Who's Left?

Well, there are no liberals left in the nomination races for the Democrats and Republicans (the one major party).

John Edwards was the last contender with a liberal bent. He was also the last candidate with anything resembling an agenda, a plan, and details.

America is sadly left with four conservatives from whom to choose. Four guys whose plan will be to continue the liberalization of America's economy by giving banks, pharmaceutical companies, energy suppliers, military contractors, and media conglomerates the final say on all decision that affect the daily life of Americans, with no governmental oversight.

Clinton is a conservative whose plans to mire us more deeply in Iraq will guarantee her family, and the families of her friends like the Bush family of Texas, huge profits for years to come. She will move more jobs off-shore with the passage of CAFTA. She will restrict abortion in a round-about way by failing to include it in any health care plan she develops.

Obama will not do anything about aboloishing the death penalty, has no plan for the health care crisis, has made it clear that he thinks the sub-prime mortgage problem is the fault of cnosumers and has no plan for relief, will keep us mired in Iraq until his family gets their share of the profits, has no plan to relieve Americans of the rising cost of energy or banking; and he is a Reagan Democrat.

Romney will privatize as much of the federal government as he can, has no plan for managing the war, never met an anti-consumer law he couldn't love passionately, wouldn't know a health-care crisis if he saw it, and will gut what remains of our governmental oversight agencies.

McCain is just scary. Talk about a man with no plan! Holy shit!

Things look bad for the next five years.

Congratulations America! You have allowed the media to determnie who deserves a shot at the Presidency and they have left you with four conservatives!

Now, just go back to your televisions and Super Bowl party preparations, and let the world pass you by.



Dick Mac Recommends:

Wake Up, You're Liberal!
Ted Rall

News Flash - Edwards Is Dropping Out

According to several news sources, John Edwards is ending his bid for the Democratic nomination for President.

Edwards Is Dropping Out - New York Times blog by Julie Bosman

Edwards quitting presidential race - CNN ElectionCenter2008

Hillary's Connection To Obama's Slumlord Neighbor

Barack Obama won South Carolina in a landslide.

Since Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination, I am supporting John Edwards. Although Edwards placed third in South Carolina, I think it is most important that Hillary Clinton lost so handily.

My favorite side story leading up to the South Carolina primary was Clinton accusing Obama of having dealings with a slumlord (see, Obama on Rezko deal: It was a mistake), followed by a blogger publishing a picture of Clinton and her husband posing with the same slumlord (see, Hillary's Slumlord Returns to Haunt Her).

Clinton and her husband really lowered the bar in the weeks leading up to the South Carolina primary. Her husband should be ashamed of himself for stooping so low. I know the United States Presidency has been stripped of all its dignity since the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan, but President Clinton has no business slinging mud the way he has been. I always thought President Clinton might work to restore some dignity to the office, but he is unable to find any dignity.

Congratulations to Barack Obama.

Continued good luck to John Edwards.

And not enough embarrassing things can happen to the Clinton campaign.



Dick Mac Recommends:

Wake Up, You're Liberal!
Ted Rall

Iowa Caucuses

8:30 P.M.
Anderson Cooper is reporting from the CNN studio. The blurbs at the bottom of the screen state that entrance polls have Clinton and Obama in a dead-heat for first place in the Democratic caucuses; however, with 5% of the caucuses reporting, John Edwards is leading with 36%.

CNN can't even match the graphics on their screen with the graphics on their board. This is already a bigger joke than I anticipated!

9:10 P.M.
NBC has called the Republican caucuses for Huckabee. CNN has Obama leading the Democratic caucuses with 34%, Edwards with 32% and Clinton 31%.

9:13 P.M.
CNN and CBS have called the Republican caucuses for Huckabee, too. It looks like Mitt Romney's millions have not purchased the caucuses for him.

9:26 P.M.
NBC is calling the Democratic caucuses for Barack Obama; and at 9:29, CNN made the same projection.

9:43 P.M.
85% of Democratic caucuses reporting, Obama has 752 state delegates for 37%, Edwards has 618 state delegates for 30%, and Clinton 615 state delegates for 30%. It's nice to see Clinton at the back of the pack.

