Obama Cabinet Disappointment- HRC

While I think it's generally a good thing that Obama is picking pragmatists for his cabinet, the one disappointment thus far, for me at least, has been his likely pick of Sen. Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State.  She is a qualified politician, however, as a diplomat she might be lacking.  She will already have ins, as a result of her husband Former President Bill Clinton, yet this could be a bad thing.  People might know he on Bill's terms, as opposed to Obama's. 

My second problem with Hill as Sec of State is the fundamental differences she has with Obama in terms of foreign policy.  While Obama isn't exactly a dove, Hillary is hawkish, saying tough statements during the primary about attacking Iran, being ready to "obliterate" it.  While Iran is a dangerous nation, it seemed that there could be a sort of  thawing of relations with them under Obama, as opposed to continually keeping them under the gun, which in turn will make them more aggressive.  Hopefully, she won't hurt Obama's foreign policy plans by imposing too much of her own style into them.  While Iran certainly needs to be contained on our terms, we cannot throw around words like "obliterate", which only make the situation worse.

My final problem is what she could be doing as an alternative to being Sec. of State.  In the Senate, she could have become a true beast, wielding an incredible amount of authority almost on part with Harry Reid and Ted Kennedy.  She is not as trained in diplomacy as she is in politics, and if she were to stay put in the Senate, her influence would only increase over time.

Besides feeling a need to give Hillary a good position after what she did in the General Election, Obama might also be making a tactical move for 2012.  With his only foreseeable challenger, HRC, in his cabinet, he is almost certainly eliminating her from contention in 2012, as it would be hard to run against him after being part of the administration.

Only time will tell how this very soon to be appointment of Sen. Clinton to Sec. of State will turn out.  Hopefully, she won't be as hawkish as she was in the primary.  

Joe the Plumber Interview

I was in shock a little over a week ago when I found out that a friend of mine somehow got in contact with and interviewed Joe the Plumber.  I mean, he is Joe the Plumber, a guy who is famous for no real reason and thus probably trying to cling to the spotlight for as long as possible by doing whatever he can, but it's still crazy that my friend Michael from down the hall interviewed him.  The full interview is here .  What's even more crazy is that the interview is now making the rounds on the main stream media circuit!  The interview was cited on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, as well as on the Huffington Post.  Way to go, Mike!

Alaska

Also of note today, Ted Stevens lost his reelection bid to Mark Begich!!  No more Ted Stevens and no possibility of Sarah Palin.  Woot woot number 58 in the Senate!

AG

Breaking News: Eric Holder will be Obama's Attorney General, making him the first African-American A.G.

Letter

Obama today submitted a letter to the people of Illinois stepping down as Senator so that he can ascend to the Presidency. Here's the full text of it.  Quite a nice letter; he clearly is appreciative of the people of Illinois for helping to make him who he is and for helping him to get where he is today.  The letter reads as follows:

Today, I am ending one journey to begin another. After serving the people of Illinois in the United States Senate — one of the highest honors and privileges of my life — I am stepping down as senator to prepare for the responsibilities I will assume as our nation’s next president. But I will never forget, and will forever be grateful, to the men and women of this great state who made my life in public service possible.

More than two decades ago, I arrived in Illinois as a young man eager to do my part in building a better America. On the South Side of Chicago, I worked with families who had lost jobs and lost hope when the local steel plant closed. It wasn’t easy, but we slowly rebuilt those neighborhoods one block at a time, and in the process I received the best education I ever had. It’s an education that led me to organize a voter registration project in Chicago, stand up for the rights of Illinois families as an attorney and eventually run for the Illinois state Senate.

It was in Springfield, in the heartland of America, where I saw all that is America converge — farmers and teachers, businessmen and laborers, all of them with a story to tell, all of them seeking a seat at the table, all of them clamoring to be heard. It was there that I learned to disagree without being disagreeable; to seek compromise while holding fast to those principles that can never be compromised, and to always assume the best in people instead of the worst. Later, when I made the decision to run for the United States Senate, the core decency and generosity of the American people is exactly what I saw as I traveled across our great state — from Chicago to Cairo; from Decatur to Quincy.

I still remember the young woman in East St. Louis who had the grades, the drive and the will but not the money to go to college. I remember the young men and women I met at VFW halls across the state who serve our nation bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I will never forget the workers in Galesburg who faced the closing of a plant they had given their lives to, who wondered how they would provide health care to their sick children with no job and little savings.

Stories like these are why I came to Illinois all those years ago, and they will stay with me when I go to the White House in January. The challenges we face as a nation are now more numerous and difficult than when I first arrived in Chicago, but I have no doubt that we can meet them. For throughout my years in Illinois, I have heard hope as often as I have heard heartache. Where I have seen struggle, I have seen great strength. And in a state as broad and diverse in background and belief as any in our nation, I have found a spirit of unity and purpose that can steer us through the most troubled waters.

It was long ago that another son of Illinois left for Washington. A greater man who spoke to a nation far more divided, Abraham Lincoln, said of his home, “To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.” Today, I feel the same, and like Lincoln, I ask for your support, your prayers, and for us to “confidently hope that all will yet be well.”

With your help, along with the service and sacrifice of Americans across the nation who are hungry for change and ready to bring it about, I have faith that all will in fact be well. And it is with that faith, and the high hopes I have for the enduring power of the American idea, that I offer the people of my beloved home a very affectionate thanks.

Iran

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7725951.stm

Iran scares me a lot.  Not just in terms of our security, but that of Israel and Europe.  I hope Pres-Elect Obama takes a very hard line with Iran. Meeting with them is a fine idea (diplomacy got thrown in the trash for the past 8 years) but Obama shouldn't give any ground.  He needs to be very firm with them, especially considering what is at stake.

Prop 1A passed in CA!

