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Hillary vs. Barack Style Clash
2008-02-27 15:43:00
More than anything else Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama represent two different styles. It is not old vs. new, gender vs. race, experience vs. hope. It is really two personality styles that have all these manifestations and more. The debate in Cleveland Ohio demonstrated these differences more than any previous debate. Being the last debate in this election season, both candidates were under tremendous pressure to perform well,to drive more points, but mostly not to fail. Hillary may have been under more pressure since she needed a debate victory to try to offset her past string of losses. It was to be her last stand before the remaining last stands (the media keep stating that the next event is her last stand - eventually the media will get it right). Hillary positioned herself as a fighter on behalf of the middle and working class. For them, she will fight. This is not posturing, not a campaign... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Style

Unattainable Goals
2008-02-21 22:31:00
I feel uncomfortable. In fact, I feel like leaving a crowd. A crowd of believers. The crowd doesn't know me. Neither of us are wearing orange Harri Krishna robes, but it still feels like I am leaving a cult. Nobody will know that I am leaving, but I still feel disconnecting. The hesitations come not because of the cult sensation I get when I see the Obama -mania. Yes, it makes me uncomfortable, but that is not it. What makes it hard is the way Obama has etched hope with his change campaign. As if opposing Obama amounts to rejecting hope. Am I against hope? Of course not. But while I believe in hope, I also am starting to think that the substance of what Obama plans for us is unrealistic, and rightly so. I am for hope, but I am not out to change America upside down (or as he says, downside up). There are things I want to change, but not everything. For example, I am for more civility in Congress, but I am... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Goals

Hillary's last stand
2008-02-21 04:40:00
With all the attention on Barack Obama some pundits claim that Obama is getting unfair favorable media attention. The reality is that Obama is indeed a phenomena deserving media coverage, but the question to ask is whether Hillary is not getting a unique free ride no other candidate would have had at this stage of the game. Let's just think what would have happened if all the primaries won by Obama would have been won by Hillary and conversely all those won by Hillary would have been won by Obama. Had that been the case, I am sure, Obama would have been written off very early in the campaign. Hillary, in contrast, is given endless additional chances by the media and the pundits. Every new primary is declared upfront as "Hillary's last stand" and right after Obama wins it, the next one becomes her last stand. Regardless of delegates tally and remaining slim chances (she now needs to win 65% of the... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Clinton , Stand

Chief Executive Experience-Lessons from the Primary Campaigns
2008-02-18 19:21:00
Clinton, Obama and McCain make claims on presidential experience. Whether they tout change as their primary slogan the jour or not, experience and success is the only verifiable record voters can go by. After all, all of them make promises, and on the Democratic side their programs are practically identical. Even Obama's unique claim - that he can reach across and bring people together should also be reflected in his past record. With all the talk about change and personality, we have to look at experience and past records as the only available guide to the future. All three candidates have legislative records. Unfortunately these can tell us a bit about their political leaning and perhaps some miscalculation (i.e. the war in Iraq), but it does not tell us much about executive experience. Legislating and running an effective organization are quite different. Fortunately, we do have more recent history to... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Chief , Experience , Executive

Primary candidates substance nobody cares about
2008-02-15 02:06:00
The media and some candidates are now starting to ask "where is the beef"? For those candidates who lack charm this is supposedly a call for substance. Hard facts rather than talk. While engaging in talk they shamelessly say that talk is cheap. So what about the details of the various candidates plans? They all have web sites with very detailed plans. Detailed enough for the contenders to point to their opponent plans weaknesses while they attack each other during debates and other public appearances. Clearly, the politicians and their minions read carefully the detailed plans in attempt to find their opponent weaknesses. But does the public spend any appreciable time on these web site, and If they do, do they go deep enough into the details plans, "the substance"? It is a small gamble to state that the public does not and we cannot put the blame on Mr. and Mrs. Lazy. No -- the public is experienced... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Obama , Candidates , Clinton , Primary

