Daily Archives: 09/19/2008

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters)

. . . . and we’re decades removed from the era when someone’s sexual orientation was a guilty secret

(Community Matters) Ideas floating about an RTC-style entity to purchase distressed securities from ailing financial institutions. We’re potentially talking trillions. And, we’re talking hundreds of billions in shareholder wealth. We should also be talking about warrants from every private institution that we help rescue through these transactions. I’m talking a special type of warrant created to capture every bit of the increase in shareholder value as a result of the bailout, not just the immediate increase in value but the majority of value for a determined time in the future too in order to appropriately reward the American public for its largesse. I’m imagining an instrument which would capture the increase of, say, 80% of all increased market value for, say, 5 years. Obviously, financial institutions wouldn’t have to avail themselves of the securities put option. And, admittedly, the cost of doing so would be extraordinary. It should be. If there are private options, management absolutely should pursue them rather than government funding.

(Community Matters) Pardon my borrowing much of this posting from John Aravosis at Americablog. Let’s talk about a real topic of concern – first, this is just me, not in anyway reflective of positions, sentiments or even any private conversations with Obama staff or fellow NFC members – but I really think Senator McCain may either 1) already be suffering from dementia, or 2) as a 72-year old, not have the stamina to withstand the rigors of this campaign much less the pressures of the office. Either way, the guy is not up to being president of the United States of America. And, all due respect to undecided independents & swing voters,Gov Palin isn’t qualified to be a heart beat away from the presidency (because she may be a compulsive liar, has very little applicable experience & while gutsy, perhaps likable and has admittedly accomplished a great deal in her rise to governor of Alaska).

McCain confused Spain and its prime minister with some place in South American. During the interview, the reporter kept clarifying that she was talking about SPAIN.

The fundamentals of the economy are not strong. Despite the subsequent staff spin (have you seen the video clips?) he wasn’t talking about the work ethic of the American people. (let’s not even go to 177 formerly registered lobbyists (88 from financial sector) among McCain election staff and key volunteers).

The Russian – Georgian conflict is not, “the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War.”

Pakistan and Iraq do not share a border.

Czechoslovakia does not exists.

Somalia and Sudan are separate countries.

Sunnis and Shiites are not synonymous. Iran is ruled by Shiites. al-Qaeda is Sunni. (it’s okay if you and I get these confused. not at all if our leaders can’t keep it straight)

(Community Matters) I may have spoken too soon about McCain having the advantage in our media game. Just received:

By Ed O’Keefe
The Obama campaign has released new radio and TV ads in Spanish that seek to tie Sen. John McCain to anti-immigrant comments made by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. The ads also suggest the Republican has “dos caras” — “two faces” — when it comes to his relations with Latino voters. The new messages, airing in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, come in response to recent Spanish-language ads by the McCain campaign that suggest Obama is responsible for the collapse of last year’s bipartisan immigration reform efforts.

“They want us to forget the insults we’ve put up with, the intolerance,” the television ad’s announcer says in Spanish as a picture of Rush Limbaugh appears onscreen with quotes of him saying, “Mexicans are stupid and unqualified” and “Shut your mouth or get out.”

“They made us feel marginalized in a country we love so much,” the ad continues. “John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One that says lies just to get our vote and another, even worse, that continues the failed policies of George Bush that put special interests ahead of working families.”

The companion radio ad uses the same script as above and then continues:

“Don’t forget that John McCain abandoned us rather than confront the leaders of the Republican Party. Many of us were born here, and others came to work and achieve a better life for their families — not to commit crimes or drain the system like many of John McCain’s friends claim. Let’s not be fooled by political tricks from John McCain and the Republicans. Vote so they respect us. Vote for a change.”

This Spanish-language ad battle started Friday, when the McCain campaign started airing a TV spot in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico that laid the failure of comprehensive immigration reform at the feet of Obama and his Democratic colleagues, even though he supported the bipartisan efforts to enact such reforms and voted for their final proposal last year. It continued Tuesday when the RNC bought time in Nevada for a radio ad expressing similar arguments. The Obama campaign and Hispanic and pro-immigration reform groups denounced the ads as distortions.

“I think they don’t want us to pay attention to the fact that John McCain’s message in English is different than his message in Spanish,” said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) during a conference call with reporters today. “If the Latino community can’t count on John McCain in the heat of an election, how can we possibly count on him when the heat is really on in the White House?”

Both candidates have aired Spanish-language radio and TV ads primarily in the Southwest and Florida, where growing Hispanic populations have the potential to help turn previously red states blue for Obama. A July survey by the Pew Hispanic Center gave Obama a wide lead over McCain nationwide among Latino voters, and Democrats don’t plan to let the lead slip.

“Whenever we get a punch from Senator McCain, we’re going to counterpunch harder,” former transportation secretary Federico Pena said on the conference call. “We’re not going to take any vote for granted.”

The Obama campaign also plans to start airing advertisements next week in Florida.

(Community Matters) FiveThirtyEight says Obama 61%: McCain 39%. Real Clear Politics says Obama +1.9%. Good gosh it’s been a long two weeks.

The 1.9% more appropriately represents the closeness of the race, even by 538’s simulations. Nate even cautions about the real chances for a tie.

Nevertheless, I remain more optimistic. I know the ground games underway in the battleground states, or should we say Obama’s ground games underway. Republicans are so very far behind in their field operations. They are better advertisers though, and seem to have been playing a better media game until the meltdown of lies last week. Only helpful to assume they’ll recapture their game and come back stronger than ever in media – not just McCain campaign and RNC but their 527s too.

Of course, they’ve got the enthusiasm handicap. Even at Palin’s height of favorability, Obama enjoyed a 20 point enthusiasm advantage. And, Palin’s favorables are falling. Nevertheless, Gov Palin’s freudian slip, “the Palin-McCain administration” is quite telling. Especially among their base, the Alaskan trojan moose is far more popular than the candidate and drives the enthusiasm. Reading about their campaign stops yesterday, the crowds came to see the Gov and started departing after she spoke, while McCain was at the podium.

It’s time for everyone to support Obama just a little more. Please do so here

(Community Matters) Regular readers might remember that I was a member of this class last year along with lots of friends: Mark Salmanson, Lily & Yigal Saad, Marcia & Bruce Levy, Audrey & Ray Maislin, Diane & Steve Adler and lots of other friends. Well, that was last year. There’s a new class underway and they are all 20 to 30 years younger than us – a terrific group of mostly 20-somethings led this year by Jeremy Levine. We hosted dinner for the class last night and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the new class and spending time with this group of sharp, dedicated young folks. Many thanks to Mark Salmanson for joining us and helping me prep.

(Community Matters)

(Community Matters) Finally fixed. Blogger had technical difficulties at some sites (including mine) yesterday. Couldn’t post. Sorry for missing an entire day.