Getting Swampy

I think I have an extra idea for Gov. Schwarzenegger's heath care plan - encourage people not to read Time's new blog as a means to keep the blood pressure low. Today, resident self-appointed serious pundit Joe Klein claims that Barack Obama "lost" the debate with John McCain on Face the Nation yesterday, not because of the argument he was making, but because of HOW he was making it. He wasn't as confident, I guess, or something. The idea that Klein can state clearly that John McCain was completely wrong on the substance of the argument and STILL can win the debate is something that can only be true in the world of the DC pundit. And a reader calls him on the carpet for it.

This, from a reader:

"Obama stumbles" is the title. Since when is HOW someone delivers a policy idea (in your opinion) more important that what the actual policy is? What kind of analysis is that? McCain was wrong in a presidential way, and that's impressive to you?

Sorry but, in the television age, if you can't sell a policy clearly, coherently and with confidence--especially a complicated policy--you're going to lose the argument. The very best politicians manage to blend style and substance, as is usually the case with Obama. (And wasn't the case with John Kerry, who was--ultimately, after a lot of hand-wringing--right about the war, but seemed uncertain and smarmy: for it before he was against it.)

The only reason Klein can claim that "In the television age, if you can't sell a policy clearly, coherently and with confidence, you're going to lose the argument" is because that's how pundits like KLEIN cover it. They make decisions about politicians based on the most superfluous, meaningless notions - fake ideas about "confidence" and "authenticity" and other nonsense that only people like you care about - and the end result can be seen with the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

And a good Klein piece of writing can't go a few paragraphs without a dig at John Kerry.

If you want to have a laugh, read the dozens of comments to that post - all negative except for one guy, who uses the royal "we" (as in "The implication being that Washington is a slimy, fetid place of doing business, and we intend to make fun of it/ be catty about it.") in such a way to cement that (s)he works there. And, being catty about politics when the consequences of politics are kids dying is, um, the problem. Not that I mind being catty - about Joke Line.