While the usual hot air, accompanied by complaints about how bad the campaign is, as if that is a new thing, emanates in American politics, the real effects of hot air are being seen in the Arctic Sea, where we now have the lowest extent of sea ice in history.
** NEW COLUMNS COMING UP … AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS DISAPPOINTING, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS and WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME.
** QUICK HITS. California’s landmark climate change program will run a test version of its cap and trade program on Thursday, with the Air Resources Board monitoring for glitches. … A bill to place a privately-funded statue of Ronald Reagan inside the California State Capitol has passed both houses of the legislature and gone to Governor Jerry Brown. A Reagan statue? Sure, why not? I like Reagan. He did some very good things as president (along with not very good). And he was a very interesting governor, who in the present day would probably be run out of the far right state GOP. … In another sign of the impact of the great global recession and subsequent budget cuts, California’s community college enrollment is down 17% from what it was in the 2008-2009 school year.
** NEW POLL: ON EVE OF HIS NATIONAL CONVENTION DEBUT, PAUL RYAN GETS A COLLECTIVE SHRUG. A new Gallup Poll survey may, inadvertently and indirectly, sum up the reaction of the country to this presidential race as it delivers an assessment of Congressman Paul Ryan, tapped by Mitt Romney to bring excitement and pizzazz to his ticket as a would-be vice president.
The big reaction, as it were, is that there is no big reaction.
It’s sort of a collective “meh.”
The country is split on whether it views Ryan positively or negatively, with a quarter having no opinion whatsoever. That means that positive and negative reactions to him, after plenty of exposure since his debut early this month in Norfolk, Virginia, are each below 40%.
That’s not very good.
Especially not good for Ryan and Romney is that the negative has climbed much more rapidly than the positive since he was announced as the veep pick on August 11th. (Which I think of more as the day of the 4×100 meter relay final in the Olympics.)
Today’s 38-36 dead heat contrasts with the 25-17 positive assessment when Ryan was announced.
My guess is that Ryan is actually somewhat more negatively viewed than that, as I think that Gallup skews a bit Republican in its polling.
Ryan takes the big stage tonight in Tampa.
Americans have mixed views of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who will be confirmed as the GOP’s vice presidential nominee on Wednesday night, with 38% saying their opinion is favorable, and 36% saying it is unfavorable. About a quarter of Americans say they have never heard of Ryan or don’t know enough about him to have an opinion. …
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fizzled last night as the keynote speaker of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Christie, who is, to be sure, more than twice the man Governor Jerry Brown is, insisted that “we have to fundamentally reduce the size” of the federal government.
NOTE: New West Notes was offline this morning due to a server problem. Sorry for any inconvenience.
** NEW COLUMNS COMING UP … AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS DISAPPOINTING, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS and WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME.
** OBAMA TODAY. President Barack Obama is in Colorado, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
Obama flew this morning on Air Force One from Fort Collins, Colorado to Charlottesville, Virginia.
At 12:30 PM Pacific, Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event at nTelos Wireless Pavilion in Charlottesville,, Virginia.
At 3:25 PM Pacific, Obama departs Charlottesville, Virginia on Air Force One en route Joint Base Andrews.
At 4:10 PM Pacific, Obama arrives Joint Base Andrews, where he boards Marine One.
At 4:25 PM Pacific, Obama lands on the South Lawn of the White House.
It’s Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney now, thanks to a quick Tuesday vote at the hurricane-shortened GOP confab in Tampa.
Would-be First Lady Ann Romney, originally scheduled for Monday night, address the conventioneers Tuesday evening, “from my heart about our hearts,” discussing what a great guy who came from very little Mitt Romney really is.
Then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered the convention keynote address.
Christie, normally a big gust of wind to rival any hurricane, fell rather flat.
He was humorless in text and delivery, unpleasant in aspect, boiler plate in his rote Republican appeal, and remarkably self-absorbed, mentioning himself far more often than Romney.
Elsewhere,some big things of consequence are happening.
Iran is hosting the 120 nations in the Non-Aligned Movement, with the NAM summit officially beginning on Thursday.
Spurred by the Cold War, led by nations who, at least ostensibly, didn’t want to be affiliated with either the Free World or the Communist bloc, the NAM has struggled for a post-Cold War role.
As chance would have it, Iran was previously scheduled to host the group this year in Tehran. And everyone is coming who was coming otherwise, despite efforts by Israel and the US to dissuade UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and some other leading figures.
We’ll know for sure which major heads of state are coming tomorrow, but Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whom Obama hosted at his first ever State Dinner in 2009 — naturally overshadowed by the media fixation on the reality show contestant gate-crashers — as a beginning move in his geopolitical pivot to Asia and the Pacific, will be on hand.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is dealing with a deteriorating security situation, marked by increasing attacks by Afghan soldiers and police on their US colleagues, by replacing Afghanistan’s defense minister and interior minister.
