TheNewArgument.com

Recently I have been asked to blog at another site. This new site, luckily, is a .com site.

I was trying to post on both, but it just took up too much time. As I barely have time to write already, trying to keep both going is just irresponsible.

I would like to thank ALL of you for your reading and support. Together we got OVER 11,000 hits!

I hope you will visit and continue to read mine and my friends posts at my new location. Many of them are quite a bit more liberal than I, but maybe I will bring some moderation to them as well. As you know, I’ve also started writing a bit more satire recently. I hope to continue that on this blog and not only give you the truth, but give it to you in a fun and humorous fashion.

 

Once again, I hope you come visit and/or subscribe to our new blog:

 

Sincerely,
 

~ Politics In Moderation

Information has recently been leaked by a Clinton campaign staffer describing in more detail what Senators Obama and Clinton were talking about during their meeting in DC at the home of Dianne Feinstein. This staffer, who asked to remain anonymous, says that “Senator Clinton respectfully asked Senator Obama whether he would like to be her vice president. After declining, Obama challenged Clinton to a hide-and-seek match. Clinton, unbeknownst to most as the 1995 & 1996 world hide-and-seek champion, welcomed Obama’s challenge. The rules of the contest dictate that if Senator Obama finds Senator Clinton on or before November 4th, he wins. If not, she wins.”

According to this same staffer, Obama has agreed to pay off Clinton’s campaign debt in the case that she wins. Oddly enough, he never asked for a reward if he wins. “If these are the kinds of deals Barack Obama makes, then whats gonna happen with foreign policy? Will he make a deal with the Arabs to give them back Iraq and not get anything back?” Says Andrew Forner, a loyal Clinton supporter.

The Obama campaign has announced an exploratory committee to find Clinton, but as of now says they are “too strapped financially to devote any funds and/or staff to such a worthy opponent”. One can only guess what the Obama campaign may have up their sleeves in an event such as this.

As of now, the clock is ticking and the question on everyones mind is, “where in the world is Hillary Clinton?” Only time will tell, but recent evidence seems to say that she may be in Bosnia.

In other news: After learning about the hide-and-seek competition, Bill Clinton has reportedly planned multiple parties at his mansion throughout the months of June and July. So far, the only invited guests include: the Playboy bunnies, Senator Clinton’s female campaign staff across the entire country, and the infamous Monica Lewinsky. Clearly, the Former President has full confidence in his wife’s hiding ability and thus has found reason to celebrate before her victory…

Is it possible that neither Obama nor McCain win enough electoral votes to be the winner come this Fall for the 2008 Presidential election? This map, although unlikely, is still a possible outcome – changing only swing states and not leaving the realm of possibility.

Once again, this is a very possible outcome. By giving McCain NH, NV, OH, and FL – This leaves both candidates 1 short of claiming victory! Although if the House of Representatives were to decide, it would obviously favor Senator Obama…

James Kellner, former Obama supporter, claims he has a video recording from his cell phone showing the Junior Senator at a rest stop eating Oreo’s. “Not just once, but 3 separate times I saw Senator Obama take an Oreo, separate the the chocolate cookie from the white creamy center, and then only eat the outer dark cookie. He wouldn’t even touch the white cream, he removed it with a knife!”

As the public has come to grip with these breaking news, questions of Obama’s racism have come to light once again. “How can I trust a man who isn’t willing to eat or even touch the delicious creamy center of an Oreo? The only reason for such an action is hatred towards everything white!” Says Suzanne Swartner, a white suburbanite mother who staunchly supports Senator Clinton. 

Dr. Ted Fields, an expert in the field of racism and economics, says, “Studies at Washington State University have shown, from 3 separate case reports, that only people with deep seated racism towards white people were not willing to eat the white center of an Oreo. The study also shows some racism towards African Americans, as a few caucasian males decided not to eat the outer cookie – although to be fair, former studies prove that the creamy inside is, by far, the tastier part of an Oreo.”

Although not having been able to hear all the facts, John McCain reportedly told a Washington Post reporter on a campaign stop in New Mexico that “if these accusations are true, it is a sad day for America and the rest of the African American community who have not used laden racism as a crutch. It is a shame that the first viable black candidate would have to be a racist as well.” 

Hillary Clinton, just having suspended her campaign, told CNN, in light of these news, that she is re-opening her campaign and holding her kick-off event in Chicago, hoping to win over the those Obama supporters who feel disillusioned. “I would like to apologize to my supporters. I stayed in the race and only suspended my campaign because I was worried that something like this would happen. Having heard a few racial slurs uttered from Senator Obama’s mouth during our short meeting in DC, I still told my supporters to vote for him come November. Because of the immense pressure coming from the DNC, I decided to give in and endorse Barack – but I should have stuck to my principals. Today, we have all come to see what kind of man Senator Obama truly is. I pray that the Democratic Party will forgive me for my lapse of judgment, together we can get past this sad event and a still win back the White House this Fall.” Ever since the news came out, Clinton campaign advisor Terry McAuliffe has been actively calling superdelegates through the night hoping to shift the election to Senator Clinton, “30 superdelegates have already switched sides, this is a big night for Senator Clinton. There were doubters, but I always knew that Senator Obama would eventually slip up. Although some superdelegates are awaiting a response from the Obama campaign, we expect to have the necessary amount of delegates by Wednesday to claim victory for the Democratic nomination”. 

At a prayer vigil in downtown Chicago, meant to ask God to cast the demons out of Senator Obama’s heart, Universeity of Chicago student Anne Richard’s says, “I could deal with him being a Muslim, but to think that this man was hiding such blatant racism behind words of hope is just despicable! No Barack, no you can’t!” Even the black activist Al Sharpton has repudiated the Senators actions and called on the white community to “not think that this is a usual thing for the African American community. We, like many others, were seduced by Obama’s beautiful rhetoric, we had no idea of the evil in his heart.”

Even Obama’s white grandmother, who Obama recently reported to have have said racist comments towards black people, has commented saying, “I simply cannot believe it. He is half white! Considering the way he was raised, why in the world would he choose to be racist towards whites over blacks? It just doesn’t make sense. If only his mother were alive today…”

Questions of Senator Obama being the antichrist have also begun to surface. “There is no doubt in my mind that Barack Hussein Obama is the antichrist. He perfectly fits the description lain down in Revelations stating that the antichrist will: 1) be a man in his 40’s, 2) be a Muslim, 3) hate white people and Jews, 4) be a persuasive and influential leader, 5) run for President, and 6) have a swastika on the bottom of his left foot and a pentagram on the bottom of his right. I recommend someone tackling the Senator and taking off his shoes, then we may be able to finally prove to the world that Senator Obama is the antichrist, or maybe even worse!” A statement taken from Dr. Schweitzer, a professor at Moody Bible Institute and renowned expert on the book of Revelations – also the author of: “Revelations for Dummies”, “Hell is for Atheists”, and the immensely popular “If You Were Smart, You’d be a Protestant, Reformed Baptist Church of God, Reformation of 1879, pro-life, Christian!” 

The Obama campaign has refused to comment so far, however his staff has leaked a possible 3rd party run for the White House (if he is unable to keep the Democratic nomination) – having Senator Obama name former Republican Congressman and Presidential nominee George Allen as his running mate. An Obama advisor commented, on the basis of ambiguity, stating that “Former Congressman Allen and Senator Obama have much in common, and such a ticket would show their bipartisan effort while allowing the Senator to have a running mate who agrees on such issues as race. While Allen’s color may cause friction, Senator Obama understands the need for compromise and realizes that while he may not like white people, and Allen may not like Black people – they can both agree on the fact that Indians, Mexicans, and Chinamen deserve no stay in the United States of America.

Recently I made my own prediction of what I think will happen come November in the General Election. As you can see, I have Obama winning without even the swing states of Ohio and Florida. Some may think this is crazy, but I believe this math (depending on the future) is a very possible scenario, especially after the bump Obama gets now that Clinton has left. I will update this as time goes by…

The swing states I gave Obama were CO, NM, IA, MN, WI, MI, and NH. 

The swing states I gave McCain were NV, IN, VA, NC, SC, GA, and MO. 

Any of these states could go to the other candidate, but looking at polls and history, I think this is a very logical result. The Vice Presidency choice will also possibly effect the math, but not necessarily. I should also mention that Nebraska is divided by congressional district, so its possible Obama could lose the state, but still get a few electoral votes.

Ohio and Florida are currently just too close to call. But if I had to guess, I would give Ohio to Obama and Florida to McCain. Once again though, I think this math is very fair to both sides. And Obama has a very good chance of picking of Nevada, Virginia, and maybe even Georgia/South Carolina/North Carolina. With Libertarian Bob Barr running, McCain may lose enough votes in those states to be crippled…
 

 

Here are the results from the 2004 election:

 

 

Here was a map recently created based on current polling data:

 

 

What do you think?

 

(Updated 6/2008 ) To reflect Obama vs. McCain and all new data…

I’ll be the first to say Senator Obama isn’t perfect, just like every other candidate. As a moderate, I strongly disagree with anyone who is a single party or single issue voter. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate and disagreeing on certain issues with Senator Obama, I still believe he is the best candidate for the 2008 Presidency.

Coming from a very conservative background, many people have asked me why I would support Obama. I admit that I disagree with him on certain issues: Affirmative Action, Abortion, and a few others. However I do agree with him on most issues: Iraq, Foreign Policy in general, Economics (more so then McCain), Healthcare (partially), Education, and much more…

The reason I can disagree with Obama on abortion and feel justified is because I know McCain won’t do anything about it either. And if it comes down to Supreme Court judges, I’m sorry but I’m not going to base my entire vote for President on who he might nominate as a judge. Not to mention that its becoming more doubtful anyone will touch that issue with a stick let alone try to overturn it! Bush was virtually elected on moral issues like abortion, and even with all 3 branches on the Republican side they still haven’t really changed anything!

