Last night in the debate, John McCain had his last shot at salvaging his slipping Presidential campaign, but he failed. Sadly for Republicans, his biggest failure was not on policies but on personality, demeanor, and attitude. As I've said before, McCain is a cranky, angry old man who is trying to claw his way back into the race.

With this in mind, I would now like to explore some of my observations and thoughts about the 3rd Presidential debate:

I honestly believe that John McCain won the first half of the debate, when it was focused on the economy. This was Barack Obama's issue to win, but he failed to clearly articulate his plan and show how John McCain's would make the economic crisis worse. Obama continues to reiterate that 95% of the population (below $250,000/year) would have lower taxes, but he never seems to take it a step farther and say what that actually means. Although it got old and repetitive, I feel as though McCain's repetition about Obama's tax policy (be it true, or not) actually resonated with the average viewer. McCain was able to play to the common belief of the "tax and spend" Democrat.

I think McCain had something with "Joe the Plumber," but he didn't employ it to his greatest potential. I wonder if Joe the Plumber = Joe Six-pack. Was this McCain's way of drawing paralles to Palin's statements in the VP debate without using the loaded term "Joe Six-pack." The problem with Joe the Plumber is that he is middle class, and the reality is that no matter how you twist it, McCain's plan would not save him taxes and would give him worse options with the all important issue of health care. McCain's failed to portray Joe the Plumber as the kind of middle class American that would actually support his policies. By the end of the debate, the term Joe the Plumber no longer resonated with the viewer because he or she had now heard it about 20 times. Of course it doesn't help the day after that Joe has been all over the media and not been the save all answer that McCain had hoped for.

I think that Obama won the health care debate, but he didn't maximize on his opportunities. All Obama had to do when criticizing McCain's plan was state the simple fact that the average family pays $12,000 in premiums per year, which is only marginally covered by the $5,000 tax credit that McCain suggests is the answer. Just by stating some of the numbers, Obama could have shown that a family at the poverty level (around $30,000) is currently asked to spend a third of their income on health care, and McCain's plan only covers a marginal portion of this. Obama was able to come across as more adept at talking about health care, but it seems as though he missed some of the obvious points that could have made it clearer to the American people.

The one blatant error that I caught was McCain referring to the fact that Obama failed to approve Justice Breyer. Does McCain not know that Breyer was nominated back in 1994 during Clinton's first term? Maybe McCain meant to say Miers, but even that seems inexcusable. Whether or not it was a simple slip up or a true error on McCain's part is unknown, but if nothing else is makes him appear distant and out of touch to anyone who knows their Supreme Court history.

I enjoyed the question about Roe v. Wade. I think this was the first time that either candidate has been forced to address this issues that so many people have strong feelings about. Although this would not be near the top of the agenda for either candidate, it was nice to see them both have to articulate their views on a deeply polarizing issue. I think Obama hit it out of the park.


The most interesting thing that everyone was looking for in the debate was whether or not McCain would bring up William Ayers. As promised, he did. Not only did he bring up Ayers, but the debate took an unnecessary tangent that failed to move the political discourse forward. I think Obama responded like he should have. He stated the fact and the absurd reality that he was 8 years old when Ayers was a "domestic terrorist." Should we investigate what some of McCain's friends did when he was 8 years old? It was a pure waste of time in the debate. My only hope is that we can move past these charges and focus on the issues that the American people deserve to hear about.

McCain's greatest weakness last night was his physical and verbal bitterness. While he may have held his own for the most part on the issues, he came across a desperate angry man. His facial expressions were priceless as if he was simultaneously the wise grandfather looking down on his ignorant grandchild and the whiny little six year-old who wanted his candy back. His attacks on Obama were often not even substantive; they were personal. He talked condescendingly as if his plan was right because he said so and Obama was just flat our wrong. There was no room for debate or consideration; McCain was right, Obama was wrong, and there was nothing else to be said. McCain should no better. As much as they probably should not, body language and perception by the audience can often be more influential to than the actual policies that one articulates.

Final thought: I think McCain had a better closing statement than Obama. While this is true, I don't think he delivered anything along the lines of "Are you better off today than you were four years ago?" I think this was McCain's best debate, possible Obama's worst, but Obama still managed to eek out a victory. I don't expect the polls to change much following the debate. If all goes as it appears, Obama will win by around 6 percentage points on November 4th.

When the third debate was over I wasn't sure who won.

Clearly John McCain did better than he had during his last two debates.

However, it was really hard to judge the effectiveness of his attacks.

