I come from a generation of people who immediately disregard anything that gains any popularity among the general public. It's cool until other people like it. Then, "It's played, man. Played." These are the kind of people who support the Electoral College because they don't want to get caught supporting the popular vote. My, wouldn't that be embarrassing.

The only way for my generation to like something past its peak of favor is to hope for its death. If the anti-popularity crowd feels comfortable that which they like can be martyred, they won't feel embarassed about supporting it. There's no chance the object of their affections will sell out (see Kurt Cobain circa the Buckshot Overdose Years).

Hence, if something--anything--stays around too long, it runs out of cool fuel. A priest told me the other day (me and about 50 other people, but still) that we live in a throwaway society. Most of the things we like these days are disposable. We have neither the patience nor the will to make a commitment to something that will be around for longer than Britney Spears' sense of self worth.

Columnists with hipster backgrounds have started using perjorative words like "cult" and "religion" to describe what is happening in our nation. It is hard for a culture that eschews anything popular to accept what's happening to the Barack Obama campaign.

I understand this. Even I, a fairly reasonable guy, tend to disregard Oprah-picks. I, like most people, don't like being told what I should like and what I shouldn't. And really, when somebody suggests I'd really enjoy a Nicholas Sparks book, I have a hard time taking the recommendation or person behind it seriously.

That's what makes what's happening right now so important and interesting. This is something we 18-35 year olds (admittedly, I'm in the long-tooth end of the curve) have not seen our our lifetimes and something we likely won't see again. If Obama can find a way to court the important Old Racist and Institutional Washington voting blocks, he could very well be the next President.

Yeah, it's odd. It's strange to see people crying and falling out when Obama speaks. We, as a country, are naturally skeptical when people talk about being "inspired." We expect those folks to start speaking in tongues or bombing abortion clinics. Because "inspiration" too-often translates to "fanaticism." Fortunately for all of us, Obama isn't running with Eric Robert Rudolph. He's simply speaking a language a lot of us want to hear--and not in tongues.

If Barack Obama told me to put on a pair of Nikes and off myself, I'd say no. If Obama suggested it would be a good idea if I killed Sharon Tate, I'd say no--after reminding him the poor lady has had enough killing in her life. Hell, if Obama had an open house in Waco, I probably wouldn't attend.

But, if Obama suggests he will be the candidate who seeks to change the Washington paradigm and be a candidate for a generation of people who have never believed in anything, well, the guy has my vote.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, Politics

DATELINE: TYSON FARMS -- Even the memory of Colonel Sanders couldn't save the one-time Poultry Party golden child from the deep frier. After a campaign that lasted through six months of egg collection, Buffalo Wing has claimed victory over Chicken Fingers in the 2008 Poultry Primary. Wing will face Beef Party candidate Bone-In Ribeye in the November general election.

Super Tuesday saw Deep Fried Turkey suspend his campaign after a weaker-than-expected showing in southern states. The big bird's Wing endorsement all but locked up the nomination for the bite-sized appetizer. Chicken Fingers made a last minute appeal for votes, most notably trotting out the great newphew of Colonel Sanders himself for an endorsemnt. Poultry Pundits say Cappy Sanders ended up doing more harm than good when he had a heart attack on stage and attributed it to years of eating fried chicken.

Buffalo Wing did not waste any time after his landslide primary victory. Saying it was time to start looking toward November, Wing chose a running mate and began courting the swing state beef voters. Despite Wing's strong finish, many analysts say the choice of a running mate harkens back to a 1980s political disaster in the Presidential race. Bone-In Ribeye has already quipped, "I've met your running mate, Wing, and, sir, he is no Jack Kennedy."

Labels: Elections, Food

Poultry Primary to continue as two-bird race

Within a period of one hour last night, Blogger ended my 16-hour Super Tuesday blog, my kid woke up with some sort of freak-out, and a friend showed up at my front door. He shoved his daughter into my living room, held up a video camera, and said, "Full documentation." He got his wife to the hospital just in time to have a second little girl, this time with no time for happy drugs.

I made it to sleep by about 4am and have risen to realize the Democratic race is only now about to get exciting. More on that soon. However, I also realized that the Democratic primary was not the only contest left unfinished. As I said in the waning moments of the Super Tuesday Live Blog, Bone-In Ribeye won the Beef Primary. The Poultry Primary, however, is still going.

Despite a late surge, Deep Fried Turkey said early this morning it will end is candidacy. "I think I probably failed to realize how fickle the American public can be. Come Thanksgiving, everybody will want a piece of me. Unfortunately, Thankgiving comes after Election Day. America is just not ready for the whole bird." Before leaving the stage, Deep Fried Turkey offered his endorsement to Buffalo Wing. "When it comes down to it," DFT said, "we're pretty close to the same thing. Except, Wing goes better with beer." DFT then left the stage, his security detail and a huge bottle of peanut oil close behind.

This morning, the spin from the remainining candidacies has been hard to follow. Here are just a couple of snippets from each candidate's campaigns.

My friends of a feather, I ask that we come together in the spirit of unity. Ribeye has been chosen to represent the Beef party while we sit in the coop undecided. Ribeye is a good steak. It is hearty and satisyfing, no doubt, but it does not represent what the American eating public is about. It is not the food of the common man, sitting in front of his TV during the Super Bowl, the World Series or the NBA finals. It is not being served with pitcher of beers but with fancy wines. It is not representative of what the working man can afford to eat during their sporting events.

It is time to get out of the henhouse and into the smokehouse. It is time for us to fully endorse the Buffalo Wing to be our candidate!

The Buffalo Wing has a history of uniting the people. It was in the early days when the wing itself teamed up with the drumstick to become one. Now, the breaded and naked come together, as do the sauce and sauceless. Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, and KFC are united in the backing of the wing as our candidate.

Buffalo Wings are a nation's food. Easy to prepare, affordable, great with beer, it is a food of the people. Whether a busty babe is setting a platter of 911 breaded wings in front of you or the BW3's girl is serving those tasty spicy garlic drummies, it is the chicken that goes with everything.

And we don't offer empty slogans. We offer the truth. Hooters make you happy! Are we wrong? NO! We need your vote today. BW3's sums it up, You Have to Be Here!

Back us today, Buffalo Wing for the Poultry Party!

--StB, campaign manager for Buffalo Wing

Some have said we were afraid...chicken even...to run in this election. But we are not afraid. We are here to ruffle feathers. We will not waiver against these Turkeys. Make no bones about it, buffalo wing supporters. We are letting our Fingers do the walking...all the way to the White House...because no matter how many bad eggs are out there...the CHICKEN...COMES...FIRST!











Richard Cluck (P), Tennessee (aka Uncle Ted), state campaign chair for Chicken Fingers

With two candidates left, it is up to you to decide who will face Bone-In Ribeye in November. Polls are open. Vote in the comments now. Polls close at 9am Thursday.

Labels: Elections, Food, Politics

12:42am--Of course, Blogger sticks it to me in the waning moments...

12:27am--CNN gives Missouri to McCain. President McCain...still getting used to that one.

12:25am--CNN gives California to Clinton and McCain. That's not how I wanted to end the night.

12:21am--Damn, that was fast. NBC calls Californa for Clinton.

12:14am--Clinton wins Arizona, but the story is in Missouri. With 98% reporting, Obama has a 5,000 vote lead out of nearly 800,000 votes. The Associated Press has called the race for Hillary, already. So, I'm confused. Regardless, how the hell about it?

12:11am--Ari Fleischer just said on CNN that Republicans would kill to run againt Hillary and the tight race tonight is ideal for Republicans because Obama and Clinton will have to tear each other up in the net several weeks.

12:04am--Huckabee wins in Tennessee

11:45pm--Highlights from Obama's speech. And damn it, I'm still inspired.

Also sends thoughts and prayers to tornado victims, then takes a shot at federal government response times

"There is one thing on this February night to know. Our time has come Our time has come. Our movement is real and change is coming to America."

"We are more than a collection of Red States and Blue states. We are and always will be the United States of America."

"We don't have to settle for politics where scoring points is more important than solving problems."

On this Tuesday in Feb...what began as a whisper in Springfield has swelled to a chorus of millions....This time can be different, because this campign for the Presidency of United States is different. It's different not because of me. It's different because of you."

"In this election, at this moment, you are standing up all across the country, not this time, not this year, the stakes are too high and the challenges are too great to play the same Washington game. This time must be different."

Conciliatory marks about Clinton

"This fall we owe the America people a real choice. We have to choose between change and more of the same. We have to choose between our future and our past."

"Our party must be the party of tomorrow, and that is the party I intend to lead as the President of the United States of America."


11:40pm--McCain speaks in Arizona: "Tonight, I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party frontrunner...and I don't really mind it one bit."

And thanks to Pokerwolf for the invite. I could use both.

11:33pm--Rapid Eye Reality is ready to make a projection. Taking an astounding 95% of the vote, Bone-In Ribeye has clinched the Beef nomination. Analysts say Ribeye not only ran a good campaign, but had the funding that Hamburger and Philly Cheesesteak couldn't pull together. Even after a last-minute push poll from Cheesesteak suggesting Ribeye preferred to be served with A-1, Ribeye managed to reach the table in perfect medium rare form. Left unanswered tonight, which of the Poultry candidates Ribeye will face in November. Ribeye said tonight, "Poultry? Are you kidding me? I come from a cow. Have you seen what a cow can do to a chicken?"



