Three Reasons She Should (Not) Do It

By Hans Bool

Now that Barack Obama has been acknowledged to win the democratic nominations, the question is; What Will Hillary Clinton do? Here are three arguments I can think of why she should join Barack Obama's campaign.

1. The risk of not winning again. Although Obama won the primaries, nothing is still certain about the real elections. It is very possible that the democrats - in whatever configuration - will not win the elections for many reasons. This might be a personal reason not to join Obama.

2. The combination of Clinton and Obama is not a strong one. Basically both party programs have been quite different. Obama has focused on change, Hillary on experience. They have also a quite different voters-profile. Many women and "Latinos" have voted for Hillary, but this doesn't mean that these will automatically join the Combination Obama - Clinton.

3. She shouldn't go for a Silver-medal. "She is a leader who inspires millions of people..." said Obama in his nomination-speech. If this is so, than she shouldn't go for the second place. Recently, the CEO of a multinational joined politics. He was offered a position, which he rejected by saying: I have been a CEO for more than five years, I will not listen to someone who is twenty years younger than I am."

Hillary and Barack are no longer equal as ex-senators. Barack is now in the lead and the best for both Hillary as for the democrats as a whole is to stop the campaign.

Thinking this through, I could also imagine that all three arguments could be reversed:

1. The risk of not winning again: she has nothing (more) to loose. Besides when Obama looses this could comfort her: "she had more possibilities..."

2. The combination is a strong one if you look at them being a couple: he is sometimes a bit naïve, she is experienced and more rational. A perfect couple.

3. She could be "the woman behind" the man's success...

It is like the stock market: either side, up or down will count on many good arguments. Let's wait and see what happens...

H.J.B.

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© Hans Bool

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Betrayal, the Neocons, and John McCain

By Edison Coin

In an admittedly masochistic act of republican self-loathing, I tuned in to the Michael Medved radio talk-show several months back to see if I could pick up the finer points of sophistry. To my delight, Medved was interviewing a fellow neocon on the merits and qualities of the devastatingly presidential Juan McCain. This should be interesting, I thought. Medved will focus like a laserbeam, and expose Juan for the fraud that he is. Go get 'em, Mike. I was hopeful.

Despite the hilarity that ensued, I am happy to report that I did manage to keep my vehicle clear of the warmongering bluff to my right, and the socialist divider to my left. What follows is my recollection of the interview. It's true that I feasted on the poetic license that is mine to indulge, but the basic seasoning of this turkey of an interview is true to the original recipe.

Neocon plant: "Michael, did you know that McLame's mother is 97 years young? And she's still going strong!"

Off-my-Medved: "97! Wow! God bless her soul. This proves, it seems to me, that McSame has good genes. Therefore, he should be president."

Neocon plant: "Michael, have you ever met Cindy McCain? She's a wonderful woman, Michael."

Off-my-Medved: "Not only wonderful, Con, but truly an elegant, elegant lady. She's not as elegant as Laura Bush, not quite, but one can see the similarities. Have you seen my poll on the candidates' wives, Con?"

Neocon plant: "No, Michael, who won? I hope it was Cindy McCain..."

Off-my-Medved: "...Cindy McCain. That's right."

Neocon plant: "You're a great American, Michael. Michael, I've spent a lot of time with the great senator from Arizona, and let me tell you - did I ever tell you? - that Juan McInsane is a funny, funny man, Michael. Did I ever tell you that? He told a joke this one time, and, well, I wet myself."

Off-my-Medved: "Juan McAmnesty is a very, very funny man. It seems to me that he should be president."

Neocon plant: "Michael, let me tell you about McAmesty the family man. Did you know, Michael, that Juan has an adopted son from Bangladesh? Yeah. Of course, he loves all his children equally. He never talks about it, because Juan is a very private man."

Off-my-Medved: "I know, Con. It seems to me that this is a very unique opportunity for the republican party. As we all know, Bangladeshi's are brown-skinned. A very dark brown. What better way to appeal to the latino vote, since latino's are brown people too? It's clear that McCain should be president."

Neocon plant: "Did I mention Michael that Juan McBomb is a war hero? Yeah - a war hero!"

Off-my-Medved: "Cindy McCain is a very elegant lady."

Neocon plant: "Michael, McWar is the hardest working man in show bizz."

Off-my-Medved: "Con, in a transparent attempt to not discuss the issues, let's switch gears now and talk about potential veeps. In fact, let's spend the next fifteen minutes until the next commercial break when our time together will be over, talking about Bobby Jindal."

