My Odd Fascination With Shellfish

As Mabel’s campaign for president has basically gone ignored by those who aren’t dazzled by her brilliance and for the sheer fact that she is currently asleep next to Duff after an eye-licking fest that went on for about 20 minutes, which could possible make her the first lesbian canine presidential candidate for president evah, I thought I would tell you a few things about myself as her campaign manager.

Blogging is supposed to be about ourselves, isn’t it?

Anyhoo, here is a list of things that I like

• Crawfish. I do love me some crawfish and I want some right now.
• I like Cheezy Poof the cat who belongs to Badger. Generally, I get along with all cats although I don’t understand them. They are not like dogs who give you unconditional love all the time except for my other dog who is also on the couch, Kirby The Blind. Kirby, even at a young age, was ambivalent and talks. I will try to get this on video. Actually, it’s more of a form of bitching and she is very verbal. She also is much like a cat because if she wants love, she demands it and then is through with you.  She actually was a curmudgeon at the ripe old age of one day. Cats, on the other hand, appear to do what they want when they want to and the hell with what anyone thinks. I think I want to become more cat like as a person. I’m going to work on that.
• I also am quite fond of lobster.
• Crawfish and Lobster bisque is probably my favorite food followed by Steak Oscar, which means I’m a fool for shellfish.
• I am also a fan of Tulips although many flowers make me sneeze.
• I like Homer. Homer is a fine sister and puts up with my BS quite well.
• Mike Gravel makes me laugh in a good way.
• I like Doctor Who. I always have even though the Daliks are really the weirdest arch enemy in history

It goes without saying that Mabel will eat anything which means she would be a fine guest at any rubber chicken function during her campaign.

I have seen her eat:

• A tomato
• A belt (which was a belt I liked quite a bit, mind you.)
• Several books
• Her own waste, which means she recycles and is a friend of Earth Day
• Several electrical cords which worried the hell out of me when she was a mere pup
• Cave Crickets (although Duff is more of a hunter than Mabel and could live on the vermin she can catch.)
• The side of a table. Thank God she is a short dog as the damage was minimal.
• Two pounds of Chocolate Creme Drops which were a Christmas present wrapped under the tree about six years ago and although she created the biggest mess in history which is a gag inducing memory of the highest order, she did not succumb to death which is good.
• Cole Slaw
• Salad
• Asparagus

So, I realize this is a post pretty much about nothing although I do encourage you to read Mabel’s platform for president.

Well, once she writes it and all.

Anthem Of Change

It backfired. The whole Hillary/Bill wrassling tag team blew up in their faces yesterday when Barack Obama beat the tar out of the two. And I can’t just write about Hillary as her name will be on the ticket but it’s a twofer deal. And it’s a deal I’m not grooving (Apologies to Mack) on right now although I might have been more open to it just two weeks ago.

I think Obama’s anthem of change is creating a great deal of inspiration and thought because it hasn’t been negative and apparently hitting a chord in non-traditional voters (although John Edwards hasn’t been as negative as well which I think deserves mentioning.) The whole race/sex thing, although it will be a factor with voters and there is no getting around that, was created as a wedge issue this past week by The Clintons and mainstream media ran with it. But it wasn’t as big of an issue as The Clintons made it into in South Carolina. We will have to see if it seeps into the states voting on Super Tuesday.  And it reeks dishonest and politics as usual to me and I don’t like it. Bill Clinton went about three steps too far and Hillary let him. And I liked Bill in office but I’m not liking what I see today.

The Clintons made huge missteps this week and Hillary’s campaign paid for it. She needs to rethink her strategy but anything as this point will seem contrived, I’m afraid. One thing I do know is that The Clintons aren’t dummies and they’ve bounced back before.

I can’t help but believe that John Edwards is done as a viable candidate for the White House at this point because if there was any state he should have taken with some ease was South Carolina but I don’t think he’s out of the running of being a very important factor as we stumble toward the Denver convention. He has delegates.  So who will he swing those delegates to because it might change things up? I don’t know at this point. In the world of politics, there is always something else going on.  Does he have a chance? In a “traditional” presidential campaign, I’d say no.

But this isn’t a traditional campaign year.

There isn’t getting around the fact that Obama is striking a chord among the American people including myself. I find myself watching him speak of his message of change but taking over the Bush Administration is going to be a challenge for whomever wins the White House.

Now, who is best to deal with this mess? And why should they get our most precious commodity right now?

That would be our one vote.

