You'd think we'd be talking about race a lot. It's incredible that an African American is in the lead for the presidency, and a sad commentary that it's such an unlikelihood in this country. Obama's candidacy could be sparking thoughtful conversations about race in every corner of America.

Ok, ok...the Presidential race too rarely sparks thoughtful conversations on anything -- why should race be any different?

And I think we'd collectively fall out of our seats if Senator Obama started an earnest dialogue unpacking white privilege.

But since he won't (or can't), other surrogates have to:

This video is the 5th installment of "This Week in Blackness," a new project from Laughing Liberally regular and Brooklyn Comedy Company founder Elon James White.

It's more upfront about race than most mainstream commentary (just because it's funny doesn't mean it isn't honest). And Elon can say things that Senator Obama and those around him could never say -- both because Elon's not connected to the campaign, and because he has the Shakespearean fool's privilege granted to comedians to speak truths and taboos.

It's a reminder of the importance of outside surrogates who can inject ideas into the discourse that the campaigns may not touch. And one more example of comedians talking about topics far more interesting than much of the "top-tier" coverage.

I have no idea if it's good or bad political strategy to be as subdued about race as the Obama campaign is...but in the long term it's better for our country to talk, debate, learn, argue -- and laugh, when we can -- about it.

Laughing Liberally To Keep From Crying
by Katie Halper

Sarah Palin was ambushed by Charlie Gibson with a gotcha question about the Bush Doctrine. Well, maybe Palin isn't an expert on the current president's doctrine, but, as her hero Virginia Woolf would have it, the governator has a doctrine of one's own, the Palin Doctrine, which strikes a balance between governmental largess and governmental neglect.

Laughing Liberally To Keep From Crying
by Lee Camp

It's always really cool to get the chance to plug popular culture that aims, implicitly or explicitly, to promote progressive values, but it's particularly cool when said popular culture comes from one of our Laughing Liberally comics. Elon James White, the brilliant LL-associated mind behind the Black Comedy Experiment has started a new video-blog series: This Week In Blackness, a biting examination of the latest political news directly affecting black communities - it's more than worth checking out, and given the rate with which they've been produced in the past few days, it looks like 'weekly' will be a minimum level of regularity.

Laughing Liberally To Keep From Crying

Over at 23/6, Lee Camp unearths a voicemail recording of McCain correcting a New York Times story.

It's a sort of ironic twist of fate that just as Obama's pushback seems to be getting flimsier and flimsier, the comedic takes on McCain we're seeing throughout the internets seem to be getting sharper and sharper - as we've written before, comedy can be a great way to reframe the debate and redefine the perceptions of candidates and issues. Now, if only the campaign proper and campaign improper could get on the same page.

Bush flip flops on Putin's soul. It seems like only yesterday that Bush said of President Vladimir Putin: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue... I was able to get a sense of his soul." Now, Bush accuses the Russian president of "bullying and intimidation." It remains unclear whether Putin has changed or Bush has bad soul-dar.

Condoleeza Rice leaks conscience to the press. [or "in rare moment, Condoleeza Rice let's conscience slip."] The Secretary of State said "military power" is "not the way to deal in the 21st century."

In a similar episode, the AP lets the truth slip, referring to Joe Lieberman as "the Democratic vice presidential prick* in 2000..."

William Kristol lies only 1/4 of the time. Since joining The New York Times Op Ed team in January, William Kristol has already forced the paper to issue four corrections. Although Kristol founded the Weekly Standard, he prefers writing for The New York Times, where
he can push the neo-con agenda, bring down Obama, and destroy the credibility of a newspaper he hates, all at the same time.

McCain's cone of silence could be confirmed by Ear, Nose and Throat doctor.
The McCain campaign insists that the presumptive Republican nominee was in a cone of silence during Rick Warren's interview of Obama. Some, however, suggest that, since McCain was traveling in his motorcade, "he may not have been in the cone of silence" and might have had "some ability to overhear" the questions. This leaves the McCain campaign in the unenviable position of holding the world's first nationally televised presidential audiological test in order to prove that the cone of silence was unnecessary because the senator is hard of hearing.

Bored with just stealing American jobs, immigrants turn to taking away our medals.

*You would think that with a last name like hers, the AP reporter, Nedra Pickler, would be more careful.

Originally posted at The Field

by Lee Camp, LeeCamp.net

When Entertainment Weekly conducted a Woodward and Bernstein-like investigation of "all the presidential candidates'" pop culture favorites, I was shocked-and-awed to learn you are a Curb Your Enthusiasm fan.

Although I disagree with your policies, I must admit I share your taste in television, which, as they say, makes strange bedfellows. So, as a fellow fan, I beg you to "curb your enthusiasm" for the show. Since your endorsement, I've been unable to think of Curb without imagining this frightening image: You are in one of your nine houses in full relaxation mode, you've kicked off your $520 Ferregamo calf skin loafers and you're curled up on the couch with Cindy (whom you just arm wrestled for the remote), snuggling under a polar-bear-fur blanket while a taxidermied bald eagle keeps vigil on the mantle with caribou heads and framed ABBA albums on the walls and you're surrounded by good friends like John Hagee, Rod Parsley and Ralph Reed --your adopted child nowhere in sight (as usual)-- everyone laughing away. I'm scared that this image will haunt me forever and prevent me from enjoying the next season, which I've been looking forward to with much excitement.

I understand that the awkward, white-haired curmudgeon who is always saying the wrong thing as his significantly younger blond wife smiles and suffers is a character with whom you can identify. But I think once you consider the aspects of the show you might have missed, or tried to repress, you'll want to retract your endorsement for the sake of your campaign, your maverick-like integrity, and your country.

McCain's anti-Obama ads show that he sneers
when Americans cheer someone likable & popular
...boy, McCain must hate Michael Phelps.

His international policy is to go-it-alone,
& he scoffed when Germans gathered to support
an American that came in the spirit of peace.
...the torch ceremony must've made him nauseous.

He accuses Obama of elitism, though Obama
worked his way up from a humble background,
while McCain's family got him his placements
...impartial international judges must drive him crazy.

He's against enthusiasm, internationalism & meritocracy
...John McCain must really hate the Olympics.

Or maybe he wishes they were more like the old days
when men competed naked & women stayed home.

Come out to toast the Olympic spirit & global goodwill
& debate whether Obama or Phelps has the bigger fan club
as you share a night & a few drinks with fellow lefties
at your local progressive social club.

DRINKING LIBERALLY
Find - or start - a chapter near you.

This is awesome:

h/t Oliver Willis