Begala: Michelle Was…Authentic???
Yes, you read that right. In this post for the Huffington Post, Clinton attack puppy Paul Begala said everything except that Michelle hit it out of the park. Here’s Mr. Begala’s opening paragraph:
Michelle Obama was spectacular Monday night. Poised, charming, beautiful, and most of all, authentic.
I’d love for Mr. Begala to spin me a tale on what he thought was Michelle’s most authentic moment. Was it when, as Byron York notes, Michelle said this:
“My piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me.” Those forebears, she explained, were “driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work, the same conviction that drives the men and women I’ve met all across this country…That’s why I love this country.”
If so, how does Mr. Begala explain that against what she said in North Carolina:
“We’re still living in a time and in a nation where the bar is set, right?…You start working hard and sacrificing and you think you’re getting close to that bar, you’re working and you’re struggling, and then what happens? They raise the bar…keep it just out of reach.”
After hanging with the Clintons for so long, I guess that passes as authenticity. Unfortunately for Mr. Begala, that’s what the average person calls a phony.
Perhaps that isn’t what Mr. Begala was referring to. Perhaps he was referring to this statement:
“For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country, because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.”
We remember that that’s what Michelle said in Wisconsin on February 18. Looking through the transcript of last night’s speech, though, that didn’t seem to make it into the speech. That would’ve been authentic. Unfortunately, saying that with the entire nation watching would singlehandedly sink her husband’s candidacy. (Does that mean Sen. Obama’s handlers couldn’t handle that much authenticity?)
As much as Spinmeister Begala would like us to believe that Michelle was authentic last night, that isn’t the mission of his post. His mission is to tell Democrats to attack. If a little hyperbole is needed, then that’s what you use. Here’s some of Mr. Begala’s hyperbole:
The Bush-McCain Republicans messed up the country in their first term, and they messed up the world in their second. If they get a third term, even the solar system won’t be safe.
Here’s what George Will would say to that: “Well.” What Mr. Begala lacks in authenticity, he makes up for in bullshit.
It’s insulting to hear Mr. Begala say that “the Bush-McCain Republicans” have messed up the world. Why does Mr. Begala, like many Democrats, think that liberating 50 million people from a tyrant’s control is “messing up the world”?
This is why Mr. Begala isn’t considered a serious political analyst. That’s why he’s selling his schtick on Huffington Post and CNN.
Technorati Tags: Paul Begala, Blogging, Huffington Post, Michelle Obama, John McCain, Election 2008
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog