Average Joe

After countless wasted hours of speculation and pontificating by the media, Senator Obama finally unveiled his choice for VP. The campaign did a remarkable job at keeping the senator's pick away from the prying press, who could not wait for this monumentally important revelation. It is important to remember that the only time anyone cares about the VP in a campaign is the lead up to his selection, as the super smart talking heads can yell and scream at each about who it could or could not possibly be. Soon-to-be-Senator Mark Warner would have been the best choice, but he seems contempt winning a crushing victory in November. Senator Clinton might have been the best pick when it comes to the electoral map, but could not be chosen given the tenor of the campaign. Governor Tim Kaine was in the running, but lacked enough experience to get the call. Senator Evan Bayh was a Clinton supporter and helped secure her victory in Indiana in the primaries, thus he was not going to be chosen. For me, I liked the thought of Governor Kathleen Sebelius, a centrist Democrat who was re-elected as governor of Kansas in 2006 by 17 points.

Senator Biden is a safe, but super boring, pick. He adds the missing experience that seems to make many uneasy, having served in the Senate 14 years longer than Senator McCain. He is a foreign policy heavyweight, serving as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. His relationships around the world are a plus for the Obama campaign. He is also an aberration in the sense that he serves in the U.S. Senate and is not a millionaire. He will help with those working class voters that have previously backed Senator Clinton. If you have never heard of the former British Labour Party Leader, Neil Kinnock, you soon will. At the end of the day, Senator Obama's choice is not important, but Senator McCain's is. How bad does he want to win Pennsylvania? Enough to pick Governor Tom Ridge, who is pro-choice? Could it be Governor Mitt "the Mormon" Romney? Or could the former maverick give the finger to the entire Republican establishment and pick his pal Senator Lieberman? Senator McCain's choice is the one that counts.

Hope Wins the Day

Because of the hyper-partisan rancor that fills political discourse in this country, it is difficult to step back and reflect on exactly what happened last night. The presidential nominee box of crayons has always only included varying degrees of white. But not anymore. Many will downplay the significance because it is not a guy in their party, but just think about it for one second. Is the elevation of Barack Obama to the head of the Democratic Party not exactly what makes this country great? Does it not demonstrate a degree of social movement that is lacking throughout the "civilized" world? To think that 50 years ago, a blink of an eye on the historical timeline, someone of the senator's complexion could not have eaten at the diner down the street, nonetheless, be the nominee of a major party. It is okay to acknowledge the significance of the moment if you support Senator McCain. No one will brand you a liberal. While Senator Clinton does her best to remain relevant, seemingly entering the denial phase when it comes to confronting her defeat, Senator Obama goes forth trying to unify a party that is certainly divided, but not broken like most have tried to portray it. There will be plenty of time to talk about vice presidents and Senator McCain's awkward oratory. Let's just take a second and enjoy the moment. Senator Obama's speech last night was exemplary, particularly the end:

America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on earth. This was the moment—this was the time—when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves and our highest ideals.

This certainly is our moment. The spotlight shines bright on America today.

Yes We Can!!

The picture above is from Senator Obama's campaign stop in Portland, Oregon yesterday (read story here). An estimated 65,000 people showed up to see the Senator speak, the event has been dubbed the "Obama Mass" by Matt Drudge. A split in tomorrow's primaries (Obama will handily win Oregon and Senator Clinton will easily win Kentucky) added to the newfound civility being exuded by the Clintonistas and the continuous trickle of super delegates into the Obama column will make for a smooth landing at the top of the Democratic ticket for Senator Obama in the coming weeks.

Hillary Clinton Is Desparate

I saw this headline and was confused:

"Clinton attacks Obama on guns..."

