Moron.

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Democrats '08
• Date: Nov 23,2008

Laugh out loud hilarity from the New York Times and columnist Gail Collins: Thanksgiving is next week, and President Bush could make it a really special holiday by resigning….

….Putting Barack Obama in charge immediately isn’t impossible. Dick Cheney, obviously, would have to quit as well as Bush. In fact, just to be on the safe side, the vice president ought to turn in his resignation first. (We’re desperate, but not crazy.) Then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would become president until Jan. 20. Obviously, she’d defer to her party’s incoming chief executive, and Barack Obama could begin governing.

As a bonus, the Pelosi presidency would put a woman in the White House this year after all. On the downside, a few right-wing talk-show hosts might succumb to apoplexy. That would, of course, be terrible, but I’m afraid we might have to take the risk in the name of a greater good.

Wow, does anyone wonder why the stock of the New York Times is sinking? The hatred that Collins has for Bush must have rotted her brain. For the better part of 8 years, we have all been subjected to people like Collins saying Bush is "shredding the Constitution." To print this in the NYT, she must actually be serious about the idea and think there might be a chance it could happen (she is because she added a "seriously" in there). There would be no better example of a blatant disregard of the Constitution than this. What about the "selected not elected" trash from 2000? Nancy Pelosi becoming president wouldn't be the perfect example of that? Plus Obama isn't ready yet; not all of his cabinet positions have been filled with Clinton retreads (latest example: Richardson, Bill) and he doesn't have any more Nancy Reagan jokes ready.

Democrats are going to have to wait until the actual inauguration day per the 20th Amendment. You've waited this long, 2 more months shouldn't be too hard. Just like I was embarrassed for Michigan yesterday, I am actually feeling bad for the New York Times after reading that. Never thought I would say about either of them.

I know this is just one column, but I can't help but shake the feeling that people out there actually agree with Collins. Which is actually probably why it was printed – because most NYT readers probably nodded with approval while reading. Just a wild guess, but I would bet that if Obama were to lose in 2012 we wouldn't see a column like this in the NYT, and not because they might be out of business by then.

More Change: "Mrs. Obama is the product of public education on the South Side of Chicago and she believes strongly in the importance of good public schools for all kids."

Just not for her kids. In DC or Chicago.

Weekend Daily Part X

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Congress, Democrats '08, Ohio, Weekend Daily
• Date: Sep 20,2008

Rally. Wall Street ends down only 40 for the week. Tough end to a promising week for the Democrats. Turning on CNBC and seeing all those green arrows pointing up has to hurt. Sorry.

The Senate Gang of 20, originally known as the Gang of 10 and then the Gang of 16 disbanded. They will not offer their terrible energy bill – the one that would have "opened up" some of the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling. The entire bill was a CYA and was a sham. This also means that the off-shore drilling ban will expire October 1st, throwing the issue back in the news. It only helps one candidate. Not the one who just wants you to inflate your tires and shut up. And wants his supporters to get in your face.

Unhinged. Charlie Rangel says Sarah Palin is "disabled." Rangel should be worrying about paying his taxes instead of hurling insults. If this guy was a Republican he would have been run out of town long ago. But as is usually the case, if you are a Democrat it doesn't matter. Tom at Bizzy Blog says this is another example of democrats showing PDS, "Palin Derangement Syndrome."

Turning Around. Ohio's August unemployment figures are in. 7.4%. I wonder if Ohio and Michigan are going to just merge. Obviously all the fault of George W. Bush and Bob Taft. It just keeps going up and up. Is there any end in sight?

Potential game at Lambert Field: Joe Biden says the University of Delaware (1-AA) would "kick Ohio State's ass" in football. As bad as Ohio State looked against USC, I somehow I doubt that. Via Taxman Blog. I feel like this blog has mentioned Joe Biden more than we should have over the last week. Those rumors he will be dropped off the ticket still aren't going away, though I don't know who starts these things. For better or worse (depending on your point of view) he isn't going anywhere.

Lastly, a state of the race update by Jay Cost of Real Clear Politics. A good read for supporters of both sides.

"The Speech"

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Democrats '08, Obama, Presidential
• Date: Aug 27,2008

Had to wait until this late hour to discuss the Hillary Clinton (not Rodham) speech. Planned on watching it but a baseball game got in the way, so I caught a replay (hey how about the anchor battles over at MSNBC?). The speech was successful due to the low expectations Democrats set for her. There was never a chance she was going to go out there and undermine Obama publicly, despite the media pretending it might happen. Her speech was delivered above average. It wasn't geared towards someone like me, but if I was a Democrat I would be reasonably happy. She had a few good one-liners (notably the Twin Cities one) and her public speaking skills have improved since way back when. There was of course the typical Democrat red meat talking points in there as well.

