obama is still such that I support him regardless of that disagreement.

Anyway, what gets me the most is that McCain and Palin are going off on Khalidi and accusing him of… being a Palestinian. They’ve got nothing more than that–apparently your race and ability to articulate serious problems with the Israeli government and criticism of the US-Israel relationship is enough to make you evil. This ignores the fact that Khalidi was born and raised in New York, and it ignores the fact that the First Amendment protects your right to criticize the government–and that means any government. Your First Amendment rights are not dependent on your political beliefs, nor your race…

What worries me is that it’s the sworn duty of the President to uphold the Constitution. That includes the entire Constitution–no picking-and-choosing which Articles or Amendments you like. This is where there’s another contrast between the McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden tickets, and one of the main things that drew me to support Barack Obama in the first place: Obama’s the kind to draw upon his experience teaching constitutional law and defending civil rights, while McCain and Palin continue to demonstrate their lack of understanding of the Constitution. Yet again, I think the choice is clear. KF

Short Break

I’m going to be in Las Vegas for the next week at a conference. I’ll be back on Saturday. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to post anything while I’m gone. So these updates will have to wait until November 1st when I’m back.

I’m glad to be going. But two things have already gone badly:

First, I ordered a new laptop from Newegg.com. It’s a great deal, and I wanted to get it in before I left for Vegas, so I ordered the overnight shipping. I did that on Wednesday. They processed my credit card on Thursday, then they shipped it on Friday, and now it’ll arrive on Monday after I’ve already left. So much for “overnight”.

Second, I bought two DS games from Gamestop, so I’d have something new to play on the flight. I paid, left the store, and when I got home found out they forgot to include the goddamn games with the box. So I paid $70 for two empty boxes. Since they were already closed by the time I found out, I won’t be able to get back to them until next Saturday (November 1st). Hopefully they’ll admit the mistake and give me the games I paid for; otherwise, I’ll have to be prepared to argue when I get back, and I hate having to do that.

Anyway, see you next week. KF

The Real Americans

NOTE: This post is both on my Xanga site and the smaller blog I’ve started up on my Kizyr for Obama page.

Where is the real America? Who is a real American? Who gets to decide which is which?

There are some interesting, yet troubling, comments recently made by a lot of the folks related to the McCain Campaign. And once again, it offers a huge, huge contrast to the message that Obama’s been carrying throughout. Let me give you the following:

“I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America? I think people would love to see an expose like that.” ~Rep. Bachmann (R-MN)

Now, to be fair, this came on Chris Matthew’s Hardball, after Chris Matthews was clearly acting like a jerk. But still, concluding that interview by suggesting some kind of media witch-hunt? No wonder she now finds herself having to apologize, and donations instantly increased to her opponent without him having to even do anything. Second:

“We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation.” ~Sarah Palin

Again, to be fair, Palin did apologize for “the way her comments came off”. It’s a bit of a non-apology-apology, but still, her comments are troubling for another reason entirely (which I’ll get to momentarily). Third:

“…the Democrats have just come in from the District of Columbia and moved into northern Virginia. And that’s really what you see there. But the rest of the state, real Virginia, if you will, I think will be very responsive to Sen. McCain’s message. … I mean ‘real Virginia’ because northern Virginia is where I’ve always been, but ‘real Virginia’ I take to be the — this part of the state that is more Southern in nature, if you will. Northern Virginia is really metro D.C.” ~Pfotenhauer, McCain Advisor

Now this one upset me the most. Primarily because Pfotenhauer here had the audacity to say that I don’t live in “real Virginia”. Now, let me lay down for you a few facts:
(a) I moved here from Tennessee, not Washington
(b) I pay Virginia state income tax.
(c) I had a choice to go to Maryland, DC, or Virginia, and I chose Virginia. I’m here entirely because I want to be, and I like this state. (The lower taxes, rent in metro-accessible areas, and rich diversity of the state, really helps, too. VA’s state flag is also the coolest out of the 50 states–seriously, take a look.)

So tell me, why am I not a “real” Virginian? Oh… I know. Because politically I don’t agree with you. Does that mean that when I was in Tennessee, despite being born and raised in Nashville, that I wasn’t a real Tennessean because I didn’t vote Republican? No wonder Pfotenhauer is now scrambling to retract her comments. But, she was given a fair chance to clarify them on the air, and she simply reinforced them. Her apology now means nothing.

The Danger of the Real/Unreal Divide

All that being said, there’s a far greater problem with trying to classify “real” and “imaginary” parts of the country: it deepens the divide between the people and places that comprise this country.

First, when you try to say this part is the “real America”, and this part “represents American values”, then you’re drawing a distinction between this and that part. It’s interesting that Palin and Pfotenhauer extol the virtues of small towns–as a contrast to large towns and cities–despite the fact that 80% of the US population lives in cities (source). I’m all fine with talking up small towns, but really, why not come up to New York and talk about how its vibrance and diversity is a virtue? Or Atlanta? Or Los Angeles? (Or Greater Washington? There are a few million people living here, you know.)

