The last two weeks have been busy but fun. It's so unusual for Pennsylvanians to be in the thick of a presidential primary race it's exciting. People everywhere are discussing the two candidates and I've heard from them in both camps. I've also heard a good number who remain undecided. I've also seen and heard some interesting things I'll share today as sort of background.
At Tuesday's Hillary event in Millersville I was sitting in the press section preparing for the beginning of the event and some of the final people were entering the gym. A man walked by carrying a Ron Paul sign (why is this man still in the Republican race???) and the gentleman behind him looked overt to me and rolled his eyes, pointed to him and shrugged. He couldn't figure this out either.
At another event I was entering the venue and there was a very heavy security presence. A local cop muttered that it was "all a waste of money." I was shocked by this attitude. Since when is seeing and participating in our democracy a waste of money? More people are involved, active, interested and excited with the races this year than in a very long time. Engaging in democracy is never a waste of money.
I've noticed an interesting difference between the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Hillary's communications staff is professional, knowledegable and incredibly good. Their field operation is in chaos. The opposite seems to be true of the Obama staff.
Quite a few people have expressed a desire to have more advance information about the campaign events and appearances. It's normally just one or two days notice and many people need more time than that to plan and get time off from work. The reason for this short notice is security. Extra time for you also means extra preparation time for anyone wishing to do harm so it's for security concerns that news about these appearances isn't available earlier.
Easter weekend won't see as much activity so I'm going to get some rest this weekend in anticipation of another hectic week. Both campaigns are putting on an effort to complete voter registration around the state. Monday is the deadline if you want to vote April 22nd and are not registered as a Democrat. The number of voters changing their party affiliation for this election is swamping election services offices throughout the Commonwealth.
I think Hillary Clinton's 12 point lead is the result of her campaigning actively and for publicly available events. Senator Obama has primarily done closed events, major speeches designed to swing the momentum back his way. Because people have been unable to see and hear him Senator Clinton has grabbed a distinct advantage. Momentum swings happen constantly during long contests as this and it's often the candidate with the final momentum who wins. Can Obama regain the momentum? We have to watch and wait to see.
The Rev. Wright issue seems to be influencing the debate. Obama has lost a good deal of support and the momentum as he grapples with this issue. Where is the similar outrage over Sen. McCain's endorsement by John Hagee amidst the outrageous comments he has made? Where is the outrage over the worse 9/11 comments made by Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson? Oh, yes, they aren't Black.
Why did the AP spend all their time digging through Hillary's First Lady schedules to report where she was during her hubby's trysts with Monica? Does anyone really care about this? What an enormous waste of time. They missed the real stories buried in those documents because they were more concerned with the salacious.
The release of these schedules does reinforce the argument put forth by the Obama campaign managers that the Clinton team is hiding this from the public because releasing these documents could hurt her campaign. These did in regard to NAFTA. Conversely the Clinton campaign has a point about Obama's state senate papers. It's a bit hypocritical of them to call for their release however until they release Hillary's records.
Hmmm...lets see...John McCain...didnt go to hagee's church for 20 years...didnt have his kids baptized by hagee nor did hagee perform his marriage...didnt defend him in a speech broadcast around the world while simultaneously chucking Gramma Mccain under the bus...didnt write about him glowingly in an autobiography that got its title from a sermon Hagee gave....
yea...its because he's white people arent making the connection...uh-huh.
talk about a ssssssssssssssstttttttttttrrrrreeeeeeetttttttcccccchhhhhhhh at moral equilency.
barrack has the support of Hamas if we want to talk about support...and lets not forget about having the support of Rev. Donnie McClurken...remember him John? He was the reason you said back in November you would never vote for Barrack...or are you still standing by that?
I agree with you about the AP digging up the timeline...serves no point other than to show what little regard President Clinton's showed toward her...with his wife being in the same building.
have a great day, you typical white person! :) lol
p.s. at least give me props for the clever formatting of the word 'stretch' :)
Posted by: tyler | March 21, 2008 at 09:54 AM
ugh, its come to this...I am defending mccain...UGH...politics truly IS an ugly business.
