The Observation Deck

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/04/ ... index.html

So what do we do if neither candidate has enough delegates to clinch the nomination but Obama has slightly more than Clinton, but Clinton won the overall popular vote by number of overall votes?

I just have a bad feeling about this convention and I feel bad for the position the Democrats are going to most likely be in.

I'm available !!!!

Clinton and Obama sparred on who is blaming NAFTA for America's post-industrial woes more.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080306/pl ... ediplomacy

The U.S. was the 800 pound gorilla when it came to passing NAFTA and setting the terms of NAFTA. The Clintons were running the white house and the neo-conservatives were running congress at that time.

journalists are worried how this will affect our relationship with Canada. not very much. Canada isn't a tax haven for U.S. billionaires and giant corporations. Labor costs and skilled labor costs are pretty much the same in Canada as they are here. Environmental standards are about the same or higher there.

the Obama phenom is starting to show signs of weakness. The Reznik (sp) case in Chicago will haunt him thru the summer. If you read anything about his time in the Illinois Senate he did not take a position on many issues and when it came time for his US Senate run many community activists did not support him. The only way he became a Illinois senator was by challanging the validity of his opponent's petitions. He won the US Senate because his republican opponent was involved in a sex scandal in which he did not have sex. and most recently he failed in his tet-da-tet with John McCain over Al Queda in Iraq and had his chief economic advisor meet with Canada and assuage them on NAFTA while criticisizing Clinton for her husband's support of the agreement.

It should be an interesting spring

we haven't lost industrial jobs to Canada.

Al Queda wasn't a presence in Iraq until well after the American occupation.

Obama's main weakness is that he was a lawyer. but so was Abraham Lincoln.

Before becoming a politician John McCain flew jet airplanes. He crashed his planes two or three times before going to Viet Nam. he dropped bombs on Viet Nam. That is ok. he only bombed the Vietnamese who did not want to be Americans.

Obama's campaign is at a teetering point but it isn't a weakness unless perceived as such. He has taken time to spar with words with Clinton but for the most part avoided the dirty pool that Clinton is playing. As per usual, the Democrats eat their own. While McCain might be sad to be out of the spot light for 5 months or so maybe he is thinking it is nice to be out of it while Clinton and Obama tear into each other and give the Republicans a free in on how to pick apart either person's campaign. I hope Obama stays positive, responding a bit to criticism but sticking on with what worked prior to Ohio. He didn't LOSE as much as win less delegates. It wasn't a blow out, even in Ohio where he lost but a couple point vs. the nearly 10 he was predicted to lose by when pundits had their say.

Phil Florian wrote:It wasn't a blow out, even in Ohio where he lost but a couple point vs. the nearly 10 he was predicted to lose by when pundits had their say.

He did lose by 10 points in Ohio. It was 54 - 44.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primar ... /state/#OH

I find the whole thing deeply, deeply deeply depressing.
Hillary IS a monster.

WHY IN GOD'S NAME DO PEOPLE WANT THIS COUPLE BACK IN OUR NATIONAL LIVES?????????????????????????????????????????????

Bryan Schwegler wrote:

Phil Florian wrote:It wasn't a blow out, even in Ohio where he lost but a couple point vs. the nearly 10 he was predicted to lose by when pundits had their say.

He did lose by 10 points in Ohio. It was 54 - 44.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primar ... /state/#OH

Whoa...I had only seen some numbers day one after the primaries. Thought it was closer. Thanks!

Mark Moran wrote:WHY IN GOD'S NAME DO PEOPLE WANT THIS COUPLE BACK IN OUR NATIONAL LIVES?????????????????????????????????????????????

A person I heard speaking about this earlier this week said, "Hey, I did pretty well in the '90s. Who wouldn't want to relive those years?" Tough logic to defeat when considering the last 7 years. Still, I want Obama in the White House.

Everyone can have their opinion, that's great but I think you need to look at issues not personalities. I don't see where Obama has the policies or expertise to deal with the middle east tensions, poverty and dictators in Africa, South America povery and development, etc. Nor do I see that any of his econimic policies will help the country and his health care plan misses coverage for millions. Clinton might not be the most personable candidate - but she knows how to fight and how to accomplish things. In eight years Obama may be the perfect candidate

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/houstoned ... _and_m.php

The Clintons didn't have any of this vaunted experience going in the first time. They arrived in a lucky time. the personal computer and internet age was just opening up. gasoline was often less than a buck a gallon. everybody was making money programming web pages and setting up networks. the feds were pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into getting schools hooked up with computer networks. the stock market was bubbling up and everyone had credit cards to buy new gear. millions of smart people were refinancing their mortgages at higher appraised values and investing the equity in more real estate or internet stocks.

America's lack of success in nation building and diplomacy says a mouthful. Here's what Michael Scheuer has to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Scheuer

Barack Obama: He can't do any worse!

All we have to do in the Middle East is pretty much what we did for either side in the Cyprus civil war: not much of anything.

David, one can't argue that the experience on the Bush Administration team is as long and distinguished as can be but that hasn't been a boon to this country. It was the old school war hawks who have been in government for decades that put us in a war (two, really) we don't need to be in and are threatening to get us into a third (McCain jokingly singing "bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran" to the Beach Boys isn't encouraging).

A better question would be does he have leadership potential? He has inspired a new generation and even the current ones to get involved and think positive about this country for the first time in a while. That isn't a small thing. He isn't going to be the only person making decisions. Like Bush and Clinton before him, he will pull together a team of advisors to help deal with the world and the homeland. Maybe his team will be filled with people to make up the experience gap that folks feel is needed. Maybe it will even be with people he doesn't agree with all the time. Lincoln did it, if I recall, creating a Cabinet of advisors who told him things he didn't always want to hear. Maybe Obama will do the same.

Bush certainly didn't. I am not sure the new Clinton will, either. These cults of personality have a hard time being on the wrong side of things so it is easier to have people to nod their head than to challenge them. We won't know this level of planning until their is a final candidate where Obama or Clinton can put forward their specific ideas for VP, Cabinet, etc. This is where I am really curious.

Phil

did you read the article I linked to ?

Obama was ineffective for 6 years in the Illinois senate.
Obama has run for a higher officer every three years
Obama did what was needed to make sure he no opponents in elections
Obama was not well liked in his own district until he made the speech at the 2004 convention
In my opinion, he is an opportunist.

He is a great orator and makes people feel good. Joel Osteen gets people to contribute to his church and buy his wife expensive gifts based upon his oratory skills and ability to push emotions. I see Obama as a secular Osteen

I feel that Obama has the experience and arrogance of George Bush and don't think that is good for the country.

I am not a Hillary Clinton booster. I just believe she is more cabable at leading this country where we need to go.