My neck hurts more than usual. It is a good thing I am scheduled for some treatment later this week because it sure had a work-out over the weekend. On one hand I was swiveling my head back and forth watching the French Open tennis tournament. At the same time I was flipping channels Saturday to watch the verbal battle in the DNC meeting as they debated what to do with Michigan and Florida.
As the men and women of the tennis matches returned volley after volley with speed, determination and skill so did the two sides at the DNC Committee meeting. Although there was no “scoreboard” in the jam packed board room, everyone was keeping track of the ebb and flow of the delegate count.
Ironically, neither the tennis match nor the committee’s finding were beneficial to American women. The most famous current women tennis players were defeated early on in the French Open. As both Serena and Venus Williams were beaten in the third round so was Hillary in Saturday’s rulings. The biggest blow was in the Michigan ruling where Clinton hoped to walk away with more delegates than what was given to her.
What next? Hilary’s supporters hinted that they might take it to the convention as the small crowd of middle aged white women cheered in the background. But no matter what they do, the odds are slim and none that she will eventually win.
Perhaps the greatest result of the meeting is it marked the beginning of the end for the Clinton dominance and control of the DNC. By nearly a 2-1 vote the committee members showed that it is now an Obama party. You could say that Obama and his supporters kept serving ace after ace which Hillary could never return.
How will an Obama controlled DNC act during the upcoming national election? That is the biggest unknown out there. Barack is an untested, inexperienced politician who so far is playing this game brilliantly. He continuously has beaten anyone who goes up against him in spite of being an “unranked” newcomer. How has he done this against some of the biggest names in the Democratic party? Maybe he is just that good at the game and yet….
Newsmakers are just now beginning to come out of their trance over this young man to dig into his history. On Saturedy he left his controversial church but who knows what else may be out there about him? Hillary’s complaint that Obama is unvetted may prove to be prophetic. All we can do now is watch the game unfold between Obama and McCain and see what happens over the next six months.
As for my aching neck, it got one more workout on Saturday. Late in the afternoon I finally got up off my couch and walked outside. And in the beautiful sun drenched Florida afternoon I lifted my head up to the blue sky. Looking to the east I saw the familiar sign of a large white puffy spiral climbing towards the heavens. Another successful space shuttle launched. No matter how many times I have seen this, it is still an awesome sight. And maybe in the political games we all could use an occasional time-out not only to rest but to remind us of what they are fighting for and the high stakes that will go to the winner.
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hillary Clinton. Show all posts
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Hillary’s Slip
Poor Hillary. Talk about open mouth and insert foot! Maybe I am naïve but I honestly don’t think she meant that she was staying in the race hoping that Obama might be assassinated in June as was Bobby Kennedy. I know it sounded that way and the media and pundits jumped on her but I really think it was more of a case of not being more careful of how she was saying something.
She was trying to defend why she should stay in the primaries and was simply giving examples of other primaries that were still being contested in the summer months. She said that her husband didn’t wrap up his first primaries until June and that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June. Again, she was only trying to point out that Bobby was still campaigning in the month of June, not that she was waiting for someone to assassinate Obama.
What is interesting is how everyone immediately thought the worst of her. It says a lot about her character or at least how others perceive her character that they would even think she might be hoping her opponent was shot. And more than anything else that is why she should never be president. How could you possibly trust Hillary when you believe she is capable of doing almost anything to obtain her goals? And some would say that she has done the unthinkable before to protect herself (think Vince Foster).
Even though Hillary might not have meant she was waiting for Obama to be assassinated I am nervous that there are some who might take her up on that. God forbid, if Obama were to be shot, Hillary could not be the candidate for too many people would remember this statement and say she was the cause. One bright spot is that the majority of Hillary’s most ardent supporters are middle aged white woman. That is the least likely group to pick up a gun and go after somebody. But as they say, it only takes one crazy person and no matter what the demographics every group has at least one nut case.
On the other side, John McCain should be on his hands and knees thanking Hillary for her controversial statement. Late Friday he published his medical records and his wife’s tax returns from last year. It is a typical politician’s tactic to provide potentially damaging information on the eve of a three day weekend when most people have the TV’s turned off and aren’t paying attention to the news. Clinton’s faux pas combined with all the continuing weather related disasters and stories on the high gas prices dropped McCain’s news to the bottom of the stories being reported.
Most people, though. aren’t paying much attention to politics right now. And I must admit that I love this weekend. As a child it meant a big parade in my small town where if I wasn’t marching in my Girl Scout uniform then I could be found with my family under the big tree waving my little flag. And then regardless of how cold it still might be you just had to take a dip in the pool even if it was just a quick in and out. As an adult this was always the first big national holiday since February and I really looked forward to the much needed three day weekend.
As you enjoy your holiday here is a final fun political thought. In addition to parades, pools, beaches and cook outs, this weekend also marks the start of the summer movie season. For me, as for many others, I can’t wait to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. But keep this in mind as you watch Harrison Ford in this action packed movie – this vibrant, energetic, man is just 7 years younger than John McCain!
She was trying to defend why she should stay in the primaries and was simply giving examples of other primaries that were still being contested in the summer months. She said that her husband didn’t wrap up his first primaries until June and that Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June. Again, she was only trying to point out that Bobby was still campaigning in the month of June, not that she was waiting for someone to assassinate Obama.
What is interesting is how everyone immediately thought the worst of her. It says a lot about her character or at least how others perceive her character that they would even think she might be hoping her opponent was shot. And more than anything else that is why she should never be president. How could you possibly trust Hillary when you believe she is capable of doing almost anything to obtain her goals? And some would say that she has done the unthinkable before to protect herself (think Vince Foster).
Even though Hillary might not have meant she was waiting for Obama to be assassinated I am nervous that there are some who might take her up on that. God forbid, if Obama were to be shot, Hillary could not be the candidate for too many people would remember this statement and say she was the cause. One bright spot is that the majority of Hillary’s most ardent supporters are middle aged white woman. That is the least likely group to pick up a gun and go after somebody. But as they say, it only takes one crazy person and no matter what the demographics every group has at least one nut case.
