I'm Back

Well, it's been a long time since my last post. I lost interest in blogging for a while, but with the surge in political enthusiasm, I think now is an appropriate time to get back into it! It is so refreshing to be excited about politics and see so many people take a great interest in the election this early on.

I was fortunate to be in D.C. during the Potomac election in D.C., Virginia and Maryland. Obama has a surprising sweep, and by a large margin! Who knew that Super Tuesday wouldn't be a deciding factor but only propel both candidates to be in this for the long haul?!

Let's see what happens in Wisconsin...
I'm predicting an Obama victory in Wisconsin.

Corny Music

Proving yet again that youth votes are so important in the 2008 race and attempting to be the first to use music as a slogan, Hillary Clinton has surpassed corny and moved to downright ridiculous in allowing the American voter to choose a campaign song that will represent and identify her campaign. American Idol meets politics! To my knowledge no other candidates are doing this, and I hope it doesn't set a trend.

I wonder what the musicians think of their song possibly being tied to Clinton's campaign?! I like so many of the songs that I'd hate to think of Hillary every time now after I hear it! After the first round of voting, Clinton's campaign has drawn this out to a second round with five of the original choices and five choices that were the top write-in vote. I commend the candidates for making the 2008 election about the voter and trying to increase voter participation early, but this is just absurd in my opinion.

Grilling with Obama

Want to 'hang with Obama at your Memorial Day picnic? If you said yes, you're in the majority.

A telephone survey of 1,166 randomly chosen people was conducted from April 25 to May 1 to determine whom they would most like to chat with at a Memorial Day picnic.

Obama received 33 percent of the votes, more than any other Democrat candidate. Clinton was second with only 24 percent. More women overall chose Obama over Clinton.

Guiliani was the top Republican with 37 percent, followed by McCain with 27 percent.

Obama Means It

Voters believe Obama means what he says, whereas voters believe Clinton says what she thinks will get her elected. It baffles me with these continual poll finding that Clinton maintains a lead.

A new FOX News poll finds that voters are focusing on Iraq, terrorism and health care as they consider their vote for president. Looking at the candidates, more voters think Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Barack Obama say what they truly believe, even if it is unpopular, while a majority thinks Hillary Clinton usually says what she thinks will get her elected. Clinton is the only candidate where a majority of voters (55 percent) thinks she says what she thinks will get her elected, rather than what she truly believes (34 percent).

Opinion Dynamics Corp. conducted the national telephone poll of 900 registered voters for FOX News from May 15 to May 16. The poll has a 3-point error margin.

Democrats (60 percent) are much more likely than Republicans (45 percent) to say Iraq is extremely important to their vote — by a 15-point margin. Republicans are most likely to be motivated by the issue of terrorism.

Even with the early start, attention to the presidential election remains high. Many voters say they are extremely (27 percent) or very (35 percent) interested right now, although few (13 percent) say they have already made up their mind about which candidate to support.

Only 16 Votes

Sixteen votes. That's all the Democrats need from the Republican senators to override Bush's veto of the bill that includes a timetable for withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq. The main banner of Obama's homepage depicts a hand signing a bill and encourages the public to contact their Republican representative to encourage him or her to support the bill and cross the aisle to do what's right.

Here's part of the e-mail I received Obama's campaign on the topic:

Barack has been traveling across the country asking people to speak out and let their Senators know that it's time to end the Iraq war. One Republican colleague has already called this "not Senatorial". But this isn't about Washington etiquette, it's about bringing our troops home.

This isn't a game. We need just 16 additional votes to override the president's veto and bring to a close this sad chapter in American history. It's going to take some convincing, but Senators need to hear from people in their states that they can join us to bring a responsible end to the war.

That's where you come in. There are 20 incumbent Republican Senators facing re-election battles in 2008. They will have to make clear very soon whether they will continue to block efforts to bring the troops home.

Now is the time to hold them accountable for their choices on the war. Their constituents are making their voice heard, but they need to hear from all of us. Will you speak out now and add your voice to the growing public pressure to end the war?

Make your voice heard.

The N Word

Rush Limbaugh has been tossing around the N word, negro that is, in what he calls a musical parody. I call it racist. Limbaugh calls Obama "Halfrican African" and has written a song the "Barack the Magic Negro" set to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon."

So Don Imus creates national rage for "Nappy-headed Negro" but it's different with Rush Limbaugh?! I don't see how the two are different and there is not more outrage over Limbaugh's comments. And Obama's response is that the song is dumb. I suppose he is trying to downplay the song to make it go away.

The shock jock legitimizes his use of the phrase "magic negro" by noting he plucked it came from an Op-Ed by commentator David Ehrenstein that ran in the L.A. Times. Ehrenstein wrote, in a nuanced argument, that Obama fulfills the classic Hollywood role of a "noble, healing Negro" who assuages white guilt over slavery and segregation....

"while replacing stereotypes of a dangerous, highly sexualized black man with a benign figure for whom interracial sexual congress holds no interest. As might be expected, this figure is chiefly cinematic—embodied by such noted performers as Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Scatman Crothers, Michael Clarke Duncan, Will Smith and, most recently, Don Cheadle. And that's not to mention a certain basketball player whose very nickname is "Magic."

Questions over Obama's race should have long ago been laid to rest. What is the obsession and who cares about his ethnic make-up. A candidate should be judged by their opinions and how they will act as president, not race or genetics.

Barack Drops Back

In the first released since both the Democrats and Republicans held their first televised debate, the margin between Obama and Clinton has grown considerably. Obama was virtually even with Clinton two weeks ago, but is now 15 percentage points back again, where he was over a month ago. Gore and Edwards are a great distance behind.

In the Republican race, Giuliani is leading the pack, with McCain and Romney second and third respectively.

The Gallup Poll results were released this week.

I don't know about you, but I like to see a candidate for president who can admit mistakes. When speaking today, Obama said 10,000 had died in the Greensburg, Kansas tornado, and later realized his mistake. He admitted there will be times when he's tired and times when he's wrong. That's nice to hear, unlike Bush who can't admit a mistake EVER. I wasn't asked by Gallup Poll people my opinion, but my vote for Obama still stands.