i was prepared to start back blogging about the presidential election once there was a democratic nominee in place. i just knew june 3rd would bring forth clarity and that is good. WRONG! Instead we get told Clinton is going to weigh her options and get back to the America. SERIOUSLY?!
i mean what options are left. no matter how you finesse the numbers you didn't get it! case closed let's keep it moving like every other defeated candidate has done in the last 100 of years. i'm not going to rehash what everyone already knows but I must say I was totally disappointed with the democratic party. why in the hell would they allow this to continue to go on?
in a time of an unpopular war, economic hardships for americans and the dems are a sure shot for offices (congressional and executive) across the board. and in typical dem fashion they blow it. a lot of ideas but no execution. i will give someone $5 if they can tell me what the dems have did since they took over the house a couple of years ago. they might have slowed down some of the republicans plans but they don't have any concrete solid plans in place. this has resonated throughout this campaign season. dem. leaders should of pulled her to the side a long time ago and shut it down. i'm not talking about some gentle coaxing but playing the game like it should be done.
they could of made it a living hell for her in the senate as well as killed any hopes she may of had of re-running for president. but what did they or dean do instead? they kept quiet and didn't really get involved wanting to see what was going to happen. then when it all hit the fan last weekend and they had to address the pink elephant in the room they still didn't check that chick. there is no reason she should have came out this past tuesday and not conceded. i am glad that they got her ass on a conference call yesterday and basically told her enough is enough, but in typical bush, i mean hillary fashion she is going to "announce" the end of her campaign on saturday. i've heard obama has been trying to see when they can sit down and talk and she has been giving him the brush off and he heard about saturday's announcement through the media. that's real cold if the latter is true.
so where does that leave us? we have a republican candidate that will no doubt pick up the white democratic racist votes that will refuse to vote for a black man. i get the feeling clinton options involves her holding her 18 million votes hostage in favor of a possible cabinet position or for the next best thing...second in command. as for obama, i think his biggest challenge is over. if you can come out on top after having everything thrown at you and overcoming the clinton political machine it will be smooth sailing from this point...relatively speaking of course.
funny video: http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/06/04/moos.political.fist.bump.cnn
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
New Math
Wow, this started off as an exciting presidential campaign. The idea of a woman and a bi-racial/black man running for office was phenomenal. This was truly history in the making and to be alive to see this take place in my lifetime was the icing on the cake. Well that was almost 8 months ago before- Iowa, When Doves Cry Hillary, Mean Old Bill, The Comeback Kid McCain, Supercuts Edwards exiting, Romney realizing America is not ready for a Mormon president, the Huckster finally gives up hope and retreating, Wright-gate, Sociology 201 Race Relations, Clinton’s recount of being under attack by fire and so on.
I was so full of hope and inspired by the election that I decided to blog about the campaign like half of America. After numerous debates dating back to last year, there is only so much to blog about at this point because the material is recycled. Political bloggers have become bootleg pundits, myself included, that wait for controversy to strike and blog about it. I work in politics so I know the game but this entire process should go down in history as not only the longest presidential campaign but by far the worse this century ( lol, yeah I realize this century really just started but I think it will keep this title!)
There’s no need to blog about current events in the election because the news is doing a great job of keeping everyone up to date on the foolishness. Hence a national debate done by a reputable station that asked candidates questions straight from the tabloids. The bottomline is we have a republican candidate that is enjoying the good life getting ammunition from the democratic party as they battle it out until the end and we have yet to get a democratic candidate.
So for the first time in years, places like Hawaii had their vote count in the primary, which has rarely happened in the past. We all heard about delegates and electoral votes but no one ever really did the math and paid it much attention. I suspect from recent news reports a lot of political pundits had to brush up on this area as well. In any event, its time to have fun with the new math!!
Currently, Obama is in first place with 1,645 delegates, with 28 states won and yes that includes Texas.
Clinton is right behind with 1,507 with 16 states won but remember Florida and Michigan had their delegates stripped so they don’t add into the equation which is why she is pushing so hard to have them count so the voters in those States can have their vote count (I'm sure that's not the real reason Hillary).