On the other side, John McCain should be on his hands and knees thanking Hillary for her controversial statement. Late Friday he published his medical records and his wife’s tax returns from last year. It is a typical politician’s tactic to provide potentially damaging information on the eve of a three day weekend when most people have the TV’s turned off and aren’t paying attention to the news. Clinton’s faux pas combined with all the continuing weather related disasters and stories on the high gas prices dropped McCain’s news to the bottom of the stories being reported.
Most people, though. aren’t paying much attention to politics right now. And I must admit that I love this weekend. As a child it meant a big parade in my small town where if I wasn’t marching in my Girl Scout uniform then I could be found with my family under the big tree waving my little flag. And then regardless of how cold it still might be you just had to take a dip in the pool even if it was just a quick in and out. As an adult this was always the first big national holiday since February and I really looked forward to the much needed three day weekend.
As you enjoy your holiday here is a final fun political thought. In addition to parades, pools, beaches and cook outs, this weekend also marks the start of the summer movie season. For me, as for many others, I can’t wait to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. But keep this in mind as you watch Harrison Ford in this action packed movie – this vibrant, energetic, man is just 7 years younger than John McCain!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Florida, Florida, Florida
The delegate count is beginning to slowly build up for Obama with the magic number clearly in sight for him. Although I don’t particularly care for him I nonetheless am beginning to breathe a sigh of relief. Why? Because I live in Florida and if Obama has enough votes without Florida then Clinton can’t drag this state into a controversial fight for the Democratic nomination.
After the last two elections there were people who absolutely hated my state. Yet to those of us living here it seemed extremely unfair. That whole business of hanging shads and miscounted votes happened in South Florida. Everybody knows that Palm Beach and Miami are partly populated with Yankees; retired New Yorkers, Bostonians and other northerners. It is also a haven for immigrants, legal and otherwise, who may not have a good handle on the English language. But it definitely isn’t representative of the rest of the state.
Nonetheless, Democrats blamed Gore’s loss on Florida, regardless of where in the state you lived. And their anger and bitterness ran so deep that when my state was hit with three consecutive hurricanes in 2004 causing terrible devastation across the state they blamed it on God punishing Floridians for the past elections. Excuse me? You try being huddled in a bathtub for hours on end while not one, not two but three hurricanes come tearing across your front door. There is nothing as unnerving as to suddenly lose power right after your local weatherman announces that the eye of the hurricane was over your hometown. Then as friends and neighbors are cleaning up and making repairs to be told by some scathing Democrats that you deserved it.
They were still angry at us in the 2004 election where Florida was one of the main reasons the Democrats lost, again. If this state is that important to the Democrats you would think they might be a bit nicer to us. But noooooo. After the ’04 loss many of them couldn’t stop saying how stupid we were to vote for Bush again plus to have a Bush as governor, too. I still don’t quite get that strategy. If you want someone on your side you probably shouldn’t call them stupid.
Now here we are in the middle of election season and my state is again in the middle of the debate because Florida leaders moved up the primary date against the party’s rules. The National Republican leaders said they would only count half of the Republican delegates while the Democratic leaders said that they won’t count any of the Democratic Florida’s votes. Even though over 1.5 million Floridians voted for a Democratic candidate they were told that not one of their votes count.
OK, that makes sense. You have a state that has been pivotal in losing the past two elections and you tell them that for this primary their votes don’t even count. I can’t help but think that the National Democratic Committee is still punishing Floridians because of the past two elections. Call it revenge for 2000 and payback for 2004 but I just call it very nearsighted. They will need these votes come November, yet why should the voters turn out for them since the leadership has said they don’t count now in the primaries.
Florida appears to at least have avoided being dragged into an internal party fight for their candidate. Obama Democrats continue to say Florida doesn’t count whereas Hillary’s team wants to count her votes from this state. There were definite signs that the two Democrat groups were going to once again fight over votes from Florida. But as I said up front, luckily it appears that Barack is now in such a commanding lead that even with our votes Hillary still won’t catch up to him. Whew. I feel almost as relieved as I do when a hurricane heading my way turns course at the last minute and goes out to sea. Yet even though we may have missed this one who knows what might churn up come November? I guess we Floridians will just have to hunker down and wait and see what roll we might end up playing this fall. But if we don’t vote for the Democrat’s candidate and they lose for a third time, just call it payback for counting us out in the primary….
After the last two elections there were people who absolutely hated my state. Yet to those of us living here it seemed extremely unfair. That whole business of hanging shads and miscounted votes happened in South Florida. Everybody knows that Palm Beach and Miami are partly populated with Yankees; retired New Yorkers, Bostonians and other northerners. It is also a haven for immigrants, legal and otherwise, who may not have a good handle on the English language. But it definitely isn’t representative of the rest of the state.
Nonetheless, Democrats blamed Gore’s loss on Florida, regardless of where in the state you lived. And their anger and bitterness ran so deep that when my state was hit with three consecutive hurricanes in 2004 causing terrible devastation across the state they blamed it on God punishing Floridians for the past elections. Excuse me? You try being huddled in a bathtub for hours on end while not one, not two but three hurricanes come tearing across your front door. There is nothing as unnerving as to suddenly lose power right after your local weatherman announces that the eye of the hurricane was over your hometown. Then as friends and neighbors are cleaning up and making repairs to be told by some scathing Democrats that you deserved it.
They were still angry at us in the 2004 election where Florida was one of the main reasons the Democrats lost, again. If this state is that important to the Democrats you would think they might be a bit nicer to us. But noooooo. After the ’04 loss many of them couldn’t stop saying how stupid we were to vote for Bush again plus to have a Bush as governor, too. I still don’t quite get that strategy. If you want someone on your side you probably shouldn’t call them stupid.
Now here we are in the middle of election season and my state is again in the middle of the debate because Florida leaders moved up the primary date against the party’s rules. The National Republican leaders said they would only count half of the Republican delegates while the Democratic leaders said that they won’t count any of the Democratic Florida’s votes. Even though over 1.5 million Floridians voted for a Democratic candidate they were told that not one of their votes count.
