Short Retort

Obama now has elder “statesman” Ted Kennedy on his side while Hillary has ex-President Bill “helping” her. On the surface each now has an older, white haired, long-time politician supporting them on their quest for presidency.

But wait a minute. Clinton is a disgraced, impeached president who couldn’t keep his pants zipped, even in the White House, and then lied about it. And even though a number of people around him died mysteriously at least he wasn’t as bad as Ted Kennedy who abandoned a young girl to die.

Are Hillary and Obama truly proud that these two old reprobates* are endorsing them?

* Reprobate – 1. a depraved, unprincipled or wicked person. 2. a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. 3. morally depraved, unprincipled, bad.

Stupefyingly Dull Debate

Was it me or was the debate last night mind-numbingly boring? When I first gave up and changed channels to American Idol I thought perhaps my lack of interest in the debate was due to the fact that my state had already voted. I told myself that if I was part of Super Tuesday then I would be more interested in what McCain and Romney were saying.

I lied. No matter how I looked at it that debate was boring. Actually it was worse than that. It bordered on being stupid. I finalized realized what it reminded me of when I saw the so called “highlights” this morning.

While watching McCain and Romney I kept seeing two little boys quarrelling over whose is bigger. It was just that petty. At times I wouldn’t have been surprised if they got into a pushing and shoving match all to prove who is the most “Republican” while knocking down the other guy’s claim to being the next Reagan. But instead of throwing punches they were hurling statistics at each other. Boorinngggg…

I can only hope the debate tonight with Hillary and Barack will be better. Then again, it couldn’t be much worse.

Florida Primary - After the Count

‘- For weeks the MSM have been touting McCain, saying he’s been resurrected, his campaign is now booming, polls show him ahead etc., while at the same time denigrating the competition (Rudy is out of it, nobody likes Romney etc.). Human nature, being what it is, wants to be associated with a winner. Now that McCain has won Florida and is the likely Republican candidate, that same MSM are starting to question if he is too old and will it be another Bob Dole fiasco in November? Were the Republicans played by the MSM into a possibly losing proposition this fall?

‘- Hillary is such a bitch. There is a candid picture from Bush's speech of Obama with his back turned on Hillary as she is reaching out to his shake hand. I think Obama is too smart of a politician to snub her like that so I believe him when he said someone behind him had called out and he turned to talk to her and didn’t see Hillary. But last night someone asked Hillary about it. She gave this smug little smile, shook her head sadly and replied “My hand is still out there waiting to be shaken.”

‘- Florida’s decision to hold their primary against the parties wishes turned out to be a brilliant move. It not only separated itself from Super Tuesday but just might have been a “king maker” by forcing two major candidates to drop out.

- Bye Bye Rudy and Edwards, we hardly knew thee….

Florida Primary – Before the Count

I suppose I should say something about the vote going on in my home state. Florida is a microcosm of all Americans; seniors, Hispanics, young, blue collar, white collar, black, white, military therefore who wins is not quite as important as why they won and who voted for whom. For instance:

• Did the senior citizens vote for McCain? Or did they vote for a younger man since they know the mental and physical strains on someone in their 70’s?
• Did Huckabee get the ultra conservative vote even though he had few TV ads?
• Exactly who is voting for Romney – older, younger, conservative etc?
• Since Florida has a heavy military presence that frequently need to vote absentee ballot, did they help out Rudy or did they go for McCain?
• Although the votes don’t count, was there a heavy turnout by Democrats or did they stay home?
• Of the Democrats who did vote, did Barack still get all the black votes?
• Did the large Hispanic population continue to vote en mass for Hillary?

I guess we will find out in the next 10 hours. The smart candidate will take advantage of this knowledge to give him an edge next week on Super Tuesday.

I Hate Automated Help Desks!

I have a new Virgin Mobile cell phone and I get text messages for ring tones 2-3 times a week. I don’t want to get them therefore I needed to tell Virgin Mobile to stop sending them to me. This seemed like a simple and reasonable request, right?