In order to get the democratic nomination, the candidate needs to secure 2,025 delegates. Obama needs 380 delegates, while Clinton needs 518 to secure the nomination. There are five primaries remaining for the democratic candidates with approximately 821 delegates remaining. Unless, Clinton kills in Pennsylvania, there really isn’t any way for her to get that 518. We know Obama will at least get 40% of the delegates, and he will definitely take North Carolina. Having gone to school in Hoosierville, I’m not sure he can pull it 100% but he will definitely get the votes in the northern part of the State. The other States I will at least give Obama 35% of the delegates which puts Clinton out of the race..or does it? You do the math and see what you come up with.
I was so full of hope and inspired by the election that I decided to blog about the campaign like half of America. After numerous debates dating back to last year, there is only so much to blog about at this point because the material is recycled. Political bloggers have become bootleg pundits, myself included, that wait for controversy to strike and blog about it. I work in politics so I know the game but this entire process should go down in history as not only the longest presidential campaign but by far the worse this century ( lol, yeah I realize this century really just started but I think it will keep this title!)
There’s no need to blog about current events in the election because the news is doing a great job of keeping everyone up to date on the foolishness. Hence a national debate done by a reputable station that asked candidates questions straight from the tabloids. The bottomline is we have a republican candidate that is enjoying the good life getting ammunition from the democratic party as they battle it out until the end and we have yet to get a democratic candidate.
So for the first time in years, places like Hawaii had their vote count in the primary, which has rarely happened in the past. We all heard about delegates and electoral votes but no one ever really did the math and paid it much attention. I suspect from recent news reports a lot of political pundits had to brush up on this area as well. In any event, its time to have fun with the new math!!
Currently, Obama is in first place with 1,645 delegates, with 28 states won and yes that includes Texas. 
Clinton is right behind with 1,507 with 16 states won but remember Florida and Michigan had their delegates stripped so they don’t add into the equation which is why she is pushing so hard to have them count so the voters in those States can have their vote count (I'm sure that's not the real reason Hillary). In order to get the democratic nomination, the candidate needs to secure 2,025 delegates. Obama needs 380 delegates, while Clinton needs 518 to secure the nomination. There are five primaries remaining for the democratic candidates with approximately 821 delegates remaining. Unless, Clinton kills in Pennsylvania, there really isn’t any way for her to get that 518. We know Obama will at least get 40% of the delegates, and he will definitely take North Carolina. Having gone to school in Hoosierville, I’m not sure he can pull it 100% but he will definitely get the votes in the northern part of the State. The other States I will at least give Obama 35% of the delegates which puts Clinton out of the race..or does it? You do the math and see what you come up with.
Friday, March 21, 2008
sick and tired
as you can see i have been MIA as it relates to posting about the presidential campaign. i predicted it would be a long and arduous process but i had no idea it would take such a nasty turn.
by now i'm sure everyone has heard the sound bites from rev. wright a million times. personally i think the way the media is going about reporting this is all wrong. however, its the media so i can't really expect them to not chance after the ambulance. i am a former member of Trinity in chicago (i moved to maryland) and i was in attendance for the sept 2001 sermon that the news keep showing. i don't recall rev. wright saying anything that was extreme on that day. if you take into account how ppl were feeling in the aftermath, then listen to the entire sermon it was one of upliftment and not of hate.
i remember there were over a 100 people that joined and many more that came up for the altar call. there were many workers from the airline industry in attendance and he did a special prayer for them. i also had my good friend from graduate school call me the night before and ask if her sister could attend service with me. her sister was a flight attendant with united and loss colleagues and was in need of inspiration. she drove all the way from their o'hare base to attend Trinity on the south side of chicago. she was overcome with joy to be in the house of the Lord and to hear rev. wright's sermon. she still talks about how much that visit helped her get through a difficult time.
