Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen, President John McCain
That’s what the results of the Indiana and North Carolina primaries cemented last night. Many in the political world are quoting the results as the death of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and saying that Barack Obama scored a big victory and (finally) secured the Democratic nomination.
I see it a little differently. I don’t necessarily see last night’s results as a victory for Obama as much as they are for John McCain and the Republican Party. I’m not just saying this because I am a Clinton supporter; I am saying this as a rational Democrat.
In the past two presidential elections, I hate to say this, George W. Bush won. How did he win? He won by getting the votes of the core members of the Republican Party and winning all of the solidly “Red States” without question. But just doing that wouldn’t have been enough to put him in the Oval Office (twice). He also won more “swing states” than his Democratic rivals. In 2000, Bush won the “swing states” of Ohio, Florida, and NH. In 2004, the only one of those 3 that John Kerry managed to win was New Hampshire, but Bush won New Mexico, which has 5 electoral votes to NH’s 4.
As recent history shows, a Democratic candidate will not be able to reach the White House without winning at least Ohio and NH and NM…or Florida and NH and NM…or Ohio and Florida…or…I think you get the idea. So it would seem in the best interest of the Democratic Party and the American people who have been suffering at the hands of a Republican administration for the past 8 years that we nominate a candidate who can prove that they can win those important states, right?
It’s all well and good that Obama showed that he can win states like Alabama and South Carolina…but the chances of those states voting for a Democrat in the general election in 2008 are about as good as Roger Clemens admitting he did steroids or George Bush admitting he doesn’t know how to read.
Democrats need a candidate in 2008 who can deliver the states that matter. I sure wish we had someone running for the nomination who was smart, experienced, qualified, and could deliver those crucial states for the Democratic Party in November…oh wait, we do! Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama in Ohio, Florida, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania, another crucial state for any Democratic candidate.
But strategically, nominating Obama makes perfect sense, right? Of course it does…for Republicans. John McCain couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity as he would never beat Clinton in those states in November. Now he has some breathing room and I think he and the Republican machine will capitalize on Obama’s weaknesses and inability to deliver those states to catapult McCain into the White House and write another chapter or two in the long national nightmare that we are experiencing under Republican rule. McCain gets to run against Obama and has all the ammunition he needs…Rev. Wright, the “bitter” comment, and let’s not forget, Obama can’t bowl.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “That’s stupid, why should bowling ability matter in who is the leader of the free world?” I agree, it is stupid and it shouldn’t matter, but it does. One can assume that if Americans generally vote for the candidate they’d rather “have a beer with,” I’m guessing they won’t be voting for a man who bowls a 37 in 10 frames…I mean, that’s pathetic, even I can break 100.
Don’t believe me and think those “stupid” things I mentioned won’t matter? Well you’re wrong, stupid wins elections, and if you want proof, just check out who won the last two elections…
See, told you stupid wins.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
“The Tide is Turning”…?
That’s what Hillary Clinton said last night after she won the Pennsylvania Primary by about 10 points over her rival (and pretty much the winner of the Democratic nomination) Barack Obama. But what does that even mean?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I am a Hillary Clinton supporter and I think she should be the next President…but come on Hill, the tide is turning? You’re out of money, you’re losing in the popular vote count, you’re about 100 pledged delegates behind Obama, and superdelegates are deserting you left and right. You really can’t (legitimately) win this nomination. You could steal it from Barack, but you certainly can’t win it fair and square.
But oddly enough, I still don’t want Hillary to quit. Even though she has little to no chance, is tearing the Democratic Party apart, and making it more likely with each passing day that John “Great-Great-Grandpa” McCain will be our next president and continue to run this country into the ground...I want her to keep fighting. I’m not sure why, but I can’t help it. Maybe it’s like what they say about a train wreck…you don’t want to look at all the carnage that its causing, but for some reason, you just can’t seem to look away.
Yes. That’s exactly what it is…Hillary Clinton’s campaign so far has been one big train wreck, and I can’t look away.
I know I’ve said I want her to continue, but I’m wondering what the rest of you think. So if you’re one of the 4 people who read my blog, leave me a comment and tell me what you think about Hillary staying in this thing. Should she keep fighting it all the way to the convention? Should she just give up and hand the nomination to Obama? Or let’s get crazy…even if she loses to Obama, should she run as an Independent and muck everything up?
Please, talk amongst yourselves.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Play Ball!
I doubt many of you who read my blog keep up with baseball (unless you’re my Dad or my sister), but I hope you caught the baseball game the other night opening the new Presidents’ Stadium, home of the Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C. President Bush was there to throw out the ceremonial first pitch like so many presidents have done before him. What made this interesting though was the response President Bush received from the hometown crowd when he left the dugout and headed toward the mound to pitch the ball.
Seven years ago, President Bush received a standing ovation at Yankee Stadium following 9/11 when he took the mound to throw out the first pitch at the World Series. This year was quite different though…As the President headed for the mound many boos could be heard coming from the crowd, something that seemed odd for the most powerful man in the world. The boos continue as he quickly threw the first pitch and scurried back to the dugout, waving to the crowd as if people actually liked him. How sad…I mean, D.C. is his hometown…Imagine Mayor Bloomberg throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, I don’t think he would be booed. If you didn’t see the beginning of the game, or if you don’t believe me, check it out on youtube…you can definitely hear the boos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAJ6b3Wk8I&feature=related
But that’s not all. You’d think the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the entire world, a man who is in power while the economy of our country is tanking, hundreds of families have had their homes foreclosed on and don’t know where they are going to live, and thousands of our young men and women are fighting and dying in Iraq for a war he orchestrated, would have to throw out the first pitch and then get back to the White House and do some work...NOPE! Not this president…he wasn’t in any hurry. In fact, after being booed by the crowd he had enough time to head up to the broadcast booth and hang out with the announcers to chat about baseball for a while and watch the game. Honestly Mr. President, you are a buffoon. I didn’t even have time to sit here and watch the game because I had too much work to do. But you, with arguably much more important stuff to do than myself…could sit there with your headset and windbreaker on and chit-chat about baseball, the weather, your horrible pitching skills…wow.
Hey Mr. President, while you were sitting there enjoying the game, did you happen to think about our friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, etc. that you sent to and have forced to stay in Iraq that don’t have the luxury to just take a night off and head to a ball game? At least they take their jobs seriously…oh wait… they have to because they are being shot at and people are trying to blow them up...every day, every night...while their Commander In Chief sits back and watches a bunch of overpaid baseballers run around a brand new multi-million dollar stadium with air tight security.
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