Polikicks - Political analysis and opinions to kic

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2

Yet she continues
2008-05-07 15:57:00
Hillary's thin win in Indiana and major loss in North Carolina should have clinched the nomination for Obama . Mathematically it may have, but Hillary won't concede. Is it, as some say, part of her Plan-B, is it a personality flaw, or is it the money? These are three distinct theories. They all rise from the difficult math Clinton faces - Obama erased whatever popular vote advantage Hillary had in Pennsylvania and increased his delegate lead. With smaller number of delegates in play she faces what seem to be an insurmountable mathematical obstacle. Why is she going on? The first theory is the Plan-b theory. It essentially states that Hillary Clinton knew a while ago that she stands little chance of winning in 2008, but if she continued to pound Obama and give a subtle nod to McCain 's experience strength, then Obama will loose to McCain and then she will have another shot in 2012. It is a delicate and... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics

Big Day for McCain
2008-05-06 16:52:00
Tuesday May 6th, another big Tuesday for the Democrats is turning out to be an even bigger day for McCain . To the dismay of many Democrats, Tuesday results are not resolving which candidate will win the Democratic nomination. Rather, they will perpetuate the party infighting and convince many that neither candidate can "close the deal". This closing issue is not just a super delegate issue. Not being able to close the deal to the extent that only one candidate stays in the race is also a bad omen for the voters. Many voters may wonder whether a candidate who cannot conclude a primary will be able to bring to successful conclusion other issues in Washington. As repulsive it may sound to Obama supporters, it opens an opportunity to McCain to position himself as a "yes, I can" candidate. The capitulation ritual that so many loosing candidates reluctantly perform on so many election evenings -- that... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Clinton

Repulsed into voting Republican
2008-05-03 19:02:00
Hillary's continued attacks on Obama may increase her chances to derail Obama in 2008 as well as increase her rerun chances in 2012. The fear of the Democratic party super delegates that many independent voters would be disgusted with the Democratic party is not her fear. A McCain win in 2008 will still leave open her chances in 2012 (McCain is unlikely to run again) but an Obama win will shut the door to her political aspirations for many years to come. As Charles Blow wrote in his op-ed page on May 3rd, many voters may be "repulsed into voting Republican ". As it is and despite Bush failing presidency, national polls show that McCain is doing quite well against Obama and Clinton. Other more granular polls that track each state separately and allocate electors accordingly, show that McCain has a fair chance of winning in November. True, polls can change and Democrats have only now begun to attack... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Voting

A vote for Clinton is a vote for Jeremiah Wright
2008-04-30 21:19:00
Jeremiah Wright may look like a God sent gift to Hillary Clinton . His outbursts enrage many Democratic voters who may have considered Obama. Now Hillary tries to grab these voters, hinting right and left that she has always been patriotic, always stood for the weak, the middle class, and whoever feels the pain of the economy. In fact, any pain. But perhaps counter intuitively, the reality is that a vote for Clinton is a vote for Wright. How come? As David Brooks wrote in the New York Times on April 29 on "Demography is King", the real voters demographic divide is between the more educated and the less educated, those who make more and those who make less. Poll after poll, survey after survey, show that Hillary appeals to those who are less educated, and Obama does well among the more educated. It is the education factor that also accounts for the age divide - as we go down in age groups we find that... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Vote , Jeremiah

Bill Clinton vs. Reverend Wright
2008-04-28 20:33:00
I am deeply disappointed by Obama and Clinton . They used to entertain me. Arguments were new, statements seem fresh, and the race seemed real. But now everything seems to be repeated, recycled, and getting boring very fast. I am really concerned that a celebrity sex scandal or some good gruesome murder will quickly focus the media attention elsewhere and the greatest political show on Earth will soon be over. But do not despair, for I have a great new idea to keep the media frenzy going on. What we need is a new debate. I like Hillary's challenge to Obama to debate "Mano a Mano" - no moderators. I am not sure Hillary qualifies as Mano, but that may finally explain Monica Lewinsky. Nevertheless, the idea of a no-rules, no-moderators debate may have some merits. Except that by now I want more entertaining characters than Hillary or Obama. What I want are two out-of-control characters that would fight it out.... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Bill Clinton , Bill , Reverend , Wright