Obama is incredibly intelligent and is one of the greatest leaders of our time. He may not have as much experience, but I think he makes up for it in sheer brilliance and great judgment. You must also take into consideration that some great presidents were his age or younger (Teddy Roosevelt, Bill Clinton, and more. It just so happens that McCain’s role model is Teddy Roosevelt – Ironic). He is motivational and gives hope to a country that has been quite hopeless for many years. He also has shown more integrity on the campaign trail then I have seen or read of from any politician in recent history. Focusing on the real issues: He will bring an end to the War in Iraq, which was waged under false pretenses, and slowly begin withdrawing troops in an organized and responsible manner under the supervision of the generals. He brings a much better understanding of economic policy then McCain does (who has said he knows little about economics – and shown it), who will continue the policies of Bush and do little to lower our mounting National Debt (around 9-10 Trillion). Obama will bring a fresh understanding, motivation, and bipartisanship to fix issues like Immigration, Education, and Healthcare reform. He will work for Universal Healthcare (I’m still not sure I support the details, but I do support a change in any direction as this clearly isn’t working and standing still is pointless). His Foreign Policy shows a wisdom and maturity that will not only support our national security interests but will also raise the level of opinion citizens of the International world see in Americans. He supports talking with everybody, citing that we ought never fear to negotiate, and he leaves war for a last choice only if necessary – which is the right way to go, we won’t be as hated and we won’t be caught up in unnecessary fighting. His policy towards Iran moves towards the future rather then going backwards in the past. He also supports unilaterally supports Israel while vowing not to force them to do anything that they don’t want to do and is not in their own interests (something American presidents have been doing for a LONG time). Lastly, Obama’s policies will help secure an environmentally safer world and will help us cut our dependence on oil while truly investing in the energy of the future – McCain has yet to come up with a clear plan to fight the energy crisis beyond a gas tax holiday, which will barely help the average consumer and could actually hurt him! 

The most important issues to me currently are: The Economy (specifically the Energy Crisis), Foreign Policy, Education, Healthcare, Abortion, and the Environment. Except for Abortion, Obama is superior to McCain in my opinion, and that is while I’ll be supporting him come November.

Strengths:

1) McBush 08? – Obama simply has an advantage by running after Bush. The GOP hasn’t been so weak for many years, and the Democrats are winning elections in areas that are unheard of! McCain will obviously be tagged to Bush through the whole election (which is fair and unfair in different ways), and currently, more people would support the policies of Obama then they would the policies of McCain (if they’re at all similar to Bush’s – which some are and some aren’t). Most importantly, Obama is the candidate that will bring us out of Iraq. Most American’s support this, and it will be a huge hurdle for McCain to overcome…

2) Leadership, Vision, and Judgment: Obama is a strong leader, ready and willing to go up against the establishment. He wants to stop the political bickering and abuse while using hope and inspiration to take America down a new course. Rather then going in political circles, Obama will hopefully go right through to the heart of the problems facing America. Obama also has an exemplary vision for America. He is optimistic of what we can accomplish while still being realistic about how we can go about it. He is passionate about cleaning up the garbage in Washington and making a country where people can hope again and have high expectations, rather then watch their representatives continually fail them. Lastly, Obama has an incredible amount of wisdom and intelligence, the best example of this is his ability to see through the War in Iraq from the beginning. He has the street smarts necessary to look at things logically and make good decisions, while he also graduated with many honors from Columbia and Harvard University. Such a combination makes a good/wise leader, especially when adding his social skills…

3) Money $$$ – Obama raises an unprecedented amount of money from contributors. He will be raising 2 to 3 times more money then McCain throughout the entire General Election. This gives him the ability to campaign more in the swing states and possibly flip undecided voters.

4) Electoral Math – Obama puts into play many states that could put him over-the-top without the help of even Ohio or Florida! Think I’m crazy? If Obama wins the traditional Democratic states and wins the swing states of NV, IA, CO, NM, NH, MI, MN, WI, and PA – he wins! That doesn’t even consider the possibility of winning OH, FL, MO, VA, NC, IN, GA, or SC (all swing states). Thanks to the HUGE registration of Democrats, they currently outnumber registered Republicans by 15-20%.

5) Bipartisanship/Likeablity: I am convinced with his charm and rhetoric, Obama will bring this nation together and strengthen out ties across the country. With the latest Presidency’s, Republicans and Democrats have continually pushed away from each other, getting to the point where they can’t even speak or love one another. Although Obama is clearly a Democrat, he brings people together; even if they don’t agree. Hopefully this will also be seen on an International scale.

Weaknesses:

1) Experience – Obama is generally cited for not having enough political, and especially, foreign policy experience. Although I admit that he doesn’t have an a plethora of experience, he does have more experience then most credit him for. However, compared to McCain being in the Senate for over 20 years and having military experience, clearly Obama’s greatest weakness will be the lack of experience in comparison.

2) Liberalism – If you haven’t heard, a study came out last year saying Obama was the most Liberal Senator based on his voting record. I can guarantee that Republicans will eat this up! It might also convince moderates/independents that he is too far to the left.  

