Blog Buzz - Biden Dumped for Clinton?

A simple Google Search of "Biden Dumped for Clinton" gives a stream of blog buzz regarding Barry Hussein's major flop in selecting Joey "Hair-Plug" as his Vice Presidential Running Mate - beginning around the time of Joe Biden's "Hillary would have made a better choice" comment.

Of course Biden is the Gaffe-master, but is he really setting the stage for a VP switch, as suggested by the blogging world? If so, what would that look like, and what legalities would have to take place? Surely an October 5th bait and switch would not leave ample time to change ballots in the 50 states plus territories voting...

The DNC's bylaws simply describe one of the committee's responsibilities as "filling vacancies in the nominations for the office of President and Vice President." (See Page 7 of this document [PDF].) The bylaws do not, however, explain how the DNC would go about making its decision or how all ~400 members of the committee would be allowed to vote.

The most recent case was in 1972, when Thomas Eagleton withdrew from the ticket under George McGovern after disclosure of previous shock therapy brought into question the seriousness of his depression. In this case, a "mini-convention" was convened on Aug 8th (as the conventions of that election were held MUCH earlier than the 2008 election), 275 DNC members attended, and had to formally elect a new candidate for VP - in that case, Shriver.

Simply put, Obama cannot "simply" replace his VP pick... though Biden may withdraw of his own accord - but it may be political suicide for him... it is notable, however, that he is running a re-election campaign for the senate in conjunction to the Vice Presidential bid - as allowed by Deleware state law. A withdrawal for severe health reasons may hinder the Obama candidacy, but it may bring into question his ability to hold a Senate seat for an additional 6 years.


That being said, the DNC would have to officially reconvene in some extent to reconfirm a new Vice Presidential nominee.

Politically, such a move by the Democratic Party would be seen as a last-ditch move on the part of the Democrats. It would demoralize the Democratic Party. Although a decent number would welcome an Obama-Clinton ticket, an equal number would see it for what it is: sheer desperation.

The Republican backlash across the nation would result in an overwhelming Republican turnout and Republican landslide not seen since Nixon defeated the McGovern/Shriver ticket in 1972.

Palin/Clinton on SNL - Parody Politics & "Experience"

I can picture it now - it is similar to the Oscar's...

The award for Woman in a Leading Role... The nominees are:

Hillary Clinton - in "No Country for Old Man" - The tale of the 2008 campaign that wasn't

Sarah Palin - in "Into the Wild" - The tale of one woman's political enlightenment in the Alaskan Wild

And the Oval Office goes to: (drum roll) SARAH PALIN, for her wonderful role as a small town woman who found herself in the Alaskan Frontier, and brought those values and life lessons to the lower 48 states!

This image popped into my head as I watched the SNL skit featuring Tina Fey as the stereotyped Sarah Palin - a know-nothing Conservative gun-toter from nowhere Alaska, and Amy Poehler as stereotyped Hillary Clinton - a nut-cracking, power hungry pants-suit.

Though I think they did a hack job on Palin, over playing her stereotype - I am pretty confident that they nailed Hillary's reaction spot on... I am sure there was more pulling out her hair than ripping apart the podium, however.

Regardless, as the world continues to get to know Sarah Palin, including Obama's army of lawyers and investigators rummaging through Alaska's landfills looking for ANY dirt on Palin, they are beginning to see a very capable conservative. And it is Palin's conservative views, shared by most Americans, that the Liberal Media, like SNL, don't seem to understand - perhaps because they actually think that New York thinking and living (such as Sex and the City) is the rule, rather than the exception in America. Let me tell you Lib-Media types something... you are wrong - a thousand times over.

Sarah Palin is every woman. She is my mother, my grandmother, my sister, and my friend. Not only does she appeal to the every-woman, but she appeals to me... the conservative guy. She is a reformer, an executive, and the future of the GOP - youth and women are now given a new face within the Republican Party with which they can relate.

The attacks on her experience? Even if she had been Governor for 20 years in Alaska, the answer would be that Alaska is a state of only 600,000 people, less than the population of the city of San Francisco and just over the population of Oklahoma City. Governor of such a small amount of people must not be in touch with the complexities of the real world.

