"I Will Never Surrender In Iraq"

The other night I heard John McCain on the news, and what he was saying honestly scared me. He was giving a speech to some supporters, but kept getting interrupted by anti-war protesters. Finally after one stood up and shouted something, McCain replied by saying to his audience, "I will never surrender in Iraq, my friends, I will never surrender." This made me sick to my stomach that people were applauding him and that he was saying he would never surrender. What does that even mean? You will NEVER surrender? So we are supposed to just stay at war forever? McCain's an idiot, I am sorry. This war sucks and anyone who wants to stay there for "100 more years" is stupid. A former press secretary of Bush's just came out with a book that talks about the war in Iraq being unnecessary. He is a huge loyalist to Bush, but says that the president used propaganda for the war and that his staff was so focused on making it look good, that they ignored the facts that did not do so. This is the problem with the way Washington works--everyone is always in campaign mode and cares about what looks good, rather than what is good. Now McCain and the RNC is trying to use the war in McCain's advantage, playing up the fact that Obama has only been to Iraq once, and that McCain has been there several times. I don't know why they are trying to advertise this as if the people don't already know where the two stand on the war issue. It is not that surprising to me that Obama has not been to Iraq much, when he was against the war from the start, while McCain was not. The RNC's website (http://www.rnc.org/) has almost the same amount of info and pictures on Obama as you would except the DNC to have; however, their info and pictures are obviously negative. I think its funny that rather than have McCain up on their site and talking about why he is a good presdient, they have all of their focus on negatively attacking Obama. I went to the DNC's website (http://www.democrats.org/index.html) and it was the same thing, but not as bad. The first picture is of Bush and Cheney at the private fundraiser this pas weekend and there are a few other parts about McCain. Why don't these websites focus on their candidates more and less on cutting down the others' credibility? Especially when the nominations are not even for sure yet......

RNC Jumps on Obama's Mistake

Article found at : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/05/the-nazi-death.html

This is a video clip of Senator Barack Obama at an event this weekend in Las Cruces, N.M. In it, he talks about his great uncle, Charlie Payne, being in one of the U.S. troops that liberated the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz. However, it was the Soviets' Red Army that liberated this camp, and the Republicans have made sure not to let this mistake go unnoticed. The RNC said, "unless his uncle was serving in the Red Army, there’s no way Obama’s statement yesterday can be true. Obama’s frequent exaggerations and outright distortions raise questions about his judgment and his readiness to lead as commander in chief.” I think that it is being made a bigger deal than it is. The RNC is making it sound like the whole story was false or that there were elements that did not add up. This was not the case, he simply mis spoke and said the name of the wrong concentration camp. It was actually the camp in Buchenwald that his great uncle helped liberate. Considering these aren't the easiest names, I don't think its so unbelievable that he gave the wrong camp. Sure, the RNC or anyone has the right to point out his mistake, but I don't think that they need to make it sound like he intentionally lied or that the name of the camp is such a crucial aspect of the story. It's not like he gave the speech at the camp in Auschwitz. The point of the story was not the camp or where his great uncle liberated the Jewish people; what is important in the story is that his uncle was among some of the great U.S. troops that helped liberate the Jewish people from the Nazis. What camp or what city doesn't seem to be THAT important to me. I expect it to cause a little commotion, but they are making it seem like it's an atrocity that he mis spoke. They say his 'frequent exaggerations and outright distortions' cause questions, but I don't think that the stating the wrong camp is an exagerration at all, nor is it a distortion. The article asked an important question: "What's worse, Obama's apparent gaffe or the RNC pouncing on a Holocaust-related historical mistake for political advantage?" It seems like everyday someone new mis spoke, exaggerated, lied, or offended someone or some religion. I don't know if this is because we are now able to catch every single word, which we were never able to do until technology became so advanced, or if this election is just obsessed with every word that leaves someone's mouth. Granted, there have been some comments that deserve the scrutiny that they have gotten, but I don't think Obama's mistake about the name of a camp is one of them.

Clinton's Comment on RFK

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/19235624.html?location_refer=Nation

Some people are really outraged because of Senator Clinton's remarks from last week. She was justifying and explaining why she is staying in the race and said, "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don't understand it". I think that it is fine that she is justifying staying in the race by using the example of her husband who did not win until June, but the RFK comment took it a little too far. People were really devastated back in the 60's when there were so many assassinations--MLK, RFK, JFK--and it still a touchy subject to bring up. I don't think that Clinton meant to allude to the fact that Obama may be a target of assassination though. I think that she is just trying to find any facts to back up her decision to stay in the race. But I think that it has gone on long enough; people seem to want her to drop out and they are going to continue attacking her and making huge deals about any comment that's a little offense until she does. I think that the sooner that she drops out, the better it will be for her. I think it would make her look much better if she just stepped back elegantly and without trying to fight so hard to stay in when it doesn't seem possible. If she was alluding to the possibility that Obama may be assassinated, then shame on her. That would be so horrible; I can't imagine how upsetting it must have been for all those people who were inspired by those in the 60s and who put all their hopes in them, only to have them taken from those with a gun. Obama has inspired many people and gotten many new people involved in politics. He has gotten the youth very motivated, excited, and inspired. If something ever happened, it would be devastating for many people and for the country. Obama responded to Clinton's remarks by saying, "I have learned that when you are campaigning for as many months as Senator Clinton and I have been campaigning, sometimes you get careless in terms of the statements that you make and I think that is what happened here. Senator Clinton says that she did not intend any offense by it and I will take her at her word on that". I think that he handled it very well, but probably just didn't want to attack her even more. He was probably a little bothered by the comments, but I think it was wise that he handled it the way he did. It makes him look respectable and just makes her look even more stupid for saying a remark like that. I can't wait til she just drops out. It seems like everyone knows Obama is the winner, except for her.