I immediately learn I am not Virgin Mobile's target market as my call to them is “answered” by an automated voice that sounds like a chirpy little teenager. The teen lists various options and I pick the closest one to my problem. This continues a couple more times until I tried to be smart and told the automated girl “Help”. She then cheerfully replied “Before I can help you I need to know a little more about your problem.” Great.

I randomly pick yet another option and then am faced with my fourth group of choices. Now I am starting to get really pissed off. So I begin to smash the “0” key on the hopes it might get me a real live person. Nope. Then I begin to scream “Help! Help! Help! I want to talk to somebody!” This finally gets the automated teen’s attention and she decides that maybe she can’t help me after all and will send me to a real live person. Hallelujah!

I finally get to speak to an honest to God person except that the perky computerized teen had more personality than my service rep. But I tell her my problem and ask if she can help me and she says “no”. That’s it. A little flustered I ask again if she could have Virgin Mobile stop sending me these annoying messages and again she simply states “No.” Now I am truly getting angry so I ask if I could speak to someone to complain and perhaps get a better answer. The next thing I know, that obnoxious teen is back on the line, this time to walk me through an automated customer survey!!

I brace myself to start it all over again. This time when that irritatingly chipper child answers the phone I immediately start yelling “Help! Help! Help!”. It didn’t make the process go any faster but it made me feel marginally better. I next randomly picked choices while continuously screaming for a real person. After about ten minutes of this the still cheerful teen finally catches on and sends me to a real person.

This time the customer service rep sounds human and even like an adult. Yeah! I tell her my problem and after checking out my service she discovers that I am not signed up for text message alerts. Apparently these are coming from an outside company and I need to contact them, not Virgin Mobile. {sigh}

Nonetheless I was still impressed with this rep and asked to speak to her manager to tell of my experience with both the good and the bad reps (not to forget the annoying teen). She then transfers me – right back to that damned teenager to go through their customer survey, again. AAAKKKK!!!! Ooops, I have to run now, I hear my cell phone beeping at me with another text message....

Short Retort

I love politics. I can happily spend the day reading and watching the news about the campaign and current issues. Yet tonight’s State of the Union Address leaves me cold. I honestly don’t care what President Bush has to say. Not only is he a lame duck but he’s been plucked, quartered and thrown into the frying pan. He is done and most likely so is his party for the next four years, or more. And if a political junkie like me doesn’t care I wonder if anyone will tune in tonight?

Camelot Crowns a New Prince

Carolyn and Teddy Kennedy have not only endorsed Barack Obama but have invoked the magic and hope of the Kennedy heritage. While listening to Carolyn Kennedy’s speech you felt that she truly believed in Barack and what he stood for. Although her endorsement is important to Barack it is her uncle’s approval that means the most. Teddy is one of the canniest politicians and he can feel which way the wind is blowing. He would not jump on Obama’s campaign if he didn’t think that Barack is the key to the future and the election.

Barack Obama now has the mantle of the Kennedy legacy draped over his broad shoulders. If he was hard to beat before, now it is even harder. For how can Bill and Hillary fight a dream?

Democratic Debacle

In the South Carolina primary, I read that not only did Obama get twice the votes as Clinton, but he got more votes than the total number of Democrats who voted in the primary four years ago. Wow.

I almost feel sorry for Hillary. Basically every four years some brave (and extremely egotistical) people go through extreme job interviews. I suppose you could say that our elections are the biggest and best Reality TV show.

We have all had jobs where we did everything right in order to get promoted. And when the job you wanted opened up you knew you were the best person for that job. But instead of promoting you, they hired some young hot shot because the company thought they needed “change” to help turn the company around. To make it worse, the new guy was African American so if you criticized him too much it just made you look like a racist.

Anyone who has been passed over for a promotion, especially if it went to a minority who is less experienced, can understand why Hillary is angry and frustrated. But whatever empathy she might have gotten was hurt by the Clinton’s vindictiveness and not so subtle racist overtones in South Carolina. Yes, Bill was the one making the accusations but you know he wouldn't do anything without Hillary's approval. And if she and Bill got that nasty in order to try to win one state I can’t imagine what the next ten days will be like until Super Tuesday where they will try to win in more than 20 states.