While California has been getting a lot of negative press for passing Prop 8, it passed a different proposition that is fantastic- Prop 1A, the High Speed Train bill!  This was the subject of my first blog post, and I forgot to check the results for Prop 1A until tonight.  As I wrote in my first blog post, this will be fantastic for the CA economy, not to mention just plain awesome (SF to LA in under 3 hours!).  At least California got one thing right on November 4th.

Palin's Push for Power (Sweet Alliteration!)

To me, it seems like Sarah Palin all along has been a desperate, power seeking, unqualified nutbag.  That may seem harsh, but lets put it all in perspective.  when she was first selected, she played the role of VP attack dog very well, yet eventually started "going rogue", according to McCain campaign officials.  She got off message, and even people on McCain's campaign claimed she was trying to maneuver herself for 2012.  Finally, after winning over a ton of middle Americans with overblown rhetoric playing on fear of the unknown and the foreign, she seemed to have found a niche following- angry white conservatives.  Her rallies grew in size and in negative temperament, with her playing the maestro.  Even after defeat, she still wanted to have much more importance than John McCain, as she, according to campaign officials, asked if she could speak after John McCain's concession speech.  

Even though the campaign is over, she has not left the media spotlight like John McCain has.  She has still been able to garner media attention, as to enhance her image, as well as her possibilities for 2012.  Even today, CNN reported that she would be willing to help out in the Obama administration, another move that keeps her on the 24 hour news cycle a little longer.  All of these calculated moves, plus her tendency of clinging to and overusing power (think Troopergate) leads me to believe she will be a force (negativley) for the next fours years before running in 2012.  Whether she stays in Alaska, or puts herself up in a special election for the potentially vacated seat left if Ted Stevens wins reelection and is then expelled from the Senate.  Regardless, people should keep an eye on Sarah.

Mobilization and the Internet

Now that the election is over and Barack Obama has won, I feel a bit of a void.  Right now, it is too early to get involved with what he will do as President, and thus makes for an awkward transition for political nuts like myself.  However, I have invested myself in a new campaign.  I have been manager for a campaign for RISD's best costume, which my sister and her friend are currently leading.  If you haven't already voted, go to risd.dailyjolt.com and vote for Christina and Alison on the right side of the page.

Right now, our campaign is winning with about 60% of the vote, and the way we are doing this is very relative to how Obama won six days ago; both campaigns have mobilized supporters using new, high-tech ways.  While all I have done to help Christina and Alison win is set up a facebook group and invite everyone in my social network to join, Obama's campaign was able to do this but on a huge, nationwide level.  Using traditional methods of door-to-door canvassing and phone banks along with setting up a social networking type site on barackobama.com and using text messages to reach the more tech-involved generation, Barack was able to generate a lot of votes by using the power of the web to reach people. Also, this excitement created online led to people wanting to get involved, a major component in his advantage of sheer manpower during GOTV weekend.  His website allowed supporters to make contacts with each other and find ways to volunteer that helped push him over the top both in the primaries and in the general election.  

Barack's model for a campaign will be used for years to come, but it is dependent on the expansion of the Internet and New Media.  If anyone wants to get popular support for something, all they have to do is set up a website, blog, or facebook page, and they will automatically generate some buzz via the web.  That's what I did with my facebook page for Christina and Alison, and just because we were able to mobilize supporters to go vote means we are winning in the polls right now, in a similar fashion to how Obama won last week. 

What will be interesting to see in the coming four years is how Barack will be able to keep supporters in the fold and if when he goes public for something he wants passed, will he use new media and the network he has built up, or go the traditional route?  If so, his presidency will have access to and be directly connected via the web to millions of supporters who contributed or volunteered during this historic election. 

And by the way, if you haven't already, go to RISD daily jolt and vote Christina and Alison!!

Intelligence

Everyone should read Nicholas Kristof's op-ed about Obama as an intellectual.  It is a sad fact, that in National politics, being labeled as "intellectual" has generally proven to be a bad thing for one's candidacy.  Obama is our first true intellectual president since JFK; one who rather than shying away from being known as an Ivy League educated scholar, has in fact embraced it as a major part of his candidacy.

It really is a sad thing that when a candidate who is smart runs, he gets labeled "elite" and "out of touch".  Isn't running for President in-fact the most elitist job out there??  One has to have a pretty big ego to think they are qualified to run the free world.  Also, isn't being the President a job we should entrust to someone elite and intellectually qualified for the position?  I'm so glad that this time around, our country chose a former professor, as opposed to the ticket that had as VP someone who wanted to include creationism in the science classroom.  

Thank God America chose the person they would rather be their child's teacher, as opposed to the one they would want to have a beer with.  We need as much brains in Washington as we can get right now, especially to make up for the intellectual deficit of the past 8 years.

Lost

Wow, the GOP has never looked this defeated and disorganized.  Before party leaders haven't even met to discuss the future while accusations are flying like mad.  Just on CNN alone are two stories about whom is to blame for the loss.

 http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/mccain.palin/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/07/conservatives.election/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

After all the blood is shed in the GOP, the conservatives will probably win out.

Speaking of conservatives, how is it that Prop 8 passed in California??  I always though California to be up there in liberal-ness with MA and NY.  People are really mad about the ruling, as there are now huge, 100k+ groups on Facebook against Prop 8, and there have already been protests in LA and San Francisco.  The fight for equality continues, maybe with another CA Supreme Court ruling.  Who knows what's going on in the wacky state of California...

November 6th, two days since the making of history

"When you have to be cheerful all the time and try to perform and act like [the tape is unclear; Obama appears to be poking fun at his opponents], I'm sure that some of it has to do with nerves or anxiety and not having done this before, I'm sure. And in my own head, you know, there's—I don't consider this to be a good format for me, which makes me more cautious. When you're going into something thinking, 'This is not my best …' I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, 'You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.' Instead of being appropriately [the tape is garbled]. So when Brian Williams is asking me about what's a personal thing that you've done [that's green], and I say, you know, 'Well, I planted a bunch of trees.' And he says, 'I'm talking aboutpersonal.' What I'm thinking in my head is, 'Well, the truth is, Brian, we can't solve global warming because I f–––ing changed light bulbs in my house. It's because of something collective'."

