I missed several Sabato’s Crystal Ball emails due to accidental unsubscribing. Here is one of many make-up posts. 05/15/2008 Rhodes Cook's OBAMA'S NEXT CHALLENGE: Turning Primary Losses Into Electoral Votes As Barack Obama prepares to move from the primary to the general election phase of the 2008 presidential election, he faces a new challenge which combines both … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: OBAMA’S NEXT CHALLENGE
Civil Rights Roundup: 07/14/08
Your daily dose of civil rights and related news In today's no-kidding file: NAACP head: Obama win won't solve racial injustice. The Washington Post has an article about out gay youth. The nation's oldest Black sorority is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Historians to judges: Stop pretending to be historians. You suck at it. Seattle is settling its third … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup: 07/14/08
Iraqi Politicans Learn the Fine Art of Spin
First, Iraq's al-Maliki gets into hot water with the Bush administration and Sen. McCain for suggesting a time-line for withdrawal. Next, presumptive Dem nominee Barack Obama latches on to al-Maliki's suggestion and features it prominently in an op-ed in today's NYT -- presumably, an attempt by the nominee to exit his own vat of hot water for recently suggesting anything … [Read more...] about Iraqi Politicans Learn the Fine Art of Spin
Well, It Could Be Hillary, Couldn’t It?
I have asserted on numerous occasions that Hillary will not be Obama's running mate. And yet... It's not like any of the other apparent contenders are obvious choices (or would be perfect picks). One can make compelling, if not convincing, cases for the likes of Biden, Dodd, and Nunn, for example, but one can also make compelling cases against pretty much all of them. Even, … [Read more...] about Well, It Could Be Hillary, Couldn’t It?
Obama: Mostly Out of Iraq
I've made no secret of the fact that I opposed the Iraq war from the beginning and still seek the quickest, safe, sane exit from that area which can be managed. With this in mind, I was glad to see that Barack Obama took the time to pen an editorial in the New York Times providing (at least some) details of his plans for our involvement in that region. Unlike many of his … [Read more...] about Obama: Mostly Out of Iraq
The Conservative Reformation: A Cauldron of Proposals
In my prior post on this subject, I promised to share a “modest proposal for the next Goldwater’s consideration.” By that, I meant this: Goldwater articulated a compelling vision for conservatives in 1960, which Ronald Reagan and his team subsequently studied and re-phrased in their own parlance and used (two decades later) to build a winning coalition. The “new Goldwater” … [Read more...] about The Conservative Reformation: A Cauldron of Proposals
Furor Swirls Around Liberal New Yorker’s Caricature Of Obama Cover
Is it satire? Or the equivalent of an unintentional hit piece caricature that will be welcomed and exploited by his political enemies? Whatever: the bottom line is that the New Yorker, long the darling in liberal circles, is now under fire from the campaign of Democratic presumptive nominee Sen. Barack Obama and many liberals for a magazine cover that is a seeming medley of … [Read more...] about Furor Swirls Around Liberal New Yorker’s Caricature Of Obama Cover
John McCain Must Go to Antarctica
Important research work is being done year around in Antarctica involving climate change studies, atmospheric research, oceanographic science and the life cycle of penguins. These are all important topics to Americans during this election, and I fail to see how John McCain can be taken seriously as a candidate unless he agrees to go spend a month at McMurdo Station to meet and … [Read more...] about John McCain Must Go to Antarctica
Why Jesse Jackson’s Comments Will Help Barack Obama
WaPo: 15 year-old gay teen speaks of his experiences
If puberty happens in middle school, why shouldn't we expect lgbt awareness would begin then too? From today's WaPo, Owning His Gay Identity -- at 15 Years Old; Youths Coming Out Sooner, but Protections Against Harassment Lag: Saro, who first said he liked boys to a classmate in sixth grade, is like many of today's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youths who openly … [Read more...] about WaPo: 15 year-old gay teen speaks of his experiences
Civil Rights Roundup Delayed
I'm going to the Hill again this morning, hence, the civil rights roundup will be delayed. … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Roundup Delayed
The Imploding American Economy & John McCain’s Very Own Terrorist In Pinstripes
Having been chided last week by Phil Gramm as a whiner afflicted by "a mental recession" as one of millions of Americans who are struggling to keep their heads above water while the U.S. is sucked ever deeper into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, it was grimly satisfying to see Henry Paulson standing on the steps of the Treasury Building yesterday … [Read more...] about The Imploding American Economy & John McCain’s Very Own Terrorist In Pinstripes
Ms Olive Riley: World’s Oldest Blogger
] Australian Ms Olive Riley, renowned as the world's oldest blogger, has died at the age of 108, with her last posting talking about her ailing health but also how she still sings a happy song every day, reports Reuters. "Born in the outback town of Broken Hill on October 20 1899, she lived through two world wars and raised three children while doing various jobs, … [Read more...] about Ms Olive Riley: World’s Oldest Blogger
‘Empire Of Oil’: Can Obama Or Mc Cain “Change” Anything?
