Little Ms. Purple
Notes from a former red Republican political strategist who's turned PURPLE...
Not Red nor Blue but PURPLE!
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Little Ms. Purple
A political joke making the rounds...
This joke is floating around via email...
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Weekly YouTube addresses from President Obama?
It's hard to believe that YouTube wasn't even around for the 2004 election cycle... and when compared to the 2008 cycle, the effect is nothing short of explosive. This past weekend President-elect Obama gave a weekly YouTube address that has since been viewed over 700,000 times. If this is a sign of things to come, and it is a welcome sign, we might be in for a very different press operation of much more openness and honestly than we've gotten used. Anyway, if you missed it, below is Obama's first YouTube address as President-elect.
That moment... Tuesday, Nov. 4th @ 11pm...
A site called "Countdown to Victory blog" chonicles various video feeds of people getting the news that Senator Obama became President-Elect Obama. Below is Grant Park in Chicago but you can go to the site directly by CLICKING HERE.
My thoughts on the past week since the election...
Wow... what a great night last Tuesday night was. Since then, a lot has transpired and I keep reading things that I think are a wee bit off base so I'm going to make a few predicitions and then you can hold me to them if I'm wrong...
First of all, I don't believe that Obama is going to raise taxes. What I mean by that is I believe he is going to let the Bush tax cuts expire in 2011 along with passing a bill lowering the tax rates for the 95% of low, middle and upper middle income people among us. This would bring the top two tax brackets back in line with where they were under President Clinton. I have read too many headlines stating that Obama is going to tax us into a depression that I think these wing nuts shouldn't be given the space or platform to write.
Secondly, I believe that Obama and his administration are going to have a hard time keeping the left wing of the Democratic party in line. I think Obama is going to make some strategic alliances with some moderate Republicans that will piss off some on the far left while getting some major policy initiatives done... look for Rahm Emmanual to have his hands full dealing with these far left liberals.
Lastly, I believe that the people who kept harping on the fact that "... but Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate!" are in for a surprise. You see, the Senate sets it up to vote with your party... these votes are either right or left with no middle ground. That's how the Senate works. As President, I believe (and hope) that Obama will own the center (the grey area) and get things done.
First of all, I don't believe that Obama is going to raise taxes. What I mean by that is I believe he is going to let the Bush tax cuts expire in 2011 along with passing a bill lowering the tax rates for the 95% of low, middle and upper middle income people among us. This would bring the top two tax brackets back in line with where they were under President Clinton. I have read too many headlines stating that Obama is going to tax us into a depression that I think these wing nuts shouldn't be given the space or platform to write.
Secondly, I believe that Obama and his administration are going to have a hard time keeping the left wing of the Democratic party in line. I think Obama is going to make some strategic alliances with some moderate Republicans that will piss off some on the far left while getting some major policy initiatives done... look for Rahm Emmanual to have his hands full dealing with these far left liberals.
Lastly, I believe that the people who kept harping on the fact that "... but Obama has the most liberal voting record in the Senate!" are in for a surprise. You see, the Senate sets it up to vote with your party... these votes are either right or left with no middle ground. That's how the Senate works. As President, I believe (and hope) that Obama will own the center (the grey area) and get things done.
Putting Obama's win into pictorial context
Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for the find.
Vlog post 17: 2008 Election Night
It was a long day so I fell asleep before Obama spoke but the great thing about the Internet is that I was able to watch it in the morning when I woke up... what a great night for America. Even people who didn't vote for Obama should be proud of the historical step we took on Tuesday.
2008 Election Night from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
2008 Election Night from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
Go vote!
i haven't voted yet... going after work with the hope that some of the long lines here in New York City have abated but if they haven't, I guess that's even better. Mr. Purple, I'm sure, will be checking in with me throughout the night with his video camera so I'll upload most of my takes on what this election means to me and my other reations to the night then. So until then, you can read this take from a poster at TPM.com... it's rather uplifting.
The cell phone effect... polls with them vs. polls without them.
The below image is from THIS POST at FiveThirtyEight.com and shows the polls that include cell phone only voters in orange vs. landline voters in grey. If these numbers play out like that, we could be in for a huge, huge landslide. Only one more day to go until we find out...
Where are Palin's medical records?
As frequent readers might have realized, I have dropped off my critisim of McCain and Palin over the past week... don't want to kick them when they're down and I'm also remembering my fond days working on the old McCain's campaign back in 2000 but I'm going to deviate from this script just a bit right now...
...last week, in an interview with Brian Williams, Palin said she would release her medical records and then the campaign said that we could see them by the middle of this week. Well, now it's Friday and no records. I haven't been fully buying into all of Andrew Sullivan's questions about Trig Palin and whether Sarah really is the mother but this lapse in releasing these records, after saying she would, gives me pause. So, where are they?