Was Senator Obama not as tough as I had already thought? The esteemed senator from New York has always been a staunch gun control advocate, as has her opponent in the never-ending race for the Democratic nomination. Of course there was Pennsylvania, where Senator Clinton told stories about duck hunting and seemed be a bit more conservative on the gun issue. But that was a mere aberration, she was exaggerating to get a couple more votes, right? All politicians do this. The Clinton campaign apparently is now attacking Obama's stance on gun control. Apparently, the senator from Illinois has been pandering too much on the gun issue and the time has come for the experienced senator to call him on it. Her campaign has been distributing mailers in Indiana to this effect (see story here). The ad also reminds people that Obama called those who are downtrodden in Pennsylvania bitter. I think there are bitter people in Indiana, which will make this brilliant ad quite effective. Or maybe not. Senator Clinton's candidacy jumped the shark right after Super Tuesday I (apparently every time there is primary it is now called Super Tuesday) and continues to grow more and more annoying by the day. It is important to remember that there is no way the senator can win the nomination. She is too far behind in pledged delegates and the popular vote and her lead in the super annoying super delegates has been dwindling since Super Tuesday I (now 17, down from 20 at this time last week, see here). My theory about the viability of her candidacy has seemed to gain an air of credibility with the "experts," as now we hear people wondering if Senator Clinton is softening up Obama for John McCain. An Obama loss means that she will have the opportunity to run in 2012. In other political news that no one should care about, Senator Obama got a huge W in the Guam primary. Why should we care about this? We shouldn't.

Still Hoping...

The people in Pennsylvania finally voted yesterday, putting an end to the longest 6 weeks of any one's life who has invested as much time and energy into this never ending process as I have. What does Senator Clinton's 55%-45% victory mean? Little, it would seem. These gains will be negated in two weeks when she loses North Carolina by a similar margin (probably a little more). Indiana also votes that day and that is shaping up to be a close race that has far-reaching implications for the viability of the Clinton candidacy. Her major hurdle at this point (besides the insurmountable delegate lead for Senator Obama) is money. Shortly after claiming victory last night she made a direct plea to the electorate to send money. Have all of her big donors already given the max? The Clinton campaign is hoping that the ultra annoying super delegates will come to her aid in the 11th hour and put her over the top at the convention. Has the time not come for these party elites to throw their collective hat in the ring and get behind someone? I realize that everyone wants to pick the winner and not alienate themselves from a job opportunity in a potential Obama or Clinton White House, but there might be no Obama or Clinton White House at this rate. While these candidates continually go back and forth sniping over nothing, the crazy right (yeah I am talking you Hannity) continues to try and link Senator Obama to the words of every person he has ever known. Personally, I believe this tactic backfires in the end, as an overly aggressive attack campaign on an individual ultimately turns them into a victim in the eyes of those that are less fanatical about their politics (see the end of the Clinton presidency for an example). This has to end at some point, right? I do not mind Senator Clinton staying in the race, but I do mind the tone of her campaign. When she starts coming across as a mouthpiece for the GOP in her attacks, it is a little disconcerting. Thus is political discourse in the 21st century, we can only hope that it improves...

Pennsylvanians speak out:
-For the take of LWAL's Senior Clinton Aficionado (he is really old, John McCain old, senior has nothing to do with the value of his opinions), go here.
-For a Howard Beale-esqe rebuke of the Pennsylvania electorate, go here.
-For a more moderately disappointed take, go here.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident..."

Barack Obama has given the speech. Like how Mitt Romney was dogged by the media about his Mormonism and eventually had to speak about the state of his religion (a very good speech at that), Senator Obama, the first truly viable black candidate in the history of the United States, has been forced to deliver a speech about race. This is something the media has wanted him to do from the outset, especially since President Clinton's relatively tame statements on race before the South Carolina primary and Geraldine Ferraro's even tamer comments last week. The satutaration coverage of Jeremiah Wright this week provided the media with the means to force the senator into giving this speech. My views on the speech are simple, I would rather Barack Obama give a speech like this and lose than win and capitulate to what people wanted him to say. We need to get to a point where we can discuss race without Rush Limbaugh providing a sermon of his own on how we need to merely move on and forget about the past or Al Sharpton boycotting anyone who says something that the reverend himself deems inapprporiate. The scrubbing of America's checkered past prevents those growing up today to learn about those mistakes and make a better future. Does it mean that I hate America or am racist against white people if I merely acknowledge the existence of racial strife in American history? This is not the distant past. Are there not people alive today who knew Jim Crow personally? It was only 54 years ago (the year after before my mother was born) that the Supreme Court declared that school's should be integrated and it took decades for this to be put into practice. It was only 44 and 45 years ago respectively that blacks were granted full protection under law and ensured the right to vote. On the historical timeline, 50 years is the blink of an eye. And this country has made sizable gains with regard to race in that single blink, this is what makes this country great. While social change is always slow, this country has always responded to social injustice in time. But to say that there are not residual effects on society from the old structure today is ignorant. I cannot do the speech justice by describing it here, it is best to read it (here) or watch it in its entirety before media outlets dice it up into five second sound bytes to meet their respective agendas.

