Barack Obama has proven to everyone that his speeches can convince everyone that experience may not be everything. Although, his argument on experience would never work for say, someone surgically operating on your heart or saving you in court; apparently, the argument does work for someone campaigning to control the most powerful nation in the world.

(more…)

PoliGazette’s Jonathan Wilson wonders what went wrong in the Middle East and what US policy should be. (more…)

Preparing for its convention in Denver, the Democratic Party is facing daunting obstacles in accommodating the many political correctness sensibilities of its various factions.  Environmentalists demand a “green” convention.  Powerful labor unions demand that materials be purchased exclusively from suppliers that are both American and unionized.  Healthy lifestyle enforcers are keeping a close eye on the food.  And above all the BDS brigades want to make sure that no Republican-leaning CEO gets a dime’s worth of contract.  The result is a bewildering array of logistical impossibilities, counterproductive illusions trumping substance, and just plain silliness. (more…)

Different media sources are reporting that Hillary Clinton will throw her support behind Barack Obama at an event on Saturday. The original idea was to do it Friday, but the release of the information has moved the event to Saturday to allow for her supporters to gather. That certainly seems fair enough. It should be noted that even if the media wanted her to concede at the very second Obama got the magic number, Obama said nothing of the sort. He has been completely gracious and patient, acknowledging Clinton as a very close second with wide support.

I saw Clinton’s speech and Obama’s speech. Obama’s people cheered Clinton when he praised her. Her people had to be prodded several times, virtually ordered, by Clinton to give Obama an applause.

The next question is the VP slot. Does she really want it or just to be asked? The vetting process is brutal, does she REALLY want her, and especially Bill’s records and finances to be fully vetted or does she want a theatrical effect? Only she knows for sure.

The AP is reporting that Hillary Clinton has said she is “open” to a VP slot. Now, the AP already got slammed once today by the Clinton campaign for reporting that Clinton was ready to concede should Obama, so I urge caution in this case as well, even though it’s a very credible news organization, it could be getting sloppy in the rush of the last day.

But mindless speculation is fun!

(more…)

I, like so many road weary reporters I’ve been watching today, can barely believe it. The primary race is very nearly over. In a matter of hours, not days, the final primaries will be finished, and it looks like the magic number will actually be reached. Obama is planning a big rally in Minnesota, and Clinton another in New York. Speculation abounds as to the content of those events, but everyone seems to agree they will have very different tones.

(more…)

Former President Clinton recently said that he’s never seen anything like the Obama/DNC full-court press to get Democratic super delegates to commit to Mr. Obama.  But The Jed Report has a interesting post about the 1992 Bill Clinton vs. Jerry Brown Democratic primary race that belies that assertion.  To an extent, the same thing was going on during Bill’s breakaway win over Brown.

(more…)

CNN says that talks to create the Democratic party’s Dream Team are underway.  The word “difficult” was used, as you’d expect, given that Hillary has a very good chance of winning the aggregate popular vote.

Partisan voters almost always come home after their candidate loses. The problem arises when a candidate’s supporters believe that their guy (or gal) didn’t lose.

I don’t think that will true in the Obama-Clinton case, however.  Unless Hillary has been saving a last wad of oppo to shoot across Obama’s bow as she’s going down in defeat, her supporters will go over to his camp in large numbers.

Jeff Emanuel’s excellent article about Representative Paul Kanjorski (D-PA) confirms what I’ve written for several months now:  that the Democrats were dishonest about their intentions - and ability - to put an end to the Iraq war.  Jeff says that Kanjorski has an “honesty problem” - too much of a good thing!  I wish there were a couple hundred more like him in Congress.

(more…)

America is way behind the 8-ball in terms of having a next-generation energy program.  But instead of taking action, Congressional Democrats spent the day badgering oil executives about high gas prices and their personal compensation packages.  Democrats like to talk about John McCain’s lack of economic know-how and not without some justification.  But their own approach to energy policy practically screams out that they don’t know what they’re doing.   

(more…)

Politics is exactly what Barack Obama and others on the left are playing at when they protest, overmuch, that President Bush attacked the presumptive Democratic nominee when he delivered a much-needed slap in the face to those who would look away from terrorism rather than face the threat directly.

(more…)

AmericaBlog exemplifies Democrats’ inherent loathing of the democratic process. John has picked his candidate; therefore, no one else is allowed to express their opinions or compete against his anointed one.

IT’S NOT CLOSE. YOU FREAKING LOST THE NOMINATION, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Good God. What is wrong with her? The Clintons and their campaign staff don’t give a damn that they are now hurting our electoral chances in the fall against McCain and against the Republicans in Congress.

