"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Well, Yes, It Is Stupid

But not, I think, for the reasons everyone is citing. I'm referring, of course, to this piece by Patrick Ruffini, which is drawing jeers from Left Blogistan because Ruffini objects to Obama's campaign advertising in German for an event in Germany.

What's really stupid, though is this:

The sea of Germans drummed up by the Obama campaign will be used as props to tell us Americans how to vote, and the campaign isn't trying to pretend otherwise. That's breathtakingly arrogant, and par for the course for Barack Obama.

Ruffini's entitled to his opinion, of course, but I would call it shrewd rather than arrogant. Consider Dubyah's ventures into Germany over the past couple of years and how embarrassing they have been for this country. Consider also that this trip is kicking the feet out from under the Republicans' "foreign policy" mantra. Good move on Obama's part, I'd say.

And of course, that's why Ruffini's complaining about it.

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