3) Race, Name & Nationality – Sadly Senator Obama will still take a hit because of his being black. Such a factor must be counted as a political weakness, as well as his name: Barack Hussein Obama. Some people will continue to say he is a secret Muslim and distribute lies, and thus he will continue to have a hard time getting past the non-sense. Just for your information… Barack Obama has a white mother from Kansas and a black father (Sr.) from Kenya (from where he got his name). He was born in Hawaii, but after his parents divorced he lived in Jakarta, Indonesia for 4 years with his new-stepfather who was from there. Later he moved back to Hawaii and eventually would attend Columbia and then Harvard University. Obama is a Christian, part of the United Church of Christ – he is NOT Muslim. its also thanks to his race that he won’t be winning, KY, WV, and AR (all states Clinton is winning but Obama isn’t – I wonder why?)

4) Personal Issues/Attacks – Obviously Obama will still have to make it through the hurdles of Reverend Wright, Bill Ayers, and other attacks that may carry on a little longer in the election season. 

5) Voting Blocs – Obama has been having a very hard time capturing the votes of white women, blue collar workers, latinos, senior citizens, and Jews. He will have to make inroads into all of these blocs if he wants to have victory come November.

 

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Adams

 

Although Obama is still a length away from choosing his VP, I believe most of the best and most logical candidates have already been named.. Thus, here are my favorite 5 (according to personal preference, not necessarily viability) and then those who are more unlikely. On the bottom are the 6 most likely candidates as of now:

1) Bill Richardson – Governor of New Mexico. I don’t think Obama can find a better fit, Richardson fills in almost every hole Obama has! He has extensive foreign policy experience (former Ambassador to the UN under Bill Clinton), he helps win the swing state of NM, he helps win over the hispanic vote, and he helps a little with blue collar voters. The only way he could be better was if he was a woman with the last name Clinton! Richardson could be of help in any state with a large hispanic population (like FL), and he seems to work pretty well with Obama. I watched his endorsement of Obama, and although he had trouble in his own campaign candidacy, I think he brought a lot of excitement, personality, and passion during his endorsement speech that would would help on Obama’s campaign trail. There are 2 downsides to Richardson: 1) The possibility that he not be as exciting as Obama would like, but I think Obama brings enough excitement to the ticket for both of them. 2) He is pretty liberal Governor which won’t help with Obama’s already liberal voting record.

2) Chuck Hagel – Senator of Nebraska. First off, Hagel is a moderate Republican. He is adamantly against the war in Iraq, but still is lengths away from the Democratic Obama. I would personally love to see Hagel on the ticket: he shows that Obama is sincere about being bipartisan, he will balance Obama’s “liberalism” (according to a report, Obama was the most liberal Senator according to his voting record last year. I guarantee McCain will use this), and he will bring a large amount of foreign policy experience to balance out Obama’s weakness in that area. Hagel also helps with economic issues and blue collar workers. Lastly, Hagel recently co-sponsored the recent GI Bill that McCain has denounced; putting him on the ticket could be a really big hit against McCain and his senior citizen/GI voters. The biggest problem is if something happens to Obama, what will people think/say when a Republican suddenly jumps to the highest office in the land? Its also doubtful that Hagel will break with his good friend John McCain.

3) Evan Bayh – Senator of Indiana. Bayh is also the former Governor of Indiana and has a lot of support in the state according to opinion polls. As Indiana is a swing state, currently leaning Republican, Obama could use some help making it blue this Fall. As a Senator though, Bayh could be a liabiliity – and there is not reason to believe he will definitely bring his home state with him. He is currently on the armed services committee, but it is doubtful that the Senator has enough foreign policy experience to truly help Obama go head to head with McCain. Still, he definitely deserves recognition; and as a widely considered moderate, he would help Obama with Independents, Republicans, and blue collar workers. Lastly, he endorsed Clinton, so he may help Obama pick up Clinton supporters.

4) Joe Biden – Senator of Delaware. Biden brings many years of experience in politics and foreign policy. He is the Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and a former Presidential candidate. Although he has many good things, he also brings a lot of baggage to the campaign and multiple failed attempts for President. He is a good speaker, but he has also been critical of Obama in the past and may not be the wisest choice in the end.

5) General Zinni – Retired general. A 4-star general in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was the former Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command. He vocally opposed the Iraq War from the beginning and would bring much foreign policy experience to the table. He is also from PA, which could help Obama. But in the end, he doesn’t really have any political experience and might not be a full enough asset.

Other Choices –

Jim Webb – Senator from Virginia. Although Webb’s name has been tossed around, I highly doubt he’ll be chosen. He has been in the Senate less then Obama (not helping Obama’s political inexperience) and has said many controversial statements in the past. On the plus side, Webb will help with foreign policy experience and will help with southern and blue collar voters. He also is from Virginia, which could help win a very difficult swing state (but probably not). He was the Secretary of the Navy under Reagan, so he might help with Republican voters as well. Lastly, Webb is one of the head sponsors of the GI Bill that McCain will get a lot of slack for in the coming months. Putting Webb on the ticket will force McCain to give a real explanation as to why he didn’t support it.

