Obama/Biden Victors

Damon Winter/The New York Times. Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05elect.html?scp=3&sq=Obama%20wins&st=cse

The Democratic Ticket wins election in landslide while the dems. take over the country with a majority in both houses of Congress

-The democrats took over Washington.  The Democrats gained 19 seats in the House of Representatives giving them 254 seats versus 173 seats for the Republicans.  The Democrats also gained 5 more seats in the Senate giving them 56 seats versus 40 seats for the Republicans.

As an intern for a local race in the 20th district, I have never before seen so many people come together for one purpose.  Our campaign was driven by grassroots efforts.  Volunteers pushed our campaign to victory everyday by making phone calls, posting signs, and spreading the word about my candidate door by door.  The same goes for Obama’s campaign.

The last week on the campaign trail, all democratic campaigns were recruited to get out the vote at various field offices for the Obama campaign.  Together we made phone calls, we canvassed, we dropped lit, and we made sure people got out to the poles.

I can personally say that this election was challenging.  My candidate’s incumbent put out nasty commercials that truly painted a false picture of her.  Our signs were taken down every day we put them out.  McCain’s campaign also fought dirty.  There were so many desperate attacks on Obama.

Yes, if you couldn’t tell, I was backing Obama this entire time.  I’m excited to see what happens as Obamas cadidacy unfolds as he leads a Blue nation.

However, this leaves me wondering.  The dems. clearly have a hold on the country.  They have a majority in every branch!  Will this lead to corruption?  Has America’s system of checks and balances been rendered obsolete?

Only the next 4 years will tell.

McCain on Campus

I didn’t have to search for this week’s post.  McCain’s campaign came to me last Sunday.  Supporters from around Central Ohio gathered on Otterbein’s campus to see him rally at the Rike Center.  So, I woke up and walked down the street to catch what Sen. McCain had to say.

Among the topics discussed by McCain were taxes, “Joe the Plumber,” the economy and the troops at war. At times he spoke sternly of the problems the country is currently facing, while a good portion was spent attacking his opponent.

“Sen. Barak Obama is one of the most eloquent politicians to ever grace the stage,” said McCain.

McCain stressed his “straight-talk” methods, as opposed to Obama’s “generalities.” “Joe [Joe the Plumber] won because he is the only one to get a real answer out of Obama. We learned more about his plan in one question than in months,” said McCain.

McCain pointed out to the crowd that unlike Obama’s plan where he would “spread the wealth around,” a McCain-Palin administration would grow the wealth. “I’m not concerned with controlling your piece of the pie more than I am growing the pie,” said McCain.

With a tax debt of over 10 trillion dollars accumulated over the last eight years, McCain assured people, “We can’t spend the next four years like the last eight…I am not George Bush. I will not raise your taxes. I’ll make government live on a budget just like you do.”  Is this true?

McCain also assured that he would bring the troops home with “honor and victory.” “I have been fighting for this country since I was 17-years-old and haven’t stopped since,” said McCain. “I am an American and I choose to fight…don’t give up hope, we never give up. Remember our history.”

McCain’s daughter, Megan McCain, also had a chance to rally support for the Republican ticket. The Republican presidential nominee is a war hero, public servant and a straight talker, but also a father who never says no and puts his country first, said Megan of her dad.

Mayor of Westerville Anne Gonzales, Franklin County Coroner and House candidate for the 19th district Dr. Brad Lewis, State Representative Kevin Bacon, Congressman Pat Tiberi, and former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery also had the opportunity to speak.

Tiberi put the campaign in a new light for supporters by talking about this past weekend. The Cardinal football team had a from-behind victory against Wilmington at the homecoming game.  “We will come from behind and win on November 4th,” said Tiberi.

Will this be possible after retired Gen. Colin Powell, Secretary of state during President Bush’s first term and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the presidency of Bush senior, endorsed the democratic ticket?  Will a from-behind victory be possible after negative statewide robocalls linking Obama with a domestic terrorist?  Will McCain be elected President after a recent Republican launched lawsuit to disenfranchise newly registered voters in Ohio?  Only the polls on Nov. 4th will tell.

***Nick Wood contributed to this entry***

First Lady or cover girl?

Are Cindy and Michelle First Lady material or are they just cover girls?

According to squidoo.com, Michelle’s impressive resume includes: Former associate dean at the University ofChicago; a member of six boards of directors including the prestigious Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Tree House Foods; and Vice President, Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. In this position she was responsible for all programs and initiatives that involve the relationships between the hospitals and the community as well as management of the hospitals’ business diversity program.

Cindy McCain in the June 08 issue of Vogue. (Norma Jean Roy)

As heiress to her father’s stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix, Cindy McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million.   According to WNBC.com, Hensley’s business is valued at more than $250 million, with annual sales of $300 million or more.

Both potential first ladies make a stake when it comes to “celebrity” politics and business, but only one of their husbands can be President of the United States.

Only one can be First Lady as well.  In February, Cindy was critical of Michelle’s remark that for the first time in her “adult lifetime I am really proud of my country”.  Cindy told an audience then that in contrast she had long been “very proud of my country”.

Clearly, Cindy and Michelle offer more than just photo shoots and glamor.

Michelle recently graced the cover of Ebony Magazine

Sens. McCain and Obama Participate in a Presidential Debate

Photo by Belmont University photographer Michael Krouskop

Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee-

Last night’s debate was a unique debate.  The Gallup Organization chose 80 uncommitted voters from the Nashville area to submit questions for the candidates.

