Media Nation Jr. and a friend are blasting out heavy metal in the basement, so I’m watching the live feed on MSNBC.com and listening through earbuds. No pundits!
Maddow targets Buchanan’s homophobia
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLHzW7MlEQw&hl=en&fs=1]
If you didn’t catch this on MSNBC last night, you should watch. Rachel Maddow goes off on that old homophobe Pat Buchanan for his 1992 “culture war” speech — the one that the late, great Molly Ivins said “sounded better in the original German.”
Scroll ahead to 3:30 if you’re in a hurry. Here’s Maddow:
I hadn’t planned on talking about this, but I was thinking about 1992, when I was 19 years old. And Pat, that was the year of your famous culture-war speech at the Houston convention.
And when Bill Clinton got elected that year, I remember, as not a very political person, feeling a visceral sense that, you know, I like the idea of the Clinton family being around for the next four years. I like the idea of them being on TV all the time, in the news all the time, them just being around. Because they seem likable, and, more importantly, I think that they don’t hate me.
I think if they knew me, they wouldn’t hate me, and they don’t want an America that doesn’t want me in it. I believe that they would respect me. And after the 1992 convention that year, I didn’t feel that way about the incumbent president or his party.
Buchanan chose to ignore the genuine hurt and emotion behind Maddow’s words, and Maddow wisely didn’t push it any farther. But good for Maddow for calling Buchanan out on his hateful words aimed at gay men and lesbians — words he’s never disavowed, and that he no doubt believes to this day.
Michelle Obama speaks again
I’m watching Michelle Obama speak to an Emily’s List gathering on CNN.com right now. And though I liked her speech last night well enough, I find it interesting that she seems much more relaxed and natural today, without sacrificing any of the warmth she projected on the big stage.
A presidential makeover
In my latest for the Guardian, I argue that two contrasting speeches by Michelle Obama show she understands what works in Chicago doesn’t work on the national stage. Unfortunately for Democrats, the Obamas’ efforts to reinvent themselves risk making them seem inauthentic and leave them vulnerable to Republican attack.
Where’s the bottom?
The New York Times Co. reports that ad revenues at its New England Media Group, which includes the Boston Globe (along with Boston.com and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette), were down 24.5 percent in July compared to the same month a year ago. (Via Adam Reilly.)
Poynter’s very busy redesign
I’m willing to let it grow on me. But, like Adam Reilly, I find the redesign of Poynter Online, home to Jim Romenesko’s media-news site, somewhat bewildering. There is a lot going on.
That said, my experience is that no one likes redesigns at first, but that they’re generally fine. It’s just a matter of adjusting.
Michelle Obama’s speech
She was appealingly nervous and sincere. Given that she’s been caricatured as Angela Davis, only less fun, all she really had to do was come across as normal and friendly. Which she did. And the girls are adorable.
Checking in with Al Giordano
I just added Al Giordano to the Media Nation links. My former Boston Phoenix colleague is always well worth reading, and I expect that will especially be the case for the rest of the campaign.
Giordano’s campaign blog, The Field, is an interesting story in and of itself.
Kennedy’s dramatic speech
We won’t have a more dramatic moment all week than Ted Kennedy’s speech. I was stunned — I figured he’d wave and say a couple of words. Instead, he delivered one of his patented stem-winders.
If his health continues to improve, it’s easy to imagine his returning to the Senate next January, as he vowed to do.
Glenn Marshall resurfaces
We interrupt this week’s orgy of national political news to tell you that Glenn Marshall — the convicted rapist and phony war hero who helped target Middleborough as the home for the world’s largest gambling casino — continues to pull strings behind the scenes.
George Brennan of the Cape Cod Times reports that Marshall is neither forgotten nor gone from the circles of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which he served as president before his past was brought to light by Cape Cod Today and the Cape Cod Times.
And just to bring this full circle: As I recently wrote here, here and here, it’s ludicrous to pretend that the Spectrum Gaming report commissioned by Gov. Deval Patrick for $189,000 is an independent assessment. But there was one interesting wrinkle. Whereas Patrick has seemed less than enthusiastic about supporting a tribal casino, Spectrum warned that such a casino is inevitable.
As the great Gladys Kravitz recently observed, one of Spectrum’s clients is the financier Sol Kerzner, who’s the source of much of the money behind the Middleborough proposal — and thus an important guy in making Glenn Marshall an important guy.
You absolutely cannot make this stuff up.