OK, that makes sense. You have a state that has been pivotal in losing the past two elections and you tell them that for this primary their votes don’t even count. I can’t help but think that the National Democratic Committee is still punishing Floridians because of the past two elections. Call it revenge for 2000 and payback for 2004 but I just call it very nearsighted. They will need these votes come November, yet why should the voters turn out for them since the leadership has said they don’t count now in the primaries.
Florida appears to at least have avoided being dragged into an internal party fight for their candidate. Obama Democrats continue to say Florida doesn’t count whereas Hillary’s team wants to count her votes from this state. There were definite signs that the two Democrat groups were going to once again fight over votes from Florida. But as I said up front, luckily it appears that Barack is now in such a commanding lead that even with our votes Hillary still won’t catch up to him. Whew. I feel almost as relieved as I do when a hurricane heading my way turns course at the last minute and goes out to sea. Yet even though we may have missed this one who knows what might churn up come November? I guess we Floridians will just have to hunker down and wait and see what roll we might end up playing this fall. But if we don’t vote for the Democrat’s candidate and they lose for a third time, just call it payback for counting us out in the primary….
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Why Hillary Should Stay In the Race
Everywhere on the radio, TV and internet people are saying that it is time for Hillary to step aside. For once I am in agreement with Hillary and feel she should stay in the race until the convention. I don’t say this because I think she can win, she can’t. Not unless something so outside of the pale is found out about Obama that it forces him to stand aside and I definitely don’t see that happening. I also don’t think Clinton is staying in the hopes that Obama will pick her as his VP. That isn’t going to happen either.
So why should she continue to stay in the Presidential Race? If she should get out now it would look like she is admitting failure. That Obama is the winner and has beaten her. Admitting defeat or even admit the softer sounding idea of being pushed out is not something either of the Clintons can easily say. Not when she can walk out of this looking like a winner, even though Obama becomes the Democratic candidate for president.
Imagine this…. It is the convention and Clinton stands before all of the delegates, party big wigs and the whole nation via the TV coverage she would be sure to capture. Then Hillary delivers the speech of her life in which she graciously “gives” Obama all of her committed delegates. She then asks all who voted for her to help out Obama for the sake of party unity. Now instead of looking like a loser as she would if she dropped out before the convention she instead appears to be a “kingmaker”. She turns defeat into victory by giving the nation the illusion that Obama becomes the nominee only because of Hillary and her delegates.
If she did this it would totally belittle Obama’s wins. She would effectively have him cornered where he would have to now thank Hillary even though he and most of the world knows that he would have been the candidate even without her help. And if he tries to say as much or complain he would now be the one accused of tearing the party apart and even of being rude to Clinton. Plus if Hillary’s supporters who are angry at Obama end up voting for McCain this would not be Hillary’s fault for she could point to this speech and say she told them to go with Obama. It would then be Obama’s problem for not being able to keep them….
I have no idea if Hillary has envisioned this kind of end but I wouldn’t be surprised if the thought has crossed her mind. But I just don’t know if she can withstand the growing pressure from all sides to step down now. I am not fond of any of the Clintons but a part of me is rooting for her to hang in there and then go out like a winner at the convention.
So why should she continue to stay in the Presidential Race? If she should get out now it would look like she is admitting failure. That Obama is the winner and has beaten her. Admitting defeat or even admit the softer sounding idea of being pushed out is not something either of the Clintons can easily say. Not when she can walk out of this looking like a winner, even though Obama becomes the Democratic candidate for president.
Imagine this…. It is the convention and Clinton stands before all of the delegates, party big wigs and the whole nation via the TV coverage she would be sure to capture. Then Hillary delivers the speech of her life in which she graciously “gives” Obama all of her committed delegates. She then asks all who voted for her to help out Obama for the sake of party unity. Now instead of looking like a loser as she would if she dropped out before the convention she instead appears to be a “kingmaker”. She turns defeat into victory by giving the nation the illusion that Obama becomes the nominee only because of Hillary and her delegates.
If she did this it would totally belittle Obama’s wins. She would effectively have him cornered where he would have to now thank Hillary even though he and most of the world knows that he would have been the candidate even without her help. And if he tries to say as much or complain he would now be the one accused of tearing the party apart and even of being rude to Clinton. Plus if Hillary’s supporters who are angry at Obama end up voting for McCain this would not be Hillary’s fault for she could point to this speech and say she told them to go with Obama. It would then be Obama’s problem for not being able to keep them….
I have no idea if Hillary has envisioned this kind of end but I wouldn’t be surprised if the thought has crossed her mind. But I just don’t know if she can withstand the growing pressure from all sides to step down now. I am not fond of any of the Clintons but a part of me is rooting for her to hang in there and then go out like a winner at the convention.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A Classy Win
My hat’s off to Hillary’s campaign team. Oh sure, everyone knew she was going to win. But it is what happened after the win that impressed me. I went to bed right after her speech and when I woke up there were emails from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns waiting for me.
Barack’s email was pretty much as expected. His campaign wrote that although they lost in PA they still have a commanding lead. It went on to state that they still have to fight a two-prong attack by Clinton and McCain. So guess what? He needs your support right now and to send in at least $25. Typical. Even though he outspent Hillary something like 3-1 and still lost in PA. I guess that although money can’t buy everything it doesn't stop him from needing more…
Then I opened Hillary’s email expecting to read an email about her big win and how they want to keep the momentum going and so need my support and money right now. Except that wasn’t what they wrote. Instead the email first talked about the importance of the win in PA. Then it went on that there will be a lot to do starting tomorrow but for tonight just celebrate the win and ended with a thank you for your support. That was it. No request for money or help of any kind. I am sure that later today or tomorrow I will get another email requesting money but that doesn’t negate that this was a classy gesture. I can’t help but think that this also reflects the new campaign manager now that Mark Penn is gone. Nonetheless for the first time Hillary’s campaign impressed me with this thoughtful and restrained email.
It is all too little too late as Obama has the numbers to win this primary. And yet …. Every time you think the Clintons (husband or wife) is down and out they somehow manage to come back again. About the only sure thing on this day after the PA primaries and Hillary’s win is that the only person celebrating more than she is John McCain!
