Democratic voters in West Virginia will today elect 28 delegates by some method or other. I can’t be bothered looking into it because the New York Post reports that Hillary Clinton is “toast”, and papa says, “if you see it in the Post, it’s so”.
Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth
Yes, (West) Virginia …
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1,725 Comments
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1299 Pancho
If Hillary supported it, saying it was the best thing for the Democrats, they might be less upset than if Bill Richardson or Jim Webb got it. It’s the lesser of two evils. And I honestly think it would slay ‘em in the poll booth. The practicalities of how it would work after might be an issue.
MayoFeral
Could you please comment on the link at 950. The VA in US is trying to get its staff to use the diagnosis “Adjustment Disorder” rather than “PTSD” for its War vets to save money and assessment time.
Diogenes – maybe. But I’d reckon Obama might need an extra Secret Service detail to keep Bill away from him.
By all accounts, Billy can’t stand the heir whose rise threatens to make him a Presidential footnote rather than the ‘first black president’ (not to mention has dashed his hopes of being in there with the Roosevelts as dynastic leaders).
Jim Webb’s media committments for before the Oregon/Kentucky votes:
Sun, May 18: Meet the Press (NBC)
Mon, May 19: CBS Early Morning
Mon, May 19: Fresh Air (NPR)
Mon, May 19: Late Show with David Letterman (CBS)
Tues, May 20: Countdown with Keith Olbermann (MSNBC)
Tues, May 20: Lou Dobbs (CNN)
Should we be making anything of this?
Pancho,
Maybe they just like country music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlEpKhSHTyQ
Pancho
I’d say whether Webb is VP or not he will be one of the Democrats main pointmen on Military/Defence stuff.
He’ll be out making the case for a saner but strong Defence and countering Bush/McCain fearmongering and rhetoric.
He still could be a good chance for VP but maybe Obama will not take another Senator as a running mate.
Maybe a Governor…Sibelius,Strickland,Kaine or Richardson.
Webb will play a big role though in the campaign and Administration.
hey dudes
back fron the good ole us of a
(thanks harry for the drugs-woohoo)
team obama is already over the line (as i predicted months ago)
family duties call me back home
all the pretenders start shaking the real deal is back on the staion
How would an end to the War on Terror play out in the election?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/demise-of-alqaeda-in-sight-us-believes/2008/05/16/1210765170835.html
Delegate Update
Obama gains two additional pledged delegates from the John Edwards collection. This updates positions Obama ahead of Clinton by 191 delegates.
Obama: 1909
Clinton: 1718
The pool of delegates remains unchanged on 419 (230 supers and 139 from pending contests). To close the nomination Obama needs an additional 116 delegates while Clinton needs 307.
GG – the WOT is such an amorphorous, opportunistic tool, that I think if the GOP declaring it ‘over’ while still remaining in Iraq and Afghanistan (and having Cheney champing at the bit to get into Iran), they would just be would just be laughed out of town. That rhetoric has passed its use by date for this cycle. Which is not to say that fear politics is out, but I don’t think that the ‘war on terror’ and ‘al-Qaeda’ are no longer the trumps that they once were for Bush and co. That stuff will remain in Iraq’s shadow until that mess receives far more attention.
declared. And kick the double negative.
Pancho,
Agree that it is difficult to have a war on an inanimate object. How do you know it is over if it did not exist in the first place?
However, changing the rhetoric, message and atmosphere etc. may alter the dynamics of the campaign. Don’t forget a lot of the practice of politics is about seeming to be doing something about an issue.
Sat May 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur;_ylt=Ao2DSmgncSfDVxf106Z1eZ9L6ysC
GG 1312
The terminology has been changed. Initially the term was War on Terror. It was pointed out that it was rather difficult to wage war on an emotion. Then it changed to War on Terrorism. This has the problem of being a battle on a tactic, rather than an enemy itself. I’ve always fould the most apposite term to be War of Terror, which is easily the most cogent and accurate.
Diogenes,
Whatever you call it, once it is declared over voters’ perceptions may change. Just another interesting talking point.
Cheers.
Dio, American’s love choice. Check out any supermarket over there. That donkey you were talking about the other day wouldn’t stand a chance. What we have in Seppo City Central today is the ugly prospect of Death by Triangulation as GOPper Perception Managers agonise about waging war upon an emotion, a tactic or an abstract noun just as doves are arriving in droves and begin to coo-coo all over Capitol Hill.
