It Ain't Evil Baby If You Ain't Hurting Anybody

Congratulations to Mr. Peter Pope for correctly naming "Landed" by Ben Folds as the Wednesday Song of the Day.

In what will probably be my final post* on the long, strange odyssey that was the 2008 Presidential Election, I offer you my suggested debate format** for the 2012 election: Rap battles!!!!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Here are the lyrics:
Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

(McCain supporters)
McCain is the man
Fought for us in Vietnam
You know if anyone can
Help our country he can
Taxes droppin low
Dont you know oils gonna flow
Drill it low
I’ll show our economy will grow

McCain’s the best candidate
With Palin as his running mate
They’ll fight for gun rights, pro life,
The conservative right
Our future is bright
Better economy in site
And all the world will feel our military might

(Obama supporters)
But McCain and Bush are real close right
They vote alike and keep it tight
Obama’s new, he’s younger too
The Middle Class he will help you
He’ll bring a change, he’s got the brains
McCain and Bush are just the same
You are to blame, Iraq’s a shame
Four more years would be insane

Lower your Taxes - you know Obama Won’t
PROTECT THE LOWER CLASS - You know McCain won’t!
Have enough experience - you know that they don’t
STOP GLOBAL WARMING - you know that you won’t

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA
Stick with McCain and you’re going to have some drama
We need it
HE’LL BRING IT
He’ll be it
YOU’LL SEE IT
We’ll do it
GET TO IT
Let’s move it
DO IT!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

I’m talking big pipe lines, and low gas prices
Below $2.00 that would be nice

But to do it right we gotta start today
Finding renewable ways that are here to stay

I want Obama
FORGET OBAMA,
Stick wit McCain you gone have some drama
MORE WAR IN IRAQ
Iran he will attack
CAN’T BRING OUR TROOPS BACK
We gotta vote Barack!

Obama on the left
McCain on the right
We can talk politics all night
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

Democratic left
Republican right
November 4th we decide
And you can vote however you like, I said
You can vote however you like, yeah

*I unequivocally reserve the right to change this.
**Many thanks to Lance Agan and Cole Griffith for bringing this video into my life.

P.S. God bless the painfully awkward white kid on the top right. His lack of rhythm makes me feel right at home.

'Til I Opened My Eyes and Walked Out the Door

I wrote the following on March 30, 2006 after hearing Yale Law Professor Stephen L. Carter speak on campus at ACU:

One of the strongest points that Carter made during his speech, and one that he has made for many years as the author of numerous books and articles on the topic of civility and integrity in American life, is that a democracy is not defined by the fact that we are able to vote for politician or party that we support, but when we vote, we are willing to lose.

As Carter noted,when Bill Clinton won the 1992 Presidential election, George H.W. Bush did not refuse to leave the White House, but instead participated in the inaugural ceremonies, because one of the hallmarks of democracy is having the explicit knowledge that our side could be defeated in an election and to still operate as a functional society.

...and I still believe that today.

Regardless of whether you voted for Barack Obama or John McCain, one of the things that makes America great is that after the campaigns are over, after one candidate makes a concession speech, and after the other candidate acknowledges victory, our nation is not torn apart by warfare. We undoubtedly still maintain disagreements with those on the other side of the political aisle from ourselves, and it would be foolish to think those would disappear in a day, but in spite of those disagreements, all Americans acknowledge that Barack Obama will be the 44th President of the United States.
In America, you can support someone that you have vehemently disagreed with, you can pray for guidance and wisdom for your former opponent as he now becomes your leader, and you can remain engaged in the process of continuing this experiment we call America instead of choosing the low road of cynicism, defeatism, and enmity.

Now, excerpts from President-elect Obama and Senator McCain's speeches last night:

Senator Obama and I have had and argued our differences, and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country. And I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans ... I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited.

Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans. And please believe me when I say no association has ever meant more to me than that. It is natural. It's natural, tonight, to feel some disappointment. But tomorrow, we must move beyond it and work together to get our country moving again.

John McCain's concession speech, November 4, 2008.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity.

Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

Barack Obama's acceptance speech, November 4, 2008.

Walking Tall, You'd Bought It All

If you need me, I'm just going to be over here washing my 10 commemorative town hall debate plates.

Current Reading

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy

She's as Sweet as Tupelo Honey

Congratulations to Ms. Amanda Pierce for correctly naming "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison as the Thursday Song of the Day.

Four years later, the writers of “The West Wing” are watching in amazement as the election plays out. The parallels between the final two seasons of the series (it ended its run on NBC in May 2006) and the current political season are unmistakable. Fiction has, once again, foreshadowed reality.