Palin has 8 years of Executive Experience - 6 years as Mayor of Wasilla, the 4th largest town of Alaska, behind Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau; and two years as the Governor and Commander In Chief of the State of Alaska.

Palin has 4 years Legislative Experience - serving on the Wasilla City Council.

Palin has 2 years Judicial Experience - serving as Chairman of the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. This role also gives her almost expert insight into energy independence issues.

That is 14 years of tested leadership of notable measures.

If the Democrats are going to go to war against small town USA, supposing that work in small or sparsely populated states or regions doesn't count as "real experience" - hinting that small town citizens are somehow inferior to their North Eastern metropolis cousins... That is a battle I firmly welcome. Small town USA will win every time!

It happened in the USSR...

When the USSR collapsed in the late 80's, the Cold War ended. The United States was filled with joy of the end of the CW, but new threats began to arise.

Those threats were rogue states, unstable nations, and civil wars throughout the old soviet republics.

What would it look like if the US government, and it's complacent voters, continues the gap between the people and the leaders... What would it look like if the gas prices reached $4.00 a gallon and drove the nation into an economic panic, as the lower and middle class could no longer afford the basic necessities. What would it look like if the lower and middle class was systematically uprooted from their homes because of government mingling in the private housing market?

What would it look like if the US ceased to be a union of peaceful states, and instead became a series of independent states fighting for resources enough to survive?

It is not crazy... we have done it before... and as the people are less and less able to thrive, let alone survive, we march forward along the same path that destroyed the Soviet Union.

We are truly at a pivotal point in our nation's history... and our nation's existence.

Here is an interesting timeline starting in 2008... it is from a video game, but is hardly unlikely.

Where'd all the good people go?

The Olympic torch is in the United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area today... protests have begun days ago in preparation of the arrival of the torch of freedom being paraded by the worlds most evil empire - China.

Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, and I have agreed for the first time: Boycott the Olympics. Do not support the human rights violations and repeated offenses against humanity and freedom that have been committed by the government of China.

And to top it off, our fearless leader, GW, is supporting the Olympics by attending the opening ceremonies WITH the ruler of China...

What happened to the America in which I was raised?

Where is the strength and anti-communist efforts upheld by everyone from Kennedy to Reagan?

Do we care more about commercialization and globalism than human rights?

Where is the outrage? Where is the humanity?

And why the heck do I find myself allied with the most liberal socialist democrats? Why is this not a united struggle? Have we all become complacent?

I ask... Where'd all the GOOD people go?

Super Bowl, Super Tuesday

Coming from Seattle, I have been trained to have a natural disdain for anything coming out of New York. However, like any reasonably stable individual, I understand that there are times when one should support a team, despite their New York status.

Add to it that I just LOVE an underdog, and I will have to admit that I was pulling for the New York Giants to upset the Pats. Let's just say that it was a very vocal and entertaining Super Bowl party at my house yesterday! What an historic game, and a very dissapointing showing from the team that was crowned the victor before the show even began.

Which leads me into Super Tuesday. Granted, the house parties will be few and far between... but I am hoping for the results to be the same.

I am invoking the name of the Underdog... who's spirit is alive and well in the wake of the Giant's upset of the Pats.
When it comes down to selecting a candidate, electiblity comes with support... it is the message that matters! Anyone is electible, if they can overcome their hurdles... what is important is the consistency of the message.

This will be the big show for both the Dems and the Republicans... and where the Democrats once lauded the GOP for such a contested race with no clear front-runner, they find themselves up to their ears in the same mud!

Who will play the role of the phoenix? Who will rise from the ashes of Super Tuesday and claim victory? Will it be Obama over Hillary? Will it be Huckabee over McCain and Romney?

The first contest is in West Virginia, whos convention concludes at 12:30 ET tomorrow. According to this WSJ site, the West Virginia contest is still wide open between all three candidates. The way West Virginia is voting is a convention, where the candidates are granted 20 minutes each... if they decide to show up. They can use that 20 minutes to woo the delegates, and go for a first round win early in the day. Romney and Huckabee are leading the state, but most delegates are uncommitted. Any candidate who shows up, especially if uncontested, will likely win the convention.