Iran is preparing to host the summit of non-aligned states. The two-day meeting begins on Thursday. The US and Israel have criticized the UN secretary-general’s attendance.
And, while former President Bill Clinton preps next week’s Democratic National Convention nominating speech for Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is prepping for another big trip across the sprawling Asia Pacific region next week which will take her to at least six nations, starting with the Cook Islands, and including China and Russia.
Obama is monitoring several geopolitical crises involving the Arab Awakening, Iran and Israel, Syria, Iraq, AfPak, and the South China Sea.
Military Crisis Zone Times: The Arabian Gulf is ten hours ahead of Pacific time and Afghanistan is eleven and a half hours ahead of Pacific time. The time in Manila, on the South China Sea, is fifteen hours ahead of Pacific time.
** FROM THE JERRY FILES. Governor Jerry Brown is in Sacramento.
He has no scheduled public events as of this morning.
Brown, incidentally, will not be attending next week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He has his hands full presently with the end of legislative session rush.
His compromise public pension reform bill, finally worked out with Democratic legislative leaders, drew fire yesterday from conservative critics and public employee union redhots. That probably works for Brown, as the public is more muddled on the issue than many reformers like to think it is. If it wasn’t, there would be an initiative.
The inability of public pension reformers to get an initiative off the ground made Brown’s task all the harder, as I may have mentioned to them a while back.
More to follow.
** SPACE, JERRY BROWN’S PLACE, AND A RACE. … From my August 27th essay.
** AN INSULAR ROMNEY STRUGGLES WITH HIS SURPRISINGLY HEARTFELT VEEP PICK AFTER STRIKING OUT INTERNATIONALLY. … From my August 23rd essay.
** RECALLING TOTAL RECALL: INTRIGUE, ULTRA-VIOLENCE, HUMOR AND WHAT ELSE THAT IS MISSING FROM THE SCHWARZENEGGER REMAKES. … From my August 17th essay.
** LONDON’S GRAND OLYMPICS, ON AND OFF THE TRACK. … From my August 13th essay.
** GORE VIDAL: REMEMBERING A BRILLIANT, CONTROVERSIAL LEGEND OF THE SORT WE DON’T FOSTER ANY MORE. … From my August 3rd essay.
** ROMNEY’S DANGEROUS BUFFOONERY. … From my August 1st essay.
** SUNRISE IN CALIFORNIA? … From my July 26th feature.
** FROM GOVERNATOR TO MOONBEAM. … From my January 3rd, 2011 feature.
** OBAMA: RIDING WITH HISTORY. (NOTE: As Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, this column was the featured column on the top of the front page of the Huffington Post.) … From my January 19th, 2009 Huffington Post column.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM AL JAZEERA. With the US entangled in major military operations in the region, and the Arab awakening underway, it’s valuable to keep up with news and perspectives from the leading Middle Eastern-based TV news network. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer. The NWN live link to AJ does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer from the Russia Today channel. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the state-run channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND NATIONAL ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Having crashed over $147 for yet another record on July 11th, 2008, crude oil is trading around $95 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
This is up about $61 from the low of $34 per barrel prior to enactment of the Obama economic recovery program, reflecting a low point in global economic activity, and down about $19 per barrel from the price at the time of the Osama bin Laden raid.
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| Comments (31) |
Good news video of my loud mouth Governor bombing.
Good Al Jazeera news video at the big meeting of nations in Iran.
Here is today, good, what happened with the server problem??
Hahah, serves him right, the jerk…
Jonas says:
August 29, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Good news video of my loud mouth Governor bombing.
Uh-oh.
Jonas says:
August 29, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Good Al Jazeera news video at the big meeting of nations in Iran.
Soooooo overrated.
BB:Then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered the convention keynote address.
Christie, normally a big gust of wind to rival any hurricane, fell rather flat.
He was humorless in text and delivery, unpleasant in aspect, boiler plate in his rote Republican appeal, and remarkably self-absorbed, mentioning himself far more often than Romney.
The Long Game, I like it!!
** NEW COLUMNS COMING UP … AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS DISAPPOINTING, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS and WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME.
More crisis video today?
You are a glutton for the punishment, my friend.
No shit.
Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Soooooo overrated.
BB:Then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered the convention keynote address.
Christie, normally a big gust of wind to rival any hurricane, fell rather flat.
He was humorless in text and delivery, unpleasant in aspect, boiler plate in his rote Republican appeal, and remarkably self-absorbed, mentioning himself far more often than Romney.
I hope the “Long Game” for der Clintons includes a long game for the USA…
Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm
The Long Game, I like it!!
** NEW COLUMNS COMING UP … AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS DISAPPOINTING, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS and WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME.
Good bad news news video from the Arctic Sea.
If I wasn’t sober before I am sober watching the Arctic vid.
Terrible, just absolutely terrible…
Hahah, I love it!! Let the wingnuts explain what Reagan really did.
