Every losing political candidate, no matter the office, cites Harry Truman's dramatic comeback in the 1948 election as a reason for hope. If "Give-em Hell, Harry" could come back and salvage victory in the face of certain defeat, surely Candidate X could do the same! Alas, some McCain partisans are invoking the old "Dewey Defeats Truman" error as inspiration. But is there … [Read more...] about This is not 1948
Bill Clinton Gives McCain Campaign Great Anti-Obama Campaign Ad Quote
Former President Bill Clinton -- a politician who is no dummy and knows the impact his words will have -- is proving to be the gift that keeps on giving...for the McCain campaign. How much do you want to bet part of this quote will be used in video or quotation in a last minute-McCain campaign ad? Barack Obama cultivated the image of a cool and collected leader during … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton Gives McCain Campaign Great Anti-Obama Campaign Ad Quote
Poll: Palin Increasingly Hurting McCain’s Election Chances
It has been suggested that Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign is trying to make GOP Veep candidate Gov. Sarah Palin a scapegoat, by blaming her on the campaign's polling woes and a possible defeat. A new poll suggests that if it's true, McCain aides making that argument have a lot company -- mainly, many voters who are polled: A growing number of … [Read more...] about Poll: Palin Increasingly Hurting McCain’s Election Chances
McCain Campaign Snubs Penn State University President In Battleground State
The 21st century trend towards mega-partisanship earlier this year seemed notably at odds with candidates pledging to reach across the aisle to increase national unity. But a bit of bad press now swirling around Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign will if anything underscore how some partisans lose sight of important long range goals because they've … [Read more...] about McCain Campaign Snubs Penn State University President In Battleground State
In Search of … Obama, the Radical Lefty
Nerd alert: Growing up in the mid- to late-70’s, I was a fan of the TV series “In Search Of,” hosted by the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy. If that series were still on TV today, and its producers were willing to consider political mysteries, they might be tempted to piece together an investigation into claimed sightings of “Obama, the Radical Lefty” – sightings that run the … [Read more...] about In Search of … Obama, the Radical Lefty
Is This The Obama McCain Electoral Vote Map For Election Day?
The University of Virginia's Larry Sabato, who had an excellent record of predicting the past several elections and issues solid predictions in general, has now released a map showing his electoral college prediction for campaign 2008. Is this the map we'll see after the early and election day votes are all counted? Given Sabato's track record, it is worth a close … [Read more...] about Is This The Obama McCain Electoral Vote Map For Election Day?
Obama Infomercial Seen By One In Five Households In Top Local Markets
In terms of political T.V. -- particularly the often-boring form of political infomercials -- Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's 30 minute infomercial last night was a big hit: it got a rating of 21.7 percent in top markets. To use the entertainment newspaper Variety's decades-old famous term, Obama proved to be big B.O. (the letters stand for "Box … [Read more...] about Obama Infomercial Seen By One In Five Households In Top Local Markets
‘As a Human Being, I Support Obama’: El Caribe, Dominican Republic
As was revealed yesterday by the latest poll of Latin countries on the U.S. election, in all of 18 countries surveyed, Barack Obama is the overwhelming favorite. The results also showed that of all of the Latin America countries that were surveyed, the Dominican Republic is the most informed on the U.S. presidential race. So today we bring you this op-ed from the … [Read more...] about ‘As a Human Being, I Support Obama’: El Caribe, Dominican Republic
McCain and Obama: Old and New America
Election Day 2008 will be an epic reckoning between old and new America. For the first time, battle lines are drawn defining a divide not between left and right or Democrat and Republic but between those who see the US as a part, albeit overwhelmingly strong, of a global community and others who see it as a fortress besieged by the world. Donald Rumsfeld's derision of old … [Read more...] about McCain and Obama: Old and New America
Socialism is the New Black (Guest Voice)
This is the last of two Guest Voice columns on Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's insinuations that Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama has socialist inclinations. Author Martha Randolph Carl believes he does not -- and that the word "socialist" has become a new code word. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its many … [Read more...] about Socialism is the New Black (Guest Voice)
