U.S. Voter Turnout Will Likely Fall Short of 2004, 2008 - Gallup

U.S. Voter Turnout Will Likely Fall Short of 2004, 2008

Not the best news this election year, but not shocking I'm afraid. Voter turnout in America is to me one of the greatest threats to our democracy and the fact that is largely gets ignored by both the major media organizations and by our federal "representatives" bothers me GREATLY. One wonders if they honestly don't think its a problem or they are quietly taking advantage of this problem..Just my thoughts of course. 

Leno: Obama's Policy For Libya Questions Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Leno: Obama's Policy For Libya Questions Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

GOP Sees Path Emerging for Romney Win in Iowa - RealClearPolitics

GOP Sees Path Emerging for Romney Win in Iowa 

There have been so many pieces come out lately about my humble home state of Iowa, it's crazy! Should be a hint to folks out there how close the race really is that both candidates are putting some serious effort to win my home state's 6 whole electoral college votes..

Why I'm Not Voting for President Barrack Obama

For some time, I have contemplated writing this piece. Honestly, the main thing that kept me from posting it sooner was the idea of actually endorsing a candidate for President of the United States seemed rather presumptuous for a humble little blog like mine. However, I have sat on the sidelines watching the race get closer and closer to the finish line for long enough. 

The Des Moines Register Endorsement: Mitt Romney

Wow, two stories from my home state of Iowa in one day, my lucky day!

Now for those not from Iowa, this probably isn't a terribly surprising headline. Iowa after all is a "toss-up" state according to most election projections and as such the paper's endorsement would be something of a toss-up as well.

In Iowa, Disappointment with Obama runs deep - AFP

AFP: In Iowa, disappointment with Obama runs deep

From time to time, I'm glad to see a story from my home state of Iowa make the political news ticker and this story is as good as I've seen in some time. Disappointment is a good word for how many back home feel not only about the President but also the election as a whole. Kudos to Ivan Couronne for this piece.

2012 U.S. Electorate Looks Like 2008 - Gallup

2012 U.S. Electorate Looks Like 2008

This title REALLY needs a subtitle to really explain the results of the most recent Presidential poll by Gallup but it's the contents that ultimately matter the most right? I STRONGLY advise my readers to take a look at this report because it is arguably one of the most telling polls I've seen in the last few week. For political wonks like myself, this is a HUGE story!

“Your First Time” | RedState

“Your First Time” | RedState

I don't always agree with Mr. Erickson but he's got a point, this ad by President Obama's campaign is not just a little creepy, it comes off as a bit desperate. President Obama got a HUGE boost from the youth vote in 2008 but now, as many polls show, the President is not likely to gather quite the haul of young voters this time around and this ad seems to be a rather sad attempt at fixing them problem.

Mr. President, it might be time to go back to the drawing board with this one..

Third Presidential Debate - Full Transcript

TRANSCRIPT: Presidential debate on foreign policy at Lynn University | Fox News

For those interesting, here is a full transcript of tonight's debate. No better way to figure out what happened then to read what the candidates actually said.

If Obama Wins, Will He Be Another Woodrow Wilson? - RCP

If Obama Wins, Will He Be Another Woodrow Wilson?

A very interesting piece that brings up some VERY real concerns a lot of folks have with the idea of an Obama 2nd Term..Give it a read!

Gallup vs. the World - FiveThirtyEight Blog

Recently, a poll came out from Gallup that caused a bit of a stir. For one, it showed Mitt Romney was 6 points ahead of the President. This was certainly different than pretty much every other poll that released during the same time.

The funny thing was, at first, only Fox News covered the poll. No other major news agency even mentioned it. At first I just chalked that up to the usual Left-Right media bias but then I noticed that indeed, no other polling agency had anything even close to Gallup's result.

So what's going on? Well I leave it to Nate Silver of the FiveThirtyEight blog:

Gallup vs. the World

Chris Matthews At It Again..

Good grief..Chris Matthews is just full of material the last few days now isn't he?

