Thursday, December 06, 2007 - Posts
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Barack Obama's new spot "Moment" looks more like a theatrical trailer than a political ad. The footage comes from Obama's widely praised speech at last month's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa. As we hear him make promises about bridging the gap between red and blue, raves flash on screen, a little too dramatically:
“Scrupulous honesty.”
Joe Klein, Time Magazine, 11/12/07
“Vision” to lead the nation
Concord Monitor, 10/11/07
“Across the Divide.”
Newsweek, 7/16/07
That last one barely makes sense. Likewise, the words coming out of his mouth are pure boilerplate, riffing on "the same old Washington textbook campaigns" and "re-fighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s." It might be the sappiest Obama ad yet. But it works. The soaring orchestra fits the soaring rhetoric, the teary eyes are real, and anyone who has seen Obama speak will recognize the crowd's roar. I practically expected it to climax into a slow clap. I feel the same way I did after watching the trailer for I Am Legend: That was really cheesy and really manipulative, but nothing can stop me from seeing that movie. Two thumbs up.
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The Huckabee backlash has begun, fueled in no small part by a recent report by Murray Waas on Huckabee’s role in releasing convicted murderer Wayne Dumond in 1999. Briefly: The article claims that Huckabee “aggressively pushed” to have Dumond paroled, even though victims had written to Huckabee arguing that Dumond would kill again. They turned out to be right—Dumond went on to rape and kill two more women before he was arrested in 2001. Huckabee says he played a minimal role in Dumond's release, and that the state’s seven-person parole board ultimately made the call. “All of us failed,” he says. He also accuses anyone who questions his behavior of “politicizing” the victims’ deaths.*
But right now, the question is: How much will this hurt Huckabee? If you take as precedent the Willie Horton scandal, which partly sank Michael Dukakis’ campaign in 1988, it could do a lot of damage. That said, the death penalty doesn't play as large a role in this election as it did in that one. Also, it gives his opponents an opportunity to turn a Huckabee asset—his image as benevolent minister—into a liability. “Critics, and some friends, too, have said Huckabee’s position was deeply influenced by his Christian faith,” writes Byron York in the National Review. With the right spin, what Huckabee might call "mercy" could start to look like weakness—or, if you prefer, “amnesty.”
But who is going to confront Huckabee with this? Mitt Romney isn’t likely to bring up the topic, given that he just survived his own Willie Horton moment. (Romney appointed a judge who released a convicted murderer who went on to kill again.) Rudy Giuliani could raise the issue, but right now Giuliani is counting on Huckabee to keep Romney’s Iowa numbers in check. The last thing he wants to do is derail Huck. I suppose he could save the attack for later, before the South Carolina primary. But by then Huckabee will already be either riding his ethanol-fueled momentum or be facedown in the dust.
If this issue is going to dog Huckabee, it’s going to be because the media pushes it. But it probably won’t be the only ugly story to come up. Chances are, we’ll learn a whole lot more over the coming weeks about why Huckabee isn’t all that beloved in Arkansas.
*(Other complicating factors:
--Dumond’s rehabilitation was considered a darling cause of Arkansas conservatives (including some of Huckabee’s close friends), since one of his victims, Ashley Stevens, was a distant relative of Bill Clinton.
--The first person to reduce Dumond’s sentence down to a total of 39.5 years was Democratic Acting Gov. Jim Guy Tucker.
--Dumond was castrated while awaiting his court date, which some say elicited sympathy from Huckabee.
--Four members of the state parole board said Huckabee secretly pressured them to release Dumond.)
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Mitt Romney’s ANTICIPATED, MOMENTOUS, HISTORY-MAKING speech on faith seems to have gone over well. His main point: America should embrace religious diversity and let his religion’s quirks be treated as “not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance.” Nothing too controversial there—but unlikely to persuade people viscerally averse to Mormonism itself.
Anyway, a few lines are worth parsing:
- “I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it.” Yes, I’m going to use the word Mormon. But just once. See? I’m not embarrassed to say it. Once.
- “Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.” Irony alert! Hard to say why he included this line, given that in the case of abortion and gay rights, this is the exact crime of which he stands accused. (More on this here.)
- “When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God.” Hear that? The Bible, not the Book of Mormon.
- “No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith.” And yet: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind. My church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths.” Step 1: Have cake. Step 2: Eat cake.
- "I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims." The implication: That's how new religions get founded. Not so threatening, right?
- "But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. … It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.” So there are religions he doesn’t respect!
- “I saw my father march with Martin Luther King.” African-Americans weren’t allowed to serve as Mormon Bishops until 1978. The issue hasn't really come up yet on the trail, but it might in the general election. Better to diffuse now.
- “I have visited many of the magnificent cathedrals in Europe. They are so inspired ... so grand ... so empty. Raised up over generations, long ago, so many of the cathedrals now stand as the postcard backdrop to societies just too busy or too 'enlightened' to venture inside and kneel in prayer.” The sarcasm of the word enlightened didn’t quite come through in the speech, as if he were saying Europeans actually are enlightened. Next time, consider air quotes.
- “We are a long way from perfect and we have surely stumbled along the way.” Seamus would agree.
Good roundups of the Romney speech here and here. Audience reactions here. Read the full speech here.
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In today's speech on faith in America, Mitt Romney delivered this remark: "Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world."
He had us confused for a moment. Was Romney admitting he was unelectable? That the American people wouldn't accommodate his change of heart on abortion?
Nah. He was talking about religious beliefs, not social-policy stances. But, in many ways, that statement is the crux of Romney's Mormon dilemma. People don't question his belief in Mormonism; they're skittish about his Mormon beliefs.
Romney didn't calm anybody's nerves during his speech—he said the word Mormon only once. ("I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it.") He didn't want to make the address a comparative religion lecture, and for good reason. But hesitant members of the religious right heard that Romney was a religious man, not necessarily that he was a traditionally Christian man. It's unclear whether that will be enough.
Romney was wise to emphasize his unyielding belief in his religion, Jesus, and God.
His resolute Mormonism allows him to say he has drawn from the same moral reservoir throughout his life. During the speech, Romney said, "These American values, this great moral heritage, is shared and lived in my religion as it is in yours. I was taught in my home to honor God and love my neighbor." That's an important counterattack for when his opponents chide him for flip-flopping on morality-laced social issues.
The goal of Romney's campaign is to prove to voters that he has constants in his life—that he is not just a "believer of convenience." The speech's goal was to prove that he has never "jettisoned his beliefs," that his morals have always come from God. Now that the speech is over, the question becomes: Will Romney gain the presidency?
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Our favorite part of this image has to be the "JosephLied.com" poster.
Of course, everyone knows most grunts in Ron Paul's army have nothing to do with the campaign—they're freelance crazies. In fact, Paul himself issued a statement early this morning supporting Romney: "The recent attacks and insinuations, both direct and subtle, that Gov. Romney may be less fit to serve as president of our United States because of his faith fly in the face of everything America stands for. Gov. Romney should be judged fairly, on his record and his character, not on the church he attends.”
Likewise, let Paul be judged for his policies, not the conduct of his fans.
UPDATE 2:00 p.m., Dec. 26: Photo by Christopher Beam.
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