Honk & Wave for Hillary in Ashland, KY

via YouTube:

Enthusiastic Hillary Clinton supporters showed their support Sunday in Ashland, Kentucky with a honk and wave event. These loyal supporters were greeted by a chorus of honks, vigorous waves and other shows of support, including a little help from 12-time Daytime Emmy Nominee Heather Tom. Actress Heather Toms, who portrays Katie Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful, has traveled around the Bluegrass State and throughout the country to support Hillary Clinton and her campaign.

(h/t twitter.com/stockard02)

Open Letter to the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee

Dear Chairman Dean and Rules Committee Members,

The hallmark of our Democratic Party is our commitment to the principles of diversity, inclusion, and democracy. To date, over 34 million Democrats have taken the time to vote for the candidate of their choice, while others wait to cast their ballots in the coming weeks.

I am writing to encourage you and the members of the Rules & Bylaws Committee to act quickly to ensure that the people of Florida and Michigan are included in the process of selecting our Party’s nominee. This is important to me because I believe that our Party must be united and moving forward, not re-hashing the intra-party disagreements of the past, as we prepare to take on John McCain in November.

As a Michigan Democrat, I understand the disastrous consequences a third Bush term would mean for Michigan, and for America. If Michigan Democrats are excluded from the process by party insiders, I believe it will be difficult to convince some who felt their voices were silenced to vote again in November.

I hope you will support a solution that will make sure all votes are counted and all voices are heard during this primary season. We simply can't ignore the 2.35 million people who went to the polls on Election Day in Florida and Michigan—voters who had no direct control over the date of their state’s primaries.

Thank you for your time, and your leadership in moving our Party forward. I look forward to meeting you in Denver and working alongside you to defeat John McCain!

Sincerely,

Xavier Lopez-Ayala
Grand Rapids, MI

Barack Obama in "Clear and Present Danger"

YouTube user Flineo re-edits the movie trailer for the 1994 political thriller Clear and Present Danger, re-casting Sen. Barack Obama as the enemy of the "enemy from within," given his associations with William Ayers, Louis Farrakhan, Malik Zulu Shabazz, Tony Rezko, and Saul Alinsk.




This is a more overt example of the way race is operating negatively in the race. It certainly is an attempt to use comments from individuals connected to (sometimes very loosely) to Sen. Obama to make whites uneasy about the prospect of an Obama presidency.

Although I'm generally a fan of Flineo's videos, and believe the topics covered will certainly be a part of any Republican strategy in the fall, I prefer those YouTube videos which call out Sen. Obama on his real shortcomings, and not faults imagined or created.

(h/t Liberal Rapture)

For Hispanic voters: Is It Hillary or McCain?

George W. Bush won 40% of the Latino vote in 2004, which was enough to help him secure re-election. Based on the behavior of Hispanic primary voters, Sen. Clinton is in a much better position to reclaim to cut into that number, a difficult task when running against Sen. McCain, who is perceived to be a moderate with a history of working across the aisle on the issues important to our community (immigration, education).

As this contest winds down, Democrats are facing the reality that it will not be as easy to define a John McCain presidency as a "third Bush term." Single women, Hispanics, and working class voters--three demographics key to a Democratic victory in November and which has come out in large numbers for Sen. Clinton--don't see John McCain as a Republican in the Bush mold.

"Hispanic voters have not yet gelled for any candidate yet. In this election it is up for grabs," said Paul Brace, a political science professor at Rice University.

"The interest among Hispanics may be more in John McCain the man than in the Republican Party," he added.

Hispanics like Leyva, 45, say they like the fact that McCain teamed with Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy on the immigration bill, which was later killed by the Republicans.

Others say they find common ground with his anti-abortion record -- an issue for Latinos, many of whom are Roman Catholics -- together with his support for small businesses and the U.S. military, in which many Hispanics serve.

"His values are the same as, rather similar to, our values," said Ramon Perez, 42, an electrician in Los Angeles who has voted Democratic but now is weighing his options.

"I will vote for Hillary, and if not her, then maybe McCain."

