Diary

The Power is Shifting

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I remember reading a reminiscence either by President Truman or Eisenhower about the remarkable change they felt the day after they handed over the presidency: While the day before everyone was most interested in them, no one wanted now wanted to see them. The office has the charisma, not they as individuals. Democracy is about image [Read More]
Diary

William Kristol changes his tune after the election

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Some conservative commentators had already swung to Obama before the election, but not so William Kristol. Unlike William Safire whose conservative columns I found rewarding to read, Kristol struck me as the mouthpiece of Dick Chenney. His transformation for this reason is all the more stunning. Pollster have long demonstrated that after an election suddenly image [Read More]
Diary

The Transformation

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Michael Soklove and Frank Rich of the New York Times analyze how Obama achieved his victory. THE NATION: The Transformation By MICHAEL SOKOLOVE (NY Times) Early on Election Day morning in the Philadelphia suburb of Levittown, Pa., Joe Sinitski, 48, stood in a long line inside a school gymnasium, inching his way toward three blue-curtained voting image [Read More]
Diary

Carl Rove False Predictions

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I wonder how long Carl Rove can continue peddling his “wisdom.” Frank Rich reports in the NYTimes: Once Obama wrested the nomination from Clinton by surpassing her in organization, cash and black votes, he was still often seen as too wimpy to take on the Republicans. This prognosis was codified by Karl Rove, whose punditry for image [Read More]
Diary

Blame game: GOP forms circular firing squad

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If McCain comes back to win this election, it will be the story of the year. It seems like the people with the McCain campaign don’t believe in victory anymore. Report by: Jonathan Martin and Mike Allen and John F. Harris (Politico.com) With despair rising even among many of John McCain McCain told the Times that image [Read More]
Diary

Reactions to the Third Presidential Debate

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Once again the most useful piece of evaluation of the debate comes from the focus group run for Time.com. Amy Sullivan reports: In politics it is generally not considered a good sign when voters are laughing at you, not with you. And by the end of the third and last presidential debate, the undecided voters image [Read More]