If you thought that President-elect Barack Obama would get maybe an hour's worth of honeymoon from many conservative talk radio hosts -- just an hour free of the kind of attack and demonize radio show that gets big ratings because it riles up audiences and wants them to tune in again -- then I have a company named Microsoft that I can sell you for $1.98... Listening to a … [Read more...] about Barack Obama Gets No Honeymoon From Conservative Talk Radio
Message to the GOP: You’re Close to Losing Me.
As I write this a day after Election Day, I feel a bit angry, not at the election results, but at the party that I have tried to make a home in: the Republican Party. For years, I have been involved in trying to help steer the party away from the hard right and more to the center right. It has not been easy and at times, it has felt rather fruitless. Tonight, it not only … [Read more...] about Message to the GOP: You’re Close to Losing Me.
The Incredible Shrinking Ralph Nader: His “Uncle Tom” Remark About Obama
Yes, Ralph Nader ran again and you can place bets now that he'll run in 2012 or beyond, even if he has to be wheeled from appearance to appearance. This year he received a sliver of the kind of support he previously got at the ballot box, which in itself would have been enough to decrease his shrinking legacy. But, on election night 2008, he seemed determined to reduce his … [Read more...] about The Incredible Shrinking Ralph Nader: His “Uncle Tom” Remark About Obama
American Cartoonists React To Obama Election Victory
American cartoonists are reacting to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's historic victory in the Presidential election. So far cartoons are split into three key groups: cartoons that work in a Lincoln-Martin Luther King, Jr. motif, cartoons that place it in national and historical perspective and cartoons that are starting to have fun with the political ramifications. Here's a … [Read more...] about American Cartoonists React To Obama Election Victory
Sarah Palin was a Republican Vice Presidential Candidate
And now it's coming out that she was also a terror to the GOP Presidential candidate John McCain's staff and to her own staff. Details here. … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin was a Republican Vice Presidential Candidate
Healthcare Robotics: El-E the Companion Robot
My friends will tell you that I fully expect to have and enjoy a relational robot in a caretaking role through my declining years. Turns out, Georgia Tech is on top of that: Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have engineered a biologically inspired robot that mirrors the actions of sought-after service dogs. Users verbally command the robot to complete a task … [Read more...] about Healthcare Robotics: El-E the Companion Robot
World Newspaper Cartoonists React To Obama Election Victory
The reaction around the world to the election of Democratic Senator Barack Obama as President is similar to how the world reacted to another charismatic Democratic President -- John F. Kennedy, Jr. Is it just because some of his charisma comes across on the tube? Probably not. Most likely it's due to Obama being -- like Kennedy -- someone whose rhetoric seems heartfelt and … [Read more...] about World Newspaper Cartoonists React To Obama Election Victory
Obama: Transcendent Change from the Lowest to the Highest: El Diario de Yaracuy, Venezuela
For many people in the less-developed world, America, through the agency of Barack Obama - has lived up to its promise. Furthermore, the very poorest of the world's people are today saying to themselves, 'perhaps I can go further and farther than I thought.' And according to this article from Venezuela's El Diario de Yaracuy, the fact that Americans elected a Black man … [Read more...] about Obama: Transcendent Change from the Lowest to the Highest: El Diario de Yaracuy, Venezuela
Third Global Press Roundup
(Image from Al-Hayat, via MEMRI) The global reaction to Obama's victory is pouring forth. A long list of translations and English articles follows. You won't have time to read all the links - but take a look at the headlines and pull-quotes. Alone, they give a flavor of how differently the USA appears to the world than it did this time yesterday. Rzeczpospolita, … [Read more...] about Third Global Press Roundup
Sabato’s Crystal Ball Scores Near Perfect Record for Accuracy in Predicting 2008 Election Outcomes
Larry J. Sabato - THE CRYSTAL BALL SCORES NEAR PERFECT RECORD FOR ACCURACY IN PREDICTING 2008 ELECTION OUTCOMES The Crystal Ball is proud to announce that, with only a handful of official election outcomes still pending, we recorded a nearly perfect record of accuracy in predicting the results of the 2008 Election, including the correct October prediction of the final … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball Scores Near Perfect Record for Accuracy in Predicting 2008 Election Outcomes