Following the Script: Obama, McCain and 'The West Wing'--Brian Stelter in today's NY Times.

Takes The Wheel When I'm Seeing Double, Pays My Ticket When I Speed

Congratulations once again to Ms. Amanda Pierce for naming "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins as the Tuesday Song of the Day and to Mr. Tim Henderson and Mrs. Katrina Kincaid for naming "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups as the bizarro Tuesday Song of the Day.

Finally, and within the 2008 Presidential campaign's finishing week, Barack Obama has given John McCain the type of bulletin board quote that would make campaign managers salivate.

The blunder, captured by all major media outlets and broadcast live on CNN, occurred when the typically polished Obama fielded a question about his health care policy. Obama answered by saying he would give small business owners a tax credit to help them provide health care for their employees, and then added, "Now, I'm not completely certain that my plan would work because, overall, I think I would make a bad president."

According to sources, before those on hand could fully process what Obama had said, the Illinois senator continued to stumble, claiming that, were he to win the general election, he'd have absolutely no idea what to do.

'I Would Make a Bad President,' Obama Says in Huge Campaign Blunder--The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, The Onion

Senator McCain, the ball is in your court.

You Put Me Back Together Again

Colin Powell, at last, has spoken, and it does not look good for John McCain.

You Didn't Get to Heaven But You Made It Close

Congratulations to Mr. John Middleton for correctly naming "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve as the Thursday Song of the Day.

If McCain is going to win this election, it will because he can communicate an essential truth — that people in a great and successful nation do not want change for its own sake. But they do realize that it’s only through careful reform that they can preserve what they and their ancestors have so laboriously built.

David Brooks--"The Coming Activist Age" in yesterday's NY Times.

Make Good on All My Back Loans

In a story that you must read simply because it combines references to Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Spartacus, and Harding University, I present to you:

"Obama Supporters Take His Middle Name" by Jodi Kantor in yesterday's New York Times.

Before everyone gets worked up over this, I still remember stories of my grandmother changing her middle name to "Delano" in '32, and my uncle adopting "Milhous" in '68. Truth be told, I'm not sure if he wanted to support the eventual 37th President of the United States or had a premonition on the eventual popularity of Milhouse Van Houten, but I digress. In the words of Ecclesiastes, "There is nothing new under the sun."

P.S. For the McCain supporters out there (coughyourstrulycough), feel free to change your middle name to Mr. McCain's, Sidney.

Come On, Come On, You Think You Drive Me Crazy

Is the following scenario, outlined by Slate's Chris Wilson on the "Trailhead" blog, likely to take place? No, in fact, I would place better odds on Larry the Cable Guy winning an Oscar, but that doesn't mean that it's not fun to toss around for a short while.

Obama, on the other hand, is fully capable of it. And if he’s really serious about representing a new kind of politics, now is the time for him to prove it in the only meaningful way left. Moreover, were he to play it right, dropping out now nearly guarantees that he’ll be elected president in 2012.
Here’s the roadmap:

Obama drops out next week, stating that although he could almost certainly win the nomination by fighting it out until the convention in August, he is simply not willing to drag the party through a battle that will cripple its chances against John McCain. He then pledges to help support Sen. Clinton in her bid—with full knowledge that she will not take him up on the offer.

In one stroke, Obama will regain his messiah creds by making the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the party. His followers will be furious. The mere mention of Clinton’s name will provoke unspeakable acts. They will abandon Clinton in numbers sufficient to hand McCain the election in November.

Losing the presidency again after eight years of Bush will ruin the Democratic Party. It will become obvious that Clinton’s decision to stay in the race was the turning point in the election. The base will turn its wrath on party leaders like Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi, who failed to push Clinton out. Obama, as the de facto head of the party, will broker negotiations to install new leaders loyal to him.

McCain will be eminently more beatable in 2012. Demographics will continue to shift in Obama’s favor as his 14- to 17-year-old supporters come of voting age. Anyone foolish enough to challenge Obama for the nomination—and don’t rule out Clinton—will go nowhere. Obama’s utopian vision for a Democratic party unified around him will be complete.

I'm not sure if I subscribe to the school of thought that says the current Democratic contest has been so contentious that it will cause those who support the losing candidate to "sit out" the general election against John McCain and coughRalphNadercough, but I can tell you this: If the course holds to its current bearings, the 2008 Democratic National Convention will be the first certifiably unpredictable political convention in my lifetime.

Regardless of whether you plan to support McCain, Obama, Clinton, or Nader in the fall, the American political landscape promises to be anything but boring.