I really don’t like the idea of a candidate leaving me out, simply because I live in a city, like 80% of other Americans.

But let’s be honest, there are other reasons why McCain-Palin would leave me out… which brings me to my second point. Who is a real American? What does he look like? What kind of job does he have? What’s his religious belief? What does he like to do on Sunday?

Stick to the mindset of someone who wants to narrowly-define the “Real” America, and ask yourself those questions. Stick to the mindset of someone who responds to criticism by calling into question one’s patriotism, and ask yourself who the “Average American” is. I’ll tell you that if you stick to such narrow viewpoints, you’ll come up with a very poor picture of this country, because a narrow-minded definition of America results in a ridiculous caricature of the people who make up this large and diverse country.

You can talk about Joe Six-Pack, Joe the Plumber, Phil the Bricklayer, Wendy the Waitress, and a thousand others… but really, you’re never going to get to “Farooque the Consultant”, “Chaudhry the Doctor”, or “Mohammed the Electrician”. I don’t really care for football and I don’t drink beer, so I’m definitely nothing like “Joe Six-Pack”. I’m not a plumber from Toledo who doesn’t understand the difference between net worth and taxed revenue, so I’m not like Joe the Plumber.

Basically, when you carry it out to the point that McCain and Palin have, you’ll realize that with all their fictitious-name-dropping, they’re not talking about Americans… they’re talking about characters. And it’s easy to get a character you’ve made up to agree with you.

(By the way, on that “not liking beer” part… I kind of wish Mitt Romney had won the Republican primary, since at least he would’ve highlighted the silliness of “wanting a President you can sit down and have a beer with”. Anyway…)

The Choice

I want to finish by quoting something that Barack Obama said, at the end of his exchange with the infamous Joe the Plumber:

“I respect what you do and I respect your question, and even if I don’t get your vote, I’m still gonna be working hard on your behalf, because small businesses are what creates jobs in this country and I want to encourage it.” ~ Barack Obama

Now we’re talking. (Although, (a) a “$250k” business isn’t taxed based on net worth, but on revenue–and Obama’s tax plan would still benefit it, and (b) even people making over $250k annually would have a similar tax rate as they had under Reagan. But, I digress; these details are tangential for now.)

It looks like I have a choice. I can choose a candidate whose campaign likes to label people–and, I have a feeling that any label I get from them is going to be horribly negative. Or, I can choose a candidate who prefers to focus on the things that actually matter. I can choose a candidate who wants to redefine “real” America. Or, I can choose a candidate who already accepts all of America as real.

Well, my choice is clear. KF

Getting Personal – Religion and Race

NOTE: This post is both on my Xanga site and the smaller blog I’ve started up on my Kizyr for Obama page.

I’m sure you’ve heard the good news by now, about Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama (BBC link). I mean, this is incredible as-is, for the number of reasons he cited. But, there’s something that Powell said in particular that really struck a personal note, and that I really, really appreciated hearing:

“I’m also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the [Republican] Party say… such things as ‘Well, you know that Mr Obama is a Muslim’.     “Well the correct answer is, ‘He’s not a Muslim, he’s a Christian, he’s always been a Christian’. But the really right answer is, “What if he is?’ Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is ‘No’, that’s not America.”

Powell touched upon something that has been bothering me since the election season began. There’s no easy, or calm way to say it, except… when the —— did my religion become an insult?

This idea that somehow being Muslim is bad, that choosing another religion besides (evangelical) Christianity makes you an bad person… It really infuriates me–to the extent that I really don’t know where to begin. Now, I did grow up with a little bit of this; I’m no stranger to being made fun of because of my religion, or my race, and I’ve been called some very unkind names in the past. So, it doesn’t surprise me that there are many people who buy into this. What does surprise me, however, is how this has persisted all the way through the election.

Do they not believe in the freedom of religion?
Do they believe in the freedom of religion, but think that mine is an illegitimate one?
Are they afraid of anything, or anyone, that believes something different?

There’s a natural human tendency to fear what we don’t understand. And, there’re plenty of people who have been fed this idea that all 1 billion Muslims in the world are out to get them, or we’re all part of some vast, global conspiracy. When I run into that level of ignorance, well, I just avoid it and get on my way. But, I don’t have to worry about people voting for me–in fact, that’s specifically the reason I’ll never go into politics.

McCain Versus His Campaign

On a related note, a couple of weeks back, there was something pretty impressive I thought McCain did. Unfortunately, I think it’s a response to a problem for which he’s in part responsible, so he doesn’t get any “points” for it in my mind. But I’m still impressed:

McCain Calls for Respect for Opponent. Crowd Boos.

To summarize: First, McCain went out on a limb and publicly declared his respect (respect, not agreement nor support, just respect) for his opponent. Second, there was his famous line in response to one pitifully-misguided woman’s claim that Obama is Arab (and implication that all Arabs are bad): “No ma’am… he [Obama] is a decent family man, a citizen.”.

