Jack and Jill Politics - Latest Comments in Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Nita — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:50:00 -0000

I hope that chihuahua grows up and eats its master's throat. It's so cute and so wrong at the same time.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

KarmiCommunist — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:19:00 -0000

D.,

I usually agree with what you say; however, people can't agree on what porn is, e.g. the chief judge of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Alex Kozinski, was presiding over a porn case, when it came out that he had "sexually explicit photos and videos on a Web site he maintained.

;-)

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

D. — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:58:00 -0000

Karmi,
Torture is like porn; you know it when you see-or feel, in this case-it.

But you raise an interesting point: our special ops guys are pushed to extremes that most liberals would consider "torture" in the name of good training.

Yet there's no complaints about that.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

KarmiCommunist — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:48:00 -0000

Want to know what real torture is, Truthseeker. BTW, waterboarding isn't torture, and until recently was used in training some Military Personnel.

You'll need Quicktime or Windows Media to view the following:

Naming Names

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

D. — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:42:00 -0000

"military guy"

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

D. — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:40:00 -0000

Truth,
You don't want a military hit in charge of FEMA or DHS.

You'd informally subordinate those agencies to the whims-and bureaucracy-of DOD.

Bad.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

TruthSeeker — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:24:00 -0000

Russel Honore?...LOL I don't think Russel is likely to be President; however, He should be head of FEMA or perhaps, homeland security.

Condoleeza Rice was party to authorizing torture, that disqualifies her. Colin Powell has the cache and qualifications but not the desire.

Obama has the qualifications, temperament and vision. Obama is fit to be President.

It's interesting you place your bets on the long shots....as if you're counting on losing.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

KarmiCommunist — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:11:00 -0000

Obama is not fit to be President of the USA, Truthseeker. I'm waiting for Condi Rice or Colin Powell or Russel L. Honoré to run for President...or, someone like them, in case you didn't know.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

TruthSeeker — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:43:00 -0000

karmicommunist,

What is your goal? Really, it is highly likely that Obama will become President. Even if he doesn't, it's only a matter of time before another African American does...it's inevitable. What does it feel like to oppose the inevitability of time and fate?

It's suicidal to engage in a dead-end pursuit, that's why I say you're on a deathmarch.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

KarmiCommunist — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:33:00 -0000

Rikyrah @ 3:18

Sounds like Obama is using the 'Race Card'...again, in order to cover up him and Michelle being 'Too Radical' and 'Too anti-American'.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:18:00 -0000

GOP trying to paint us as ' Too Black'-Obama says

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:16:00 -0000

Anonymous 1:48,

I, too, think this writer could have done well by an editor asking her what the hell are you saying.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:48:00 -0000

Anyone seen this on Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.c...

....

What the hell?

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Sepia — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:49:00 -0000

Sad news ya'll.

Tim Russert passed away today from a heart attack.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Craig Hickman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:38:00 -0000

So Barack is definitely going after Georgia and North Carolina.

In NC, McCain leads 45-43. A virtual tie.

I'd like to see Barack go after Mississippi as well if for no other reason than it will make McCain spend money there. Too many things would have to go right for Barack to pull off the upset of the election, which I just don't see happening, but stranger things...

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Craig Hickman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 15:27:00 -0000

Erin Vest wrote the hell out of that article, rikyrah.

::

I agree, truthseeker. I agree. We need to love ourselves and show it in what we call one another.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

TruthSeeker — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:03:00 -0000

Re Baby Mama,

so, if this phrase is an insult, where does that leave us? Within the black community, women are sometimes referred to as "Baby Mama's".

Do we agree there's not a whole lot of love in that label? Why is it acceptable - even endearing - when said of women of a certain class or race - within a certain race - but not of others?

We have the right to name ourselves. We should choose more loving names.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:02:00 -0000

Is Gaddafi wrong? (Obama's inferiority complex)

I'm not suggesting he is right or wrong, just wondering what people thought of the article.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

TruthSeeker — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:51:00 -0000

That "Emasculation in Republican Psychological Warfare, And Why It Works" that Rikyrah posted is a word buffet I tell ya! And, so very true.

Hillary also tried to use the "rhetorical lynching" and emasculation techniques against Obama.

In pictures of lyingings, within the murderous crowd, their faces illuminated by the photographer's flash..white WOMEN! Dispassionate even in the killing of another human being - untroubled by the smell of burning flesh.

Those things, the smell of burning flesh, cannibalism, incest are taboo..and repel us under normal circumstances. I wonder what steeled these white WOMEN - supposed gentle creatures - to the taboo of burning flesh and hanging corpses.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

djchefron — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:44:00 -0000

Obama's 17 State Strategy
by: Chris Bowers

Fri Jun 13, 2008 at 11:39

While the Obama campaign will keep staff to all 50 states, and while it is keeping its volunteer campaign infrastructure in place in all 50 states as well, today it is sending 3,600 organizing fellows to 17 states. Unless plans have changed in the last seventeen days, the seventeen states are as follows:

In an email to people accepted into their Organizing Fellowship Program, the Obama camp listed the 17 states below as the ones where they need the most resources:

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Iowa

Michigan

Missouri

North Carolina

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

Nevada

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Virginia

Washington

Wisconsin

So, Obama will run a 50 state campaign, but it will be layered with a 17 state focus. This isn't a contradiction, at least not as I understand the 50-state strategy. The strategy does not dictate that resources are spent equally across the entire nation, just that some resources are spent everywhere. Certain areas are still more heavily targeted, but no area is ignored.