11:29pm--Huckabee! Huckabee, you dog. You BULLdog. Going and winning Georgia tonight. How adorable.

11:27pm--Damn, Missouri is tight. Obama is closing in. May end up to be a 1 percent difference when it's all said and done.

11:22pm--On a personal note, I could use: A massage, a six pack, a plate of steak and eggs, and some Visine. Maybe a box fan.

11:20pm--CNN exit polling data out of California is pretty damned interesting. Obama is carrying the black vote by a huge margin. He is also winning modestly in the white vote. On the same hand, Clinton is killing Obama in the Latino and Asian vote.

11:18pm--Re: the previous entry, ABC news differs a bit.

11:13pm--On the delegate count, G-Rob sends along this witchcrafty news from the Obama campaign. The upshot is Obama's people believe they've got the lead.

11:11pm--Romney wins Minnesota.

11:07pm--CNN is finally showing me what's going on in Missouri. As expected, Obama is winning in the cities. Outlying KC areas and St. Louis city are still out. It's tight, but Obama has to crush the above areas to win there.

11:00pm--Mitt wins North Dakota.

Also polls have closed in CA.

10:57pm--So much for the 100th comment. And hey to the new folks!

10:55pm--Hillary is speaking. I'm...meh. Here are a few clips of the soundbites and thoughts of the night from Hillary Clinton's speech in New York.

"Tonight we are hearing the voices of people across America...those who aren't in the headlines but have always written America's story."

Prayers go out to people in Arkansas in Tennessee where tornadoes touched down.

"Tonight is your night. Tonight is America's night."

"Poltics is not game. It's about your lives and your futures."

10:54--Who is gonna get the 100th comment?

10:48pm--Bless G-Rob. Here's the laugh of the hour via IM:

Brian Williams is now reporting that after his speech in Boston, Mitt Romney turned back into a cassette playing boom box and headed to his meeting with Optimus Prime.

10:44pm--Garth asks in the comments, "Is it just me, or is Huckabee a more effective speaker than Romney?"

We were just talking about that here. Huck can give a speech. It can be a bit cheesey at times. However, that's Republican speech writers for you. Regardless, the guy had great delivery and will make a great ambassador someday.

10:41pm--McCain wins Arizona. I also got me kid to tell me he loves me tonight.

10:38pm--I think there's baseball reference to be made vis a vis Obama playing small ball to Clinton swinging for dingers. I saly know fuck all about baseball, so I'm going to leave it to somebody else.

10:33pm--"One thing thats clear is, this campaign is going on." That from Mitt Romney just now. "It's not all done tonight. We're going to go all the way to the convention and win the White House."

In other news, I'm going to win Powerball tomorrow night and have a nice steak dinner with Dorothy Mantooth. She's a saint, you know.

10:32pm--Obama wins Minnesota, CNN projects.

10:29pm--Huckabee says Roll Tide and then wins 'Bama.

10:25pm--G-Rob, my friend, live blog producer, and eternal optimist when it comes to things he wants, is back online and reminds me the overall vote is not nearly as important as where those votes are coming from in terms of Congressional districts.

In many cases districts have say 4 delegates and they'll each get 2. The key is districts that have an ODD # of delegates. Obama, thanks to some DAMN SAVVY campaigning, is doing VERY well there. Therefore he'll pull a massive delegate margin out of IL and GA. Whereas Hillary crushed him in TN but will only beat him by a net of 8 delegates.

10:21pm--Two more for Obama. Kansas and Connecticut.

10:13pm--I'm not entirely sure why the networks aren't calling my home state of Missouri for Clinton yet. I haven't seen what precincts are out. I can only assume they are waiting on St. Louis and Kansas City. Otherwise, Clinton beat Obama's ass. Obviously, I'm missing something.

10:08pm--Here's Mike Huckabee's soundbite of the night: "Over the past few days, a lot of people have beenn trying to say that this is a two man race. You know what? It is. And we're in it." He just said it in Little Rock as his...beautiful wife Janet stood behind him. He started talking about spiders and rocks shortly after that and I got confused.

In related news, my wife just told me Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas just like Bill Clinton.

10:06--Obama picks up North Dakota. In other news, I just picked my foot up off the ottoman for a couple seconds. Both have about the same amount of meaning.

10:04pm--Sooners like McCain. He's going to win the state by a fairly narrow margin. President McCain? How does that sound?

10:00pm--The 10pm projection from CNN:

Romney: Utah. No! Really?!! His supporters in Boston look like they are cheering for a 10-year-old kid who is playing on a losing soccer team and is running around the field in a leg brace.

9:56pm--Expect to hear the following talking points from the Obama folks in the next little bit.

They are winning states by a dominant amount and losing by smaller margins.

Wait for the caucus states - their organization is better there.

She should be winning her home state by more. The margin is comparable to her margin in Michigan.

Via Politico.com

9:50pm--Hillary wins New Jersey.

9:45pm--CNN finally went with NBC on the Clinton wins Massachusetts projection. Politics really are more fun when you don't give a damn.

9:41pm--Double bubble? Really? Really.

9:36pm--More national exit polls...

Democrats Top Issuse:

Economy 47 percent
War in Iraq 30
Health care 19

Republicans Top issues:

Economy 38 percent
Immigration 24
War in Iraq 20
Terrorism 15.

Via ABCnews.com
9:30pm--Obama, as expected, wins Alabama.

Meanwhile, my wife has joined me in the Obama slump funk and sends the link that asks if Chelsea Clinton might have bungled some election laws.

9:26pm--Funniest comment of the hour comes by way of the on-the-road CC.

Reporting from London, Ontario. All of Canada seems to have shut down as everyone watches Super Tuesday to learn the names of the different states that don't border Canada.

9:22pm--If I were Mitt Romney...I'd be a Mormon. And better looking.

Beyond that, if I were Romney, I would've spent a few of those $35 million bucks to frame Mike Huckabee in a Larry Craig wide-stance situation. Just sayin'.

9:20pm--McCain takes New York, CNN projects.

9:15pm--NBC news is calling Massachusetts for Clinton. CNN isn't committing yet. Writing seems to be on the wall, however. I need a shot of adrenaline. Or just a shot of something.

9:09pm--I think we have already seen what tonight is not. Tonight is not an embarassment for Hillary Clinton. Whatever bounce Obama got out of South Carolina is not going to take him high enough to walk away tonight with a sense of confidence he'll get the nomination. California, of course, is still the big state in play. It looks like conventional wisdom will win again and we'll still have no idea in the morning who the Democratic nominee will be.

Obama's crew obviously knew that before today. This morning, they were working hard to reduce expectations going into tonight. I can't help but feel, however, that Hillary avoiding getting embarrassed tonight is exactly what she needed. She didn't need to nail Obama to the wall. She needed to have a good showing. So far, she is. That may be all she needs to take it to November.

9:08pm--Obama takes Delaware.

9:00pm--Here come the 9pm projections...

Clinton--New York, a state should couldn't lose.

....and that's it.

8:45pm--With fifteen minutes until the big 9pm closings, the networks are projecting John McCain will win Delaware.

8:33pm--CNN says Hillary Clinton to take Tennessee.

8:32pm--Can you imagine being Mitt Romney tonight. Dude spent $35 million of his own money on this campaign. Buyer's remorse, anyone?

8:30pm--No big surprises out of Arkansas. Hillary Clinton, one-time first lady, will win the most Razorback delegates. Same goes for former Governor MIike Huckabee.

8:24pm--A couple of not-so-noteworthy oberservations...

Barack Ombama's supporters cheer very well. That said, someone needs to handle them better. When networks take live shots and the supporters cheer so loud you can't hear the reporter talk, you're sort of defeating your purpose.

Also on reporters...earlier today I questioned which SNL cast members were working on their Presidential impressions. Something else to consider is that the reporters who are embedded with the candidates have no small amount at stake in the outcomes. The reporters who are covering the candidates now stand to be the White House reporter for their network if their candidate wins.

Not a bad gig...

8:13pm--Now 12 hours into this live blog, we are nearing 80 comments. I've put down about eight Diet Mt. Dews and a couple Excedrin. Rapid Eye Radio is running somewhat smoothly. Still, I have an ugly feeling. Not sure what it is. It would be a lot easier, I guess, if I didn't care.

8:08pm--CNN projects John McCain will carry New Jersey.

8:00pm--CNN projections from Central Time and 8pm closing ET states:

John McCain wins Connecticut, Illinois
Romney carries home state of Massachusetts

Barack Obama takes home state of Illinois
Hillary Clinton wins Oklahoma

7:44pm--Politico.com gives us a sneak peak at what we'll be hearing from Clinton supporters tonight re: her loss in Georgia. These are the talking points.

Unlike the Obama campaign, the Clinton campaign never dedicated significant resources to Georgia.

Sen. Obama spent over $500,000 dollars on ads on television and radio; we never went up on TV

The Obama campaign has 9 offices in Georgia. The Clinton campaign only has 2.

