[ Posted Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 – 16:23 UTC ]
Senator Barack Obama is currently facing a test in the presidential race. He's already successfully passed the Serious Test (talking to foreign leaders, appearing presidential), as well as the Oratory Test (he does know how to give a speech, that's for sure). But the next test voters are closely watching could be called the Feisty Test. Does Obama have what it takes to put some passion into parrying John McCain's Low Road Express? We will have the answer to that in the next few weeks.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 – 12:24 UTC ]
Just a quick program note here (yes, there will still be a column later today) to introduce a new feature here at CW.com.
The last time I wrote a column about the Electoral College, I provided some graphs to liven up what I was talking about. I got a comment from someone who had his [...]
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Monday, August 4th, 2008 – 15:24 UTC ]
The vice presidential guessing game has reached fever pitch, with many betting Barack Obama is going to make his pick known this week, before the Olympics start. But I'd like to suggest another appointment for Obama to announce, which he should do before he selects his running mate. Obama should announce that, if elected, he will offer the job of special envoy to the Middle East to former president Bill Clinton.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Friday, August 1st, 2008 – 16:43 UTC ]
I have to say, I am slowly seeing signs of the media turning on John McCain. Now, so far, it's a fairly subtle thing -- they haven't started asking him any really tough questions on his policy, his history, or his record, for instance. But they have noticed the change in tone since the Karl Rove people have taken over McCain's campaign strategy. And it's turning them off. They are like Rip Van Winkle waking up from a years-long nap, blinking sleepily and confusedly while wondering "Who is this new John McCain? Where's the straight talker I went to sleep dreaming about?"
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Thursday, July 31st, 2008 – 16:51 UTC ]
Republicans think they've discovered the way to beat Democrats in this year's election, with a strategy that can be summed up as: drilling for votes. Democrats, confident that logic is on their side in the oil drilling debate, may be ignoring this at their peril. It is too early to tell, of course, but the Democrats need to come up with a way to frame the debate to their advantage fast, or else they risk appearing as if they have no idea what to do about high gas prices.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 – 14:48 UTC ]
Barack Obama made a campaign promise to visit the state of Alaska before the election. And what better time than right now to follow through on this promise? Obama should fly to Alaska the first chance his campaign schedule allows and make a speech at a rally with Mark Begich (and any other Democratic candidates for Alaskan office who care to join in). Begich is currently the Mayor of Anchorage, and is running to unseat the Republican Senator Ted Stevens. You may have heard Ted Stevens' name in the news recently. Which is why the time is now for Obama to make the trip.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Tuesday, July 29th, 2008 – 17:15 UTC ]
Today we look at Barack Obama's vice presidential picks, by popular demand. I have so far resisted jumping into the VP fray, mostly because I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said by dozens of others. I can't pretend I can see inside Senator Obama's mind better than anyone else, and to my way of thinking the whole silly-season exercise of trying to guess who it will be is a lot of sound and fury, which ends up signifying nothing. But I've been noticing one facet of the choice hasn't really been adequately addressed: the consequences of such a pick.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Monday, July 28th, 2008 – 15:58 UTC ]
Sixty years ago, on July 26, 1948, President Harry S Truman singlehandedly desegregated the United States military.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Friday, July 25th, 2008 – 16:17 UTC ]
Be careful what you wish for, John.
Read Complete Article »
[ Posted Thursday, July 24th, 2008 – 17:21 UTC ]
Since this week seems to be "Numbers Week" here at CW.com, I'd like to take a very close look at two recent polls, because they show something astonishing which everyone appears to be either ignoring or missing: When pollsters ask about four candidates instead of two, Obama's lead goes up. When Bob Barr and [...]
Read Complete Article »