2008 elections

Why are Democrats Afraid to Speak the Truth?- The Democratic campaign enjoyed a spectacular and spirited convention climaxed by a phenomenal speech by Senator Obama. The McCain campaign followed with a phenom of its own with the addition of Governor Sarah Palin to the ticket. Prior to that spontaneous decision, John McCain was experiencing difficulty attracting an audience. In fact, with the prearranged agenda including Bush and Cheney, they would likely had difficulty filling the convention hall. This situation was remedied by the creation of the John McCain traveling burlesque show. Hopefully, the same people who support Sarah Palin are those who supported Sanjaya right up until it was time to declare him an American Idol. While the Republican propaganda machine is frantically fabricating a history for Palin, scrambling like canaries in a cage startled by the appearance of a cat, Barack Obama himself appears tired, bored, deflated, and even defeated. It's time for the Democratic Party to employ a novel strategy in the political arena. It's time to tell the truth.
John McCain: Morally, Mentally, and Emotionally Unfit- Abstract. John McCain’s 5 ½ years of torture have to have left him emotionally and mentally scarred. Over his entire life, he has repeatedly shown he is out of touch with reality, impulsive and reckless in his judgment, and intellectually lazy and lacking in curiosity. His choice of a completely unqualified “trophy” running mate clearly demonstrates McCain at his worst, incapable of making rational decisions.
Wrong for 12 Hours-
Directly after Obama’s speech at the Democratic Convention I wrote a column saying that Obama would be the “fourth man”; the significant figure in a historical sequence that opens the last post-war generation and the figure which the country consolidates around. It is that figure who makes history. It is that figure who is remembered when the culture turns. Everyone else who came before is forgotten.

12 hours later John McCain nominated Sarah Palin for Vice President. History could well show that I have never been so wrong in my prognosis. But I have been wrong about things before and held on to the wrong for years, even decades. This time I was wrong for only 12 hours.
Human Rights Campaign Rock to Win- One event I was able to attend while at the Democratic National Convention was the HRC Concert Rock to Win featuring many performers including Kansas's own Melissa Etheridge, Cindy Lauper, frequent Kansas visitor Rufus Wainwright, Thelma Houston, and Margaret Cho. The concert began with a short press conference where all agreed that young voters were essential to the election in November. Cindy Lauper said it was important for all people to vote, and that was a key component for her concert with the HRC as well as her national True Colors tour.
Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and an Alaskan Trooper-Gate- If you want to see what Sarah Palin brings to the Republican ticket, her appearance on the miserable Glenn Beck show is a good place to start.
Handicapping The Debates- The Democrats have spoken. The Republicans have spoken. From now on out, expect a daily dose of attack-style politics and increasingly personal attacks. Nothing will be off limits, except of course, families. (And maybe not even then) When the total impact of the RNC shows up in polls at the first of next week, Obama's bounce will subside and I predict the race will again be effectively tied for quite a while.
A Fake Consultant News Flash: Sarah Palin...What's The Dirt?- The Media will be abuzz today with the surprise of John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his Vice Cheney candidate. But there’s some dirt hiding under the rug... What is the history...who does she support...and when she talks about “open and transparent” government, what does that mean? Put your snow boots on, people...and let’s have a look...
Obama for Skeptics-
This piece is for the skeptics. Not for skeptical Republicans (I imagine you have your minds made up already), but for all the undecideds and independents, for all the middle-of-the-roadsters, for the person who is right now saying "I would be happy with either candidate as President" or, I suppose, for the one who is saying "I can't stand either of these guys". I’ve been listening to you, reading your editorials. I know what you’re saying. Dare I say, I know what you’re not saying too. Obama skeptics: This piece is for you.
A Calculated Risk for McCain- In being willing to sacrifice his strongest argument, experience, McCain has taken a gamble selecting his Vice-Presidential choice. Attempting to reach out to disaffected Hillary Clinton Democrats by putting a woman alongside him on the ticket, such a strategy might have worked if McCain had picked an ideological moderate. Instead, he picked a solid conservative. It's a curious selection because few Clinton supporters will be swayed by the presence of a woman who is conspicuously pro-life. The entire McCain/Palin ticket will be officially against abortion rights and rooted solidly in the tradition of fiscal conservatism.
Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech- Barack Obama's acceptance speech August 28, 2008
Young Republicans Tackle Age and Race- Today I met with many of the Young Republicans in the party who can't help but notice that the stereotypes of old, white, men are more valid than they would like. Leaders from the popular youth blog HipHopRepublican.com sat down with me to talk about opportunities that their party could harness if they were only willing to do the kind of outreach that Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's campaign does. The young people all have ambitions to achieve goals or run for office, but they are fighting an uphill battle in a tough establishment world. Their optimism reigns supreme, however, and the push mountains in efforts to move their party to something a little more mainstream.
Time for Un Cambio!-
Seventy-five year old Inocencia Coto in South Florida who has always supported Republican candidates in a district of predominantly Cuban Americans who usually vote 90% Republican in national elections won’t be supporting the Republican in her district this year. She’s actively working for the Democratic challenger, Raul Martinez, who is within four percentage points of eight term Republican incumbent, Mario Diaz-Balart.

Coto and many of her friends say the same thing.
VIDEO: Shut Down by Cops, Rage Against the Machine goes a capella @ RNC-
They aren't afraid of four musicians from LA - they are afraid of YOU!
Rolling Stone report says RATM was to play a "secret" concert near the RNC but was shut down by the police. Video courtesy of the fine folks @ Above the Fold
Hard Facts vs. Easy Money- I have been a passionate civil libertarian and an independent voter my entire life. At one point I entertained the possibility of voting for John McCain in the upcoming presidential election. Politics is a filthy business and Barack Obama is nowhere near dirty enough for the task. I envisioned McCain as the candidate who could clean up the Republican Party and restore its credibility endowed by leaders such as Abraham Lincoln. McCain often described Washington as a, "culture of corruption," and I believed that his experience would allow him to rally the few remaining public servants in the government and, along with Democrats, achieve compromises which would represent the will of the people. I had great hope right up until Dick Cheney took McCain aside and graphically introduced him to the astronomical amount of money with which McCain could line his pockets by towing the corporate line. After being offered membership in the self-proclaimed illuminate, McCain went, overnight, from a reformer to a conformist.
Democratic Convention Highlights- The big "dis-unity" fest that the TV Commentators were promising us was a lot of horse shit. NEVER happened. What does that tell you about them? Olberman got one good bitchslap in to Joe Scarborough when he interrupted Joe's rant with:" Jesus Christ Joe, get a shovel!" The home runs just kept coming!!
New Obama Hip Hop Vid- A new group Eklectyk Creative Media with Napalm Clique has produced an Obama hiphop video/mashup posted on youtube this week. The video begins with an excerpt from Obama's "A More Perfect Union" speech, and launches into a multimedia collection of the political candidate. It has strong video-editing and lots of creativity behind it. video have truly raised the bar for independent Hip Hop artists. In this production, real Hip Hop is used as a vehicle to inspire youth to vote and become involved in national politics.
The Year of the Woman- Having consulted a variety of polls (and yes, I recognize that polls are often hardly authoritative sources) it appears that Obama's post-convention bounce has continued largely undiminished until today. The most interesting aspect of the race I've found, numerically speaking, is the observation that both the Senator from Illinois and the Senator from Arizona actually lost ground after they announced their picks for Vice-President. While Obama's reverse bounce was widely attributed to his refusal to put Hillary Clinton on the ticket. McCain's reverse bounce may well be a mild backlash against his choice of a total dark horse for the second on the ticket, scorning a more conventional pick.
Election Toolkit 2008- Upfront: I'm not attached to nor have anything to do with the group below, except as an Old Voting Adult.
Yesterday I received a little booklet in the mail, I'm sure many others have as well. In case you hadn't I thought I'd pass on who sent it and how you can get one.

If you can't make it out this booklet comes from Black Box Voting.org who have been, along with others these last few years, been doing a stellar job on getting information and passing it along about this Countries Broken and Breaking Election Process.
CBS on Sarah- CBS shares six and a half minutes of fact on Sarah Palin.
Northern Exposure- The Republican Party has once again employed a brilliant strategy with the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as their 2008 vice-presidential candidate. On the last night of the Democratic Convention, Barack Obama delivered a sensational acceptance speech, which stunned even the “liberal media” covering it. Furthermore, it stunned the Republican National Committee who could not provide a meaningful response. The Republicans needed a sensational candidate of their own and they found one. Thursday evening, there was one flaw in Obama’s speech: he addressed the topics of Gay Rights and abortion and followed them by stating that the Republicans want to make this election about “small issues.” In response to that, the Republicans had to inflate the abortion issue and make it the number one issue of the campaign much the way they used the gay marriage issue to attract Evangelicals to the polls in 2000 and 2004.
"Wake Up America"- The speech no one is talking about. Woulda, coulda, shoulda?
Massive Protests First Day of RNC- The first day of the Republican Convention may have been stifled by the hurricane in the gulf, but protesters refused to let it stop their message. Whether anti-war, pro-universal health care, pro-choice, anti-choice, or anti-government in general, protesters packed the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota hoping to impact convention goers.
2008 Republican National Convention Roundup: Day 1-
An austere, abbreviated and less political RNC kicked off yesterday in Minnesota, as Hurricane Gustav bore down on the Gulf Coast and stole the show.

What remained? A business meeting, writes the Washington Post. The American Spectator kicks off its coverage in "Bye Bye Bush:"

As thousands protested in the streets, the Palins announced the latest addition to their family, and the GOP turned its national convention into a Jerry Lewis-style telethon for the victims of Hurricane Gustav, John McCain's party began its transition into the post-Bush era.

President Bush’s appearance was canceled, along with Dick Cheney’s. (Here's the list of what was to have been the RNC line-up.)

Meanwhile, top GOP climate leader Gov. Schwarzenegger announced he will skip the full convention on account of California’s budget impasse.
Scarborough reacts to Palin news- Scarborough and friends discuss the possibility of Sarah Palin being chosen as McCain's running mate.
Here's the story that wins Obama Ohio and the election-
The Toledo Blade (that's Battleground Ohio) has done a truly remarkable eight month investigation of the health insurance industry. This is one of the most damning, if not the most damning series on healthcare in America I've seen to date.

Thanks go to devtob for bringing this series to my attention.

Every last voter in Ohio should hear over and over and over, day after day after day, that a vote for McSame is a vote for Murder By Spreadsheet. It is a vote to condemn yourself and your loved ones to death by insurance.

