Barack Obama or John McCain

[J. Raymond Carroll]

U.S. presidential contests often attract interest from foreign countries. The world's sole superpower has such an impact on the globe that, as a Belgian newspaper recently suggested, the rest of the world may feel it should be allowed to vote, too.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120...1.html?mod=blog

(Link is slow to load)

[Christopher Hall]

Her bad memory on being under sniper fire in Bosnia seems to have made an negative impact here in Australia on her credibility. Is it making a dent there? Does she have any credibility left? It doesn't happen everyday now does it? One surely would remember that. Thanks for your posting on this topic Raymond. Most interesting.

HRC's presidential run should be ending soon.

She has no material mathematical chance of winning.

The best that she can do is to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency by being Obama's running mate.

[Mark Stapleton]

U.S. presidential contests often attract interest from foreign countries. The world's sole superpower has such an impact on the globe that, as a Belgian newspaper recently suggested, the rest of the world may feel it should be allowed to vote, too.

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120...1.html?mod=blog

(Link is slow to load)

It's easy to see why the rest of the world feels it should be allowed to vote.

What does the world see when it glances toward the US? An insane Administration itching to start and maintain wars, both real (Iraq) or imagined (terror, drugs). Vast wealth inequality. Potential economic collapse caused by greed of the most vulgar kind, and which could have widespread global repercussions. A predisposition towards religious zealotry which seems as dangerous and foolish as that of its sworn enemies. Enough nuclear weaponry to destroy the planet many times. A country about to get very angry about the fact its primacy among the wealthy nations is now a thing of the past. A notorious foot dragger on the urgent global need to address rapid environmental change. I'm sure I could think of more.

When you throw in the fact that the US political process has been corrupted by wealthy interest groups, it's no wonder the rest of the world is trembling.

We don't trust you when it comes to elections.

p.s. because Australia has been such a faithful, obedient lapdog of the US, I almost feel entitled to vote in November.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Her bad memory on being under sniper fire in Bosnia seems to have made an negative impact here in Australia on her credibility. Is it making a dent there? Does she have any credibility left?

Opinions vary depending upon allegience:

Here is the Murdoch-owned New York Post

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton's lies about risking her life under sniper fire during a visit to Bosnia as first lady have infuriated the US military brass and troops.

"She has no sense of what a statement like that does to soldiers," fumed retired Maj. Gen. Walter Stewart, the former head of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

"She is insulting the command in its entirety," he said yesterday.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03262008/news/...fire_103582.htm

[J. Raymond Carroll]

NBC's Chuck Todd on todays results from the Wall St. Journal/NBC Poll

As expected, one of the two major Democratic candidates saw a downturn in the latest NBC/WSJ poll, but it's not the candidate that you think. Hillary Clinton is sporting the lowest personal ratings of the campaign. Moreover, her 37% positive rating is the lowest the NBC/WSJ poll has recorded since March 2001, two months after she was elected to the U.S. Senate from New York.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/

Chuck Todd is a brilliant guy & is watching this contest with a dispassionate eye. He goes strictly by the numbers in front of him and he gets the numbers first.

Scroll down on the FIRST READ page to see the latest on Samantha Power:

"And, to the delight of many in the crowd, she [Power] even hinted that she could be part of that hypothetical cabinet. 'Because of the kind of campaign that Senator Obama has run,' Power said, 'it seemed appropriate for someone of my Irish temper to step aside, at least for a while. We will see what happens there.'"

Cute, Samantha. Real cute. Our bold Barack can really pick'em, but he can be soooo fickle once he's got 'em

Edited March 26, 2008 by J. Raymond Carroll

[J. Raymond Carroll]

The Wall Street Journal reviews the same poll and laments that more dirty work will be needed on the prophet Jeremiah IF Obama gets the nomination.

Pastor Flap Hasn't Hurt Obama

By JACKIE CALMES

March 26, 2008 7:19 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- The racially charged debate over Barack Obama's relationship with his longtime pastor hasn't much changed his close contest against Hillary Clinton, or hurt him against Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Now Bosnia has had its small, belated revenge on her.

Christopher Hitchens

http://www.mirror.co.uk/hitchens/news/2008...89520-20363506/

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Identity Crisis

There's something pathetic and embarrassing about our obsession with Barack Obama's race.

By Christopher Hitchens

Posted Monday, Jan. 7, 2008, at 12:04 PM ET

http://www.slate.com/id/2181460/

Blind Faith

The statements of clergymen like Jeremiah Wright aren't controversial and incendiary; they're wicked and stupid

By Christopher Hitchens

Posted Monday, March 24, 2008, at 12:09 PM ET

I see a problem of bias underlying Mr. Hitchens's analysis here:

That same supposed message of his is also contradicted in a different way by trying to put Geraldine Ferraro on all fours with a thug like Obama's family "pastor." Ferraro may have sounded sour when she asserted that there can be political advantages to being black in the United States—and she said the selfsame thing about Jesse Jackson in 1984—but it's perfectly arguable that what she said is, in fact, true, and even if it isn't true, it's absurd to try and classify it as a racist remark.

http://www.slate.com/id/2187277/pagenum/all

Christopher is such a reasonable fellow, don't you think, with his rakish Oxford style.

As readers of this thread know, some 75% of black people thought Ferraro's remarks were racist. Christopher belongs to the OTHER 75% (whites) who thought Ferraro was race-neutral.