The next state to close is Georgia. Huckabee must win in this state. Georgia is a pulse on how the other Huckabee sympathetic states may vote. Since Iowa, Huckabee has failed to win any states. South Carolina was a bad blow to his momentum, and since then his supporters have been looking for a sign that his campaign has not been critically wounded. Polling shows Huckabee up in Georgia, Tennessee, and Arkansas... though his lead has eroded away since SC and Florida. Huckabee needs to make headlines today if he plans to win tomorrow!

Mitt Romney is also battling the McCain monster across the US. In my previous post, I did not predict a strong showing for Romney... But Romney has some momentum, coming out of a Maine win... (yeah, Maine voted this last weekend... who knew?)... Romney's struggle is for the top of the ticket. I have said it a number of times, Romney has made no friends in the field of candidates... should he come out behind with delegates, he may as well throw in the towel, because he can't and won't get the VP nod.

McCain has the momentum, but it may be a little too sugar coated for a lot of voters. They still remember 2000, and then the bills that he led since then. Folks are heistant to support McCain because he truly is a Republican Maverick. Can a maverick lead the party, or levaae it in disarray?

And then there is Ron Paul. I had originally counted him out of all the state contests, but he is rising in the polls as an alternate to the three that are above him. He stands a decent chance to show strength in an independent state like Alaska... I originally was calling this state for the Independent minded McCain, but Paul is the only candidate with a campaign office in the state, and any real organization on the ground. Could Ron Paul pick up Alaska?

Of course, as I said, today is the day for the candidates to make some headlines. Press conferences are nice, but resounding policy speeches are better! Now is the time to be blunt, be presidential, and hope that you can pick up those undecided voters!

The Death of Establishment Politics?

The new buzzword from the lips of the establishment political mouthpieces is no longer "islamofascists"... well, at least not during the election season. The new buzzword is "populism"... but trust me on this, the use of the word is meant to invoke the same fear and emotion!

The reason that this word is causing fear is that the people are speaking, and they are finally united in one effort: Get rid of politics as usual. One thing is for sure, politics in America will never be the same after 2008! At least if the trends continue.

The establishment candidates are falling faster than those poorly animated ducks in Nintendo's Duck Hunt... That hunting dog has his work cut out for him as he has to run around picking up nose-diving establishment candidates.

And if one pays any attention to tracking polls, you can clearly see that the populous was wearily supporting the establishment candidates, because the Media declared that they were the only viable candidates in either party. But, as the polls show, the first sign that there was even a hint of viability in another candidate, the establishment lost the wheels on it's bandwagon! (See the red arrows in the picture above... nose-dives indeed!)

Since 2006, the media has been building the next Royal Rumble... Hillary Clinton facing off on the national stage against Rudy Giuliani... pollsters and pundits have written books about this clash of the titans, made millions, and had nearly handicapped the 2008 race for us...

So was this anticipation the straw that broke the camel's back? Was it the grinding in on "viability" politics that finally made the people throw their hands in the air and declare "ENOUGH!"? I think so... I think the quasi-subdued citizens, distracted by American Idol and Top Model, were motivated by something different... and the tools of motivation made these citizens more accessible.

That is right... The death of the establishment politics, and the rise of populist politics, is due to the internet. The last vestige of free speech... and I mean free in that you can send powerful messages (via YouTube, e-mail, MySpace, Facebook) for FREE. No money required. That means candidates can focus on getting their messages out to millions of citizens at the cost of ZERO...

Then enter the bloggers... the most effective and passionate grassroots effort in American Politics... perhaps in history... capable of causing a revolution within our government without firing a single shot... The perfect example of the David v. Goliath... the Bloggers taking on the Major News Outlets... Communication amongst the people, giving rally cries, circling wagons, reaching out to one another, and waiting for our chance to pounce.

No longer are we restricted to the newspaper reading over the coffee table, where we are limited to bouncing our ideas and opinions off of our significant other... Now, each and every citizen has a forum... and we are excited about it.

Now that we are able to see our results, the impact that we have had, the downing of the establishment candidates... politics in America will never be the same. Empty campaign promises, negativity, gaffes, and slips... they will all be reported, they will all be discussed, they will all be scrutinized... because, in our lifetime, we have seen the beginning of the populist movement, when the people... WE the people... have decided to take our government back.

Let's see what happens after tonight... but I am willing to bet the farm that the trends continue, and that the pundits will be left scratching their heads over two obscure dark horse candidates getting the nod, and heading into the general election.