Barack’s email was pretty much as expected. His campaign wrote that although they lost in PA they still have a commanding lead. It went on to state that they still have to fight a two-prong attack by Clinton and McCain. So guess what? He needs your support right now and to send in at least $25. Typical. Even though he outspent Hillary something like 3-1 and still lost in PA. I guess that although money can’t buy everything it doesn't stop him from needing more…
Then I opened Hillary’s email expecting to read an email about her big win and how they want to keep the momentum going and so need my support and money right now. Except that wasn’t what they wrote. Instead the email first talked about the importance of the win in PA. Then it went on that there will be a lot to do starting tomorrow but for tonight just celebrate the win and ended with a thank you for your support. That was it. No request for money or help of any kind. I am sure that later today or tomorrow I will get another email requesting money but that doesn’t negate that this was a classy gesture. I can’t help but think that this also reflects the new campaign manager now that Mark Penn is gone. Nonetheless for the first time Hillary’s campaign impressed me with this thoughtful and restrained email.
It is all too little too late as Obama has the numbers to win this primary. And yet …. Every time you think the Clintons (husband or wife) is down and out they somehow manage to come back again. About the only sure thing on this day after the PA primaries and Hillary’s win is that the only person celebrating more than she is John McCain!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Democrat Party's Disturbing Primaries
There are a lot of questions surrounding the Democratic primaries. But I have two questions that are more fundamental than the current who should stay and who should drop out or how a race is being funded or why did he/she say that. The first goes to the very heart of the Democratic primaries: Are caucus’s legal?
I always thought that one of the greatest foundations of our republic was the ability to vote in private. To choose a candidate without immediate pressure and in secrecy so that no future action could be taken against you based on your vote. So I honestly don’t understand how a caucus could even be legal. First you must declare for a candidate in front of your friends, employers, co-workers and family. Then if your candidate does not have a certain percentage you need to choose another candidate while those candidate’s followers are publicly urging you to choose their candidate. Excuse me? That sounds like something out of the old Soviet Union or even China whereby you are harassed if you don’t pick “the right” candidate. It sure doesn’t sound like the United States.
It also makes the whole Barrack-Clinton race extremely interesting. Strip away the rhetoric and there really isn’t much difference in their ideology. Yet Barrack wins the caucus’s and Hillary wins the voting booth primaries. Imagine if you are standing in a crowded room filled with people you know and are told if you want to vote for Barrack stand in one corner and Hillary supporters are to stand in another corner. Now imagine that one of your neighbors is black and supporting Barrack and happens to glance your way. No matter your politics, anybody will start to feel self conscious and wonder if their neighbor might think you would be racist if you didn’t vote for Barrack. I know that I would feel very uncomfortable in the above situation and would probably end up voting for Barrack even if I was initially planning to vote for Clinton. Yet if given the secrecy of a voting booth I would feel no pressure to change my vote. Hence Barrack wins the caucus’s and Hillary wins the voting booth primaries.
My second question is: Isn’t the idea of super delegates belittling and condescending? I suppose they are legal but I can’t help but wonder why the rank and file allows their party to think that they can’t correctly choose a candidate. It basically says that the party doesn’t trust the rank and file to pick the right candidate so these old time party hacks can step in and make sure the party does the right thing. Wow. Actually that explains the whole philosophy of Democrats. They don’t think the citizens can pick a candidate, or a doctor or a job or take care of themselves and so the superior Democrat politicians must step in and do it for them. Can you imagine the media attacks if the Republican Party had super delegates of long-time conservative politicians? Yet the media is spending all their time counting super delegate votes to even bother to question the viability of super delegates.
If Barrack becomes the Democratic presidential candidate due to his wins in caucus’s and super delegates then in some ways he is negatively handicapped in the general election where people vote in secrecy and without the added super delegates, And if Barrack loses this November, it will be the fault of the Democrat Party for not running the same kind of race in the primaries that their candidate will face in the general election. On second thought, caucuses and super delegates may not be illegal but they sure are incredibly stupid ideas.
I always thought that one of the greatest foundations of our republic was the ability to vote in private. To choose a candidate without immediate pressure and in secrecy so that no future action could be taken against you based on your vote. So I honestly don’t understand how a caucus could even be legal. First you must declare for a candidate in front of your friends, employers, co-workers and family. Then if your candidate does not have a certain percentage you need to choose another candidate while those candidate’s followers are publicly urging you to choose their candidate. Excuse me? That sounds like something out of the old Soviet Union or even China whereby you are harassed if you don’t pick “the right” candidate. It sure doesn’t sound like the United States.
It also makes the whole Barrack-Clinton race extremely interesting. Strip away the rhetoric and there really isn’t much difference in their ideology. Yet Barrack wins the caucus’s and Hillary wins the voting booth primaries. Imagine if you are standing in a crowded room filled with people you know and are told if you want to vote for Barrack stand in one corner and Hillary supporters are to stand in another corner. Now imagine that one of your neighbors is black and supporting Barrack and happens to glance your way. No matter your politics, anybody will start to feel self conscious and wonder if their neighbor might think you would be racist if you didn’t vote for Barrack. I know that I would feel very uncomfortable in the above situation and would probably end up voting for Barrack even if I was initially planning to vote for Clinton. Yet if given the secrecy of a voting booth I would feel no pressure to change my vote. Hence Barrack wins the caucus’s and Hillary wins the voting booth primaries.
My second question is: Isn’t the idea of super delegates belittling and condescending? I suppose they are legal but I can’t help but wonder why the rank and file allows their party to think that they can’t correctly choose a candidate. It basically says that the party doesn’t trust the rank and file to pick the right candidate so these old time party hacks can step in and make sure the party does the right thing. Wow. Actually that explains the whole philosophy of Democrats. They don’t think the citizens can pick a candidate, or a doctor or a job or take care of themselves and so the superior Democrat politicians must step in and do it for them. Can you imagine the media attacks if the Republican Party had super delegates of long-time conservative politicians? Yet the media is spending all their time counting super delegate votes to even bother to question the viability of super delegates.
If Barrack becomes the Democratic presidential candidate due to his wins in caucus’s and super delegates then in some ways he is negatively handicapped in the general election where people vote in secrecy and without the added super delegates, And if Barrack loses this November, it will be the fault of the Democrat Party for not running the same kind of race in the primaries that their candidate will face in the general election. On second thought, caucuses and super delegates may not be illegal but they sure are incredibly stupid ideas.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Those Racist Liberals....
I never thought I would see this. Not only is the Democratic race starting to turn nastier but now the Obama supporters are saying the Clinton group is continuing to be racist. How ironic….
The latest hoopla is over a statement by former VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. She said “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
You wouldn’t think anyone would consider that to be racist. Ask John Edwards or any of the other qualified white males who fell by the wayside early in the Democratic race. They were all more experienced than Obama or even Hillary but could not compete against the uniqueness of a woman or a black candidate. Only a minority could compete against another minority. Pointing this out isn’t racist, simply realistic.
Yet the Obama supporters don’t see it that way. Or perhaps they are trying to twist it to their own advantage. In either case, a number of Obama supporters, including senior advisor David Axelrod are crying racist, asking for an apology and for Ferraro to step down from her position on Clinton finance committee.
The professional campaigners on both Obama and Clinton staffs will probably be able to put this all aside and unite together when one of them is finally picked as their candidate. But to the rank and file supporters this is becoming personal. The nastier it gets, the more they take it to heart and resent the other side. And the latest Rasmussen polls are starting to show this trend. It could very well be that McCain might win simply because either the Obama or Clinton supporters were so disillusioned and bitter over their primary loss that they gave up and didn’t vote at all.
Meanwhile the Republicans will sit back while the Democrats tear their party apart. And many Republicans might think that even though McCain wasn’t their first or even second choice they are relieved that we have a candidate and can avoid the bitter fights that the Democrats are experiencing. And to think, a good part of it is because one Democratic group is calling another Democratic group racist. I suppose if you live long enough you will see just about anything…..
The latest hoopla is over a statement by former VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro, a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. She said “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."
You wouldn’t think anyone would consider that to be racist. Ask John Edwards or any of the other qualified white males who fell by the wayside early in the Democratic race. They were all more experienced than Obama or even Hillary but could not compete against the uniqueness of a woman or a black candidate. Only a minority could compete against another minority. Pointing this out isn’t racist, simply realistic.
Yet the Obama supporters don’t see it that way. Or perhaps they are trying to twist it to their own advantage. In either case, a number of Obama supporters, including senior advisor David Axelrod are crying racist, asking for an apology and for Ferraro to step down from her position on Clinton finance committee.
The professional campaigners on both Obama and Clinton staffs will probably be able to put this all aside and unite together when one of them is finally picked as their candidate. But to the rank and file supporters this is becoming personal. The nastier it gets, the more they take it to heart and resent the other side. And the latest Rasmussen polls are starting to show this trend. It could very well be that McCain might win simply because either the Obama or Clinton supporters were so disillusioned and bitter over their primary loss that they gave up and didn’t vote at all.
Meanwhile the Republicans will sit back while the Democrats tear their party apart. And many Republicans might think that even though McCain wasn’t their first or even second choice they are relieved that we have a candidate and can avoid the bitter fights that the Democrats are experiencing. And to think, a good part of it is because one Democratic group is calling another Democratic group racist. I suppose if you live long enough you will see just about anything…..
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
SNL Impacting Tuesday Night Results
You are now hearing all kinds of reasons as to why Hillary won Ohio and Texas last night. Personally I give a lot of the credit (or blame) to something a little bit different than what the pundits are saying. I think the attacks on Obama, the hits on the media and the support for Hillary by Saturday Night Live played a major part in slowing down Obama and helping out Hillary.
I happened to have watched the first parody of the Obama-Clinton debates on SNL. It was the first time I had seen anyone poke fun at Obama and at the media, too. The fact that it was dead on in it’s portrayal of the media’s fawning over Barack to the detriment of Clinton made it that much funnier.
I am not sure if anyone else could have done what SNL did. The media that weren’t falling over themselves to praise Obama were held back from criticizing him for fear of looking racist. It might also make the media look “old” for it was considered young and hip to be a part of Obama’s team.
Then came this show that is known for being young and hip and cool. And they had the guts to yell out that the Emperor didn’t have any clothes on. Wow. From that point on things began to change.
The media, to its credit, actually started to look at it’s past actions and realized that they had been unfair to Hillary and way too easy on Barack. So the honeymoon was finally over and Obama started to get hit with questions that were not only uncomfortable but even lethal.
Meanwhile, Hillary took advantage of this change. She referenced the skit in the next debate. She even showed that she could make fun of herself by being in another skit the next week on SNL. And it gave her heart and energy to throw off the pessimism of being a loser and started to act like a winner again.
And then there were the voters. The SNL skit showed them that Obama was infallible. Even that it was ok to make fun of him. That maybe the media had been unfair to Hillary. And it made the women start to rethink their options and take another look at Hillary.
I am not saying that the SNL skit was the only reason Hillary did so well last night. But it sure played a part in what happened. And I can only wonder what the candidate’s images and standing would be today if the writers of SNL hadn’t been on strike for the last few months…
I happened to have watched the first parody of the Obama-Clinton debates on SNL. It was the first time I had seen anyone poke fun at Obama and at the media, too. The fact that it was dead on in it’s portrayal of the media’s fawning over Barack to the detriment of Clinton made it that much funnier.
I am not sure if anyone else could have done what SNL did. The media that weren’t falling over themselves to praise Obama were held back from criticizing him for fear of looking racist. It might also make the media look “old” for it was considered young and hip to be a part of Obama’s team.
Then came this show that is known for being young and hip and cool. And they had the guts to yell out that the Emperor didn’t have any clothes on. Wow. From that point on things began to change.
The media, to its credit, actually started to look at it’s past actions and realized that they had been unfair to Hillary and way too easy on Barack. So the honeymoon was finally over and Obama started to get hit with questions that were not only uncomfortable but even lethal.
