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Entries by Chris Weigant from 08/2008

Friday Talking Points [41] -- The Silly Season

| Posted 08.01.2008 | Politics
Read More: Paris Hilton, Ads, Gas Prices, Mudslinging, Britney Spears, Homosexual, Iraq, Diplomacy, Media, Campaign, Withdrawal, Republican, California, Iran, Television, Specifics, 2008, Sofa, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Celebrity, Status of Forces, Keating Five, Andres McCain, Rove, John McCain, Gas, Karl Rove, Gasoline, Deval Patrick, Timeline, War, Campaign Ads, Democrat, Massachusetts, 2008 Elections, 08, Gay, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Price of Oil, Elections, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Convention, 2008 Presidential Race, Oil, Maliki, News, Britney, Media Bias, Gay Marriage, Politics News

I have a confession to make. I actually watch the network news. Maybe I should enter into a twelve-step program or something. But I don't watch the ...

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Bill Clinton, Middle East Envoy?

| Posted 08.04.2008 | Politics
Read More: Vice President, Bill Clinton, Turkey, Running Mate, Palestine, Iraq, 2008 Elections, Legacy, Campaign, 08, Peace, 2008 Election, Palestinians, Election, Barack Obama, 08 Election, Iran, Vp, Elections, 08 Campaign, Clinton, 2008, Envoy, Middle East, Hillary, 2008 Presidential Race, Israel, 2008 Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Statesman, Politics News

Politically, this would give both the Clintons a personal stake in the race, and would go a long way towards healing the wounds inflicted in the primaries on both sides.

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Electoral Math Charts Updated

| Posted 08.06.2008 | Politics
Read More: Tossup, Polls, Chart, Elector, 2008 Electoral Graphics, Electoral Vote, John McCain, State, Poll, 2008 Elections, 08, Campaign, Abulsme.com, Charts, Electoral College, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Electoral Votes, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Vote, 2008, Electoral, 2008 Presidential Race, Samuel Minter, 2008 Campaign, Election Analysis, State Polls, Electoral College Map, Politics News

It's time once again to take a look at the Electoral College math from state-level polling. Nationwide polls are not completely meaningless, but they are pretty irrelevant as that's not how we elect a president.

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Friday Talking Points [42] -- Get Up, Stand Up, Barack

| Posted 08.08.2008 | Politics
Read More: GI Bill, Lies, Mudslinging, Wealthy, Cindy McCain, Drew Westen, Campaign, Swiftboat, Veterans, Soundbite, Wealth, 2008, Elite, Smear, John Kerry, Midotw, Distributor, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Student Loan, 2008 Campaign, Celebrity, Fight Back, Campaign Contributions, Elitist, Bill Clinton, Gas, Lying, John McCain, Strategy, Tony Sachs, Beer, Campaign Ads, Private Plane, Let Them Eat Cake, 2008 Elections, 08, Webb, Rich, Lie, 2008 Election, War Room, Barack Obama, Oil Companies, Election, 08 Election, Elections, Barack ObamaMost Impressive Democrat of the Week, Respectable Republican Cloth Coat, Get Up Stand Up, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Budweiser, Tax Returns, 2008 Presidential Race, Credit Card, Elitism, Trash Talk, Attack Ads, Politics News

I have to assume if you're reading this that you're sick of the Olympics already. Wow, that was fast. Is NBC's coverage going to be twice as bad as ...

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The Bradley Effect v. The Obama Effect

| Posted 08.11.2008 | Politics
Read More: John McCain, Youth, Youth Vote, Poll, 2008 Elections, 08, Campaign, Undecided, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Pollsters, Obama Effect, Elections, Nate Silver, 08 Campaign, 2008 Presidential Race Polls, Opinion Poll, 2008, 2008 Campaign, Turnout, Young Vote, Cell Phones, August, Pollster, Bradley Effect, September, Opus, Politics News

Will Obama's white voter support in the polls be higher than his actual support on Election Day? Will this be a regional factor, or a nationwide factor? And how big a factor is it?