… A bill to place a privately-funded statue of Ronald Reagan inside the California State Capitol has passed both houses of the legislature and gone to Governor Jerry Brown. A Reagan statue? Sure, why not? I like Reagan. He did some very good things as president (along with not very good). And he was a very interesting governor, who in the present day would probably be run out of the far right state GOP. …
… In another sign of the impact of the great global recession and subsequent budget cuts, California’s community college enrollment is down 17% from what it was in the 2008-2009 school year.
I have been conviced for a while Chris Christie is actively planning for a 2016 run anticipating Romney’s failure this go-around and looking forward to not having to face an incumbent. Maybe the most calculating “all me all the time” poltico this side of Blagojevich. Started seeing some other folks w/net comments echoing this. He is a empty gasbag and in my view Hillary (if she runs) would make mincemeat of him.
BTW, went last Friday night to a screening of the original Total Recall at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood with a sold out crowd — director Paul Verhoeven plus two of the writers spoke afterward. What I was struck by is the dark humor (mentioned by Bill in his piece on the film) that infuses it which works well with Schwarzenegger’s larger than life persona. And the Jerry Goldsmith score is awesome! Great fun!
Iran summit and crisis video today?
Yes.
I should use the Jerry Goldsmith score as NWN theme music.
> Dana says:
August 29, 2012 at 7:16 pm (Edit)
BTW, went last Friday night to a screening of the original Total Recall at the American Cinematheque in Hollywood with a sold out crowd — director Paul Verhoeven plus two of the writers spoke afterward. What I was struck by is the dark humor (mentioned by Bill in his piece on the film) that infuses it which works well with Schwarzenegger’s larger than life persona. And the Jerry Goldsmith score is awesome! Great fun!
I agree that Hillary would destroy Christie. Actually, I think he is wildly overrated.
> Dana says:
August 29, 2012 at 7:07 pm (Edit)
I have been conviced for a while Chris Christie is actively planning for a 2016 run anticipating Romney’s failure this go-around and looking forward to not having to face an incumbent. Maybe the most calculating “all me all the time” poltico this side of Blagojevich. Started seeing some other folks w/net comments echoing this. He is a empty gasbag and in my view Hillary (if she runs) would make mincemeat of him.
It’s a good opportunity for accurate commentary.
> Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 5:00 pm (Edit)
Hahah, I love it!! Let the wingnuts explain what Reagan really did.
… A bill to place a privately-funded statue of Ronald Reagan inside the California State Capitol has passed both houses of the legislature and gone to Governor Jerry Brown. A Reagan statue? Sure, why not? I like Reagan. He did some very good things as president (along with not very good). And he was a very interesting governor, who in the present day would probably be run out of the far right state GOP. …
Yes, quite terrible, and wildly under-reported.
>
Cooper Hawks says:
August 29, 2012 at 3:47 pm (Edit)
If I wasn’t sober before I am sober watching the Arctic vid.
Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 4:59 pm (Edit)
Terrible, just absolutely terrible…
They are inter-related …
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:57 pm (Edit)
I hope the “Long Game” for der Clintons includes a long game for the USA…
Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm
The Long Game, I like it!!
** NEW COLUMNS COMING UP … AFTER THE ROMNEYRAMA, WHY THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS DISAPPOINTING, AND MORE SERIOUS MATTERS and WHILE ONE CLINTON WOWS AT THE OBAMARAMA, ANOTHER PIVOTS TO THE LONG GAME.
Sadly, yes.
> Jack Aubrey says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:51 pm (Edit)
No shit.
Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Soooooo overrated.
BB:Then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered the convention keynote address.
Christie, normally a big gust of wind to rival any hurricane, fell rather flat.
He was humorless in text and delivery, unpleasant in aspect, boiler plate in his rote Republican appeal, and remarkably self-absorbed, mentioning himself far more often than Romney.
I should say so.
>
Jonas says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:35 pm (Edit)
More crisis video today?
Jack Aubrey says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:51 pm (Edit)
You are a glutton for the punishment, my friend.
Very.
> Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:23 pm (Edit)
Soooooo overrated.
BB:Then New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered the convention keynote address.
Christie, normally a big gust of wind to rival any hurricane, fell rather flat.
He was humorless in text and delivery, unpleasant in aspect, boiler plate in his rote Republican appeal, and remarkably self-absorbed, mentioning himself far more often than Romney.
It’s getting better.
> Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:19 pm (Edit)
Uh-oh.
Jonas says:
August 29, 2012 at 12:59 pm
Good Al Jazeera news video at the big meeting of nations in Iran.
It couldn’t happen to …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 2:17 pm (Edit)
Hahah, serves him right, the jerk…
Jonas says:
August 29, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Good news video of my loud mouth Governor bombing.
It’s as unclear as these things generally are …
> Capitol Boy says:
August 29, 2012 at 1:56 pm (Edit)
Here is today, good, what happened with the server problem??