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Gordon Glantz is the managing editor of the Times Herald and an award winning columnist.



Monday, March 17, 2008

Tangled Up In Blue

I'm finding all the talk of do-overs for the Michigan and Florida primaries a little ironic - and on many levels.

First, we have the fact that Michigan and Florida only sought to push the dates of their primaries up to make themselves relevant to the ridiculous process this country has for choosing its supreme leader.

When it is all said and done, these states could be more relevant than they ever dreamed.

Key word here: Could.

The chances are equally real that the Democratic party, the one that fancies itself as being the advocate of the people and for the people -- as opposed to the GOP and the entities and deities it creates -- could render the votes of countless people in these large swing states null and void.

What is this disaster we wrought upon ourselves, fellow Democrats?

We are begging for four to eight more years of GOP dictatorship hidden under the guise of American flag lapel pins and prayer breakfasts.

And speaking of do-overs, how many of those swept up in Obama Mania would like to take a Mulligan on their vote after the recent revelations about his "spiritual adviser," the Rev. Jeremiah Wright?

I'm sure all the left-of-center "educated white males" -- and many other focus groups considered part of the base of the political version of Sanjaya's quest for American Idol honors -- were kicking themselves while readying their golf clubs for spring tee times.

The Rev. Wright, whose diatribes were easily attainable on CDs and DVDs (shame of the media for not doing its job and digging these up sooner), may've been trying to lift the spirits with words that, from his perspective, he believed.

Little did he know that he was delivering a virtual eulogy for Obama's bid for the White House.

Sanjaya ... oooops ... Obama still might eke out the Democratic nod, but he has much of a shot now of winning a general election as I do of dunking a basketball (I'm 5-10 with a vertical leap of a half-inch).

He only made it worse by distancing himself from Wright in the immediate aftermath of the controversy.

Hillary Clinton, perhaps by default and much to the chagrin of all those who seek to make her out as the most evil woman ever to put on a pants suit, is the best and only shot for the Democrats.

A case could be made at the convention if -- actually, when -- she wins Pennsylvania and carries that momentum to the equally gritty and blue-collar states of Indiana, West Virginia and and Kentucky. Throw in probable wins in the Florida and the Michigan primaries, Mulligans not withstanding, and we're looking at a candidate who'll have the momentum, possibly the popular vote and all the big states sewn up.

All Obama will be able to counter with his pre-Wright victories in Red states that will give him an ever so slight delegate lead.

If that is enough for the Super delegates to go with him, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi suggested in a troubling weekend interview -- during which she wore this "I'm-gonna-get-those-Clintons" grin -- then it's "Hello, President McCain."

And you can lay the blame on the leaders of the party -- on the likes of Pelosi and DNC honcho Howard Dean, who royally botched the Florida and Michigan scenarios in the same manner he killed is own presidential aspiration with that awful yell after losing in Iowa in 2004.

True, a lot people don't like Hillary Clinton. I don't quite get it. At best, she is someone who should foster ambivalence. Some polls suggest that her popular-vote ceiling is 52 to 54 percent and that's considered too low (odd, since the current president was disliked by as much of the country in 2004 and still won).

However, all of her dirty laundry is hanging out on the line. We can see it. It's been there. We know what it looks like.

It's only just begun for Sanjaya ... oooops ... Obama. The GOP knows how to take sound bites -- like the ones provided by the conveniently retired Rev. Wright -- and plant them in the minds of the "undecided voters" (code for idiots) like mad scientists in a lab.

One constant the last eight years, as I've watched this country fall apart at the seam, was that I pronounced pride in being a Democrat and waited on a better day.

Anyone know how to register as an Independent?





10 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gordon-

You are right on with your comments. As a Democrat, I'm ticked off that the Dem. leadership didn't do it's homework and as usual, didn't think this all the way through from the beginning. Republicans are much better at covering their asses and making sure they know who their nominee will be way ahead of the primary game. Democrats are more idealistic and unfortuantely, alot of them bought in to the media blitz of Barack Obama...you can't turn on the news without his name being thrown at you in the first 2 minutes. Hillary should be and should have been the nominee from the beginning. We like to think our party is one that is "by the people and for the people", but really, it's not set up that way. Anyone who thinks it is, is fooling themselves. I have to say, that the possibility of John McCain becoming our next president is a real one if we don't unite the party immediately. It definitely needs to be blamed on the top of the Democratic party for not seeing this divide a long time ago and putting the brakes on it. We had an easy win and now we're looking at a possible loss. Racist comments are being perpetuated by those who are supposed to be fighting for equality. The Reverend should know better and I think all Americans are smart enough to see a guy who is full of himself and spewing hatered when they see it. Anyone who says "God Damn America" is obviously pissed off at this country. Barack Obama should have seen this for what it is and left that ministry a long time ago. I don't like thexcuse either "well, that is the black church experience." Guess what, I wouldn't want any part of a church that imposes the idea that people should sit around and feel sorry for themselves in a country that has this much opportunity. I don't doubt Obama has good intentions toward this country but in the arena of politics, he should have known he'd get slammed for this. All well-intentioned politicians know they will be under the microscope and should be ready to handle whatever is thrown at them....I'm not so sure he was ready. It would be nice if all Americans treated the process of selecting our next president as a job interview. You need to look at the experience, the record, and who fits with the company idealogy the best. Not, whose personality do I like better or who is my race, or who is better looking? If we all did that in the work place, you wouldn't have a very good workforce. I work with lots of peole who persoanlly, I don't care for, but they are very qualified to do the job they were hired to do. I don't care what color somebody is or if they wear a pant suit or skirt. Are they the most qualified for the job and can they get us out of this mess?