Clinton and Obama authenticity
2008-02-12 12:39:00
We all know about Obama 's message of change and hope. During his speeches he spends much time explaining how change is possible if people pull together to achieve a goal. The skeptics he counters with explaining what hope means. He asks the voters to believe in their ability to change. That belief seems to energize the crowd, pull them together, and then achieve something. For now it is to cast a vote for Obama. "Yes we can" is part of the change and the hope. Whether one believes in this message or not, one has to admit that Obama more than anyone else owns it. Clinton too talks about change and hope, but it is a copied message. Everyone knows whose message it is, and it merely reduces her credibility to repeat Obama. If she cannot come with a new authentic message of her own, she concedes the agenda to Obama and also proves that she and her assistants lack imagination. A candidate without imagination is... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Authenticity

Obama and McCain hope and faith
2008-02-11 15:51:00
As long as Huckabee is in the run McCain has an ultra conservative wing problem. Huckabee forces him to prove that he is holier than the pope. He proclaims faith and faithfulness right and further right, and in doing so he distances himself from the center. No Presidential candidate even won without the center, so Huckabee is actually decreasing McCain's chances to win against the Democrats. Instead of talking about hope he talks about faith. Instead of talking about the future, he talks about faithfulness - essentially the past. There is a major difference between faith and hope, one which Obama leverages very well. In the extreme, faith surrenders hope to God. Consciously or not, it expects God to solve our problems. If there is a hardship, one must pray harder. Hope , in the way Obama explains in his speeches, is putting emphasis and believes on one's actions. "Yes we can" is quite different than... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Faith

McCain Hillary and Obama's shopping list
2008-02-10 17:29:00
I hate the supermarket. They mapped the entire human genome and haven't figured that one yet, but I'm sure the answer is somewhere on the Y chromosome. My wife is so good at it, and me and my fellow men just can't get it right. There is this short shopping list. By short I don't mean that it doesn't span two sides on the paper. I mean that the words are short. I mean that they are absent of meaning. At least for men. As I walk the isles I see hordes of men making short phone calls. "Honey, I can't find Chex", "Honey, the cereal boxes are not placed alphabetically", "Honey, the package says lean, not non-fat". These are on the first five isles. When I reach isle six and beyond, the calls don't start with "Honey" any more. I think the supermarket is the only place you can find more men than women on the phone. Remember when Bush the father went down to mingle in a supermarket with the masses? He was... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Shopping , List , Hillary

Hillary - it's the internet, Stupid!
2008-02-08 18:54:00
There is a fund raising war going among the Presidential contenders, and it reflects in many ways the difference between old and new politics. Following Romney's capitulation, the Republicans are slowly and perhaps grudgingly regrouping around McCain . The candidate will suddenly have all his campaign financial difficulties solved as Republican donors channel most of their money into their single viable candidate. McCain may even forgo donors taking a life insurance policy on him, something he had to accept before Super Tuesday. The Democratic side is more interesting, at least if and until a clear winner emerges. Hillary, an old style politician, followed the same method she and her husband used during previous campaigns - rely on big donors. Notwithstanding whether these donors expect something in return if she get elected, these donors pose a financial problem - they maxed out on the amounts of money they... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Internet , Obama , Stupid , Clinton

A new smart and wise President
2008-02-05 04:34:00
It is possible that we may never know the single most significant factor for the collapse of the Soviet Union. There are those who put the blame on systemic flaws of the communist system. Others hang it on collapse caused by the war in Afghanistan, and yet others give President Regan credit for outspending the Soviet Union in an arms race that led to their total economic collapse. It is the latter that is often evoked by the Regan cult created by Republicans who emphasize national security at every occasion in a successful attempt relegate Democrats to a less patriotic role. What is intriguing in this position is the claim that Regan, in his unlimited wisdom, knew that arms buildup would lead to economic burdens of such proportions that would trigger the collapse of the evil empire. I personally do not buy this claim that looks more like Monday morning quarterback analysis than an objective... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Bush , Cain , Smart , Obama