Stress of Campaign getting to Clinton, Clinton chokes back tears

An interesting thing happened today... it seems that the Clinton machine is beginning to feel the pressure of the campaign.

Hillary Clinton, after a sit-down meet and greet with voters in NH, was asked a question about maintaining her campaign despite losing steam to Obama. To which she replied that some people think that elections are just games, that they support whomever is appearing on top... and what shocked everyone, including her campaign, was that she said it while choking back tears.

Is this a calculated move on the eve of the NH vote... another effort to attempt to appear more human, and possibly feminine fragile? Or is this a sign that Hillary's lack of actual leadership experience is showing through as the stress of campaigning is starting to get to her?

Time will tell... and with the deluge of polling done in NH over the past days, being reported today, it is easy to see why she is in tears... Obama continues to pull ahead... which could spell the beginning of the end... or at least it puts a question mark on the Clinton Inevitability.

Predictions for the NH Primary

Real Clear Politics is showing a new trend after the Iowa Caucus, and in anticipation of the New Hampshire Caucus: Mike Huckabee and John McCain are surging nationally, while Rudy Giuliani (who is seeing his lowest numbers of the race) and Mitt Romney are free-falling. In fact, the latest polls show a three way tie for first: McCain, Rudy, Huckabee... but unfortunately for Rudy, his numbers are falling and it will not be too long before his campaign is through... At this rate, I doubt that he will make it to Super Tuesday in one piece... so it looks like his "Go Big or Go Home" approach to delegates (focusing only on the Super Tuesday states) has failed... or is in the midst of failing.

But what about taking a look at New Hampshire? How is tomorrow going to play out? The debates showed that there are four candidates in this race nationally: McCain, Huckabee, Rudy, and Romney. Thompson will likely not register in these polls, and may hold out for South Carolina... but after an embarrassing finish there, he will withdraw.

I call NH this way for the Republicans:
McCain: 37%
Romney: 28%
Huckabee: 15%
Paul: 10%
Rudy: 9%
Thompson: 1%

NH Dems:
Obama: 39%
Clinton: 26%
Edwards: 24%
Richardson: 6%
Kucinich: 5%

On the Republican side, the poor 2nd place showing will be a second blow to the already critically wounded (post Iowa) Romney Campaign. After a 2nd place finish in NH, Michigan wont much matter, and there are no other states where Romney is polling in first besides Utah (and perhaps MA, but I don't know... the last poll was from April of 2007).

Fred Thompson is not expecting anything out of NH, and only showed up in the state for the debates, then it was off to SC where he is facing a 2:1 deficit to Mike Huckabee, who leads the state. After a fourth place finish (to Huckabee, McCain, and Mitt or Rudy)... perhaps a 3rd place finish if Mitt and Rudy continue to slip, Fred will give a speech along the lines of: "Well... we gave it a good run... but it looks like it wasn't meant to be... so I will be withdrawing my campaign from the race, and endorsing John McCain"

John McCain will get a huge boost from an overwhelming win in NH. This boost will likely propel him to a 2nd or 3rd place finish in Michigan, and make him a contender (likely finishing 2nd) in SC. This will give him some momentum going into Super Tuesday. I say SOME because he will not do well in Florida, so there will be one loss just days before Super Tuesday.

Mike Huckabee's convincing 3rd place finish will reignite the huckaboom, and add to his momentum from Iowa. He will likely go on to win in Michigan, South Carolina, and Florida... giving him the big Mo' heading into Super Tuesday. This is going to be a Huckabee McCain race to the finish.

Rudy's gamble of waiting for Super Tuesday did not pay off. He will have no momentum going into Florida, and likely finish second to Huckabee. This blow will lead to a lackluster performance on Super Tuesday. Rudy will likely hold out for the National Convention, hoping to win over some delegates as Romney and Thompson drop out of the race.

Ron Paul will make his last stand in NH. This is the only state where he would have had a chance to come out on top, with the support of the Independent voters. However, a 4th place finish will leave his campaign with no momentum... plenty of cash, but no momentum. I doubt that he runs as a Libertarian, but if he did, this could put the Libertarian party on the map, giving the Green party a run for it's money as the only viable third party. This would be optimal if Bloomberg also ran as an independent. We would see a four way race, where the Democrats are hit by the Independent Bloomberg, and the Independents are hit by the Libertarians, and the Republicans are hit by losing Independent voters to some degree... It would make it the most interesting election in recent history!

