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| McCain timing works wellThe timing of McCain's VP choice has worked well - there currently isn't a single story about Obama on Google's news site (which displays stories based on the most-read stories around the web). This despite Obama's acceptance speech just last night, as climax of the Democratic National Convention. That's all been drowned out - even if you don't like McCain's choice, it's accomplishing a good deal in the short run (driving Obama out of the news). Add to it that the RNC meets starting Monday and the news is going to be all about McCain for the next week. | | |
| Clever VP pick (or maybe not?)McCain's pick of a woman as a VP candidate will probably help him appeal to some of Clinton's supporters (or at least give them justification for voting for a candidate who is opposed to most of the ideas Clinton fought for). It's also bound to focus some of the discussion of a historic election on his campaign - one way or another, one high office will not be occupied by an older, white male.
*addendum* The Rev makes some good points in the comments section about why he thinks this is a terrible pick. I still don't think it is terrible for the reasons I've stated above, but they are good points. | | |
| I like the strategyThe polls continue to show a close race for president. Frankly, this doesn't worry me as much as it seems to worry a number of my left-leaning friends (remember what kind of country we live in, folks! The fact that a left-leaning Democrat is ahead in the polls of a largely center-right country is remarkable - to expect a huge lead is perhaps unrealistic). The Obama campaign has a good answer for this: if the existing electorate is close, target signing up unregistered voters. Their plan is to concentrate on getting at least some of the 55 million unregistered voters they have identified to get registered and vote. If they can even have a small (5%) success rate, it could make a real difference. It's a sound strategy and should produce results, given the organization Obama has built up.
Nope, no one in panic mode here at sonotmu. | | |
| More energy optimismThings like geothermal could make Al Gore's vision of an energy-independent, petroleum-free electricity USA a reality:
http://www.dailytech.com/Google+Bets+Big+on+Geothermal+with+10M+USD+Investment/article12704.htm
It's been a few good weeks for alternative energy tech. | | |
| Bluster, bluster, empty threatRice on the Russian/Georgian conflict: "This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government and get away with it," Rice said. "Things have changed."
So...what, exactly, are we going to do to make sure the Russians don't "get away with it"? Military action? No way. We're not going to go to war with Russia over Georgia. Economic embargoes? Yeah, we'll embargo the world's largest producer of energy (oil and natural gas combined). Europe will never go along with that and frankly, in a time of record energy prices, do I really think we'll risk shutting off the world's second largest producer of oil? Nope.
Here's how I think it will play out: Russia will quietly laugh at our very empty threats. It will ultimately annex the separatist regions, probably after some kind of referendum (so as to claim it has the will of the people on its side). Some of the pro-western countries on the border of Russia will tone down their pro-west views and ultimately the credibility of the United States sinks another notch. Another well-played foreign affairs disaster by the Bush administration. | | |
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