John McCain certainly has an uphill battle when it comes to the Hispanic vote, as both Sens. Clinton and Obama have received a larger share of the Hispanic vote thus far, but it is not an impossible one. Unlike other blocs of traditionally Democratic voters (such as African-Americans), Hispanics haven't entirely tuned out the option of voting for John McCain, although they only cautiously flirt with the option. The challenge for the McCain campaign is to transform tentative interest from Hispanics into votes come November.

His campaign also launched a Web site reaching out to Hispanic voters on the Mexican Cinco de Mayo festival, or May 5th holiday, which is celebrated across the U.S. Southwest, and he is also planning to speak at the annual convention of Mexican-American advocacy group the National Council of La Raza in July.

I recently received an email from Juanita, a California woman who recognizes a disconnect between the feelings of the Hispanic community and the media's coverage thus far.

I realize that not all Hispanics/Latinos support Sen. Clinton but I believe that if her supporters in our community were to voice their concern for the country and say, "We will only vote for Sen. Clinton and no one else. We will hold our votes and make it clear to all political parties that we are a force in this country. We are tired of being disenfranchised, of being put aside while all the news and concern is either black or white. We want to be heard and if we have to go to drastic measures then so be it. Sen. Clinton has listened to us, now is the time to speak up for her."

Juanita does have a point--most of the coverage during this long primary season has focused on which candidate won a majority of support from the "white working class" demographic that will be key to winning swing states in November. It's almost a given that Sen. Obama will win in states with a high percentage of African-Americans, so the media harps on whether Sen. Clinton will be able to make inroads with black voters come November.

The media attention given to Hispanic voters in Nevada and California left a lot to be desired. Sen. Clinton's support in the Hispanic community is strong, and instead of highlighting Sen. Clinton's progressive agenda to help our community, we were accused of being racists unwilling to vote for an African-American.

Juanita's proposal is a bit radical, but hints at a larger truth about the community that will be key to victory in November--that we are more politically divided than most will admit and than some realize.

Hillary Clinton's Sunset Blvd.

As you must know by now, I'm an emphatic supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton. And despite what the mainstream media is saying right now, I still believe that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic Party's nominee and our next president.

With that said, I can still appreciate good YouTube videos, even those that poke fun of my girl.

Like this one from v-blogger LisaNova, described as "a biting parody of Sunset Blvd starring Hillary Clinton as the faded film star. In her fantasy world, the stairs in Hillary’s home become the stairs in the White House, and an amateur interviewer becomes Anderson Cooper. It’s worth watching for LisaNova’s over-the-top, hammy acting alone."

Hillary's Sunset Blvd:


The Original Ending Scene:



Oh, yeah, and I have a list of films featuring Hillary Clinton here.

And for Hillaryfans out there who are feeling discouraged, this one goes out to you. Just remember-- nothing comes easy:

Dept. of Awkward McCain Ad Placement

McCain campaign ad on Zombie Nation

The John McCain campaign would do well to exclude certain sites from its web ad buy. Maybe the philosophy of "cast a wide net" will pay off. Maybe Mark Penn missed a micro-trend somewhere along the way--conservative Horror fanboys.

The ad was probably triggered by the keywords, because the original post was about a photoshop contest on SpoutBlog to turn any of the 2008 presidential candidates into a zombie poster for a new "______ Dead" film. (The prize is a George Romero DVD 2-pack, including Diary of the Dead, and the 40th Anniversary edition of Night of the Living Dead).

The first entry from Jordan Gray is simply fantastic. It's John McCain starring in "Rhetoric of the Dead."

I'll enter the contest over the weekend, but I can't decide between making a "Barack from the Dead" one or something about Ron Paul's zombie army.

My take: Obama comes to Grand Rapids (a la Twitter)

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to cover last night's rally, but once I arrived I figured I should do what I do best--Twitter.

It was a mixture of live-reporting, attempts at wit/humor, and analysis.

