“Republicans had a chance to rule. They failed miserably. I think it’s time to give the other party a chance,” Dean said on MSNBC.

Guess what??

I completely agree with Dean..

And gods help the Democrats if my life isn't the Utopian paradise they claimed it would be under their rule...

Michale.....

Yuk yuk yuk.... :D

Michale.....

Actually, my name is pronounced "WHY-gant" so it would be "why-GANT-ee-ans". Minor correction.

Weigantians actually has kind of a ring to it...

-CW

Wouldn't that be 'Weigantite' Although that reminds one of "Hittites"

Peter Venkman: "Well, okay. I found the name Zuul for you. The name Zuul refers to a demi-god worshipped around 6000 BC by the - what's that word?...

Dana Barret: "Hittites"

Peter Venkman: ".....Hittites, the Mesopotamians and the Sumerians..

Maybe we can have some more suggestions from the peanut gallery? Wieganter? Weigantaholic? Please post some more, folks, and me my wife and the cat will decide which one is best!

Actually with the hard 'T' at the end, wouldn't Weigantians (Pronounced we-GANT-eee-ans) sound appropriate??

Sounds like "ATLANTIANS" which would be no small thrill for us Stargate:Atlantis fans... :D

Although, saying it aloud, I can't help but visualize Dr Evil saying 'hi' to Frau Farbissina...

"Weigants{sic} iss einen" :D

Anyways, my choice is WEIGANTIANS... :D

Michale......

Falling Gas Prices..

In my area: St Augustine, FL - $2.39

In the state of Florida: Summerfield, FL - $2.23

In the country: Tulsa, OK - $2.13

Wouldn't it be great to see gas fall below $2!!?? :D

According to the latest reports, oil could fall to around $48 per barrel...

I wonder what that translates in price per gallon..

Michale..

And ABC News is reporting that Senator Obama hasn't talked to the press in over a month...

On another note, anyone want to take a shot at condemning this:

http://cbs2.com/local/Sarah.Palin.mannequin.2.849299.html

Michale....

What a relief - I thought I might have become persona non grata around here! Whew...not because of the editing job as I know that’s included with the price of admission. I was worried about the content of the post itself, incomplete as it was with the implication that I was lumping you in with the rest of the moronic world of journalism - but, thankfully, you know better than to think I would ever dream such a thing, much less imply it.

As for the remarks Biden made to a select group of Obama donors and supporters...I would have to agree that they were not particularly helpful - TO THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN! Far from doing Obama any damage, Biden’s message was the most powerful and profound validation of the exceptional President that Barack Obama would be that I have heard from anyone at any time throughout this entire campaign...and that includes the candidate’s wife! Funny...I don’t recall anyone reporting on this - the crucial theme of the 17-minute address. Why is that, I wonder?

Unfortunately, there are precious few in the media/blogosphere, not to mention the wacky world of pundits and strategists of BOTH parties, who are actually capable of understanding anything Joe Biden says - they’re just not smart enough. Senator Biden’s remarks have been quoted incompletely and wholly out of context and the meaning of his words that have been quoted have been so perverted as to make the gist of his remarks completely unrecognizable. I mean, for God’s sake - the point of his message was NOT to say that Barack Obama would be tested. To believe that is to miss the point of this address...ENTIRELY! And the really funny thing is that the media are now wondering out loud why Joe Biden doesn’t talk to them as much anymore! Give me a freakin’ break!

The SNL piece was, I’ll admit, moderately funny. I even laughed out loud. Of course, that’s just my own coping mechanism so as not to assume the rocking fetal position. But, even the comics didn’t get it.

Here's what I don't get...Senator Biden's remarks are not difficult to understand...unless people are looking for something - anything - to denigrate one of America's greatest statesmen. And, frankly, I don't get that, either.

That should have been "Weiganter"...

-CW

OK, I have to admit I'm a little bummed nobody complimented the snazzy new "VOTE" banner, courtesy of our in-house (but intermittent) cartoonist, CW Cunnighnam. He's also given me a vote cartoon, which will run soon, I promise.

And nobody mentioned the sentence: "when it came to keeping Palin away from the media, he not only shut the door, he barred it, locked the keep, lowered the portcullis, raised the drawbridge, released the moat monster, and started boiling oil on the parapets."??