This is a quote from Senator Obama early in his primary campaign, one of many collected by Newsweek for their insider issue on the Presidential campaign.  I find it refreshing to see that, though Obama was considered too professorial by some, in reality, he is still, on the inside an average guy (well actually, much more than average, considering he just won the presidency).  I totally agree with him about the debates.  They really were way too restricting, or they did not require the candidates to actually engage the subject matter, but rather just spout out talking points.  The good thing is, no more televised political debates for two years...

Of note today is that now, after being reported yesterday by Fox News, Rahm Emmanuel will be Obama's Chief of Staff.  This was an intersting move, as Emmanuel has been a long -time ally, as well as a fellow Chicagoan.  Emmanuel, the fourth ranking Democrat in the House, is seen as both pragmatic and forceful, someone who can really get the job done and push things through.  While Obama's style is often a bit lofty and idealistic, Emmanuel is a tough guy who will be able to get things done.  In CNN's coverage of the selection, they got a quote from David Gergen, who said "They are obviously setting up a good cop/bad cop routine in the White House. ... Barack Obama can be the good guy."  

The last votes are just about all in from different States' congressional races and a few interesting scenarios are sure to arise. Oregon's Senate race has now been called for Democrat Jeff Merkley over incumbent Republican Gordon Smith.  We are all still waiting on what will happen now that CONVICTED FELON Ted Stevens has won re-election in Alaska.  Will Sarah Palin potentially appoint herself to the Senate seat?  It is a sure bet that the newly controlled Democratic Senate will not allow Stevens back.  Also of interest will be the run-off election in December between Jim Martin and Saxby Chambliss in Georgia, as neither were able to receive 50% of the vote total.  Will the Democrats be able to pump money into the state to pick up seat 58 (or 59, if the recount in Minnesota puts Al Franken ahead of Norm Coleman)?  We will see what happens in the weeks ahead, as we enter a hugely important transition period.

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment."

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Yesterday was a historic night for this country, and everyone can agree on that.  Whether you voted Republican, Democratic, or did not even vote, we will all think of November 4th, 2008 as a pivotal day in our nation's continually unfolding story.  The power and history of the evening will be written about in history books and discussed at length until inauguration day, the next step in this incredible journey of Obama's.  While this incredible landslide victory by Barack Obama does not mean the end of racial issues in this country, it is a major step showing how far our country has come.  There has been prejudice since the founding of Jamestown 400 years ago- and there is clearly still some today, as shown by some of the awful things said during GOP rallies, and even by some supporters who decide to vote for him, but describe him to canvassers and volunteers using racial slurs.  Yet, today, only 43 years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which, 100 years after the Civil War, truly enfranchised all Americans, we have finally elected someone of minority background to the presidency.  This election shows that Americans were able to, for the most part, look past race when voting.  Though we all are still cognizant of race, in general, people picked the candidate they thought would be the best for our country at this time. This election just shows the steps that this country has taken, only 4 decades removed from George Wallace running for the presidency (speaking of George Wallace, there's an interesting article on CNN written by his daughter)

 What started for me on a weekend morning two Feburarys watching Obama announce his candidacy for President on CNN ended last night with celebration.  In-between those days, I voted twice (Feb 5 primary and General Election), worked for the campaign in three different states (IN, MT, NH), went to three different rallies, donated to the cause, made thousands of contacts with complete strangers, and shook Obama's hand once, last February in Hartford.  It was truly a roller coaster ride through the end- one that I'm truly glad ended, and even more ecstatic that it ended so positively.  I can definetly say that volunteering for the campaign, both in the primary and this fall, changed my life both in my perception of service, and my understanding of America.  We truly live in a nation in which WE, not just a few, get the chance to, as Obama said, referencing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "put [our] hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day."  The victory last night had a lot to do with now President-Elect Obama's skill as a politician and as a unifier, but was more the result of the work and contribution of millions of average Americans.  

Last night, after both candidates gave their speeches, the atmosphere here on campus was incredible.  Students gathered in the streets by the hundreds, chanting "Yes we can!" and "Obama!", along with singing the National Anthem, while hugging and high fiveing fellow supporters and friends. It was a raucous and jubulant celebration, however,  It is unfortunate to see that out of the hundreds celebrating, at most 150 actually went up to New Hampshire to work for his General Election campaign.  While this apathy is what has generally been expected of us, the youngest voting age generation, it is still annoying considering that we could have done even better, maybe even have picked up those senate seats in Alaska or Minnesota, had people just gone and made 20 minutes worth of phone calls.  

While many who were celebrating last night must have felt it was the end, they were wrong- it was only the beginning.  President Obama will take office in a little over two months, and that is when the real work begins.  We are facing an economy in crisis, two wars overseas, an energy crisis, and potentially catastrophic global warming.  If young people do not stay as involved or informed as they have generally been over the past several months, President Obama will face an uphill battle from his inauguration onward.  We, as citizens and the future leaders of this country need to put as much stake in Obama's presidency as we did in his candidacy.  Though he seems like he could be Superman, really he can not do it on his own.  He needs the input and hard work of every American to help us solve the problems that all of us face.  If we do not get started now, things will only get worse, and we will have to deal with it later.  If there is one thing that would crush my belief that "Yes We Can", would be to find all of my peers suddenly apathetic, willing to celebrate the chance to make change, yet not actually be a part of that change themselves.  We will all need to be on-board to alter the direction our country is heading in; Barack can only steer the ship if we give him our full effort and backing.

