Vox’s posts tagged election

Achtung, Baby!

nobody@vox.com(cheekymonkey) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:37:22 +0000

Overall, though, the mood was warm, even joyful, a sign perhaps of just how deep the yearning outside the US is to end the current era — and to have an America non-Americans can believe in again.

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Now Is The Time!

nobody@vox.com(Daniel Garnett) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:28:07 +0000

Let me begin by saying that I am not here to endorse any one candidate that is running for office this year. I am still not certain who I am going to vote for. Whoever James Dopson decides to vote for I will vote for (if you have been listening to the news, you will understand that is just a little humor). What I am here to do is to plead with Christians all throughout America to call upon God in prayer for our country and for the election in November. I believe we are at the most critical juncture in our nation's history and there has never been a more urgent need to pray than today.

I shared with the church last night that my prayer has been that God would put someone in office who would fear and trust Him every day as they lead our country. You may say, "You are praying a mighty big prayer for the day and time in which we find ourselves in." Well, I believe in a big God who can work miracles and a miracle is what we need in our country. Now, I know full well that just because we have someone in office that fears and trusts in God that it doesn't necessarily mean we are going to turn back to God. I truly believe that the way you change a nation is to change the hearts of the people, and the only way we can do that is through sharing the message of Jesus Christ. However, I would love to see God either change the hearts of one of our candidates, which I believe He can do, or to put someone in office that the people in America never even noticed, in order that our people might see that God is still in control. That is what I am praying and hoping for as November approaches.

But, whatever happens in November we can trust that God is still in control and that everything is working out according to His plans and purposes. Nonetheless, let us as a people of God in this great nation determine to pray for our nation like we have never prayed before. Not only for our sakes, but also for the sake of those who are coming behind us. May we leave our children and our grandchildren with a nation that has turned back to God and that gets back to the Christian nation it once was. Now is the time for us to pray!

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Excerpt Taken From: "Political Slogans"

nobody@vox.com(Talent Zoo) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:05:26 +0000

In case you’ve been in a deep coma or someplace in the third world where newspapers and the internet are as hard to come by as lunar eclipses, the 2008 Presidential election will be remembered for a lot of obvious reason and one them for me is Barack Obama’s call-to-action “Change We Can Believe In”. Regardless of whether you are going to vote for him or not, his call-to-action has resonated with the American people. Having the right words is even more important than being on-message. Political campaigns are lost equally for having the wrong message as much as having no message. But having a well-defined agenda, program, plan is the core of effective political communication. Even if you don’t agree with the plan or message, finding a politician who will spell out his ideas and agenda if elected, is what voters look for. It’s interesting that human nature being what it is, change is often the one thing we dread the most and yet its the one thing this campaign is going to be won over.................

For More Information VISIT: www.12pointtype.com

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Excerpt Taken From: "A Day in the Second Life"

nobody@vox.com(Talent Zoo) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:51:56 +0000

I cannot escape from social media and I must admit, I am not running very fast either. This Presidential campaign season has shown that the internet is now more important than ever when it comes to elections. Barack Obama, part of the first generation to grow up on software, has shown his web chops time and time again. Unlike John McCain, Obama actually uses these social tools and so does his campaign.

This election year, I started to see real political movement and serious campaigning in Second Life. Netroots.............

For More Information VISIT: www.digitalpivot.com

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Just Desserts

nobody@vox.com(JudgeBob) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:28:08 +0000

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. "Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it Seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you." "No problem, just let me in," says the senator. "Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity." "Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the senator. "I'm sorry, but we have our rules." And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf Course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the Expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he Realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises ... The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him. "Now it's time to visit heaven." So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, Before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns. "Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity." The senator reflects for a minute, then answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I Mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell." So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above... The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. "I don't understand," stammers the senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?" The devil looks at him, smiles and says....... "Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted."