First the man insults everyone's intelligence with that idiotic "Shariah" remark right before the last debate and now, he is honestly accusing Mitt Romney of violating the U.S. Constitution via his debate performance.

In other words, Mitt Romney was much too rude to the President during the debate and he should have given the President more reverence in his performance...What a joke. Anyone with eyes will tell you that BOTH candidates were rather rude towards each other and Matthews' mentioning of the Constitution in all this is further insult to injury. I'm starting to think Chris Matthews thinks we're all idiots. Newsflash Chris, look in a mirror lately?

I hate to make my readers watch this, but you have to see it to be believe it:
Chris Matthews: Romney Challenging Obama Is Against Constitution - RCP

Chris Matthews IS the Sideshow..

I read a rather idiotic political story last night that mad me laugh out loud a bit, so much so that I wasn't going write about it. I changed my mind however, when I discovered a very simple but humorous irony to the story that I felt the urge to write.

News Flash: Nobody REALLY won the Debate..

As promised, I've held my tongue on last night's debate til now, for a number of reasons (mainly due to time constraints) and because I honestly like watching the first 12 hours or so after a debate. Why? Think about it, at what moment during a Presidential campaign can you see both sides spin the same event in two TOTALLY different lights? Let me put it to you this way, who exactly won the debate last night VERY much depends on what cable news channel you watched it on and where you get your online news from.

Second presidential debate: 6 takeaways - POLITICO.com

Second presidential debate: 6 takeaways - POLITICO.com

Later tonight I will put up a post about my exacts thoughts on the Presidential race to date, including last night's debate, but for now I leave you in the capable of hands of POLITICO with a pretty good rundown of the night's events.

Hillary Clinton Prepares to See Underside of Obama Bus | RedState

Hillary Clinton Prepares to See Underside of Obama Bus | RedState

Interesting story if true..Keep an eye on this one folks. 

Saturday Interest Report

Due to the hustle and bustle of late of the weekend, instead of re-posting a news report or "writing" my own piece today, I am going to do something a little different.

Here is a list of interesting stories/reports I have found floating the net that I hope will not only interest my readers but also inspire them to learn more..Enjoy!

Foreign Policy:

Next President's Foreign Policy Crises to Watch
With Foreign Aid Ads Rand Paul Battles Both Parties - IVN

Third-Party Politics:

In Nevada, Johnson is Pulling Votes From Obama Camp - IVN
Open Primary Could Unseat Five Incumbent Partisans in CA - IVN

2012 Presidential Election:

Spengler Must Be Joking - IVN

VP Debate: One Hell of a Show!

First off, I have to thank Vice President Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan for participating in tonight's debate and giving American viewers and potential voters one hell of a debate. To be honest, I was a bit surprised about the outcome of the debate and I ALWAYS appreciate being surprised in American politics. Now to the debate!

Here are the major points of the debate that I think really stood out and affected the outcome:

Body Language:

• To be blunt, tonight was a true mirror of the body language we show in last week's Presidential debate. Both VP candidates were very, "lively" in tonight's debate, having no problem interrupting each and getting into heated exchanges. In contrast, last week's debate was overly polite. 
• On a similar note, Joe Biden was MUCH more animated than President Obama was last week. Though in this case, while Obama wasn't animated enough in his debate, Joe Biden was a bit over the top to put it mildly.
• In the end, Paul Ryan had the better posture during the debate. While he was animated, he kept it to a safe level whereas Joe Biden clearly went a little overboard, especially with that toothy grin of his. 

Passion:

• Both candidates were quite passion in their positions on social, economic, and foreign policy issues. 
• Regardless of how "truthful" their statements of the various issues were, both Biden and Ryan stood their ground strongly. For Biden, this was definitely the case during the discussion on Medicare and Afghanistan. For Ryan, his most passionate arguments were during the discussions about the Federal Budget and Medicare. 