What really summed up my night was a text message I received from the campaigns automated text system.  It read "We Just made history.  All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion to this campaign.  All of this happened because of you.  Thanks, Barack"  I got this text right after he finished speaking to the world as the newly elected President of the United States, and I actually started to get teary eyed (third time of the night- first was when the networks called the election, second was when he walked on-stage with Michelle, Sasha, and Malia).  It was such a hard fought contest that I have cared about for so long, that even that automated thank you was enough for me.  Now, I can't wait for the day when we all can somehow express our gratitude to President Obama, for being an inspirational leader that has unified the country, and for being (knock on wood) an excellent president, one that will change this country and solve the current problems we face.

Getting closer...

199-78

Ohio just called a few minutes ago.  McCain cannot make it to 270...

Senate Results

Pickups so far-

Kay Hagan

Jeanne Shaheen

Tom Udall

Mark Warner

Mitch McConnel is still within grasp....

PA WIN

CNN has just projected that Obama will win Pennsylvania!!!!!  HUGE WIN FOR OBAMA.  McCain spent much of his final time and resources to try to pick-off Pennsylvania.  This could mean the end for John McCain.

State of the Race right now!!!! (as of 8:36)

81-34 Obama

Obama projected to win New Hampshire (eeee!  I was working there today!).  Also, Florida, North Carolina, and Indiana are all very close, all states McCain needs to win.

Will tonight be historic?  Clearly, as a win for either ticket would be history making.  We will see as the night goes on.

My advice to anyone out there- watch to see how Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio go.  If McCain is not able to win PA (as the exit polls seem to indicate that he lost right now) a loss in any of these states will basically assure an Obama victory.

Time to continue watching.  Tonight will be big.

Intolerance

Paul Krugman really calls a segment of the GOP out in his Op-Ed this morning- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/03/opinion/03krugman.html?ref=todayspaper

The Republicans will probably be shattered after tomorrow, and John McCain (if he loses) and others in his mold will be the ones losing power in the party, while the fringe elements will be there holding the axe.  The base was never happy with McCain, and if he loses big, which is what it looks like right now, then the GOP will move even more to the right, which is dangerous considering some of the awful things coming from the Republican Party already.

Take for example the latest point pushed by Governor Palin at a rally -http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/03/happening-now-palin-in-jefferson-city-missouri/   Once again, Republicans are trying to link Democrats to being soft on something, whether it's crime, communism, or now, terrorism.  She even says "Do they think the terrorists have become the good guys?"  This continued pressure to create a false link between Democrats, particularly Obama, and terrorists has become utterly sickening to me.  It is low, and even has some slight racial tinge to it- once again trying to portray Obama as "foreign" and linked to terrorists.  What started as targeting his casual associations with William Ayers then moved on to a professor from Columbia, and has now just become sympathies with generic terrorists.  This brings up racial fears, as when a woman at a McCain rally in Minnesota got up and said over the mic that "He's an arab and a muslim"  While really, Obama's religion or ethnic background should not even be part of the picture, some in the GOP still attempt to subtly make it an issue, playing on people's lowest fears of "others".  It is an attempt, though weak, to make Obama not an American, and definetly tries to paint him as not from "real America", Palin's label for small towns as opposed to big cities.  

It's bad when fear-mongering occurs through viral emails and on websites, but it is truly despicable when it goes on during political rallies and directly from the candidates' mouths. While people have the right to say what they want under the 1st Amendment, people also have the right to call out when that speech is intolerant, as Krugman does so effectively in his piece. We all have that right, and thus a responsibility to refute and expose words of prejudice and hate.

Predictions!

Here's my prediction for how the race will shakedown tomorrow.  We’ll see if I’m close at all.

States for Obama:

Safe: ME, VT, MA. NY, CT, MD, DE, MI, MN, WI, IL, IA, WA, OR, CA, RI (thanks Seth!)

Swing State Wins:

VA- Strong showing in Northern VA plus a huge African-American turnout will push Obama over-the-top in once solidly red Virginia

PA-  I never really doubted that PA would go for the Republicans, however, the McCain campaign has played up that it is their major target in the election.  Huge turnout in Philly, plus connection made to more rural, Hillary Democrats will make Pennsylvannia crush John McCain’s dream for a comeback.

FL- Collapse of the housing market, fears over retirement funds, and a huge number of foreclosures, plus strong youth and minority showings (not to mention a ton of campaigning by the Clintons to assuage older voters’ initial discomfort with Obama) will make the state of infamy in 2000 a solid 27 electoral votes in the bank for Obama. 

CO, NM, NV- Changing demographics, plus a commitment by the Obama campaign to these states that began in the primary, will ultimately make the “purple West” into new Democratic territory.

NH (Again, thanks Seth, and epic fail on my part for somehow missing this one)- New Hampshire will go blue as it did for John Kerry in 2004.  New Hampshire Republicans tend to be pragmatic and moderate.  Though having an odd affinity for John McCain (saving both his 2000 and 2008 primary campaigns), they, as with most moderate Republicans, are not exactly pleased with the party brand right now. A good ground game by the Obama team will bring home the bacon in the Granite State.

Total for Obama: 318

States for McCain

Safe: ID, UT, AZ, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS, OK, TX, AR, LA, MS, GA, SC, TN, KY, WV

Swing State Wins:

MO- Generally considered a true bellwether, MO will get it wrong this time around.  Claire McCaskill won by a very narrow margin, and she had a better connection to the voters in between Kansas City and St. Louis than Obama does.  Strong showings in the city by Obama will not overcome McCain’s strength in “Real America”, as the campaign likes to say.

IN- A state I would never have thought would be a swing state this late in the game, or at any point during the General Election.  A great ground game set up during the primaries and huge margins in Lake County and Indianapolis will make it competitive, but it will still go red. 

