Hell YES!

The Kids Have Spoken!

I couldn't resist doing this in class yesterday. My kindergarten class got into the spirit of the election. They did a terrific job.

From left to right: Claire, Jason, Benson (seated), Monica, Me, Stella, Wanda. These kids are a incredible. They inspire me.

The Vet Who Didn't Vet

This is seriously funny, kinda sad, but funny nonetheless.



What a tragic chapter in the history of the U.S.

Sarah Palin is going to disappear from the radar in the next few days. I am willing to bet that she'll have a difficult time holding on to her governorship in 2010.

My Electoral Prediction

Here is the way I see the electoral college going on Tuesday. My beloved home state, Ohio, has lots of kooks in the southern part of the state so it's gonna be close. Cleveland and the surrounding areas are Obama country, not so much Cinci.

OBAMA/BIDEN '08

>2008 Election Contest: Pick Your President - Predict the winner of the 2008 presidential election.

Popular vote: Obama 51% McCain 46% Other 3%

FL & PA will go to Barack. This will mean the election should be called rather early in the evening. I would love to see IN, MO and GA go blue, but NC will suffice. A blue NC will make Jesse Helms roll over in his grave...good stuff.

I am closely watching the Franken/Coleman race in MN. I would love to see Al in the Senate.

Other projections:
Post-election Senate make-up: 58 Dems, 40 Reps, 2 Others
Post-election House make-up: 256 Dems, 179 Reps

McCain is in Trouble...

The new USA Today/Gallup poll has some revealing numbers. It's virtually a clean sweep for Obama. If the polls continue to swing towards Obama, this race could get seriously ugly. The Republican party has a long history of playing dirty pool and this game has just begun.

Here is the link to the entire article: USA Today

HOW AMERICA VIEWS THE CANDIDATES

Percentage of respondents who view presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama favorably and unfavorably:

	Favorably	Unfavorably
McCain	59%	35%
Obama	64%	31%

What respondents say would be the effect of Obama being black make on his effectiveness as president:

Make him more effective	9%
Make no difference	82%
Make him less effective	8%

What respondents say would be the effect of McCain's age would make on his effectiveness as president:

Make him more effective	11%
Make no difference	65%
Make him less effective	23%

What respondents say about the political views of McCain and Obama:

	McCain	Obama
Too conservative	40%	9%
About right	37%	43%
Too liberal	15%	40%
No opinion	8%	8%

Which of the following characteristics and qualities respondents say apply more to Obama or more to McCain:

Characteristic	Obama	McCain
Understands the problems Americans face in their daily lives	54%	29%
Cares about the needs of people like you	52%	30%
Is independent in his thoughts and actions	52%	36%
Would stand up to special interests, including those aligned with his party	48%	34%
Would work well with both parties to get things done in Washington	48%	35%
Shares your values	47%	39%
Can manage the government effectively	42%	42%
Has a clear plan for solving the country's problems	41%	31%
Is a strong and decisive leader	40%	46%
Is honest and trustworthy	39%	35%

Come On Up for The Rising!

This is a great moment. The use of Bruce Springsteen's wonderful song is perfect. Ya gotta believe that these two gentleman are going to get the U.S. back on track. The future is much brighter when you allow folks like this to lead us. It's refreshing to listen to leaders who have some eloquence and true compassion. Enjoy!



p.s. I am sticking to the prediction that I made in March, Obama/Edwards '08. Here is a link to that post:
Further Political Prognosticating

Further Political Prognosticating

I never thought I'd say it, but the Clinton's need to exit stage left. This primary cycle is far too costly and very well could turn many excited voters off. I think that Obama has a real chance to turn the U.S. in the right direction. The "he's all rhetoric and not fit to be president" argument coming from Hillary's people is misguided. It's provided a lot of fodder for the republicans.

Mathematically, Hillary can't win the nomination without some trickery. The only way she could manage to pull it off is if she does something that will undermine the existing process. If that happens, the democrats are doomed. If this nomination is seen as tainted, there is little hope for retaking the presidency. Manipulating the scorecard will gut-shot many prospective voters in the general election, thus causing them to stay home.