Sen. Obama has had staff and significant campaign operation across the state for 8 months. Sen. Clinton only deployed staff to the state in the last couple of weeks.

Polls have consistently showed Sen. Obama with wide lead over Sen Clinton. That lead has only widened over time.

Translation: We knew we had no chance there, so we didn't even try. So, don't hold it against us.

7:36pm--Tornadoes in Arkansas and Tennessee touch down while polls are open. Reports of damage, but no word on casualties yet.

7:26pm--Interesting exit numbers based on all our talk today about experience. Democrats most important attribute in choosing their candidate

Bring needed change: 52 percent
Best experience: 23
Empathy: 13
Best chance to win: 9

Via ABC.

7:18pm--Drudge has some early exists across the nation. These should not be seen as anything but really early projections...

OBAMA: Alabama: Obama 60, Clinton 37... Arizona: Obama 51, Clinton 45... Connecticut: Obama 53, Clinton 45... Delaware: Obama 56, Clinton 42... Illinois: Obama 70, Clinton 30... Massachusetts: Obama 50, Clinton 48... Missouri: Obama 50, Clinton 46... New Jersey: Obama 53, Clinton 47...

CLINTON: Arkansas: Clinton 72, Obama 26... California: Clinton 50, Obama 47... New York: Clinton 56, Obama 43... Oklahoma: Clinton 61, Obama 31... Tennessee: Clinton 52, Obama 41...

7:12pm--It appears we've been relieved of Richard Quest on CNN's California primary coverage. While an entertaining Brit, the guy has no place in serious coverage. Whoever thought he could be trusted should be fired.

7:05pm--Holy schnikes. G-Rob reports MSNBC exit polls are showing Obama wins 86% of black voters in GA and 43% of white voters. Black voters made up more than half the voters in the primary. In a word...mamacita.

7:00pm--Easy win for Obama in Georgia. Still waiting to see the breakdown. That may take a bit. Still a three-way race for the GOP.

6:58pm--Georgia results coming in shortly. In the meantime, I'd like to see your answer to Andy's comment...

I can't feel good about voting for any candidate based on what they say they will do, or how they stand on "the issues."
in the last republican debate Ron Paul said he agrees with Bush....or at least how Bush ran in 2000. this is because Bush ran on many things in 2000 which he didn't come though on. what candidates promise to do is pointless, it's just words. they don't have to stay true to them one their on office.

also, and in my opinion more importantly, the "key issues" that are facing us now will most likely not be the most important thing this president will have to deal with. we're not electing this guy/gal for 6 months...a term is 4 years people. thngs change. when Bush ran in 2000, the key issues everyone asked about was not Terrorism, not Iraq, not our borders, not how our rights would be treated. However, now, 8 years later, those few issues are the big issues that defined George Bush as a president.

I don't see how I can vote according to the issues of today when most likely the most important thing this president does is on a subject that hasn't come up yet. I think the only way to vote is by Character, by how good of Leader he/she will make. I need someone I can trust to make good decisions for 4 years, EVEN if that means I don't agree with them on medicare, or social security, or Iraq.

thoughts?

6:46pm--Alright. Forget it. Was trying to set up a voting system for the beef and poultry. First ad had a milfhunter ad in it. The second was ugly. You want you food, vote for it in the comments. I'm going to change out of my cranky pants.

6:17pm--Well, if things are going to happen, they are going to start happening soon. Polls in Georgia close in less than an hour. Chaos has overtaken Mt. Otis. I'm going to stop this until it quiets down in here. Back in just a bit.

5:54pm--The sure sign someone is losing? When you start hearing, "My opponent isn't playing fair."

Here's how it went down in West Virginia today. In the first vote of the Republican Convention there, it looked like Romney had a good shot. It further looked liked McCain didn't stand a chance. Because no candidate got more than 50% of the vote, convention delegates had to vote again. McCain's camp decided to make a play and, knowing Huckabee is no threat to win the primary, asked its voters to vote Huckabee. So, they do, McCain gets next to no votes and Huckabee takes the majority over Romney. All delegates go to Huckabee and Romney...well, he cries. Hic campaign manager said, "Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain’s inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney’s campaign of conservative change."

5:46pm--Presented without comment.

When I am this party's nominee, my opponent will not be able to say that I voted for the war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I supported Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like. And he will not be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether or not it is ok for America to torture — because it is never ok… I will end the war in Iraq… I will close Guantanamo. I will restore habeas corpus. I will finish the fight against Al Qaeda. And I will lead the world to combat the common threats of the 21st century: nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease. And I will send once more a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says, "You matter to us. Your future is our future. And our moment is now." --Obama, November 10, 2007

Via Wil.

5:41pmBest headline I've seen today:

Huckabee scores first in West Virginia, presumably with a relative

Well, yeah. It was from Fark.

5:33pm--Rapid Eye Radio is back online. Looking like the next few hours will have some Widespread, Uncle Tupelo, Ben Harper, YMSB, Scott Miller, Donna, Cigar Store, and other fun stuff. Enjoy. Or don't. [link corrected]

5:24pm--First exit polls in...not at all surprising.

In the Republican vote, most people voting for Romney and Huckabee call themselves conservative. Only half of McCain voters call themselves conservative.

Among Democrats who make up their mind in the last three days, the vote was split evenly between Obama and Clinton.

5:19pm--CNN is reporting exit polls coming soon. That should be interesting. Oh, did I ever mention that if I ever just give up on life, I'm going to open an adult video store and calling it "Coming Soon" ...?

4:58pm--Via CJ via MSNBC...

Romney releases statement saying McCain cut a backroom deal with Huckabee to keep Romney from winning West Virginia. Huckabee releases a statement basically calling Romney a whiner.

5:54pm--Apparently it's not just the folks in Virginia who are a little confused. KSAT reports the good people of San Antonio are wondering why thier polls aren't open. Something, yada yada, Texas not having a primary, something or other.

4:43pm--Hey, who is gamblin'? Crack producer G-Rob ships these lines from Slate.

Democrat lines

Republican lines

4:34pm--Somebody called Madonna. Via G-Rob, the silliest thing I've heard yet, this one from New York magazine.

The "Evita factor" could make all the difference on Super Tuesday, says New York. Hillary Clinton has a major advantage over Barack Obama among Hispanic voters, which will be crucial in large states like California. One theory holds that Latinos are more willing to embrace Hillary because of precedence in Latin America for strong women who rode their husbands' coattails into power

Um...yeah. Let's forget the nation's largest Spanish language newspaper endorsed Obama.

4:31pm--One interesting thing I'm noting among all of comments so far is how adamant everyone is that we shouldn't vote for a candidate. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who is actually for a candidate and why.

4:28pm--On the subject of grassroots campigning in the digital age, G-Rob forwarded me this recent e-mail from the Obama campaign:

Friend --

Today, nearly half the nation will have the chance to join you in saying that we are tired of business-as-usual in Washington, we are hungry for change, and we are ready to believe again.

Twenty-two states across the country are holding their primaries and caucuses, and you can help Get Out The Vote in these crucial contests.

Use our online calling tool to reach out to fellow supporters. Encourage them to send a message that America is ready for a new kind of leadership and a new kind of politics.

Make calls using our online calling tool today:

http://my.barackobama.com/feb5calls

You can make a big impact -- the more calls you make, the more people will take part in their state's primary or caucus.

Thanks for everything you've done,

Barack

4:21pm--In all this political talk, the other races of the day are getting lost. As I mentioned at the top of the day...

On the Beef Ticket, voters have three choices: Hamburger, The Philly Cheesesteak, and The Bone-In Ribeye.

On the Poultry Ticket: Chicken Fingers, Deep Fried Turkey, Buffalo Wings.

At this hour, it appears the Ribeye is going to win in a landslide. Polls actually open HERE at dinner time. Stay tuned and campaign away!


4:16pm--Rolling Stone reports John Mellencamp is tired of John McCain using his songs at rallies. Discuss among yourselves.

3:50pm--CJ asks in the comments, "Would support John McCain, then? During their time in the Senate, who showed a better ability to reach across the aisle and get tough legislation passed, John McCain or Barack Obama?"

Would I support McCain? Good question. He is, by far, the best Republican candidate running for the nomination. I think he has a lot of talent in reaching across the aisle. If he weren't so hawkish, I might be able to support him.

Also in the comments, Uncle Wilco reiterates, "The question was what would you change? Health Care? Taxes? Economy? How are is candidate going to do that?"

Here is a little background on where I'm coming from. I spend as much per month buying private insurance for my family as I do paying my mortgage. That insurance doesn't cover much of what a normal family has to deal with on a regular basis. Do I think a change in the healthcare system is necessary? Yes. Do I think socialized medicine is a great idea? Maybe not. However, I have many friends around the world who don't have any problem with the level of care they get under such a system.

Under a Republican administration, I've spent more in taxes than I ever have. Meanwhile, my government is engaged in a war with my money...a war that many of us agree should never have started.

Today, we are seeing the worst sell-off so far this year. The economy is in shambles. My portfolio (nothing but blue chips and purchased eight years ago) is worthless.

Add to all that, a small subset of the Republican party pretty much turned my professional life upside down about 18 months ago.

