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Viewing Category: -Electa-MOJO
Anyone smell a quid pro quo?By Peter Bakke
Editor, Electapres.com
Most Democratic presidential candidates snubbed the FOX News debate last summer, causing the event to implode. They complained the network leaned too far right.
Now we read that the GOP candidates are snubbing National Public Radio's planned Republican forum. Which seems to me to be more than a simple coincidence. Republicans consistently claim NPR leans too far to the left and perennially try to kill its federal funding.
Tavis Smiley feels the pain. When the talk show host invited the GOP contenders onto Public Television last fall for a forum, they declined in mass, too.
At least the Republicans are consistent in their distain for publicly funded television and radio. It certainly is no secret.
Who can the GOP candidates snub next?
Univision–the Spanish-language network? Oops. Already been there. Done that.
Electapres.com passes 5,000 article linksBy Peter Bakke
Editor, Electapres.com
There are now more than 5,000 article links on Electapres.com about the 2008 presidential election.
Unfortunately, many of the links have already passed into that great Web link dustbin in the sky. But we still find the article snippets valuable in doing research, even if the original articles are no longer accessible.
Onward to the next 10 months - we shoudl easily break 10,000 by then, if the server hardware and software hold up under the strain.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO] The people (of Iowa) have spoken, the bastardsBy Peter Bakke
Electapres.com Editor
Hats off to Dick Tuck, a little known California politician, for originally speaking those Mark-Twainish words after losing a state senate campaign. The phrase has a clever ring to it and neatly wraps up the Iowa caucus results for everyone but the winners, Huckabee and Obama.
The Romney and Clinton camps must be feeling sharp pains after losing in Iowa. The forced smiles, the faux cheerfulness and bravado must be difficult to muster as they drag themselves and their Barnum and Bailey entourages to New Hampshire for the next battle.
Self-examination is not a strong suit for politicians, particularly presidential candidates in the maelstrom of a grueling political campaign. Politicians tend to take their anger and grief out on others, so don't be surprised if some staffers on several campaigns get pink slips, demerits or demotions in the interim after the New Hampshire primary and before Super Tuesday on Feb. 5th.
Remember that these early caucuses and primaries are indeed battles, not the deciding war. The long campaign is far from over.
Money is what keeps candidates in the race. Just ask Joe Biden and Chris Dodd, who dropped out gracefully within minutes of their poor showing in Iowa. Money makes the political world go 'round and they weren't getting any. Hanging on the stump until the day after the Iowa caucus seems to be the dignified thing to do for candidates itching for withdrawal due to checkbook issues.
Unless Huckabee can find some heavy rollers before the mega primary on February 5th, he might be strumming his six strings back in Arkansas on the morning of Feb. 6th.
Hillary's machine has hit a bump in the road in Iowa, but her financial and national backing will keep her rolling on for quite some time. It is not an encouraging sign, however, that 67 percent of Iowa Democratic caucus-goers decided they did not want to vote for her. Or Bill.
Obama currently has plenty of money, but he will have to do well in New Hampshire and South Carolina to continue as a viable national candidate. If he excels in New Hampshire, Hillary could find herself in trouble as moneyed Democrats will be deciding who is more electable come November.
Edwards, despite his big labor backing, could not best Obama in Iowa and barely squeaked past Clinton. His campaign may implode if he does not do well in New Hampshire and South Carolina. David Brooks of the New York Times writes today that Edwards's political career may already be over.
Romney has deep personal pockets, but his supporters (and his bankers) may decide that if he does not win big in New Hampshire, the money hemorrhaging may need to stop. No more money. No more campaign.
McCain was practically a no-show in Iowa, but he surges on like the Energizer Bunny in New Hampshire, despite his advancing age. Money and Republican base support will come his way if he can manage to do well in New Hampshire, which he won handily against G. W. Bush in 2000. Also in 2000, the following primary in South Carolina destroyed him, so he'll be looking to side-step any bombs thrown his way there - even as Arizonans wonder who is representing them in the United States Senate.
And that leaves Giuliani - the odd man out in Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire and South Carolina. Where is Rudy, by the way? Why, he is bouncing around the South, particularly Florida, making his stand in the 'later' states. He'll be around until Feb. 5th, but look out below if he does poorly on Super Tuesday.
