I keep my TV on CNN all the time; I’m surprised the CNN logo hasn’t been permanently etched on my screen. I’m a political news junkie, and when I’m not watching CNN or MSNBC I’m reading the online news sites.
McCain and Palin [ Enlarge ] But even I was surprised when John McCain selected a virtual unknown, Sarah Palin, as his vice-presidential running mate. Like millions of other Americans I googled Palin to find out everything I could about her.
The most shocking and disturbing fact that I learned is that Palin is totally unqualified to be one heartbeat away from assuming the mantle of leader of the free world. The sum total of her political experience is one and half years as governor of Alaska, and six years as a part-time mayor of a small town outside Anchorage. Her resume qualifies her to work in a Moose petting zoo, but it falls far short as preparation to be the president of the United States.
Not only is Palin unqualified, she also far to the right of most Americans. Palin is vehemently anti-choice, opposing abortion even in the case of rape or incest. The former beauty queen supported the anti-Semitic, anti-immigration Pat Buchanan for president in 2000. The governor from Alaska is an evangelical Christian who believes that creationism should be taught in public schools. Unlike most Americans, Palin doesn’t believe that humans are responsible for global warming.
Palin is unqualified and unvetted, McCain met her only twice before offering her the vice-presidency. A Burger King applicant undergoes a more rigorous vetting process before he’s offered a position flipping burgers.
Palin is unqualified, unvetted and under an ethical cloud, lawmakers in her home state are investigating whether she abused her power in firing a public safety commissioner.
Palin’s stump speeches since McCain named her as his Veep have done nothing to ease my worries. Her high-pitched delivery will drive even her most ardent supporters nuts over the next two months. This is not a sexist jibe, I have also criticized Obama for his tentative delivery in debates. For someone who is frequently lauded as eloquent, Obama has a habit of saying “you know” or “ah” almost every other sentence.
In her first three appearances Palin has delivered the same speech with only slight variations. This indicates a person who can’t think on her feet; she relies on memory more than smarts. I do give her props for removing any mention of Hillary Clinton from her stump speech, after she was booed for giving her credit for cracking the glass ceiling.
Sarah Palin is Patrick Buchanan in a beehive and high heels; and I tremble at the thought that one day she may be president of the United States.
John McCain has irrevocably stained his reputation with this desperate act of political expedience. To appeal to Hillary’s disaffected voters and to appease the right wing of his party, McCain has put the security and safety of America at grave risk.
I’m hoping that Americans will punish John McCain for his reckless act by voting for Obama/Biden in November.
‘Plot to assassinate Barack Obama’ uncovered as police find weapons haul during routine traffic stop
Four people are have been arrested in connection with a possible plot to kill U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Arrested: Nathan Johnson & Tharin Gartrell
One of the suspects told authorities they were ‘going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a rifle sighted at 750 yards’.
Police arrested 28-year-old Tharin Gartrell after he was spotted driving erratically near Denver, where Mr Obama is due to speak at the Democratic Party convention later today.
Officers recovered two high-powered rifles with scopes, camouflage clothing, walkie-talkies, wigs, a bulletproof vest, a spotting scope, licenses in the names of other people and 44 grams of the drug methamphetamine.
Police alerted federal officials because of heightened security surrounding the Democratic convention, Dudley said.
‘Clearly we found there are federal implications – otherwise we would not have notified them,’ Detective Marcus Dudley said. ‘The weapons clearly would cause great concern.’
Police went to a nearby hotel to contact an associate of Gartrell. But that man, identified as 33-year-old Shawn Robert Adolph, jumped out of a sixth floor window to escape detectives.
Adolph broke an ankle in the fall and was captured moments later.
Sources say he had a handcuff ring and was wearing a swastika, and is thought to have ties to white supremacist organisations.
A third man – an associate of Gartrell and Adolph – Nathan Johnson, 32, was also arrested. He told authorities that the two men ‘planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech’.
Johnson, along with his girlfriend, Natasha Gromek, are also under arrest on drug charges.
The Secret Service, FBI, ATF and the joint terrorism task force are all investigating the alleged plot.
The U.S. Attorneys Office has scheduled a news conference for later today. The U.S. Attorney in Denver said it does not believe there is a credible threat to Obama or the convention.
‘It’s premature to say that it was a valid threat or that these folks have the ability to carry it out,’ said a U.S. government official familiar with the investigation.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.
U.S. Attorney Troy Eid said the case was under investigation.
‘We’re absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate, the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado,’ Mr Eid said in a prepared statement.
Clinton bows out and delivers promise to strongly back, and to throw ‘full support’ to Barack Obama.
Hillary Clinton as expected today ended her bid for the White House and formally endorsed Barack Obama during a speech Saturday at the National Building Museum in Washington.
She was unequivocal in her praise for Obama, and the speech is being seen by pundits as a way to heal rifts in the party after a hard-fought battle.
Last night Senators Obama and Clinton Meet in Washington DC privately (see video below):
Her departure from the presidential race today does mark the end of the longest and most important thread of the Clinton story.