I spent some time with an online dictionary putting that together, and yet no comments? Hrmph.

OK, gotta drink some caffeine and wake up... slurrrrp... ahhh... that's better.

Sorry, I'm grumpy when I wake up. (that's why I picked that cat photo...)

Anyway, let's get on with this.

Elizabeth -

Sorry about the Biden hit, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em, and Biden's comments weren't particularly helpful. SNL ripped on him for it, which didn't help, but I really don't see it doing Obama one tiny little bit of damage this late in the race. So no harm, no foul.

Michale -

I'd join the time travel party, but I bet there'd be a lot of arguments about who decides what needed to be fixed in the past! Best time travel story ever written (short story), Robert A. Heinlein's "All You Zombies..."

kevinem2 -

I'm surprised "Laugh In" wasn't on that list...

"1973-present: All downhill. Crap."

Hmmm... I don't know... music didn't completely die until some time in the mid-eighties...

Actually, if truth be know, I think Mankind was put on the earth to reach the pinnacle of "Toccata and Fugue in D-minor" (JSBach), and that everything since then has pretty much been downhill...

Heh.

Elizabeth -

It'd take a lot more than that to make us not friends! Seriously, editing a comment is pretty easy, and I provide the service to all. I'd hate to tell you how many times I've had to edit Michale when he uses [] instead of angle brackets for html tags... heh heh.

And I've got to hand it to Canada, they've produced some of the finest comics I've seen in the past 30 years or so... from the whole SNL crowd to Bob and Doug MacKenzie. Take off, eh!

kevinem2 -

Wow, that's the first time I've seen a term for my followers (who are legion... well, maybe battalion... OK, a couple of platoons at least...). I'm not sure I like Weiganite, though. Maybe we can have some more suggestions from the peanut gallery? Wieganter? Weigantaholic? Please post some more, folks, and me my wife and the cat will decide which one is best!

Hey, feel free to stick all those extra "U"s in if you feel the need. I lived in Europe for a while, and got use to it from buying books at WH Smith's and listening to the BBC. Weirdest Britishism I ever heard was when I was half-awake and heard a story on the radio about how Britain was proposing to ban "dummies." That woke me up. "Wow," I thought, "what a great idea!" This was soon followed by "Where are they going to put them all?"

Heh heh. Took me a while to figure out they were talking about a baby's pacifier. I still stumble over ones that look just too weird ("kerb" instead of "curb", "dual carriageway" and "semi-articulated lorry" etc.), but like I said, there's no spell check here, so feel free!

Michale -

I feel you are right about the "Watts look like a picnic" thing. There would be some seriously pissed off people, that's for sure.

akadjian -

That's one of the best things the parliamentary system has going for it -- VERY short elections. The thing I admire most about Canadian elections is that there's something like 35 million (about the size of CA), and they HAND COUNT the ballots, and they have the official results in less than 24 hours. For sheer efficiency and quick results, I have got to say that's pretty impressive.

Michale -

Well, we partially agree. I don't think it'll be as bad as you paint, though. I think Obama will (intentionally) do something in the first 100 days which will ROYALLY piss off the far left. He will do it to calm down centrists, and prove he's not beholden to anyone. I have no idea what issue he'll pick, but I bet it'll happen.

But overall, I think an Obama Administration will do the right thing, on average.

And you're right, if you post two or more links it is held for anti-spam check. But sometimes I turn such duties over to the cat, so watch what you say about "human." Heh heh.

Well, I don't know if that was "regular, sane commentary," but at least the caffeine cured the grumpiness...

Thanks to all for writing!

-CW

Michale.....

And yea, as a defense against URL Spam, any post with more than one link is held for a human-being check.. Or, in this case, CW... :D yuk yuk yuk

Michale.....

I REALLY wish I knew someone in my ghost town who could show me how to post links…

No problemo..

At the top of the web browser is the WEB ADDRESS of the page you are on.. Highlight the entire address by clicking and holding the LEFT Mouse Button and dragging it across the web address. Let go of the mouse button and hit CTRL and C at the same time.

Come into here and, in the posting section, click on where you want to place the link and then hit CTRL V

That will paste the copied text..

My apologies if I dumbed it down too much. I don't know your computer skill level so I explained it in as much detail as I could.

"If you dumb this down anymore, I'm gonna slug you!!!"
-Lt Col John Shepard, STARGATE:ATLANTIS

:D

Michale.....

