I was speaking with a colleague recently and asked him about the parallels between Obama and Kennedy.

The similarities are startling.

In 1960 Kennedy’s campaign staff knew that John F. Kennedy would defeat Richard Nixon, and it was confirmed just before their first televised debate – a debate where Nixon looked old and tired, offering the same tired solutions. Sound familiar?

The then Senator Kennedy, a Democrat, was a fresh face from Massachusetts, much like Obama from Illinois. Eventually, Kennedy’s solid performance in the debate boosted his standing in the polls. Moreover, the image of Kennedy we see is considered to be one of the most dynamic images in U.S. presidential history. Nixon, conversely, looked terrible during the debate. Nixon’s appearance cost him votes that night, despite a solid intellectual performance. Separate surveys later demonstrated this. Among those voters polled who watched the debate on television, a majority thought Kennedy won the debate. However, among those voters polled who listened to the debate on radio, a majority thought Nixon won the debate. The key here, as was the case with Obama and McCain, was that separation was achieved in the minds of the American people in favor of the younger, fresher, more appealing Democrat.

The question to ask now is whether or not President-elect Barack Obama is on the same political road as Kennedy. It may be too soon to tell, but the beginnings of a big change in American politics, and in public policy, seems afoot.

Obama attracted new voters in large numbers, primarily African-Americans and young voters ages 18-21. He also attracted young couples and young, urban professionals that became a twenty year base for the Democratic party.

Some elements of the answer are even more apparent: his high-toned oratory, his promises of reconciliation in a divisive time, a background in community organizing that suggests both idealism and a talent for problem-solving. When answering the charge that the Illinois senator lacks the record of achievement befitting a White House aspirant, Obama’s backers often stack him next to JFK. Obama is 44, they note, older than JFK was when he ran. Skeptics derided JFK, as they now do Obama, as callow and ill-versed in substantive issues. And yet Obama, similar to JFK, manages to inspire people with sex appeal, cerebral cool headedness, and a message of generational change. Maybe the most important aspect of Kennedy mirrored in Obama may be the way that JFK handled his Catholicism. In the 1960 campaign, Kennedy turned his religion from a liability into an asset. Obama did the same thing with his race.

We can only hope their presidencies don’t end the same way.

Former, easygoing, Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee has referred to Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin, as a, ”cocky wacko,” during comments to a Washington think tank.

I couldn’t agree more.

Chafee claims that Palin’s mere nomination and recent foolish comments have energized Obama backers. ”People were coming into my office, phone calls were flooding in, e-mails were coming in, ‘I just sent money to Obama, I couldn’t sleep last night’ — from the left. To see this cocky wacko up there,” he said.

Chafee has come out and said what most on the left are already thinking, and that is that Palin, a fundamentalist Christian, social Conservative, harbors positions that are downright dangerous. These positions include:

- Choose life, even if her own daughter were raped. (Nov 2006)

- Ok to deny benefits to homosexual couples. (Aug 2006)

- No spousal benefits for same-sex couples. (Jul 2006) 

- Wants exit plan; also assurances to keep our troops safe. (Mar 2007)

- We don’t know what the plan is to ever end the war. (Aug 2008)

- Focus on fighting Al-Qaeda terrorists, not on reading rights. (Sep 2008)

- “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?” –Sarah Palin, interview with CNBC’s “Kudlow & Co”, July 2008

- “Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending soldiers out on a task that is from God. That’s what we have to make sure that we’re praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God’s plan.” –Sarah Pailn, on the Iraq war, speaking to students at the Wasilla Assembly of God, June 2008

- God made dinosaurs 4,000 years ago as ultimately flawed creatures, lizards of Satan really, so when they died and became petroleum products we, made in his perfect image, could use them in our pickup trucks, snow machines and fishing boats.”

I think it was a bit longer than 4000 years ago…the Egyptians were not riding dinosaurs last time I checked. Oh! That’s right! Sarah is a Christian fundamentalist, so that means the world is only four thousand years old. I’m so silly…

And then there’s the comment on her willingness to go to war with Russia during an interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC…When asked by Gibson if under the NATO treaty, the U.S. would have to go to war if Russia again invaded Georgia, Palin responded: “Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.

“And we’ve got to keep an eye on Russia. For Russia to have exerted such pressure in terms of invading a smaller democratic country, unprovoked, is unacceptable…”

Wow.

So let’s sum up shall we.

An ex-prom queen who was a CEO for ten minutes, and governor of a state that no one talks about…ever…is one McCain ‘old man illness’ or death, away from the presidency. She has no concept of history, can’t define the duties of her potential job, is anti-gay, anti-civil rights, a bible thumping Christian fundamentalist who puts God ahead of women, would in all likely hood re-kindle a Cold War with Russia…I think we can stop now. 

You know, I was a hiring manager once, and I have seen Sarah Palin a million times. She is much like every other under-qualified woman looking to get hooked up in a job that is way out of her league, who thinks cute library glasses and a well-made push-up bra, somehow compensate for a general lack of critical analysis skills, regarding the issues and a thin resume. It is what it is, plus she’s a nut.

If I wanted a nit-wit to be VP, I’d call Dan Quayle.

For me, experience isn’t the issue with Palin, intelligence is.

She’s walks like a bimbo, she talks like a bimbo, she utters bimbo-isms like her husband being the, “First dude…”, and we all know BIMBO=STUPID. Just because you’re easy to look at, doesn’t mean you can lead…sorry Sarah.

