Highlights: Obama vs Hillary Texas Debate

Just wanted to point out a few of what I thought were the memorable moments of the debate:

debate texas

 

The first 45 minutes consisted of constant agreement of repeated answers by both candidates which my mother would later call, “a lovefest.”

Obama sent a strong continuation of his “change message” with vivid verbage saying, “There isn’t a lack of good ideas…” and says the problem is that, “Washington is a place where good ideas go to die.”

Asked whether or not they would meet with Raul Castro, who will take over in Cuba after his brother Fidel stepped down, Clinton said only after a move in the right direction took place. Obama said he would meet without any preconditions but not without preperation. The two then gently passed around the word “preparation” for what seemed like eternity.

A big topic in Texas, immigration reform, seemed to be met with the answer by Obam who put his trademarked speech giving skills to good use when summing up: “We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants. We can reconcile the two.”

The debate then took a change of course when the questions became extremely pointed regarding the recent allegations being slung between the Obama and Clinton campaigns. The main question seemed to be on the Obama plagiarism charge which Obama largely shrugged off as “silly season” in politics that was simply negative campaigning. He laughed it off and the audience laughed it off with him.

That put Hillary in a precarious position, looking like a foolish child who was screaming, “But mommy… it’s not fair!” She was able to somewhat restore her credibility with a line that Obama could probably respect for it’s creativity saying his stolen words, “isn’t change you can believe in it is change you can xerox.”

Ouch…

Nice comeback, but Hillary didn’t seem to have enough umph in her punches throughout the night to overcome the tone, confidence, wits and logic of Obama. His momentum is mounting. She needed some type of material that would be able to deliver a knock down of some sorts but came up way short.

The debate was even and Hillary needed a win. Game over?

Obama Plagiarism?

The Clinton campaign launched a vicious accusation that Obama has plagiarized numerous times in recent speeches, stealing quotes word for word from Deval Patrick.

It is completely true that Obama took parts of Patrick’s speech word for word and here is the proof:

Unfortunately for Hillary, this comes across as a last ditch effort to take Obama down with any dirt she can possibly dig up. While it is true that much of Obama’s momentum could be attributed to his motivational speeches and rhetoric of change, the plagiarism claim won’t do much to derail the seemingly inevitable Obama Democratic nomination.

When asked about the plagiarism, Obama admits that he did indeed borrow these lines from Deval Patrick and that he should have Patrick as the original source. However, Patrick is a supporter and friend of Obama and likely (as Obama claims) suggested he may want to borrow a few motivational lines that seemed to “work”.

While Obama probably won’t lose the Democratic nomination because of this controversy, it is something that the McCain team is looking at with a magnifying glass. If Obama does indeed face off against McCain for the presidency, we’re guessing this issue will “resurface” with a little help from Johnny boy.

By the way… where the heck is Deval Patrick in all of this? Don’t you think he could clear this whole thing up pretty darn quickly if he gave his side of the story? Why isn’t anyone asking the source directly? That’s the only thing that seems fishy about this… are they trying to coordinate a “company line” with the Obama team?

Sidenote: For being such a great speaker, we don’t think Obama’s “plagiarized” versions were nearly as good as Deval Patrick’s originals. Oh well…

Fidel Castro Resigns

The Cuban president Fidel Castro has resigned his position saying he, “will not aspire or accept - the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief.” The notification came in the form of a letter distributed through the media.

fidel castro

At 83 years old, it isn’t a huge surprise that Castro will not push on as the President of Cuba, especially considering recent setbacks to his health. The word “President” could be somewhat misleading: Fidel Castro ruled for nearly 50 years in what seemed more like a dictatorship. His 76 year old brother Raul Castro will likely take over the “throne” and serve as Cuba’s next president… sounds like a monarchy to me!

Fidel Castro is best known as a guerilla leader who reshaped Cuba into a Communist government, survived assassination attempts by the United States and fueled the “Cuban Missile Crisis” during the JFK administration that brought the world to the brink of Nuclear Warfare. Through 10 U.S. presidencies that have tried to oust him, none of been seen successful and the 1961 “Bay of Pigs Invasion” is considered the most disastrous. After this failed takeover by Cuban exiles, funded by the United States, the American relationship with Cuba grew very icy.

