Democratic Convention: Day 2

Hillary Clinton's speech was just about perfect! I was very critical of her during the Primary season, that's for sure. But ever since the "Unity" speech after Obama clinched, I have seen her rally around Barack. While the mainstream media have been trying to play up a division between the two candidates, I never really saw it. Sure she articulated the discontent of her strongest supporters and yes, she was terribly disappointed, but Hillary is a team player and she personally seemed to make the effort to unite the party. Last night she seem to have struck the right tone and said the right words to bring even her most hardcore followers into the fold. The line "No way, No how, No McCain" was a sure winner and left little doubt as to her thoughts on the matter. Overall, it was a huge success and sets the stage wonderfully for Joe Biden's speech tonight.

Rules are for Fools

"My momma taught me to play by the rules and respect those rules. My mother taught me, and I'm sure your mother taught you, that when you decide change the rules, middle of the game, end of the game, that is referred to as cheatin'," - Donna Brazile.

Pennsylvania Primary Day

Today is the long awaited Pennsylvania Primary. The latest polls show that Obama is unlikely to win the popular vote given Clinton's family connections and political machine, but he could still be seen as victorious. If Obama can somehow come within 10% of the heavily favoured Hillary Clinton, it would be seen as a huge accomplishment. Don't forget, Clinton was once up by more than 20%! If she wins by more than 10 then her (slim) reason for continuing remains. It's also important to know that for Clinton to actually make up significant ground in the delegate race she would need to win by a very big margin , even more than by the originally forecasted 20% margin.

Obama Girl: "Hillary! Stop the attacks!"

Reich Right On

Former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich has what I call a "glass of water blog" that I read regularly. ( I call it that because while it can be very dry, if you read it with a glass of water you'll certainly get a lot out of it). In his latest entry he articulates what I fear is happening to the Democratic party.

The sad news is that whether the Clinton scorched-earth strategy ultimately succeeds or fails, it will have caused great harm. In the unlikely event it succeeds, the result will be a shame and not a little ironic. Barack Obama has breathed life into the Democratic Party, and into American politics, for the first time in forty years. Not since Robert Kennedy ran for president has America been so starkly summoned to its ideals; not since then has America -- including, especially, the nation's youth -- been so inspired. The Clintons would prefer to write off "Obamania" as a passing fad, but the reality is that idealism and inspiration are necessary preconditions for positive social change. Nothing happens in Washington unless Americans are energized and mobilized to make it happen. HRC's tactics are the old politics the nation is recoiling from -- internal division and national fear. This only serves to deepen Americans' cynicism about politics, and makes social change all the harder to achieve.

"As far as I know"

Those four words, "as far as I know", spoken by Hillary Clinton the other day, show me that she is willing to do or say anything to become President. How horrible! I feel that her efforts to smear Barack Obama in this way disqualifies her from ever getting my vote. This "me-first" attitude is the exact OPPOSITE of the type of mentality we need in Washington today.

Why have these four words upset me so much? Well, they were said in response to a question about the false rumor going around that Barack Obama is or once was a Muslim. It is not true, he has said it was not true and no one has ever proven it was true. It is just a hateful whisper campaign by the political forces that have so damaged our nation. Rather than repudiate this (as even John McCain has) Hillary Clinton chose to try to use it to her advantage. Maybe it worked last night but it is still very, very wrong.

KROFT: You said you take Sen. Obama at his word that he's not a Muslim...

CLINTON: Right, right..

KROFT: …you don't believe that he's a Muslim.

CLINTON: No! No! Why would I? There's nothing to base that on, as far as I know.

The only reason she would say that is to keep this vicious rumor alive. Forget that Obama and Clinton are both Democrats. Forget that he has been a devout Christian for decades. I am just outraged that anyone who knows better would purposefully distort the truth in such a mean and calculating way. Shame on Hillary Clinton. She has not only gotten into the mud but proven herself to be exactly the same kind of "divide and conquer" politician as George W. Bush and Karl Rove. The United States cannot stand 4 more years of this type of mentality in Washington!

Barack Obama has his work cut out for him. It is never easy fighting against the forces of distortion and division, especially when they are in your own "house". Last night's Clinton victories, with the help of this type of dirty campaigning and all the Republican cross-over voters salivating at the change of facing her in the general election, may seem like a good thing today to Hillary supporters. But I assure you that it will not help her beat John McCain or bring America back from it's darkest hour. She has sacrificed a lot to get a few checks in the win column. Mostly, she has lost the respect of people who value the truth and have the desire to unify America through hope rather than through hate.