Stay tuned, more surprises will be in store next Tuesday in New Hampshire.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Iowa Caucus] Political News At Your FingertipsFrom: politicalparsnip.blogspot.com :
Political News At Your Fingertips
The Question
Finding reliable political news on the internet is tough. Finding the specific, reliable political news that you want on the internet is even tougher. Finding the specific, reliable political news that you want on the internet that's CURRENT is the toughest of all.
So, where does that leave us? How can we be informed citizens without the ability or resources to find the things we're looking for? These are big questions that require big answers.
Luckily, while browsing on the internet, I found a big answer.
The Answer
In my search for information on the upcoming political election in 2008, I discovered Electapres.com. This website gives you specific, current and reliable political news about the many candidates for president. The site aggregates all of the daily news stories surrounding candidates and displays them for the public to see.
Electapres.com is a great site because you get news on a variety of presidential hopefuls, as well as information on the biggest issues of the 2008 election.
Certainly, having current political news all in one place makes Electapres.com a top choice for America's voters. The site is also advantageous because it gathers information from many different newspapers, allowing citizens to be exposed to a wide range of perspectives.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO] McCain leaves the country and nobody noticesBy Peter Bakke, Editor, Electapres.com
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Sen. John McCain performed his patriotic duty and visited the troops in Iraq on Independence Day. The problem for the once-presumed Republican presidential nominee is that no one noticed.Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, McCain Archive]If Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani had visited Baghdad Wednesday, the media hordes surely would have swarmed over the story like bees to honey (or lobbyists to Capitol Hill). McCain's visit to the war front, however patriotic it may have been, was apparently judged by the media mavens to be ho-hum. There was no noticable coverage of his trip (was there?).
The Arizona Senator just can't seem to generate any buzz - in Baltimore, Bufffalo, or Baghdad.
Iowa ShakedownBy Peter "Deac" Bakke
Editor ElectaPres.com
Let's face it, the Iowa straw poll is a thinly disguised shakedown for cash, moolah, bread, dough, a.k.a U.S. legal tender. A quick look at our robust ElectaPres.com quotation time machine tells us so:
"From our perspective a straw poll is a fund-raiser for the party, it's not an election," - Iowa Republican Party Executive Director Dee Stewart, July, 1999.
But the straw poll can be a test of a candidate's campaign logistical capabilities, or lack thereof:
"At the straw poll, we served some 3,000 lunches and bought about 2,400 tickets at $25 a ticket. All we had to do was make sure the people went over and voted, but somehow they all did not get there," - Former NH congressman Bill Zeliff, Lamar Alexander's co-national campaign adviser for the Iowa straw poll, August, 1999.
To its credit, the Iowa straw poll has (remarkably) winnowed weak candidates from the field quite early in past election cycles, to wit:
"If you wake up every day and hear a report that (Texas) Governor (George) Bush has already been inaugurated and Governor Alexander has no chance to win, and I ask you for $1,000, you're likely to say, 'Why should I give you $1,000?'," - Lamar Alexander after announcing he was quitting the 2000 presidential race after the Iowa straw poll, August, 1999.
And finally, even Iowans have figured out that many straw poll voters have been bused into the Hawkeye state expressly to vote in the straw poll, eat lunch, and then return to... wherever:
"One of the things we're going to do at our straw poll in Ames is make it Iowans-only so it is a high- quality event and it means something when someone wins or someone doesn't win," - Iowa GOP Chairman Kayne Robinson May, 1999.
Count us in for political events that "mean something," they seem so rare today.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Iowa Caucus, Money] Iowa and New Hampshire: Quaint antiquities?By Peter Bakke, editor, ElectaPres.com
A new memorandum by Hillary Clinton's deputy campaign manager Mike Henry forcefully makes the case that Iowa is becoming less relevant to the eventual winning nominee. New Hampshire, by association, may face the same diminishing fate.
Iowa and New Hampshire may not be off the menu this election cycle, but the proverbial writing is on the wall.
The new "national primary" on February 5 is creating enough gravity to spawn a black hole into which all campaign time, money and resources will be pulled, relegating smaller "retail politics" states like Iowa and New Hampshire to the dustbin of history. In the not-too-distant future, the effect of Iowa and New Hampshire political campaigns upon the nominating process may be looked upon as quaint antiquities.
