Propeller Week In Review: June 5, 2008 — Jun 5th 2008

By James Marcus

VICTORY LAP

Barack Obama was unmistakably back in the center ring this week at Propeller. First, there was "Barack Obama Resigns from Trinity United Church," with 116 votes and 625 comments. "It's about time!" said ADAGUY. "Yes and no," replied Candida. "I feel really sorry for him having been forced into taking this step... [A]fter having listened to more than a few soundbites of Rev. Wright's sermons, I've come to the conclusion that he is definitely not the racist devil the right tries to portray him as." But lvrofwolves took a more skeptical approach to Obama's decision: "I can't read his mind and I don't know his true intentions, but he is a politician, and based on that I will always question his motives." On a more triumphant note, there was "CNN projects Obama clinches nomination," which rang up the most votes of any story this week: 244. Leemck02 gave the news a measured thumbs up: "I hope we don't have people [who] will cut off their noses to spite their face. Obama did win with very little negative campaigning. If we can keep the nation's health in focus, we will be okay." Blackacereturn was more jubilant: "As an African American, I would be remiss if I didn't say thanks to all Americans for making what I thought impossible a reality. When this all started, I said that whites [would] never vote for a black man. There is no one happier today to be so wrong about this feelings." To which Dionys had an interesting comeback: "He's not a black man. He's a black man and a white man. Half of each, last time I checked. I, too, think it's wonderful that some Americans (at least half, I would hope) are blind to race when it comes to choosing someone on their merits." Another story about the candidate's troubled relationship with Trinity Church, this one by way of Rush Limbaugh, rang up 160 votes and 365 comments. (There were a good many denunciations of Limbaugh himself, but at least one Propeller member, NemoShiZniT, cautioned against throwing out the baby with the bathwater: "Even your worst enemy is correct sometimes. Never say never, right?") And finally, "Obama Staffer's Lobbying Work Runs Counter to Candidate's Guidelines" produced 125 votes, 216 comments, and this loop-the-loop from Stephen Johnson, who relished the attack on Obama but regretted that it had been posted by one of Propeller's in-house liberals: "Geez, the WaPo actually writing a negative story about the Obama campaign? I must be dreaming.... This deserves a vote, but I can't bring myself to do that for an Aidenag post."

THE LONG WAR

"Al-Qaida on ropes: Bin Laden is losing" produced 201 votes and 433 comments. As libsRfunny saw it, Bin Laden's plunging poll numbers were pure poison for the Democrats: "This is abhorrent news for the retreat-and-surrender caucus that only a year ago said we were losing not only in Iraq but the war on terror as well." MRCOFFEECAKE found the reliance on Middle Eastern polling a little dodgy: "So Bush ignores American polls about him, but wants you to step in line to declare victory over Damascus and Tehran polls about Bin Laden? I'm sure they were properly monitored!" Meanwhile, pc25 wondered whether the sheik had more serious problems than a wilting approval rating: "According to some reports, Bin Ladin is not only losing, Bin Ladin is dead." But ETproductions pointed to the string of videos Bin Laden has released over the past six years: "Granted, he looks like he's been using Grecian Formula 44 on his beard, but this is very common in the Islamic world. A full dark beard shows vitality, apparently even if it is color by Clairol." (In the accompanying photo, Clairol appears to have let him down.) A related story, "Bush vs. Terror: Something's Working," earned 80 votes and 169 comments. Should we take the battle to where the terrorists are? Said Bobo in Texas: "For the last several years, that has been Iraq, and there are a whole lot less of them alive now." Replied rimbaud: "There's a new one born every minute, who will not mind losing his life to the cause of nutcases like al-Zawahiri and Bin Laden. We have turned those two clowns into heroes, instead of prisoners."

MAC IS BACK

With the Democratic primaries finally wrapped up, John McCain began to focus his firepower on his ultimate competitor. "McCain Speech Tonight: The General Election Begins" generated 193 votes and 446 comments. TemplarScribe considered the Arizona senator's speech something of a sideshow: "Shame all the national press will be in St. Paul, and all the pundits discussing the history-making event of the nomination of an African American for president, instead of the least-favorite conservative trying to dance the tightrope between Bush loyalist and theoretical agent of change." But ranchhand wondered whether Obama might actually appreciate a rival attraction: "Maybe Obama will be grateful that he will have another distraction.... That way, if he sticks his foot in his mouth, it won't be reported on too much tonight." Replied mesodude: "So after 8 years of listening to Bush shredding grammar and the English language beyond all recognition, cons suddenly want a President who can competently speak 'extemporaneously'?" Meanwhile, "McCain Challenge Letter To Obama: Ten Joint Townhalls" produced 142 votes and 296 comments. MichaelRhodente was eager for the candidates to mix it up: "McCain [will] mop the floor with the rookie socialist that Obama is." CaptainLucid felt otherwise: "Five months from now, I will be laughing my ass off at comments like yours. What do Kennedy/Nixon, Clinton/Daddy Bush, Clinton/Dole and Obama/McCain have in common? A young, vibrant orator versus an anal-retentive Republican." Not so, said saintetienne, who saw a McCain TKO in the making: "This obviously sounds like a man who is confident, relaxed, experienced, is intelligent, has integrity, has solutions that he's ready to implement and, most importantly, has been ready and able to assume the White House for quite some time now."

AND DON'T OVERLOOK....

Most members seemed unsure as to whether "Evidence of Dinosaurs in the Garden of Eden," with 164 votes and 143 comments, was a spoof or not. In any case, the conversation had a certain slaphappy charm to it. "They found my dinosaurs that I hid in the Garden of Eden?" said MereMortal. "Damn! I guess I need to build a better fence, and get that flaming sword fixed." Charlson had a more irate response: "What claptrap pseudo-science crap is this? Wow, I can't wait to find out how Pat Robertson can lift 2,000 lbs." Propeller members sounded off about fuel, food prices, and floating airports. And finally, there were some fond farewells to Harvey "That's Hedley!" Korman, who died at the age of 81. Said Alexia: "This man made me laugh for years." Replied rushran: "God rest your soul. Heaven is a funnier place now." And that, folks, will be enough swirling rivulets of thought for one week.

Oh, and don't forget this:

Tags: week-in-review, wir

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