Comments on: Elephant Walk: John McCain’s Declaration of “Independence” http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/ your daily dose of pop culture Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:40:23 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: JonCummings http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-42265 JonCummings Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:11:11 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-42265 I was so pleased to read about the demonstrations. Thank goodness SOMEBODY is finally hitting the streets! The police obviously didn't have a frickin' clue how to deal with it, beyond an overwhelming display of force and a frighteningly Tiannenmen Square-like deficit of subtlety in deciding whom to arrest and how.<br><br>I mean, honestly, arresting people who were wearing press credentials or convention-hall passes, just because they were on the streets and bridges to cover the OTHER people who were on the streets and bridges? Did the police think that was a good PR move?<br><br>Unfortunately, the TV newscasts treated the protests pretty much the way sportscasters treat the idiots who run on the field during a baseball game--by pointing the camera another direction and pretending nothing's happening. "We wouldn't want to encourage others to do the same thing," the sportscasters always say.<br><br>All told, people in this country don't know how to protest anymore, or how to manage or report on protests, because it's been such a long time since anybody did civil disobedience effectively. Obviously, more practice will be required. I would guess that if McCain wins this election and either continues the Iraq War indefinitely or starts up a new one (or two or three), protest may make a big comeback. I was so pleased to read about the demonstrations. Thank goodness SOMEBODY is finally hitting the streets! The police obviously didn't have a frickin' clue how to deal with it, beyond an overwhelming display of force and a frighteningly Tiannenmen Square-like deficit of subtlety in deciding whom to arrest and how.

I mean, honestly, arresting people who were wearing press credentials or convention-hall passes, just because they were on the streets and bridges to cover the OTHER people who were on the streets and bridges? Did the police think that was a good PR move?

Unfortunately, the TV newscasts treated the protests pretty much the way sportscasters treat the idiots who run on the field during a baseball game–by pointing the camera another direction and pretending nothing's happening. “We wouldn't want to encourage others to do the same thing,” the sportscasters always say.

All told, people in this country don't know how to protest anymore, or how to manage or report on protests, because it's been such a long time since anybody did civil disobedience effectively. Obviously, more practice will be required. I would guess that if McCain wins this election and either continues the Iraq War indefinitely or starts up a new one (or two or three), protest may make a big comeback.

]]> By: JonCummings http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13480 JonCummings Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:11:11 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13480 I was so pleased to read about the demonstrations. Thank goodness SOMEBODY is finally hitting the streets! The police obviously didn't have a frickin' clue how to deal with it, beyond an overwhelming display of force and a frighteningly Tiannenmen Square-like deficit of subtlety in deciding whom to arrest and how.<br><br>I mean, honestly, arresting people who were wearing press credentials or convention-hall passes, just because they were on the streets and bridges to cover the OTHER people who were on the streets and bridges? Did the police think that was a good PR move?<br><br>Unfortunately, the TV newscasts treated the protests pretty much the way sportscasters treat the idiots who run on the field during a baseball game--by pointing the camera another direction and pretending nothing's happening. "We wouldn't want to encourage others to do the same thing," the sportscasters always say.<br><br>All told, people in this country don't know how to protest anymore, or how to manage or report on protests, because it's been such a long time since anybody did civil disobedience effectively. Obviously, more practice will be required. I would guess that if McCain wins this election and either continues the Iraq War indefinitely or starts up a new one (or two or three), protest may make a big comeback. I was so pleased to read about the demonstrations. Thank goodness SOMEBODY is finally hitting the streets! The police obviously didn't have a frickin' clue how to deal with it, beyond an overwhelming display of force and a frighteningly Tiannenmen Square-like deficit of subtlety in deciding whom to arrest and how.

I mean, honestly, arresting people who were wearing press credentials or convention-hall passes, just because they were on the streets and bridges to cover the OTHER people who were on the streets and bridges? Did the police think that was a good PR move?

Unfortunately, the TV newscasts treated the protests pretty much the way sportscasters treat the idiots who run on the field during a baseball game–by pointing the camera another direction and pretending nothing's happening. “We wouldn't want to encourage others to do the same thing,” the sportscasters always say.

All told, people in this country don't know how to protest anymore, or how to manage or report on protests, because it's been such a long time since anybody did civil disobedience effectively. Obviously, more practice will be required. I would guess that if McCain wins this election and either continues the Iraq War indefinitely or starts up a new one (or two or three), protest may make a big comeback.

]]> By: StandingDamaged http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13479 StandingDamaged Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:57:28 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13479 I was reading you guys and listening while the wife had this steaming pile of speech served up on PBS......my son walks in and says "thye're doing the WWE camera pan thing to hide how small the crowd is"....<br>Does anyone have relative numbers for the 2 Preznitial candidates acceptance speeches?<br>And does the number of convention attendees REALLY represent anything about votes after?<br>Besides no matter which side of the Money Party wins (the D or the R) I can promise you that as one of the dirt poor peasantry MY life will not change one bit...<br>But I did think McW was going for a Pattonesque subliminal by marching out in front of that huge screen that morphed from the UlatraFalg of the day to the single color that showed up on the PBS closeup shots... and again, if his 40 yr old torture etc is his qualification are we gonna have Gitmo and Abu Ghraib detainees shoved at us next?<br>And then while ALL this was happening indoors, outdoors the St Pauli boys in blue are bloodying up journalists, aren't you guys glad you watched it from home instead?<br>is it fascism yet? I was reading you guys and listening while the wife had this steaming pile of speech served up on PBS……my son walks in and says “thye're doing the WWE camera pan thing to hide how small the crowd is”….
Does anyone have relative numbers for the 2 Preznitial candidates acceptance speeches?
And does the number of convention attendees REALLY represent anything about votes after?
Besides no matter which side of the Money Party wins (the D or the R) I can promise you that as one of the dirt poor peasantry MY life will not change one bit…
But I did think McW was going for a Pattonesque subliminal by marching out in front of that huge screen that morphed from the UlatraFalg of the day to the single color that showed up on the PBS closeup shots… and again, if his 40 yr old torture etc is his qualification are we gonna have Gitmo and Abu Ghraib detainees shoved at us next?
And then while ALL this was happening indoors, outdoors the St Pauli boys in blue are bloodying up journalists, aren't you guys glad you watched it from home instead?
is it fascism yet?