Last of Their Kind: Elderly Nuns No Longer Turned Away from Voting
Back in May 2008. I wrote on TMV about elderly Sisters of the Holy Cross (near U of Notre Dame) who were turned away from the polling place and not allowed to vote in the Indiana primary because they had no photo IDs. (This Order of the nuns taught me as a child in the rural outback, or tried to....) And You Thought Sister Mary Ignatius Was Strict: Not Allowed to Vote In … [Read more...] about Last of Their Kind: Elderly Nuns No Longer Turned Away from Voting
You Can’t be Half-Socialist (Guest Voice)
This is the first of two Guest Voice columns on Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's insinuations that Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama has socialist inclinations. Talk show host Michael Reagan, son of former President Ronald Reagan, believes Obama does. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its many writers. You Can’t be … [Read more...] about You Can’t be Half-Socialist (Guest Voice)
Silicon Valley Group Ad: No to Proposition 8
Kara Swisher: Today, a panoply of prominent tech and Internet leaders is taking a very public stand against a controversial initiative before California voters, which would eliminate the current legal right of same-sex couples to marry. Forming a group and taking out a full-page ad in the San Jose Mercury News tomorrow, the execs hope to convince voters to reject … [Read more...] about Silicon Valley Group Ad: No to Proposition 8
Beyond Craziness Economics
Beyond Craziness Economics When I was working at Bloomberg Financial News a few years back I saw up close what was going on in markets and thought it was crazy. The Wall Street crowd was slicing and dicing the same assets and selling the pieces as if they were new assets. And the risk management derivatives that were supposed to take the place of regulation were nothing more … [Read more...] about Beyond Craziness Economics
Syria Attack Shows Meaning of U.S.-Iraq Security Deal: Al Gomhuria, Egypt
America's attack on Syria - using Iraqi territory as a launching pad - has set off alarm bells across the Middle East. Many Arabs are convinced - including the editorial board of the Egyptian newspaper Al Gomhuria - that the Status of Forces Agreement now being negotiated between the U.S. and Iraq - will permit many more such attacks by the United States on Iraq's neighbors - … [Read more...] about Syria Attack Shows Meaning of U.S.-Iraq Security Deal: Al Gomhuria, Egypt
Ayatollah Khamenei Says America Must Apologize for 1953 Coup: PRESS TV, Islamic Republic of Iran
Does the United States owe the Iranian people an apology for the 1953 CIA-sponsored coup that overthrew that nation's democratic government? And is there any justification for the way American diplomats at the U.S. Embassy on Tehran were taken prisoner in 1978? According to this news account from Iran's PRESS TV of a speech by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, the … [Read more...] about Ayatollah Khamenei Says America Must Apologize for 1953 Coup: PRESS TV, Islamic Republic of Iran
On the Radio: One Last Time Into the Breach
Today at 1 pm Eastern, the Lady Logician and I will take to the airwaves with only five days left until the election. We'll be talking to Archery Chick, a moderately conservative Republican, to get her impressions on Obama's television special and the state of the race, election fraud allegations on both sides, and more. Join us at Mid Stream Radio, and feel free to call in … [Read more...] about On the Radio: One Last Time Into the Breach
The Obama-Sarkozy Financial Alliance: Liberation of France
Nicolas Sarkozy has high hopes that with help - the global financial system can be overhauled for the 21st century. And according to this article from France's Liberation - the reason he's so hopeful is that George W. Bush - that opponent of global governance - is on his way out, and Barack Obama is on his way in. For Liberation, Alain Duhamel describes an attempt next month … [Read more...] about The Obama-Sarkozy Financial Alliance: Liberation of France
Where’s Bjork?
Think things are bad here, financially speaking (not so bad here in Canada, but pretty bad south of the border)? Well, be thankful you don't live in Iceland*: Iceland's central bank upped its key interest rate by 6 percentage points to 18 percent on Tuesday, two weeks after it had eased policy to soften the impact of the country’s financial meltdown. The move, which one … [Read more...] about Where’s Bjork?
Terrifying the Jews
In other words, McCain's latest campaign strategy. We saw it in Pennsylvania, where prominent Republicans sent out an e-mail to Jewish voters likening the situation in 2008 to the situation in Europe in the 1930s and '40s (with Obama akin to Neville Chamberlain, an enabler of evil -- then the Nazis, now Iran). And we're seeing it again in a new McCain ad likely to be … [Read more...] about Terrifying the Jews