I was on the road for some family business, but still manged to keep up with the news. It was only this weekend that I think a shock of cold, harsh reality has struck. Like many of us, I follow the polls, the political news, the talk shows, and I try to divine what’s going on in Election 2008 across the nation. Like most, I try to keep a positive attitude. I understand that the polls can change on a dime. When your candidate is down, they often come charging back at the last moment. When they are ahead, it’s only natural to worry that the lead will evaporate at the eleventh hour with some sudden piece of bad news exploding on the press. You just never know. But today it finally hit me that this entire election may turn into a crash and burn situation at the last moment. Yes, today I think I must finally face up to the reality.
Come Tuesday, Bob Barr may not be elected the next president.
How did Obama get where he is? There has been a debate in this country about whether Obama’s skin color is an asset or a detriment to his evident success. But in Latin America - there is a twist to this dialogue - and that is - given Obama’s skin color, can he still be considered, as they say down south, a ‘gringo’ - which is another way of calling someone an invader from the north - or more of a Negro - which in Colombia simply means Black and traditionally refers to someone excluded from the power structure.
“I know well that one shouldn’t say ‘gringo’ or ‘Negro’: these are two politically incorrect words. One reveals a visceral anti-Americanism, the other, racism. But the reality is more obstinate than political correctness - and the fact is, that Barack Obama, the next president of the United States, is a gringo - and a Negro. Or, if one prefers, he’s a Negro and a gringo … (Caution: the order of the factors changes the product).
“He’s a Negro who has become a candidate for the Presidency of the U.S. for a party of national dimension: He’s the American dream made flesh. But Obama is also a gringo. Which means he has characteristics of a professional politician, of a senator, of a gringo president: hypocritically religious, militarily jingoistic and inevitably imperialist. … Empires are imperialist. And Barack Obama is - stands on the brink of being - the emperor of the currently prevailing empire. ”
October 23rd, 2008 By DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, Assistant Editor, TMV Columnist
I voted today. Like my dad, Fedora-man, my ballot choices are secret. I’m an Independent, though I’ve belonged to each party in the past wanting to find out more.
That voting is private runs in my bones. In the old country people of my family, immigrants and refugees, this secrecy of vote was cherished in America… for back in the villages everyone knew everyone’s business
and those who had more, or less, often punished, exiled or denounced others for their opinions or principles… whether neighbors or armed invaders, of which there were far too many in Fedora-man’s lifetime.
Maybe you have a father, parents, grandparents like this too: Dad didn’t belong to any revolution; I cant point to his bona fides being any more than standing in his hot pepper garden, spading and hoeing and making sure the next season of cemetery flowers and tomatoes and corn and peaches for canning would nourish us through one more winter, supplemented by ice fishing and his brother’s hunting.
But there is a voting prayer he taught me, and I said it today before I voted:
Today I stood in line in Lawrenceville, Georgia for 2 hours and 15 minutes to cast my early vote in Election ‘08. I’d seen and heard enough this presidential election season to last me the next three presidential election seasons. As I stood there in line, I thought about the issues, the controversies, the slop, the unreal, the surreal, the joy, the passion, the sadness, and the overall tone of the primaries and general election. So when it was my turn to fulfill my civic duty, I voted the way I always voted. I voted for Bob Barr for President of the United States.
With only 17 days left until the election and many of my TMV colleagues jumping off the fence to one side or the other, the time is fast approaching for all of us to plant our flags. Today I would like to share my own observations and experiences regarding the various candidates through this seemingly endless campaign season and why, as the title of this piece indicates, I will cast my vote next month for Bob Barr. This was a difficult decision. In 2000 I made the choice to vote for a third party candidate, finding both of the major party choices unappetizing. It caused me much remorse in years to come, having seen how close the election was and how disastrous the results of George W. Bush’s victory. And yet, a vote is a precious thing and it is never “wasted” if it is cast in good conscience for the candidate who you feel best represents your interests and the needs of the nation. I also do this knowing full well that Bob Barr will not win this election, nor even take a single electoral vote.
