Been a While....

Hey all, been a while since I've been posting - mostly because I felt as far as the primary goes I had reached who I was going to reach and done what I could do. But I'm thinking I will probably start back up, though probably a little less frequently, with more information, clips and articles about the general election and more specifically - John McCain.

Also, I'm posting because I wanted to share Steven Colbert's hilarious summary of the Michigan Florida situation (hopefully finally resolved this weekend):


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Been Caught Stealing?

The New Republic on Hillary's gambit for the (disqualified) delegates from Florida And Michigan:

These days, you will commonly hear Obama supporters, and even many undecided Democrats, describe the Clintons as mendacious, brutal, willing to bend (or break) any rule in pursuit of power. Not all of these criticisms are fair. A decade's worth of resentment has come rushing out, as Democrats have suddenly felt free to despise the Clintons without worrying that their venting might aid Republicans. In certain quarters, it's an old-fashioned pile-on. Looking at their plight with any detachment, it is even possible to develop a measure of sympathy for the Clintons. Or it was, anyway, right up until the point at which Hillary threatened to steal the nomination. And theft is the only way to describe the plan she has floated for certifying the Florida and Michigan delegations...Democrats need to recognize this potential gambit for what it is: a cynical, selfish hijacking of the democratic process.

Read the rest here! Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Wow.

You gotta check out this new Frank Rich op-ed to understand how the Clinton campaign tactics may be dividing and, in the end, destroying the Democratic party. The title says its all: "Next Up for the Democrats: Civil War."
It centers on the (intentionally) divisive claim by the Clinton campaign that "hispanics don't vote for black candidates":

It wasn’t an accurate statement, historical or otherwise. It was a lie, and a bigoted lie at that, given that it branded Hispanics, a group as heterogeneous as any other, as monolithic racists...The real point of the Clinton campaign’s decision to sow misinformation and racial division, Mr. Rodriguez concluded, was to “undermine one of Obama’s central selling points, that he can build bridges and unite Americans of all types.”

On reinforcing that (false) division for future races:

The question now is how much more racial friction the Clinton campaign will gin up if its Hispanic support starts to erode in Texas, whose March 4 vote it sees as its latest firewall. Clearly it will stop at little. That’s why you now hear Clinton operatives talk ever more brazenly about trying to reverse party rulings so that they can hijack 366 ghost delegates from Florida and the other rogue primary, Michigan, where Mr. Obama wasn’t even on the ballot. So much for Mrs. Clinton’s assurance on New Hampshire Public Radio last fall that it didn’t matter if she alone kept her name on the Michigan ballot because the vote “is not going to count for anything.”

And on the hope for negotiating a compromise before the convention:

But does anyone seriously believe that Howard Dean can deter a Clinton combine so ruthless that it risked shredding three decades of mutual affection with black America to win a primary?

A race-tinged brawl at the convention, some nine weeks before Election Day, will not be a Hallmark moment. As Mr. Wilkins reiterated to me last week, it will be a flashback to the Democratic civil war of 1968, a suicide for the party no matter which victor ends up holding the rancid spoils.

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Why Obama Over Clinton?

The divisive political approach the Clinton campaign was using, especially during the SC race, was what propelled me to start this blog.

She is skilled but shackled by the "Wrong Experience"

How about judgment? She voted for Iraq.

She will say or do anything, including go back on her word, in order to win.

And there's Wal-Mart.

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She's really hoping you're not paying attention

Hilarious article entitled "Much Ado About Not Much" from Dana Milbank at Washington Post about Hillary's uncontested "win" in Florida, where the delegates don't count, the Dems had agreed not to campaign, but she held a "victory" party to steal momentum from Obama:

"...in a political stunt worthy of the late Evel Knievel, the Clinton campaign decided to put on an ersatz victory party that, it hoped, would erase memories of Obama's actual victory Saturday night in South Carolina's Democratic primary. "Thank you, Florida Democrats!" Clinton shouted to the cheering throng. "I am thrilled to have this vote of confidence."

It was a perfect reproduction of an actual victory speech, delivered at a perfectly ersatz celebration at a perfectly pretend location: a faux Italianate palace with lion sculptures, indoor fountains and a commanding view of Interstate 595. The Signature Grand ("Elegant Weddings and Grand Social Occasions") was also holding receptions Tuesday night for a pediatric practice and for a group of optometry students, but the Clinton campaign was the biggest draw: It filled the Silver Palm Room, the Golden Palm Room and the Emerald Palm Room."

I know people are busy, I know not everyone can follow everything closely, but this is purely a stunt to capitalize on that, and I find it kind of insulting and at least a little dishonest - like a lot of stuff her campaign has been up to.

Off soapbox....now! Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Ouch.

A headline from New Hampshire's Union Leader:

Hillary's Word: It's Worth Nothing

Article goes on to discuss Hillary's backing down from earlier agreement about delegates in Michigan and Florida, which I brought up here.

Clinton coldly and knowingly lied to New Hampshire and Iowa. Her promise was not a vague statement. It was a signed pledge with a clear and unequivocal meaning.

She signed it thinking that keeping the other candidates out of Michigan and Florida was to her advantage, but knowing she would break it if that proved beneficial later on. It did, and she did.

Anything to win. Keep Reading (if there's more)...

Anything To Win

So here's what happened: Michigan & Florida moved their primaries up early in the election season. The Democratic party wasn't happy and the party (and tacitly, the candidates) agreed that the delegates from those states would not be counted. Obama and Edwards weren't even on the ballot in Michigan (although Clinton still only got 55% of the DEMOCRATIC vote - 40% chose to vote for "uncommitted"), so those delegates go to her. She's leading in Florida right now (no one is supposed to campaign there), and its a big state with lots of delegates, voting on Feb 5.

So guess what? Hillary wants to change the rules, and make those delegates count - after the fact. skeezy, in my humble opinion.

Read some here:
"Clinton roils vote dispute in presidential race" (Reuters)

EDIT: Whoops, I was wrong, the Florida election is this Tuesday along with the Republicans. Because no campaigning has gone on there and Hillary is the "name" candidate, look for her to do well and use it as a way to try to steal momentum and headlines from Obama, even though it doesn't count. Keep Reading (if there's more)...