Meanwhile, Hillary took advantage of this change. She referenced the skit in the next debate. She even showed that she could make fun of herself by being in another skit the next week on SNL. And it gave her heart and energy to throw off the pessimism of being a loser and started to act like a winner again.
And then there were the voters. The SNL skit showed them that Obama was infallible. Even that it was ok to make fun of him. That maybe the media had been unfair to Hillary. And it made the women start to rethink their options and take another look at Hillary.
I am not saying that the SNL skit was the only reason Hillary did so well last night. But it sure played a part in what happened. And I can only wonder what the candidate’s images and standing would be today if the writers of SNL hadn’t been on strike for the last few months…
Monday, March 3, 2008
Random Thoughts on Tomorrrow's Primary
I am glad tomorrow’s primary is in Texas and Ohio. Too often my state, Florida, has been accused of winning/losing the election depending on your party. For once it is nice that the heat and spotlight is somewhere other than Florida. (Although it may end up back here if there is still no clear winner and Hillary challenges the ruling not to sit Florida’s delegates.)
Hillary haters will again write back that I am wrong but I still feel sorry for her. I rewatched parts of the last debate and even after the SNL parody the media still was treating her differently than Obama. It was unbelievable the number of times she was cut off or dismissed. In comparison, Obama was allowed to talk and talk and talk. When Hillary did try to nail Obama for the support of Farrakhan, Obama ended up turning it into a joke over the words of renounce and reject (reminded me of what is the definition of is). What was worse was that the moderator, Brian Williams, not only allowed Obama to get away with it but abetted him by chuckling and shaking his head indicating that he was thoroughly dismissing Clinton’s valid concern.
Trying to judge what others were thinking I checked out some other political sites to see what they were saying. The most interesting was the Democratic Underground an extreme left-wing web site. Some of the titles of their articles and blogs were “I’m done defending Hillary”, “As A Hillary Supporter, I Know It’s Probably Over 3/4/08”, “The Bush Tragedy – NYT – The Most Disastrous President in Our History”, and “Obama’s Hollow ‘Judgement' and empty record”. From these, and others, it looks like democrats have little hope that Hillary will win. Actually this site is rich with insight into the far left and I will probably return later for a full article on it.
Meanwhile in the Junior Super Tuesday, as the media is calling tomorrow, it is too close to call. Personally I an rooting for Hillary because it is advantageous to the GOPs to see the democratic race extended for as long as possible. If she wins just one state, it will be interesting to see what she does. Then again, some are saying she will stay in the race until at least PA if she is even close in tomorrow’s primaries. I can’t help but wonder if the concept of losing with grace and style is even something her campaign will ever understand.
Hillary haters will again write back that I am wrong but I still feel sorry for her. I rewatched parts of the last debate and even after the SNL parody the media still was treating her differently than Obama. It was unbelievable the number of times she was cut off or dismissed. In comparison, Obama was allowed to talk and talk and talk. When Hillary did try to nail Obama for the support of Farrakhan, Obama ended up turning it into a joke over the words of renounce and reject (reminded me of what is the definition of is). What was worse was that the moderator, Brian Williams, not only allowed Obama to get away with it but abetted him by chuckling and shaking his head indicating that he was thoroughly dismissing Clinton’s valid concern.
Trying to judge what others were thinking I checked out some other political sites to see what they were saying. The most interesting was the Democratic Underground an extreme left-wing web site. Some of the titles of their articles and blogs were “I’m done defending Hillary”, “As A Hillary Supporter, I Know It’s Probably Over 3/4/08”, “The Bush Tragedy – NYT – The Most Disastrous President in Our History”, and “Obama’s Hollow ‘Judgement' and empty record”. From these, and others, it looks like democrats have little hope that Hillary will win. Actually this site is rich with insight into the far left and I will probably return later for a full article on it.
Meanwhile in the Junior Super Tuesday, as the media is calling tomorrow, it is too close to call. Personally I an rooting for Hillary because it is advantageous to the GOPs to see the democratic race extended for as long as possible. If she wins just one state, it will be interesting to see what she does. Then again, some are saying she will stay in the race until at least PA if she is even close in tomorrow’s primaries. I can’t help but wonder if the concept of losing with grace and style is even something her campaign will ever understand.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Chicken Little Liberals
After watching the democratic debate last night I have come to the conclusion that many others have already figured out. It seems to me that liberals aren’t happy unless they are running around squawking like Chicken Little and crying out “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”
These Chicken Little Liberals are constantly warning the American people of one pending disaster after another. You know the list – global warming, nuclear proliferation, the war in Iraq, the economy etc. etc. And if there is no current threat they will make one up because otherwise they become irrelevant if they can’t show how only they can save us.
Since nearly every liberal subscribes to the Chicken Little philosophy they differentiate themselves from each other by the way they talk about these “disasters”. Hillary wants to play mother hen by spreading her wings for all the little chicks to hide under while she takes care of us and protects us from whatever is falling from the sky. This solution appeals to all those people who don’t want to be thinking adults and take on the responsibility of taking care of themselves much less their own offspring.
Barack Obama also believes that the sky is falling but instead of discussing how to fix it or even stop they sky from falling he tells us how glorious the sky will be once it is no longer falling. But don’t be fooled by his rhetoric for he too, believes that only he and his liberal base can take care of all the little people who aren’t capable or refuse to help themselves.
As for the Republicans and John McCain? Instead of running around crying that “the sky is falling” and getting everyone scared and upset, they simply blast whatever is falling from the sky into harmless little pieces. Problem solved.
These Chicken Little Liberals are constantly warning the American people of one pending disaster after another. You know the list – global warming, nuclear proliferation, the war in Iraq, the economy etc. etc. And if there is no current threat they will make one up because otherwise they become irrelevant if they can’t show how only they can save us.
Since nearly every liberal subscribes to the Chicken Little philosophy they differentiate themselves from each other by the way they talk about these “disasters”. Hillary wants to play mother hen by spreading her wings for all the little chicks to hide under while she takes care of us and protects us from whatever is falling from the sky. This solution appeals to all those people who don’t want to be thinking adults and take on the responsibility of taking care of themselves much less their own offspring.
