The Agonist - Campaign 2008

As Atrios Is Fond Of Saying

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 18:33:18 -0700

As Atrios is fond of saying, "convene a blogger ethics panel!"

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 -0800

n/a

Is Hillary Already . . .

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 13:33:28 -0800

. . . trying to wiggle around or out of the new Democratic plan for Iraq?

Expect a White House veto, but real votes, from Democrats on the issue would be nice. It's time to put up or shut up, especially for moderate Republicans.

More on this story in yesterday's podcast, around minute 31:00.

This Will Certainly . . .

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 11:34:38 -0800

. . . put a smile on your face. It's not every day we get to punk Fox News and the conservative elements in the Democratic Party at one time, but that's what we got. Big smiles all around.

"This is Our Conversation"

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:41:57 -0800

Mind you, my posting this is not an endorsement.

Ron Paul and Kucinich, Revisited

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 09:20:46 -0800

~ Ford, a Texas-based writer, contributes essays on music, Texas life and cultural issues regularly to The Agonist

Sometimes I go back through my diary to make sure there are no new comments. Out of curiosity, I looked up a poll Sean-Paul conducted here at the Agonist. To my surprise, votes have continued to come in. Ron Paul seems to have taken a commanding lead over Dennis Kucinich.

Which brings up another matter. It may be wise to consider candidates other than Democrats to fix this mess in Iraq/Iran. If Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich can stand together on issues, coming from opposite political territories, then why can't we?

Chuck Hagel, a Republican has presented the strongest and most passionate plea against the war in recent days. Scott Ritter was a Republican. Both are saying what needs said without concern over political consequences.

The war we are conducting is a watershed issue. Either you are for it or against it. It wasn't I that laid those ground rules, but I think the matter so important that if we don't get this one right, none of the rest will matter. We simpy will not have resources to address other issues. We might not even have a country left to defend.

And if by chance we do continue to fight and conquer nations thinking at some point they might become a threat, we lose our souls.

Either way, the America we dreamed of will not exist.

Fresh canned goods via YouTube

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 06:05:44 -0800

All the stuff the cacophony of candidates want you to see is now available for one-stop shopping at YouTube's latest: YouChoose '08, according to a story in today's WaPo.

This is the real deal, boys and girls, the best each candidate's handlers, ad agencies, supportive special interests can produce. No smarmy editing, no arch commentary from the loyal opposition, no snide music beds (John Edwards' primping his hair to the tune of "I Feel Pretty").

My question is: WHO is going to want to watch this Can of Crap more than once?

Al's Already Getting . . .

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 14:41:48 -0800

. . . gored, only two nights after he won his Oscar. You know, these people just never stop. So who the f**k cares what his utility bill was? He also flies a lot and when he does he buys carbon offsets, just like I do. But Gore's spokesperson makes the best point:

"Considering that he spends an overwhelming majority of his time advocating on behalf of and trying to affect change on this issue, it's not surprising that people who have a vested interest in protecting the status quo would go after him," said the former Gore aide.

The Republicans are scared of Gore, even more than that, so are all those who have a vested interest in the status quo.

Front Pagers Needed For New Southern Netroots Site

Sun, 25 Feb 2007 13:29:31 -0800

For the past several months we have been getting our new Southern netroots site http://bluesunbelt.com up and running. We are in need of front pagers who can contribute diaries on politics and issues of the Southern and Sunbelt states that are our demographic focus area.

We need front pagers who can submit diaries on:

-Coverage of local, state, and federal races.
-Coverage of the presidential race.
-Coverage of progressive policy and issues.
-Diaries supporting candidates are welcome
-Diaries to organize local grassroots for candidates and causes.
-General diaries that are of interest to the progressive community.
-Cross posts from other sites are welcome
Our goal is to be a community for progressive netroots and political analysis for some of the fastest growing population areas of the United States. Our geographic focus includes the states and territories of the Old South, Border States, and Southwest that are a part of or are adjacent to the Sunbelt. That includes an area that is generally the southern half of the United States from California on the west, to Missouri on the north, to the Gulf Of Mexico and Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on the south, and the DC-MD-DE area on the east. Many of these states are in the demographic areas where the Democratic Party has great potential for the future. This includes these states (and major cities in these states such as Atlanta, Memphis, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, etc.):

California
Nevada
Arizona
New Mexico
Texas
Oklahoma
Missouri
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Tennessee
Kentucky
Alabama
Georgia
West Virginia
Florida
South Carolina
North Carolina
Virginia
Maryland
Deleware
District of Columbia
Virgin Island (U.S. Territory)
Puerto Rico (U.S. Territory)

All registered users can submit diaries and the best diaries are promoted to the front page. Regular quality contributors are promoted to front page status.

We do not have a lot of rules and we do welcome diverse opinions regardless of which candidate you may support. We want to have a friendly and productive environment but not one that has constant bickering and attacks or counterproductive social clicks.

All This Talk . . .

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:09:22 -0800

. . . of polls and front runners, how Hillary's got a lock, Obama's a rock star and Rudy's running circles around McCain is extremely annoying. It's not even 2008 yet. There hasn't even been a primary. It's depressing. We're not going to have a real debate in 2008 about the future of the country. It's just not going to happen.

Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell . . .

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 13:37:02 -0800

. . . living in the closet?

Gen. Wesley Clark . . .

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 12:06:48 -0800

. . . and VoteVets have a new site: StopIranWar.com. Check it out.

If We Can Recall . . .

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:35:21 -0800

. . . a California governor, why not recall an Arizona senator? If you live and/or vote in Arizona check this one out.

Republicans Block Iraq Debate Again

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:45:30 -0800

Just an FYI, Republic Party Dead-Enders blocked debate in the Senate:

Republicans stopped the Senate on Saturday from considering a resolution denouncing President George W. Bush's Iraq troop buildup that the U.S. House of Representatives passed the day before.