“Thirteen of the last 14 major-party nominees have won Iowa, New Hampshire, or both,” Mr. Henry wrote, adding, “but I think this old system is about to collapse, and it will happen this year because of the impact of primary elections that are being held on February 5th.”“I believe we need a new approach to winning the Democratic nomination,” Mr. Henry wrote. “This approach involves shifting the focus away from Iowa and running a campaign that is more focused on other early primary states and winning this new national primary. More specifically, I propose skipping the Iowa caucuses and dedicating more of Senator Clinton’s time and financial resources on the primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 22, the Nevada caucus on Jan. 19, the primaries in South Carolina and Florida on Jan. 29 and the 20-plus state primaries on Feb. 5.”
The memorandum basically poses the question: To be competitive in Iowa, can a campaign afford to spend a minimum of $70 million and 70 days in a state whose political gravitas appears to be waning?"
With all the money pouring into this election cycle, it looks like Iowa and New Hampshire will not be put on the chopping block. Yet.
Welcome to the billion dollar perpetual presidential campaign smorgasbord, where no state is left behind, even as their relevance fades.
Romney gaffe on Islam?By Peter Bakke, editor, ElectaPres.com
Moments into last night's second Republican debate, Gov. Mitt Romney appeared to lump together Sunni and Shiite Muslims with Hamas and Al Qaeda. This is a mistake. It would be like lumping together Catholics and Protestants with Christian extremist groups, resulting in an incorrect and much too broad characterization. Did any one else pick up this mischaracterization?
From the debate:
[Romney] There is a global jihadist effort. Violent, radical jihadists want to replace all the governments of the moderate Islamic states, replace them with a caliphate. And to do that, they also want to bring down the West, in particular us.Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Religion, Romney Archive]And they've come together as Shi'a and Sunni and Hezbollah and Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood and al Qaeda with that intent.
Debates worthwhile, so farBy Peter Bakke, editor ElectaPres.com
The presidential debate formats have been the subject of much scorn. Frankly, we think the debates are about as good as they can get, considering half the U.S. Republican leadership is crowded on the stage.
The first Republican debate did, if nothing else, squeeze out of Rudy Giuliani his stance on abortion rights. Rant about them if you may, but the debates have served a purpose, so far. We expectantly wait for something useful to drop out of tonight's second Republican debate.
We'll see if Giuliani has a large target on his back and how well he, the current leader in the polls, can fend off broadsides from his cohorts. We'll also be curious if McCain continues to look and sound nervous in the service and whether Romney can achieve another 90 minutes of looking and sounding more presidential than any of his counterparts. Moreover, we'll be on the alert for signs that Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich are lurking in the wings. Lastly, we'll be interested to see if any of the remaining 7 long shots can break out using nothing but 30 second sound bites.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Debates] Hagel, Bloomberg run would assure Dem victory in '08By Peter Bakke, editor ElectaPres.com
Recall the spoilers of presidential elections past?
Dial up 1992 and one can seriously debate whether Bill Clinton could have won the White House without the help of disaffected Republican Ross Perot, who garnered 19 percent of the popular vote - most of which came at the expense of George H. W. Bush, the eventual loser that year to Clinton, the upstart from Hope, Arkansas.
Fast forward to the historic 2000 election. Many believe that Ralph Nader personally placed George W. Bush firmly into the digs at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by siphoning off just enough votes from Al "I was president for a few minutes" Gore.
Now we have the prospect of an independent run by disaffected Republicans Chuck Hagel and Michael Bloomberg. Such a tag team surely causes physical illness in staunch Republican circles.
Why?
Rest assured that a Hagel/Bloomberg political duet would split the Republican vote and virtually assure a Democratic presidential win in 2008.
Hagel and Bloomberg... would it be a Republican nightmare and a Democratic wet dream? It may not come to pass, but the mere prospect is likely sending shivers of horror and delight through the American political system.
Don't be surprised if Republican leadership, behind the scenes, of course, is fervently dangling some irresistible goodies in front of Hagel to keep him down on the farm. We have an inkling that the vast, right-wing Republican machinery is furiously working to keep Senator Hagel down for the count.
Giuliani stops dancingFormer Mayor Rudy Giuliani is finally taking a stand.
Giuliani and his advisers have apparently decided that he cannot run away from his own past any longer.
The dancing and tiptoeing have come to an end.