Barack Obama also believes that the sky is falling but instead of discussing how to fix it or even stop they sky from falling he tells us how glorious the sky will be once it is no longer falling. But don’t be fooled by his rhetoric for he too, believes that only he and his liberal base can take care of all the little people who aren’t capable or refuse to help themselves.
As for the Republicans and John McCain? Instead of running around crying that “the sky is falling” and getting everyone scared and upset, they simply blast whatever is falling from the sky into harmless little pieces. Problem solved.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Hillary's Trade-Offs
As the primary continues to unfold I can’t help but think about Hillary's life. People forget that it was Hillary, not Bill, who was the “rock star” when they first met. But she gave it all up to move to Arkansas and help an unknown lawyer run for governor in one of the most backwards states in the nation. Her friends were appalled by her decision. I can’t help but think of the song from Chorus Line “What We Do for Love”.
It wasn’t all terrible. Arkansas is in the boonies but being a governor’s wife isn’t a bad deal. Then there were the ensuing connections and how that helped her career (and checkbook). Bill might have strayed but Hillary knew he loved her and Chelsea, and he always came back. So she stayed and ended up in the White House. Again, not a bad trade off. Then he cheated there and this time publicly humiliated her and her child.
And still she stayed. Did she trade in her pride to keep her marriage? Did she make a bargain to use it as a stepping stone to the senate? Maybe. And I’m not sure I blame her. So over the last few years she quietly paid her dues in the senate, while her husband transformed himself from national joke to national statesman on par with George Bush the elder.
They were ready again as a team again to run for president – this time it was Hillary’s turn. And what happens? Another man blocks her way. Now all those years that Hillary stood by her man, its Bill’s turn to aid her in removing that one obstacle by using all the weight only an ex-President has. Except in just a few speeches Bill once again becomes an embarrassment and a hindrance and a national joke instead of a serious statesman who could have helped make her president.
I can’t help but wonder how angry Hillary must be at both of them, Barack and Bill. I can’t say I blame her. And if she is defeated by Barack I also wonder how long it will be before she divorces Bill and trades him in for a better deal. I can’t say I would blame her for that either.
It wasn’t all terrible. Arkansas is in the boonies but being a governor’s wife isn’t a bad deal. Then there were the ensuing connections and how that helped her career (and checkbook). Bill might have strayed but Hillary knew he loved her and Chelsea, and he always came back. So she stayed and ended up in the White House. Again, not a bad trade off. Then he cheated there and this time publicly humiliated her and her child.
And still she stayed. Did she trade in her pride to keep her marriage? Did she make a bargain to use it as a stepping stone to the senate? Maybe. And I’m not sure I blame her. So over the last few years she quietly paid her dues in the senate, while her husband transformed himself from national joke to national statesman on par with George Bush the elder.
They were ready again as a team again to run for president – this time it was Hillary’s turn. And what happens? Another man blocks her way. Now all those years that Hillary stood by her man, its Bill’s turn to aid her in removing that one obstacle by using all the weight only an ex-President has. Except in just a few speeches Bill once again becomes an embarrassment and a hindrance and a national joke instead of a serious statesman who could have helped make her president.
I can’t help but wonder how angry Hillary must be at both of them, Barack and Bill. I can’t say I blame her. And if she is defeated by Barack I also wonder how long it will be before she divorces Bill and trades him in for a better deal. I can’t say I would blame her for that either.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Obama Phenomenon
It seems as if Obama is being carried by a tidal wave of adoration and gaining a momentum that Hillary might not be able to stop. There are reports of growing crowds wherever he goes as he mesmerizes all demographic groups: old, young, black, white, rural, suburb. I have even read of women fainting during his speeches as if he is the new Elvis or Beatle or Sinatra (pick your idol based on your generation). And yet….
Anyone who follows Obama and listens to him will agree that as wonderful as his speeches are they still don’t contain any substance. To learn more about him, I checked his website; http://www.barrackobama.com/. To my surprise there was a link called Issues with discussions on his views starting with Civil Rights, Disabilities, Economy and ending with Rural, Service and Senior Citizens with many more in between.
So what are his views on the issues? Not surprisingly they are liberal and similar to Hillary’s programs. He wants a big government which will create jobs, take care of everyone and spend lots and lots of money. Where will the money come from? Us, of course and big business which once again is shown as being an “enemy” of not only “the people” but also an enemy of the environment. And yet……
His health care doesn’t mandate that everyone sign up for it. Unlike Clinton, he won’t force you to join his universal coverage. On immigration, he wants to secure the border and he supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. On the economy he wants to Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families, Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans, Fight for Fair Trade and Amend NAFTA.
Some of his ideas on security include Protecting Our Chemical Plants, Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Reuniting Families After Emergencies, and Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe. And yes, Obama plans to stop the war in Iraq and bring home the troops. Yet he also wants to increase the army by 65,000 and the marines by 27,000 soldiers and he wants the Chief of the National Guard to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
That is just a brief example of Barack Obama’s ideas. I disagree with most of his environmental “global warming” plans but the ideas I just mentioned above don’t sound bad at all. In fact he sounds more conservative than McCain on immigration. It makes me wonder what people who have drunk his Kool-Aid and are blindly following him would think if they knew he is proposing these ideas. Then again that is probably why he never talks issues only hope and promises and glory for all in the future. Amen.
Anyone who follows Obama and listens to him will agree that as wonderful as his speeches are they still don’t contain any substance. To learn more about him, I checked his website; http://www.barrackobama.com/. To my surprise there was a link called Issues with discussions on his views starting with Civil Rights, Disabilities, Economy and ending with Rural, Service and Senior Citizens with many more in between.
So what are his views on the issues? Not surprisingly they are liberal and similar to Hillary’s programs. He wants a big government which will create jobs, take care of everyone and spend lots and lots of money. Where will the money come from? Us, of course and big business which once again is shown as being an “enemy” of not only “the people” but also an enemy of the environment. And yet……
His health care doesn’t mandate that everyone sign up for it. Unlike Clinton, he won’t force you to join his universal coverage. On immigration, he wants to secure the border and he supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. On the economy he wants to Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families, Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans, Fight for Fair Trade and Amend NAFTA.
