2008 – A Year in Review

I’m trying something new.

A few of my more  industrious friends  send an “end of the year” letter in which they recall the triumphs, tribulations and mundanity of their personal years.  Some of these, I’ll admit, are incredibly boring; others are rather enlightening.  Having never written one myself, I figured this is as good a year as any to try to write my own.  Follow me over the fold for “2008 – A Year in Review.”

Stewart v. Huckabee

This is an absolutely fascinating exchange between Jon Stewart – one of the most thoughtful, articulate entertainers of our day – and Mike Huckabee.

The gay marriage issue, as evidenced by this conversation, boils down to the wrongly-held belief that being gay is a choice.

Check it out:

Keith Olbermann on Proposition 8

Keith Olbermann – in his unique style – gave an impassioned Special Comment on the passage of the hideous Proposition 8 in California that amended the California constitution to ban gay marriage.

Well done, Mr. Olbermann.

Reaction from the Right

I live in the New York City area, so I really don’t know too many conservatives.  I am gleefully surrounded by liberals who think very much like I do.

But one place I’ve encountered conservative vitriol is the wonder that is Facebook.  One now-ex friend on FB – we’ll call him E – and I had some rather spirited discussions during this election season.   I received the following message from him late last night:

You’re the stupid asshole who is blinded by his hatred of Bush and the Republicans. You and the rest of America drank the Kool Aid. The man has no experiene. I’ve been an assistant soccer for as long as he’s been in the Senate. I’m not qualifeid to be the National team coach and he isn’t qualified to be president. Just like Biden said, our country will face an international crisis in the 1st six months of his presidency because nobody his afraid of him bedause he is gutless. He has spoken on 3 different occassions about his muslim faith, standing by the Muslims and defending Palestine but each time he was misunderstood. Give me a fucking break. He is friends with known terrorist and anarchist Bill Ayres. He wants socialist health care. He wants to tax small business and give the money to the poor. That’s Marxist. He wants to limit what the press can say (the media who kissed his ass). Government controlled press is communism. When you have your freedoms curbed, it will be your own damn fault. Of course all the stuff I said will be ignored by you. A brick wall has more common senses. Obama won’t last 8 years. He kill the country long before then

I actually laughed out loud at the “freedoms curbed” line.  Wasn’t it the Bush Administration – and the REPUBLICANS – that pushed the Patriot Act?  The idiocy seems to know no bounds.

Yes, WE did!

Oh, what a night!

Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States…and I couldn’t be happier.

McCain’s Greatest Hits

Josh Marshall over at Talkingpointsmemo.com put together a pretty fantastic recap of the sleazy campaign John McCain has run against Barack Obama.

It’s been some respectful campaign you’ve run, Senator.

Vlad and Boris

Doggone it.  You betcha!!!

Why are you so angry, Senator McCain?

I actually thought John McCain started the debate very strongly last night. That is, until his anger, his petulance, his DISDAIN for Obama starting shining through.

This video pretty features some of McCain’s nastiest moments:

There was only one man on that stage last night fit to be President.

It’s (all but) over…

Could the contrast between Barack Obama and John McCain be any starker?  Watching the debate last night, the thought actually crossed my mind that this contest is almost unfair.  Obama exudes calm, confidence, focus, energy.  McCain looks like an angry, stammering, old man who may blow his top at a moment’s notice.  It’s not just that Obama is on the right side of the issues; He LOOKS Presidential.  McCain looks like one of the guys I used to sell bingo cards to on Sunday afternoons at Citizens Fire Company.  McCain clearly loathes Obama.  Once again, he could barely look at him.  At times, I expected McCain to pick up his stool and try to slug Obama with it.

Methinks John McCain is going to need to get over his anger.  Soon, instead of referring to Obama as “That One,” he’ll be calling him Mr. President.

Citizens of Schuylkill County, PA…

please watch this.

It’s a video of a speech given on July 1, 2008 by Richard Trumka, the Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO, to a gathering of union leaders.  He lays out the most convincing case I’ve heard about the upcoming election: There’s no good reason for any worker to not vote for Barack Obama; but there is one really bad reason NOT to vote for him.”

Watch, and share with everyone you know: