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Al Gore IS Tennessean Of The Year-NO DOUBT
Mr. Gore has been honored by the very newspaper he worked for 5 years upon his return from Vietnam as a Reporter, along with his wife Tipper who did some photography, as Tennessean Of The Year. An honor Mr. Gore is truly deserving of, and much more.
'07 accolades spotlight world-altering vision
"It's been an interesting year."
The understatement last week came from a man accused by his raucous critics of everything but understatement.
Al Gore, seated on the side porch of his Nashville home, couldn't be challenged on this one.
This year, the documentary An Inconvenient Truth, focusing on his efforts to educate people about global warming, won an Oscar. His television network, Current TV, picked up an Emmy.
He and an international panel of scientists shared the Nobel Peace Prize for alerting the world to the dangers posed by pollution-driven climate change.
And, one of his daughters got married.
An "interesting" year, for sure, for a man who, now 59, has served as a congressman, U.S. senator and vice president and won the popular vote in the 2000 presidential race — but not the job.
Gore, who has been named 2007 Tennessean of the Year by readers and The Tennessean's editorial board, said he was honored and touched.
[snip]
His fervor to inform and find solutions is mustering a growing army of volunteers trained through The Climate Project, headquartered in Nashville, to educate others.
In just over a year, at least a million people have been reached by the 1,000 "presenters" in this country alone, according to Gore's staff. He has held training sessions in Spain, too, and Australia.
One volunteer, Gary Dunham, a retired Republican businessman from Texas who went on the road to spread the word, is responsible for about 20,000 of the contacts, Gore said.
"They're able to reach in one month more than I've been able to reach in 30 years," he said. "I'm just so grateful for all the work they're doing."
His goals include more volunteer training sessions, with the next one in India this spring.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Flipping open his laptop to an "Ecospot" on Current TV's Web site brought sparkle to his often serious demeanor.
The just-over-2-year-old cable and satellite nonfiction network is rooted in viewer-created content and citizen journalism.
It boasts 51 million paying subscribers and is "aimed at giving a voice to the average person who has not had a way to break into the conversation of democracy on television," said Gore, who is the network's chairman.
He began searching on the computer for the grand winner out of about 3,000 entries in a competition for television ads to educate people on the climate issue.
An animated feature popped up showing a city with smoke pouring from stacks and heavy traffic. Car horns beeped and then an elephant dropped from the sky, squashing a vehicle.
"In 2005, the U.S. released 6.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the air," the clip reads, referring to metric tons.
More elephants fall. "That's 1.2 billion elephants," it says. A man looks at the mayhem and then shrugs. An elephant falls on him.
"It's time to stop ignoring the 1.2 billion elephants in the room," the clip ends.
Gore, smiling broadly, chuckles.
"Madison Avenue wouldn't have come up with that," he said.
The walls of a hallway in his home are lined with memories: A photo of a longish-haired Gore paddling a canoe on the Caney Fork River with wife Tipper, pregnant with daughter Karenna in 1973.
Nearby is the first campaign poster — year 1938 — of his now-deceased father, U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr., who eventually lost his seat when he opposed the Vietnam War. Looking out from another frame is Cordell Hull, a U.S. Secretary of State who served as a U.S. senator and in the House of Representatives.
Hull is the only other Tennessean to win the Nobel Peace Prize — in 1945. The lake named after Hull lies near Carthage where Gore, who was born in Washington, D.C., spent summers while growing up.
URGENCY NEEDED
In his speech at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Oslo, he referred to a new study coming out two days later that would have the "shocking" news that the North Polar ice cap could be completely gone in seven years.
The very next day, however, another study came out and said, "No, we think it could be as little as five years," he said.
"When evidence like that keeps on slapping us in the face worldwide, pretty soon the whole effort by the deniers to pretend it's not real just collapses.
A BOOK TO COME
Gore, author of the bestsellers Earth in the Balance and the published version of An Inconvenient Truth, also turned out a book this year, The Assault on Reason.
Another bestseller, he wrote about what he sees as American participatory democracy at risk with low voter turnouts, a Bush administration trading in misinformation and secrecy, and media that can shut out the public.
The Internet is one of the avenues for greater public discourse and involvement, he said, and networks like Current TV.
Another environmental book, meanwhile, is on the way.
Gore is working on The Path to Survival. Billed as a blueprint for changes that should be made worldwide, it's expected to be out in summer 2008.
Despite his many projects and forays around the country and world, Nashvillians can still expect to see or hear-tell of Gore out and about in town.
"We love it here," he said. "This is really a wonderful home for us."
Well, this should be interesting.
Late Night Hosts Crossing The Line!!!! By steve young Hey Jon, Stephen, Jay, Jimmy and Conan: Just Who Will Be Supplying Your Content?
Former Air Force Colonel and Pentagon official Karen Kwiatkowski -- who was the key whistleblower who revealed that the Pentagon had a special division producing cooked intelligence on Iraq -- recently wrote:
"The republic is dead. Not sick, not dying, not failing, or in a gradual decline, not waiting to be resuscitated, but already stone cold dead."
Is she right?
Well, there are some indications that America as envisioned by the the Constitution and the Founding Fathers doesn't just need our help. Is not merely in trouble, or fragile, or under attack. But rather, there are indications that America is already dead. That we lost. That its over.
I’d like to be the harbinger of good news, and there is some, but all-in-all, 2007 was a disaster for Democrats and the country at large - Bush and Cheney are still at the helm of power and Congress remains cowed and ineffective. There have been instances of courage, and you have to admire Chris Dodd for sticking to his guns and coming off the campaign trail to effectively forestall granting the telecoms, and Bush by means of proxy, immunity for illegally helping the government to wiretap innocent Americans and help the Bush administration spy on America.
Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul, each in different ways, have rocked the conventional political wisdom in our country, and instead of being “politically correct”, each in his own style have been honest with the country and stood-up for our constitutional values and the rule of law - proving the population is desperate for the truth, and the Mainstream News Media has been exposed to be cowardly and complicit with the Bush administration and corporatism (a polite word for fascism.); true investigative reporting is almost dead - and the Washington Post ( The Washington Compost would be a more befitting title), once a bellwether for breaking news that actually affected our lives and brought-down a President is now a government mouthpiece and their rank cowardice and fear and/or collusion with this administration will never be forgiven by the American public.
Muhammad Khurshid: Benazir's Death: Now The Truth Must Come To The Fore (5 comments) Shedding a few crocodile tears after great tragedy is the habit of rulers of this world presently led by US President George W. Bush. The rulers after failure in saving the lives of victims of 9/11 tragedy must resign. But at that time Bush introduced the new term of terrorism and made a pledge he would eliminate this menace. But the people may agree with me or not, but terrorists have been ruling the world.
So many nefarious plots, so little time to get them all done before Jan. 09.
BBC Censored Benazir Bhutto's Reports that Bin Laden Had Been Murdered (2 comments) When a news organization as venerable as the BBC censors the reportage of a story as important as the assassination of Benzir Bhutto --a highly visible critic of Bush/British policy with regard to the "War on Terrorism" et al --it is fair to ask: who is the BBC protecting?
Will someone please explain the pocket veto? I spose I could go look it up, couldn't I?
Pocket veto a gift IF............................ An unexpected opportunity has been presented to the Congress to correct some of the errors of the past year. The President inadvertedly gave them a get out of jail free card by pocket vetoing the DOD spending bill. Now it's up to the Congress to realize it contains the $ 186 billion he so desperatly needs to fund his wars. Can they now tighten the purse strings ?
I like Elizabeth Edwards. I believe what she has to say.
Bill Clinton could be a help in any administration because of many reasons, but you really can't find a better intellectual brain, no matter his personal failings.
Hello all.
Just catching up on some threads. Ironman Mike, LOVED your photo finish. What a triumph. Thanks for posting it and congratulations!
Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season:)
186 Billion more for the occupation...and it's in a pocket veto which I just looked up....the dems can just strip the money from the bill...
How could putzie have made this mistake? Or is it a mistake? Does he want that 186 billion for Iran or Pakistan?
Quick, make another movie about political intrigue.
From the previous thread
56.
seashell :-)
Sun, 12/30/07
"Charlie Wilson's War"
comments 2 and 3 at http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/23384...
seashell :-)
<
I agree that this could be an opportune moment, what with the dick-head's pocket veto. But, don't forget that the dick-head machine hashes all angles before the dick-head in chief acts.
The Congress should tread lightly, but I hope they stick down the dick-head's mouth (IE urethra).
10.
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 12/30/07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uKepmXSy...
Catchy tune.
10:08pm
Just talked to Thankful, she said to tell you that the world is still round, and she hasn't fallen off the edge. And she loves you.
http://www.potatoengine.com/potatoradio....
Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing Joe Satriani
New Potato Head Caboose Grateful Dead
Potato Head Blues Louis Armstrong
Sweet Potato Pie James Taylor
Tell her that there are no edges to fall off, so we all trust her footing is fine. Heck, the world we exist on is not like a dime on the street.
Peace and good tidings.
Miles Davis Quintet - Footprints - Live in Sweden 1967
http://mog.com/DLuebbert/blog_post/133011?from=top_music_videos
60 Minutes just had quite a piece on the forest fires in the west - how global warming has so changed things. I hope the non-believers tuned in. We had a friend in San Diego this year say to us during the fires *and I don't want to hear that global warming garbage*. Unbelievable.
POTATO PHILOSOPHY PAGE: http://www.potatoengine.com/potatofestiv...
"Man is only truly alive when he realizes he is a creative, artistic being...even the act of peeling a potato can be considered a work of art if it is a conscious act." ---JOSEPH BEUYS
We can vote absentee in ME for any reason, mary vb.
http://tinyurl.com/2uobbf
And register for any party--provided it's done 30 min. before the caucus is convened.
I don't like 'em, either--but we're stuck w/'em (state is too cheap to appropriate funds for primaries).
Gore's 2000 race did have a primary; and turnout was outrageously higher.
People like to vote in private here (myself included).
This time, the Dem. candidates are total duds, so turnout will be pathetically low @the caucuses.
The traffic at the political blogs isn't really hopping. I remember when Dean was running - my goodness we had so many threads with hundreds of posts. Not a ton of enthusiasm out there IMO.
Woohoo...nice to see....thank you!
I would like to remind folks that they can celebrate and ring in the New Year with Mr. Gore's current tv as they bring on Radiohead for the New Year's Eve celebration. Radiohead will be playing their entire new album on Current tv.
No enthusiasm 'cuz the candidates on both sides are duds, that's why.
...which means that turnout thru Super Tues. will matter, even moreso.
Voting defensively/strategically will be the name of the game in '08 (early on), mary vb.
Like it or not--that's the reality.
If Billary catches any sort of steam, I'll vote absentee/re-enroll.
A.B.H.
Just for shits-n-giggles.
mainefem - So if we are *stuck* with Hillary - who will you vote for? My husband said he'll stay home.
"I was under the impression that the contents of telegrams in Austria are private." Capt von Trapp to the young Nazi Rolff who had just told him the contents of the telegram he was delivering.
I personally would find an Obama/Schweitzer ticket incredibly appealing. Obama/Dodd too.
That's my snus. Nitie.
11:30 PM ET and all is more or less well in Gatorland.
The mechanism still exist to bring it back -- the Constitution. But which leaders are willing to step forward to defend it with more than words?
I'm coming to the conclusion that there isn't time to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up as Dean and DFA are trying to do. By the time it happens there may well be no Constitution left to defend.
I'm right at the point of thinking that Real Democrats like Gore, Dean, Feingold, McDermott, Waters, and others need to just say to hell with the Dem Party and form a new one based on the tenants of the Dem Party that it no longer governs by.
sitka.....
I have thought that is the way to go. How do we fix it so that we get the spoils when the split happens?...the data bank, the new building, etc. can we do it by dumping them out in the cold, instead of our leaving? Or would it be good riddance, we leave, take a shower and start over?
i guess it's the dumping them out that is the problem. If we could have done that, we wouldn't be having problems now.
What I want to know about John Edwards is what did he do after the 2004 election?
Just answered my own question:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edward...
Very honorable except for Fortress Investments.
37. Oh Oh...even I can answer that one....he started teaching some classes at the college in NC and he was pushing his campaign to help the poor and was campaigning to raise the minimum wage. He even came to Cincinnati for a rally to raise the miniumum wage.
That's about all I can offer.
Well, I'm off.
All be well.
And Thank you Mr. Gore for doing so much to try to help us!
Thanks, Linda. I just feel like he was such a DLC'er in the Senate plus that war vote. He doesn't excite me in the least.
Tanner update
http://eatapyzch.blogspot.com/
I have thought that is the way to go. How do we fix it so that we get the spoils when the split happens?...the data bank, the new building, etc. can we do it by dumping them out in the cold, instead of our leaving? Or would it be good riddance, we leave, take a shower and start over?
That fancy new building paid for with corporate bribes is a symbol of what the Democratic Party has come to be dominated by. Let the DLC keep their worthless trophy after Dean hands it back over to them and leaves to help form a new party.
The new party will have the internet as its HQ. A new data bank will happen overnight when people realize a new party with true and viable leaders is available to them. And the new party will funded as well or better than the corrupt old ones with good old dollars from ordinary people who won't expect anything in return but that those they elect remain true to the platform they campaign on.
OK. My vacation on Fantasy Island is over. Back to the grim expectation that corruption and collaboration will carry on as usual.
thank you, puddle, thank you.
I'm in favor of the new party too. If Hillary's the nominee, we'll have to do something and fast IMO.
Just in from salting...
Sitka has a dream most everyone would support...but his expectation is more realistic, sad to say.
Another cat nap for me before plowing...it's really coming down now.
If Hillary's the nominee, we'll have to do something and fast IMO.
The only thing that could happen that fast is if Gore decides to run (with Bloomberg and his billions?)
It wouldn't be as good as getting a lot of Democrats to form a new party, but it might be the beginning of it.
Hi puddle...I haven't been around much lately...say hi to Thankful for me if you would.
1:50 am
puddle
Tanner's big smile and the story go so well together.
one of the reasons central blogs have slowed down is the poliferation of smaller ones
it's a good thing
the veto could reopen many of the contentious issues that stalled the legislation’s approval in the first place, including efforts by Democrats to impose conditions on spending for the military operations in Iraq.
Talk about Fantasy Island. Only the most extremely gullible will believe that DCDems who eagerly collaborated two weeks ago to give Bush everything they THOUGHT he wanted will now plant their feet and oppose him. The "DC" stands for "Democratic Complicity."
one of the reasons central blogs have slowed down is the poliferation of smaller ones
And the fact that the enthusiam for Dean in 2004 was a phenomenon that this year's second rate selection of candidates can only dream of achieving.
Edwards goes into full attack mode.........
Edwards, the Democrats' vice presidential nominee in 2004, told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Democrats would face "an epic fight" in pushing for reforms such as universal health care if they reclaim the White House, and argued that he, as a longtime plaintiff's lawyer, was best suited to wage those battles.
(Nothing wrong with touting himself. But now the attacks.......)
He said Obama "has this philosophical view that you can sit at a table with drug companies, oil companies and insurance companies and negotiate with them, and somehow they'll just voluntarily give their power away -- and I think that's a complete fantasy. It will never happen."
Meanwhile, he said, Clinton "defends the system in Washington" that Edwards blasts as "rigged" by corporate interests.
"I don't think you can take these people's money, the lobbyists, the PACs, et cetera, and sit at a table and make a deal with them," he said. "I think if that worked, it would have worked a long time ago."
Edwards also used the term "fantasy" to describe Clinton's statement that if she became president, her husband -- former President Bill Clinton -- would have no official role in her administration. Edwards said he would put the former president to work if he were elected, "providing help around the world and with leaders around the world."
So much for the St. Edwards myth.
Edwards has been raising the volume with populist attacks on corporations and Washington lobbyists. And he implies that Obama is too mild-mannered to fight those entrenched special interests.
"All the fancy words in the world will change nothing," Edwards told a packed crowd Saturday in a public library in Washington, Iowa. "You better send somebody into this arena that is ready for this fight, somebody who's got the guts and the determination to fight for you, and your children and your grandchildren."
Though Edwards rarely utters Obama's name, he's the unmistakable target, as the two have sparred with greater and greater intensity during the past two weeks.
Obama has been jabbing back, questioning whether Edwards' fiery rhetoric about taking on special interests is really backed up by his record in the U.S. Senate.
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This all good news for Hillary who might now be able to pull it out with Edwards doing the attacking for her.
If Gore could step in now, he'd wipe the floor with the lot of them.
I don't consider what Edwards said about clinton or obama to be attacks, but rather the truth. An attack on Clinton would be: She's a lesbian" or some such. Both Obama and Clinton are corporatists and that should be pointed out clearly in IA. They are also both very pro AIPAC and if the early voters understood what that means for our foreign policy future, they might throw both of them out - as well they should be IMO.
If the dems are short-sided enuf to nominate Clinton, they shouldn't be surprised if she loses the general. It's time the base takes its cue from the RW nutjobs who control by withholding votes.