Candidate of the Hour

The big news for the past few days has been the economy. Politicians and pundits alike are reverting back to the old Clinton campaign theme of “It’s the economy, stupid”. So everybody is scrambling to get out his or hers solutions to the plunging stock market. But will that still be the big news tomorrow or even an hour from now?

The lifespan of news stories, even the most important ones, seems to get shorter and shorter. Just a few weeks ago everyone on the campaign trail were talking about the war; who would get us out, who would build it up etc. Iraq and to a lesser extent Iran were the main issues discussed.

Then came the mortgage collapse and the next thing you know everybody is bringing out their plan to handle the subprime mortgages, foreclosures and banking crisis. A few weeks later, the world market starts to crash and then ours begins to wobble even more. So once again the big issue is the economy.

But wait a minute. What about terrorists? When did that topic disappear entirely? Even Rudi’s campaign ads now discuss his economic plans and ignore both the war and the issue of terrorists. Oh gees. Even I forgot the other big issue – immigration – it, too, has been left out of the news lately. Or even global warming and the green agendas.

In the next 3 weeks the majority of the states will be electing the Democratic and Republican candidates for the presidency. But the actual election is not for another 11 months. A lot can happen between now and then.

What if we get it wrong? What happens to this country if we elect someone because of their economic platform and suddenly in October we have another terrorist attack? Will we have the right candidates to choose from to handle something like this? I can only hope so…..

Florida Madness

All eyes are on Florida now and before I go any further I should tell you that I am a Floridian. Not only do I call Florida my home, but I have lived and traveled all over the country and I have never found a place that I love as much as my home state. This puts me in the minority since much of the nation feels superior to my state and many northerners outright despise the south and Florida in particular.

Although it has been eight years, this presidential race is bringing out the bitter feelings many liberals have towards Florida. In fact I was talking to a Yankee this weekend and mentioned how some people are still upset over the role Florida played in the 2000 election. Without missing a beat my liberal friend immediately replied “Well, of course.”

I suppose you could say that for the first time since the Civil War, the north actually lost to the south and it is still driving them crazy. And now to further show our independence, Florida is having its primary when it wants it, not when others tell them. And this too, drives people insane. So to punish the state for this and past transgressions, the Democratic National Committee is not going to count any of the 210 Florida delegates in the convention.

Excuse me? How stupid can they get? Let me get this straight. In 2000 the vote in Florida was so close that it ended up in the courts. The Democrats have since conveniently forgot that all of the recounts showed that Bush won. Nonetheless they still blame Florida for the loss. So you would think the Democrats would be catering to Floridians in order to get their votes this time.

But nooooo. Instead for the past eight years they continuously insult my state. Oh yeah, there’s a good strategy – win over new votes by telling the voters how stupid they are. And now they are “punishing” Florida Democrats by denying them their voice in picking a candidate by stripping them of their delegates! Not only that, but in accordance with the DNC decision, last I heard none of the Democratic candidates are campaigning in my state. As if this will motivate the Florida democrats to get out and vote come November for a candidate that is basically forced on them. I don’t think so. But I must admit it sure is fun watching these liberal yankees go crazy over us "stupid" Floridians!

Tom Cruise Video

I was going to use this as my post in a few days but I am afraid that it might be pulled since there is a cease and desist order on the video. Until it is pulled, if you haven't seen the Tom Cruise video everyone is talking about here is a link to it: http://gawker.com/5002366/shortcut and click on the line that says Tom Cruise.

When I first saw the whole thing I kept expecting him to stop, then start laughing (like a normal person) and say it was a joke. Instead the joke is on us and it shows that Cruise is far from being a normal person. Wow. It reminds me of the beginning of Jerry Maguire when he rants and raves except this is real life and he truly believes it all. As for why he did the video I have heard two stories; one that it was to be used for recruitment or that it was to be shown at a Scientology awards show (for other Scientologists). After you watch you'll understand why they didn't want it released.

I did like the one comment by someone who saw it - "Run Katie Run". I can also now understand why Germany won't allow Scientology to build a "church" there. Anyway, here is the video that Scientology didn't want anyone to see.

