On the Mend
I'm quite sure it was all your good wishes that have brought me back from the brink. Word was received today that 95% of the production force in my Phlegm Factory has been outsourced to China.
Oh wow! I can breathe again. And...what's this? The door to the Wonk Center of my brain just became unstuck....
There's a Meez animation that lets your character jump around while holding Barack Obama on your shoulder. I was so going to use that today. Until I realized that it also includes drop kicking Hillary Clinton. That seemed a little mean. I don't want to drop kick her. Slap her, sometimes, yeah, but not drop kick her.
Update: the whole "drop kicking" thing apparently is just when you first dress the Meez. Because this is just cute and non-mean, don'tcha think? (I just did this for Hat. Carry on).
So, about Indiana. Spin from the Clinton camp will tell you that a win is a win. Math, which is far less prone to manipulation, will tell you that a 2% victory means she gets 41 delegates and Obama gets 38. Overall, he's still leading by every mathematical formula. He's even closed the gap on declared superdelegates to a mere 6. Trust. I'm willing to bet that within the next few weeks we'll see him pull even in that count, if not move ahead.
Her electability argument is waning; the numbers simply don't support it. And, if I were in the Clinton camp, I would definitely move off the message that the blue collar/white male "base" supports her more. For why? Democrats haven't won the blue collar/white male vote for over 30 years. Doesn't matter what they might be doing in the primary...that "base" is all but nonexistent come the general election. Any Democratic candidate is going to have to try and convince that bloc to vote their economic interests. And whenever he/she does, the GOP is going to charge in and remind them that the Dems want to take away all their guns and make them live next door to married homosexuals. And they'll freak. Like they always do. Point is, if that's all she's got, it ain't much.
Which is why she's ramping up the argument for the "disenfranchised" voters in Michigan and Florida.
Let's be clear about something. If anyone "disenfranchised" the voters in those states, it was their own party officials. Here's how it works: the DNC sets the election schedule. States vote in the order the national party determines. Period. Michigan and Florida decided to jump the gun. The party said "don't do it or your delegates won't be seated". They did it anyway and then have the temerity to cry foul. I guess I'm looking at this like a parent, but if I tell The Child she has to do something or else and she doesn't do it, it's my job to impose the "or else". If I don't, not only does she not learn her lesson relative to personal responsibility, she also gets the idea that I don't mean what I say. In my view, the party should stick with their "or else" and not seat those delegates. Why? Because if Florida and Michigan can break party rules without consequences, what's to keep any state from following party rules next time? Especially after this election. Hell, Indiana's primary hasn't mattered since 1964. You don't think they didn't love all the attention last night? What's to keep Pennsylvania from wanting to be the new Iowa?
If I were head of the DNC I'd be telling the state chairs to suck it up. They screwed up. And if the Democrats in those states had any sense, they'd be calling for the heads of their party leadership for putting them in this situation. But at the end of the month the Rules Committee is meeting to settle the matter. Florida is easier: both candidates were on the ballot and delegates could just be apportioned accordingly. Clinton won Florida but including those delegates doesn't put her ahead. Michigan is more problematic because Clinton was the only name on the ballot. She's suggested that Obama can have the "Other" votes and she'll take hers. She's generous like that. Personally, I think a revote is the only way to go there, but sounds like no one is excited about that possibility. I think she's afraid she could lose some delegates, I think he's afraid that somehow people in Michigan blame him for the kerfuffle. (A Clinton supporter actually tried to insinuate that last night on CNN. And promptly got stomped on. That would be a terribly, terribly disingenuous position for the Clinton camp to take).
Bottom line, even if delegates from both states are seated and even if Clinton gets the majority of them, the margins are not large, which means he'll get almost as many delegates as she does. And since he's already up by 155, it's still not going to put her in the lead.
Meanwhile, what in the world is John Edwards going to do with his 19 delegates? He's been sitting on those since, what?, February? What is he thinking and more to the point, why isn't anyone else asking that question? Is he waiting to release them to the first person who promises to make him Attorney General? Of course, releasing those delegates doesn't mean anything one way or the other. They'd be free to commit to whoever they wanted; although, I'd make the assumption that the majority of them would go to Obama because I think his positions are more in line with Edwards than Clinton. But I could be wrong about that. Still, it's a puzzlement.
The worst thing about this cold has been that food doesn't taste good. For me, that's like, like some kind of really bad thing for which I'm suddenly incapable of producing an example. I'm not sure that was even a cogent sentence. Dinner should be really yummy tonight, is my point.
Oh, and I gave myself bangs last night. I think it makes me look younger.