This is what the Toledo Blade investigation concluded.
A Few Thoughts on the Eve of the Democratic National Convention- Before writing this article, I took a look at fifty years of conventions prior to this one. The advent of television has given the American people a chance to know almost every imaginable facet of the person who would be their Commander in Chief. The nature of the nominating convention has changed drastically in fifty years time. The hard paternalism of the past, which disregarded the will of the people, believing that party insiders knew best, has been set aside. Indeed, if that were still the case, Barack Obama would likely have never become the presumptive nominee of his party. Hillary Clinton would have become the de facto head of the ticket we all assumed would be the case as recently as a year ago. For all the talk of how the political process disregards popular sentiment, in the not-so-recent past one can see plain evidence to the contrary.
Just who is Chet Edwards?- The Obama Democratic Veepstakes is approaching a frenetic and feverish pitch. Is it Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, or even Hillary Clinton? Surprisingly, and perhaps to the dismay of many progressives, liberals, and democratic voters, the answer may be a resounding, “No.” :: :: The name Chet Edwards outside of Texas, the halls of Congress, or the inside of Nancy Pelosi’s rolodex, is a name unfamiliar to most Americans. So, just who is Chet Edwards? Quietly, yet not completely unnoticed by many politicos and pundits, he is widely considered to be one of Obama’s finalists on his list of candidates for the coveted VP slot.
No doughnut holes for McCain Family-
The next time McSame smears Medicare, would someone ask him about the prescription drugs his 96 year-old mother is taking? You might ask McSame whether his mother has to break her pills in half, and does she fear the doughnut hole like so many in her age bracket?

There is a new alarming report from the Kaiser Family Foundation which describe a veritable epidemic of senior citizens falling through the infamous Medicare D doughnut hole.
Pat Buchanan Reacts to Obama's Acceptance Speech- Pat Buchanan offers his thoughts on Obama's acceptance speech
Obama/Dems Smell Blood: Two Gaffes = Major Problem for McCain-
McCain's two gaffes in the last week--his inability to remember how many homes he owns and his expressed belief that people worth 4.9 million are middle class--are an enormous gift to Obama. And Dems, for a change, seem to smell blood.

First, at Rick Warren's gathering, he said people making $5 million and up are rich. Attempting to explain his remark, he said:
On Washington's Primary, Or, It Might Be Time For Republicans To Worry- I’m supposed to be finishing another story tonight, but I’ve just come from Darcy Burner’s primary night party...and I have in front of me the results of the important races tonight in Washington’s newfangled “top two” primary. It is unfair to extrapolate the results of elections in the “People’s Republic of Washington” directly onto a national map, but as I look as these results it seems fair to say that if any Republican strategists aren’t sweating bullets this morning it’s because they’ll be hustling for votes in towns like Maggie Valley, North Carolina (don’t forget to stop by Saratoga’s for the Wednesday night jazz...)...or, perhaps, Bessemer Bend, Wyoming. For the rest of the Republican community, tonight’s events are not good news. We have a fair amount to cover, so let’s get to it.
McCain is a secret Romulan- Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing
click to enlarge
Bill Clinton said what?-
The headline: "Bill Clinton Praises McCain on Energy Policy"

The actual story:
The Extremely Important Presidential Candidate Forum That Wasn't- We have two theaters of occupations of others in destroyed countries, destroyed by us, one in continuing destruction from others before to us now and our broken promises of helping to rebuild as that theater grows more dangerous, the other totally destroyed on the trumped up lies of a twisted ideology of a few, tens of thousands dead and maimed, millions living as refugee's, billions of dollars wasted, stolen, lost in the machine of war profiteering, soldiers serving multiple tours in both, families of same sacrificing as a nation that is not moves along, most not caring what is happening In Their Names.
The Least Incomprehensible Candidate- For everybody I know, including me, insofar as I know myself, McCain has turned into such a freakishly terrible candidate that it's hard to imagine how he could be statistically dead-even in a whole series of recent polls against Barack Obama. Why would anyone vote for a crumbling psycho like McCain? I don't know. As an antidote to the incomprehensibility of the current campaign, I've been reading a little about the 1952 election, when Adlai Stevenson ran against Dwight Eisenhower, and it sounds like it all played out on a much better planet. Instead of a broken-down junior officer whose only claim to fame is getting shot out of the sky, the Republicans nominated a general who managed to land 1,000,000 soldiers on beaches guarded by a huge, well-organized, and well-equipped army, and it wasn't a disaster!
The Fulfillment of the American Dream, Alaska Style-
I may get some hits for this diary, but it is heartfelt and sincere, and since it shares a heartfelt and sincere position with Jon Soltz of VoteVets.org, I feel good about it. I want to urge my fellow progressives to pull all stops out for Diane Benson, running for Congress in Alaska. Of all the candidates I have ever met, she is quite possibly the best. But precisely because she is from a working class, Native American background and has not been a part of the political game, she is the longshot, grassroots candidate. But from the point of view of the working class, our soldiers and veterans, she is one of the best candidates to come around in a very, very long time. If Diane Benson is the next Representative from Alaska, America will have a great deal to be proud of.
Preposterous Polls and Corrupt Campaigns- Abstract. Discrepancies between events on the ground and reports in the polls demand our attention, if we want to understand what’s going on. Maybe the pollsters are ignoring those who use cell phones. Maybe Hillary has asked her followers to express support for McCain to make her candidacy more compelling. Maybe the polls are suppressing actual voter preferences to set up the theft of the election without our bothering to notice.
Young Candidate in New York: Jon Powers- Thirty year old Jon Powers never anticipated running for office, but after his military service in Iraq he knew that he needed to do something more. So, he started a non-profit that aimed to help keep kids from turning to extremist groups.
"War Kids Relief worked with Iraqi ministers to develop programs for the Iraqis to implement. It provided needed research on the state of Iraqi youth. It brought Iraqi youth to the attention of a Washington devoted solely to military tactics. War Kids Relief worked to prevent a future generation of terrorists from growing in Iraq. It briefed Marine commanders on counterterrorism and the importance of engaging Iraqi youth." According to the site.
"Offshore" Obama Slides Down the Polls- The last four polls by Rasmussen and Gallup put Obama and McCain statistically dead even, and this is at the same time in the cycle when Dukakis was 17 points ahead of George H.W. Bush, and Mondale was 18 points ahead of Reagan. The Democrats could actually lose to the party of the most unpopular President in the history of polling and a crumbling old man with no ideas except more of the same!
Obama and the Demons of Racial and Religious Bigotry-
On January 2, 1960, John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States. A month later—on February 1st, 1960—four African American college students asked to be served in an all-white restaurant at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, North Carolina, an act that gave birth to the Sit-In movement. Those two events had a great impact on me at the time and have since then, but there is no way I could have imagined how they would cast forty-eight year old shadows across the presidential election of 2008.

