Georgia’s not on my mind
Posted: December 2, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Georgia Runoff, Politics, Race, Saxby Chambliss, Time Magazine 3 Comments »Time says…not a whole bunch…but a whole lot…
Some political observers think Tuesday’s Senate runoff in Georgia is a big deal, because a victory by underdog Jim Martin over incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss would keep alive the Democratic Party’s dreams of a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority to move its agenda successfully through the Senate. Other experts see the race as a big deal for the opposite reason; Democrats with a filibuster-proof 60-seat Senate majority as well as control of the House and White House could overreach, leading to a conservative backlash in 2010.
But really, there’s no such thing as a “filibuster-proof 60-seat majority,” even if Martin pulls off an upset and Al Franken wins his recount against Republican Norm Coleman in Minnesota and Joe Lieberman still counts as a Democrat. Senators don’t always vote in partisan lockstep; President Obama could succeed in recruiting Republicans on some issues with a 58-seat Democratic majority, and he could find himself stymied by defections on some issues with a 62-seat Democratic majority. In the Senate, even one determined naysayer is capable of grinding the institution to a halt.
And that’s why the Martin-Chambliss race actually is a big deal: Chambliss is a textbook Bush-Cheney Republican — and every vote counts. Sixty seats would be better for the Democrats than 59, which would be better for the Democrats than 58. Six years is also a long time. In fact, Georgia is still an extremely conservative state, so if Chambliss can win at a time when the Republican Party is at its lowest ebb, he can probably hold his seat as long as he wants — which would be good news for Bush-style Republicans and bad news for Obama-style Democrats, no matter who is in power.
They shoulda quit while they were ahead.
Ain’t a whole lotta difference between 57 and 59.
If the mojo is workin…the 60 will come. There aren’t enough wack jobs left to really hold up progress (although Chambliss is pretty much King of the wack jobs on the senate side)
There just aren’t enough Black folk in GA to turn it blue…or is it that there are too many? Black folk?
THIS is why Obama didnt do much more than spit a lukewarm 16…while everyone except Barry Goldwater is on the stump for Chambliss.
They cannot afford to lose, while Obama doesnt NEED it…and can do without the negative momentum that would come with a big effort followed by a Martin loss.
Your thoughts?
TWIB>>>whatever you spent last night watching
Posted: November 12, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Obama, Race, This Week in Blackness 3 Comments »
I was gonna post something…but this is >>>>anything I woulda posted.
see y’all tomorrow.
Welcome to Tuesday Night Hyperbole
Posted: November 11, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Obama | Tags: American Flag, Patrick O'Toole, Texas 1 Comment »You may not be aware of this, but the Nation is dying and in distress
ARLINGTON – An American flag and the way it has been displayed is at the center of a dispute between neighbors that began after the 2008 presidential election.
Ever since 9/11, Arlington neighbors Patrick O’Toole and Sharon Garner both flew the American flag patriotically in front of their homes, until now.
In protest to the election results, O’Toole now flies a black flag above an upside down American flag.
“I just don’t think it’s American,” said Garner. “I just don’t think it’s neighborly. We have children that live in our neighborhood and I’m sure their parents have to explain to them why that flag is hanging like that.”
The flag is something Garner holds close to her heart. In fact, the American flag is painted on Garner’s birdhouse and bench.
“I love the flag,” she said. “I love what it stands for. I love the colors red, white and blue. [It] makes me feel good to display it.”
It’s a sentiment she said she thought she shared with her neighbor.
“He hangs his flag everyday, and he hangs it properly,” she said. “It’s displayed like it should be and he brings it down at dusk every day.”
But, O’Toole said there is a reason behind the act.
“The black flag is because our country is dying,” he said. “It’s never been more divided than it is right now. The upside down American flag is because the country is in distress.”
The Navy vet and history teacher is upset that the Democratic ticket took the White House.
“It is not about race and don’t ever throw the race card at me,” he said. “It’s about values. It’s about people that work hard and want to keep what they own.”
Garner said she didn’t vote for Obama either.
“The election is over,” she said. “It’s happened and we need to come together like we did in 9/11 and support each other and deal with it.”
But, O’Toole stood by his decision and said he has flown the flag since the 5th grade and didn’t make the decision in haste.
Wonder what gave him THAT idea.
Dont Judge a Cover Story by its Cover.
Posted: November 11, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Obama, Politics, Race | Tags: David Remnick, New Yorker 2 Comments »
Great Cover.
Great Journalist writing the cover story.
