5/8/2008

Remember this guy?

Everyone's been so focused on Clinton and Obama, John McCain has been slipping through the cracks. So what has everyone's favorite Republican nominee been up to?

Well, The Arizona Senator stopped by the Daily Show last night, where he did his usual dance with Jon Stewart.  It's always interesting to watch McCain on that show, because he still flashes the personality that made him such a favorite of independants and some democrats when he first became a prominent national figure 8 years ago.  But, he alternates that persona with the "new" McCain, who has aligned himself with President Bush and some of those figures in the Republican party who he had earlier reputiated.  It always looks like he wants to break out and kid around with Jon Stewart, but he knows he's no allowed to.

It's that second persona that may end up pulling McCain into another scandal.  The Senator has publicly released his tax returns, which show an income of about 400k.  But his real money comes from his wife, Cindy.  She's a beer baron, worth somewhere north of 100 million bucks.  We don't know exactly how far north, since Mrs. McCain refuses to release her own tax information.

She insists she's not the candidate, so her money doesn't matter.  But McCain has long been a champion of campaign finance reform, and he's gone after Barack Obama, because the Illinois Senator hinted he might use private money to pay for his campaign, instead of public funds. 

It would seem contradictory.  How can McCain blast Obama for being secretive with his finances, all the while hiding a 9 figure fortune behind a wall of technicality?

5/7/2008

Why is she still doing this?

Hillary Clinton had a bad night.  The vast majority of experts says it should have been the end of the line for her campaign.  But, there she was again this morning, back on the trail in West Virginia.

She says she has her reasons.  Bill Clinton didn't wrap up the '92 nomination until the end of June.  Florida and Michigan haven't been counted.  Voters in West Virginia, Kentucky and the other remaining states deserve to have their voices heard. Most importantly, Hillary says she believes she would be the best President.

At least those are the reasons she's willing to talk about.  Let's consider another factor: the almighty dollar.

Clinton's campaign is in debt, and every speech she gives is another chance to raise more money.  She even threw a fundraising message in at the top of her speech in Indiana tonight, directing supporters to HillaryClinton.com

The latest theory being thrown around says Clinton is staying in the race until Obama pledges to pay off her campaign debts.  He's been setting all types of fundraising records this year, but with the DNC short on funds, paying off his opponent may not be the best use of money.  And if Hillary Clinton is serious about uniting the party and strengthening the Democratic majority in Washington, putting a dent into the nominee's campaign coffers to pay off her own personal costs is a strange way of showing it.


5/6/2008

Hillary's not giving up tonight.  She got crushed in North Carolina, and the race is way closer than expected in Indiana, but she isn't ready to call it quits.  The Senator even opened up her speech with a fundraising request.  

But the future of her campaign might look bleaker tonight than it ever has before. Time has all but run out, and the party elite keep saying this race will definitely be over before the convention.  Well, nothing is going to change between now and the end of the primary season on June 3rd.  So, starting tomorrow morning, we're going to start hearing the calls for Hillary to stick a fork in it once and for all.     


5/6/3008

More proof that tonight's a big night for Obama.  He's a White Sox fan.  Gavin Floyd just came within two outs of a no-hiiter for the White Sox.

5/6/2008

No matter what happens in Indiana, Hillary Clinton comes out as the loser tonight.  If she waits to speak until after the primary has been decided, she takes the chance of losing half of her potential audience.  People on the East Coast need to go to sleep in the next hour or so, and the chance to hear Hillary Clinton deliver a speech is not nearly good enough a reason to be tired all day at work tomorrow.

The other alternative is to take to the podium before the state is declared. But then, what does she say?  She can't proclaim victory. In fact, all she would be able do is congratulate Obama on his massive win in North Carolina, and then take aim at John McCain.  What good would that do?  It would only reinforce the image of the Clinton's as down and dirty old style politicians.  And after Obama delievered another gem of a speech earlier in the night, it would only serve to widen the chasm between them.





5/6/2008

Barack Obama just hit another one out of the park.

His victory speech on the campus of NC State in Raleigh touched on a bit of everything tonight.  It started with him calling Indiana for HIllary Clinton, something none of the cable stations have done yet.  He also peppered in some policy talk, which may have been an effort to convince Clinton supporters that they would be safe voting for Obama if he takes the party's nomination.  Then came an attack on John McCain the candidate, softened by respectful tones for John McCain the man.

And he did it without sacrificing any of the sweeping rhetoric which helped him rise to the top of the pile in the first place.

5/6/2008

Has CBS news jumped the gun?  The network has projected Hillary Clinton as the winner in Indiana.  No other network is following suit. And this isn't a matter of a few minutes.  CBS has been alone on an island for  20 minutes on this one

5/6/2008

"No can do, sister"

"What? I want to vote. This is nunsense!"

That is how I imagine this conversation would have gone, if people in Indiana loved hilarious puns.

The state has a new voter ID law, in which people need to show state or federal picture ID to enter a ballot. These nuns, many in their 80's and 90's, did not have drivers licenses, and so they were turned away.   BY A FELLOW NUN. 

(oldmovies.net for the movie poster)


5/6/2008

We have our first winner of the night.  Barack Obama is the projected champ in North Carolina.  But Hillary Clinton isn't the only loser in the Tarheel State.

John Edwards missed his window.  The former North Carolina Senator has been holding his endorsement back since he dropped out of the race a few months back.  The thought was he would wait until voters headed to the polls in his homestate, and then chose a candidate. Then he didn't.   Big mistake.

Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, may not have endorsed a candidate formally, but they have made some tough comments about Obama's healthcare plan.  And guess what.  It had no impact whatsoever.  Obama won the state without the Edwards' help, and it looks like he did so convincingly.  John Edwards kept quiet, and as a result, he may have lost his relevance.



(the picture is from washingtonpost.com. They're waving goodbye to influence)


5/6/2008

Barack Obama prefers omelettes to waffles.

A few weeks ago, the democratic frontrunner left half a waffle behind, after visiting a diner in Pennsylvania.  I know, because someone sold it on ebay.  They got 99 cents.

This morning, Obama ordered the house omelette (ham, peppers and feta cheese) while visiting the Four Seasons Family Restaurant in Greenwood, Indiana.  This time, though, he finished the whole thing.  How do I know?  I called the restaurant and asked. AUDIO: Justin Talks to Restaurant Owner Who Served Obama in Indy.