Hillary Clinton – Senator of New York. Obviously the only reason to pick Clinton would be to keep party unity after a hard fought primary battle. Clinton would help secure blue collar voters, women voters, and senior citizen voters. With Clinton’s popularity and name, she wouldn’t be needed in NY, but she would help in many other states like OH, FL, and others (however how much she would help beyond what would happen if she wasn’t picked is up to debate. I would argue that its less then many would expect). Hillary brings along experience and also her very popular husband Bill (whether thats good or bad is also up to debate, for now I think Bill’s name is still in very high standing). Clinton however is a very polarizing figure. She wouldn’t help much with Obama’s liberalism nor foreign policy deficiency. She also brings a lot of baggage, not to mention the two of them don’t seem to get along very well; I’m sure sessions of Obama and Clinton fighting will be brought up if she is picked. Lastly, she doesn’t carry the same message of change that Obama has, it wouldn’t be a very congenial team. Nor does she really help much in the end with the electoral map… As a result, Obama would probably only pick Clinton if he was forced to in order to unify the party; but if he is ahead by around 10% or more after the bump, then there is no reason to pick her.

Ed Rendell – Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell was a prominent Clinton supporter, thus putting him on the ticket would help the unity along. Also, he helps keep PA on the Democrats side come November. Lastly, Rendell helps bring blue collar workers as well as Jewish voters to Obama – two groups of people that Obama has been having great difficulty wooing. He is also a well-spoken intelligent man who could be of great help as a VP. The biggest problem of Rendell is that he brings no foreign policy/national security experience to the table – Obama’s biggest weakness against McCain.

Sam Nunn – Former Senator of Georgia. He is the CEO of Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), and was considered a conservative Democrat while in office. But it doubtful that Nunn would help Obama very much in securing GA, if such a thing can be done. He’s also been out of politics for many years, so who knows if he would accept or how ready he would be. He does bring a lot of foreign policy experience on board and probably helps once against with the South and blue collar workers, but his pros don’t really outdo the pros of other candidates who help more politically.

Timothy J. Roemer – Former Congressman from Indiana. He is now the President of Center For National Policy (CNP). It is doubtful that Roemer would really push Obama over the edge in Indiana. He does however have a lot of knowledge in foreign policy and was considered a moderate Democrat – thus helping Obama with moderates and conservatives. He is very intelligent and would also help with blue collar workers. Lastly, he was a big supporter of Obama during the primary and strongly campaigned for him.

Kathleen Sebelius – Governor of Kansas. Sebelius probably would not be able to deliver a win in Kansas, nor does she help Obama in foreign policy experience. She could help with women, but if thats the only pro then he’d do better with Clinton (and Clinton supporters might be pissed if Obama picker her over Clinton). She might help with bipartisanism, but she doesn’t help Obama enough to be a strong consideration. She did endorse him early on, but she also is against gay marriage and brings some interesting views to the gun control debate.

Chris Dodd – Senator of Connecticut. Some Republicans believe that CT is a swing state. I don’t see it, but Dodd would ensure it wasn’t. He is a Senior Senator and on the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Although Dodd is a good Senator, he doesn’t help Obama very much in the general election. He doesn’t help with Obama’s liberalism, nor does the fact that he is also a Senator. He doesn’t add a large background of foreign policy credentials, nor does he really help on the electoral map. Although I like Dodd, I don’t see what he practically can bring to the Obama campaign.

Wesley Clark – Retired General. Obviously this would shore up Obama’s foreign policy credentials. He also has some campaign experience and endorsed Clinton, which would help unify the party if Obama picked a Clinton supporter. The issue is that he doesn’t really bring anything to the electoral map, nor does he bring much politically – he is simply a war general, not to mention that there might be a little dirt that the McCain camp will be able to dig up later. Also, there is no definite answer to whether he would accept the VP spot even if he was asked.

Brian Schweitzer – Governor of Montana. Schweitzer currently has on of the highest gubernatorial ratings. Although I still find it highly unlikely, he could possibly make MT a swing state since Obama did win it in the primaries. He was part of Clinton’s Department of Agriculture and would help Obama greatly with blue collar workers and possibly some Independents and Republicans. In the end, Schweitzer still doesn’t help much with foreign policy though.

UNLIKELY –

Tim Kaine – Governor of Virginia. Although Virginia is a swing state, its leaning to McCain and there isn’t any evidence that Kaine would definitively bring his state over to the Democrats. Once again, he also doesn’t bring any real foreign policy credentials to Obama’s side.

Mark Warner – Former Governor of Virginia. I would say about the exact same thing as I said about Tim Kaine. Although Warner was a potential 2008 candidate, he decided not to run. He also may be seeking the open Senate seat, which would pretty much take him off the VP list.

Mike Easley – Governor of North Carolina. Easley also doesn’t help with foreign policy experience, and it would still be very difficult/unlikely for NC to come over to the Democrats come November. He would probably help with blue collar voters and Clinton supporters (he endorsed Clinton), but he still doesn’t bring enough to the table.