with all that said and with all rev. wright has done for the community i think its interesting how all that can be overlook from a few soundbites. don't get me wrong, rev. wright has some strong views when it comes to politics. he's frank and tells it how he sees it. you might not agree with his stance on everything but he's definitely not the evil perons people are making him out to be. when i moved to maryland, i would email him for advice on finding a church home and other question. he would personally respond to emails and provide advice. he has over 6,000 members but he would take to the time to personally respond to emails. that says a lot about a man's character and his priorities.
in any event, i ran across this commentary from roland s. martin and i thought it would give you all some other things to consider before making up your mind about obama. i think people have the right to vote for who they want. i just hope people look at the facts and see through all the smoke. if you look at the real issues and set aside all the foolishness that has surrounded the democratic candidates in the last couple of months then i think people can make informed decisions when voting in the primaries.
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/21/the-full-story-behind-rev-jeremiah-wrights-911-sermon/
The full story behind Rev. Jeremiah Wright's 9/11 sermon
Posted: 10:09 AM ET
As this whole sordid episode regarding the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has played out over the last week, I wanted to understand what he ACTUALLY said in this speech. I've been saying all week on CNN that context is important, and I just wanted to know what the heck is going on.
I have now actually listened to the sermon Rev. Wright gave after September 11 titled, "The Day of Jerusalem's Fall." It was delivered on Sept. 16, 2001.
One of the most controversial statements in this sermon was when he mentioned "chickens coming home to roost." He was actually quoting Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of President Reagan's terrorism task force, who was speaking on FOX News. That's what he told the congregation.
He was quoting Peck as saying that America's foreign policy has put the nation in peril:
"We took this country by terror away from the Sioux, the Apache, Arikara, the Comanche, the Arapaho, the Navajo. Terrorism.
"We took Africans away from their country to build our way of ease and kept them enslaved and living in fear. Terrorism.
"We bombed Grenada and killed innocent civilians, babies, non-military personnel.
"We bombed the black civilian community of Panama with stealth bombers and killed unarmed teenage and toddlers, pregnant mothers and hard working fathers.
"We bombed Qaddafi's home, and killed his child. Blessed are they who bash your children's head against the rock.
"We bombed Iraq. We killed unarmed civilians trying to make a living. We bombed a plant in Sudan to pay back for the attack on our embassy, killed hundreds of hard working people, mothers and fathers who left home to go that day not knowing that they'd never get back home.
"We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.
"Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.
"Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y'all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don't have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that."
He went on to describe seeing the photos of the aftermath of 9/11 because he was in Newark, N.J., when the planes struck. After turning on the TV and seeing the second plane slam into one of the twin towers, he spoke passionately about what if you never got a chance to say hello to your family again.
"What is the state of your family?" he asked.
And then he told his congregation that he loved them and asked the church to tell each other they loved themselves.
His sermon thesis:
1. This is a time for self-examination of ourselves and our families.
2. This is a time for social transformation (then he went on to say they won't put me on PBS or national cable for what I'm about to say. Talk about prophetic!)
"We have got to change the way we have been doing things as a society," he said.
Wright then said we can't stop messing over people and thinking they can't touch us. He said we may need to declare war on racism, injustice, and greed, instead of war on other countries.
"Maybe we need to declare war on AIDS. In five minutes the Congress found $40 billion to rebuild New York and the families that died in sudden death, do you think we can find the money to make medicine available for people who are dying a slow death? Maybe we need to declare war on the nation's healthcare system that leaves the nation's poor with no health coverage? Maybe we need to declare war on the mishandled educational system and provide quality education for everybody, every citizen, based on their ability to learn, not their ability to pay. This is a time for social transformation."
3. This is time to tell God thank you for all that he has provided and that he gave him and others another chance to do His will.
By the way, nowhere in this sermon did he said "God damn America." I'm not sure which sermon that came from.
This doesn't explain anything away, nor does it absolve Wright of using the N-word, but what it does do is add an accurate perspective to this conversation.
The point that I have always made as a journalist is that our job is to seek the truth, and not the partial truth.
I am also listening to the other sermons delivered by Rev. Wright that have been the subject of controversy.
And let me be clear: Where I believe he was wrong and not justified in what he said based upon the facts, I will say so. But where the facts support his argument, that will also be said.