I have to give credit to McCain for this. How would you respond to someone who’s so blind to the obvious? McCain did the best he could, and went out on a limb to do it. Unfortunately, this is the product of his own campaign. He’s hired the same people who smeared him back in the 2000 campaign to help him win in 2008. The tone of his campaign up until now has served to instill fear of Obama–and, the different color of his skin, the unfamiliarity of his name, the fact that his upbringing has given him a lot of international experience, have, then, become targets of that fear. As a result, trying to cool down the crowd at this point is too little, too late.

I still think that McCain would rather have been respectful from the beginning. But, that’s not how he’s run his campaign. And so, while I respect him for this isolated moment, I can’t respect him otherwise–especially when his campaign has tacitly accepted, and even encouraged, denigration of my faith.

I started actually writing about issues like this because certain aspects of this election have gotten personal for me. This is one of them. Additionally, there are many related positive reasons for my support of Obama, such as the fact that his campaign, with its focus on inclusion and acceptance, has stood as a marked contrast.

Next update, how about we talk about “the real America”? KF

Post-Debates Analysis

NOTE: This post is on both my Xanga site and the smaller blog I’ve started up on my Kizyr for Obama page.

It might seem odd, but debates are my favorite part of a campaign. I have a particular affinity for them, since I spent my high school years doing Lincoln-Douglas Debate in the National Forensic League. (Incidentally, my debate coach during high school was the same person who coached Al Gore for his Vice Presidential debates, and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen in his televised debates.) Anyway, I enjoy debates since it gives you an opportunity to see a certain side of candidates: when and how they’ve prepared, how they respond to expected questions, how they respond to unexpected questions, how they address one another, how they view one another, what aspects of their policies or doctrines they emphasize, etc. Given all that, I should warn you that this will be a bit long. Also, I won’t be covering the specific issues so much; for that, I recommend you just read the transcripts or watch YouTube clips of the debates.

What I thought I’d focus on this time is what the debates said about the candidates’ preparation. The way someone behaves and answers questions can tell you how they prepared and what they were coached to do (and coaching is not a bad thing–anyone with common sense will get help before a debate, and the ultimate goal of any coach should be to help you present yourself the way you want to be seen). That being said, there were particular things you could tell Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden, and Sarah Palin were all prepared and coached to do, or trying to do. I’ll try to skip over some of the more obvious stuff, and just add a few of my impressions coming from a former debaters’ standpoint.

Presidential Debate #1

I liked the first debate, but admittedly it was mostly back-and-forth facts without a lot of direct confrontation (though Lehrer did a great job of giving each of them equal time). Two important things I took away from this on Obama’s side. First, he settled on his message, his refrain, before any of the debates: he came in prepared to talk about and to middle-class America. This was evidenced by how much he referred to the same group, and what he’s repeatedly said about his tax break for 95% of Americans.

Second, Obama made a point to look directly at the camera. He was very mindful of how to present himself clearly–knowing when to look at the moderator, and when to focus on the camera and make direct eye-contact with folks watching. The entire goal was to underline his focus on the middle-class. I think he clearly took a page from J.F.K. on this one (from the Kennedy-Nixon debates), just like I believe he borrows a page from M.L.K. with regards to his speaking style during speeches.

Now, he had a secondary goal: which was to prove himself competent and qualified in world affairs. If you ask me, he did so without question. But that was something that was more evidenced by his specific responses (I suggest reading the transcripts). There were a few things he did keep in mind, of course, such as his focus on “aggressive diplomacy”. And he managed to “create a moment”, where he directly pointed out McCain’s mistakes on Iraq:

OBAMA (to MCCAIN): You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. You said that we were going to be greeted as liberators. You were wrong. You said that there was no history of violence between Shia and Sunni. And you were wrong. … if the question is who is best-equipped as the next president to make good decisions about how we use our military, how we make sure that we are prepared and ready for the next conflict, then I think we can take a look at our judgment.

Unfortunately, I felt it was a bit rushed through and not highlighted to the extent that it could have been.

Now, one thing I took from McCain’s end: His focus was on answering the questions, but he lost sight of any greater message. Most folks who watch a debate won’t take notes, so it’s important not only to answer the questions, but also carry a cohesive message with you. Unfortunately for McCain, he didn’t do very much memorable in this first debate. The closest he came to “creating a moment” was in his response regarding Russia and Putin:

MCCAIN: I looked into Mr. Putin’s eyes, and I saw three letters, a “K,” a “G,” and a “B.” And their aggression in Georgia is not acceptable behavior.

So McCain came across competent on foreign policy issues not related to Iraq, and it’s probably a draw with regards to Iran (depending on who you support). Unfortunately, given how he’s touted his military and foreign policy experience, and the general perception on how he would handle other domestic issues (particularly economic matters), it wasn’t enough just to appear competent.

Vice-Presidential Debate

This was the more… entertaining one. I’ll start out by saying that I find it extremely difficult to take Sarah Palin seriously. I’ll grant that she may have done some good for Alaska (ignoring the entire abuse-of-power issue). But as far as being Vice President? This debate left me hoping that she never even comes within the same ZIP code. Biden, meanwhile, came across as composed, clear, and measured.

