[reddit-me]On the Ellen Degeneres Show, the host gave Ms. Clinton a chance to show off her own bowling prowess after she challenged Mr. Obama to a bowl-off:
(h/t to Joy for the link)
Maybe that challenge doesn’t look so bad for Mr. Obama after all.
(For those following the daily “freak show” less than myself, the Clinton challenge is below the jump.)
[reddit-me]From End Politics as Usual:
In a move that’s sure to be seen as controversial, Hillary has contacted the NCAA Board of Directors to argue that Memphis is actually better qualified to be National Champion.
Ms. Clinton stated that Memphis, while losing the game, had actually shown more ability to act like a National Champion on Day One.
The comparison helps put Sean Wilentz’s attempt at creating a coherent argument in his recent Salon article, which has been skewered all over the blogosphere for its circular firing squad of arguments, in perspective. Mr. Wilentz asks midway through the article:
[W]hy are the rules suddenly sacrosanct and the popular vote irrelevant [to the Obama campaign]?
It might be an interesting point to make – about how Obama’s campaign uses whichever rationale is best to make it’s case. Except Mr. Wilentz forgot to lead up to that turn by mentioning that the Obama campaign was promoting a view based on the idea that the rules were unimportant – or even point to a single instance in which the Obama camp was arguing that the rules for the contest were irrelevant. There’s a reason for this. Mr. Obama decided to run his campaign according to the rules set down by the Democratic National Committee. He had his staff analyze every contest, every primary, every caucus – and he began organizing and strategizing for the contest last year. He decided to play by the rules and win by the rules – and he’s done a good job of it. Ms. Clinton on the other hand was unaware of the rules of the Texas caucus-primary a week after her husband had said it was essential for her to win there and a week before the caucus-primary itself.
Mr. Wilentz – in trying to defend Ms. Clinton – fails to make a coherent argument – seeing in the Obama campaign’s consistency a reflection of his own attempts to defend a candidate with mangled rationales, conflicting and conflating. Mr. Wilentz is typical of many of Ms. Clinton’s supporters – who at this point are stuck attempting to flesh out the arguments behind an increasingly discordant set of talking points:
Meanwhile, below the jump under the fold if you click the “More” link if you read on you can find ((These edits are an attempt to conform this site to the “Reddit Style Guide” culled from numerous reddit comments.)) , a video parable of “The Logic of Hillary ’08″… (h/t The Grandest Panjadrum.) Enjoy.
[digg-reddit-me]The Charlotte Observer headlined ((Or is subheadlined more appropriate?)) an article yesterday:
Bill Clinton: N.C. now crucial
He says wife’s bid to get nomination will hinge on Tar Heel state
Like it did in Texas and Ohio, the Clinton campaign for president has drawn a line in the sand, down the middle of the Tar Heel state.
Donklephant interprets this to mean Mr. Clinton is saying that if his wife doesn’t win North Carolina, she’s out. As Mr. Obama is ahead by high double digits in most polls, this line in the sand is surprising. Donklephant asks:
One can’t help but wonder if Hill and company have a big endorsement announcement up their sleeves if Bill is drawing a line in the sand like this.
A prominent North Carolina Democrat who has not yet endorsed anyone and whose opinion might have significant weight – perhaps enough to throw the state to Ms. Clinton. That narrows it down to this list:
With the recent revelations by John Heilmann that caused a stir a few weeks ago that Mr. Obama offended Ms. Edwards by objecting to both Ms. Clinton’s and Mr. Edwards’ health care mandates too strongly while Ms. Clinton charmed both of the Edwardses after Mr. Edwards dropped out. I’ve also heard the rumor that Mr. Edwards demanded the position of attorney general to endorse Mr. Obama; but that Mr. Obama refused to give it to him. Regardless, there is some sort of bad juju between Mr. Edwards and Mr. Obama since Mr. Edwards suspended his campaign. It’s enough to overcome the natural alliance that should exist between the two men with similar diagnoses of the nation’s problems, and the alliance that did exist while both tried to catch up to Ms. Clinton.
But for Mr. Edwards to endorse Ms. Clinton would be to go against his rationale for running in the first place, and would elevate his personal feelings over what he knows to be best for the country and for the Democratic party. In his own words:
In the end, I don’t think John Edwards will endorse anyone until after the last primary. He can’t choose Ms. Clinton because of his politics; and he doesn’t want to choose Mr. Obama for mainly personal reasons.
Including members of the casts of Scrubs, West Wing, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and Law & Order, and Jim Carrey!
Natalie Portman’s favorite curse word below…
When I first posted this video, I found a few elements of it cringe-worthy, but overall, I thought it was weirdly effective.
A female friend wrote to me about the video though: “What is wrong with [Obama girl]? Watching that video made me embarrassed to be female.”
Apparently, a lot of women feel that way. I’ve seen quite a few videos rated using this method before – and the female line for this video is the most negative trend I have seen on any of them.
[digg-reddit-me]Great political campaigns – and successful political movements – inevitably inspire music. It’s not always great. It’s often cheesy and ages pathetically. In a few years, most of it will make you cringe, if it doesn’t already. Movements and politicians may be remembered well by history, but campaign music rarely is. But in the moment, it’s beautiful and inspiring.
Here’s a selection of Obama-inspired music. Vote on your favorite. You can add your own. I’ve avoided adding the already played out “Yes We Can!” video by will.i.am and the “I’ve Got a Crush on Obama” video by Barely Political’s Obama Girl.
[digg-reddit-me]John S. is a retired district attorney and musician with a Dylan-esque voice. For those who are turned off by the will.i.am video or the other hyped musical Obama tributes, but are still looking for a musical Obama fix, this folksy endorsement of the candidate might be what you’re looking for.
In his classic song “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Bob Dylan asked:
Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
…Yes, ‘n’ how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn’t see?
…The answer is blowin’ in the wind…
Sam Cooke answered with his own classic song, saying that change will come sooner than you think:
Let me also say: it’s worth checking out all of LiliAna’s songs.
Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.
-Victor Hugo.