Entertainment:

• I know what you're thinking, "debates aren't supposed to be entertaining", but just because it's not the norm doesn't mean it shouldn't happen from time to time. Debates are traditionally boring events that are normally only watched by political wonks and die-hards. The debate tonight was something altogether different. 
• I can testify personally that when I watched this debate, I honestly didn't want to leave the room because I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next. I wasn't the only one. I watched the debate with several of my friends (who come to the table with a pretty varied set of politics, something I personally like), and we all agreed the debate was far more entertaining and lively than we ever imagined it would be. 

Preconceptions:

• There was a good deal of talk about how this debate was going to turn out. Many thought the gaffe-prone Vice President would be easy prey for Paul Ryan. This belief was further reinforced by the fact the Joe Biden hasn't participated in a debate or major one-on-one interview for some time whereas Paul Ryan has committed himself to dozens of television interviews over the last few months. 
• Likewise, there were many on the Left who were talking about how the much more seasoned politician that is Joe Biden would be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat and stop the young Paul Ryan dead in his tracks. To be honest, even from commentators on MSNBC, this belief sounded much more like wishful thinking than an actual prediction. 
• As it turns out, both predictions were a bit off. While Biden was overly animated, he didn't perform any major gaffe that I could make out and stood his ground far better than I ever imagined he would. Further, Paul Ryan also held his ground and made a lot of good points. 

Which brings me to probably the most important and obvious question you are all probably having about this debate: Who won? To be honest, this isn't the most clear cut decision.

As Steve Schmidt put it on MSNBC after the debate, and I am paraphrasing since I can't find an printed version of his statements, this debate was something of a victory for both sides. Joe Biden stood his ground on his party's platform despite attacks from Ryan. At the same time, Ryan make some rather powerful blows on the Obama/Biden administration on the recent events in Benghazi and their somewhat sluggish reactions to other events in the Middle the last three years. His attacks on the Administration's economic policies also struck hard. Biden may have stood his ground, but that doesn't mean he won the exchange.

Ultimately, I would say Ryan handled himself better overall during the debate and while he got a bit lost during the discussion about Afghanistan (for which Biden actually did make a few good points), he overall came out just ahead of Biden. But ultimately, the performance of both candidates was strong enough that both sides of the political spectrum will claim for victory and will no doubt argue til the end of time over who really won.

For me, this was honestly one of the best debates I have ever watched and it was a rare treat in American politics. My congrats to both candidates for a good show and a good debate. I also want to give a shout-out to the moderator of the debate, Martha Raddatz. She did a hell of a job keeping the two candidates from taking control of the debate as the two Presidential contenders did last week. Some will likely criticize her for one of her final questions in which she asked how the two VP candidates' Catholic faith guided their political positions but her overall job was excellent. Her foreign policy know-how was key in provoking a rather sobering debate on the war in Afghanistan and our rising tensions with Iran.

Overall, a great debate with a good moderator. I political wonk like myself can hardly ask for much more during a Presidential race these days and my kudos that all three participants in the debate!

Disclaimer

 

Any opinions and/or views expressed in the above piece are purely those of the author and not of any political or non-political organization. Any re-posting of this work MUST include this disclaimer.

Three Races Could Turn California Reform into National Movement - IVN Election Center

Three Races Could Turn California Reform into National Movement - IVN Election Center

A really interesting development in election reform that has been almost completely ignored by the main news agencies. 

What To Look For In The VP Debate | RedState

What To Look For In The VP Debate | RedState

Kudos to Dan McLaughlin for a good guide for tomorrow Vice Presidential debate, a must read!

Google poll: Voters use web to fact-check the candidates

Google poll: Voters use web to fact-check the candidates

Some good news right here..

Hume On Obama At Debate: "I Don't Think He Was Terribly Bad, He Has A Very Weak Case"

Hume On Obama At Debate: "I Don't Think He Was Terribly Bad, He Has A Very Weak Case"

That quote about sums up what happened IMHO..