However, notably missing was praise specifically for Obama. It was sparse. Anything that she said could have been used for any generic Democrat she was stumping for. I suspect that in the eyes of some that parts even made Obama look like even more of a jerk for ruining her historic candidacy.

The ball is now in Obama's court. He has to win over skeptical Democrats. It isn't Hillary's job anymore to convince them; she did what she was supposed to do. Actually, it never really was her job to do. He has to sell himself from here on out. She isn't the one running, though you might have thought she was still in the race during points of her speech tonight. All in all, Democrats shouldn't complain about her anymore after tonight. (BTW: Bill's performance knowing the cameras would be all over him was sickening. What you would expect. Oh, and he will skip Obama's speech on Thursday). Still, it makes me mad that some people are so dumb they think that millions of voters are sitting out there waiting for some cue from Hillary that it is okay to vote for Obama. They aren't (well maybe a handful are) and I would be insulted if I was one of them – like I was some mindless drone acting on orders from her. Voters will make up their own minds. The people who supported/still support her are not a single minded cult-like mass. They all had their own reasons for backing her and for not warming up to Obama yet if they do.

I've always felt Hillary Clinton would have been the more formidable opponent in the fall, but it was never based on her speeches. She has the stature to go head to head with McCain that Obama does not. Win or lose, this is nothing like 2004. That was purely a get out the base election, whereas this time around there are large segments of legitimately undecided and reluctant of their party's candidate voters who may actually be swayed and moved one way or the other.

Only two more days of the DNC infomercial thankfully. Heard Mark Warner bombed in the keynote. If he was speaking in my kitchen I would go to the basement. I guess starting next year I will have to turn C-SPAN2 off when he comes on to speak as Virginia's junior senator.

And there is still no question Hillary wants Obama to lose in November so she can run in 2012.

Obama's Ohio Problem?

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Democrats '08, Obama, Ohio 2008
• Date: Jun 9,2008

Dispatch: Many in southern Ohio still wary of Obama

The outcome in Appalachian Ohio, a swing area where residents voted twice each for Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush, could go a long way toward determining who wins Ohio and perhaps the presidency….In this Appalachian town and others along the southern Ohio trail that Hillary Clinton blazed in February, voters such as Rebecca Harper are asking: Now what?….Harper was impressed by Clinton's empathy for the struggling middle class and said she would have voted for her this fall. But now that Barack Obama has sewn up the Democratic nomination, Harper isn't sure whom to support.

This is where Kyle and I have our major 2008 Election disagreement. He lives in some fantasy land where all Clinton voters go for Obama at the end of the day. In reality, we all know that is not the case. Many soft Ohio Democrats will not vote for Obama. Period. Just like some Republicans aren't going to vote for John McCain. Some Democrats are ardent Hillary supporters and think that she got screwed over (she did and should definitely fight to the convention for justice). Some think Obama is too liberal. Others don't like his association with people like Wright and Rezko. And still more people haven't forgotten the "bitter" insult. Sure, most of these voters will vote for the Democrat candidate in the end. But some will not, and it doesn't take a whole lot of them to change things at the ballot box. Just ask people you know about family members, friends, co-workers and others they know who are Democrats that feel this way. He hasn't impressed everyone, and some people are not going to change their minds. I heard it multiple times myself this weekend.

"It was like we meant something to her," said Chuck Denney, 55, of Gallipolis, who works at a nearby power plant and was having lunch last week at the original Bob Evans restaurant in Rio Grande where Hillary Clinton stopped in February.

No, Chuck, you meant nothing to Hillary Clinton. The Clintons care about people in Gallipolis about as much as I care about what happened on the last episode on The Hills (none). However, many people feel like the Clintons do care about them for some reason and Obama doesn't (he cares about people in San Francisco). Mr. Denney isn't alone here. I don't understand it so I can't explain it. On a side note, I drove through Gallipolis once and I have to say I wasn't a big fan. Sorry to all Gallipolis readers.