This was not a choice I took lightly, and as recently as the last couple of weeks I had considered jumping ship and voting for one of the major party candidates. However, in the end, that’s not something I can do this year. First, I would like to make it clear that the poisonous atmosphere of the campaign this year has been tremendously disappointing. Both of the major party candidates are honorable men who have a desire to serve their nation in a leadership role and a vision for where they wish the country to go. They are both also highly ambitious and egotistical, as one must be to reach for the highest seat of power in the world. While their individual positions on the issues can and should be examined and criticized, the scurrilous attacks we’ve seen have fairly well sickened many people. Senator McCain is not some sort of secret Manchurian Candidate from his Vietnam days, poised to take over the nation and destroy us. Nor is he actively seeking to destroy and enslave the middle class to benefit some group of ultra-rich shadow government figures, or intentionally begin a third world war to enslave the rest of the planet. Senator Obama is not some sort of secret socialist – at least no more than the entire government is partially socialist in nature at this point – nor is he a terrorist sympathizer, a “radical black activist” (whatever that means these days,) a double secret Muslim or a fan of voter fraud. All of you hanging in and around various chat rooms, comment sections, blogs and water coolers who continue with such accusations and attacks should be ashamed of yourselves. And for the occasions when I have succumbed to temptations toward such hyperbole, I apologize and will try to do better.
September 19th, 2008 By JOE WINDISH, Technology Editor
LATER: Bob Herbert writing in the NYTimes, “Rushing to execute Mr. Davis on Tuesday makes no sense at all.”
———-
With a scant four days left before the scheduled execution of Troy Anthony Davis, Jimmy Carter & Bob Barr have called on Georgia’s Board of Pardons and Parole to reverse its decision to deny clemency:
The Carter Center released a letter Friday urging the state Board of Pardons and Parole to reverse its decision to deny clemency. The letter said flaws in Davis’ conviction and appeals warrant a closer look.
Barr wrote the board Wednesday saying he is “a strong believer in the death penalty as an appropriate and just punishment” but said the proper level of fairness and accuracy required for the ultimate punishment has not been met in Davis’ case.
With so many questions surrounding the case and Georgia intent on going through with the execution, is it really any wonder people see a conspiracy at work?
Libertarian Presidential candidate Bob Barr is seeking to have his fellow candidates tossed off of the Texas ballot on the grounds that they failed to comply with Texas law. The Texas secretary of state has said that they certified the ballot on September 3rd and that all candidates qualified.
But the Texas Supreme Court did not automatically reject the lawsuit, instead asking all sides to submit arguments on the subject. Barr may actually have a point here as the law seems to require all candidates qualify by August 26th and neither convention was done before then.
However the Republican and Democratic parties of Texas contend that they are allowed to certify whoever they want as their nominee regardless of what the national parties do and that was done in time so there are no problems to worry about. In addition, the Texas SoS has said they have the right to a level of discretion with the ballot and so they also had the power to name candidates as they did.
Obviously the court is not going to toss the two major parties off of the ballot but it is an interesting move by the Libertarians. They have often had to fight tough ballot access laws in places like New York and have seen technicalities in the law used against them. Now they are offering a little payback.
September 14th, 2008 By JAZZ SHAW, Assistant Editor
All through our coverage of Campaign 2008, I have focused on the candidates from the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties. If you count the vice presidential picks, there are six of them, but I have, admittedly, only covered five. On several occasions it has been brought up by readers that the math seems a bit off. This was mentioned yet again this week in my virtual mail bag.
Jazz,
You talk at the time about Palin and what a rotten choice she was and how Biden was a dubm pick for all the stupid things hes said about Obama and everyone and you are always talking up Bob Barr. So when do we see your story on Wayne Root?
Fair enough, sir. (Or madam.) I’ve been called out and I shall not shirk from the task. The handsome gentleman pictured above and to the left is Wayne Allen Root, Libertarian Party candidate for Vice President. You can read up on a lot of Wayne’s information at this web site, but let’s start off with the basics. We’ll first take a look at Mr. Root’s experience in terms of elected office and government background.