It was a stark contrast. But considering Palin’s complete inexperience, the coaching for both Biden and Palin was rather clear.

First, here are a few things I’d wager that Palin was told:

• Look at the camera, smile, maybe even wink a few times. (This was likely to counteract the contrast between Obama and McCain from the previous debate, and also to try and take advantage of her “folksy” image.)
• If you can’t answer a question, then bring up something a little similar and come up with a way to relate it. If you can’t come up with a way to relate it, just remain confident. People who are watching won’t be taking notes. (I’m 90% certain that she was told this–given her completely cavalier attitude to ignoring questions.)
• If you get nervous, just remember some of the McCain talking points. (On that note, most of her preparation was likely her memorizing those talking points–e.g., what McCain meant by “the fundamentals of our economy are strong”, that taxing the rich will also tax small businesses–not quite accurate, by the way–and so on.)
• Don’t stop talking or allow for long pauses. Fill the space with some stock phrases and try to get back to one of the talking points.

Second, here are a few things I think that Biden was told:

• Take it easy. You’re obviously experienced and knowledgable. If you end up appearing too aggressive, then it’s possible that the McCain campaign can turn your intelligence into a negative thing.
• Don’t focus on Palin, but keep the focus on McCain. When you want to answer, direct your attention to the moderator and camera.
• Do not bring up anything she said on the Katie Couric interview. It could risk getting sympathy for her poor performance.

As a result, Biden obviously won. And Palin didn’t fall flat on her face (which, according to the Republican campaign, means she won–sorry, but I don’t think she deserves recognition for getting a “D-” instead of an “F”).

Most of the memorable moments are memorable because of Palin’s completely inappropriate responses. First there was her complete candidness about dodging questions:

BIDEN: If you notice, Gwen, the governor did not answer the question about deregulation, did not answer the question … [McCain] did support deregulation almost across the board. That’s why we got into so much trouble. … PALIN: I’m still on the tax thing because I want to correct you on that again. And I want to let you know what I did as a mayor and as a governor. And I may not answer the questions the way that either the moderator or you want to hear, but I’m going to talk straight to the American people and let them know my track record also.

Excuse me, Governor Palin? Some of us Americans actually would like to hear you answer the question.

The second memorable moment was the one that most clearly convinced me that Palin does not belong anywhere in or around the White House:

PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the Office of the Vice President. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president’s agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we’ll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. BIDEN: Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that. … The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he’s part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.

This was Palin’s absolutely worst moment. Other things were humorously funny. This, the fact that she still has no idea what the Vice President is supposed to do, and her misguided notion of the role would undermine our checks and balances system, is downright dangerous. Fortunately, I still think there’s a very, very small chance she’ll ever make it into the Presidential seat. But it’s enough of a chance to make me worried.

And meanwhile! Biden comes back with a clear and specific understanding of the Constitution. He came across as knowledgeable, yet wasn’t aggressive in his response to Palin despite her being completely in the wrong.

But the third “moment” was the most embarrassing for Palin, I feel, and the highlight for Biden:

BIDEN: But the notion that somehow, because I’m a man, I don’t know what it’s like to raise two kids alone, I don’t know what it’s like to have a child you’re not sure is going to — is going to make it — I understand. IFILL: Governor? PALIN: (smiling) People aren’t looking for more of the same. They are looking for change. And John McCain has been the consummate maverick in the Senate over all these years.

Biden’s most humanizing moment. He even choked up there. Palin, obviously, was unprepared for, well, her opponent actually acting like a human being. So, she panicked and went back into one of her talking points, smiling, acting as if nothing had gone on.

I think I understand why Biden was picked as Obama’s running mate, given exchanges like this, and how well (I feel) he’s able to connect with Americans going through tough times.

Presidential Debate #2

Watching the second debate was like seeing someone swerving onto the shoulder lane, and then oversteering in trying to get back on the main road. I’ll start with McCain. I think he was told clearly what his mistakes were in the first debate, and may have even been “over-coached”. Specifically, there were two things I believe he was told by his coaches or advisors that tripped him up. First, he was probably told to look at the audience and cameras more, since in the first debate he spent his time always looking at the moderator Jim Lehrer instead. Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to come naturally, and so he came across as being very wooden and forced. (Which is odd, considering the Town Hall format is supposedly his preferred format, and he’s actually done rather well in Town Hall meetings–not debates, but meetings–in communicating himself clearly.)

Second, he was probably told to make a few jokes here and there to lighten the mood. That was the big mistake. Now, McCain can be really funny (the Alfred Smith Charity Dinner yesterday is clear evidence of this)–but it’s hard to force yourself to be funny. As a result, McCain came away “creating moments”, but very awkward moments. Fewer people will remember his small argument about Obama’s tax cuts (which were revisited in the third debate), but most people will remember poor attempts at levity, such as:

BROKAW: Who do you have in mind to appoint to that very important post [Secretary of the Treasury]? Senator McCain? MCCAIN: Not you, Tom. (LAUGHTER) BROKAW: No, with good reason.