Second time in as many weeks; you think they're afraid of something?

It's Over Before It's Over

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:55:16 -0800

Looks like the fat lady won't even have to stretch her pipes.

This from Xinjingbao, in China (reprinted in full):

After Democrats Pick Obama or Hillary, U.S. Election May Be Over

Will U.S. Democrats tear themselves to shreds deciding who to nominate for President? Will the Republican nominee attack Bush and cause internal Republican Party dissention? Who better to ask that one of the most powerful political parties in the world – the Chinese Communists? According to this op-ed article from China's state-controlled Xinjingbao [Beijing News], the Democrats are in such good shape, there may be little need for Americans to vote.

By Mr. Liu, a Scholar in Beijing
Translated By How Xian Neng
February 12, 2007
China – Xinjingbao – Original Article (Chinese)

After Black Senator Barack Obama officially announced his intention to run for the Presidential nomination, the Democratic Party's electoral road map became clear. Even though there are other candidates participating in the battle, a common opinion holds that the Democratic nomination will be a clash between a woman and an African American. Will this unprecedented phenomenon signal an early end to the electoral battle?

After many years of lies, delusions and neo-conservative rule, the American Public can endure no more. [The Chinese characters for neo-conservatives (火神派) stand for Fire-God Faction] Americans no longer wish to live in Bush's shadow, and are looking forward to building a new America. At this moment, two new stars have emerged in the opposition camp. Two have two such fresh faces at once is extremely rare in American history. Whether it's Hilary or Obama, both are full of personal charm – which is in stark contrast to the rigidly conservative Bush Administration. And both candidates have toyed with the same message: “It's time to rebuild America's Image.” Under the banner of doing the People’s will, the Democratic Party's new black and woman stars have become the most popular figures in American politics.

At the same time, last year’s midterm Congressional elections were a sign of things to come. In Congressional races two years ago, Republicans preserved their majority even though the weaknesses of Bush's domestic and foreign policies had already been exposed. But today, the American public has lost its patience with the incorrigibly obstinate neo-conservative Republican faction. The Democrats are far more in tune than the Republicans with the mainstream ideological trends of American society. They look nothing like they did two years ago, when the Kerry campaign stubbornly defended his strongly liberal views. Many of the new Democratic congressmen are more temperate and moderate, which shows that the party has complied with popular sentiment and should find it easier to win elections.

In contrast, not only is the enthusiasm of Republicans at a very low ebb, but they are suffering from a lack of internal coordination [in Chinese, an imbalance of Yin and Yang, 不受欢迎的人] The Republican advantage of depending on a strong executive [the President] has become a distinct disadvantage. Bush has already become persona non grata and makes an easy target, which will put the Republican Party candidate in an awkward position: Only by differentiating themselves from Bush can they hope to win support; but excessive criticism of Bush will cause internal party dissention.

Stricken with the long-term illness of the Bush regime, Republicans are unable to inoculate themselves with a dose of strong criticism like their Democrats counterparts. Instead, they have to quietly swallow the bitter fruit planted by Bush. Even though Democrats have their share of internal disagreement, the disputes of Republicans over key issues like withdrawal from Iraq are much harder to reconcile. Bush's hard-line supporters will give a heap of trouble colleagues who want to abandon him.

The Democrats have much better prospects.

Hilary is a seasoned veteran with tremendous capital, and Obama is young, vibrant and passionate.

Although they will clash before facing a common adversary, the advantages of whoever wins will be sufficient to cause panic in any opponent. If they should decide to team up, the two should perfectly compliment one another.

Polls show that 62 percent of American voters are ready for a Black president, and the Washington Post has stated that Hillary’s candidacy deserves "bipartisan applause." As long as Democrats maintain their advantage over Republicans by putting the interests of the Party first during the primaries, the Democratic National Convention next summer could be the real end of the America election. The only choice Americans may get to make could be between a female President or a Black President.

There began to be evidence a couple of months ago that the '08 election would be different than anything we've ever seen. The ruling elite and their monolithic international financial funders have been working tirelessly, if not so stealthily anymore, to completely dictate (I use that word purposefully) both the candidates and the outcome of US national elections. Roll up the tents, my friends. The game's almost over. My prediction, which I've hinted at for weeks, is that it'll be a Clinton/Obama ticket. The primaries will be so many blue rubber stamp events that the states won't even be able to find a red stamp pad.

Interestingly enough, the left wing in the black community, voiced by the Black Agenda Report and, to a more moderate degree, the Black Commentator, have been raising serious concerns about Obama. Thankfully, they've unerringly looked past his pretty face and JFK charisma, and listened carefully to his words, looked at his voting record, and examined his lack of commitment to not only the black nation, but to the plight of poor and otherwise marginalized, disenfranchised, and poor folks of all flavors and colors.

Very irreverent questions: Did Rahm Emmanuel (the DLC version of Karl Rove) build this guy's legend? Anyone on the hard Left got the cojones to walk back the cat? Except for Kucinich (I hope), are the Illumnati throwing a few Euroes around to the other "candidates" to provide cover or are these cats just running for cabinet positions? Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm just a rabid radical crack head.

Enough has already been said about Hillary Rodham. The fact that she's pro-war, pro-empire, and pro-globalization just doesn't matter. With the kind of money these folks will have, they won't have to just buy the election, they can buy the whole damned country.

One of the then-amusing characteristics of the Soviet system was that, yes, they had democratic elections and even high turnout (in some "member" states, folks were forced to vote). The thing was, y'see, there was only one candidate. Now that we "won the cold war", we're free to implement the same structure. Nothing to see here. Go back to your homes.

All your votes are belong to us.

Categories: elections, Obama, democracy