I Have Some Time To Figure Super Tuesday Out

I saw some pretty contentious posts yesterday after the South Carolina Democratic Debate. Usually it was on the left. I’m from the left, so I paid attention.

I said last year that whoever stands on that stage in Denver later in the year is going to be the one getting all of our votes. Same with the Republicans.

Now, with that said, I’ve not endorsed anyone yet (like my endorsement makes a bit of difference to any other voter but I’m just saying.) I’ve not endorsed because I don’t know and my vote makes a difference to me.

So, I will say this:

John Edwards: I like him. I do. I thought he handled the brawl between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton pretty well the other night. There are things about the way he handles the issues that speak to me personally. I talked to ViBinc the other night and he made some very good points about health care and spoke to me about why he digs him. It was a good conversation. I like what David had to say as well about, and I know we aren’t supposed to talk about this word, electability. I’ve also had some correspondence with Russ McBee who actually broke down why he’s supporting Edwards very effectively that gave me a lot of pause. But, I’m an old hippie, and electability makes a difference to me. I don’t like Edwards’ statements about same-sex marriage. And there is a piece of me that wonders what he really, truly wants out of this race. Has his time passed? I truly believe that people run for office for different reasons. But I’m weighing giving him my vote on Super Tuesday.

Barack Obama: The whole Present/Not Present allegations thrown at the Senator don’t wash with me. You can easily look up on the Internet the amount of votes that Hillary Clinton has missed as well. That debate argument seemed contrived and petty to me. Obama also speaks to me. I do like his message of change and I have spent a great deal of time reading his issues. I don’t think there is anything wrong with feeling a bit of hope about my government and that’s where Obama excels. As political bloggers or junkies, we have to keep in mind that is how people vote. So, along with his message of hope and change, I’m reading the issues that are important to me and seeing if his plans hit upon those said issues. I also like the enthusiasm he creates in some of the younger voters I read on the web and that are in my community. So, I’m weighing giving him my vote on Super Tuesday.

I’ll be honest. I’m tired of the Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush line of faux political royalty that has been a staple in this country since 1988. I don’t think Hillary Clinton would necessarily be a terrible president and I’ll vote for her if I have to. She does say some things I don’t disagree with her. She just doesn’t convey as well to me the things I’m looking for politically at this time of my life that the other two do. That’s just me.

Politics are uncomfortable. I get that. And it bugs me that the Democratic-controlled congress hasn’t been very effective since the election in November of 2006. I realize, however, there are folks out there that have been doing the heavy lifting in getting their candidates elected for which I’m appreciative. I’ve learned from you.

I need a bit of hope. I just don’t know who’s going to give that to me.

Who will make the difference? I have until Super Tuesday to figure it out.

I only have one vote. And it’s mine.

Obama And McCain Win The Nickelodeon Vote

When it comes to the 2008 Presidential race, who would America’s children vote for, if they could? According to Nick News, the Linda Ellerbee-hosted Nickelodeon program, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama would be the winners.

Kids nationwide voted online as part of the network’s Kids Pick the President initiative. Results were announced last night, with Sen. McCain getting 24% of the GOP vote, and Sen. Obama receiving 46% of the Democratic ballots. Nickelodeon says almost 80,000 votes were cast.

Very interesting on how the kids voted. The press release is here.

 H/T: Mediabistro

Brokaw, Booze And Liquoring Up The Candidates

Brokaw had a an idea to spice up the multitude of presidential debates, which can become tiresome. “I would bring the candidates over to my apartment, and I would mix them a batch of martinis or we’d do a few tequila shots,” he said. “About three martinis in apiece, or about four or five tequila shots in apiece, I’d say, ‘Alright what do you really think about Hillary or Obama.’ My guess is that’s a form of truth serum.”

“So you’re recommending drunk debates, is what you’re saying,” O’Brien asked. “I’m for it,” said Brokaw.

Brokaw also described his experience with drugs and alcohol growing up, saying, “I was a child of the ’50s. I liked getting tanked up on good scotch and drinking a lot of beer.”

I knew I always liked Brokaw.

H/T Mediabistro 

Ralph Wiggum For President

Joe Powell alerts us to the presidential campaign of Ralph Wiggum.

I think it was just a matter of time.

The candidate on dealing with the world:

Foreign Relations – “When we’re mad we’ll use our words. Then the rest of the world will play nice with us. And the only boom-booms will be in our pants.”

Like The Sands Through The Hourglass, These Are The Days of Our Lives

I know most folks are saying that the Clinton campaign is probably really irritated at John Kerry for endorsing Barack Obama.

