We now see more of the future before us when it comes to Obama and Clinton. I don’t think it’s any kind of stretch to declare that Hillary won last night’s debate fairly handily. On the first question both balked at answering it directly. That was the one about being each other’s vice presidential running mate. Both declared it was too early to think about that. From then on Obama took a beating. He did not handle that stuff about his Chicago pastor well at all. He was worse at handling the “resentment” question. Overall Hillary was much more in touch with peoples’ feelings and guarding her words carefully. Obama called people who shouldn’t have guns “deranged”. Hillary preferred the more gentle term of “mentally challenged” and overall in the guns discussion you picked up the “vibe” from Hillary that she understood your desire to preserve the second amendment. In so many cases Hillary looked better merely because she got to answer first, like on the tax questions and Iraq War questions. Hillary set the tone that the “mission” in Iraq or anywhere is defined by the President himself and not by the generals. This is a generic Truth and I hope people understand that. It’s not the President’s job to obey the orders of the generals but it’s their job to obey his, or hers, or whoever is President. Hillary was unambiguous and assirtive in stating that it was her purpose to get all the troops out of Iraq, and I liked that. On the tax issue Obama spoke in less clear terminology than did Hillary. Overall Hillary was the more skilled word-smith. She was able to paint a better, more compelling picture, using fewer strokes. (words) Hillary spoke less than Obama but was ability to say more with the words she had because her speech has a “Self Evident” quality, which is a good quality to have. I think overall Hillary was able to “connect” with the voters better than Obama. Hillary didn’t seem to have the “flag” issue or the “terrorist sympathizer” issues that Obama had to face. On so many issues during a large portion of the debate last night Obama was on the defensive. A lot of times Obama appeared to be self consciously tap dancing around an issue in an almost Nixonian manner, and believe me, that’s not a good place to be. Like the Kennedy Nixon debates, Obama came off is kind of a “Me, too” kind of guy. Obama appeared more nervous and Hillary appeared more relaxed and self confident, and I’m sure people pick up on that. Occasionally a question is asked that if it were me I’d respond, ‘I don’t think that’s any of your business”. If it were me on the stage and some of that flag stuff came up I just might respond “Oh come on, you know what kind of people these flag wavers are. They’re covering up for their insecurities!”. In like manner when it came to issues of “Faith” I’d say the absence of a professed “Faith” does not to me indicate any lack of patriotism or devotion to one’s country.
It would seem that Obama is gaining in the polls according to the LA Times, which I read yesterday. But I’m getting déjà vu of Hampshire, where Obama kept going up and up in the polls and Hillary ended up winning. I suspect particularly in Indiana people are shy about their own racial biases and won’t admit they’ll decline to vote for a candidate merely because he’s Black. Many say Hillary’s remarks were aimed at the super-deligates out there. On the issue of who can win- - both candidates answered identically. They said they were the best person for the job but that the other one could win. I think this needs to be stressed because both candidates are so similar in what they believe and there is such a huge gulf between either candidate and the Republicans. Either candidate should be proud to work for the other one to win in November. I guess I am looking for something in Obama that I’m not seeing- - growth. You will remember that Pete Best was kicked out of the Beatles and the chief reason is “He just didn’t grow with the rest of us”. I’ve seen growth and evolution in Hillary. I haven’t seen this in Obama. Jack Kennedy “grew” as the campaign progressed, and he also “grew” while in office. Obama looks like the same guy who first appeared fifteen months ago. I’ve seen Christian pastors that I hoped would “grow” out of certain behaviors that were really immature- - but they never did. I guess if you’re a comedian or someone who works around crowds all the time you draw energy from the crowd and feed off their reactions and remarks to hone your own skills. Obama is like a football coach who’s working from a tattered years old play book frantically trying to figure out “What do I do now?”
In terms of my mathematical stuff- - often when I explain my own thoughts to people I have a tendency to leap ahead with my logic and leave out key sentences and stepping stones so that people can’t follow me till I back up and explain. It’s a weakness I need to work on if I’m ever going to speak in public. Of course often my logic is sound but I’m saying “Let’s suppose set of facts “A” is true”, and go on to explore certain logical deductive conclusions. Other times I will say, “OK, let’s assume set of facts “B” is true”, and work from there. Some teachers are “show your work” kind of people and if they want the work, fine. In logic there are often facts I regard as Self Evident, that occasionally I get frustrated when someone asks you to prove they are true.
They had a thing on Hemmingway a night or two back. After it was over I had the thought that a certain figure in “popular music” might meet his death soon. It’s my belief that that this Artist was “channeling” Hemmingway in some of his best albums. This has been a Z A C belief for literally decades. Also I have had certain “beliefs” about Hemmingway that I haven’t exactly been able to prove. The first of which is that he is more conservative “now” than the life he led on earth would tend to indicate, and that in fact he was not a raving pro Castro communist while living in Cuba, but often worked for the government. Hemmingway is said to admire “dead authors” but is not so hot about living ones. His “prototype” seems to feel the same way in his songs and the people he mentions. It wouldn’t be a bad “carrier move” for this Artist to die now (I’m thinking in terms of slipping on a bar of soap in the shower), and maybe his songs would get played on the radio again. Or is that just Colonel Parker logic?
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