July 27, 2008

"A smooth-talking rookie senator with an exotic name passes himself off as the incumbent American president to credulous foreigners."

Barack Obama's overseas trip seems like the scenario for some Borat-style movie to Frank Rich.
He never would have been treated as a president-in-waiting by heads of state or network talking heads if all he offered were charisma, slick rhetoric and stunning visuals. What drew them instead was the raw power Mr. Obama has amassed: the power to start shaping events and the power to move markets, including TV ratings.
Don't forget the power to turn back the rising oceans!

You know, I just passed up one breakfast spot — here in Beverly Hills — because they had Chris Matthews — Chris Matthews! — effusing off the flat-screen TV on the wall. Now, I'm in a café that is mercifully free of television, awash in mellow music. There's no thrill-up-the-leg Matthewzing to get on my nerves as I try to inject the appropriate amount of caffeine into my veins.

But there is still Frank Rich. Oh! The Power! The Raw Power! Ah! Stunning! Slick! And oh-so-manly POWER!

Sorry, Frank. He's married.

Rich pads out the middle part of his column with the usual material about how he disagrees with Bush about the war. He's got a point he's supposedly proving: Bush is so bad that Obama has somehow become "acting President" — especially in Euro-eyes.

And McCain is therefore royally screwed.
Mr. McCain could also have stepped into the leadership gap left by Mr. Bush’s de facto abdication. His inability to even make a stab at doing so is troubling.
Troubling... or modest and proper.
[McCain's] grim-faced crusade to brand his opponent as a traitor who wants to “lose a war” isn’t even a competent impersonation of Joe McCarthy. Mr. McCain comes off instead like the ineffectual Mr. Wilson, the retired neighbor perpetually busting a gasket at the antics of pesky little Dennis the Menace.
Who helped Rich with his semi-up-to-date Borat reference in paragraph 1? I don't know, but his back to showing his age with pop culture references from the distant past.
When not plotting such stunts, the McCain campaign whines about its lack of press attention like a lover jilted for a younger guy.
Well, you are plainly in love with that guy.

So, anyway, McCain is such a screw-up. He can't catch a break. And the whole world has embraced Obama as the new President. This thing is all over. What a blow out! Obama is crushing McCain. He must be about 20 or 30 — even 40 — points ahead in the polls by now.

28 comments:

Ben (The Tiger in Exile) said...

So do we wait until September to start chanting "MAC IS BACK!" again?

Seems to me McCain has him right where he wants him. (Well, he'd love to be twenty points up, I'm sure.)

Bissage said...

I don’t care what anybody says.

President Obama sent me a personal thank you note for that fruit basket I sent him so he’s okay by me.

He writes with a fountain pen.

Probably a Pelikan.

Randy said...

So, anyway, McCain is such a screw-up.

So it seems. His campaign thus far resembles Bob Dole's in 1996.

He can't catch a break.

So it would appear.

And the whole world has embraced Obama as the new President.

That seems to be true at this point.

This thing is all over.

It is never over until the fat lady sings or the Supreme Court hands down its ruling.

What a blow out!

In the end, it may prove to be, but who gets blown out remains to be seen.

Obama is crushing McCain. He must be about 20 or 30 — even 40 — points ahead in the polls by now.

Why he's not trouncing an erratic, 72-year-old opponent is a good question.

garage mahal said...

Don't forget the power to turn back the rising oceans!

Those whacky scientists and their thermometers and measuring devices! It's all a religious-like conspiracy of leftist Gore acolytes.

We should be reading National Enquirer space alien baby stories and sex rumors - real news in other words. Where IS the outcry over the Edwards rumor anyways? Some people just don't get it.

Awesome said...

I can't decide what would be more fun come November: for Obama to lose and to delight in the awesome, world destroying outrage of Rich & his ilk,

or for Obama to win and for Rich & ilk to have their hearts annihilated when Obama isn't exquisitely, divinely perfect.

Choices choices!

Kirby Olson said...

He's six points ahead in the latest Zogby according to a Fox commentator I just heard. 47-41.

That leaves 12 percentage points that don't have an opinion or that are going green or toward Ralph.

Too bad BO hadn't just chosen Edwards as his VP the day before the National Enquirer broke its story (now substantiated by Fox reporters who spoke with hotel security who did admit both parties were in the hotel).

Personally I wish I'd been able to listen to Edwards pronounce "mill" as "Meal" for the next eight years. Just think of all the things we'll be missing out on.

section9 said...

I say again: the Obama Campaign is the political equivalent of those online ads for Penis Enlargement Pills, sans the endorsement from Ron Jeremy.

The Hardest Working Man in Show Business!

Anonymous said...

You realize that the Obama campaign is registering so many new voters that it's going to overwhelm the system, right? And that there's campaign organizations with thousands of volunteers that have sprung up in states where Obama hasn't had to spend a dime, right?

This election is not going to be close.

Jim Hu said...

My take (on Dan Balz's piece on the trip in the WaPo - Rich is a waste of time, IMO). Concluding thoughts:
Obama reminds me of students who tell faculty that they studied hard because they broke the shrink wrap on the textbook and held a party at the library the night before the final.

By the way, the site of Obama's Berlin speech was entirely appropriate - for those who don't speak German, the Tiergarten is the zoo.

rcocean said...

McCain strikes me as more "Captain Queeg" than "Mr.Wilson". In any case, a Rich should have called him Grampa Simpson - its more current.

bearbee said...

Too bad BO hadn't just chosen Edwards....