Clinton Appeals to Blogs rather than Mainstream Media

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/us/politics/20web-seelye.html?hp


Senator Clinton has recently blamed the mainstream media for ruining her chances of being the Democratic nominee. Personally, I think that that is a big claim to make and puts a lot of blame on the media. I think that they do have an affect, but they are not the reason she is not going to be the nominee--Obama is the reason, and the fact that people like him more. Therefore, Clinton has turned to the internet and blogs. On Friday, she held her first blogger-only conference call with about forty bloggers from the campaign trail going on in Oregon. The campaign has also started using Twitter a lot more. The article from the NY Times that I got this information from says that Clinton's actions are due to the fact that she is getting less and less attention these days. It is becoming clear to people that she's old news, everyone but her that is. The article also explained that techpresident.com reported that "according to the blog search tool Technorati, Mrs. Clinton is being mentioned less than half as often as Senator Barack Obama in teh blogosphere and that mentions of her have even slipped below those of Senator John McCain." Parallel to what we learned after writing our papers analyzing the three candidates' websites, the article said that Obama has been credited with using the internet much better than Clinton, especially for organizing and social networking. I think the decline in attention on Clinton in both the mainstream media and even more so in the blogosphere, shows that Obama is our guy. Sorry Hillary, I really wanted a woman president, but the numbers don't lie.

75,000 People Rally for Obama in Portland, Oregon

Obama's Response to Bush's Remarks

Obama's New Video - CHANGE

This video was sent to me in an email from Obama's
campaign.  It explained how on Saturday, May 10th,
so many voters across teh country came together at
over 100 "Vote for Change" kickoff events.
There was at least one in every single state. 
The people at these events heard from speaker
such as Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas' Governor, and
Deval Patrick, Governor of Massachusetts.  They
discussed how to register new voters and then hit
the streets in their own communities to get more
people signed up and involved.  Obama said in the
email, "We're not just building a campaign.  We're
going to change the political map in this
country by reaching out to people whose voices too
often go unheard."  The email also included two stories
of people who participated in the event.  Erika from
Chandler, Arizona said, "It was a really great feeling
to see the community united by this effort. All ages,
races and walks of life were represented at this event
-- it was awesome to be part of a cohesive group working
forward toward a common goal."  Julie from Tulsa, Oklahoma
said, "The most exciting registrations that I worked on
were young people who were registering for the very first
 time. I assisted two of these voters, and they were both
so proud!  One was about to graduate from high school and
the other was in her first year at a local university.
Being able to vote in their first presidential election,
and to participate in American democracy, meant something
really special to both of them."  The email explained how
these events are important because it really gets the people
involved and gives them the tools that they need in order
to help make a change.  The email also provided a link
to find "Vote for Change" events near you or create your own.
 This is just another example of how well Obama is using
ordinary people to help his campaign.

More Comments From Religious Leaders

In case people haven't heard enough about Reverend Wright's comments, another religious leader has made controversial comments of his own. Pastor John Hagee, who endorses McCain made comments about Catholics. He referred to them as "the great whore" and said that they were anti-jew, among many other remarks. However, he has issued an apology to the head of the Catholic League expressing "deep regret for any comments Catholics found hurtful." The Catholic church has accepted the apology, but the Democrats are not. Surprise surprise. I am sure that they just want to make this a bigger deal so that people don't think as badly of Rev. Wright's comments. I think that all of this attention on these old religious freaks is stupid. Who gives a damn what they think. Obviously you don't if you aren't their religion or don't belong to their church. Do you know how many things are said in churches everyday that many people wouldn't agree with? We just don't have to hear about them, but now with the campaigns we have to. Religion should not be a part of politics. The comments shouldn't even be a big deal because they only represent the person saying them, not anyone who associates with them. I don't even like McCain, but I think it is stupid that they are associating this with him, just like I thought it was stupid that they did so with Obama and Rev. Wright. We are giving these dumb asses the spotlight when they don't deserve it. Let them talk out of their ass....what do we care? People need to remember that religion is separate. If they have a problem with it, it should be a problem with whoever said it, not a problem with the person endorsed by them. If I have to hear anything else about this, I am going to scream. What these people are saying is dumb, and the way people are reacting by associating them with candidates is dumb. Everyone has said things that people wont agree with, when you start digging-chances are, you are going to find something dirty.

