My long-term prediction: Election day will launch a lengthy legal battle and on December 21 the Supreme Court decides in favor of Romney…thereby fulfilling the Mayan calendar end-of-the-world-date.
That said, I will endeavor to be even handed in my commenting on the debate. See you shortly.
PAD
Continue Reading “Live blogging the Presidential debate will begin here”
The recent debates and, more to the point, the reaction to them, have been the entirety of the GOP/Democrat dynamic in microcosm.
On the one hand, there’s the GOP. The party that launched a bold, “We don’t give a dámņ what you think of us” initiative in October 2010, or at least articulated it baldly enough to attract notice: Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell declaring, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” Not pass laws, not help the downtrodden, not serve the people. Their energies were to be devoted to preventing the president (and by extension the Democrats) from accomplishing anything. During the Bush years, any Democrat making such a statement would have been pilloried as unpatriotic and even treasonous.
Romney’s declaration that he was going to “reach across the aisle” carried with it the implication that Obama had failed to do so; a galling assertion considering that the GOP had effectively declared Obama public enemy number one. Even previously standard actions, such as raising the debt ceiling, were blocked by the GOP in order to damage Obama’s record. Using filibusters in record numbers and blocking 375 Democratic bills (including the Vision Care for Kids Act, the Veterans Training Act, and the Elder Abuse Victims Act) Republicans have not only aggressively stonewalled both the Obama administration and the needs of the electorate, but they now have the audacity to act as the peacemakers. Kind of like an abusive husband telling his wife that he promises not to beat her anymore if she’ll just avoid pìššìņg him off.
And yet when President Obama had the opportunity to highlight this in face-to-face conflict with Romney, he backed off. When Romney spoke in smooth, conciliatory language, Obama let him off the hook. I mean, if someone’s party spends four years—four years—doing everything within their power to ignore their oaths of service and block all that you try to accomplish, that’s got to make you mad. People need to see that it makes you mad, because otherwise they assume that you’re okay with it. Or worse, afraid to stand up to it.
I’m trying to determine how many copies of scripts for the animated YJ series I should bring along to sell at NYCC. So I’m giving people a chance to advance order. I’d prefer if you placed it at the comments section of my website at peterdavid.net so it’s all in one place.
Please tell me, right here in this space, if you will be interested in purchasing (for $20) any of the following YJ episodes
Season 1: SECRETS
It’s Halloween. Artemis and Zatanna are in Manhattan for a girls’ night out. There, they encounter the deadly Harm, who has a secret.
Season 1: INSECURITY
Red Arrow’s return undercuts Artemis’ confidence, while the team’s mission to track down Sportsmaster threatens to expose her darkest secrets.
Season 2: BLOODLINES
The arrival of Impulse triggers a situation that involves multi-generations of Flash
PAD
It is with a certain degree of weary resignation that I post my schedule for New York Comic Con. Why? Because I’m putting it up on my website…and cross posting to Twitter…and Facebook…and I could take out full page ads in all three major NY newspapers and buy commercial time on the debut of “Arrow” and I know the most repeated refrain I’m going to hear from my fans is, “I looked ALL OVER and couldn’t find Peter David ANYwhere.” Yeah, that’s me; I’m the dámņëd Shadow.
My table is at Artist’s Alley, over in the North Plaza, table BB1. That is for the most part where I will be when I’m not on panels. I will not be attending Thursday. Friday morning I will be in meetings and not available.
Friday
12:15 – 1:15: Marvel Now! All New X-Men – 1E07
2-3 PM: Marvel booth signing
3 – 4 Marvel Prose novels panel – 1A21
Saturday
3-4 Stan Lee’s World of Heroes – 1E13
4-5 Marvel booth signing
Sunday
11-12: Marvel booth signing
PAD
I received the following email today from Barack Obama. Apparently we’re on a first name basis: He calls me “Peter” and signs his “Barack.” Which is kind of weird because if I met him I somehow can’t see me calling him “Mr. President” and him saying, “Please, call me Barack.”
