And the Democratic ticket is

Do the math. The total of the four American Southwest states electoral votes equals 29. That s more than Florida, more than Ohio, more than Pennsylvania. And all four of the previously GOP-leaning are very much in play for the Democrats this November. The first three, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, even have Democratic governors. And in 2006, Jim Gibbons just barely defeated his Democratic opponent.

The American electoral college scheme You don t get a president with the scheme you want, you get a president with the scheme you ve got (unless and until the Supreme Court appoints otherwise) is winner take all. Fifty percent plus the tiniest plus is all that it takes to take all of each of them.

This brings me to Janet Napolitano, or, Arizona Governor Napolitano to you, and why I m putting all my chips on her as Senator Obama s running mate. And never, ever, ever begin to suppose that American presidential politics is not the highest stakes poker game there is. Corporations, individuals and PACs don t ante up those hundreds of millions on a Tuesday night, nickel-ante game among buds. As to the poker analogy, ain t no other game on earth more decidedly poker-like than a presidential election contest.

The GOP ticket that s announced in the Minneapolis convention the first week of September will be McCain/Palin. Sarah Palin is Alaska s distaff governor; youthful, attractive, bright, smart and highly polished as a public speaker. McCain s got to choose her, or risk the old and very tired GOB (Good-ol -Boy) image of rich white country-clubbing men being super-glued to the GOP, a party that s pretty much in disarray when the country is demanding change, even if the change it says it s demanding is superficial. (While McCain might want Kay Bailey Hutchison, the US Senator from Texas . . . You ever heard her speak? Paid attention to any of her votes? Or how the only two women on earth closer to W were Laura and Condi? Good ol all-gussied-fer-all-wie-et-church, Suthin Countreh-club Society white bread doan git no watter nor Suthin nor country club than Kay. And ceppin fer the gender part, McCain s already got the rest covered.)

Remember how you were taught as a very young child how good always wins over evil, in the end? Those who tried to get you to believe that were lying to you. (And if you still believe good always prevails, email me, and I ll put you in touch with this guy who has some waterfront property he wants to sell at a great price.) We can know Republicans have demonstrated over the past several elections their orientations are an icon of evil. But they re also pretty damn smart. They re shrewd. And they damn sure are hell bent on winning. Keep this in mind.

One of the lessons that Senator Clinton s campaign has shown conclusively is that there is an extraordinary chunk of the population that thirsts, that hungers, that is salivating for a ticket where at least one member has the XX chromosome. Call this sexist. Call it cavalier. Call it condescending. While I intend none of such nonsense, call it whatever you wish, but at least recognize it as a political fact of life. Also, do not pretend Republicans despite all their crazy machinations and bungling of policy, once they are in office are not amazing students of politics. They ve watched. They ve learned. They know.

But the Republican convention is in September. The Democratic Party is holding theirs in Denver, in the last week of August, before the GOP s. That means Obama has to up the ante, force the Republicans to show their cards, and to mix a metaphor, beat the GOP to the punch, with every combination of punches in the book, as well as with some that might not be in the Marquess of Queensberry rulebook.

I am a psychotherapist by profession, grew up in Mississippi, but now reside in Tennessee. I was a diehard Republican, but George W. Bush changed me forever. I will forever be grateful to him for that. Now I am chair of my local Democratic Party and chaired John Kerry's campaign in my county, also worked hard for Harold Ford, Jr. and chaired Bill Morrison's campaign against the scourge of the 7th District, Bush lapdog, Marsha Blackburn. I am not sure who I will support in the presidential electi...

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MerylrI am a psychotherapist by profession, grew up in Mississippi, but now reside in Tennessee. I was a diehard Republican, but George W. Bush changed me forever. I will forever be grateful to him for that. Now I am chair of my local Democratic Party and chaired John Kerry's campaign in my county, also worked hard for Harold Ford, Jr. and chaired Bill Morrison's campaign against the scourge of the 7th District, Bush lapdog, Marsha Blackburn. I am not sure who I will support in the presidential electi...

to see more of bio, click on member name

The Democratic Ticket



The smartest ticket is an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama. While the candidates themselves may be angry with each other now, this ticket will unite Democrats. They have to do this if they want a Democrat in the White House.

John McBush will choose Mitt Romney--they cannot get away with this rich white guy mentality.

by Merylr

The winning or loosing Democratic ticket



I predict that by the time a VP is chosen Janet Napolitano will have sunk far down the list (but I could be wrong). I believe that the billion dollar Arizona state government deficit is likely to sink her chances (as well as those of Arnold Schwarzenegger). From my viewpoint as a taxpayer in Arizona I think that the governor will try her best to borrow her way through the end of the year as the unthinkable alternative would be to reduce government spending (gasp) and the Republican legislature in Arizona seems to be declaring that it has found its collective spine (it may manage to loose it again so don t bet on it).

Mr. Richardson s New Mexico state government has the blessing of not having a budget shortfall (otherwise known as a spending overage). Further, Bill Richardson could conceivably pull in some clueless NRA voters in as orthodox newspapers will offer bounteous articles alleging that Clinton-Richardson or Obama-Richardson is the best of all worlds because of the diversity of opinion on gun rights. And even though it hasn t been splashed over the front pages, Bill Richardson s industrious efforts to implement medical marijuana in New Mexico are certainly worth several hundred thousand votes to those who have observed John McCain s lack of concern with DEA raids on medical dispensaries these last several years. As for the skin color of Obama or Richardson, when it comes to the average American voter I think either of them may loose some votes from Joe Sixpack but those votes would be lost more due to modern day liberalism s desire to proclaim discrimination (real or imagined) than any remaining bigotry.

by Thane Eichenauer

What change do we want?



Who ever it is that gets in the White House, we the people have got to get together to tell them what we the people want. What is that going to be?

Here is 2 of the things I wopuld like to see changed:

1. Cut the military spending by 75%, and tell the military contracters to invest in the electric car we can plug into our solar roofs.

2. Tell the TV stations to give 80% of their profits to the healthcare industry.

by Michael Dewey