Clinton-Obama: Close Races Analysis
2008-04-26 23:32:00
An important point may have been lost with all the discussion about the meaning of the Pennsylvania primaries results. The Pennsylvania Democratic primaries, like the Ohio primaries were closed primaries, namely they were only open for registered Democrats. While they may show an Obama weakness among registered white Democrats, they also underscore his advantage among independents. For all the spinning and the media interest in maintaining the excitement of the race, the reality of Presidential races are that they are decided by the independents. This is where Hillary has a weakness and Obama has a strength. This is a reality stronger than older white voters deciding to stay home if Obama become the nominee or black voters not voting in the unlikely event that Hillary is the nominee. Hillary's problem is that super delegates look at November, not the primary convention. What is good for the party, in... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Analysis , Close , Clinton

Hillary Clinton's Plan B
2008-04-23 15:12:00
Just before Pennsylvania, commentators and political operatives on all sides were debating Hillary 's tenacity in the face of delegate counts. Was she unaware of the close to insurmountable math facing her? Have the ever calculating politician and her seasoned ex-President lost any sense of reality? Is it likely that she could overcome the delegate deficit at this late point in the game?With Pennsylvania not changing the basics by any appreciable measure, one has to wonder what is Hillary's plan and why has it not made public. Surely, if she had a publicly announced plan, she could get more super delegates on her side. The simple answer is that she may have not disclosed it to anyone but her husband - it is too sinister to be publicly announced. That is Plan B .Plan A is simple - Something bad may happen to Obama on the way to the nomination and then she would become the default candidate. Obama may stumble and... Click on the article title to read the full article.

President Hillary Clinton Inaugural Speech
2008-04-19 18:24:00
Ever wondered what would Hillary 's inaugural Speech would look like? Reliable source from a parallel universe fast forwarded this to us and asked that you do not go supernova while reading it. President Hillary R. Clinton Inaugural Address January 20, 2009 President Bush, some members of the Supreme Court, distinguished guests and my fellow real American villagers. Today we celebrate the peaceful transfer of authority which is so rare in history, yet common in our country. The greatest authority on Earth passed with a simple oath. I just want to mention that I always get to speak first. As I begin, I want to thank Senator Obama. Would you like another pillow? We will remain the closest of friends, right? No? You should be ashamed of yourself! And I thank President Bush for offering himself and his staff members to stay around and help in the first few days. Did you listen to anything I said? I'm ready... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Hillary Clinton

The Democrats Dilemma
2008-04-17 23:06:00
During Presidential election primaries Democratic Presidential surrogates tell voters that this time around the voters have wonderful choices. Choice is the pinnacle of Democracy, so how could choice be bad? Besides, look at Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama - a woman and an African American - inherently representing a change. This change, many claim, is a sign that things will change in Washington as well. Surely the primary voters should be happy about that. Aside from heated competition that sometimes goes overboard and is doing McCain's job for him, everything is good under the sun and tomorrow promises to be even brighter. Not so fast. Are these claims honest? Are the gender or race of the candidate enough of a change or merely a facade? If we are at a time where race does not matter, if at this juncture of the American history gender does not count, shouldn't we look at the candidates themselves... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Democrats , Dilemma

Hillary, Bitter, Party Splitter
2008-04-15 17:26:00
When politicians run for office on the basis of honesty they expect to be hit by opponents and media discovering something inconsistent in their past. Something they said or wrote a while ago. In the political game it matters little if these things were expressed when circumstances were different. "Gotcha" is all that matters in the eyes of the media and hypocrite opponents. To the extend that voters fall prey to these tactics, they deserve what they get. But the biggest danger, pundits will tell you, is being honest in the face of political correctness. Political correctness is by definition a lie, a facade, an inconvenient truth that might offend somebody. When an honest politician, or one with his guard down, removes the veil and tells the inconvenient truth, the real party begins. It is then when the media have their greatest moment, covering both the offending politician, the hypocrite opponents who... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Party , Obama , Clinton , Bitter

