Would the Media kindly butt out of this race

It's become more than a little disconcerting that over the last few weeks, Media folk who ought to know better, and aren't supposed to have an interest beyond informing the public, have taken it upon themselves to declare the democratic presidential primary race as a fate complete, while urging Senator Clinton to pack up her campaign and return to the Senate because they've determined she can't win the party's nomination.

The last time I checked, Barack Obama also has no path to win the required pledged delegate total from the primary contests, so why is it only Hillary Clinton must move out of the way? The simple answer is Media bias. As long as this race continues, it prevents these same folks from annoiting the victor with whom they've fallen in love and wish desperately to crown. And to that I say, too bad! Annoiting isn't your job!

There remain 10 states and territories waiting to cast ballots in this historic contest. Do these millions of people not have the right to vote? In the interim, perhaps the Media ought to get back to doing its job like holding the DNC's feet to the fire about the votes not being counted in Florida and Michigan, and their delegations presently in limbo for convention purposes. This is voter disenfranchisement of the highest order. Willfully discarding votes is illegal and warrants far more scrutiny than tactic acceptance of the unacceptable.

At the end of the day, after all the votes have been cast, if Senator Obama wins all of the remaining contests, the consensus would be clear that he should be the nominee, however, if Senator Clinton runs the table from now until June, or ends up winning Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky, W.Virginia and Puerto Rico, with Obama scoring in the rest, the Super Delegates will have to chime in and decide which of the two really is the stronger general election candidate, and Florida and Michigan will have to factor into that equation, regardless of whether delegate seating has been resolved, because both of these states are necessary for the Democrats to succeed in November.

It's time the Media got back to doing its job. Cover the campaigns, encourage people to go out and vote and make sure our voices are heard after we've cast our ballots. It's OUR election to decide, not yours!

Could Pennsylvania be a Clinton Rout?

My former home, the Keystone State, doesn't vote for another month, but Pennsylvania is primed to seriously turn the tables in the fight for the 2008 Democratic nomination.

With Representative John Murtha's endorsement of Hillary Clinton, almost every major Democratic politician in the state is now behind the former First Lady, including PA's Governor and the Mayors of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Murtha's endorsement pretty much guarantees a substantial Clinton victory in Johnstown and the surrounding hamlets East of the Pittsburgh metro area.

Aside from the formidable machine of Governor Ed Rendell, the Mayors of the state's two largest cities will be key in turning out the Clinton vote in urban areas. With a marketedly lower than average african american popululation in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County looks strong for Hillary with even larger margins of support in the surrounding burbs.

With the City of Brotherly Love's african american population above 50%, Obama will win the city, but I believe the margin will be lower than in other urban areas as Hillary will have strong support in Center City, South Philly, the Delaware River wards and the Far Northeast.

The "T," comprising the Northeast/west corners of the state, running down the middle from State College to Lancaster is mostly Clinton country which really only leaves the 4 burbs outside of Philadelphia as a battleground, where Obama would have to run up seriously high numbers to be competitive with Clinton. And we can toss Chester County out of the equation. It's a very catholic, blue collar, more socially conservative burb than the others and will go heavily for Clinton.

Not even 2 weeks ago, my guess was Clinton would take Delaware County and split Bucks and Montco with Obama. Since the news events of the last week, I'm not at all sure Obama can win either. These two burbs are chock full of educated catholics, christian moderates and jews. Obama's years long association with the Reverend Wright spells trouble with jewish voters and, knowing my former state as I do, there's undoubtedly discomfort within the other groups.

John Murtha's endorsement of Hillary Clinton cannot be understated. Like Clinton, he voted for the war authorization and has since become one of the fiercest critics. Murtha's also close with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who appears to be supporting Obama, without unequivocally saying so, which makes this split of allegiance between two of the highest ranking House members fascinating.

With almost all major keys to Pennsylvania now locked up by Clinton, a rout in this November "must-win" state is not out of the realm of possibility.

Is Race the Most Important Issue of the 2008 Campaign

After living through the literal nightmare of the Bush/Cheney administration, and the massive problems which have ensued on their watch, it was my hope and, yes, my expectation that major issues, effecting all Americans would be at the forefront of the 2008 debate.

Instead, we have one of the two candidates left standing in the Democratic race addressing an issue today he was supposed to have transcended, because his real life actions spoke louder than his lyrical, uplifting words.

Barack Obama is an oratorical master, yet for the enormity of his gift, he has not yet spoken to me. As a partner in a bi-religious and bi-ethnic marriage and the mother of multi-ethnic children, who lives in one of the most diverse cities in the country, I've long ago moved on from race, religion and ethnicity simply because I've LIVED it! When all of this becomes a part of you, speeches are unnecessary to move forward. So much of the reason why millions across this country find Obama so uplifting is because, whether black or white, they haven't! When the rallies are over, the throngs file out and return to segregated neighborhoods, schools, workplaces and, hence, lives.