Another Gas Solution

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil14-2008may14,0,6063899.story

Senate reacted to the gas prices with another solution today, one that goes against President Bush. They voted almost unanimously to stop filling the underground petroleum reserve. So much of the majority voted to stop the deliveries, that it is impossible for Bush to veto their decision. All of the presidential candidates were for this decision. Senator Byron Dorgan said, "Why on earth should we be putting oil underground at a time of record high prices?" The reserve was established in 1973 after the Arab oil embargo; it is to protect us in case of a supply cutoff. The reserve now holds approximately 702 million barrels in the underground caverns. Bush claims that the 70,000 barrels that are delivered to the emergency stockpile each day have little impact on the 21 million barrels that our nation uses each day. He claims that such a small impact for the nation's security is worth it. Suspending deliveries to the reserve could save motorists 2 to 5 cents a gallon, maybe more. I think that it is good that they are suspending the reserve, but I am just a little nervous that this is just another scam to make it seem like they are doing something about gas prices, when really it is just a quick fix. Plus, 2-5 cents does not sound like much to me. I don't really understand the whole reserve thing anyway, it says we have 702 million barrels and that we use 21 million a day.....so wouldn't that emergency reserve only last us for like 33 days? Not much of a supply if we are cut off, since I am sure a cut off would last longer than that. Everyone just seems to be fighting over what to do and it all just seems like bull shit because we are trying to reserve, stop reserves, cut taxes, etc when in the end it is all the same - we use too much gas, are running out, and it's too expensive. Not that I have a solution to it, but it is getting kind of old hearing all the politicians fighting over little fixes that don't really solve anything. Those up for reelection wan to support anything to make it look like they are doing something about the problem, and those that are not up for reelection--like Bush--don't care what the people want. Between this and the gas tax holiday, I feel like nothing real is getting done; we are just getting our hopes up with these plans, only to discover they will really only save us a few cents per gallon, or $30 all summer. I would love for someone to come for a real plan, to either cut the costs. Or we should really start focusing on coming up with fuel-efficient options, because sooner or later all this bickering won't matter when the oil runs out.

Funny Hillary vs Obama Skit Part 2

I just found this skit which is the second part to the previous one below. I don't think that this one is nearly as funny as the first, but it is still pretty amusing. It is also a little more recent, so it touches on and makes fun of things that have come up later in the campaigns. I don't think that any of these skits will actually affect anyone's decision, but they put a little laughter and fun into the whole political process. I think this because most people who are watching these, probably are already informed and are not relying on youtube skits by actors to give them real info. Also, you have to have some knowledge of what has been going on to understand most of the jokes. So I think that theses are just a fun thing to watch for those of us that are so interested in politics, and want to have a laugh.

Funny Hillary vs Obama Skit

This is a pretty old skit from youtube, but I just cam across it again and remembered how funny I thought it was. It totally pokes fun at each of the candidates, but it was way before the elections got as divisive and serious as they have. It hits on Obama's drug use many years ago, and Clinton's affair with Lewinsky. It was before Rev. Wright, before most primaries, etc. This was before we had any idea of who may be the nominee, although some may argue that we still do not know. I think that it is funny that people obviously take the time to make these skits up, record them, post them, etc. Especially when it is pretty much just for amusement; there is not really any actual bias or point to the clip, since it is pretty fair in the comments from both sides and attacks both evenly.

Obams Stongerr Due to Beatings by Clinton?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/weekinreview/11leib.html?hp

The above article argues that the competitive campaigning between Obama and Clinton may actually have helped Obama, if he wins. One of the reasons is because she has made him a 'Giant Killer'. "No matter what happens in the fall, if Mr. Obama goes on to win the nomination, he will be remembered as the candidate who beat the Clintons." Another thing that she has done is make him angry; the article says, "Mr. Obama’s relentless hope-hope-hope campaign put him in danger of being seen as soft, a 2008 version of the “wimp factor” that haunted George H. W. Bush 20 years ago". Now, however, he has been given the chance to fight more aggressively and show that he is not as soft as some may have thought; he may in fact have what it takes to go up against McCain. The third thing is that she has led him to the working class. If he wins the nomination, he will be well aware of the struggle he faces to win over the traditional Democratic blue-collar voters that Clilnton has been so strong with, for example, those in Ohio and Pennsylvania. If not for Clinton, he may not have been aware of this challenge. Of course, there is always the possibility that because these two have fought so hard and been beaten down so much, that whoever comes out the winner in the summer may be so battered that they will lose in the fall, as was the case with Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. I think that the campaigning against Clinton has made Obama stronger; however, I think that it is getting to the point where the party needs to unite. It has gone on for long enough and I think that the longer that it continues, the more divisive people will be. I think that it is EXTREMELY important for whoever does not win to make sure that they address all of their supporters and ask them to support the candidate that did win the nomination. Otherwise, we are going to get screwed with Grandpa McCain running the country.

Obama Now in Lead of Superdelegates

Clinton was once in the lead with pledged super delegates, but Obama has changed that as of yesterday. Obama gained delegates from Utah, Ohio, and two from the Virgin Islands that had originally supported Clinton. Clinton has gained one more in Massachusetts. This is the very first time that Obama has had a superdelegate lead in his entire campaign. Former chairman of the DNC, Don Fowler, said "I always felt that if anybody establishes himself as the clear leader, the superdelegates would fall in line". This means that Clinton must now win the remaining undeclared delegates by a very large margin in order to win the nomination. Obama now has 275 and Clinton has 271.5. Kevin Rodriquez, who was one of the delegates from the Virgin Islands and switched from Clinton to Obama, said, "He has shown he can connect with Democrats, Republicans and independents across this country, whether we live on the mainland or an island". The article can be found at: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/2008/view.bg?articleid=1093167

Democratic Party of Orange County

I am so excited, yesterday I had an interview for an internship with the Democratic Party of Orange County......and I got it! I am really excited because with it being an election year, there will be so much to do. It is going to be really busy starting late August and then all the way through the elections in November. One of the things they are focusing on is trying to have a Democratic beat the mayor of Huntington Beach who is a 20 year incumbent; so it would be huge to beat her. We will also be doing a lot of walks to try and get people to vote and participate in the politics of their city. The most exciting thing is if Obama wins the Democratic nomination--which it is looking like he will-- then he does a victory lap around to all the places that have been a help to him, sort of as a thank you. And the DCOP office is one of the places, so I will get to meet him and take a picture with him! Something that costs $2300 normally. I am so excited. I really hope that this provides me with insight to see if this is really something that I am interested in pursuing for my career. Also, I hope that maybe I will be a chance to meet people that could lead to potential paid positions; but right now I am just happy to have this great opportunity!

Chelsea Clinton's Mother's Day Message

Technology Hurting Mainstream Media, or Helping?

We have been learning a lot in class about how the mainstream media has been affected by all the new technological developments. The fact that people can just check for the news online, or even on their phones, makes people less likely to pick up a paper or watch the nightly news. However, it is not only hurting them. I saw a commercial recently for KTLA asking people to text message them pictures or videos that they get if they happen to be at the right place at the right time for a breaking story. This is one way in which mainstream media is benefiting from technology. Rather than only have a few reporters in the field, it is as if they have reporters all over the place. I am sure that many of their breaking stories are discovered because of a regular citizen giving them a tip. In this way, the viewers are actually reporting to the media, and then in turn they are reporting back to all of us. This is a nice way that the media and the viewers can help each other out, by informing each other whenever they know something that the other may not. It is a nice system, but it would never be possible without the technology that has recently been accused of taking away mainstream media's viewers.

Former Leader of Democratic Party Under Bill Clinton Supports Obama

Joe Andrew was the Democratic National Committee chairman from 1999-2001, under former president Bill Clinton. He endorsed Hillary Clinton last year when she declared that she was running for president; although he has now surprisingly switched and announced his support for Obama. He did so in a news conference last Thursday in his hometown of Indianapolis, in hopes of convincing others in this crucial state to vote for him as well. Also, he has written a letter that he plans to send to other superdelegates that explains his reasonings behind his decision. He hopes that the party will soon be able to agree on a nominee so that the Democrats are not divided further. Andrew said, "I am convinced that the primary process has developed to the point that it's now bad for the Democratic Party". Andrew also said that "a vote for Hillary Clinton is a vote to continue the process, and a vote to continue this process is a vote that assists (Republican) John McCain". I agree with Andrew strongly on this point. I think that our country needs a break from the usual politics that have discouraged so many, and I think that Obama is the candidate that we need to break this cycle. As Andrew said, Hillary is just another politician; she will not change the way politics are done. She is going to play the game just like she and her husband have in the past. Not to say that Bill was bad, because I like Bill Clinton. But I just think that NOW is not the time for politicians like them. We need someone new who is going to satisfy those Americans who are not happy with the way things have been going.

The article where I got this info can be found at: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g90V8XQZSWr4K1yzT-vNrffP9wNQD90CMRFG0

Obama's Ad - Gas Prices

Michigan Delegates Split

Since Michigan was stripped of its 128 delegates for holding its primary too early, top Democrats there have been working hard to get the state's delegates seated and the Democratic National convention. Today they suggested a compromise that falls between the two suggested by Obama and Clinton, 69 for Clinton and 59 for Obama. Clinton suggested that she should get 73 of the delegates because of the results of the January 15 primary where she won 18 more than Obama. Obama, however, wants the 128 split evenly, 64-64. Once again, I can't wait for all of this small bickering to stop, it just makes it harder to come together as the Democratic party once we finally know who the nominee is.

