If there is a political message to found here, it has nothing to do with the advertisement itself. The ad is doing exactly what any good ad should do. In fact, it does more – Memeorandum is tracking reactions, people are writing columns about it, it is being posted on blogs and social networks. Chrysler is getting more than their money’s worth from this spot.

The political problem is with the underlying company. The problem is with the moral hazard unleashed when they were bailed out with taxpayer money. The problem is with the subsequent heavy handed politically motivated machinations orchestrated by the Obama administration in the bankruptcy proceedings. I would not want to buy a car from that company.

Conventional Wisdom in both main stream and non-traditional media have passed judgement on both the debt ceiling legislation and the bipartisan deficit reduction super committee it begat. Conventional Wisdom informs us that we have seen this movie before and we know how it ends. Conventional Wisdom tells us the bipartisan Super Committee will fail. Problem being – Conventional Wisdom is wrong.

I can’t get too worked up about this latest episode of Jackass Journalism* – the art of pranking political opposition in the hope of getting politically stupid and embarrassing quotes on tape, with extra points for reinforcing your teams worst stereotypes of the other team.

Taiwanese animations are the future of all mainstream news. The folks at NextMedia have distilled US TV news, newspaper commentary, blogs, and twitter feeds on the Wisconsin standoff into an easily digestible two minute animation. As far as the legislative standoff is concerned, this is a foregone conclusion. Polls do not support the AWOL Wisconsin Senators. The Wisconsin State Assembly passed the Walker Budget Repair Bill after beating back a filibuster and the Senators will have to return sometime or be recalled. The protesters in Madison will have to go back to work or be fired. The Republicans have the votes and Walker has the will. Done deal. I think it is all Kabuki Theater in Wisconsin from this point.

Usually I try to avoid stuff like this, but the following video was just too crazy. I mean…how does this guy have listeners? How is he so powerful? More importantly, why can’t GOPers distance themselves from or criticize him without having to apologize a couple days later? Answer: morons. Listen, most of you know I [...]

This election cycle precipitated a conversation about the virtues and vices of a divided federal government in both new and traditional media. In the last few days before the vote, the amplitude spiked. Much of the most recent attention is in the form of an attack from the left on the foundation of the divided government voting rationale. One such attack – an awe inspiring, world class hysterical hissy fit by Paul Krugman from the lofty platform afforded him by the New York Times:

On the Left: The most important part of our jobs as United States Senators is to create jobs in our states. That is especially true in times like these, when so many are reeling from so much economic pain – Harry Reid and on the Right: in my view it’s an insult to the millions [...]

I refuse to call it the Ground Zero mosque because, well, it’s not at Ground Zero. It’s close, but it’s not at the site…which I think most people who opposed it think it is. But here’s the thing…looks like it’s moving to another part of the city. From Haaretz: After weeks of heated debate over [...]

We here at Donklephant want to make sure you know that we’re laughing at you, not with you… 23) Saul Alinsky (7) 23) Bill Clinton (7) 23) Hillary Clinton (7) 19) Michael Moore (7) 19) George Soros (8) 19) Alger Hiss (8) 19) Al Sharpton (8) 13) Al Gore (9) 13) Noam Chomsky (9) 13) [...]

I wont be nearly the first person to be writing about California’s Proposition 14. I’m coming late into the game, having only listened to the vague positive talking points of the California Independent Voter Network (CAIVN), and their allies, who have talked this proposition up. But I began to see some dissent, and took at [...]

For some people, the development of the new Coffee Party USA organization seemed like a godsend in response to the more extreme elements in the Tea Party movement. At first I thought that this could be the grassroots movement I’d been waiting for – one that actually included moderates independents, and actively worked across ideological [...]

I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning… The Tea Party’s choice in the Florida Republican primary, Marco Rubio, began his address to a crowd of conservative conventioneers by taking a shot at President Obama for reading from a teleprompter. He did it while standing in front of two easily visible teleprompters. It was [...]

We are unaccustomed to this kind of refreshing candor coming from a Communication Director of any administration in recent memory. Pfeiffer delivers on the promise of the title “The Same Old Washington Blame Game” with much more of the same old Washington blame game in the post itself.

Whilst walking the dog this rainy evening, I happened upon an illuminated, inflatable lawn ornament of the Halloween variety. These decorations are an easy, relatively inexpensive way to acknowledge the holiday. They require little or no thought beyond which one to buy and where to buy it. The set-up is easy, so is the clean [...]

Something has been bugging me all weekend. I’ve never been to Chicago. From what friends and family have told me, The Windy City is indeed a great place. There is lots to see and do. But you wouldn’t be told that if you asked any number of right-wing-talking-heads. To these folks, Chicago is a cesspool [...]

I write one, Jason writes one, I write another, and Jason writes another. And so I write this…

Here are the facts. Racism has been rising steadily over the last few months. In recent polls, President Obama’s job approval number has dropped from 70% to 50%. This means the percentage of racists in this country has risen from 30% to 50% – a 67% increase in only eight months! Even more alarming, close to one out of two Americans are now racist. We have reached a tipping point. If this trend continues, the racists will soon be in a majority. Now, more than ever, we need the pundits and sages of the mainstream media to speak out.

As I said before, I’m completely and absolutely bewildered at how this even turned into a story. And, by the way, shame on all of you who needlessly fueled this fire. If you really want to set a good example for your children, how about teaching them to not jump to conclusions. Think that might [...]

My head is starting to spin. Luckily for me, Conor Clarke can make some sense of it all: What’s the logical conclusion here? Do we boycott and counter-boycott, until we’ve whittled ourselves down to country of red and blue companies as well as red and blue states? There’s nothing to stop us. Fox is well [...]

This kind of partisan political posturing (like astroturfing) is par for the course, pretty much the same old tried and true game of demonizing opposition to rally your team and get your bill passed. Not exactly “hope and change”, more like “same ol’ stuff”, but it doesn’t bother me. It can create problems though – if you don’t finesse it just right.