This primary controversy will be put to bed come the last week of April or first week of May. May 6th is the North Carolina primary. John Edwards, former Senator from NC, will almost surely endorse one of the two in the weeks before the primary in his home state. This endorsement will be the tipping point. He will endorse Obama.

**Fearless Prediction**
Obama/Edwards 2008! I have stated in previous posts that I would have preferred an Edwards/Obama ticket, but this scenario is just fine by me.

Edwards would be an ideal compliment to Obama because he is a southerner, populist, and has excellent name recognition. The south has long been a solid voting block for the republicans. Perhaps Edwards could help minimize the losses down there. He is a champion of the working-class, an area that Obama has struggled with. His popularity is much stronger amongst white-collar voters. Finally, Edwards has done this before and people are familiar with his stances; he is no stranger to the campaign trail.

These two gentlemen are what America and the rest of the world needs.

Change-Making Numbers

Here is a tally of the votes from the Iowa Caucuses in a way I haven't seen before. These numbers come via The Group News Blog. They added up the total votes, Republican and Democrat, and portrayed it as a head-to-head battle between all candidates from both parties. Granted it's only 356,000 people, but it is an interesting sample of what we may be seeing in the near-future.

Obama 24.5%
Edwards 20.5%
Clinton 19.8%
Huckabee 11.4%

These percentages are of the total vote in Iowa, across party lines. Looks like the first dagger in the heart of the Republican party. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see the Democrats control the White House and both houses of Congress come November.

My gut tells me it's gonna be an Edwards/Obama White House. I think both these guys are terrific, but not sure Obama has the experience necessary to lead the ticket. These two men would be a welcomed change to the mess we currently have. Hillary is an incredibly strong woman with great leadership qualities, but I think she is too divisive. Her name hearkens back to many of the imaginary scandals of the Bill Clinton years and that just might be enough to cost the progressives this election.

Fox Attacks: Obama

The Faux, err Fox News Channel is the subject of Robert Greenwald's latest movie-making endeavor. Greenwald, a politically driven filmmaker, has made many other interesting films including Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price. This project is a series of short films about how skewed the news channel is. The series includes Fox Attacks: The Environment, Fox Attacks: Black America, and Fox Attacks: Obama. It's very well done and exposes the channel for what it is, a right-wing attack dog.

Please don't look to this channel for your daily intake of news, it's blatantly biased.

Check out the movie:



His middle name? He smokes? He's black? He went to a madrasah? Do these things have ANYTHING to do with his ability to lead the country? I don't think so.

Psssst...Do Something!

Obama in 2008! Barack the Vote!

The real deal. He officially announced his candidacy for the presidency today, thank god. What an interesting guy. He is very charismatic and has some great ideas/intentions.

One thing I especially like is his candor. His stances on the issues are crystal clear, which is a welcomed sight...for too many of those in D.C. leave you guessing. He unequivocally states the war in Iraq is a mistake and he hasn't wavered on that stance. He is on record as being opposed from the get-go. He opposes the death penalty, a brave stance in today's political climate. He would like to pick up where the Clinton White House left off so far as universal health care is concerned. Regardless of the cost, I think it's a necessary thing if we are going to sustain a population that is getting older at a rapid pace. There are many other stances he has that I support. I am sure I will be addressing them in the future.

Many have speculated that he can't win because he is a relative newcomer in D.C.. I disagree. I believe a young energetic outsider might be what we need to get the country back on track. The country is about as screwed up as I have seen it in my lifetime...

I really like the fact that he has already aired his dirty laundry in the 2 books that he has published. This means the mean-spirited attack dogs of the religious right won't be able to use these things in their fear mongering campaign. He makes no secret of the fact that he drank and did cocaine while in college. It's also well known that he is a smoker and poker player. These things only strengthen his appeal. He is a normal guy with a few skeletons in his closet and weaknesses just like you and me.

Let's get moving and elect this great guy!! The election is just 20 months away...lol.