It would be worth him winning just to see news headlines referring to him as 'BO'.

vbspurs said...

This thing is all over. What a blow out! Obama is crushing McCain. He must be about 20 or 30 — even 40 — points ahead in the polls by now.

Americans have seen Obama's kind before -- going on 232 years now.

Even in 1789, pretty boy aristocrat Edward Rutledge of South Carolina wanted to trump his brother, John, and run for President, but his age wouldn't oblige. Think about it, he wanted to pit himself against George Washington.

These empty suits who talk pretty always have their moment.

Let Obama have his moment.

Americans always have theirs every 4 years in November.

Cheers,
Victoria

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"It is never over until the fat lady sings or the Supreme Court hands down its ruling."

Says Randy, already polishing his whine if/when his golden boy isn't voted into office. Wow. It would NEVER be that.....it just COULDN'T be that someone else might win. The election, when you lose from now, on no matter what side you are on, HAS to be stolen. No way could people not vote for MY guy!! Since I'm always right and everyone else is wrong. /sarcasm

If Obama loses (and I have a feeling he might) be prepared for a mighty gaseous wind of whining to be blowing from the left.

Randy said...

Says Randy, already polishing his whine if/when his golden boy isn't voted into office.

Huh?

rcocean said...

"It is never over until the fat lady sings or the Supreme Court hands down its ruling."

Liberals like the Bourbon's learn nothing and forget nothing.

vbspurs said...

Yeah, DBQ, that part didn't make sense. Randy is hardly a fan of Obama.

You wrote later:

If Obama loses (and I have a feeling he might) be prepared for a mighty gaseous wind of whining to be blowing from the left.

Oh it's blowin' already.

NPR devoted a whole pre-whine session predicting Obama would win the popular vote, but not the Electoral College. It's SO not fair!!

Cheers,
Victoria

ricpic said...

I think Rich is onto something. There is a Mighty Mouse quality about Obama.

Automatic_Wing said...

I'm a bit underwhelmed by Rich's lone example of Obama's "raw power" - the ability to raise Access Hollywood's ratings by 20%.

Sure doesn't take much to impress some people.

vbspurs said...

Sure doesn't take much to impress some people.

Given that reasoning and their own ideas of him, Maguro, then they'd all be fans of Bush.

Trooper York said...

I would like to lodge a protest over the term "Fat Lady." I have many opera singers shop in the store and they are not fat. Although some of them are Rubenesque, they all are all extremely attractive, especially in the Tadashi ribbon dress, which is an especially good fit for women in sizes 24 to 32. This 100% silk dress comes in an elegant black fabric which several members of the Met have purchased to wear at various recitals and performance for venues such as the Metropolitan Opera and Radio City Music Hall.

The intricate beading and ribbon effect provide a stunning effect that must be seen to be believed. Available exclusively at Lee Lees Valise. Quantities limited.

Therefore let us change this cliché to be au courant as follows: It’s not over until the Rubenesque beauty in the dazzling Tadashi ribbon dress has begun to sing.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

"Randy is hardly a fan of Obama."

Sorry Randy. I jumped the gun and made an assumption. :-( I appologize to you.

"NPR devoted a whole pre-whine session predicting Obama would win the popular vote, but not the Electoral College. It's SO not fair!!"

I know... already it begins.

ron st.amant said...

There's no telling where the electorate will go 3 months a change away from election day.
My sense right now is McCain is largely the fallback candidate for those whose minds are not made up. In other words its Obama's election to lose.
The Obama haters can compose hate-filled blogs about how the media is so in love with Obama all they wish, but the same "liberal" media has been slurping John McCain for the past 8 years (at least).
He challenges Obama to visit Iraq and then his campaign whines when he does and the media follows? What like they're going to choose following a candidate to the Middle East over following a candidate to Kennebunkport?

No Mom, I don't want to do to Disneyworld, I want to go to the car wash instead.

Why DO conservatives spend their time crying about CNN when they've got Fox News to provide their echo chamber?

Whether Obama or McCain wins, a certain portion of the public won't be happy, will cry foul, will think the rest of the country is filled with fools because only they and their kind have the market cornered on 'truth'.

Later. Rinse. Repeat (in 4 years).

Randy said...

It’s not over until the Rubenesque beauty in the dazzling Tadashi ribbon dress has begun to sing.

*LOL* Works for me, Trooper!

blake said...

Those whacky scientists and their thermometers and measuring devices! It's all a religious-like conspiracy of leftist Gore acolytes.

Sarcasm aside, those wacky measuring devices tell us the sea levels are falling and the earth is cooling.

The religious conspiracy comes in when this data is ignored because it doesn't fit the AGW catechism.

blake said...

This lovely mezzo-soprano was one of my classmates years ago.

She was somewhat heavier back then, but still cute as a button. (And her smile is more dazzling in person.)

Sadly, she never could end anything by singing. Her voice was good enough, but she was never Rubenesque.

Ralph L said...

That leaves 12 percentage points that don't have an opinion or that are going green or toward Ralph.
I'll have you know the whole world points to me. Suck it!

Anonymous said...

Whether Obama or McCain wins, a certain portion of the public won't be happy, will cry foul, will think the rest of the country is filled with fools because only they and their kind have the market cornered on 'truth'.

When, in point of fact, everyone knows that Ron has the market cornered on truth, and he says that media coverage is fair and that McCain is a whiner.

Joe said...

How dare you mock this; those French and German electoral votes are very important and McCain's doing nothing to get them!