Are Obama and McCain so similar? (re: Is Hillary the next Bush?)
2008-04-13 16:23:00
Why I wrote this article? A while ago I posted an article titled "Is Hillary Clinton the Next Bush " which became popular in DIGG. In that article I claimed that despite policy differences Hillary and GW Bush share many personality characteristics that are bound to make her presidency, should she be elected, as successful as Bush's. That article left the other two candidates, McCain and Obama to an open question - who can they be compared to? While I was contemplating the question, a colleague posted another article (Political Vision and Ability to Execute) revealing similarities between Obama and McCain in their ability to compromise. It is then when decided to create a follow up that attempts to reveal all the similarities between McCain and Obama. We could not expect Obama and McCain to be further apart. The generational gap, the backgrounds, the political beliefs, all suggest two very different... Click on the article title to read the full article.

Energy Crisis-We Need Government Regulation
2008-04-11 20:06:00
After the eight years of disregard to the energy crisis by the Bush administration the country seem ready for a change. But Bush and the neocons may leave us with a legacy that won't be easy to change. No, it is not just the Iraq war, no, it is not the huge deficits, no it is not the trade imbalances. It is something more profound and often overlooked. It is the mindset that anything the government does is bad and that the less regulated we are, the better. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of energy policy. We have long been accustomed to government regulated agencies like the FCC. Recently the FCC auctioned some airwaves frequencies to the highest bidders, a transaction that brought in billions to the empty government coffers. The rationale for having the FCC? Frequencies are a limited resource that need careful control over their use. There is also a recognition that standards set... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Government , Regulation , Energy , Crisis

Waiting for Godot for the Endgame in Iraq
2008-04-09 19:06:00
For a long time President Bush seemed to be blind to realities on the ground in Iraq . Lately he may have traded short term failure for future vindication - "History will judge me differently". Perhaps there is a sense that while he is the master of the Iraq policies, he is really enslaved to the circumstanced he created. He won't admit mistakes and the events of yesterday control his actions of the day. When he went in against world opinion the outside world was of little concern, and so it is now when he alone remains grounded or perhaps buried in his stance. The Iraqi government, seemingly independent, dreads the day we leave. They are dependent on us, but with the current policies it seems that we are no less dependent on them. In political realities it is not clear who is the master, or if there really is a master of the events. The Democrats, background players who have been voicing... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Waiting , Endgame

Learned Behavior and Natural Instincts
2008-04-08 14:27:00
So many pundits claim that there is little difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama that I am inclined to think that they must be wrong. The more they stick to the claim, the more I am convinced that they are wrong. Not only because they have been wrong before, but because the media, especially television, repeats this mantra. Even if the two had identical platforms, which I must admit are pretty similar, I doubt the words mean the same when coming from Hillary or Barack. Obama is a relatively new politician whose meteoric rise to the legislature did not come through years of friction and campaigning that teaches so many politicians what to say and how to double talk. With Obama, more of what you see is genuine reflection of the person at hand. Time and again, when interviewed on TV, rather than rejecting accusations or fudging the truth, he manages to admit, accept, embrace, and turn... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Natural , Behavior , Learned

Political Vision and Ability to Execute
2008-04-07 17:27:00
Hillary Clinton , more than anyone else in this campaign season, brings up experience as the critical reason she is fit for the highest post in the nation. She points to years of experience, a criteria John McCain is obviously happy to embrace. Barack Obama , the youngest of the three, is presumably more vulnerable in this area. Hillary went even further, dismissing Obama's oratory skills as mere words. Listen to her and you learn that words do not mean much, hard work does. Vision is not her forte - in fact she mocked Obama by talking about a vision of angels coming out of clouds dancing to Obama's tunes. Hillary's contrasting vision with action is not just a campaign ploy. She indeed believes in rolling up her sleeves and getting involved with everything as opposed to delegating and trusting others. That is how she tried to push a national health care agenda when she was the First Lady. ... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Political

