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%

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.