President Bush used the resignation as an opportunity to criticize Castro saying he denied  the Cuban people, “their right to live in a free society.” He suggested Cuba should move towards a Democratic process and said their current “staged elections” don’t count - Cuba is one of the world’s last remaining Communist countries.

fidel-castro.jpg

Some of praised Castro for providing great healthcare to his citizens without any type of aid from the United States. But, most see the blood on his hands as he is responsible for suppressing individual rights and liberties by force. And those that praise him may do so because those that detract from him face a perilous fortune.

So Raul Castro takes over at 76 years old… what happens when HIS time has come and gone? Let’s face it - 76 isn’t exactly youthful. The United States has pushed for  Democratic turn of events, but that is extremely unlikely to happen with a Castro in office and the country probably won’t have a change of heart after both brothers are gone.

For those who trumpe Democratic principles, the resignation of Fidel Castro is however, at least symbolic of the opportunity for change. But when will it happen? Don’t hold your breath.

Barack Obama & Ron Paul: The REAL Dream Ticket

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Political analysts have pondered the possibility of a “dream ticket” that would include Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. The same could be said for a John McCain and Mitt Romney Republican ticket. Both are unlikely to happen because of the bitter rivalries and egos involved.

But since we’re dreaming, we’d like to pose the most utopian dream ticket possible… Barrack Obama as president with Dr. Ron Paul serving as Vice President.

dream ticket

Choosing a Republican running mate would be considered political suicide for Obama, although NO choice would better illustrate his inspiration verbage about ending partisan politics. Both Paul and Obama captured national attention by sending a message of change and peace that was embraced by a youthful America.

Besides their thoughts on bringing the military home from Iraq, Obama and Paul probably don’t agree on a ton of issues. But, Ron Paul is a champion of the constitution who, when it all comes down to it, just wants to make America a better place for Americans.

Would it be so bad to have an honest Republican as your right hand man who can bridge the gap between the huge philosophical divide? With our foreign policy (including the War in Iraq) being the top issue in this election, and an issue on which they agree, the timing couldn’t be better to shake up the two party system that has ailed our nation for too many years. New ideas are silenced, new concepts are closeted, new contributors are suffocated and the mainstream media is a co-conspirator in holding down these new opportunities.

A bigger statement couldn’t be made than an Obama-Paul election ticket… it would say loud and clear, “We want change. We are all Americans. We can work together.” It would send a message to the world. It would expose the existing political infrastructure for what it is - an imperfect system susceptible to corruption, private interests and greed. But it would show that what’s good about America and overcome what is not.

An Obama-Paul ticket would say we do NOT have to succumb to the norm. We do not have to be pigeon holed into a system designed for only left and right. We do NOT have to follow a political path that seems written in stone, edited and maintained by only Republicans and Democrats. And all it would take is one Democrat and one Republican, with similar philosophies and equally desired results, to come together.

It will never happen. But we can dream, can’t we? And if we stir up enough attention about it, perhaps we could even get the media to speculate the possibility. Senator Obama? Dr. Paul? What do you think?

Unfortunately the President and Vice President don’t have all the power in the world. The congress is still responsible for creating, passing and/or denying the vast majority of laws that are put into effect. But if you’ve ever heard of “the trickle down” effect… the dream of an Obama-Paul ticket could mark the beginning of an American Revolution that rivals the one which gained our countries independence… without the bloodshed.

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Romney Endorses McCain

Here’s how it goes down:

And now:

Many would liken the exchange to being the fan of an American League baseball team and when your team isn’t in the pennant race, you root for another American League team out of allegiance. But Romney’s support of McCain seems more like a Yankee-bashing Red Sox fan supporting the Yankees in the World Series after trashing them for the past decade. What gives?The scenario is a bit different, but Romney cited his Republican allegiance as the reason for quitting the race in the first place. He didn’t want the Democrats to have an edge by prolonging an internal battle for the Republican nomination. He realizes McCain is the to-be-nominee and wants to be seen as a key influence in uniting the party and citizens around him. I’m sure he also hopes that, should McCain get elected, his support of McCain will be credited with part of the reason he was able to make it.Most thought the proper thing would be for Romney to be silent, seeing as how he repeatedly questioned McCain’s credentials and decisions throughout his campaign. But, I guess Romney is trying to “take one for the team” so the Republicans can get re-elected. No single man is bigger than the goals of the party I suppose.

