Review & Preview: Palin vs. Biden Debate

Debate I: A Review

For a good idea of how the first debate between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain went down, dust off that old copy of Crimson Tide and put 'er in. Same basic premise: An old, grizzled, hawkish military guy goes toe-to-toe with a young, Ivy League, peace-loving, black man to decide how to interpret US foreign policy. The only difference is the movie took place on a submarine. And guess who wins at the end...

Debate II: A Preview

Tonight at 6pm (Pacific Time) will be the most interesting television event this election: the debate between Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden. Both are known for their gaffes, but all eyes will be on Palin because of her relative unknown status and her disastrous interviews with Katie Couric this last week. So watch the trainwreck with me.


Mark Lyons/Getty Images & Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Jason Stürmer is working on his first play - Mailroom - which'll debut in Los Angeles soon.

Madonna Sticky & Sweet Tour - Get Stupid Video

On tour, Madonna broadcasts her single - 'Get Stupid' - commentary video which highlights newsmakers: Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu, Mike Huckabee, Adolph Hitler, Ayatollah Khamenei, Robert Mugabe, Kim Jong Il, Dalai Lama, Al Gore, Gandhi and Michael Moore.


Madonna / YouTube

Obama, Palin on Wall Street

On bad news on Wall Street from Lehman Brothers, Merryll Lynch, AIG, and now Hewlett Packard has caused a 500 point drop in the Dow — the largest drop since 9/11. If you want insight into how knowledgeable the two great crowd-pleasers of the campaign are on the crisis, compare a speech Barack Obama made in March...



With a speech Sarah Palin made today:

One talks at length about details, one sounds like she's talking to five-year-olds. And if you want to hear what John McCain said, he just repeated his favorite slogan, "The fundamentals of our economy are strong."

Jason Stürmer is a contributing writer for (RR)

Good News and Bad News, McCain

The bad news is that Karl Rove, aka "That ad is so sleazy it's Rovian" Rove, mentioned Sunday that McCain went "one step too far" in his ads attacking Obama.

The good news is that all is forgiven, Mr. McCain. Just check out this SNL sketch I found on YouTube: "Shall I Luffa Your Back?"

The Seventh Anniversary of 9/11

Senators Obama and McCain were in New York City today to participate in a forum on national service and to show their respect at ground zero. As he was in the area, Obama went on Letterman and had a great interview. Obama mentioned how great Letterman's speech was on his first show after the attacks. And I just so happened to find that video on MyspaceTV:



So here's to all the heroes on that day, and all the days afterwards, and all the days before.

Jason Stürmer is a Staff Writer at (RR) and lives in California.

Too Many Sarah Palin Scandals

There Are Simply Too Many Sarah Palin Scandals Today

I picked a hell of a day to start blogging. Poor Alaska's going to get raked over the coals this fall. Here's a rundown of everything going wrong...

And there's one not even covered in THAT list. This is the story of how Gov. Palin's down-syndrome child Trig was born:

"She was in Texas for a meeting of the National Governors' Association when she began leaking amniotic fluid and having contractions. Although she knew the baby had Down syndrome and was a month premature to boot, she didn't go to a local hospital. Instead she gave her planned speech later in the day as scheduled and then caught a flight from Dallas to Seattle where she took another flight to Anchorage. Then she and her husband drove 45 minutes to a hospital in her home town where the baby was born."

The bold is my own doing. After her water broke, she went from Dallas to rural Alaska to have the baby? I'm assuming for sentimental reasons? I hope this story isn't true, because it's utterly insane. Read the whole article at Electoral-Vote.com

This, the hurricane, and everything else... I never thought I'd say this, but I feel bad for the Republicans. They're not doing anything right, and they're having no luck. They're on their way to losing everything.

Jason Stürmer is a Staff Writer, and currently producing his debut play - Mailroom - in Los Angeles, California.

Entertainers @ Democratic National Convention

Entertainers who had a chance to witness Barack Obama's presidential acceptance speech live in Denver on Thursday, August 28 discuss their feelings on camera below -

Democratic National Convention - Day 1 - 4

The Democratic National Convention ended yesterday (August 28) with Barack Obama accepting the presidential nomination from his party based on the promise of change, hope and America's participation. His acceptance falls on civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech's 45th anniversary, a befitting day. And even Obama's presidential opponent sent out a strategic, congratulatory message -



As promised, director Jason Stürmer will post his political columns and video blogs pertaining to the two major parties National Conventions soon. So stay tuned for that insightful commentary. To see detail photos on all fours days of DNC coverages, visit Newsday.com.

Barack Obama Humps Rolling Stone

Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama graces the cover and pages of Jann Wenner's Rolling Stone to discuss music and his upcoming reign as our commander-in-chief.

On his musical influence: If I had one musical hero, it would have to be Stevie Wonder. When I was at that point where you start getting involved in music, Stevie had that run with Music of My Mind, Talking Book, Fulfillingness' First Finale and Innervisions, and then Songs in the Key of Life. Those are as brilliant a set of five albums as we've ever seen.