I'm just going to copy & past the full stream-of-consciousness tweet-fest, please excuse the spelling error.s 

Apparently, the line for the Obama event is already forming in downtown... 02:35 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl 

Retweeting @Spout: For a limited time only: 50% off all DVDs on Spout! Get 'em while they're hot. http://www.spout.com/store/ 02:48 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl    

Have to leave here at 4:30pm to get credentials for an event that doesn't start until 7:00pm. Stuuupid. 03:19 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl

@tonytagliavia i'll be there in about an hour! 03:41 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl in reply to tonytagliavia    

Heading over to VanAndel to check in and get my wristband... 04:25 PM May 14, 2008 from twhirl  

At this point, I was heading down Ottawa from my workplace to the Van Andel Arena...

Young obama folk out in full force. 04:42 PM May 14, 2008 from txt

There was no doubt that the crowd was predominantly younger, and this is something that I sensed immediately.

Lots of people inside. Screen displays text MI to an obama-specific shortcode to sign up. 04:49 PM May 14, 2008 from txt      

 This was a smart move on the Obama campaign's part.

And the music playing is natasha benningfield's "unwritten." Reference to the blank canvas theory of der spiegel? 04:55 PM May 14, 2008 from txt

 In case you weren't aware, "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield is a song about new beginnings, self-empowerment, etc. but the lyrics also include this:

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined...

When I heard these lyrics, my mind immediately jumped back to the Der Spiegel article which, among other things, said this:

Last night the Iowans didn't vote for a president -- they voted for a symbol to represent their unhappiness with the current state of America. Obama, like Republican winner Mike Huckabee, is like a blank sheet of paper on which they could project their disaffection.

 But back to my tweets..

Guy wearing "Wright was Right" shirt is talking to the press. This could be good or bad.   04:57 PM May 14, 2008  from txt

I should have brought a videocamera. 04:58 PM May 14, 2008 from txt

Dan Truel of the Saint is here. 05:05 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Stoner-looking guy just leant me a cigarette lighter. 05:09 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Breaking: edwards to endorse obama 05:25 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Obama in the house 05:27 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

6:15 P.M. TONIGHT: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO HOLD PRESS CONF ON HILLARY'S STRONG PRO-CHOICE RECORD. 05:44 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Hearing that edwards will appear with him tonight. 05:45 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Pledge of allegiance. "Please rise and remove your caps." 05:48 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Field team member speaking "let me tell you - it is good to be here in Grand Rapids." 05:50 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Playing the "yes we can" video... The stands are full but the ground floor still has a lot of room. 05:54 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Really, really, really bad coffee. 06:01 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Haven't seen a single Latino person to interview just yet 06:01 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

@ndraper I totally should lol. Or "yes she will!". But I'm here as a blogger and to hear what he says about michigan's delegates. 06:03 PM May 14, 2008 from web in reply to ndraper    

@caro_k happens at all the rallies. Now they're starting the wave. 06:06 PM May 14, 2008 from txt in reply to caro_k    

Handing out obama signs into the crowd now. @caro_k was woman who passed out near you? 06:08 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

Consensus from the three old ladies I've spoken to is that Michigan should be seated. 06:08 PM May 14, 2008 from txt    

"I want my voice heard at the convention, but I sure as hell didn't vote for Hillary Clinton."   06:10 PM May 14, 2008  from txt       

Someone wearing a "she can do it" NOT shirt 06:14 PM May 14, 2008 from txt 

This is obviously an attempt to show that working-class whites support Obama, which we knew.. 06:37 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

"[Obama] helped provide job training for jobless after the steel plants closed." 06:38 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Guy now talking about layoffs at his plant. Barack Obama can change that. Yes he can! about 23 hours ago from txt

Clinton advance much nicer than Obama's people, in my opinion. Both as pushy. about 23 hours ago from txt

Obama "I felt bad about not campaigning, and so as a consequence, I decided that I would try to give you something special.". Edwards? about 23 hours ago from txt

