[audio:HannityLieberman.mp3]

The interview aired 2 weeks ago, on May 21. I thought it was interesting to note how ol' Joe, marcher for civil rights, framed Obama in his introductory remarks.

I figure if we have guys on our side that shape our language and consult on communications; well... they do too. And I think this is probably just about perfect pitch if your reaching for certain votes.

It's maddening though because it is just plausible enough that this could be an innocent gaffe - or not even a gaffe. In bringing it up, you risk blow-back for being touchy about race.

Anyway, I thought I'd flag it. We'll see if this metaphor (or metaphors like it) comes up more frequently as the campaign heats up...

Also, I marveled at the sequence of Joe's recipe. Shorter Joe (my comments in square brackets):

Your first impression of Obama is that he's cool. This is someone you'd want to have a drink with...
[Inoculation: You liked him, so what follows can't racist thing... It's perfectly OK to have these doubts...]

But then you think: "Is cool good enough? He's gonna be President.. In charge of my security, taxes and life...
[Set the stage: amp up the fear...]

So you get nervous. After all, you don't know him very well. Then things come out like the Wright issue...
[Yup - Jeremiah Wright again. Someone must have said "Burn that image on the back of their retinas". Seriously, Hannity has been playing those clips several times a show for
months now. Those clips are priceless for the lasting impression they leave. You saw/heard them 1000 times for a reason...]

[Whiplash inducing non sequitur]

Another thing: Obama's speech is always the same...
[Lieberman is newly familiar with the concept of stump speeches? Why does he bring this up?]

"There's not much in it. There's this '(w?)rapping' of change - bipartisan change that he's calling for, but there's not a lot of detail..."
[Obama the rapper. Nice. Listen to the audio - it's worse than it reads.]