The Inaugural

Over at TNR, John Judis races to be the first to diss the inaugural address, calling it a "hodgepodge," and the talkbackers pile on to take sides.

I have to say, Judis completely lost me on this one. The speech was beautifully delivered, spoke to our better angels, and had a rational progression:

Hi, everybody, we are in some deep shit. Who cares who's to blame. We're Americans, and we can dig out, if everybody grabs a shovel and if we get past all those false choices, all that either-or, blue-vs-red, GOP-vs-Dem, Free Market-or- Socialism-and-no-in-between bullshit. Here's a few high points of my domestic and foreign policy agendas everybody knows already. Let's finish up with inspiration, exhortations to courage, and calls to service and responsibility, all liberally (if you'll forgive) sprinkled with totally appropriate historical allusions, confidence in the American spirit, and praise of inclusion and tolerance. So let's get to work. God bless us, every one, cuz we're gonna need it.

It was an incantation, calling forth the archetypes that lie in the collective unconscious of America, and an eloquent affirmation that those powers belong to us all.

That's what I heard. Then I went back to work.

So for today the speech was just right.

What will be the ultimate verdict on the inaugural address of Barack Hussein Obama? I don't know. But I do know that verdict won't be passed down by Mr. John Judis. History will judge this speech and, as always, She will do it in Her own good time.

So take a chill pill, everybody, and try to savor the moment. No matter what happens tomorrow, today was a good day.

Hope.

Step Up The Security, Obama!

Assassination plot targeting Obama disrupted

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal agents have broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree, the ATF said Monday.

In court records unsealed Monday, federal agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target a predominantly African-American high school by two neo-Nazi skinheads. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the school by name.

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville field office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the two men planned to shoot 88 black people and decapitate another 14. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

The men also sought to go on a national killing spree, with Obama as its final target, Cavanaugh told The Associated Press.

"They said that would be their last, final act - that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."

Powell Endorses....

...Barack Obama.

It's not exactly an original thought that Obama probably locked up this endorsement some time ago, and kept Powell in pocket until the best time.

This was, undoubtedly, the best time, kicking McCain while he's down.

What will be the effect of this endorsement? It's hard to imaging that it's anything but great news for Barack, but what is the magnitude of this vector? I think there may be competing factors here. On the one hand, it further cements American's greater comfort with the idea of Obama as CiC. Notwithstanding the tarnishing of his rep by the UN presentation, Powell still commands great respect in this country. The endorsement also emphasizes that Obama is surrounding himself with, and listening to, some very smart, mainstream political, economic and foreign policy titans. OTOH, there may be an undercurrent of "Powell endorsed Obama cuz he's black." My guess is this view would be held predominantly by people who wouldn't vote for Obama anyway.

So, yeah, net positive for Obama. But the magnitude? The effect on the polls, and the election? Anybody's guess.

Tep Endorses Obama

In a strange way, I think we all knew he would; Tep, the mighty Talkbacker who would not be persuaded, was finally convinced that Obama is not so bad.

I think David Brooks today articulates perfectly why I'm comfortable voting for BHO now.

Short version: this crisis has shown our political class, both left right and center, to be an army of either poltroons, whores or scamps, or some combination thereof. With such a dismal backdrop for a foil, Obama, whatever his leanings or calculations, shows none of these traits. He's an adult. He's calm, centered, intelligent. He's not greedy or self-aggrandizing.

In a forest full of midgets, Obama now appears ten feet tall.

Given the choices on offer, that's good enough. Not great, but about as much as we can hope for in an era of vastly diminished expectations.

T

100K in St. Louis!

Wow!

Hey, Guys!

Brian, I wish I had seen more remarks from you. Do you have any overarching thoughts about the debate? Anybody?

One Initial Thought

In passing I note that McCain's final statement was actually more airy than Obama's. McCain appears to honor and his family history. Obama appeals more directly to the voters.

More importantly: A lot of analysts, including George Will, have been saying that McCain's best line of attack is to raise the spectre of an undivided, liberal Democratic government.

McCain didn't do that. Interesting.

School Daze

McCain sez education is the "civil rights issue of the 21st century." Sounds smart. I'm not sure exactly what it means.

McCain looks kinda creepy. Obama has clearly thought about the education issue, and gives a pretty sharp answer. His speech is more fluid again, too.

The A Word

McCain makes it into an attack on Obama. Obama makes it about making good decisions.

Oh, here goes the jab at the McCain, and a thinly-veiled appeal to women.

John McCain talks about the "terribly difficult decision." Of course, he doesn't want it to be a decision.

I see at 538 that XX dialers are giving this one to Obama so far. Men: mixed.