I think it was this last line that made me angry, and I'm not sure why.  Maybe because its pandering, but I tend to dislike the small lies that everyone knows are lies.  First of all, by all accounts, the Edwards endorsement was not "planned," and had Edwards called Obama tomorrow when he's campaigning in Oregon, Obama would have said the same line in Eugene.  If he had just apologized for not campaigning here, instead of trying to offer up an obviously fake conciliation prize, I probably would feel a lot better.  But that's the kind of guy Obama is.  The other example is the "sweetie" comment he made to a female reporter in Detroit.  Instead of just apologizing for using a misogynistic term to describe a professional woman that simultaneously devalues her and turns her into an object (even thought that's not the way he intended it, by any means), he said it was "bad habit" and then said that his press team will attempt to make it up to her the next time he's in Detroit.  Moreover, and regardless of what people here want to believe, the Obama campaign's decision to hold the event in Grand Rapids was probably largely influenced by the fact that he had a PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED high-dollar fundraiser here.  Knowing a little bit about how presidential campaign fundraising schedules work, these events are scheduled and planned (thought not published in the public schedule) several weeks in advance.

Edwards comes out and standing next to Obama one can only think "vice president" ? Where's elizabeth? about 23 hours ago from txt

The seats are filled but still over half the floor is empty. Should have gone to Devos hall about 23 hours ago from txt 

I'm not sure if anyone mentioned it, but there was a lot of empty room (over half) on the floor of the arena.  The stands were packed, but could have fit a lot more people on the floor (which is usually the case, because Secret Service shuts down the front doors as soon as the candidate is in the building and creates a safe zone). 

Cut to Edwards: 

Does this mean edwards no longer thinks of Obama as arrogant?   about 23 hours ago  from txt   

 I seriously still want an answer to this.. because I remembered this article in NY Mag:

But now two months have passed since Edwards dropped out—tempus fugit!—and still no endorsement. Why? According to a Democratic strategist unaligned with any campaign but with knowledge of the situation gleaned from all three camps, the answer is simple: Obama blew it. Speaking to Edwards on the day he exited the race, Obama came across as glib and aloof.

But back to Obama walking out w/ Edwards: 

The show is actually starting early. Hard to believe. about 23 hours ago from txt

Obama: "I am fired up! Fired up! Fired up to be in Michigan. Fired up to be in grand Rapids." about 23 hours ago from txt

The press is now mixed with the young children of high-dollar obama donors. Interesting mix. about 23 hours ago from txt

Booing at mention of Hillary Clinton. Classy. about 23 hours ago from txt 

Edwards: Barack obama stands with me in the fight against poverty. about 23 hours ago from txt

Edwards: hillary believes with every fiber of her being that americ needs change. about 23 hours ago from txt 

"[Hillary] has shown strength, and character, and what drives her is something that every single one of us can and should appreciate." 06:46 PM May 14, 2008 from im

"She cares very deeply about the working people and their families..." 06:46 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

"This tenacity has shown her strength and determination. She is a woman who, in my judgement, is made of steel." 06:47 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

"She is a leader in this country, not because of her husband, but because of what she has done, because of her standing up." 06:48 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

 Edwards: "[The nomination battle] will be over soon." Wishful thinking?  06:49 PM May 14, 2008 from im

"we are a stronger party because Hillary Clinton is a Democrat." 06:51 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

"One America where no child--no child--goes to bed hungry." 06:56 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Copying images to my computer... but can't upload because poor net connection (IM barely works) 06:56 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Backside of Wright guy's shirt says "Will My Vote Count?" 06:57 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Obama leans now to hug Edwards... "Give it up for John Edwards" 07:00 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Obama: "I haven't been seeing John as much, so I forgot how good he is." 07:00 PM May 14, 2008 from im

 Do you think Obama thought Edwards was a good speaker when he was attacking him for taking money from "special interests" (also known as unions, nurses, teachers)? 

Obama gives a shout out to Elizabeth Edwards... but where is she?? 07:01 PM May 14, 2008 from im     

Still haven't gotten an answer.  Now Obama goes into his stump.