MCCAIN: It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one. You know who voted against it? Me.

It wasn’t mean or offensive, in the slightest. But, it was forced humor and really came off as unnatural…

As for Obama, I think he came across really well here yet again. Part of that is because he didn’t have much to “make up for” from the first debate in terms of tone, clarity, etc. Not to mention that he already established a refrain for his debates: the focus on the tax cuts. He really delivered home the message that: (a) His plan would allow tax cuts for 95% of Americans, (b) Any of his plans for providing health care are only going to make it easier for small businesses to do so (and there is no fine!), and (c) Anyone making over $250,000 a year won’t be paying any more than they were under Reagan. That really seemed to be a tough nut for McCain to crack.

Meanwhile, McCain left with only the idea of a “spending freeze” (which he repeated, more resolutely, in the third debate). I think the idea of freezing spending on everything but entitlements, the VA, and defense (the latter of which has gotten the most runaway in the last eight years, mind you) doesn’t resonate very well. The hatchet-vs-scalpel analogy really favors Obama here.

The foreign policy issues also trended back in Obama’s favor here. It was Obama who usually dominated the floor, mentioning specifics, with McCain responding to his comments, speaking more vaguely:

MCCAIN: But the point is that I know how to handle these crises. And Senator Obama, by saying that he would attack Pakistan, look at the context of his words. I’ll get Osama bin Laden, my friends. I’ll get him. I know how to get him. I’ll get him no matter what and I know how to do it. But I’m not going to telegraph my punches, which is what Senator Obama did. And I’m going to act responsibly, as I have acted responsibly throughout my military career and throughout my career in the United States Senate.

Unfortunately for McCain, if you just say “I know how” but your message sounds vague, it comes across as if you’re making it up as you go along.

Now, to McCain’s credit, he’s very good when it comes to Russia. He’s very precise when talking about dealing with Russia and supporting its former satellites in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Yet, it still doesn’t make up for his errors in judgment on going into Iraq. And Obama’s justification for keeping direct talks on the table with Iran was also very well-stated:

OBAMA:  Now, it may not work. But one of the things we’ve learned is, is that when we take that approach, whether it’s in North Korea or in Iran, then we have a better chance at better outcomes. When President Bush decided we’re not going to talk to Iran, we’re not going to talk to North Korea, you know what happened? Iran went from zero centrifuges to develop nuclear weapons to 4,000. North Korea quadrupled its nuclear capability. We’ve got to try to have talks, understanding that we’re not taking military options off the table.

Presidential Debate #3

McCain did his best in this debate. But, Obama still outperformed him. The reason, I feel, is that McCain seemed rather desperate–tossing out everything, and just hoping something would stick. Obama, meanwhile, maintained course and stuck to the issues he felt deserved more importance. Let’s begin with McCain… I think leading into this, he was just told all the things he needed to “get out on the floor”. The odd thing about McCain, though, is that he seems so uncomfortable bringing up some of the smear tactics (like Ayers, or ACORN); he’ll say a few things about them but leave it at that.

My guess? McCain, like Obama, would prefer to focus on the issues that Americans are really concerned about–chiefly, the economy, and secondly, a sound energy policy. In fact, had the debate been entirely about that, I think McCain would’ve fared better, since those are things he actually appears sincere in talking about (mind you, I think he’s misguided on both issues, but at least he’d be more like the Straight-Talker we’ve known for the previous 8 years).

Obama, meanwhile, seemed to remember his days from debating Senator Clinton. Most of the possible smear tactics (except the ACORN one, which is weak anyhow) came up somewhere during the primaries. And I’m sure it was far easier to debate them back then, when your opponent was someone you actually agreed with on 95% of your platform. These days? It’s old news. Not to mention that Obama was able to address those ridiculous questions quickly, and immediately get back to issues that matter:

MCCAIN: Yes, real quick. Mr. Ayers, I don’t care about an old washed-up terrorist. But as Senator Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of that relationship. We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama’s relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy. … OBAMA: Bob, I think it’s going to be important to just — I’ll respond to these two particular allegations that Senator McCain has made and that have gotten a lot of attention.       In fact, Mr. Ayers has become the centerpiece of Senator McCain’s campaign over the last two or three weeks. This has been their primary focus. So let’s get the record straight. Bill Ayers is a professor of education in Chicago. Forty years ago, when I was 8 years old, he engaged in despicable acts with a radical domestic group. I have roundly condemned those acts. Ten years ago he served and I served on a school reform board that was funded by one of Ronald Reagan’s former ambassadors and close friends, Mr. Annenberg. Other members on that board were the presidents of the University of Illinois, the president of Northwestern University, who happens to be a Republican, the president of The Chicago Tribune, a Republican- leaning newspaper. Mr. Ayers is not involved in my campaign. He has never been involved in this campaign. And he will not advise me in the White House. So that’s Mr. Ayers.       Now, with respect to ACORN, ACORN is a community organization. Apparently what they’ve done is they were paying people to go out and register folks, and apparently some of the people who were out there didn’t really register people, they just filled out a bunch of names. It had nothing to do with us. We were not involved. The only involvement I’ve had with ACORN was I represented them alongside the U.S. Justice Department in making Illinois implement a motor voter law that helped people get registered at DMVs.       Now, the reason I think that it’s important to just get these facts out is because the allegation that Senator McCain has continually made is that somehow my associations are troubling. Let me tell you who I associate with. On economic policy, I associate with Warren Buffett and former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker. If I’m interested in figuring out my foreign policy, I associate myself with my running mate, Joe Biden or with Dick Lugar, the Republican ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or General Jim Jones, the former supreme allied commander of NATO. Those are the people, Democrats and Republicans, who have shaped my ideas and who will be surrounding me in the White House. And I think the fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign, Senator McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me.