Birds of a feather

Voting together

Primary Decision

Another big Tuesday today. The election could be all wrapped up for both parties by this time tomorrow. First, the Democrats..... If Barack Obama sweeps the 4 states tonight, Hillary will probably drop out and he will easily win the Democratic nomination. The toughest states for him tonight will be Texas and especially Ohio. Clinton has a lead in the polls in Ohio and Texas seems too close to call. Even if she wins both states, it will be mathematically difficult for her to catch Barack Obama, but she will have some appearance of momentum that will justify (in her supporters eyes) to keep the fight going. Unless Obama has a total meltdown over the next couple months, he should still arrive at the convention with the majority of delegates and popular vote. But Clinton is hoping that a late surge will convince the Super-delegates to support her. Not very likely, but it is her only hope at this time.

As far as the GOP goes, tonight could be the end of the road for my dark horse favorite Mike Huckabee I've been disappointed at the near media blackout of his campaign over the past two weeks. I really think that if he were given equal time, he would probably defeat John McCain. I am not in any of the states voting today so I can't say what the local press is doing as far as covering Huckabee, but I hope he has been getting heard. Much like Barack Obama, the more Mike Huckabee is seen and heard, the more popular he gets. It's really a shame that it took so long for him to break through the crowd in the public mind. I'm certain that if the primaries were starting today, Huckabee would be the nominee. But now, he faces the ultimate of uphill battles. If Huckabee wins Texas and does very well in the other contests, he is still very much in the game. (Ironically more so than Clinton because of the unhappiness among the GOP base with John McCain). Let's hope that what has been happening on the ground in the way of press coverage has been more than what is apparent from here in New York. Otherwise, it could be the end of the 2008 road for my man Mike. It will be a sad thing indeed for me - someone who has been following and cheering on Huckabee for quite a longtime. He certainly has shown the ability to pull of the big surprise, so anything is possible. But it does have to happen for him tonight.

The Hillary Clinton - George W. Bush Comparison

apt

The much vaunted Clinton campaign operation, billed as the biggest, baddest game in town, had no post-Super Tuesday strategy because its leaders apparently didn't think one was needed. Whether that's due to arrogance or ignorance, it's the campaign equivalent of what President Bush did in invading Iraq without a post-Saddam plan.

In the homestretch it's ... Barack Obama!

The poll here (click to enlarge) shows a real surge among Democratic voters toward Barack Obama. I think with the recent flailing by the Clinton campaign, this trend will continue. I supposed if you want to be know as "tough" and "a fighter" as Hillary Clinton does, you have to take off the gloves. But her recent charges and semi-smears are really distasteful and show more desperation than anything else. Whining about a mailer, circulating photos, mocking and ridiculing Obama supporters seem to me to have little or no chance of gaining her votes.

Tonight's final Democratic Debate on MSNBC at 9PM, will give Clinton one final chance to land a punch. She seems to excel at debates so she will probably use this final opportunity to burst the Obama bubble. Chances are she'll be at her nastiest this evening so if Obama can withstand it - he may just wrap things up next Tuesday.

So much to say ...

..and not nearly enough time to write it. The Democratic debate last night was really exciting. Clinton and Obama really got into it and I'll tell you it did not make Obama look good. Those debates are not his strong suit. I think Hillary may be on the verge of seizing the momentum for good. Despite her many weaknesses as a candidate she knows how to battle. On the GOP side my man Huckabee really seems to be "not ready for prime time". Some of his comments and that by his bud Chuck Norris, seem to be hurting his campaign. I thought that he would be better off to ride the wave of support rather than try to push too hard. On a positive note the chart below seems to show Huckabee (green) still very much still in the race in Florida.UPDATE 2:30PM Fred Thompson has dropped out of the race which might help Huckabee. At the very least, the epitome of movement conservatism is out of the picture and hopefully so is that poitical ideology!I watched Bloomberg all night to see the overseas stock markets. They tanked - only to rebound a little bit after the Fed announced the rate cut. It could be a very interesting day on Wall Street. My only hope in all this is that people realize that the "trickle down" economics the USA has been using since 1981 is the cause of this mess. Greed is a good fuel for a capitalistic economy but it should never been made the engine. Today we may see what kind of price we pay.

