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Tag: Election

Palin's ratings bested Obama

Posted by Kevin Smith – 9/4/08

So, in keeping with the Dems’ constant comparison of their ticket leader with the Republicans’ veep, I present this Nielsen report. Apparently, Obama’s speech garnered an impressive 38.4 million viewers. Certainly nothing to sneeze at. But the still virtually unknown Palin pulled in over 40 million. I submit that this obviously doesn’t bode well for the Obama/Biden ticket, but could even end up being a problem for McCain if he doesn’t play his cards right. I suppose, though, if there are enough people like me out there — people hoping that, at most, he’s a one-term president that can launch her into an 8 year term and are voting for the ticket because of that hope — he doesn’t really care.

UPDATE: Despite the complaints of Democrats about how much of a meanie she was in her speech, Rasmussen released these polling results on 9/5/08:

Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters say that Palin’s speech helped McCain’s chances of becoming President while only 10% believe it hurt those prospects.

And this:

Forty percent (40%) now say that Palin is ready to be President, if necessary. That’s up from 29% last week. Forty-nine percent (49%) say the same about Biden.

However, following the Wednesday night speech, voters are fairly evenly divided as to whether Palin or Obama has the better experience to be President. Forty-four percent (44%) of voters say Palin has the better experience while 48% say Obama has the edge. Among unaffiliated voters, 45% say Obama has better experience while 42% say Palin.

Think about that. Only 40% of voters think Palin’s ready for the Presidency. Impressive for a newcomer perhaps, but damning for Obama considering that same poll revealed that people are divided on who’s got more experience — comparing a Presidential candidate to a Vice Presidential candidate! Clearly not a glowing endorsement of Obama.

Changeyness

Posted by Kevin Smith – 6/17/08

Some great stuff about the mirage of changeyness over at Protein Wisdom:

The appeal is vague precisely because it is illusory…  The Framers of the US Constitution recognized – as James Madison explained in Federalist No. 10 – that factions are one of the costs of liberty.  There is nothing high-minded about selling the notion that faction can be magically eliminated — a notion that is equal parts snake oil and tyranny.

Seems like loads of stuff is starting to come out about Obama (the Republican machine has held it in wait until he became the presumptive nominee, no doubt), and I’m starting to feel as though most intelligent people that are supporting him might really start to take a hard look at him. I wouldn’t be surprised if his support really starts to tumble here in the next few months. Of course, that’s all assuming there are enough intelligent people out there. If the Democrats are right, there aren’t. There are more people that will enjoy stories of emotion than any kind of real, intelligent, in-depth discussion of the issues:

Much of Obama’s lofty message of unity and hope really came from campaign consultant David Axelrod, who “long ago hatched the idea that Democrats’ campaigns should revolve more around personality than policy.” … Not that such themes are in any way unique to American presidential politics, as demonstrated by Bill “The Man from Hope” Clinton and George W. “Uniter, not a Divider” Bush. 

And you know what? I think the Democrats might actually be right.

The Unity that results from marginalizing your opponents is the Change that we’ve been waiting for… [comment]

The Problem

Posted by Kevin Smith – 6/15/08

Think I’m crazy? I’ve been talking about what a problem it is for America when people are far more interested in making history with the first black president or first woman president than with electing someone that is actually qualified and will do the best things for America. Cue lights:

“I don’t necessarily like his policies; I don’t like much that he advocates, but for the first time in my life, history thrusts me to really seriously think about it,” Williams said. (CNN)

Armstrong Williams, are you completely insane? If you’d vote for someone, especially someone that doesn’t hold the same values or ambitions, strictly due to the color of your skin, you are narrow minded. You, sir, are a racist.

HISTORICAL PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION!

Posted by Kevin Smith – 6/3/08

Can you believe it? Look how far we’ve come folks, look at this historical nomination! This man is truly a first! The system is broken, he says, and only I can fix it! His engaging book about the generation of his father set into motion his campaign, and he’s been fighting the typical politics of Washington while in the Senate.

