I think you've been a bit bamboozled by who, exactly, the "democrats" are in modern Turkey -- not, I would say, the secularists who have been hampering the parliamentary process at every turn just because Gul and Erdogan's wives wear headscarves.

In any case, Turkey is not a "pre-market culture of honor" -- what city are you exactly in? The same Istanbul I've spent months in, where the propane gas trucks drive by blaring commercial jingles from the radio, old men answer their iphones in the most out of the way teahouses, where pirated movies hit the streets a day before they premiere in Hollywood? I think you're too sleepy to write. Sorry for the outburst, but this hit a nerve. What does "pre-market culture of honor" even mean? If you think about it for a bit, maybe you'll see how empty and spurious a claim that is -- how revealing it is of an eager attempt to make Turkey sound alien and primitive to you, when you are actually surprised about how much the country resembles your America, and even shows a bit of the way forward.

Posted at June 5, 2008 2:36 AM in response to Obama in the Straits

He had a strong accent, but you could tell he was trying and making an honest effort at getting it right -- at communicating, not just mouthing some foreign words for applause. But I wish someone had told him that Spanish D's are smoothed to voiced th's... that was his main problem, aside from the usual American sound of the vowels (not something a learner can really fix). The message was affable enough, though I suppose not much was really required at this point.

Posted at May 28, 2008 12:30 PM in response to New Ad In Puerto Rico: "Soy Barack Obama"

I wonder who it's all coming from, in light of the fact that more and more people are learning of the mathematical impossibility of her victory. Big-money donors maybe?

Posted at April 24, 2008 12:44 AM in response to WaPo: Clinton Hit $10 Million Mark Since Polls Closed In Pennsylvania

Jbentley4:
I had to go create a profile for the express purpose of telling you how good your comment was. You've just expressed, in a nutshell, the essence of the media's treatment of Obama. I hope once he's president they start following his example and get a little more sensible.

Posted at April 23, 2008 1:55 AM in response to Hillary Raises $2.5 Million Since Victory Was Declared Tonight