In a letter on her Web site, Mrs. Clinton expressed her support for Mr. Obama in this way: “Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.”
Mrs. Clinton continued, saying: I “extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.” …[MORE]
We’ve just finished the most exciting primary contest in a generation, and Barack Obama is our presumptive nominee for President.
Senator Clinton ran an outstanding campaign and we all should be deeply thankful for the passion, energy, and ideas that defined her from the start. Our country and our Party are better off today because the incredible amount of work she and her supporters put into her campaign. We thank Hillary for her leadership, her commitment to America and the Democratic Party.
It can be tough to lose a hard-fought race — I know, because I’ve been there. But no matter who you supported, you’re part of a bigger family — one that shares the same hopes, values, and dreams. This campaign is so much more than any of us or any candidate. It’s about the future of our country, and our collective desire to take it back for the people who make it great.
Over the next few weeks and months, our family will reunite. It starts today, and I’m asking for your help. Reach out to your friends and family, your neighbors and coworkers, and anyone else who may have fought hard for what they believed in. Bring them in and remind them that we’re a family — that together, we can bring about fundamental change and elect a Democratic president.
We have to be unified if we’re going to bring universal health care to America’s families, to help fight global climate change, to ensure a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions, and to end the war in Iraq.
We have to be unified if we’re going to put a Democrat back in the White House.
Over the past few years, we’ve all been part of the work to rebuild the Democratic Party in all 50 states.
When the primary came around, we found ourselves with two once-in-a-lifetime candidates. Barack and Hillary crossed the country inspiring activists, building organizations, and registering new voters. In state after state, we saw record turnout that dwarfed the Republican’s; we saw hundreds of thousands of Americans become involved with a Democratic campaign for the first time; and millions of voters saw just how passionately we feel about the future of our country.
After years of rebuilding and a historic primary campaign, our Democratic community is stronger than ever before. And with Barack Obama, we have a candidate who has inspired millions of people to believe again.
But change doesn’t come easily — and no matter how much we’ve prepared, no matter how inspiring our candidate, no matter how badly we want it to happen, we have to fight for it every step of the way. Absolutely nothing will be handed to us over the next five months — we have to do everything we can to make sure Barack Obama is our next President.
We’ve just seen two brilliant candidates run the most exciting primary in decades. Now we need to come together and finish the job.
As Obama gained the nomination of the Democratic party last night, Hillary Clinton scoffed and narcissistically refused to concede.
Obama Acknowledges Crowd in Minnesota
Clinton congratulated Obama — not for winning the nomination, but for running an “extraordinary race.” She recognized Obama and his supporters “for all they accomplished.”
Also, and very ungraciously, Clinton the “wicked witch” told the crowd in New York City: “Because of you, we won together the swing states necessary to get to 270 electoral votes.” “I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and no longer to be invisible.” — translate that to: “Obama, I will crawl underneath your skin until you offer me the Vice-Presidency, so that I may accept it or refuse it and then — shove it in your face, in readiness for 2012 elections — since I have done much damage to your candidacy, and I am sure you will lose to John McCain.”
… or simply: “You must woo me if you want to prevail in November,” after all…”I have the ‘White Female Vote‘ and the ‘Bigot vote‘ in my corner!”
What does she really want?
Answer: To be [Vice-President and Co-President] come hell or high water….in her own terms.
Here are some comments from a cross-section of TV pundits:
“Clearly, she’s trying to position herself, keep her options open.” — NBC’s Tim Russert, on HRC’s speech (MSNBC).
“Well whatever that was, it wasn’t a concession speech.” — Fox News Channel’s Brit Hume
“If I were Barack Obama, if I heard that speech, I would not be very happy. … They are living in parallel universes right now.” — CNN’s Gloria Borger.
“This was a defiant speech, against all the kind of advice that [heavyweights] within the Democratic Party gave her” — Ex-White House adviser David Gergen, on whether he was surprised by Clinton’s speech (CNN).
“She did everything but offer Obama the vice presidency” — GOP strategist Alex Castellanos (CNN).
Clinton’s unwillingness to salute Obama as the presumptive Democratic nominee should be the ‘last straw‘ in my opinion, and should be the prompt he needs to deny her the vice presidential slot.
Winning an election with Hillary and Bill in tow would just be as excruciating as losing with them — to John McCain.
Obama should put his foot down — win or lose. Allowing Hillary to run with him under her own “co-presidency terms,” would thoroughly undermine Obama’s CHANGE campaign.
……and if she is thinking of running in 2012 (if McCain wins this year), then if I were Obama, I would challenge her on an independent ticket….as payback for the “malicious damage” she has done to him during this primary.
Hillary Clinton is a “wild political animal,” worse than a desperate and hungry spotted hyena roaming the wilds of East Africa — she is capable of, and is very ready to break Obama’s “political bones,” in order to get what she wants — POWER!