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Bush Olympic Photo Caption Contest

| Posted 08.13.2008 | Politics
Read More: George Bush, Slap, President, Gerald Herbert, Photo, Olympics, Bikinied Rear, Beijing, Chaoyang Park, Caption, Butt, Beach Volleyball, Sand, Kerri Walsh, Bush, Contest, Bikini, Butt Slap, Volleyball, Ass, Misty May-Treanor, Misty, May-Treanor, Caption Contest, Politics News

We haven't done a photo caption contest here in far too long, and this one just begged for it. What exactly is Bush saying? Picture a word balloon above him, and what would you put in it?

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Friday Talking Points [43] -- And The Gold Medal For Snarkiness Goes To...

| Posted 08.15.2008 | Politics
Read More: Strongly-Worded Letter, Patrick Leahy, American Federation of Labor, Campaign, China, Veterans, Military, 2008, Midotw, John Edwards, Veterans Administration, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Running on Empty, Rovezaleeker, Union, Hollow Words, Elitist, Where McCain Lives, Presumptuous, Nbc, 08, Barack Obama, Election, Influence, 08 Election, Elections, Mddotw, Presumptuousness, Corsi, Almost Half, Brave New Films, Blaws, Elitism, Vacation, Donations, GI Bill, Beijing, Va, Bush, Meghan McCain, Congress of Industrial Organizations, Foreign Lobbyist, Elite, Voter Registration, Ohio, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Gymnastics, National Enquirer, Keating Five, John McCain, Children's Book, 2008 Elections, Afl-Cio, War Room, 2008 Election, Beach Volleyball, Olympics, Lobbyist, Dhl, 08 Campaign, 2008 Presidential Race, Georgia, Another President, Jackson Browne, Leahy, Lockstep, , Tinfoil Hat, Anteaterhomer, Politics News

I don't usually comment on sports, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. I'm no professional sports guy, nor do I play one on the web. But I h...

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Let Them Drink Beer

| Posted 08.18.2008 | Politics
Read More: 21, Lower the Drinking Age, State, Adulthood, Medical Marijuana, 18, Drinking Age, Drink, Adult, Soldier, Military, Amethyst Institute, Age of Majority, Hard Alcohol, Alcohol, Amethyst, Wine, College Presidents, National Drinking Age, Abortion, Highway Funds, Federal, Beer, States Rights, Drinking, Sour Grapes, Drunk Driving, Liquor, Soldiers, Legal Age, College, Madd, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Gay Marriage, Politics News

There was a news item today about a group of college presidents who have signed on to an effort to "rethink" the drinking age in America. While not e...

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Electoral Math -- Obama Sure Could Use A Bump

| Posted 08.20.2008 | Politics
Read More: Tossup, Polls, Chart, Elector, 2008 Electoral Graphics, Electoral Vote, John McCain, State, Poll, 2008 Elections, 08, Campaign, Abulsme.com, Charts, Electoral College, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Electoral Votes, Election, 08 Election, Elections, 08 Campaign, Vote, 2008, Electoral, 2008 Presidential Race, Samuel Minter, 2008 Campaign, Election Analysis, State Polls, Politics News

Obama has slipped below the magic 270 number for the first time since he became the Democratic presumptive nominee, and McCain has just about caught up with him.

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Friday Talking Points [44] -- McCain House Party!

| Posted 08.22.2008 | Politics
Read More: Frickin Mansion, Pow, Cindy McCain, Campaign, Country Club John McCain, Prick, Out of Touch, Arugula-Eating Pointy Headed Professor-Type, 2008, Midotw, Tax Cuts, Condo, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Democratic Convention, Lieberman Prick, Elitist, Country Club Republicans, Democratic National Convention, Tony Rezko, Democrat, 08, Barack Obama, Election, Adoption, 08 Election, House, Investment Properties, Elections, RJ Eskow, Mddotw, Politico, Brave New Films, Personal Attack, Elitism, AFL/CIO, John K. Wilson, Wealthy, Houses, Economy, Middle Class, How Many Houses, Its the Economy Stupid, Democratic, Lieberman, Condominium, Millionaire, Elite, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Obama Fights Back, Housing Crisis, Celebrity, Brian Rogers, Keating Five, Country Club, Taxes, John McCain, Keating, Adopt, Homes, Millionaires, Beer, Afl-Cio, Heiress, 2008 Elections, Prisoner of War, Rich, 2008 Election, War Room, Mother Teresa, 08 Campaign, Tax Returns, 2008 Presidential Race, Convention, Charles Keating, Seiu, Cindy, Politics News

John McCain said something ridiculous to a reporter yesterday. I hasten to point out that the previous sentence should have been a major media headlin...

