As the Bigot-Party prepares to descend on Minnesota for the Republican convention, I can’t help but recall the right-wing nutbag Stuart Shepard of “Focus on the Family Action” starring in a video that asked Christians to pray for “rain of biblical proportions,” during Barack Obama’s nomination-acceptance speech. He asked God for “abundant and torrential rain” that would create flash flood warnings and “swamp the intersections..” Shepard said he hoped the rain would start “two minutes before the acceptance speech begins.”

What a colossal waste of GOD’s time!

Well, that never happened and last Thursday Obama delivered yet another masterful speech which was applauded exuberantly by the left and grudgingly by right, and Hurricane Gustav(with speculation that two other hurricanes are right behind Gustav) appears to be on target to mess up the GOP convention — a gathering of Stuart Shepard’s Grand Old party of GOD!

Even “toe-sucking” Dick Morris loved it. “A master was at work last night. A politician who can inspire hope filled in the blanks of his program and articulated his vision with skill and panache,” said Dick Morris, a former Clinton advisor, now a wicked and rascally prime-time analyst for the “snake-pit” news channel — Fox News.

In 2004, when the Republicans couldn’t field a viable candidate (Republican Party challenger, Jack Ryan, was discovered to be a sexual pervert) to run against Barack Obama, they searched all over the United States — all they way to Maryland, where they found Alan Keyes, a “perennial presidential candidate,” and a black ReTHUGliTOM in the Clarence Thomas mold — an Uncle-Tom of “mental illness” proportions.

Alan Keyes — The Black “King of Bull-Shit”

Obama slaughtered him in the election, winning the Senate race to become 5th black U.S. senator in history. Keyes, in a combative speech that Tuesday night, quoted heavily from the Bible, but stopped short of conceding the race, vowing to fight what he called the corrupt politicians of Illinois.

“We are called to go into the ditch, and though we must wade knee-deep in muck we will come out the other side,” said Keyes. “This shall be our cause!” ……whatever that means!

This election cycle, McCain the Republican seems to be doing something similar.

After rejecting a congregation of flawed potential VP partners, he went looking — and snagged the “moose-eating” twenty month governor of Alaska, a former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (Population 7,738 [2004 Estimate]), husbanded by a career fisherman, Todd Palin.

This condescending and laughable grab for ‘Hillary Voters,‘ will work with the far-right GOP females, who have been luke-warm towards McCain, for not being extremist enough, and some stupid, un-principled “Low Information” Hillary-Voters, but to the die-hard well-informed — angry or not, I think this is a major slap in the face.

Poor John McCain actually believes there’s a large army of bitter Hillary voters who will vote for a right-wing female NUT simply because she’s a woman.

Not only is McCain’s theory ludicrous, but it is every bit as sexist as can be.

Are Democratic women voters that stupid, as to not care about the issues Hillary Clinton stood for?

Yes, some are, especially those turned off by the color of Obama’s skin, but for the majority — I don’t think so.

Jon Stewart’s Take!

“John McCain’s campaign has asked a Hollywood agent to sprinkle some glitter over his anointment as the Republican nominee – while Barack Obama frets about celebrities stampeding towards the Democratic convention in Denver next week.

Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, California’s Republican governor and former action movie star, has stalled on accepting a prime time speaking slot at McCain’s convention in St Paul next month. He may even skip the event all together because of his state’s budget crisis.” — Quotation from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4560381.ece

In the days of “smoke-filled rooms” political conventions were potent dramas full of intrigue, suspense and mystery. Today the conventions hold all the suspense and pizzazz of a birthday party at a retirement home.

At least at the Democratic Convention most people look forward to Sen. Barack Obama accepting his party’s nomination before a crowd of over 70,000 at Mile High Stadium.

But the GOP’s convention promises to be a snooze-fest that will only be watched by political junkies and masochists.