Do I think Obama is the perfect candidate? No way. Do I think he will fix many of my issues? I don't know. I do know, however, he is speaking my language.

I'm no spring chicken. I have barely participated in national politics in my adult lifetime, largely because I could never support a canadidate even 75%. I don't know what will happen if Obama is elected. This time, however, I've decided to care. It may come back to bite me in the ass. Naive and idealistic? Sure. It may be time for that. I'm sick of being a fatalist.

But, if it's wrong to wish for the nation to not be at war, to hope for people to work together to fix a broken economy and healthcare system, and to believe there is someone who actuallly want to make that happen, then color me wrong. Dead wrong.

3:46pm--Quote an interesting discussion getting going in the comments. Take a look if you have the inclination.

3:26pm--Uncle Wilco asked in comments, "Since I hear a lot about the need for change I have a question for the people out there looking for change. What are you hoping to change (besides Iraq?), and exactly how are your canidates going to do that?"

I think by asking about Iraq parenthetically you diminish how important it is. That may not have been your intention, but to ask what we want to change besides that makes me wonder how many people don't see it as the single biggest issue in the past thirty years.

That aside, what change? It's a change in the way America thinks. I know it sounds naive. I hate to sound naive. Regardless, I know how America has operated in my adult life. It's been an environment of hopelessness. When it comes to matters of policy, few if any candidates are speaking about changing through unity rather than battle.

If I want America to talk rather than fight, is that wrong? I don't know if anybody has the ability to repair a fractured country, but I'm inspired by someone who wants to try.

2:58pm--My buddy, E, is laid up with the flu. That sucks for her, as she would rather mainline political coverage than any other drug. She is a junkie unlike anybody I know. She actually gets paid to do this stuff, so she's in quarantine and live blogging from her bunker in Austin. You can find her HERE.

2:53pm--A lot of you reading types are poker fans. If you're not one of those people, you might not know that 1) Obama enjoys a good game of cards and 2) Jim McManus is probably the best poker writer to emerge in the last ten years. My buddy Iggy posted this enlightening McManus column.

2:43pm--Dr. James Dobson, Focus on the Family honcho, took a huge shot at John McCain today, writing, "I cannot, and I will not vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience." And if McCain gets the nomination? "I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime."

I'm trying to think of another way to say "fractured party..."

2:38pm--CJ points out via IM that what looks like a McCain slaughter in WV is actually gamesmanship in play. Looks like McCain's supporters went Huckabee to keep Romney from winning. That's cute.

2:33pm--Rapid Eye Radio is taking a brief nap. Like a damned teenager after a roll in the hay. Or something like that. Back up shortly.

2:23pm--Huckabee wins West Virginia. Go figure. That's 30 delegates that will be doing something else come convention time.

2:15pm--From Politico.com vis live blog producer G-Rob, re: Dole pile Romney stepped in...

Mitt Romney just tried to give Bob Dole a quick call from his campaign plane in West Viriginia.

He got Dole's secretary and left a message.

2:06pm--Looks like West Virginia Republicans are rocking and rolling again. We;ll see if they can make up their minds this time.

1:45pm--Drudge is reporting "The board of elections failed to deliver voting equipment to polling places allover Los Angeles." That can't be good.

1:41pm--Robocall! Robocall! This hit Arizona phones this morning.

This is Ann calling on behalf of Hillary Clinton for President. Hillary Clinton has been a tireless fighter for seniors [unintelligible]. Barack Obama has said when it comes to Social Security all options should be put on the table. That includes raising the retirement age and cutting benefits. He has even proposed raising Social Security taxes by a trillion dollars. Hillary Clinton stood up to Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security and is against raising the retirement age. When you go to the polls tomorrow cast your vote for the Democrat committed to protecting Social Security as we know it: Hillary Clinton.

Via The Hotline


1:35pm--Why is CNN's fashion and lifestyle reporter doing election coverage?

1:20pm--This is pretty neat. It's a Google and Twitter thingy that is showing Tweets from voters around the country and world related to today's primaries. You can find it HERE.

1:08pm--As I told G-Rob a few minutes ago, I would rather be sitting around with everyone listening to music, watching returns, drinking beer and arguing. Since that's not going to happen, I scrounged around for a way to play some music to background this today. You can find it at Rapid Eye Radio.

It doesn't require any downloads or anything. Just hit play on the linked page. There is a java-based player that kicks off with a promo for the site and then the station should kick off.

The next little bit will feature the Jerry Garcia Band, Donna the Buffalo, Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Beatles, and some other stuff.

1:01pm--Via G-Rob and CBSNews.com...it is getting more than a little ugly between McCain and Romney. Apparently Bob Dole wrote a letter to Rush Limbaugh stating...

McCain is a friend and I proudly wore his P.O.W. bracelet bearing his name while he was still a guest at the ‘Hanoi Hilton,’" Dole writes. “I believe our major candidates are mainstream conservatives and that our nominee will address our concerns..."

How does Romney respond? He says of Dole, "[He is] probably the last person I would have wanted to have write a letter for me."

Yeah, that's the way to win friends and influence people. More at CBS.

12:54pm--Romney wins 41% of vote in West Virginia Republican Caucus. Because no candidate got a majority of the vote, a second round of voting is coming up.

12:34pm--The weather is somewhere between 65 and Awesome degrees here in southeast. G-Rob reports big turnout in Georgia and predicts we'll see an Obama landslide called before my kid is in bed.

12:25pm--I have no idea how I got on Mike Huckabee's e-mail list, but it's proven to be rather entertaining over the pas several weeks. One of my favorites came in overnight.

We just finished a campaign event here in Arkansas. The crowd was great and very enthusiastic. Arkansas will lead the way for us tomorrow as we begin to add to our delegate count. Polls in Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama also show this race too close to call. We are in the middle of the fight for the Republican nomination and our hopes are running high.

What we need to do tomorrow is turnout every Huckabee supporter we can. Last minute reminder calls and messages to voters are going to be critical. Every vote counts. To help fund this effort in Tennessee, Missouri, Georgia and Alabama we are relying on you to help us close the gap. We are $215,000 away from reaching our midnight goal of $1,000,000 for get out the vote efforts.

Will you make an immediate contribution of $25 or more?

Please help us reach our goal. I will make a final decision on how many reminder calls we will make tomorrow based on the financial resources we have available at midnight. Reaching our goal will give us the resources we need to win in the states we are targeting.

I am counting on you so please consider making a contribution immediately.

Anyone feeling like re-arranging deck chairs on the good ship Huckabee?



12:15pm--Does anyone find it even vaguely amusing that even Rush Limbaugh is having a hard time getting behind the likely Republican nominee?

11:48am--And it's time for the conservative voice. CJ, a longtime blogging partner at Up For Poker, decided we neeeded a little more Elephant on this side of the blogosphere. Here's his take. I'm sure we'll see him in the comments later.

As the conservative talking heads continue to cry about John McCain not being a "real conservative," I challenge them to tell me who in the race really is. Mitt Romney? The one-time liberal governor from the most liberal state in the nation. The guy who fought to separte himself from Ronald Reagan in the 80s? Is it Mike Huckabee? The tax-raising governor of Arkansas? Sure, he's got the religious folks behind him, but he's not conservative. Was it Rudy Giuliani? Pro-choice, anti-guns. Need I go on? This race had one true Reagan Republican, Fred Thompson, and no one wanted to vote for him. Forgive me for borrowing from Donald Rumsfield, but you go to the election with the candidate you have, not the candidate you want. If conservatives want higher taxes and socialized medicine and a surrender mentality in foreign policy and up to three new liberal members of the Supreme Court, then all means ignore John McCain and support the Democratic nominee in November.

11:39am--Oh, and Perez Hilton supports Hillary. We gotta pull this out of the gutter.

11:30am--Here's a question...of the current Saturday Night Live cast, who gets which candidate? I have to imagine, they are all already practicing and probably basing thieir hopes and dreams on who wins.

11:02am--If you haven't been keeping up, here's a look (Courtesy CNN Politics) at the states in play today.



10:55pm--If you're the kind of person who looks to celebs to give you a heads-up on your voting choice, George Clooney is backing Obama. So is Bobby De Niro. So are three members of the Grateful Dead. Ugly Betty of ABC fame is Clinton supporter. Rambo loves John McCain. Chuck Norris, who apparently can't cure cancer with his tears and has no sense of humor, likes him some Mike Huckabee.

10:52am--A brief aside...why is there no Windows-based program out there that allows me to easily create a quick pirate radio station and stream directly from my iTunes? Sorry about that, but it's become a bit of an obsession. Back to the politics.

10:18am--In the interest of fairness, I should point out the extended Otis family is quite divided on this race. My brother, known as Crazy Smart Guy among his friends--mostly because he's a lot smarter than me in most academic arenas--is no fan of Obama.

I'm a doctor. The only thing I know more about than the average Joe is
Healthcare. On this issue, Obama is a fool (or should I say the people who wrote his "plan" to save healthcare are fools).

...

Basically, he wants to create a national health insurance that ANYONE and EVERYONE can purchase at a rate that is on a sliding scale based on what you earn, etc. Employers will be REQUIRED to either offer private health insurance or contribute more payroll taxes to the government plan.