Not all pork is not Kosher
2008-04-06 16:28:00
The media loves controversial issues and aside from sex scandals nothing bests Washington corruption in an election year. A group who goes by the acronym CAGW who apparently believed that spelled out words are tremendous waste published last week a book called a "The Congressional Pig Book" reporting on what they call government waste through legislation. CAGW stands for Citizens Against Government Waste. I was not interested at all to learn who are these citizens but I was interested to learn what qualifies as waste for those who like acronyms, so I took the trouble, went to their web site and LQAL (learned quite a lot). The site indicates that to qualify as pork, a project must meet any one of seven criteria that were developed in 1991 by CAGW and the Congressional Pork busters Coalition. Requested by only one chamber of Congress;Not specifically authorized;Not competitively awarded;Not requested by... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Kosher

Is Hillary Clinton the next Bush?
2008-03-29 12:49:00
One would expect a real contrast between Hillary Clinton and George W. Bush . One is a lame duck failing Republican President, the other is an aspiring Democratic presidential candidate. One is as right wing Republican as they get, the other is on the left wing on the Democratic party. So how could one claim that they are similar? The simple answer is distraction. The public and the media are so focused on the contrasting policies of Hillary and Bush that little is said about their character. Bush is for as little government intervention as possible and belongs to the part of the party that reiterates that whatever the government does the private sector does better. His failures are so large that some see a devious attempt to make the government fail to prove his point. Conspiracy theories aside, the fact is that his performance failed to achieve Republican goals. Launching a war on false pretense, having it... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics

The Iraq Dilemma
2008-03-28 22:45:00
There is a large consensus that we got into the war in Iraq for the wrong reasons. Faulty Intelligence, faulty foreign policy, or a deceiving President are the most common cited reasons. Obviously, Democrats do not support the war and by now very few Republicans reiterate the original reasons we went in. Whatever the reasons, right or wrong, the reality is that we did. Had the war been swift as promised or already won, the discussion would have been mostly forgotten. But Bush 's administration had not been successful in Iraq more than it had been in many of its other endeavors, and herein lies the rub. So many Americans have grown to despise President Bush and his failing Iraq policies that a majority wants to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Get out and turn a new page. But as inconvenient as it may be, the question to ask now is who are we punishing by rushing out of Iraq? Do we punish Bush who... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Cain , Obama , Foreign Policy

Which Candidate Will You Feed?
2008-03-28 20:17:00
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ?My son, the battle is between two ?wolves? inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.?The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, ?Which wolf wins??The old Cherokee simply replied, ?The one you feed.? The Democrats have two candidates to choose from and then the entire country will have another choice. The candidates may not be all that we hoped for - they are neither all good nor all evil. As human beings they share many of the characteristics, good and bad, the old Cherokee mentioned. When we vote, which... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Cain , Obama , Feed , Clinton

The Greatest Show on Earth
2008-03-24 18:36:00
Stanley Fish in his New York Times Op-Ed piece of March 23rd may be on to something. He claims that the media has been shrewdly creating crisis and distracting us from what's important. That's not such a revolutionary claim - we have all seen how little news is reported in the news hour at main TV channels. Sometimes one can learn more of what's going on by tuning in to Jon Stewart's Daily Show at Comedy Central than on CNN. What is interesting in Stanley's piece is that he seems to uncover the actual tactic of this type of media distraction. The recipe is quite simple. Step One: Find something objectionable said or written by someone related to the candidate. How far related is not that important. Step two is obvious - Ask the candidate to renounce and denounce what was said. The candidate, especially during a campaign, finds himself trapped and forced to renounce, denounce, repudiate --... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Earth , Cain , Obama

