NM Pop Politics

Folks, this might be it for today. I’ll continue with the next three questions tomorrow.

OK, sorry, I accidentally tagged on part of Jerome Block Junior’s answer to the third question at the end of his answer to the second question, but you’ll get the full responses to Question #3 in the next video…assuming I don’t collapse and/or have a nervous breakdown.

So be patient, folks. Dave Maass videotaped the forum today, sponsored by The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and ACI, and I’m attempting to edit it. But it’s long, we’re on deadline etc. etc. So it’s coming at you in pieces, starting with Part 1: bios and the first question.

Mark my words: this will be remembered in history as the “Joe the Plumber” debate. I’ll also predict that Joe the Plumber is the central theme of SNL’s forthcoming spoof. Man, McCain addressed this Joe the Plumber way too often during the debate. I’m not Joe the Plumber, Joe Six-pack, Joe Biden or Joe Dimaggio. I’m not a joe, I’m a Dave and your plan won’t cut my taxes a penny.

So, it’s probably no shock that I’m calling the final debate for Obama. Here’s why:

• Over the course of this campaign cycle we’ve seen Obama steadily improve his debate performance, to the point that I’d argue that he’s not just a great orator, but a great debater as well. Calm and deliberate. Meanwhile, John McCain has either plateaued or actually descended since his last presidential race in 2000. Over the course of these three presidential debates, Obama’s become cooler and more natural, while McCain has become crankier and more uncomfortable.
• Obama deftly cleared the air on the Ayers and Acorn issues, with grabbing more time to set the record straight. McCain meant them as jabs, but he didn’t seem to have the right combination or the upper cut with which to finish Obama off.
• McCain was very repetitive tonight with the canned phrases and arguments. Even Obama had to explain his health care plan twice because McCain only had the one line of attack and had to deploy it twice.
• Obama really emphasized understandability and the numbers in his policies, particularly regarding health care. And in his philosophical answers, on abortion for example, he displayed a yearn for common ground, while McCain just seemed to be stretching for a far, far pro-life position that he didn’t really hold before he was the Republican nominee.
• McCain really, really, really looked uncomfortable on top of looking really, really, really cranky. The only time he looked comfortable and trustworthy was when he was delivering his lines, gestures and facial expression he’s practiced to seem comfortable and trustworthy. Though, I gotta say his “you should’ve run four years ago” line was a zinglette.
• Obama was just… Well, I wish he’d stuck it to Sarah Palin. Other than that, he was so presidentially cool. Ocean’s 11 cool.

Let’s see what the instant poll says. At some point, I’m sure a network will interview Joe the Plumber himself for his decision.
UPDATED: Joe the Plumber still kinda agrees with McCain, but mostly the Plumber was in favor of going to bed. Which he has with no further comment.

A little superhero satire for you before the final debate:

Sound familiar? (hat tip to MMpcfl)

• CNN Dial Testers: Three things to know: No. 1 Dial Testers, both men and women, love Obama,  No. 2 They do not like CEOs, foreign cars or lying liars, No. 3 Ohio women love everything more than Ohio men do or anyone at all, for that matter.

• McCain’s Curmudgeoness: McCain referred to Obama as “that one,” which should’ve made for some good TV, that is, if McCain’s presence wasn’t so generally uncomfortable.  Hateful little quips like that along with some bad jokes (When Tom Brokaw asked who McCain would appoint for Secretary of Treasury, McCain responded, “Not you, Tom.” He then proceeded to gasp for breath and have a heart attack or maybe he was just laughing, which sounds a lot like a raspy-voiced panting dog who smokes unfiltered cigarettes) left the audience silent and nervous. He also said “stinking corpse” when referring to Israel, AGAIN.  One can’t help but think he’s projecting.

• Voter Schmoozing: The Obamas stayed way after the debate ended to work the crowd like an iron on butter. If you happened to be watching C-SPAN, you got to see this go on for FOREVER.  It was amazing. By the end of it, all those “undecided” voters decided they wanted about 5,000 pictures with the First Family hopefuls. The audience wouldn’t leave until Barry and Michelle agreed to go to the bar and do jello shots, I think.

Sorry…the embed links aren’t working for me.

SNL’s take on the Veep debate.

SNL’s skit on the bailout.

In case you were wondering what was going on on the TV last night during that merciless morass of a drinking game, here is Palin’s rationale, courtesy of Adennak.

Biden’s thought process went a little more like this:

OMG, did she really say that?  >Oh yes she did> Smile> Oops, no smiling> School her!

I’ve made Gov. Sarah Palin’s claims about Sudan divestment the subject of my small contribution to the mass fact-checking effort. Here’s her statement from the debate:

“What I’ve done in my position to help, as the governor of a state that’s pretty rich in natural resources, we have a $40 billion investment fund, a savings fund called the Alaska Permanent Fund. When I and others in the legislature found out we had some millions of dollars in Sudan, we called for divestment through legislation of those dollars to make sure we weren’t doing anything that would be seen as condoning the activities there in Darfur. That legislation hasn’t passed yet but it needs to because all of us, as individuals, and as humanitarians and as elected officials should do all we can to end those atrocities in that region of the world.”

Alaska has $22 million invested in companies tied to Sudan. Governor-Elect Palin was sent a letter by  Congress (including Sens. Dick Durbin and Sam Brownback) urging her to support divestment on Nov. 15, 2006–only a few days after her victory in the general election.

Palin did not publicly support divestment  until April 3, 2008. It took her more than 16 months. When the Santa Fe Reporter alerted Gov. Bill Richardson’s office of  New Mexico’s money tied to Sudan, it took him less than two weeks to order the divestment of a total of $45 million. A few weeks later the job was done and the money moved.

Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a divestment bill for Sen. John McCain’s home state of Arizona on March 10, 2008. Sen. Barack Obama’s state, Illinois divested in June 2005 - more than a year before Alaska “found out” about it’s investments.

UPDATED: Own the sidewalk has even more details (including links to committee testimony) on why it died in the Alaska legislature. Quick answer, Palin’s folk argued against it in the House.

UPDATED: ABC News, the Washington Post and Newsday have also debunked Palin’s claims.