There are MANY more insane details that are completely impractical and don't even BEGIN to address the REAL issues related to the healthcare crisis.

BTW, it's going to cost about $65 billion dollars (and that is the CAMPAIGN ESTIMATE). I'm sure the actual cost would be easily 2-3X's that amount. Also, he plans to pay for it by increasing taxes on those who make over $250,000. Sounds like a great idea. Why don't we raise taxes on doctors who already pay nearly half of their salaries to the government to fund poorly-run programs? And if you think that doctors make too much anyway, you should know that physician salaries make up only 8% of healthcare costs.

I could go on and on, but that is just ONE reason to not vote for Obama.

Obama Healthcare FAQ (PDF)

9:51am--At G-Rob's urging, I went all grassroots yesterday and sent an e-mail to friends and family in Missouri and Colorado asking them to vote. In particular, I tried to sway them toward my candidate of choice. One of my buddies--one I didn't expect to take heed--sent me a nice reply. I'll let him take credit for it if he wishes. Regardless, yea grassroots.

You, sir, now have my promise. I was on the fence, could vote for him with a quite-clear conscience if only he wasn't for letting or keeping every illegal immigrant in, but I like most of the other stuff he is for, and if his weakness is his lack of experience, well, it very well could be his strength in that he would be less likely to be beholden to the political machine and good-'ol boy network that has ruined the world for the last decade. Enjoy. Voting for him shall likely be the highlight of my day...

9:30am--You know what makes me giggle? Conservatives who break the 11th commandment. If you're not familiar with it, it's the unwritten rule that a Republican does not speak ill of another Republican. Now, here we are on the most important primary day in history and great thinkers like Pennsylvania's one-time Senator Rick Santorum are saying things like, "John was very rough in the sandbox. Everybody has a McCain story. If you work in the Senate for a while, you have a McCain story. He hasn't built up a lot of goodwill." That one, coming from a guy who fought McCain on immigration and same sex marriage issues, is cute. This one, though, is a downright kick in the ass to the 11th commandment. It comes from Senator Thad Cochran, a guy who used to be my Senator in Mississippi... "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

9:16am--Obama wins! In Indonesia. In a Dixville Notch-ish round of early voting, expats in Indonesia, a place where Obama lived for several years as a child, went to a hotel to cast their votes. Early counts show Obama winning...which should do him a helluva lot of good come convention time.

9:01am--Polls are stupid. G-Rob sent this poll data along this morning. The Reuters/CSpan/Zogby poll has Obama up +13 in California. SurveyUSA has Clinton up +10. As G-Rob points out...both polls were conducted on the same day. Statistics...

8:52am--Happy Mardi Gras, by the way.

8:30am--I've asked myself several times why I'm going to bother doing this. I'm not CNN, Politico.com, or even Gawker. I'm just one of the hundreds of other people doing this. I'm a niche-less blogger with more time on his hands than good sense.

That said, I have some experience in the world of politics and news. I have developed a passion about this race. I need to find someway to help me wrap my head around what happens today. And like John Gorka once sang, I tend to make my mistakes outloud. So, here it goes.

I decided that I'm going to do live blog Super Tuesday for the same reason that I did it on Election Day in 2006. I'm doing it because this is a night I would like to be sitting in a bar with my closest friends and family and watching our nation change. This, quite frankly, is better than watching the Super Bowl. Today means something. I want to share it with you folks.

So, the comments are open. Use them as your playground.

Today is the closest the United States has ever come to a national primary. Two dozen states will be voting or caucusing.

David Axelrod, Barack Obama's main man in the trenches--the guy who got him elected to the Senate in 2004 and has helped shape the Obama image since--summed up how today is expected to go. Yesterday he told Politico.com's Ben Smith, "Sleep late."

Why?

California.

With conventional wisdom saying this primary might not be decided by tomorrow, what happens in California late tonight will be more than important. Hillary Clinton was the favorite in that state until just a couple of days ago. As such, Axelrod seemed more than a little concerned about early voting and how that could affect Obama's chances there.

I have no rules for this blog today. It will go where it goes. I may give up and hide in a closet by news time. As a one-time registered Apathist, I am now a Barack Obama supporter and make no apologies for it. If today goes as I want it to, Obama will have a strong showing and McCain will lock up the nomination.

Finally, some of you may remember the other race run in here in November 2006 between Hamburger and Chicken Fingers. There were some passionate supporters of both candidacies. As this is primary season, we'll be looking to nominate a candidate from both parties.

On the Beef Ticket, voters have three choices: Hamburger, The Philly Cheesesteak, and The Bone-In Ribeye.

On the Poultry Ticket: Chicken Fingers, Deep Fried Turkey, Buffalo Wings.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Politics, Super Tuesday

Conversation with my son just now:

"There's a man in my sack with the corn." He says this while holding a corn-filled heating bag.

"The man in the sack said 'everyone attack' and he's sitting in the sack with your corn?" I ask. The kid does not get the Ballroom Blitz reference and moves on.

"Yeah, there's a man in the sack. I cut him up. His head and his feet. They're in the sack with the corn." The kid looks as angelic as the day he was born. On neither that day nor this one did I hear Ave Satani in the background.

"Well, that's sort of strange," I say.

The kid doesn't blink. "Yeah, it's strange." And he goes walking off with his sack, which may or may not have a dismembered guy in it.

***

Conversation with the media

Last week, the TV station I used to work for ran this story in the first block of news at 11pm. If you don't have time to click through, it's about a car vs. deer wreck.

Yeah. Complete with repeated images of the dead deer hanging out of the windshield of the car.

This is quote from the story is about the lady who was injured in the wreck. It pretty much sums up how classy my old haunt has become.

Cardell Lindsay, said, "They were saying she was real bloody, but they think most of that blood came off that deer because that deer came through the windshield. He's dead. I seen him."

Five years ago, the deer story never would've made it to a photographer's tape, let alone on the air...let alone on the air for a full minute and half with "Exclusive" stamped on it.

Exclusive? Really?

For most people who read across the country, this may seem par for the course. This particular station, though, was long considered to be protected from and above the FOXification of America. It was a bastion of real news. Now, it's running "Exclusive" stories about something that happens every day. And they are showing pictures of dead animals on TV.

What sucks is, I know the guy who had to produce the story. He came along after I left, but I've met him since and I think he's a helluva good reporter and a nice guy. I can only guess he was forced to do the story. I can only hope, anyway. The station used to be managed by people who respected their viewership as much as they respected the profession of journalism. Now, it is the same station that recently ran a series titled, "Are You Too Fat For Your Car?" and has semi-regular reports on the status of Britney Spears' collapse.

Hell, it's like watching someone you love die in the hospital. It's sad, sick, and painful. I still have many friends there who I'm sure wish they were able to do the kind of work they did a few years ago. My hope for them is the station's ownership realizes what they've done to what was once one of the most respected local news stations in the country.

Or, if I need to speak a langauge that might be understood...

"Journalism at that station is dying. I seen it."

***

A conversation with security

I hate the fucking circus. I really do. I only go because I don't want my kid killing some guy and putting him in a sack full of corn because I didn't take him to see the elephants.

The only good thing about the circus, as far as I'm concerned, is it is great fodder for my Flickr account. My buddy CC bought me a Flickr PRO account recently and I was looking for more good material. So, as I have for the past three years, I walked up to our local arena with one of my Nikons hanging from my shoulder.

At the door, several security guys were half-heartedly wanding the crowd. Had I wanted, I could've smuggled a kilo of blow, a machete, and a howitzer in my pants.

"Is that a detachable lens?" the security guy asked.

I was already a little cranky anyway. I've been on the wagon for a week and work is a little stressful. All I wanted was to have a nice afternoon with my family and maybe get one or two good pictures.

"Yeah, it is."

I knew what was coming at that moment. I remembered the same conversation playing out at the World Series of Poker. There, the exclusive media provider (read: we pay money to be the only people allowed to properly cover this event) established a rule that forbade cameras with detachable lenses.

"I've never had a problem with this before," I told the security guy.

"Every circus is different," the guy shrugged. "You can walk it back to your car or we can have someone escort you guest services."

My car was less than five minutes away, but I couldn't resist actually being escorted by security to make sure I didn't get my 18-70mm lens in any clown's face.

To his credit, my escort was a really nice guy who tried to make me feel better about the entire thing. "It's a copyright thing," he said while steam rose off my forehead.

I wanted badly to launch into a PETA rant about abused elephants and how the tigers should eat the ringmaster. Instead, I took a valet ticket that read "#285" and watched the show without taking any pictures.

I hate the fucking circus. More.

***

A conversation with you

About fifteen months ago, for lack of something better to do--and because I was very excited about the day--I live blogged the whole of election day. At first it was just a way to keep myself occupied. Eventually, it became a conversation with you. After more than 14 hours of live blogging, the post had 113 comments and was a great conversation to boot.

Super Tuesday is going to be another one of those days. I'm going to be fabulously preoccupied with the goings-on around America and I'm planning to live blog the day. If any of you folks would like to join me, the comments will be open.

See you then.