In my first year of graduate school in a Methodist seminary in Dallas, Texas, the 1960 presidential election was my first opportunity to vote. My social ethics professor, the one who a year later would take me to hear Dr. Martin Luther King at a voter registration rally, was also instrumental in getting me involved in JFK’s campaign in Dallas. When I volunteered to help, I was given a car full of JFK/LBJ signs to give to friends who would put them up in their yards. I didn’t know anybody but students in Dallas and so didn’t do a very good job. But I was committed to the JFK candidacy and embarrassed by the anti-Catholic bigotry all around me.
Robin Carnahan: Voter Protection & Young Voters- Carnahan's are a pretty big name in Missouri politics as public servants who have gone above and beyond to lead and serve with distinction. The first (possibly only) campaign my cousin (who is 10 years older than me and have always looked up to) was a Carnahan campaign. I haven't stopped hearing about them since. But as a next generation voter and politico in my family, I've discovered my favorite Carnahan in Robin for her relentless pursuit of fair and accurate voting laws. Give the post I did yesterday about the Durbin/Schakowsky/SAVE Student Voter Bill extravaganza, I wanted to also highlight some of the dangers Missouri faced in had the new voter ID bill passed. These laws and other "policies" enacted by renegade county clerks can result in the disenfranchisement of hundreds if not thousands. The bill presented yesterday seeks to help with some of those stumbling blocks, but the states can do so much more. Look to Robin Carnahan as a guide. As her site says
Afflicting the Comfortable-
So was born, lived a little space, and died the Progressive party. At its birth it caused the nomination, by the Democrats, and the election, by the people, of Woodrow Wilson. At its death it brought about the nomination of Charles E. Hughes by the Republicans. It forced the writing into the platforms of the more conservative parties of principles and programmes of popular rights and social regeneration. The Progressive party never attained to power, but it wielded a potent power.
- Harold Howland
The two party system in America is remarkably durable. Just the phrase "third party" conjures up images of John Anderson, Ralph Nader, Ross Perot and George Wallace. These are all people who exited or were never inside the system. It implies actors at the margins engaged in Quixotic (though see here and here) attempts to fundamentally alter conventional politics. It also postulates two parties as though they are fixed poles on the political map. Nearly everything about the way we talk and think about American politics assumes the context of two major parties fighting for majority control.
Recap Netroots Nation With Video- So... finally I have video uploaded to YouTube from Netroots Nation. My post for Rock the Vote is here and includes this video. But below I want to share interviews in their entirety that include everything they have to say. To see all the videos I'm uploading here's the YouTube channel. There were a lot of things to talk about. Notably the myth that bloggers are young. I knew that, but had never quite seen that in action. There were many of us that were certainly under 30 and more under 40, but such a huge number of them that were older, x-hippies maybe... I think there is an assumption that we are all young and the reality was odd.
Tuning in to the election's racial frequency-
by Mikhail Lyubansky

“When it comes to African-American audiences, some have called Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential bid a ‘dual-track’ candidacy, one that seeks to prove he is in tune with the needs of the black community while also not alienating whites.”

This was the opening sentence of the John McCormick and Rick Pearson’s Chicago Tribune’s cover story July 15th and the typical way the mainstream media is covering the 2008 election. The unanswered (and typically not even asked) questions are what does he need to do in order to appeal to both of these groups, and is simultaneously appealing to both groups even possible. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief examination of these two questions.