Mich. for Mitt

I have been so busy that I have not even had time to pay much attention to politics. But from what I have picked up here's what I think. Mitt Romney won Michigan last night meaning that in 3 contests 3 separate Republicans have emerged victorious. It certainly muddles the picture. I really don't have a sense that Romney will carry his success over into other primaries. Fred Thompson, my least favorite of all the candidates out there, is hoping to win in South Carolina and Rudy needs Florida. While I think Giuliani is pretty much through, I do worry that Thompson could catch fire and string together some wins. He would be the worst. He is George W. Bush with less brains, less energy, less intellectual curiosity and perhaps a stronger allegiance to the failed ideology of "movement conservatism". He could be the only person out there that could actually take us BACKWARDS from George W. Bush! Right wingers love him. I am still sticking with my call of Mike Huckabee winning it all on the GOP side, although it will be a tough road to hoe. I do think that it is almost a sure thing that Huckabee will be the VP pick if he doesn't win it all. He is just too strong in the religious base where others are weak. Same sort of thing for Obama. If Hillary should take the nomination she will almost HAVE TO have Barack as her #2. Otherwise there will be a significant segment of (new, young) Democratic voters who might stay home in November. The democrats will not risk that.

I'll write more when time permits. in the meantime check out my other website Reaching Across The Aisle, where I write with Big Daddy Jeff on political topics of interest. GO THERE NOW TO VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK WILL WIN THE PRESIDENCY!!!

Anti-Inevitability?

I was really surprised that Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire primary. Seems that voters may have an anti-inevitability thing going on. When Hillary seemed a sure thing - Obama surged. When in the past few days (which may go down in history as temporary "Obamamania") when Barack looked to be rolling toward the nomination, Clinton got a surge of her own. Maybe Democratic voters want to keep the candidates from getting too comfortable in their front runner status?? Fairly or unfairly, Obama was seen to be acting like he had NH in the bag, I think that hurt him with voters who waited to decide until the last minute. Also, I think that jealousy between Iowa and NH was a factor in some voters not choosing Obama. NH wants to be different than Iowa. This could have been their way of showing it. At any rate - we do have a race here folks and it could be one of the most interesting in years.

Same on the Republican side. McCain won NH as expected and now seems to be the GOP front runner. Romney, by placing second again, must win Michigan to remain viable. (So much for the so-called focus group the other night) Mike Huckabee got 11% - about what expected and a very respectable third place. He's still in a very strong position for the upcoming contests and should be considered a co-front runner with McCain. Giuliani barely beat Ron Paul and seems to be placing all his hope on Florida. Personally, I think he is through - but we'll see. Fred Thompson got only 1% - disappointing even by the low expectations he went into NH. Unless he gets a victory before Super Tuesday (2/5) he will be forced to exit the race he so reluctantly entered in the first place.

Check out Reaching Across The Aisle, where my blog buddy Big Daddy Jeff shares his thoughts. He also talks about the inevitability factor.

Sunday Roundup

I'm kind of looking at today as the first day of 2008. I have been anxious to turn the page on 2007 and last week seemed to be a transition time between the old year and the new one. I think I have pretty much closed the book on '07 and am charging full steam ahead with '08.

I didn't write much about my Christmas trip to Florida but it was really great! I got to see almost everyone in my family (except you David) and we all had a blast. I got to play bartender and really enjoyed that. Everyone was in good health and good humor and I was really reminded that no matter what - that's what's really important. As I move ahead in 2008, I will frequently look back to Christmas and remember how lucky I am to be part of a great and loving family. I can't wait to visit again.

The double feature debate last night was fun to watch. Briefly -- I think that Romney is pretty much done. He looked terrible last night - seemed so desperate and unhinged. Thompson actually seemed to have a pulse and while his ideas are outdated - he at least seemed to be fully awake for the first time this campaign season. Huckabee, I have to say, kicked ass. People I was watching with were stunned to see a Republican talk the way he did. While it may not move him quite into 1st place in New Hampshire on Tuesday, his performance last night will enhance the surge he is already experiencing. McCain was good, Guliani OK and Ron Paul as entertaining as always. Overall -- big win for Huckabee, mild plus for McCain and Thompson and big loss for Mitt. (FOXnews has another Republican debate tonight. They are pro Rudy and Thompson and strongly anti-Huckabee. It'll be interesting to see how theses pseudo-journalists question the candidates.)

The Democratic debate was actually less interesting than the Republicans and the candidates looked as tired as I felt. I think Obama helped himself while poor Hillary, a victim of bad timing(She should have run in '04) , seemed to just dig herself into a deeper hole. Overall -- Obama helped himself and kept momentum going on his rise, Edwards confused me even more by backing up Barack and Clinton did her best but could not reverse the trend against her.

SUNDAY READING
Why Obama and Huckabee are doing so well
Are all right wing pundits mentally ill?
Roger Clemens uses Larry Craig defense? - didn't know what was getting stuck in his ass
The NFL in decline - now goes as far as to REWARD cheating
This party would shock even me

Wednesday Roundup

It's been a busy week for work, news, sports and weather. Let's do a little roundup.