HQ, put up some bats for goodness sake. Bats for all the dems running. Please, do something so we frustrated people who won't have a chance to vote for a decent nominee can at least support en masse those one or two we like. My purse is staying mostly closed unless I see a bat. Why isn't this being done in the most important election of our country?
BATS, please! We might be able to help Dodd or Kucinich more that way. I just don't get it. We could be doing so much more...right now I feel like DFA is democracy for female (prez).
Watch for a Hillary/Obama ticket. (fix) Obama is shilling and *attacking* as her proxy. And IA may fall for it, not distinguising between fact and attacks. What's the deal with Iowans not liking fighting amongst the candidates? If Iowans aren't as pissed as many of us are, they perhaps are not paying attention.
IMO Clinton's a corporatist control freak, Obama is not defending the Constitution and he's an effing Con. lawyer. He should be freaking out about this. Sorry, he doesn't get my vote either.
Kucinich and Dodd. We have decent choices and I haven't a clue what Iowans are thinking. It seems to be some sort of mass hypnosis, induced by the CMWs.
I would love to see an upset.
And I'm nervous about this pocket veto. This was not done out of ignorance or some little mistake. Something's going on. The BH is just upped the ante big time. If the dems strip the funds, they'll be called "anti-troops." If they leave them in, they'll be called supporting the neo-con position. That's too simplistic. Is this the bill with all the earmarks that putzie doesn't like?
He would need a running mate, or would HE be the running mate to Gore?
NYT: "Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President" 12/31
This is just unbelievable. Believing Musharraf is as reliable as believing putz.
OH MY, who would have ever seen this coming? Who could have imagined that somebody would fly planes into buildings? Who could have imagined that Bhutto died bumping her head?
More on Bloomberg
Another great reason to eschew Clinton.
Shirley Smith: We Americans Must Be Slow Learners (Those in Congress) ..."Jawohl!" (ya-VOL) Submitted by BuzzFlash on Fri, 12/28/2007 - 5:22pm. Shirley SmithMS. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
BuzzFlash,
"What are the triumphs of war, planned by ambition, executed by violence, and consummated by devastation? The means are the sacrifice of many, the end of the floated aggrandizement of the few." -- Charles Caleb Colton, Lacon, 1825.
A nation at war? No, and hell no.
Unless we count the US government's war against the world and the American people. The US, under Bush GOP leadership, is a nation that invaded and is occupying another country. An invasion upon innocent people that has killed over a million innocent men, women, children, whole familles, and caused another two million to leave their own country.
Again, if the US were to be "invaded and occupied," isn't it reasonable to think that most of us Americans would want to fight and gain our country back? Isn't it reasonable to think that we Americans would never quit fighting in order to get our country back? That's not a US war, that's the Iraqis fighting against their invaders and occupiers. And innocent people have had their lives ruined on both sides of this planet due to an illegal and treasonous leadership that, so far, has gone unpunished by US law.
Clinton also just unveiled a new ad, which opens with the image of a soldier's empty helmet and the words, "A nation at war."
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/smith/241
article tools: email | print | read more Gary Leupp
Immediately after 9-11 the U.S. government began barking orders to the world, especially to the Muslim world. Perhaps echoing unconsciously the Christian scripture passages Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23, it proclaimed, "Either you are with us, or with the terrorists." Remember those terrifying days, of omnipresent institutionalized ritualistic grief, anger and mandated unity, when any questioning was met with official indignation, threats, or punishment? When everything was supposed to be so clear? When above all, the national need to attack somebody---some Muslims---was supposed to be obvious, and the attack on Afghanistan in particular framed as common sense?
article continues...article tools: email | print | read more Harvey Wasserman
The Clintons are running for a third term in the White House. As expected, their first eight years in office are being given thorough scrutiny. Everything from NAFTA to Bosnia, from Monica to health care, are going rightfully under the microscope.
The disagreements are deep and generally predictable. But it is equally predictable that there is one issue---one man--- being totally ignored by the mainstream media. His case marks the moral low point of the Clinton Era. He deserves to be a part of the primary process.
His name is Leonard Peltier.
There is incontrovertible evidence that Bill Clinton was---and remains---fully aware of the circumstances of the Peltier case. But because of his cowardice, this esteemed Native American activist and spiritual leader was imprisoned not only for every day of Clinton's eight years in office, but now all the way through George W. Bush's.
article continues...
I'm feeling like a shameless propagandist. LOL
But, "nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Amusing items:
Clinton is using "pick" instead of "vote"--a good adjustment, IMHO, since many people don't like "choice" and they don't like to be told to vote, either. Or asked whom they're going to vote for either. Many, if they think you deserve it, will tell you honestly that the ballot is secret for a reason.
Edwardians are grousing about being ignored by the major media. At least some polls include him. None of the paid polling is considering more than the "top" three. Maybe more than two things is just too hard for some people to think about. Since people who caucus and vote in primaries can be considered the most attentive to political matters, it will be interesting to see if advertising does the trick. Or, if like car ads, they're merely a signal that the cars aren't moving off the lot.
The succession of Bhutto at the PPP is a good example of lottery style democracy.
Headline in today's Globe:
37 Immigrants found in trunk
64. It's a little late for New Hampshire.
Shame on John Edwards.
Controversy surrounds nonprofits' 'issue ads'
The ads getting the most attention in Iowa in recent days are run by a union-financed group called the Alliance for a New America, based in Alexandria, Va., and feature the complimentary images of Edwards. The group is headed by Nick Baldick, a former Edwards adviser, and contributions have come from locals of the Service Employees International Union.
A $495,000 contribution also came from Oak Springs Farm LLC, which the Associated Press reported is the entity that holds the fortune of 97-year-old philanthropist Rachel Mellon. Mellon has also contributed directly to Edwards' presidential campaign, as has the lawyer who holds power over Oak Springs Farm.
The New York Times reported about an e-mail that seemed to suggest conversations between Edwards campaign officials and the group's leaders, with Alliance leaders apparently asking the campaign "what specific kinds of support they would like to see from us."
Edwards aides said nothing improper occurred.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS09/712310308/-1/NEWS04
It doesn't matter about Bhutto. A bomb went off next to her vehicle--her prison cell on wheels.
Remember the circus train? That tiger in San Francisco was more at liberty than Bhutto.
69. It's un-American to blame someone for something someone else has done.
If I were Edwards, I'd complain about the content of those fliers and the use of my photo, as a mis-representation.
In our household, the TV only gets turned on three times a day--early morning and noon to get the weather and for the evening news during dinner. I only hear the audio in the morning because the TV is downstairs. So, what I'm hearing is ads for Ron Paul before 6:00 AM and Barack Obama sounding like a preacher. This week he's started inveighing against corporations, using the cadences made famous by MLK.
Now it's Edwards' turn. His message is masked by his twang. It's hard to believe that's natural.
After listening to the candidates speaking to me from downstairs, I wondered how come they're not using surrogates or spokes persons in their ads. Like this
Edwards opposition needs to get their story straight about 527's. are they against him because he can't raise enough money to be competitive since taking matching funds or that he can garner support because he is the candidate that will further the goals of groups aligned with Democrats so the total favorable to Edwards is too great to be fair.
which is it? Clinton and Obama volunteers have used both arguments with me
he has too much, he doesn't have enough
not to worry if he gets the nomination it will be sufficient to elect him
72
That is quite a spin you have going there Phil. I thought better of you. You know damn well what Edwards is doing.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/718444,obama30.article
Mass. gov. rallies for Obama in IowaDecember 29, 2007BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Political ReporterFT. MADISON, Iowa — White House hopeful Barack Obama brought in a new warm-up act today as he embarks on the final weekend of his campaign to win Thursday’s Iowa presidential caucuses: Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
Patrick, an African-American from Chicago’s South Side, told 400 Iowa voters to disregard pundits who say Obama, 46, ought to wait to run until he’s older or more experienced — they said the same thing when Patrick ran for governor of Massachusetts.
“It isn’t about whose turn it is — it’s about whose time it is,” Patrick said. “When you close your eyes and you imagine the kind of leadership you need, you know that the image that comes into your minds is Barack Obama. And then you open your eyes and the pundits...try to tell us once again why we can’t have what we know we want.”
Obama likewise blasted pundits who say he needs to spend more time in Washington, D.C., and who say of Obama, “We need to stew him and season him a little bit and boil all the hope out of him so he sounds just like everybody else,” Obama said.
Obama had been using former Air Force Chief of Staff Tony McPeak to warm up the crowds with zingers lobbed at President Bush such as: “We’ve been running this enormous experiment in this country for the past seven years, testing the proposition that it doesn’t make any difference if the guy in the White House is very bright. The results are in. Really, no matter who’s elected next January, there’s going to be a great jump in the IQ in the Oval Office.”
But as Obama nears the home stretch and populist rival John Edwards threatens him in the three-way race with Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Obama is slightly re-tooling his stump speech, adding lines such as this one that appear aimed at the working-class Iowans likely to dominate the Democratic caucuses:
“CEOs are making more in 10 minutes than workers are making in an entire year. And the CEOs get the tax breaks.”
And he talks about passing ethics reforms in Washington to prevent lobbyists from buying legislators meals. One unnamed elected official, he said, asked Obama, “What do you expect me to do, eat at McDonalds?” Obama said he responded: “Actually a lot of your constituents eat at McDonalds. But since you make over $160,000 a year, you can eat at Applebees.”
But Obama did not completely abandon the less-partisan, reach-across-party-lines image he has tried to cultivate. He said the polls show he has a better chance than any other Democrat of beating any of the Republican front-runners in November.
...
Obama has also re-tooled his website layout (looks even better than before IMO but with it's more information and more links, it can be a bit slower to pull up for slower dialups):
http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
If you click on the BLOG tab on the top, you'll enter a blog community that's hopping with activity (hundreds of comments for certain blog threads):
You know, I never did get my Sunday Boston Globe yesterday (that's the paper that endorsed Barack Obama for president a few Sundays ago).
There was a delay in the overnight production of the Sunday Globe due to a certain football team (it takes a whole team to win) breaking some records, or something like that. So when I got to my second job yesterday afternoon, there was one Globe left and I quickly purchased it.
Snow here this morning and it's expected to break a record for snowfall in Boston in the month of December.
a number of T-shirters for Obama and another one for Ron Paul:
Well, I'm off for blog for now.
(I don't know about anybody else, but I'm having a lot of fun with this presidential election cycle and I'm confident that the person I'm backing for president and his supporters are into a music style called "Heavy Mettle" --
Go Obama !)
My problem is that I'm not looking for a leader. The Democratic party already has a leader. His name is Howard Brush Dean. The United States Senate also has a majority leader and a minority leader. Neither of those people are officiating over the institution as I'd prefer. The House of Representatives also has a majority and a minority leader. Ditto what I said about the Senate.
IMHO, representative democracy got derailed for a very long time by the failure of the Constitution to include everyone in the government. As long as blacks and females were kept out, representative democracy was a sham. It was a paternalistic system which tended towards the authoritarian for the simple reason that authoritarianism makes it easier for mistakes to be covered up. "Don't ask, don't tell" is practiced widely. It's the anti-audit mantra.
Next to the liberation of people, the liberation of information is most important. Bush/Cheney have been struggling to get information back in the bottle.
So, Deval Patrick is in Iowa. Here's a story that he's probably glad to miss.
After soaring entry, a mixed first year for Patrick Tally shows victories, but most of agenda stalled in Legislature By Frank Phillips Globe Staff / December 31, 2007
As Governor Mitt Romney made his final exit from the State House, he paused to shake hands with Deval Patrick at the door of the governor's office. "We are looking forward to a great administration," the ever-polite Romney told the incoming Democrat.
"You can count on it," Patrick said, with a self-assurance that reflected his extraordinary journey from political obscurity to a landslide victory.
But Patrick's first year in office has been marked by initial high-profile missteps, political frustrations, and a senior staff shakeup. He scored some victories and produced sweeping policy initiatives, but most of his agenda remains stalled in the Legislature. And he faces a challenge in the months ahead with his proposal to license three resort casinos that has ignited controversy, upset some members of the coalition that elected him, and is being held up by a deeply skeptical House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, who has opposed gambling expansions in Massachusetts.
It is a decidedly mixed record for a governor who rolled into office with huge popular support and a clutch of big, fresh ideas.
After a year watching him, even some of his allies feel that Patrick, whose professional experience is mostly rooted in the corporate boardrooms of Coca-Cola and Texaco, is still finding Beacon Hill politics the toughest part of the job to master. His most difficult hurdle has been figuring out how to honor campaign pledges to change the culture of Massachusetts politics, while also operating within that culture to get things done.
Morning, all.
Election bits & pieces:
"You can’t nice these people to death. You’d better send somebody into that arena who’s ready."
-- John Edwards, quoted by the New York Times, referring how Sen. Barack Obama would deal with insurance companies and drug companies.
and some polling:
New Hampshire Race Tightens as Edwards Surges A new American Research Group poll in New Hampshire finds the Democratic presidential race tightening and the Republican race deadlocked.Among Democrats, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 31% followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 27% and John Edwards at 21%. The poll has a margin of error of 4 points.
Key finding: Clinton has dropped 7 points in two weeks while Edwards has gained 6 points and Obama has gained 3 points. Undeclared voters provide positive playback for Edwards based on his television advertising running in New Hampshire and this is reflected in the ballot results. Edwards now leads Obama among undeclared voters 38% to 23%.
In the Republican race, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain remain tied at 30%, followed by Mike Huckabee at 11%, Rudy Giuliani at 9% and Rep. Ron Paul at 7%.
Another Poll, Another Dead Heat in Iowa A new McClatchy-MSNBC poll in Iowa shows a statistical dead heat in the Democratic presidential race and a big shift in the Republican race.
John Edwards leads with 24%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton with 23% and Sen. Barack Obama with 22%. Edwards has the momentum since the last poll in early December gaining 3 points, while Clinton lost 4 points and Obama lost 3 points.
Key finding: Mirroring other surveys, Edwards gets the most second-choice support. When Richardson, Biden, Dodd, and Kucinich supporters are realigned, the poll has Edwards leading with 36%, followed by Obama and Clinton tied at 26%.
Among Republicans, Mitt Romney has regained the lead as Mike Huckabee "has lost momentum and support, even among evangelical Christians who had propelled him into the top spot just weeks ago." Romney now leads with 27%, followed by Huckabee at 23%, Fred Thompson at 14%, and Sen. John McCain at 13%. Huckabee is down 8 points since earlier this month, while Romney is up 7 points.
Complete survey results are available for Democrats and Republicans.
Please Help Lynn Woolsey Find Her Moral Compass. by James Boyce
December 28, 2007
Representative Lynn Woolsey, Democrat of California, has lost her moral compass, but I suppose I presume this means that at some point she had one.
Representative Woolsey, once the leader of the Out Of Iraq Caucus has now endorsed the leading candidate to keep us in Iraq, Senator Hillary Clinton. It is unknown whether Representative Woolsey will re-name her caucus, The Endless War Coalition.
Odd really, considering that my five year old has the ability to see the obvious conflict between the woman who said this:
"Mr. Speaker, in the name of these three brave souls ... for the sake of human decency if nothing else ... it is time to end this war, bring our troops home, and give Iraq back to the Iraqi people."
and the woman who said this at a recent debate:
TIM RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, Democrats all across the country believed in 2006, when the Democrats were elected to the majority in the House and Senate, that that was a signal to end the war, and the war would end. You have said that will not pledge to have all troops out by the end of your first term, 2013. Why not?
SENATOR CLINTON: Well, Tim, it is my goal to have all troops out by the end of my first term. But I agree with Barack. It is very difficult to know what we're going to be inheriting. You know, we do not know, walking into the White House in January 2009, what we're going to find. What is the state of planning for withdrawal?
Yep, Senator Clinton won't commit to removing all troops from Iraq six years from now. Note to Representative Woolsey - this means she will keep us IN Iraq not get us OUT. How many troops would Senator Clinton leave indefinitely? Estimates are as high as 60,000.
Now, Representative Woolsey must also be aware by now that Senator Clinton voted for the war in 2002, one would think that supporting the war from the beginning might be a conflict for some one leading the "Out Of Iraq" caucus but not in DC politics.
Representative Woolsey surely is also aware that Senator Clinton also voted for the war without bothering to read the National Intelligence Estimate that was under lock and key on Capitol Hill, a classified document that Senator Bob Graham spoke about on the Senate floor: ...
full article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-boyc...
79.
Monica Smith
Mon, 12/31/07
.......
IMHO, representative democracy got derailed for a very long time by the failure of the Constitution to include everyone in the government.
-------
"Everyone"-!!!
Better later than never..., lol!
Congratulations Monica!
-- Iowa Gov. Chet Culver (D), quoted by the New York Times, on the extremely close Democratic presidential race in his state that "could be determined by a swing of as few as 1,000 voters."
Mr. Boyce, Lyn Woolsey has always possessed a true moral compass. She won't be losing it in your lifetime.
She supports Hillary Clinton.....deal with it.
and ummmm......just a reality-check: Your 5-year old hasn't developed critical thinking skills nor the ability to think through complex issues.
You know damn well what Edwards is doing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
as soon as Edwards announced he was taking federal matching funds both the Clinton and Obama whisper campaigns started with the "Edwards is unelectable, he will run out of money."
he was confident that the Unions that supported him would come through with favorable ads, and that the Party would do the same if he sews up the nomination
looks like he was right
the negative campaigning about it that Obama is doing is cross message to what he is he trying to sell, I expected it of the Clinton machine
Does anyone remember Mark Blumenthal from Mystery Pollster back in 04?
He's baaaack.....Currently analyzing the reliability of various polling organizations.
As the following table shows, the Des Moines Register "Iowa Poll" conducted by Selzer and Company easily earns the highest marks, with virtually all rating it either very (36%) or somewhat (50%) reliable. The other pollsters with the highest scores are nationally known media surveys: ABC/Washington Post, the Pew Research Center and CBS/New York Times.
The pollsters receiving the lowest scores are Zogby International, the American Research Group and Rasmussen Reports. In the case of Zogby, four out of five pollsters rated their surveys as not very (28%) or not at all reliable (52%).
Hillary Clinton represents a historic opportunity for women, and every single call I have gotten from a Clinton volunteer has been from a woman. Her gender gap is going to be astounding. and that will make her viable everywhere which by itself is good for two to three points
those looking for experience will caucus for Biden, Dodd, or Richardson and everrytime she uses the word it drives them up
in the long run if that pulls down the two at the top it will work in her favor to keep the front runners down and turning it into a two man race
strange ? --
I seem to be the only one FOR a candidate this morning without also being AGAINST someone -- looks like others have risen on the wrong (NEGATIVE) SIDE
negative leadoffs this morning:
69.s m
Mon, 12/31/07
Reply to this
Shame on John Edwards.
Controversy surrounds nonprofits' 'issue ads'
...
++++
80.Monica Smith
Mon, 12/31/07
Reply to this
So, Deval Patrick is in Iowa. Here's a story that he's probably glad to miss.
After soaring entry, a mixed first year for Patrick Tally shows victories, but most of agenda stalled in Legislature By Frank Phillips Globe Staff / December 31, 2007 ...++++81.*** cChalfonte***
Mon, 12/31/07
Reply to this
Morning, all.
Election bits & pieces:
"You can’t nice these people to death. You’d better send somebody into that arena who’s ready."
-- John Edwards
...
++++
and IMO the most surprising AGAINST this morning:
88.Phil Specht
Mon, 12/31/07
...
the negative campaigning about it that Obama is doing is cross message to what he is he trying to sell, I expected it of the Clinton machine
...
Some background on that poll of pollsters:
We sent out invitations to just over a hundred pollsters and had 46 complete the entire survey, although a few more (49) completed the questions about the reliability of the polls in Iowa. Of those, 22 are media pollsters and and 27 campaign pollsters (16 Democrats and 11 Republicans). There is no margin of error because the results represent nothing more or less than the views of the pollsters that participated. Like any survey respondents, we promised to keep their identities confidential.
We started with a simple question asked about each of the 16 pollsters that have released public polls in Iowa: "How reliable do you consider surveys of IOWA CAUCUS goers done by each of the following organizations, very reliable, somewhat reliable, not very reliable or not reliable at all?" We also provided an option to say they "do not know enough to rate" each organization.
We left "reliability" in the eye of the beholder, but it is fair to assume that few are in a position to evaluate the performance of each organization in past Iowa caucuses. As one pollster put it (in a space provided for comments the end of the survey) that there is "no way we can know who's most reliable until we can compare their final estimates with actual vote." Instead, it is safe to assume that most based their judgements on the reputation of each organization and its methods. As you will see, the pollsters had little trouble making such judgements.
--Mark Blumenthal
I think I'll hang elsewhere for the next few days where there's less bashing going on, of any of the candidates
any poll that shows Edwards under 30 at this time of likely caucus goers is guessing, the same for Obama with slightly more "iffy" attendance in his case
generic polls in Iowa mean absolutely nothing
I seem to be the only one FOR a candidate this morning without also being AGAINST someone -- looks like others have risen on the wrong (NEGATIVE) SIDE"
Nope. Sorry, rdorgan. I've caught up on the recent threads. Sadly you've become quite shrill at times in your negative attacks, mostly on Hillary Clinton but on Edwards as well.
Sorry, you knocked yourself off your own "keep it positive" pedastal some time ago.
Obama is on the attack against Edwards, tell it to your candidate rdorgan.
AFSME did the only real attack piece against Edwards and Obama and they are backing Clinton.
Huckabee has been taking unrelenting negative attacks from Mitt
from Obama backers here, all I get is "Obama is the only one who can stop Clinton" not in and of itself entirely positive
Edwards is a candidate that would win for sure with a split Republican vote but what does it say the Clinton is acceptable to Bloomberg so he wouldn't run?
Ohio will buy what Edwards is selling. Texas might even be in play with a Bloomberg in the race.
Run Bloomberg run. put the Republican Party out of its misery
Nice article in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/29/AR2007122901476_pf.html
Class warefare (Edwards) never wins national elections in America.
Bloomberg will take evenly from both sides if it is Edwards or Clinton.
I actualy think the NYT article is wrong, he runs on a Edwards or Clinton victory. Obama understands the concept of pitching hope and unity. Obama is by far the best candidate for the Democrats.
FROM A PAKISTANI FRIEND HUNKERED DOWN IN ISLAMABAD
With Pakistan erupting in violence over the assassination of its former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and amid conflicting accounts as to both the identity of her assassins and even the cause of her death, official Washington and the American mass media have coalesced around a version of events that has been crafted to suit US strategic interests.
Without any substantive evidence, the crime has been attributed to Al Qaeda, while Bhutto herself has been proclaimed a martyr both in the struggle for democracy in her own country and in the US “global war on terror.” Meanwhile, the government of President Pervez Musharraf has been exonerated. There is ample reason to question this “official story” on all counts.
The obvious intent is to turn this undeniably tragic event into a new justification for the pursuit of US strategic interests in the region. In the week leading up to the assassination, there have been a number of reports indicating that US military forces are already operating inside Pakistan and preparing to substantially escalate these operations.
At this point, there is no proof as to the authorship of the assassination. The military-controlled government of President Musharraf claims to have intercepted a phone call in which an “Al Qaeda leader” congratulated his supporters for the killing. Yet web sites that have claimed responsibility for previous Al Qaeda terrorist acts have not done so in relation to the Bhutto killing.
Then there is the question as to how Bhutto died. In the wake of numerous eyewitness accounts that she had been shot before a bomb blast ripped through the crowd at an election campaign rally in Rawalpindi, the Pakistani Interior Ministry issued three conflicting accounts: the first saying that she died from a bullet wound to the neck, the second that she was killed by shrapnel from the bomb and a third claiming that she had fractured her skull against a door handle while ducking down into the sunroof of her vehicle to dodge either the bullets or the explosion. How the government reached this last novel conclusion is unclear, as no autopsy was conducted on Bhutto’s body.
A spokesperson for Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, Farooq Naik, called the Musharraf government’s shifting story “a pack of lies” and insisted that the real cause of death was sniper fire. If indeed the Pakistani politician was shot to death by a sniper in Rawalpindi, the historic garrison town which is headquarters to the country’s military, suspicion would shift even more sharply towards the government or elements within its powerful military-intelligence apparatus.
This is already the predominant popular sentiment within Pakistan itself. As Philadelphia Inquirer’s columnist Trudy Rubin reported from the country, “Just about every Pakistani with whom I spoke blamed her death not on Al Qaeda, but on their own governmentand the United States.”
And, there is irrefutable evidence that Bhutto herself saw the government, rather than Al Qaeda, as the main threat to her life.
Sitka wrote "I'm right at the point of thinking that Real Democrats like Gore, Dean, Feingold, McDermott, Waters, and others need to just say to hell with the Dem Party and form a new one based on the tenants of the Dem Party that it no longer governs by."
These are normal longings, but the individuals that you mention have proven dedicated to the party out of reverence for the principles it aspires towards, not allegiance to the chumps in office who misrepresent those principles. To illustrate, Dean felt almost precisely the same as you before the Wisconsin primary in 2004, as recounted in You Have the Power by Howard Dean with Judith Warner:
"Many felt their lives had been changed by the campaign, so when it ended, abruptly, after riding so high for so long, they were left at loose ends. You lifted us up and you dropped us down was the message many of them wrote to me.
I knew how they felt. My life had been changed, too. Despite my continued efforts to stay cheerful in public and in front of my staff, I had plenty of dark moments of my own.
" . . . .
"The night I found out about the Torricelli donation, all I could think about was how low our party had sunk and how little I owed them.
"It was by far the darkest moment I'd had -- or was to have -- on the campaign trail. This was a real crisis of faith. 'Why am I doing this?' I wondered aloud. 'Why am I a Democrat?'
"I paced in my darkened hotel room in Milwaukee, making tracks in the carpet, my cell phone gripped tightly against my ear: 'Why should I still be a Democrat after all this?'
"On the other end of the line was Al Gore, . . .
" . . . .
"So Gore didn't tell me to quit. He stayed up with me late that night and patiently, emphatically listened. When he spoke, he was right on target.
"'Think long-term,' he said. 'Keep you eye on where you really want to end up.
"'This isn't about whether or not Howard Dean ends up being president of the United States. It's about the future of the country.'
" . . . .
"Our campaign tapped into the transformational power of hope. Now, the Democratic Party has to move beyond the power of positive thinking. We need a clear, consistent, long-term commitment to a course of action that will give us a real hold on power; not only in November but in the years -- and decades -- to come."
92. I thought you said you were leaving the blog. LOL
The Globe story above the fold about Patrick is not negative. It is a realistic assessment of what any executive is bound to go through in the process of discovering that his role is to officiate, rather than dictate policy or rules.
I don't know how gambling is going to play in Iowa. I suspect it's not a matter Obama would want brought up. Gambling is, essentially, risk taking. Which is exactly what conservatives want to discourage--the habit of taking risks. They want people to be right and being right means being obedient.
A Dodd/Obama ticket would be unstoppable and good for the country. An Obama/Dodd ticket is not quite as certain, in my book, but more exciting since it holds the prospect of a Vice President actually exerting some influence over the Senate. One suspects that perhaps Harry Reid is not enthused by that prospect. Just imagine having a full-time Senate President, rather than a pro-tem, a place holder. DELICIOUS.
A letter from Nunn and Boren sent to those attending the Jan. 7 session said that "our political system is, at the least, badly bent and many are concluding that it is broken
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Edwards' central message
it no longer is working for the average citizens, it has been taken over by Republican obstructionist "drown the baby" types and K Street
Obama understands the concept of pitching hope and unity.
"Pitching" is the operative word.
Hope, unity, and 5 bucks will buy you a latte.
I'd like to see Dodd challenge Reid for Majority Leader Monica but that is pre-judging caucus results.
Edwards polls highest against any Republican candidate nationally, Joe. if you want electability.
OK, with the Iowa carcasses only a day or so away (Ill be watching the Felix The Cat marathon instead)........and after much research, contemplating, hob nobbing with the tree outside and several egg nogs spike with crowne royal and my traditional Christmas cigar.........heres how the general will pan out.........as far as Im concerned, its the ONLY ticket that will beat the Republican nutcases..................
Edwards/Dodd or Biden (or anybody else with experience) vs Mccain/Huckabee...............
Phil wrote "[The] Edwards opposition needs to get their story straight about 527's. are they against him because he can't raise enough money to be competitive since taking matching funds or that he can garner support because he is the candidate that will further the goals of groups aligned with Democrats so the total favorable to Edwards is too great to be fair."
All of the Democratic candidates will garner support from groups alligned with Democrats. Only one makes consistent use of former campaign personnel to take advantage of the campaign finance law loopholes that help supplement his own meager fundraising. He tried it out first in 2004.
The most arch element of this strategy isn't calling on past opponents to stop outside advocacy ads, or specifically fashioning a campaign around the issue of freedom from special interest influence. It's actually announcing that accepting federal funds was a way to show his campaign was free of such influence. If Edwards does pull this out, it will be principly because of his impressive ability to lie without flinching to people willing to believe him.
A tight race in Iowa for sure, but the polling certainly indicates an Edwards surge.....enough surge to win? To be determined. Definitely a nail-biter.
Gotta run.
Hope y'all* have a wonderful New Year's Eve.
*puddle, thanks for the correction;)
Huron John
Mon, 12/31/07
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Times have changed indeed......I used to say "that and a dime will get ya a cup of coffee".....
John Edwards has enemies but they are inside the beltway. He has very low negatives out across the country. Since he will return the income tax to its' former progressivity and bushco handed out a trillion bucks over the decade to the top 2% I suspect his opponents will buy some though.
you know he will be accused of "class warfare" even though it is the "little guy" who has been under unrelenting fire in a war against the middle class that has been ongoing for some time
Mike wrote "as far as Im concerned, its the ONLY ticket that will beat the Republican nutcases..................Edwards/Dodd or Biden (or anybody else with experience) vs Mccain/Huckabee..............."
I admire the courage of conviction you've displayed. I'll hazard my own prediction. Whoever is selected the Democratic nominee will defeat his or her Republican opponent, and the conservative base of the Republican Party will not permit McCain's nomination under any circumstances.
I might stick with my original prediction that Iowa Democrats will go for someone who never voted for the war and that Obama will win 34 to 33 over Edwards.
the difference will be whether Clinton fades to the benefit of those who may not be viable otherwise and would go to Edwards as the second choice, and instead they get delegates of their own
McCain/Huckabee is the Republican base, pro war religious extremists
Well, I'd like to see the Senate re-organized to conform more closely to the original intent.
BTW, as far as I know, Dodd is the only candidate who's said he would be amenable to the VP slot. Dodd wants to serve the country, however he best can.
What bothers me about the fliers supposedly supporting Edwards, as I've said, is that they are almost damning with faint praise. And they're motivated by shared antagonism and resentment. They are not progressive in the sense that they are not forward looking. Edwards comes off as very punitive.
And then I heard the same attitude in Obama's rant this morning. And he is getting ranty. If it was risky for a white man to come across as angry, what happens when a black man does it?
Contrary to what *rdorgan thinks, it's the consultants and campaign managers I don't trust. That Clinton's were operatives in the Clinton administration for a time does not make them any better now than they were in 1996. There was some truth in the GOP charge that Clinton was constantly campaigning. I suspect he could afford to do that because the real policy and procedure wonk was Gore and Gore was back minding the store.
The only good thing about the polls this time is that their un-reliability is obvious and dedicated political participants are not as likely to give them credit and let their decisions be affected.
If there are eight candidates and the poll respondents are only asked about two or three, how significant can the results be?
McCain/Huckabee would defeat Clinton/Bayh
113
Do you have a link to this info. This is the latest that I have seen.
OBAMA: 53%
ROMNEY: 35%
OBAMA: 47%
HUCKABEE: 42%
OBAMA: 48%
GUILIANI: 39%
OBAMA: 47%
MCCAIN: 43%
OBAMA: 52%
THOMPSON: 36%
http://fromtheleft.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/zogby-poll-obama-leads-top-republicans/
Tom Bearse
Mon, 12/31/07
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Some pretty good arguments from you and Phil.........
Phil wrote "McCain/Huckabee would defeat Clinton/Bayh."
I disagree but it would be a monumental clash and, probably, another razor thin margin of victory in the popular vote like 2004.
Phil Specht
Mon, 12/31/07
I would agree with you on that, but it will not be McCain. It is either Romney or Huckabee. I like a Obama/Bayh ticket....It will not happen as he was an early supporter of Clinton......but it wold be:
- Young
- Midwest
- Charisma at the top and experience at the VP
- Good on the photo shoot
Obama internals must show Edwards gaining or he wouldn't have shifted to a populist message for his closing one.
Edwards is a known commodity in Iowa so it comes across like "things must be really bad if mister nice guy is spoiling for a fight"
when Obama sounds angry he cancels out the "can't we all get along" he ran on for months
ever since he was the first to come out with a Universal Health Plan, Edwards has been setting the agenda
Obama and Clinton spent quite a few weeks getting off message during the spat with who had the most experience
with Biden and Dodd in the race what that got was chuckles
Why would Elizabeth Edwards make this remark? Seems a little racist to me.
Frustrated with the overwhelming news media interest in two Democratic rivals, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, she told one interviewer, “We can’t make John black, we can’t make him a woman.
126.
Do the math Tom. Over 50% of potential voters say they won't vote for Hillary under any circumstances (I'm one of those).
So how's she going to win? Especially with the Repugs stealing up to 10% of the vote.
John wrote "Do the math Tom. Over 50% of potential voters say they won't vote for Hillary under any circumstances (I'm one of those)."
Do you have access to some opinion research showing that over 50% of potential voters will vote for McCain under any circumstances?
Did this story have any legs? If it does it is very Newt like.
117. "class" used to be a criterion that defined behavior consistent with moral standards like honesty, reliability, consideration for others, punctuality, modesty, dignity, etc.
I do not like to see it resurrected as divisive marker somehow connected to wealth, whether old or newly acquired. What bothers me about Edwards is that whether he's attired in his blue jeans (actually inappropriate in some venues) or a suit and tie, the attire is somehow similar to Bossy Bush's flightsuit--appropriate like a costume. And then there's the color of his skin. Spouse says that the reason his wrinkles (crow's feet) aren't tanned is because he's using some sort of tanning system, other than the sun. One is reminded of "The Picture of Dorian Grey." There is something not real. In German one would say "un-echt" but "un-real" doesn't have the same meaning. "artificial" would come close, but doesn't have the same hint of the negative.
In case you're wondering Phil, a Specht is not un-echt. A Specht is an apparition or ghost, not material but also not fake. There are probably other meanings, as well.
Do you have access to some opinion research showing that over 50% of potential voters will vote for McCain under any circumstances?
Of course not--but Indies and disgruntled Dems will have plenty of choices.
I couldn't help noticing this from You Have the Power after looking at all the poll numbers cC posted:
"[W]e had a good organization in Wisconsin. The people there had raised $1.5 million for us in small donations, and I'd promised them I was going to make my last stand in their state. I didn't want to quit. We were so close. We'd been leading in the polls until one week before the Iowa caucuses!"
136.
They'll steal Florida and Ohio again--that will probably be enough.
If not, they have the Supremes, 5-4
John wrote "Indies and disgruntled Dems will have plenty of choices."
Super. Aren't you omitting disgruntled Republicans from your analysis?
Establishment Dems are cockily assuming that their base will come back in 08, because they always have, and they've got nowhere else to go.
Neither assumption is a safe one.
I'm not the only one who wants to punish Democrats for their cowardice, lack of leadership, and their betrayal of their base.
Stay tuned................
140. Republicans tend to retain their gruntle in a pinch.
Tom Bearse
Mon, 12/31/07
....a huge group. If Huchabee is the winer many will be looking for a home.
John wrote "Republicans tend to retain their gruntle in a pinch."
At this point, you are just throwing stuff against the wall. Research has revealed that on the whole, Republican partisans are far, far less enamoured with their choices for presidential candidates this cycle than are their Democratic counterparts.
Fun Article
Safire Predicts President McCain... and Veep Bloomberg?
William Safire, a former Times Op-Ed columnist, offers his 34th annual "Office Pool" column, offering a multiple-choice test of predictions for the coming year - some sound serious, some sound wacky, and some make one want to check Safire's medication.
The good news for John McCain fans: Safire predicts that at the dawn of 2009, America will face "creative gridlock, as President McCain finds common ground with a centrist Democratic Congress."
The bad news for John McCain fans: He also predicts the ticket will be John McCain-Michael Bloomberg.
Mitigating those predictions: Safire admits he got 12 out of 15 predictions wrong.
I don't consider what Edwards said about clinton or obama to be attacks, but rather the truth.
If Edwards had cited their records I would agree with you (although most people consider any criticism an attack if it's against their preferred candidate.)
But this is what Edwards is saying.......
He said Obama "has this philosophical view that you can sit at a table with drug companies, oil companies and insurance companies and negotiate with them, and somehow they'll just voluntarily give their power away -- and I think that's a complete fantasy. It will never happen."
Meanwhile, he said, Clinton "defends the system in Washington" that Edwards blasts as "rigged" by corporate interests.
"I don't think you can take these people's money, the lobbyists, the PACs, et cetera, and sit at a table and make a deal with them," he said. "I think if that worked, it would have worked a long time ago."
Edwards also used the term "fantasy" to describe Clinton's statement that if she became president, her husband -- former President Bill Clinton -- would have no official role in her administration. Edwards said he would put the former president to work if he were elected, "providing help around the world and with leaders around the world."
These are negative characterizations, not facts, and are therefor definitely attacks.
Why would Elizabeth Edwards make this remark? Seems a little racist to me.
Frustrated with the overwhelming news media interest in two Democratic rivals, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, she told one interviewer, “We can’t make John black, we can’t make him a woman.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22446388/
Because the Edwardses are in desperate full attack mode. Characterizing support for Hillary and Obama as being because they are woman and black respectively is about as low as it can get. But it's not the first time John has unleashed Elizabeth as his attack dog........
I am at a critical crossroad. I have had a Dean '08 bumper sticker on my car for the past three years. Tomorrow will begin the year in question and Dean won't be a candidate. Should it come off? If so, should it be replaced?
102. Ohio will buy what Edwards is selling.
105. Obama understands the concept of pitching hope and unity.
"Selling?" "Pitching?" Trying to pimp your preferred candidate as the better huckster is pretty lame.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/21/AR2007122101556.html
Political mythology from both parties. They will say anything to keep their power. "just win baby"
148.
Tom Bearse
Mon, 12/31/07
I am at a critical crossroad....,
-----------
...lol, apparently you are.
Since you asking everyone, my answer to you would be:
take it off and don't replace it.
Play "independent", (there is a chance may start feeling a "new taste")..., at least it won't be boring..., lol!
Ivan wrote "Since you asking everyone, my answer to you would be: take it off and don't replace it. Play "independent", (there is a chance may start feeling a "new taste")...,"
Well you never know, you know?
Here's a candid article from the Columbus Dispatch regarding the first in the nation caucus and primary states. My favorite observation is "Iowa's record as a predictor of presidents is spotty: About half of the caucus winners have ascended to the White House; no candidate who finished lower than third in Iowa has become president."
This breezy analysis shows both that Iowa caucus goers are not partiuclarly adept at picking a worthwhile candidate out of the pile and that despite this lack of aptitude, it's their choice who is permitted to advance and who gets no shot anyway, so what's the difference? Nice fucking system.
Edwards: Obama too nice for Presidency. (This is a personal attack my friends)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/us/pol...+RhUYF4I1HOmrgy7FIB/nw&oref=slogin
That's funny but I've always thought *nice* people were honest people.
153. Now tell that to the pundits who continue their ridiculous rants that if Hillary finishes third she's still okay. If Edwards or Obama don't win Iowa - it's over for them.
vb wrote "Now tell that to the pundits who continue their ridiculous rants that if Hillary finishes third she's still okay. If Edwards or Obama don't win Iowa - it's over for them."
History suggests this is precisely the case. The article I cited is stark and revealing. Iowa let's the rest of the country know who hangs on and who is crushed to dust. We have to sit here and like it.
"February 10, 1992 - Tom Harkin (76%), "Uncommitted" (12%), Paul Tsongas (4%), Bill Clinton* (3%), Bob Kerrey (2%) and Jerry Brown (2%)"
i don't know why it is said that bill got 3rd place???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_caucus...
Monica, some great posts, thank you.
and, the video of a Dodd supporter.....WHAT? ISSUES? POLICY? PRINCIPLE? INTEGRITY?....someone cares about those things? ...go figure :)
______________________________
129.
s m
Mon, 12/31/07
Why would Elizabeth Edwards make this remark? Seems a little racist to me.
---> I'm sure to you it would. But I thought only racists complained anytime a white person referred to a black person by acknowledging their race.
You forgot to mention the other part of that sentence, "or a woman". OH MY! Does that also mean she's a bigot?
154 Mary...I agree, that's a false statement :)
Evidence is definitely to the contrary.
Linda wrote "I'm sure to you it would [seem a little racist.]"
s m is a black woman, so maybe it's understandable that that would seem a little racist to her.
What if Iowa Settles Nothing for Democrats?
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/us/pol...
Candidates battle expectations in Iowa
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsN...
Google, goodies and 'angels' target women in Iowa
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pb...
Linda wrote "Well, Tom, then I was correct."
100%. Maybe it was a racist comment, but I doubt it. I think it's more likely that she made the comment because she supports a white male and resents the special treatment that she thinks minority candidates get in the media.
There is a certain individual here who is very mean spirited.
how ironic is it that the last day of the year is a Monday???
on the Bloomberg possibility. Now supporters are claiming if Edwards or Obama even win, they will push Bloomberg to run. That statement is only an extension. They are just angling to be able to give reason for Bloomberg to run, because initially it was "if Clinton wins". I guess you could say, they're just preparing to make a case for Bloomberg, regardless who wins their primaries.
165. Tom, you claimed she probably was and why, I didn't.
I'm not an Edwards supporter but this story is incredible and a must read. As a parent myself -- it's extremely heartwarming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/31/us/pol...
bloomberg for president is like when huffington ran for senate here in california. a supposed non-politician gazillionaire whose "centrist," read moderate(???,) stance will lead us to...what??? to happy lala land where everything stays the same, but man are we all happy.
Linda wrote "Tom, you claimed she probably was and why, I didn't."
You don't say. And here I thought I wrote "s m is a black woman, so maybe it's understandable that that would seem a little racist to her."