Labels: Elections, Parenting, Photography, Politics

"We're not voting for inspirational-speaker-in-chief."
--CJ, in the comments to Of best chances

The people who don't want Barack Obama to be President of the United States are united in their message: He has done nothing, he has proven nothing, and his inspirational kumbaya speeches are just a clever throwback to forty-some years ago. These same people will have you believe that their candidate is better suited to solve the problems of our nation because they will fight, fight, fight against the opposing party, against the terrorists, against the people who seek to destroy our way of life, moral fiber, and old ladies. Obama, they say, lacks the experience necessary to be the leader of the free world.

It's a pretty strong argument. So strong, I'm not going to spend a great deal of time trying to fight against it. It stands to reason, if I hire the most experienced babysitter to look after my kid for four hours, I should hire the most experienced person to babysit my nation for four years. Right?

Well, maybe. When I go looking for a babysitter (or, if you think I'm being too glib, extend the argument to anything for which you hire based on experience), I have a wide variety of people who have actually been babysitters before from which to choose. When I'm electing a President, the pool isn't very big. In fact, unless I want to re-conscript Jimmy Carter or George H.W. Bush, I've got nobody I can put in office who has the kind of experience everybody is looking for.

The simple fact is, the training ground for being a President really doesn't exist. The closest anybody comes to being prepared for the Presidency is being Vice President. I'm not saying that any of the remaining candidates aren't prepared for the job. I'm simply arguing that when it comes time to take the oath, anyone elected will be entering uncharted personal waters. That's why they have advisers, a Cabinet, and a system of checks and balances.

But, the Governors! Think about their experience. That's what Proto said in his comment. "Governors usually make better executives than senators or congress folk," he wrote. Historically, he may have an argument. I'm not goingg to fight on that. If we're to go with Governors this time, though, it's Huckabee or Romney. I do hope you'll pardon me if I discount both candidacies out of hand. I could spend a few hundred words explaining how those gents are not aligned with my way of thinking, but I think most of you know me well enough to know I ain't gonna be voting for either of them. What's more, I've known enough Governors in my day (Mel Carnahan, Kirk Fordice, Ronnie Musgrove, Jim Hodges, and Mark Sanford to name the ones with whom I spent the most time) to know that, while good men and decent leaders, they are no more qualified to run the nation than Governor George Bush was.

With experience being a non-factor in my decision, I am forced to look to policy, leadership skills, and personality. As I wrote in the previous post, no one candidate combines all three to my satisfaction. I can't imagine, unless one of my best friends decided to run for office, that I'll ever find anyone who is the perfect candidate.

And so, I look for inspiration. I look for a message that meshes with what I hope for the country. I look for someone who has vowed from the outset to do his best to unite a very divided country and work toward a greater good on which we can all agree.

CJ wrote, "We're not voting for inspirational-speaker-in-chief."

I, for one, hope to. If Obama can inspire a guy this jaded and cynical, he stands a good chance of inspiring a nation.

It may sound like a lot of feel-good, smile-on-your-brothers, hippie drivel, but I want to live in an inspired country. In inspiration, hope springs.

And in hope, there is often peace.

I'll take that any day.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, Politics

I do not talk about a lot of things with people I care about. I avoid confrontation at most times and it takes a lot to push me to the point at which I start running my mouth. Among the things I usually don't discuss: abortion, religion, and politics. I have recently, though, crossed the line and started discussing politics in places I normally would not. I guess if I can admit it to the people I care about, I can admit it to the world at large.

I want Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States.

A bit of disclosure: I have never voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate. In fact, I haven't voted in a Presidential race in years. In the 15 years I've been allowed to vote, I have never been inspired by a candidate or what he represents. Whether it is just great marketing--and I think a lot of it is--or it is the real deal, Obama offers me that kid of inspiration.

In an interview with CNN last night, Hillary Clinton made a lot of sense. She said her first days in office would be dedicated to putting together a plan to bring America's troops home fast. She would overturn a number of Bush's Executive Orders that have infringed on our civil liberties.

Maybe it's lip service. Maybe she wouldn't do any of it. Regardless, it's what I want done. The war, the bad beat on civil liberties, and the collapsing economy are among the first things I need to see fixed before I start believing our country is headed in the right direction again.

So, why, if Clinton is promising to do the things I want am I supporting her opponent? It's pretty simple: Clinton represents in word, action, and symbol everything that has made me hate politics and the process for as long as I can remember. She stands for fighting the Republicans at all costs. She believes any means is appropriate to her end. I can't look at her without thinking "gridlock." I think she probably stands for the the right things, but I don't think she stands on a foundation that will support the weight of her dreams.

Obama's biggest critics cite his inexperience in leadership as a reason to discount his candidacy. I long ago rejected this argument. We elected George Bush after he governed one of America's biggest states and had the benefit of being the son of a President. I don't think I have to re-create the laundry list of how that experience has turned out. Hillary Clinton's brief experience running for President serving as a New York Senator and America's most pitied first lady doesn't really count--at least in my mind--as the kind of background I'd put above many other people.

I will be the first to admit, the Obama marketing machine is a damned good one. The people who have spent their time working to inculcate the parallels between he and JFK are really smart. They are smart because they are speaking to my generation and the generation before mine. We are people who want change and people who have seen how change can affect a nation. If it's all one big commercial, well then I'll be the first to congratulate the ad wizards. You got me.

Obama does not represent everything I want. In fact, I'm at odds with him on several issues. Frankly, I don't care. I have either fallen victim to his marketing machine or I am duly impressed with a man who speaks about working together, getting rid of the old Red State/Blue State BS, and serving as one people to reunite a country that has spent way too long divided.

I will be voting in this year's general election. And I hope I'll be voting for Barack Obama.

Labels: Barack Obama, Elections, Hillary Clinton, Politics

It's always fun to figure out what "flu-like symptoms" really means.

If you missed it, Rudy Giuliani was admitted to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis last week with what was initially described as flu-like symptoms. Now, he says it was a headache. This is what Giuliani told ABC's George Stephanopoulos this morning, with my emphasis in bold.

"It got really bad at night, when I was speaking to a crowd and did a press conference," said Giuliani. "I got on a plane -- I imagine what happened is the pressure of the takeoff made the headache worse than I've ever had."

Giuliani was given a clean bill of health...by his campaign. We're still waiting to hear officially from the doctors. We should also remember, Giuliani is a cancer survivor, having--as far as we know--kicked prostate cancer in the ass.

What I find interesting is that no one has asked him so far about that headache. See, having some experience in this area, I know what "the headache worse than I've ever had" is synonymous with in the medical world. Patients suffering from subarachnoid hemorrhage due to rupture of a cerebral aneurysm routinely refer to the feeling as..."the headache worse than I've ever had."

We can feel pretty confident Giuliani is okay. Otherwise, he wouldn't be out of the hospital right now. Still, I have to wonder about those final few minutes before his campaign plane turned around on its way out of St. Louis.

There are a ton of hospitals in St. Louis. I have no way of knowing which hospital was the closest to his airport. What I do know, however, is that Barnes-Jewish has the best neurologists and neurosurgeons in the entire state of Missouri. That's not to mention, it is one of the top ten neurology and neurosurgery service hospitals in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

None of this is scandalous, by any means. There is nothing political about Rudy Giuliani not having a ruptured aneurysm. What is interesting, however, is the lengths to which the campaign is going to not discuss it and not use the phrase "feared ruptured aneurysm."

Weakness, even weakness that doesn't exist, is a killer in politics, and no hospital in Missouri or anywhere else can fix a public perception that a candidate might be too fragile for office.

So, in this case flu-like symptoms was almost certainly fear of a ruptured aneurysm.

Better than herpes, I guess.

Labels: Aneurysms, Elections, Politics, Rudy Giuliani

Let's forget for a moment that one of the most important elections in our lifetime is eleven months away. Let's forget that the amount of money being spent on the campaigns could feed the homeless for untold months. Let's even forget whether we are Republicans, Democrats, Independents, or from Bob Jones University. Let's just ask ourselves for one moment, "What the Huck is going on?"

I'm no expert on the subject of media manipulation, but I have some history in its analysis. As you might know, the biggest television honor I ever received during my time in the business was a Best of Show at the National Headliner Awards. During that time, I spent more than a few hours talking with the people who make it their jobs to manipulate what you see and hear on television during campaign seasons. These people are exceedingly smart when it comes to understanding how to twist the common mind into believing something that either isn't necessarily true or needs a lot of reaffirmation. I usually started my analysis with the belief that the people behind the campaigns were full of hooey and worked up from there.

The most fun of the entire gig was not the wide recognition or appreciation for the work, but the daily battles with the people in campaigns that you never see--the producers, the fixers, the managers. They are professional manipulators and watching them work is a thing of sick beauty. They know how to manipulate the public. They know how to manipulate reporters. They even know how to manipulate other campaigns. It's game theory, politics, and war wrapped into one overwrought mind.

That is a very long way of saying that what you see on the web, on TV, and--if you still actually read one--in newspapers is more often than not the product of someone with an agenda sitting in the war room of a campaign office. While I don't pretend to know much of anything of substance about this current election, I do know what to watch out for in terms of plants, misinformation, and trickery. At times it makes me feel like a fruitcake conspiracy theorist. Thing is, that's all campaigns really are. They are one big conspiracy designed to get their candidate in office.

