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Trying something new starting today. . . . Over the course of the week, I often find myself having conversations or coming across ideas or issues that don’t quite make it into post form, or I see posts by others here that get me thinking or deserve more attention. . . or there are just things that I know are going to come up during the weekend and I want to start the conversation early. So, I thought I would try to put some of those thoughts and observations on tape. (Tape? Listen to me—phh!) I am calling it The Party Line, in part because, like the party lines of days long ago, there is the possibility that others are listening in, and also because this would be so much more fun if it were a conversation had at a cocktail or dinner party, rather than having to talk to an empty room with a Flip cam in it.
I haven’t quite mastered that “party” atmosphere, yet, but you gotta start somewhere. So, without further adieu, I give you the inaugural edition of The Party Line.
30 Comments
Great job.
Most people would hear the phrase and think of the other meaning of party line.
Thanks!
With Obama focusing on his reelection campaign I’m betting the next 2 years are about messaging, increasing the violence level in Afghanistan and Pakistan, more job killing “free trade” agreements, ensuring the entrenchment of the finance industry continues and more messaging.
I liked this too.
Where is that Change we were promised?
Gregg, great idea!
When I read the title I thought you were going to talk about AT&T and their fear of a party line to them! LOL! re: Privacy
Yes, the messaging or Massasging of America is an excellent topic as well.
To be delivered on the second Tuesday of next week.
As far as gun control is concerned I think Digby says it best:
It’s relatively unimportant compared to the economic issues.
A bombing campaign in Iran (under false flag pretenses, of course) might be the only political silver bullet to bail his ass out in 2012. His predecessor taught him that you can’t market a war in August, so probably about a year or 15 months from now.
Joe Lieberman will continue to serve in the Senate for about as long as Barack Obama has been president.
Thanks. Yes, I was thinking, the next two years are all about massaging!
“is this the party to whom I am blogging?”
Great job, Gregg! This should be a regular Friday segment! I look forward to it.
I disagree. Because of what happened in Tuscon, there is national attention on the gun control issue right now. If we don’t politically seize this opportunity to shed light on the problem, we won’t have another opportunity until someone else prominent gets shot or killed.
As terrible as some may say it is to “make political bones” out of the Tuscon shootings, I think it presents a unique opportunity where the entire country is focused on what happened. And most are willing to listen to reasonable alternatives that could prevent something so horrible from happening again.
Blue Texan’s regularly scheduled post is available: Michele Bachmann Just What the 2012 GOP Field Needs: More Crazy
ooooh excellent, Gregg
looking forward to this series
“Messaging” sadly, sounds like exactly where they are headed.
as has been shown in just a few posts here at the Lake – they effin’ SUCK at messaging. again and again, they go against what their own g-d polling shows and put out crap harmful to their own electoral fortunes
jeebus
hey !
Great idea Gregg…please DO continue this each week as I enjoyed your honest assessment.
The Party Line. Good. Just what we need. Like KrisAinCA, I think it should appear as a regular show in its own time slot. Friday works for me.
I too was struck by the absence of interest in the inauguaration anniversary. My sense is that people in my circle, which includes people of all political flavors, have a deep and abiding feeling that Something is Very Wrong. Responsbility for Something Wrong inevitably moves toward, then settles on, the President. I don’t think this president is loved or liked or identified with or thought of as a friend. Nobody’s telling cute Obama stories. Nobody gives a crap about his dog. So no matter how he is polling at the moment, I don’t think his support runs deep. The first alternative people see is the one they will jump at, whether it is Republican or Democratic, animal, vegetable or mineral. And Obama era will be toast.
I agree with you, but it’s not going to happen. Democrats capitulated on this one a loooooooooooong time ago.
make ‘hey!” while the sun shines… :~)
Good feature; keep it coming!
Regarding the “Make me do it” conversation, it’s evident that Obama had that discussion with Blankfein, Dimon and the Koch brothers (or their proxies), and NOT with anyone remotely liberal/progressive. And we can see every day that they are quite successfully making him “do it”. Everything for Wall Street, nothing for Main Street.
The next two years will certainly be “all about messaging” and not in any way about getting things done (“We can’t get anything done because there are Republicans in charge of the House! Wahh!”) The Obama squad has abandoned all pretense of ever getting anything done other than funneling as much money as possible to their corporate masters. Voters no longer matter in elections, only fat-cat donors and their checkbooks. Voters will do what their TV tells them to, so of course messaging and the money to catapult the propaganda will be the focus not just for the next two years, but henceforth. Citizens United v. FEC will dominate US politics for as long as the US remains a nation (which might be three or four more years).
It sounds incredibly naive to ask the Obama Administration to make itself respectable enough to win. Administration apologists frequently tell us that we will like the healthcare sellout if President Obama does a better job of selling it.
But the truth is: He is an appealing spokesmodel for Bush’s policies, and he did a good enough job of selling, but the product is bogus.
If President Obama does make himself acceptable enough to win, it will be a great victory for the Right wing.
O/T — sometime last winter somebody posted some very cute pics of the “intrepid snow kitty” in conjunction with a post. (The kitty was looking high and low for the truth about something, can’t remember what.) Anyway, how about some more snow kitty pics? Damn cute cat!
Who is it who said “You can put lipstick on a pig. . . ”
Oh yeah. That guy.
Good feature – keep doing it Gregg!
What does it say about a Congress that is silent on this topic? That something is deeply rotten in DC?
Meanwhile, Parté!
Thanks Gregg, I liked it.
And yeah, it’s about policy, not messaging. Not that I like the messaging, but when the policy is no good what does messaging amount to?