Reporters and pundits alike often frame this issue racially – as in the example above. Nothing wrong with that. There are legitimate racial issues in this and other elections that deserve and are worthy of media scrutiny and citizen discussion. And certainly, Obama’s ability to simultaneously appeal to both White and Black voters (not to mention to other racial and ethnic minority groups) may both determine who wins the election and provide some much-needed racial unity (see my previous post on the racial implications of this election). That said, a purely racial framing of this question is much too simplistic. In the interest of space, I’ll focus on just one example: the intersection between race and social class:
On Imperfect Choices, Or, Jesus Ain't Running- A question has come across my inbox today, and as I am wont to do I began to answer my email friend (who I’ve known, by the way, since we both posted on the John Edwards blog). More or less 100 words into the reply it occurred to me that this was a question best answered in front of a larger audience. The question? My friend is having trouble committing to Obama. Why? I’m paraphrasing, but it would be fair to say that the sudden emergence of Obama’s “handlers” was a factor...and although it’s not in the note, I suspect the fact that Obama has “tacked to the center” recently on various issues is part of the problem as well. It’s a great question...and in an effort to provide a great answer I’m going to offer a few words of my own—and then I thought we might reach back a bit into history and see if there might be something we can learn. Having come to the metaphorical tee and taken the first shot, let’s head down the fairway and see where that ball might be...and where we can get it to go.
Fort Hood Town Hall Presidential Forum -
The country's wartime status has riddled this Presidential election year with added questions. That's why several non-profit military groups have come together to try to hold a Presidential town hall meeting at Fort Hood. Sen. Barack Obama is the missing ingredient for a town hall meeting at Fort Hood.
This is a nobrainer for the Obama Campaign, especially as to recent remarks by Senator McCain, and he isn't as great as he and others think as to Town Halls or other formats. The Obama camp have many like Wesley Clark and other knowledgeable Veterans of our Military who have more than just his back, as well as the many running on the same ticket for federal offices.
Imagine if Michelle Obama said this:- "In Arizona the only way to get around the state is by small private plane" :: Wow, Cindy actually said that.
The Racial Implications of a Barack Obama Presidency- by Mikhail Lyubansky This is heresy I know, since most of the white majority likes to pretend that it’s colorblind, but race needs to be part of the calculus in the November election for all voters. Of course, it was never not going to be part of the equation. And race is certainly part of the explicit discourse for Black voters, as it always is. My point is that it's high time white folks join in the discussion and acknowledge that it matters. Because it does.
"We've been there once. We're not going back."- Watch this awesome clip from Obama's speech in Raleigh, NC yesterday, in which he ties Bush and McCain together and destroys johnny on the economy all at the same time. There are some great quotes in this,
The centerpiece of John McCain's economic plan amounts to a full-throated endorsement of George W. Bush's policies.
It is brilliant how Obama begins this section of the speech. He acknowledges McCain's so called "maverick" image by acknowledging his stances on earmarks and the environment and then he just brushes it aside. The effect is to say he may be a "maverick" on those things but on the things that really matter, like the economy, he is McBush. This is all great but IMO the most effective part of the speech is the line. "We've been there once. We're not going back." It evokes images of a McCain presidency moving in lockstep with Bush policies. Read more to move forward with me.
The Enthusiasm Gap- Despite Obama's recent jog to the center, enthusiasm for the candidate remains high. Though the halo has slipped a bit in the past couple weeks or so, Obama's rock star status remains largely undiminished. This is particularly in evidence here in Alabama, a state McCain will likely win handily. The GOP margin of victory may be less then ten percent, the closest it has been since 1976, which was the last time this state went blue and handed its electoral college votes to Jimmy Carter.
A Just Foreign Policy- YES Magazine, Summer '08 Edition, has a number of really good articles, and an interview, that should be read and obsorbed as to some of what we should be putting into public discussion as we try to turn this ship of state around and head in a direction that should already have been. These articles touch on a number of important issues, Very Important, not only for us, as a country, but our place in the world and for the world as a whole. They are also a matter of our Security and the Security of the planet
This one with Shultz might sound abit familiar for any who heard him talking when they returned from this conferance, but this is an Extremely Important subject and not only for us, and our National Security but the Security of everyone.
George Shultz: No Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons abolition is not only possible, but necessary for our security and perhaps even our survival.
It starts of thus:
Obama's Modified Positions Make Sense-
Barack Obama has received considerable criticism for changing his positions on public financing (will now not use it in his campaign), and on FISA (supports the bill passed by the House). A few disappointed supporters have said he's therefore no different from John McCain, who changed his position on Bush's tax cuts (McCain now supports them), etc.

