Gothamist: Video of the Day: Obama and McCain Crack Wise at Alfred E. Smith Dinner

NannyState

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:24:05 -0500

A tense grimmace of forced laughter.

TooTallJeff

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:34:48 -0500

^yeahbutwha?

chris lee

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:34:52 -0500

Those that provide the money are investors in candidates and elections, and credible theories have been developed on the extent to which the parties serve particular investor groups who focus heavily on particular parties, though almost always hedging their bets and building good will with the less favored party. (See Thomas Ferguson, Golden Rule: The Investment Theory of Party Competition and the Logic of Money-Driven Political Systems [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995]). The investor-businesses must consider this use of capital a profitable one, with rates of return high enough to justify this form of investment. The payoffs may be specific and large, as where the investment helps bring with it a large government contract, or it may just be a broadly based but still substantial payoff in reduced tax rates, eased environmental constraints, benefits from reduced or impaired regulation, wars and rising military budgets, and other payoffs. Market-based democracy has proven to be very profitable in recent years. Clearly, if the relative size of the flow of funds from investors to candidates defines election “credibility,” the investors effectively vet the candidates before the voting public has any say in the matter, vetoing those who they disapprove, and exercising a huge influence on the success of those who pass through the vetting filter. The investors also operate indirectly through funding party bosses, party thinktanks, and party activities, as in the case of the Democratic Leadership Council and Progressive Policy Institute, whose officials strongly influence the selection and advance of candidates within their own party--candidates who must be acceptable to the underlying investor community. AIPAC and other organizations and investors focused on support of Israel are reputed to provide 40 percent or more of Democratic Party election funds, and are therefore a highly important investor block who represent only a subset of the U.S. Jewish community, which in total constitutes something like 2 percent of the population.

S.D.

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:31:07 -0500

Wow, my Brain hurts from sheer foolishness (trying to play nice) of I.O.M...

Felix Hoenikker

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:29:20 -0500

10 Most of them are actually proud to call themselves racist rednecks, and put stickers on their trucks stating so, much in the same way blacks call each other 'nigga'.

robingee

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:21:18 -0500

"Obama looked liked he was going to poop his pants when McCain started to needle him on ACORN." Why, what does Obama have to do with ACORN? Do you know Obama's connection to ACORN, and what happened with the voter registration scam (that ACORN employees pulled on ACORN itself?). Can you answer?

huffybike

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:20:31 -0500

Great line from Obama.

robingee

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:18:41 -0500

I don't see how they would think that "Joe Six-Pack" is something people can relate to, unless they are drunks.

ericf

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:01:16 -0500

@Dude69, you're funnier than McCain. @ Ides of March, bombed? he was hilarious.

matty

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:31:33 -0500

^HAH

ides_of_march

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:24:54 -0500

Maybe Bill Ayers wrote Obama's material, that's why he bombed.

ides_of_march

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:01:56 -0500

Obama looked liked he was going to poop his pants when McCain started to needle him on ACORN. I give Obama credit, it must take enormous effort for a messiah to engage in self-deprecating humor. The Obama groupies in the media will recommence the worship again shortly, have no fear oh great One.

edEx

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:25:12 -0500

The hilarity of McCain and Palin using phrases like "Joe Six Pack" and "Joe the Plumber" is that they think buy using this terminology that they're helping to relate to their supporters— but what they're really doing is mocking them—basically calling them all a bunch of racist rednecks.

Jen Chung

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:22:44 -0500

I loved how Obama said Schumer brought his loved ones -- "the people in the back with notebooks and cameras."

jt10000

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:13:56 -0500

I do not like McCain, but admit he was pretty funny. Very well done.

nycgurl

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:11:53 -0500

pinch yourself dude69

tingo

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:05:53 -0500

So wait - is Palin supposed to be 'Goose'?

Dude69

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:02:51 -0500

McCain definitely had funnier materials than Obama had hands down! The Hillary dig was PRICELESS! His Maverick style humor will connect with the undecided voters and I predict a close win by Palin/McCain on Nov. 4th!

Outter Burrougher

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:53:52 -0500

how is this breaking news? don't the candidates always go to this event

Wza

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:50:40 -0500

Watched it last night. Both men were pretty funny.

TooTallJeff

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:35:24 -0500

Barry has great writers. SNL should look into hiring those guys.

barryap

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:24:04 -0500

Both pretty funny. But McCain's jokes are always so rehearsed. (I know both have their quips written for them, but Obama's better at making them seem more natural.)