On the democratic side... if Obama pulls off another upset, as I predict, the Clinton campaign will be finished. Edwards will surge into first or second as Clinton's numbers plummet. The nomination will likely go to Edwards or Obama (in that order) after Super Tuesday clears Clinton off into a third place shocker. She will likely drop out and endorse Obama, but her voters will be split between Edwards and Obama... then it is a delegate war for who can cross the threshold first.

*Note, these predictions are subject to change assuming I am completely wrong and NH goes a totally different way.

Bill Clinton in the Supreme Court?

Thanks to my father for the news tip!

CNN has picked up a largely ignored story, and is apparently letting the blogging world discuss this issue...

According to the CNN Report, Hillary Clinton is planning to appoint Bill Clinton to the highest court in the land, the Supreme Court.

Of course, there are many issues that would likely restrict Clinton's appointment, unless the congress were overwhelmingly Democratic after the 2008 races, which include:

• Perjury before the Congress by Clinton
• His being disbarred
• Precedent for Husband/Wife to serve on Executive and Judicial branch of Federal Government at the same time (Taft served as a Justice after being president, but not during the term of a spouse, of course)

One further issue with this idea is the ensuring that the establishment of the Clinton Dynasty lives on in US politics. A move, which as of last night, could prove fatal for the Clinton campaign.

What are your thoughts on this issue: Supreme Court Justice William J. Clinton... ??? ...

Doing the Right Thing - Being Human

Politics is a battlefield... That goes without saying. It is the most vicious game that one can participate in. There seem to be little rules, no clear fouls, and the out-of-bounds seems non-existent.

So why do we do it... why do we blog on political issues? Why do we run for office, or why are we involved in political parties?

Each and every person can provide a very different answer. Some seek glory, some seek social change, some seek to simply protect the constitution. There are some who see it as their civic duty, some who see it as a career.

No matter what your motivation, there seems to be an aspect that has gone missing... that is the human element.


It is widely understood that we (the masses) are no longer considered citizens, rather consumers. We are no longer concerned citizens, we are poll results. We are seen as mindless drones in need of political ads to sway us, or commentating to change our vote.

Wake up, readers... we are not mindless drones, and we cannot allow ourselves to be 'led out to pasture' by media, political ads, etc. We must demand that our politicians NOT consider politics as "business as usual"... we must demand the human element!

Take the time, as a political leader, to reach out to me as a human being... I am not talking about making a political ad about living with your mother in an attempt to SEEM more human, I am talking about reaching out in a different way... a way that is off the beaten path of politics... engage the people on a personal level...

Treating every "voter" as a human being... what a concept.

Reaching out to us means showing your soft underbelly... it is hard as a politician... but it is real. And that is what the people crave... real change, real ideas, real emotion, real heart, and real people... people from their own ranks... A candidate with something that the others are missing... the human element.

Rudy, Huckabee beat Clinton; Romeny loses to Clinton in Colorado

Rasmussen Reports conducted a survey in Colorado at the end of November, gathering data on head to head match-ups. The match-ups were related to the Senate race between Schaffer and Udall, as well as head to head presidential preferences in a Rudy/Clinton, Huckabee/Clinton, Romney/Clinton, McCain Clinton match-up.

The results:

Schaffer leads Udall in the senate race, 42% to 41%.

Rudy Beats Hillary: 44% - 40%
McCain Beats Clinton: 44% - 40%
Huckabee Beats Clinton: 42% - 41%
Romney Loses to Clinton: 40% - 43%

Remember, it all comes down to picking up electoral votes in the general election. Who is REALLY electable? Look at which states they stand to lose or gain from the 2004 electoral map.

From Colorado's standpoint, Rudy, McCain, and Huckabee stand to hold Colorado, while Romney would deliver Colorado to Clinton.

If there are any more state head-to-heads, please let me know. I would like to build an electoral map based off these head to head match-ups.

Cheers!