Earlier in Kenner, Louisiana, John McBOMB also gave a speech in which he tried draw a sharp contrast with Bush — a pathetic attempt to insulate himself from the radioactive George McDUMB Bush. McCain praised Clinton but sarcastically referred to Obama as a candidate delivered to the American people by the media and superdelagates…..[MORE]
1. A yearning for change: Clinton underestimated Democrats’ yearning for something beyond politics as usual and their disdain for the Iraq war and George W. Bush. Clinton’s 2002 vote to authorize the war became a symbol of status quo, allowing Obama, who had opposed the war, to become the agent of change on an issue that had inflamed the left.
When the nomination fight boiled down to Clinton versus Obama, the 35 years of experience Clinton constantly talked about became a liability as Obama became an exciting and plausible alternative.
“She made an initial strategic blunder by focusing on experience in a Democratic primary,” said Dick Morris, who once advised former President Bill Clinton and has become a harsh critic of Sen. Clinton. “They don’t want experience. They want change and newness. That’s why they’re Democrats.”
2. Hot and cold persona: Clinton could never seem to settle on a political style or persona. In her defense, she may have been hurt by gender bias. While Obama drew praise for his ability to invoke passion in his audiences, emotion was radioactive for Clinton. She was criticized as either too hot or too cold, rarely a transcendent figure, and not authentic. When she became teary-eyed before the New Hampshire primary, defenders saw it as a rare glimpse into her soul while detractors saw it as calculated.
She also hurt herself with false claims of ducking sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia when she was first lady. A Gallup Poll in March found half of Americans doubted her honesty and trustworthiness, twice the percentage that had the same doubts about Obama or presumptive Republican nominee John McCain.
3. Race trumped gender: When Democratic voters assessed the breakthrough aspects of having a black man or white woman head their ticket, race ultimately won out over gender. The excitement over Obama’s candidacy and the prospect of the first black nominee of a major political party brought young voters into a process they had ignored in the past. Black women, especially, were torn, but overwhelmingly settled on Obama after he won predominantly white Iowa.
Although Clinton still regularly won among women, the movement of black women and younger women to Obama cut into her strongest base, said Debbie Walsh, director of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
4. Tactical errors: While Clinton focused on winning the big states, Obama racked up a delegate lead by winning most of the smaller states’ primaries and caucuses. Clinton put a lot of her eggs in the Super Tuesday basket and her campaign seemed unprepared fiscally and strategically for the fight to go on past Feb. 5, when more than 20 states voted. But no clear victor emerged that day and there were more states than that left to vote. Clinton had to lend her campaign money, and her campaign manager stepped down amid reports of infighting among her strategists.
Clinton was ill served by other advisers, whose ego clashes or professional blunders often made news. She demoted longtime “chief strategist” Mark Penn after it was revealed he was working to help the government of Colombia get a free trade agreement with the U.S. while Clinton was campaigning against the deal.
5. So close on issues: Obama outflanked Clinton on the left or successfully argued there was little difference between them on everything from ending Bush’s tax cuts for the rich to improving health care to revisiting trade deals like NAFTA. In debates, the two Democratic rivals themselves noted they had similar positions on some issues.
And while both agreed on the need to get out of Iraq, Clinton had to defend her 2002 vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq while Obama repeatedly pointed out his early opposition to the war.
“While I think that her vote on Iraq was a responsible vote, she may have underestimated the degree to which the far left in the Democratic Party is on the ascendancy,” said Gary Bauer, a longtime conservative activist and 2000 Republican presidential candidate.
As voters’ concerns dramatically shifted from the war to the economy, both candidates changed messages. Clinton was able to win some big, late primaries with an economic populist message targeting blue-collar voters, but by then she was behind in delegates. Obama painted her proposal for a 90-day gas-tax holiday as politics-as-usual pandering that wouldn’t solve the energy crisis.
6. One word: Bill: While some voters fond of Bill Clinton’s presidency saw voting for Hillary Clinton as getting two for one, others loathed the thought of the scandal-tainted ex-president back in the White House. A string of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton presidencies also was an unpleasant thought for some. Then Bill Clinton infused race into the campaign during the crucial South Carolina primary by comparing Obama’s victory to Jesse Jackson’s in 1988. He spent later stages of the campaign hitting small colleges and small towns where he faced less media scrutiny.
7. Obama the phenom: In Obama, the candidate became the message. Obama’s national appeal, backed up by a broader and deeper national campaign strategy than Clinton had, was arguably the most important reason for her loss. As a long campaign progressed, Obama got more comfortable on the stump and in debates, drew massive crowds and evoked “Change” sign-waving, cell phone photo-snapping and swooning from supporters. Her supporters complained that the media, wowed by the phenomenon, didn’t ask Obama tough questions.
Capitalizing on the ease of Internet fundraising, Obama turned the phenom factor into a political gold mine, out-raising Clinton, sometimes at an unprecedented clip of more than $1 million a day.
But even I was surprised when John McCain selected a virtual unknown, Sarah Palin, as his vice-presidential running mate. Like millions of other Americans I googled Palin to find out everything I could about her.
Clinton’s unwillingness to salute Obama as the presumptive Democratic nominee should be the ‘last straw‘ in my opinion, and should be the prompt he needs to deny her the vice presidential slot.