But more importantly, the diner's owner says Obama's visit had no impact on how he plans on voting.  Mechmet Topsti says he had already made his mind up, before the Illinois Senator made a surprise stop at his restaurant.   But Topsti says some of his customers may have been swayed.  An Obama win in Indiana could propel him to the nomination, so he better hope the rest of his day has more impact.

(tasty omelette from ehow.com)

5/6/2008

I went to Boston University.  While I was there, I spent two years doing play-by-play for the school's hockey team. (Yes, it was a big deal, and yes, you should be impressed).  In the first round of the NCAA tournament my senior year, the Terriers played St. Lawrence University. The student radio station I worked for didn't want to pay for the broadcast team to travel, so instead, I watched the game on TV.  Good thing too, because the game went into 4 overtimes.

I was exhausted watching it, so you can only imagine how the players felt.  At some point, skill goes out the window, and it becomes a battle of endurance.  The game winning goal wasn't particularly pretty, but it beat Rick Dipietro, and BU lost, despite being the favorite.

The concept translates pretty well to the Democratic race.  At this point, the candidates are just trying to stay upright, and avoid a mistake which could cost them the game.  So far, it looks like Hillary Clinton is holding up better.  She's surged in the polls during the last few weeks, while Obama has come out on the unpopular side of a few issues, like Reverend Wright and the gas tax holiday.  Hillary has a comfortable lead in Indiana, and has an outside shot of winning in North Carolina tonight.  Those two wins could send this race into yet another overtime.

But polls have proven wrong in the past, and there's no way to predict what will happen tonight.  Let's say Obama slips one past the goaltender and somehow wins Indiana.  Then, just like in the tournament, the game comes to an unexpected and sudden end. Obama gets to skate on to the next round, while Hillary goes home.

5/3/2008

Here's a perfect example of the imperfections in our current electoral system.

Today, voters in Guam are holding democratic caucuses.  Neither Barack Obama, nor Hillary Clinton, ever stepped foot on the island. But, Guam is a US territory, and it's citizens deserve their chance to take part in the process.  About three thousand people are expected to take part. They'll account for four pledged delegates at this summer's convention.

This is where it gets stupid.  Because in addition to those four pledged delegates, Guam has five superdelegates.  That's right.  Talk about the sum being worth less than the parts.  The Island's entire democrat population amounts to 80 percent the impact of these five other folks.

And if that weren't insult enough, this is where the voting ends for these people.  Since Guam, like Puerto Rico, is only a US territory, its citizens are not allowed to vote in the general election this November.

(Nice flag, huh?  "Guam". It leaves nothing to the imagination.  World-flags-symbols.com)

5/2/2008

You may be ordering well drinks and cheap beer if you're headed to the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

Barack Obama has broken all kinds of fundraising records during the campaign.  Hillary Clinton reportedly raised millions of dollars in the first few hours after she won the Pennsylvania Primary.  Clearly, democratic voters haven't been shy about reaching into their wallets to contribute to their favorite candidate.

But, all that largess is apparently not translating to the Democratic Party itself. According to Politco.com, the DNC has barely 5 million bucks on hand.  Compare that to the Republican National Committee's 31 million.  Fundraising has been similary slanted. 

Yes, this could mean the parties are a little less festive in Denver.  But more importantly, it could mean tough times for legislative candidates come November.  The DNC lends a hand during Congressional and Senatorial campaigns.  It buys ads when candidates may not be able to, and helps raise money and profiles across the country.

So, if you see Howard Dean in Denver, offer to buy him a drink.  He may need to cut corners every chance he gets.

5/1/2008

When they aren't jumping out of windows like Billy Crudup in Almost Famous, The UNC Tarheels basketball team is being forced to run pick up games with old men.  Well, older men.

This week's Barack Obama photo-op with the Heels is just the latest in a long line of roundball related news coming out of his campaign. It started early on, when we learned that Obama liked to play as a way to relieve stress out on the campaign trail.  Then, Sports Illustrated columnist S.L. Price played the Democratic frontrunner one on one, and wrote about it for the magazine's back page.

Next, we met Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson. At the time, he was the basketball coach at Brown. He has since taken the same job at Oregon State.  During a series of interviews, he talked about how he met his brother-in-law and decided Obama was good enough to marry his sister. Do you want to guess?  They went to the playground and played basketball.

Don't expect this to stop anytime soon.  After the primaries in basketball crazy North Carolina and Indiana, the candidates move on to basketball crazy Kentucky and coach Robinson's new home in Oregon.

I'm not saying it's a bad campaign move.  Compare the pictures of Obama playing hoops with 71 year old John McCain, or Hillary Clinton and her pants suits.  The Illinois Senator comes off as a vibrant young man, while the other two look like politics as usual. 

I'm just saying enough is enough. Barack Obama loves basketball. We get it.

4/30/2008

I've lived in Manhattan for a while now.

That means my perspective on what constitutes expensive is completely out of whack.  $20 for a corned beef sandwich and fries?  That actually sounds reasonable.

It also means I don't drive.  I haven't bought gas consistently in years. So, as prices at the pump continue to escalate, I don't really notice.

So, when Hillary Clinton and John McCain discuss a suspension of the federal gas tax, it sounds good to me.  It Seems like the measure would give people some much needed relief during the summer driving season.

But then Barack Obama came out against it.  Is it another example of the Illinois Senator being out of touch with the needs of common Americans?
Maybe not.

It turns out, suspending the federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day would save the average American family about 30 bucks.  Not 30 bucks a fillup.  Not 30 bucks a month.  30 dollars total.   

And he says the suspension of that fee will actually cost jobs, since the gas tax goes toward funding infrastructure projects, which employ thousands of people.

I would think most people would rather trade that 30 bucks for continued employment.  Afterall, it won't buy you much more than a sandwich and a cup of coffee.  At least it won't buy me much more than that.

(corned beef sandwich comes from flikr.com.  There isn't any mustard.)

4/29/2008

What's your next move?

Now that Barack Obama has denounced Rev. Jeremiah Wright for a new round of controversial comments, where do we go from here?

Clearly the issue is not going away quite yet.  It will certainly dominate tonight's cable discussions and tomorrow's front pages.  Reverend Wright wouldn't step out of the spotlight on his own, so Obama decided it was time to push him out. 

But I'm more interested in how the other candidate handles the situation. 

Hillary Clinton has a choice.  She can take the high road, by saying she's satisfied with how Obama dealt with Wright's comments and then saying it's time to move on.