...last week, in an interview with Brian Williams, Palin said she would release her medical records and then the campaign said that we could see them by the middle of this week. Well, now it's Friday and no records. I haven't been fully buying into all of Andrew Sullivan's questions about Trig Palin and whether Sarah really is the mother but this lapse in releasing these records, after saying she would, gives me pause. So, where are they?
Obama's Achilles heal is complacency
And this video put out by the campaign captures that threat in a nutshell:
Make History
The below ad is from the Obama campaign and touches on something that I've been thinking about for a week or so now and what a commenter, Bones, brought up in a comment to my "Landslide." post... namely that this is the kind of election where you will want to tell you kids and grandkids that you were there and that you voted for Obama. The only time that I can remember feeling some sense of this feeling was with Reagan in 1980... but then again, I was 8 and couldn't vote.
A PURPLE kind of ad for Obama...
I agree with the woman who says, "Fiscally I'm a Republican, socially I'm more of a Democrat..." Hat tip to Anderw Sullivan for the find:
In case you missed it last night...
...below are the videos of Obama's "infomercial" last night to persuade the last remaining undecided voters. I had one Republican friends who is voting for McCain tell me last night that it was overkill while another Republican friend who is voting for McCain told me that if you have the ball at the end of the game and you are winning, you want to keep the ball... and Obama did just that.
Sorry Wendy Button but you're so, so wrong
Wendy Button, former speech writer for Sen. Edwards, Sen. Clinton, Sen. Kerry and Sen. Obama has left the democratic party because she feels that it has been the dems that have gone against women and working people in this election. She couldn't be more wrong. How did she actually convince herself that it's the dems and not the repubs who are supposedly using working people as props and tearing down women? I kid you not... you can read her article kissing the dems goodbye RIGHT HERE.
She laments this kind of treatment of women and working people and places the blame on the dems? This is ridiculous. After the 8 years that we have lived through, she is going to be voting for McCain. And that's her right and I'm fine with that. However, when she is so misguided by the belief that it's the dems fault for her feelings, that I have a problem with. This kind of justification is a prime example of what Sen. Obama calls the "silly season" of politics. Wendy, I'm sure the dems are just fine with your decision. See ya!
She laments this kind of treatment of women and working people and places the blame on the dems? This is ridiculous. After the 8 years that we have lived through, she is going to be voting for McCain. And that's her right and I'm fine with that. However, when she is so misguided by the belief that it's the dems fault for her feelings, that I have a problem with. This kind of justification is a prime example of what Sen. Obama calls the "silly season" of politics. Wendy, I'm sure the dems are just fine with your decision. See ya!
Vlog post 16: PTSD strikes close to home
My brother came home from Iraq without a scratch on him but it became
clear pretty quick that all was not right. Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) followed him back home... and this is why helping veterans with PTSD is a cause that's close to my heart.
PTSD strikes close to home from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
PTSD strikes close to home from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
PTSD combined with "Stop-loss"
Longtime readers know that PTSD and how it affects our soldiers coming home from Iraq is a very personal cause of mine. My brother is doing very well after finally seeking out treatment for his PTSD but many others aren't. THIS ARTICLE is another example of how PTSD combined with "stop-loss" orders drove one soldier to attempt suicide. Our veterans haven't been taken care of during these wars that we are fighting just like they weren't given the proper vehicles and body armor because the "higher ups" didn't feel like this conflict would last as long or be as hard as it has. Let's not forget about taking care of the people who deserve our care the most; our veterans.
October surprise
What an October surprise we have! Obama is competitive in Indiana, Virginia, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, North Carolina and maybe even Georgia, South Carolina and West Virginia! Usually October surprises are something that could shake the race loose from whomever is leading at this point but this October surprise is that Obama and his camp actually came through with their strategy... expanding the political map like no other campaign since 1964. To many in the pundintry world, that is a big surprise indeed. Not to mention that Obama is black! Who would have thought that a black man with the middle name of Hussein would be leading the race for the presidency with 8 days to go back when Obama announced his candidacy in February of '07? I did and have been pulling for such a transformational candidacy since Kerry lost in '04. I'm not counting the chickens before they hatch, I'm just looking at all of the October surprises we find in our midst. 8 Days to go... and they couldn't pass quickly enough.
Today's video: Wassup 2008
Another instance where I'm just amazed at the individual work being put into supporting Obama in addition to taking iconic characters (even if they are from a commercial) and injecting them into the campaign. This takes the guys from the Budweiser commercials of eight years ago and brings them up to date. This is not a commercial for Budweiser as stated at the end of the video. Hat tip to Andrew Sullivan for the find. Enjoy:
Landslide.
My bet is it's a landslide. That's my prediction. I believe that Obama will win by 6+ points and over 310 electoral votes. In our current political environment (the last 20 years), that would be a landslide. Mark it; 10/24/08.
A couple more endorsements for Obama...
This is getting crazy... voter produced content pushing their ideas and endorsements in this election just went to the next level. Take a look below and see what I mean.
See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die
Today's video
Obama in one of his field offices talking to potential voters on the phone.
