Remember back during the primaries when Hillary was pretty much trouncing Obama among Hispanic voters and there was all that talk about how Hillary's success among Hispanics contributed to her so-called "electability" and how doing so poorly among Hispanics would be a big problem for Obama come general election time? Yeah, well... here's Gallup: Hispanic registered … [Read more...] about Obama and the Hispanics
Harold Ford and Excellent Answers
RCP's Tom Bevan recaps an exchange he had with Harold Ford, former Congressman and current DLC chair, who moonlights as an MSNBC political analyst. (I'll never forget the first time I saw Ford sitting cozily next to Pat Buchanan on MSNBC's Morning Joe; the double-take nearly ripped the eyes from my head.) What Ford clearly demonstrates in his exchange with Bevan -- … [Read more...] about Harold Ford and Excellent Answers
Watermelon Can Act Like Viagra
Was that Bob Dole I just saw coming out of the supermarket pushing a cart loaded with watermelons? Maybe: A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say has effects similar to Viagra - but don't necessarily expect it to keep the fireworks all night long. Watermelons contain an ingredient called … [Read more...] about Watermelon Can Act Like Viagra
Civil Rights Review: 07/03/08
Your morning roundup of civil rights and related news. The review will be off for July 4th, and will return to action Monday morning. TMV note: I still haven't quite made a permanent decision on how I want to do this, but for now I think I will continue cross-posting this feature in full here at TMV. But if you don't see it here, it may well be at my place. The NAACP has … [Read more...] about Civil Rights Review: 07/03/08
Bringing The Surge Home
By now we've all heard how the surge strategy in Iraq has been a great success. Which raises the question whether the things that have made this "success" possible can be applied to problems in our own country. Here are a few tips in that regard. So-called "Awakening Councils" in Sunni areas of Iraq where we used to encounter fierce resistance have been largely pacified. … [Read more...] about Bringing The Surge Home
The Application to become Commander-in-Chief: Obama and Powell (Guest Voice)
Editor's Note: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has been complimentary of Democratic presumptive nominee Sen. Barack Obama -- and speculation is increasing since it now turns out they met two weeks ago. So when, if at all, will there be an endorsement? Examiner.com political columnist Tony Campbell is on the trail and has some reporting tidbits -- and advice to pundits … [Read more...] about The Application to become Commander-in-Chief: Obama and Powell (Guest Voice)
Sicko Susan Atkins & The Quality of Mercy
Beyond Charles Manson himself, Susan Atkins was the most public face of his murderous family during the 1970-71 Tate-LaBianca trial. She bragged about stabbing the pregnant Sharon Tate and laughed when details of the slaying were presented in court. Her death sentence was later changed to life imprisonment and now Atkins, who says she has found God and her sins have been … [Read more...] about Sicko Susan Atkins & The Quality of Mercy
Separation of Church and State, Sort Of
Barack Obama is promising Americans another faith-based presidency but asking us to trust him not to pervert it, as George W. Bush did, "to promote partisan interests." That may take a leap of faith on the part of those drawn to Obama's new politics as an antidote to eight years of seeing Bush-Rove, to use a JFK era phrase, "pour God over everything like ketchup." In his … [Read more...] about Separation of Church and State, Sort Of
Into the Wild
(WARNING: May contain non-political content.) For those of you who may not know, I'm currently off on vacation. The picture above is the view from my window in the evening, just as the moon was coming up. It is only through the miracle of modern satellite technology that I'm able to check in with you, as the word "remote" only begins to describe my current location. It's on … [Read more...] about Into the Wild
Patriotic Obama
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant … [Read more...] about Patriotic Obama
Patriotism
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune … [Read more...] about Patriotism
(Updated) Why Are Right-of-Center Bloggers So Silent On The Bush Torture Regime?
As you know if you are a reader of this or any number of other blogs, The New York Times broke a biggie yesterday in reporting that the Pentagon knowingly employed torture techniques that the Communist Chinese used on U.S. airmen during the Korean War to extract false confessions from them. But if your diet is heavy with right-of-center blogs you probably wouldn't have read … [Read more...] about (Updated) Why Are Right-of-Center Bloggers So Silent On The Bush Torture Regime?
They’re Home: Three American Hostages Rescued by Colombian Military
So near and yet so far, for so long. Fifteen hostages were rescued from FARC, the left wing guerilla organization in Columbia that has used abduction and holding of hostages to finance and further their bloody guerilla war. Three American hostages, Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell were amongst those rescued. The men who had been held hostage for five … [Read more...] about They’re Home: Three American Hostages Rescued by Colombian Military
Top Military Official Cautions Against Opening a New Front in Iran; EU & Others Try Diplomacy
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen has stated that a strike against Iran would be 'extremely stressful' for the US. I'll say it would --- though of course, he's talking about a different sort of stress. There have been a number of reports lately (and significant evidence) suggesting that Israel is gearing up for a strike against Iran. Just to take … [Read more...] about Top Military Official Cautions Against Opening a New Front in Iran; EU & Others Try Diplomacy
Joe Lieberman Polling Support Meltdown
His political support is plumetting in Connecticut. … [Read more...] about Joe Lieberman Polling Support Meltdown
McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff: Greater Karl Rove Influence
The big political news yesterday was that for the second time presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Sen. John McCain has revamped his campaign staff -- this time after he was warned that he was in danger of losing the election to Democratic Senator Barack Obama. The upshot: former White House political maven Karl Rove's influence on the McCain campaign will be greater … [Read more...] about McCain Shakes Up Campaign Staff: Greater Karl Rove Influence
Corruption Under U.S. Occupation ‘Far Worse Than Under Saddam’
How corrupt is it in today's Iraq - even in what is thought to be the more well-run Kurdish north? According Rauf Naqishbendi who writes for the Kurdish Media in Iraq's Kurdish Autonomous region: "We have created a system of corruption far more corrupt than anything that existed during Saddam Hussein’s regime, and which is unprecedented in Iraqi history." And who does … [Read more...] about Corruption Under U.S. Occupation ‘Far Worse Than Under Saddam’
Christian Conservatives Unite Behind McCain
Yet another point in Obama's favor: the Christian Conservatives and evangelicals have decided that McCain is, after all, God's candidate. That is to say, while many of them feel that McCain was most definitely not God's first choice, God most definitely prefers him to Barack Obama. So even though they -- meaning the lead mouthpieces of the Christian Right -- said they … [Read more...] about Christian Conservatives Unite Behind McCain
Philadelphia Doesn’t Quite Get It
As we approach the Independence Day weekend our thoughts naturally turn to the Founding Fathers who fought to free this nation and present it with two of the greatest documents ever written, The Declaration of Independence and The Consitution. The cradle of liberty is of course the city of Philadelphia and millions of tourists visit there every year to soak up some history. … [Read more...] about Philadelphia Doesn’t Quite Get It
Study: there aren’t many blog readers in the ideological center
I guess that makes us a niche read here at TMV! Henry Farrell comments on a new paper he, Eric Lawrence, and John Sides just finished (available at SSRN -- they'd like you to download from there if you're signed up, pdf here if not): First – blog readers seem to exhibit strong homophily. That is to say, they overwhelmingly choose blogs that are written by people who are … [Read more...] about Study: there aren’t many blog readers in the ideological center