Now, second… I’m not going to talk about Joe the Plumber now. Full stop.

Third, what’s worse for McCain is that Obama successfully blunted his entire message about earmarks:

OBAMA: Earmarks account for 0.5 percent of the total federal budget. There’s no doubt that the system needs reform and there are a lot of screwy things that we end up spending money on, and they need to be eliminated. But it’s not going to solve the problem. Now, the last thing I think we have to focus on is a little bit of history, just so that we understand what we’re doing going forward. When President Bush came into office, we had a budget surplus and the national debt was a little over $5 trillion. It has doubled over the last eight years.

In light of this, all of McCain’s talk about earmarks seems dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of this runaway defense spending, and the billions we’re spending in a war that he wants to continue indefinitely. Meanwhile, Obama suggests a “scalpel” approach regarding earmarks and government spending, and a broad step regarding the major issue: our continuing commitment in Iraq.

Finally, the entire bit about abortion at the end? That was odd. Most people who have a stance on abortion have already decided their position, and how much it will affect how they vote. In fact, that’s something I’d like to get into at a later date myself–just not right now.

Conclusions?

I think it’s apparent which side I stand on. I thought Obama was more consistent, and delivered a far stronger and more coherent message. McCain had a message, but it kept getting confused by some of the other distractions being thrown in–making him appear, yes, “erratic” (not to mention generating more than a handful of awkward moments).

My suspicion, moreover, is that McCain would prefer to talk about the central issues–like the economy, energy policy, and foreign policy for Russia/Iraq/Iran/Afghanistan–but given that he’s behind in the polls, his campaign advisors apparently don’t feel he has that sort of luxury. But, that’s just my suspicion, and it’s based on a more optimistic view of John McCain than I think many other people have.

But what worries me is that even if this is true, then it means that McCain pays such heed to his campaign staff–who is going on the offensive with the ridiculous smear tactics (like the Ayers or ACORN issue), or whisper campaigns about Obama’s ethnic or religious background (which are completely outlandish, and occasionally insulting), or trying to dig up other skeletons in his closet (even though his life is an open–no, two open books). And if he’s paying them such close attention, what about folks like me, who are concerned about other issues altogether? Concerned about the economic standing of this country, wanting a shift in our foreign policy, and worried that our civil rights may be in jeopardy if we continue down the path of the previous eight years? KF

Winding Down from Vacation

Sorry for the delay. I haven’t been busy, I’ve just been “unwinding” (= lazy).

Nashville

First, Nashville was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I had to fly out on Eid instead of the day before, since I waited too long and flying out on the 30th would’ve added $500 to my ticket price–which was already expensive.

It was great getting to see my family again. This was actually the longest time I’ve spent in Nashville (a whole week) since I moved back to the DC area. It was great getting to catch up, and spend time with my mother, sister, and father.

Although I must say, I got my fill of watching the news. I might have articulated before my extreme dislike of 24-hour news networks (i.e., Fox, CNN, and MSNBC), and I tended to watch that in the daytime. Eh… Although, I did switch to CNBC on Wednesday.

…great timing.

I also got to watch the debates (the VP debate, and the second Pres debate–that took place in Nashville, no less). I’ve been having some thoughts on that… I’ll mention them a little later.

Atlanta

Second, I went to Atlanta to watch my sister defend her doctoral thesis. I really… had a hard time following the details of it… but she did great, I say.

I had to resist the temptation to ask a silly question at the end. Basically, what I had in mind was:

Me: Ah, one question… Coming from an economics background, my main curiosity is which one of those three bioreactors was the most cost-effective for your experiments?
T: That would likely be the PCC.
Me: Thank you. And a follow-up question. How soon until you think we’ll be mass-producing cartilage for human consumption? It’s one of the best parts of the chicken, you know.
T: … … …

Winding Up for the Election

Anyway, the next month I think is going to be pretty exciting. My favored candidate is continuing to do well, and isn’t letting up the fervor of his campaign. And what’s best, he’s maintaining this campaign while focusing on the things that matter, instead of getting pounded by ridiculous smear tactics.