Taxes, and tax code changes

With Mike Huckabee forcing the GOP contenders to no longer be considered "top tier", rather "top-five" contenders, it is also bring more discussion about the Fair Tax. Now, I must admit that I am a bit of a fan of the Fair Tax, which is why it upsets me when I hear folks like Romney insist time and again that the Fair Tax would mean a 33% national sales tax, and how it would hurt the retired folks who no longer pay income taxes... Let's stop the political dribble, and discuss real tax reform.

For starters, the Fair Tax will require no more than a 22% National Sales tax. This will be stand alone, no income tax at a national level. The lower rates will still fund the federal government for a few simple reasons:

1. Elimination of defunct government programs/departments/programs


2. The hidden taxes currently built into the current price system will go away - the prices will have to drop as consumers will be outraged to see a corporate profit increase of unreasonable amounts


3. We no longer will have to subsidise those failing to pay income tax. This is a system where more people will be paying into it, so the rates are lower with the same results

The tax code is currently so complicated, with loopholes, tax breaks, multiple taxes... for instance, if you overpay your taxes and your tax write-offs exceed $10,000, the money that was taxed once and then returned to you is taxed a second time the following year as income. There is a tax on savings, tax on dying, even a tax on selling your home too soon... Every aspect of our current tax code suggests that the government wants to penalize growth and innovation.

Imagine a tax system that would either eliminate the entire tax system, levying a one-time tax of 20-30% on income, or a tax system that has a 0% income tax and 22% sales tax. No loopholes, no tricks, no special deductions. Everyone pays tax one time on the same dollar.

The CATO institute suggest a flat income tax, eliminating all other tax loopholes. They suggest a maximum tax rate of 20% for maximum economic advantage. In time, this tax rate will provide economic growth rates upwards of 7-10%. Similar results would be seen with a Fair Tax, but the Fair tax has one HUGE obstacle: the Constitution.

During the era of the new deal, there was a tricky little amendment to the constitution that allowed the federal government to collect an income tax. The Fair Tax will never succeed unless we have a constitutional amendment to repeal the federal income tax, and replace it with a sales tax... furthermore, it would be almost necessary to constitutionally ban a federal income tax to ensure that the government does not hit us with BOTH! This is the reason that the CATO institute has chosen not to endorse the Fair Tax... the means to achieve the intended purpose are too great.

So as we move forward with the Presidential nomination process, we need to listen very closely to those with the biggest ideas on taxes. Senators Obama and Clinton have promised to increase tax rates to those of the 1990's... That is upwards of 40% plus multiple taxes. The only effect of taxes this high are stifled economic growth, higher unemployment rates, and lower disposable income in the hands of the citizens (and thus a lower quality of life).

Who is your candidate of choice when it comes to taxes? How will they best spend my money? And how will they ensure that my money stays in my pockets, not their coffers?

Could the 2008 Dem nominee STILL be Al Gore?

"And the nominee is..."

The crowd hushes, Hillary is smiling in the wings... Obama is pacing the in the pews...

"Al Gore..."

A buzz instantly fills the room... was Al Gore even in the race? Hillary can be seen, red faced, yelling at her campaign manager... Obama is in tears as he thinks of all the political leaders he wont get the chance to insult.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is not an actual situation, but an enactment of what could be the case during the Democratic Convention next year.

WHY? You ask... Well, The speculation of an Al Gore entry into the race is still afloat... and even Rasmussen, the most trusted name in polling, is predicting that regardless of the Clinton/Obama buzz, that the Democrats are going to pick a white male for their nominee. That leaves John Edwards and Al Gore.

What is better... Al Gore, without campaigning, is winning straw polls... The latest was the Scottsdale District 8 Straw Poll... It is no Ames, but voters had to pay $20 to cast a vote... and Gore walked away with the big win. He also came in second place to Edwards in the "popularity" vote. Clinton, Obama, and very far behind Richardson don't seem to have the support of the Central Arizona democrats... The same three don't really have the support in the Midwest, either... It is Edwards sweeping the middle-America crowds... which only means that if Al Gore enters the race, he will be the Democratic entity able to shake the Clinton foundation.

Speculation was that Gore would enter the race during the "save the earth" concert... but he didn't... With high numbers, high popularity, and the Democratic party secretly looking for the White Male candidate, the choice is Edwards or Gore. Recent speculation is that if gore's popularity and numbers continue to rise in the wake of the Draft Gore movement, December will be the kick-off of the Gore2008 campaign.