Barack Obama could not run his campaign for the Presidency based on political accomplishment or on the heroic service of his youth. His record was too slight. His Democratic and Republican opponents were right: he ran largely on language, on the expression of a country’s potential and the self-expression of a complicated man who could reflect and lead that country. And a powerful thematic undercurrent of his oratory and prose was race. Not race as invoked by his predecessors in electoral politics or in the civil-rights movement, not race as an insistence on tribe or on redress; rather, Obama made his biracial ancestry a metaphor for his ambition to create a broad coalition of support, to rally Americans behind a narrative of moral and political progress. He was not its hero, but he just might be its culmination.
No.
No. No. No.
This is not the end of the damn journey.
No, it isn’t the beginning, but it damn sure ain’t the end.
It better not be, because I got about 6 or seven more stops to ride before I get where I wanna go.
Morning in America 2.0
Posted: November 5, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Obama, Politics, Race 2 Comments »*inhales*
*Exhales*
*pinches himself*
*Smiles broadly*
*calls his job to tell them he will be late….just so he can hear the renewed “hate” in Rush Limbaugh’s voice.*
*breathes again*
*sighs contentedly*
*nods to himself…Yes, We did.*
*heads off to work, because he still has no words*
Still in the moment
Posted: November 5, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, John McCain, Obama 3 Comments »Three hours later…I am still trying to sort through the emotions. I have seen my share of history, and to be honest, I have seen more bad than good.
Today. There is no doubt. This is the greatest historical moment of my lifetime. I am appreciative that my Grandmother, who was born before the advent of radio in a segregated Washington, DC, was able to live to see this day; a day that I never thought I would see myself; a day that I thought my young children would have the chance to bring about, appeared almost over night.
America elected a man who embodies all that is good about this nation.
I would like to take this moment to acknowledge Senator John McCain, who showed a grace in defeat that was reminiscent of all that we hold admirable in him, but has been sorely lacking in the past few years.
Senator McCain, you are a great American and I honor your service and appreciate your candor and grace in defeat.
As for your supporters, I will ignore my own impulses and exercise the grace of my President-Elect and encourage you to join us in advancing the fortunes of our great country.
There is much to do and I hope you are as anxious to engage in the process of the next step as I am.
I am emboldened by his words and I look forward to the next step in this improbably journey.
But first…allow me to enjoy my moment.
Looking at the Clock.
Posted: November 4, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Politics 1 Comment »Sixty Minutes longer.
AND THEN we watch and count and watch people who have already proven they are two days late and four dollars short on getting stuff right in this election.
I thought I would take this opportunity to say that I am just glad THIS part of it is over. And that I am looking forward to getting on with the next stage.
Now we wait for Virginia.
*Looks back at the clock…waits*
He Cannot Be serious. Somebody Stop this man.
Posted: October 31, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, John McCain Leave a comment »This man hasn’t a clue of what he is doing. Not one? Doesn’t he read the paper?
Previous presidential transition efforts focused on vetting would-be appointees, assembling hefty policy briefing books and making sure politically reliable operatives were assigned as liaisons to departments and agencies. That’s largely the path Democratic candidate Barack Obama has chosen, assigning dozens of advisers to working groups. The participants have strictly delineated responsibilities and must abide by specific conflict-of-interest rules.
Getty Images
John F. Lehman Jr. during the Sept. 11 Commission public hearings with high-ranking officials from the Clinton and Bush administrations, in 2004.
But aides say Sen. McCain’s transition team, headed by former Navy Secretary Lehman, has a different, less-structured approach. Mr. Lehman and a small group of aides are concentrating on the logistics of swiftly taking control of the U.S. national security apparatus.
If Sen. McCain wins on Tuesday, aides say his transition effort will be partly geared toward getting Congress to approve the top four dozen or so national-security appointees during the first month of a McCain administration.
Sen. McCain is reluctant to set up formal transition teams for individual departments and hasn’t asked for specific recommendations of possible appointees, according to aides. They said that at this stage, domestic agencies aren’t the top priority and the team is staying away from compiling formal lists of candidates for choice jobs. Instead, aides said, Mr. Lehman’s plan focuses on the mechanics of bringing a new administration up to speed on the most pressing intelligence questions, terrorism-related developments and broad national-security issues.
With All due respect to JJP…DO NOT LET THIS MAN DOWN.
Posted: October 28, 2008 Filed under: Campaign 2008, Obama, Politics, Race 2 Comments »This man’s wife passed away and he promptly went down to join the campaign as a volunteer.
Do not let his work be in vain.