So stay tuned.
- Roland S. Martin, CNN Contributor
by now i'm sure everyone has heard the sound bites from rev. wright a million times. personally i think the way the media is going about reporting this is all wrong. however, its the media so i can't really expect them to not chance after the ambulance. i am a former member of Trinity in chicago (i moved to maryland) and i was in attendance for the sept 2001 sermon that the news keep showing. i don't recall rev. wright saying anything that was extreme on that day. if you take into account how ppl were feeling in the aftermath, then listen to the entire sermon it was one of upliftment and not of hate.
i remember there were over a 100 people that joined and many more that came up for the altar call. there were many workers from the airline industry in attendance and he did a special prayer for them. i also had my good friend from graduate school call me the night before and ask if her sister could attend service with me. her sister was a flight attendant with united and loss colleagues and was in need of inspiration. she drove all the way from their o'hare base to attend Trinity on the south side of chicago. she was overcome with joy to be in the house of the Lord and to hear rev. wright's sermon. she still talks about how much that visit helped her get through a difficult time.
with all that said and with all rev. wright has done for the community i think its interesting how all that can be overlook from a few soundbites. don't get me wrong, rev. wright has some strong views when it comes to politics. he's frank and tells it how he sees it. you might not agree with his stance on everything but he's definitely not the evil perons people are making him out to be. when i moved to maryland, i would email him for advice on finding a church home and other question. he would personally respond to emails and provide advice. he has over 6,000 members but he would take to the time to personally respond to emails. that says a lot about a man's character and his priorities.
in any event, i ran across this commentary from roland s. martin and i thought it would give you all some other things to consider before making up your mind about obama. i think people have the right to vote for who they want. i just hope people look at the facts and see through all the smoke. if you look at the real issues and set aside all the foolishness that has surrounded the democratic candidates in the last couple of months then i think people can make informed decisions when voting in the primaries.
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/21/the-full-story-behind-rev-jeremiah-wrights-911-sermon/
The full story behind Rev. Jeremiah Wright's 9/11 sermon
Posted: 10:09 AM ET
As this whole sordid episode regarding the sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has played out over the last week, I wanted to understand what he ACTUALLY said in this speech. I've been saying all week on CNN that context is important, and I just wanted to know what the heck is going on.
I have now actually listened to the sermon Rev. Wright gave after September 11 titled, "The Day of Jerusalem's Fall." It was delivered on Sept. 16, 2001.
One of the most controversial statements in this sermon was when he mentioned "chickens coming home to roost." He was actually quoting Edward Peck, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and deputy director of President Reagan's terrorism task force, who was speaking on FOX News. That's what he told the congregation.
He was quoting Peck as saying that America's foreign policy has put the nation in peril:
"We took this country by terror away from the Sioux, the Apache, Arikara, the Comanche, the Arapaho, the Navajo. Terrorism.
"We took Africans away from their country to build our way of ease and kept them enslaved and living in fear. Terrorism.
"We bombed Grenada and killed innocent civilians, babies, non-military personnel.
"We bombed the black civilian community of Panama with stealth bombers and killed unarmed teenage and toddlers, pregnant mothers and hard working fathers.
"We bombed Qaddafi's home, and killed his child. Blessed are they who bash your children's head against the rock.
"We bombed Iraq. We killed unarmed civilians trying to make a living. We bombed a plant in Sudan to pay back for the attack on our embassy, killed hundreds of hard working people, mothers and fathers who left home to go that day not knowing that they'd never get back home.
"We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.
"Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.
"We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.
"Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y'all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don't have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that."
He went on to describe seeing the photos of the aftermath of 9/11 because he was in Newark, N.J., when the planes struck. After turning on the TV and seeing the second plane slam into one of the twin towers, he spoke passionately about what if you never got a chance to say hello to your family again.
"What is the state of your family?" he asked.
And then he told his congregation that he loved them and asked the church to tell each other they loved themselves.
His sermon thesis:
1. This is a time for self-examination of ourselves and our families.
2. This is a time for social transformation (then he went on to say they won't put me on PBS or national cable for what I'm about to say. Talk about prophetic!)
"We have got to change the way we have been doing things as a society," he said.
Wright then said we can't stop messing over people and thinking they can't touch us. He said we may need to declare war on racism, injustice, and greed, instead of war on other countries.
"Maybe we need to declare war on AIDS. In five minutes the Congress found $40 billion to rebuild New York and the families that died in sudden death, do you think we can find the money to make medicine available for people who are dying a slow death? Maybe we need to declare war on the nation's healthcare system that leaves the nation's poor with no health coverage? Maybe we need to declare war on the mishandled educational system and provide quality education for everybody, every citizen, based on their ability to learn, not their ability to pay. This is a time for social transformation."
3. This is time to tell God thank you for all that he has provided and that he gave him and others another chance to do His will.
By the way, nowhere in this sermon did he said "God damn America." I'm not sure which sermon that came from.
This doesn't explain anything away, nor does it absolve Wright of using the N-word, but what it does do is add an accurate perspective to this conversation.
The point that I have always made as a journalist is that our job is to seek the truth, and not the partial truth.
I am also listening to the other sermons delivered by Rev. Wright that have been the subject of controversy.
And let me be clear: Where I believe he was wrong and not justified in what he said based upon the facts, I will say so. But where the facts support his argument, that will also be said.
So stay tuned.
- Roland S. Martin, CNN Contributor
Sunday, February 3, 2008
still undecided?
I have a little over a week to decide who I'm voting for. I still have no idea. I shouldn't say no idea but as it gets closer I'm back and forth like many people. I was not pro-Obama although I voted for him in the US Senate election. However, I was somewhat feeling him until he made the comment about blacks using the immigration issue as a scapegoat. Hmmmm. I just feel like no one is really talking to me about what I see as the issues for many of my brothers and sisters. Right now the only vote politicians are trying to gain that is non-white is the Latino vote. I find it interesting that we can debate over who said we should go to war but we can't spend more time addressing the war that's going on in America.
Anyway, I won't get on my high horse. Here's a good website if you didn't keep on reading the candidates stance on the main issues that I posted then this site will help you make a decision in like 5 seconds.
http://www.votechooser.com/
Whatever you do, remember to vote!
Anyway, I won't get on my high horse. Here's a good website if you didn't keep on reading the candidates stance on the main issues that I posted then this site will help you make a decision in like 5 seconds.
http://www.votechooser.com/
Whatever you do, remember to vote!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
race matters
i must say i'm very disappointed in the democratic presidential candidates. the debate last night made me sick to my stomach. sidenote: i am so tired of the political pundits chiming in at this point. you're probably asking why do i keep watching. its like watching american idol during the tryouts stage some people can't resist the urge to tune in.
anyway, i don't want to vote for anybody (republican or democratic) at this point. i knew they would do voters a disservice by starting this campaign so damn early. i think the election is not about the issues but its become about race, gender, good old boy network and so on. then i think to myself this is just a reflection of what goes on in society. the election is just magnifying what we see everyday on our job, at school etc. i want to believe we can one day have an election process that does not involve all the mudslinging.
in an attempt to call Obama out on the present vote record, Hilary only made herself look dumb in my opinion. i work for the Maryland General Assembly and I realize that every State varies on how the legislative process is carried out in regards to the budget and bills. for someone who talks about all the experience they have you would think she would know enough to do more research on the Illinois protocol. second, i was disappointed that Obama has started to go tit for tat with the Clintons. he's giving them too much attention. sure respond tactfully to allegations but keep it moving. its like a game of chess at this point. if he continues to let the Clintons get into his head then his campaign stops in south carolina. Edwards, what can i say, he's an opportunist doing what he does best.
so to get to the real reason why i started typing this blog..race does matter. i was listening to this pundit give his spill on how Obama would take south carolina because he will have the black vote and the white vote will be split amongst Hilary and Edwards. he then goes on to say basically Hilary will go on win in other States since the black/white numbers won't really be an issue. i had to do a double take. of course he didn't blatantly say that but this is what he was saying after you took the sugar off the you know what. i thought to myself America is not ready for a black president. hell i don't even think many blacks are ready for a black president. this just sealed the nail in the coffin. i think people were shocked Obama got this far but now the machine, media included is ready for the show to wrap up.