The immediate talking head response was that Barack Obama had been, "professorial", "flat", "boring", "zzz".

What they missed was that the American people wanted to listen to some smooth jazz.

Usually we buy rock n roll and hip hop records in this country, but after a rock n roll ride through the stock market and the economy - we needed something a little more mellow.

Something that in ordinary times might put you to sleep, but when your life is stressed (or when you are hoping to get it on) fits just right.

Barack "The Oasis" Obama decidedly won the third debate - not with a guitar string breaking performance - but with tightly orchestrated relaxing studio music.

I was reading an email from a good friend of mine, and she informed me that she might vote for Bob Barr.

Now I didn't know who Bob Barr is (although once I saw a picture of him I remembered seeing him on TV) and so I decided to go to his campaign site and read what he had to say.

After reading his literature, my conclusion is that Bob Barr is a joke.

Here are 10 reasons why:

1. Bob Barr's first issue is "Spending and the Economy" where he dramatically proclaims that the government cannot continue spending like it has. Absolutely right.

Then he says federal programs should be cut. He doesn't spell out exactly which ones but Welfare, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security I'm sure are high on his list (strangely along with Military Outlays). Okay questionable, but I'm still with you.

Finally, he says there should be a wall put up between government and the economy. Okay, this is just idiotic. More deregulation? Seriously? Bob Barr do you have a TV or read a newspaper? I am sorry but how much do things have to suck before people realize that more deregulation is not the answer, people will always be greedy, and having a watchdog, even one as imperfect as the U.S. Government, is better than none at all.
Joke Factor: 8.2

2. Bob Barr on "Energy Policy" is just puzzling. Pretty much he favors no government regulation, encouragement, or penalties on energy production. He favors off shore drilling and is oddly excited about "shale oil". Seriously, that's it.
Joke Factor: 9.7

3. Bob Barr on the "Iraq War" is almost as puzzling as his energy policy. He is against the Iraq War but strangely says the Democrats don't oppose the Republicans on the longterm occupation of Iraq. Then he says he is for withdrawal but with no timetables. So he has not ever heard of Obama, and hates yet wants to be McCain?
Joke Factor: 9.5

4. Bob Barr on "Veterans" is like watching a good jabber with no knock out punch. He says we must take better care of our veterans -a worthy jab. But he limits this care only to medical care - no knock out punch. Not even sure if this means he supports mental health coverage or just physical care. This is not the G.I. Bill folks.
Joke Factor: 5.4

5. Bob Barr on "Health Care" is complex. Health Care is always complex. Bob Barr resembles John McCain on health care, more deregulation, no state lines, competition will make everything cheaper (oh and let's not favor employee covered health care). I think this will utterly not work - because of the fact that health insurance companies don't like insuring people who are sick (aka people who need health insurance). However, when you have a large group of people there are less likely to be as many sick people . This is why sick people can get health insurance under an employee plan but not on their own. Your premium increases when there are more sick people let into your pool (or older people) - it also increases as you get older if you are self-insured. (adverse selection) Basically the closer you get to actually needing health insurance, the more health insurance costs. Bob Barr's plan doesn't overcome this fact. There are lots of other reasons why I think he is wrong but health care is complex, I'm out of space, and most of you stopped reading a long time ago.
Joke Factor: 7.6

5. Please go and read Bob Barr's Education and Home Schooling. Treat yourself. You deserve a good laugh.
Joke Factor: 10

6. Bob Barr on The Second Amendment (aka Gun Control) is a celebration of our constitutional right to bear arms. Sure - I buy that. However being against laws that require gun registration, restriction of ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition? I am sorry Bob but ex-criminals who buy AK-47s in the middle of Baltimore aren't going hunting.
Joke Factor: 7.8

7. Bob Barr on Taxes makes me question myself. Lower taxes almost always benefit me, but does it benefit the country? He is right though our tax code sucks. But so does a flat tax if you are poor.
Joke Factor: 3.2

8. Bob Barr on Immigration Policy had me happy for one second. He acknowledged we had two immigration problems repelling illegal immigrants and attracting legal ones. And he didn't call for a fence. But everything else is garbage.
Joke Factor: 6.7

9. Bob Barr on Marriage can only be enjoyed in view of Bob Barr on Racism and Equality. On Equality Bob Barr states that government shouldn't make laws that discriminate based on sexuality. Bob Barr on Marriage says well we should let the states decide if they want to accept civil unions. Because discrimination is okay on the state level.
Joke Factor: 9.7

