Without getting too much into the fakery that is ultimately the 'generation gaps'...
And no, I don't think Obama's very competent. He's shown absolutely no signs of it, and every sign of being a media-manufactured personality. McCain's obnoxious and authoritarian, but at least he's real.
As a state senator, I think he was fairly effective. His career as a Senator has been brief and marked mostly by a desire not to rock the boat. However: if you take just this Presidential race? He out-organized the Hillary camp to switch watch precision, and not just in fund raising. You should read the dueling exposes: the one in the Atlantic about the Hillary camp shows they had no understanding of the primary system. The ones on Obama show that his team is run like a tight-knit machine. That alone bodes well.
Amusingly, before the Left denigrated McCain as a "madman," he had very much the opposite reputation. He was famous for being one of the most conciliatory leading Republicans, which is very much in line with the Silent Generational character. I suspect that McCain is going along a bit with the "madman" critics because it makes him look tougher, which appeals to the Republican base.
As for McCain, like a lot of liberals, I had respect for him prior to 9/11. Post-9/11, he's warped into another hawk imperialist. A complete shame, but the Bush Wars have been TERRIBLE for the country. I know we've argued this point over and over again, so I don't want to start it with you. Suffice to say that the majority of the country is coming around to the reality of the situation and hopefully we'll have more success in this election.
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Re: "Allamagoosa" and "The Star"
Date: 2008-08-18 05:54 am (UTC)And no, I don't think Obama's very competent. He's shown absolutely no signs of it, and every sign of being a media-manufactured personality. McCain's obnoxious and authoritarian, but at least he's real.
As a state senator, I think he was fairly effective. His career as a Senator has been brief and marked mostly by a desire not to rock the boat. However: if you take just this Presidential race? He out-organized the Hillary camp to switch watch precision, and not just in fund raising. You should read the dueling exposes: the one in the Atlantic about the Hillary camp shows they had no understanding of the primary system. The ones on Obama show that his team is run like a tight-knit machine. That alone bodes well.
Amusingly, before the Left denigrated McCain as a "madman," he had very much the opposite reputation. He was famous for being one of the most conciliatory leading Republicans, which is very much in line with the Silent Generational character. I suspect that McCain is going along a bit with the "madman" critics because it makes him look tougher, which appeals to the Republican base.
As for McCain, like a lot of liberals, I had respect for him prior to 9/11. Post-9/11, he's warped into another hawk imperialist. A complete shame, but the Bush Wars have been TERRIBLE for the country. I know we've argued this point over and over again, so I don't want to start it with you. Suffice to say that the majority of the country is coming around to the reality of the situation and hopefully we'll have more success in this election.