WASHINGTON - Harold Ickes, a top adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign who voted for Democratic Party rules that stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates, now is arguing against the very penalty he helped pass.
In a conference call Saturday, the longtime Democratic Party member contended the DNC should reconsider its tough sanctions on the two states, which held early contests in violation of party rules. He said millions of voters in Michigan and Florida would be otherwise disenfranchised — before acknowledging moments later that he had favored the sanctions.
In other news, the UNC Charlotte football team is undefeated, Jay Z thinks that Jay Z is the greatest rapper of all time, and I am the best looking white guy in my apartment.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Project Implicit
Its a test on positive associations from Harvard. You click on either a candidate's picture or words like friend, enemy, etc. Somehow it figures out how your brain views a candidate before all those pesky "thoughts" get involved.
Cut and paste the link. It takes a little while but its amusing.
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/featuredtask.html
I scored very high on positive associations for Barack Obama. I was neutral for Huckabee and Clinton, very negative for John McCain. I thought I liked McCain more than Hil Dawg or Huck, but apparently not. That'll teach me to think.
Cut and paste the link. It takes a little while but its amusing.
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/featuredtask.html
I scored very high on positive associations for Barack Obama. I was neutral for Huckabee and Clinton, very negative for John McCain. I thought I liked McCain more than Hil Dawg or Huck, but apparently not. That'll teach me to think.
This Couldn't Possibly Go Wrong
Apparently President Bush okayed the Navy to shoot down one of our satellites. We're going to shoot a missile at it........
Is anyone else afraid of this? This is a guy who attacked the wrong country. This is a guy who almost choked to death on a pretzel. This is a guy who, well I think you get the point.
I swear to God, they're going to hit the wrong satellite and its going to screw up my radio. At least our little exercise is making the Russians angry. Because we need ANOTHER enemy.
Is anyone else afraid of this? This is a guy who attacked the wrong country. This is a guy who almost choked to death on a pretzel. This is a guy who, well I think you get the point.
I swear to God, they're going to hit the wrong satellite and its going to screw up my radio. At least our little exercise is making the Russians angry. Because we need ANOTHER enemy.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Delegate Count as of Feb. 16
Obama- 1,284
Clinton- 1,208
Superdelegates:
Obama- 160
Clinton- 224
This is still ridiculously close. But hey, we might know something by March!
Clinton- 1,208
Superdelegates:
Obama- 160
Clinton- 224
This is still ridiculously close. But hey, we might know something by March!
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Ohio and Texas Myth
HRC doesn't care about all the states and delegates that she's losing now, because Texas and Ohio, which hold their primaries in March, are more "representative of the electorate". Remember, she also claimed victory in the non primary of Florida. As a God-fearing Democrat, the idea of the Demon Triumvirate that is Ohio, Texas and Florida is enough to make me want to move to Canada. Remember that Florida cost us the 2000 election, that Ohio cost us 2004 and that the War Criminal is from Texas (via New England).
Anyway, the New Republic has weighed in.....
Texas and Ohio Won't Decide the Democratic Race
Floating around coverage of the Democratic primary is this notion that nothing really matters until Texas and Ohio. Or, at least, to the extent that Barack Obama's victories in the primaries that precede Ohio and Texas matter, it's only to help him build momentum for Ohio and Texas, when all the real delegates are at stake. Here's an entirely typical passage from today's Washington Post:
Hillary Clinton, effectively tied with Obama in delegates and facing difficult races the rest of this month, is looking to gain any possible advantage to slow her rival's momentum until March 4, when the campaign reaches what her aides believe will be friendlier territory in the Ohio and Texas primaries.
What you'd never get from reading this coverage is that Ohio and Texas aren't that much more important than other states.The states that Obama won over the weekend had a total of 185 pledged delegates. Tomorrow's primary states have 168. That's a total of 353 delegates. Ohio and Texas, meanwhile, combine for 334 delegates. (That's my back of the envelope calculation from the numbers at wikipedia.)
And Obama won enormous blowout victories over the weekend, and is up by double digits Tuesday. So even if Clinton wins Texas and Ohio, it will be impossible for her to make up just the delegate advantage Obama has won and should win over these few days.
Anyway, the New Republic has weighed in.....