Or she can take a different tact.  Hillary could ask what changed.  Wright's recent comments are not much different than the ones he's made in the past.  The only difference is that, this time, he called Obama out as being a "typical politician".   She can frame him as just that.  Hillary can accuse Obama of holding off on the Wright issue until it was politically impossible not to.

She can also put the Wright issue in context of the general election.  "We can't afford to vote for a guy who will continually be fighting off controversies like this.  The Republicans will eat him alive come November."

What direction this story takes in the days and weeks ahead will say a lot about Senator Obama.  But it may say even more about the way Senator Clinton has decided to run her campaign.

4/25/2008

Its flashback Friday.

John McCain had some company while he campaigned in Arkansas: Former Governor Mike Huckabee.
It was only a couple of months ago that Huckabee, fresh off a stunning win in Iowa, was viewed as the conservative standard bearer in this race.  He was the great hope for all those right-wingers who didn't like John McCain and didn't believe Mitt Romney. 

Then he fizzled.  It was a combination of having no money and having reporters look into his past.  It turns out, he said some strange stuff when he was Governor of Arkansas.  Also, there was the Chuck Norris fetish. That dude went everywhere with the Huck.

So, despite all that promise, the Huckabee candidacy essentially boils down to a historical footnote.  Certainly nothing worth writing home about.  Except, Huckabee has decided to write home about it.  He's putting out a book on his campaign.  It's set to hit stores two weeks after election day, just when everyone is finally sick of campaign talk and is ready to move forward. 

Another former candidate is also making headlines, though its his lack of comment that is noteworthy.  The democratic race rolls on into Indiana and North Carolina in the next couple of weeks. In front of the cameras, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will be fighting for headlines and coverage.  But a far more important battle is being waged behind the scenes.  North Carolina Senator John Edwards still hasn't endorsed a candidate.  While he was still in the race, it looked like Edwards was aligning himself with Obama on a number of major issues.  A lot of people thought he would back the Illinois Senator as soon as he dropped his candidacy.  But the weeks and months have dragged on, and still nothing from Edwards.  Experts believe that could be a good sign for Hillary Clinton, whose views on poverty and the working class align more closely with Edwards.  An endorsement may not do much for her chances in North Carolina, where Obama is leading pretty comfortably.  But Edwards is popular nationwide, and his opinion could have an impact on voters in other states, as well as the all important superdelegates.  




4/24/2008

They've got their own agenda.

The North Carolina Republican Party has come up with a TV ad blasting Barack Obama.  It shows the Illinois Senator standing next to Reverend Wright, and then plays some of the pastor's more troubling remarks.

Obama has blasted the commercial.  That's to be expected.  But the real surprise comes from John McCain. The GOP nominee has also called for the state party to pull the spot. He doesn't want to resort to the same sort of attack politics that cost him the South Carolina primary 8 years ago. 

Fair enough. He's the candidate, so he should get what he wants.  Not so fast. The state party says they're going forward with the commercial, no matter what McCain says.

When conservatives complain that John McCain isn't one of them, is this what they mean?





4/23/2008

I was not a fan of math growing up. 

Basic addition and subtraction were no trouble, but once things got past beginning algebra, I was in trouble.  It's one of the reasons I got into Journalism.  I was able to go through four years of college without taking a math class.

Well, it looks like my free ride is over.

 


Now that Hillary Clinton has won the Pennsylvania Primary by a convincing margin, her campaign says she is leading Barack Obama in the popular vote among Democrats.  But that factors in the votes from Michigan and Florida, two states who had their delegates stripped by the DNC.  So, should they count?

Obama says the popular vote is important but not vital, since the only count that matters is delegates. And he's still ahead there.  But, it's already been proven that neither candidate will be able to round up enough before the end of primary season to clinch the nomination without help from superdelegates.  Here, give it a try yourself.

All these variables lead to one very confusing equation, without a clear answer.  It's exactly the way I felt in Pre-calculus during 12th grade, and that did not end well.

(Why Blossom and Winnie Cooper you ask?  Because they both grew up to be mathmaticians. That's why.  Blossom's picture came from tvguide's website, and the other came from imdb)

4/22/2008

A few notes on Senator Clinton's victory speech..

-You can't help but wonder what this speech would have sounded like if Barack Obama had delivered it.  I don't mean what would have happened had he won.  I mean what would it sound like if he were delivering the actual speech Hillary did.  Political Speeches have a natural call and answer rhythm that, after all these years, HIllary still hasn't mastered it.  Obama obviously has. 

-If you want a pop culture sign that the Clinton camp believes they're back in this thing, consider the choice of music.  Up until the candidate took the stage, the theme from Rocky played over the PA in the ballroom.  There is no anthem that better represents the city of Philadelphia.  Yet when Hillary finished speaking, it was "Our Country" by Indiana native John Mellencamp.  Obama played the same song when he took the stage a few minutes later. Where is the next major primary again?

-Speaking of Rocky.. What was with that guy in the purple sweater standing behind Senator Clinton during her speech?  He was wearing boxing gloves, and kept raising them over his head in victory. I think he may have taken Hillary's Rocky comparison from a few weeks ago a bit too litterally.  


(vinylzart.com. For what it's worth, John Mellencamp has endorsed Obama.)


4/22/2008


A CNN exit poll says 53% of white men in Pennsylvania voted for Hillary Clinton tonight.  So what?  That means 47% voted for Barack Obama.  Thats practically half and half.  That fact gives me almost no insight into what went on today.  I don't want to sound like Phil Mushnick right now, but it sure seems like CNN is putting up graphics for the sake of putting up graphics. 

(that's from the Post.  For those of you who don't read his column, Mushnick is grumpy about most things, but one of the biggest complaints is when sportscasters present stats with no explanation and with no bearing on the game)

4/22/2008

Not everyone is enthralled with tonight's results. MSNBC just showed a wideshot of the newsroom, and three of the tv's were showing an old episode of Saturday Night Live. It was the Chicago Superfans sketch with Michael Jordan.  Who would you vote for?  Hillary, Barack, or DITKA?








4/22/2008

A win is not a win.  At least not yet.  Hillary Clinton has been declared tonight's projected winner.  But don't go to bed yet.  The numbers matter. Also, its like five to nine, so it's too early to sleep unless your in 3rd grade.