I think this misses the point, which is: what counts most is not whether a candidate changes positions, but whether the change is for the better or the worse. Let's look at the candidates and the issues:
The Greater Good- When we look at political compromise (a dirty word in today’s politics), the democratic primary was a wonderful case in point. So, instead of honorably conceding defeat earlier and getting on with helping a Democrat win the presidency, Senator Clinton pretended that she could still be victorious to the bitter end, and in the process, amplified racism through innuendo as well as providing Republicans talking points to be used in the Presidential race such as he is not ready to be President, he is too inexperienced, when that midnight call comes through, who do you want on the other end of the line? Or, Senator McCain and I have the experience… It did not stop there. This was a time for hardball politics. The fall campaign season will go even further will hatred and lies. They are the best of friends today especially after Senator Obama agreed to pay 10 million of her campaign debt. Where is the greater good?
Obama Willing to Do What It Takes to Get Elected- Roger Simon's recent article on Politico, entitled "Obama Not Running as Movement", takes a pointed swipe at many of us here in the liberal base of the Democratic Party. Those of us who have bristled at Obama's recent jog to the center would do well to remember that whether we like it or not, this country is still center-right in political orientation. Double standards do exist, particularly in the realm of religious expression, morality, and foreign policy. The Republican party can be excused far more easily than the Democratic party when it comes to perceived inconsistencies on this issues. So a certain degree of political compromise is necessary to win in November.
A Candidate's Military Pedigree - You know, this whole thing is interesting, from just a simple statement, of Truth. For McCain Hasn't Always Mattered
For the third straight day, Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign has raised a ruckus over comments suggesting that his military service may not, in and of itself, qualify the Senator to be commander-in-chief.
I'm not going to make this long and drawn out, it already has been, especially on the wires from folks who just plain don't get it, and including some who should:
Hope as a Corrective Measure- I read an article yesterday talking about how, for all the lip service this election from both campaign in favor of change and a radical shift from polarizing policies and politics, this election has quickly become a grudge match along the same lines as the last several. While the Democratic primary was a reasonably sedate affair, Obama v. McCain went nasty almost immediately after the Illinois senator secured the Democratic nomination and is likely to become notably even more mudslinging by the time it draws to an end in a little more than four months. For those of us who love a good political fight and are incapable of seeing politics in any other manifestation, this kind of back-and-forth bickering is much in line with our desires and expectations.
On Politics And The Internet, Or, Who Are We Missing?- It is by now an accepted fact of life that the Internet is having some sort of impact upon the political process…after all, if it wasn’t, would we even be here? But we’ve all wondered exactly how much impact; and now the good folks at the Pew Research Center have taken the time and trouble to do some survey work that seeks to answer that very question The logical approach would be to “walk through” the data (which is, frankly, good news for Obama) and see what they have to say about it…but let’s take a different approach today. Let’s instead look at the data and ask ourselves: who aren’t we reaching, why, and what implications might those answers have going forward—and downticket?
The Democrats' Risky Strategy- No Associated Press content was harmed in the writing of this post
Thinking back, it is hard to believe Ross Perot nearly upturned the two party system in 1992. He received almost 19% of the vote, which was more than an independent had received since 1912 - when a former President ran. Perot had a staggering array of disadvantages: The absence of even a bare bones third party infrastructure, no political experience whatsoever, an untelegenic face and somewhat high pitched (and grating) voice, a running mate who seemed simultaneously authentic and buffoonish, and a continually prickly reaction to the prying and publicity that comes with any serious bid for the White House. And then of course there was the epic freakout. Ahead in the polls, he abruptly dropped out of the race, then dropped back in several weeks later and accused the Republicans of trying to sabotage his daughter's wedding. He seemed, literally, to be having a nervous breakdown in full public view. And after all that he still captured nearly a fifth of the electorate!
Reunited and It Feels So Good....- :: Aw, yes. Remember the Peaches and Herb smash hit from the 70s? Reunited and it feels so good...
Barack Obama - Patriotism- Obama speaking on patriotism from Independence MO., June 30, 2008.
Putting Politicians On Notice (Again)!- Address by Mayor Ross C. "Rocky"- Anderson on October 27, 2007 By Rocky Anderson Salt Lake City, Utah -- Today, as we come together once again in this great city, we raise our voices in unison to say to President Bush, to Vice President Cheney, to other members of the Bush Administration (past and present), to a majority of Congress, including Utah’s entire congressional delegation, and to much of the mainstream media: “You have failed us miserably and we won’t take it any more.”"
The Case for Bob Casey: Why Barack Obama Should Look Beyond His Expected Shortlist- The next steps Barack Obama takes should be the most tenative--most notably, picking a running mate. Out of many options, I pull for one that isn't mentioned very often at all. Senator Bob Casey from Pennsylvania. Casey is new. He's new to the system, new to Washington. In an atmosphere that calls out for Obama to pick an experienced candidate, I disagree, because by what Obama says, what should "experience" mean to him? It should mean the old, the tainted-and-twisted-by-Washington. In order to keep in line with his theme of change that solidified my faith in his grassroots movement--not the candidate himself, I'd like to point out--he's got to pick someone new who hasn't been in Washington very long at all. If the polls that place him ahead of McCain are correct, and judging by the amount of money Obama for America can reel via private donations before November, it would seem as though Obama doesn't really need to concentrate on netting a huge amount of new voters. That's if, however, everyone that went to the primary rallies where he spoke chooses to do their civic duty and vote in November. That gives him the option, the opportunity, to stay with his message and pick a VP that isn't yet owned by corporate lobbyists and the destructive Washington system.
McCain's Misogyny-
Who's going to get the votes of Hillary's women supporters, McCain or Obama? That's one of the key questions campaign handicappers are trying to answer.
The Democrats' Different Strategy- Al Gore's endorsement last night in Detroit drew a fresh batch of sharp parallels between Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy and played up Gore's environmental credentials. This, in and of itself should come as no surprise to anyone. Prior speeches have seen the Senator from Illinois bill himself as a cross between Abraham Lincoln and JFK, with a smattering of other Democratic superstars thrown in for good measure. In a different candidate, I'd see this as empty chest-pounding, but Obama's earnestness and charisma make this characterization seem plausible.
On Open-Source Campaigning, Or, Do It Yourself Yard Signs- Just yesterday I was doing some reading at the BlueNC site, and I found this story by persondem who is planning to make and presumably distribute anti-McCain yard signs. persondem was asking the community for slogans...which got me to thinking, “why not?” Before I knew what I was doing I had created roughly 50 of the darn things—and that’s how we get to today’s story... As I said, there are quite a few...so do you have a handy beverage and a snack? OK, then, if you’re ready, here we go...