Posted by: tyler | March 21, 2008 at 09:55 AM
Maybe, but John McCain actually sought Hagee's endorsement and that's even worse.
Posted by: John Morgan | March 21, 2008 at 09:57 AM
I continue to be disturbed by the Donnie McClurkin affair.
On the other hand Sen. Obama has spoken publicly in support of gay issues before difficult and unwelcoming groups and that should be to his credit.
I continue seeing things with both of these remaining candidates which I dislike. The more I see of them the more I like John Edwards.
Posted by: John Morgan | March 21, 2008 at 10:00 AM
there's always the VP slot for Edwards should Barrack manage to hang on. I cant see him taggin Hillary with the label, nor would she deem it worthy of her stature.
Posted by: tyler | March 21, 2008 at 10:15 AM
shut up, tyler.
Posted by: Peter Bonny, Jr. | March 21, 2008 at 01:59 PM
You're just mad and all over this blog because you're threatened at the possibility of Barack being a real opponent. You wouldn't "waste the time" if he wasn't so far ahead in pledged delegates. And I can see what you were trying to say when you said "Gramma McCain," and trust me, you're not as clever as you think.
Posted by: Peter Bonny, Jr. | March 21, 2008 at 02:03 PM
With respect to the Obama campaign hypocracy about releasing his State Legislature papers, my understanding is that there is no systematic record other than than Obama's votes and similar matters. I don't think state legislators have the support systems enabling them to organize, catalogue etc. their "papers". I would appreciate knowing whether this is correct.
On the other hand, I believe that both the Illinois press and the national press have investigated, interviewed, and produced analytical accounts of his tenure.
Posted by: M. Madigan | March 21, 2008 at 02:39 PM
The Clinton campaign is asking for his correspondence, especially in regard to Rezko.
Posted by: John Morgan | March 21, 2008 at 09:25 PM
touched a nerve about your man Barrack, didnt I? Truth sting a bit?
he chucked his grandma (the one who helped raise him) under the bus for his political aspirations and YOU get mad at ME for pointing it out.
sorry to tell you that the emporer is naked. or at least flawed.
personally...as time goes by, I dont care who comes out of the democrat primary...I used to be worried that we couldnt beat Barrack...now I am more worried about Hillary...because if she can pull THIS off, she will truly inherit the moniker "come back kid"
have a great day :)
Posted by: tyler | March 22, 2008 at 11:51 AM
"he chucked his grandma (the one who helped raise him) under the bus for his political aspirations and YOU get mad at ME for pointing it out."
Tyler,this is at least the third time you've used the "under the bus" line when speaking about Obama. Is it just a mere coincidence that Ann Coulter recently wrote an anti-Obama article titled "Throw Grandma Under the Bus"?? Polly wanna cracker?
Posted by: Melissa | March 22, 2008 at 03:12 PM
Melissa...actually...go back to the thread that kirk posted back on wednesday...i was referring to tossing grandma under the bus prior to Ann's article hitting Townhall...i am not sure if you read it, but i first thought his grandmad was dead until joyful made the correction. then it really made me think he tossed her under the bus once i realized she was alive.
Ha! maybe she reads me!!
great to see you read the other side though!
have a great day :)
Posted by: tyler | March 23, 2008 at 12:04 AM
Umm, actually her article preceded your use of the expression here on the blog. Are you sure you saw it at Townhall, or did you get an advanced copy via email, courtesy of the FAnn Club? ;)
I usually keep my eye on "the other side", although I find Ann Coulter's material to be vitriolic tripe at best.
Posted by: Melissa | March 23, 2008 at 09:10 AM
There's a Fann Club? Gotta get on that one!
I'm on Townhall's email list and her article hit my blackberry on my drive home around 5:30 or so...I posted my thoughts that morning starting around 9am or so.
Pinkie swear I did not piggyback her article. My thoughts and postings were completely my own.
ann is pretty harsh in her descriptions, but I think pretty dead on. but hey, I am a rethug. :)
happy Easter!
