What Were They Thinking?

What exactly was the New York Times thinking when they decided on this cover illustration for the upcoming July 21st issue:


If its not already been distributed, then I hope this public's outcry today will make them decide against it. I mean, what were they thinking! Sure they wanted to poke fun of the rumors and stereotypes against Obama, but to put this image on the cover of a national magazine, is totally irresponsible.

Fight The Smears.com

Have you heard about Senator Barack Obama's new plan to deal with the rumor mill? Confront it head on! Check out his new website fightthesmears.com

Here's some rumors put to rest:

Michelle Obama Says “Whitey” On a Tape

Barack Obama is a Muslim

Barack Obama Won't Say The Pledge of Allegiance/Won't Put His Hand Over His Heart

The March to 538

With Barack Obama all but securing the Democratic Nomination, the focus of the 2008 Presidential Election will turn to the General Election. With it will come countless polls, news articles, and, of course, guesses on how many Electoral College votes McCain or Obama will get. Remember, to win the U.S. Presidency, a candidate must win a majority of the Electoral College votes to win the White House.

Until now, it has been difficult to play along in this fun guessing game. Keeping track of Electors on a state-by-state basis is not fun and difficult without a spreadsheet. Luckily for you, me and any other politics lover, there is a new site called PredictNovember.com. It's free and fun, letting you make your electoral college prediction by clicking states on a map. Track your predictions, share with friends, or even embed your prediction on your blog or website. Here's my first guess:

Obama's New Democratic Party

Here's a crazy scenario that I heard about. It's a long shot and I don't think it will get to this point, but here it is for your pondering:

DNC Gives Hillary Clinton the Nomination Over Obama

What if even though Obama has won the popular vote and has more won delegates but the DNC still decides to push the nomination to Clinton? Its possible if enough Super Delegates are swayed. Why would the DNC deny the first Black Candidate of the Party? They wouldn't, but this is just a thought experiment.

OK, let's say it happens. Then what? An outraged (rightly so) Obama could break off from the Democratic Party and start a "New Democratic Party". A schism in the DNC would create a new party and perhaps bring them the first President. Would either "Democrat" have enough votes to beat a (unified) Republican Party? Probably not, but I don't think Obama should or would accept the slap in the face and let it pass.

Can Either Democrat Win Before the Convention?

While the Republican race is pretty much over with John McCain well in the lead and his main competitors out (Sorry Huckabee... you will make a nice VP candidate), the Democratic race is hot, hot, hot. There is a very real chance that neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will have the necessary amount of delegates to cinch the nomination before the convention. What could that mean for the party? Will it be a unifying event? A coronation? A fight? Will the attention give the eventual nominee a huge boost going into the general?

How Much Money?

How much money can Barack Obama raise? He is really on a tear. After reporting a $32 million dollar month (January 2008), reports out today are that Obama in on pace for another $30 million plus month in February. Check out the article at Politico.com. The article also goes on to state that only 3% of Obama donors have given the Federal maximum. It is shown to be a good thing, but I'm not too sure. Many of those donors probably cannot give any more money. Hitting them up for more donations could lead to less than stellar results. I know that if I had already given, I wouldn't necessarily be able to give more. It's a misleading statistic. Let's see what the future brings for Obama and Clinton.

Will Obama Accept the VP?

If things continue as they are now, Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic Nomination. Then the big question will be, Who will she ask to be the VP nominee? The customary choice is the runner up, which in this case could be Barack Obama. Would he accept? I think he should. His presence on the ballot could help Clinton win the Presidency which would keep his chances for a future Presidential bid alive. Think about two terms of Hillary, and then the VP getting the nod. Obama doesn't seem to have the experience to be elected President, but with 8 years of VP under his belt, he would look that much better.

A Big Money Coup

Yesterday it was announced that Senator Barack Obama raised an amazing $32.5 million last quarter in fund raising. Add that to his previous quarter contributions of $25 million and you get a whopping total of $57.5 million in six months. That's the second best ever to this point. How was number one? None other than President George W. Bush. Senator Clinton came in second this quarter (whereas last quarter she was first) bring her 6 month total to $53 million. From the "1984 Hillary" video to the "I Got a Crush... on Obama" music video, Senator Obama is hot and seems to be getting hotter.