The Limits of Conventional Wisdom- Since September of 2007, I've kept close tabs on the latest poll numbers. It's been interesting to see the ebbs and flows of the Presidential race, particularly after Hillary Clinton gave her concession speech two Saturdays ago. As has been firmly established, the election in November will be close, which is why I practically dismiss off-hand (while hoping them to be true, of course) the first few pronouncements that have come in the form of deeply speculative stories---delivered in a tone of cautious optimism, each of which give Obama's election in November an air of inevitability.
Being Independent, Being (Dis)Empowered- I'm going to explore a psychological identity crisis that seems particularly rampant among Generation X and Y Progressives in this election cycle: A widespread insistence on registering independent in states with closed primary elections, and therefore eliminating the opportunity to participate in the democratic process. This blog is cross-posted On One City: The Blog of The Interdependence Project (of which I am the Director).
Get This Party Started- After a year and a half of hard campaigning, and $212 million down the drain, it’s hard to pivot and embrace the rival who dashed your ambitions. But Hillary Clinton made that pivot on June 7 with her gracious concession and endorsement of Barack Obama. She cleared the way for his inevitable nomination. If some diehard Hillary supporters were still booing Obama during her concession speech, those hard feelings should loosen up in time for the general election in November. Hillary’s campaign drew 18 million voters, many of them women inspired by her historic attempt to become the first female candidate to crack the ceiling of a major party. For months she appeared to be the odds-on favorite to roll to the nomination until Obama shocked the pundits Jan. 3 with his victory in the Iowa caucuses. Hillary fought back but Obama kept coming and he won the nomination fair and square—Clinton partisans’ complaints notwithstanding. He has reached out to Clinton and her supporters since he claimed the magic number of delegates June 3.
On A Civil Campaign, Or Things I Hope We Don't Say About McCain- Our Republican friends have begun the campaign season with their usual class and style; and the resulting Internet gossip has reported that Obama is a secret Muslim, that his Christian Reverend is the scourge of American religion, that he’s no patriot...and that he associates with every evil person on the planet, either by allowing them into his campaign or by his willingness to talk to those who hate us the most. And Obama has, to this point, chosen to remain above the fray. Because Obama has chosen the high road, I wanted to offer a few words about how we can be a more civil blogging community—and about a few things we should seek to leave off the table.
John Cusack on Morning Joe- John Cusack discusses the presidential election and his movie War Inc on Morning Joe
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, LBJ, and a Few Empty Words- It's obviously in the self-interest of Mr. Obama and his friends to mollify people who supported Hillary Clinton, but a few conciliatory words with the obvious purpose of attracting votes may not be sufficient. Mr. Obama and his brutal campaign machine vilified Hillary Clinton as a racist again and again and again during the campaign... for example, when she mentioned that Lyndon Johnson deserved some credit for passing the Voting and Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965.
Hillary Clinton Suspends Campaign W/Video- Here is the complete speech in four parts for anyone who did not get a chance to see it. Hillary was at her best and demonstrated once again why the democrats are our best hope for the future.
Hillary Clinton Is Finally Mobbed Out- Democrats in Washington began flooding Hillary Clinton with conference calls immediately after she won the South Dakota primary, and they finally mobbed her out of the race for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. All those bozos who turned majorities in both houses of Congress into a rubber stamp for funding the war in Iraq decided that the race ends whenever they say it ends, wherever they say it ends, and the rules of the Democratic Party don't really matter except when they favor Barack Obama. We are the deciders! The Democratic establishment in Washington has learned a lot from George W. Bush!
Keith Olbermann on John MCain's Iraq positions- Keith Olbermann's special comment response to John McCain's recent comments on Iraq.
Party Unity Means Hillary Clinton for Vice-President- Barack Obama can probably convince his true believers that all the insane hate-speech directed at Hillary Clinton in the last six months can be washed away by offering her a second-tier cabinet position, but for millions of Hillary's supporters who have been vilified as racists and insulted with every other conceivable term of abuse, it may not be quite so easy to forgive and forget.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “..a luxury I can’t afford."- cross-posted @ One Million Strong and This Week With Barack Obama Folks, the powers that be in the Democratic Party have shot across the bow of the Clintons. First, Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC), third ranking leader of the house will hold a press conference on Tuesday, June 3, 2008 to announce his endorsement. This is happening the day OF the Montana and South Dakota primaries. This move is significant because it has been Clyburn who have warned the Clintons continuously about their campaign tactics throughout this campaign, which did not sit well with him. So, now under Pelosi, he is endorsing on Tuesday. Also, this move is a signal to other fence sitters in congress and those who want to “switch hit” that now is the time to get on board, not later.
June 3rd Election in California: Some Progressive Candidates- On June 3rd there is a primary election in California. Primaries are our chance to make the Democratic Party more progressive, an opportunity too often missed. Progressive Majority is an organization that recruits, trains and helps elect progressive democrats in local elections. They have one of the best success rates of any progressive grassroots organizations (about 50%) and recently won big in Arizona and Wisconsin. Progressive Majority have some candidates running in California on June 3rd who need your support. Here is a list of candidates running in California who have been endorsed by Progressive Majority):
The Symbolic "Heroism" of Hating Hillary Clinton- Hillary Rodham Clinton is demonized every day on a hundred or a thousand blogs and in a hundred or a thousand editorials as "Hitlery KKKlinton," the death-mongering anti-Christ of American politics. Where did this craziness come from? It doesn't originate with Barack Obama. Whatever his real flaws as a candidate may be, including some surreptitious hanky-panky with the race card, his message is still relatively positive. Senator Obama may be vacuous, but it would be ridiculous to call him a hater. It seems to me that two related factors have produced the unprecedented tsunami of hate-speech directed at Hillary Clinton:
KS-Sen: Slattery Nearly There- With only an announcement former Rep. Jim Slattery is just within reach of Sen. Pat Roberts with tons of time to make up the rest. According to a recently released Rasmussen Poll
Hillary is the Real McCain… er McCoy- Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing
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This is a 'Change' Election, not a 'Throwback' Election.- cross-posted @ This Week With Barack Obama Congratulations to Hillary Clinton and her supporters for the win in West Virginia. Clinton netted 137,410 of the popular vote. Many estimated that West Virginians would vote upwards or over 500,000 to 600,000, but that was not the case. The turnout was lower. Moving on....
Vote No on Judge Phill Kline- I just saw this on the morning post on the MAINblog and about choked on my coffee. It seems Phyllis Schlafly has taken an interest in seeing judges elected in Johnson County Kansas vs. having them appointed in a non-partisan process that costs tax payers little to nothing.
"Voters in Johnson County, Kan. will have a proposition on the November ballot that could send shock waves through the tenure of state court judges.
YD's Stand Up to Power Lose $1 Million- A post on Huffington Post has a story about the Young Democrats of America's Superdelegates being bribed by one of Hillary Clinton's strongest supporters.
Black Block Voting Wins North Carolina for Obama-
Barack Obama won the black vote in North Caralina 91-6%. Hillary Clinton won the white vote 59-36%.