As I said in an earlier post, Hillary needs a nice comfortable margin to keep her chances alive.  A big win would also help Clinton raise some much needed money.  Her campaign is in some serious economic trouble, and the best way to re-ignite the fundraising effort is to show some life in Pennsylvania.

4/22/2008

A woman on MSNBC just called Hillary Clinton the "hometown girl" in the Pennsylvania primary.  That brings up a problem I've been having this whole election cycle.  How many hometowns to these people have?  I have one. It's Freehold, NJ.  Yet somehow, both of these Senators have deep roots in multiple states.  Here's the list as far as I can tell.  Hillary is the junior Senator from New York, which makes her a hometown choice in the Empire State.  She was the former First Lady of Arkansas, thus she is a hometown favorite there.  Her grandfather lived in Scranton, and her dad and brother played football at Penn State, so she's the hometown choice tonight. She grew up in Illinois, thus she's a hometown choice there.  Except Barack Obama is the junior Senator from Illinois, which also makes him a hometown choice. Obama also calls Kansas home, since he was born there, and he went to high school in Hawaii, which makes him a local boy in the Aloha State as well.  Earlier in the year, there had been some talk (mostly among conservatives) that the fact Obama spent some of his childhood in Indonesia would be a major problem.  Those people were focused on whether the Senator attended a fundamentalist Muslim school. (He didn't).  But maybe the real problem for Obama is that Indonesia doesn't have a democratic primary, because he would be the hometown choice.

(mapsoftheworld.com)

4/22/2008

Biggest winner so far tonight? It may be John McCain.  

It's still to early to call a winner, but exit polls do show that voters in Pennsylvania aren't exactly happy with the way either campaign operated over the last six weeks. Two thirds of the voters think Hillary Clinton was too hard on Barack Obama, while about half say Obama unfairly attacked Clinton.

And the worst part is all those late attacks may not have even mattered.  The same exit polling says most Pennsylvanians had their minds made up a long time ago.  6 in 10 said they've known which way they were voting for more than a month. 



4/22/2008

Let's set some parameters for the night, and for what comes next.  

It seems pretty clear that Hillary Clinton will win tonight. Even Obama has conceded that.  Today, Clinton said a win is a win.  That's not really true.  The way I see it, she remains a viable candidate, though still a longshot, if she can win Pennsylvania by at least 8 points.  If her margin of victory is between 6 or 7, both sides would have a legitimate argument about whether she should remain in the race, meaning she probably would.  But if tonight's margin is 5 or less, Senator Clinton needs to call it a day.

We'll see what happens. 


4/22/2008
Clearly, Barack Obama is not observing Passover.

How do I know?  Well, here's what was left from his breakfast at a Scranton Diner yesterday:

They probably didn't have matzo brei on the menu, so what choice did he have? 

If the half waffle and quarter sausage link look delicious, there's good news.  They're available for purchase on EBay.

Who says the only people who benefit from these cheap diner photo ops are the candidates?  The asking price is up past $10,000.

*******update:  the breakfast has sold for $0.99, plus 6 bucks shipping and handling. Congrats to the winner********

4/22/2008

If you want to sum up the entire Pennsylvania Primary in one easy microchosm.. here it is:

On the night before Keystone Staters headed to the polls, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton took to cable, in order to attract last minute voters. Obama hit up the Daily Show, while Hillary did an hour on Larry King.

In other words, Obama continues to chase the youth vote, selling a message of change and the ushering in of a new generation of leadership.  On the other hand, Clinton is going after the older voters that helped her wrap up a surprise victory in New Hampshire nearly four months ago.

Keep checking back today, I'll be updating throughout with thoughts and observations (some of them WITTY!) about the situation in Pennsylvania.

(pictures from their respective show websites)

4/21/2008

Its like Bizarro world.

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has endorsed Hillary Clinton in tomorrow's Pennsylvania Primary.  So what?  Well, the paper is owned by Richard M. Scaife is a well known conservative with a none to pleasant past relationship with the Clinton family.  Remember Hillary's comment in the 90's about the vast right wing conspiracy?  Yeah.  That was this guy.  He financed an effort to discredit the administration throughout the decade. 

It's the old politics makes strange bedfellows theory.  During her time in the Senate, Hillary has done press conferences with Newt Gingrich, and worked on legislation with a number of lawmakers who led the impeachment efforts during her husband's presidency.

But apparently, politics also makes for estranged bedfellows.  You know who Hillary blames for a lot of her trouble during this election cycle?  Moveon.org.  You know, the group who began their existence in 1998 with the name CensureandMoveon.org.  As in, "Hey congress, stop wasting time with this Clinton impeachment and get back to work."

Basically, Hillary says she lost a lot of caucuses early on because Moveon pushed antiwar voters to participate, and they did not like her relatively hawkish views on foreign policy.
 
Politics 2008:  Up is Down, Left is Right, enemies are your friends, and your friends are you enemies.

(Bizarro world is from zianet.com.  I was thinking of using Bizarro Jerry from Seinfeld, but I wasn't sure how many people would get it.)

4/19/2008

Remember the first time we saw Barack Obama?  It was during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.  He delivered the keynote address, and blew the roof off of the place. At the time he was a state senator from Illinois, but it became quite obvious that he would be moving on to bigger and better things.

20 years earlier, it was New York Governor Mario Cuomo who delivered the Keynote during the DNC in San Francisco.  How did that go over?  It's number 11 on American Rhetoric's top 100 speeches list, so I'm going to say it was pretty good.

Democrat Zell Miller delivered the speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention here in the City. His address was spirited, it was angry, and it was definitely memorable.

Why rehash these moments?   Because someone else has thrown his name out there to deliver the big speech this summer.  Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman says he'd be happy to cross party lines and speak during the Republican Convention in September.

There is one big difference between Lieberman and the three people mentioned earlier.  They all have a pulse. 

Seriously, Lieberman could put himself to sleep while delivering the keynote address.  Here's an interview I did with him a couple of months ago.  And that's only a few minutes.  Imagine him speaking before a national audience for an extended period. 

So far, his offer has not been accepted. I'm guessing convention organizers are looking for someone (anyone) else to step up and make an offer. 

4/18/2008

I'm not exactly sure what it is about this that bothers me, but something definitely seems wrong.