With political rivalries sizing up a Clinton nomination, throwing Al Gore into the mix could ruin the GOP strategy... (if I can figure out what that is, I will let you know). Remember, the GOP is planning to play the 51% "Definitely Will Not Vote Clinton" card VERY hard for the independents, as well as some of the Dems likely to jump ship. I know a few Dems who are in that category, and I don't blame them. There is a constant buzz in my community: "Anyone but Clinton"... and I think America Agrees.

So Al Gore... it looks like you may be getting the nomination after all...

GOP Candidates, be prepared for the shocker... just in case. Everyone else, keep your eyes on Florida!

God Bless.

Democrats Debate... YouTube Style...

Last night, America watched as the much hyped CNN/YouTube debate unfolded... The first 5 minutes were used to discuss which videos were not chosen, and why, what the format was supposed to be, and to once again claim the debate's innovative nature.

I took notes during the entire debate... what was the question, who answered, and did I consider it a positive or a negative response (not down political lines, but rather in the candidates body language, knowledge of the topic, and comfort in talking "face to face" with the everyday American)

I am not going to go through my notes line by line, but I am going to hit a few highlights...

Anderson Cooper, the moderator, is OBVIOUSLY an Obama supporter. Cooper would direct general questions to the candidates, and for the first 35 minutes, Obama fielded twice as many questions as Hillary or Edwards... Mike Gravel fielded one question in the first 35 minute segment, and stopped the debate to complain about it... Cooper gave him more time later on... It took Cooper 20 minutes to FINALLY ask Bill Richardson a question... By that time Obama had answered three... In short, Cooper needs to determine a better way to distribute the questions... though by the third segment, he gave all the candidates 3-4 questions evenly... so he found his rhythm...

The questions covered the main-stream issues... but there were a few "dinner table" questions, and definitely a more personalized way of asking some of the mainstream questions... I appreciated the human-factor... as opposed to the Wolf Blitzer Robotic debate, where if you don't answer correctly Wolf will keep grilling you until you answer his question his way (like he did to Huckabee on creationism)... There were awkward moments like the candidates fielding question from snowmen... but in all, the idea was to keep the questions in a very YouTube-esque manner... It worked.

The winners? John Edwards did a great job challenging Obama and Clinton, and I think showed his compassion towards women's issues... and definitely out shined Clinton on the women's issues question. Gravel angrily came out against Clinton and Obama, using what little time he has left on the stage to make some deep wounds... and Biden almost made it into this category, right up until the end...

The losers? Biden... he had a lot of momentum, until he called the gun owner a mental wack-job just because he referred to his AR-15 as "his baby"... he even went as far as saying that the video submitter was most likely not mentally capable of owning his weapon, and suggested that he may be a danger to society... Mr Biden... The only danger is you, my friend. Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson really needed to break out, and they didn't. This may be the last debate with them in it. Richardson has one of the best messages on Energy Independence, but he just can't seem to be "interesting". Clinton yells... a lot! And it is really hard to think that she is a compassionate person when all she does is yell... strike-out in my book... Dennis Kucinch needed to shine, and this was supposed to be his format... he did alright, but it was just shy of being put in the winner's block... and the loserest loser of all the losers... Barack Hussein Obama... in any given answer there were 15-20 "Umm", "Uh", and other fumbles as he looked for the right thing... his inexperience was in full swing, and though his answers may have been on message, they lacked the ease and intelligence that our next president needs to have.

If I had to call it, I would say that we are looking at the fall of Clinton/Obama, and the rise of Edwards/Biden (but Biden needs to make ammends with the gun-owners of the world)... Perhaps Richardson is going to be a VP pick... so we may see Edwards/Richardson as the democratic ticket for the general election...

Though my question was not picked, the very first question was mine but asked by someone else... I am going to focus on submitting a few perfect videos for the Republican CNN/YouTube debate in September... Hopefully Huckabee is still in the running, and gaining more momentum!

God Bless!

The Ever Changing 2008 Presidential Election

This election season is more exciting to me than a 10 year old waiting to see the new Harry Potter Movie... Every day there is something that looks to be a new wrench in the cogs!