If the black preference for Obama had fallen in the same range as the white preference for Clinton, she would have picked up the difference between 6% and 36%, which would have amounted to 30% of the black vote.

Since African-American voters comprised 33% of the vote in the North Carolina Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton would have received another 30% x 33%, or 10% of the total vote, and Obama would have received 10% less.

Instead of 56-40% in favor of Obama, the vote would have been 50-46% in favor of Clinton, and Hillary Clinton would have won the North Carolina Democratic primary.
IN and NC set Precedent (or Presidents?)- Crossposted from WiretapMag In the most exciting news I've seen on election coverage, the Washington Post declares Young Voters to be one of the winners of last night's election.
"No age group has been more ridiculed for their lack of participation than those under 30. But in Indiana that age group comprised 16 percent of the overall vote while those 65 or older comprised 15 percent. Under 30s went for Obama 61 percent to 39 percent, a margin that all but neutralized Clinton's 44 percent margin among older Hoosiers."
Campaigning Under Mountain Momma- Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing
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So, Who’s Really 'Elite'?- Let’s see ... after graduating from Harvard Law as Law Review Editor, one candidate -- the grandson of a goatherd from Africa [Bloomberg News] -- heads for Chicago’s notoriously poor and ravaged South Side to organize neighborhoods in need of community playgrounds, asbestos cleanup and just plain help after the steel mills had shut down, leaving families with no jobs and not much hope. [L.A. Times]
Breaking: Indiana Voters Turned Away- According to a release from the Student PIRGs a number of Indiana voters were INCORRECTLY turned away from the polls today and given MISINFORMATION about the validity of their identification preventing them from casting a ballot they legally should have been able to cast. Let me remind you - that when the US Supreme Court made its decision they decided...
Elizabeth Edwards: McCain "just blowing smoke"-
There's an avalanche of bad news about healthcare. It's making me very worried.

But before I lay all that on you, here's the good news.

The good news is Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth is smacking down John McCain at every turn in the road.

Now to the bad news, there's so much.
KS-Sen: Connected Leadership- Former Congressman Jim Slattery is making his way through Kansas today officially announcing his candidacy for the US Senate against Pat Roberts (R). Slattery for Senate has launched an unbelievable website, beautifully designed (complete with amazing video) showcasing his history of leadership and his life as a Kansan. I've spent the past year poking fun at websites in state and the extent to which people seem far removed from the web 2.0 explosion that has captured everyone in the country except for Kansas. Slattery's team gets technology. Perhaps that's because he's 200 years younger than his opponent. Or because Joe Trippi is consulting.
BREAKING: Voting Rights Under Assault- The US Supreme Court just voted to disproportionately disenfranchises our rights to cast a ballot. Remember that whole thing about democracy and everyone having the right to vote - HA! I bet you thought that was real, right?? UPDATE 2: Rock the Vote recently released statement calling it "supremely wrong." UPDATE 1: Politico has also reported on the topic ------------------
"Campaign Fatigue" or Indifference?- The last few weeks have been extraordinary in ways that I could not have imagined, let alone forecasted. The American people, at least those that look past the mainstream media, seem to be rejecting the status quo and have begun to voice their opinions in a way that can’t be misinterpreted. I’m not just talking about the liberal/progressive wing of the political dynamic; I’m talking about centrist Democrats and Republicans, as well. The issues that people are bring up in forums and in articles, bring up the same issues; the war, our tax structure, the economy and the destruction of the Middle-Class, the weakening of our fundamental rights under the Constitution, special interest influence and the refusal of politicians on a Federal level to listen to their constituents.
The Silent Constituency: The African American Voter- cross-posted @ One Million Strong I woke up today to read two stirring diaries by two of my favorite diarists, kid oakland and teacherken. Both thought provoking and on point. But I am going to go further, because I can being African American and growing up in this community. And I will go even a greater step further. If the Democrats do not stand up and get a spine they will lose in November.
De Facto Racism in the Democratic Primaries- Yesterday I wrote about racially skewed voting in the Democratic primaries; specifically, Barack Obama's 92-8% majority among black voters in Pennsylvania, and similar percentages in other states. "Racism" is the sort of word that can mean more or less whatever anyone wants it to mean, and its de facto manifestations always find a way around de jure definitions.
Insurer profits collapse as Americans drop unaffordable junk insurance-

"Everything's fine," McCain told reporters during a news conference. "Like most Americans, I go see my doctor fairly frequently."

http://www.politico.com/...

It's official. Americans are giving up health insurance in record numbers. The insurance industry has priced itself and its worthless product beyond the reach of all but the most affluent among us.

It's official. Healthcare in the United States of America, is a privilege not a basic human right.
The League of Pennsylvania Voters- Liz Rincon is the state director for the Pennsylvania League of Young Voters, and while she hasn't been on the ground organizing for more than several months she's done a lot.
"This was never supposed to happen. I think everyone was unprepared for this because Pennsylvania has never mattered before!" she said over the phone between spirits of answering questions to shouting voices in the background.
Blind Monks, a Donkey, and a Democratic Debate-
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KS-02: What's Jenkins Hiding From Now?-
Kansas State Treasurer and Republican candidate for Congress Lynn Jenkins (CPA) has spent the last several months trying to make her American Century scandal go away... and with good reason. That's some pretty sketchy hijinks if you ask me.

In her op-ed to the Kansas City Star, Jenkins CPA wrote (I would link but archived articles at the star older than a week old must be purchased for $2.95 proving once and for all that the Star is all about money ... not so much about news... but I digress)
Cultural Libertarians- Campaigns and Elections Magazine is about as wonky as you get outside of polling data, and aside from it being fairly establishment they do tend to talk about some outside the box ideas. I think I've seen them acknowledge young voters three times in my 2 year subscription I bought. Last month's issue headlined their issue with a picture of what looked like a Millennial in a South Park t-shirt, listening to an iPod, and whistling as he walked down the street carrying a copy of The Fountainhead.
How They Intend to Derail Healthcare Reform-
One word. Fear.

And this fear will be marketed and delivered to the American people in all shapes, sizes, configurations, and mediums.

Let me give you a word or two about how the New York Times delivered a dose of fear today.

If you read the online edition of the New York Times, as I do, you might pay particular attention to the list of the top emailed news stories.

Diatribune

2008 elections