It’s an admirable thing on Romney’s part if you look at it on paper. He sucked up his losses… financial and emotional and supported his rival for the good of his team. But, knowing that Romney is a smart guy, he probably looked at it on paper before hand and said, “they’ll probably admire me for this.”

And so it happened. I have to say… as much as you could try to diss Romney for this and say “there he goes flip flopping again,” you have to give him credit for doing the right thing for his party. Who knows… maybe this will earn him the role of Vice President.

In any case… we’ll miss you Mitt… you made the Republican race a little more interesting.

Obama Takes, McCain Maintains Lead

With the Potomac hat trick completed (Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC) for both Barack Obama and John McCain, they both move closer to becoming their party’s presidential nominee.

For John McCain the road to a primary victory seems pretty simple: a GOP candidate needs 1,191 votes to win the nomination and McCain currently has 812 (68%) with the only standing competitor being Huckabee with 217 (18%) of the delegate votes needed. John McCain better keep his eye on the ball and figure out how he’s going to beat a Democrat when Americans disapprove of the War in Iraq and want change. McCain is seen by many as “serving Bush’s 3rd term.”

Meanwhile, the Democratic competition begins to heat up. Obama has taken the lead over longtime favorite, Senator Hillary Clinton with his 1,215 to her 1,190. The Democratic candidate to earn 2,025 delegate votes will earn the nomination. And although they are neck and neck, Obama has won the last 8 primaries and caucuses and the latest Potomac victories were of a convincing fashion.

Obama seems to be pulling from the Clinton base: the only demographic lead Clinton seems to maintain is that of white women. Here are some of the demographic voting percentages Obama received based on exit polls in Virginia and Maryland:

Next up?

Obama Carries Momentum to Capital Region

Barack Obama is carrying a huge week of momentum into the nation’s political hotbed… Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland. Usually, the states are not discussed when considering the “most coveted” states for the presidential election, but they play a pivotal role for Obama.

Obama is coming off of consecutive wins in Nebraska, Washington, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Louisiana and most recently Maine this past Saturday. With probable wins in DC, Virginia and Maryland - states with large African American populations - Obama looks to go on a 7 state winning streak that would give him the lead and put Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on the ropes.

Some would say the Clinton campaign is already getting weak in the knees, despite holding the lead over Obama. The lead is slim: Clinton’s 1,148 to Obama’s 1,121… and if you discount the Super Delegate votes (vote of elected officials currently in office), Obama is leading 986 to 924. Washington DC is worth 15 delegates, Maryland holds 70 and Virginia offers 83, so with a decisive victory, Obama could take over the lead no matter what angle you take.

The Clinton campaign cannot deny the recent turn in momentum and their actions prove they aren’t: Clinton has replaced current campaign manager Maggie Williams with Patti Solis Doyle. Who knows how much the reshuffling will actually help - it has been rumored since a loss in the Iowa Caucuses more than a month ago.

Look for a big hat trick from Obama and a very interesting democratic debate between the two next week on CNN.

Romney Drops Out!

Mitt Romney Drops out of the presidential race… who would have thunk? His decision was based on the fact that the longer Republicans battle each other, the easier it will be for the Democrats to defeat them. Romney didn’t want aid any factors “making it easier for Senator Clinton or Obama to win.”

The news is rather shocking, since Romney was McCain’s only stiff competition and there are a long list of conservatives who despise McCain, including prominent media figures such as radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. But, with Huckabee stealing the Romney vote on Super Tuesday, he likely felt he was too far behind to defeat McCain. With only Huckabee and Paul left, McCain has basically been dubbed the Republican nominee.