Posted by: tyler | March 23, 2008 at 01:49 PM
Ann Coulter is "dead on"? You're even loopier than I originally suspected. :-)
Posted by: Melissa | March 23, 2008 at 08:02 PM
i think the reason on the left hates her is because she doesnt pull punches...the 'ask me about my dead son' comment she wrote about Edwards is such...and to be honest i thought the same thing until i found out what she was talking about...the Shrum and Kerry situation...
shes to the left what franken and maher are to the right :)
Posted by: tyler | March 23, 2008 at 09:47 PM
Yeah right, Tyler. I don't recall hearing Franken or Maher calling people "faggots", nor do I ever recall them suggesting women's voting rights should be revoked. I could give you more examples, but it would serve no purpose. Whatever floats your little boat....
Posted by: Melissa | March 23, 2008 at 10:37 PM
I do recall Maher calling us cowards and the 9/11 hi jackers brave...you remember those guys dont you? They were the ones slitting the throats of women and the elderly as they hi jacked the planes...yup...brave souls who marched down 1st avenue with guns blazing and stormed the mayor's office...no wait...they didnt...they slit the throats of women.
but hey, I guess we do have differences of opinion and I guess his definition of brave is a bit different than mine.
maybe my assessment of her being dead on isnt truly 100% accurate and now that you mention it, i cant say that I agree with her (or anyone) 100% the time. and I wouldnt be for revoking the rights of women to vote, but i would be for the revoking the rights of anyone not paying taxes. its like someone not paying the dinner bill having input as to what is on the menu. its like in college the guy who is not paying for the beer complaining about 'hey this is only strohs'
have a great day :)
Posted by: tyler | March 24, 2008 at 08:24 AM
I have no pundit(s) with which I regularly agree or follow, to include Bill Maher. I will say that I believe his reference to acts of cowardice was pointing out that the hijackers were prepared to give their lives to their cause, which can't be considered cowardly. Making such a statement isn't supporting their actions or implying that it wasn't a heinous crime. And he compared their acts to our own air combat, which is usually used to avoid our own casualties--even if it sometimes leads to increased casualties for others.
Again, I still don't believe that compares to the vitriolic garbage regularly spawned by Adam's Apple Annie. :-)
Posted by: Melissa | March 24, 2008 at 11:26 AM
WOW...going after i woman's looks...ala Paula Jones or Linda Tripp...
man, you guys are harsh! Funny, but harsh :)
have a great day :)
p.s. ahh, i get it...they were dedicated to their cause in such a way that killing themselves made them uncowardly...the slitting the throats of women and the elderly to achieve that ultimate end makes them what? Heroes? Bold?
So by that rational...if i am so committed to the 2nd amendment that i hijack a bus full of orphans and run it into the ACLU Pittsburgh office with explosives...I am not a coward even if I shot the 72 year driver in the head to commandeer the bus in the first place?
Posted by: tyler | March 24, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Tyler, I can't make it any clearer than I already did. The point I believe he was trying to make was that they died for their cause, which shows a lack of cowardice. A coward is someone who shows fear. If they gave their lives for their cause, no matter how wrong or heinous or wicked you believe the cause to be, they obviously were not cowards and did not show fear of death.
Again, there is no comparison to AAA calling someone a "faggot", which is not open to interpretation and shows she is a bigot extraordinaire. :-)
Posted by: Melissa | March 24, 2008 at 08:33 PM
dying for a cause does not show a lack of cowardice if they had to murder children and the elderly in order to do so...I cant be any clearer.
If these brave souls were truly such...why not hijack an Air Force Fighter that is sitting on Air Force Base? Over power the guards, beat up the pilot and then take off...oh wait...thats because they would get whipped up one side of their Islamic asses and down the other. The wouldnt get within 100 yards of a plane if they came to Wright Patterson armed with box cutters. Hell, even if they showed up with guns...same result.