Politics of Exclusion vs. Politics of Inclusion
2008-03-23 16:05:00
If Barack Obama 's candidacy is centered on change and inclusion, Bill Clinton campaigning for Hillary wife is revealing that her campaign is quite the opposite. The latest flap created by Bill is one in a long string of subtle attacks that reveal a sinister streak in her campaign - sending subliminal messages that can be interpreted both ways, allow the Clintons pretend nothing bad was ever intended, but still wound their opponent. Friday night in North Carolina Bill referred to Hillary and McCain , to the exclusion of Obama, as "it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country.?, clearly implying that Barack does not love this country. This is not the first time this tactic has been used. The Clinton campaign has been trying hard to focus this campaign on race because they believe that their main... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Inclusion

Hillary Clinton's Strategy Book Poem
2008-03-21 14:04:00
Distraction and deflection voters - pay no attention to what's real and important when scandals are abundant Hillary has some experience as much as she has grievance let's not forget the filegate or the joys of travelgate So let throw the kitchen sink perhaps his lead would really shrink maybe this time he will blink or else I must find another link Glue him to pastor Wright show him what's a real fight and if Wright does not work something else will surely lurk Maybe use the race card let's hit him real hard for anything he deflects past mistakes he so corrects Perhaps he is not black enough maybe his winnings just a bluff I won Texas, yes I did forget it's caucuses, God forbid My last fight, I so declare is Super Tuesday, not Delaware No its Texas, no, Pennsylvania, Sorry - let it be Indiana or Montana Après moi, les deluges my opponents are so huge but I am ready from day one ever since my life... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Strategy , Book , Poem

Is Barack Obama Putting Race to Rest?
2008-03-20 00:45:00
Barack Obama 's race speech of March 18 was touted by his campaign as a major speech and compared by supporters to one of Martin Luther King's memorable speeches. Indeed it was eloquently delivered and may have helped Obama mitigate some of the fallout from his pastor's inflammatory diatribes. Obama is trying to push race aside, a smart political move for in his upcoming primaries he badly needs the votes of lower middle class whites who traditionally do not vote for a black candidate. Hillary's success in focusing these primaries on race are inversely related to Obama's prospects of winning them. We can never tell what is really going in Obama's mind. Is he truly trying to turn a new page in this nation's troubled race relations history, or is he merely masterfully responding to a political challenge. If we were to take Obama on his word, by the same token which he reflected on the constitution that... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Barack Obama , Race , Barack

The luckiest man in the world
2008-03-19 01:25:00
Newly sworn in New York Governor David Paterson is the luckiest man in the world. He may not know it, but he is. Triple lucky, quadruple lucky and beyond. Yes, I know. You probably think that I consider him lucky because Eliot Spitzer, his predecessor, got entangled in a sex scandal and had to resign. No I am not talking about that kind of luck. That's actually the kind of luck Hillary Clinton hopes for, may she excuse my linking her to hope. It appears that she hopes that by virtue of some miracle Barack Obama would make a terrible mistake or his uncle would or through some other unforeseen on uncovered event the sky would open, the angles will dance, a miracle would occur and Obama would become candidatae non grata. Talk about the audacity of hope. No. I actually am talking about a Geraldine Ferraro kind of luck. She taught me that Obama was lucky to be black and by the same token I believe that... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: World , The World

Spitzer, revenge, and government power
2008-03-14 22:58:00
The New York Governor sex scandal attracted media attention like a magnet. The story overwhelmed any other news subject as if there is nothing more important happening in the world. Politicians provided moral observations, pundits provided obvious comments, and legal experts rushed to explain what charges could possibly be brought against the resigning governor. Amidst all this frenzy there is an emerging sense that many are happy to see Mr. Clean tainted by unwashable stains, and how the harsh and sometimes extreme prosecutorial powers can now be directed towards the governor who made his political career by abusing the very same powers. What exactly are prosecutorial powers and abuses and why should we care? This important question that goes to the core of our constitutional Republic is totally lost in the media coverage. The sex scandal is amusing but of no public consequence. The protections... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Politics , Government , Power , Revenge , Spitzer

