The first address

President-Elect Obama gives his first radio address, and his team has the video on YouTube.

Nader stays true

Yeah. Much as he has been doing for the past several years Ralph Nader seems to be more and more of a crank. Years of do gooding, and now this is what he choses to be at the end.

As Crooks and Liars (w/vid), and others have noted, Nader has chosen to unapologetically call Obama a potential Uncle Tom, if he doesn't do as Nader wishes. And he continued to hold to it on FOX News, leading Shepard Smith to actually stand up for President Obama. Smith has found himself in this role more and more, as McCain's camp has become harsher and more off kilter. And now this. Must be weird for Smith. But he might be getting a taste for it, and, maybe, he will continue into next with it...Maybe.

Krugman and the Monsters

Crooks and Liars points to a great piece by Paul Krugman on the Monster Years. Ah, those years of reality shaping.

I got chills reading this brief, but very truthful op-ed from Paul Krugman at the New York Times. Barack Obama's win last night was just one step into the future, lets hope Krugman's words ring loud and clear for future generations - Beware the Monsters...

Last night wasn’t just a victory for tolerance; it wasn’t just a mandate for progressive change; it was also, I hope, the end of the monster years.

What I mean by that is that for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.

And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people. To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was “shrill.”! Read on...

Celebrating

Ever see the end of Return of the Jedi? The celebration on Endor in the original version feels like the way these election night parties usually go. The updated ending they have since added, with parties breaking out across the galaxy is the feel that exploded out last night. People were partying across the country and globe.

Crooks and Liars has video and pictures from Atlanta to Seattle. Parties sprung up everywhere, including on Pennsylvania Avenue. Fun times last night.

The Speech

A Victory Speech for '08

Yes we can.

It is odd. I have been watching politics since Carter. I have seen too many close runs to not be skittish. Carter, Mondale, Dukakis. Then Clinton came, but Perot had an impact. Then I saw Gore have it taken away, and Kerry lose it and walk away.

So tonight. Democrats, liberals, progressives, and those hopeful of change, have a clear win. Someone who gives us a reason to be optimistic. And a surge in Congress to help.

Time for a good nights sleep and ready for the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Republicans have already been taking their shots and declaring failure for Democrats. Time to counter this. And it is time to prove them wrong.

Nite.

44

Well after nearly two years, it is over.

Sen. Barack Obama has been elected. The threshold was crossed, and his count is continuing. McCain has conceded, though his audience was surly (I wonder why?).

But now we wait for Obama, President-Elect of the United States of America, to speak to America and the world.

Also the media has noted crowds are massing outside the White House. Ah, the neighbors. I think they want to help the Bush's pack.

A historic day.

I VOTED

And you can to.

Early voting is on, and hopefully everyone is registered and raring to go.



My Little Story, from earlier today.

Here is the county courthouse.

Here is the front door, inviting early voters in.

Here is me voting for change. Oh hell ya!

Get out and vote, when the polls are open next week.

This needs to be discussed more.

Crooks and Liars looks at Rachel Maddows interview with IAVA over McCain's abysmal support for veterans, for all of his talk.

Includes video.

Obama called it.

Here's a video showing Obama in July calling the Republicans on what they are doing now. Plus the McCain footage is spliced in at key points in Obama's speech tp punch the point home.

More from McCain's base

In PA, at a McCain rally. Feel the love.

Muslim! Commie! Terrorist! European!

I have finally heard someone ask it.

(So kudos to Matthews for questioning claims about Palin.)

Is Sarah Palin an energy expert? Well? McCain and his cohorts claim she is. But I have never heard support for it, except she is the governor of an oil producing state and been on a board dealing with oil production.

But is that make it takes to be an expert? Would you ask the CEO of IBM to fix your computer? Or someone on their board of directors? No. They have experts to do that. Plus, oil? If you know oil, you know energy. Does not compute.

So while McCain and Obama have actually spent years on these issues, which I would argue should make them informed, Palin can't claim this. But again. McCain has chaired a commerce committee in the Senate, and I have yet to find him all that informed on commerce.

Of course at this point Palin and McCain are standing on such a huge pile of BS that will anyone really notice this turd?

ACORN

Have you seen the scary stories about ACORN? Voter fraud?

Josh Marshall of TPM gives you the gist of what is really behind the story, and its long history of being used to bludgeon Democrats in an election year.

McCain-Palin base

Andrew Sullivan has been pointing to some interviews on YouTube, talking to Americans about Obama. They are instructive in showing just why they want to shout and repeat Obama's middle name, Hussein. And why they want to see him as mysterious. It sells to their base.

From a McCain-Palin rally.


I voted for Hillary Clinton!
He's an A-Rab.



This is not all of America, or, I hope, most of it. But whay portion of the populace is entwined in the thinking of either of these vids? How many of us stay uninformed, disconnected, and recessed in our little niches?

Double Points

David Gergen was speaking on CNN and seems to think that McCain deserves some credit for not bringing up Ayers during the debate.

Does he? He couldn't do it to Obama's face, not that he could bear looking at Obama much. And not like the polls the RNC was running didn't show that it was actually hurting him on the stump.

How about going on afterwards with Hannity to do it? Does he get double points for waiting to attack Obama with cheap shots until he got to the FOX news studio?