Let's take a look at the situation, and the excitement!

- Clinton and Rudy are leading the polling for eitehr party... two NY Liberals.

- McCain has all but lost any chance of winning the nomination due to his poor immigration bill, as well as his (what I like to call) "crazy old man" outbursts of late.

- Clinton and Obama are battling it out over the internet... via YouTube.

- The underdog candidates on the Democratic side are flickering out like candles in the wind, yet trying to hold on with everything they have got (i.e. Dodd's "Dodd Ammendment" to a spending bill, requiring a 30 day timetable for Iraq retreat)

- Most of the underdog candidates on the Republican side are losing steam, and flip-flopping on issues like immigration (i.e. Brownback's amazing 11 minute flip-flop on the senate floor)

- Huckabee is gaining in the polls...

- Fred Thompson is STILL keeping everyone on the edge of their seats while he makes up his mind about a run... meanwhile everyone else is making actual decisions (so how can we elect such an indecisive candidate? You are in or out...)

- Bloomberg goes Independent, shaping the potential for a three party election, all candidates will happen to be from New York. Bloomberg's presence in the race will be a hit to the Dems, as he will cater to the Democratic base... but if Rudy is the Republican nominee, GOP-ers may vote third party to send a message to the RNC.

- Ralph Nader has mentioned that he plans to run in this race... most likely (I think) to upset Clinton.

- and finally... Al Gore looks to enter the race!

Al Gore visit postponed
Former US vice president Al Gore will not be able to make it to Taiwan
this September to address the issue of global warming, Democratic Progressive
Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said yesterday. Tien, who invited Gore to
visit Taiwan to promote awareness on global warming, told reporters yesterday
that she received an e-mail from the Harry Walker Agency, which has the
exclusive right to arrange Gore's speeches, saying that Gore had canceled all
his scheduled events in the next six months. The visit to Taiwan had been
postponed to next year, she added. Tien said the reason for the cancelation was
that Gore was considering a presidential bid.

Thanks to GOPBloggers for turning my attnetion to this article in the Taipei Times... but it looks like Al Gore may be more upset than the Republicans that Hillary is doing so well... And as a side note, I heard that Bill wants Gore to enter the race...

I Threw Up In My Mouth, Just A Little

I was reading through some political news, and it hit me... Everyone is counting on a Clinton/Obama ticket in 2008... what, O Dear God, would we do about this ==>

Can you imagine? Clinton, the "War Moderate" catering to the "Independents"... and Pelosi, the "Moonbat Lefty" catering to the base liberals/socialists...

Not that Clinton is Moderate by ANY means...

And not that the ticket would be strong... but it popped into my head, and I think I threw up a little in my mouth!

Clinton, Boxer: Let's Squash Conservative Talk Radio

An interesting snippet of an article...

What we are witnessing is an increased "reigning in" of conservative free speech... I love where this is going... freedom to discuss issues, freedom to protest government, freedom to express dissenting views... oh wait, scratch that last one if you are a conservative... in fact, conservatives, scratch ALL those on the list...

According to the Liberal Leaders in Congress, the Conservatives' ability to freely discuss issues is NOT protected by the first ammendment.

Listen very carefully... Yes, I am talking to you Moonbats Clinton and Boxer... You are lighting the fuse to a powderkeg if you start telling me what I can and cannot say, or think, or wish, or dream... keep your hands off my thoughts, keep your hands off my ability to speak freely.

This is why socialism is a BAD idea... much like the Soviet Socialist Republic... where the government will review each broadcast, and provide scripts for broadcasters prior to anything being aired... take control of the presses, and eliminate any dissenting opinion... fascism at it's best... 1984?????

The point is, The more liberties that are snatched up by our government, the more we become slaves to the new master... a beast of a government, from who's grip there is little hope of escaping. Let us all hope that the time for action is not too late, and that the raging river of the overbearing government can still be turned back, leaving us with the liberties and freedoms that our founders fought for so long ago.

"Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We
are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that
siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged
in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the
numbers of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the
things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever
anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the
worst, and to provide for it." - Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775

For now, the most we can hope for is a complete sweep of congress... doing away with a senate and legislature that rivals the Late Roman Empire for corruption...

Beware the thought police... and God Bless!