That's why I am somewhat non-pulssed at the prospect of an Uber Dem Administration..

It's a win-win for me. If Democrats actually live up to their braggings, then a little guy like me will be a lot better off..

If they crash and burn, then the thrill of being able to say "I told ya so" over and over (and over and over again) will be quite enjoyable too. :D

I have a feeling that Democrats will piss off their base within 6 months by simply being an extension of the Bush Administration. The FISA issue is a perfect precursor of things to come..

Michale.....

Also, I'm soooo tired of listening to the endless Republican whining about how everything is some elitist liberals fault. I'd like to think if McCain were President we wouldn't hear as much of it.

(Ok, I'm dreaming. The whining will be there no matter what. I think a McCain win would be a great opportunity for Canada to start charging Americans who want to move there.)

The Expatriate Liberal Intellectuals Theocracy Escape (ELITE) plan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMiqfusRWM4

p.s. Elizabeth and kevinem2 - I was in Toronto during the Canadian elections and found it fascinating. One Canadian summed it up best. He said, we decide to have an election, it's a month away, everyone looks at the candidates' stands on issues, and then we vote. It doesn't take 2 years!

What is everybody's opinion on what the reaction would be if McCain actually won the election.

Assuming nothing major happens between now and Nov 4 and McCain wins..

My prediction is that this country would be ripped apart along racial & political lines that would make the Watts riots look like a picnic by comparison..

I simply cannot conceive of a scenario where the Left would simply accept such an outcome, even if there was ZERO evidence of fraud or cheating...

Michale.....

Michale- thanks so much for the link..

De nada... My pleasure...

I'd never seen it in color before. (Yes, I'm that old!).

hehehehehehehe

While I am young enough to remember color TV as a child, I AM old enough to also remember that there were plenty of B/W shows still when I was a kid.

Anyone remember seeing GILLIGAN'S ISLAND in B/W!?? :D

Michale.....

Spelling - American or Canadian?

I had to laugh out loud at that one! That can be one of the great dilemmas of the blogosphere. For me, it all depends on the word and the conversation at hand...and whether or not I'm OK with looking like I can't spell!...respect for fellow 'Weiganites'?...well, there's that, too. :)

Citizenship-wise, my status is that I’m hoping and praying we’ll become the 51st state, and soon, so I can move to the 1st, if not the 50th! Seriously, how on earth did you know that I live in Ontario? And, I’m not an American...just a Canadian in love with the idea and promise of America...sounds pretty corny, but it’s the unvarnished truth. I’m a cockeyed optimist, at heart.

I’ve had a keen interest in US politics for many years (though I refuse to comment on the existence of the Rhino party except to say that it sounds vaguely - very vaguely - familiar), particularly of the foreign policy kind. And, so...I guess it’s not too surprising that I would eventually find my way to the world according to Biden, the quintessential US foreign policy expert.

You’re right about the Republican “campaign” - heck, I would go so far as to say that the entire presidential primary and election campaign of both parties has been pretty surreal, from the get-go! Consequently, all convention wisdom might as well be thrown out the window and nothing should surprise us about what happens on November 4th - it may make us cry, but it shouldn’t surprise us.

Re.: Editing done. (Oh, my...)

Thanks for cleaning that mess up a bit but I want you to know that there was quite a lot more that needed to be done...and a lot more to be said.

You see, it was very early in the morning...too early in the morning...I was rushing to get to work on time AND I was upset...never a good combination for me when posting my thoughts, to say the very least...I couldn’t believe you put ‘Biden’ and ‘gaffe(s)’ in the same sentence - twice! - and, then...I accidentally hit the ‘comment’ button! I was trying to use another post and make changes and add things - nice, complimentary things!...but it was too late - there’s no edit function - and there was no time, either!

I never hit the comment button on the first draft - too many things to apologize for afterward. :(

Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it.

Are we still friends?

Elizabeth

Here ya go.. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSqkdcT25ss

I can't view it right now, but there it is for ya and whoever else wants it.

Michale.....

My chosen party would be the Time Travel Party..

We go back in time and fix problems before they even exist!! :D

Michale.....

Editing done.

kevinem2 -

It's a shame we're not in Britain, then we could all join the Monster Raving Loonie Party. Their last political platform included solving England's bad weather by towing the island to the Caribbean. Why doesn't America have a bold party like that?!?

