Taegan Goodard poses an intriguing issue that should interest readers and writers of this blog alike.
Sen. John McCain has already shown his ignorance of the Internet, but this morning at the Personal Democracy Forum conference, Mark Soohoo, speaking on behalf of the the Arizona senator's Internet team, was asked whether McCain even uses a computer.
His response: "You don't need to use a computer to know how it shapes the country."
The admission that McCain doesn't use a computer is startling. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush took a beating for not knowing the price of milk as the country slipped into a recession. It's hard to imagine anyone in 2008 electing a president who doesn't know much about a fundamental building block of the modern economy.
My main issue with this is that so much information travels through computers and is organized in computers. If I'm not on vacation, I have to have a computer with internet access with me each day -- besides my cell phone, it's the number one way others contact me. Papers I read are now often easily transferred through the computer -- it's quicker and environmentally friendlier.
Perhaps we can take a president that doesn't use the computer. But wouldn't it be odd if the country is run with less efficient equipment than this citizen blog here?
Assuming you want your president to be able to use a computer, should we ask the same of lower positions in government? Governor, senator? What positions of government, in the world of 2008, need to utilize the advantages of the computer?
There was also the Rasmussen poll that shows Clinton leading 54-38.
But there was also the American Research Group poll, and this one showed something different. With a two day survey of 600 likely voters, the poll actually shows Obama leading the state 48-42.
Well that's interesting.
And now the subgroup reports from ARG:
Hillary Clinton leads Barack Obama among self-described Democrats 47% to 42%. Obama leads Clinton among self-described independents and Republicans 24% to 71%. Obama leads among men 55% to 29% (47% of likely Democratic primary voters) and Clinton leads among women 54% to 42%. Clinton leads Obama among white voters 51% to 40% (53% of likely Democratic primary voters), Obama leads Clinton among African American voters 76% to 17% (22% of likely Democratic primary voters), and Clinton leads Obama among Latino voters 44% to 42%.
Why is Rupert Murdock financing Hillary Clinton? Here is what is written about Murdock’s involvement in American politics on Wikipedia,
In the US he has been a long-time supporter of the Republican Party and was a friend of Ronald Reagan. Regarding Pat Robertson's 1988 presidential bid, he said, "He's right on all the issues." Many Christian conservatives were dismayed when Robertson sold his television network to Murdoch. Murdoch's papers strongly supported George W. Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.[citation needed]
Murdoch's publications worldwide tend to adopt conservative views. During the buildup to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, all 175 Murdoch-owned newspapers worldwide editorialized in favor of the war.[19] Murdoch also served on the board of directors of the libertarian Cato Institute. News Corp-owned Fox News is often criticized for a strong conservative and anti-liberal bias.
On May 8, 2006, the Financial Times[1] reported that Murdoch would be hosting a fundraiser for Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-New York) Senate reelection campaign. Murdoch's New York Post newspaper opposed Clinton's Senate run in 2000.
If you think that Murdoch has had a radical conversion in his political views, just tune in to Fox News and take a look. No, clearly Murdoch is funding the Democrat that he knows will allow Fox News to most viciously attack in killing any hopes for a Democratic Presidency. Sadly, most Democrats are unwilling to take a critical look at the very billionaire media mogul that they love to lambaste with platitudes of indignation.
My cursory look at Clinton’s most recent FEC report (http://query.nictusa...) of July 15 revealed massive corporate donations, but most striking were those from Murdoch owned companies. I do not have a full list of Murdoch owned companies, but counting only those companies that I know to be owned by him, I added up over eighty-nine thousand dollars in contributions.
It seems that most Democrats are oblivious to the fact that decision about our candidates are not just being made by major corporations, but by major corporations who are looking to make profit by ridiculing us. Rest assured that neither Clinton nor the DLC are so clueless.
(A few thoughts on the Republicans... many of which don't want to come to the Texas Republican Straw Poll. - promoted by Matt Glazer)
Things could not be shaping up more nicely for the Democrats in the 2008 Presidential race. The top tier candidates are all fatally flawed and the sole candidate who could actually cause us problems has failed to connect with anyone... beyond those few who have actually met him!
It isn't a new dance, its what happens when you go from GOP presidential nomination front-runner to being unable to raise competitive money in the second quarter. MSNBC is reporting that McCain's campaign manager Terry Nelson and his chief strategist John Weaver have both stepped down. MSNBC has the AP wire report.
Clinton and Richardson seem to be the ones with the most to brag about this month. Clinton has seen a 6 point jump in the past month in statewide support bringing her to 40%. Richardson has moved solidly into the 2nd tier with 9%, which is only 4 points behind Edwards, and 6 behind Obama.
Clearly Clinton is close to her ceiling in Texas. 73% have said they are definite in their support for Clinton and not shopping other candidates. This reaffirms the speculation that Clinton is a dramatic and polarizing figure. Compare that to Obama where only 29% are definitely supporting the Senator from Illinois.
Obama’s soft support has to bode best for Edwards who has Texas infrastructure and money to play. However, people are still learning about Richardson and his bio and proximity to Texas could begin to chip away at Hillary’s huge Latino support the same way Obama cut out her overwhelming African American support.
The monthly debates will only hurt Hillary and help the other candidates, but it's clear that Hillary’s support will never dip below 35%. Remember the primary isn’t an all or nothing contest like the general election. Any candidate that gets over 10% of the vote will get delegates to the national convention, and right now that means Clinton, Obama, Edwards, and possibly Richardson could all walk away with some Denver Delegates.
Click here for the full results. Click here for analysis from IVR Polls.
Bill Richardson has repeatedly described himself as the most moderate of all the Democratic presidential candidates:
He stood at the center of "Spin Alley" -- a room given over to candidates and their chosen mouthpieces for hours of post-debate "analysis." And Richardson was analyzing away.
"I came out as the most moderate candidate with the clearest position on Iraq," Richardson insisted as he took a slug from a bottle of water. "I'm a different kind of Democrat."
Richardson was working overtime -- hence the sweat -- to sell that message, a pitch he had struggled to make during the 90-minute debate, where he often looked uncomfortable on stage and failed to distinguish himself from the other "second-tier" candidates.
For Richardson, Spin Alley offered a second bite at the apple, a unique opportunity to change conventional wisdom before it hardened.
"I am not a rock star, but I've got a solid record," he said. "I have got serious experience. I get things done."
Richardson is a former congressman, an ambassador to the United Nations and Secretary of Energy under President Clinton. A staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, he said he believes he is the party's moderate candidate.
Moving from foreign policy Richardson struck a theme of being "practical, pragmatic, and patriotic." He struck that chord frequently and often. He noted numerous times that he was a pro-business moderate Democrat who was running in the center and would not be swayed. He said he will not be liberalized by Iowa or New Hampshire...