Nevada Farce

Romney will easily capture the Republicans in Nevada. What many may not know is that Sin City is the hometown to a large number of Mormons. They are very quiet about their presence but they are a strong influence in the local politics. This primary will not be an exception.

As for the Democratic caucus, I have yet to hear any pundit nail down all of the aspects of allowing casino employees to caucus in the casinos. I have heard both sides question the fairness of giving the casino workers this advantage. And yes the talking heads all discuss the implications of having to publicly “vote” for the candidate they want in front of their co-workers and union bosses.

However, I have yet to hear any discussions regarding the casino executives. Having worked in the casinos as an executive I can tell you that an unspoken reason for holding caucuses there is to lose a minimum amount of work in comparison to allowing their workers to leave during the shift.

Although I have been out of the casino industry for nearly a decade I doubt if they have changed all that much. It was a brutal industry. Las Vegas is a one industry town where jobs are pretty much limited to casinos. So you either get with the program or find another town.

In the up and coming caucus. the rank and file will be looking to their union to tell them how to vote. Although much fewer in numbers you can bet that all levels of executives will vote the way the C-level (CEO, CFO etc) tells them to vote.

Why do I say this? Well, I worked for one casino that threatened to withhold my raise and promotion if I didn’t give to the United Way. In another job I was threatened if I didn’t contribute to the company’s lobbying efforts. Then there is the case of attending an HR meeting for executives where we were told to speak our minds and two days later a manager who did speak up was fired.

In these open caucuses at the casinos I wonder if anyone will be strong enough to stand up and vote their own conscience rather than the union’s or top executives. Probably not. And yet their delegates will count while those in Michigan and Florida don't. It just shows what a farce it all is.

Short Retort

I've seen the opening of the stock market dozens of times but I never really gave it a second thought until today. With all of the doom and gloom economic news the sight of this group of men applauding the opening of the market made me think. Imagine if your company started each day standing together and applauding yourselves and each other. Sure it is a little hokey yet it must be inspiring for why else would sports teams do the same thing right before the big game? So give yourself a standing ovation. You deserve it.

The Mean Season

Insults are flying. Characters are assassinated. Even looks are fair game to be attacked. Ah yes. It’s that time again when people can’t get enough of the sometimes irritating but always entertaining – American Idol. Sure the Republicans candidates were anxiously awaiting the returns from the Michigan primaries and the Democratic candidates went at it again in yet another debate last night. But who cares when we can watch Simon insult yet another group of would be singers.

I have always believed that the attraction of American Idol was that it allowed us to live vicariously through both Simon Cowell and the contestants. In the stifling atmosphere of today’s political correctness Simon is the only one saying what we all think at times but would be afraid to say. Be honest, wouldn’t you love to be able to say some of the things Simon said to your significant other? Or at work tell the unfiltered truth to your coworkers or your boss? And as a manager I know I would have liked to have spoken as freely as Simon to some of my employees! Instead we continue to live through Simon knowing that no politically correct HR person is waiting around the corner to get him for the things he has said.

At the same time we delight in the insults that are flying we also start to cheer for those with true talent. To watch the young singers grow professionally over the weeks and to know that for at least one of them they will actually get a chance at the American Dream of fame and fortune.

Perhaps in the increasingly negative attacks by the presidential candidates we need American Idol more than ever. It gives us a place to enjoy the insults without the potential of splitting the country apart. And as we vote for our favorite singer we know that only a reality show winner is at stake and not the future of our nation.

Attack Makes Barack Black

Sorry but I couldn't resist that headline. But it is true. Barack had been accused of not being "black enough". He didn't talk "Black", dress "Black" or act "Black". He did not look or act like the prior African American polititians such as Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. But once the Clinton's started attacking Barack and even Martin Luther King they. made race an issue. Many of the African American leaders stepped forward to defend Barack even though just a few days ago those same leaders were staying on the sidelines.

It is ironic that President Clinton had once been called the first "Black President" and was strongly supported by the African American community. Perhaps that is part of the problem, not only is Obama challenging Hillary but he is also threatening to take away Bill's image as the first Black President.