NC- Another state that is competitive mostly because of the huge primary operation the campaign set up here.  The Tarheel State, though becoming more liberal because of the movement of jobs into the cities, and because of the major universities in the area, still is going for the GOP, though I believe Kay Hagan will beat out Elizabeth Dole in the Senate race.

OH- The one that decided it all in 2004 will likely have the same result in 2008.  The McCain campaign has been focusing on Ohio, as shown by a bunch of rallies and their use of “Joe the Plumber”, and it will go red by the slightest of margins. 

Total for McCain- 220

Final Score 318-220 

GOBAMA!

Halloween Suprises!

My girlfriend sent me a Halloween card recently that had a newspaper headline on the front that said “McCain Wins!” and on the inside says “This was the scariest card I could find!”.  Right now, that probably is the scariest prospect I can think of, and what better time to write about frightening political things than Halloween!

Right now, it seems that McCain is being routed.  As of yesterday, the Obama campaign announced it would begin running positive campaign ads in Arizona, as polls are showing only a single digit lead.  If Obama makes McCain spend any time or money in Arizona of all states, that can be seen as a victory for the campaign.  Also of note is the fact that Obama will end his campaign with a rally in Prince William County in VA.  Now, this is even a bit of a surprise for me, as only a few months ago I never would have thought he had a chance in Virgina, yet the polls are proving me wrong.

Speaking of surprises, is there anything left in the bag that could really alter the shape of the race?  McCain has brought Joe the Plumber into the limelight, yet with no real affect on the race.  The GOP has once again tried to scare voters by bringing up Obama’s connection with another “radical”, a Columbia Professor whom people claim was part of the PLO, yet that is unclear.  Regardless, scare tactics have been failing, even at this most spooky time of the year.

Could the higher ups in the party even pull out a surprise at this point in time?  For a while, I thought Bush might do something towards the end that would dramatically alter the race, such as a statement about pulling out of Iraq or maybe playing up the fear of Iran.  Yet in reality, the poor state of the Economy is trumping all, as more and more voters are worried about what is happening in this country as opposed to overseas.

This could be an interesting final few days of the campaign.  I’m heading up to New Hampshire for two days starting tomorrow, then will be back on Monday, before heading back up on Tuesday.  Expect a post by Monday at the latest.  Enjoy Halloween, and enjoy this video!

What's the deal with "Joe the Plumber"?

Why is the McCain campaign using this man so much?!?  He doesn't provide any credible backing or even name recognition.  No one knows who the guy is, considering he both lied about his name and being a plumber!  

It seems the McCain campaign likes touting about people who know nothing about the issues our country faces.  While "Joe" clearly has no expertise about the economy or foreign policy (apparently Obama= Death to Israel...), John McCain's own running mate Sarah Palin doesn't know what the Bush Doctrine is (or how to read, for that matter). 

Here's my real question.  Why has John McCain, a formerly sensible man who can not really be an idiot considering his many years in congress, tied his campaign to these idiots??

Grant Park

When I heard on Sunday that Obama will be at Grant Park on Election Night, I immediately thought of 1968 and crazy riots.  Clearly I wasn't the only one, as the Washington Post carried an article about the subject in today's paper  - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102802954.html

What an interesting choice by the campaign for where he will likely be giving a victory speech. 

Hopefully next Tuesday will bring about a new era of history for Grant Park, and for the Democratic Party.

Obama's Future Dilemma

With a week left in this historic campaign, I can say with a good degree of certainty that Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States(knock on wood x infinity).  After hearing several prominent visiting speakers all say this, I feel comfortable agreeing with them and with what my gut has felt since mid-September.  I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but barring a truly crazy October surprise (it would have to be big enough to influence people more than the economy AND President Bush) I think Obama has it in the bag, potentially by a large margin.  If he is to win big, this gives him a mandate to make good on the change he has been talking about all campaign long.  He should be especially encouraged to forge a new path in Washington if Democrats capture 59 or potentially even 60 seats in the Senate, giving them full reign over both the Executive and the Legislative branches.  This dominance would be the beginning of new era of Democratic control unseen in this country since 1976.

One promise that has helped to catapult Obama to where he is right now, on the cusp of the most historic election in our country’s history, is that he would be willing to compromise and work across the aisle to solve our country’s problems.  It has been a dominant theme of the campaign since his famous “Red States-Blue States” speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.   It has even created many Obama-cans , Republicans attracted to the notion of bipartisan participation in governing that Obama has so strongly advocated for.  However, this campaign promise would go directly in the face of what many Democrats would like, especially if Democrats were to obtain the “Magic 60”.  With the Republican party in disarray from coast to coast (and outside of the Lower 48- Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the Senate, was just found guilty today on corruption charges), some members of the Democratic Party will be pushing for a fairly liberal agenda in Obama’s first term.  While this is something I’m sure Obama in his heart-of-hearts  wants, it would go against his campaign promise of working across the aisle.  Passing a liberal agenda on the back of huge majorities in the House and Senate would be anything but bipartisan.

So what is Obama to do?  If he goes the route of moderation, he could tack on Republican support, make good on his campaign promise of bipartisan unity, and potentially even usher in a new era of American politics.  With the internal hemorrhaging of the Republican Party (see McCain-Palin campaign infighting, many Republican endorsements for Obama, GOP on the run in states such as Alaska, Georgia, Kentucky, and potentially even presidential losses in North Dakota and Montana).  If Obama were to tap into Republicans after the Election, he could help to put the GOP in an even bigger hole than the one they already dug themselves into.  He could shift America to the left for years to come by compromising, and thus weakening the Republican Party, creating the most dramatic shift in party power since FDR.  However, if Obama goes this route, he would put his proposals at risk could potentially face backlash from his own party.  The Democrats would be fuming.  They have not gotten their way for the past eight years.  While potentially placating independents and Republicans by compromising on some issues, he could hurt support from his real base, the Democratic Party.

