msnbc.com: BREAKING NEWS: Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died in Honolulu CNN: Sen. Barack Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died after a battle with cancer, his campaign office says. … [Read more...] about Sen. Obama’s Grandmother Has Died
Championship Game, Fourth Quarter, Minutes Left
Politics is a game played for the highest office in this country and perhaps in the world by the best teams in the world. It has a pre-season, a regular season and the play-offs. (In 2000 there was even overtime). Each team has its superstar who needs a strong supporting cast to win. At the end one champion is crowned. There will be jubilation for the winner. The loser will be … [Read more...] about Championship Game, Fourth Quarter, Minutes Left
Tax Plans Contrasted
Both candidates' tax plans have merit. But one of these plans (Obama's) makes more sense in light of current economic conditions. McCain's plan focuses on increasing investment in business. This is highly desirable at times when business is expanding and needs tax savings both to buy new equipment and to hire more help. This is obviously not what businesses plan to do today, … [Read more...] about Tax Plans Contrasted
Polls: Obama Solid Nationally But McCain Shows Traction In Some Battleground States
After a big push political weekend by both sides -- 1.8 million doors knocked on for Obama, for instance -- the final polls are coming fast and furious almost as rapidly as the last minute charges. The bottom line: most national polls show Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama with a comfortable national lead now outside the margin of error, while some … [Read more...] about Polls: Obama Solid Nationally But McCain Shows Traction In Some Battleground States
What If John McCain…?
If Barack Obama wins tomorrow, as I hope he will, we will see the inevitable flood of soul-searching, Monday (in this case Wednesday) morning quarterbacking, recriminations, and what I call the “what if” and “if only” questions and assertions. (And, oh yes, the long Republican knives will come out, too.) So let me go out on a (pretty solid) limb and anticipate not only … [Read more...] about What If John McCain…?
WORLDMEETS.US: Selected Headlines from Around the World
Just for the sake of levity, I'd like to post links to some of the 50-odd stories WORLDMEETS.US has posted about the U.S. election from around the world in the past 72 hours: Did U.S. Republicans take a page out of Ukraine's election playbook?: Izvestia, Russia Where Did the Idea of 'Joe the Plumber' Come From? … Ukraine! Looking to the stars of little help, according … [Read more...] about WORLDMEETS.US: Selected Headlines from Around the World
It’s 3 A.M.
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star … [Read more...] about It’s 3 A.M.
McCain’s Small Florida Crowd: Harbinger Or Not?
This is not the kind of story the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain wants to be circulating on the final full day of campaigning -- a story that details him drawing a shockingly small crowd: Barack Obama may lead John McCain by just 2 points in the latest CNN Florida poll of polls, but the enthusiasm gap appears a bit wider. John McCain’s … [Read more...] about McCain’s Small Florida Crowd: Harbinger Or Not?
Still Obama
One vote's backstory: Last April, I decided I should vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president for this reason: Of the three candidates at the time – Obama, Clinton, McCain, all fine people – Obama was the only one who gave the citizens of this country room to take a leap of faith. My belief in that unique opportunity has not been altered by anything that has happened in the … [Read more...] about Still Obama
The McCain Surge: Pipe Dreams or Prescience?
My friend Ed Morrissey has apparently had a little bird whispering in his ear who is claiming that McCain may sneak up at the last moment and capture Minnesota from Obama. This morning, one of the first e-mails I opened was from the McCain campaign, claiming that the presidential race in my state had pulled into a dead heat. Sure, I thought — Minnesota barely has Norm … [Read more...] about The McCain Surge: Pipe Dreams or Prescience?
Republican Group Plays Reverend Wright Card
Apparently on national TV -- on NBC's Sunday Night Football. Prediction: it may take the GOP more than one election cycle to win back some of the independent voters who detest this kind of politics and want to see it purged from campaigns that need to focus on issues. … [Read more...] about Republican Group Plays Reverend Wright Card
“Weird Al” Yankovic: Bleeped and Profiled
MTV's new video site is bleeping out the names of file sharing sites in Weird Al Yankovic's 2006 song "Don't Download This Song": In an e-mail message on Sunday, Mr. Yankovic wrote that he had bleeped out the names to the file-sharing sites in his song two years ago, after MTV “told me that they would refuse to air my video” otherwise. “Instead of subtly removing or obscuring … [Read more...] about “Weird Al” Yankovic: Bleeped and Profiled
The Times They Are A’Changing
Well, except in Arizona and Hawaii they are. Most of us set our clocks back an hour on Sunday morning. Am I the only one who is totally out of sync from that this year? For some reason it really seemed to sneak up on me. I was falling asleep on the couch at the corrected time of 8:30 pm last night, which threw off my already slightly shifted schedule. That always makes me less … [Read more...] about The Times They Are A’Changing
Polls: Obama Leads In 6 of 8 Battleground States And Deflects McCain Attacks
Some new polls present a portrait that isn't a pretty one for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain one day before the 2008 election: Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama leads in 6 out of 8 battleground states, Obama is widening his lead nationally, and polling finds Obama has deflected McCain's and the GOP's recent attacks. The polling, coming from three … [Read more...] about Polls: Obama Leads In 6 of 8 Battleground States And Deflects McCain Attacks
Obama: If It Hasn’t Already Been Said Then It’s Probably Not Worth Saying
December 2007: Look Closely. Obama Certainly has aged. Us, too. Entire cyber-forests have been leveled in praise and condemnation of a man who in all likelihood will be president-elect when the sun comes up on Wednesday morning, so there's not a whole lot more worth saying. In that spirit -- and because your feckless . . . er, fearless correspondent is running on empty, … [Read more...] about Obama: If It Hasn’t Already Been Said Then It’s Probably Not Worth Saying
A Swing Voter Learns Lessons Canvassing for Obama
Jonathan Curley, a self described conservative banker who voted for George H.W. Bush twice and George W. Bush once, says he is a "dreaded swing voter". Then his wife took him out canvassing for Obama. Here's some of what he learned: I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the "big things." It's not about taxes. I'm pretty sure … [Read more...] about A Swing Voter Learns Lessons Canvassing for Obama
Obama Ahead
Patrick Chappatte, The International Herald Tribune … [Read more...] about Obama Ahead
One Party Rule Is Not A Good Idea
As we head into the home stretch of Election 2008, there is a lot of talk about how big the probable Democratic victory is going to be. On many of the more liberal websites, people are almost drooling over the prospect of a major sweep. But, in this campaign, I think we need to consider too the impact of such a sweep. One way to visualize what is going on is to look at New … [Read more...] about One Party Rule Is Not A Good Idea
Palin’s Pluses
As new polling shows her costing him more votes than she might win, John McCain's running mate is, in her own way, doing a number of services for the Republican Party and the nation as a whole. For one, Sarah Palin is proving that gender doesn't count in bringing ignorance (pace Dan Quayle) and mean-spiritedness (shades of Spiro Agnew) to a national ticket as she promises a … [Read more...] about Palin’s Pluses
Understanding An Obamacon
Since I am now one of those "Obamacons," I wanted to ask a question of those who are questioning those who would jump-ship and vote for someone that is so opposite from our views. Daniel Larison can understand why people are upset: the most credible pro-Obama argument that can be made is that the GOP must be held accountable and Obama is not McCain, but I still don’t … [Read more...] about Understanding An Obamacon