Lincoln Chafee – Former Senator of Rhode Island. He is a former Republican who went Independent. He doesn’t really help with the electoral college, but he could help with Republicans and Independents. He also has joined a pro-Israel lobbying group which could help Obama on the Jewish vote. However, he might be looking towards Governor or to the Senate in Rhode Island. He also doesn’t bring any foreign policy experience either.

Janet Napolitano – Governor of Arizona. Obama isn’t going to win Arizona. Napolitano has high gubernatorial ratings and would help very much in the South, but as a woman she still doesn’t have the pro’s that Clinton would automatically bring. She doesn’t have foreign policy experience and she can’t deliver her home state. In the end, although a great Governor, she doesn’t seem to bring enough to Obama’s ticket.

Colin Powell – Former Secretary of State/War General. Powell, a Republican and former Bush Administration official, has expressed some interest in Senator Obama. Although far from an endorsement, Powell remains a highly popular figure and would greatly help with foreign policy experience as well as getting moderates and Republicans. There is no reason yet to believe Powell would serve with Obama yet, but the idea is definitely out there. One must keep in mind however that Powell is African American, and realistically that is a political negative. But in the end, if Powell was willing to serve, he could make a great VP and a powerful ally in the election. For now though, this is a far off idea…

Ted Strickland – Governor of Ohio. Strickland could immensely help Obama win over blue collar/socially conservative voters. Best of all, he could help secure Ohio for the Democrats, which could once again be the turning point for the election. Thus politically, Strickland is a great choice. The problem for Obama is that he doesn’t add very much on foreign policy experience and thus would probably be seen mostly as a political choice only (which Obama would not like to be viewed as). Lastly, Strickland has recently said very clearly that he wouldn’t accept the post of VP.

John Edwards – Senator of North Carolina. Edwards was the running mate of John Kerry back in 2004 and he had an unsuccessful run for President this year of 2008. Although I like Edwards and he would help in the state of North Carolina and with blue collar voters, he doesn’t do much to help Obama’s foreign policy credentials and it doesn’t seem like he has much interest in running for VP again, he has already said no very loudly…

Al Gore – Former VP. This is just wishful thinking. Gore is not going to go on the campaign trail for VP again when he already was VP and already ran for President.

Once again, I’m going to put below who I think are the most likely candidates for Obama to pick as his VP. If I left out anybody who you think should be added, just post underneath…

1) Bill Richardson
2) Evan Bayh
3) Jim Webb
4) Hillary Clinton
5) Ed Rendell
6) General Zinni

Many names have been thrown around as possible VP choices, however I hope to bring some clarity to what seems to be a major media field day without many facts or logic. I will thus write my personal Top 5 choices as well as why I would not consider other choices to be possible – My list once again is my “personal favorites”, I will also write within how likely McCain is to pick them…

Thus, here are my favorite 5 (according to personal preference, not necessarily viability) and then those who are more unlikely. On the bottom are the 6 most likely candidates as of now:

 

1) Mike Huckabee – Governor of Arkansas. Some may think this is an odd first, but I very much like and respect Governor Huckabee. He has a lot of integrity, experience, and balls. He is a tell it like it is man as well as being younger and generally well liked on both sides. History, during the time when Huckabee was still in the race, shows that these two could fit very well together, and Huckabee’s personality is very likeable (similar to Obama), which would take aim away from McCain’s age. He’s also great on the campaign trail and is well known since he was the last GOP candidate to drop out! Huckabee would deliver the social conservatives, but it doesn’t look like they’re as important in this election then they were in the last few elections. I also think all in all, Huckabee would be the best man to take McCain’s job if something happened. Huckabee is very smart, experienced, and is able to see both sides for what they are. Many times in the election he has said things that weren’t politically correct, but were the truth – and I’ll always support a man with that heart. Sadly, he is an unlikely choice. Back during his run, most people saw him as the “faith” candidate rather then the candidate with actual experience and ability. Many people don’t think he’s conservative enough on fiscal issues, and he’s also angered some independents from some of his talk on religion and his “faith based politics”. Lastly, he doesn’t really help in the electoral college, which is a real bummer – had he been Governor of Ohio I’ll bet he would be at the top of the list. Sadly, McCain already has Arkansas and he needs a VP who is taken seriously – which Huckabee should, but isn’t.

2) John Kasich – Former Congressman of Ohio. Kasich would be a very interesting and unexpected choice, but he brings many strengths to McCain’s ticket. He was known as a budget hawk back while he was in office and would probably get along well with McCain. He helps McCain with his conservative base and he helps McCain in the crucial swing state of Ohio. I question how effective an attack dog he would be, but all in all in should definitely be considered for the job. He is, however, thinking strongly about running for Governor of Ohio in 2010, which may dampen his desire to be VP. But from what I know of Kasich, I think he’d be very open to being the VP.

