Live Blog Wrap: Foreign Policy Debate

Posted on October 22, 2012 by TheEastSider

Battle in Boca is last face-to-face matchup

President Obama and Governor Romney in the final debate of the 2012 election. Courtesy: C-Span.org

The debates are over and there were no real gotcha moments. It was an exercise in Romney agreeing with Obama but trying to make it sound like he failed. As CBS News’ Scott Pelley noted right after the debate, “It seemed like they both only came alive when they started talking about the economy.”

Both candidates pivoted back to the economy saying that a strong economy will help when it deals with the world. Its obvious that this election will come down to the economy and now its up to the political ads and surrogates….down the stretch they come! Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Obama Drains it from Three Point Land

Posted on September 6, 2012 by TheEastSider

Oh, its on!

Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for convention. Courtesy: Politico The highly choreographed infomercials that are our political conventions are now over. The Republicans held a distracted and somewhat shrill gathering that was high on complaining and offered little in solutions or more crucial; inspiration that undecideds can take to heart.

The Democrats were highly focused and on message over 90 percent of the time. It was a stronger line-up of surrogates and party stars that made effective pitches. It helps that they have a better brand, incumbency, accomplishments that have solid support by the electorate, and frankly better speech writers. Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Bill Clinton’s Political Potion Number Nine

Posted on September 5, 2012 by TheEastSider

How Bill Clinton seduced Peter Griffin and America

President Barack Obama joins former President Bill Clinton after he gave a rousing speech in support of his reelection. Courtesy: The Washington Times

There is a magic about Bill Clinton. Its obvious there is a sex appeal that women fell for during his entire political life as exhaustively chronicled in the 1990s. But his underlying irresistible mojo has to do with his wonky command of policy details along with his innate ability to communicate to his fellow Americans how these policies impact them.

Clinton’s defense of Barack Obama’s stewardship over the last three years all but eviscerated every Republican attack on Obama’s record. Clinton relished the role because as of late, Republicans were in a way co-opting Clinton’s legacy by praising Clinton on issues like welfare in order to tarnish Obama with a dubious and largely discredited attacks on his welfare policy. Continue reading →

BlogWrap: Michelle Obama Pitch Perfect

Posted on September 4, 2012 by TheEastSider

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention Tuesday September 4, 2012. Courtesy: YahooNews

Schedules kept me from covering the entire evening of speeches, but as one MSNBC Analyst put it, tonight was about speaking to the Democratic base, and reigniting their passion and reminding them why they supported Barack Obama in 2008.

Michelle Obama told a personal story about how their marriage began and the journey they took to the presidency. Obama showed that that journey was a familiar one for Americans in that it was done with student loans, low-paying jobs, and support from family members.

It was an important picture to paint, saying that Barack Obama understands your situation best, mostly because he has largely lived the same life that many Americans have. Continue reading →

Scott ‘Baghdad Bob’ Walker

Posted on September 2, 2012 by TheEastSider

Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf a.k.a “Baghdad Bob” was the Iraqi Information Minister under Saddam Hussein.

I’ve been wanting to write a post involving “Baghdad Bob” for quite a while and now I think I’ve finally found a reason. If you don’t know who former Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf is, he was the face of the Iraqi regime during the beginning of the Iraq war. Saddam Hussein was nowhere to be found but al-Sahaf, dubbed “Baghdad Bob” by the American press, was on the television spinning fantastic lies about how the war was going for Iraq.

It was of course going badly but you had to respect the man for doing his duty until the end. But what dictator survives without his very dedicated communications staff, and Bob’s role was to obsfucate the truth as much as possible.

Continue reading →

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