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Presidential Race?

nobody@vox.com(Kev) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:10:30 +0000

It seems to me that the media has selected our next president for us all ready. Every time a race for office occurs in this great country, the media spins the data to favor the candidate of their liking. This race for the presidency is no exception. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that we have come so far as a nation to have had a African American candidate and a female candidate both in the same race, however I am disappointed with the media in their actions attempting to influence the outcome. John McCain has earned his place as the republican candidate and the treatment he receives is frankly ridiculous. Barack Obama is painted as the greatest thing since sliced bread, while McCain is shown as a decrepit old man who knows nothing about the inter-workings of the nation. Surprising (not really) all considered.

My point is this...this mornings paper showed Obama as a leader in foreign affairs, on the ground, in Iraq, while the article about McCain showed him as computer illiterate with emphasis on his being a senior. How ridiculous is that.

Where the media has errored is their lack of unbiased reporting. The media should be presenting the facts...pertinent to the election...about both candidates to allow the people to choose the best person for the job.

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Women Issues/Election Topic

nobody@vox.com(Heike) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:24:03 +0000

I have serious concerns that someone that's OPPOSED TO BIRTH CONTROL could be the next President of the United States. Great article by Katha Pollitt on the topic in The Nation.

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Obama is the one who will bring Order to the Force

nobody@vox.com(cmatera) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:40:45 +0000

I believe that I've arrived late to the party on this one. I just came across this cover and boy am I shocked. Does the left really picture Obama as some Christ-like figure who will lead the people out of Iraq and into the green future? Can you believe this airbrushed halo? The snotty subheadings - "The people powered revolution" Please...I want to throw up.

If this cover had any more shit on it, it would clog the toilette. Let me first say - I'm not a huge fan of John McCain. But you will never see any articles like this about him. And what is so great about Barak Obama?

Is it the fact that he's managed to squeeze millions of dollars from everyday folks via the internet..all the while promising to take public funding during the election? Only to re neg on his promise once the candidacy was firmly in his grasp.

Perhaps it is Obama's arbitrary 16 month timetable for withdrawal from Iraq? Oh wait, he'll talk to the generals and then let the ground conditions decide his actions...Oh wait, he'll withdraw troops in 16 months, oh wait he'll talk to the generals, withdraw, wait, withdraw...which is it Barak? I'm getting dizzy.

And how can we say Obama represents a people powered revolution? Whether you count Florida or Michigan, the popular vote is still split with Obama having a slight lead of only 41,622 votes. Sounds pretty even to me. Perhaps if we subtracted the graveyard vote Hillary might even be the nominee! However this is not my point...

What's absolutely galling about Obama is the media's lack of substantive coverage. What is Obama's platform? Where does he stand on the key issues of our time (economy, iraq, energy)? He hardly has a firm position on these issues - it shifts depending on polls and the audience. What of Obama's associations in the past (Bill Ayers, Rev Wright, Rezko among others) Why does the media constantly harp on his "transcending" the racial divide? It's so clear that Obama is a fluff candidate. Why doesn't anyone hit him hard on issues of substance?

If we hit Obama on issues that matter we will quickly find that he doesn't have an articulate vision going forward. We will find that his vision is one of being the anti - Bush candidate and that his campaign is simply running against the last 8 years or Washington (Hence his constant painting McCain as being Bush incarnate). Republicans should take note to hit Obama on issues and quickly you will find someone with little substance, inexperience, and views that change depending on the direction the wind blows. Barak Obama is certainly no Messiah...

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Jessie Jackson using the “N” Word?

nobody@vox.com(Alethinos Paradoxos) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:58:32 +0000

What is wrong with everybody? Fox is reporting that Jessie Jackson used the “N” word in that conversation he had on the air thinking he was of the air.

The point of his off the air conversation was to say that Senator Obama is talking down to black people. I can think of few things one can do to “talk down” to African Americans that are as impacting as use of the “N” word.