Clinton's New Ad - Working Class

Senator Clinton has a new ad that began broadcasting today in Indiana, due to the primary there next Tuesday. The ad "highlights her Midwestern roots and casts her as a working-girl ally of the blue-collar Democrats she is counting on in next Tuesday's primary here". The ad informs voters of her father being in the navy and being a small businessman, while her mother was a Sunday school teacher. She says that "their dreams are similar to those of all Americans who 'embrace hard work and opportunity' and she said she would fight for all of those hopes as a president". Hillary knows that she must come off this way to those in places like Indiana. I think it is funny though, because that type of ad would probably never run in a place like California. I think that if people in LA saw it they would be like "so what?" The ad is definitely seem to vary depending on which audience they are being broad casted to. The governor of North Carolina has just endorsed Clinton, so I think that this will help her tremendously. They were predicting that Obama would win in North Carolina, but now this new endorsement may shift things in Hillary's direction. I can't wait to see what the outcome is a week from today!

The new ad can be found on at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOCNcS8_7H4

Politicians Discuss Gas Tax Holiday

There is no doubt that everyone is very upset about the gas prices. I just filled up the other day and had to pay 3.83 a gallon. I have seen some that are almost $4 a gallon. This is just ridiculous. So now both John McCain and Hillary Clinton have called for a "gas tax holiday" this summer. This is in order to help commuters and those going on vacations with the ridiculous prices. This would mean that congress would suspend the 18.4 cent federal tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day. However, although it may help people out a little, it would hurt the government tremendously--it could cost about $10 billion in revenues. Obama is the only candidate that is opposing this idea. Although he vote for something similar in Illinois about eight years ago; its ineffectiveness has caused him to not make the same mistake again. The break would only save people a little bit of money, but it would hurt the government severely. I do not think that it is worth it for the government to lose so much money, when it is only going to save the people a little bit. It mostly helps the producers, not the consumers; and the last thing the gas companies need is a break. Economists are saying that the only way to solve the problem of high gases prices during the summer, is to have more supply. When it was done in Illinois, only 28% of motorists said that they thought they were paying less for gas due to the temporary tax suspension. It sounds like Obama knows what he is talking about--and they say Hillary has more experience than him? I don't think that we should be focusing on how to make small differences, especially if we are resulting in cutting taxes that help the government. Instead we should focus on more on how to have more supply or how to stop oil companies from making so much money. We are trying to lower prices, but turning to the wrong solutions. Taxes shouldn't be cut, the price of the gas needs to go down. And once again, each politician turns it around to make it sound like what they are doing is right; the American people need to be smart enough to do their research and discover that this 'gas tax holiday' is bullshit.

The Mom Blog

I recently came across something called 'The Mom Blog'. It is written by moms in Orange County and is a way for parents to come together and discuss topic of interest to them. It is a nice place to go if you have questions, suggestions, or just feel like blogging about something that you feel like expressing. They discuss things from oldies music, to celebrities that their children idolize. The most recent blogging had to do with Miley Cyrus' photos in Vanity Fair. The 15-year old was photographed nude in bed sheets....many mothers are expressing their concern for how to explain it to their daughters who analyze this teen star. The also expressed how it has been very hard this year to explain the behaviors of 16-year old pregnant Jaimie Spears and Vanessa Hudgenson, whose nude photos were broad casted all over the internet. If it were not for the internet, so many people would not be informed about the young stars' actions. The internet has allowed everyone to know that Jaimie Spears is pregnant, and allowed anyone to google the nude pics of Vanessa Hudgenson. I think that theses girls are trashy (at least Spears and Cyrus), but that is their deal. I don't think they ever claimed to be role models, and anyone who let their daughters look up to these dumb asses, is a dumb ass themselves. If the internet wasn't the way it was, people's dirty laundry wouldn't be aired as much as it is.

The Mom Blog can be found here: http://themomblog.freedomblogging.com/

Edwards Still Not Endorsing, Despite Primary in His State

John Edwards is still not endorsing a nominee. Some say it is because he does not want to split the party any more. Some say that he is holding out for a vice president position. I really want to know who he supports, as I am sure do many other people. Although I think it may be a good thing that he has not said anything yet. After all, why should one man have so much say? People should vote who they want to be president, not who Edwards wants as president. Even though his state of North Carolina is having its primary tomorrow, he has still not said anything. I think that he is going to wait to see who the democratic nominee is and then obviously support them, maybe even try to get the VP position. I think that he will have a good chance at it because both candidates will probably want to choose a white male as their running mate. Also, those that voted for Edwards before he dropped out will also be beneficial in the race against McCain. His wife is a political activists too, so I think her vote will help whoever she supports; although, I am sure it is the same person that he is supporting. The Clinton campaign has been pressing them in hopes that she is the one he supports. They know that an endorsement from him would be huge in helping getting ahead of Obama. Hopefully we will know the nominee soon because I am sick of all this division.