Tom Brokaw, the moderator, chose several that focused on domestic and foreign policy.

Since the candidates last debated, our economy has plummeted to levels of utter disaster.  So, it would be fitting that the first question concern our economy:

“With the economy on the downturn and retired and older citizens and workers losing their incomes, what’s the fastest, most positive solution to bail these people out of the economic ruin?”

Obama responded, “I think everybody knows now we are in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.  And a lot of you I think are worried about your jobs, your pensions, your retirement accounts, your ability to send your child or your grandchild to college.”

Well, I can tell you that I want to be able to have a job when I graduate.  I’m also in the process of applying for my private loan to pay off this year’s tuition bill.  Will I be approved?  I hope so.  I AM WORRIED.

Obama attributed this financial crisis to the Bush policy that McCain endorses.  “When George Bush came into office, we had surpluses. And now we have half-a-trillion-dollar deficit annually.  When George Bush came into office, our debt — national debt was around $5 trillion. It’s now over $10 trillion. We’ve almost doubled it.”

Apparently, removing regulations, consumer protections, and “letting the market run wild,” was not such a good idea.

Getting back to the question, Obama’s solution to fixing our depraved economy would be a strong oversight of the recently passed bail out bill.  The second solution would be to “bail out” the middle class. “The middle-class need a rescue package. And that means tax cuts for the middle-class,” said Obama.

McCain got to respond, “I know how the do that [bail people out of economic ruin], my friends. And it’s my proposal, it’s not Senator Obama’s proposal, it’s not President Bush’s proposal. But
I know how to get America working again, restore our economy and take care of working Americans.”

Both candidates can point fingers in any direction they want, but Washington, democrats and republicans, share the blame.  Tax cuts or not, it’s going to take money to fix our economy.

America’s future is looking bleak and meanwhile, the candidates for president have raised more than $1 billion for their campaigns.

Contributors to Obama’s Campaign According to www.opensecrets.org:

Goldman Sachs                    $739,521
University of California        $697,506
Harvard University               $501,489
Citigroup Inc                        $492,548
Google Inc                            $487,355
JPMorgan Chase & Co            $475,112
National Amusements Inc     $432,169
Microsoft Corp                     $429,656
UBS AG                                $419,550
Lehman Brothers                $391,774
Wilmerhale Llp                   $383,024
Time Warner                       $375,063
Sidley Austin LLP                 $370,916
Skadden, Arps et al              $360,409
Stanford University               $341,399
Morgan Stanley                    $341,380
Latham & Watkins               $328,879
Jones Day                           $309,960
University of Chicago          $294,237
General Electric                   $290,584

Contributors to McCain’s Campaign according to www.opensecrets.org:
Merrill Lynch                      $349,170
Citigroup Inc                      $287,801
Morgan Stanley                  $249,377
Goldman Sachs                  $220,045
JPMorgan Chase & Co         $206,392
AT&T Inc                            $183,663
Credit Suisse Group            $175,503
PricewaterhouseCoopers    $163,670
Blank Rome LLP                  $153,426
US Government                  $152,118
US Army                            $150,470
Wachovia Corp                  $147,456
Greenberg Traurig LLP      $145,737
UBS AG                             $141,365
Bank of America              $133,975
FedEx Corp                      $121,904
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher   $120,246
US Dept of Defense         $118,125
Lehman Brothers            $115,707
Bear Stearns                   $108,000

Scary?  Yes.  “How can we trust either of you with our money when both parties got — got us into this global economic crisis?”   This question was posed by Theresa Finch at the debate.  She poses a good question.

VP Debate

Palin/Biden showdown

Photo from CNNPolitics.com

Tonight’s debate was a true test for the vice presidential nominees.  In particular, a test to see whether or not Gov. Sarah Palin could keep up with Sen. Joe Biden.  Was Palin’s performance on the podium passable?

Palin’s track record with the media has been far from pristine:

Although there were some improvements, Palin added yet another media mishap to her list.  This time, she obliterated the name of a top U.S. Commander in Afghanistan.  She screwed up a name belonging to a commander who is leading our troops in a war that our country is currently in up to its knees.  And she wants to be second in command?

The proximity of Alaska to Russia is clearly not enough foreign policy experience for some one who could literally be a “heart-beat” away from the Presidency.

Dodging questions is not a way to get my vote either.  When Biden claimed that the McCain policy offered nothing different from that of the Bush policy that has “dug the economy and international relations of our country into a hole”, Palin offered no feedback.  She had no answer other than to criticize Biden for “pointing fingers” to the past to blame for our current problems.  However, she made it clear that she and McCain will “give the government back to the people.”  Can a Bush-like policy give anything to the middle class, the “engine” of America?

Palin also mentioned how she is a Washington outsider who does not know how things work.  Is that someone that needs to be fixing our government?  This is no beauty contest.  However, some may think it to be otherwise.

HOT CHICK: Button courtesy of the McCain/Palin Official Campaign. PHOTO BY NICK WOOD

Welcome to the Ballot Box

Photo from Official Website of Barack Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign

This coming presidential election is one to make history. Both tickets are vying for your vote and I’ll be watching closely as this already heated battle wages.

First up: “Ding ding!”  VP nominees Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joseph Biden square off at the podium.

Photo from the official website of John McCain