So what did these brave men do? Took the path of least resistance and slit the throats of women and the elderly in order to achieve the same result.
Why not attack the Air Force? They got planes...plenty of them...and some that are larger than commerical flights. Alot have bombs strapped to their wings that would really do some damage if fired or smashed into a buidling.
So why didn't they? Fear. Plain and simple. They knew they wouldnt win, so those cowards slit the throats of women and the elderly because they FEARED what would happen should they go after anyone else. F-E-A-R. Cowards.
have a great day :)
p.s. this was one of my better postings, if i do say so myself. and no, i didnt borrow it from glenn beck either lol!!
Posted by: tyler | March 25, 2008 at 08:29 AM
You've already wasted enough time and energy on Melissa; she has no capability of seeing the cogency of another point of view: the perfect "progressive."
Posted by: son of truth | March 25, 2008 at 09:29 AM
Tyler,
I've told you what I think Maher meant in his remarks about cowardice. I am not a Maher groupie and feel no obligation to continue defending him or his words to you or anyone else. Whether or not you interpret his words as I did is your choice.
My only advice to you would be to find a book on guerrilla warfare at your local library if you have that many questions about why the hijackers acted as they did. I deplore such tactics as I'm sure you do, but I also understand the dynamics of them.
Son,
Speaking about people whom you don't know as if you knew them: "The Perfect Assclown"
Melissa
Posted by: Melissa | March 25, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Son of truth,
I enjoy the give and take i get on this blog so I dont consider it wasted time.
plus, i know...somewhere in the deep coccels of the heart...somewhere down deep...I am breaking through...John, Melissa, DC, Ghost of Tom Joad, Kirk, that guy who calls me an asshole whose name now escapes me...
they dont wanna admit it...they cant bring themselves to admit it...but DEEP down...i am cracking the foundations of their ideology...bit by bit...hey, maybe 'hate crime' laws are like the thought police...hey maybe the 2nd amendment is an individual's right, hey maybe personal responsiblity does more for folks than government hand outs, hey maybe Joe Liberman is still a hard core liberal, hey, maybe global warming isnt caused my man but instead but the uncontrollable giant ball of gas called the sun (assuming global warming is even going on), hey maybe domestic spying didnt start on Sept 12 2001 and wont end on Feb 09, hey maybe the NAZI party was truly a left wing organization, hey maybe we arent living during the Spanish Inquisition, hey maybe there isnt a fatwah against gays in this country, hey maybe we can admit that the Jena 6 werent vicims but truly a bunch of future criminals (as three of already been re-arrested, one twice), hey maybe bridges will continue to collapse, mines will continue to subside, hurricanes and tornadoes will continue to happen and destroy lives and homes even after President Bush has long left office, maybe all rethuglicans arent racists, bigoted, homophobes and that those labels can be applied to both parties and in all races, hey maybe there isnt a picture of Bush flipping off some hippies in Scranton, hey maybe spending needs reduced rather than taxes needing raised, hey maybe if i dont like the tax code i AM free to pay more to the IRS, hey maybe the US is the best place on earth despite its faults and that no one rips the roof off their house and paddles 90 miles through shark infested waters to Cuba for freedom, hey maybe we need to use our own oil and start drilling to create union jobs that were lost to NAFTA, hey maybe anyone to the right of Mao Tse Tung is a neocon and maybe, just maybe ARLEN SPECTRE IS A FRIGGIN RINO!!!!!!!!!!!
Until one day...one fateful day...they will *rising church music* come clean and proclaim from the rooftops, from the streets, from all corners of their loony blue states in one solid and unified voice... "YES, TYLER DERBUN WAS RIGHT!!!! IN TYLER WE TRUST"
*HALLELUJAH!!!* *trumpets* *drums* *fireworks*
then a moment of silence will pass.
then I will quit posting on John's blog.
then everyone will have a great day :)
p.s. Melissa, forget that other one I just did...THIS is one of my finest posts. I kill me :)
Posted by: tyler | March 25, 2008 at 11:09 AM