Hoping For Hope Can Be an Annoying Process

Two more victories this week in Wyoming and Mississippi have wiped out the Clinton victories a week ago in Not-So Super Tuesday. Pending on how one defines victory, we can call Texas a draw, as Senator Obama won 98 delegates to Senator Clinton's 95 despite the latter winning the popular vote (the same thing happened in Nevada). To date, Senator Obama has won 30 contests to Clinton's 14 (these figures give Senator Clinton Texas and Nevada and include Obama's crushing win in the Virgin Islands, Clinton's narrow victory in American Samoa, and Obama's big win amongst the all-important Democrats Abroad). The Clintonistas seem to be doing a fine job of continuing a process that started with President Clinton in South Carolina, a process of gutter politics that has no place in the primaries. Senator McCain can gallivant around the country collecting money, while the Clintons continue to employ every utterly ridiculous talking point that essentially does the presumptive Republican nominee's job for him. Geraldine Ferraro is the latest casualty of this vicious process. The former congresswomen is an historic figure, as she was tagged as Walter Mondale's running mate in the 1984 landslide loss to President Reagan. One can understand why she supports the Clinton campaign, but her utterances about Senator Obama are odd to say the least:

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"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position...And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

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It is odd that she made similar remarks in 1988 about Jesse Jackson (see here). Personally, I do not think Ms. Ferraro is a racist and I think we need to stop using that label every time someone makes a comment about race. For a country that wants to exude strength around the world, we can act like sissies sometimes when someone says something we do not like. And why should we care more about what she said than the senator himself? Knowing how the game is played, Senator Clinton should have shelved Ms. Ferraro when this happened. Her comments yesterday were disingenuous at best and came a little too late.

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The most annoying aspect of the campaign right now is the Florida/Michigan situation. The idiots that run those respective state's Democratic Parties are getting exacltly what they wanted when they move the primaries up in the first place, added importance. How the Clinton campaign can say with a straight face that those results, especially Michigan, are in any way legitimate is comical. Anyone that follows that line of thinking needs to remove the blinders they are wearing for the senator and think a bit more logically. The fact remains, she will not win with pledged deleagtes or the overall popular vote. Can the same people who decried the results of the 2000 election when President Bush defeated Al Gore without the popular vote honestly say that Senator Clinton should be the nominee of the Democratic Party in spite of the will of the people? One can hope not...

Not So Super Tuesday: The Politics of Fear Wins the Day

Last night, the Clinton campaign got much needed wins in Ohio and Texas. Senator Obama had the opportunity to issue the deathknell to the Clintonistas, but ultimately did not prevail (it is worth noting that Senator Clinton possessed 20+ point leads in both states about a month ago and won Ohio by 10 and Texas by 4). This further proves how effective negative campaigning can be. Silly pictures designed to make the feeble-minded think that Senator Obama is Muslim, attack ads that indicate that your children will die if Senator Clinton is not president (the ridiculous 3 am, red phone ad), and the continued talking point that the only thing Senator Obama brings to the table is speeches are commonplace in the Clinton campaign. My favorite utterance of the campaign thus far:

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"I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."