Oh, ok, fine. But I only did this for the Hat. Because it's her birthday month. And from the looks of it, the whole "drop kicking Hillary" is just for "fun" when you first dress your Meez. Because obviously this is just me and Barack having a good ol' time.
Oh wow! I can breathe again. And...what's this? The door to the Wonk Center of my brain just became unstuck....
There's a Meez animation that lets your character jump around while holding Barack Obama on your shoulder. I was so going to use that today. Until I realized that it also includes drop kicking Hillary Clinton. That seemed a little mean. I don't want to drop kick her. Slap her, sometimes, yeah, but not drop kick her.
Update: the whole "drop kicking" thing apparently is just when you first dress the Meez. Because this is just cute and non-mean, don'tcha think? (I just did this for Hat. Carry on).
So, about Indiana. Spin from the Clinton camp will tell you that a win is a win. Math, which is far less prone to manipulation, will tell you that a 2% victory means she gets 41 delegates and Obama gets 38. Overall, he's still leading by every mathematical formula. He's even closed the gap on declared superdelegates to a mere 6. Trust. I'm willing to bet that within the next few weeks we'll see him pull even in that count, if not move ahead.Her electability argument is waning; the numbers simply don't support it. And, if I were in the Clinton camp, I would definitely move off the message that the blue collar/white male "base" supports her more. For why? Democrats haven't won the blue collar/white male vote for over 30 years. Doesn't matter what they might be doing in the primary...that "base" is all but nonexistent come the general election. Any Democratic candidate is going to have to try and convince that bloc to vote their economic interests. And whenever he/she does, the GOP is going to charge in and remind them that the Dems want to take away all their guns and make them live next door to married homosexuals. And they'll freak. Like they always do. Point is, if that's all she's got, it ain't much.
Which is why she's ramping up the argument for the "disenfranchised" voters in Michigan and Florida.
Let's be clear about something. If anyone "disenfranchised" the voters in those states, it was their own party officials. Here's how it works: the DNC sets the election schedule. States vote in the order the national party determines. Period. Michigan and Florida decided to jump the gun. The party said "don't do it or your delegates won't be seated". They did it anyway and then have the temerity to cry foul. I guess I'm looking at this like a parent, but if I tell The Child she has to do something or else and she doesn't do it, it's my job to impose the "or else". If I don't, not only does she not learn her lesson relative to personal responsibility, she also gets the idea that I don't mean what I say. In my view, the party should stick with their "or else" and not seat those delegates. Why? Because if Florida and Michigan can break party rules without consequences, what's to keep any state from following party rules next time? Especially after this election. Hell, Indiana's primary hasn't mattered since 1964. You don't think they didn't love all the attention last night? What's to keep Pennsylvania from wanting to be the new Iowa?
If I were head of the DNC I'd be telling the state chairs to suck it up. They screwed up. And if the Democrats in those states had any sense, they'd be calling for the heads of their party leadership for putting them in this situation. But at the end of the month the Rules Committee is meeting to settle the matter. Florida is easier: both candidates were on the ballot and delegates could just be apportioned accordingly. Clinton won Florida but including those delegates doesn't put her ahead. Michigan is more problematic because Clinton was the only name on the ballot. She's suggested that Obama can have the "Other" votes and she'll take hers. She's generous like that. Personally, I think a revote is the only way to go there, but sounds like no one is excited about that possibility. I think she's afraid she could lose some delegates, I think he's afraid that somehow people in Michigan blame him for the kerfuffle. (A Clinton supporter actually tried to insinuate that last night on CNN. And promptly got stomped on. That would be a terribly, terribly disingenuous position for the Clinton camp to take).
Bottom line, even if delegates from both states are seated and even if Clinton gets the majority of them, the margins are not large, which means he'll get almost as many delegates as she does. And since he's already up by 155, it's still not going to put her in the lead.
Meanwhile, what in the world is John Edwards going to do with his 19 delegates? He's been sitting on those since, what?, February? What is he thinking and more to the point, why isn't anyone else asking that question? Is he waiting to release them to the first person who promises to make him Attorney General? Of course, releasing those delegates doesn't mean anything one way or the other. They'd be free to commit to whoever they wanted; although, I'd make the assumption that the majority of them would go to Obama because I think his positions are more in line with Edwards than Clinton. But I could be wrong about that. Still, it's a puzzlement.
The worst thing about this cold has been that food doesn't taste good. For me, that's like, like some kind of really bad thing for which I'm suddenly incapable of producing an example. I'm not sure that was even a cogent sentence. Dinner should be really yummy tonight, is my point.
Oh, and I gave myself bangs last night. I think it makes me look younger.