Neocon plant: "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran..."

Off-my-Medved: "Seriously, who doesn't like the Beach Boys? Criticism of the 60's rock legends hailing from sunny southern California is wrong and unwarranted. But about Bobby. Tell me if I'm wrong about this, but doesn't Bobby look like another Bobby, Bobby Kennedy? What do you think, Con?"

Neocon plant: "You're right about that, Michael. And when I think of McLame, that's exactly who I think of, too."

Off-my-Medved: "The man will be president one day. Have you seen his adorable family? He'd be the perfect veep for Juan, because he's actually a real conservative...err, I mean, because - did you know that Bobby is actually an Indian-American? And you know what that means, Con."

Neocon plant: "That's right, Michael. What many fear is that Obamanation will choose Hillary as his running mate. And then the democrats will have a black man, and a woman. If the republicans could at least have someone with skin darker than Obama's, even if he's a man, I think the republicans could take this election."

Off-my-Medved: "I am truly enjoying this, Con. Tell our audience what you were telling me over the break, that time when the republicans asked McNugget to jump of a bridge, and to his credit, he did."

Neocon plant: "I'd be happy to, Michael..."

Now, to be fair, this same sugary adulation is served up by the left at their love-fests for Obama. And I don't know who the lesser of these two evils is. All I'm suggesting is a helping of the truth. Republicans would be well served in more closely scrutinizing McCain and his past, his voting record, why veterans of the Vietnam war hate the man's guts, why everyone on his campaign staff is a lobbyist, and how closely McCain has adhered to the constitution he will swear to defend. And for the record, just remember that John McShame tells a mean joke.

Edison Coin is the owner and publisher of http://www.articlediscover.com, a great place to find great content.

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Obama and McCain VP Decision Most Important in Recent US History

By Philip Harris

While we know it will be Obama versus McCain, the key issue for me is who will be the running mates. Contrary to the comments of political pundits, in this election the American electorate will have to take a hard look at the vice presidential candidate. While frequently seen as a "sideline" issue, in this election the second slot may be critical.

Historically, only fourteen Vice Presidents went on to become President. Five were elected, four inherited the office due to the natural death of the president, and four took office due to assassination and one through resignation. If elected, John McCain will be 72 when he takes office. Questions about his health must be a concern when deciding who gets your vote. If McCain chooses a right wing politician to garner conservative support, that choice will a factor in my voting decision.

With respect to Obama, I hesitate to mention a possible issue. I remember when JFK was elected to office. His style and oratory was my inspiration and resulted in my pursuing a degree in political science and in entering a career of public service. Upon his assassination, I was devastated. We all know that LBJ took up the civil rights cause and if were not for Vietnam, he may have a better slot in our political history. I am sure for those old enough to remember, Obama brings back memories of JFK. The question is, will this memory also include the tragedy? There are still elements in this country that would oppose any minority candidate as president and one can only hope that the Secret Service stays alert. This is why his running mate is of utmost importance in my thought process. History all too often is repetitive as we fail to learn the lessons of the past.

As we know, the role of the Vice President of the United States is the first person in the line of succession becoming the new President upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. As designated by the Constitution of the United States, the vice president also serves as the President of the Senate, and may break tie vote in that chamber. He or she may be assigned additional duties by the President. Given the current state of world affairs, the American electorate must be prepared for any eventuality.

Regardless of who wins in November, the VP must be a person that has real political experience and not chosen just to appeal to certain voting blocs or interest groups. The stakes are too high to have a VP that is not tested and tried in the arena of national and international affairs. Hopefully both Obama and McCain will understand this concern as the VP candidate in the upcoming election may be their most important political decision.

Mr. Harris was born in Massachusetts. He attended The American University in Washington, D.C. and received his degree in Political Science. His graduate work was done at the University of Northern Colorado and Howard University. He spent several years working for local and regional and state government agencies. He worked on a White House Task Force and served as Rural Policy Coordinator at the FRCouncil of New England.

Mr. Harris is co-author of the novel WAKING GOD and is a nationally syndicated / featured writer for The American Chronicle. His second novel, A MAINE CHRISTMAS CAROL was released by Cambridge Books, his third book, JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EARLY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION (Avatar Publication). He is author of the book, RAPING LOUISIANA: A DIARY OF DECEIT and his two most recent self-growth titles, the "MESSAGES" series were just released by Avatar. See his book titles at http://dickens111.tripod.com/theliteraryworksofphilipharris

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Eleven Days That Doomed Clinton's Campaign

By Terry Mitchell

Now that Barack Obama has become the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, let's take a look back at how Hillary Clinton lost. Last year at this time, it seemed inevitable that she was going to win the nomination. What went wrong? She finished the primary season on a very strong note, winning primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky, Puerto Rico, and South Dakota. But, unfortunately for Clinton, the nomination had already been lost at that point. The hole that she had so deeply dug herself into guaranteed that her late rally would be all for naught.

