Recently in Pops Category

So now the table is set.  If Obama loses, it can only be because of racism.  There are no reasons to positively vote for McCain.

Right?

One thing we showed during the primaries was we could control the conversation from the McCain-supporting corner of the blogosphere.  The next big push of energy—pretty soon—needs to come from us.

We can deepen the debate.  We're primarily the national security conservatives, McCain's real base.  This is the case we need to bring out now, because it's the most important thing we do as a nation.  The debate needs to move onto this landscape. 

We need to inform the idiots who have not been paying attention to this war—Obama is their perfect leader, by the way—what's really been going on.  We understand how 9/11 connects Iraq.  We know that the WMD issue was not just about stockpiles, and the WMD issue was not the only reason to remove Saddam. 

And, to those who have been watching the war closely, and the interplay of American politics with the war, it's obvious that McCain has as a senator been an indispensable leader in the effort these past several years.  Without his leadership, the Senate would have folded.  And even parts of the Republican Party were weakening and close to giving up, right when the surge was working, but McCain pulled them back in line.

In my view the, the spirit of Churchill has moved alternately between GWB, Christopher Hitchens, and McCain, as required.  In fact, McCain's leadership has been steering us toward victory for several years already.  We judge that simply electing him would effect a major psychological blow on the enemy.

It's called double entendre, not "Did he mean this?" or "Did he mean that?"

Also see innuendo and FLASH: Obama intended to give Hillary the finger, fresh analysis indicates.

Just a quick pop here, happened across these pics here of some Korean War POWs:

You'll remember during the Dem primary when Obama's middle finger came up and scratched his face while talking to a crowd of supporters about Hilary Clinton, at a particularly tense moment in the contest between the two. 

Here's the video:

Classy.

Obama did this on purpose.  He's from Hawaii.  This is precisely how this maneuver is executed, in just this type of situation.  The index and ring fingers can just come up so far, curled at about 60% total length, to give you enough room to make the excuse that you didn't mean it.  Similar calculating algorithm is functioning to decide Obama's positions.

Apparently, Korean War POWs put out the finger in DPRK propaganda films...

The finger became an integral part of our anti-propaganda campaign. Any time a camera appeared, so did the fingers. A concern grew among us that sooner or later the Koreans would notice this and ask questions. It was decided that if the question was raised, the answer was to be that the finger was a gesture known as the Hawaiian Good Luck sign, a variation of the Hang Loose gesture.

Obama meant to give Hillary the bird.  There should be zero doubt about this small point.  The people in the audience seemed to understand the moment's meaning precisely.

If Obama did this on purpose, it's a sign of incredible immaturity. If he did it by accident, it's a sign of inexperience. If a president were to make an accidental gesture like that while talking about a foreign leader, for example, it could cause a global uproar. [USNEWS]

On one hand, the shift to the new counterinsurgency strategy and additional force levels brought to bear—together referred to as 'the surge'—were the keys to turning around the situation in Iraq.  On the other hand, the surge of American resolve illustrated by these actions may have been the most important factor.

From Stratfor:

What was important about the surge is that it happened at all. In the fall of 2006, when the Democrats won both houses of Congress, it appeared a unilateral U.S. withdrawal from Iraq was inevitable. If Bush wouldn’t order it, Congress would force it. All of the factions in Iraq, as well as in neighboring states, calculated that the U.S. presence in Iraq would shortly start to decline and in due course disappear. Bush's order to increase U.S. forces stunned all the regional players and forced a fundamental recalculation. The assumption had been that Bush’s hands were tied and that the United States was no longer a factor. What Bush did -- and this was more important than numbers or tactics -- was demonstrate that his hands were not tied and that the United States could not be discounted.

Hold this up to the light with the report showing how negative media reports embolden terrorists and increase violence to see how those who understand and support the war are correct in saying media bias and war opposition undercut the mission, lengthen the conflict, cause more deaths, and chip away at the chances for success.  Finally, the Iraq War is truly starting to resemble Vietnam: enemies fighting a superpower democracy know the path to victory is through the media to the political leaders and voters.

The enemy thought they could throw the US out, and with that reorder the perception of strength and power around the world.  More than simply an addition of troops, the surge beat down that dream yet again, while killing many of its supposed deliverers.  If Obama is elected, the enemy will have a reason to raise violence levels again, knowing Obama would never be able to match Bush's resolve.

Obama will be tested if elected, challenging the gains that have been made.

Related:
• VIDEO: Offensive Ageist Attack
• OBAMA SHARES BIN LADEN'S VIEW OF FREE SPEECH - Comparing Rev. Wright & Imus: Obama’s Hypocrisy Coming Home to Roost

[Thanks to DownWithMediaMatters]

Personally, I can't wait to have a black president, just not this guy. I think it would do a lot of great things emotionally for people who still see the presidency as mostly symbolic. Unfortunately, the presidency is a real job, not something to "feel good" about. (Beautifully cinematic little twist that NY gets its first black governor out of the whole Spitzer deal. You can't make it up!)

This video still hasn't gone viral, so spread it & share it.

It is truly shocking that Obama and his advisors think using codewords like "hoodwinked" and "bamboozled" is good politics, certainly at this point in a campaign. What are they thinking? Just words, you say?

Nope. Just more signs that they are not qualified to lead the country.

This election is really showing how having a well-educated & well-informed population is essential in a functioning democracy. Dangerous times, my friends.

[EXTRA: Great little video moment from Imus in the Morning reacting to the "Just Words" period a few weeks ago.]

With all this stuff coming out about Obama and his philosphical background, it points in another unexpected direction: How did the Clintons and their campaign allow Obama to get ahead of them in this election without getting this out?

Just like they missed the signs pointing to September 11 in the 8 years after the first attack, and an opportunity to turn the nation's defense capabilities toward the new threats that were arising, they missed this.

They care first about gaining power, second about image and "style points" and, well...that's really about it.  Of course, that's another reason why the race between Obama and Clinton is so close.  There's no real logical reason to vote for either one, so it pretty much comes down to a coin flip.  Sad that the Democratic Party has 2 candidates that are so weak.  Sincerely hope this does not hurt chances for female and black candidates in the future, but people are so stupid that's probably how many will read it. 

There's really only one option:  We need to destroy the Democratic Party this year.  The explosion is not going to be pretty, but it must be done.  In 2004, I was bothered by the GOP attack against the Democratic Party, thinking to myself, "Hey, we're Americans, too.  Of course we want to win in Iraq and defend the country." 

Problem: GOP was right.

In hindsight, this explains Kerry's frustrating lack of clarity on war.  Allowed good American Dem's in the center to hear what they needed to hear, but political insiders knew they had another wing to please as well.  War in Iraq has given the lie to this, "far-right hatemongers" (in kool-aid speak) have instead proven to be correct.