Your Old Road Is Rapidly Agin'

Hollywood fred thompson is out. Congressman Dennis Kucinich is out. Senator Barack Obama (295,091 votes) crushed Senators Clinton( 141,128), Edwards ( 93,552), and McCain( 143,224) in SOUTH Carolina. Though there seems to be some surprise that white southerners didn't come out in the same numbers for Barack (in case you missed the Clinton camp's announcement, Obama is black), the fact remains that more Americans came out in this southern state that went for bush twice to vote for Senator Barack Obama than Anyone on Either side, and by a lot. Hillary did win the Nevada primary, but it looks like Barack will bring home more of their delegates. Speaking of delegates, the Clinton camp is trying to bring the delegates back in Michigan and Florida, both of which Candidate Clinton won uncontested. Delegates were stripped from both states by Democratic National Committee because they moved their primaries up in the schedule. Why would she want that? Think she, or should I say They, are getting nervous? This Barack Obama is really starting to catch on with some real "experienced" Democrats. Senator Obama has now been endorsed by Senators John Kerry, Pat Leahy, Ted Kennedy, and former first daughter Caroline Kennedy, in her first ever presidential endorsement.

Change, in policy, is one thing all the Democratic candidates agree on. But there needs to be a change in more than health care, energy, and foreign policies. The way policy, and debate, is formed in Washington needs to change. The politics need to be changed. The team politics of "you're either with us or against us" needs to be replaced with a "what's best for the Country", "greater good" politics. It may seem like a pipe dream now, and this blog would certainly have to change with it, but it is a memo that the Clintons have not yet gotten. Senator Hillary Clinton left South Carolina to the ex president of the United States to campaign in. Bill Clinton is not running for president. Let me repeat that. Bill Clinton is not running for President. We do not elect Couples to run the United States as co-presidents. We elect one American to lead the Executive Branch as president. Former president Bill Clinton has been more active in the politics of this election than any other president has been in an election that is not their own. More than bushie's daddy did in 2000 or 2004. The former president is negative, he is red faced, and he has gotten nasty. His caustic involvement in partisan politics is not completely unlike the current sitting failure bringing partisan politics into every corner of his governance. Don't misunderstand me. I think Senator Clinton would differ in (non-corporate) policy from the monstrosity we have in the White House right now, but her politics are down right rovian. This election is about which candidate will help to bring about a real change in American governance. Recently on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow said this about the three leading Democratic candidates and "change":

"And I think that Obama and Clinton and Edwards are actually identifying what needs to be changed in three really different ways. I think Hillary Clinton is saying the Republicans and Bush need to be out and Democrats need to be in. I think John Edwards is saying the special interests and the lobbyists need to be out and the people need to be in, in the populist way. And I think that Barack Obama is saying that he needs to be in because he can transcend the differences across the political divide right now."

Talk of transcending the political divide does not have to mean dropping to your knees and giving in to the other side, like say the Democratic Congress has done for anything they've met opposition to. To be fair that too may be beginning to change with leaders like Senators Dodd and Feinstein, who recently filibustered of the FISA bill. They filibustered the FISA bill, to be voted on again later, because they don't want to let communication corporations off the hook for giving the private information of US citizens to the US government so they could illegally spy on their citizenry. No one person, no matter how high the office, will be able to bring about the change needed on their own, but who gives us the best start or angle on changing the discourse in a positive way.

I leave you with a couple of quotes from members of the Democrats' "Royal Family". And Senator Barack Obama's victory speech in South Carolina.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.

-Caroline Kennedy on Barack Obama from the NY Times 1/27/8.

"There was another time, when another young candidate was running for president and challenging America to cross a new frontier. He faced criticism from the preceding Democratic president, who was widely respected in the party," , referring to Harry Truman.

"And John Kennedy replied, 'The world is changing. The old ways will not do. ... It is time for a new generation of leadership.

"So it is with Barack Obama,"

-Senator Ted Kennedy endorsing Obama 1/28/8

Little w's Big trip (It's the Economy, Stupid!)