His other option is to stay on course with the Democratic Party’s dream- health care reform, withdrawal from Iraq, and economic intervention in our troubled economy.   If he is to win in a Democratic landslide, he will have the popular mandate to push through exactly what he and the Democrats want.  This could totally alienate the GOP, marginalizing them in Washington, especially if Democrats control 60 seats in the Senate. Republicans would set themselves up as the underdog for the next four years, and if they are able to hold onto their base as a result of the passage of many Democratic platforms, they could regroup and come back with a vengeance, reorganized and gunning for blood in 2012. 

Obama has proven to be one of the most gifted politicians our country has ever seen, yet he still is an unknown as to how he is going to govern. He is going to need to prove himself during his first Hundred Days, yet, how is he going to do it?  Will he pass exactly what feels necessary on the back of huge majorities in the House and Senate, or will he moderate slightly to pacify the other side of the aisle?  Whichever route he chooses, he will likely face those political consequences four years from now, during his (fingers crossed) reelection campaign.

Op-Ed for the Daily: Vote No on Question 1

This is an op-ed i just wrote for the Tufts Daily.  It will probably run on wednesday or thursday.  Let me know what you think. It's about a boring subject (income tax) but it is a really important issue here in MA.

Vote No on Question 1

 The income tax has been a staple of American life since the beginning of the 20^th century.  While no one really enjoys paying taxes, most tend to think of it as a civic duty.  However, here in Massachusetts, an initiative is on the ballot, called Question 1, that, if passed on November 4^th, would eliminate the Massachusetts state income tax, which at the present, is a flat 5.3 percent.

Some of you out there probably think this sounds like a good idea.  That’s how a lot of people felt back in 2002, when a similar proposal garnered 45% of the vote.   However, this proposal is in fact, an extreme measure that if passed, would hurt the Commonwealth for years to come.

While the group behind this proposal, the Committee for Small Government, claims this effort will “force the State Legislature to streamline ”, in reality, this policy will do anything but that.  It is an honorable goal to try to attempt to slim the budget, especially considering the fact that Massachusetts is short 1.4 billion dollars this year, however, eliminating the income tax is not the way to do it.  If this policy were put into place, the state would lose tons of revenue, approximately 12.5 billion dollars, all of which the State needs right now.  Two courses of action would be available to the State if this proposal were to pass: cut spending on programs, or raise taxes in some other area.  Both could be done simultaneously to make up for the enormous amount of money the state would be down. 

Though the goal of this libertarian group’s proposal is clearly to eliminate taxes, the proposal does not restrict increasing other taxes.  If other forms of taxes are increased to make up for lost revenue, it could potentially be in the area of sales tax, hurting every Bay Stater whenever they go out to buy for their family.  Right now purchases of food, prescription drugs, gas, oil and electricity are exempt from the sales tax, up to $175.  This restriction on taxing small sales protects the lower class and middle class from taxes on essentials that families need to get by.  If we were to lose the 12 billion in state revenue from the income tax, this exemption of necessary goods from taxation will have to go for the state to remain financially afloat.  This increase and abolishment of exemptions on the sales tax is regressive in fact really hurts the middle and lower class most.  Everyone needs to pay money for essentials, and if the state were to increase the sales tax substantially, it would make it even more difficult for the poorest in our state to pay for necessities. 

If this initiative becomes law, the State will be forced to make cuts in programs that are for the good of everyone in society.  Police and firefighting budgets may even have to be slashed to reduce the budget deficit if this is passed.  These are essential to everyone’s well being here in Massachusetts.  Safety should not be put at risk just to make a statement about “government waste”.

Another service that is in jeopardy because of this proposal is education.  Massachusetts is up there with the best in terms of public education.  Our schools are strong; yet, this proposal will threaten the very well being of the system that everyone in the state is proud of.  Our education represents the future of our state, considering that we are a center for high-tech jobs and technological research.  If funding for education is cut, we will be sure to see many teachers leave the state.  Teachers already are not paid enough at it is.  If there is any further decrease in pay for teachers, we will lose all the good ones.  If we gamble with education, the children of Massachusetts will be the ones who will face the consequences.  If our educational program declines, we hurt our children and the future of our state.

Cuts in educational funding would not only hamper basic education programs, it will also take funding from our higher education system.  This would be really detrimental to the UMass system, and it would even hurt Tufts.  Tufts receives millions of dollars in state money that help with various aspects of the school.  If question 1 passes, expect to see the university less able to handle various financial issues, which would be particularly dangerous to certain programs, given the current economic turmoil.

For many out-of-staters, this does not seem like it would affect you that much, however this is really not the case.  Considering the financial hole this would put the state in, expect sales taxes to be increased, while essential services will  need to be slashed.  All Tufts students would feel the pain as a result of this, and considering that a plurality of Tufts Students are from Massachusetts, those Jumbos would be affected even more.

If you are a native of Massachusetts, make sure you vote against Question 1.  What you would gain in an income tax cut would be replaced by losses in public services, education, and increased taxes on other things.  The whole state, including everyone on the Hill, would be negatively affected by the passage of this proposal.

"Juggernaut"

Wow, well at least William Kristol can admit how beast of a campaign Obama has run.  http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/737mifbf.asp

Nice use of the word juggernaut... even though it is very much a Weekly Standard article (Don't even bother reading.  I only really skimmed it, but hardcore right-wing, anti-Obama) , it makes me smile because of that one word.... brings to mind X-Men 3.... "McCain vs. the Juggernaut".  

Image and narrative in a campaign.

Wow, it's great to be home.  I've had a relaxing day, similar to the Saturdays I had last year.  The best part of it all- getting the weekend New York Times, including this week's New York Times Magazine.  I just spent a good amount of time reading a really interesting article in the Magazine.  Here it is: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/magazine/26mccain-t.html?_r=1&oref=slogin. If you have a good chunk of time, I would highly recommend it.  It's hefty, but worth the read.  Robert Draper gives the reader a remarkable behind the scenes look at some of the biggest moments in the McCain campaign to date, including some inside info and insight on what happened during the selection of Sarah Palin.  

