He resembled the Simpsons' grandfather:
"The economy? Bah! Can't be bothered"
with stunt after stunt
(calling Cindy a c***)
he found himself deep under water

Posted at July 17, 2008 5:35 PM in response to John McCain Limerick Thread!

Having blown up my teevee after the war, I have no idea if the infamous cover is getting any play? Can anyone report on that?

Other than that, I'd say the circulation of the New Yorker among swing voters is microscopic. Most people prone to believe any of those stereotypes about Obama probably read other magazines, to the extent that they can read at all.

Posted at July 14, 2008 8:34 PM in response to Judged by its cover.

a variety of indicators working-class voters are considerably better off than they were in the 1970s

In the 70s, my girlfriend's father was a milkman in Los Angeles. He bought and paid off a house and put 3 kids through college. His wife didn't work.

My girlfriend's son, also non-college educated, and desirous of a life that includes home ownership and fatherhood, would like to know where he can partake of this wonderful variety of indicators that you offer. He's given up the house & kids pipe dream and has now realized that his car is also unrealistic, trading it in on a bike. His only hope for anything resembling a lower-middle class lifestyle would be for me and my girlfriend to die off early and leave him the inflated CA real estate that we inherited from the last true middle class generation.

To that end, he's offered to buy me a copy of your book, hoping that I'll laugh myself to death.

Posted at July 14, 2008 8:18 PM in response to Grand New Party and Political Narrative

... and even more appallingly self-evident is the problem of TPM not having a preview mode!

Posted at July 14, 2008 8:03 PM in response to Grand New Party and Political Narrative

the migration of working-class voters - defined for our purposes as Americans without college degrees - from the Roosevelt majority into the Reagan-Gingrich-Bush coalition has been driven by the GOP's ability to essentially trick these voters into casting their ballots based on symbolic culture-war issues, rather than on their economic concerns, and that the Republican Party has used this bait-and-switch to enrich the already-rich and deliver the American working class to economic ruin.

Very well summarized, but while it's quite possible that the GOP will continue to succeeded in this "essential trickery", I'll be quite impressed if you have any luck whatsoever in convincing the TPM crowd that the statement above is anything other than appallingly self-evident.

Posted at July 14, 2008 8:00 PM in response to Grand New Party and Political Narrative

Yes - that's a really great video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqGWTh_NZ-0)

... and put together by the Romney campaign, no less! Let's rate that puppy up!

Posted at July 10, 2008 2:54 PM in response to Obama, McCain Skirmish Over Gramm's "Nation Of Whiners" Comment

I wonder what kind of dirt they have on old Nancy.

Posted at July 8, 2008 6:30 PM in response to Pelosi: Let Rove Slide

Before the internet, incompetent shills like Brooks could get away with this kind of lying, but now they're ridiculed before the paper hits the newstands. Like the print newspaper, Brooks and his no-talent, no-ethics ilk are headed for extinction.

Posted at July 2, 2008 2:26 AM in response to Muddy Brooks

Frankly, I thought it was a great speech. Like the race speech, he's taking a hot-button issue and talking about it without being superficial.

Listen - I loved the General Betrayus ad. My blood pressure goes up every time I see an American flag. I'm deeply embarrassed by and ashamed of this country and as far as I'm concerned, every moron who voted for Bush in 2004 is as much an enemy of democracy and America as Bin Laden.

I hate those people with a deep passion, but when I get to know some of them personally, as I was forced to on an extended business trip in the heartland, I see that, however misguided, they're decent human beings.

If Obama can get through to these people, more power to him.

Remember that they hate us as much as we hate them. We're right, of course, and I'm not being facetious. We are right and they are stupid. I know that to be true with every fiber of my being, but somebody's got to make peace with these idiots and if Obama can do it, he can thrown moveon.org and Wesley Clark (whom I never liked although I wholly agreed with his comments about McCain) under the bus with my blessing. I'll keep donating to moveon, but I hope for the day that 527s on both sides become unnecessary.

The FISA stand is just plain wrong, but this speech, in my opinion, is just plain right.

Posted at June 30, 2008 4:50 PM in response to Obama's Patriotism Speech Stresses Life Story, Criticizes MoveOn

If it's only $2000 a year property taxes for that house, Cindy probably inherited it and it was probably purchased in the 50s or before.

Posted at June 29, 2008 2:54 AM in response to McCains Delinquent On Tax Bill