The crazy part of all of this is that this man thinks of himself as an Obama supporter. This man also thinks of himself as a leader in the African American community and here he is on tape talking about Senator Obama in such a negative light and is using some of the worst language that one can use in discussing African Americans.

I have never been a huge Jessie Jackson fan, but this is unfortunate for him that his private conversation was recorded like that. But, I guess he has nobody to blame but himself for whispering into a microphone in front of a camera and assuming that nobody would hear him.

I suppose that this is a sign of the passing of the baton from one generation of leaders in the African American community to the next generation. This particular incident is just one indicator as to why the baton needs to change hands.

President or no president, the multi-racial and well-spoken Senator Obama seems like a good choice to be a leader in the African American community.

As far as the election, the only thing I think that has happened here is that Jessie Jackson has just lost much of his voice in terms of influencing this election and possibly within the African American community as a whole. For Senator Obama it seems as though this is just a small distraction from the regular stresses of the campaign.

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You've got to be kidding! (rant entry # 32)

nobody@vox.com(Crush) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:38:36 +0000

Please tell me this election will not be decided by race. What year is this anyway? When you see Obama, do you see a color? Say what you will about him personally, his politics, his intentions or his career. You can even bad mouth his family if you want. Just don't tell me you are voting based on his color. That's just effin pathetic.

New Poll Reveals
Trouble for Obama

He Hasn't Closed Racial Gap
Is US Ready for Black President

After reading this article, I'm not entirely convinced at this poll's accuracy anyway. (I know...Wow...an inaccurate poll...You don't say!) It sure seems like this is just another example of shock headline journalism. Its not news to anyone that African Americans tend to vote democratically. It doesn't matter who is running. Of course, there are exceptions, but look at the history...Seventy something percent of African Americans voted for Clinton. Seventy plus percent for Jimmy Carter. Eighty plus percent for George Wallace for crissakes!

This is not newsworthy, nor is it headline-worthy. While I don't doubt that there is still widespread racism and hatred in this country, the fact that there may be such a gap in Obama's "approval" does not make the leap that his campaign is in trouble because he "hasn't closed the racial gap". And yet, mainstream America eats this crap up, with a bent fork and a dull knife. Once again, all I can do is sigh...

* SIGH *

Make an informed decision people! For the love of God, think for yourselves! Vote for who you believe will do the best job as leader of this country and who will best represent YOU on the worldwide political stage.

If you're voting because you just can't "pull the lever" for the black guy, you don't belong in MY country. If I may speak on the behalf of Senator McCain: (I'm sure he'd say yes...*ahem*) "We don't want your vote, you racist mutha !!!"

ps-

The nationwide telephone poll was conducted with 1,796 adults, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. In an effort to measure views of different races, the survey included larger-than-usual minority samples — 297 blacks and 246 Hispanics — with a margin of sampling error of six percentage points for each subgroup. Purposely skewing the poll to include MORE minorities in their sampling is self-serving and irresponsible journalism. But, it does support their attention grabbing and shock headline, now doesn't it????

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Hipster Racism?

nobody@vox.com(Barry) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 21:11:45 +0000

I've read several commentaries and a couple FriendFeed threads on the "controversial" New Yorker cover featuring Michelle "Angela Davis" and Barack "Osama Bin Laden" Obama (I won't bore you with a pic, it's everywhere). Try as I might, I can't get worked up about it. Perhaps because I'm old enough to remember real radicals? Even met a couple.

The Obamas are far from it. They are as about as upwardly mobile mainstream as it gets. Harvard, Hyde Park, big law firms, impressive political resumes. Remember?

And I think that's the point of the cover. It's so over the top as to be ridiculous.

I'm really trying here, but to say that this plays into the hands of virulent racists is beside the point. They're already virulent racists. This cover won't make them more racist.

As for what's being termed as "hipster racism" (or perhaps more accurately, "Hipster Smugness"), I'm familiar with the phenomenon. It's the coda of the post-ironic world. Everything is tired and passe. I get it. We're all rubes outside of New York.

