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Ta-Nehisi Coates

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. More

Born in 1975, the product of two beautiful parents. Raised in West Baltimore—not quite The Wire, but sometimes ill all the same. Studied at the Mecca for some years in the mid-’90s. Emerged with a purpose, if not a degree. Slowly migrated up the East Coast with a baby and my beloved, until I reached the shores of Harlem. Wrote some stuff along the way.

Words from the Arch-Bishop

By Ta-Nehisi Coates
Aug 30 2008, 6:57 PM ET Comment

Frequent commenter Deborah sums up the smart approach to Palin:

Don't underestimate her. Give her plenty of credit, and let her hang herself with enough rope. At least if she doesn't, you're then playing on equal footing, rather than pouting about how she fooled everyone.
One good thing about Obama's campaign is that they specialize in the deft touch. I am worried about Biden in a debate with her, but these guys know how to tear someone down and have the media only catch on to it weeks later--think about their high/low strategy of hitting McCain with "smart-ads" that neither play nationally nor are screened for media.

This is a situation that calls for the Dagger of Venom, not the Horn of Blasting. Word up. We talking to you, Goldfarb. Smacking fire at your ass, Tiamat-style. Know what I'm saying, kid? Somehow, I think you do.


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