Jordan Michael Smith

Barack Obama--in 1995

A great profile from the Chicago Reader.

Will Ferrell

My latest piece for Campus Progress.

McCain's Militarism

McCain is trying to play as the Republicans' familiar 'war president.' Because Republicans are more trusted than Democrats on National Security, the thinking goes, focusing on McCain's war credentials is the best strategy for November. Richard Nixon ran as a hawk against George McGovern, Ronald Reagan ran as a hawk against Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale, and George W. Bush ran as a hawk against John Kerry. All were successful.

But there's a difference this time around: an unpopular war McCain is committed to. When Nixon ran against McGovern, he was pledging to end the Vietnam War, and more Americans trusted him to end it "with honor" than they did McGovern. Reagan was hawkish vis-a-vis the Soviets, but he never pledged to put American troops in harm's way. And Kerry had been an Iraq war supporter, so the contrast between him and Bush was not clear, focusing only on issues of competence.

McCain, however, is advocating escalation of a war that is already unpopular, against Obama, who never liked the war in the first place. This is, I think, a much more risky proposition. He's betting on the militarism of the American people, and I think he's betting wrong.

Obama's Church

I'm still not convinced it matters that much, but here's a helpful, balance article in the New Yorker.

Awwwwwwwwwwww

A true American.

The Guy's a Genius

Did I link to this? I should have. It's brilliant.

Obama's Excuses

I have to say, I'm underwhelmed by Obama's explanations for remaining at his church. I just have a hard time believing these were the only crazy things Reverend Wright has said, or that Obama didn't hear them. It just doesn't fly. Obama's known him for decades, and anybody who is saying crazy thing from a pulpit is saying crazier things in private.

Having said that, I think being associated with people with crazy and hateful opinions is low on the transgressions list. Much, much worse is advocating and extending an unnecessary war that kills tens of thousands, or isolating and possibly bombing Iran, or anything of that sort. So it simply doesn't matter that much to me.

It's Not Just Iraq

Kevin Drum looks at McCain's big foreign speech last night and concludes, "Except for the whole Iraq thing, this version of John McCain almost sounds like he could join Code Pink. Apparently the pandering for the independent vote has now started in earnest." McCain's Iraq-forever policy shouldn't lead us to overlook the many other flawed ideas outlined in his speech. Let's take, for example, his idea that America should form a League of Democracies (LOD).

An LOD is not, in fact, McCain's idea--it's actually Charles Krauthammer's idea. And when you're taking ideas from Krauthammer, you're taking terrible ideas. The League of Democracies really became popular in the wake of the Iraq War debate, as France, Russia and Germany attempted to prevent America from going to war. Now, of course, we wish France, Russia and Germany had been a little more successful at restraining us. Sometimes tying down Gulliver is good for Gulliver.

But the real problem with the LOD is it would leave out China and Russia, two of the world's premier powers, the former one thought by most analysts to be the world's next superpower.  China and Russia are not going to enjoy having their legitimacy questioned and their interests ignored. And what are they going to do? Everything in their power to work together to pursue their interests without the West. Since McCain also said yesterday he doesn't think China should pursue regional organizations that exclude America, it isn't wise to create the LOD, a body that leaves them no choice but to do just that.

More Bush-y Goodness.

War=peace?

Some More Birth Pangs

Most insensitive statement of the day. Not the most of the year, though. He's still got 9 more months.