After Michelle Bachmann's spectacular flameout of an interview on Friday on MSNBC, her Democratic challenger in Minnesota's Sixth District, Elwyn Tinklenberg, received a big boost in donations to his campaign. Now it looks like Bachmann's GOP challenger in the September primary, Aubrey Immelman, is getting back into the race as a write-in candidate: … [Read more...] about Michelle Bachmann Gets Republican Challenger
Out of the Mouths of Boobs
Two practitioners of get-paid-to-be-stupid-in-public punditry give us gems today, Pat Buchanan with his pronouncement that Colin Powell is backing Barack Obama because he's black and William Kristol scolding Peggy Noonan for saying that Sarah Palin is symptomatic of "a new vulgarization in American politics.” Buchanan can't help belaboring the obnoxious obvious, but Kristol … [Read more...] about Out of the Mouths of Boobs
Civil Rights Roundup: 10/20/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news The US Supreme Court will resolve a circuit split on identity theft by illegal immigrants. The question is whether aggravated identity theft requires knowledge by the user that the documents he obtains are those of a real person, as opposed to fabrications. Immigrants with family members on both sides of the US/Mexico … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 10/20/08
Quote Of The Day: What Independent Voters REALLY Want
Centrist author John Avlon, who worked for then-President Bill Clinton and then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, writing in The Wall Street Journal, takes a look at what independent voters as a group tend to want. And once again Avlon, who wrote the best political book ever on American centrist voters, Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics, shines a … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: What Independent Voters REALLY Want
ABC News/Washington Post Poll: Palin Vice President Pick And Ayers Hurt McCain
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll suggests Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's decisions to pick Gov. Sarah Palin and listen to his party's most conservative partisans and press the Ayers-Obama-weak-on-terrorism issue has cost the GOPer needed support. It also suggests again that McCain would have been better off protecting his 2000 "brand" as a kind of … [Read more...] about ABC News/Washington Post Poll: Palin Vice President Pick And Ayers Hurt McCain
Crossing the Line for Votes?
A strange tale from the New York Post today, which mostly caught my attention because I have some familiarity with a similar situation from earlier this year. It involves allegations of some people moving from politically demographic "safe states" into swing states in order to be able to cast votes in a tight election. GOTHAM-TO-OHIO VOTE SCAM EYED Four well-heeled New … [Read more...] about Crossing the Line for Votes?
Prove the Racism!
For those in the blogosphere, Pundit-Ville, and regular Joe and Jane Land who still believe and keep spreading that black folks in America are "racist" for overwhelmingly supporting Senator Barack Obama in Election '08, I have two words for you: PROVE IT! You prove that black people's supposed racism is harming a white, wealthy, respected, former Navy pilot, a Senator by … [Read more...] about Prove the Racism!
Two Cartoonists View Powell Obama Endorsement
Christo Komarnitski, Bulgaria Gary McCoy, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Two Cartoonists View Powell Obama Endorsement
The Excrescence Of Right-Wing GOP Hate
The racist and xenophobic bile that has flowed from the right-wing Republican base and spokesmouths like Rush Limbaugh has been unprecedented in this campaign season, and it was easy to predict that the moment Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama that he was no longer a war hero and brilliant diplomat but just another uppity Negro. If the hate-mongering of these people was not … [Read more...] about The Excrescence Of Right-Wing GOP Hate
Switching Cities with Obama
Over the just-past weekend, Sen. Obama made a campaign stop in my hometown of St. Louis, attracting his largest U.S. rally crowd to date. My wife and I missed the hooplah. While Obama was in St. Louis, we were in his adopted hometown of Chicago, visiting our son. We arrived Friday, the day the news broke that the Republican-leaning Chicago Tribune had endorsed Obama for … [Read more...] about Switching Cities with Obama
Douglas A. Blackmon on the Mississippi descendants of slaves owned by the great-great-grandfather of John McCain
Click here for Interactive McCain family tree Douglas A. Blackmon, author of Slavery by Another Name – The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, is the Atlanta Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal. Over the past 20 years, he has written extensively about race, exploring the interplay of wealth, corporate conduct and racial … [Read more...] about Douglas A. Blackmon on the Mississippi descendants of slaves owned by the great-great-grandfather of John McCain
Two Weeks & Counting: Thirteen Random Thoughts On The Presidential Election
(1.) The Republicans continue to confuse talk radio with reality. (2.) Barack Obama has raised an astounding $604 million to date. The bellyaching of John McCain over this record amount is sheer jealousy, while his allegation that raising huge amounts of dough is a recipe for scandal is laughable since the average Obama donation is under $100. (3.) Did the smarties … [Read more...] about Two Weeks & Counting: Thirteen Random Thoughts On The Presidential Election
Obama Versus McCain: What Is a Moderate To Do?