Fri May 16:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/mikeluckovich;_ylt=AtUs_B7RH4MP5H6g.KgKKYNR_b4F
I would agree that the GOP need to try to change the thinking on current foreign policy somehow. A ‘circuit breaker’ was how commentators referred to the need for similar in Australia last year from memory. But, as current events with Bush in Israel have shown, it is probably a double edged sword. Bringing up the GOP brand and their recent shananigans (even if it is to spin positively) ties Bush and his cronies to McCain and the current battle, and bring Bush’s f*ckups back onstage. And most people are itching for a chance to vote against Bush.
Pancho,
Jim Webb’s media commitments look interesting. I think I’ll put a bet on. At the very least he is bound to shorten sometime in the next few weeks.
Kirri, personal question – do you wash? I am told Trots often dont.
And speaking of the war on terror(ism) and it’s variant mutant offspring:
“George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for,” Mr. Obama said at a midday forum here, listing the Iraq war, the strengthening of Iran and groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, Osama bin Laden’s being still at large and stalled diplomacy in other parts of the Middle East among their chief failings.
“If George Bush and John McCain want to have a debate about protecting the United States of America,” Mr. Obama said, “that is a debate I am happy to have any time, any place.”
NYT
And it’s a debate he’ll win every time.
think webb sounds an excellent vp choice. sebelius is my second prefernce, but i think obama needs a white male, although of course he shouldnt
Expect to hear that pairing “John McCain and George Bush” over and over and over again during the real capmapign. It will be to Obama what “working families” was to Rudd. The more McCain tries to hide his party associations, the more Obama will tie that dead Republican dog around his neck for all to see and smell.
Tell us Andrew why does Obama “need a white male” ? What exactly is the need he needs to meet?
Sat May 17: Reckon you’re on the money, Ferny!
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/edstein;_ylt=ApM9.dephRRZM5osmV9GnrhJ_b4F
Fri May 16:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/jeffdanziger;_ylt=Auw4eDMi0QpZ8gYkK4q4YhpX_b4F
Sat May 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/robrogers;_ylt=AgtO4dPgri6GAQbOPiN.FH0XvTYC
KR, my late entry in your little challenge:
The Gracehoper’s race card (puce for shame) to cavil MY ahmn.. FLoor’d delicatensis, h’expected too mad to her tally me, marry me please more Supper delicates to love me, ahh…
Diogenes @ 1302 -
The VA and DoD have been using every trick in the book to keep PTSD cases low and to punish troops claiming to have it.
Initially, they did this by charging the worst cases with any and every small offence they committed and then dishonorably discharging them which automatically cancels their rights to VA funded treatment. And those they couldn’t get rid of they shoved off to military hospitals with facilities so bad that would appall the generals running Myanmar!.
Naturally, most of this was done to avoid the huge future costs of treating hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of those affected. All mental disorders are difficult to treat but PTSD is harder than most and few recover completely.
However, especially in the last 3 years, they’ve also wanted to retain as many troops as they could on active duty because recruiting isn’t bringing in enough fresh cannon fodder. IMHO, this is possibly the Bush administration’s greatest crimes. Not only does sending PTSD sufferers back into battle greatly diminish their chances of recovery, but it places both their colleagues and the Iraqi people in greater danger.
Now the Pentagon is fast tracking trials of an old TB antibiotic, d-cycloserine, which has shown some promise in blocking the bedding down of memories if taken just before, during, or soon after a traumatic event, and boosting the effectiveness of psychotherapy when taken during sessions. Soon the grunts may be able to commit the most heinous atrocities and not loose any sleep over them!
For every GI killed in Iraq there’s been at least one more PTSD/other mental disorder related death back home, either by suicide or murder (usually of a family member, mostly wives), and that is likely to become even more common as time goes on.
“1319
Edward StJohn Says:
May 17th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Kirri, personal question – do you wash? I am told Trots often dont.”
Eddy, for a Trained Historian you sure do leave out a lot of apostrophes.
And Eddy at 1323: “Tell us Andrew why does Obama “need a white male” ? What exactly is the need he needs to meet?”
That’s an excellent question, Eddy! For an easy to comprehend explanation, see the third cartoon at 1324. There’s a good lad then.
EC ‘Check out any supermarket over there.’ Marketing.
The 4ps @ the Knesset…eh this didn’t take long following Larisa Unplugged
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larisa-alexandrovna/all-the-presidents-nazis_b_102022.html
to this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QeyQs202YI
How fast can a zimmer frame go?
1324
Enemy Combatant
That flag pin’s about the right one, by the looks of it. Huck was down there in Kentucky whooping up the gun nuts, bible in one hand, rifle in the other, and all it needed for the whole hoot-nanny was a confederate flag.