Like You Reached Right Into My Head and Turned on the Light Inside

Somehow, simply by posting this article, I'm fulfilling Brian Stelter's prophecy.

No idea what I'm talking about? Keep reading.

According to interviews and recent surveys, younger voters tend to be not just consumers of news and current events but conduits as well — sending out e-mailed links and videos to friends and their social networks. And in turn, they rely on friends and online connections for news to come to them. In essence, they are replacing the professional filter — reading The Washington Post, clicking on CNN.com — with a social one.

“There are lots of times where I’ll read an interesting story online and send the U.R.L. to 10 friends,” said Lauren Wolfe, 25, the president of College Democrats of America. “I’d rather read an e-mail from a friend with an attached story than search through a newspaper to find the story.”

In one sense, this social filter is simply a technological version of the oldest tool in politics: word of mouth. Jane Buckingham, the founder of the Intelligence Group, a market research company, said the “social media generation” was comfortable being in constant communication with others, so recommendations from friends or text messages from a campaign — information that is shared, but not sought — were perceived as natural.

Ms. Buckingham recalled conducting a focus group where one of her subjects, a college student, said, “If the news is that important, it will find me.”

Also, something that is sure to drive my Dad crazy...the Facebook/My Space friend stats for the various candidates (also found in the Stelter piece):

• Barack Obama-1,000,000 (combined)
• Hillary Rodham Clinton- 330,000 (combined)
• John McCain- 140,000 (combined)

Somehow, I think John McCain doesn't give a second thought to websites like Facebook and My Space, and frankly, I think that's a good thing. He's the kind of guy who always seemed more closely suited to the 19th century rather than the 21st. We will see in November if the American electorate thinks that is an asset or a liability.

With a Love So Hard and Filled With Defeat

Clinton had sounded like a traditional executive, as someone who gathers the experts, forges a policy, fights the opposition, bears the burdens of power, negotiates the deal and, in crisis, makes the decision at 3 o’clock in the morning.

But Obama sounded like a cross between a social activist and a flannel-shirted software C.E.O. — as a nonhierarchical, collaborative leader who can inspire autonomous individuals to cooperate for the sake of common concerns.

Clinton had sounded like Old Politics, but Obama created a vision of New Politics. And the past several months have revolved around the choice he framed there that night. Some people are enthralled by the New Politics, and we see their vapors every day. Others think it is a mirage and a delusion. There’s only one politics, and, tragically, it’s the old kind, filled with conflict and bad choices.

Hillary Clinton has fought on with amazing resilience since then, and Tuesday night may well bring another surprise, but she’s always been the moon to his sun. That night in November, he defined the campaign.

"A Defining Moment" by David Brooks in today's NY Times.

What's going to happen in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, faithful readers of Running Down a Dream?

Any predictions, prognotistications, or views into the political crystal ball?

Here's my predictions:

For the GOP, I see McCain winning Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont, but narrowly losing out to Huckabee in the Lone Star State. That would not exactly be the vote of confidence that McCain needs heading into the fall against an re-invigorated Democratic party, but it seems to be a result that would reflect the fractured state of the Republican party at the moment.
For the Dems, I see Obama winning by a fairly comfortable margin in Texas, winning by a close margin in Vermont, but losing squeakers in Ohio and Rhode Island. That means Senator Clinton will almost certainly stick around through the summer, even as her margin for error continues to diminish.

Wait a second, while we're in the predicting mood, here's my thoughts on today's second-leg Round of 16 matchups in the Champions League:

• Arsenal-AC Milan: Despite the fact that midfield maestro Clarence Seedorf will likely miss the match for Milan, the return of Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, and Alessandro Nesta bodes very well for the defending champions. Milan will advance with a 2-1 victory at their home ground, the San Siro.
• Barcelona-Celtic: After winning 3-2 at Celtic Park a fortnight ago, Barcelona are the heavy favorites to advance in this tie. Even though Celtic will fight hard to withstand the Barcelona effort at the Nou Camp, the Scottish side simply do not have the ability to hold back weapons like Henry, Messi, Ronaldinho, Eto'o, et. al. Barcelona advances with a rather comfortable 3-1 win.
• Manchester United-Lyon: Karim Benzema's 54th minute goal for Lyon in the first leg of this tie made things interesting, but Carlos Tevez's 87th minute equalizer put the Red Devils in prime position to advance to the Round of 8. Tonight at Old Trafford, I expect Man. U. to continue to push down on the accelerator and bring home a 2-0 victory. I don't like it one bit, but the Red Devils are going to be awfully difficult to stop this year.
• Fenerbahce-Sevilla: After capturing a 3-2 home win in Turkey, Fenerbahce heads into their match with Sevilla with a slight advantage, but the Spanish side always play well at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Despite a noble effort from Fenerbahce, I expect Sevilla to capture a 2-1 win at home to advance to the Round of 8.
  