Heh.

-CW

I must vehemently disagree with your choice for MIDOTW. That award should have been reserved for the Democratic nominee for the VPOTUS who demonstrated this week what being a patriot is all about. Here is my short version of the supporting facts.

(And, if you hadn’t mentioned that Senator Biden’s remarks made you cringe, or that it was really all just about his bad “timing” or that some slightly better than average journalist thinks Biden has been surprisingly short on gaffes - I’ll be sure to let you know when any journalist shows anything that approaches grudging respect for Biden ...David Brooks and Christopher Hitchens have come the closest, to date - then you wouldn’t be about to get both barrels!

Senator Biden’s 17-minute address to an influential group of Obama donors and supporters - respected leaders in their own right with influence in their respective communities - has been quoted wholly out of context. Biden’s critics have so mangled his words and perverted their meaning as to make the gist of his remarks completely unrecognizable.

These critics have failed miserably in their analyses on a number of levels. They fail to understand the underlying crux of the matter that was so forcefully and eloquently outlined by Senator Biden, despite the fact that he was bang on point, as per usual.

They fail to understand that Senator Biden is the leader among Democrats - and Republicans, for that matter - on issues related to foreign policy and national security and that his impeccable and unimpeachable credentials are second to none...or that he has served with seven Presidents - up close and personal - and has worked with world leaders and parliamentarians for the better part of the last 35 years, earning their respect and admiration.

Most importantly, the critics fail to understand that Senator Biden is NOT gaffe-prone. This is a media-conceived and driven national myth of epic proportions about Joe Biden that has been gleefully taken up - hook, line and sinker - by a very, very, very dangerously ill-informed electorate.

In addition to all of that, the critics have failed to report what Senator Biden actually said - words and context matter and, so far, the critics have rarely reported the comments in question accurately or completely.

Senator Biden has a long history of studying how the international community - friend and foe, alike - respond to new American leaders. He was pretty much guaranteeing that there would be an international crisis of some sort, emanating from any number of places around the globe (including some hot spots), within the first six months of an Obama/Biden administration - of ANY administration, to be sure, but...remember the audience!

He told the community leaders - Obama donors and supporters - that the next President is going to inherit an extremely difficult set of challenges and a monumental mess on the scale of magnitude comparable to the “Augean stables”, no less! (I’m guessing that there are few students of the classics or fans of Hercules, for that matter, among the critics) And, tough decisions are going to have to be made - decisions that may not readily appear to them to be either the right decisions or very popular. In fact, Senator Biden suggested to them that the right and sound decisions would probably not be popular. He was, in essence, urging and pleading with the audience to understand this and to not only stand with Barack but to be vocal and public in their support for him during those critical and early days of an Obama/Biden administration when the iron hits the fire.

The message delivered by Senator Biden was both profound and powerful and, in the final analysis, a remarkable validation of Barack Obama and of the exceptional President that he would be. In other words, Senator Biden has your back, Barack!

There are many differences between the Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin tickets but one of the most important is that Barack Obama has a loyal and wise defender and protector who has his back at every turn. Sadly, I am not convinced that the candidate himself fully realizes just how wise and faithful an ally and advisor he has in Joe Biden.

It is obvious, from the barrage of their misguided reporting and analyses, that Biden’s critics, throughout the media/blogosphere and from within the Democratic party, have not even bothered to listen to his full remarks. But, truth be known, they wouldn’t have understood them anyway. They’re not smart enough...not by a long shot.

And, of course, the GOP has jumped all over this. But, one has to ask why has that been allowed to happen? I would suggest the reason rests with an incompetent and inept media - all parts of it - which has lead directly to a very dangerously ill-informed electorate. And, here's what I don't get...Senator Biden's remarks are not difficult to understand...unless people are desperately looking for something - anything - to denigrate one of America's greatest statesmen. And, frankly, I don't get that, either.

Here is the audio link - courtesy of our friends at FOX News of the entire 17-minute address...and you just gotta love the irony of that! You have to scroll down to the last sentence and click on the one-word link to hear the speech in its entirely. The quality of the sound is not great but it’s good enough.

http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/20/biden-if-elected-the-world-will-test-obama-with-a-crisis/

By the way, FTP (53rd Ed.) was still worth the wait! You should be considering putting them all into book form as a collector’s edition of the 2008 campaign, in all of its glory. I’ll go ahead and place my order now, thank-you very much!