In any event, this was the letter:
This is in your hands, Peter
Peter —
There have been many times in my life when I’ve been counted out — told that I couldn’t do it, told not to speak out for what I believe in, told to not even run in the first place.
I’ve only gotten this far because I’ve had people like you with me every step of the way.
Right now the other side is trying to obliterate the hard work we’ve put in on the ground in this campaign by flooding the airwaves with factually inaccurate, negative attack ads.
If they win, they’re going to dismantle everything we’ve accomplished together over the past three and a half years, and turn back the clock to the same failed policies that got us into this mess in the first place.
We cannot let that happen. Please donate $3 or more today:
Thanks. It means a lot to know you’ve got my back.
Barack
And because I was in a mood, I responded thusly:
Dear Mr. President:
With all respect–and I know you won’t read this–it’s not my job to have your back. It’s your job to have the backs of millions of people. People who are counting on you. People whose health and in many cases lives are hinging upon your reelection.
Yes, I’m aware that in the debate, you won on the facts. And in 1960, Nixon won on the facts (at least to anyone who was listening on the radio.) But being on television demands other characteristics upon which many Americans base their judgments. Romney had it. You did not. Granted, Romney had much less to lose than you did, but you can’t stand there and appear that you’re afraid of losing.
The fact is that more people are like George W. Bush than anyone wants to admit. They judge not based on fact, but on their gut. No one, not even your most ardent supporters, could watch the way you handled yourself and have a good feeling in their guts about it.
I’m fully aware that debating Romney is like falling into the middle of the Monty Python “Argument Clinic” sketch. “You’re lying!” “No, I’m not.” You need to realize what Romney is: he’s a bully. A bully needs to be stripped of his power, and the best way to deal with the bully that Mitt Romney is is to laugh at him. Don’t take him seriously. Explicitly state that it’s hard to keep a straight face debating with him because he’s so ridiculous. Treat him like a joke. Tear him apart. Reduce him to a punchline. Because that’s what we need you to do.
Have our back.
Very truly yours,
Peter David
We are about two minutes from the beginning of the coverage of the debate.
I am currently on ABC where I am going to try to watch but if we have commentary by the news people, I am changing the channel.
Now I am saying this Here and Now. I don’t care what your political affiliations. You can argue positions but name calling will get your comments either de-voweled or deleted.
9:02 Presidental Gladiators? ABC not the best choice of words.
9:03 Fact checker> I am going else where
9:04 OK, now we are talking 6 fifteen segments. 3 Economy, Healthcare, Government, and ?
(:05 And here come the candidates. Romeny in red tie and Obama in blue
9:06 New Jobs is up but first Obama’s anniversary
9:08 Romney made a joke that was funny
9:10 Obama nothing new there. Romney is actually presenting some points. Small business started? How? Not very convincing.
9:11 Education OK. Taxes down but close loopholes so it can be american jobs. Making oil an issue. Aaaand we are onto the deficits and the rich
9:13 “Middle Class” do a shot
9:13 Romney is back-peddling on what he has said on taxes. He is trying to pull the middle class and the costs of things. HOW How do you balance the budget Mr. Romney? Wave a magic wand? He has been well prepared.
9:15 So we are going to burn coal? Are you Crazy? More Oil? Where? Alaska? How? And the Canadian pipeline is not a good idea with the current technology.
9:16 So I think I would have done about 10 shots by now just on the words “Middle Class”
9:17 Romney is texting? What is he looking at? He’s texting.
9:18 I will not is said a lot but what would you DO. And he brings in the kids into it. There’s a sound byte that he was taught
9:20 Is Obama texting? What is he looking at? Do they have their smart phones with them?
9:20 Obama pulls out the flip-fop Romney challenge. Asking for specifics Romney still dances around it.
9:21 There’s the Ghost of Clinton
9:22 AND we are back to education
I was behind the feed but am back on the live feed. Sorry folks the times will sync here.