Draper also does a really good job of looking into the ways in which John McCain has morphed as a candidate.  We all have noticed this, whether it was the shift over the summer from "experience first" to "change" and "maverick".  John McCain has run an ever shifting, morphing campaign, intent on capturing the current emotion of the time.  While all candidates generally change after the primaries, when they had to appeal directly to the party base, to a more centrist position, John McCain's shift has been all over the map.  People are desperate for change, however, this is no excuse for McCain to flip his message completely.  The American people are not stupid.  People noticed when McCain picked up his opponent's central theme and try to claim it for his own.  This shift is ultimately part of John McCain's undoing.  While McCain has fumbled to try to grasp a theme or message that resonates with the public, Obama has been fairly steady with his message, only slightly altering the campaign slogan of "Change We Can Believe In" to "Change We Need", reflecting increased urgency as the campaign comes to its final stages.

Maybe John McCain was doomed from the start.  Whether it is because of  his party affiliation or his ties to the Bush Administration on the War and the economy, John McCain has had an inherent disadvantage this campaign just because of who he identifies with and what he has done over the past eight years.  However, his reckless and erratic campaign and message have not helped him this campaign cycle.  Obama has been the candidate of steadiness and consistency, while John McCain has been anything but those qualities, especially for the past few months. The John McCain of 2000 was nowhere to be found during this general election, as he morphed from a man of conviction and principle, to a man that, in my eyes, just seems desperate to win.

Youth vote, and why we as a generation must defy the pundits

So I just got this in an email yesterday (thank you, Ben Ross), and this actually frightened me a bit. http://www.cnnbcvideo.com/index.html?nid=mpig3oTbCCUDNGZk2ygTpTMzNDE2Njc-&referred_by=5613600-LDng5kx

It’s an incredibly effective ad.  Kudos to MoveOn.org for getting this running and as personalized as it is.  The thought of an Obama loss makes me feel sick, and I hope it makes you all feel sick too.  Our generation has, overall, been so passionate about his candidacy, and yet, if we don’t work for it, this potentially once in a generation opportunity for real change could be gone, and our generation would be the one to lose out the most, and potentially, be the most to blame.

Voter turnout is truly one of the X-factors of this election, and really, our generation is key to this.  Since 1972, when 18 year olds were given the right to vote, people always talk about how young people are so passionate, yet generally don’t make it to the polls.  With Obama running as strong as he is amongst people my age, if we don’t show up, it could mean that McCain could, somehow, squeak out a victory.

While voting amongst 18-24 year olds increased from 2000 to 2004, youth voting was still almost 20% lower than the overall national average.  This is honestly, pathetic.  According to CIRCLE, 18-24 year olds made up 9% of the overall electorate.   If this number could be raised even by a little, we could see real dramatic change when the votes come in.  As the percentage of youth vote as share of the total electorate rises, so to does Barack Obama’s and the Democrats’ chance of winning in 10 days. 

We have come to far to lose this in the last ten days.  We, the college aged people, were an engine for Barack Obama in the primaries; if we hadn’t given up time to volunteer for him, attend a rally, or vote for him, he would not be in this history-making position ten days out from November 4^th.  The Obama campaign realizes this too, hence why he wants to help make college affordable, and provide money for college for students who participate in some form of National Service.  If we can help Obama in this last push before Election Day, we are ultimately going to be the ones that benefit.   Obama as a leader will lead the country in a way we want it, not the way our grandparents had it.  Ultimately, our generation is going to be the one that will have to take on so many of the challenges we are just seeing the beginning of now, whether it’s the energy crisis, global climate change, or the continuing failure of Reagan-era economics in the 21^st century.  Obama realizes all of these problems, and he will begin the fight to fix them.  However, we will eventually have to carry the load; once the election is over, our generation will have to stay involved to make sure these problems get fixed.

We can have these changes if we want them.  We just need to work really hard for the next ten days, and then make sure that EVERYONE our age goes and votes.

I’m feeling the fierce urgency.  Are you?

GO VOTE and GOBAMA!!!!

John Kerry and US Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Senator John F. Kerry spoke at the Cohen Auditorium here at Tufts yesterday evening to a full house.  While the topic of the lecture was meant to be on foreign policy, he did not stick to it entirely, talking about his run for President and some domestic and economic issues.  He made a few sad, somewhat self-deprecating jokes.  At one point, while talking about arrogance and confidence about the current campaign, he made a joke about his 2004 Presidential campaign, saying something along the lines of “all the polls projected me to be the next President.   You are looking at the shortest administration ever!”  Contrary to my expectations, and recollections of 2004, Senator Kerry was actually a very interesting speaker, though it did become somewhat of an Obama rally at times.  He was both engaging and incredibly intelligent.  What really stuck me was when he spoke off teleprompter, answering questions from the crowd.  Without the aid of a teleprompter, he was able to answer questions about alternative energy, gay marriage, and meeting with leaders of rogue nations.   He even spent a good ten minutes answering questions with people face to face after the lecture ended.

While Senator Kerry’s speech itself was nothing new or spectacular, his intelligence and general interest in talking to Tufts students reinvigorated my faith in public figures.  I sometimes feel that politicians are just talk, and don’t have much substance beneath them.  Yet, there was Sen. Kerry, engaging friends of mine as though they were media figures or fellow politicians.   It was really refreshing to watch actual dialogue between students and someone with such power- someone who could have been President of the United States

There was one thing that I thought Kerry had particularly right.  When he was talking to a group of us after, he spoke of terrorism and brought in the fact that, really, the people who are committing these acts are young people.  He listed some statistics that alarmed me; 50% of the population of some Middle Eastern countries are under the age of 21 (or maybe he said 25).  Regardless, that number is HUGE, especially for an area that is struggling economically.  And we thought we had a problem here when the Baby Boomers kids started applying for college!  The fact that these people are growing up poor, and coming of age to find nothing waiting for them is a major issue.  This, he concluded, is a reason we have suicide bombers and terrorists.  Without any alternative form of opportunity, these people can be easily persuaded by radicals to join a cause, any cause, just so they have purpose.