Overall, I would have ignored Washington, and used those resources on Alaska, Connecticut, Montana and Nebraska-02 instead. (Combined, those three states and one congressional district have roughly the same population as Washington). Given Bob Barr and the large African-American population, Georgia probably makes more sense than an alternate possibility, targeting Indiana and the Dakotas. (Combined, Indiana and the Dakotas have roughly the same population as Georgia).

I look at the list in more detail in the extended entry.

Chris Bowers :: Obama's 17 State Strategy

Thoughts on the targeted and the targeted-nots:

Georgia, huh? This is perhaps the biggest surprise on the list, but the Obama campaign seems ready to make a play for it. One factor might be that Libertarian nominee Bob Barr is from Georgia, and he has won elections here before. As Barr drains votes from McCain, increased African-American turnout could make the state close. Still, even with Barr at 6-8%, McCain still leads here by 10%. I have to believe that Obama has already put Sam Nunn on his short list if he is targeting Georgia, and that makes me very nervous.

Not targeting Arizona. Despite implications, even from the McCain campaign, that Arizona might be in play this year, the Obama campaign isn't shooting for it. That is probably pretty smart. While nominees sometimes lose their home states (Gore, for example), when the state already leans toward that party (Bush won Arizona by 6.32% in 2000, and 10.47% in 2004), it seems highly unlikely. Good call to not heavily target the state.

No West Virginia: While it is a good move to not target West Virginia with organizers in and of itself, hopefully the Obama campaign will still run paid media there, as southeast Ohio shares media markets with West Virginia.

No Indiana: While polling in Indiana is close, apparently the Obama campaign does not think it is a top target.

No Maine, Minnesota: Over the past two cycles, Maine and Minnesota were both considered swing states, particularly Minnesota. This time around, the Obama campaign appears to believe they have Minnesota, and Maine's 1st congressional district, in the bag. Avoiding ME-01 because it already leans your way and is only worth one vote makes sense, but what about...

No Minnesota, but Oregon?: It is a bit of a surprise to Oregon on this list, but not Minnesota. Pollster.com shows Obama ahead by identical 50.8%-39.0% amounts in Minnesota and Oregon, and both states will also feature competitive Senate elections. Neither really feel like swing states this time, to tell you the truth. But it gets worse when you see...

Washington? Really? Obama is ahead by a whopping 16.2% in Washington. In fact, according to Pollster.com, my Presidential forecast, and fivethirtyeight.com, Obama's Washington lead is surpassed only by his lead in D.C., Hawaii, Illinois and Vermont. If your 5th best jurisdiction is a swing state, then I'm Elmer Fudd. This really feels unnecessary.

New Jersey and Oregon, but not Connecticut? While I am a little surprised to see New Jersey on the list, it isn't all that surprising. What does surprise me is that the Obama campaign is hitting New Jersey but not Connecticut, given that the two states are extremely similar in this election. Either way, both will probably be closer than, Oregon, a state that has the same number of electoral votes as Connecticut.

Where are the small states? A case could be made for Alaska, the Dakotas, Delaware, Montana, and Nebraska-02 as swing states. While I have no problem avoiding Delaware (it can be reached by PA media and already leans pretty blue anyway), Democrats have been on real winning streaks in the Dakotas and Montana recently, and polls show both Montana and North Dakota in single digits. The calculation must be that these states are simply too small, population wise and electoral vote wise, but with a widely distributed population, for resources to be effectively spent there. Obama avoided South Dakota in the primaries as well.

Alaska would have been great: While polling shows Obama down by 7-9% in Alaska, this year it will feature highly competitive congressional campaigns for both the House and the Senate. Also, Anchorage makes up 40% of the state's population, making the population much easier to target. Further, Bob Barr should do well in Alaska, as the state is more pro-third parties than any other in the nation (except possibly Maine), and also has a real libertarian bent. It is a big disappointment to not see more targeting in Alaska, especially given what strikes me as a waste of resources in Washington.

Lots of tricky decisions, but with the exceptions I listed above the fold I generally agree with them. Run a 50 state campaign, but layer it over the top with seventeen highly targeted states. If Obama wins the seventeen states listed above, plus the remaining Kerry states, he will win 379 electoral votes.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

RhondaCoca — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:35:00 -0000

I meant to say above that,

Spike Lee is being accused of having Anti-Italian portrayals in his movies

I believe I messed that up along with the links abotu that exhibit...oh well.

Gaffadi believes that Obama has an inferiority complex

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

TruthSeeker — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:33:00 -0000

Craig,

He seems wilted somehow when he's on the road without his family. Maybe in the summer with the girls out of school, they'll stay on the road with him.

I'm relieved he's recruited his huge support base to help fight the smears via e-mail. This willingness by ordinary citizens to destroy the reputation of candidates is troubling to me. It violates the basic decency we assume our fellow humans possess. You know, stuff your Mama taught you?

Is the guy next door photoshopping your image onto a naked body and spreading it on the internet? Is he spreading viscious rumours around the neighborhood?...really disturbing.

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:27:00 -0000

Emasculation in Republican Psychological Warfare

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:26:00 -0000

Not Backing Obama?Rahm will deal with them

Re: Friday Open Thread…..yeah, it’s Friday

rikyrah — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:25:00 -0000

McCain's Pill Poppin' Piece-on-the-Side Is No Baby Mama