lastly, don't be fooled into thinking Obama does not have any information out or has never stated his platform. you can find many speeches and information on his website that talks about his plan. i didn't start off making this an Obama rally blog but i think people are really blurring the lines when it comes to reporting about him. if you're going to attack him at least attack him on things he's actually said or done...
anyway, i don't want to vote for anybody (republican or democratic) at this point. i knew they would do voters a disservice by starting this campaign so damn early. i think the election is not about the issues but its become about race, gender, good old boy network and so on. then i think to myself this is just a reflection of what goes on in society. the election is just magnifying what we see everyday on our job, at school etc. i want to believe we can one day have an election process that does not involve all the mudslinging.
in an attempt to call Obama out on the present vote record, Hilary only made herself look dumb in my opinion. i work for the Maryland General Assembly and I realize that every State varies on how the legislative process is carried out in regards to the budget and bills. for someone who talks about all the experience they have you would think she would know enough to do more research on the Illinois protocol. second, i was disappointed that Obama has started to go tit for tat with the Clintons. he's giving them too much attention. sure respond tactfully to allegations but keep it moving. its like a game of chess at this point. if he continues to let the Clintons get into his head then his campaign stops in south carolina. Edwards, what can i say, he's an opportunist doing what he does best.
so to get to the real reason why i started typing this blog..race does matter. i was listening to this pundit give his spill on how Obama would take south carolina because he will have the black vote and the white vote will be split amongst Hilary and Edwards. he then goes on to say basically Hilary will go on win in other States since the black/white numbers won't really be an issue. i had to do a double take. of course he didn't blatantly say that but this is what he was saying after you took the sugar off the you know what. i thought to myself America is not ready for a black president. hell i don't even think many blacks are ready for a black president. this just sealed the nail in the coffin. i think people were shocked Obama got this far but now the machine, media included is ready for the show to wrap up.
lastly, don't be fooled into thinking Obama does not have any information out or has never stated his platform. you can find many speeches and information on his website that talks about his plan. i didn't start off making this an Obama rally blog but i think people are really blurring the lines when it comes to reporting about him. if you're going to attack him at least attack him on things he's actually said or done...
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Polls: The sum of all things evil
When I started this blog last year, I knew it was going to be the longest presidential campaign in history. I watched all the debates in the beginning and that’s a chore when there are 100 candidates running between both parties! I was too outdone by the political strategists and reporters that gave their unwarranted opinions about where the candidates stood with Americans. I was also tired of the millions of polls conducted by newspapers and the media. I always wondered who the hell are they polling? The sample appeared to be too homogeneous as did the results!
Fast forward to the present and everyone was off the mark. I always knew this would be a fight until the end. We still have a long way to go but the media wants to feel like they have the last say on who’s elected. The spin doctors will describe something that didn’t even happen. This is why I blog and research for myself and encourage others to do the same. Don’t just take things for face value from CNN, Fox, MSN and so on. Chris Matthews in my opinion is the biggest fraud. I have watched debates and read things about a candidate but when he reports it’s totally different from what I saw or read. So please take the information from reporters and all these polls with a grain of salt.
This brings me to my next issue, which bears the question “why do we vote?” I think once information is gathered about a candidate you should see how their vision relates to your stance on issues and make a sound decision. I really have issues with those that will vote for a party on superficial reasons. I do think it’s great that history could be made if either Obama or Clinton is elected but that should not be the main reason to vote. Also, I think it’s ignorant for others to assume because you are black you have to vote for Obama, if you are a female then you vote for Clinton. I have a diverse group of friends and when it comes to the issues they are concerned with it is reflected in how they vote. My bff and I voted for different people in the last election. Although, I didn’t agree with her choice, I respected her decision and reasoning. Voting is a right! Don’t let someone dictate to you how you should or shouldn’t vote!
