New Century Politics

Seamless Compassion -- Its Catching On

2009-02-10T07:20:00.003-05:00

So what do we do in this current economic environment? Hide for cover and wait for the government to bail us out? Well that's one path, but how about taking the higher path and reaching out to your fellow Americans and helping out? This is the idea behind Seamless Compassion. Seamless Compassion can help Americans get the help they need.

Seamless Compassion is an organization which helps distressed people get registered for the benefits they so desperately need. Their online, fully automated registration and application tool allows people to outreach into their communities and help get people signed up for food stamps and other critical programs. There has been a 20% increase in food stamp applications over the last 18 months as more and more Americans lose their jobs -- a jobless rate which has climbed to over 9%! Their goal is to improve access to all benefit programs through the use of technology.

Why are Food Stamps so effective? Well think about it -- it directly provides access to food for people who may be having trouble affording it. And on top of that, it pumps economic activity into the local economy. More food is consumed, which leads to producers producing it. These producers employ people and use machines and buy raw materials -- all of it increases economic activity! And if you didn't know, the "food stamps" program is now called SNAP -- the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

To find out more about Seamless Compassion and how you can participate in the process, visit Seamless Compassion online at www.seamlesscompassion.com.

Where's My 2009 Stimulus Check?

2009-02-09T22:07:00.002-05:00

Will the $838 billion U.S. economic stimulus plan include any sort of stimulus checks being mailed to U.S. taxpayers? Well it doesn't look like it! Why not? Well it seems like the last stimulus check didn't really have an effect on the economy. Well maybe it had an effect on the Chinese economy but not the U.S. one. Instead it looks like the stimulus package will provide a tax credit to people -- one that will appear on their 2009 tax return. That's a long way off so what's the point? Well if the tax credit also helps businesses reduce their payroll tax exposure, then maybe businesses will be more inclined to hire more people.

WhiteHouse.gov

2009-02-09T22:06:00.001-05:00

Have you visited the newly redesigned WhiteHouse.gov? Its gotten a makeover with the new administration -- it sorta has the same feel as Change.gov (then President-elect Obama's transitional site) and the Senator's Presidential campaign site before that. Its all part of the Obama branding campaign -- the presidency as a brand!

Document of the Day: President Nixon's Resignation

2009-02-09T21:35:00.002-05:00

Check out this amazing document from America's history -- President Richard M. Nixon's August 9, 1974 letter of resignation to Secretary of State Kissinger.

Just remember -- President Nixon was not impeached -- he resigned before it could be done.

What Will Hillary Do First?

2009-02-09T21:29:00.002-05:00

Its been a few weeks since Hillary Clinton has been the U.S. Secretary of State. Have you heard about anything she's done? Speak about the Israel / Palestine war? North Korea? I haven't heard anything out from her office so far -- have you? Well lets give he a full 100 days before we get on her case. Maybe the President is holding her back for the moment, while he works on the Stimulus package (but why?)

Don't Roberts Me, Chief!

2009-02-09T21:19:00.001-05:00

Lets see how the after math of the oath of office at the inauguration will play out between the White House and the Supreme Court. I'm positive that Chief Justice Roberts did not try to trip up the President on purpose -- it was an honest mistake, but it did start off the relationship between the Supreme Court and President Obama on a funny foot. How many Supreme Court Justices do you think President Obama will be able to appoint in his first 4 years?

The First Trip on Air Force One for 44

2009-02-09T21:12:00.002-05:00

A few days ago, President Obama took his first official ride on Air Force One. He got to wear his new flight jacket and even bumped his head while boarding Marine One (the helicopter). His first flight was a 31-minute jaunt from Washington, en route to a Democratic off-site meeting. Check out these two great photos from the White House about this special first trip.

Taking the Stimulus on the Road

2009-02-09T20:58:00.003-05:00

President Obama has been taking his stimulus package plans on the road with a series of town hall style meetings about the stimulus package.

In a town hall meeting today, President Obama said that "only government" can get us out of this dire economic issue. "It is absolutely true that we can't depend on government alone to create jobs or economic growth," the President said. "But at this particular moment, with the private sector so weakened by this recession, the federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life. It is only government that can break the vicious cycle where lost jobs lead to people spending less money which leads to even more layoffs."

The matter at hand is the $838 billion stimulus package current under approval in the Senate. Let's see if it passes this week.

Gwinnett County Voting Report 2008

2008-11-05T23:16:00.002-05:00

I voted this morning in the U.S. election, November 4, 2008. I arrived at my polling station (New Prospect UMC at 2018 Buford Dam Road in Buford, Georgia) at 6:15 am, 45 minutes before polls opened, and was met by about 150 people in line in front of me. By 7:00 am the line was about 400 people long. The line moved quickly once the polls opened and I was finished voting by 8:00 am. There were roughly 15 voting machines operating in the polling place. The longest line was for the checking of credentials and receiving your voting machine access card. Happy Voting.

