I feel like I'm watching a movie!!! Move over Martin Sheen, Barack has arrived.

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Saturday November 08, 2008 · 5:00 AM PST

2008/11/08 · 05:00

Watching Barack Obama lead his first "presidential" press conference was a little surreal. It was as though I was watching a movie in which the good guys had won. Suddenly, "An American President" was on the screen, and a "mutt" version of Michael Douglass was up there saying all the things we've been dying to hear from real politicians for soooo long.

Then, SNAP, I'm back to the present, and I realize I AM watching a real politician, and the movie's no longer about the campaign, but it's about having the chance to govern, and the hero is a great man trying to appeal to our best instincts, rather than prey on our worst. Martin Sheen has come to life in real time, with Rahm "Toby" Emanuel by his side. The challenges are tough, but with savy and smarts, and good ol' American grit, we can get it done, and by god we can still make this world a better place.

This series is gonna be the best thing ever to hit the screen. I can't wait to watch the first four years of its run.

Nobody's Laughing about Community Organizing Now.

jsmckay

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Saturday October 25, 2008 · 4:40 AM PDT

2008/10/25 · 04:40

Probably the high points of Republican viciousness during the RNC were the slanders of community organizing by Giuliani and Palin. "Community Organizer" Rudy guffawed. "Reeeel Responsibilities" Palin snarked.

Well, my friends, Palin, Giuliani, and McCain are about to get their sorry little butts kicked by, you guessed it, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING.

More on the flip.

jsmckay

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Thursday October 02, 2008 · 9:15 PM PDT

2008/10/02 · 21:15

Ya gotta love Joe Biden's performance. An attack dog with charm. A regular guy with the knowledge of a professor. A single dad with a single house.

Best of all, he was masterful in dismantling the bogus platitudes and attacks that have pissed Democrats off forever. He shoved the "Tax-Cut" lies back down their throats. He demolished the "Maverick" label. Then there's the McCain health plan "Bridge to nowhere." And my personal favorite, "Cheney, most dangerous Vice President in history."

After suffering through the laconic performance of Edwards four years ago, and gnawing my leg off watching Lieberman eight years ago, it is sooooo sweet to finally see the brilliant and powerful attack dog we've been waiting for since, at least, the days of Lloyd Bentson.

What do you think? Chime in on the poll...

Poll

321 votes Show Results

Best Democratic VP Ever?

321 votes Vote Now!

Best Democratic VP Ever?

Joe Biden

239 votes

John Edwards (v Cheney) '04

2 votes

Lieberman (v Cheney) '00 NOTE TURN IN YOUR DKOS ID IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS!!!

2 votes

Gore (v. Kemp) '96

2 votes

Gore (v Quayle) '92

8 votes

Lloyd Bentson (v Quayle) '88

66 votes

Any Others?

2 votes

Planning Biden's Dan Quayle Moment in the Debate

jsmckay

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Monday September 29, 2008 · 8:33 PM PDT

2008/09/29 · 20:33

Most of us on dkos remember or have seen clips of Lloyd Bentsen turning to Dan Quayle and telling him "I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine, and, Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

While watching the Palin interviews and hearing her snotty and condescending speeches trying to make fun of Barack, it occured to me that she is ripe for her own Dan Quayle moment.

It goes something like this...

After she's said something denigrating about Barack's experience, as we all know she will, Biden turns to her and says something like this:

Governor, I appreciate that you were a mayor and have been Governor of Alaska for the past 18 months. But I can't abide by your derisive comments about Barack Obama. He is a brilliant American who rose from nothing to the top of his class at the toughest law school in the land, then he walked away from the sure riches that awaited him to enter public service. He has run the longest and most challenging political race in American history and is willing to serve at one of the toughest times in our history. I know Barack Obama, Governor, and while I respect your own considerable achievments, you are no Barack Obama.

A Trial Lawyer's View of the Debate

jsmckay

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Saturday September 27, 2008 · 5:56 AM PDT

2008/09/27 · 05:56

Most trials are decided on the jury's assessment of the credibility of the witnesses. Judges always instruct them to use their common sense and experience, and consider a laundry list of factors in determining credibility. Two of the most important are the witness' demeanor, and how his testimony fits with the other evidence in the trial.

The evidence in the "trial" of last night's debate included the fact that Barack Obama quite obviously had an extensive knowledge of world affairs. His professorial intellect, for which he has sometimes been criticized, was well suited to this debate, and he was calm and fluent in setting forth his thoughts on a world in turmoil. He was not flashy or pompous, or, God forbid, too eloquent. His demeanor was serious, purposeful, and

flip for the verdict

jsmckay

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Saturday September 13, 2008 · 5:23 AM PDT

2008/09/13 · 05:23

As any trial lawyer knows, victory in most cases usually rests on the credibility of the witnesses. If a witness comes across overall as honest, a jury will forgive him some inconsistencies in his testimony. But there is a tipping point at which a witnesses' errors can become too numerous or outragious to stomach, and the jury will conclude they are a liar and dismiss everything they have to say, even if some of it was otherwise believable.

The same thing is true in politics. The Republicans are world-class experts. They made Gore a liar by pounding home a single remote misstatement about inventing the internet. They made Kerry a flip-flopper on the basis of one video clip about voting for the war before he voted against it. They know that if you can kill the messenger, you don't have to worry about killing the message. You can just win, baby.

The McCain campaign has reached this tipping point, but the Obama campaign has yet to connect the dots for the public in the "jury" of national opinion.

a bit more after the flip

jsmckay

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Thursday September 04, 2008 · 8:20 PM PDT

2008/09/04 · 20:20

I've spent the better part of my career defending murder cases. As any good defense attorney will tell you, there's always a point when the prosecutor will waive the bloody pictures from the crime scene at the jury and get under their skin. Believe me, it's tough to walk your client out the door after that moment.