Did You Cash in All Your Dreams?

It is my distinct honor to congratulate Mr. Joseph R. Halbert for his second consecutive win in the Caption Contest. Much thanks to Lance, Mike, and Josh for your entries, but no thanks to the Editor-in-Chief of the Blahg for his refusal to compete in the first place.

If you missed it, and goodness knows you probably did, here's the photo, and here is Joey's submission:

"So the doctor tells you to relax, but there's no way that's happening. He just POPS it up there. And that's why prostate exams are worse than POW camps. Anyway, Romney sucks! "

I'm a Wild Light Blinding Bright

Congratulations to Ben for correctly naming "A Murder of One" by Counting Crows as the Saturday Song of the Day.

After a weekend where victories by Mike Huckabee in Louisana and Kansas continued to muddle the Republican nomination process, Barack Obama won by large margins in Washington, Nebraska, Maine, and Louisana to move ahead of Hillary Clinton in the Democratic race before key Tuesday contests in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia.

There was much made last month of Ted Kennedy's endorsement of Sen. Obama and today's piece on "Fox News Sunday" is probably the closest that President Bush will come to endorsing John McCain before he (most likely) wins the Republic nomination. I'm sure that each of you have your own opinions on the pros and cons of endorsements from Sen. Kennedy and President Bush, but there's one possible forthcoming endorsement that has the potential to signal a step across partisan lines by a prominent former member of the George W. Bush Administration.

Even though it requires a bit of reading between the lines during this interview between former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and CNN's Wolf Blitzer, it looks like Powell, a self-described Republican, could endorse Sen. Obama. Although Powell does not say those precise words, much less offer any type of time table for such a statement, it seems as though his description of wanting to support a candidate that has the party "behind them" would point towards the Democratic coalition that Obama is building and away from the ever-fracturing GOP.

I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for Colin Powell, and I highly recommend the autobiography that he co-authored with Joseph Persico entitled My American Journey. Again, the value of endorsements by any figure is always in the eye of the beholder, but it seems as though a potential Powell endorsement of Obama would carry more weight than most political head-nods.

I Dreamt I Saw You Walking Up a Hillside in the Snow

As I said earlier today, it is already time for the second running of the Caption Contest.

Here's my submission: "Kooooooooooooool! Kooooooooooooooooool! Kooooooooool!"

Ok, I'm done now. I apologize in advance for such an ACU-centric reference. I would go out on a limb and call it a "joke", but some of you probably don't see it that way, because you probably wouldn't place it in the category of "humor", but you know what? That's okay by me.

Please place your entries/submissions in the comments section. Good luck to the competitors, both young and old alike.

Update: Again, as always, the Caption Contest runs through Sunday.

I Wonder, Is There Anything I'm Going to Miss?

Despite the fact that the following piece was drawn from The Sun (the leading English tabloid as well as the paper with the highest circulation of any English-language newspaper in the world), I must give credit to Mr. Andrew Tuegel for passing along: "Obama Forever Blowing Bubbles". If that headline seems a bit odd, let me explain.

Due to family connections in Britain, Obama apparently became a West Ham United supporter five years ago and continues to follow the Hammers as closely as possible given his current, ahem, obligations.

“He never really followed it, though, until he was told all about the passion of West Ham fans by some of his English relatives. He’s always keen to find out how his adopted club are getting on.”

Now, Obama's support of West Ham United is certainly not as enticing as if he, John McCain, or any other candidate were to reveal that they supported, oh say, Liverpool. That would be an automatic vote-clincher in my book. Nonetheless, a possible President who follows the Hammers is much more palatable than what you are about to read.

Rival Hillary, 60, has been linked with Man Utd after hubby Bill, the ex-President, revealed the Reds were his favourite team.

Yes, that's right, ladies and gentlemen, the Clintons support the English-version of the Evil Empire. Perhaps you disagree with the Clintons on policy matters or maybe it is more a visceral opposition to the return of "Billary", but I can tell you this: We do not need Man. U. supporters in the Oval Office.

Go forth and do what you must, faithful readers.

