A Report from Internet Radioland

The Talk It Out show that I was on is now available online.

I'm in the last 15 minutes of the 90 minute show so if you want to hear me say "um" a lot skip to about minute 70. If you listen all the way through be aware that there were technical problems early in the show resulting in a few stretches of dead air. My children were allowed to stay up past bedtime to listen but decided two minutes into the segment that I was very dull and elected to go to bed.

The show started with a discussion between the host and a national blogger (at Momocrats) on the pejorative use of Barack Obama's middle name. The second guest was a Texas blogger discussing the situation on the ground there. The third guest was an Ohio blogger with a similar discussion of that state. Then I come on as a prelude to the Pennsylvania primary. I name dropped shamelessly, mentioning newcomers and the reform minded who were early endorsers of Obama, such a Patrick Murphy (only Iraq War veteran in congress) and Josh Shapiro (deputy speaker of the state house), as well as a nod to Clinton supporters such as Gov. Ed Rendell and Allyson Schwartz (only woman in the state's congressional delegation). Then on to fence sitters such as Sen. Casey and most of the rest of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation (except Chaka Fattah for Obama and Joe Sestak for Clinton).

One story I told that has not appeared here has to do with trains and books. When I was reading Obama's Audacity of Hope on the train 3 or 4 people, mostly women, told me they had read it and liked it or were reading it or wanted to read it. All the comments were positive. None of the other books inspired train talk. There was, however, one other passing comment, not really made to me, though I was clearly intended to hear it. Getting off the train one day, with Hillary Clinton's Living History tucked under my arm, the back cover photo of her showing, a man caught my eye, nudged his seatmate, gestured towards me (or the book, take your pick), and said, "She's a real [b word], isn't she?" I didn't know the man, do not recall ever seeing him before, and have no interest in running into him again. That's really unspeakably rude, and really unusual for the trains I ride. I would have yelled at him but it would have held up the line. I also wasn't sure who the B in question was, Clinton or me.

Pressed for a predication I cited narrowing polls and said I thought the state would go for Obama. And yes, when asked about the state's demographics I gave the Carville quote on Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Alabama.