As a relatively-moderate Republican I have found myself facing something of a dilemma regarding my choices for President this November. Looking at the two major choices, I find that neither one is particularly appealing to me. Each one has things I like and each has things I dislike. Some of the things I like however are not particularly relevant to being President and, while … [Read more...] about Obama Versus McCain: What Is a Moderate To Do?
The Controversy Over Polling And Real Clear Politics
We've often noted here that when partisans (of both sides) see a poll they don't like about their candidate, they sometimes will talk about how the methodology of the poll was wrong. And usually the partisans don't see the same problem with polls that favor their candidates. The issue of methodology and whether political preferences may influence how polling is used burst … [Read more...] about The Controversy Over Polling And Real Clear Politics
Sigmund Freud and the Global Financial Meltdown: Prensa Libre of Guatemala
Does the work of Sigmund Freud have anything to teach us about the global financial crisis and how to extricate ourselves from its clutches? Margarita Carrera of Guatemala's Prensa Libre reminds her readers that Freud didn't only study sex - but the psychology behind economics and finance as well. Carrera writes in part: In his analysis of dreams, he discovered that … [Read more...] about Sigmund Freud and the Global Financial Meltdown: Prensa Libre of Guatemala
Has Move To Discredit Powell Over Obama Endorsement Begun?
When former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama today, Powell's explanations of why were a kind of laundry list of why many independent voters have recently been breaking for Obama over Republican Sen. John McCain. The two immediate questions then became: 1. How would this impact Obama's campaign and McCain's … [Read more...] about Has Move To Discredit Powell Over Obama Endorsement Begun?
Powell for Obama: Thoughts on the Endorsement
Needless to say, the political world is all abuzz today over Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama this morning on Meet the Press. Mustang Bobby posted the clips -- Powell on MTP, then outside the studio. ********** Needless to say, conservatives are going nuts -- or, rather, getting even nuttier -- in response: Take Michelle Malkin, for example, who calls Powell's … [Read more...] about Powell for Obama: Thoughts on the Endorsement
John The Candidate (Guest Voice)
A key centerpiece of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's present campaign is the person and political story of Joe the Plumber. In this Guest Voice post, humorist Will Durst takes a look at the third and final debate -- and John the Candidate. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of TMV or its writers. John the Candidate by Will … [Read more...] about John The Candidate (Guest Voice)
Does Obama’s $150 Million September Contributions Take Doom Public Campaign Financing?
Is public campaign financing poised to die as a viable funding option due to Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama' raising some $150 million in September alone, while rival GOPer Sen. John McCain will make do with $85 million in public funds? The LA Time's Dan Moran argues that it is -- and if you had to place (private) money on it, you should bet he's … [Read more...] about Does Obama’s $150 Million September Contributions Take Doom Public Campaign Financing?
Joe Scarborough: We’re Not a 60/40 Country
On Meet the Press this morning (after the Colin Powell endorsement) Joe Scarborough offered up some advice to Obama, "Go to Florida. Go to Ohio. Get out of North Carolina..." He says we're not a 60/40 country and later suggests that the only reason for Obama's lead is the economy. Do we agree? RELATED: Earlier in the segment NBC News political director Chuck Todd's numbers … [Read more...] about Joe Scarborough: We’re Not a 60/40 Country