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What is her party affiliation? At least for those of us who believe that there can be an effective candidate that does not find it necessary to employ the "kitchen sink" (if I hear this one more time I will scream) in a political campaign, Senator Obama is winning. There seems to be little the Clinton machine can do to overtake him short of rounding up a high percetage of the remaining utterly ridiculous superdelegates. Her advantage from last night, including wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island and a loss in Vermont, only nets Senator Clinton 17 delegates (not all results are in). She will lose convincingly in Wyoming on Saturday and Mississippi in Tuesday. I cannot imagine this will go on for three more months, especially considering that Senator McCain will have his day at the White House today, taking the endorsement of the man who attacked his integrity in order to win the naomination in 2000. There has been one interesting development this morning, with Senator Clinton seemingly enertaining the notion of an Obama-Clinton (or vice versa) ticket . I have a hard time seeing her taking the #2 spot, but wo knows at this point. There's still hope for hope...

And she's free, free fallin...

Several words come to mind when thinking about Hillary Clinton's campaign, freefall and desparation work for me. While the consensus was that Senator Clinton was going to run a more positive campaign following her eloquent concluding statement at last week's CNN debate (or Debate XIX), that has certainly not been the case. The insistence that delegates in Florida and Michigan be sat is maddening. Despite the fact that all candidates agreed that delegates from these states would not be seated at the convention, the Senator was the only one to keep her name on the ballot in Michigan (Kucinich did too, but that was not a real campaign). She is acting like a wild animal trapped in a corner and it is not good for the Clinton brand or the Democratic Party. Recently, she has consistently compared Senator Obama to George W. Bush and George McGovern, the ultimate paradox of paradoxes. The picture of Obama dressed up like a Somali elder in 2006 highlights the deparation that has seemingly overwhelmed the Clintonistas. That is a tactic one might expect from the 527s that brought us the inspiring swiftboat nonsense in 2004. She has tried to criticize his inspiring rhetoric with silly sarcasm, even invoking a SNL debate in this week's debate (or Debate XX). Acting angry over Obama mailers in Ohio that dealt with the Clinton health care plan fell flat. What is left one might ask? Well, the Clinonistas apparently are setting up a legal challenge to the next week's vote in Texas before the vote even takes place. This is just another example of desperation from a fledgling campaign. Please go away Senator Clinton, exit the stage gracefully. Do not subject us to anymore of the negative vitriol that has become commonplace in your campaign. In my view, hope always beats desperation, unless your name is Richard Milhouse Nixon.

19 Down, 1 To Go???

Last night was the 19th debate between the Democratic hopefuls. The novelty of watching the first prominent black and female candidates debate for the chance to be the nominee of any political party has worn off. The majority of the debate was spent reaffirming each other's positions and when they disagreed the differences were so minuscule that it was difficult to stay engaged (the segment of health care was unbearable). Two moments stood out, Senator Clinton's "change you can Xerox" line fell flat and drew the ire of the crowd. Besides the fact that the line was utterly stupid, it followed Senator Obama's best answer of the night where he responded to the silly plagarism accusations against him. The second prominent moment was the end. Senator Clinton delivered an eloquent response to a question about challenges in life that made her seem almost human. There was a twinge of conciliation when she said, "You know, no matter what happens in this contest – and I am honored to be here with Barack Obama...Whatever happens, we’re going to be fine." Her hopes hinge on results in Texas and Ohio on March 4. While she will probably win the latter, the former is in play. Not only does she need to win these states, she needs to win them by a sizable margin, which is not going to happen. It seems premature to write the Clintonistas off, but with 10 losses in a row and dwindling poll numbers in both Ohio and Texas, it seems that end might be near. With that being said, hopefully Tuesday night's deabte in Ohio will be the last of this primary season. Hope is alive...