That Huck’s a right charmer, ain’t ‘e?
Webb would be good as VP candidate as he is the opposite of Obama (White, ex-Navy, ex-Republican, ex-novelist). The problem is the job is probably Clinton’s if she demands it (because she has 1500 delegates who will vote for her when it comes to the VP vote at the convention). The question is does Clinton really believe the same line as our Clinton Creeps* that Obama is set to lose and she’ll be able to run in 2012.
*Committee to Re-Elect Ex-President Spouse. I mean no harm when I use the term; It is not worse than Obamabot.
It’s good to be reminded of the history of polls, and anything you read now will be chip wrappers before you’ve finished reading it:
In truth, May horse-race polls have the predictive powers of a 7-year-old dressed up as a swami and using an upside down goldfish bowl to peer into the future. In the last five presidential elections, the Gallup Poll conducted right before Memorial Day got the eventual winner of the national popular vote wrong. From Michael Dukakis’ 13-percentage-point lead in 1988 to John Kerry’s 4-point edge in 2004, the Gallup Poll (like other national surveys) pointed in precisely the wrong direction. The only unequivocal success story was 1996, when Gallup (along with virtually every sentient American) figured out that the then-youthful Bill Clinton would handily defeat Bob Dole, the oldest first-time presidential nominee in history (McCain included).
Salon
Can’t tell you what a relief it is to be able to get some REAL news from this site. BBC and CNN are infuriating in lack of detail.Am writing this in a Paris e-cafe relieved to be able to check-in with the experts after having watched Edwards endorse Obama on Japanese TV a day or so ago.
) Take a bow!!
Scrolled straight to Catrina’s post with delegate count and it was better than hoped. Phew!
Have been seriously amused by PB postings this past week or so-certainly cheered the cockles of this lurking PBer’s little heart
1328
codge
That guy doesn’t like young George much does he? LOL
I liked the line about Gates saying they need to sit down and talk with the Iranians!
What a confused bunch of neocon nutters they are, not even a clue about what his Sec Def is saying in public.
God, please, can we have a grown up in charge of the word’s biggest military?
How are the snails Megan?
1332
Megan
Careful Megan, those cheese eating surrender monkeys are so untrustworthy. They may disagree with you if you decide to invade a country in the Middle East for example!
Have fun.
Remember back in the Bill Clinton era when names like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ollie North et al were considered to be at the lunatic fringe of the far right? Then they gained power – and continued to be the lunatic fringe of the far right (except official office somehow gives gravitas to lunacy).
Are we about to rediscover sanity?
Are ‘we’ about to rediscover sanity?
Ferny, let’s hope that ‘our’ friends over the blue find reality first; progress to sanity is not a given. But brand Hu looks better than brand Rh, at the minute.
My default position is as you know…
1221
Codger
It has very recently been discovered that if it stays in the hanky in the pocket long enough it springs to life as the “snot fish”
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/NewsVids.html?vid=News%2Fjellyfish.flv&title=New%20jellyfish%
1338
Gaffhook
We heard a radio interview with the scientist, we blinked in disbelief and asked ourselves if this was a hoax.
Nah, just a very slow news day! LOL
You’ll appreciate this as an artist, if you’re about EC – Shepard Fairy takes up his brush for Obama:
Obama’s On-the-Wall Endorsement
All political art is propaganda (that is the point), but most political posters are bland, forgettable, wallpaper, like Fred Thompson on an off day. Fairey wanted something more iconic — aspirational, inspirational — and cool. In other words, he wanted to make posters that the cool cats would want.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/16/AR2008051601017.html?nav=rss_politics
Interesting how Fairy worked it through:
Red? “People are freaked by red,” Fairey says. Perhaps flashing on socialist constructivist propaganda? “But I say don’t let the Soviets steal our red. Red is a good primary color,” he says.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/style/features/2008/obama-poster-051808/graphic.html?sid=ST2008051602005
Welcome back from your bush trek Jen – or long ‘92 Camry drive.
The last thrashings of the big fish called Hillary on the deck of the Good Ship Obama have been quite bitter and aggressive here on PB in the last day or two I see. When in doubt, you remaining minions of Hillary, read Catrina’s updates on the delegate count – and relax. Just embrace the inexorable truth. It’s not too late to score an invite to the Barack party.
Yeah, Kirri, Huck’s a piece of work, orright!
How would he or any of the NRA jump if someone made a crack like that about any of their family, friends or acquaintances? But of course we forget, that’s the way stupid white angry people with guns deal with uppity jigs over there. Wonder if ther were any schvartzes in the audience when he made his “spontaneous” little funny.