Wayne’s resume is a throwback to our Founding Fathers. He is the quintessential “ANTI-Politician.” He is a second generation American; small businessman (and son and grandson of small businessmen); home-school father of 4 young children (Dakota, Hudson, Remington and Contessa); and the classic citizen politician.
He has never worked (directly or indirectly) for or with any state or federal government. None of his small businesses have ever done business with the government. He has never collected a check from government (other than a student loan). He has never worked in Washington D.C. He has never done business with a lobbyist.
Ummm… well, that was quick at least. So… there you are. I’m sure many of you are already admiring Wayne’s consumate status as a “Washington Outsider” which many people clearly feel is important in this election cycle. Let’s face it… you don’t get much further outside of Washington than Wayne. The guy has never even been elected dog catcher. It should definitely show that he will bring a … errr… unique perspective to the office. And I’m sure none of us want to spend weeks on end combing through voting records and signing statements of yet another politican.
We also like our elected leaders to be literate, scholarly types. And once again, Wayne fills the bill nicely. He is not only well read, but the author of five books. (More than Obama and Palin combined, by the way.) And we should remember that governing is, in some regards, very much about risk management… calculating the odds, making smart decisions, etc. So it will be comforting to note that these books are on the subject of … gambling.
Ok, look…
(aside) could one of you please pass me that rather large tablespoon of sugar over there so I can choke this next bit out? Thanks.
In what Ralph Nader called the beginning of a political realignment, Republican Congressman and former Candidate for President Ron Paul held a press conference yesterday in which he brought together the presidential candidates of the Green, Libertarian, and Constitution parties as well as perennial presidential candidate, Ralph Nader, and called on the American people to reject the temptation to vote for the “lesser of two evils” and to support a third party candidate in 2008.
Showing a fieriness that the soft-spoken congressman from Texas is not typically known for, he criticized both the Democratic and Republican party nominees, the two-party system, and the shadowy organization that few Americans know about, despite the fact that it controls the Presidential Debates that they watch every four years…The Commission on Presidential Debates:
And then a few years later, an organization was formed. And it was called the Commission on Presidential Debates. And since that time–since they have been formed–they dictate all the rules. And guess who’s chairmen–who they are? It’s the former chairman–a former chairman of the Republican Party and a former chairman of the Democratic Party! And they dictate all the rules. So therefore anybody who opposes the status quo aren’t permitted to be in the debates. And that’s where we are today.
Greens, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, and Independents are likely to disagree on a broad range of issues. But one topic in which they all seem to agree on is their opposition to the stranglehold that the Democratic and Republican parties have on not only our government–but on the apparatus that determines which candidates will and won’t be heard by the American people.
Has the campaign of Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama been caught momentarily flat-footed due to the nomination of Gov. Sarah Palin as GOP Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain’s running mate? Or is it going from stumble to stumble and ineffective response to ineffective response as it starts to implode? Conservative talk show host Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, argues that Obama’s campaign is now on the wane in this guest voice. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers.
Obama Implodes
Making Sense, by Michael Reagan
Once upon a time it was inevitable that Hillary Clinton would be the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee. It didn’t work out that way.
A few weeks ago, it seemed inevitable that Barack Obama would win the presidency handily. It isn’t working out that way.
A few weeks ago, it seemed inevitable that John McCain was in for a drubbing. It hasn’t worked out that way.
In political campaigns things can always change, of course, but as of now it appears that John McCain is headed for the White House. That’s not inevitable, but at the moment it looks as if he’s headed for the winner’s circle, thanks largely to his choice of a running mate who has electrified most of the electorate.
The Obama campaign’s stunned reaction to this totally unexpected development has been at first to ridicule McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin, then to underestimate the effect she was having on the McCain campaign, and now to go all-out in attacking her.
Obama’s reaction to this sudden turn in his fortunes has been nothing less that sheer and visible disorientation. It’s obvious that he simply doesn’t know which way to turn, and his confusion has led him to launch a sleazy campaign to destroy Gov. Palin’s reputation — no matter what it takes — before she destroys his presidential hopes.