Barrack Attack Test
2008-03-06 22:49:00
Hillary Clinton , the candidate that downplays change brought us a game-changing event on the mini super Tuesday primaries. Her success in Texas and Ohio shifted tactics but also changed the strategy. Notwithstanding her campaign's calling the kitchen sink a strategy, it is merely a tactic in a larger strategy. A strategy to shift the discussion from change into qualifications. A strategy that changes the discussion from the future to the past and the present. The past is clear - experience vs. lack thereof. But the present is something else. It is a discussion on who is better qualified to fight McCain and who is better to be the commander-in-chief. Hillary figured out that in that discussion, until and if she gets the nominations, she has McCain on her side. Both she and McCain can attack Barack on the same subject, and they do. The discussion about the present is aimed at both the voters and the... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Obama , Test , Attack

Double Celebration at the McCain Headquarters
2008-03-05 15:59:00
McCain has two reasons to celebrate. The first and obvious and are his recent wins that finally brings to a successful closure his Republican party nomination to the Presidency. The second and somewhat less obvious is the lack of closure within the Democratic party. Hillary's comeback in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island may not have changed much in terms of delegate counts, but has done two things to the Democratic party. First, she has demonstrated how negative campaigns still work in 2008. In that she ensured that the 2008 Presidential elections will once gain be stained and discourage many voters from coming to the polls. Secondly, she had stopped Obama 's momentum and ensured a long fight among the Democrats until the convention. What that fight means is that each Democratic candidates is going to spend in the range of $30 million a month over the fight on Pennsylvania and beyond, all the while McCain will be... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Double , Celebration , Clinton

Healthcare and NAFTA
2008-03-04 00:59:00
Most Americans are covered by their place of work with the bulk of the premium costs paid by the employer. Clinton and Obama 's health care proposals do not propose to change that. McCain also plans to retain the existing system so practically no politician of major standing in the race is talking about changing this arrangement. And that is a problem. American's companies competitiveness in the world is hampered by many factors, and health insurance premiums is a major one amongst them. For example, GE pays health insurance premium for its US-based employees, but Toyota in Japan does not - their health care premiums are covered by taxes. Trade agreements like NAFTA are designed to open the borders to competition but health insurance premiums paid by American corporations tie the hands behind their backs. If such premiums would have been paid by taxes instead, part of the American companies competitiveness... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Healthcare

I had a bad dream
2008-02-28 15:46:00
I had a bad dream. I was moved forward in time, watching the inauguration speech of Hillary Clinton. Don't be offended, it is just a dream in which things got twisted as they always do in a dream. I was not taken back by seeing Hillary sworn in, but by what she said in her speech. My recollection may be inaccurate so take this with a grain of salt and add some bread and butter when you are at it. For the sake of history and hysteria, here is what I recall. President Hillary R. Clinton Inaugural Address January 20, 2009 President Bush, some members of the Supreme Court, distinguished guests and my fellow villagers. Today we celebrate the peaceful transfer of authority which is so rare in history, yet common in our country. The greatest authority on Earth passed with a simple oath. I just want to mention that I always get to speak first. As I begin, I want to thank Senator Obama. Would you like another... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Dream

Constitutional Crisis - No More Presidents
2008-02-28 13:32:00
Several recent articles discussed the potential problem McCain may have should he become the Republican party nominee. Apparently McCain was born on a US base in Panama where his parents were stationed. McCain is not the first to face such a question -- Lowell Weicker, George Romney, and more recently Barry Goldwater preceded him. The issue is apparently not fully resolved by the Supreme Court simply because it never reached it. So while most Americans, whether they are for or against McCain, think that he should be qualified, legal scholars are not so sure. It all stems from a small paragraph in the constitution: No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been... Click on the article title to read the full article.
More About: Presidents , Crisis , Constitutional