So we end up with the broad Media focusing on an issue which makes them feel good, or bad, because they know they are complicit in associating with or living with only those exactly like themselves, hence the moniker Media Elite.

Instead of demanding that the candidates get specific about Iraq, our debt, deficit,
the market meltdown and artificial propping up of financial markets on the backs of all citizens, imploding housing market, health insurance crisis, out of control inflation, stagnant and declining wages, non-stop loss of jobs, dependence on foreign oil, global warming and the soon to come medicare, medicaid and social security debacles, days and weeks and, really, months of this campaign have been spent on whether words are insulting, sinister and inflammatory.

Senator Obama was supposed to transcend all of this. Instead, because of his own actions in support and belief of a man who inflammed regularly, he has sunk right into the storyline.

We deserve better than this.

Wayward Uncle blows up for Obama

Before addressing the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, let's not draw comparisons of Wright's support of Obama with Reverends Hagee and Parsley's "endorsement" of John McCain. Though the words of the latter Ministers have certainly been objectionable to various groups and should be rejected, they do not "minister" to McCain and he's not a member of their respective churches. This is such a far cry from Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright, as a spiritual mentor, that any comparison is an afront to intellectual honesty.

When will an investigation be launched into the tax exempt status of Wright's Trinity United Church of Christ, which he's led for several decades? In the fiery clips of Wright's sermons aired repeatedly, he's obviously advocating for the candidacy of Barack Obama and repeatedly disparaging Hillary Clinton. On a personal level, Wright can certainly profess support for a given candidate, but he crossed the line repeatedly while preaching to his flock in support of a particular candidate.

Reverend Wright is correct to assert that Hillary Clinton does not know what it's like to be a black man in America, referred to as the "N" word. Wright's rage, however, completely ignores the reality of ALL women in America, regardless of color, religion or ethnicity, being referred to as a "bitch". I'll even go out on a limb and say with certainty that Hillary Clinton has heard the "b" word, directed squarely at her, inumerably more times in her life than Obama has personally endured the "N" word. Why can't we celebrate the remarkable lives of both the black man and the white woman, who have overcome so much to present this country with a historic choice?

If Wright wants to rail against rich Corporate America and how they've been given free reign to bankrupt our country, so be it and he'll have plenty of company, but to toss Hillary Clinton into the mix as rich, white and, therefore, a perpetrator of these evils is wrong, dishonest and, quite frankly a disgusting smear of her record over a lifetime of advocating for those less forturnate and, particularly in the black community.

I find it impossible that Obama, as a member of Wright's church for 20 years, never was onhand to hear any of the incendiary diatribe uttered in the clips we've been seeing repeatedly in the last few days. That certain persons are combing Wright's tapes at this very moment, in efforts to place the Obamas' at a sermon where such offensive remarks were spewed, is a given.

If the connection is made, it will obliterate Obama's message of a post racial candidacy, based on change we can believe in, and expose this talented man as the same old politician who distances himself only when a relationship becomes inconvenient.

At which point, the hissing of a deflating balloon will be unmistakeable.

The Lady is a Fighter

Say what they will about Hillary Rodham Clinton, but this is one tough lady. After a 3rd place showing in the Iowa Caucus, which might have been a fatal blow to any other candidate, especially one who was deemed inevitable for much of the previous year, she roared back to win the New Hampshire Primary.

And after being clobbered in the "first in the South primary," she turns it around again and splits with the now annoited one, Barack Obama, on Super Tuesday, and shows her strength in all the states that really matter come November.

But her latest comeback, after disasterous showings in the Potomac Primary, and what appeared to be the mortal blow in Wisconsin, is surely one for the ages. Her wins in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island on March 5th make a mockery of Bill Clinton's "Comeback Kid" second place showing in New Hampshire back in 1992.

Hillary Clinton didn't just come back ... she blew the race wide open! Yes, she still lags in the delegate count and has no mathematical way of reaching the magic, pledged delegate total but neither does Obama and that's where the events of last night make this race so darn interesting.

So on that score, it's time to look at the big picture and exactly which candidate has demonstrated the ability to win the states that must be won in November in order to take back the White House because winning what amounts to miniscule vote counts in states like Kansas, Idaho, Nebraska, etc., where caucuses were held and which will absolutely be won by John McCain in November, doesn't quite cut it.

We're left with the great Orator who can't throw a knockout in 3 attempts and the Lady who can not only take the punch, but comes back swinging harder with every knockdown and finds another way to prevail. That, to my mind, is the definition of a winner.