But I don't get that from this cover, especially when it's juxtaposed against what I hear is one of the stronger themes of the article; namely, Barack Obama is a savvy political insider who cut his teeth on Chicago politics.

But perhaps I'm just not hip enough for the room.

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WHAT IS CHOOSING OBAMA SAYING ABOUT AMERICA?

nobody@vox.com(universalove) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:02:25 +0000

As we near election, we are listening to two primary candidates, John McCain and Barrack Obama. I am sure I am not the only one shocked that Obama has made it this far. For me this is a miracle. When think how far the African American man has come in America, this is a very eerie thing for me because this is something that just don’t happen. But now that it has happened. Barrack Obama may very well be the next president of the United States, you can’t help but wonder if we were as evil and racist as a nation as evidence have revealed. Could it be finally white America is allowing their conscious to expand beyond racism to Americanism?

I don’t know because we still struggle as African Americans to be safe and created equal in America. But if this is not the case, then why have white America allowed Obama to arrive to where he stands today? Is it a hidden agenda? Will it be proved that racism has found more sophisticated ways to express itself behind the scenes and it is just waiting for the moment when it will show its ugly head or have we actually evolved into less prejudice beings?

We’ve seen some racial evidence surface but we counteract them properly not allowing them to destroy our hope of establishing a nation tired of corruption. I am so touched by the people of America today. They are fighting for change. When I see a white man trusting Obama I am mesmerized. Their dedication and commitment to seeing him lead us to a better place is overwhelming to me. I have witnessed it more times than I ever imagined. As an African American female in America, I know both sides of the fence of the white Americans being for and against us. I must say it is a two-edged sword America is facing now.

The world is watching us with a magnifying glass. It knows our tendencies to self-destruct. The world is waiting to see if racism will do its evil thing as we seek salvation from corruption. The outsiders are watching us to see if good will prevail thinking it will not because America has gotten its priorities out of place. We have to save ourselves from greedy and corrupted leaderships. If we don’t, the outsiders will close in on us and racism will be invalid from then on end.

Obama is taking on a task of assisting the victimized people of America recover from corruption. John McCain as far as I see is only playing the old political game of controlling people’s lives with no concern for individuals struggling to have a secure life. If we don’t get involve and let it be known that America is not going to take it anymore, we’re going to fight to save our future because our children need hope, then we are wasting our time working everyday. America, it is not just sweet words Obama is speaking. He is revealing our serious need to see and do things differently. This man is risking his and his family’s life to pave a way to saving America from dictatorship. Time and time again, he reminds us we have to work together to save America.

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Voter Secrets Part 2

nobody@vox.com(kathy@brazoscowgirl) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:12:00 +0000

With Kay Bailey Hutchinson for instance, she never came out and said she was pro life. Nope she is a smart politician. She said sentences that made you think she was, but she never actually said she was. Guess what she is not pro-life? Not that the general convention floor heard it from her mouth in 2006, nope a reporter behind the scenes got that scoop as she spoke in private delegates that paid their own way had no idea she was disclosing her stance. That is how most of them skirt the issues, they never actually commit to a platform or an idea. They will not actually tell you in detail what they think, because they want the job and the perks and then they will make up their minds. I think Kay does what many do, forget the voter. Hutchinson made it clear with her move, she was not hearing me.

I won’t say who but there was a person running in the Texas Republican party in a high position, this person was no more a conservative than the goats I have eating every blade of grass they can find. What this person did do is phrase things in such a way that many at the convention were fooled. Which is why if they had actually checked the record they would not have been shocked, it is what makes the internet so exciting to me. I can actually research people.