March 18, 2008 8:36 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gordon - If you were able to listen to Obama's speech in Phila. and without bias, digest the facts stated - you will agree he is the candidate to defeat McCain in Nov. Yes, I do believe "We The People" and "the truth will set us free"is the theme for the Dem. Cmte. & it will make the difference.

March 18, 2008 9:17 AM 
Anonymous Marie said...

You're the best, G2. We're going to be Independents together. So what if we can't vote in primaries? Who wants to run away and join the circus anyway?

March 19, 2008 9:30 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HA HA HA
All you Dems are pathetic.
Hello Prez. McCain

March 19, 2008 11:00 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

GG -

I really believe you have a good head and good heart. Almost everything I've read by you on this site and in the paper tells me that's true. But on this year's Presidential race, you are 100-percent off the mark.

Somehow, someway, Democratic voters in Pennsylvania are stuck in about 1996, with a vision of the virtuous Hillary Clinton leading the charge against the "vast rightwing conspiracy." They seem not to have been paying attention to her since then.

To be blunt: Hillary is not a liberal, she is not a moderate - she has become a conservative Democrat. Now maybe that's what you're looking for in a candidate. But it's out of step with where this party is going, and it's out of step with what this country needs.

Hillary has supported the George Bush agenda on Iraq at every opportunity in Congress. She has funded her campaign with PAC funds and lobbyist money from the corporate interests that fight against middle-class voters at every turn. And she has appealled to the lowest common demoninator in her primary battle again Barack Obama, a tactic that has apparently rubbed off on you, Gordon, and your snide, repeated ridicule of Barack Obama's name by referring to him as "Sanjaya." I really thought you were better than that, man.

Listen to Barack Obama and think a little bit about what we need in a leader to get us through what's shaping up as a truly terrible legacy left over from the Bush years.

It's not more of the same. It's not John McCain. And it's not Hillary Clinton.

America has a real opportunity to vote for a leader we can finally be proud of. But we need to have the courage to make that choice.

Get some courage, Gordon. Open your eyes to the possibility of change instead of taking cheap shots and making a case for more of the same tired politicians.

If you listened to Sen. Obama yesterday, I'd like to know if you did it with an open mind and an open heart. What was your reaction and did it at all affect your outlook on things?

March 19, 2008 11:42 AM 
Anonymous Ross said...

A good head and a good heart? You can't be talking about the same guy who commits treason every Sunday morning - when he's not writing about Bruce Stringstein or his kid!

March 20, 2008 7:47 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These comments and all of the back comments are reason enough for people not to discuss politics .
Vote on the 22 nd do not change parties to hurt another canidate
Personally watching Obama in his speeches turned me off to him He hesitates to much . I am not so sure Hillary is the best choice either I do know one thing for certain. The last eight years have not been happy And I am not even going into Iraq
Lets not forget Bin ladin still out there Oh our country needs something and I am not so sure either canidate is the right one for the country.I will probably get slammed for this But It is to bad Al Gore did not throw his hat in the ring.

March 22, 2008 10:31 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To Anonymous 3/22:

To each his own, but..."he hesitates too much"???

I mean, that is your objection? Really? The fact that someone measures his words before spouting off is a negative?

Something makes me think that if Sen. Obama was quick & slick with his replies, that would be a negative, too. Sometimes, it seems, people just look for something to find fault with.

Let me ask you to do the same thing that I asked Gordon to do in an earlier post: go and listen to what Barack Obama had to say in his Tuesday talk about race, and listen with an open mind. And after listening, consider this: he wrote that speech himself.

No speechwriter. No committee. No advisors. He wrote it himself.

Wouldn't it be refreshing to have a President who actually is wise and literate enough to do something like that?

Even if he does hesitate before answering a question.

March 22, 2008 8:11 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gordon - The will of the people will be served in November. Don't change your registration. Both D & R have great candidates, it's the people that surround them after they are elected that may be very unfortunate for the USA. We also have a minor situation for the USA...how to keep politicians (i.e. Nancy Pelosi)out of China and making remarks that will only lead to more problems with their human rights situation and the Olympics which will be held in August. The lighting of the torch will be this next week in Greece and travel to 20 countries before the August Olympics. Keep our politicians out of China and their remarks that have already started spreading bad feelings through the Olympic Community. We have enough problems here at home handling our feelings and dealings with people that do not agree with our way of thinking...

March 23, 2008 10:20 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Gordy- Obama hesitates too much - really? The saying you are responsible for what you do & what you say is very important for a Presidential Candidate. Now, Hillary has a long term memory problem with Bosnia. She should hesitate more as a Presidential Candidate it would make her more believeable even as a #2 Choice on the Dem. Ticket. Phila appearance was a downer - this should have been the theme two or three months ago - it makes no difference now. Blue Bell was only a PR appearance - PA will make a difference if she gets all the delegates.

March 24, 2008 3:10 PM 

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