Oh, ok, fine. But I only did this for the Hat. Because it's her birthday month. And from the looks of it, the whole "drop kicking Hillary" is just for "fun" when you first dress your Meez. Because obviously this is just me and Barack having a good ol' time.
Labels: good hair, I feel better now, political theater
cobbled together by Moi at 8:47 AM
17 Comments:
Glad you're feeling better!
(hey! i'm first today, pie to celebrate!)
You sound way better, that there post was a mouthful.
I decided I am voting for Cher, like JP. I am a follower.
I'm dying to see the bangs. I love bangs. I'll bet you rock with bangs.
I found all of your political commentary spot on, as usual.
But HMOG, where is the PICTURE of you with bangs?? (Geez, you can't post stuff like that without documentation!)
I agree that those 2 states screwed up, but it wasn't the voters themselves who screwed up, and now their votes aren't being heard. That is the opposite of democracy.
Yes, picture of bangs please.
Thanks, Anne! Apple or French Silk?
Right, Sage? I haven't managed that much in days. And sucking up to JP works better if you bring beer.
Leave it to a gay guy to cut to the chase.
You'd no doubt feel differently, SCG, if you were voting for Cher. And the picture has to wait until I'm 100%. I'm still looking a little wan and not in a good way.
I understand the problem for the voters, JP, but it's also not democracy to apportion the votes willy nilly to shut them up. A) the voters in those states should be screaming for the heads of their party leadership and 2) the only truly reasonable thing is to have new elections...for which no one seems to want to pay. I just think that if there isn't some sort of major slap on the wrist, this will happen again and it really can't. The DNC HAS to come up with a solution that makes other states disinclined to break the rules like that in the future.
Oh, and please refer to my response to SCG relative to pictures.
"I'm dying to see the bangs. I love bangs. I'll bet you rock with bangs."
In pigtails all she needs is the Japanese Schoolgirl outfit and I am in Anime Fantasy Heaven.
I would SO wear my hair in bangs, but the last time I tried, a co-worker said I reminded her of Dwight Schrute.
Ba Ha Ha Ha (Note no W)
So, now I have to do my hippie duty which will doubtlessly get me in trouble. Oh well.
Florida and Michigan have hip precedent in that they were confronted with an obvious and disgustingly abhorent traditional injustice that needs to be CHANGEd. (I'm sure Obama will put it right before the next one.) The very idea that the same states always go first and hence have a much larger influence than any others is not only undemocratic but is a sure sign of corruption. A change every term is the obvious solution and should have been done years ago. Maybe thats why so many voters are jaded and only partially involved in the political system with others still screaming foul and protesting by voting green or whatever.
Yay, Florida and Michigan, cmon dems its Washington states turn to go first next time and if not it would be nice to look forward to the time that it does. Justice rocks.
Love being a hippie!!!!
Peace
:+}
At the beginning of the election year--and not one second before--everybody starts campaigning. Including debates with real live actually-centered-on-the-issues questions, not trivia, soft-ball or mush.
First Tuesday in June, everybody votes in a 24-hour primary starting at midnight Eastern Time (9:00 PM Pacific, etc.), with results updated every couple of hours. The top three candidates in each party go to the conventions and let the delegates/superdelegates duke it out. Once the final candidates and their running mates are determined, five more months of campaigning and additional debates.
First Tuesday in November, presidential election.
Never happen in real life, but it would at least solve all this fuss about which states are "most important" in the primaries...
p.s. I'm glad you're feeling better. Looking forward to seeing you rock the bangs!
third try...even shorter...politics are everywhere...picture of bangs please
I think eric pretty much nailed it.
Oh maaan. I wanted to see your MEEZ. pooh.
(Eric and Sling are geeky pervs)
Honey, you know your mother-in-law reads this blog, right?
Buck, question: is your love of bangs not worth a little Shruteness?
Here's a granola pie, Anonyba. God bless the old hippies.
So we're all agreed: Syd is now in charge of all US elections. Deal?
Working on it, Rosie.
Sling, please don't encourage him.
Just for you, Hat, I'll update it. But only 'cause it's your birthday month. And right? Boys. Sheesh.
Good to hear that you're better... and sorry my comments have been so very, very short of late.
I have to say, sadly, that I've lost respect for Hillary during these last few weeks. If she really cared about the party and the next four years, she'd bow out. It appears now that all she cares about is her political career and making history. As the first viable female candidate, she did make history and she should let that history be positive and not be tarnished by dragging things out and hurting the party.
Oh, and I am so with you on Florida and Michigan. I can't understand how they can flaunt the rules then get a do-over. Such is politics, I guess.
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