3) Sarah Palin – Governor of Alaska. McCain definitely doesn’t need help with that state, but she would help with women voters at a time where women might be disgruntled once Clinton leaves center stage. Depending on who Obama picks as his VP, a woman VP might be very helpful to McCain. But if Obama chooses Clinton, I’m not sure she would be very effective. Women tend to lean Democrat, and they will stay with Clinton if they see her name on the ballot; not to mention that in a debate between Palin and Clinton, she would be massacred and Clinton (as a woman) would not have to pull any punches… But against any other candidate, she could be very effective.

4) Mark Sanford – Governor of South Carolina. He is pretty well known in political circles and is a staunch conservative, which will help McCain reassure the base, and is well known for his concern against pork barrel spending; thus giving the Senator and Sanford something in common. The two would probably work well together and Sanford will bring a youthful aspect to McCain that he really needs. Also, against Obama, it doesn’t hurt to shore up South Carolina for the Republicans and probably get a little more support from surrounding states. The question is whether Sanford has a long enough record and whether he can help McCain in his difficulties with domestic policy.

5) Charlie Crist – Governor of Florida. Crist is an obvious possibility because he can deliver Florida. Although polling looks decent right now for McCain in Florida, Obama is likely to get a surge once Clinton voters start going his way and there is NO WAY McCain will win this election without Florida. Thus, as time goes by, if McCain has any worries he really won’t have a choice. But Crist is also very well liked in Florida and also brings a youth to McCain’s old age. Crist doesn’t have a very long record of experience, but he is a Governor who will bring Florida, and McCain probably has enough experience for the both of them. Unless something happens to McCain I suppose…

OTHERS –

Mitt Romney – Former Governor of Massachusetts. I’m not a big fan of Romney, however polls show right now that the most important issue to voters is the economy, and people will probably be pretty disappointed in McCain’s record and experience on the economy come November if he doesn’t pick a VP with any of it. Although its very doubtful for Romney to bring his state of Massachusetts to the Republican side, his lengthy and successful experience in the Private Sector guarantees him at least a consideration. He does however give McCain a possibility of winning Michigan, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Nevada. He also is very well liked in conservative circles and is well known due to the primary season. Negatives include his nasty fight with McCain for the nomination and the fact that they probably don’t like each other very much. He is also a very polarizing figure and we must of course bring up his Mormonism. Lastly, the Democrats will have a great time pointing out all of Romney’s flip flops – so overall I would say he is very unlikely unless McCain’s need for a business experienced conservative becomes desperate. 

Bobby Jindal – Governor of Louisiana. Jindal is VERY young, not yet 37, which can be helpful or hurtful. Although McCain needs youth, he doesn’t want a complete amateur without experience – especially in domestic issues. Still Jindal is very well liked and once again deserves at least a little consideration. However, I doubt he’ll be the pick without much experience or any help in the electoral college (once again, McCain doesn’t really need help in Louisiana). 

Tim Pawlenty – Governor of Minnesota. Republicans don’t have much of chance of winning MN, not even with the help of their Governor. Pawlenty was barely re-elected, so McCain’s chances would still be slim. Although he might bring a little youth, this seems to be a very unlikely candidate when you put the facts together.

Joe Lieberman – Senator of Connecticut. First off, he’s a Democrat (technically an Independent), but Lieberman definitely doesn’t shore up support for the base. Also, he adds to the Senior Citizens ticket! Lastly, Lieberman has cast pretty loud doubts about his being the VP choice or even accepting it if it were offered. I doubt he would say such things if he was truly being considered. However, if McCain could strike enough fear into the hearts of Republicans against Obama to come vote in November, Lieberman could be helpful in getting more Independents and Democrats to vote Republican.

 

Not Likely - 

1) Condoleezza Rice – Secretary of State. I don’t think this merge is possible. First of all, McCain needs to get AWAY from Bush, not make Bush’s top advisor his VP. Second, Rice brings the same experience McCain already has (foreign policy), and adds nothing to his lacking of domestic policy. There is no reason to put her on the ticket.

2) Carly Florina – Former Hewlett-Packard CEO. Although also a woman, Florina adds no political experience to this ticket whatsover. She is from CA, but doubtfully will bring many votes at all to McCain. She may have business experience, but if something were to happen to McCain, she would have no idea what to do as President.

3) Rob Portman – Former Congressman from Ohio. Once again, why would McCain make his VP a former Bush official? Portman also doesn’t guarantee a win in Ohio. Although he does know about the economy, he isn’t well known and adds nothing politically. 

4) Colin Powell – Former Secretary of State/War General. Powell, although well liked, doesn’t add any experience McCain doesn’t already have. Also, I think Powell would actually be more interested as Obama’s VP then McCain’s. Either way though, he is unlikely to accept and quite unnecessary. 

5) Rudy Giuliani – Former Mayor of NYC. Giuliani doesn’t help much with social conservatives and has a really bad rap sheet. The Democrats will be able to dig up a lot of dirt and he doesn’t make New York viable either. I also don’t know how great a rapport McCain and Giuliani have either.