]]> By: JonCummings http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13478 JonCummings Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:45:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13478 What did you see? Did you watch Katie Couric tonight and see that weird CBS News poll that erased an 8-point Obama lead even before Palin spoke? Gallup still has Obama up 49-44 (down from 49-42 before Palin) and a new ABC poll has Obama up 49-43, both including interviews from after Palin's speech.<br><br>The polls worth really paying attention to won't come out til Monday or Tuesday, and will include reactions to McCain's speech (which was watched by even more people (slightly) than watched Obama. What did you see? Did you watch Katie Couric tonight and see that weird CBS News poll that erased an 8-point Obama lead even before Palin spoke? Gallup still has Obama up 49-44 (down from 49-42 before Palin) and a new ABC poll has Obama up 49-43, both including interviews from after Palin's speech.

The polls worth really paying attention to won't come out til Monday or Tuesday, and will include reactions to McCain's speech (which was watched by even more people (slightly) than watched Obama.

]]> By: DwDunphy http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13477 DwDunphy Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:54:43 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13477 I'm glad I don't buy into polls too much. According to some of the polls, McCain got a huge bump out of his convention, most of which was presented on a silver platter by Palin. I'm glad I don't buy into polls too much. According to some of the polls, McCain got a huge bump out of his convention, most of which was presented on a silver platter by Palin.

]]> By: steve http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13476 steve Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:29:53 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13476 So does that mean McCain can't support it? He even said something along the lines of "getting away from the culture of not supporting a good idea simply because your party didn't think of it first". That absolute childish bullshit practice that both of these imbecile parties practice has to stop. All they want is credit so they can't get re-elected and get more lobbyist money.<br><br>I also think wage insurance is an interesting idea and even though I'm voting for Obama (lesser of 2 evils), if McCain won (which I think he will) and adopted the idea I think that would be historic. And if Obama adopted a Republican idea it would be equally refreshing. <br><br>I'm not holding my breathe for either. So does that mean McCain can't support it? He even said something along the lines of “getting away from the culture of not supporting a good idea simply because your party didn't think of it first”. That absolute childish bullshit practice that both of these imbecile parties practice has to stop. All they want is credit so they can't get re-elected and get more lobbyist money.

I also think wage insurance is an interesting idea and even though I'm voting for Obama (lesser of 2 evils), if McCain won (which I think he will) and adopted the idea I think that would be historic. And if Obama adopted a Republican idea it would be equally refreshing.

I'm not holding my breathe for either.

]]> By: Ted http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13475 Ted Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:03:52 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13475 I re-read the speech last night and it was much better on paper than it was spoken. It was substance-free for the most part, but there was one brief mention of "wage insurance" that I found interesting. So, one search later and there 'tis, an idea that's been touted by liberal-ish think tanks like Brookings: <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2007/0228labor_brainard.aspx" rel="nofollow">http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2007/0228lab...</a> I re-read the speech last night and it was much better on paper than it was spoken. It was substance-free for the most part, but there was one brief mention of “wage insurance” that I found interesting. So, one search later and there 'tis, an idea that's been touted by liberal-ish think tanks like Brookings: http://www.brookings.edu/testimony/2007/0228lab...

]]> By: Zack http://popdose.com/elephant-walk-john-mccains-declaration-of-independence/comment-page-1/#comment-13474 Zack Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:51:31 +0000 http://popdose.com/?p=5102#comment-13474 When I first saw this speech, I thought the delivery was gut-wrenchingly awful (poor deliver, stepped-on applause lines) but it was pretty well-crafted. The technical aspects were horrifying (Walter Reed Elementary School? McCain silhouetted against a lawn green background?) but he made his appeal to the center. <br>But I'm getting the sense that McCain views the presidency as some sort of prize. It's not. It's a job. And rather than talk about what he's done for his country, what should matter in the election is what he plans to do. And I didn't hear much of that (granted, I stepped out to take a piss, but I figure he'd have been talking about his plans longer than that). When I first saw this speech, I thought the delivery was gut-wrenchingly awful (poor deliver, stepped-on applause lines) but it was pretty well-crafted. The technical aspects were horrifying (Walter Reed Elementary School? McCain silhouetted against a lawn green background?) but he made his appeal to the center.
But I'm getting the sense that McCain views the presidency as some sort of prize. It's not. It's a job. And rather than talk about what he's done for his country, what should matter in the election is what he plans to do. And I didn't hear much of that (granted, I stepped out to take a piss, but I figure he'd have been talking about his plans longer than that).

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