PoliticalChatter

This is going to be short and to the point. Forget Bill Ayers, forget Obama’s speech, forget the pick of Sarah Palin, forget the snub of Hillary; this presidential election will be decided by Gustov and Hannah. If both storms hit with high force and the destruction is extensive, the presidential election will be decided by which side spins the response of the government.

This is not good news for John McCain, not because Bush will screw up the response (most of that blame for Katrina must go to the local governments) but because Bush will not brag about it. His administration has shown they will sit silent as the Dems bash, attack and spin the story, without a response.

As for the candidates, they must balance looking presidential with looking like a politician using a disaster to garner votes.

With that said I hope for the best and that everyone is safe. Also, please heed the warning and get out.

If this election was a football game, then well, McCain’s team has a far better coach. Barack Obama has all the talent and should be up 2 touchdowns or 10 percentage points, but he isn’t, because his coaches are no match for John McCain’s.

As Obama spent last night showing off his manhood, no that way, but with tough, harsh words, John McCain spent today doing what most believe Obama should have done; pick a woman as his veep, Sarah Palin.

This does not seal the election for John McCain, no vice presidential choice has ever done that, but Sarah Palin may come close. This election is going to be fun as both candidates go after each others base and that will decide the election.

First let me say the setting for Barack Obama’s acceptance speech last night avoided the Howard Dean scream. Okay so that is off the table, now to the speech.

I have prided myself in saying things other media outlets overlook, hush up or are simply are afraid to address. So with that, let me make one thing clear, Barack Obama’s speech last night was targeted at one very specific group; white males.

From the opening video, Obama offered a branch of connection, reaching out to the white male voter. The opening video spoke of his white grandparents and his admiration of them, attempting to offset the accusations that he is a renegade black power candidate. It noted his grandfather staggered off to war and admirably fought to defend his nation against Adolf Hitler, but more importantly did so with George S. Patton; machismo personified. With that, Obama boasted loudly that he too had a family tradition of patriotism.

During his speech Obama spoke of his mother and her struggles to provide for the family. He pontificated about his mother sacrificing life’s comforts for the future of her children. Exchange the word mother for father and Obama was speaking about the blue collar men, who stagger off each morning or evening to a job they hate, so their children can having something more.

Obama glorified the power and accomplishment of the individual, reaching out to the white male, who holds so much self pride.

Finally, Obama slammed down the iron fist ofAmerica, warning our enemies that we will not be bullied. It was the toughness so many males desire, playing to the natural instinct of protecting the things and people they love.

Make no mistake about Obama’s purpose in this speech. He clearly understands that minorities are in his camp, but without a larger percentage of the white male vote, his collation will fall short. Thursday night he reached out to them, he presented a man that was proud of his family, proud of his country and willing to fight for both. He offered a connection by simply saying; see I might look different than you, but we are really the same.

Only time will tell if this offering is accepted, Obama’s own words of the past offset those spoken Thursday night. But clearly Obama warned John McCain that he is coming after the traditionally strong Republican base.   

I can’t wait to see this stage tonight for Obama’s acceptance speech. I will hold off on making judgement, but I sense a possibly huge blunder by the Obama people. The undecided are looking for substance from Obama and they are getting a stage built by Brittany Spears designer…My sense is this will not play well in places such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. I live in this area and people around hear are insulted by the Hollywood community, not influenced.

The daily tracking polls of the presidential race continue to reflect a tight race. After spending the first few months of summer well ahead in the race, Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama now finds himself trailing or at best tied.

So what changed over the last few weeks? John McCain went on the offensive or as some political insiders say it went negative. This is a fair assertion, the onslaught of McCain ads are negative, but negative politics is nothing new. It is as old as the process itself. This time around there is something very different about the negative approach, something which increases their effective two fold.

In recent presidential races we have seen DUI charges, National Guard scandals, Swift Boating and draft evasion. Each of those accusations were acts of the past, the far past and the importance of them to the voter was peripheral at best. But now John McCain and his political machine are using something much different; Barack Obama’s own words and even more importantly his recent words.