Everything, it is said, is fair in love and war. Let's admit it, we all are in love with "oil". In the present long-drawn "war" we have allowed anything and everything to happen. In fact our "love" has turned into a naked "lust" for oil. And when "lust" takes hold of leaders and the public, they lose their sense of proportion and become virtually myopic (or blind) to the … [Read more...] about ‘Empire Of Oil’: Can Obama Or Mc Cain “Change” Anything?
From France’s ‘Nice Matin’: ‘Nice Welcomes Jolie-Pitt Twins’
For those of you who might wish to read the Pitt-Jolie-certified announcement of the birth of their boy-girl twins, this is the write-thru from the newspaper that the couple selected for the task - Nice's Nice Matin. For the Nice Matin, Jean-François Roubaud writes in part: "The most celebrated babies in the world were born just before 8pm last night at the Santa Maria … [Read more...] about From France’s ‘Nice Matin’: ‘Nice Welcomes Jolie-Pitt Twins’
America’s Tricks: As Usual, Poland is Falling for Them
What is it like to have your proverbial arm twisted by Washington when it really wants something from your country? This by By Pawel Wronski of Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza gives one a pretty good sense. Wronski writes: "In the negotiations over hosting the U.S. anti-missile base, the Americans are using all the same tricks they used when they were selling their F-16 aircraft … [Read more...] about America’s Tricks: As Usual, Poland is Falling for Them
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: THIS IS NOT YOUR FATHER’S (OR MOTHER’S) DEMOCRATIC PARTY
I missed several Sabato’s Crystal Ball emails due to accidental unsubscribing. Here is one of many make-up posts. 05/15/2008 Alan I. Abramowitz on THIS IS NOT YOUR FATHER'S (OR MOTHER'S) DEMOCRATIC PARTY: The White Working Class, Democrats and the 2008 Election Forget about soccer moms and NASCAR dads. The key voting bloc in 2008 is the white working class. … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: THIS IS NOT YOUR FATHER’S (OR MOTHER’S) DEMOCRATIC PARTY
One Nation Whining Under God
Surely two of the great things about being George Will are the facts that he's not running for office and that he has about the same level of job security as a Supreme Court Justice or the Pope. This allows him the luxury of saying some really unpopular things, particularly when they are true. During the roundtable section of George Stephanopoulos' show, Phil Gramm's remarks on … [Read more...] about One Nation Whining Under God
Nicolas Sarkozy, Terrorist-Loving Traitor
Syrian President Bashar Assad is in Paris to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. And, as the BBC is reporting, the two are getting along rather well. Sarkozy is set to host a meeting between Assad and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, a meeting that could lead to renewed diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon. Meanwhile, Sarkozy has announced that he will visit … [Read more...] about Nicolas Sarkozy, Terrorist-Loving Traitor
Why I (Sometimes) Hate the U.N.
Because both Russia and China can use their veto power as permanent members of the Security Council to block anything and everything they want, even overriding decisive majorities. And they've both vetoed U.S.- and U.K.-backed sanctions on Mugabe's illegitimate regime in Zimbabwe. And why did they do that? Because China, for one, does business with Mugabe, and because … [Read more...] about Why I (Sometimes) Hate the U.N.