10. Bob Barr on Monetary Policy is frightening. Let's eliminate the Federal Reserve and let the market regulate money supply. Once again we have seen how well the market works with little regulation. Have you or your parents checked your 401k lately? Don't - go to happy hour instead. Besides how idiotic that is, I would have never learned that Ben Bernanke has swagger like T.I. and that would have been a true American tragedy.
Joke Factor: 9.2

The outside world is too weird at this moment to spend my time talking about photography. As many are doing, we listen/watch the news, rant to our friends, beat our chests or tear our hair. One of my outlets is to work out layers of frustration and existential angst into something I call "Late Night Comix" on a little software program called Comic Lite...

Though our attention is rightfully attuned to the dire state of our economy, nothing frightens me more when the people in charge, or in this case, potentially a "72 year old's heartbeat" away, don't know what's going on. It takes me back to childhood moments and the sense of peace that parents and all good guardians aim to provide. Even if they are freaking out, they must maintain stability. My Mom was unemployed for over a year and never let me feel the brunt of our situation. I couldn't imagine how scared I would have been if my Mom demonstrated a clear inability to deal and eventually overcome our circumstance.

Which brings me to Sarah Palin and her bizarre interview with Katie Couric. She reminded me of someone who had to give a presentation for class but forgot to read the book. Or maybe only read the back cover description and thought they could "wing it." Pulling words out of the air might work in your tenth grade English class, but this is straight embarrassing...

Matter of fact, Fareed Zakaria politely remarks that she needs to do herself a favor and bow out gracefully:

Last night I received a text message that read, "God I hate how white ppl are afraid of us. You can see the fear and uncertainty as they walk past with their eyes downcast with what almost looks like shame."

This is not going to be a post about race - but about fear, perception, and reality.

Most of us have no clue what any of the financial news we heard this week meant, and no one has any clue what it means.

However, we all know that people are increasingly becoming a little scared and a little uncertain.

So, it shouldn't come as surprise that chants of "Drill, Baby, Drill" make people feel better. Even though it won't help gas prices, now or in the future, it is "doing something".

However it is surprising when President Bush asks for a 700 billion dollar bailout for our financial system.

Surprising because all of my life I have been taught that conservatives and Republicans don't believe in interfering with the financial system, believe that the market should be allowed to correct itself, and the smaller government is - the better.

Still, the reality is that the President and the Republican Party feel like they have to "do something" even if goes against "who they are" and "whose they are".

No one personifies this more than John McCain.

In his heart of hearts John McCain knows he's wrong. He knows he isn't the man he used to be. He knows that the majority of everything he says now is simply to win an election.He knows he is now sleeping with the enemy, enemies he has spent decades of his life trying to defeat. He knows he used to stand for something - something that gave many Americans hope.

He knows how much "used to" hurts.

And I can't help but wonder if, like all of us, he too is a little scared and a little uncertain?

If he wonders whether or not he could live with himself if he doesn't win the election. I wonder if he knows that this is his last shot - that the public won't let him flip/flop back to his old ways, that once you go to dark side you can never go back.

I wonder if this keeps him up at night. I wonder if this is where his rage comes from. That when he assaults Obama for having advisers tied to Freddie and Fannie is he really just saying - don't become like me. If he sees in Barack Obama the man he used to be, the man he wanted to be, the man he can no longer be.

I wonder if he hates him for it. If that hate breeds uncertainty and fear.

I wonder next Friday as they meet for the Great Debate, if when they first see each other, for the briefest of seconds, will John McCain cast his eyes downward with trembling and shame?

DISCLAIMER: I did not write the following commentary on the election. It was shared with me and now I am sharing it with the Art Star massive. Indulge...


Once again, just providing info. I'm a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight.
If you grow up in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents, you're 'exotic, different.' Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential an American story.
If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim. Name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.
Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable. Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.
If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.
If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian. If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.
If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.
If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable. OK, much clearer now.

The following post is swagger jacked from Roland Martin - you can read his version here.

Barack Obama is B-L-A-C-K!

John McCain is O-L-D!

Sarah Palin is a W-O-M-A-N!

Republicans are W-H-I-T-E!

More to the point some people won't vote for Barack Obama because he is black, no matter how many great speeches he gives, no matter how much they like his ideas and no matter how much they agree with his policies.

Some people won't vote for Palin because she is a woman and don't think a woman can handle being President or Vice-President.