The fate of her campaign was sealed during one eleven-day stretch in February. Right after Super Tuesday (February 5th), her campaign appeared to enter a temporary state of suspended animation. Apparently, her master plan called for Super Tuesday to culminate in the nomination fight being over - with her as the victor. When this did not come close to happening (actually, she and Obama were pretty much even in delegates and states won following the Super Tuesday results), she seemed unsure as to how to proceed. This uncertainty would prove disastrous.

From February 9th to February 19th, Clinton lost eleven straight contests to Obama (yes, elevens are wild here). During that time, Obama won in the Virgin Islands, Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington (the state), Maine, Democrats abroad, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Hawaii. Clinton, on the other hand, won nothing during that same period. Some people blame the caucus process for this lull in the Clinton campaign, but the half of these venues conducted primaries. And Obama won many of them, including Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin, by inexplicably large margins. All in all, he netted 123 more delegates than did she during those eleven days.

Of course, Clinton finally righted her ship, but it was too late. At the conclusion of the primary season on Tuesday night, Obama had accumulated just 127 more pledged delegates than did she. Keep in mind that at least 21 of those delegates formerly belonged to John Edwards, who exited the race prior to Super Tuesday. These delegates defected to Obama only after he had become the clear frontrunner and Edwards had endorsed him. Therefore, Obama's real margin of victory in pledged delegates won was no more than 106. This means that Obama's entire pledged delegate margin can be attributed to that eleven-day stint in February.

Had Clinton stayed even with him (or perhaps kept things close) during that time, she would be virtually tied with Obama in pledged delegates right now, and it's likely that the super delegates would have kept coming her way. Remember, the majority of the super delegates were aligning with Clinton until Obama pulled ahead in pledged delegates during his February winning streak. At that point, they reversed themselves and began going Obama's way. That was no doubt the turning point in the race for the nomination.

Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, amateur political analyst, and blogger from Hopewell, VA. On his blog - http://commenterry.blogs.com - he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in mainstream media.

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Why Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Aren't a Dream Ticket

By Alfred Martin

Marketing communications folks are always preaching about the importance of messaging and for a taste of the topical, the presidential campaign thus far has been all about messaging. Hillary Rodham Clinton is the Fighter and Barack Obama is the Diplomat. Those two messages sum up the reason that the dream ticket is in fact, a nightmare. Certainly Clinton still has her vocal and loyal supporters, many of whom are women, Latinos, and those on the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, as she should. Hillary Clinton has fashioned herself as a rough-and-tumble politician and after Super Tuesday, ran an effective campaign for presidency.

On the other hand, Barack Obama's campaign has been about changing the way that politics work in Washington and reaching across the aisle to Republicans and Democrats. In a word, being a united and not a divider.

The messages that each politician (one a presidential nominee and one a vice presidential wannabe) espouses should make it clear that each is wrong as the other's vice presidential or presidential nominee. We won't even get into the issue of healing the Democratic party, because while that is important, it is not what I want to talk about. My belief is that Clinton as VP to Obama's President does not make good branding sense. If we believe (as I do) that Obama's message is one of change, ending partisan politics and talking our problems out instead of fighting them out then Clinton's message of being experienced in the nuances of Washington politics and fighting to get things done then we have a slight branding issue.

If Clinton and Obama were companies that were considering merging, I would advise against it because the companies come from two vastly different ideological places. On the substantive issues, there is little on which there is a marked disagreement -- with the exception of maybe healthcare. But it comes down to an issue of brand. Because they staked their respective campaigns on their brands moreso than on substantive difference on the issues that face Americans, we have come to a crossroads. And my belief is that while many Democrats salivate over the prospect of having these two powerful politicians, it is a nightmare for the brand. It'd be like Pepsi and Coke merging. Two mega-brands that have fought each other since their existence began and now they want to play in the same sandbox together. Will the new company be Coke or will it be Pepsi? My guess is that neither would be willing to take second position to their fiercest competition as I don't think Hillary Clinton ultimately wants to either. Afterall, Clintons don't take second place.

Al Martin is president of What Works Communications, an Austin-based boutique marketing communications firm.

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