But every once in a while, the prosecutor overplays his/her hand. The bloody pictures come out one too many times, and the jury starts to realize that the pitch is pushing their emotions just a little too far, and they resent being manipulated. At that point, they open their minds to the possibility of the defendant's perspective and, if the facts permit, you might just see a not guilty verdict.

McCain and the GOP's repetition of the POW story went on many times too many. We, the jury of the American Public, will concede the fact that his experiences in Vietnam were horrific and his conduct exemplary, but we will also understand full well that the intent was to manipulate rather than to persuade.

My prediction is that McCain will get his just due for his honorable service and sacrifice in Vietnam. We will all respect him when this process is done. But our verdict will go to the more authentic and honest persuasions of Obama.

A Noun, A Verb, and POW

jsmckay

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Wednesday September 03, 2008 · 4:19 PM PDT

2008/09/03 · 16:19

Well, as if it wasn't already obvious, we learned last night the entire depths of the McCain STRATEGY... A noun, a verb, and POW!!!

Having abandoned his social principles to court the right, having nothing of substance to say to the average guy on the economy, and having jumped on the wrong train with the Iraq war, he is left with nothing of substance but the power of his own personal story...specifically his having the misfortune of getting tortured for 5 years by the Viet Cong.

McCain and his posse are betting that personality and fear can trump the obvious self-interest that would better be served by an Obama presidency. He's figurin' that, when push comes to shove, low-info voters will head to the all-American tough guy rather than the inteeeelektual Harvard kid, and he's playin' the POW card at every opportunity.

Now, what else might he do... I got it!!! A bear-skinnin' beauty queen!!!

YIKES!!!

Dickhead links 911 and Iraq Once Again- With Poll

jsmckay

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Monday September 11, 2006 · 6:17 PM PDT

2006/09/11 · 18:17

Well, there he goes again. The dickhead GWB has once again pissed on the memory of 911 by taking the 5th anniversary to talk about how great the war in Iraq, the deprivation of our civil liberties, and the degradation of our moral authority in the eyes of the entire world have been.

This man can only survive by praying on the fears of a painfully uninformed American people. Is it possible that we have finally gotten wise to this scam or will it work yet again?

What do you think? Take the poll....

The Kiss that Keeps on Giving!!!! Ned TV Idea- Poll

jsmckay

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Wednesday August 09, 2006 · 8:29 PM PDT

2006/08/09 · 20:29

Ahhh....

The beautiful sound of these words....

From Dick Cheney, on his pal Joe Lieberman...

"It's an unfortunate development, I think, from the standpoint of the Democratic Party to see a man like Lieberman pushed aside because of his willingness to support an aggressive posture in terms of our national security strategy," Cheney said from Jackson, Wyo.

Keep bringing it on, baby, just shoot and aim!!!

I can see Ned's TV spots already:

A montage of Cheney and Bush/Lieberman photos with them looking affectionately at each other, to the tune of "close to you" by the Carpenters. Ned then appears on the screen, just shaking his head, then says "Tired of this song? So am I. Let's do something about it together. I'm Ned Lamont and I approve this message."

Any other ideas?

Lamont On Message with Stephanopoulis, Pundits full of shit.

jsmckay

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Sunday August 06, 2006 · 6:44 AM PDT

2006/08/06 · 06:44

Ned's gaining gravitas. He seems like a man on a mission to make our nation a better place. He sluffed off the "labeling" issue and rolled right along to the substance of what he had to say. He's earnest and real. His words ring true. He has the courage of his convictions and doesn't let the other guys control the debate.

Perhaps most importantly, he's creating a model for victory for other Dems this fall and over the long term.

The pundits on the roundtable of course were clueless, especially Cokie who called Ned's pending victory "a disaster for Democrats..." It is a disaster for "centrist" Dems like Evan Byah, who have been playing the moderate card way too hard.

The truth will be told on Tues, when the people sign on with Ned's message of hope and pour a cold water wake-up call on the punditocracy's "expertise" once and for all.

Lloyd Bentsen and That Old-Time Religion...

jsmckay

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Tuesday May 23, 2006 · 9:35 AM PDT

2006/05/23 · 09:35

Hearing of Lloyd Bentsen's passing I couldn't help but remember a forgotten but great moment in my life as a Democrat.

It was right before the Vice Presidential debate. Dukakis was still looking like the favorite, and everyone thought Bentsen would do a good job against Quayle, but nobody really knew Bentsen very well.

I was living in St. Louis and went down the the Soullard Farmer's Market by the Brewery to hear Lloyd address the crowd on his barnstorm tour of the US.

After blessedly-brief intro speaches, Lloyd popped up on a fruit vendor's stand and gave us that old-time religion. It was about the little guy, Read More

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I feel like I'm watching a movie!!! Move over Martin Sheen, Barack has arrived.

Nobody's Laughing about Community Organizing Now.

Poll...Best Democratic Veep Performance Ever?

Planning Biden's Dan Quayle Moment in the Debate

A Trial Lawyer's View of the Debate

A Trial Lawyer's View: Time to Bury the Straight Talk Express Once and For All

A Trial Lawyer's View of McCain's POW Speech

A Noun, A Verb, and POW

Dickhead links 911 and Iraq Once Again- With Poll

The Kiss that Keeps on Giving!!!! Ned TV Idea- Poll

Lamont On Message with Stephanopoulis, Pundits full of shit.

Lloyd Bentsen and That Old-Time Religion...