I am sure the Republicans are secretely gloating over the liberals fighting over racial issues. And I am also sure that they hope it continues right into the Democratic Convention because the more it tears apart that party the better the chance the Republicans have next November.

Short Retort

In this week’s column for the Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan mentions a website that everyone needs to read. Called http://hillaryis44.com/, it is a vitriolic attack against Obama. This website is filled with ominous articles crying out about “scandals”, “bribes”, “kickbacks” and accuses Barack of everything from typical dirty Chicago politics to gay bashing. You get the feeling that if Hillary’s popularity declines again her campaign will dip into this website for new attacks. And a nasty campaign will reach new lows. But hats off to whomever came up with the website name. It cleverly makes her sound younger than Obama and what woman wouldn’t want to be 44 for the rest of her life? But hopefully if more people read this website they will finally learn just how corrupt she is and let’s hope, no let’s do more than just hope, that she will never be “44”.

The Fight Within A Fight

The other day while listening to Kerry come out in support of Edwards I had one of those “duh” moments when you realize an obvious truth that had previously eluded you. This race for the Presidency is also a fight over who will dominate the Democratic party.

For the past sixteen years Bill and Hillary were the major forces in the party. It was their party. They were the major fund raisers and the key to the Hollywood players. They truly felt that Hillary was entitled to be the next President. They knew their might be major competition from the Republicans, but are shocked that they face a substantial fight for their own ticket.

Obama came out of nowhere and has quickly become a challenge to Hillary. In the past her strategy is to demonize the competition but since Obama is African American, he is almost untouchable. She tried to attack his youth but so far that hasn’t worked. In the past week she and Bill have both tried to show that in spite of his lofty speeches he is not the next Martin Luther King. But that backfired as black leaders such as Sharpton and Jackson, who had previously been on the side lines, stood up to defend Obama.

Kerry’s backing of Edwards might have been another pivotal moment within the Democratic Party. Shortly after that, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano who had previously been an appointee during Bill’s presidency came out to support Obama. Even though Arizona is a small state it is still a set back for the Clintons when a former appointee of Bills and one of the few high level women are not supporting Hillary.

What also is notable is who hasn't declared their support. The black leaders haven’t yet supported Obama but they took first steps this week after the Clintons attacked him. The other key person who hasn't declared is Al Gore. The fact that he hasn't come out yet in support of Hillary is not surprising yet still is sending a subtle message.

To have a woman and former Clinton appointees now throwing their support to Obama is the sign of a major crack in the Democratic Party. Additionally, there is a growing murmur of anger and even disgust over Bill Clinton. He is starting to hurt Hillary more than help lately and in fact becoming more and more an embarrassment for his party.

So it will be interesting to follow the fight with a fight and perhaps watch not only Hillary’s defeat but perhaps even the end of the Clintons dominance within the Democratic Party.

New Hampshire Primary

It was fun to watch the New Hampshire primary results as all the broadcasters and pundits backpedaled as they tried to explain why Hillary was winning instead of Barrack. Many attributed it to her crying a few days earlier. (More on that on a later date) I attribute a lot of it to her message, including her Christmas ads.

I noticed, as did many of the pundits, that Clinton’s speeches were all about “I” whereas Obama’s were all about “You”. Clinton’s Christmas ad was a perfect example. It showed Hillary underneath the Christmas tree and talking about each of the presents. With each gift she would say what she wanted “to give” to the American people; better health care, better day care etc. etc. It was the same liberal spiels of having government take care of everybody from cradle to grave. She was selling the idea of a “Nanny state” with Clinton as the head “Nanny” helping the people. Not surprisingly, Clinton got the votes of the lower income, single Moms and senior citizens; people who historically want and need more from the government and typically expect the government to take care of them.

Obama, however, gives beautiful uplifting speeches about “You”. What you the people can do to help yourself and the country. If Hillary is the “Nanny” then I would call Barack the “Motivational Coach”. He received the votes of the younger, better educated and upper income people. Not only do they need less government handouts but they are excited by his inspirational speeches and want to help those less fortunate. I have yet to hear if Barack polled lower in the African-American community but I would assume Hillary got more of their votes. I have an idea why this would be true, but that is for another time. Edwards is out of it except as a means to upset Hillary such as with a possible win in SC. As for a nickname, well, I suppose he has to be the “Beauty Queen”.