Today in Houston he clearly stated what many have known: he favors abortion rights, certain restrictions on gun ownership and gay rights.
Our guess is that he is preparing ground for next Tuesday's Republican debate in South Carolina where he wants to avoid appearing wishy-washy on traditional social issues, as he did in the first debate. (Pop quiz: what exactly is a constructivist judge, anyway?)
At the debate, Giuliani will have to be nimble indeed to avoid the broadsides that will undoubtedly be volleyed merrily his way from his far more conservative Republucan brethren in the field.
Our suggestion to Mr. Giuliani? Leave those dancing shoes behind, but bring plenty of armor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Gay Lesbian Rights, Giuliani Archive, Gun Control, Reproductive Rights] Biggest Gambler: Giuliani or McCain?This week, Time Magazine wrote,
Rudy Giuliani's decision to be more forthright about his pro-choice stance on abortion may be the boldest step of the Presidential campaign so far.
This might be true, but one could argue that Sen. McCain might be the bigger gambler by hitching his pro-war wagon to the conflict in Iraq in general and the 'surge' in particular.
It will take weeks or months before we find out who the better gambler is, but in the meantime both candidates appear to be losing ground in the polls to Mitt Romney while they wait for their bets to pay off.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Giuliani Archive, Iraq, McCain Archive, Reproductive Rights, Romney Archive] Planned Parenthood trapBy Peter Bakke, editor, Electapres.com
Planned Parenthood seems to be tripping up Republicans these days. Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney specifically come to mind. The Politico reported earlier this week that in the 1990's Giuliani,
...contributed money at least six times to Planned Parenthood, one of the country's leading abortion rights groups and its top provider of abortions.
Today we learned that Mitt Romney's wife has donated to Planned Parenthood as well.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, gave an $150 donation to the abortion-rights group Planned Parenthood in 1994, at a time when Romney considered himself effectively "pro-choice," the Romney campaign confirmed today.
Oops. Both candidates have cast themselves as staunch conservatives, but Sen. John McCain has stated recently, and not so subtly, that pro-choice stances, no matter how old the reference, hurt purportedly conservative Republican candidates.
Presidential hopeful John McCain said Monday that although it's not impossible for a Republican candidate who favors abortion rights to win the nomination, such a candidate would face long odds."I think it's one of the fundamental principles of a conservative to have respect and commitment to the dignity of human life, both the born and unborn," McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It makes it tough because the Republican Party is basically composed to a significant degree by people who are pro-life, just as the Democratic Party has pro-choice candidates."
Well, we have been led to believe that the Republican Party is "basically composed to a significant degree by people who are pro-life." But that seems to be changing as we write.
The $64,000 question remains: Are there any other Planned Parenthood donations by Republican candidates that we don't know about?
Perhaps the Democrats should consider a plan of outing any candidates on their side whom have NOT donated to Planned Parenthood. We can see another Chris Matthews-like moment at the next Democratic debate, "Who among you has not donated to Planned Parenthood? Raise your hand!"
Will the South ever get over it?What's up with Confederate Memorial Day?
A blurb from "The State" in Columbia, South Carolina is headlined, "Confederate holiday makes for short week in the Legislature," which informs us that,
It will be a short week for the [South Carolina] General Assembly, as both the House and Senate will not meet on Thursday, Confederate Memorial Day.The Senate typically takes the holiday off, but this is the first time in recent years that the House will not meet. Confederate Memorial Day is a state holiday, and other government offices will be closed.
Oh, what a merry time Confederate Memorial Day must be in South Carolina. This is the state that flew the Confederate flag over its capitol building until just a few years ago and continues to fly the flag on its grounds today.
A quick search of the Web reveals that Confederate Memorial Day is also known as Confederate Heroes Day.
Is it really a good idea for states to continue such a commemoration? Not a few government employees must relish such a day off, while pinching their noses.
What are the presidential candidate's positions on this practice? No doubt they will claim, in unison, "state's rights."
Yeah, much like Bull Connor's claim to state's rights.
Will we ever learn?
By Peter Bakke, editor
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Miscellany, Race, South Carolina Primary] Could Clark be Politico's "Hillary in pants'?By Peter Bakke, Editor
Politico's recent article, "Dem field missing 'Hillary Clinton in pants'", highlights the "hole on the right side of the Democratic primary" and addresses the 'electability' problem of the Democratic field, calling it too homogeneous - a mixture of the left and center, but lacking credentials from the right.