Obama Says No to Clinton's Request for Another Debate

Hillary Clinton requested another Democratic debate before the primaries in Indiana and North Carolina on May 6th, but Obama has said no. He is saying that he would rather speak directly to the voters: "I'm not ducking. We've had 21. What we've said is with two weeks, two big states, we want to make sure that we're talking to as many folks as possible on the ground, taking questions from voters". This was quoted from Obama's interview on Fox News Sunday, in which he was repeatedly attacked on questions regarding Rev. Wright, flag pins, knowing Ayers, etc. I am sure that Obama was expecting this from Fox news though. I think that Obama is smart to focus on getting out to the voters, especially when the last debate was such a disaster. They focused on such stupid and trivial things, which may have been the reason for Clinton's ten-point victory. Although the debate would probably not be as ridiculous as the last one, since ABC got so much criticism for it, but there would probably still be a lot of negative focus around Obama. Clinton is smart to suggest another debate, but Obama is even smarter for saying no. Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee Chairman aid, said the race is "essentially pretty close to a tie". I just can't wait to know who will be the Democratic nominee, and I hope to god that whoever it is, will be able to beat John McCain.

Political Cartoon

I just came across this political cartoon and thought that it was funny. Although, I must admit that I laughed with a little bit of nervousness in my voice. I definitely want our troops out of Iraq. I think that we have been in there for so long and I don't understand why. So many of our soldiers are dying, for a cause that does not pertain to us. However, at the same time, I do not want the last few years to have been for nothing. After seeing that man on the Bill Maher show in lecture yesterday, I have begun to wonder if pulling out is the best option. The Democrats have vowed that they will begin withdrawing our troops on day one, but is this the best option? Is it all just wishful thinking? I wish that we knew what would be the best way to get our troops home, without jeopardizing all that we have accomplished there. Although, I don't believe that we had any reason to go there in the first place. I understand that we are supposed to be a 'Superpower', but what has it gotten us? We are so negatively viewed by the rest of the world, we have lost over 4,000 of our men, so what is the point of have this super power? It is one thing to help others when your own country is doing very well, but we are not. Especially with the economy and everything, we should be focusing our efforts on our own country.

Obama's Speech - No Money from Lobbyists or PAC's

Obama's Post Penn. Primary Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEskvfRx40I

This is a speech given by Barack Obama after Clinton's win in Penn. He opens by comparing his fund raising tactics compared to Hillary Clinton's. He claims that they have never taken any money from lobbyists or PACs, while Clinton has. He then continues to compare what they want to do to what Truman, Roosevelt, and Kennedy. The crowd seems to love him. It is interesting to note that almost all the people standing behind him are white. Coincidence? I think not. He also discusses that he does not want us to be divided by the red and the blue states. He is a very inspirational speaker. People even start chanting "Obama! Obama!" after his inspirational words. He promises that he will not be a perfect president, but the the will do his best and always listen to what the people want. He continues to inspire by saying things such as "Change happens from the bottom up" and "Things happen on the streets of America, not just behind the doors in Washington". I love that he does not only speak about himself and his campaign, but what all of his supporters and the American people can do: "You can make this election....we going to help those families without health care and those sitting around their table unsure of how they are going to pay their bills". He inspires the people listening that if they vote for him, that we will all work together and will all be contributing to making change happen. I really like the way that he speaks and makes people feel as if we are going to get through this together, rather than that we must only rely on him to. I think that this is what separates him from the other politicians.

Clinton Raises Ten Million in 24 Hours

Hillary Clinton proved that her win in Pennsylvania was a big deal. Her campaign has said that it "raised more than ten million dollars in the twenty-four hours following her win in Pennsylvania". Allegedly, 80% were first-time donors. Back at the end of March, Obama's campaign had approx. forty million dollars and no debt, while the Clinton campaign had about nine million and ten million in debt. Clinton has been saying that more people have voted for her than for Obama because she is including the votes from Michigan and Florida. Including these two states gives her about one hundred thousand more votes; however, the Democratic party refuses to count the votes in these two states. This is because both of these states violated the party's rules by having their primaries too early, and because Obama was not even on their ballots. This gives Obama lead of about half a million in the popular vote. Once again, both sides take this situation and make it sound favorable for them. Hillary makes it sound like she really would have more votes. At the same time, Obama could spin it in his favor, making it sound fair that those votes were excluded. The next race is onto North Carolina and Indiana. They say that Obama is supposed to win N.C., but that the race will be close in Indiana. I am curious to see how it will turn out. I am very surprised that the Clinton Campaign has raised so much money in such a short time though. I guess the Pennsylvania did help her a lot, considering all the first-time donations.