Methinks Christopher is changing the rules:

There's something pathetic and embarrassing about our obsession with Barack Obama's race.

(but this principle will not hold true if Geraldine Ferraro should get angry about Barack Obama's race).

And where does this God-hating man with his poisoned pen get the right to call the prophet Jeremiah a THUG?

that kind of language would not be tolerated by Kathy Beckett on this forum.

Edited March 27, 2008 by J. Raymond Carroll

[Guest David Guyatt]

The below article extract points to the same general pattern as today's Obama -- who is also apparently being guided by the same good Trilateralist, Zig Brzezinski.

Non-sequitor. Big Z's voice will be heard, I hope, given his age and experience. Obama would be a fool to "Reject & Renounce" him.

His most crucial appointments, however, were in keeping with Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington, which said that, whatever groups voted for a president, once elected "what counts then is his ability to mobilize support from the leaders of key institutions."

Huntington's Ist Rule of Government is profoundly true. Obama will be in exactly the same situation as JFK in 1960.

Brzezinski and Huntington are a long way short of being my choice for democratic heroes.

During Brzezinski's tenor as Director of the Trilateral Commission, his closest political ally and chum, Samuel Huntington authored the 1975 Trilateral Commission report "The Crisis of Democracy", which called for democracy to be curbed in times of economic crisis. He also considered there should be "desirable limits" to the indefinite extension of political democracy.

Nice guy.

When this is combined with Brzezinski's "The Grand Chessboard" - that propagated the extension US global hegemony - and Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations", you have a charming bunch of fella's backing and advising Obama.

As I have said earlier, these people are elitist (even the elite) in their goals and appear to have baptised Obama as their elected catspaw for carrying their goals through to the next stage of fruition.

Hence my ingrained opposition to your guy.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Hence my ingrained opposition to your guy.

If you have a better candidate to offer, then I will switch my allegience to your guy/gal.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

We don't need to slowly turn the 'ship of state' around. Now we must sink it and build a new one...of go to the bottom of the 'sea'.

Let us know when the new ship is ready to launch.

Meanwhile, here aboard the Titanic the latest question is: Can Hillary blackmail Nancy Pelosi?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/us/politics/27dems.html

[John Simkin]

David and all, Americans are so used to being able to ONLY [they think!] choose between the 'lesser of evils' they don't even realize it....

'Framing of the debate' has been the most successful destruction of democracy in the USA by the Oligarchy. [i.e. we choose the horses, you bet and we win - you loose any old which way......]

Vote for a third party or die......literally! Wake UP!

I am somebody who has little confidence in mainstream politicians. However, we have to be practical about these matters. In reality, the American people will either elect the official Republican or Democrat candidate. Therefore, it makes sense to select the best possible candidate that has a chance of winning. Therefore I agree with Ray that the main objective should be to get Barack Obama elected. He might turn out to be a disappointing president but I am sure he will be far better than McCain or Clinton.

[Guest David Guyatt]

Hence my ingrained opposition to your guy.

If you have a better candidate to offer, then I will switch my allegience to your guy/gal.

Sadly, not at all, Raymond.

My only point is to raise awareness that political elections are a fixed roulette wheel -- and so long as everyone is aware that this is the case, then thy should make whatever choice is appropriate for them. Personally I decline to vote in any sort of election. It is my way of saying that I know that it is all a sly control game and also demonstrates that I don't underwrite or perpetuate that game.

The old saying that the "best slave is one who thinks he is free" is appropriate here, I think. I would rather us all be aware that we are slaves, then continue to propel ourselves to fall under the spell that we have any real choice in who governs us.

This is the only honest choice available, I think.

John's view that we blink along the great game as a pragmatic option, is no option at all in my opinion. We might us as well as opt for unjust flogging using a cat 'o' nine tails with copper tips, as the better alternative to a cat capped with metal tips. It's still a flogging and it still damn well hurts. And it is still unjust.

But that's just me.

Edited March 27, 2008 by David Guyatt

[J. Raymond Carroll]

John's view that we blink along the great game as a pragmatic option, is no option at all in my opinion.

But that's just me.

I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for his extraordinary leadership. At a time when Washington is divided in old ideological battles, he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/polit..._recession.html

Obama praises pragmatism today. Mayor Mike has not endorsed Obama YET, but his endorsment will be HUGE when it comes.

Pragmatism has been much maligned, only because it is much misunderstood:

http://www.helsinki.fi/science/commens/terms/pragmatism.html

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Bloomberg as Obama's VEEP?

*** A fall preview: Those who love the Veepstakes will enjoy today's Obama speech, not for the substance but for the person who will introduce him: Michael Bloomberg. While the mayor says he's not endorsing anyone (yet?), this is the second time Bloomberg has given Obama a high profile photo-op (remember the meeting at that diner a few months back?).

But it will be the potential of Obama-Bloomberg that could be the most important take-away.

In fact, considering that anti-Israel sentiments being expressed by the Rev. Wright in these newly circulating church bulletins (see Andrea Mitchell’s reporting on TODAY below in the Obama section). A fortunate thing for Obama is at least these church bulletins aren’t video. The idea of a Jewish running mate might end up making more and more

sense for Obama as the summer wears on.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/200.../27/825803.aspx