Friday, August 29, 2008
What is up at the AP???!:!:!:!::!?!?!?!?
what in gods name is going on over there? First we had Fournier's disgraceful article and now we have Babington and some other guy whose name escapes me..
geez louise.... the AP should stick to reporting the news and not issuing opinion masquerading as analysis!...
Here's something that reflects the growing sense of outrage with the AP coverage (from www.mydd.com):
The Associated Press Keeps Up its War Against Barack Obama
by Jonathan Singer, Thu Aug 28, 2008 at 11:45:39 PM EST
The Associated Press decides to double down in its attacks on Barack Obama. Here's the headline from Charles Babington's "analysis" of Obama's speech tonight:
Analysis: Obama spares details, keeps up attacks
Amazingly, it actually gets worse, reading almost exactly like Republican talking points (and in fact parroting that exact spin).
Barack Obama, whose campaign theme is "change we can believe in," promised Thursday to "spell out exactly what that change would mean."But instead of dwelling on specifics, he laced the crowning speech of his long campaign with the type of rhetorical flourishes that Republicans mock and the attacks on John McCain that Democrats cheer. The country saw a candidate confident in his existing campaign formula: tie McCain tightly to President Bush, and remind voters why they are unhappy with the incumbent.
It is not until after the lede that Babington admits that 35-minute speeches are rarely chock full of details -- particularly those that are enthralling to a crowd. (By the way, it is also below the lede that Babington admits that the Obama speech did actually include specifics.) But this admission misses a key point. Babington, and the Republicans pushing this line of spin to him, set up a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for Obama -- either he delivers a compelling speech, which they deride as rhetoric, or he delivers an excessively policy-laden speech, prompting calls that he is too professorial.
What a true journalist would do would be to analyze the speech without using the crutch of opposition talking points, without resorting to the easiest "he said, she said" type of stenography. But apparently this is no longer the policy of the Associated Press under Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier -- a man, by the way, who spent months in talks with the McCain campaign about possibly accepting a senior level position. No, what we get out of Fournier's AP is pure and unadulterated talking points that are as non-germane as they are simply incorrect.
Update [2008-8-28 23:59:59 by Jonathan Singer]: Chris Cillizza shoots down the AP's nonesense...
"Obama's speech was more substance than style; more specifics than rhetorical flourish."
Update [2008-8-29 0:20:3 by Jonathan Singer]: The Boston Globe agrees with Cillizza: "Analysis: Obama gets specific, and tough"
It's time, then, once again to contact Fournier's boss, Kathleen Carroll at kcarroll@ap.org or (212) 621-1500 to let her know that you do not want the AP to serve as a stenographer and amplifier for pure spin from the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee. You can also participate in the direct action by MoveOn or FireDogLake. Be POLITE, but be FIRM, and above all speak your mind.
Update [2008-8-29 0:7:14 by Jonathan Singer]: Oy vey. Really? More attacks on Obama from the Associated Press? How long can this organization countenance Fournier sullying its more than century and a half of good reputation?
Update [2008-8-29 0:20:3 by Jonathan Singer]: Wow, just wow. Babington apparently wrote his article before Obama was finished giving his speech.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Cheap Trick August 8 27 2008 live video snippet Dream Police Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia
Thanks partly to a little overzealous pre-partying but mainly the usual traffic nightmare it is to get to Nissan Pavilion (can't you guys do something about it??? how about building some more infrastructure to get in and out?) I missed pretty much the entire Cheap Trick set.. Dissapointing.. We heard "i want you to want me" from the parking lot as we pulled in...
Heart live video Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia August 8-27-08 "Love Reign Over Me" (Who cover!)
I thought Heart was the best band of the night but then again they are my favorite of the three bands that played last night (Cheap Trick, Heart, Journey). They played a great set list mixing old standards (Barracuda, Straight On [final song..wailing version]), their 80s hits (Alone, Never, These Dreams) and two choice covers (Led Zeppelin's Going to California and the Who's Love Reign Over Me). I thought Ann Wilson's voice was particularly well preserved.. she still had a good amount of the range that she's always had even if she seemed a bit frustrated during the closing Straight On at perhaps an inability to hit a note or two..it must be mentioned that she had also played the night before..I was also struck by Ann's graciousness even going as far as thanking the crowd "..coming out in these hard times..its not easy.. but I think its worth it.." Nancy Wilson has always been my favorite and she looked and sounded great (she sang "These Dreams" which she introduced somewhat sheepishly/embarassed as a "love song").. Nancy contributed electric guitar (though it seemed to me she did not do the heavy lifting), acoustic guitar (on an intro I think to Straight On her playing seemmed so reminiscent of Led Zeppelin), and even some real choice harmonica... I was basically gobsmacked- as the british say- to finally see Heart live and they more than lived up to my expectations from about a quarter century of listening to them...
Journey Set List Bristow Virginia Nissan Pavilion 8-27-08
There you go.. they handed these out at the VIP Box tables...
Journey Nissan Pavilion Bristow Virginia August 8-27-2008 live video Separate Ways
Will post set list shortly.. Review wise there isn't much to say..Basically if you like Journey and aren't bothered by what sometimes skirts dangerously close to cheeze synth rock ..well then you are going to love the current Journey with new lead singer Arnel Pineda... He sounds a lot like Steve Perry which comes in handy on the hits from their most popular era.. At the same time he's a bundle of energy running around the stage pumping up the crowd etc...I think he's giving Journey a second act...Obviously Neal Schon is a very strong lead guitarist even if his guitar tone may be a bit too sweet for my taste.. Jonathan Cain does what he can to hog the limelight but ultimately Arnel Pineda proves to be- even at this early stage in his history with the band- the highlight with a voice that so uncannily resembles Steve Perry that one can't help but be surprised.. I hope he takes care of his voice and can continue to reach those notes for a while...Its amazing that the guy was discovered through youtube clips of him performing in the Phillipines with his cover band The Zoo...just an amazing story..The video posted here..whoever was the camera man did a bad job on the first 30 or so seconds but then he shaped up big time..