9:24 The Ghost of Clinton again
9:24 Romney won’t let this go. What the F8ck IS your PLAN!>?!?!?! Now he is pounding on talking points he has been rehearsing. Get in there moderator
9:26 Deficit talk How to get rid of it Let’s see if anything comes out of this
9:26 Moral Issue? Moral Issue? WTF
9:27 Getting rid of PBS and Healthcare? States will have to pay more. So he would move the deficit from federal to state and call that a balanced budget?
9:29 Obama telling what he has done so far. OK Obama is doing math that people can do and these are specifics rather than generalizations. Unbalanced is a good word for this.
9:31 Romney does not like Simpson/Bowls. OH these were the zingers that he has been practicing. He is stuttering not a sign of truth.
9:34 Spain? We are now Spain?
9:35 Bringing in Big Oil and the subsidies. No breaks for corporate jets. Obama giving specifics. AAAANd we are back to education and homey stories. Medicaid to the states is not a good idea on every level
9:37 Romney is really pushing it here and trying to justify. Green energy. Pick the losers? Romney on the attack but not doing the best job.
9:40 3rd segment on Entitlements starting with Social Security
9:41 Homey story yet again. Obama just answer the question rather than your talking points. Entitlements is a hot button word.
9:42 And Romney back-peddles yet again. Oh wait Romney has one of his zingers
9:43 Bring up the cuts? they aren’t CUTS.
9:45 Go for it Obama! Explain what Romney has said on his OWN platform. We are talking vouchers in healthcare.
9:47 Romney is trying to put this spin on this that just doesn’t work. How is this going to fit into the budget? Two systems at the same time?
9:49 Moderator get control of this!
9:50 Federal Regulation of the Economy. Romney trying to keep on his talking points. Moderator trying to take control.
9:52 Bush’s watch was responsible for the bank failure.
9:53 Wall Street reforms that were put into place. Good use of the word “bet”.
9:54 Too Big to Fail was BUSH not Obama
9:55 Now we are onto health care. Affordable healthcare.
9:56 Aaaand we are into folkies stories again. We get it, you both talk to people. Aaand we are back to the medicare again.
9:58 Preexsisting condition. I know entirely too many people who got screwed over on that by the insurance companies. Obama presenting his policies again. Ah ha there is the previous Romney point.
10:01 that is because the republicans wouldn’t play ball !!!! All they did the entire time was block anything Obama wanted to do.
10:03 I don’t think Romney will reach across the aisle.
10:04 Performance base pay? Not going to fly really. Look at schools.
10:06 What was that?
10:07 Aannnd he is still not answering what he would do. Romney had avoided saying anything that he WOULD do just what he would not.
10:09 Obama going on the lack of details which is a good move.
10:11 Moderator get in there and take it over. Romney is bring out the ghost of Reagan. The problem is that no one would do what Tip and Ronnie did back them because of the political fighting
10:13 how one views the federal government
10:13 Obama first. Government in education and getting teachers skilled
10:16 so Romney loved teachers but again he is giving the cost of the states. He will balance the budget on the backs of the states.
10:16 Oh this is SO rehearsed and sound byte.He has been waiting for this the whole evening
10:17 State and local level yet again. Again no specifics. And school of choice (vouchers) Education is needed to create workers no argument.
10:20 Getting training programs in place federal support. College affordable although it is not. Obama brings up Romney’s idea to get money from parents.
!0:23 What the hack does this have to do with education? He is all over the map.
(Note Ariel says “Romney’s tie is crooked. It’s symbolic”)
10:24 Romney keeps harping on things that Obama did at the beginning of his presidency until the Republican caucus told him that he will never win.
10:26 He brought Benladen into it Which is the next debate.
Closing Statements
Obama’s remarks: And we are back to homey stories. OK we get it y’all are both folksy. OK now we are talking points rich.
Romney: (kath: I Glad that I didn’t use the word America in the drinking game) he is not saying what he would doing but what he says Obama is doing wrong. Nothing solid. He believes in fairy dust and pixies will make things better.
Was Romney giving his masters signals with morse code? He was blinking like an owl in daylight
Honestly I don’t think I learned anything that I didn’t know before. Not many sound bites there.
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