Here are a few fun things to munch on.

E.F Hutton and the Clinton campaign response--When Bill Shaheen speaks, he doesn't do it lightly. When he speaks to the Washington Post and makes comments about Barak Obama's drug use, it is no accident. Shaheen has been a major player in this business longer than most reporters have known what a Democrat is. Most people would have us believe Shaheen's comments were offered without the full knowledge that he would soon be removed from the Clinton campaign, that they were remarks made unilaterally. If it had been a twenty-something campaign staffer who said it, I might be inclined to believe it was a simple mistake. Bill Shaheen, however? No way. Here's the fun part: Because it was Shaheen and because he is no longer with the campaign, the story has twice the legs it did before. What might have been an up and down story is now more than a week old, and nearly every account includes mention of Obama's teenage drug use. Even this one. Well played, folks.

Huckabee? Really?--In one month, the former Arkansas Governor came back from a nearly 20-point deficit in national Republican polls to tie Rudy Giuliani for the horse race lead. From this we can learn two things. First, polls are, by and large, worthless. John Edwards could announce today that he cured cancer in his basement and not make up an 18 point deficit in the polls. For Huckabee to rise that fast means something is going on and it ain't Huckabee on his own. Second, Huckabee is capital P perfect for both the Democrats and Republicans. He is an evangelical Christian who once hinted that AIDS patients should be quarantined. Democrats are banking on the hopes that America won't elect another evangelical to the Presidency. Republicans--especially the ones like Divorced Rudy Giuliani and Mormon Mitt Romney--need a "hey, look over there!" guy. Enter Huckabee. When people refer to a meteoric rise, they often forget to mention that the end of a meteor's rise is a quick descent. Thanks for playing your part, Huck. I'm sure there will be a good ambassadorship available to you in a year or so.

It was a book shelf!-- My goodness, I love this Huckabee campaign ad. It is everything and nothing in one ad buy. It gives Huck a chance to talk about how he's not like the other guys and how he loves God. Further, it gives the libs a chance to laugh what looks like a floating cross in the background. Huckabee half-heartedly protests that the cross is actually a book shelf. Even better, that's the truth. But please. Please. Unless you are John Edwards and buying ads in South Carolina, you are spending massive amounts of money to produce and distribute campaign ads. Like I mentioned above, there are no mistakes. Now, with demo-pundits making asses of themselves for insulting religion and Huckabee putting it all out there, nobody gets to win, except maybe the people who are getting paid to produce the ads in the first place.

Edwards' love monkey-- I've spent the past 12 hours or so trying to figure out the motivation for the hit piece in the Enquirer about John Edwards' alleged love child. His candidacy doesn't pose much of a threat to anybody as far as I can determine. Maybe it is just The Enquirer being the Enquirer. Any thoughts?

Labels: Advertising, Barak Obama, Elections, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Politics, Rudy Giuliani, TV News

Live Blogging Election Day 2006

I overslept. A squirrel has eaten a goodly portion of our Halloween pumpkin. Overnight brought a cold rain. L'il Otis is suffering from some odd malady that makes it difficult to sleep and even harder to be awake. Huge decisisons, both personal and societal, are on the verge of being made. It all sounds horrible, but something has bouyed my spirits. Today means something.

Yesterday, I suffered a mild panic attack in the middle of a Publix grocery store. I almost left my shopping cart in the middle of an aisle and left. Instead, I finished my shopping, came home, and laid on the couch with the kid. I ended up going to bed earlier than usual. It was like I knew today was going to be important.

Ten minutes ago, I told the wife, "I'm not sure what's going to happen, but there's been a shift."

Today is the day for everything, I think. So, I'm going to live blog it. Follow along if you like. Or don't.

11:00am--I bought beer yesterday. Some Sam Adams thing. In retrospect, I'm not sure I bought enough. Regardless, I just took a ten-year-old bottle of Dom and put it in the fridge to chill. I've had the bottle for almost two years and had no good reason to drink it. I'm hoping that I'll pop the cork later tonight. Don't ask me why. I'm not even sure. Like I said, I think there's a shift on the way. Speaking of shifts, my kid is trying to insist he's the female character on a cartoon he sometimes watches. When we try to convince him that he's a boy character, he protests, "No, I'm June!" While not necessarily the kind of shift I was hoping for, I'm not going to freak out quite yet. After all, there's always the beer.

11:39am--I've now showered, caffeinated myself, and re-read the local voter's guide. I've also laughed at the first comment I got on this post. I love absurdism. Here in a few minutes, I'm going to hop in Emilio and drive up to the polls. To be fair, our local elections aren't much to get excited about in terms of the candidates. I'll be voting against my Congressman because he supported the people who have turned my life upside down. Unfortunately, there's no candidate that can really beat him. I'll be voting Green in this race. I'll also be voting for a couple of friends who are running for local and state races, one of whom stands no chance at winning. The only thing that really has my dander up is a collection of Constitutional amendments. I'll be voting NO on an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. I'll be voting YES on an amendment that keeps government from using eminent domain to take property that will ultimately go to private developers.

12:22pm--It's a misty rain outside, not enough to soak you, but enough to make you feel damp when you get back inside. It's a short drive to my precinct. It takes me down a road called Nature Trail, through a tunnel of orange and yellow deciduous trees, and to a middle school that has been renovated since I last voted. Walking in, a girl in a Buckeye's fleece hands me a yellow explainer sheet on the multitude of Constitutional amendments. I step in the L-Z line and a white-haired lady checks my drivers license against the voter rolls. I'm put in a ten-deep line that mirrors the ten-deep line on the other side of the room. The room is made up of people from 20 to 80 years old. There's a cute blonde with her husand in the A-K line. There's a 45-ish woman wearing tight jeans in the front of my line. A tired-looking guy in my line has his two kids with him. They are well-behaved and that makes me happy. There's a guy two in front of me that I know that I know, but I can't place him. He has a southern man's moustache and looks at me like he knows me, too. We don't speak.

It takes me 13 minutes to make it to the front of the line. By this time, I've decided the woman in tight jeans should give it up and start wearing loose-fitting clothes. I've re-read the amendments explainer. I've read the menu for the middle schooler's lunch (hamburgers or chicken fingers). I've kept a wary eye on the old couple that stepped into line behind me. The man is quietly sneering at the electronic voting machines. He refuses to look at a book that explains how to use the machines and groueses a little bit more. When it's my turn to vote, I'm led to my machine. The woman who voted before me didn't follow the instructions and, while she has cast her vote, she didn't complete the process to submit her electronic ballot. The poll worker who led me to the machine calls over another poll worker. She says, "It takes two of us, right?" I assume this means there is a protocol for these situations. Together, they submit the ballot. I feel like I should be uneasy about what happened, but I'm not so much. While it's frightening that it happened, I kept an eye out and nothing nefarious happened. The ballot went through. I tried to forget my screening of "Hacking Democracy."

Aside: CNN just broadcast video of my governor, Mark Sanford (a good guy whom I've had the pleasure of speaking to many times), being turned away from his polling place for forgetting his voter registration card. What's funny is that I was only required to show my drivers license. Sanford is a recognizable face, especially in the small community in which he lives. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.

I vote quickly, having memorized my voting guide. Our state attorney general, a man I dislike a great deal, is unopposed in his race. Rather than skip the vote, I decided to cast a write-in vote for BadBlood. He has some good ideas about putting the smackdown on the bad guys.

I return my yellow explainer sheet to the girl in the Buckeye's fleece. She asks me if I want a sticker. I say "yes," and smile. She peels the "I voted" sticker off a large roll. I reach out to take it from her, but she looks me squarely in the eye and puts the sticker on the right side of my chest with a firm push. Somewhere in my head, I assign some greater meaning to that moment and walk back out into the rain.

12:49pm--C.J., living proof that I can be good friends with right-wingers, has accused me of stealing his live-blog idea. He failed to notice this portion of yesterday's post, in which I explained the evolution of my political thinking:

Tuesday night is normally reserved for dinner and cards with my buddies. As I have plans to that effect later in the week, I'm bowing out of our normal routine. Instead, I think I'll sit here, watch the returns, and maybe even live blog our country's greatest pot hole potential.

What this actually proves is that C.J. and I, while different colors in the politcal spectrum, think alike in many respects. I encourage you to keep up with him over at Up For Anything.

Also, Absinthe and RJ have already indicated they'll be hijacking the comments of this post to comment on how the day is going. I invite all of you to do the same. If I can't sit in a bar with my friends and live this day to the end, I might as well do it here.

My wife just walked out the door to go vote. She wore a shirt that read, "GEEK" across her chest. "I'm going to cast my rainbow," is what I think she said as she walked out. Even if I misunderstood what she said, I really like it.

1:17pm--The wife has just returned from voting. She's worked up a rant about the handicap voting procedures (which, admittedly, are lacking in good sense). While she had no idea I cast my vote for BadBlood in the state Attorney General's race, she apparently had much the same idea and cast a write-in vote for our local police chief, Willie Johnson (seen left).