If you think I am trying to turn off Republicans or flip Democrats you would be wrong. As an local election judge it is my duty to protect my voter’s right regardless of the party or affiliation. What I do want is for voters to realize that what you may think a politician is saying they may not actually be saying. As long as they are careful with “wiggle room words” every voter needs to watch out. You really don’t know how they will vote on a very important issue to you. Because it has not been tested and you cannot rely on them to say what they really think. It can be so frustrating for a voter to ask me, “Who are these people on this ballot?” I know they wished they had thought more about the full ballot but they did not. As a judge, I am not allowed to influence, so all I can do is answer the questions they ask that I can answer according to the election law. Believe me it is not an easy task. So while you have some time go and see on both sides who is running for what position. Then look at what their record is, ask a local party affiliate what they think. They tend to know some information that you will not get from any other source.

So with all that said it should come as no surprise that I support McCain. Yep, he wasn’t my first or second choice but now he is my best choice. See I know McCain is a straight shooter, he has shot both sides of the isle. I also really respect Lieberman and Huckabee, I watched them be so supportive of McCain.

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Voter Secrets Part 1

nobody@vox.com(kathy@brazoscowgirl) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:48:00 +0000

This is a two part post. When I finally wrote what I had to say it was by far too long. I will post part 2 tomorrow. This article when read in it's entirety makes more sense I promise. Consider this a voter education primer.

What I am about to tell you is considered sacred in some corners. For my readers I am willing to give you a heads up. Politicians lie; yep they absolutely will tell you one thing and do another. I know shocking, but actually, it should not shock anyone. What most will tell you is they “color the truth”, in my house that is considered lying. The other side of the coin is if they do not own up to a lie you can bet you will never know exactly where they stand.

Now I know what you are thinking, I must dislike politicians. I respect a man more that will look me in the eye and tell me what I need to hear not what I want to hear. A politician’s record can speak volumes; before we had our current congressional representative, we had Chet Edwards. Oh Chet is a real slick politician, he can tell you whatever you want to hear. All you have to do is tell him what you want to hear and he will say certain words that make you think he agrees with you. He does not but you walk away thinking this person gets me. Word of advice for any voter, the record reveals the truth. Chet has written me in the past so many times I could wallpaper a room with them that while he is pro family and pro life he had to vote for partial birth abortions. Yeah I cocked my head that same direction with each letter. See Chet votes the party line no matter what any voter says. All he does is make you think he feels differently about the issue. When he was our congressional representative he did not own on piece of Texas land, he rented everything. Now he had a fancy house in Maryland that he owned but not in Texas.

See his interest is not in Texas, he is not worried about what our cost to educate illegal alien’s children was. He was worried about his political future. That is my readers is the way you can tell a politician from a person trying to represent his state. The person is not slick; he will tell you the stuff you do not want to hear. There are hundreds of websites where you can check attendance and records. As you look, you will see how the politician votes for or against his party.

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straight talk

nobody@vox.com(hotrod) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:28:19 +0000

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past several months, yinz know it's an election year. I decided a while back I was going to cast my vote for the candidate least likely to continue the disastrous foreign and domestic policies of the past eight years, and I've been pretty confident in that decision. Until today. You see, I learned today that John McCain is a Steeler fan. This, naturally, gave me pause. "Hey!" I thought to myself. "I'm a Steeler fan too! Maybe I was hasty in my decision to vote for the candidate who is unquestionably better for the country. Maybe I should vote for John McCain instead. After all, he roots for the same football team as me." Now I know what yinz're thinking: I'm just a rube. John McCain is pandering to my allegiance to a professional sports team. His is a craven attempt to capitalize on my very real fears that that elitist pinko traitor Obama - that Harvard graduate Obama - will allow the dastardly New England CHEATriots to win the next eight Super Bowls. I mean, that's what politicians do, right?

But here's the thing: in the clip above, McCain mentions admiring the Steelers when he was in high school and he graduated from high school in 1954. It's fairly common knowledge among football fans that the Steelers' long and storied history has been long and storied only since Chuck Noll became the head coach in 1969. Through the fifties and the sixties - indeed, for most of their early existence - the Steelers were a league laughing stock. They made the playoffs for the first time in 1947 (they were founded in 1933) and did not make another appearance for the next two and a half decades. For young John McCain, who then lived in Northern Virginia and had no connection to Western Pennsylvania, to have been a Steeler fan throughout some very lean years is an astounding display of dedication.