This is the best America can do? Geraldine Ferraro makes Sarah Palin look like a circus side-show turned MILF political election year gag reel.

It’s pathetic. I mean really. Is McCain desperate or what?

Moreover, the Republicans have once again managed to distract America from the real problem – that problem being John McCain. You don’t hear him squaking about no media coverage anymore do you? Of course not. If the media was paying attention and actually holding McCain to the fire, he’d still be 5+ points behind Obama. But, in typical fashion, the media is ga-ga over the Cosmo VP nominee.

Democrats need to re-focus on McCain for the next two months and let Palin implode. She has already started to. Hopefully her God given foolishness win win the day. 

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Sources: OnThe Issues.com

Read related article on CNN.com here…

Just a quick heads up…I’m back from my little vacation. There’s much to catch up on and I’ll be posting tomorrow all next week.

You may have noticed that posts have been a bit infrequent of late. I’m taking  a little vacation from the blog for a few weeks, as I ponder some changes. Comments in moderation will continue to be reviewed and posted, and I will replying to comments as well. See you in September…

Regards,

Matthew Podoba

Want to know how much power niche voters will have? Just watch this…

That about sums it up I think.

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The Arizona Highway Patrol discovered a pile of smoldering metal embedded in the side of a cliff (I told you this was a ‘Wile E. Coyote’ stunt…and I wasn’t joking.)

The wreckage was first thought to be an airplane crash, but it was in fact, a car. The type of car was unidentifiable at the scene. Later, investigators finally pieced together the cause.

An amateur rocket scientist, and I do mean amatuer, had gotten hold of a JATO unit (Jet Assisted Take Off), military rocket. These are used to give heavy military transport planes extra boost on short runways. He drove his 1967 Chevy Impala out into the desert, to a long stretch of road. He proceeded to attach the JATO unit to the car, and fire it. 

The results were unsuccesful for the driver.

It was determined that the driver ignited the JATO approximately 3.0 miles from the crash site. The distance calculated by the scorched and melted asphalt at that location.

The JATO, reached maximum thrust within 5 seconds, and a top speed of 350 mph, for a duration of 25 seconds. The driver, along for the ride and probably mercifully unconscious when the car hit the cliff in mid air, could only be identified by some scraps of hair and teeth recovered at the crash site.

The automobile did manage to stay on the straight highway for about 2.5 miles before becoming airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff at a height of 125 feet.

Wile E. Coyote would be proud.

Read the full article at SlapHappyNews.com

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Afternoon talk show host Ellen DeGeneres married her life partner, actress Portia de Rossi, at their home in Los Angeles this past Saturday. 

DeGeneres, 50, and de Rossi, 35, exchanged their own vowes at  small ceremony, after dating for about four years. During that time they have been open about their relationship.

DeGeneres announced her plans to marry de Rossi, on her daytime talk show in May after California’s Supreme Court overturned a state ban on same-sex marriage.

If you remember, it was DeGeneres who broke the ‘gay’ T.V. barrier in 1997 when her television character came out of the closet on her sitcom “Ellen.” Afterward, she disappeared for a bit from T.V., but has resurrected her career.

I say good for her, as this is more proof that love cannot be simply legislated away. People who think homosexuality is a conscious lifestyle choice made to impress people, are wrong-headed. In Ellen’s case, she is finally able to express here love for here mate, and vice-versa, the way all other people who are in love, choose to express it…through marriage. 

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Here’s our President attending the games in China!

Oops.

Your ‘right’, their ‘left’ sir! Your ‘right’, their…never mind.

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This post is re-printed from the ‘Top Stories Forum’ on Topix. We have only re-produced a snippet here. If you want to read all four parts (and I reccomend you do), follow this link.

Why I’m no longer a Christian, Part One

I was raised from my infancy by deeply religious people, surrounded by a family full of Baptist preachers, deacons and missionaries. I myself was baptized, as well as I can recall, at about the age of ten.

I can remember being struck by the fact that everyone around me at the time – and I do mean everyone – kept telling me that what I had just experienced was the most important event of my life, and that everything else I would ever do would shrink to insignificance alongside it. I was receiving the power of the Lord. It was a special time for me.

Well, I enjoyed all the attention, as any kid would, but I remember wondering: Why don’t I feel any different, myself? I thought about my attitudes, my perceptions, the circumstances of my life, and I couldn’t think of a single thing that was any different, now that I was one with Jesus. No matter how hard I tried to find something new and meaningful, there was nothing. It was a hollow, empty, and lonely sensation, and surprisingly so. It was not what I had expected at all.

I concluded after a time that I must not be doing something right. Everyone around me seemed so confident and secure in their faith and mine so tenuous in comparison, I felt left out. The shortcoming, I decided, must be mine. I must be missing something.

I resolved to try harder. I devoted myself to Bible study and prayer. I sensed that everyone around me would be horrified if I were to express any of these reservations I was feeling, so I kept them to myself. I suppressed them, and did my best to forget them altogether.

The years went by and I attended services regularly but somehow I never quite shook the uneasy sense, in the back of my mind, that I had never truly felt the presence of a transcendent being – Jesus, God, or anyone at all.

I remained outwardly compliant, but inwardly I began to feel isolated and as much as I tried to banish this feeling, it persisted. As I reached adulthood it intensified until I became aware that, despite my best efforts, it was not going to go way. More troubling still was the bulk of doubts I began to feel about matters of doctrine. I began to doubt, among many other things, the true value of grace.

Visit Topix at this link to read the rest…

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