While 32% georgey was on his FIRST trip to "the Middle East", which was more about shaking sabers at Iran than anything else, he visited Israel (maybe to get images of Iran's "weapons facilities", like the ones colOn powell showed the UN before the invasion and occupation of Iraq). Shrub danced with swords in between his weak and feable pleas for lower oil prices. Now, she's not my favorite Democratic candidate but Senator Clinton said it best during this week's Democratic debate. She said "President Bush is over in the Gulf now begging the Saudis and others to drop the price of oil," "How pathetic." "We should have an energy policy right now, putting people to work in green collar jobs as a way to stave off the recession, moving us towards energy independence." Maybe the oil man-in-chief just wanted to make his arms deal with Saudi Arabia (where rape victims are brutally punished as their rapists go free) in person. To be fair, the incompetent one did say there will be a Palestinian state before he leaves office, one year from now. I'm not one to rush time along, but Come On 2009!

A "robed" bush touring the Middle East is not the biggest issue facing Our Nation right now. Neither is the ongoing primary season, which I unfortunately feel the need to talk about again. And though, I do agree that the ongoing bombing by "them" and Us in Iraq and our staying there until 2018 are a Big stories, the biggest story and latest crisis We are beginning to face is Our economy. The increase in wholesale prices in 2007 was the largest in 26 years. Inflation has seen its biggest increase in 17 years. The jobless rate has risen to 5%, and the economy only added 18,000 jobs in December. Gasoline prices have more than doubled since the little failure took office. Merril Lynch's $14.1 Billion write-down and Citigroup's $9.8 BILLION loss have added to the bail out of "American" companies by foreign companies. The DOW is dropping almost everyday. The value of the Euro is more than double that of the US dollar. The Recession is here. It's getting so bad, even bush is starting to admit it. Remember the surplus? The failure in chief's economic policies have lead to a huge debt and a huge deficit, which doesn't even take into account the neo-conservative republican war in Iraq, where American contractors are gassing American troops. This unnecessary and illegal war and occupation is costing Us $275,000,000.00 per DAY! Ok... deep breaths... count to ten..

How about a primary update? First off, the Democratic Party stripped Michigan of their delegates, which are what Our contestants are competing for, because the Michigan Democratic party insisted on moving their primary up in the schedule. That is why Senators Edwards and Obama were not on the ballet. Senator Clinton, being the only "major" candidate in the race, managed to lose 44% to "uncommitted". And sadly, Congressman Kucinich still only managed to get 3.7%, tying fred "holllywood" thompson. The reds sure have been fun to watch flounder and pander. The flipper won by 9% in the state where he was born and raised and his father was governor, to become the third republican candidate to win in as many "major" primaries that have been held. That's right three primaries, three winners, and Ron Paul beat little napolean rudy in this one. As the NY POST recently headlined "Republican rivals share one bond: All Losers".

I'll leave you with a couple of items to chew on:
1. Grist Magazine has a page up to tell voters how green the candidates are.
2. The Democrats haven't won the "South" since Jimmy Carter ran for president.
3. Senator Barack Obama is a Christian

And the quote of the week comes from Rep. Wexler (D-Fla.) as he called for hearings on the Impeachment on Vice President Cheney:
“In the history of our nation, we have never encountered a moment where the actions of a President or a Vice President have more strongly demanded the use of the power of impeachment,”

Jimmy Carter Brings It!

This is not safe to read aloud at work. It's probably not safe to even read it to yourself at work. And NO it's not real. It's from the Onion.

It sure is funny, though!

I Got What America Needs Right Here by Jimmy Carter

Genius!

Senator Hillary Clinton wins New Hampshire!

I can't say I'm not disappointed, but Senator Clinton's 109,567 votes beat Senator Barack Obama's 101,916 votes to win the Democratic New Hampshire primary. Senator john "grandpa" mccain won the republican primary with 86,078 votes. This marks the first time in history that there were four different winners in the first two primaries. And the way South Carolina is shaping up it might be six winners in the first three primaries (See Edwards and thompson).

There are certainly benefits to a party primary season that doesn't have the coronation right away, and by right away I mean after the first one or two "contests" (the campaigns started a year ago). The longer it remains a contested race, the more the primaries in the other FORTY EIGHT states will matter. People may even start feeling like "their vote counts" and anything that does that is a good thing, right? It makes it all feel a bit more democratic. Candidates also get more time to talk about their "plans". I've been barraged by detail seekers who long for "substance" from the candidates, and after a quick jab like "you mean how gore and kerry gave them, you know, like an economics professor?", I agree with them. But if you are sick of waiting for Katie Couric or the increasingly misogynistic chris matthews to ask "real" questions and then ask follow up questions for more details, you can go to the campaigns' websites for more "substance". If that's not to "pro-active" for you. Here are Hillary Clinton's "plans", Barack Obama's "plans", and John Edwards's "plans". Grist actually has a good "How green is your candidate?" page, too. It's really quite interesting to see this whole thing play out. It's a shame all the primaries are crammed into one month. What the hell have we been watching for the past year? Votes are so much better than polls. I wish the primaries were once a week for a year, a real Nationwide tour for the next leader of the American People.