What Biden did was what I (and others, certainly can't claim I made this term up) would call a "Washington gaffe," which is defined as: stating a bald truth instead of the usual partisan spin. In other words, he didn't really say anything disappointing per se, but instead the timing of it wasn't great. That's what made me cringe. But at this point, I really don't see it doing their ticket any damage at all.

I actually saw a talking head (may have been on Gwen Ifill's Washington Week) say today "Biden has been somewhat of a surprise becuase there just haven't been that many gaffes from him." Grudging respect is still respect, I remind you.

Osborne Ink -

Yeah, but Black Wednesday (I really hope a whole bunch of people pick that term up, I seem to have failed miserably with the meme of "moose poop") happened before the first debate. So I still stand by my assertation that it was THE jump-the-shark moment.

Speaking of which, I hear Richie Cunningham (Ron Howard) has a funny pro-Obama video out, gotta check that out this weekend...

But I do hear you, and I think more than anything else what will win the election for Obama was his three debate performances, which were almost flawless.

And I also agree that your "he might win by a few electoral votes" is about right. Confidence is fine. Over-confidence is not.

Benevolent Sociopath -

BWAH-hah-ha! That is the funniest thing I've read in a long while!! Thanks for a much-needed laugh at the end of this marathon campaign season. I've long said (much to the wife's annoyance) every time I see some flash-in-the-pan pop star "well, we'll see her in Playboy in about ten years..." But I never connected it with Sarah Palin, before now.

(sniff... wiping eyes from too much laughter...) Thanks again, that was priceless. I would strongly suggest you checking in next Friday for the Hallowe'en column, I think you'll enjoy it...

-CW

Your blather about "tactics" vs. "strategy" is all wrong,wrong,wrong,

October surprise scenario:

Tactic:

Sarah Palin will be Playboy magazines November Playmate of the month.

Result:

John McCain wins by a landslide.

Future:

Obama is forgotten as nothing but a modified Pepsi logo.

Saturday night live via Youtube continues it's stranglehold on being the premier intermediary between the political class and people who like to stare into a screen with a beer after work.

Joe the plumber gets his own reality political TV show called "for the common folks" , which is completely fake , but is strategically necessary to keep people from thinking about how fake shit like Joe the plumber all really is.

Disneyland merges with Google.

The world is secure.

As for the TPs: it's important for Democrats to keep a lid on expectations, but confidence is important. As you said this week, the best case scenario for McCain is an Obama win -- so the TPs ought to reflect that: "I think Obama can take the Electoral College by a few votes." This is all the more important because a BIG victory will carry that much more of a mandate.

What, exactly, did Joe Biden say that made you cringe?

Due to pgoody pointing out the obvious over on HuffPost, I have to retroactively award the MDDOTW to Jack Murtha, for calling his constituents racists this week. Missed it completely, sorry about that.

-CW

No, as I said, it's also because her glasses are so cute.

heh heh.

-CW

Ever read a Lester Del Rey book called, THE INFINITE WORLDS OF MAYBES?? A good read if your about 12-16 yrs old.. At least it was when *I* was 12-16 yrs old. Not so sure about these days..

Anyways, there's a line in there that pertains to what you posted above... I doubt I can find the exact quote from GOOGLE, so I won't even try... So, I'll have to do it from remembery.. :D

"Yea, it was a stupid move. But only because it failed. If it had worked, it would have been a brilliant move.. That's how these things work."

If McCain does win this (doubtful to be sure) you KNOW the pundits will be screaming what a BRILLIANT move the Palin pick was. If it fails (which is likely) then the pundits will be screaming what a bonehead move it was...

In short, I guess what I am saying in my roundabout way is that I agree with you. :D If it works, it was brilliant.. If it doesn't, it was a bonehead move...

But the real, hands-down winner of this week's Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week award is none other than Tina Fey.

Now, here I have to cry foul...

In effect, you are giving an award to someone whose SOLE accomplishment is making fun of another human being...

Not very liberal of you at all, CW!! :D

As to addressing your Talking Points. It's no longer fun to do so since we agree on most everything regarding Obama v McCain... :^/

Michale.....

Crossposted to Huffington Post