Public Service Announcement
PSA: It's time to take down and throw away political campaign signs abandoned on public and commercial property. … [Read more...] about Public Service Announcement
Obama’s America: A New and Improved ‘Hegemon’ – Rzeczpospolita, Poland
The global reaction to Obama's election triumph isn't all, as they say 'kittens and rainbows.' This article from Poland's Rzeczpospolita is in the form of a warning to the European left, that while Obama may be easier to deal with, much more sensitive the finer points of diplomatic exchange and a better listener that the widely-derided President Bush - he will still be the … [Read more...] about Obama’s America: A New and Improved ‘Hegemon’ – Rzeczpospolita, Poland
Powell’s Reaction to the Election
CNN has an interesting post-election interview with Colin Powell, whose endorsement of Obama grabbed headlines a few weeks ago. Keep in mind that this is a man who has been to war, who broke barriers of his own as a general, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as Secretary of State. His public persona, even in politics, has been that of a stoic warrior. But upon … [Read more...] about Powell’s Reaction to the Election
Newsweek’s How He Did It: Hackers, Threats & Spending Sprees
The headlined disclosure in Newsweek's How He Did It, 2008, is that both the Obama and McCain campaigns were victims of a sophisticated cyberattack prompting a federal investigation: Officials at the FBI and the White House told the Obama campaign that they believed a foreign entity or organization sought to gather information on the evolution of both camps' policy … [Read more...] about Newsweek’s How He Did It: Hackers, Threats & Spending Sprees
Half-Baked Alaska
In that alternate reality Up North, Gov. Sarah Palin is back home with her new fame and wardrobe, while Ted Stevens seems to have won reelection to his Senate seat. The careers of Alaska's two media stars have been intertwined since before Palin emerged and ran for the state house in 2006, and the conjunction will clearly continue. Senate Republicans, anxious to escape … [Read more...] about Half-Baked Alaska
Let’s Make Sure We Keep it Clean in Oregon, Shall We?
Matt Lewis of Town Hall has caught wind of some questionable activity out in Oregon, where the tight, contested Senate race between Jeff Merkley and Gordon Smith is going to a recount this week. I'm hearing that there are some strange goings on in Portland, Oregon today. Apparently, the press are being asked to leave the building where the ballots from yesterday's election … [Read more...] about Let’s Make Sure We Keep it Clean in Oregon, Shall We?
A View from the Trenches
A Line at a Polling Site (obviously, not mine): Some of you may have noticed that I did not post yesterday. I got up at 4 AM to serve as Presiding Judge (on 4 hours of training) at a precinct located in a Roman Catholic church in a poor and heavily African-American area of Cincinnati. I did not get home until approximately 10 PM and was so exhausted that I was in bed … [Read more...] about A View from the Trenches
How to Handle Losing an Election
After eight years of being evicted from the White House, several of them spent in the wilderness of legislative minority status under an opposition President, some Democrats may be quick to start dancing on the graves of the current GOP and licking their chops at the prospect of taking revenge on their former tormentors. I would caution you against such actions. Frankly, the … [Read more...] about How to Handle Losing an Election
Hope, at Last! For One Day, Let Us Hope!: Liberation of France
The global reaction to the news that Barack Obama has been elected president is like a tidal wave. So far this morning, WORLDMEETS.US has posted about 30 articles from around the world - and the work of translating has only just begun. One of the most moving tributes is this editorial from France's Liberation, which says in part: "Hope, at Last! For Heaven’s sake, for one … [Read more...] about Hope, at Last! For One Day, Let Us Hope!: Liberation of France
America’s Home-Coming
I am not an American, but as I listened to Obama’s speech last night, this Briton’s cheeks were as wet as any American's with the tears that flowed – not only because of what Obama was saying, but also because of what Americans had done: over 350 electoral college votes is a wholly different kind of “shock and awe”. But I had been primed – by McCain’s concession – not so … [Read more...] about America’s Home-Coming