We had our "office party" last night. If there are any employers out there reading this let me tell you something ... giving free alcohol to your staff is a GREAT way to boost morale. Going into the party everyone was complaining about their jobs and co-workers - by the end of the night it was one big love fest. I really enjoyed it a lot. It's nice to see your co-workers in a social environment and I know they saw another side of me too (the "real" me?) I was not the somewhat grumpy somewhat disgruntled guy they see everyday. Also it seems true that those who work hard also play hard. I am a hard worker.

I just love this piece about Roger Clemens*. It's so nice to have company in my long running distaste for the guy. He now denies everything, but I don't believe him. He may not make it to the Hall of Fame and even if he does he will certainly not have the opportunity (I hope) to disgrace the New York Yankee uniform again. I do appreciate Andy Pettite's admission, explanation and apology. I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that Roger Clemens* encourage Pettite to do it. Pick your friends carefully people.

The FSU Athletic program is in trouble again with reports that 20 or more football players were caught cheating on exams and will miss three games starting with the upcoming bowl game. What a mess. With a new Athletic Director now and new coach soon (I hope!) perhaps things will get straightened out.

It's been cold, windy and icy. I don't mind the cold but could do without the wind and ice.

My GOP fav Mike Huckabee is still surging making my prediction look better and better. He could certainly still implode (especially since he seems to be getting carried away with things. He should take a cue from Ron Paul and ride the wave - not try to force it). McCain seems to be doing better but I was impressed with Mitt Romney on Meet the Press this past Sunday. As I thought, he is a reasonable and smart man. He may regain his lead too. It will be a great race to watch! On the Democratic side, many pundits are saying that John Edwards is on the upswing. He's not really my cup of tea, but true liberals really prefer him so who knows. I still think that Obama will prevail.

Another young solider for "movement conservatives" has set the ground work for their dream of a permanent Republican majority. Kevin Martin push through regulations that would allow right wing propagandists to buy up and control even more media. I know I sound like a broken record but these "movement conservatives" are nothing less than fascists determined to turn America into one party state. (I continue to struggle with what to call this. They call themselves conservatives - but they are not. Also, there are many people who ARE conservative that are as frightened of this wave as I am. So I call them "movement conservatives" because they want to force their views on America by hook or by crook. They don't see politics as a way of helping people - they see it as a means to direct money, power and influence only to those who choose to join the movement. They are educated ( sometimes exclusively) by, young republican groups, talk radio and through other right wing media. These "movement conservatives" do not look at the world and come up with ways to make it better - they are determine to push through their ideas at any cost, to destroy anyone who disagrees and deny reality anytime (which is often) they need to. They have fooled a lot of good people - good conservative people - for a long time. These "movement conservatives" will never stop trying to rape this nation. Consolidating the media so that the truth is harder to find is an important part of the plan. I hope to God that we can look back one day and be thankful that they were stopped before it was to late. But that day has not come yet. BTW I would equally fearful of any liberal "movement". I'm not a movement guy. Movements, in politics, are dangerous.)

I travel to Miami on Sunday for Christmas and I am so excited. I love to go home and see everyone. I'll be in the air during the Patriots*/Dolphins game which is good. I would be too stressed out if I tried to watch it. On a different note ... a couple of weeks ago, after years of good service, my beard trimmer broke. I have always trimmed my beard pretty close and pretty often. When I wanted to "go wild" I would move the trimming guide from 2 to 3. How daring! Even at 3 the beard was quite short. Well, for a number of reasons, I did not buy a new trimmer yet. After all this time my beard is bigger than it has ever been. And guess what... nobody noticed. Truth be told, no one ever notices the changes in my beard. It's dumbfounding! I have had a beard, been completely shaved, had various shapes of goatees and now let it go wild and no one ever sees the difference! It's not that I have a wispy beard at all- I have a nice full beard (inherited from my Dad who has an awesome beard). During the past week I have asked people at work "notice anything different about my beard" - no one has. So I am going to let it go for another week or so because I notice and I think it looks good - especially for the winter. Walking around the City with my hat, scarf and beard I imagine myself a bit of a mountain man braving the elements in cold and windy New York. I have quite an imagination.

Hillary Clinton Sopranos Spoof

This is a great video from Hillary Clinton introducing her theme song (Celine Dion You and I). If you are familiar with the Sopranos season finale brew ha ha, I'm sure you'll get a chuckle out of this.

By the way I saw the Sopranos finale and thought it was fine. I interpreted it as a happy ending: Tony looking up and seeing his daughter and having his whole family around. Most other people saw something else but that's what came to my mind at the time. I did not think my cable went out and I did not get upset. Actually it was very suspenseful waiting for something to happen. The fact that nothing did - didn't spoil it at all and kind of proved the point of suspense. Because it's the ANTICIPATION of something bad happening that makes for a good suspense, you can still have a happy ending.