Author Archive
Friday, November 21st, 2008
Change or Institutional Reshuffling?
I think that it is worthwhile to discuss whether Obama’s transition team, in what appears to be picking mainly former Clinton 42 officials for future Obama posts, is really offering change or just recycling and reshuffling Washington insiders. As my brother puts it, “for those of you that had all sorts of hope for Obama […]
4 Comments » - Posted in Obama 44 by eric
Friday, November 21st, 2008
Exit Obama 08, Enter Obama 44
It’s time to close the Obama 08 section and open the new Obama 44 one. It’s been fun and historic, but it’s over.
As a caveat, let me say that it was never my intention to turn this into a political blog. I hope to continue my main focus on daily digressions, commentary on literature, Jazz […]
No Comments » - Posted in Obama 08, Obama 44 by eric
Friday, November 21st, 2008
Leave it to Beaver for Adults
I know I have only seen three full episodes of Mad Men, but I think I got the point already — we’ve evolved since the late 50s, early 60s. Still, the non-stop smoking by everyone, everywhere and at anytime (you feel like you’re living in Europe up until 2 or 3 years ago), the wet-bars […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Digressions by eric
Thursday, November 20th, 2008
Negative Externalities
One of the great advantages of online technologies and media is that I have been able to follow and stay abreast of the 2008 Presidential Election from abroad in a way that I was simply not able to back in 2000 and 2004. As I have mentioned, turning to podcasts kept me informed but at […]
2 Comments » - Posted in Digressions by eric
Monday, November 17th, 2008
The Great Depression and How You Get Got
I like George Will. I don’t generally agree with him on policy, but I do respect his intellectual curiosity and honesty, writing abilities, and ideological consistency (he sticks to his guns, even if it means criticizing his own party). Nevertheless, yesterday on This Week with George Stephanopoulus, an exchange he had with Paul Krugman, reminded […]
1 Comment » - Posted in Essays by eric
Monday, November 17th, 2008
Divorce Him Already
Hillary would not have been on the top of my list for Secretary of State. I would have envisioned her in a domestic policy role, thinking that one of Obama’s bipartisan choices would be better as the top foreign diplomat (like Republicans Chuck Hagel or Dick Lugar). Apparently, though, Hillary was blocked by Ted Kennedy […]
4 Comments » - Posted in Essays by eric
Friday, November 14th, 2008
The Founding Fathers and Terrorism
I was just watching a recent ABC News interview with William Ayers, the alleged terrorist pall of Barack Obama — a relationship Ayers calls a myth. With regards to his participation in the Weather Underground, Ayers insisted that he had never engaged in terrorism, but that the group had been reckless and some of their […]
No Comments » - Posted in Essays by eric
Thursday, November 13th, 2008
The Moment
Ever since Obama won the elections and masses of Americans celebrated in the streets, I have been thinking about the moment’s duality: on the one hand, people poured into the streets to reclaim their nation’s identity (in light of everything, justifiably or not, the Bush Administration came to symbolize) and the almost indescribable historic jubilation […]
No Comments » - Posted in Essays, Obama 08 by eric
Monday, November 10th, 2008
Closure
I am still looking for some closure after the historic moment on Tuesday night. While Obama has his transition team in full battle gear, I am stuck in my own transition phase to post-election life.
I was hoping to write something profound, wrapping everything up like in Frank Rich’s article in today’s New York Times. Then […]
7 Comments » - Posted in Digressions, Obama 08 by eric
Thursday, November 6th, 2008
The False Prophecy and a Little Irony
Remember them Super Delegates? Back when change had trumped experience and the numbers pointed in only one direction, Hillary Clinton made a plea to the Super Delegates to ignore the math and consider her prophecy: Barack Obama was unelectable. White women wouldn’t vote for him, Hispanics wouldn’t vote for him, and as Bill Clinton said, […]