In the Republican primary I must admit to being stumped over McCain since I personally do not like the man. As for who might win, there is no telling yet. But don’t count Rudy out yet. He just might win Florida; he at least is bombarding the state with ads and appearances.

And continuing the fun of “naming” the candidates, if Barack is the “Motivational Coach” and Hillary is the “Nanny”, then what about the Republicans? I suppose McCain should be “Grandpa”, but there is probably something better. Romney and Huckabee are easy since they should be the “CEO” and the “Preacher”. Rudy reminds me of the “Gunslinger” vowing to clean up the town and keep out the bad guys. As for the rest of them, Ron Paul has to be the “Kook” and Fred Thompson, well, I am stumped. If anybody has a better idea for McCain and one for Fred, send it in. It never hurts to add a little fun into the serious business of electing our next President.

Thank You!

Just out of curiousity I signed up for a service that tracks how many people are visiting my blog. Since the only way before this service to tell if anyone read my blog was through the comments and there were a decidedly lack of those making me wonder if anyone read it. So after seeing that even a handful signed on to my blog yesterday, well, I feel like Sally Fields who giggled at the Oscars "You like me, you really like me!".

Now that I know that even a few of you are checking me out I promise to have new posts at least every other day. Granted the political circus going on definitely gives me plenty of material. but you give me the incentive to keep going.

So thank you and I hope I can continue to amuse, irritate and give you a reason to keep reading PC Fugitive. And please keep telling your friends about it. Thanks!

Patti

Short Retort

Don't know who you plan to vote for in the primaries? Has all of the excitement over newbies Obama and Hucklebee got you confused as to who is the best candidate? Want to know who best agrees with your opinions? Then try out the following: www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

Answer the questions on today's issues and who you think you might be voting for and it will show you who you should vote for. Its fun and might even help you decide. Enjoy!

Immigration Irritation

After listening to the debates I am tired of being told that we need to be compassionate to the illegal immigrant’s children. That it isn’t their fault that they are here illegally and they shouldn’t be punished if their parents bring them here. Instead the politicians tell us that it is humane to educate the children who are here illegally and provide medical aid.

Bullsh*t. What about our kids? Our own children are getting short changed due to the increase of illegal immigrant children flooding the schools. If we sent even a fraction of illegal aliens back to their own homes then the teacher – student ratio would dramatically improve. We wouldn’t have to worry about bi-lingual classrooms or lowering educational standards to help the young immigrants who didn’t even get the basics in their homeland.

The same is true with medical help. Hospitals in border states are overrun with illegal immigrants using their limited resources. Again, our own citizens are often hurt when after helping the uninsured illegal immigrants these hospitals become bankrupt and close.

If the education and medical care is abysmal in their homelands than wouldn’t we be punishing these children by sending them back? Probably. But that should be their parents concern, not America’s. Why don’t those parents take the energy and deviousness used to get in to the USA and instead use it to better their own country? As for those Americans who think we should help the children, wouldn’t it make more sense and cost a lot less to go to their country and teach them and build hospitals there instead of subjecting the children to what can be dangerous or even deadly trips to get here?

Throughout all of the debates I have yet to hear anyone mention any of the above. Romney comes closest to these ideas while Hucklebee, Giuliani and McCain still preach compassion. Maybe I am cruel and uncaring but we need to save our compassion for our own U.S. children, which does include immigrants who are here legally.

General Impressions of ABC Debate Tonight

Overall Winner/Loser
Winners: Thompson and Edwards
Losers: Romney and Clinton


Republican Debate Overview

Thompson comes across as the adult. Steps in with acerbic answer then steps back while the others fight. Reminds me of his Law and Order role

McCain – boring monotone voice that puts me to sleep and even when he is defending his position he still never sounds excited or angry

Rudy – smiled when introduced, only one to do that, makes him seem friendly. Talked knowledgeably, rattled off facts and figures, came across Presidential. Invoked Reagan a lot

Romney – whining when others attacked him and by the end he didn't seem like his normal cool collected self – seemed rattled. As governor or CEO not used to people talking back or being that critical and he sure didn't like it

Huckabee – Fell back on constitution and God and expected to see flags waving and hear Sousa in the background when he spoke but otherwise he was a no show and seemed to disappear in the second half.