And what's more, he also recounts in the clip above giving the names of the Steelers' presumably formidable defensive line - under the pretense that they were part of his squadron - to his Vietnamese captors after his imprisonment in 1967. Those players, by the way, would have been Ben McGee, Ken Kortas, Chuck Hinton, and Lloyd Voss. Did yinz know that? I didn't. I had to look it up. In fact, I've never heard of any of them, and I've been a Steeler fan my whole life. Granted, I wasn't watching in 1966, but still - I know more than a few players from before my time. Loyal fans like John McCain and me take the time to learn about the history of our favorite team.

The point here is that John McCain is no mere opportunistic bandwagon fan. He's obviously stuck with the team through thick and thin. Based on his extensive knowledge of the franchise's more arcane history, he's probably a bigger Steeler fan than me, and I assure you I am the biggest Steeler fan you know. But for all his dedication to the team, he didn't even get to see their second ever playoff appearance in 1972 because he was still in that Vietnamese prison camp. How difficult must that have been? Yeah, that's the kind of loyalty I want to see in a Commander in Chief. Oh, hey! You know know who else was called "the Chief?" Steeler patriarch Art Rooney, that's who! I think the choice is pretty clear. Screw the country, I'd be a bad Steeler fan if I didn't vote for John McCain. And I just know yinz wouldn't want that.

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Let McCain Dangle

nobody@vox.com(BillKarwin) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:59:30 +0000

Max Bermann reports this week's most notable gaffes by Sen. John McCain, and wonders why they are virtually ignored in the mainstream media.

McCain called Social Security a "disgrace"
McCain's economic advisor Phil Gramm called Americans "whiners" for being concerned about the economy
Iraqi leaders call for U.S. withdrawal but McCain dismisses it
McCain's budget plan makes no sense and doesn't have the support of economists as McCain claims
McCain jokes about killing Iranian civilians with U.S. tobacco products

...and so on.

Bergmann makes an important point that should not be overlooked -- the MSM gives a lot of free passes to the candidate perceived to be the underdog. But it's not necessarily a pro-Republican conspiracy. I believe that if the polls started to shift to Sen. McCain as the likely winner, and Sen. Obama became the underdog, we would see the MSM reverse their treatment of the two candidates.

Perhaps this is motivated by a desire to make the general election a photo-finish, to ensure that the media keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Perhaps.

But it could also be that the MSM is cautious about picking on the underdog. This would result in a backlash of criticism against the MSM. Sen. McCain will lose the general election if he keeps up his incompetent campaign, but if journalists actually report his many gaffes as much as they deserve, Republicans would be able to cry foul and blame media bias for their loss.

At least if McCain's gaffes remain lightly reported, any such claim will be obvious sour grapes.

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Obama: The New New Politician

nobody@vox.com(dox^2) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:38:57 +0000

So much for Obama being that new hope and a different kind of politician, ehh?

Wiretapping orders approved by secret orders under the previous version of the surveillance law were set to begin expiring in August unless Congress acted. Heading into their political convention in Denver next month and on to the November Congressional elections, many Democrats were wary of handing the Republicans a potent political weapon.
The issue put Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in a particularly precarious spot. He had long opposed giving legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in the N.S.A.’s wiretapping program, even threatening a filibuster during his run for the nomination. But on Wednesday, he ended up voting for what he called “an improved but imperfect bill” after backing a failed attempt earlier in the day to strip the immunity provision from the bill through an amendment.

I guess you can't vote with your convictions all of the time. So begins an even newer era for Obama -- that of being a true politician -- like the rest of them.

