There's been a lot of campaign foolishness lately and I'll get to the specifics in later posts. I must share this video that was sent to me by a few friends.
Now you know when Opie and the crew go to this extent to endorse Barack Obama, this must be a serious thing, check it out.
We are on Day 3 of early voting in Florida. One would think it is November 4 based on the number of people lined up to vote throughout South Florida. New machines have been added to some polling places and voters have waited for hours --- 2, 3, 4 up to 6 hours to cast their ballot. At one site, voters started lining up at 4 in the morning for a voting that opens at 7. This is serious business; it is expected that this will be the highest voter turnout ever.
With Democrats outnumbering Republicans by more than 650,000 registered voters this year, it is very likely that Obama-Biden will carry Florida this year.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
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Sarah Palin is getting her butt kicked in the media lately. I didn't write 'by' the media, 'in' the media.
It seems that she's been checked on state travel expenses paid for her children, the amount of money spent on her wardrobe and her incorrect answer regarding the responsibility of the VP. Let me not forget the apology she was forced to make for insinuating who is or is not a "real American".
With less than two weeks until Election Day, and early voting already taking place in many parts of the country, now is definitely not the time for the Republicans to deal with these distractions. The Republican leadership must be cringing.
I don't know which of these issues is worse but I do know that she is more of a reason to vote for Obama-Biden. Palin is so dangerous. Can you imagine her overstepping her constitutional limitations as VP? Can you imagine the American public allowing her to do so?
Some of the American public may like her and come out to see her at rallies. They may even have laughed at the Sarah Palin rap on Saturday Night Live. However, all the laughs will not erase the fact that she is not ready for prime time. The more she speaks, the more I wonder how in the world the people of Alaska elected her governor.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
I find it difficult to even write Barack Obama's obscene fundraising numbers for September. $150 M? Are you kidding? How in the world can his team raise that much money, let alone in one month?
And to hear McCain and his operatives twist Obama's spending on campaign ads is laughable at best. Yeah, diss B.O. if ya want, he would have been insane for accepting traditional public campaign financing. As a matter of fact, his contributions represent public financing at its best. Donations in varying amounts from millions of supporters is astounding.
Early voting has started in my state and the negative campaign ads have increased. This race will get intense over the next two weeks and prayerfully all of the votes cast will be counted.
Please get out and vote. Know the platform of the candidates you support and vote intelligently.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
I love this video, must be my Irish roots showing!
It seems there has been a lot of controversy about new media target Joe "The Plumber" Wurzelbacher. According to Ohio voting records, Joe Wurzelbacher is not registered to vote. On the other hand, Joe Worzelbacher is a registered voter.
A simple clerical error would prevent The Plumber from voting if he lived in "No Match, No Vote" states. Now the claims of disenfranchisement of voters has a face. It's likely that many voters any experience such challenges and be prevented from voting.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
Last night's debate was far more interesting than the previous three in the series. Senator McCain had an effective start and seemed to be very different than his last debate with Senator Obama.
Unfortunately, McCain got off focus and off message. He allowed his emotions, particularly frustration, to get the best of him. McCain lost control. Game over.
I'm not insinuating that he was out of control, but he definitely lost focus and allowed Obama's calm demeanor to frustrate him more.
McCain interrupted Obama several times and rebutted with the finesse of a rookie. His facial expressions and sighs of exasperation confirmed his reputation as a hot head. McCain committed many of the same mistakes Hillary Clinton did during the Primary. Folks with so much experience in politics know that losing your cool is losing your game.
For most of the debate, I wondered what the moderator thought his purpose was. McCain was on the attack and had the last word on each question for much of the debate. Each time he did that he came across as desperate rather than aggressive. Not a good look.
McCain continued to lie about his economic platform and that of Barack Obama. He spent far too much time bashing Obama rather than convincing voters in a substantive manner, why he should be elected POTUS. McCain also lied when feigning indignation about the John Lewis about Obama's refusal to repudiate Lewis.
Actually, Obama did comment on the issue but probably not to McCain's liking. McCain also forgot that he did not repudiate his running mate for her rabble-rousing, fear-mongering tactics. Neither did he repudiate Lee County (FL) Sheriff Mike Scott either. When he did try to admonish some supporters at a town hall meeting, he was weak in his conviction and delivery.
When all was said and done after the debate, Obama's poll numbers were even more favorable than ever. The race seems to be a slam dunk for Obama but don't count McCain out. Ever.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
Well, tonight is the night of the last debate of this presidential campaign. Based on the runaway poll numbers of Senator Obama, this race is his to lose.
The McCain-Palin team has been drubbed by voters and the media for the unanswered actions of some of their supporters who have shouted death threats toward Senator Obama and racial epithets toward blacks on duty at rallies. Senator McCain has chastised Senator Obama for not repudiating comments made by Congressman John Lewis regarding the segregationist tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. Such is the ugliness that America would prefer not be shown to the world.
As Obama's numbers rise, he seems to exude more calmness and McCain and Palin become angrier in their tone.
It is likely that McCain will speak to issues he feels damaging to Obama during tonight's debate --- Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright and Tony Rezko. He'll also continue to lie to voters about their taxes being raised under Obama's Tax Plan and question Obama's leadership. If McCain is not careful in framing those topics, he could end up doing more harm to his already weakened campaign.
Obama will likely continue in his deliberate manner. If he continues to keep his cool when McCain tries to rattle him, it will be another win for the Democratic ticket.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
Here's what happened when Jeffrey Frederick, state legislator and head of the Virginia GOP gave a pep talk to a group of McCain-Palin volunteers:
He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary." It is also not exactly true — though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. "And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.
This is the type of propaganda that Congressman John Lewis and others are complaining about. If Senator McCain still needs specifics and doesn't understand what his campaign is doing to divide the country then that's even more confirmation of McCain's poor judgment and why he shouldn't be POTUS.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
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OK, I don't know if white people and men will get the message that Donna Brazile laid out in this video but after she finished all I could say is "Can I get an A-men?"
Now, I knew Donna had been holding it in for a few because this campaign season has gone from silly to weird to mean-spirited and hate-filled. She let loose in a manner that is born of the frustration in continuing to deal with the same foolishness that blacks and women have been dealing with for years.
I happen to think that enough folks from all ethnic groups, religious beliefs, sexual preferences and age groups will vote for the change we need in this country. Yes, there will be stalwarts who won't vote for Barack Obama because he's not of their political party affiliation or they don't agree with his platform. If they don't vote for him because he's black, remember these words from Donna Brazile and the fact that many blacks, women and other minorities feel the same way she does.
© 2008, Vanessa: Unplugged!, www.vanessabyers.net
Vote for this blog for Best Political Blog and for Best Blog Design in the 2008 Bloggers Choice Awards.