In This Time of Introspection, On the Eve of My Election

I was only 10 months old when Ronald Reagan took Walter Mondale behind the proverbial woodshed, and I still relish the 52-17 drubbing that America's Team issued to the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, but Obama's 55-27 (give or take a point either way) destruction of Hillary Clinton in the South Carolina Democratic primary would seem to be a harbinger of things to come on Super Tuesday.

It will be very interesting to see how the national media outlets spin Obama's victory due to the voter backlash that seemingly occurred in New Hampshire after the flood of messianic-headlines appeared following his triumph in the Hawkeye State.

I fully realize that the previous sentence seems to imply that the national media have an interest in promoting and fostering "Obamamania", but after all of the stories written since his famed speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention describing his meteoric rise, doesn't that seem to be the case?

Let me add that I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing as a potential Obama (or McCain for that matter) presidency would be a welcome movement away from the partisan bitterness and strife that has characterized American politics over the last 15 years.

I honestly have no idea what is going to happen between now and November, but tonight's events are hopefully an indication that the American electorate might just finally be ready to move on from the "scorched earth" politics that we have become accustomed to during the Clinton/Morris/Bush/Rove period.

I Always Pretended For Your Sake, So You Wouldn't Know How You Made My Heart Break

Congratulations to Mr. Lance Agan for correctly identifying Ben Harper as the artist behind the Monday Song of the Day, which was "Walk Away" from Disc 2 of 2001's Live from Mars.

If there is anything that I've learned in almost 24 years on earth, it is this: Americans love arguing about many things, but two trump them all: politics and the BCS. As luck, or scheduling, would have it, both are in high supply today.
Last night, the Bayou Bengals of LSU brought home their 2nd BCS title in the last 5 years and their 3rd overall football national championship. I was obviously pleased to see Tyler-natives Matt Flynn and Ciron Black play very well in leading the Tigers to victory over the Buckeyes, and trust me, seeing Ohio State lose will never cease to entertain me, but last night just did not have that "buzz" that other national championship matchups have generated. Sure, there was a "buzz" in the Big Easy, but that was likely due to the collective BAC of the Tiger and Buckeye faithful rather than any great anticipation over the matchup.

Today, with LSU's triumph as a backdrop, University of Georgia President Michael Adams, also chairman of the NCAA executive committee, has come forth with a proposal for an 8-team playoff that he will forward to NCAA President Myles Brand for submission to the NCAA Division I Board of Director at its convention, which will take place on Monday in Nashville.

It would be easy to dismiss the actions of Adams as a knee-jerk reaction the nationwide sentiment that his university's team was playing as well as anyone at the end of the season (Exhibit A: An absolutely devastating 41-10 dismantling by the Dawgs of a previously undefeated, although extremely overmatched, Hawaii squad in the Sugar Bowl), but Adams was quick to proffer that the current BCS system was "undercutting the sportsmanship and integrity of the game."

I hate to be a cynic on just about everything besides Major League baseball teams based in the Bronx, but I will believe that the Division I, excuse me, Football Bowl Subdivision Championship will be settled on the field when I see it with the two eyes that the Good Lord has given me. Also, due to the existing contracts with Fox (the broadcaster of the BCS Bowl Bash brought to you by the new film Jumper!!! Oh, Fox, how I hate you, but that's a post for another day) the BCS will exist in its current form through the 2010 season, with the earliest possible changes coming in 2011.

In other news of the day, John McCain and Hillary Clinton have been projected as the eventual winners in the New Hampshire primaries for the Republican and Democratic parties respectively.

I guess the Democratic nomination process is not simply going to the Obama coronation that everyone thought that it might be after his strong showing in Iowa. It will be very interesting to see how the Illinois senator deals with this close defeat in a state where many expected him to win by a large margin.


On the Republican side of the street, if you had told me 5 or 6 weeks ago that John McCain would win the New Hampshire primary, I would have responded in the following manner:

"We're talking about New Hampshire in New England, right?"

"The American state next to Vermont?"

"Wait, now what are you saying exactly?"

"Okay, that's what I thought you said. John McCain in New Hampshire....nah, it'll never happen."

It seemed thoroughly improbable that the Arizona senator would be able to resurrect his moribund campaign, but against the vast organizational apparatus of Mitt Romney and the charging charisma of Mike Huckabee, the venerable Vietnam veteran has found a way to victory in the Granite State.

I'm not sure how much momentum this is going to give him going into Michigan (Romney's home state, but he (Mitt) is toast at this point), South Carolina (where McCain did very well in 2000), and Florida (a state that Rudy Giuliani almost has to win in order to maintain his presence as a viable candidate for the Republican nomination), but if tonight has taught us anything, it's that McCain may be down, but he's almost never out.