Hillary Clinton campaigning Wednesday in Indiana

Barack Obama shakes hands with supporters Wednesday in Indiana

McCain Asks GOP in NC Not to Run Ad

Senator John McCain has asked the GOP in North Carolina not to run the political ad that brings up the controversial remarks of Rev. Wright. He said that he has emailed the party and asked them to pull the ad in North Carolina. The ad begins with Obama and Rev. Wright next to each other and then continues to play a clip of Wright's comments. The commenter at the end then says, "He's just too extreme for North Carolina". The North Carolina Republican party officials say that they will continue running the ad, despite McCain's requests. McCain stated, "I don't know why they do it. Obviously, I don't control them, but I'm making it very clear, as I have a couple of times in the past, that there's no place for that kind of campaigning, and the American people don't want it." Even though I am not a Republican and I am not going to vote for McCain, I like his views on this; it definitely makes me have some respect for him. Of course, I can't help but be skeptical of politicians; it is also possible that he just wants Obama to have a better chance of winning the Democratic nominee because McCain thinks that he can beat him easier than he can beat Hillary. Who knows. I think it is weird that the party is ignoring the requests of their nominee, and presidential hopeful. Either way, I do not think that the ad should run and I hope that it does not.

Clinton's Win in Penn

Unsurprisingly, Hillary Clinton won the primary in Pennsylvania. She is now proclaiming that "the tides are turning" in the race for the Democratic nominee. She believes that this is because the win proves "she was the best suited to take on Senator John McCain in the fall because of her capacity to carry the key swing states". She is also claiming that her wins in Penn. and Ohio were necessary because "it’s very hard to imagine a Democrat getting to the White House without winning those states.” Clinton won the popular vote 55-45%, which is a very big boost for her campaign. The next primaries are in Ohio and Indiana; however, it is believed that Obama will do much better in these states than he did in Penn. It is hard to understand what everything means because both sides turn every single situation to sound like it was in their favor. I even received an email from the Obama campaign after Clinton had won in Penn., stating that this win did not matter because he still has more state wins and more delegates. I wish that it was a little clearer what means what, rather than having to hear both sides try to be optimistic about each situation. Although I think that Clinton needed to win Penn. to stay in the race, I don't really see how a win is so important. If Obama still has more delegates and more state wins, that sounds like things will work out in his favor. Who knows though, we will just have to see what happens.

Obama's Website's Blogs Redirected to Clinton's

A few days ago, there was a problem with the community blogs on Obama's website--a big problem. Some of Obama supporters who were trying to visit the blogs section of Obama's site were being redirected to Clinton's official campaign site. Security researchers have stated that "the hacker exploited a so-called "cross-site scripting" vulnerability in Obama's website to engineer the ruse." The problem has been fixed, but it may have had a small impact since it was only a few days before the Penn. primary. Those people who may have still been undecided could have gone onto Obama's website, and found themselves on Clinton's. The article says that the stunt was probably just a prank. I don't mean to sound like a conspiracy theorists, but I wonder if there is a possibility that it was the work of someone working in her campaign. It is also possible it was just someone who was a strong supporter of hers or really hates Obama, but one thing is clear--the hacker wanted people to be at Clinton's page instead of Obama's website.
The article also pointed out a good point: by not fully securing their website, candidates risk exposing people to computer viruses and identity theft. The article also said that this probably wont be the last time that we see something like this since this is such a closely watched election. Hopefully the candidates will learn from this mistake and be sure to secure their sites, but with the way the internet know, I feel like nothing is 100%.

The article can be found at: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gA48mwaxd7IaRSvOHSjPoSXIHwnQD907RTD80

Obama's Phonebanking Tool

I just received one of the many emails from the Obama campaign, asking voters to help out. It is a very important day--Pennsylvania's primary. His email asks his supporters to use his online phonebanking tool to call voters in Pennsylvania. He says that "supporters like you have helped register hundreds of thousands of new voters in Pennsylvania". I think that it is amazing how much Obama has used the internet to his advantage. Also, I think that it is nice that now it's so easy for people to help participate and contribute to the candidate they support, whether through donations, calls, etc. This phone banking system seems like a great idea. Everyone who participates gets a list of twenty names, numbers, and a script of things you might want to say. I am sure that this is a huge advantage to Obama because rather than simply relying on those working in his campaign, he can use the thousands of supporters that are also helping him, and for free. He is not asking a lot to make a few calls, but combined together, it could actually affect the election results; so many people are able to participate, all thanks to the internet.

Pennsylvania's Vote Tomorrow

So, tomorrow is Pennsylvania's primary. I was just reading an article and it said that Clinton basically has to win, otherwise it will be hard to keep going and damage the party. I think I have my money on her, but I don't think it will be by a large amount. It is very unlikely that either of them will get the 2,025 delegates that they need to win the nomination. This means that the Democratic nominee will probably be decided by super delegates, governors, Congress members, and party leaders/officials. I don't think that that is right, I don't like it when I feel like the people's vote isn't really going to count. We are supposed to make the difference, not people like that. I guess tomorrow's election will tell a lot about what to expect on the Democratic side.