Some people won't vote for John McCain just because he is old, regardless of the fact that he has had some great ideas in the last eight years, and is obviously in good enough health to face the rigors of a national campaign.

Whenever T.V. heads and pundits talk about "small town rural A" and "Walmart moms" and "hockey moms" that Sarah Palin and McCain are appealing to, they are talking about WHITE people.

And the Good Ol Party, the Republican Party, is made up almost entirely of white people - to call the GOP diverse is laughable.

So this whole argument and befuddlement about "why Obama can't seem to connect with small town voters" is just another way of saying that white voters have a hard time connecting with a black man running for president.

Clearly black people don't have a problem "connecting" with Obama - he is part of their tribe.

But what everyone is tight-roping around is the fact that gender, race, and age all are going to play a huge role in this election - maybe even greater than personality and issues.

This is an extremely close election - we all know this.

If enough people decide not to vote for McCain/Palin because McCain is old and there is a better than normal chance that Palin - a woman - might become president, then McCain will lose.

If enough people decide not to vote for Obama because they can't connect with a black man, that they refuse to vote outside of their tribe, then Barack Obama will lose.

And during an election where things like "truth" don't seem to matter anymore (especially not to the Republican party) - I would not be surprised to see some good ol fashioned race-baiting before this is done.

Unfortunately, there have been people that have used both "faith and flag" to cover up racism for centuries.

If you had to be old, female, or black in this election - what would you choose?

so the media has had a field day with this.   rightfully so.  barack, respectfully said, "lay off the kids,"  which is respectable because his are wee little ones that unless have some crazy action figure addiction, they're probably clean as sifted corn.  but let's be honest, the kids have been the subject of a lot of scrutiny in the past.  so let's look back and remember the past first kids... any favorites? 

what has really irked me about the Palin nomination is the commentators and anchors wondering how palin would fulfil her motherly duties.  so what happened to the progressive family?  it really seemed like we were back in the 60's and, heaven forbid, there was a women in the workplace.

anyways, this is a just wanted to share with the art star community the magic that was this photoshopping.  i wish i could take credit for it. though i don't agree with making this such a public issue, it was very well played.  and there you have it.  i hope everyone imagines john mccain in the running shorts bouncing like paulie bleeker.

First off what is up with the spinning circling shot!?
Diddy can afford better than this.

Diddy you can do better than this. Please.

let me preface this by saying... politics is not my arena, but i had to comment.

well paris, you done good girl.  first, hilt-parrious (that's a combination of hilton and paris to make a weird form of hilarious).  no matter how surprising her wit was and even if her 3rd cousin that is trying to work for the daily show, wrote the script, she pulled it off with confidence, conviction and actually sounded intelligent. a far cry from her previous filmed endeavors (simple life, porn, etc.).

second, though she did not fully support barack, she did do something that has been needed to be done for a while; return to the issues and synthesize polarizing plans to, heaven forbid, a compromise.  i'm not suggesting that the main issue that is plaguing this election year is environmental sustainability or that they just need to find a happy medium on everything (that would just make the elections zero fun), instead, move away from pulling race cards and focus on issues. 

finally, fox news has talked about the ad continuously today in their daily news segments and has shown nothing but respect for paris.  she gained a lot of fans with this quicky (no jokes people).  even my own mother said "i think this is the first time i have had any respect for that lady."  ms. hilton who doesn't get most of your family inheritance because she is a spoiled retard, you finally nailed it.  good job and kudos.

In light of the 4th of July, which I spent on the Mall in DC with my parents, I've been thinking about what it means to be patriotic. The word patriotism is one that is thrown around all too much, especially when talking about the Presidential campaign and the two leading candidates. The suggestion that either candidate is not patriotic has got to be one of the most absurd things that I have ever heard in my life.

While I am a little behind mentioning something about this, I feel like it warrants being acknowledged.

I have been appalled by the reaction of dear old Prez Bush and John McCan't in the wake of the 5-4 Supreme Court decision in Boumedine vs. Bush. Johnny boy went so far as to call the decision "one of the worst decisions in the history of this country."


How can anyone with even a single grain of decency and respect for human rights suggest that it is lawful to hold someone (and potentially even torture) for an indefinite amount of time? Even more so, how can the Supreme Court of the United States affirm the right to a writ of habeas corpus by only a single vote?


Where have we gone as a country when our President and potential-President show no respect for the idea of civil liberties and the notion that "we are all created equal." Go ahead and throw your terrorism arguments out there, but the fact is that terrorist attacks worldwide have increased since we invaded Iraq and began this glorified mission to save the world.

