My Head's In Mississippi
I’m shufflin’ thru the Texas sand,
but my head’s in Mississippi.-ZZ Top
Got off the plane in London this morning to discover that Clinton had won both the Ohio and Texas popular vote. Obama will probably win the Texas Caucus, so from a delegate point of view, its really a wash for Hillary. Barack will still have about a 100 delegate lead. But the wins will definitely embolden the Clintons to continue the “red phone” type advertising. To think that Democrats universally castigated Karl Rove and George Bush for their “politics of fear” campaigns in 2004 and 2006. Who knew that Hillary would use Rove’s playbook to fight a Democrat?
Lessons Learned
- Obama has to go back on the offensive. He has to expose the dynastic pretensions of Clinton, Inc. Force them to release last year’s Tax returns, just like he did. None of this nonsense about waiting until April 15. They must disclose the names of the donors to Clinton’s Charities including the Library and their Business ties to them. He should also go back to his classic big speech rally format and stop trying to play the way the Clintons want him to.
- The Obama communications team has to call the press on their unwillingness to force the Clinton’s hand on these financial transparency issues, which are far more serious than anything having to do with Tony Rezko.
- Obama or his surrogates must make it clear that the Clinton Administration was in bed with Big Media (telecom Bill of 1996 which cemented the telecom duopoly), Big Pharma (allowed the widespread consumer advertising of prescription drugs which drove all drug prices higher) Big Banking (the elimination of Glass Steagall, which allowed the money center and investment banks to merge and created the explosion of derivatives which led directly to our current crisis), Big Multinationals (by signing NAFTA which led to moving 3 million jobs overseas [see Chart below]), the Military Industrial Complex (continued to build large useless weapons systems like the V-22 Osprey and never gave us our Peace Dividend). Now the paid lobbyists of all these powers are funding Hillary’s campaign and she is paying them back (the most Military earmarks of anyone in the Senate except her water carrier Carl Levin).
Looking forward, Barack can win both Wyoming and Mississippi this week. Then he has a four week battle to take it to Clinton, Inc. in Pennsylvania. He has to prove to his supporters that he can throw a punch just as much as he can take Hillary’s below the belt hits. We’re not voting for Gandhi here.
To be truthful, I did not pay any attention yesterday. Work is on a tear, so I have not had the luxury. Originally, I supported Edwards, I caucused for him, and spoke to hundreds in my district about him. We nearly won our district for him, but ended up splitting even with Obama.
What concerns me here, terribly, is that Hillary might win. A voice that discounts ‘states that don’t matter’, a voice that has never publicly admitted fault with her Iraq War vote, a voice that (dangerously similar to the current resident of the White House) by all accounts – does very little reflecting.
Once again, the Democrats stand ready and able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The new rolls of voters that have taken up voting and politics for the first time, or returned to it after a long absence are not the ones that will be emboldened by a Hillary nomination. The possibility of turning our country around will be made (in my opinion) far more remote and unlikely. Huge corporate interests and other disheartening developments in the reality of our current political cesspool in Washington will not improve.
Frankly, I wish I would not have paid attention today either.
- Zhirem
I absolutely agree. I say let him bring it! Two funny stories about the Ohio vote yesterday, I was stunned by them:
1) My grandmother is a sprite 86 year old DAR member who has never uttered a curse word (she often says, “oh gad” but thats it, I’ve never heard worse). Asked yesterday who she voted for, she said she, “held my nose and voted for McCain.”
When I asked her why she had to hold her nose, her one word response, “Gitmo.”
This kindly little old lady who has chastised me my entire life to “let your light shine,” and “turn the other cheek,” to “forgive and love,” well she will not be happy until the blood of the infidels flows red in the streets. She is furious McCain has the gall to want to move the terrorists to Leavenworth. I was stunned.
2) My mother voted Democrat for the first time in her entire life, for Obama. Which makes sense to me, because she’s a pro-choice, libertarian-style free thinker.
But no, her vote has nothing to do with Obama… this fall she is voting for McCain (maybe Bloomberg). She just so hates Hillary for, “putting up with Bill and Monica,” that she hoped her switching party ballots (she was a registered independent), would drive a final nail in Hillary’s coffin. She’s a Paglia-style feminist.
This election is a fuckn’ blast!
BUT, Jon, I think Obama has some real issues on Tony Rezko… I think we’re going to hear that, “republicans will say ‘Obama got his mansion from Saddam Hussein,’” its what I’m hearing.
I think it is only natural that Baathist money found its way to Obama (whether he knew it or not), Obama was an anti-war candidate, Baathists wanted to get the US out of Iraq.
BUT, if there was any agreement that Rezko’s wife would buy, hold and sell back a part of the land next to the house – thats a gift and a violation of Senate Ethics.
And if Rezko’s wife had no money of her own, and if “cash-strapped” Tony got $3.5M from Nadhmi Auchi (Saddam’s money front-man), just 23 days before she bought this land – then Saddam’s guy may have directly helped Obama buy his house.
This isn’t to say Obama was bought and paid for by Saddam Hussein, no far from it. It is to say, Obama apparently had long time deep support from anti-US Iraqis. If he actually met with Nadhmi Auchi in 2004, it looks much worse.
Yes, Hillary has her own can of worms, but perhaps Obama’s got one too. If they were smart, they might just shut up and run together.
At this point I see that we all have one major responsibilty. Ask the right questions of each of the candidates and keep asking them until the answers are straight and absolutely on the record. If we can’t vote FOR someone after all of this and that, then why vote? We are just back where we started from and even more depressed.
You’ve probably all seen this piece, but like rhbee, work is on a tear (love that expression) so I only caught it when a friend forwarded it to me:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/118240/output/print
Also, John, welcome to London (and I’m going to assume you’re in the UK, not Canada). Enjoy the bracing cold but pleasantly bright weather we’re experiencing these days! While you’re here, may I recommend the Duchamps, Man Ray, Picabia exhibit at the Tate Modern? It kicks Dadaist ass.
Sorry, meant Zhirem, not rhbee in the above (hate to attribute a cool expression incorrectly…).
Zestypete- I am in the UK, headed for a conference in Sussex. The weather is bracing but beautiful.
Na worries Zesty. Not my words certainly, and in fact, likely learned from Pa Zhirem. Local midwest colloquialism I think.
- Zhirem
Ofcourse HillaryClinton had won Ohio and Texas ,but still there is no problem for Obama ,since he got the delegate support ,Clinton as she is from a republican party ,she have chance to encounter the democrates by pointing out the political domination of Bush juniour.
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