Caroline Kennedy has written a piece for our times, and it captures a time in transfrormation.
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans
A President Like My Father - New York Times
On January 18th, 2008, John McGlaughlin made this statement during the broadcast of “The McGlaughlin Group”:
MR. MCLAUGHLIN:
Issue Two: Super Tuesday. Not since 1928 has a U.S. presidential race been so wide open. Neither party has an incumbent running. Neither party has a front- runner running. Less than 10 months from the November 4 election, the presidential nominations are still up for grabs.That may change on Super Tuesday, February 5, two weeks from this coming Tuesday. Twenty-four states are participating in primary and caucus contests two weeks from Tuesday.Here they are, blue states and red states. Blue means left wing. Red means right wing. Blue means left of center. Red means right of center.
Northwest. Blue: Connecticut, Massachusetts. Red: None.
Mid-Atlantic. Blue: Delaware, New Jersey, New York. Red: None.
Midwest. Blue: Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas. Red: Missouri, North Dakota.
South. Blue: None. Red: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia.
Southwest. Blue: None. Red: Arizona, New Mexico.
West. Blue: California. Red: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah.All up a week from Tuesday, February the 5th.
The McLaughlin Group Library : Transcript
Hmm… Where does he get this stuff? Let’s see, he lists Arizona and New Mexico as Red states, true enough that in 2004 Bush took both states, Arizona by 10% and New Mexico by 1%, but both have Democratic two-term governors (Janet Napolitano and Bill Richardson, respectively); Arizona has two red senators, Kyl and McCain, but an evenly split house delegation, 4 apiece, whereas New Mexico has a split senatorial delegation, Bingaman (D) and Domenici (R - retiring) and a 2 to 1 advantage for Republicans in the house. I think both states are fairly purple, don’t you?
How about the others? Colorado also went for Bush by 5% in ‘04, but has since come to its senses, with a split Senate, Salazar (D) and Wayne (R, up for election) and a 4 to 3 Democratic house delegation. Gov. Bill Ritter is a Democratic.
Montana elected Democrat Brian Schweitzer as Governor some years back, and this last election sent Jon Tester (D) to join Max Baucus (D) in Washington along with their sole Republican, a Representative.
So, things are looking more Purple than Red or Blue out west right now. Especially when you consider the message in this article from Tuesday’s Las Vegas Sun:
One intriguing outcome of Saturday’s Democratic caucus is that Barack Obama, a Chicago politician whose appeal nationwide is deep among affluent liberals and college students, broke through in Nevada’s mining and ranching counties.
Obama beat rival Hillary Clinton decisively in nine of 14 rural Republican-dominated counties. In Esmeralda, on the state’s western edge, he won 22 delegates to nine for the New York senator.
…One example of that hope could be found in Shirley Jones, a Republican who said she showed up to Elko’s Democratic caucus because Obama appealed to her more than any other candidate from either party. “I think we need to get out of the Republican mind-set, because they’ve
gotten us into debt,” she said.At another precinct in Elko, Richard Todd switched parties to caucus with the Democrats and was swiftly chosen to advocate for Obama to undecided caucusgoers. Twelve of Todd’s Republican neighbors in the precinct joined him in changing parties to caucus for Obama. Whitney said newly registered Democrats made up one-third of the voters who showed up in his precinct.
Why rural voters broke for Obama - Las Vegas Sun > Elko Supporter
Food for thought, Purple thought…
Fear and Loathing: Las Vegas Journal #1
The sun is just rising in this state where mispronouncing the name can get you headlines, folks will start to caucus in about 2 and a half hours. The local news is showing a story in which they have tracked down the most uninformed voters they can find and show them presidential flash cards. It is quite demoralizing.
The political ads are thick on the airwaves. Barack Obama is sounding hopeful behind me while I type this. He has been running a lot of ads on the local Telemundo affiliate, which could be significant in this state with a heavy hispanic population. Especially since the caucus goers on The Strip will have a weighted score, which Hillary thought was a good idea when she thought she would have their support, but now abhors. Oops!
Pawn is in town for The World of Concrete convention. Long story, don’t ask. So, the above sign seemed appropriate…
Oh, and Hannah Montana is in town, so there’s something for the under-18 set as well.
Customer: I’ll have an Amsteil Light, 2 rum & Cokes and what kinds of mandarin vodka do you have?
Bartender: Mandarin?!?
Landmark Lanes, Friday night
Sometimes you just have to strike with a hot iron, like you’re cauterizing a wound… cauterizing a fucking wound on your soul.
She sung me Hungarian lullabies with such earnest determination that it almost startled me, but the low, soft murmer of her voice and the trancendent beauty of the music took their soporific toll and I was soon lost in a most rigid torpor.
Whilst lazing about in bed this morning, drifting in that half-sleep, I was listening to the introduction to a radio interview with Geraldine Brooks. I conflated her introduction with an earlier story about cancer survivors, and imagined that Mrs. Brooks was herself battling cancer. I was sitting in a barn with her, up on Marth’a Vineyard, and as she spoke I watched the whisps of vaporum animae or was it vitalis vaporum slipping from her lips. I did not want to see her go, nor did I want to see that esssence be lost. I pulled her towards me and held her tight to me as that mist drifted into my own nostrils.
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