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A Historical Perspective On Divided Democratic Conventions

| Posted 08.25.2008 | Politics
Read More: Dewey Defeats Truman, Blue Dog, Truman, 1964, Civil Rights Act, Thomas Dewey, Campaign, Civil War, Hubert Humphrey, Franklin D Roosevelt, South, Military, 2008, 1948 Convention, Do Nothing Congress, Plank, Ralph Nader, Lincoln, Democratic Convention, Dncc, Democratic National Convention, Dixiecrat, Alabama, States Rights, Democrat, Congress, Wwii, 08, Henry Wallace, Platform, Barack Obama, Election, Fdr, Yellow Dog, 08 Election, Elections, Lyndon B Johnson, Hillary, Gallup, Humphrey, Desegregation, Hillary Clinton, Lbj, Chicago Tribune, World War II, Party Unity, Strom Thurmond, 1948, Nader, Speech, Divided, Civil Rights, Harry Truman, Democratic, Democratic Party, Denver, Republican, War of Northern Aggression, Wallace, Clinton, Dadt, Alben Barkley, Lost the South for a Generation, Abraham Lincoln, 2008 Campaign, Johnson, Progressive Party, Naacp, John McCain, Give Em Hell Harry, 1948 Democratic Convention, 2008 Elections, 2008 Election, Puma, 08 Campaign, Don't Ask Don't Tell, 2008 Presidential Race, Convention, Democratic Convention 2008, Nominee, Gays, Roosevelt, Barkley, Dewey, Thurmond, Blue Dog Democrats, Politics News

Don't buy into the media narrative that this is some sort of "divided party" -- because today's Democrats aren't. All true Democrats are pulling hard to defeat the legacy of George W. Bush.

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PUMA -- Endangered Species

| Posted 08.27.2008 | Politics
Read More: Speech, Democratic, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuit, Party Unity My Ass, Media, Campaign, Democratic Party, Crikey, Unity, Clinton, 2008, 2008 Campaign, United, Senate Majority Leader, Democratic Convention, John McCain, Democratic National Convention, Pbs, Democrat, Crocodile Hunter, p.u.m.A., 2008 Elections, 08, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, Puma, 08 Election, Unite, Elections, No Way No How No McCain, 08 Campaign, Hillary, 2008 Presidential Race, Convention, Hillary Clinton, Rodham, Politics News

Hillary made the case she needed to make to her supporters who were still sitting on the fence, and she did it perfectly, in a speech for the ages.

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Friday Talking Points [45] -- Lessons Democrats Should Learn From Obama's Speech

| Posted 08.29.2008 | Politics
Read More: Gets It, Ninety Percent, Speech, Experience, Judgment, Cheney, Football Stadium, Maverick, Campaign, Denver, Give 'Em Heck Harry, Bush, Personal Responsibility, Out of Touch, Nation of Whiners, Change, Defense, Doesn't Get It, 2008, Details, Midotw, I Love This Country, Old, Drilling, Phil Gramm, Katrina, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, 2008 Campaign, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Country First, Pre-Existing Condition, Celebrity, We All Put Our Country First, Health Care, Mental Recession, Eight Is Enough, Uninsurable, Democratic Convention, John McCain, Democratic National Convention, Hope, Optimism, Backbone, 2008 Elections, 08, Acceptance Speech, 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Election, 08 Election, Stadium, Acceptance, Stand Up, Elections, Patriotism, Access, 08 Campaign, Mddotw, Convention, 2008 Presidential Race, Oil, Harry Reid, Incompetence, Politics News

I know that just about the entire blogosphere is talking about John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin (who?) for his running mate, but I, for one, refuse t...

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