I immediately started thinking about this problem yet it really is quite a large one.  Poverty can lead to crime in any part of the globe, yet we are seeing this tendency to crime link with anti-Americanism to create ripe recruits for Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.  My first logical solution was globalization.  In my having read half of The World is Flat, along with several articles in The Economist about the subject, Globalization seems like a way to expand the economic pie, especially to places that often don’t get jobs.  While I do regret the fact that manufacturing jobs are moving out of Ohio and the rest of the Rust Belt to elsewhere, some other jobs have proven to be boons to other countries.  The best example is obviously India.  Our newly interconnected globe has brought India into prominence like no one would have guessed. If India can undergo such rapid economic change, I’m sure that, in the next few years, some form of the world economy could be based in the Middle East.  Currently, most of the Middle East is as left out in the global economy as anywhere.

The one cog in my train of thought is the whole issue of goodwill and soft power.  The US is not much respected in the Middle East, and the reasons are numerous.   As we learned from Iran in the 60s-80s, too quick development and westernization can lead to a serious backlash.  With out current standing in the region, Western industry may not be able to even get a toehold in their economies.

Our most immediate way to gain some respect in the region is coming up in less than two weeks.  There is a clear contrast in both candidates’ style; one a hawkish unilateralist who cannot even commit to talking to the Prime Minister of Spain, the other willing to work with other countries to solve our collective issues together.  Barack Obama will provide instant credibility in a region just by his being willing to talk to people.  As John Kerry said in his lecture when questioned about the issue of sitting down with unfriendly foreign leaders, it at least gets dialogue going, yet “no is still an option”.   We can at the very least try to work things out in the most volatile region in the world.  This would open the door to a possible resolution, as well as show the people in the country that we still care about them, regardless of what we think of their government.

So overall, credibility in the Middle East will help us in so many ways.  It will take away the perception of us being the “bad-guy”, while allowing us to reach out to them economically.  With economic opportunity, people, especially the young, will have more options, and won’t be left with the choice of either unemployment or crime, potentially even terrorism.  

For the immediate future, it is imperative for us to restore our moral standing in the world by electing Barack Obama to be our next President of the United States.

Choo chooooo!

While perusing wikipedia today (a hobby of mine), I found this - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High_Speed_Rail  which then led me to the main website http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/faqs/why.htm  .  THIS IS SO FLIPPING COOL.  220 MPH!?!  I take the train fairly often, whether its from Boston back home to New York, or from my home in the suburbs into the city, and I always feel like the whole thing could be done better.  While it is nice being able to get from Boston to New York in about 3 hours with the Acela, that really isn't all that much better than car travel (except that there is no traffic).   In fact, France and Japan have had 150+ mph trains for well over 20 years.  Why is it that in the most densely populated and most travelled area of the country, our train only averages 86 mph (a wikipedia fact... but I'm going to trust it.  I've taken that train several times before), while in Japan and France the average speed is much faster.  

I feel like this, though not at all a national issue, is part of the dialogue our country is going to have about the energy crisis and global warming.  Trains are more efficient and leave less of a carbon footprint than any other form of mass transportation, especially compared to gridlocked cars, which are neither efficient nor fast.  Trains provide a solid alternative to cars, especially given the high cost of fuel these days.  Trains relieve congestion on highways, which makes getting from A to B faster for everyone, along with reducing emissions by cutting down on car-idling time in traffic.  They just make sense for travel between cities!

 

Small government nuts are obviously going to call this an intrusion of government and excessive spending, yet building railroads is not something that can be done well by the private sector.  There comes a point when projects are too big and Federal funding needs to be put behind them, as Dwight Eisenhower realized in the 1950s when he helped to create the Interstate Highway System.  This was the biggest infrastructure project ever in this county, one that, if it were to be attempted today, might be labeled as "Big Government".  However, I don't think anyone is complaining about it now.  It profoundly changed our country for the better, allowing greater movement for people and goods.  It boosted our economy by creating jobs.  I believe that new initiatives in high speed trains and alternative transport could have a similar effect today. Also, according to the plan for the current project, the California trains would pay for themselves within a few years.

Overall, though not on the public radar, high speed trains would be incredibly beneficial in terms of the environment, energy, and the economy, increasingly looking dire given that 41 states reported job losses in September.  Barack Obama talks about how we are going to have to invest in alternative energy, and how that could help our economy, along with the environment.  High speed trains and alternative transportation are part of the equation.  High speed trains will have to be part of our new 21st century infrastructure, helping us with many of the problems currently face, while making getting places quicker and easier.

If Californians vote this down, I will be so pissed...

My First Blog Post?! WOOHOO!

So it’s been a week and a half since I first decided to make a blog, and here it is!  I’ve never made or written for a blog before, so I have no idea how this is going to go.  My guess right now is that I’ll write about politics mostly, but, for all of you out there reading this (haha), don’t be surprised if I end up writing about something completely random.

Hopefully this blog will give me a chance to write on a more regular basis.  In college so far, I have only had one paper, which really blows my mind, considering I wrote all the time in high school.   I don’t consider myself that strong of a writer, but this blog should help.

Most of you who are reading this probably already know me.  My name is Jonny, and I’m a freshman at Tufts University in Boston. I am originally from suburban NY.  I am fairly liberal, and am a huge Barack Obama supporter, though I enjoy debate and discussion about politics as much as anyone.

 Thanks for reading this!  More to follow soon (as long as I don’t have too much work).