Texas and Ohio Won't Decide the Democratic Race
Floating around coverage of the Democratic primary is this notion that nothing really matters until Texas and Ohio. Or, at least, to the extent that Barack Obama's victories in the primaries that precede Ohio and Texas matter, it's only to help him build momentum for Ohio and Texas, when all the real delegates are at stake. Here's an entirely typical passage from today's Washington Post:
Hillary Clinton, effectively tied with Obama in delegates and facing difficult races the rest of this month, is looking to gain any possible advantage to slow her rival's momentum until March 4, when the campaign reaches what her aides believe will be friendlier territory in the Ohio and Texas primaries.
What you'd never get from reading this coverage is that Ohio and Texas aren't that much more important than other states.The states that Obama won over the weekend had a total of 185 pledged delegates. Tomorrow's primary states have 168. That's a total of 353 delegates. Ohio and Texas, meanwhile, combine for 334 delegates. (That's my back of the envelope calculation from the numbers at wikipedia.)
And Obama won enormous blowout victories over the weekend, and is up by double digits Tuesday. So even if Clinton wins Texas and Ohio, it will be impossible for her to make up just the delegate advantage Obama has won and should win over these few days.
"Activists" and African Americans
At least HRC isn't a sore loser.....
WHITE MARSH, Maryland (CNN) — Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors "activists" and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.
She told reporters who had gathered to watch her tour a General Motors plant here that "everybody knew, you all knew, what the likely outcome of these recent contests were."
"These are caucus states by and large, or in the case of Louisiana, you know, a very strong and very proud African-American electorate, which I totally respect and understand."
Clinton has publicly dismissed the caucus voting system since before Super Tuesday, seeking to lower expectations heading into a series of contests that played to Obama's advantage. His campaign features what many consider to be a stronger and more dedicated grassroots organization than Clinton's.
Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that."
The New York senator went out of her way to say she was "absolutely" looking forward to the Ohio and Texas primaries in March, where she believes voters are more receptive to her bread-and-butter message.
She also downplayed many of Obama's Super Tuesday victories, describing them as states that Democrats should not expect to win in November.
"It is highly unlikely we will win Alaska or North Dakota or Idaho or Nebraska," she said, naming several of Obama's red state wins. "But we have to win Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Michigan … And we've got to be competitive in places like Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma."
I'm not going to delve to deeply for fear that my brain will explode. However, I'm pretty sure that Texas and Oklahoma are just as red as Idaho or Nebraska. You know, 'cause Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all in the Big 12.
I just don't see how her red states are valid but Barack's aren't.
WHITE MARSH, Maryland (CNN) — Hillary Clinton on Monday explained away Barack Obama's clean sweep of the weekend's caucuses and primaries as a product of a caucus system that favors "activists" and, in the case of the Louisiana primary, an energized African-American community.
She told reporters who had gathered to watch her tour a General Motors plant here that "everybody knew, you all knew, what the likely outcome of these recent contests were."
"These are caucus states by and large, or in the case of Louisiana, you know, a very strong and very proud African-American electorate, which I totally respect and understand."
Clinton has publicly dismissed the caucus voting system since before Super Tuesday, seeking to lower expectations heading into a series of contests that played to Obama's advantage. His campaign features what many consider to be a stronger and more dedicated grassroots organization than Clinton's.
Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that."
The New York senator went out of her way to say she was "absolutely" looking forward to the Ohio and Texas primaries in March, where she believes voters are more receptive to her bread-and-butter message.
She also downplayed many of Obama's Super Tuesday victories, describing them as states that Democrats should not expect to win in November.
"It is highly unlikely we will win Alaska or North Dakota or Idaho or Nebraska," she said, naming several of Obama's red state wins. "But we have to win Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Michigan … And we've got to be competitive in places like Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma."
I'm not going to delve to deeply for fear that my brain will explode. However, I'm pretty sure that Texas and Oklahoma are just as red as Idaho or Nebraska. You know, 'cause Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska are all in the Big 12.
I just don't see how her red states are valid but Barack's aren't.
Delegate Count- Feb 11th
Barack is officially ahead.
HRC- 1,132
Obama- 1,139
Number of Superdelegates
HRC- 210
Obama- 140
So even with the edge in superdelegates, Barack has a slim lead. Keep in mind that he was behind, and that he lost California and New York.
Next up, there are three primaries tomorrow; Maryland, Virginia and DC.
HRC- 1,132
Obama- 1,139
Number of Superdelegates
HRC- 210
Obama- 140
So even with the edge in superdelegates, Barack has a slim lead. Keep in mind that he was behind, and that he lost California and New York.
Next up, there are three primaries tomorrow; Maryland, Virginia and DC.
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