So where does this leave us. I think we have definitely determined who the three frontrunners are for the Democrats. Obama needs to do more than deliver great motivational speeches. I would love for him to discuss his stance on some key issues. I know what they are but I don’t think people really do. They are just in love with the movement of change and this can be detrimental to his campaign. It only takes one speech where he’soff and he will be out like Howard Dean. As for Clinton she pulled the woman card by crying foul to the media and by breaking down in front of cameras no doubt. This was definitely a good look for the ice princess. She made herself appear to be human. Gosh, what can I say about Edwards?! He’s like the classic middle child. Always, doing what it takes to get some attention and it’s not working out to good for him. I think the chummy stance he’s recently taken with Obama makes him look even more desperate.
As for the Republicans, I think the field is still open. I think McCain’s victory will be short lived but I’m still uncertain about Romney. He has the look but his dirty tactics with the campaign ad might not resonate too well with voters after a while. Huckabee is my main man. I think he still might have a little more in him. He definitely will take the conservative south if his money and financial supporters hang around long enough. You all know and a Law & Order junky I’m sorely disappointed with Thompson. There really isn’t anything to say. I give him one more stop before he drops out. Giuliani is one delusional guy and thinks if he can hold off until the end he will take it all. Hmm this guy…
Fast forward to the present and everyone was off the mark. I always knew this would be a fight until the end. We still have a long way to go but the media wants to feel like they have the last say on who’s elected. The spin doctors will describe something that didn’t even happen. This is why I blog and research for myself and encourage others to do the same. Don’t just take things for face value from CNN, Fox, MSN and so on. Chris Matthews in my opinion is the biggest fraud. I have watched debates and read things about a candidate but when he reports it’s totally different from what I saw or read. So please take the information from reporters and all these polls with a grain of salt.
This brings me to my next issue, which bears the question “why do we vote?” I think once information is gathered about a candidate you should see how their vision relates to your stance on issues and make a sound decision. I really have issues with those that will vote for a party on superficial reasons. I do think it’s great that history could be made if either Obama or Clinton is elected but that should not be the main reason to vote. Also, I think it’s ignorant for others to assume because you are black you have to vote for Obama, if you are a female then you vote for Clinton. I have a diverse group of friends and when it comes to the issues they are concerned with it is reflected in how they vote. My bff and I voted for different people in the last election. Although, I didn’t agree with her choice, I respected her decision and reasoning. Voting is a right! Don’t let someone dictate to you how you should or shouldn’t vote!
So where does this leave us. I think we have definitely determined who the three frontrunners are for the Democrats. Obama needs to do more than deliver great motivational speeches. I would love for him to discuss his stance on some key issues. I know what they are but I don’t think people really do. They are just in love with the movement of change and this can be detrimental to his campaign. It only takes one speech where he’soff and he will be out like Howard Dean. As for Clinton she pulled the woman card by crying foul to the media and by breaking down in front of cameras no doubt. This was definitely a good look for the ice princess. She made herself appear to be human. Gosh, what can I say about Edwards?! He’s like the classic middle child. Always, doing what it takes to get some attention and it’s not working out to good for him. I think the chummy stance he’s recently taken with Obama makes him look even more desperate.
As for the Republicans, I think the field is still open. I think McCain’s victory will be short lived but I’m still uncertain about Romney. He has the look but his dirty tactics with the campaign ad might not resonate too well with voters after a while. Huckabee is my main man. I think he still might have a little more in him. He definitely will take the conservative south if his money and financial supporters hang around long enough. You all know and a Law & Order junky I’m sorely disappointed with Thompson. There really isn’t anything to say. I give him one more stop before he drops out. Giuliani is one delusional guy and thinks if he can hold off until the end he will take it all. Hmm this guy…
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Who is Mike Huckabee?
Who is Mike Huckabee
When I started this blog dude was so low on the poll I didn’t include him. However, I must admit I was impressed when I saw him on the Colbert show last year. It appears he definitely got the “Colbert Bump” in the poll. As I said in the beginning this race is not for the faint at heart because there was so much time for a candidate to make mistakes or take the lead. This holds true for the Democratic race, Clinton built up a significant lead over her opponents only to have that shorten as the caucus draws near.
