US Election 2008 – Party Games, Prizes, and the Color of Money

I was among many astounded by his comment. I wear a flag pin on the lapel of my suit coat, and have another on the collar of my casual jacket. I wear the pin proudly as a symbol of, not a substitute for, my patriotism.

I believe this country needs more people to wear flag pins, fly the flag at their homes and insist that the flag be shown proper respect whenever and wherever it is displayed.

I have been referred to as a “super patriot” and a “flag waver” etc., and I proudly accept those names. Instead of apologizing for insulting those of us who do wear a flag pin or display our flags at home, perhaps Senator Obama needs a lesson in exactly what the flag means to the United States.

Hillary and NAFTA: Playing the Shell Game

Many can recall that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was heralded as one of Bill Clinton’s greatest domestic achievements as president. In the more recent past, Hillary Clinton spoke out on NAFTA, proposing that it and all other trade agreements be re-visited every five years with an eye on re-evaluating the U.S. position. This was, I believe, an obvious ploy to gain union support for her campaign.

How?

As far as NAFTA and other trade agreements are concerned, it means there would be a remote and far-flung possibility that they could be changed or even cancelled. Even the greasiest wheels in Washington move slowly, and it could well be into Hillary’s second term (if there is one) before anything meaningful regarding trade is looked at – and well after her second term before any action takes place. In other words, because she knows how Washington works, no one can point to her and say she made an idle campaign promise.

To U.S. union members, however, there would be nothing happening in the near future for them as far as all this is concerned. In fact, it could be five or ten years down the road – if ever – before the promise made to them comes true. In the meantime, Hillary receives their votes – the main reason for her announcement in the first place.

Dollars and Sense

Dollars

Several columns back, I wrote about the donations received by the Democrats and the Republicans. Here is a brief update on a few of those numbers.

At the end of the third quarter, Hillary Clinton raised more than $90 million dollars total for the first three quarters. It goes without saying that by the end of the year she will likely raise considerably more than $100 million. Where does the majority of this money come from? The answer is simple: Hollywood celebrities, labor unions, trial attorneys and other wealthy donors with an agenda.

The DNC has enriched their coffers by $100 million more than the RNC has thus far in 2007. Where have these funds come from? Liberal special interest groups and organizations like MoveOn.org.

Sense

You may be asking yourself: Where is the sense in all this? Rest assured it is not only to help propel Hillary Clinton or another Democrat into the Oval Office in 2008. It is also to defeat all Republicans in 2008 and beyond. The Republicans, on the other hand, do not appear to have mounted a counter attack strong enough to overcome the Democrat campaign machine and its huge amounts of money. Time is passing quickly, and I can’t see what they are waiting for. Can you?

Nobel, but No Bounce, for Gore

Now that Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize that everyone knew he was going to win on the day the nominations were announced, the Internet is buzzing with the big question: will Gore pursue the Democrat nomination for president?

The question is probably more on the mind of every Democrat candidate – especially those with lower poll numbers than Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama – than the mind of the individual voter. If Gore decides to renege on his statement that he would not seek the presidency, candidates from John Edwards down to Mike Gravel will be history. Obama would also feel the heat, and with his problems of late, he may want to start hoping that whoever wins the nomination will pick him as a running mate.

While Al Gore is still denying he will throw his hat in the ring as of this writing, his loyal supporters are still crying foul for the 2000 election and are talking him up big time. (Interestingly, post-prize poll data indicates that overall support for his potential candidacy remains limited.)

It would be interesting if the nomination came down to a close choice between Gore and Clinton. There is no love lost between the Clintons and Gores since Gore’s tenure as Vice President under Bill Clinton.

On a side note, former President Jimmy Carter said of Al Gore, “I think he is the best qualified person to be President”. That in itself says volumes!

File this in the “we will see” category.

It Makes You Wonder

I have previously noted that the former senator from Alaska, Mike Gravel, never had a chance to make it even close to the “top tier” of Democrat candidates vying for nomination. Now it appears his own party may want him off the candidate list completely.

Last week the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) sent out a fundraising mailer to prospective donors listing seven candidates from which to choose their favorite for the nomination. Mike Gravel was not included.

The DCCC claims it was an oversight. However, one has to wonder if it was insight as to how the DCCC feels about Gravel’s poor attitude toward the Democrat-led Congress!

More Internet Resources for You

Are you looking for more information on the 2008 election? Here are several website with a generally non-partisan view that you may find useful:

OVAL OFFICE 2008

In existence since January 2005, Oval Office 2008 aims to be completely non-partisan in content and analysis. It also gives a different point of view, as the site is owned by a blogger in the U.K.

In addition to interesting and thought provoking articles, there is a forum, items sold in their store are used to rank the candidates (very poor and slanted to the Left), and includes links to other sites.

2008--ELECTION

This site has an ever-expanding resource directory for 2008 election data in addition to several other clickable choices. It has everything from candidate biographies to links that lead to historical election information. You’ll also find timelines for primaries, conventions and listings on “potential candidates” discussed but not declared.

POLITICAL MEDIA LINKS

At the top of this site’s home page is the statement: We have Left, Right and Center. The site lists many top political columnists and media outlets on the Web, including magazines, newspapers, syndicated columnists, websites, political organizations, political message boards, forums and humor sites. While large, the listing is no way complete. However, it will give the reader a cross-view on just about any issue. I book marked this site long ago, and recommend that you do the same.