6) Fred Thompson – Former Senator from TN. Thompson will also add to the Senior Citizens ticket; even though he isn’t that old, he sure acts like it! He doesn’t help with the electoral math nor does he help much in general to cover McCain’s weaknesses.

7) Jeb Bush – Former Governor of Florida. Look at the last name. Period.

 

If there are any others I left out, then they’re highly unlikely to be the VP choice. However, if you have a name, you can post it and I can tell you why I think they would be an unlikely choice. Below I will put who I think are the most likely for McCain to choose. (I will update this as time goes on)

1) Charlie Crist
2) Mitt Romney
3) Mark Sanford
4) Mike Huckabee
5) Sarah Palin 
6) John Kasich

All biases aside, Barack Obama is simply the better General Election candidate against John McCain. If you like Clinton and want to vote for her, thats fine, but don’t be fooled into believing that she is more likely to win…

Obama is the more electable candidate for 3 reasons:

1) Obama will have an easier time explaining his position on the Iraq War. Clinton initially voted for the war and later against. Now I’m not trying to demean Clinton, only to give the facts that with McCain as the nominee national defense and specifically the Iraq War will be a huge issue and Obama has the advantage of always having been against the war. Thus with Obama as the nominee, the two candidates will have views as different as black and white. This will really help the Democrats get all the anti-war voters, which are the majority.

2) Hilary Clinton is currently viewed as the “experience” candidate, while Obama is the “change” candidate. Since Obama has 12 years in elected office compared to Clinton’s 8, I don’t much appreciate the simple stereotype (even though I do give her some credit for her years in the White House). However, we must deal in facts and those are the current stereotypes. But in the General Election, McCain is BY FAR the experience candidate as he was virtually born in the Senate and while not in the Senate he was fighting for his country and was a POW. McCain’s strengths trump Clinton’s! So what would the new stereotypes be? McCain – “the experienced in foreign and domestic affairs” : and Clinton – “the Democrat”… However, with Obama as the candidate it will be once again Change vs. Experience, and I like those odds considering the advantage Democrats automatically have over Republicans.

3) MOST IMPORTANTLY! Clinton is a glass ceiling. She is winning not so much by gaining votes but by keeping them. Those who support her have done so the whole time because everybody knows her name, Obama is not as well known and must simply continue to take voters away from her. The more time given, the less people will be voting for her – which is the opposite of Obama. This correlates into McCain, whose OBVIOUS deficiency is his own conservative base. McCain does well with independents and even some Dems. but he is having a terrible time with his own base and will not be able to energize them (although I guarantee Clinton will, just not in the way she would want). So come General Election time, the best Democratic candidate will be one who has a strong support among Dems. (which Obama does/will), one who does REALLY well with independents (which ONLY Obama does), and one who can even challenge the Republican base (which ONLY Obama can possibly do). The last part is key, because if McCain can’t win the conservative base, that leaves many Republicans who would truly consider voting for Obama. Also, as was seen on Super Tuesday, Obama did really well in the South! However, they would never vote for Clinton, whose name is virtually burned in effigy in the South…

Such arguments used for Clinton’s better electability are such ambiguous statements as “I’ve been through this before”. Whatever that means… Its called an election versus a Republican, all Dems. have been through “that” before. I agree she has been through it worse and more often, but that doesn’t guarantee a win by any means, especially when compared to the 3 logical reasons as stated above.

Thus, whether you want to vote for him or not, Obama is logically the best General Election candidate the Democrats have, Period. To be completely honest, a win by Barack Obama would be a nightmare for John McCain…

Although I don’t like criticizing my favorite candidate, I feel once again that I must in the sake of honesty and unbiased reporting. Recently there has been some controversy over Obama’s church. Supposedly Obama was shocked over all the questions over his religion/place of worship, which is a joke considering he is running for president and in many minds is still considered a muslim (which isn’t true btw).


I have visited the churches website, and although I am not as outraged as many others, I still am a bit surprised and worried. Many of the most important values of the church are cultural not biblical. It calls itself “unashamedly black”, which begs the question whether white people are allowed – and if not, then I would have to reconsider my support of Obama since supporting such a church and being spiritually lead by such a church is completely wrong and unbiblical. It would be reverse racism to the highest degree, without the violence at least…


Another factor has been Obama’s Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. First of all, he shouldn’t be preaching politics from the pulpit, at least not unashamedly biased politics. He said “Some argue that blacks should vote for Clinton “because her husband was good to us,” he continued. “That’s not true,” “He did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky.”


First of all I’m not sure what that means… Bill Clinton had sex with America? Second, he’s at the pulpit! For such actions many churches lose their tax exemption, and if he continues he should as well. Third, make a logical and intelligent for goodness sakes if your gonna make one at all! And fourth, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???


Although I’m glad Obama disavowed his pastors comments, the Reverend is going to be a big liability if he doesn’t learn to shut his mouth. And I’m still a bit disturbed by the churches theology. I’m gonna have to learn more though before I make any really big decisions on the subject…


This is Obama’s church website:
http://www.tucc.org/about.htm