Internet Like Unchecked Newspaper

I came across an article from BBC News thats from a while back and I thought it was interesting. It was mainly about how you cannot regulate the internet. Tim Toulmin, Press Complaints Commission director, was quoted saying, "We're not in favor of regulating the internet. You can't regulate it. The flow of information should not be regulated by the government." He also referred to the terms 'free speech' and 'free press' because he said that even though it is on the internet, those views are still protected under those laws. I guess that is what is causing such a problem. They cannot regulate, yet the internet is completely unchecked. Toulmin explained, "If you want to see how the newspaper industry would look like if it was unchecked, then look at the internet." That is a really good point. I guess it is cool that we have something like that, but I can also see how it might be a problem because so many are now relying on the internet to take the place of newspapers, which is not always a proper substitute. I guess people just need to be more aware of how unchecked it is. But I say that as I have another tab open with the recent news articles--no newspaper here :-/.

Democrats on The Colbert Report

Last night Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama all appeared on The Colbert Report. It was nice to finally have some laughter and light conversation from the party after all the tension and bitterness that's been happening lately, especially at the Debate on Thurs. They all appeared separately, but were pretty funny. I think John Edwards was the funniest. He did 'The Word' skit but changed it to 'The Ed Word' haha. It was mostly about how he has not yet decided which candidate he supports; he poked fun at the situation and was alluding to the fact that he could be bought (by a jet ski). It was pretty funny. But I really want to know who he supports. he knows that his decision will carry a lot of weight. I wonder if he is going to do it soon or just wait it out to see who wins the nomination and then supports them? I duuno. Anyway, Hillary helped fix Colbert's tv when it went out and then Obama put up 'manufactured distractions' up on the notice board. All in all, I was glad I saw it, and I am sure a lot of other people were too. Mainly because of all the recent squabbling lately. I'm sure it went right back to 'politics as usual' as soon as they went back to the campaign trail though.

Democratic Debate

The Washington Post headline today read: "In Pa. Debate, The Clear Loser Is ABC". I could not agree more. I was expecting a very heated debate, due to all that has been going on lately, however, I was not expecting to dwell on those things as much ABC did. I felt like the entire debate was mainly focused on the little issues that the media has been obsessed with, rather than about real issues. They talked about Obama's 'guns and religion' remarks, his paster Rev. Wright's controversial sermons, and why they will not promise that they will choose the runner up as their running mate. I felt like the whole thing was ridiculous, they hardly talked about the real issues. The whole point of the debate was for those in Pennsylvania who are voting next Tuesday to determine which candidate they liked m ore, as well as for the rest of America. I think that focusing on the smaller issues so much only adds to the problem. Obama even seemed to get upset when asked a silly question at one point about not wearing the flag. Some hick-looking lady asked Obama if he believed in the flag because he did not wear a pin. That really pissed me off. Of course he believes in it. And he never said he wouldn't wear one--he actually wore won that a veteran had given him just the day before. He just thinks that it is ridiculous that people decide if someone is patriotic or not because of if he wears a pin. Obama made a good point, his actions and what he does should show his patriotism, not a minuscule detail like wearing a pin or not. Another ridiculous question was whether Obama thought that Rev. Wright loved America as much as Obama does. What kind of question is that? If they want to talk about the Rev. Wright thing for the 30,000th time, fine. But why are questions about whether he loves America more or not beign asked? All that does is put the politicians in an awkward situation because they are being asked an awkward question. And it just gives the opposing sides another thing to attach--no matter what his response is. I was very annoyed with the debate, but I was happy when I realized that it was not just me. Greg Mitchell, a Huffington Post analyst said, "In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia". I usually feel like I know more about the candidates when I watch a debate, but I just found myself annoyed that we were hearing the same things that they have been playing over youtube repeatedly for the past couple weeks. People just need to drop the small things--or at least drop them when we are having a serious debate. The hosts should have come up with much more important, relevant questions. In the end, I think that the debate hurt Obama the most, because most of the stupid questions focused on things that had to do with him, his ties, his reverend, etc. I don't think he will win Pennsylvania, but I am hoping that those 'gun and religion clingers'' votes don't matter.

Obama's Remarks about Philadelphians

Obama has been receiving a great deal of criticism in last few days, mainly from Hillary Clinton and John McCain, because of his remarks stating that people in small towns "cling to religion and guns in bad economic times". I can understand how some people may be offended by this, but I think that it has been completely blown out of proportion. In his statements afterwards, he apologized for what he said and explained what he actually meant. He explained that he was just referring to how so many people are bitter and depressed because of how poor the economy is. It is just hard for me to understand why his comments are such a big deal to some people, but then again, I am very different than a 'small-town voter in Philadelphia' and I certainly never cling to religion or guns. I definitely do not think that he has a chance to win in Pennsylvania next Tuesday; I am sure that Hillary will win that state. However, I do not think that Obama's comments make him an 'elitist' as Hillary and McCain have been suggesting. Anyone who knows his story, knows that he is not an elitist. I think that he said something that people got offended about because he was talking about such a controversial subject--religion and guns. Maybe next time he should just stay away from discussion of such controversial issues.