To kill time, the wife and I are periodicallly checking in on a trial we've been watching on Court TV in which a garbage man is either being railroaded or not in the death of a fashion writer. The trial was rather interesting, but Court TV's Ashleigh Banfield grates on the good sense of any person of reasonable intelligence. Banfield predicted the jury would be back with a guilty verdict in less than 45 minutes. The jury has now been out for almost two hours.

"Well, at least we know Ashleigh Banfield was wrong," the wife said. "Slut."

1:49pm--Well, if anything, today is making me laugh, if only because the comments in this post are already as funny as anything I've read all day long.

As one source of my frustration with the American government revolves around the online gaming prohibition that was attached to the Port Security Bill, I'm considering playing online poker all afternoon.

2:09pm--Zippy reports (via the ever growing comments) that, like Mark Sanford here in South Carolina, two Congress people in Ohio couldn't vote because of lack of ID or voting machine problems. In New Jersey, CNN reports that one campaign is accusing the other of chaining and locking a polling place door. In Wisconsin, a polling place has been closed (and now moved outside into the cold) because of a bomb threat. In Oklahoma, squirrels ate through some power lines (must've tasted like pumpkin) and knocked out power to a town of 6,000. In Virginia, there are reports of Democrat voters getting phone calls that threaten arrest if they try to vote.

So, whatta you think? I've got a funny feeling about today, but I can't quite place it. What's going to happen here?

2:37pm--Your continued visits here have bouyed my spirit. If you're looking for others doing the same, check out...

Up For Anything
67 Degrees (legislative reporter in the land of Kinky Friedman)

2:49pm--So, I'm what music people would call an alt-country fan. I'm not much for today's Nashville. Give me some Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, Robbie Fulks, Starkweathers, Steve Earle and the Dukes (or any other Steve Earle, for that matter) over Faith Hill, Brooks and Dunn, and Carrie Underwood any day. Give me Willie, Waylon, Kris, and Merle and I'll let you keep Paisley, Urban, and Jackson. (You see what just happened there? I didn't catch it until I wrote it. The good ol' boys are easily identified by their first names. We're not on a first-name basis with the new guys).

Anyway, last night was not the best night for television (save Studio 60, which I continue to enjoy), so I let the wife watch the Country Music Awards. No big surprise, the Dixie Chicks (probably the most vocally and musically talented group of popular country artists) were nowhere to be found. Take from that what you will, but it's further evidence, as far as I am concerned, that I have no real reason to check out the pop country stations.

3:21pm--So about half of what I was expecting for today (the part of everything that is of a more personal nature) will likely not be decided today. I'm not too bummed about that. Delays on that front are more expected than you might guess. So, today's attention is now fully turned to the more important issue, and that's the direction of America. With the ten-year-old bottle of Dom chilling in the fridge, I wonder what is exactly Dom-worthy. I mean, in the two years I've been waiting to pop the cork on the bottle, I've not come up with a decent reason to open it (does champagne go bad?). Now, I wonder what, if anything, will move me to open it tonight. While I'm not necessarily rooting against the Republicans, I am rooting for change. By definition, the Republicans losing control of Congress will mark significant change. However, if most of the predictions come true and the Dems take the House and the Republicans hold the Senate, is gridlock worth celebrating with the Dom? Or do I need complete change? Or, will I just drink the beer that's been in the fridge since yesterday (damn, a beer sounds good right now).

What say you, comment monkeys?

3:34pm--Well, after a great deal of consideration, I've decided to throw my support behind the candidate that has helped me get where I am today. While I respect everyone's opinion, for me, there is a clear choice.



3:51pm--Absinthe, once content to air his views in my comments section, has decided to solitarily stew at his own semi-live blog. And speaking of his stew, I know the wife is going to approach me here in about 30 minutes and ask what we're doing for dinner. I figure neither of us feel like cooking (although Absinthe's stew sounds pretty good and I could use the cooking exercise), I figure we'll go with takeout. She'll suggest pizza. I'll suggest Chinese. We'll likely end up with cold cut sandwiches out of the fridge. Nothing sounds good right now, except Absinthe's stew, and I don't figure to get over there in time to get a bowl. And suddenly, that shift I felt at the beginning of the day is starting to feel less good. Not sure what it is, but I don't feel as good all of a sudden.

4:16pm--If you're the type of person who gets his fix off election results, you'll be interested to see how the major networks are handling exit poll data this year.

...a consortium of five broadcast and cable networks and The Associated Press that commissions exit polls of the major races - have decided to sequester two analysts from each news organization in a secret "quarantine room" in New York, where they alone will get access to the first waves of data from precincts around the country.

Stripped of their cell phones and Blackberries - and even monitored when they use the bathrooms - the representatives will be able to study the results of the surveys, but will not be allowed to communicate them to their newsrooms until 5 p.m. Eastern. They must sign legal affidavits guaranteeing they will not reveal any data before then.

Some of you who are not political animals may not know it, but there are those of us who watch election returns like we watch a sporting event. Ze Frank said today, it's like watching a marathon of World Series of Poker coverage on ESPN. While I'm fairly confident he was beig sarcastic, it rings true for me.

4:48pm--True to form, my wife hit me with a pizza request. I have little interest. Just doesn't sound very good. She said Wok Inn was fine if I'd go pick it up. Also doesn't sound very good. There's an Italian joint up on the corner where I could get some takeout, but...well, yeah, doesn't sound very good.

Thee quarantined exit poll reporters are due out of their locked room in about ten minutes. That's when we should start getting some soft numbers on how things will look tonight. That said, exit polls are pretty notorious for being unreliable (witness the past several Presidential elections).

5:10pm--Exit polls are coming out as I type. However, trying to listen over a kid who is a little angry is not going to work.

5:13pm--Alright, he's calm. Early exit polls say a majority of voters think either party can handle terrorism and that their voting direction was based largely on national rather than local issues. Corruption in Washington took #1 as the reason people went to the polls. Pundits are saying all of the above is bad for Republicans, to which I respond...well, duh.

5:19pm--C.J. has disagreed with what he believes is spin about the above exit poll data. I think I have to disagree with him. If terrorism his the #2 spot for importance in voting, that is a push for Republicans, as people said the believe either party can handle terrorism. If Iraq is #4, that's not great for the Dems, I agree. I would've expected it to be #1. Still, at #4, one would assume that means a majority of people voting against a Republican administration. So...

#1 Corruption--Plus for Democrats
#2 Terrorism--Push
#3 Economy--Plus for Republicans
#4 Iraq: Plus for Democrats

I'm not putting a lot of stock on the exit polls (kinda like sports betting, methinks). However, if someone gave me $100 and said lay it on one side or the other based on the above information, I'd gladly lay it on the Dems.

5:28pm--Food time. I went with chicken parm. Wife went with something shrimp related. The kid got the sketti. Back in a bit.

6:00pm--Back from dinner. Meh. Gotta talk to the guy about how to cook chicken parm. I was about to talk about how the rain has picked up here and the voting was probably done for the day, but the local news shows long lines at polling places. Not that it matters much here, though. I try not to talk too much about the blue state vs. red state stuff, but South Cackalacky is pretty damned red. Hell, the Gamecocks boast garnet as their school color.

6:12pm--Oh, and evidence I need to turn off the political coverage as soon as the night is over? My kid called the wife "macaca" during dinner.

6:19pm--In case you spent the last few weeks reading Dilbert and eating ice cream, here's what we're watching tonight:

Democrats need net gain of 15 seats to take control of House--Most pundits are saying this is lilkely to happen. If it doesn't, Republicans can celebrate and Democrats can sit in confusion and wonder where they went wrong...again.

Democrats need net gain of six seats to take control of Senate--Most pundits are saying this is much less likely than the Dems taking the House. If it should happen, I think it would be equivalent to the 1994 victory by Republicans. if it doesn't happen, Democrats will have to hope they take the House and Republicans can feel happy with a moral victory.

6:32pm--The benefit of being a former political journalist is having friends on he ground tonight. One reports that polls in at least one South Carolina county will stay open 8:00 tonight because of a vting machine problem. The area is primarily African-American. A judge made the call late today at the request of the Dems.

6:53pm--Well, the polls in many eastern states are about to close. I'm wireless on the laptop in the living area of my house. Right now, we're watching Wolf Blitzer, with MSNBC as a backup. I'll turn to FOX if things go poorly for the Republicans. I think my kid just opened a beer in the kitchen. I need to go tell him that we have to wait at least an hour.

7:00pm--CNN now projecting that Virginia voters more than likely have passed the ban on same-sex marriage. Not sure if that is any indication in the big Senate race there. Regardless, it's not the kind of sign I like to see. Of course, reading anything into this amendment is not really worth it at this point. As an aside, CNN's graphics would be more useful if they didn't change them every three seconds.

7:07pm--Three potential pick-up House seats for Democrats in Kentucky and Indiana are all skewing Democrat in early reporting. Only one of those has a significant precinct percentage, though.

7:15pm--In recent minutes, we've turned over to MSNBC in an attempt to save our eyes. CNN's graphics strobe light was getting to be a bit much. We'll head back to CNN after our eyes have rested. In other news, I think the germ factory kid may have given me h