Many people out there think Obama (pictured, enjoying a nice bike ride) should just not even contest Ohio and try and win other states instead. I can not think of a dumber strategy, and I am fairly certain the professionals running his campaign would agree with me. Ignore the lynch pin of the GOP Electoral Map? Great Idea! Democrats have to – have to – force Republicans to play in Ohio and spend time and resources here and at least try to win. Bush was able to nickel and dime Kerry to death in rural counties in south and west Ohio in 2004 to offset Kerry gains in urban counties. Bush improved in every county in the south of the state from the WV border over to Cincinnati from 2000 (except for communist/socialist Athens County, home of Ohio University). If McCain doesn't have to fight for those votes, then I don't see a conceivable way Obama wins Ohio, unless he wins 360+ Electoral Votes, and in that case Ohio didn't matter anyways. But if Team Obama wants to write off Ohio and place their hopes on flipping multiple other Bush 2004 states, be my guest. I'd love to see our resources go elsewhere and be able to watch TV in October without every commercial being election related or having some MoveOn.org volunteer knock on my door while I am trying to play Madden 2009 (I assume I will be in the middle of a season or dynasty at that time – it is actually possible I will be tired of the new Wii by then).

Ohio Related: Mike DeWine update.
Update: DeWine out of AG race.

Obama Clinches The Nomination

• Author: Kyle Kutuchief
• Filed under: Democrats '08, Presidential
• Date: Jun 4,2008

Tonight, Barack Obama finally became the Democratic nominee to be the next President of the United States. It is a sight that has been a long time coming for those of us who have supported him through out this process. I first saw Senator Obama speak up at Cuyahoga Community College about 15 months ago. We got there two hours early and the lines were already out the door. Leaving that speech my friends and I knew that he was a different kind of candidate and the one that we wanted to see become the nominee. It is nothing short of amazing that he made it. Senator Clinton ran a tough race and our party is counting on her to help move us forward. I truly feel for my fellow Democrats who supported Senator Clinton, but came up short. I know those folks need a little time to reflect on the race and I respect that. However, I believe that after a little time passes the Democratic Party will be united like never before and ready to win in November. Tonight, it feels good to be a Democrat. Turn your speakers up.

BHO to Campaign Staff: "We Need a Bigger Bus"

• Author: Ben Keeler
• Filed under: Democrats '08, Presidential
• Date: Jun 1,2008

Tonight we saw the continuation of the pattern of tossing people under the bus by Barack Obama. But I don't get it. In Philadelphia back in April Obama said "he could not more disown the Reverend Jeremiah Wright than he could disown the black community or his own grandmother and spoke about how Trinity United "embodies the black community in its entirely.'" Then he dumped Wright. Now the church. Maybe it had something to do with the latest video from that Pfleger guy….by the way if I am Obama's church (former) why am I letting people record what is going on there after all that has happened? The most recent tape was actually likely the final straw; it wasn't a great first outreach to Clinton voters. From the AP:

"I'm not denouncing the church and I'm not interested in people who want me to denounce the church," he said, adding that the new pastor at Trinity and "the church have been suffering from the attention my campaign has focused on them……….It's clear that now that I'm a candidate for president, every time something is said in the church by anyone associated with Trinity, including guest pastors, the remarks will imputed to me even if they totally conflict with my long-held views, statements and principles," he said.

The damage is done and has been done. This won't help and if anything it hurts him. I do like the attempt to blame the media. Barack Obama trying to blame the media. That is worth a laugh, even at this late hour.

Plain and simple, Obama is just your average politician. He always has been despite his facade. Just like John McCain. They both are. They will do whatever it takes to win. That is the only reason you do what Obama did today. It didn't just occur to him in the last couple days that it was time to move on from Trinity United Church of Christ due to what was being said there. Obama hasn't changed, but the political seasons have. Oh, and the sermons he listened to for 20 years and other recent ones showed up on YouTube. Obama tonight made two mistakes. He said nothing to denounce what was said and secondly we now know that he is only interested in the political burden of this problem.

Many Democrats pledged their lives to Obama on the basis of a very good speech at the Democratic Convention in Boston in 2004 without knowing much about him. Those that didn't go that route have to be a tad nervous right now in a race they should be leading by double digits.

Tom Blumer raises a good point:

*The theory among the Truth in Blogging radio corps is that Barack is afraid that there is an explosive video of Michelle Obama going off from TUCC's pulpit, and that his "resignation" is partially an attempt to prevent that from happening.

Not related at all: Did anyone see that fight on CBS Saturday night? Pretty disgusting when the ear of the guy from England broke open and started bleeding everywhere.