There was that woman who ABC used to pose the lapel pin question to Barack Obama, during Wednesday Night's debate.  Her name is Nash McCabe.  Well, it turns out, this was not her first time bringing up that point.  She was interviewed a couple of weeks ago, by the New York Times, in one of those "let's talk to average voters while they sit at a diner" articles.  During that conversation, she told the reporter that she couldn't vote for Barack Obama, because he doesn't wear a flag pin.

Now, she's entitled to her opinion.  If that's the issue which she has decided to base her vote on, who am I to judge?  But of all the people with problems who need solving throughout the state of Pennsylvania, why would ABC go to so much trouble to find her? 

And why would the network select someone who seems to have already decided who she's voting for?  Wouldn't you rather have someone ask the question which may determine which candidate they support, instead of someone bringing up a long dead controversy?

The network is being dragged over the coals for wallowing in the mud during the debate. (Two cliches in one sentence!) It took over an hour for them to ask a single substantive question.  But for some reason, the Nash McCabe situation seems to be the dirtiest trick of all.

(I took the lapel pin picture from comedy central's indecision 2008 site. For some reason, that seems really fitting)

4/17/2008

Last night's debate was ABC's biggest failure of the year.  That's saying a lot, since the alphabet network tried to air "Cavemen" and "Carpoolers" back to back, and expected people to tune in.

The criticism is all over the place.  Like here, and here, and here, and here.  And it's warranted. Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulis did a terrible job.  Just like Tim Russert before them. And Wolf Blitzer before him.

So, what's the answer? How do we change the system so voters actually get what they need out of these debates?

First off, it's quite obvious that we need to remove network news anchors from the proceedings.  They are too invested in ratings.  Of course a network anchor will ask about a decades old scandal which may have legs, instead of asking about comprehensive health care reform which won't translate into easily digested sound bytes.  They're serving two masters, and the bottom line will beat out the American public every time.

Newspaper reporters are also out, since editorial pages endorse candidates.  We want questions coming from people without even a hint of bias.

What about ordinary Americans?  You can make it like jury duty. 40 random people are taken into a room, and vetted by one representative from each candidate.  From that group, both sides agree on 10 people who ask questions about the issues that directly affect their lives.  Although if that woman who asked the American flag question of Obama last night is involved, I want nothing to do with this format.

Here's the ultimate answer.  Let the candidates go one on one.  Leave them alone on a stage, and let the cameras roll.  It may end up being a civilized conversation about issues, instead of a staged reading of contrived slogans in between gotcha moments about people the candidates knew during college.

(picture from huffingtonpost.com)

4/16/2008

``He speaks to the America I've envisioned in my music for the past 35 years.''

So says the multimillionaire musician about the Senator from Illinois.

Bruce Springsteen has endorsed Barack Obama, just in time for the Pennsylvania Primary. 

As I've mentioned before, Bruce Springsteen is God.  If I were to build a personal Mount Rushmore (Mount Just-more?) he would be one of the faces, right next to Don Mattingly and Shakespeare. (By Shakespeare I mean Mr. T. I was trying to sound cultured. "Thou pity the fool").  The first time I saw a Springsteen show remains one of the highlights of my life. 

That doesn't mean he knows what's right for working class voters in Pennsylvania, or around the nation.  It is true that Springsteen has sung about the struggles of the underclass since he himself rose to prominence from similar circumstances in the mid-70's.  But it's also true that he's been far removed from those circumstances for the better part of three decades.  Just because you sing about a guy working in a factory, it doesn't mean you know what's best for him.

I'm not questioning Springsteen's motivations.  From all accounts, he sounds like a terrific guy who truly wants the best for people. He supposedly leaves huge tips whenever he goes to local restaurants in Jersey, and always invites neighborhood kids up to his house on Halloween. 

Nor am I saying The Boss should keep his opinions to himself.  He has just as much right to share his views on the election as anyone else, as long as he does so as Bruce Springsteen the man.  Because Bruce Springsteen the modern folk singer/everyman spokesperson for the aggrieved underclass is a pop culture myth, and it shouldn't afford him anymore sway with American voters.

4/15/2008

Let me take you inside my head for a minute.

This is how I usually plan what I'm going to write on Tuesdays.  It starts Sunday, when I wake up and watch the morning talk shows. For the next couple of days I keep an eye on the cable stations to see what they're talking about.  By the time I wake up Tuesday morning, I've pretty much figured out what I'm going to write, but the last thing I do is watch a replay of Monday night's Daily Show, to see if there are any other angles I've missed.

Usually, it's just an afterthought, but this morning (last night in reality), Jon Stewart delivered the exact message I was hoping to write about today. At first, I panicked and tried to come up with another idea while I walked to work.  But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, this is something worth saying.

And that something is this:  Being elite should be a good thing.

All weekend, we heard candidates and pundits attack Barack Obama for his comments about working class voters in Pennsylvania.  He was accused of being elitist, of not connecting with Americans on a deep level.  Meantime, Hillary Clinton was lauded for throwing back boilermakers and discussing her childhood hunting trips.

Well, guess what? I don't want a President who drinks boilermakers.  I want someone who drinks fancy sherry and fine wine, and reads the classics, and went to an Ivy League School.  President is the most important job in the world.  Why wouldn't I want someone who's elite? Why wouldn't I want someone who is among the best and the brightest, if not THE best and THE brightest? 

In 2000 and 2004, Americans voted for someone who they would be comfortable having a beer with. How did that work out?

(that's Jon Stewart's college soccer picture, from wmsoccer.com. We think alike, but I was not a college soccer star)

4/12/2008

I've changed my mind.

When I read the rumors that Condi Rice was doing some backroom campaigning to get herself named John McCain's running mate, I thought it sounded like a great idea.

A McCain-Rice ticket would essentially difuse whatever demographic advantage Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama bring to the general election.  Americans wouldn't be able to vote for "change" in the form of a woman or an African American, because they would get that either way.

But then, I started thinking about what else Condi would bring to the table.  For people who don't like President Bush (and that's 72% of the population, according to a new poll), Rice represents everything that has gone wrong for the last 8 years. 

She's the one who held off on addressing the threat of Al Qaida until a week before 9-11, despite warnings from the CIA and other intelligence experts.  She's the one who has continually made the case for the Iraq War, even while most of the country has turned against it. 

To be fair, Rice isn't the only member of the administration who should carry this stigma.  But as of now, she seems to be the only one willing to put herself out there for the American people to judge. 

There were something like 6,000 Republican debates before Senator McCain clinched the nomination. President Bush was barely mentioned. It seemed like the party knew to run away from him, instead of embracing his policies. They should stick to that instinct.