Some of his ideas on security include Protecting Our Chemical Plants, Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Reuniting Families After Emergencies, and Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe. And yes, Obama plans to stop the war in Iraq and bring home the troops. Yet he also wants to increase the army by 65,000 and the marines by 27,000 soldiers and he wants the Chief of the National Guard to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
That is just a brief example of Barack Obama’s ideas. I disagree with most of his environmental “global warming” plans but the ideas I just mentioned above don’t sound bad at all. In fact he sounds more conservative than McCain on immigration. It makes me wonder what people who have drunk his Kool-Aid and are blindly following him would think if they knew he is proposing these ideas. Then again that is probably why he never talks issues only hope and promises and glory for all in the future. Amen.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Short Retort
Clinton won two-thirds of the states in the primaries before January 30. Since January 30 Obama has won almost two-thirds of the states. Why the complete turnaround? Did people get angry at Bill for making his earlier comments? Maybe. Did voters get disgusted by Clintons tears? Perhaps. Could it be that Obama is gaining momentum? Quite likely. Or could it possibly be that liberals were turned off by Clinton when on January 31 Ann Coulter said she would vote for Hillary if John McCain was the Republican candidate? :-)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Obama Affect
I read an interesting article highlighted in the Drudge Report. It was from an article in The Australian about Obama. The journalist, Geoff Elliott compared the reaction Obama is getting to how people reacted to Mandela. In other words, people are looking up to Obama as more than just a new leader, but as a cult figure even something “akin to a messiah”. Wow.
I even have to admit that I was transfixed listening to him give a speech. It was hard to resist not yelling out an “amen” and that was from my living room. I can only imagine the impact of listening to him in person. And yet… there was a great quote in the article I read:
Well known political journalist Joe Klein of Time magazine, who was travelling on the campaign plane this week with Obama, too, wrote of a nagging concern about this kind of rhetoric of inspiration over substance, noting "there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism".
Creepy or not, how do you compete against this? I almost feel sorry for Hillary who is pitting her substance against someone who speaks in promises and hopes yet has still to give specifics on what he is trying to accomplish. Hell, he hasn’t even said what his concrete goals are, other than being President, much less how he plans to attain them.
And therein lies the catch. For the minute he gives specifics he is sure to disappoint people. In fact, how can he not end up angering his followers when they find out that underneath the glamour of a cult figure, he is a cold analytical politician? And we all know what happens when the crowds turn against their messiah…..
I even have to admit that I was transfixed listening to him give a speech. It was hard to resist not yelling out an “amen” and that was from my living room. I can only imagine the impact of listening to him in person. And yet… there was a great quote in the article I read:
Well known political journalist Joe Klein of Time magazine, who was travelling on the campaign plane this week with Obama, too, wrote of a nagging concern about this kind of rhetoric of inspiration over substance, noting "there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism".
Creepy or not, how do you compete against this? I almost feel sorry for Hillary who is pitting her substance against someone who speaks in promises and hopes yet has still to give specifics on what he is trying to accomplish. Hell, he hasn’t even said what his concrete goals are, other than being President, much less how he plans to attain them.
And therein lies the catch. For the minute he gives specifics he is sure to disappoint people. In fact, how can he not end up angering his followers when they find out that underneath the glamour of a cult figure, he is a cold analytical politician? And we all know what happens when the crowds turn against their messiah…..
Thursday, February 7, 2008
No End Game In Sight
Howard Dean has stated that he wants Obama and Hillary to do whatever it takes to avoid a long drawn out Democratic primary. The Republican Party is going behind the scenes trying to get McCain to be nicer to the conservatives and to have the other candidates drop out so as to wrap up their primaries. But I just don’t see this happening on the Democratic side.
For the first time in the country’s history, we have the first black man and the first woman candidates. Hillary and Barack’s motivation to be president must then be more personal since it isn’t based on just what they believe but also on who they are. The Republicans also have the first Mormon and the first Baptist preacher but Romney and Huckabee could justify that a rejection of them is not personal but rather a rejection of their religious beliefs. So they probably will drop out sooner rather than later.
But for Hillary and Barack, every win is a stamp of approval while each loss is a rejection of who they are and not what they stand for. How could they not take this personally? Yet they also know that a loss is also a rejection of their race or gender. They have to feel responsible to their respective minority and so not only is their goal to be president of the United States but more importantly, to be the very first woman or black man to be president. Talk about pressure….
These internal and external motivations make it nearly impossible for either of them to drop out for it would mean publicly stating that they (and their race or gender) are not good enough for the job. Clinton and Obama have simply invested too much, too much money, too much ego, too much personal identity and sense of worth to now admit defeat. Nor are their respective groups going to let them drop out and potentially disgrace or set back the image and future success of women and blacks. So it is going to be a long primary.
For the first time in the country’s history, we have the first black man and the first woman candidates. Hillary and Barack’s motivation to be president must then be more personal since it isn’t based on just what they believe but also on who they are. The Republicans also have the first Mormon and the first Baptist preacher but Romney and Huckabee could justify that a rejection of them is not personal but rather a rejection of their religious beliefs. So they probably will drop out sooner rather than later.
But for Hillary and Barack, every win is a stamp of approval while each loss is a rejection of who they are and not what they stand for. How could they not take this personally? Yet they also know that a loss is also a rejection of their race or gender. They have to feel responsible to their respective minority and so not only is their goal to be president of the United States but more importantly, to be the very first woman or black man to be president. Talk about pressure….
These internal and external motivations make it nearly impossible for either of them to drop out for it would mean publicly stating that they (and their race or gender) are not good enough for the job. Clinton and Obama have simply invested too much, too much money, too much ego, too much personal identity and sense of worth to now admit defeat. Nor are their respective groups going to let them drop out and potentially disgrace or set back the image and future success of women and blacks. So it is going to be a long primary.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
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”.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
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
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
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