McC: "That's the extreme pro-abortion position: health (of the mother)." Ooh. Good answer. Not.

Health Care

Obaama talks directly into the camera again, and gives a smart, if unimpassioned, answer.

Back to Joe the Plumber, who has already made the transformation from affecting and effective reference to a cheap gimmick. MK sez: he's gone from caring about Joe to using Joe. It's clear who he's targeting here: Joe, the white middle-class voter.

Obama talks to Joe: "Here's your fine, Joe: ZERO." He goes on to skewer McCain's health care plan.

McCain's counter is snarky. And completely untrue. Obama talks to Joe again.

Side note: snarkiness and small-scale fireworks aside, this debate so far is a lot about numbers and facts and such dryness. I don't see anything so far to ignite the voters' passion. Does anybody else?

"Climate Control..."

...is what you have in your Cadillac.

McCain takes the opportunity to lecture Obama on nuclear power.

Obama gives a realistic answer, looking right into the camera. I don't think he's was doing enough of that before. Obama's speech is a bit stumbly, but he still makes his points clearly. When he pivots to the Free Trade issue he gets more fluent, and pins it to American business and workers.

McCain looks sharp when he parses Obama's "we need to look at offshore drilling."

Why Would the Country Be Better Off With YOUR VEEP?

OBama gives a ringing endorsement of Biden and links it, once again "to 8 failed years" and his economic plan for struggling individuals and small businesses and energy and, gosh, we could all give this answer by now.

McC: "Americans have gotten to know Sarah Palin."

Yeah. Well. That's your problem, John-boy.

McCain appeals to the Special Needs voting block. After all, none of the other voting blocks are working out for him.

Is she qualified? Obama refuses to take the bait. "That's up to the American people." As to the special needs kids, John-boy, your across the board spending cut will kill research and special programs for those kids.

Say It To His Face Continued

First off: McCain never said it to his face.

Obama keeps bringing it back to this issue.

ACORN is destroying the fabric of democracy? Why wasn't I told?

"Mr. Ayers has become the centerpiece of Mr. McCain's campaign." Zing.

Obama has to go on the defensive for a minute, to brush aside ACORN and Ayers. Necessary, and he does it well, pivoting into a positive counter against McCain. "Says more about McCain's campaign than it does about me."

Can You Say It To His Face?

McCain's assertion that all the nastiness could have been avoided if only Obama had down the town halls hasn't worked before and it still sounds lame. Also, he falsely accuses Obama of not repudiating Lewis' remarks.

Obama takes the high road. "Let's make it about the issues."

No such luck. It's OBama who's running all the negative ads!

McCain is chomping at the bit. Again, he looks like The Angry Warrior. Obama looks like the Cool Cucumber.

Aren't You BOTH Out of Touch With Reality?

Obama's answer is okay, but a bit analytical.

McCain brings it right back to home values. Shieffer has to steer both of them back to the question.

Offshore drilling from McCain again. Not only is it a false issue, but it's getting old. And the spending freeze again. Then he gets made about the debt again, which nobody really gives two fucks about anymore. Subsidies for ethanol? Excuse me?

And the overhead projector again? Weird.

McCain is definitely swinging. He knows he's in the fight of his life. Obama is trying to give the impression that he's parrying calmly.

They're mixing it up a little, which is good.

Why Is Your Plan Better? Why, Joe the Plumber.

McCain gets a chance to swing at the first pitch on economics, which is good for him. McCain's answer sounds solid on the surface. An opportunity for him to speak to the economic concerns of everyday Americans.

Obama goes right to the Middle Class. (Can't remember if McCain said the Magic Words.)

McCain's counter is about some plumber named Joe, and how Obama is destroying the American dream. Will Obama talk to Joe by name?

No, but he does talk to "95% of you out there," looking right into the camera. And he responds on the "Joe the Plumber issue."

I think this exchange is a draw, or even a slight advantage to McCain!

Waiting For The Asteroid

The talking heads all seem to think that McCain has to drop some sort of bombshell to stay in the race tonight. It's also CW that this puts McCain in a tight spot: he can't go negative, but he can't win without going negative. I'm betting that McCain ends the night with a whimper rather than a bag. But I could certainly be wrong. Let's just see, shall we?

Talkbackers Liveblog!

Well, some of us, at least.

Here's how I think we should do this. Short individual posts on specific chunks of the debate. When I liveblogged the last debate on my own blog, I did it by questions. But any approach you like is fine. The key is to make short posts, as this allows you to quickly pivot to the next issue in your next post.

And that's it. No other rules, except, of course, those that govern basic human civility.

Let's go for it!