The change President we really need
2008-01-26 17:56:00
Change is in the air. By now we are not quite sure who started it. Maybe it was Obama, maybe some other obscure candidate. Right now every candidate right and left touts change, whether their actual program suggests one or not. It behooved me to try to find out what change the country really needs. There are many who proudly promote Hillary as the first woman President . That would be a significant change, they claim. But Hillary herself convinced me that she would not really represent a change. Listening to her campaign messages and debate responses I came out convinced that she has experience and had practically ran the White House. Bill may have been the front man, but she was pulling the strings. She has one point for experience, but zero for change. I think I have to look elsewhere. Barack would be the first Black President if it were not for Bill Clinton who claimed the title and won't let go. Barack... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Change

Whitewash Slick Willy
2008-01-26 12:17:00
When Bill Clinton ran for President he had to defend himself against "Slick Willy" attacks. At the time it seemed that he is as Teflon coated at Regan was, although after he was elected some of the mud stuck and contributed to his impeachment hearings. Democrats knew that some of the criticisms were right, but looked at his other qualities as redeeming factor. In retrospect his presidency was much more than his sex life or slick deals, especially when compared to the current President Bush. One of his legacies was his contribution to the African American community for which he is often referred to as "the first Black President". But his recent attacks against Obama during the South Carolina campaign may tarnish that legacy. He has been going around telling everybody that they should vote for Hillary not because she is white and Barack is black, but because she is better for the country. He never fails to... Click on the article title to read the full article.

Hillary and Bill pile on Barack
2008-01-24 15:56:00
Barack Obama is facing stiff competition. While Hillary pretends to be the weak woman fighting the two male opponents, in reality it is Obama who is fighting Bill and Hillary at the same time. While Bill Clinton throws punches below the belt, Hillary attacks him "by the rules". Unless Barack clones himself or find another supporter of Bill's caliber, neither of which is realistic, he will continue to face a difficult problem. This is not merely a problem of style - it is also a problem of geography. Bill and Hillary campaign simultaneously in two different locations, quite often in different states. When Obama puts an effort he seems to get enough delegates to either win or loose respectably. But he can't be at two places at the same time, and that may be his doing on Super Tuesday. Moreover, Bill presents another problem - he forces Obama to defend false allegations and innuendos, an effort that... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Barack

Democrats Slug Fest
2008-01-23 15:56:00
Have you seen the South Carolina Democratic debate? Hillary and Obama showing their teeth, neither giving an inch, attacking each other like there is no tomorrow. If they continue this way, there will be no tomorrow for the Democrats . Edwards who occasionally joined in the fray has no pray to be the victor, but he can be the spoiler for either of the main candidates. McCain , on the other side of the isle could not be happier. The stock market is doing bad, the fed jumps in with a .75 rate cut, and yet the Democratic candidates demonstrate an inability to to change the way they conduct elections. It is the very thing that voters fear - that nothing has changed, and that nothing will. If voters come to that conclusion they may decide to choose based on personality rather than party affiliation. That is something Democrats do not want want to happen. It is as if politicians believe that The road to ... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Clinton , Fest

Obama Nevada Win-Loss-Toss
2008-01-20 15:56:00
The Tuesday night debate in Las Vegas among Obama , Clinton and Edwards was quite revealing in what was said, what was not, and who was out. First and foremost, the viewers and attendees saw a significantly smaller cast of contenders - just the three leading candidates. The smaller cadre of candidates allowed for a round table format, a novelty in these primaries. Suddenly the contenders were much closer, almost facing each other. The format and the aftermath of the temporary truth between the Clinton and Obama's campaigns made the debate more civilized, and allowed the keen observer an opportunity to watch the contenders when their guards were much lower. Clearly, different observers would notice different characteristics and come to different conclusions about the potential presidents the candidates would be, assuming they win. But as David Broder from the Washington Post noted after the debate,... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Nevada , Cain , Loss