The nomination of such a first will surely solidify change in Washington, for there was too much of the same, and same is bad, right? Soooo… change must be good. So it’s good to see that we’ve made such a historical first of merely aesthetic value. Now, finally, we can fight the injustices and discrimination… against old people. Congratulations Senator McCain.

Maybe We're Not Ready

Posted by Kevin Smith – 6/2/08

Several months ago, I began having to defend my particular part of the country to Obama supporters. You see, I live in the South. Not the deep South, mind you–only Nashville. I was honestly a little surprised to have several of my more liberal friends leading the charge that “the South’s just not ever going to elect a black man to be President.” They seemed to be more fascinated, not with electing a worthy candidate, but just making sure that it was their party that made it “first” with a black man.

They would most certainly be correct in their predictions of which candidate to whom the southern states would go, I can assure you. But it won’t be for the reasons they’re giving. Since the 1976 presidential election, the majority of southern states have consistently voted Republican. So if come November we’re a bunch of red states again, it won’t necessarily be because of all our Klan meetings.

But then here I am, watching CNN. (Something I haven’t done in several days– and my life has been remarkably more peaceful for it.) Apparently now there’s another inflammatory preacher at Obama’s (former) church. Guest preacher Michael Pfleger, of the Catholic persuation:

I’m WHITE! A black man is stealing my show!

Don’t worry, he wasn’t speaking for himself, just mocking Hillary. Where all his white guilt is coming from, I have no idea. But what is interesting to me is not that all this is occuring. No, we’ve been exposed to the hate coming out of this church for months now. And let’s just call it that, hate. What disturbs me is the reasoning coming out of nearly every black talking head on the news. I’m told that I wouldn’t know what black churches are like because I’m not black and have never been to a black church. (Though I have.) I’m supposed to be understanding of the black experience and put these words into black church context.

Can I be honest with you here for a second? That reasoning sounds just a ridiculous as telling an onlooker of a KKK rally that he really should put into context the words coming from the Grand Dragon’s mouth. It’s asinine. Read: devoid of intelligence. Let’s call a spade a spade: the vast majority of non-black Americans are watching those clips and saying, “Wow… is this what blacks think about the rest of us?” I’m not sure about you, but when I go to church, we talk about Jesus. Not how awful other people are and how their behavior is ruining our lives.

You see, for decades now, we’ve been thinking that we’re making progress with healing what was once a gaping racial divide. But apparently that was some sort of illusion, according to this kind of rhetoric. And it’s supposed excuse, presented to the media and the rest of us, is that it’s all too common. Go to any black church and you’ll see it.

I’ve got two massive problems with this. First, I’ve been to several black churches, and the people there were nothing but hospitable. And while you might have to prepare for a church service that may never end, if it does, there will be some tasty eatin’ at the end of it. Second, if you’re telling me that every black religious leader gets up at the pulpit and spews the kind of hatred and conspiracy against their own country that Rev. Wright did, that doesn’t assuage my fears at all. Instead, it tells me that we’ve got a major problem in this country, and maybe we’re not ready for a man to be president that spent twenty years under the mentorship of a hate-monger. If we’re so desperate for a black man to be president, then this man is not a good first choice. Perhaps the democrats should’ve thrown their weight behind someone principled: someone without a dingy, opportunistic record, someone with a wife that hasn’t only recently found pride in her country, and someone who’s more than a rookie junior senator that comes to work on a rare occasion–only to vote ‘present’. Barack Obama is like a new business partner who, lucky enough to be made junior partner before he’d even been with the company for very long, answers, “Oh, I’m here,” when asked how he feels about a company proposal.

He hasn’t been fully vetted yet, and Democrats, you can fully expect that the Republicans have yet to unleash their fury on him. Republicans desperately want this man to win your nomination. As soon as he’s clinched it, let the games begin, friends. Hope you like you like your loss in ’08.