But, I don’t like talking vaguely; I prefer precision. Now, I generally don’t like making political commentary on here–I figure you can always read the news and make up your own mind–yet, there’s a lot this year that affects me personally. So, I’m going to break with that trend for the next month.

Responses to the debates (from a debater’s perspective), the specific reasons I support Obama, my concern about civil rights, my concern for my own religious freedom, the tone the G.O.P. has taken lately… I know only a few folks even read this, and I write this mainly for my own benefit. But hey, I started this to talk about things that happen to me, and things that affect me. And this is one year where that justifies talking about the upcoming election.

I’ve decided to start this Thursday after the third and final presidential debate, and I’ll try to update more frequently until Election Day. KF

Ramadan and Eid Mubarak

The last month has been Ramadan. From dawn to sunset I’ve been fasting each day.

It’s gone pretty well, actually. As usual, after about the 10th day or so, it’s not the hunger that gets you so much as the changed routine. This year, too, was the first time that I managed to wake up for suhoor (eating prior to dawn) on every day–well, except one (I was on a roll, too… But that’s still the best I’ve done yet.)

Usually, I’m able to modify my routine: come into work real early, leave real early. This year it was a bit difficult. On account of a lot of work that’s come up, I was working a few weekends and 10-hour days several times. (Which is why I haven’t been posting so much.)

I won’t get into a lot of other details. Basically, here’s what’s happening lately:

• We’re coming on the end of the contract period, so the last month has been all crunch time.
• My company was acquired by another one. It’s looking like a good thing so far, however, so I’m optimistic. Also, it’s unrelated to the current financial crisis, as it’s been in the works for months.
• I’m not personally hit by the financial crisis, but still rather worried. Very ambivalent on what to think about the failed bailout, however–yeah, I know I’m an economist and I should have a stronger opinion, but it’s no simple matter. Part of me is relieved that we won’t have to shoulder nearly a trillion dollar debt over the next… decade… though.
• I’ve been following the campaigns all the same. The debate last Friday was brilliant. Jim Lehrer is an excellent and fair moderator, and both candidates presented themselves how they wanted to come off, I felt. And, on account of that, I’m even more certain that I want Barack Obama in the White House next year.
• I’m taking a week off and going to Nashville for Eid (tomorrow).
• And, I’m going to Atlanta next week to support my sister for her doctoral defense.

That’s that. Now that this year’s contract is wrapped up, I should be a lot less busy in the coming weeks. KF

More Atlanta Fun

Last weekend (8/29 – 9/01) I went to Atlanta for two reasons: to visit my sister, and to go to DragonCon 2008, the largest Sci-Fi convention in the US (I think?). Anyway, it’s a four-day convention held across 3-4 hotels in downtown Atlanta, and it was a lot of fun of course. Particularly since I was able to go with my sister, and it was the first time going there for the both of us.

Oh, by the way, I think I’ll skip the other “updates” I was planning way back, like the one about the Olympics. That’s sort of… um, past by now. Though I still find it hilarious that BBC and most other places outside the US ranked countries by gold medals, then silver/bronze, and so China came out at #1 and the USA at #2, while CNN insists on ranking countries by medal count (as if a gold, silver, and bronze are equal) so that the USA comes out at #1. It’s sort of like burying your head in the sand and refusing to admit that the USA came in second place.

Yes. We came in 2nd. Deal with it. It was still a great Olympics, with some outstanding performances. And we did amazingly well all-around. We just didn’t win as many golds as China. That makes it more fun next Olympics since there’s finally some competition again.

So yeah, DragonCon…

For starters, I found it really well-run. After being used to anime conventions, the way DragonCon was run was so efficient by comparison, like clockwork. Part of that is due to the average age being higher (D*C attracts a much wider range of people, I think), and the longer history of D*C compared with other conventions.

Anyway, that last reason is also why they’re able to attract so many big names there. Some of the folks I was looking forward to seeing, at panels or otherwise: Avery Brooks (Sisko on DS9), Michael Dorn (Worf on TNG/DS9), Nathan Fillion (Mal on Firefly), Morena Baccarin (Inara on Firefly, Adria on Stargate), Jewel Staite (Kaylee on Firefly, Keller on Stargate), Edward James Olmos (Adama on Battlestar Galactica), Cliff Simon (Ba’al on Stargate), Erick Avari (Stargate Movie, and Dr Chandra Suresh on Heroes), and Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto on Torchwood), among many others.

Getting a good seat in some of the panels was tough, though. In particular, the Firefly panels pack the house and get people lining up 3-4 hours early. Me and my sister got seats near the back of the first one, but more decent seats on the second:

We also saw Nathan & Morena kiss… Not sure how much of it was an act.

At the Stargate panel on Monday, I even got to ask a question to Morena & Jewel. And I managed to do so without getting all nervous and saying something stupid! I think I asked something about how it was transitioning from Firefly, where they’d been on since the start, to Stargate, which had already been running for several seasons. I think… I was a little starstruck, as I recall.