Remember General Wesley Clark? One wonders why the decorated General, a southern Democrat from Arkansas, no less, has been absent from the primary race. Democrats have suffered the slings and arrows of being called soft on defense and terrorism (is there a difference?). Why not enlist Clark, a four-star general, valedictorian of his class at West Point and a Rhodes Scholar? And, we might add, he is a man of the right by virtue of his military credentials.
There are some Vietnam veterans in the current crop of candidates, but no 4-star generals, Democratic or Republican. It might be worthwhile in this age of GWOT (the Global War on Terrorism) to have a smart, articulate West Pointer inject his ideas and expertise into the long war that is this presidential primary season.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Clark, Election Process Archive] Creepy campaign momentBy Peter Bakke, Editor
While watching the Republican debate from the Reagan Library on Thursday, we couldn't help but note an unexpectedly weird "did you see that?" moment. It came fairly early on, when Sen. John McCain declared that he would "follow (Osama bin Laden) to the gates of hell," which he immediately followed with his trademark wide grin, resulting in the creepiest moment of the evening - and perhaps of the entire campaign (so far).
Religiosity on the trailBy Peter Bakke, Editor
Religion is being constantly injected into the 2008 presidential campaign. It has always been a substantial issue in American presidential politics, but never more so than this election cycle.
Witness:
- Romney gave the commencment address at Pat Robertson's Regent University, which on its website characterizes Mormonism as a cult. (Note that by this time next year, both parties will have likely selected their respective candidates and there will be yet another opportunity to speak at carefully selected commencements across the country)
- Potential candidate Newt Gingrich plans to deliver the commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University.
- Newt Gingrich publicly confessed his "moral failings" to evangelical leader James Dobson in a nationwide radio interview.
- Sen. Obama has fended off claims that he was exposed to Islamic fundamentalism as a child.
- Rudy Giuliani said that dead Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is paying an eternal punishment for his brutal life's work - implying not so subtly that Saddam is in hell.
- During the recent Simi Valley Republican debate, three candidates (Huckabee, Brownback, and Tancredo) dismissed the validity of evolution.
- During the same event, moderator Chris Matthews tried (unsuccessfully) to inject a question about the Catholic Church.
- Two Catholic candidates, Democrat Chris Dodd and Republican Sam Brownback, appeared jointly at a Boston College forum on faith and politics.
- Richard Land, head of public policy for the Southern Baptist Convention, has publicly expressed evangelical concern about Rudy Giuliani's second divorce.
- Candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is a former Baptist pastor.
- Candidate John Edwards has said that 'Jesus would be appalled' at how the United States has ignored the plight of the suffering.
Democrats mum on guns?By Peter Bakke
Electapres Editor
With the massacre at Virginia Tech, one might expect that presidential candidate speechwriters are furiously outlining their candidate's position on handgun control.Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Gun Control]However, there might be a deafening silence from Democrats.
Why?
Like national security, Democrats are perceived by many as weak when it comes to gun issues.
Senator Obama, for example, supported the interests of the Gun Owners of America zero percent in 2005. In 2004, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund gave Obama a failing grade.
On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani is known to favor gun control, but he is mindful of how Elizabeth Dole got hammered back in 1999 when she called for tougher gun control laws during her short-lived presidential run. He therefore might keep his head down, although other Republicans may bring his stance to voter's attention.
McCain, ever quick on the draw, wasted no time in forcefully coming out in favor of gun owners. He stated shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings that he strongly supports, "the constitutional right that everyone has, in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, to carry a weapon."
Will any Democratic candidates come out strongly against handguns or will they let sleeping dogs lie and simply let the issue die?
A sure sign Bush is a lame duckBy Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com editor
When freshman Republican Senator John Sununu of New Hampshire claims that U.S. troops could be home from Iraq by the end of 2008 and also boldly states that Attorney General Gonzales should step down, we can be sure that either the Apocalypse is nigh upon us or President Bush is a lame duck. Take your pick.Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Election Process Archive, George Bush]Sununu is one of the brightest Senators the Republicans have in their fold. And he's running from President Bush at full gallop.
Who's afraid of the wrath of Karl Rove and the Republican leadership? Not Sununu, who is up for re-election in 2008.