Perhaps we should get a comment from the family of MLK Jnr. or relatives of JFK and RFK just to put a bit or perspective on this “gun barrel” humour.
codger at 1328, that you tube link’s a bloomin’ ball-tearer. And it’s documented history. The Imbecile’s grandpappy, Prescott Bush, financed The Holocaust. No doubt whatsoever that Likud are Eastern Mediterannean PNAC boosters. Who else sold the dud Shock and Awe gambit on Lebanese Hezboolah a couple of years back? Didn’t work then, won’t work now. Shock and Awe sure didn’t work in I-raq either.
Anyway, bet a lot of Israelis are teed-off about the cheap “appeasement” shot of President sh*t for brains.
What a great legacy Reaganism was, eh? On so many fronts:
With major government investments in wind in the 1970s, the U.S. was poised to be a dominant player in what was clearly going to be one of the biggest job-creating industries of the next 100 years. As late as the mid 1980s, we had over 85 percent of the world’s global installed capacity, and U.S. companies possessed the most critical knowledge about how to develop wind farms cost-effectively.
President Reagan cut the renewable energy budget more than 80 percent after he took office, and eliminated the wind investment tax credit in 1986. His administration saw wind power, clean energy and energy conservation as “Jimmy Carter” strategies, and, like most conservatives, Reagan opposed government-led programs to promote alternative energy. This was pretty much the death of most of the U.S. wind industry.
Salon
…and idiot son of star wars has continued down this same stupid path.
Time for a change, did someone say?
1326 MF
Thank you for that analysis. I think it will be a factor in the election because of Virginia and North Carolina. These are two outside chances for the Democrats and would be the equivalent of a Longman-type loss in Australia. Between them, they have 28 electoral votes, one more than Florida, which I’ve given up on.
There is a groundswell amongst the army vs the Iraq war. Thousands have deserted or refused to go. These guys have served with distinction and courage for their country in Afghanistan but they can’t stomach Iraq.
US soldier refuses to serve in ‘illegal Iraq war’
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080516144757.0ds7otes&show_article=1
Two factors should swing Virginia and NC to Obama.
1. The huge military population in these states will swing away from Repug in disgust (not all but enough to make a difference).
2. Jim Webb as VP, as a decorated vet and Senator from Virginia, which neighbours NC, will attract a lot of votes. He’s the kind of guy voters in these states would like for POTUS.
So, as long as Obama chooses Webb as his running mate, this little black duck is predicting Dems wins in Virginia and probably NC.
Diogenes – Mort 2008
Boss link, thanks, jv. Got a good mate who does something similar in his art. He divides his time between his art, which he does in his huge studio, and making sure that down and outs and desperates in his bailiwick, mostly alkies and addicts, get to their meetings, have a place to crash and food to eat. Sold him on Obi last January, just emailed him with the link, hope he finds some inspiration, It’s extraordinarily powerful agitprop.
—————————-
Sat May 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/robertariail;_ylt=AhkkP3I4hxyiuuFAm6TjUi3e.sgF
Sat May 17: Bubba as Veep odds, 150/1; in the drug-addled, corrupt National Game of baseball it’s what’s known as a sucker play.
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/billschorr;_ylt=AmEKuhe.IVoNCExI6Wt3MeBT_b4F
“Ain’t I cute? My friends call me, Dio.”
http://www.justducks.co.uk/Images/Lanco/10105%20Lanco%20Black%20Duck%20lr.jpg
Hey, someone agrees with me! And lots of people agree with Robert about the South becoming problem for the Republicans. Even if they still win there, the Republicans are going to have to put a lot more (seemingly scarce) resources into ensuring the South stays Red.
Some analysts suggest that North Carolina and Virginia may even be within reach for the Democratic nominee, and they point to the surprising result in a Congressional special election in Mississippi this week as an indicator of things to come.
In the South, a Force to Challenge the G.O.P.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/politics/16south.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1211018946-loXn9BjXqapbCbD6J//8Xw
Obama certainly thinks he can play in NC and Virginia.
You could tell in his speech after the NC primary. The first thing he said was thankyou North Carolina and you better believe we will back.
I think Virginia and The Carolinas are key planks in their plans.
That was just spin Harry H.
He’s gonna spin the ol 72yo dog around 3/4 of the country.
The ol bloke will be all spun out by September.
Then he’ll crack and do something stupid and start acting grumpy and…..
Gaffhook & the washing machine just died! We’ll all be Ronned.
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