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Rev. Jesse Jackson apologizes for crude comments about Obama

nobody@vox.com(Alex) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:56:53 +0000

What is wrong in our society today. Why are we so quick to apologize after the media has accidentally caught our heart felt comments. Rev. Jackson is acting like jealous adolescent towards the Obama camp. Even Jackson Jr., his son has confessed to his father's false propaganda.

And of all places for him to mess up is Fox.

Come on America, let's get together this election season. Stop fighting the inevitable.

Read full usatoday article.

Listen to "Sly Fox" by, Nas, off his new album "untitled".

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A New Original Sin

nobody@vox.com(razorwire) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:35:45 +0000

Go ahead, guys and gals. Push back from the computer and road trip to tip toe through cow pie and talk FISA with farmers. Pack a lunch because you're going to be doing a whole lot of back plotting there on the back forty. Spend some four buck plus gas to get ex-burbed and exhaust the downside of retroactive immunity for telecoms with adult patrons of Chuck-E Cheese. A little well-meaning progressivism with bad pizza is a sure fire way to set right the wrongs of the Bush administration, and hold accountable the likes of Barack Obama for backsliding to the center.

But in all your travels and tidbit talking, don't dare let anyone in on the dirty little secret. The hush-hush you know. Or should be privy to. That neither Senator, by their actions, or lack thereof, should be elevated to the high office of President of the United States. In fact, but with few exceptions, no current federally elected official, and those who served during the Bush administration in either branch of Congress, should ever be considered for future high office.

To sum up, the Bush administration legacy is simple enough. How in the hell did they get away with it?

In your heart, you know they were criminal, corrupt, and contemptuous of the Constitution. From torture, to no-bid contracts, to the negligence of the prosecution of the war on terror, to, OK, pissin' on FISA, there is an avalanche of evidence. So why didn't any impeachment groundbreaking take place?

Where was the Maverick McCain, a torture victim, who cobbled together legislation to bitch slap Bush, but backed off when the President neutered the effort with a signing statement? Where was Barack, who could have played Mr. Smith, but opted for Mr. Cool, noting the political lay and that change was going to come? Where in the hell was Hillary? And you know why I ask. I suggest there was not one Senator with guts enough to go after Bush's bastardization of American governance. But you know all that.

In the House (I know, it would all start there), there was Dennis, and subsequently dismissed. But what about Pelosi? Why was remedy removed from the table? You know why. The politics of impeachment trumps even the dirtiest of deeds, and the dumbing-down of political discourse makes policies mere pronouncements; just words without real world consequence.

Evidence, facts, are just the filigree of hyper-partisanship. The ship-of-state is piloted by spin, rumor and lie, twenty-four hour news cycles, and ever rowdy AM radio. Impeachment is reality-based, or should be; our current political landscape is not. But you know that.

So all is bad, but yes we can, or maybe not, and change that makes you blink. So we couldn't get Bush, let's beat the crap out of Barack. Let McCain's Attorney General investigate what happened at DOJ. Let Phil Graham supply side the shit out of Treasury. Let Duncan Hunter run the Pentagon, and we can live with another Bork clone on the bench. And what the hell, let's hang in Baghdad for a generation or two, while we're at it smart bomb Tehran.

So how are you coming with the folks? Those security moms understand FISA yet? Got those dairy farmers up to speed on stare decisis? Got those progressives understanding the process?

You can't govern if you can't win.

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Could Georgia Go Obama?

nobody@vox.com(Vote for President Obama 2008) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:04:59 +0000

In 2004 41.4% of Georgia voters voted for ~~Obama~~ John Kerry. Those voters will go Obama.

Most of the newly registered will vote Obama. The state Democrats are working hard to register new voters and get them to the polls.

Most independents will vote Obama.

At least 5% of the GOP will vote for Georgian (Libertarian Party Candidate) Bob Barr or stay home.

Then there are the Obamacans...Republicans for Obama.

It’ll be close. We have our right wingnuts here who want you to believe it can't happen. Who are they trying to fool? Themselves maybe.

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