For help finding your polling place in Georgia next time around, use the Georgia Secretary of State Poll Locator. Its easy!

Why Text Messages Are Better Than Robo-Calls

2008-11-03T22:33:00.000-05:00

There is an interesting article out today from Slate Magazine online. It asks the question why people are more peeved by Robo-calls than they are from Text Messages. John McCain has seen using extensively the robo-call, where a machine automatically dials a number and delivers a pre-recorded message. Barack Obama, on the other hand, has been using text messages to people to solicit money and ask for their vote. Why are robo-calls worse than text messages?

The article has this to offer:
"On the surface, these texts don't seem that different from robo-calls—they're both automated messages and both easy to ignore. But for reasons that aren't completely understood, text messaging is different: We pay attention to short messages that pop up on our phones."

The real reason I think is that text messages from real people are the same as text messages from computers. You can "never interrupt" a text message and try to interject. A phone call, on the other hand, your inclination is to "talk back" to and have a conversation. You just can't do that with a robo-call and I think that's the main problem. What are your thoughts?

Obama's Ad Spending

2008-10-24T21:29:00.000-04:00

How does the Barack Obama campaign spend its nearly $600,000,000 it has raised? On a lot of things, but the biggest expenses have been on TV, radio, and Internet ads. Here are numbers:

In August, the campaign spent $32 million
In September, the campaign spent $65 million
In October, it is estimated they will spend $120 million

With over $150 million raised by the campaign in the last month alone, they sure have the ability to spend like this.

Governor Sarah Palin

2008-10-16T21:46:00.001-04:00

Try to watch this and keep a straight face... I mean, not wince or laugh:

The Axis of Evil Shrinks

2008-10-12T19:43:00.002-04:00

Did you hear the news this weekend? The Bush Administration has removed North Korea from the Axis of Evil slash State Sponsors of Terrorism List. The news was announced by Sean McCormack, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department on Saturday. The decision was made after North Korea agreed to resume disabling one of their key plutonium plants. North Korea also agreed to permit inspections to verify that it has stopped its nuclear program.

The Last 100 Days of GWB

2008-10-12T19:34:00.003-04:00

Today, October 12, 2008, marks the start of U.S. President George W. Bush's last one hundred days in the White House. What will he try to accomplish in this last 100 days? Some presidents go for "Peace in the Middle East" while others start to shore up their pardons. Will President Bush pardon Scooter Libby (as I predicted)? As MSNBC puts it, he will spend a large part of his time on the financial crisis. "His final act will be overseeing the $700 billion buyout of devalued assets from banks". What will his legacy be? Of course the "Bush Doctrine" is a big part. How about the fact that under Bush the "national debt that has soared from less than $6 trillion when he took office to more than $10 trillion now". Discuss.

Right to Center, Center to Left

2008-08-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

Now that the U.S. Presidential Primaries are in the bag for Obama and McCain, its time for them to start "shifting" around their parties. What does that mean?
Well usually during primary season, the candidates either try to move to the extreme of their party base (to the extreme) or the center (towards the independents) to earn votes. Obama went left to liberal liberals while McCain went central to independents. Now that both won their party's nomination, the shift is on.

Obama is now moving towards the center to appeal to independents in the general election, after securing his party's faithful. McCain, on the other hand, probably won his nomination from more central Republicans and independents who could vote. Now McCain must "shore up" his party faithful (conservative Republicans) to gather strength for the general election.

Aren't American Politics Grand?

President Obama's 2012 Opponent?

2008-07-24T23:22:00.002-04:00

Do you remember the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention? Yup, that's where Barack Obama made his national introduction as the future of the Democratic Party. Well, 2008 may be the time where Governor Bobby Jindal may make his face known as the future of the Republican Party. Word on the street is that Jindal will make a key address during the upcoming Republican Convention, perhaps setting him up as the 2012 nominee. Jindal is the second Asian American governor in U.S. history, and the first elected Indian American governor in U.S. history. Watch out -- here comes the future!

What Were They Thinking?

2008-07-14T17:33:00.003-04:00

What exactly was the New York Times thinking when they decided on this cover illustration for the upcoming July 21st issue:

If its not already been distributed, then I hope this public's outcry today will make them decide against it. I mean, what were they thinking! Sure they wanted to poke fun of the rumors and stereotypes against Obama, but to put this image on the cover of a national magazine, is totally irresponsible.