Jeffrey Barry of the William Morris agency has the most difficult assignment of his career: Trying to jazz up the Republican Convention. Frankly, I think it’s mission impossible, the main attraction, John McCain, has all the charisma of Wilfred Brimley on Valium.

Nobody wants to attend the GOP convention, even some high-profile senators and governors have announced they have no intentions of attending the festivities.

Barry is not off to an auspicious start, according to the Times Online article he has hired the Beach Boys for a “kick off” party. The Beach Boys are so freakin’ old that they consider Madeline Albright a hottie.

The Republican convention, with or without the help of a Hollywood agent, promises to be a dull affair. I think I’d rather watch grass grow…

DixieCrat Zell Miller — FearMongering For Bush’s Failed Presidency in 2004

“(AHN) – Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that he will not attend the Democratic National Convention as claimed by Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard editor.

‘I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol’s musings,’ Powell told ABC. ‘I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear.’

Kristol said in a Fox report earlier in the day that Powell was planning to endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on the third night of the convention, the day Democrats speak about the theme “Securing America’s Future.” He added that Powell is scheduled to give a speech explaining his support for Obama.” — Kris Alingod/AHN News Writer

Colin Powell was a voice of moderation and reason in the Bush Administration. He was frequently at odds with Dick Cheney and the rest of the neocons, who had an ill-fated pipe dream of invading Iraq and turning the Muslim country into a bastion of democracy.

“In July 2007 Powell revealed that he spent two and a half hours trying to persuade George W. Bush not to invade Iraq but that he did not prevail.” — Quotation from Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell)

Powell was deeply opposed to the invasion and occupation of Iraq, but instead of doing the honorable thing and resigning he went before the United Nations to present his “dog and pony” show in favor of attacking Iraq.

Colin Powell: The Speech that led to WAR (1/8)

Powell’s speech before the UN was such an egregious betrayal of everything that he stood for, that it forever mars an otherwise sterling political and military career.

Sen. Barack Obama’s early claim to fame was that he was against the Iraq war from the start. His vehement opposition to the Iraq war is the main reason why he is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Under no circumstances should Obama accept Powell’s endorsement, it would be a betrayal of everything he stands for.

Powell’s timidity and cowardice at a critical juncture in history has forever stained his legacy, and if Obama accepts his endorsement it will compromise his moral legitimacy.

REFERENCES:

2. Former aide: Powell WMD speech ‘lowest point in my life’ — A former top aide to Colin Powell says his involvement in the former secretary of state’s presentation to the United Nations on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction was “the lowest point” in his life.

Poor Bill.

He’s stuck in no man’s land — no longer able to stand before adoring crowds of African-Americans, who welcomed him as the “nation’s first black president” with thunderous applause — and he clearly is having issues dealing with the new world order.

Almost two months after Sen. Barack Obama captured the Democratic presidential nomination, the former president still is brooding about his wife’s loss. And his chief source of anguish? That supporters of Obama accused him of injecting race into the campaign.

Never mind that the Obama camp — loaded with white male advisers — was so afraid to bring up race that it wasn’t funny.

When Bill Clinton compared Obama’s win in South Carolina to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 wins there, it was seen by African-Americans as an attempt to marginalize Obama. That always has been a fear of African-Americans who achieve mainstream success, and it left even close friends of the Clintons aghast.

That was the tipping point, along with other perceived slights, and we know a person’s perception is his reality.

What Bill doesn’t understand is that the masses of black people know what it feels like to be marginalized, and many saw that in those comments.

In an interview with ABC’s Kate Snow, Clinton, when asked about regrets in the campaign, immediately threw out, “I am not a racist.”

He kept insisting that he isn’t angry, but we all have seen that stare, that change in body language, and the parsing of words. Even when Snow asked whether Obama is ready to be president, Clinton answered in the third person, never actually saying he’s ready or not.

Bill, we get it. You still are peeved. At Obama. At Rep. James Clyburn. At the media. At anyone who you determined was against you and Hillary.