I could ramble on forever about this, but I'll leave it to the experts to say more eloquently.

Mr. Bush, I hope that when you and your subservient staff members decide to travel overseas they get it and tell you why you are being detained.

There's a term used in the community called "thirsty."

It means what you think it means, but it's now being used in different contexts. Only to make a point of the extremes to which some people will go to get what they want. More severely, what they need.

John McCain, for lack of more sophisticated terminology, is thirsty.

His thirst for another orgasm is that of an amplitude we may not have ever seen before. Not in sports, business, crime, corruption or politics. Keeping it community: He's thirsty like a fiend.

John McCain needs to cum to the White House without Bush.

This thirst -- whether he admits or denies or realizes it -- comes from a needing to do this without George W. Bush. It's a needing to come as close to Ron Jeremy and Ron Jeremy's legacy as any other Republican politician alive right now … and maybe in the future. It's a needing to prove to himself what he's known and told himself ever since he challenged Reagan to play one-on-one at age 11.

Redemption, chip on his shoulder, edge, anger. None apply. There's a fiend-like component inside McCain that exceeds all of the above labels that no politician in any other state possesses, and the closer he gets to attaining another cum shot, the more impossible it is going to be for anyone -- or any one campaign-- to deny him. His want has gone into an almost dependence stage of validation, of recognition, of being the last man standing. There is no politician or collection of politicians on Obama's squad -- no politicians(s) on any campaign the Republicans have faced throughout the primary, no entire 12-man roster in the Democratic Party, to be honest -- that can match his need to "superman a ho".

A compulsion to prove to himself -- and us -- that he's been right all along is what's at the center of this. Right that he's not a bad guy, a prima donna, arrogant, aloof or antisocial. Right that he is engaging and personable. Right that he might be the best politician your kids will ever see. Just as he was right about publicly forcing the Republican Party to make some roster moves, in every fabric of his being he has to be right about how he sees himself and what he sees himself as. Even though he said on The Bill O Reilly Show that he was comfortable being the No. 2 guy while winning rings with Bush, and in so many words to please stop the Ron Jeremy comparisons because there will never be another ("He's a different person … the greatest ever … let me do me …. Thank you!"), those who have watched his evolution -- his ascendance -- know better. He tries to cover it up in interviews and private conversations, but once he gets in "black" Lexington Steele mode it becomes clear as Claritin. He's on something extra. Something that once he calls it quits about eight years and two presidencies from now, he's going to need some serious form of detox to get out of his system.

Does this look like the face of a man who will let anything get between him and his nut?

It's the life of a fiend. Trapped inside the shell of a politician who almost had his prostate taken from him. The fact that he could have been responsible for not being able to show the world this stage of his life probably still eats at his mind. It might be what ultimately drives him. Maybe it's something deeper, something that revealed itself at birth. Who knows? And the beauty, he'll never -- not even in Spike Lee's documentary about him -- be the one to tell.

The Democrats are thirsty for that pussy, too, but they aren't dying of thirst. Which essentially is the difference between McCain and them -- maybe between McCain and all other human beings. And until Obama, Hillary and Jesus (anyone: Tiger, Ron Paul, Peyton, LeBron, Edwards, etc.) can equate death with what it will mean to not have sex on these terms, until they can make themselves believe -- as McCain has -- that their survival depends on getting this nut, then their collective and collaborative effort may not be enough.

Fucking is the difference between a mission and an addiction. The Democrats are on a season-long mission against a dude that for the last five years has forced an addiction on himself to fuck. Having sex substantiates this dude. It eliminates every doubt that may have somehow crept into his überconfident mind about his ability to carry a load and lead his party at the highest level of this sport. He has tasted something his competition (outside of Bill Clinton) has never tasted, is hooked on something they've yet to sample. Addiction does not come by osmosis, whether it's meth, crack, coke, chocolate, caffeine, nicotine, sports, gambling, drinking or body art. To feel what it feels like to want to experience that same feeling again, you would have had to have it in your system before. The power of that feeling always makes those who reach that level of necessity more powerful than those who wish they knew what it felt like.

McCain has that feeling. The others don't. And he is still thirsty.

As those who are close to the game and those who still hate him despite what he's done since the primaries started will testify, you can't beat a fiend at his own game when his game is sex and sex is all he has.

Which leaves only one thing left that John McCain can do: Obey his thirst.

To read the real article about Kobe Bryant by my favorite sports writer Scoop Jackson click here