Out with the Old, In with the New

Delegates, bonus delegates, super delegates....my head is spinning. When will the madness end? Today I cast my first vote that I was excited to cast. It helps that our primary is pertinent for once with the Democratic co-frontrunners deadlocked and John Kerry’s name not on the ballot. Senator Obama should be weary of my endorsement, as every candidate I have ever voted for in a primary has lost the nomination. My hit list includes Howard Dean, Ken Longmyer, Harris Miller (I was one of three people who voted against Jim Webb), and guys who's names I cannot remember. It appears that my streak will end to today, as Obama is poised to sweep the non-cleverly dubbed "Chesapeake Primary." With three wins today, Obama will have won seven contests in a row following the weekend sweep of Louisiana, Kansas, Washington, and Maine. That streak could reach nine with Hawaii and Wisconsin voting next Tuesday (I challenge anyone to come up with a clever name for that one). By this time tomorrow Senator Obama can claim to have won 23 of 35 contests to date, a winning percentage of .657. A winning percentage like that would make the Senator the #3 seed in the NBA's eastern conference behind the mighty Celtics and the Detroit Pistons. Not too bad for a guy that was supposed to be finished after Super Tuesday.

Senator Clinton's campaign seems to be embracing a Rudy Giuliani strategy of establishing March 4 as a firewall for her candidacy. Chances are she will lose every contest between Super Tuesday and Super Tuesday Lite, thus loses in either Texas or Ohio could be the fatal blow for the Clinton era. At this point, Pennsylvania could matter on April 22 (BK should get throwing in the bullpen). It is worth noting that the primary that precedes Pennsylvania is Mississippi, which is held 43 days before Pennsylvanians head to the polls. That could be longest six weeks of our collective lives. Go Obama…

Something Must Change

Further proof that the American people want actual change is exhibited in the latest round of approval ratings for President Bush and the Democrat-led Congress (read story here). Both executive and legislative branches of the government are closing in on all-time lows with little hope of change given the impending presidential election. The fact that the president can be put in the same sentence as Richard Nixon in 1974 and Harry Truman in 1952 when it comes to low approval ratings is hard to believe but demonstrates the partisan divide that has taken control of political discourse in this country. Is it possible to change this? A second Clinton presidency would merely exacerbate this divide and make many Americans numb. A McCain adminstration would rile up the most vitriolic from the far ends of the political spectrum, right and left. But there is always Senator Obama, so there is hope...

Hoping for Hope

Not since 1968, has a candidate piqued the interest of so many people. Armed with a message of change from the monotony that is political discourse in this country, Barack Obama provides a much needed change from the status quo that has a stranglehold on the political stage. Incessant bickering over who is the most conservative or liberal or who has sponsored the most bills with the fewest earmarks has become the barometer by which the electorate is expected to gauge candidates for public office. When it comes to electing presidents, the debate never seems to get to the important issues of the day (war, health care, economics that impacts those that are not wealthy, etc.). It normally stops at, which candidate would I rather have a beer with? Which church does candidate A belong to? Candidate B's spouse is so insufferable that I could never vote for him/her!!

Senator Obama does what Robert F. Kennedy tried to do 40 years ago, talk about the issues that matter to people. From the current news coverage, which is devoted to following candidate's around the country without end to see what bad joke Senator McCain is making, what witty one-liner Governor Huckabee can provide us, or whether Senator Clinton teared up at a campaign event, one might forget that the United States is currently fighting a war on two fronts. Kennedy burst into the spotlight in 1968 with a message of ending the Vietnam War and focusing the attention of the American government on those in this country rather than in a country half way around the world. It was breath of fresh air in 1968, like what Senator Obama is providing today with regard to the Iraq War. He is the only candidate running on an anti-war platform, he is the only one who will stop the never ending flow of American lives and money into a country that does not want to be a satellite of the United States of America. When is enough enough? Unfortunately, Robert Kennedy, like his brother, was never able to exhibit his full potential and the Vietnam War continued for another five years. Where is the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel with regard to the Iraq War?

Senator Obama provides a change in both skin color and demeanor for the American presidency, as well as political discourse, both of which have been in need of maintenance for some time. While he also provides an ideology of much needed change when it comes to health care, taxes, and diplomacy, my support for the senator is driven by the belief that only a President Obama can lead the country through the darkness and into the light when it comes to the Iraq War. Only then can the government begin addressing those issues that are of the utmost importance to the American people. At least we can hope...