Adam Serwer

Ben Smith notes: The Palin choice could also reopen some of the grievance Clinton supporters felt toward Obama and the media. It’s always tricky, in American politics, for a male politician to attack a female one, though Obama certainly did so in the primary. So in a campaign where the candidate on the top of […]

The AP offers another in a long list of terrible angles on Barack Obama‘s speech last night, the notion that he “avoided race” in his speech. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West are cited as chief witnesses to this terrible transgression. “It looks like he’s running from history,” Dr. Cornel West, a professor of African-American studies […]

The best convention coverage here at the Prospect and elsewhere: How good was Barack Obama‘s speech last night? Pat Buchanan insisted on reading his favorite part out loud afterward. Ezra Klein’s take here.Ross Douthat however, was unimpressed. Joe Klein was. Mark Schmitt explains why Obama may have been wise to avoid going after McCain‘s flip-flops. […]

I’ve been thinking all day about the Republican effort to make Obama cripple himself by avoiding what he does best — give a fantastic speech linking seemingly discrete elements of the American experience — by linking his talent to “celebrity” the way someone might suggest Duke Ellington simply had rhythm. But John McCain can’t do […]

The Southern Poverty Law Center has picked up my friend Matt Kennard‘s Columbia J-School graduate thesis, an investigative report on racist extremists infiltrating the Armed Forces and the absence of any real effort to prevent them from joining. Two years ago, members of Congress urged former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to do more to prevent […]

McCain adviser John Goodman argues that America has already achieved universal health care: Mr. Goodman, who helped craft Sen. John McCain’s health care policy, said anyone with access to an emergency room effectively has insurance, albeit the government acts as the payer of last resort. (Hospital emergency rooms by law cannot turn away a patient […]

The best convention coverage here at the Prospect and elsewhere: No, really. The Democrats just nominated a black man to be President of the United States. Like many others, I can’t help but be proud. According to Dana Goldstein, Josh Marshall, and Ezra Klein, John Kerry was on fire last night. More to come, I’m […]

A few weeks ago, Stuart Shepard of Focus on The Family urged members of that organization to pray for rain during Barack Obama’s acceptance speech tomorrow night. “I’m talking ‘umbrella-ain’t-going-to-help-you rain,” the former pastor and television meteorologist said. He explained on the video: “I’m still pro-life, and I’m still in favor of marriage as being […]

Bill Clinton: I learned in my eight years as president and in the work I’ve done since, in America and across the globe, has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job.” I forgot how well this guy gives a speech. –A. Serwer

Attention, Republicans everywhere who are scandalized by the stage decorations at Barack Obama‘s planned speech on Thursday: Your great and powerful leader did it first. Greek columns and executive overreach characterized by complete disregard for the law? Bush had the whole package back in 2004. I wonder why no one was outraged? Via Ben Smith. […]