10:07 P.M.
94% of Democratic caucuses reporting, Obama has 865 state delegates for 37%, Edwards has 695 for 30%, and Clinton 685 for 30%.

10:15 P.M.
95% of Democratic caucuses reporting, Obama has 879 state delegates for 37%, Edwards 704 30%, Clinton 693 30%. Clinton has slipped a little further back! Hooray!

10:28 P.M.
96% of Democratic caucuses reporting, Obama has 900 state delegates for 38%, Edwards 717 for 30%, and Clinton 706 for 29%. Now Clinton has dropped an important percentage point behind! Like Romney, Clinton's millions are not winning her Iowa!

10:41 P.M.
96% of Democratic caucuses reporting, and now the national delegate assignments are being counted as well. Obama has 910 state delegates for 38% and 16 national delegates, Edwards has 723 state delegates for 30% and 14 national delegates, while Clinton has 711 for 29% for 15 national delegates. I don't quite understand why Clniton gets more national delegates while counting fewer state delegates, but I'm sure there is some convoluted method to explain it.

10:41 P.M.
97% of Democratic caucuses reporting, Obama 911 38% 16, Edwards 724 30% 14, Clinton 713 29% 15.

At 11:00 P.M. Barack Obama delivered his victory speech.

Now the 2008 Presidential Election is underway!

Added at 0758:
Nobody should underestimate the importance of the fact that a black man has won a state that is 95% white; and this in a year where Democratic attendance at the caucuses increased from 124,000 to 227,000. America's desire for change might actually be greater than I anticipated, and might actually be strong enough to change the tide of elections, which tide is usually the purview of the media alone.

If Ameriacns vote their heart and soul, then the media and the conservatives will have little chance of maintaining business as usual.

My question remains: Does Obama really represent change or change of skin color?



Dick Mac Recommends:

Howard Zinn -
You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train
Matt Damon, Howard Zinn

What Is Your Position On Gay Marriage?

Six of the Democratic candidates for president discussed issues of importance to homosexual Americans and their answers were rather predictable. The stand-out, as always, is Dennis Kucinich, the Democrat who unequivocally supports the rights of homosexuals to marry.

One panelist asked Kucinich how he could possible have become so evolved while a member of Congress.

To me, who cares? It really doesn't matter. Every one of us taking a stand has the potential to help any one of us evolve. That’s the gift we give to each other.

I do know that I have ever before heard a politician speak so eloquently!

When Kucinich was mayor of Cleveland, he was attacked for hiring a police chief who was sympathetic to gay rights.

The others, especially the front-runners, all had completely unacceptable responses.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson:

I’m not a scientist. I don’t see this as an issue of science or definition. I see gays and lesbians as people. I don’t like to answer definitions like that that are grounded in science or something else that I don’t understand.

The Governor doesn't understand things that are grounded in science, or other messy complicated arenas that require him to think.

Clinton described her opposition as "a personal position," adding that marriage laws should be determined by state legislatures.

I hope all my gay and lesbian friends are paying attention. Personally, Sen. Clinton is opposed to gay marriage. It's not a political issue for her. Deep inside, she is personally opposed to gay people marrying! I think Hillary Clinton might actually be the most homophobic of all the candidates; yet, she enjoys unparallelled support from the gay and lesbian community.

Clinton, Edwards and Obama all have the same position: they are opposed to gay marriage. They have some pretty language about civil unions, but they think gay people are not equal to straight people when it comes to legalizing relationships. They think gay people in a relationship are not as important as straight people in a relationship. They oppose gay marriage.

Repeat after me: Clinton, Edwards and Obama oppose gay marriage.

Say it again.

Now say it aloud.

So, if you are gay and you plan to vote for one of these three, then you are voting against yourself. You are voting for a homophobe who has no interest in protecting your constitutional rights as a free, tax-paying Americans.

On the other hand, Dennis Kucinich offers unwavering support for gay marriage.

Repeat after me: Dennis Kucinich supports gay marriage.

Repeat it again.

Now say it aloud.

Very good.

Maybe now you understand that Hillary is against gay marriage.

Read about it further:

Six Democrats at Candidate Forum Wear Shades of Gray on Gay Marriage

Visible Vote 08


Dick Mac Recommends:

A People's History of the United States
Howard Zinn