The voters of New Hampshire have turned from a perennially Republican red to a decidedly Indepenedent purple. Sununu is obviously directing his surprising statements to Independents in the Granite state, not to mention moderate and liberal Democrats.
The junior New Hampshire Senator may be purposefully leading the way for many other nervous Republicans to distance their own political courses from that of the President. Jockeying for the 2008 Senate and House seats has begun and Republican Senators in purple and blue states are apparently emboldened by Bush's lame duck status to break with the President when the need arises.
Watch Sununu and remember the adage that all politics is local. To borrow a phrase from poker, Sununu may be the Republican's 'tell' on important issues dividing the Grand Old Party.
'Megaprimary' is all but certain next FebruaryThe Boston Globe reports that 19 states with more than half the U.S. population may very well be voting in what looks to be the nation's first megaprimary next February 5, 2008. That single day will very likely determine the Republican and Democratic standard bearers heading into the Fall election.
What this means for the early caucus and primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire remains unclear.
It may make them irrelevant and largely overshadowed. The megaprimary may eclipse these two traditional "first-in-the-nation" caucus and primary tallies.
On the other hand, Iowa and New Hampshire results may be more important than ever. "Winners" and "losers" from those events will enter the megaprimary with politcal and media momentum or a distinct lack thereof. The results could therefore magnify the significance of Iowa and New Hampshire.
Moreover, what will the day after the megaprimary herald for the two winning major party candidates?
Simple. The winning nominees will have an historically unprecedented nine month window to slug it out against each other prior to the general election in November 2008.
Don't be surprised if intra-party debates and other similar events are dumped after the megaprimary in February. Strategists will realize there is no need to waste time and resources waging intra-party campaigns against candidates who have been effectively knocked out of the nominating race.
Second-tier candidates may howl that such neglect directed at them is unfair, but it makes sense for the winning candidates and their respective parties to conserve party unity, money and other resources for the general election battle. Their strategy will be to move away from intra-party squabbling in order to focus upon the general election.
The nine months between February and November 2008 will be used by the nominees, parties and other operatives to define themselves and their opponent. Intra-party blood, sweat and tears will be minimized between February and the party conventions in the late summer. On-going intra-party rivalries will serve no purpose other than pulling apart loyalties when the most important issue will be to consolidate unity for the November election.
Bottom line: The aftermath of the February 2008 megaprimary will provide an historically unprecedented amount of time for the two major-party candidates to accrue political resources for use in the general election and to define themselves vs. their opponent.
Some might say that there will be far too much time to do so.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, Election Process Archive] McCain: The hits just keep comingSen. John McCain's mojo is definitely AWOL this week. When not verbally tripping over himself, McCain has had to endure a bout of broadsides. One wonders what the man has done to deserve such scathing salvos. Karma?
The most recent attack came from the United Kingdom, of all places.
The Times of London did a profile on McCain that read more like a hatchet job.
Evidence herewith:
His enemies must hope that his words will be as rude as his health. He once called a senator a “f****** jerk” and had to apologise after joking of President Bill Clinton’s daughter: “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno (Clinton’s attorney-general, a lesbian who was scurrilously said to be carrying on with Hillary). One Arizona mayor said he didn’t want someone as out of control as McCain with his finger on the nuclear trigger.[..]
As a child, he dealt with anger by holding his breath until he blacked out. There was some doubt whether he was made of the same Right Stuff as his father, John S McCain, a four-star admiral...
[..]
A boisterous, disruptive child, McCain was remembered at prep school near Washington DC as “a feisty little rat throwing water bombs around the dormitory”. He hated the US Naval Academy, into which he was enrolled at 16, and strove in vain to be expelled for his drinking, low grades and fighting.
[..]
Matters changed little at flight school, where he drove a Corvette, dated many women and spent most of his time in bars and at beach parties.
[..]
He tried to commit suicide by hanging himself, but was caught and beaten again. Eventually he signed a “confession” declaring: “I am a black criminal and I have performed the deeds of an air pirate.”
[..]
...he divorced his first wife and married his second. “My wife was faithful and true,” he said later. “She didn’t deserve my treatment of her.”
[..]
