Is that a code word for "black?" Or isn't that a bit of a (political) stretch? … [Read more...] about The Word “Socialist”
Schools Focus On Character Education For Kids
October is a big month in many schools: it's the month when many schools turn to anti-drug education, celebrating "Red Ribbon Week" in some schools where students are reminded why they need to say no to drugs and make healthy choices. But in recent years other themes have caught on as well, too. In the wake of the Columbine High School massacre, many schools have … [Read more...] about Schools Focus On Character Education For Kids
The Sarah Palin Clothing Scandal (What?)
I came downstairs this morning and flipped on the television while making coffee, flipped through MSNBC, Fox and CNN, and saw everyone talking about the same story. It seems that the RNC may have spent up to $150,000 on clothing and makeup for Governor Palin's three months on the campaign trail. Regular readers of this space should be well-aware that I've not been a fan of … [Read more...] about The Sarah Palin Clothing Scandal (What?)
World Series 2008: Those Long Awful Phillies Are Finally Making Winning A Habit
PHILLIES PITCHING ACE COLE HAMELS Some of my earliest childhood memories are of sitting at the kitchen table with my mother and grandmother listening to the Philadelphia Phillies on the radio. And more often than not, listening to the Philadelphia Phillies lose. My love of baseball was nurtured on these spring and summer evenings while my father was on shift work, and I … [Read more...] about World Series 2008: Those Long Awful Phillies Are Finally Making Winning A Habit
W
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star … [Read more...] about W
In Voting, White Men Don’t Jump
The final days find male Caucasians in the spotlight as John McCain pushes his white hope, Joe the Plumber and David Brooks focuses on Patio Man. In a time of unprecedented fear and worry, traditional male breadwinners seem to be the Republicans' best target, but the question arises: Will they make enough difference? One striking answer can be found in a study of the … [Read more...] about In Voting, White Men Don’t Jump
US Senate: When 60 Isn’t 60
Sitting two weeks out from the election, it seems clear the Democrats will make serious gains in the US Senate. At least 4 GOP seats in Colorado, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Virginia are all but certain to go to the Democrats, which means they will have at least 55 seats in 2009. Seats in Alaska, Minnesota, North Carolina and Oregon are at least leaning to the Democrats … [Read more...] about US Senate: When 60 Isn’t 60
Going Negative Is Not a Positive Way to Get Votes (Guest Voice)
A top strategist for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has suggested the McCain campaign could up the ante and raise the Reverent Wright issue in the final days of a campaign. In this Guest Voice post, journalism professor and author Walter Brasch argues that going negative may not be the wisest move. Brasch is an award-winning syndicated newspaper columnist … [Read more...] about Going Negative Is Not a Positive Way to Get Votes (Guest Voice)
Bad News For McCain From Two Polls And New Negative Palin Stories
Some polls show a tightening in the presidential race, Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden had another bout of ticket-damaging foot-and-mouth disease – but two new polls indicate Republican candidate Sen. John McCain continues to lose support and he continues to have a Sarah Palin problem with all but Republican stalwarts and Rush Limbaugh. A new NBC/Wall … [Read more...] about Bad News For McCain From Two Polls And New Negative Palin Stories
Don’t Be Hatin’
Ross Douthat has a good read about how some in the media are depicting McCain-Palin rallies. I really just want to focus on the last paragraph: But of course, everybody knows that conservative hate - especially when it comes from anonymous hecklers at massive rallies, or when it involves booing the press - is fascism come round again, but left-wing hate is just, well, … [Read more...] about Don’t Be Hatin’
Joe The Plumber and Colin Powell
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post … [Read more...] about Joe The Plumber and Colin Powell
The Wall Street Crisis and the Coming Ecological Disaster: Nachrichten of Switzerland
Is the global economic disaster we are living through today just a harbinger of a much more dramatic global ecological collapse to come? According to Patrik Etschmayer of the Swiss newspaper Nachrichten - the same people that got the world into the present crisis - and that favor John McCain - are driving the world over an ecological cliff. Etschmayer writes in … [Read more...] about The Wall Street Crisis and the Coming Ecological Disaster: Nachrichten of Switzerland
Chicken Soup for the Swing State Soul
For real. As in, really for real. Because frankly, I will not make it to November 4th if I don't get to hear some good stories about voting, democracy and learning about what makes our country strong, not senile. So find them and send them or write them. I'll go first: As some readers may know, I was really unhappy that my town only allowed one yard sign per yard. I … [Read more...] about Chicken Soup for the Swing State Soul
Joe Biden Is A Really Smart Politician
Or IS HE? Observations on Biden, Rush Limbaugh and Joe the Plumber via Jerry Remmers.. … [Read more...] about Joe Biden Is A Really Smart Politician
GOP Conference Call on ACORN
Today I took part in a conference call with RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross and RNC Communications Director Danny Diaz regarding questions about voter registration efforts and fraud accusations centering on ACORN. (I don't have a link yet to a replay from www.gop.com but will update this post later when it becomes available.) Normally I would transcribe individual questions, … [Read more...] about GOP Conference Call on ACORN
The Comprehensive Argument Against Barack Obama
As we draw to the close of this endless election (perhaps we should call it a war at this point?) some conservative forces have sought to assemble a final argument against the qualifications and record of Barack Obama. For the record, I don't find a lot of traction in a number of these points but, for those with an open mind, I would offer you the opportunity to review the … [Read more...] about The Comprehensive Argument Against Barack Obama
Blogs Are So Over… Huh?
Just yesterday I pointed to Andrew Sullivan's insightful Why I Blog in which he compares blogging to jazz and argues effectively that blogging heralds a golden age of journalism. Then today I find Paul Boutin in Wired arguing that blogging's heyday has passed. Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004: Thinking about launching your own blog? Here's some friendly … [Read more...] about Blogs Are So Over… Huh?
More on Aubrey Immelman
I don't usually care for Nick Coleman, the liberal columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (don't worry, I don't like the conservative columnist, Kate Kersten, either. They are both jerks.). However, he does a have a good profile of Aubrey Immelman, the moderate Republican who challenged Michelle Bachmann for the Republican primary in the MN-6 and who has now revived his … [Read more...] about More on Aubrey Immelman
Subtext and Liberals
Bloggingheads.tv has a great conversation between Daniel Larison of the American Conservative and Eli Lake of the lamented New York Sun, on the tactic among liberals to draw hidden meanings from McCain ads (e.g.; the celebrity ad with Britney and Paris-white-women-paired with a picture of Obama) and things supposedly said at McCain rallies. I think the conversation is … [Read more...] about Subtext and Liberals
Reality Interrupts the Presidential Race
Madelyn Dunham may not live long enough to see her grandson inaugurated President of the United States, a cruel irony for the woman Barack Obama says "poured everything she had into me." As Obama leaves to be with his ailing grandmother in Hawaii, mortality suddenly intrudes and, for a moment, reveals the presidential campaign to be a long-running TV reality show with all … [Read more...] about Reality Interrupts the Presidential Race