Rudy and Fred only ones to try to lighten up the debate

Ron Paul a total waste of time will be glad he isn’t in the next debate

When camera is on a candidate who is listening to someone else talk:
- Thompson looked asleep
- Rudy looked amused
- Huckabee looked like the proverbial deer in the headlights
- McCain looked blank
- Romney looked pissed off
- Ron Paul looked ….oh who cares?
-


Democratic Debate Overview

Obama – looks Presidential – tries to be above the attacks from Clinton, only one who's message is to give people the power to choose, and again showed likability and that unlike Hillary he is just one of the guys by mentioning watching the football game tonight

Clinton – initially sounded/looks exhausted – comes a bit alive when attacking Obama – and more alive, even pissed when Edwards attacked. Talked a lot about Bush and his policies – talking about the past, vs Obamsa/Edwards talk of change. In second half she seemed human when accused of not being likable, and overall better performance in the 2nd half defending her record

Edwards becomes passionate about middle class – also came alive when he turned against Clinton and aligned himself with Obama as agent of change vs. Clinton, Could now understand how he beat Clinton in Iowa

Richardson like Ron Paul, he is wasting his energy and taking time from the legit candidates

When camera is on a candidate who is listening to someone else talked:
- Obama looked thoughtful but tired
- Clinton often looked like she ate a lemon
- Edwards – looked eager to jump in and talk
- Richardson looked confused or angry

Short Retort

I wonder how many people will wake up this morning and wonder what did those Iowans do when they see a picture of Obama and his family above the headline, The Next President?

Iowans Vote their Hearts and Values

Once again the voters didn’t listen to the media and instead voted their hearts and their values. There will be a lot of speeches about comebacks in New Hampshire but what happened tonight is historic.

On the democratic side an untested young black senator beat a senator who had previously been a Vice Presidential candidate and had been campaigning non stop in Iowa with his own and union funds. Barack Obama also beat the front runner, the wife of a two-term President and a two-term Senator herself. Obama appealed to Iowans hearts and minds and the want for someone other than the old tired choices plus managed to win in a state that is something like 95% Caucasian.

On the other hand I am currently listening to some talking heads discuss Huckabee’s win and they still don’t get it. They are saying this is a repudiation of Bush. No, it is a validation of what voters have been saying for the past eight years – they want candidates who share their core moral values and yes, religion. Sorry, Mitt, but not even your money can get past that fundamental truth.

It is interesting to note that this also played out in the second tier of the Republican candidates. In spite of Iowa’s The Register nominating McCain, Thompson, the candidate who some joked never showed up for his own campaign, still managed to run neck and neck with McCain. Again it boils down to values.

In addition Barack, Huckabee and Thompson all share another common factor – likeability. No matter how hard Clinton and McCain will try to spin it – people simply don’t like them. But you know those two old campaigners will have the big guns out starting with the early news shows Friday morning trying to explain how it “really wasn’t a loss”. And the media will go along with it as evidenced by the following quote from Roger Simon’s Politico column today: “Several times we have been declared dead,” McCain said. “`It’s up to you (i.e., the media) who the winners are and who the losers are in the Iowa caucuses.”

I can only hope the voters continue to bewilder the media by continuing to vote for their values and with their hearts.

Short Retort

I sure could use some Global Warming right now. My weatherman is predicting our temperatures to be in the low 30s with wind chill factor in the low 20's tonight and he is forecasting a chance of snow flurries by tomorrow morning. OK, so this is pretty typical weather for January - except for the fact that I live in Central Florida!