(Condi, in quiet contemplation, comes from Forbes.com)


4/11/2008

Last night should have been glorious.

After months of waiting, The Office and 30 Rock finally came back with new episodes.  I rushed home and made sure to finish dinner before 8:30, so I could fully enjoy my favorite hour of television.

And then.... ehhh.  It was ok.  30 Rock was pretty funny, but the humor wasn't nearly as biting as I remember.  As for the Office, I give the episode a thumbs down.  It hurts me to say this, but my favorite sitcom has been heading steadily downhill since the end of last season. With no tension between Jim and Pam, we're left with nothing but Michael Scott is a loser and Dwight is strange.  I thought the writers' strike happened at just the right time, because maybe the creators would have some time to come up with new ideas to pull the show back on top.  It didn't happen.

I expect a similar outcome in Pennsylvania later this month.  After weeks of wading through fake controversies and fights between the Obama and Clinton campaigns, it's almost time for some actual news to happen.  Political junkies may be getting amped up for some action.  Maybe a big win will pull Hillary back on top.  Maybe Obama can finally force her from the race.  Well, let me take a lesson from last night.  Don't get your hopes up.  Chances are you'll be dissapointed.  The Pennsylvania primary will come and go, and we'll be no closer to having a nominee. 

And just like the Office and 30 Rock, the campaign season will drag into May.  Hopefully, in both cases, the situation picks up, and viewers are left with a satisfying conclusion.

(thanks to the New York Times and thanks to Yahoo)

4/10/2008

Timing is everything.

It's true for stand-ups, and it's true for Presidential candidates.

Early on, John McCain admitted he didn't know much about the economy, but said his bonafides on national security and Iraq made up for that.  One problem though.  Most Americans were so consumed with the economy, that they didn't care about Iraq or national security.  There was a poll about a month ago about what stories were getting the most attention on the evening news.  War stories only made up a tiny percentage of each program. 

Seems like McCain got the message.  He was in Brooklyn today, to kick off a week of campaigning, focused on economic issues.  So, what's going to be the top story on tonight's evening news?  Iraq, of course. 

President Bush addressed the nation this morning, following two days of Capitol Hill testimony from General David Patraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.  Democrats wasted little time coming out to attack him, and his announcement that no new troop withdrawals are on the horizon.

McCain has been one of the biggest proponents of the surge.  And correct or not, he should have been front and center today, discussing the issue.  Instead, he was locked in a window factory in Bayridge. 

4/9/2008

Obviously, only one of the three candidates will end up with a new job come January 22nd, but that doesn't mean this campaign season isn't ripe with career opportunities.

Take Chris Matthews for instance.  The Hardball host has made headlines time and again for his coverage of the democratic candidates, and his supposed anti-Clinton bias.  He's arguably one of the biggest stars of this entire campaign cycle. His show airs two hours a night on MSNBC, and he has a syndicated panel show that airs before Meet The Press every Sunday.  But, maybe that's not enough.  There is now some internet speculation that Chris Matthews is considering a run for Senate in Pennsylvania.  He's a Philly native, who was a speech writer for Jimmy Carter and an aide to Tip O'Neill.  He'd be looking to unseat Arlen Specter, who has had his own problems with the Republican Party in the last few years and may be beatable. 

But the Presidential job fair isn't contained to the world of politics.  By now, you know that Barack Obama's brother-in-law is the basketball coach at Brown University.  But, for how long?  Craig Robinson is apparently all set to take over the basketball program at Oregon State University.  That's a jump from the tiny Ivy League to the big time Pac-10.  Don't get me wrong. Robinson had a good season at Brown, finishing second in the league. And he has some decent credentials as a player, having won Ivy League player of the year twice at Princeton in the early 80's. He was even drafted by the 76ers, though he never played in the NBA.  But, seriously, if he wasn't related to Barack Obama, would he have gotten the requisite press to be mentioned for a big job? I don't think so.

(pics from huffingtonpost.com and nytimes.com)

4/8/2008

Worst.  Coronation.  Ever.

John McCain clinched his party's nomination weeks ago, while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to battle it out for the Democratic nod. 

He should be sitting pretty, collecting money, and steeling himself for the general election. But things aren't going exactly as planned.

It seems every story about McCain is negative.  Religious right leader James Dobson still refuses to endorse the Arizona Senator, though he does say he'll vote, which is sort of good news.

Then there were those fundraising numbers.  While donors poured $60 million dollars into the coffers of Obama and Clinton, McCain raised just $15 million. Apparently, high rollers in the Republican Party have decided to keep their purse strings tight.

And this week, stories from an upcoming book started leaking out, and they don't make McCain look like a very stable individual.  He allegedly used some very harsh language (seriously. It's profane) with his wife during his 1992 Senate campaign.  But that was 16 years ago.  Certainly he's mellowed since then.  What? Oh.  Turns out he hasn't. The same book says he punched a Congressman in 2006. 

It's starting to look like all this talk about how Clinton and Obama are weakening their chances in November by battling to the death is much ado about nothing, because John McCain's battle with himself may end up being far bloodier. 

(That's the book in question.  The picture was taken from rawstory.com)

4/5/2008

Hillary Clinton made her way down to Memphis yesterday, to honor the memory of Martin Luther King, on the 40th anniversary of his assassination.

During her speech, she mentioned shaking the civil rights leader's hand, in Chicago, when she was 14. I'm sure she said a bunch of other stuff too, but I don't know what it was, because everyone instantly focused on that statement.

The speculation probably started before she finished the sentence.  Did Hillary Clinton actually touch MLK's hand when she was a middle schooler? 

First, the doubters wondered why this brush with greatness didn't merit mention in Hillary's autobiography.  Then, they wondered why a self-proclaimed "Goldwater Girl" would be attending a speech given by a liberal icon like Doctor King in the first place.

What does that say about her credibility?  Everything she says is up for analysis now.  And, once again, it call comes back to Sinbad.  He corrected Clinton's story from Bosnia, and now people think her entire life story is made up. 

4/3/2008

I own hundreds of CD’s. There’s nothing I like more then spending a day walking through a record store and buying anything that catches my eye. I also know exactly where and when I bought every CD I own, with one exception.  I have a copy of the first Dave Matthews Band album. I never bought it. I never borrowed it from someone and forgot to give it back. It just showed up one day in my dorm room during my freshman year of college. That was 1996, when Dave Matthews was the next big thing. It’s entirely possible that the album was simply distributed to all incoming freshman across the country that year, along with Syllabi for Spanish 101 and cafeteria passes, because it was everywhere that year, and everyone loved it.