WTF is going on with McCain-Palin

You have no doubt heard or seen the dipsy duo of conservative failure stoking audiences in the last week. They have been trying to imply and now outright say that Obama is...bad...evil...a threat to America. And in response the anger they have played on has risen to screams of "terrorist" and "kill him."

And now...

TPM:

From NBC's FirstRead ...

As seen at recent McCain events, this afternoon's crowd was vocal in their support for McCain and their anger with Senator Obama. At one point one man could be heard yelling, "Off with his head," when McCain spoke about Obama's tax plan. That enthusiasm was even more present during Palin's remarks, and as other observers have reported in the past, today there was a sizeable number of people making their way towards the exit after McCain's running mate left the podium.

Like I said, I think it's going to take a few burning in effigies to catch people's attention at this point.

What are they trying to build to? What is McCain trying to wrought? Does he even care, if he gets a shot a winning? And where is the media at describing what these rallies are starting to now become? What is remotely pleasant, or positive? Is it not important to talk about? They are going after the media, and minorities in the media (shouting slurs at a black cameraman). Shouldn't they take a stand (Like in cases where news people are attacked in war zones. They complain and talk about it.)?

Palin on

As the election proceeds, Palin and McCain seem to have decided to that it is best for her to not face the press. Some people think it would be best for her to head back to Alaska, but who's listening to that. But it is interesting to see that is the path they have chosen to take.

As Andrew Sullivan notes:

This is how Putin behaves. It is anti-American. It has never been tried in modern times before. It is a chilling attack on an open society and the accountability of its leaders to the people they serve. The press has a duty to stand up against it - and to care more about the process than its own precious reputation in the mouths of Hannity, Steyn, Palin and the rest of them.

And as many have noted, why does the media acquiesce? They give her full and unvetted coverage when ever she speaks. What more pressure is there on her?

But Palin is nice enough to have a history and connections ripe enough to weave dandy conspiracies.

Go ahead. You don't need that tax exempt status.

Amato at Crooks and Liars has a good point.

There has been a move by a certain group of religious leaders to remove the shackles of the law when it comes to them backing candidates from the pulpit, or any other spot of authority. There has been talk for awhile, and a plan to have a mass of civil disobedience. The hope is to force the Supreme Court to strip the expectation that tax exempt organizations cannot be political backers of candidates (though I wonder how they feel about exempt organizations on the other side acting). They hope the court will back them up. Now they have had 33 ministers take the step and back John McCain. I had thought they had wanted to be bipartisan in this move.

But I agree with Amato.

They want this to be an issue. Just remove their tax free status (preceded by a lengthy, expensive audit) and be done with it for all those that break the law.

I have been all for taken away the status from these groups. But the audit...hadn't thought of that.

Polls and Credit

Reaction to McCain's plan is not so rosey.

TPM:

SurveyUSA has just completed a snap poll on response to John McCain's request to cancel or postpone the presidential debate.

Several questions. But two key ones.

What to do about debates?

Hold as Scheduled 50%
Hold with Econ Focus 36%
Postpone 10%

Suspend Campaigns?

Suspend 14%
Continue 31%
Refocus on Fin. Crisis 48%

Would canceling the debates be good for America? 14% say
yes.

Even FOX News results are not supportive.

And as was noted by insiders, via TPM:

A plugged in reader who's a Democratic lobbyist writes in with a good point:

The deal on the "bail out" is 98% done. Treasury has capitulated on almost every point. A draft is circulating on the Hill now. No one needs McCain to help do the remaining 2%....except the White House who has no standing on this matter on the Hill with either Democrats or Republicans.

So he may try and swoop in at the end and grab credit. And then avoid questions about how he helped get this trouble started. Stay classy.

McCain wants to step back...for America...right.

McCain seems to want to suspend campaigning and also the coming debate. He apparently wants to lead his party in talks. Of course, until now he hasn't particularly felt the urge to lead, last month, last week, yesterday...

Could it be the coming debate?

What's changed today in the financial crisis other than John McCain's poll numbers tanking? Isn't this the campaign equivalent of faking an injury when you're down late in the 4th quarter? Note too that McCain was in the midst of debate prep when he made this decision.

Look at what appears to have happened. Obama reached out to McCain privately to agree to a shared set of bailout principles. McCain went off the handle again and tried to use the crisis as a way to call off the debates.

...

And as AMERICAblog notes, "McCain "suspends" campaign only after he finishes his campaign events tomorrow." Yeah, he'll stop for the rest of the week, after he finishes campaigning midday Thursday. Then all the rest of Thursday is off, and Friday...oh, gosh and he won't have to debate...Shoot. Why call for this later on Wednesday? And why then...in an emergency...go one campaigning into the next day. Would it be rude not to? It smacks so soundly of a PR stunt.

And AMERICAblog also notes, "McCain to Osama bin Laden: I'm really busy, tired, a bit confused of late, and down in the polls, so please postpone your attacks for a while." Obama also just noted this. As president you actually have to multitask.

Can't help that their is traction on the story of his campaign manager's business getting a nice monthly check from Frannie and Frannie up to August. For what is unclear. But it doesn't look all that clean.

Plus the polls are turning on McCain. People are not feeling as sure about him.


Guess it was just time for a patented John McCain gut check and pivot.