The Firefly and Stargate panels were great, of course. Besides that, the DS-9 panel was really good–mostly because Deep Space 9 is my favorite of the Star Trek series, and Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) is one of my favorite characters in any of the series. Avery Brooks has a tendency to… meander a little bit, though. He’s a brilliant speaker, mind you, he just goes on a little long. Probably something to do with how he’s also a tenured professor…

We also saw a number of good costumes, too:

In conclusion, DragonCon was a lot of fun. I’d like to go back next year if I’m able to make the trip. Also, Ramadan has now begun, so I’m fasting each day. I’ll try to talk about how it’s going in my next update. KF

Otakon 2008

The last two weeks have been incredibly rough. So, really, no flak about taking two weeks to update. (I have another post-Olympics one planned for this week, too–hopefully I’ll manage to get it up before they’re forgotten about.)

Anyway, the first weekend of August was Otakon 2008. I’ve been going to this anime convention for the last 5 years, and really enjoy it each time. Though, as the years go by, I start enjoying it for different reasons. This year, unfortunately, we didn’t have a panel on the Lunar series (as I had the last two times). But in its place, I did get the chance to meet up with many people and overall had a good time. I started the weekend by taking Friday off work and coming up to Baltimore by about 11:30. And then proceeded to wait in the registration line for almost three hours. It wasn’t too bad, though; everyone has to wait in line–even superheroes:

Speaking of costumes, I’m not really that ‘up’ on recent anime series. So there’s very little cosplay that I recognize these days (though apparently the series Death Note and Gurren Lagaan are popular sources; and my ‘curse’ only came up 5 times, so thankfully not as many people are doing FFX-2). I did, however, catch up with The Doctor. And they even had K-9!

Highlights

The highlight, though, wasn’t the convention so much as the other folks there.

First, I’d put together a meet up for fans of the Lunar series. It was sort of last-minute, but surprisingly I managed to get eight or so of us together. We had some lunch downtown near the Inner Harbor, and hung out for maybe 2-3 hours. I do have a video from that, but, I’m not sure if everyone in the video is fine with their image being up online. Sorry… But yeah, it was a success. Much more than I’d expected.

Second, I’d tried to put together another meet up for folks on the XKCD forums. The last 2-3 times I’d put one together, it actually went by really well. Unfortunately, only one other person was free around that time, so we just played Daigassou Band Brothers for a bit then split. Which was good, in fact, since there was something else I was trying to get to…

OC ReMix

I’ve mentioned many times in the past that I’m a fan of OverClocked ReMix, a video game music/remixing community. Last year, their panel was the highlight of the con for me; this year, same thing. Although, there were some very fortunate random encounters outside of that.

On Friday, while I was in the Dealers’ Room, I overheard a couple of voices that sounded really familiar. I looked up and recognized both Jillian Goldin (pixietricks on OCR) and Zircon talking to a few other folks from OCR (websites here: JG / zircon. Being a fan of their music (particularly their original work, not just their remixes) I introduced myself and we got to talking for a bit.

Me: Say, you mind if I get a photo?
P/Z: Sure, no problem!
(…)
P: …I think Dale was behind us. Maybe we should check the picture.
D: No, no, there’s no need for th–

Me: Dammit Dale!

Nah, but I kid. Dale North’s a good guy. I recognized him both from OCR and his songs on Urbanizm Music (artist page), which are all really good.

On Saturday evening was the OCR panel, which was great as always. A bit shorter than I’d like (1½ hours, where last year they had a full 2 hours), but lots of entertainment, including an audience-led remix and a performance of “Still Alive” from Portal:

Besides that, someone else from the OCR boards who lives near Baltimore invited folks over to his place for a barbecue the Sunday after the convention. I wasn’t actually planning on going, since I’d only recently started posting on the forums. But, after the panel on Saturday, I changed my mind (Jill and DragonAvenger–someone else from OCR I’d met in line–convinced me on that). And, yeah, I definitely would’ve regretted not going. It was a lot of fun, from just being able to unwind from the convention with a lot of folks from OCR:

To a completely unplanned game of OCR-Ball. It’s kind of like Calvinball, but no masks and less violence. Same idea behind the rules, though:

Xerol: If it hits the shed, it’s out
Pezman: Playing with a Pepsi in one hand is worth 50 points
Kizyr: Hitting the camera is out
Pixietricks: If everyone on the team hits the ball, you win 20 games
Dyne: If it hits zircon, it’s out
DrumUltima: Hitting Jill in the face wins 150 games
Pixietricks: =(

Near the end, we just sort of started taking random cellphone/camera photos. This compilation courtesy of Jose the Bronx Rican:

Right then! This Friday I’m going out of town to Atlanta, both to visit my sister and go to DragonCon together. It’ll be fun. Though, in the meantime (since it’ll be like a week thereafter before I make an update about my Atlanta trip) I’ll try to have an Olympics-related one ready to go that weekend instead. ‘Til then. KF