Many have said Clinton wants his legacy intact, and a lot of that has to do with the reality that no group gave him more comfort than the black community.

When he was facing the end of his presidency, he called on black folks like no others, using the affection to get him through the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He relied on black support to keep his poll numbers high. And we all know it.

But what Bill knows — and we know — is that you don’t have to be a racist to use race as a tool in a political campaign. An inference here, a comparison there, and you can send the right signal at the right time to the right people. He says he did nothing wrong. Yet perception is very powerful, and denying it doesn’t make it go away.

Bill and the legions of Clinton supporters are quick to act as if the comments made by African-Americans — the regular folk — simply didn’t exist. That was his bread-and-butter group, and its members were none too happy.

But what the Clinton folks also fail to grasp is that they did offend older African-Americans, such as Clyburn, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole and others who were always in the corner of the Clintons but could remain silent no longer.

It’s clear that Bill can’t deal with the fact that his black supporters didn’t stay quiet. Many of them recoiled at what they heard.

As for what’s next, some Hillary Clinton fundraisers have said Obama should help restore Bill’s reputation and show respect for both Clintons, according to the Huffington Post. But the truth is that there is nothing that Obama can do to salvage the reputation of Bill Clinton before most African-Americans.

Bill lost that on his own, and he’s going to have to get it on his own.

The Clintons need to stop living in la-la land, listening to the same folks soothe Bill’s bruised ego. They thought they would win the nomination and that blacks would fall in line. Harold Ickes said as much.

But in this new world order, he needs to recognize that a lot has changed.

Bill, you clearly have issues with what took place, and sure, you can be angry. But denying you’re angry doesn’t help.

Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning and multifaceted journalist, a CNN contributor and a talk show host for WVON/AM in Chicago.

Mr. Martin is also a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate (www.creators.com) and the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith ($11.95) and “Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America” ($10), he also serves as executive editor of the Chicago Defender, the nation’s largest black daily newspaper.

Mr. Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network and host of “The Roland S. Martin Show” on WVON-AM/1690 in Chicago. He can be heard daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

A provocative and insightful analyst, Mr. Martin has appeared numerous times on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network and America’s Black Forum. Mr. Martin provides news reports for American Urban Radio Networks…..[more]

Sen. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic presidential nomination to a large extent because he inspired, energized and mobilized the youth vote. Young people often express a boatload of enthusiasm for a candidate, but then they fail to translate that enthusiasm into votes. But in the primaries the younger set actually turned out in droves to vote for Obama.

But that’s ancient history and now we are in the midst of the general election — will the youth vote turn out in November for Obama?

The cynics claim that young voters won’t be able to pull themselves away from their iPods and laptops and vote this November.

But I disagree, the iPod generation sees Obama as one of their own. Obama has that “coolness factor” that strikes a chord with young folks. Obama shoots hoops, he’s comfortable with an iPod or a Blackberry, and he has tons of charisma.

Am I saying that young people are superficial? Many of them are, and they want to be associated with the Obama brand name

But it’s not just the young who are enthralled by Obama, journalists are searching their thesauri for superlatives to describe the Obama phenomenon.

But McCain is not giving up on the youth vote:

“‘John McCain sees young voters as a competitive demographic this year,” said McCain youth outreach spokesman Joe Pounder, ‘and we’re going to go after them.’

To do that, the McCain campaign says it will focus on his legacy as a war hero, plus appearances on late night television shows – including Saturday Night Live – and town hall meetings around the country. He also has an army of thousands of young volunteers, thanks to Young Republican and College Republican clubs around the country connecting with peers over the phone and through canvas drives.” — Quotation from NPR

McCain’s legacy as a Vietnam war hero doesn’t mean Jack to young people, and his appearances on late-night comedy shows are an embarrassment.

You have to reach young people where they live, and in today’s high-tech world they live online. Obama used the Internet to raise oodles of money, and to reach young people. McCain doesn’t even know how to go online, and he’s never sent an email. Need I say more?