However, this isn’t about nutcracker Hilary; it’s about Big Mike. Who is this guy and what’s his agenda? Mike is the 44th Republican Governor of Arkansas (1996-2007). He’s an author and heavily involved in policy based organization such as the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and Education Commission of the States (ECS). It should also be noted the Big Mike is also involved in oil and energy commissions and has lobbied on behalf of energy matters.
What I found to be the most interesting and I think this will be big for a Republican voter is his background outside of politics. A significant part of Mike’s adult life was spent as a pastor and denominational leader. He became the youngest president ever of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the largest denomination in Arkansas. Huckabee led rapidly growing congregations in Pine Bluff and Texarkana. He said those experiences gave him a deep sense of the problems faced by individuals and families.
So what does that mean? Basically, if you guessed Mike is conservative then you would be very right! Unlike Guiliani, Huckabee is very open and direct about his politics. There really isn’t any gray area. I’m banking that he hopes the same evangelicals and conservative Republican that elected Bush will go out and do the same for him. He doesn’t have some of the issues that some of the other Republican candidates might have. He’s not too old like McCain, he built up enough momentum to garner support unlike Thompson who was late in the game, as I said he’s conservative on issues unlike Guiliani; last but not least he’s not Mormon like Romney.
So at the end of the day, you have someone who supports the war and will continue to fund it. He is someone who is pro-life, fiscally conservative (he’s not quite a communist but he does want to do away with big government) and against universal healthcare to the extent government is in control. He is more about preventative healthcare just read his 4th book. He’s against same-sex marriages, pro-guns, and lastly he has some stringent plans on border control and immigration.
So if you are a true conservative at heart then it doesn’t get any better than Huckabee. Dude just might pull it off in Iowa…stay tuned.
When I started this blog dude was so low on the poll I didn’t include him. However, I must admit I was impressed when I saw him on the Colbert show last year. It appears he definitely got the “Colbert Bump” in the poll. As I said in the beginning this race is not for the faint at heart because there was so much time for a candidate to make mistakes or take the lead. This holds true for the Democratic race, Clinton built up a significant lead over her opponents only to have that shorten as the caucus draws near.
However, this isn’t about nutcracker Hilary; it’s about Big Mike. Who is this guy and what’s his agenda? Mike is the 44th Republican Governor of Arkansas (1996-2007). He’s an author and heavily involved in policy based organization such as the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and Education Commission of the States (ECS). It should also be noted the Big Mike is also involved in oil and energy commissions and has lobbied on behalf of energy matters.
What I found to be the most interesting and I think this will be big for a Republican voter is his background outside of politics. A significant part of Mike’s adult life was spent as a pastor and denominational leader. He became the youngest president ever of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the largest denomination in Arkansas. Huckabee led rapidly growing congregations in Pine Bluff and Texarkana. He said those experiences gave him a deep sense of the problems faced by individuals and families.
So what does that mean? Basically, if you guessed Mike is conservative then you would be very right! Unlike Guiliani, Huckabee is very open and direct about his politics. There really isn’t any gray area. I’m banking that he hopes the same evangelicals and conservative Republican that elected Bush will go out and do the same for him. He doesn’t have some of the issues that some of the other Republican candidates might have. He’s not too old like McCain, he built up enough momentum to garner support unlike Thompson who was late in the game, as I said he’s conservative on issues unlike Guiliani; last but not least he’s not Mormon like Romney.
So at the end of the day, you have someone who supports the war and will continue to fund it. He is someone who is pro-life, fiscally conservative (he’s not quite a communist but he does want to do away with big government) and against universal healthcare to the extent government is in control. He is more about preventative healthcare just read his 4th book. He’s against same-sex marriages, pro-guns, and lastly he has some stringent plans on border control and immigration.
So if you are a true conservative at heart then it doesn’t get any better than Huckabee. Dude just might pull it off in Iowa…stay tuned.
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