His nemesis was George W Bush. It was alleged that voters in the Deep South were telephoned and asked whether they would support McCain if he had an illegitimate daughter with a black woman. In fact he had an adopted daughter from Bangladesh. However, McCain’s own mistakes were sufficient to hobble his chances. "
So, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? This example of "journalism" is character assassination at it's worst.
The only good news for McCain this week seemed to be his razor-thin win in the South Carolina straw poll and the fact that he was nowhere near Ann Coulter.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, McCain Archive, Media] Coulter clashAnn Coulter, right wing provocateur, has done it again. On Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, she inexplicably lashed out at Sen. John Edwards, calling him a 'faggot.'
....Just what the conservatives need, more stereotyping as homophobic, uninclusive and downright mean.
Coulter, the audacious author of the raucous right, was probably expecting her odd but sadly predictable performance to sell more of her books. What she certainly did accomplish was to pander to the basest of bases, and despicably so.
Additional fodder (from Salon.com) for anti-Coulterites and any others with an ounce of shame: "(Coulter) had just finished ... joking that Al Gore was fat ("Did Al Gore actually swallow Michael Moore?"), and that Bill Clinton was the first black president ("half white, half trash")"
With all the important issues of the day to discuss, not the least of which is Iraq, is this persistent trash talking considered political discourse or is it simply another example of the coarsening of American society??
Incidentally, with a palpable sigh of relief, Sen. John McCain's campaign made it clear that they did not even attend the CPAC conference. Other candidates who did attend the event have rightfully distanced themselves from Coulter's malodorous outbursts.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO] Money makes the 'lection go aroundToday's MOJO is all about money. Which candidate has it? Who needs it? Who will leave the race next because they can't get their share of it? The money tree is the oxygen provider for the perpetual presidential election. Indications are that there is plenty of money to go around for all sides of the political spectrum, despite Gov. Vilsack's recent early exit from the race.
Perhaps Vilsack abandoned the race a tad too soon. Various sources claim that this will likely be the first billion dollar campaign cycle - from the early primaries through the general election.
We eagerly await the March 31st deadline for the first money reports of 2007. How will your candidate fare? Stay tuned.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO] McCain's painful launchMajor Mojo downer for Sen John McCain. He rues the unfortunate use of the word "wasted" when referring to the loss of over 3,100 troops in Iraq when announcing his planned April presidential launch on Late Night with David Letterman.
Following Joe Biden's unfortunate lead, McCain has succeeded in launching his (still unofficial) run for the presidency with a politically embarrassing gaffe.
When referring to deaths and woundings in Iraq, McCain claims to prefer the word "sacrifice," but a Freudian slip of the tongue sometimes gives a clue to the speaker's true feelings.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
Permalink [Category: -Electa-MOJO, McCain Archive] Keep the New Hampshire Primary modelThe New Hampshire "First in the nation" Primary tradition will continue in 2008, and that is a good thing for the American voter. I've experienced the New Hampshire Primary five times first-hand, from 1988 through 2004. It is undoubtably, in my mind, an indepensable crucible of voter discussions and confrontations with presdidential candidates.
Better prepared candidates and more informed voters result from the 'retail' politics of the New Hampshire Primary experience and the U.S. electorate benefits from this quadrennial interaction. Defining moments arise from person to person contact, not from multi-million dollar ad budgets. Character is discerned. Management style is revealed. Critical thinking is tested.
This is not to say that the process is perfect. Many complain that New Hampshire is not demographically representative of the United States as a whole. But what state or region is? If California was picked as the first-in-the-nation primary, conservatives would scream bloody murder. Liberals would be apoplectic if Georgia or South Carolina went first. The idea of rotating regional primaries has merit, but it has the same drawback of a national primary - zero candidate face-time with real voters. Candidates selected by television ads and polls are what the country would get if the New Hamsphire Primary model is trashed.
There's already too much hocus-pocus and spin after the candidates move on from New Hampshire's up close and personal cross-examination. Can we really learn about presidential candiadates via the distorted world of 30 second TV ads and five second sound bites? Or are we better served by several months of close examination in Manchester, Concord and Nashua? Where else could we have seen Muskie's humanity, Clinton's doggedness, McCain's energy and George Bush's resilience. One can't discern these important personality traits and management styles on what is fast becoming Super Primary day, but they can be seen clearly in the wintry shakedown of the New Hamsphire Primary.
Peter Bakke, ElectaPres.com Editor.
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