PoliticalChatter

There is a report circulating that Sen. Joe Lieberman might end up McCain’s VP choice. Lieberman as you might remember, was targeted by the Move On.org crowd, but ran and won as an independent in his last election. He is also the former VP candidate with Al Gore in 2000.

If this is true, I have to ask what are some thinking in the McCain camp? Have they completely discarded the conservatives? For the first time ever, McCain is on the verge on bringing the conservatives to the ranch, picking Lieberman will send them back to the pasture.

Lieberman is a loyal friend and supporter of McCain, but he offers literally nothing for McCain on the ticket. Any positive will be offset by mass exodus of conservatives, who will either stay home or pick Libertarian candidate Bob Barr.

McCain should leave Lieberman where he belongs, in Congress.

Does Barack Obama have a women problem? Apparently he does. Some recent polling suggests that Obama is actually trailing John McCain with women over 40, normally a very strong Democratic stronghold.

Traditionally the gender gap has been around ten points, in favor of the Democratic candidate. That has been erased this campaign cycle, mostly because women over 40 simply do not like him. The question is why? Assumingly, Barack’s defeat of Hillary Clinton is playing a major role. The demographic remains strongly influenced by the feminist movement of the 1970’s, many of whom saw the election of Hillary Clinton as the completion of the movement. When Obama burst on the scene he destroyed this dream and many have not forgiven him.

Many pundits assumed the female vote would naturally swing towards Obama and it may still, but polls are suggesting that move has been more difficult than thought. This is because McCain offers a moderate, middle of the road option, making him a viable candidate. Obama’s expected surge in the poll has not happened and unless he can bring home the female vote, this election will remain tight.

Well, let her say it…But she isn’t happy.

Pundits, current author included, fully enjoy offering predictions aimed at predicting the presidential race. We provide statistical numbers, voter patterns and simple momentum as our tools of evidential proof. Admittedly, this entire process is nothing more than an exercise of guessing.

There is no greater unknown than the future. Even within hours of an event happening, most cannot be predicted and the individual lives that it will affect are unaware until the actual happening. What I am attempting to say is; we cannot predict the future. But, we can play a game of simulation, asking what would happen if A happened.

So, let’s analyze the following situation. The world or the United States, faces another 9/11 type attack or Iran rolls out a nuclear missile, capable of wiping out Israel. How would this alter the presidential campaign?

Such an event as the one mentioned above would likely flip the polls and the list of those things voters are concerned about. So where would that leave the presidential campaign? Currently Barack Obama is seen as the frontrunner, but foreign affairs are his weakness. His opponent John McCain is all about foreign affairs, hoping too use them as his winning hand. With that, one could assume that a campaign dominated by foreign rather than domestic issues is a positive for McCain. It seems a logical conclusion, but could prove a wrong one.

A shocking terrorist attack could play into the argument that Bush’s and McCain’s approach has changed nothing and in fact has only worked to increase the hatred of America. A nuclear Iran may demonstrate to voters that ignoring and playing hardball with a rogue nation only pushes them into lashing out.

Barack Obama could offer such arguments, both with solid foundations and it could work in his favor. However, the problem facing Obama in such a situation is fear. Fear is currently working in his favor. Fear over higher gas and food prices. Fear off a housing melt down and fear of what tomorrow will bring economically. Fear is so powerful that there is no rebutting it, it simply engulfs voters and is easily marketed.

A terrorist attack or some other frightful foreign event would transform this fear and send the voters flocking to the more experienced, older John McCain and turning the election upside down.