(the album cover is from wikipedia, but I didn't go find it.  It just showed up here when I started writing)


4/2/2008

I’m in the middle of Jury Duty. So far, it’s just sitting in a room. There is WiFi though, so that’s nice.

It was the first time in at least 15 years, and I wasn't putting forth my best effort.  There were a couple of Granny style rolls, I played lefty for a couple of frames, and I may have thrown a ball or two backwards.  Still, in the second game, I bowled a 100.  Not great, but not completely embarrassing.

Which brings us to Barack Obama, and his absolutely embarrassing 37. It happened at a bowling alley in Altoona, Pennsylvania over the weekend.  I would say he bowls like a girl, except my buddies' wives both doubled that score, and one of them is pregnant.

What were his people thinking by booking this appearance?  Did anyone ask the Senator if he was capable of playing this sport of kings? Did the facility not have those bumpers they use to fill the gutters at children's parties?

Obama bowling may now go down in history like these famous pictures:

 


We almost made it through the entire campaign without an embarrassing photo-op.  Oh well.
  

3/29/2008

When I came up with the idea for this blog a few months ago, part of my pitch to get it approved was that we would have at least two local candidates in the Presidential Race. 

At that point, it looked very likely that Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton would be facing off for the White House.

Whoops.

Giuliani self-destructed, and now it looks like Hillary is just spinning her wheels, waiting for a miracle.

So where does that leave us?  Maybe with Hillary versus Rudy.

 

Yesterday, the New York Post reported that Giuliani may be considering a run for Governor, if David Patterson is forced to resign in scandal the way his predecessor did.  If that happens before August, a special election would be held in November to replace him.

That may be a way for Hillary Clinton to save face too.  This idea was floated by Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, and it makes sense.  This campaign has forced a lot of Senators to pick sides between Clinton and Barack Obama, and Hillary may have trouble working with the ones who went against her, especially people like Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy who have openly challenged her.  So instead of returning to Capitol Hill, Hillary can run against Giuliani for the state's top job, then steel herself for another run at the White House four years down the line.


3/28/2008

Here are a list of people from Freehold, New Jersey who are more famous than me.

Bruce Springsteen (brucesprinsteen.net)



The guy who played Steve Rhodes on Married.. With Children. (this before and after pic is from a site called nerdalert.net.)



Tim Perry, who was once traded for Charles Barkley with Andrew Lang and Jeff Hornacek (gettyimages. He is taking it to Vlade!)




And today, my hometown gets a visit from President Bush.  He's visiting a debt relief organization and discussing the housing crisis.  And if he has time, he should stop at Dusals for some pizza, or at Jerzee Freeze for ice cream.  (Especially since its going to be knocked down soon to make room for an Olive Garden. Because that's what every small town needs: endless breadsticks)

President Bush isn't the only politician hitting up the Tri-State.  Barack Obama has been in the city the last couple of days.  Yesterday, he took to the same stage that Abraham Lincoln once spoke from, to discuss economic policy.  But, more importantly, this morning he took to the same couch as Rosie O'Donnell, to discuss all sorts of important issues on the View.  (Barbara Walters says he's very sexy!)

Obama also spent some more time with Mayor Bloomberg, presumably asking for an endorsement, but possibly discussing a far more involved role with the campaign. 

Would an Obama-Bloomberg ticket be that far out there?  Bloomberg is a socially liberal independant with a strong economic background. He's also an independantly wealthy philanthropist with social ties to most of the biggest names in New York.  And in a year when people seem to be clamoring for change, a running mate without traditional connections to the political machine may be an idea worth considering.

3/27/2008

If you're like me, when you look at your calendar and see September 4th, you get excited because it means your birthday is just a few days away.  Chances are, you aren't that much like me though.  Unless you're Chrissie Hynde from the Pretenders. (We have the same birthday).

Still, it's an important day.  September 4th is both the last night of the Republican National Convention and the first night of the NFL season.  That means John McCain will be addressing the delegates, and the nation, while the Giants are kicking off their super bowl defense by (hopefully) beating the Redskins quite severely.

NBC has moved kickoff up by about an hour and a half, to 7:30, in an effort to air both events live.  Will that work?  I'm not sure. The average NFL game takes about three hours, but these kickoff specials usually have extra commercials and expanded half time shows, which could add another 30 minutes to an hour to the proceedings.  Is John McCain going to wait until 11:30 to speak?  Does he stay up that late anymore?

And after watching a three hour football game, are fans going to want to switch over and watch a 40 minute political speech?

I'm not sure who loses out here.  Would you pick one or the other, or would you try to watch both? 

Seriously, I'm asking you.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page and add your opinion to our forum.  We'll revisit the issue in the future to see what the readers have to say.

(Eli's championship pose comes from Newsday.com. I figured you would rather look at that than a picture of John McCain)

3/26/2008

I honestly have nothing to say today.

I'm out of ideas.  There's nothing going on.  I was going to write about that kid who asked Chelsea about the Monica Lewinsky situation, while she spoke to students at Butler University.  But, who cares?  Then i was going to write about the genealogical study that linked Obama to President Bush and Brad Pitt and Hillary to Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Jack Kerouac.  But, again, who cares?

Remember earlier in the year, when people were bemoaning how states had pushed their primaries too far forward and the entire process was being streamlined to the point where no one got the chance to really get to know the candidates.  Well, now, we're living the alternative.  By the time voters in Pennsylvania go to the polls on April 22nd, it will have been more than a month since the last primary was held.

Have we filled that time with intelligent discussion about pertinent issues? Sure, a little bit.  The Obama race speech was pretty impressive, and it prompted some important discussions. 

Other than that?  Well, Sinbad has all of a sudden become relevant again.  And, the race issue has quickly devolved back into a discussion of sound bytes instead of an effort to find some common ground. 

And we still have almost 4 weeks to go.  Buckle up. Its going to be a rough ride.

(get it, baby I'm bored? Instead of baby ON board.  Hilarious.  northstarliverpool.com)

3/24/2008

3/22/2008

Have you ever stood behind someone while they're answering an email, and couldn't help yourself from taking a quick glance at what they were writing?

I think this passport thing falls somewhere between that and the Watergate break-in.