In other primary related news, bill o'lielly, whose "news network" Obama has boycotted since their Lies about Barack's early education in Indonesia and whining about him not wearing his patriotic pledge pin, tried (a la Michael Moore) to "get an interview" with the Democrat at an event in New Hampshire. The arrogant baby of a man gave a shove and some weak "strong" words when a member of the Senator Obama's staff was in the way of "his" shot. Not to worry, the Secret Service didn't tase him for attempting to disrupt an event or getting physical. Poor little vibrator expert billo. You can smell the desperation on some of the attack dogs. He wasn't the only red air bag to have a bad week. Sean "i have an ass for a head" hannity was followed to his car by a bunch of Ron Paul supporters who were shouting "fox news sucks" all the way. A fine moment of writerless television indeed.

And just to end with some Democrat news, Obama picked up endorsements from Bill Bradley, Larry David, and the Culinary Union of Nevada. Ralph Nader endorsed John Edwards. And Former President Bill and Senator Hillary Clinton went on the attack and then Hillary cried.

Oh yeah and "the flipper" won the Wyoming primary.

Hopefully the next rant/post/web log will be about news outside of Campaign 2008. You know like hundreds of Kenyans dying while protesting the latest election there, the price of gas, heating oil and food, the rising jobless rate, the recession, and president junior's first trip as president to "the middle east".

Obama Wins Round One

Barack Obama won the Iowa Causcus yesterday, and by a fair margin. John Edwards came in a surprising second, and, the formerly unbeatable, Senator Hillary Clinton came in a close third behind him. Many see her loss as a bigger story than Obama's win. Not me. She's the establishment, no matter her gender. These Iowans caucused for Change. And dare I say it, it was about more of a change than just which party runs the White House.

Democrats turned out in droves, 236,000 of them. That's nearly double the 124,000 that showed up four years ago. The reds' brought out 120,000, which was an improvement from last election. But 236,000 to 120,000? I thought Iowa was red? Actually, Iowa is 92% white. I guess Barack Obama's "ethnicity" wasn't the factor in "Middle America" some folks might have thought. Another surprise came from the "youth vote" the talking heads (not the good kind) so easily dismiss. Their numbers tripled this year in Iowa and 57% of them caucused for Senator Barack Obama to be the Democratic nominee for the President of the United States. I guess Senator Barack Obama's message of hope and a change in attitude, action, and policy in Washington D.C. inspired them a little more than whatever the hell John Kerry or then-Vice President Al Gore was stiffly selling.

Even the red victory of governor mike huckabee was a shocking repudiation of the "Washington establishment". True, 60% of republican Iowa caucus goers were evangelicals and huckabee is a baptist preacher, true believer, that wants to "take this nation back for christ". But his nine point win over mitt "the flipper" romney was more than anyone thought was possible. You can hear it in the reds that are trying to pump up grandpa mccain's fourth place finish. The neo-conservative, rich people rule, reds who have become the "republican establishment" don't like huckabee's populist talk.

The one other thing that strikes me is how Obama's, Clinton's, and Edwards's support can be seen around the Country. Any of the three, but most likely the first two, could win any of the primaries. The reds on the other hand are split. Middle America goes for Huckabee, New Hampshire will go for "the flipper" or "grandpa". Florida, California, New York, New Jersey could all go to lil' napolean rudy. They are divided.

Oh how seven years of feed the rich economics and incompetent/criminal foreign policy can change the landscape.

The New Hampshire primary is on January 8th. The Iowa Caucus was just round one. It is a Big Round One, but it might not the president maker some make it out to be.

One last note: Senator/hopefully future Senate Majority Leader, Christopher Dodd and Senator/hopefully Vice Presidential candidate, Joe Biden have dropped out of the 2008 presidential race.