Although the debate of content or out of context can be made, Obama’s words are circling around him like a dark cloud. He has in fact referred to
Iran as a tiny country, seemingly shrugging off the threat of the terrorist sponsor. Obama has in fact spent time beyond a casual working relationship with a former domestic terrorist William Ayers. Obama did in fact remain a member of Rev. Wright’s church long after his hate filled sermons. These actions are fresh, tangible and can be easily understood by the voter.  There is no gray area and no buffer of time and that is why they have been so effective. In so many ways they are similar to the Willie Horton ads, which eventually doomed Michael Dukakis in 1988, not in substance, but in the fact there is really no disputing them.

Barack Obama faces an enormous task of pulling back words and explaining past actions, he has done neither at this point. As McCain continues to pound the Illinois Senator with his own words and actions, a once shoe in candidate is quickly becoming the underdog.

Folks this is simple, real and true…

The temple being built for Barack Obama’s speech has left me stunned. I will hold off complete comment until I see it, but folks this is amazing. If one purpose of this Democratic Convention was to show that Barack is a typical blue collar person, then it will all be lost when he steps out on the stage.

Anyhow, let’s take a wait and see approach to this thing, but right now people must be asking one question: Does the Obama camp have any clue?

Hillary Clinton addressed the Democratic Convention last night and accomplished absolutely nothing. The analysis is not based on her words from last night, but on the words being spoken 12 hours later. Stunningly, across the board the agreement this morning is that Hillary did what was required, but nothing more. She spoke of unity and the party, but it was the missing content that has created the buzz.

There was no gutting of McCain and his policies and in fact the one line being repeated this morning she called him a friend. The nasty side of
Clinton was nowhere to be found, leaving many to wonder what was her purpose? The answer is obvious for those willing to look for it.

Clinton remains angered that not only has Barack Obama stolen her nomination, but even after receiving 18 million votes, Obama and his camp have treated the
Clintons as minor players in the Democratic Party. This snub by Obama could become his biggest flaw of a campaign full of follies. With an opportunity to unite the party with an Obama/Clinton ticket, Obama not only went away from her, but has ignored her. Obama clearly sees
Clinton as a vanquished enemy, arrogantly pushing her aside.

Lastly, Hillary is privately hoping for an Obama loss, setting her up for one last run in 2012. Is this a delusional conspiracy theory? Not so fast. When dealing with the
Clintons it must be remembered that
Clinton comes before anything else, even political theory or policy. She cares about her own personal goals before any other. Secondly,
Clinton is well aware that a McCain presidency, combined with a Democratic Congress is not a dooms day scenario. Right now she is more concerned about an Obama presidency, because when it is over her political clock may have struck midnight.

With just two night remaining the Democrats and Obama are in desperate need of a strong finish.  

With Michelle Obama having delivered her message last night at the Democratic Convention, the stage now belongs to the Clintons; more specifically Hillary Clinton. So what is her goal? Democrats hope it is to unite the party and solidify the base, but for Hillary it might be something much different.

Conservatives remember the 1976 convention when Ronald Reagan burst on the scene. Reagan took over the convention and spent the week building the foundation for his 1980 run, when he eventually won the presidential race.

Is this Hillary’s purpose in ‘08 at the Democratic Convention? The answer to that question might just be yes. One telling sign came last night on CNN where James Carville attacked the night’s events at the convention, an uncanny act for the party mouthpiece. There are other signals such as Hillary’s obvious half-hearted support of Obama and Hillary forcing her name into almost every news cycle. There have been few signs of a woman willing to step back and hand over the party.

She will do the proper things and in the end give over her delegates, but before that Hillary and her people are ensuring that should Obama fail (and make no mistake, there are Hillary people hoping for just that as there were Republicans in ‘76 hoping for Ford’s loss) that she is positioned to take over the party.

In the end, Hillary will get what she wants, regardless of the price to Barack Obama or the Democratic Party.  

Michelle Obama will make the argument that she and Barack are just like the average American during her speech at the Democratic Convention. They came from a humble background, working class family and worked their way up the American ladder, to the pinnacle of the political world. A wonderful message, but with one horrific flaw.

When she finishes a parade of speakers, one likely to be Barack himself, will tell us how America has failed the working class people. That racism and sexism has failed America, that people of minority are held back by a repressive system, designed only to aid the rich.

Need we go on…Nah, let Michelle have her moment, after all she earned it with her loved one now smack dab in the middle of the presidential race.