Certainly the Hillary Clinton part of the story sounds simple enough.  A State Department trainee was asked to demonstrate how well he could use the equipment, and instead of entering a relative's name like he was told he, he typed in the former First Lady. 

It's a bit more murky with the other two candidates. Who were these guys that were looking into the personal files of Barack Obama and John McCain, and what were they looking for?  When it's all said and done, this could end up being a couple of guys were trying to impress their friends by accessing classified data. Or it could be a flashback to 1992, when a republican political appointee at the state department went through then candidate Bill Clinton's file to see if he had ever renounced his American citizenship.

(thanks to planebuzz.com for the passport photo.)

3/21/2008

This one hurts.

It's one thing for someone like Chris Dodd or Tom Daschle to endorse Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.  Both men are major figures in the Democratic Party who have worked closely with both candidates in the past. 

But Bill Richardson is a different story.

He's been friends with the Clintons for years.  He served in a number of very high ranking positions under President Clinton during the 90's, including UN Ambassador and Secretary of Energy.  The former President even flew out to New Mexico in February to watch the Super bowl with Governor Richardson.  

He was also the obvious choice to be Hillary's running mate should she advance into the General election.  A southwestern Hispanic Governor with extensive foreign policy experience would be the perfect counterweight to Senator Clinton's Northeastern liberal appeal.

But give Bill Richardson credit.  He went with his heart, as opposed to political expediency.  From listening to his endorsement speech, it really sounds like this was a difficult choice to make, and one that wasn't finalized until very recently.  He's backing Obama for the same reason so many other people are.  He seems to be inspired by the message of hope and optimism and change. Apparently, he feels backing Obama is his best chance to truly help the American people.

3/20/2008

The Talking Politics page will be made to look very serious and important, so you can quickly click on it when your boss walks by your desk.  That way you won't get caught watching the tournament or checking your brackets online. 

That doesn't mean we're going to avoid the topic, though.  The candidates discussed it, so why shouldn't we?

Barack Obama is going with North Carolina to win it all.  That's interesting, considering his closest aide, Reggie Love, played for UNC's blood rival Duke.  But, the North Carolina primary is coming up, and UNC grad John Edwards has yet to endorse a candidate in the race. He also put Pittsburgh into the final four, a liitle more than a month before the Pennsylvania primary.  So, maybe his bracket is based more on political polls than AP polls.

John McCain has taken it a step further.  He released his entire bracket on his campaign website. He also went with UNC, though he does have them beating UCONN in the final, which is a bit of a stretch.  Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman is one of his staunchest supporters, so maybe this is a nod to him. He did give his homestate a boost though, by picking the University of Arizona to win its first round game in an upset over West Virgina.

Hillary Clinton?  She didn't pick anything. Reporters asked her about the tourney last night, and she deferred to her basketball adviser, former President Bill Clinton.  No answer yet from him.  So, I'll make it up.  Back when Bill was running for President, The University of Arkansas was winning national championships, and he attended a bunch of the games, so let's say they'll pick the Razorbacks to top Indiana in the first round.  The Clintons met at Georgetown, so they're going Hoyas over UMBC.  Magic Johnson is one of Hillary's biggest supporters, and she may need the support of Michigan voters if a primary do-over happens, so Michigan State beats Oregon.  Let's throw in Siena and Cornell as a couple of homestate upsets, and Senator Clinton has a relatively solid bracket.  What?  It's as solid a strategy as anyone else may have.  Just ask my brother.


(see, don't these pictures make it look like an important issue.  Your boss will be so proud to have an employee reading about world affairs!)

3/19/2008

While Barack Obama has been battling centuries old racism this week, one of his supporters has been taking on another American institution: Major League Baseball.

31 year old Morris Levin was forced to shut down his on-line Obama T-shirt emporium after recieving a cease and desist letter from MLB.  Levin says he was inspired by Barack's message, and wanted to show his support by designing some cool shirts, based on team logos. 

He says there are no hard feelings, and he will continue to support the Phillies.  That probably means there will be some hard feelings at some point.

Meanwhile, there's a bruhaha brewing between Hillary Clinton and Sinbad. 

It revolves around a trip they took to Bosnia, while Clinton was first lady and Sinbad was, well, still famous. The Senator has held up the visit as an example of her foreign policy experience, and says they were forced to land under sniper fire.

But in an interview with the Washington Post, Sinbad points out that the mission couldn't have been too dangerous, since he was invited, along with Sheryl Crow. 

Hillary Clinton dismissed the entire controversy, by saying "Sinbad is a comedian".  Clearly, she has not seen his work in "The Houseguest."

(the tshirts are from smokinggun.com.  Too bad they got pulled, because they're pretty cool.  The Sinbad picture is from CNN.com. I can't believe he was on Jeopardy)

3/18/2008

Have you ever gotten an email from one of your friends labeled NSFW?

It means not safe for work, which usually translates to something with "adult content". I feel like I should be labeling this column NSFW these days.  After a week of Spitzer-gate and then this weekend's revelations about the McGreevey threesomes, we got an overly inside look at David Paterson's past as a philanderer  today.  So, that's what you're going to hear about on the news and on the front page of the papers in the morning. 

But down the road in Philadelphia, a far different speech was being delivered.  Barack Obama took on the questions about his relationship with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, as well as the greater issues of race and religion.  He discussed the simmering anger that still exists within the black community, and the white community's resentment at that anger.  And he didn't beat around the bush. He tackled all of it head on.

The speech may have been a response to the growing media swarm around Wright's comments, or the resulting poll numbers which show many voters have taken the issue to heart. But this was no ordinary political speech.  It may go down as one of the most important speeches on race in American history.  It addressed the entire population as a whole, by acknowledging all those feelings people suppress out of guilt or fear or common courtesy.  I don't know what effect it will have on the election, but I'm not so sure that matters.  This may have been a speech for the ages, not the electorate.

It may not be as sexy as hookers or three ways or casual sex throughout the capital, but when all the dust clears, it may end up being the only event this week that has any lasting impact on the world.

Don't forget, we have the new forum at the bottom of the page, to discuss this and any other political issue.  Feel free to get involved.

3/16/2008

Growing up, Bill Bradley was one of my heroes. How could he not be? The guy goes from being one of the greatest college basketball players of all time at Princeton, to being a Rhodes Scholar, to being a two time champ and hall of famer with the Knicks, spends 12 years in the Senate, and tops it off by running for President.