On several issues, Romney and McCain exhanged bitter comments, but Romney claimed he is putting those differences aside because of the number one factor in which they agree: “… on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and I agree with him on eliminating Al Qaeda and terror worldwide,”

He spent a truckload of his own money on the campaign but since the beginning he claimed, “It was never about him,” it was because he, “loves America” and wants to see the country improve. It looks like we’re heading towards an Obama vs. McCain showdown and that debate could be an interesting one. Obama has brushed up on his debating skills and his firm, hard tone won’t be overridden by McCain’s POW presence. With a Hillary vs. McCain ticket, I think the Democrats would be throwing another election right into the garbage can.

Can either Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee capitalize on the Romney Drop Out? It will be hard for them to do but we’re hoping they continue to battle it out. The more ideas discussed, the better off America will be.

Who won Super Tuesday? Election Results.

Most would say that Barack Obama and John McCain were the big winners on Super Tuesday. Although Obama trails Clinton in total delegates, he clearly has more momentum moving into the second half of the primary process. Meanwhile, John McCain virtually wiped the floor with the competition, earning more votes than Romney and Huckabee combined. Dissappointingly, Ron Paul and his faithful followers more or less dissappeared, likely stemming from the media’s refusal to give his campaign any coverage.

The Democratic candidate needs 2,025 delegate votes to advance as their parties selected candidate and right now Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama 783 to 709. While Obama took more states than Hillary on Super Tuesday (13 to Clinton’s 8), Hillary took some of the larger states such as California, New York and New Jersey.

The Democratic race isn’t determined on a winner take all state mentality. Instead, delegate votes are awarded based on a percentage of the primary votes. For that reason, the Obama and Clinton race is still a complete toss up. However, many would award Obama as having the current edge due to momentum. Whereas Hillary dominated the national polls just a few months ago, Obama has nearly pulled up to even. As more Americans embrace his message of change, we look for him to take the clear edge moving forward unless Hillary can somehow right the ship.

The Republican side of Super Tuesday had a little more at stake. And after Super Tuesday, McCain is the clear front runner for Republicans. He may only have 559 of the 1,191 delegate votes needed (51%) thus far, but he also has double the delegate votes of Romney and triple the votes of Huckabee. The lead may be insurmountable.

The success of Mike Huckabee was a surprise, with victories in  Arkansas, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. With those big wins, he has stated he will stay in the race until the end, trying to play the spoiler. And by Romney’s measure, he is doing just that.

Accusations that Huckabee is staying in the race to cannibalize the Romney vote, allowing McCain to waltz away with the victory, has sparked tensions. Some are saying Huckabee and McCain have already reached an agreement for the Huckabee to be McCain’s Vice President should he win. In essence, they are trying to “corner the market”. But if their views are so alike, wouldn’t Huckabee be taking most of the votes away from McCain? It’s an interesting debate.

Anything could happen moving forward, but after Super Tuesday it looks like Obama has the Democratic momentum and McCain has the upperhand for the Republicans. Should this “market monopoly” on the Republican side float to the front of the media, it could spell out disaster for the party as a whole moving forward.

Super Tuesday, Primaries in 24 States

It’s Super Tuesday and that means the Presidential picture will get much more clear by the day’s end. Only Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul remain - many expect Huckabee and Paul to drop out after today’s results.

The Democratic race is neck and neck and even these 24 states won’t prove much. Meanwhile, McCain is said to be the “lead dog” for the Republican party and the primaries should be much more telling for this party. There has been some suggestion that Huckabee is merely taking votes away from folks who would otherwise vote Romney, thereby lowering his chances of defeating McCain… Romney is the clear cut #2 Republican.

Here are the 24 states voting in the Super Tuesday Presidential Primary elections:

  1. Alabama
  2. Alaska
  3. Arizona
  4. Arkansas
  5. California
  6. Colorado
  7. Connecticut
  8. Delaware
  9. Georgia
  10. Idaho
  11. Illinois
  12. Kansas
  13. Massachusetts
  14. Minnesota
  15. Missouri
  16. Montana
  17. New Mexico
  18. North Dakota
  19. New Jersey
  20. New York
  21. Oklahoma
  22. Tennessee
  23. Utah
  24. West Virginia

We’ll bring you coverage throughout the day as the news breaks so stay tuned!