Comments on Obama and McCain are Speaking

I'm watching Obama speaking on cnn.com live now.

Ooh... good dig at the current administration by Obama. He hopes that the federal government will respond quickly and effectively to those who have been affected by the storms in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Meanwhile, McCain pledges he will stay true to conservative values...

It's nice of everyone to mostly shut up for the Obama speech. I hope Erica doesn't feel too surrounded by sharks. I told her we were nice.

#1 is right: cnn

I've got Obama up by 50 delegates now -- he just took Colorado big (64-35). But California looks like all Clinton right now, which would put her ahead on the night.

Yeah, but the county by county map for California looks like many parts of the state aren't coming in yet.

Obama: yack, yack, yack, yack, yack....

Dude, this is like Baptist Pulpit 202. Not basic -- obviously skilled and probably sincere.

But I write speeches for a living, and this is classic stream of consciousness, "Fuck the script" stuff. I guarantee you it's a speech that looked great on paper, but he's meandering off the logic trail madly.

Also, I'm picking up a vibe of concession. Am I looking for that? Maybe. I don't trust my gut on this one. Yet. But if he loses California, he's toast.

He's a great man. I hope he runs again.

Indeed California looks to be going for Clinton. FUCK!

What the fuck is with this "Let's go to work!" slogan the Dem's have started reciting? It sounds retarded.

Obama has never lived in the South a day in his life. Where did the accent come from?

Jesus Obama is good.

Hillary wouldn't be a real choice; she'd be looking back in the past. Republicans would already be united against us if Hillary is nominated. Running against experience in Washington vs. changing Washington. Hillary is a lobbyist monger too.

God. Why does he still want to be friends with this awful woman?

Oh, AND she voted for the war and gave Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran and supported Bush not talking to other countries. And she wavered on condemning torture.

Oh. I see. He's friends with Mrs. Godzilla because the Republicans are so much worse.

Dang. Good speech. But I really wanted this to be all over with. Now it's going to go on and it will all hinge on Washington. And Washington will all hinge on Ballard. Which will all hinge on me, talking them into caucusing Obama. Using my snark and my snide insults, basically.

Oh, Obama's not done yet. We are going to see 9/11 as a challenge to unite America. In favor of genocide and disease. No, against them. Yes, against them, because it will not be easy.

And obviously it would be easier to be in favor of genocide and disease. The way Hillary is. Just kidding.

Being cynical is bad, Obama, goes on. Stand with us and do some extraordinary things. Blah blah after that. Just a few miles from here. And so on. I think I'll skip a bit: Obama is telling a story at this point...

...eh dang. I wasn't listening. Change again. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek. We are the hope of the boys in the inspiring story I didn't pay attention to.

Let me mention that this Obama speech makes no mention of Jericho and the ensuing genocide that I can't help but think about when anybody uses Bible reference.

...oh shit, almost over. Yes we can, yes we can, and so on. Thank you Chicago. Theme song from the Jeffersons? Signed sealed delivered. My bad.

Obama made no mention at the of an imaginary god who he pretends gives out supernatural aid, which Hillary did.

first good music of the night: stevie wonder

Losing Cali is absolutely not the kiss of death -- although it surely hurts. The strange way CA apportions delegates means Obama could still eke out 40% of the 380 up for grabs there.

There are several very delegate rich states after tonight. This campaign will go on for a while yet. And the one clear pattern so far is that the more time Obama has the better he does.

NPR reports that most of what has been counted in CA so far is absentees.

Awesome. I think I'm going to increase the rate of alcohol consumption for the time being.

MSNBC calls Cali, but even with it Clinton is barely ahead on the night. These two fighters punched each other hard all night, but it's a no-decision. Rematch on Saturday.

@9,

Ten bucks says it'll be Hillary's slogan for the general election.

I'm a Clinton partisan so -- boring! -- I'm calling the night for Clinton. Here's why:

* Clinton's "win" states are generally marquis, delegate- and opinion-leader rich states.

* Obama's are not.

* Kennedy Family = pwned! In fact, Hillary stole the Legacy of the Ambassador Kitchen. Obama was supposed to win this and go on to manifest the RFK (not JFK...Obama is RFK, not JFK) dream and he didn't pull it off. It's like the soprano belching during "Un bel di." It fucks up the narrative, perhaps fatally.

* Missouri defectors = almost pwned! (even if Obama wins, it's by a paltry sum...but yeah, it's a win)

* In the background, during his speech, it was African-Americans. There's supposed to be an art to "gathers" -- the term used for placing certain people behind candidates so that it projects an image of "Here's who supports me." During any event, depending on the audience being broadcasted to, that gather can be youth, women, trucker hat wearers, etc. For this audience, I would have ensured a broadly diverse audience. Why? Because the nefarious gossip -- aside from the whole "middle name thing" -- is about him being the "black candidate." Any thoughtful review of how he won tonight would put a lie to that, but people are people and -- god help us -- the media are the media, and they all get their themes and they stick to them.

These are the facts as I see them. Certainly on the upside for Obama are the total number of states -- it just looks good, and looks count -- and the obvious energy of his supporters. He needs to win a major state (he was denied Florida by party autocracy) before he can claim inevitability. HRC has NYC, NJ, FL, CA...he needs Ohio and Pennsy.

"There is no doubt ... we hope and pray every night to run against Hillary Clinton," - Ari Fleischer, on CNN

The GOP is in pieces, especially after tonight, and the only hope to reunite their fractured factions is...

Our time has come. Not you, faggot.

@21:

The sun on the meadow is summery warm
The stag in the forest runs free
But gathered together to greet the storm
Tomorrow belongs to me

The branch on the linden is leafy and green
The Rhine gives its gold to the sea (Gold to the sea)
But somewhere a glory awaits unseen
Tomorrow belongs to me

Now Fatherland, Fatherland, show us the sign
Your children have waited to see
The morning will come
When the world is mine
Tomorrow belongs to me
Tomorrow belongs to me
Tomorrow belongs to me
Tomorrow belongs to me

[ADDITIONAL VERSE]
The babe in his cradle is closing his eyes
The blossom embraces the bee
But soon says the whisper, arise, arise
Tomorrow belongs to me
Tomorrow belongs to me

hey eli, im sorry i offended your sensibilites. arent you paid to have some thick skin? if you want to be an actual reporter for an acutal paper, in an actual city, dont you need to roll with asshats like me?

@10 - are you saying Hawaii is not South?

Last time I checked it's south of the entire South.

@10 (Jocelyn), even black people who grew up in Washington sometimes have a touch of the south in their speech. It's influenced by peers, role models, and their self-reflections in media. Ever see Hispanic kids born in the US affect a Spanish accent?

Also, nice job admitting that people make mistakes, Obama! Subtle yet totally appropriate. A lovely speech.

19--"In the background, during his speech, it was African-Americans."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dzHDzvTfzQ

I see two white women, a white man, and people of varying shades and ages (though no really old folks). Take another look?

It's different view from what was on my screen...several of us watching commented on that. The predominant gather was Af-Am.

I'm just glad I could mention that without being called a blatant racist. But now that I've said so, I suspect someone will post that I am in about 3...2...1...

elenchos @12. Though, he did say "our thoughts and prayers" are with the victims of the storms. And he mentioned being at a church when talking about his organization days... He got enough religious references in.