Fight The Smears.com

2008-06-24T22:42:00.000-04:00

Have you heard about Senator Barack Obama's new plan to deal with the rumor mill? Confront it head on! Check out his new website fightthesmears.com

Here's some rumors put to rest:

Michelle Obama Says “Whitey” On a Tape

Barack Obama is a Muslim

Barack Obama Won't Say The Pledge of Allegiance/Won't Put His Hand Over His Heart

Patriotic Colors, Patriotic Costumes

2008-06-23T22:17:00.003-04:00

Are you ready for the 4th of July? It is going to be a big bash this year. Landing on a Friday, we are going to all have a long weekend to celebrate our country's independence! Why not show off your patriotism with a costume from BuyCostumes.com. They have a great selection of all types of costumes including of course July 4th costumes. Here's one of my favorite here:

Pretty cool, right? Yeah, I might just go for it! Why not! Well if I get this costume, then I will have to get my wife this one in return:

If you are not brave enough to wear a costume this 4th of July, then at least you can dress up your pooch in the stars and strips. BuyCostumes.com has not only adult costumes but also kid costumes and pet costumes. They are the number 1 e-tailer of costumes and costume accessories on the web. Shop now with confidence thanks to their 110% Price Guarantee -- what is it? Well if you buy a costume from them and find a lower price on a US website within 14 days, they will refund you 110% percent of the price difference. That means you end up paying even less than the lowest price you can find!

Honoring Military Travelers

2008-06-13T22:20:00.001-04:00

I was recently on a business trip flying Continental Airlines on the outbound and Delta on the inbound. Each leg had a touching moment with regards to our U.S. Service Men and Women that I'd like to share.

On the Continental leg, uniformed military personnel were invited to board the plan along with the first/business class passengers and families with small children (and the elderly). Nothing too out of the way but a nice gesture considering the gate terminal was packed with people wanting to board.

On the Delta leg, I saw another act of respect. A soldier was boarding right ahead of me. As we passed business class, a fellow traveler unexpectedly offered his business class seat to the soldier. The soldier tried to decline but the man insisted. The soldier graciously accepted. A touching act of respect and thankfulness.

The March to 538

2008-05-15T19:09:00.002-04:00

With Barack Obama all but securing the Democratic Nomination, the focus of the 2008 Presidential Election will turn to the General Election. With it will come countless polls, news articles, and, of course, guesses on how many Electoral College votes McCain or Obama will get. Remember, to win the U.S. Presidency, a candidate must win a majority of the Electoral College votes to win the White House.

Until now, it has been difficult to play along in this fun guessing game. Keeping track of Electors on a state-by-state basis is not fun and difficult without a spreadsheet. Luckily for you, me and any other politics lover, there is a new site called PredictNovember.com. It's free and fun, letting you make your electoral college prediction by clicking states on a map. Track your predictions, share with friends, or even embed your prediction on your blog or website. Here's my first guess:

Obama's New Democratic Party

2008-05-14T23:36:00.002-04:00

Here's a crazy scenario that I heard about. It's a long shot and I don't think it will get to this point, but here it is for your pondering:

DNC Gives Hillary Clinton the Nomination Over Obama

What if even though Obama has won the popular vote and has more won delegates but the DNC still decides to push the nomination to Clinton? Its possible if enough Super Delegates are swayed. Why would the DNC deny the first Black Candidate of the Party? They wouldn't, but this is just a thought experiment.

OK, let's say it happens. Then what? An outraged (rightly so) Obama could break off from the Democratic Party and start a "New Democratic Party". A schism in the DNC would create a new party and perhaps bring them the first President. Would either "Democrat" have enough votes to beat a (unified) Republican Party? Probably not, but I don't think Obama should or would accept the slap in the face and let it pass.

Who is McCain's VP?

2008-02-17T20:16:00.003-05:00

It's only a matter of time before John McCain clinches the Repuiblican nominee for President, so who will be his VP? I previously have written that I think it will be a Guliani / Romney ticket, but now that's certainly not going to happen. So who will it be? It came to me in a dream last night! Has anyone else written about it yet? What do you think about:

Retired General Colin Luther Powell!

The 65th United States Secretary of State, many thought Powell might make a run of the Presidency back in 2000. He also has been the National Security Advisor under Reagan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Can Either Democrat Win Before the Convention?

2008-02-15T23:47:00.002-05:00

While the Republican race is pretty much over with John McCain well in the lead and his main competitors out (Sorry Huckabee... you will make a nice VP candidate), the Democratic race is hot, hot, hot. There is a very real chance that neither Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will have the necessary amount of delegates to cinch the nomination before the convention. What could that mean for the party? Will it be a unifying event? A coronation? A fight? Will the attention give the eventual nominee a huge boost going into the general?

How Much Money?

2008-02-06T23:39:00.000-05:00

How much money can Barack Obama raise? He is really on a tear. After reporting a $32 million dollar month (January 2008), reports out today are that Obama in on pace for another $30 million plus month in February. Check out the article at Politico.com. The article also goes on to state that only 3% of Obama donors have given the Federal maximum. It is shown to be a good thing, but I'm not too sure. Many of those donors probably cannot give any more money. Hitting them up for more donations could lead to less than stellar results. I know that if I had already given, I wouldn't necessarily be able to give more. It's a misleading statistic. Let's see what the future brings for Obama and Clinton.