Love and Death on Long Island is a quirky independent film released in 1998, featuring an odd pair of stars: John Hurt, elder statesman of British stage and screen, and . . . Jason Priestley. It's a small, wan picture tinged with tragedy -- and small, wan, and tragic is a good description of John McCain's campaign at this point in time.
But the parallels between art and life on Strong Island don't stop there: the movie's story follows a highly respected Oxford don of around 60, who through a series of improbable events becomes hopelessly infatuated with a simple, naïve Z-movie hunk. After exhausting his Tesco's supply of Tiger Beat mags, the prof travels across the pond to the Hamptons, where he begins stalking the Priestley character. And while the May-October relationship begins on a hopeful note, ultimately, the once-revered pillar of academia throws away his career and his dignity in his favor of his doomed, obsessive commitment to his dim young quarry.
Not entirely unlike John McCain and Sarah Palin.
But the other reason we're going with "Love and Death on Long Island" as tonight's theme is because the phrase communicates a sort of ennui and inner conflict, at least in comparison to past themes like "Ole Miss Knife Fight!" The fact is, tonight isn't a "Hofstra Hoedown" or "Hempstead Haymaker." It's anticlimax. And as long as Obama doesn't rape a dead baby on stage, the debate probably won't change much.
And finally, we love Barack Obama, and John McCain's campaign is just about dead.
Schieffer is out. He's wearing a vaguely candy-canish tie, a style also favored by McCain.
Per Tweety, as a white male, I have a primal need to provide to my family, and need to see that Barack can kill a wildebeest.
Tonight's the sit-down debate. Not sure who that favors.
Obama wearing red-on-red tie. McCain grey-on-grey. That's just too easy.
Q: Who's econ plan is better?
JSMIII: Shout-out to ailing Nancy Reagan. Americans are angry (though not at Nancy). Starts blaming crisis on Fannie and Freddie (and CRA?). Wants the gummint to buy distressed mortgages and renegotiate. [ED: This is relatively unobjectionable -- but is woefully inadequate as an answer. He just hit one small part of the pictuure]
BO: We need a rescue package for the middle class. End tax breaks for offshorers, tax credit for job creators. Tax cuts for Americans making less than $250K. Help for homeowners. Need to get money into credit markets quicker.
JSMIII: Claims that a plumber named Joe in Ohio can't start a business under Obama plan because he makes more than $250K. [Joe, let me tell ya about incorporation . . .]
BO: Yeah, that's a McCain ad, not reality.
[BO is killing JSMIII so far.]
