Obama’s Big Night

Election 2008 (USA) Comments (1)

Super Tuesday last week didn’t settle much on the Democrat Side, or so the pundits claim, but I don’t know if that is really true. The claim by both sides as to winning Super Tuesday has led to tonights sweep by Barack Obama over Hilary Rodham Clinton.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Barack Obama swept the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington state Saturday, boosting his slim delegate lead over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in their historic race for the Democratic presidential nomination. (source)

What I find interesting, is how the Media portrays Senator Obama’s campaign, and how desperate they seem to be in showing that Hilary Rodham Clinton is winning the race. It is almost as if they have chosen her as the Nominee, and to hell with what the voters have to say about it.

Perhaps it isn’t that they support her, simply that for months they have called the ‘inevitable winner‘ and now it isn’t so certain that she can pull it off. And so their noses are out of joint, because they just hate to be wrong, sort of like George Bush. Arrogant to the bitter end, and naturally ‘never wrong‘.

Truth is, Obama has a lot more individual supporters than Clinton, and his style in states like Washington State, is what gets him wins. When he has the opportunity to mingle, to mix, with people, they wind up supporting him. So Super Tuesday, wasn’t his knock out blow to Clinton, the fact that he came out of it ahead, or even, was a major victory. After all, who in the hell heard of Barack Obama before January really?

The media certainly hasn’t gone out of their way, prior to Iowa, to pay him much mind, just as they ignored John Edwards, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson, and the other candidates. It is like the Media only has ONE REPORTER, so they didn’t cover ALL THE CANDIDATES.

Super Tuesday also highlights the problem of the entire Primary System. If the purpose of these primaries is to let people determine the winner, not to have it decided in back rooms by party big wigs, then why are there Super Delegates? And then too, why are these primaries all bunched in such a way, that it prevents candidates from really campaigning within those states?

IF, this is about enhancing the concept of ONE MAN ONE VOTE DOCTRINE, then it would seem to me that the following would be standard procedure in ALL PRIMARIES.

• All Citizens Registered can vote in both Republican & Democratic Primaries
• Campaigns in those states ends at midnight, the NIGHT PRIOR TO VOTING.
• Paper Ballots are used, either to insure machine integrity, or in place of machines
• No State holds a primary on the same date as another.
• Proof of Citizenship is Required, not proof of party allegiance
• Primaries are held Alphabetically, so Alaska is first.
• Conventions to confirm Primary Results are at end of August.
• Debates limited to ONE PER PARTY PER MONTH, and yes, with ALL CANDIDATES, in an open forum, without time limits, or moderators setting stupid guidelines. Let The Candidates Go At It.
• Primaries commence 50 weeks PRIOR to the First Convention.

Now I can hear the bullshit coming from this, but let us be honest. This gives EACH CANDIDATE ONE FULL WEEK of campaigning IN EACH STATE. Naturally, they can choose to not campaign, but at least this way they can actually meet people, discuss the issues with the Voters, and not rely on just television ads.

By setting a clear schedule, it eases the burden on campaign resources as well. If a candidate wants to spend a fortune, like Mitt Romney, in four states, let him, but for those who want to manage their finances, who don’t want to take money from Lobbyists or Special Interests, they can, and still compete. It levels out the playing field some.

Debates months ahead of any primary do nothing, but create apathy. Let the candidates debate freely, each and every month of the Primary Season, which should run 50 weeks PRIOR to the Party Conventions. This will increase voter awareness, increase debating the issues, rather than 20 second sound bites, like currently occurs. or degrade into personality attacks, also as now occurs.

Instead of making this about the Media, Money, make it about Issues.

Ian @ February 10, 2008