Barack Obama has spent the last week, shifting, turning and twisting around the fact he opposed the surge in
Iraq. Now, along with a herd of media, Obama must admit the surge is working or more fitting worked. Stabilization has been brought to
Iraq, although that state could be altered at any moment, thousands of Al Qaeda holy warriors are dead, nearly nutralizing the terror group. Obama has also been reworking his stance on
Iran, talking a bit tougher and apparently shying away his negotiation minus conditions. Yet, there sits McCain silent and void of action.  The McCain camp should be collecting not only Barack’s comments but Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s constant banter that the war failed and the surge will not work. Posting it on television ads, repeating it in speeches and forcing a conversation about the Democrats and foreign policy. If McCain seeks to keep Obama pinned in a corner he should be acting now. Remind the American people of where he once stood, before he convinces them of having a new one. Of all things John McCain is not, he was exactly correct on the war. He attacked President Bush for a lack of force, he argued for an overwhelming force to be thrust down upon the enemy combatants. Now he stands by silently, seemingly frozen by an undefined fear of attacking Barack Obama. If McCain insists on holding this path, the voters will soon forget what Obama was and only remember what he is trying to become.  

Barack Obama becomes more mysterious with every word. There is the articulate Barack, who delivers rousing speeches and motivates crowds. That Obama is crisp, sharp and pleasing to the ear.

Then there is the other Obama, the one who stands before reporters, stumbles, stammers and gets tangled in a constant stream of uuuhs, uuum, and other wise endless babble.

There is also the Obama who speaks of hope and a new day, but refuses to acknowledge the achievements of the past. Instead, noting the failures of this nation.

Is Obama a candidate of hope and optimism or just another fear, guilt mongering politician? Sadly, it is becoming clear he is the latter.

Maybe John Edwards was running from the National Enquirer because his hair was messed up!

Rumors are flying that Sen. John McCain is ready to pick a running mate. Possible, but one thing to consider is this might be an attempt to draw some media attention his way. As Barack Obama continues the Love Fest ‘08 Tour with the mainstream media, McCain has gone virtually unnoticed, which any politician hates, especially John McCain.

The talk of a VP is always interesting, it dominates the news, sends the talking heads into a feeding frenzy and when the announcement is made, it has the effect of a single rain drop on the ocean.

But, anyhow here it goes. Word is McCain basically let it slip in New Hampshire that Minnesota Governor Timothy Pawlenty is the choice. McCain told some people that they are really going to like the Governor. So, does this mean it is Pawlenty, nope, but it seems a logical choice, because Minnesota is considered a swing state and Pawlenty is apparently very popular there.

Let the suspense build!

NBC’s Andrea Mitchell questioned the legitimacy of the Obama pictures coming out of Iraq. The correspondent was on Chris Matthew’s Hardball and she expressed concern that the media was not present when many pictures were taken.

One in question was the photo op of Obama playing basketball with an apparently very exuberant military. Mitchell was concerned that there was no way of knowing what had been edited and thus no way of knowing what actually happened.

This is a troubling trend from in the politics and continued by the Obama camp. Controlled environments, almost PR like events, shielding their candidate. The photo ops come just a month after it was announced that Barack would give his acceptance speech from the larger Denver ’s Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, instead of at the Pepsi Arena where the convention is being held.

It seems Obama’s handlers are attempting cultivate a masonic type personality. This trend is troubling simply because politicians are not saviors, they are servants of the people. Let’s hope this is a campaign stunt and that Barack is not becoming what his handlers are selling.

The mainstream media has become fully infected with Obamamania. They have swarmed Europe and the Middle East, stalking Obama like the paparazzi. It is pathetic behavior by a group of individuals that insist on being called professionals.

The majority of the media holds a liberal bias, something they admit privately and can be clearly seen in their news stories. Yet, they continue to proclaim they are an unbiased group of professionals, providing a necessary service.

Guess what, the people are no longer buying it. Newspaper circulation is dropping, the nightly newscast are suffering the same, because people are tired of being fed an agenda under the disguise of unbiased reporting.

Perhaps the coverage of Obama in Iraq is becoming what television notes as “jumping the shark.” The criticism of the coverage is ramping up and the bias is on full display. Most presidents, let alone presidential candidates never receive this type of coverage, leaving many to question why Obama.

The is answer is clear; the media seeks the election of Obama and foreign policy is  his weakness. This trip is seen as opportunity to alter that perspective. Journalist are people and they have the right to hold political positions, just stop pretending that you don’t.