Obama: "We can start by ending the tax breaks we give to companies that ship jobs overseas."   07:07 PM May 14, 2008  from im 

it's probably my bias, but I've heard this speech before (Iowa, Iowa, California, Ohio, Indiana), and I'm hungry. 07:09 PM May 14, 2008 from im 

Obama just threw his bottle of water into the crowd. 07:09 PM May 14, 2008 from im    

Someone passed out, he literally tossed his water bottle. "Does somebody want to catch this?" I think someone caught it. 07:09 PM May 14, 2008 from im  

EMTs are now being dispatched. He's picked right back up where he left off. 07:09 PM May 14, 2008 from im  

I won't lie.. it was kind of cool that he just tossed the bottle of water.  But I thought it was strange that he jumped straight back into his speech.  The last fainting incident I remember was in Toledo, OH and Sen. Clinton waited until the EMTs had cleared the woman from the crowd before continuing.

Obama: "John Edwards and I both got into this race because we believe in America where it's always possible to change the way things are." 07:10 PM May 14, 2008 from im

Strange I seem to remember the Obama campaign saying that the Edwards was just "talking the talk" and that the "the easiest thing in the world is to talk about change during election time."

Corporations love "the wall." I'm starting to get confused.. He's talking construction and I don't know construction. about 23 hours ago from txt

Obama staffer is nodding his head to obama's speech, looks like he's seen the face of god. about 23 hours ago from txt

Obama is shifting from attacking Hillary, now including her in the "believes in a different America" line. about 23 hours ago from txt    

There's a girl here with the largest camera I've ever seen in my life. about 23 hours ago from txt     

"The campaign isn't about me, it isn't about John, or Hillary, or - uh - McCain.." about 23 hours ago from txt

He stumbles over his words without a teleprompter. Proves he's human. Builds character? about 23 hours ago from txt    

The server cook guy from yesterdog is here. Lol. about 23 hours ago from txt

Obama shout out to Marion, IN. Hillary carried Marion, if I remember correctly (Beth - correct me if I'm wrong, it was your turf.) about 23 hours ago from txt  

"This type of change has never started in the halls of Washington. It starts in the streets. Not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up ... ... 07:11 PM May 14, 2008 from im     

Obama: "The status quo resists. Because people are afraid. Because sometimes cynicism wins out." 07:20 PM May 14, 2008 from im

"If you're willing to join John Edwards and Barack Obama and -uh- Hillary Clinton, then I promise you we will change this country and we can change the world ... 07:21 PM May 14, 2008 from im

Just noticed the american flags behind Obama are back in full force. Can't see his lapel, though. about 23 hours ago from txt    
23 hours ago from txt  

Clinton's schedule: Thursday in South Dakota, Friday she's in Oregon. 07:21 PM May 14, 2008 from im

"Signed, Sealed, Delivered" starts playing... harkens back to Iowa 07:22 PM May 14, 2008 from im

Breaking: from Terry McAuliffe "We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over." about 23 hours ago from txt

 As I suspected, he made no mention of seating Michigan's delegates. Not one. But did make an appeal for the general.   about 23 hours ago  from txt       

Still rushing the stage. Lots of young people here. Now realizing how many. Massive amount about 22 hours ago from txt

This girl is going crazy about having shook obama's hand. I hope I'm not like that about Hillary. about 22 hours ago from txt

The music here has a lot of a lot of bass. about 22 hours ago from txt

"I just wanted a souvernier" someone from channel 13 on why she's carrying an Obama sign. about 22 hours ago from txt

The press just swoons over Obama. about 22 hours ago from txt

All high-dollar donors waiting for their signed books and such. about 22 hours ago from txt

Finally got my chance to meet sunlen miller of abc news about 22 hours ago from txt

Standing next to a kid from calvin who is studying for his final exams tomorrow. about 22 hours ago from txt 

 And the tweet that defines the night for me.  Although its a simple take-away, it was all over the news last night.. and I tweeted it first (well, probably not really):

Endorsement shifts focus away from obama's trouncing in WV. Now he has to live up to increased expectations among workingclass whites in KY.   about 22 hours ago  from txt