STORY #1: The high-profilers
For former Secretary of State Colin Powell to have endorsed President Obama in 2008 had been enough of a surprise. Now it’s 2012 and Powell is endorsing Obama again. Some yahoos on Twitter have suspected that this is because they’re both black – now there’s something unexpected. (Not.) Others who believe the simplest explanation is always the correct one might say that Powell genuinely liked Obama’s performance in his first term. But as he said it, he thought Obama had done a solid job of turning the economy around and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) was a man to be distrusted on foreign policy. Ouch.
Personally, I think it comes down to what a lot of less-enchanted Obama supporters have already concluded: We know what we’re getting with this guy. We don’t know what we’re getting with Romney, because of his multiple persona disorder. When he’s not making shit up for the sake of the administration of the day – which, to be fair, he regrets doing – he has a reputation as a fairly straight-shooting guy. Compared to Romney, outside of Benghazi-gate, that’s what Obama is, even if you don’t like what he’s shooting at you.
STORY #2: Not what it looks like
This one’s for the ladies: By now you have heard Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s (R-IN) opposition to rape exceptions for abortion and are probably, rightfully, disgusted. Initially, you may also be disgusted by the fact that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) demanded an apology from Mourdock last night before, which he gave, and is now cheerfully renewing his support for him as if it never happened. But he has a reason to do that, albeit not a very good one.
If only four more Republicans are elected to the Senate this year over 2008, they will have a majority, the opposite of which has often been a thorn in the side of House Republicans who have passed a lot of bills that haven’t gone anywhere. So, disgusted as they are by certain Republican candidates for Senate, they have to maintain a united front in the hopes that rank-and-file Republicans actually will go to the polls. I’d be surprised if it turned out that way, but that’s the reason; unless you think McCain is salivating over legislation that would defund Planned Parenthood, there’s nothing sinister behind it.
STORY #3: He got the chair
And Clint Eastwood officially endorses Romney, as if the fact that he appeared at the Republican National Convention and compared Obama to an empty chair wasn’t enough of a spoiler. The amount of time it took to type these three sentences are 60 seconds of my life that I will never get back. Thanks for bothering, Clint.