A prime symptom of his disorientation was the ill-advised comment about putting lipstick on a pig. The old self-confident, sure-footed Barack Obama, safe in the cocoon woven about him by a worshipful media, would have understood the consequences of making such a remark and the almost certain probability that it would be a boomerang that would smite him on its return trip, and would have thus avoided it. Read the rest of this entry »
September 10th, 2008 By JAZZ SHAW, Assistant Editor
John McCain the anti-lobbyist guy? John McCain the change Washington guy? That’s like saying Mitt Romney the bald guy. That’s like Barack Obama the fat guy.
That quote comes to us from MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow during her introduction to an interview with Bob Barr. The Congressman was invited on the show to discuss the response of the McCain - Palin campaign to the Fannie and Freddie bailout, as detailed in their joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. Observe the emphasized portions.
Treasury has broadly followed the McCain plan, outlined months ago, and gets at the short-term heart of the problem. That plan reinforces the federal commitment to meet our obligations and get this mess behind us. It replaces management and board members. It requires that shareholders take losses first. It puts taxpayers first in line for any repayments. And it terminates future lobbying, which was one of the primary contributors to this great debacle.
Fannie and Freddie’s lobbyists succeeded and Congress failed. Under our administration this will not happen again.
If your head is spinning right now, fear not. It’s simply a normal reaction for anyone who follows the shifting tides of political news. You see, McCain and Palin are making it very clear that Big Mac saw this problem coming long ago and he tried to warn us about it! In fact, he took these problems so seriously that he hired Rick Davis to be his campaign manager. That’s right… John McCain selected, as the person to manage his campaign for the White House, a man who previously worked as one of the “deep-pocketed lobbyists in Washington” who fought against additional regulation and supervision of the twin mortgage giants, thus serving as one of the “primary contributors to this great debacle.”
I’ve been puzzled for some time as to why Team McCain would try to co-opt the whole “change” theme from the Obama Hope Train, and these types of situations make it all the more confusing. You’ll note from the op-ed above that the other villains in this drama - aside from the lobbyists like Davis - are the members of Congress who have “failed.” Would that be the same Congress that McCain has been serving in for the better part of three decades?
How this type of messaging works (and it clearly is working if you look at the polls) is still a mystery. It reminds us of the McCain team’s recent protestations of how Obama called Sarah Palin “a pig” for using the old saw, “lipstick on a pig.” The amazing part is that they manage to do this with a straight face when McCain said the exact same thing about Hillary Clinton.
While he said he had not studied Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s health-care plan, he said it was “eerily reminiscent” of the failed plan she offered as first lady in the early 1990s.
“I think they put some lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig,” he said of her proposal.
But enough of that and back to the original interview. Barr maintains his normal, real straight talking, no holds barred style (both puns intentional) in skewering both Obama and McCain for not offering real change in how government operates. Watch it yourself and let me know what you think.
With only 17 days left until the election and many of my TMV colleagues jumping off the fence to one side or the other, the time is fast approaching for all of us to plant our flags. Today I would like to share my own observations and experiences regarding the various candidates through this seemingly endless campaign season and why, as the title of this piece indicates, I will cast my vote next month for Bob Barr. This was a difficult decision. In 2000 I made the choice to vote for a third party candidate, finding both of the major party choices unappetizing. It caused me much remorse in years to come, having seen how close the election was and how disastrous the results of George W. Bush’s victory. And yet, a vote is a precious thing and it is never “wasted” if it is cast in good conscience for the candidate who you feel best represents your interests and the needs of the nation. I also do this knowing full well that Bob Barr will not win this election, nor even take a single electoral vote.
All through our coverage of Campaign 2008, I have focused on the candidates from the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties. If you count the vice presidential picks, there are six of them, but I have, admittedly, only covered five. On several occasions it has been brought up by readers that the math seems a bit off. This was mentioned yet again this week in my virtual mail bag.