Huckabee and Hllary - A Fearsome Twosome

All eyes are watching the outcome of the Iowa caucus and straw poll. I don’t know who will win but I know who I don’t want to win – Huckabee and Hillary. Looking ahead to the general election this fall I can’t think of a more polarizing twosome than those two. Hillary vs. Romney, Huckabee vs. Obama even Edwards vs. McCain, actually any other combination is manageable but the choice between Hillary vs. Huckabee will split the red and blue states even further apart.

If liberals have never liked Bush and still refuse to accept him as the president and commander in chief can you imagine their reaction to a former evangelical Baptist minister? Even moderates have a problem with this man who once defamed gays and who said that woman should be subservient to their husbands. Plus true conservatives have a problem with his stands on many issues ranging from immigration to fiscal management.

On the other hand, there is Hillary, whose very names makes conservatives want to run screaming. According to the New York Post’s January 1, 2008 edition a USA Today/Gallop poll shows that Hillary’s negative ratings are now at a whopping 52%.

It’s one thing to disagree or even dislike another party’s candidate but Huckabee and Hillary generate true hatred and even fear of what would happen if elected. A general election pitting these two against each other could very well tear the country apart.

2008 - Time to Denounce Global Warming?

Thanks to Diamond Jim for bringing the following to my attention. I feel it is so memorable that I didn’t want it just tucked into a Comment but as its own column that everyone should read. The article Jim referred to was “In 2008, a 100 Percent Chance of Alarm” by John Tierney; http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/science/01tier.html

At first glance this article in the NY Times on January 1, 2008 appeared to be another Global Warming rant. Then I took a second look. Wow. Did the earth shift on New Year’s Eve? Could the NY Times actually contain an article not only doubting Global Warming but even include facts disputing it?

Ironically, my very first column was on the power of the Main Stream Media (MSM) to not simply report the news but to make news. John Tierney quotes scientists who use the same argument in regards to Global Warming. One key line is “Once a cascade is under way, it becomes tough to sort out risks because experts become reluctant to dispute the popular wisdom, and are ignored if they do.” Tierney then quotes scientists and articles, that have been ignored by the MSM, which dispute Global Warming .

Is the NY Times once again making news by now questioning Global Warming? Could I hope that this might be the beginning of a cascade against the effects of Global Warming and the “science” of Al Gore? Dare I dream that in the not too far future people will chalk up Global Warming as just another outrageous statement by Al Gore, the man who also claimed to create the internet? Maybe 2008 will be a good year after all…..

A Real Sports Hero

Happy New Years! I want to start off the year by talking about an endangered species – a true sports hero. In lieu of the disgraceful athletes today, there is a young man who embodies not only stupendous athletic skills but has an equally sterling character.

My sports hero is this year’s Heisman winner – Tim Tebow. My brother is an FSU grad so I feel somewhat traitorous for even watching a UF game but this Gator quarterback is simply amazing. In fact half way through the UF/FSU match the announcer admitted that he was running out of superlatives when describing Tim.

Tim Tebow’s athleticism is unparalleled as evidenced by all the records he has broken. The most recent record is that he is the first sophomore to win the Heisman trophy. He fully deserved this award especially in light of his 20-20 record standing for rushing for 20 touchdowns and throwing for 20 touchdowns in the same season. And if you ever watched him on the field you, too, would be awed by his speed and skill.

Yet Tim is more than just a football player. Although only 20 years old his life story is fascinating. His parents call him a miracle baby due to his difficult birth while his parents were missionary’s in the Philippines. Once back in the US, his mother home schooled Tim and his four brother and sisters. This also makes him the first Heisman winner who was home schooled.

If all this wasn’t enough, he also has a winning personality. I saw an interview of him during the Heisman awards show where he talked about his priorities and he listed them as; 1 – God, 2 – family, 3 – academics and 4 – football. His devotion to his religion is evident in his actions and words. There are some athletes who loudly and showily thank God after any achievement making you wonder if it is an act. But no one can question the sincerity of Tim Tebow who embodies his religious convictions both on and off the field.

Tomorrow we will go back to politics and campaigns and “real life” but I can’t think of a better way to start off the year then by watching a wonderful young man, who some already are calling a legend. So I will go make my popcorn and watch the Citrus Bowl and no matter who wins I will enjoy watching a true sports hero.