Use it or lose it - Quasi Illegal Immigrants
2008-01-16 23:33:00
Many Americans complain about illegal immigrants. The election season and the downturn in the economy are not going to shrink the number of complaints. There is a real voter revolt about this issue, mostly in the Republican base. Democrats are also threading the matter very carefully. Both parties fear that Hispanic voters will use immigration reform as a litmus test. In this environment most politicians won't address the issue seriously. Take for example the matter of border controls, also known as the fence issue. Clearly, a country has the right to protect its borders. But what happens when it fails to do so for a long time? Is there really a will in Washington to close the borders? Perhaps not. Perhaps, despite claims on both sides of the isle, there are powerful interests that take advantage of the "open" borders. Even McCain , who after voter revolt now claims to have learned the lesson and wants to... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Illegal Immigrants , Obama , Clinton , Illegal

What else haven't they told us?
2008-01-14 20:53:00
This question should not only be asked by voters. I hope the President asks the secretary of defense the same question and that he in turn asks the chief of staff. Apparently the incident in the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. Navy ships almost opened fire on Iranian boats may have been trigerred by a well known prankster known as the "Filipino Monkey". If he is so well known for his activities in the gulf, how is it that the command chain was unaware of this? Something is broken in the lines of communications. It takes a week to learn that we almost started a major incident with the Iranians because of a false alarm. It takes few years to learn that our intelligence information indicates they have stopped their program to enrich Uranium. It took months to learn that Saddam did not have WMDs. What's wrong with this administration? Even if one supports all their policies, these gross mistakes clearly indicates... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Bush , Foreign Policy , Told

Hillary and Barack Surrogate fighting
2008-01-14 02:09:00
Will Hillary Clinton drag down Obama ?s relatively clean campaign into the mud? Is this the hidden tactic of her campaign ever increasing insinuations and offenses against Obama? If so, Obama may face a real dilemma. Respond in kind and be as dirty and old-style politician like Hillary, or resist the temptation and risk that some of the smear thrown his way would stick. This is not a new dilemma for candidates who start on a new campaign and promise to keep it clean. It is much easier to start a clean campaign that to finish it that way and still end as a winner. Past elections are filled with stories of unelected candidates victimized by dirty tricks. Is the electorate using tough campaigning as a yardstick for future successful politicians? Is there really any correlation between dirty campaigning and future greatness in the white house? These are questions not easy to answer. Whatever the case... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Barack , Fighting

New Hampshire voter galore
2008-01-10 16:07:00
The voters kept surprising, saying clearly that they are in control. The pollsters wonder whether voters where honest in their answers, or whether they changed their minds in the last hours. Did Hillary's emotional outburst change some minds, did her self proclamation as a change agent successfully neutralized Obama , or are the voters falling back to old habits that made them susceptible to old politic tricks that they so proclaim to hate? Hillary's win may turn out to be her turning point leading to her winning the primary. On the other hand, it may reduce her incentive to rethink Iowa and what Barack really means. For Barack, New Hampshire presents a deep dilemma. Without a copyright, his change and hope message is loosing its uniqueness. His forte seems to be his pep talk in town hall meetings where he can deliver an electrifying speech that energize activists and swing doubters to his camp. He... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Clinton , Galore

Hillarack Clintama
2008-01-08 14:39:00
What has happened in Iowa? Are the voters crazy? Don't they know what they are supposed to vote? Have they been absent while the pundits explained how they should be thinking? Are they reading the polls? Perhaps the conversations in the Clinton 's war room are cast in different terms, perhaps they are less sarcastic, but quite possibly they reflect the same underlying thinking. In Iowa the voters have turned the tables on the Clintons, and Barack is riding on a wave of an entirely different message. Change is in the air, and that voters seem to be saying is that Hillary is not a change. What a chutzpah! Isn't being a woman change enough? Whatever they were saying or thinking in that war room, Hillary spent no time changing her campaign message. She can adapt fast to the polls ? those years alongside Bill really paid well. Or have they? If voters want change, then that's what she is going to say. "For 35... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Obama