presidential race absurdities abound

A few thoughts about the sublimely ridiculous series of events we call the presidential election...

Hillary, Go Home

Hillary Clinton says she won't quit. In response to Barack Obama's comment that the Democratic primary process is like a movie going too long, she said "I like long movies." There are two kinds of long movies. One kind completely absorbs you in the story. You lose track of time. The movie ends and you wonder where the time has gone, and you wish the movie would go on.

Then there's the other type, which maybe was OK at first but then you find yourself squirming in your seat and checking your watch.

Hillary, we're all squirming. And hey, you can do the CYA thing and not actually quit, but just "suspend" the campaign, so if Obama is hit by a truck or something you can present yourself as the leading candidate at the convention.

Oh, and she also said, "There was a poll the other day that said 22 percent of Democrats wanted me to drop out and 22 percent wanted Senator Obama to drop out. And 62 percent said: Let people vote."

With math skills like that, maybe we don't want her in charge of the economy!

It's 3:00 AM, Go Back to Sleep

George Lardner has a great op-ed piece about the absurdity of Clinton's "who do you want answering the phone at 3:00 AM" shtick. Specifically citing examples from people who would know like Henry Kissinger that Presidents are rarely if ever called on to make a snap decision in the middle of the night. And I agree with Woodrow Wilson, it's probably better to sleep on it.

The idea of a 3:00 AM call on ECONOMIC issues is particularly absurd. And as for the rest of it, remember that 24 is a fictional TV show/crypto-fascistic fantasy only loosely connected to reality.

"American" President

John McCain's TV ad call him "The American president Americans have been waiting for." A nasty implication that Obama is somehow not really American? Or just a inane but innocuous attempt to work "American" into the punch line as often as possible? (Or maybe McCain identifies himself with Warren Beattie and hopes he can boff Annette Benning.) We'll see. And we'll see how long McCain sticks to his pledge to fight fair and not, for example, use Obama's middle name.