Georgia Rep. Paul Broun calls evolution lie from 'pit of hell' - Associated Press - POLITICO.com

Georgia Rep. Paul Broun calls evolution lie from 'pit of hell' - Associated Press - POLITICO.com

Further proof that "any idiot" can run for Congress..and win. Not sure what's worse, his outright stupidity or the fact he serves on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology! 

Judge Halts Controversial Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

Judge Halts Controversial Pennsylvania Voter ID Law

This is a very real issue in the US today and isn't talked about enough. My own home state of Iowa has gone on something of a "witch hunt" for voter fraud which the GOP Sec. of States claims is there and to date has found practically nothing. Regardless, the issue of needing a photo ID to vote is a serious one and comes down to a fundamental question: Does requiring a photo ID to vote constitute a poll tax?

SCOTUS Denies Hearing Washington ‘Top-Two’ Open Primary Case

SCOTUS Denies Hearing Washington ‘Top-Two’ Open Primary Case

A very interesting topic..Give it a read!

Religion and Political Parties are Suffering from the Same Problem

Religion and Political Parties are Suffering from the Same Problem

Post Debate Thoughts..

Well, it seems my prediction was fairly accurate after all.

In my piece from earlier tonight, I suggested the talk before the debate from the Romney campaign downplaying the debate's importance was more a ploy to make any hits Romney did make more potent than him just not being a good debater. 

The reports all over the net is a bit mixed. The initial reaction by many new agencies (including Fox News) was that while the debate was lacking in major confrontations, Romney did make a good number of jabs.

Pre-Debate Chat..

Before the debate starts tonight, I just wanted to touch on a few things and do something rather strange for me: make a prediction about its outcome.

First off, there was been a good deal of interest surrounding this debate because of reports coming from both Presidential contenders' camps about how low expectations should be set for the debate. While being something of a talented orator, President Obama hasn't had to debate anyone for four years and many doubt his ability to react well to unscripted questions. On the other hand, while Romney has had more practice at debating thanks to the GOP primaries, his "style" (if you can even call it that), much like his personality leaves a bit to be desired.

Many have theorized that Romney's campaign is deliberating trying to lower expectations so that as long as Romney doesn't fair terribly, he will look like a winner (think of Sarah Palin's debate with Joe Biden, she didn't win but she survived which was victory enough). Personally, while I think there is some merit to this theory, I don't think it tells the whole story.

My theory is, Romney is planning on tonight being his big "coming out" moment, where for the first time he will try to put the President in his place and try to force him to answer some tough questions. By setting the tone for the debate a little low, it makes any punches he manages to land on the President look at that much better. If he had set the expectations for the debate high, and his attacks on the President were only sub-par or worse, it would make him look like a failure.

Which brings me to the rather unusual part of this post. I normally don't like making making predictions about elections or such but tonight I have moved to make one. In my humblest opinion, this debate will not likely go well for the President. Considering all the material Romney has to choose from and the current momentum of the race to date, I believe this is Romney's final chance to finally challenge the President and get out ahead for the first time in this race. At the same time, if he fails to grasp this chance, Romney's chances to win the highest office in the land will be diminished and I am not sure his campaign can survive such a failure of opportunity. The race will still be close even if Romney's fails tonight, but HOW close it will be could well be determined tonight, in just 15 minutes or so.

We'll find out soon enough if my theories about tonight are right..I'll check back later readers!

Disclaimer

 

Any opinions and/or views expressed in the above piece are purely those of the author and not of any political or non-political organization. Any re-posting of this work MUST include this disclaimer.

Obama's "Other Race Speech"- My Take..

Much of the political buzz last night was word that the Drudge Report had released a supposedly damning video of then Senator Obama giving a speech at Hampton University in 2007 in which he reportedly makes many racial comments that are causing a bit of a stir.

Jon Stewart Tackles White House Response to Benghazi Attack

Funny enough, there were many who were shocked by Mr. Stewart's coverage of the White House's completely idiotic public response to the TERRORIST attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. However to those of us who have watched the Daily Show for awhile now, we're not shocked at all..Kudos Mr. Stewart. 

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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