Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Woke up this morning feeling so chipper and delighted with life that my mood has a sound track. Why this good cheer? Well, for an hour or so I rather wondered that myself. Then it struck me. Despite the suppurating pessimism of my friend and comrade Rob Long, in the course of this week, imperceptibly, in mental movements so small that I was scarcely aware of them, I've come to this conclusion: I actually like the current political dynamic.
I reason as follows:
All Mitt has to do in the first debate is to exceed the present, low expectations. The press will immediately start writing "comeback" stories. The polls will tighten--there's just no way that polls showing Mitt 10 points down in Ohio could have been accurate in the first place--and the new polls will engender still more good press. (The press is trying to sell newspapers and airtime. When it comes right down to it, their desire for a close race will trump their ideological preference for Obama.)
He still has to perform well in the debate next Wednesday. But if he does--and I see no reason to doubt that he will--then Mitt Romney will become the Comeback Kid.
And if you doubt me, Brother Long, I can only suggest you take a stroll on the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge.
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Dec '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
You can take the crosstown bus if it's raining or it's cold, and the animals will love it if you do.
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Well, yes. A good debate may make a big difference. Look, I'm hoping for a big Romney victory. I'm cheering the possibility of The Paul Rahe Scenario. But I'd feel a lot better if the guy striding onto the stage to face Barack Obama had blood on his mind. Maybe he will. But I think that's what it's going to take.
Dec '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
By the way: Obama could have a total nervous breakdown a la Cap'n Queeg during the first debate, and Romney could channel some astral combination of Reagan, Lincoln and Cicero, and the mainstream media will write the story as a comeback for Obama - as the unskilled debater besting the well-rehearsed Romney.
Apr '11
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
I wish I could believe that the media's desire for a horserace will trump their ideological lean toward Obama. But seriously, this is Obama we're talking about....the media absolutely revels in his glory, and loves portraying him as some kind of political colossus.
And Romney is everything they hate: conservative, a successful businessman, and white.
It could happen, but I'll believe it when I see it.
Dec '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
But Romney is terrible at this stuff. Just ask his staff.
Apr '11
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
The various economic metrics that have come out this week have been ghastly (Q2 GDP revised down, Q3 forecast revised down, disposable income dropped, durable good orders collapsed, Chicago PMI down under 50). Mitt needs to use them to hammer both Obama and the good feelings that people have developed about the economy since the DNC (which I am willing to now say is the most successful convention of the modern era). I would tell Mitt to go full-wonk, and actually explain what some of these numbers mean, and what they portend for the economy.
Sep '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
There's something terribly wrong when the folks who make the most money from campaigns are the very ones anointed to (quote) cover them. It's very difficult not to become testy when you don't know whom and what to believe, not to mention being inundated by constant unexamined assertions about Obama's intellect and fabulous debating skills. It's Wonderland without the wonder.
Jul '11
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Peter Robinson
And if you doubt me, Brother Long, I can only suggest you take a stroll on the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge. · · 33 minutes ago
No!--don't do that. I live near the bridge and occasionally walk it (one doesn't "stroll" because cyclists and rollerbladers whizzing by from behind at 30mph on the grade into Queens without warning is too unnerving). The walkway is dirty, narrow and unpleasant. Nothing groovy about it.
Try the Brooklyn Bridge instead.
Feb '11
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Simon and Garfunkel (or Tom and Jerry from American Bandstand)? Sheesh. Get some blood pumping rather than listening to that. Van Halen at least.
Aug '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Feelin' Groovy here in Tampa on a Friday afternoon. The sun's like a red rubber ball. All is well!
Edited on September 28, 2012 at 11:47pmAug '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Well, he's 2.5 out of 3 at least :)
May '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Peter Robinson
Woke up this morning feeling so chipper and delighted with life that my mood has a sound track.
Wow, that's a stunningly good Simon & Garfunkel performance.
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
wmartin
The various economic metrics that have come out this week have been ghastly (Q2 GDP revised down, Q3 forecast revised down, disposable income dropped, durable good orders collapsed, Chicago PMI down under 50). Mitt needs to use them to hammer both Obama and the good feelings that people have developed about the economy since the DNC (which I am willing to now say is the most successful convention of the modern era). I would tell Mitt to go full-wonk, and actually explain what some of these numbers mean, and what they portend for the economy. · 5 hours ago
I agree 100%. If Mitt can connect like that with the voter, I for one will be cheeringly optimistic. I know he's got it in him.
Jan '12
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
It seems to me that the only entity with 'blood on its mind' is the media, and it's Mitt Romney's blood they're after!
He will come across as a deer in the headlights and we will all be dying inside as we watch...
Aug '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Simon and Garfunkel , hippie is too long in the tooth for you .
Go timeless :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv2kfYyrNy4&feature=youtube_gdata_playerIt worked for your kids , it works for everybody .My oh my.....$60/hr
Edited on September 29, 2012 at 3:16amJun '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
"He still has to perform well in the debate ...and I see no reason to doubt that he will..."
Even though he's quite stiff and Jim Lehrer will be doing everything he can to actively trip Mitt up and embarrass him, from the way he structures the questions to the timing of his interruptions?
And that whistling I hear from you, Mr. Robinson, made me check the map to see if there might be a graveyard near the 59th St. Bridge, past which you might be doing so.
Jan '12
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
Mr. Romney is caught between the 'two horns of a dilemma'; if he sticks with his talking points and familiar charges his delivery is fluent and coherent but is stale and sometimes lacks zeal, but if he ad-libs and speaks 'off the cuff', then he is long-winded, repetitious and gets flustered.
Not a pleasure to watch when he's your candidate...
Edited on September 29, 2012 at 3:02pmMay '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
wmartin:
And Romney is everything they hate: conservative, a successful businessman, and white.
You miss the elements of Romney they hate the most. He's religious, doesn't cheat, and has no personal skeletons on his closet. Why do you think he doesn't get any credit for the great unseen good he has done all his life? He doesn't fit the media template of hypocritical judgmental religious nut.
If he coughs wrong or wears the wrong tie...well, look what MSNBC did to his rally the other day. There is NOTHING they won't do to try to damage him. They don't care about the horse race in THIS election. They are all in.
I keep thinking of Jim Taylor to Joe Payne in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: "Either we are out of business or bigger than ever."
That's the media and Obama's re-election...
May '10
Re: Life I Love Ya, Or, Take That, Brother Long
After seeing what Steve Schmidt and Nicole Wallace did to Sarah Palin in 2008, I would feel much better if Romney DID enjoy firing some people...and start with a large part of his current staff.
Who ARE these people? Double-agents?