But I can’t help but think that if I were former running mate, John Edwards, that I’d probably be pissed. (UPDATE:  Found one.)

Of course, Joe Lieberman endorsed John McCain.

And, yes, I’m developing a headache.

Let’s go look at an iguana.

40 People

We haven’t talked politics in a couple of days.

I read this story this morning in the Tennessean  about Fred Thompson on the campaign trail and there was one line that caught my eye.

MANCHESTER, Iowa — Most of the top Republican candidates for president don’t have the foreign policy experience to handle the dangers the U.S. faces, Fred Thompson said in an interview Tuesday.

“The fact of the matter is that among the so-called top candidates, (Arizona Sen.) John McCain is the only one with any experience in these areas,” Thompson said.

Then he goes on to talk about Mike Huckabee is a weakling and something about world domination. (I’m kidding although he did say Huckabee was too nice.)

Then there was the line that gave me pause:

That’s what he told a crowd of about 40 people who gathered Tuesday morning at a hotel here to hear him speak.

40 people?

When venues are filling up for Oprah, I mean Obama, it must be odd for just 40 people to show up. That’s like the equivalent to a classroom of third graders.

Now, it could be argued that he’s going out meeting folks one at a time. I’m sure I will hear that from some folks but still …

Remember when the buzz was all about Fred?

That lasted all of about fifteen minutes.

Last night at a local watering hole, I had three young men sitting next to me. What were they talking about?

Ron Paul.

This election cycle is just boggling my mind.  I think, at this point, it’s anybody’s race.

Ron Paul’s Latest Money Bomb

Amazing.

On Nov. 5, which was Guy Fawkes Day, a symbol of rebellion in British history, Paul hauled in $4.3 million in 24 hours — the most money raised online by a candidate in a single day. Today (yesterday), the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, the day that helped spark the American Revolution, Paul’s Web-savvy, intensely loyal supporters planned another “money-bomb.” And by 6 p.m. EST, the “Paulites” had raised $4.1 million from more than 30,000 donors, bringing the Texas Republican’s fundraising total this quarter to $15.8 million. And counting.

Whether you like Ron Paul or not, this is absolutely an incredible thing to watch. While other supporters of the GOP have been watching Rudolph Guiliani get hammered about using New York’s finest walk his dog and Mike Huckabee’s backtracking about the infamous “Aids Quarantine” statement, Paul just keeps raising money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These money bombs are proving themselves quite effective for him.

From
Ron Paul Graphs

Social Networking, John Edwards And Grassroots Efforts

Across the stateline, as Hooterville sits right on the Kentucky border, an interesting grassroots effort is occurring.

Grassroots efforts by a 24-year old activist in Western Kentucky has proven a huge coup in landing democratic presidential candidate John Edwards’s giving Columbus Belmont Park in Hickman County a visit by the former senator and vice-presidential hopeful from 2004.
Shawn Dixon told “Wired” Magazine the reason why he helped coordinate the effort was that he wanted rural voters to have a voice and to be “engaged” in the political debate.

Dixon used the social networking platform on Eventful to rally a town of 229 people to win a contest to bring John Edwards to their community. Edwards held a contest called “Demand to be Heard” and Columbus actually logged in more votes than Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas and San Francisco.

Here’s why Dixon is pretty cool. He lead this charge by mobilizing all of Western Kentucky. A student at New York University School of Law, he grew up in Columbus.

His objective: “the needs of rural America.”

He said to Wired:

On Eventful, Dixon described his hometown this way: “Columbus, Kentucky is a small town in Western Kentucky that boasts a population of 229 people and is about a 50-minute drive from the closest McDonalds. Like many rural communities across the south, job loss in the face of rising healthcare costs and education costs have crippled the economy.”

A visit from Edwards would provide a rare opportunity to highlight important issues facing rural America, he wrote.

“We want to see John Edwards come to real rural America and address the problems we face and hear his plan for revitalizing small American communities like ours!” he wrote on this Eventful post.

So Edwards will be at the park on Thursday.  Yeah, it’s a tour stop and political spin, I’m not naive, but it still neat to see that grassroots efforts can still be effective.

And yeah, there’s free barbecue. Welcome to small-town America, which sometimes isn’t so bad.

But here is the thing that has got me thinking the most. Social networking campaigns brought a presidential candidate to a small town. We are talking really small town.

And, it also makes you look at the value of social networks and puts a greater value on them, in my opinion.

To quote the guru and voice of my generation, Ferris Bueller: Life goes by pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.