On rapper Jay-Z influencing America's youths: Every time I talk to Jay-Z, who is a brilliant talent and a good guy, I enjoy how he thinks. He's serious and he cares about his art. That's somebody who is going to start branching out and can help shape attitudes in a real positive way.

To read the full article, visit Rollingstone.com.

Gwyneth Paltrow Supports Barack Obama

Harper's Bazaar release excerpts from Two Lovers' Gwyneth Paltrow July cover issue:

On re-charging your batteries: When I'm giving from all of my organs and my heart and brain and everything, I try to recharge a little bit. If you don't have time to go to the waxer, then shave your legs. Do little things that can get yourself back to feeling like your own person. You can obliterate yourself out of love and giving. And I don't think that's healthy.


Peter Lindbergh

On Hollywood's short term memory: In this business, they don't look back, and they're particularly harsh to women. I'm not 25; I'm 35. I'm not someone to discover; I'm someone who people know. I mean, it's all ego, but you start to feel like, Oh, no, I worked so hard to get somewhere, and what if I can't get back there again? But, all the while knowing that, I would never have traded one second or done anything differently.

On Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton: Much as I respect Hillary Clinton—I think she's a brilliant woman— [the Clintons are] almost like a monarchy at this point. I don't feel there's any lip service with [Obama]. I don't feel like he's one of those jaded politicos who say one thing and are talking out of both sides of their mouth. I also feel we've done such incredible damage to our reputation—and as someone who lives outside America for half the year, I overhear things that I wish I didn't overhear. A lot of people in the West think that we're not very sensitive to the rest of the world, and I think that having a president called Barack Hussein Obama in 2008 says that we are part of the world and we don't want to make unilateral decisions about the fate of all of us. I just pray to God that he wins.

To read the full article, visit Harper's Bazaar. The issue hits newsstand on Tuesday, June 17.

Sheryl Crow Supports Barack Obama

Singer Sheryl Crow is supporting Barack Obama after carefully watching the presidential campaigns; she blogs that "...I refuse to embrace the rhetoric that says that the kind of hope and ideals Barack Obama speaks of cannot be achieved without having the kind of leadership that has become mainstream in this country; leadership that is based on special interest monies or based on well executed fear campaigns facilitating the greed of a few and the demise of our honorable standing in the world theatre. I am proud to support Barack Obama in his desire and mission to see America return to her greatness."



Sheryl Crow's new album Detours is out now.

Randall Law @ Obama's Yes We Can & L.O.T.U.R

Acclaimed actor Randall Law is featured in presidential candidate Barack Obama's television campaign about hope titled "Yes We Can".



Randall Law is performing in Kongit Farrell's Landing of the Urban Rebels (L.O.T.U.R) on May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at Two Roads Theatre at 4348 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604.

L.O.T.U.R is a series of monologues that chronicles the lives of young African-American urbanites (inner-city dwellers) that are rebelling against various facets of mainstream society. Grounded in the reality of life's highs & lows, and not bound by the proverbial 'happy ending', L.O.T.U.R. provides a realistic framework of post-modern narratives that have yet to have been given a voice in the Hollywood of today. On a deeper level, L.O.T.U.R. is about exposing the fallacies that get embraced under the mainstream perception of 'Urban' life and the young people who live it. Contrary to the images that we are typically fed, Urban Rebels are just as brilliant, kooky, unexpected, conniving, funny, dastardly, colorful, and dynamic as their counterparts.Get your tickets soon see you there!

Kongit Farrell's Landing of the Urban Rebels
May 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Two Roads Theatre @ 4348 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604
Tickets are available at acteva

Jennifer Garner Supports Barack Obama

In Boston, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck hosted a fund-raising event for democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama.


Bizuayehu Tesfaye / Associated Press

Ryan Phillippe Wants Progress

Ryan Phillippe supports America's progress in the form of presidential candidate Barack Obama.


X17 Online

Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama @ Austin Debate

Rhode Island, Vermont, Ohio and Texas vote for their primary candidate on March 4th. Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in Austin Texas to debate. The two states of Ohio and Texas have 334 delegates total.

Robert DeNiro @ Barack Obama's Rally

A day before Super Tuesday, Robert DeNiro introduces Barack Obama at rally in East Rutherford, New Jersey for a final campaign push.


Mike Derer / Associated Press

Reserve Result @ Democratic Debate - Kodak Theatre

Steve Speilberg and RR's Chris Safos were among the voters that turned out for the Democratic debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.


Jason Reed / Reuters

Usher & Kerry Washington @ Obama Rally

Usher, Kerry Washington, State Representative Bakari Seller and Chris Tucker attend Barack Obama's presidential campaign rally at South Carolina State University.


Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press

Kate Walsh @ Barack Obama's Field Office

Private Practice Kate Walsh stopped by Barack Obama campaign (field) office in Las Vegas to show her support.


Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Mike Huckabee & Barack Obama Won

Republican Mike Huckabee and Democrat Barack Obama won their nominations in Iowa for their respective parties. And the presidential campaign moves to New Hampshire today. Good luck to them all.






Jason Reed / Reuters


Carlos Barria / Reuters