BABY MAMA DRAMA
THE WOE OF THE STATUS QUO
I usually refuse to look anything up. I may glance at Wikipedia before I write something, to refresh my memory, but generally if I don't know something, I'll just make something up or guess. But I have to say I was challenged by a question about superdelegates, so like any good amateur pundit, I first went to a primary source, the DNC website and then to a blog which is my new favorite which is a countdown to the Democratic convention.
Superdelegates are generally congressman, senators, governors, some big city mayors and members of the DNC itself. The DNC also recognized former leaders and speakers in Congress as well as former Presidents and vice Presidents. All told there are approximately 800 so-called superdelegates or about 20% of the total. So that's the basic, quick, possibly inaccurate civics lesson.
ADIOS MI AMIGO
Onetime Cape leaguer Richardson just didn't have the game for the major leagues. Hamstrung by his general lack of charisma, being born of a state with 137 registered voters and a well known propensity to strangle old white guys, Guillermo's experience in government was no balance for the star power of Senators Obama and Clinton. It will interesting to see where this New Mexican ends up, as part of the diverse landscape of 2008 electoral politics, fade into obscurity or play a major role in a possible Democratic administration. 
PLEASE JOHNNY DON'T HURT 'EM
Here we go again, the Comeback Kid revisited. OK, so she was ahead in NH for months until the Iowa Caucuses swept Obama into newly minted favorite status. A couple of days later a fickle New Hampshire, likely led by a propensity of not liking to be to told what to think or do, went in a different direction point, bring Senator Turn a Tear to a resounding 2 percentage point vote.
So it's off to a state where people actually live and work as we start the slow climb to the super duper primary on February 5th. Lost over the next 4 weeks are the retail politics of New Hampshire and Iowa as the remaining front runners must battle for millions of votes, and not just who decided to do some test drives at Des Moines Toyota or dropping off some old paint cans at the Dover transfer station. Here is where the battle of star power, Hillary and Barack vs. the uphill battle of multi-millionaire populist southern senator John Edwards comes to a head.
For the GOP, New Hampshire voters came out and put McCain on top, further frustrating the deep pockets of Governor Romney who was hit from the right in Iowa as evangelicals and from the middle in New Hampshire. While the former Governor remains ahead in the delegate count at this early date, these "most days in second place", don't bode well as the race moves into South Carolina with it's large evangelical and veteran populations, Florida, where Giuliani may start to matter, and Michigan, a Romney home state with polls in a virtual three way tie. Romney, of course, has the benefit of a man with deep pockets and generally non-offensive, pliable personality and politics that could be attractive to those with no soul or conviction.
THE WOE OF THE STATUS QUO I watch the ripples change their size But never leave the stream Of warm impermanence and So the days float through my eyes-David Bowie-Changes
I usually refuse to look anything up. I may glance at Wikipedia before I write something, to refresh my memory, but generally if I don't know something, I'll just make something up or guess. But I have to say I was challenged by a question about superdelegates, so like any good amateur pundit, I first went to a primary source, the DNC website and then to a blog which is my new favorite which is a countdown to the Democratic convention.
Superdelegates are generally congressman, senators, governors, some big city mayors and members of the DNC itself. The DNC also recognized former leaders and speakers in Congress as well as former Presidents and vice Presidents. All told there are approximately 800 so-called superdelegates or about 20% of the total. So that's the basic, quick, possibly inaccurate civics lesson.
And you know what, it's bullshit. I'm unsure how these 800 folks no matter how distinguished have the same pull in the party and making a new direction as all the Democratic voters in California, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and North Carolina. Yes, in a tight primary race, we are likely to let these 800 barons of the party make the huge decision of the candidate that Democrats hope will lead this country back from 8 years of Bush. I like a lot of people on this list, but I'm unsure how this is "democratic" in any way. More of a virtual aristocracy. It's not why I'm a Democrat.
ADIOS MI AMIGOIn yet another example of, "damn, staying in this race to make a point, massage my massive ego and get a major cabinet appointment costs a lotta scratch", Governor Bill Richardson dropped out of the race last night.
Onetime Cape leaguer Richardson just didn't have the game for the major leagues. Hamstrung by his general lack of charisma, being born of a state with 137 registered voters and a well known propensity to strangle old white guys, Guillermo's experience in government was no balance for the star power of Senators Obama and Clinton. It will interesting to see where this New Mexican ends up, as part of the diverse landscape of 2008 electoral politics, fade into obscurity or play a major role in a possible Democratic administration.
PLEASE JOHNNY DON'T HURT 'EMThe 21st century incarnation of JFK has endorsed the 21st century incarnation of RFK. Which makes you wonder what his former running mate is thinking tonite or what former Democratic establishment denizen Hillary Rodham Clinton may be thinking. Adorned in a clean suit to avoid passing on his lack of presidential campaign backbone, John Forbes Kerry has rolled his dice.
1 comment:
Hi Angry,
Unfortunately, there is NOTHING Democratic about how parties pick candidates. They could draw a name from a hat, throw darts at pictures on a board, or have a WWF smack-down cage match to determine their candidate. It makes no difference, because the Democratic part is supposed to take place during the general election.
Unfortunately, as 2000 showed us, even the general election is not totally Democratic. It is, in fact, intentionally skewed toward the smaller, southern states to make sure that have enough power to keep the larger northern states from banning slavery. At least that was the idea when they made the system. Since black people can now vote and are no longer considered 3/5 of a person for the purpose of the census, perhaps we could get rid of the electoral college and formalize the national primary system, as well.
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