(more…)

 Clinton won West Virginia by a large margin. Does the media care?

(more…)

Today is the West Virginia primary, and I would like to hear your predicitons. Except this time, I’m less interested in numers than media discourse. Clinton will destroy Obama in this state, she consistently polls around 40 points above him (personally I’m predicting some 35 points difference and somewhat lower turnout compared to other states). It will be a massacre, no question.

But what will the media do? Will they acknowledge this as a “last throes” moment, or will they try, because of their eternal love of the horserace, try to push a new narrative whereby Clinton has a chance for a comeback from waaaaay behind?

(more…)

Ellen R. Malcom on Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency:

This brilliant woman believes that she can compete for the most powerful office in the world. She believes that she can do a better job than any of the men running to lead our country through these challenging times. And millions of Americans, women and men, believe that she is correct.

(more…)

Why Barack Obama & Hillary can’t bring (Change)

“Zo is suggesting the candidates change the whole TALK of change thing…”
Black and White on the Grey Matters 4 (Change)
Black & White on the Grey Matters 4 (Change)

Cross-posted at Fausta’s blog

PBS airs an interview featuring a long-time anti-American with a long record of spewing bile towards anyone he disagrees with about anything. Infamous Rev. Jeremiah Wright was also there.

Keith Olbermann proves to be a complete ass. Yet. Again. Disgusting, but not sexism. Oh. But it’s ok. He apologized. Think he will ever apologize for his insanely long history of outrageously over-the-top BDS? Nah. Way too much to hope for. Why Olbermann went from being a second-rate sportscaster to a third-rate political commentator, we’ll never know.

The height of Democrat political humor has been acheived: “old guy” jokes.

Clinton campaign loses key fund-raiser at a crucial time. Booking limits on the Lincoln Bedroom may be to blame.

The pattern of demanding candidates apologize for what other people say seems to never die. It’s going to become impossible to ever elect anyone to anything if the standard is that they cannot have ever associated with a moron.

Fred Thompson says he would reject VP nomination. No sign that anyone was going to offer it to him.

And, of course, the empty “yay for us” story of the day.

All links via Memeorandum.

In 2004, Nader got on the ballot in many states thanks to the help of Republicans, that collected signatures to get him on the ballot. This of course was not because they had found their inner liberal, but a tactic to attempt to leech votes from Kerry, to boost GOP chances.

It seems Clinton is benefiting from her own Nader effect these days, with Republicans, already assured of who their candidate is, try to give a boost to who they think will be easier to beat in November or at the very least prolong the Democratic primary, to weaken the party. Look at the numbers of Republican votes for Clinton:

100,000 in Ohio

119,000 in Texas (Clinton won the popular vote in Texas by 101,029 voters incidentally (h/t RealClearPolitics)

38,000 in Mississippi

The House of Representatives today voted to pass a Democratic plan to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, defying President Bush’s demand that telecom companies that cooperated with the Justice Department be granted immunity for their actions.

As I’ve said repeatedly, it makes no sense to penalize the telecoms for doing what they thought they had to do to protect our nation while allowing the driving force behind the information gathering process to escape punishment. 

The Democratic plan would allow telecommunications companies to be sued for their role in the administration’s much-disputed warrantless surveillance program.

(more…)

Yes, I know, you’re shocked. With 99% of the vote counted, Obama won Mississippi by a whopping 24 points, geting 61% of the vote to Clinton’s 37%. This gives him a net boost of 9 delegates (at last calculation) which makes up for, plus two, the gains made by Clinton in Ohio. I’ll crunch some numbers and get back to you soon, but if I’m not mistaken, Obama, with Wyoming, Mississippi and the delegate boost from California, is now better off in terms of lead than he was before the Texas-Ohio “firewall”. Again, this is a hazy estimate, I’ll see if I can get some real numbers later in the day.

I mean what ELSE could This DAMNING picture mean???

Note: The picture is from a 1997 trip to Eritrea.

Barack Obama and Howard Dean should be very, very concerned. It looks like Hillary Clinton means to play the primary game all the way to the bitter end, even if it means blowing up the entire party.

(more…)

I know I’m supposed to wait until Wolf Blitzer tells me it’s ok, but I think it’s safe to call Wyoming for Obama. With 78% of precincts reporting, Obama has 59% to Clinton’s 40% (link updated by the minute).

I think that between this victory and Mississippi, which is just around the corner, Obama will all but obliterate the slight gain Clinton had gotten with Ohio and Texas. Also, let’s not forget that it’s not over in Texas, where caucus results (which account for a third of the delegates) haven’t come out.