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
hillary clinton at dnc
she's very effective when talking about john mccain..
"john mccain doesn't think 47 million people without health care is a crisis"
she's good i always have said that..
twin cities line tying bush to mccain and republican convention! very nicely done..
ah hillary if only you'd not voted to give bush the power to go to war this would be your coronation...
its funny i like hillary so much more than her husband....
"lets elect barack obama and joe biden..."
to me... at first listen this seems like a very good speech....
hillary clinton: "Where you in it for.."
hillary maybe trying to bring it around to obama..it is about time, no?
i suppose if obama loses then this is hillary's initial speech for her 2012 campaign..
"this will not be easy.."
now that sounds familiar...
"as i recall we did it before with president clinton and the democrats and if we do it right we will do it again with president obama and the democrats"
receives hearty applause..
"I cannot wait to watch Barack Obama sign into lawn a health care plan that covers every single american"
throwing down the gauntlet!
wow a nice line about Michelle Obama
this will be interpreted as very gracious....
hillary
good stuff... what we would expect from hillary..she brings up the supreme court (had not heard that tonight all night!) she brings up georgia...
there was never any doubt she dominated policy issues.... again i'm left with a sense of loss that she did not know when to say when and drop out... Obama-Clinton would have made a nice ticket but she made that impossible.
hillary
"and whether you voted for me or you voted for Barack the time is now to unite for a single party with a single purpose"
she does look great..its good to see her.
camera cuts to Michelle Obama..interesting..
wow this is all about Hillary! "i'll always be grateful..."
"to my supporters..to my champions.. to my sisterhood of the travelling pantsuits.."!!!
now THAT was really funny..
hillary
i have to say while i await her speech i'm a little bit torn... had she pulled out february 20th after wisconsin instead of staying in and going so negative would she be the Vice Presidential candidate?? perhaps.
I like her very mcuh and I think she would have been the best VP for Obama but she really made it impossible for Obama to pick her!
still i can't help thinking i have total confidence in her and with respect to this convention- with the speech she is going to deliver.. she's one tough cookie
had bill clinton not been her husband and interfered in the campaign who knows what would have happened?
i hear clapping...."thank you"
brian schweitzer
"if you drilled in all of his (McCain's) backyards..even the ones he doesn't know he has...it wouldn't be enough..there just isn't enough oil in america"
i thought this guy was a senator but the cspan guy just called him governor...
anyways that was a good line..and he's had a few..
I like it.. a speech focused on energy.. on policy specifics...
"john mccain's plan? four more years of the same old same old.. the petro dictators will never own america's wind and sunshine..and we should never be beholden again to their barrel of crude.. now the obama plan surely is ambititious.. critics will pick apart at it.."
this guy is pretty darn good! thats what i like about these conventions..discovering these guys.. i'm sure politicos all know this but i've never heard this guy speak and he's pretty good... now he's yelling at people in the cheap seats to stand up!
yes he is the governor of montana.. i'd heard him- i now realize - on npr.. but this was very impressive..very well done..
Brian Schweitzer..live blogging DNC
some of these lines are so stock
"John McCain offers more of the same.."
I guess you have to make it clear to the American people but couldn't they use synonyms?
I also love the "Barack Obama knows that..."
having said all that I like Schweitzer's speech better than Patrick and certainly Warners...
"he's taken over a million dollars in contributions from the oil and gas industry..wooooooowww..now he wants to give those same oil and gas companies 4 billion in tax breaks... thats a lot of change..but its not the change we need"
GOOD! WELL DONE!
Deval Patrick
like Obama another Axelrod product.. you could make that case... some of Obama's themes were certainly tried out with Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in his run for state office about two years ago.. many have noted the similarities.. there were even accusations of Obama plagiarizing his friend Patrick..
where am I going with this? I need a break on this live bloggin and it may as well be here..
strickland
"..would you believe he said last week the fundamentals of the economy are strong.."
good
"because we just can't afford.."
sapporo
i like this one.. focused on McCain.... doing what I call the heavy lifting....
"stuck in the past policies that mean that Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary and he'll be the first to tell you thats wrong"
good stuff
lets replace all the "can't afford"'s with "warren buffet"
GREAT LINE!
"George W. Bush came into office on third base and then he stole second"!!!!!!!!!!!
"..and John McCain cheered him every step of the way.."
"we can't afford.."
running out of sapporo..
"Barack Obama will give us a $1000 tax cut for middle class families.." GOOD STUFF! POLICY!!!!!
"there's more than hope in these ideas.. there are JOBS!"
tying it to Ohio and how it would boost wages... "thats the change we need"
Strickland is blowing Warner out of the water
was I right to say this man should be the VP in late 2007 surveying the political landscape and knowing how much we need Ohio???
very good..very solid speech by Strickland..blew Warner out of the water... Mark Warner is so overrated .. there is so little substance to that guy when you get past the whole "I was Governor of Virginia and we did all this great stuff.."
ted strickland up
my original choice for VP months ago was Strickland..I felt he could give the democrats Ohio and that was all important... my feelings were ignored.. i'm not hurt.. but a little curious...
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