Normally, when I comment on Wonkette or Huffpo I try to be succinct, to the point and humorous if possible. But, Mark Penn really pissed me off.
I was a bit surprised to see, when I tried to enter my comment, that I was over the word limit and had to cut my post by 10 words. I’d never realized there was a limit before.
So, I cut a bit there, and I’m adding a bit here, for context and stuff.
His piece was about 6 things Obama should do.
Point 1 is sort of a no-brainer, of course the focus should be on jobs and, actually, I think Obama’s doing all right on this front. We’re still in a mess but we’re moving in the right direction. (Penn had basically written that Obama should focus on jobs to the exclusion of everything else)
Point 2 is nonsense. Are you saying Barack Obama hasn’t tried hard enough to be
bi-partisan? (that is pretty much exactly what he was saying)
Point 3 makes me wonder who you are working for now, Mark Penn. If financial reform is needed, and it is, there is no time like the present. (he’d written the usual ‘now is not the time’ nonsense…after the mid-terms, he suggested)
Point 4 I am in complete disagreement. The U.S. has been taking the Israeli side since 1948, to the tune of several billion dollars a year, and they basically spit in our faces.
Even if you want to forget about right and wrong and just focus on the horse race, I think you would do well to remember that not all American Jews are Likudniks. (Penn’s piece was pro-Israel, but it was also strongly anti-Iranian)
Point 5 These are gimmicks and you are politically experienced enough to know it. Getting rid of the electoral college might be nice, but it wouldn’t make a difference. In a world of television, the most telegenic candidate with the most money to spend on ads will win. And national referenda??!! Have you taken a look at California lately?
(a bunch of twaddle about ditching the ancient protocols to further democratize democracy. Heck, why not just do it by phone in votes, like a reality show?)
Point 6 Like point 1. Do you actually think Barack Obama is not doing enough to increase tolerance?
I think you should direct your rhetoric at the other team.
To sum up, Mr. Penn, you are wrong on all counts.
Anyway, I think there should be some kind of rating, or warning, system attached to any so called pundits, like a bell around the cat’s neck, so we know which ones are always wrong.
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