I've been thinking about coal a little. Both Obama and Schweitzer are both from states with coal. And their plans seem to say 'let's take a look if there is any way to cleanly use this coal as fuel? We would be using our own resources. Let's just see if there is a way.' I don't see anything wrong with that point of view - in fact, it seems practical.
Did anyone see that shrill lady pimping Hillary on Washington Journal this morning? I had to turn it off - she was so unrelenting. Also, this will sound 'racist' but I'm old myself and she was old and I bet the Hillary team decided Washington Journal is watched by a bunch of old folks (guess it may be true lol) so let's send one of them to pimp Hillary.
I cooked this morning a little - my NY Eve party is me, a dog, and two cats with nothing stronger to toast with than fizzy water, but I made meatballs, cinnamon/sugar cookies, cheese spread, and the onion/parmesan/mayo stuff you spread on rye bread and broil and can't get enuf of. In addition to all being fattening, it is a celebration of auld lang syne b/c recipes keep the person who gave you the recipe in your heart, even if you and the person lost track, took different trails.
12:27 PM ET in Gatorville
170. Yes, Mary. They definitely have been through the worst.
A child, then one's self (and partner).
I was remembering the first with my Mom the other day when she told me the neighborhood priest from Pitt has retired in SE FLA, he had married her and burried my Grandma. He even recounted how hard it was for her to bury her son. That was heartwrenching for us to just hear it all again.
171. True. I even made a face when I was reading the article. Not exactly solid reasons for wanting to run for President.
Now I'm being referred to as a she, I don't even deserve a name, you people are really something else.
168. You have your facts wrong on this, the article stated if Obama or Edwards were running against Huckabee he may run. It does not state he would run if Obama or Edwards were the candidate.
Another racist statement only this time from the Clinton camp.
Sen. Barack Obama has had the most trouble winning support of older and rural voters, according to polls. In Cherokee, one Clinton precinct captain who asked that her name not be used questioned his prospects: “We’ve got to keep an eye on electability,” she said. “Is America ready for a black president?”
Annilow wrote "'let's take a look if there is any way to cleanly use this coal as fuel? We would be using our own resources. Let's just see if there is a way.' I don't see anything wrong with that point of view - in fact, it seems practical."
It is practical. To my mind, the only way to insure that we don't find out if there is a way to use coal cleanly as fuel is to oppose any type of research into clean coal technology.
176. I agree. That statement from the Clinton precinct captain is out of line and completely racist.
I'm sure many are also relieved to know John Edwards can't be a woman, especially after the attacks made by Ann Coulter.
_________________
168. No, I don't have the facts wrong, I said it sounds like they're just expanding the list of possibilities for him (Bloomberg) to get in the race. Originally it was "just Hillary".
Linda wrote "I'm sure many are also relieved to know John Edwards can't be a woman, especially after the attacks made by Ann Coulter."
But could Ann Coulter be a man?
Buon appetit, Annilow! And I forgot to say Happy New Year to everyone, We decided to stay home and rent movies. Our daughter is in Colorado visiting friends so I have two dates tonight - hubby and son. I promised my son I'd watch *Hot Fuzz* with him. LOL
Annilow, no I don't think it was a way to use coal, CLEANLY. THat has been proven of how dirty it is for years.
They have been trying to push Liquified Coal from the early 80's.
And, thankfully, Governor Schweitzer has not been pushing it of late.
Off to the city to see the film, The Orphanage....so just a quick drive-by.
sm, whether you are male/female/black/white/brown--don't know/don't care.
NONE of the commentary you've provided indicate that any of the other Dem nominees are racist. It's a cheap shot and your candidate deserves more from his supporters. If that's the best you can do than I suggest you simply cast your vote for him and leave it at that. You're not winning him any support here.
I'm supporting Edwards--I'll support Obama should he win the nomination.
Tell us about Obama's platform, leadership style, policy positions, etc.....but don't play the race card.....it's chickensh*t.
Ciao for now, peace out.
Will Push Polling Become a Factor in the Early States?
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/12...
mary vb
Mon, 12/31/07
Reply to this
Buon appetit, Annilow! And I forgot to say Happy New Year to everyone, We decided to stay home and rent movies. Our daughter is in Colorado visiting friends so I have two dates tonight - hubby and son. I promised my son I'd watch *Hot Fuzz* with him. LOL
+++
mary vb -
"Hot Fuzz" is a great film !
Also, is Great Debaters (Oprah-produced; Denzel Washington-acted and directed) that my wife and I saw this pat Sat (the matinee audience was packed full, we got front row seats, only available, a good mix of whites, blacks and hispanics).
The best debate phrase in the movie --
"if not now, when ?"
The audience roared in approval to that !
Well, wishing all a Happy New Year here and I'm justing bye for the next few days. I'm spending more of my time on some hopping with comments blogs (similar to here but a little less negative) - for example http://www.barackobama.com/index.php .
As the phrase goes "it ain't over until it's over".
ciao
My goodness - 2,000 stranded people west of Denver off I-70 sent me into a panic. That's where my daughter is. Some of her friends were in Breckenridge skiing this morning. Hope they're okay. thank goodness my daughter was headed down to Denver and not to the slopes.
typo - I'm justing bye for the next few days.
s/b - I'm just saying bye for the next few days.
fyi - record for most snow in Boston in the month of Dec has been broken with today's snow storm
mary...why are 2000 stranded? Breckenridge...I fell in love with that place. I've always wanted to go back for a Christmas time there. Maybe now that I'm much closer, I will be able one day. Happy your daughters OK.
Protesters Could Disrupt Rose Parade
by Solvej Schou
PASADENA, Calif. - There could be some discord during the Tournament of Roses Parade as demonstrators promise to raise issues during the holiday spectacle that has been going on for more than a century. Human rights advocates plan to protest a float honoring the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and anti-war activists, including “Peace Mom” Cindy Sheehan, intend to rally for peace.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007...
I do wish for a Happy New Year to all.
I hope next year will be at least better, I just don't see it happening by our Government, anyhow. So everyone do what they can in their own circles!.
Be well.
150. Most of the stuff mentioned in the article is irrelevant, as is the moaning about the middle class.
What's relevant is that more Americans are in an insecure situation and their future is, increasingly, not their's to determine. Working for an enterprise whose commitments you can count on is different from having 401K investments that can go down the tubes any day.
People's time is important. When it is wasted, they are deprived of the only asset which is definitely limited. Every minute that's stolen by anyone (government, industry, transit companies, fraudulent service providers) is gone for ever, never to be recouped. It's one think for people to relocate on their own initiative; it's another to be forced to move to make a living. It's even worse when people are forced to move and then held in contempt for having done so.
Private property is great, but people should realize that in exchange for the right to own property (claim a piece of the globe to be theirs alone) they owe a debt to the society that guarantees that claim for them. Private property rights come with an obligation to the rest of humanity--not just to treat the property with respect, but to recognize that others have a right to sustenance.
Linda - Avalanches or possible avalanches. My daughter said the winds are really gusty, The snow blew onto the highway, etc. I asked her to please not go skiing tomorrow either.
Big Oil Lobbyist and Edwards?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1...
192. Oh...yes. The wind picked up down here overnight. Yes, when there is snow, and winds pick up, it is like a sand storm, but with snow (slippery). Two drawbacks.
I'll never forget the time I was out there in the winter, as YOU OBVIOUSLY are quite familiar with. They designated me to drive the group (ha, thinking I had the most snow experience) I was freaking out seeing cars down ditches along the highway. Then traveling back from Breckenridge to Vail, ice/snow all over...car in front of me cut off another...they spun out and started sliding and spinning right in front of me. Oh...everyoone started screaming and I know all I could do was keep the wheel straight, but I was scared that I would jerk it if I saw the car coming at me, so I closed my eyes grasping the wheel tight...going forward. Everyone started screaming "how did you do that" ...I opened my eyes and continued on (with my legs shaking).
I'm sure she'll check weather reports and be OK. As Reed points out, there's a science that we do embrace the facts of. :)
Ha ha. cChalfonte is channeling Indy Steve.
Oh Linda - I surely don't miss driving in the white stuff (or shoveling it). Breckenridge was just a 45 minute drive from my house - our favorite place to ski.
Linda scary snow story - mary vb hope your daughter is fine and does what you say.
bbl
Linda wrote "And, thankfully, Governor Schweitzer has not been pushing it of late."
Someone watching C-Span over the Thanksgiving holiday might have seen the Bill Press Show simulcast featuring Gov. Schweitzer as a guest promoting exactly this program.
There's a new thread. We haven't been forgotten.
199. Tom...gee, would that be the interview from April 2006?
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