BOOM! Colin Powell endorses Obama
You've probably already heard that Colin Powell endorsed Obama yesterday on "Meet The Press"... but if you didn't hear, well, he did. Below is the video and well worth watching. Colin Powell, the highest profile Republican to endorse, gives one of the most poignant and detailed endorsements of Obama that I've read or heard yet. If you didn't see it, watch it below. This is the type of move that will push fence sitters into Obama's camp if they agree with Powell's detailed and reasoned thought process that brought him to this conclusion. And given Powell's close relationship with John McCain, you can tell that he really thought about this public endorsement like none before.
www.PalinAsPresident.us/
For an idea of what a Palin Presidency might be like, CLICK HERE, let the page load, have the sound up on your computer and then click all around the Oval Office... Sarah will show ya!
Alfred E. Smith Dinner Part II: Obama
Below is Obama's speech that followed McCain's at the Alfred E. Smith memorial dinner and fundraiser. As I said in the previous post with McCain's speech, this was the one bright spot over the last couple of weeks in this campaign and it's really good to see McCain and Obama in this type of setting.
Alfred E. Smith Dinner Part I: McCain
The one bright spot in this campaign in the last few weeks was last night's memorial dinner and fundraiser for the late Alfred E. Smith. The night and speeches are meant to be funny and last night was no exception. The Presidential candidates usually attend when it is an election year but since John Kerry was in a fight with the Catholic church when he was running, this didn't happen in '04. It says something about our politics behind the scenes when McCain and Obama can both attend (and ridicule themselves and each other) during the height of a hard fought campaign. The below speech is McCain (in two parts) and Obama's will follow in the next post.
Dueling Ads
Both of the below ads came out this morning from each campaign. In the first titled "90 Percent", team Obama uses McCain's supposed best line of the night and in effect neuters it by confronting it head on. It's a sign of strength. In the second spot titled "Fight", on the other hand, McCain doesn't mention Obama once and talks directly into the camera. We haven't seen this from team McCain before so at least it's got that going for it.
I'm tired...
I recommitted myself to this blogging thing almost a year ago... that commitment meant that I was going to blog much more regularly than I had in the past...
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Dems vs. Repubs on investing in our economy
The below chart is pretty interesting... you can see another chart with specific Presidents on it HERE.
New Hampshire phone jamming scandal of 2002 rears its head again!
It's only fitting that James Tobin, who was convicted and then aquitted on a technicality for his involvement in the 2002 New Hampshire phone jamming scandal, is now indicted again for lying to the FBI when they interviewed him about that scandal. You can run but you can't hide. Two others, Allen Raymond and Charles McGee, have already been convicted and served jail time for their involvement in this illegal politcal tactic. Thanks to Talking Points Memo for keeping tabs on this case.
As noted previously, the current race for Senate in NH is between the same two as back in 2002, Sen. Sununu and Jeane Shaheen. Currently, Shaheen is winning that race in the polls by a 6 point margin per fivethirtyeight.com. Let's see if the voters can make this wrong a right.
As noted previously, the current race for Senate in NH is between the same two as back in 2002, Sen. Sununu and Jeane Shaheen. Currently, Shaheen is winning that race in the polls by a 6 point margin per fivethirtyeight.com. Let's see if the voters can make this wrong a right.
Obama advertises in a video game
My oh my how times have changed. Hat tip to TPM for catching the Obama ad in an Xbox video game... the game allows advertisers to purchase ads on the billboards in this car driving game and the Obama camp made a purchase. The pic is below... man, times are changin' in the political ad wars... but I guess when you have as much money as the Obama camp, you can make purchases like these...
Vlog post #13: From 9/11/01 to Iraq
My reaction to how W. handled 9/11/01 but then moved to focus on Iraq.
From 9/11/01 to Iraq from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
From 9/11/01 to Iraq from Little Ms. Purple on Vimeo.
Addiction to political reporting and coverage...
Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post has an interesting article up today that dissects the new 24/7 news cycle...
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PTSD and Cindy McCain
The way Cindy McCain tells it, soldiers who have the proper training don't get PTSD. I can't even believe that I have to write this blog post. Having a brother who served in the first Gulf War, in Afghanistan and then finally in our current struggle in Iraq and it wasn't until he came back from that third tour of duty, as a Captain, that PTSD overtook his life. Maybe Cindy should take a step back from the campaign trail so she can get her facts in order. Olbermann and Jon Soltz of Votevets.org do a good job of setting the record straight here so I don't have to... now to the tape:
Rednecks for Obama
My last post was pretty depressing but then a little while later, I stumbled across THIS ARTICLE and it made me feel better... Rednecks for Obama!
How very sad
These two below videos are very disturbing so consider yourself forewarned. I really didn't have a sense for the utter contempt and hatred that so many McCain supporters out there have towards Barack Obama. Living in New York City, I know that I'm sheltered from a lot of the hate speak that is documented in the below videos but it is breathtaking to me that this is how people are attacking and viewing the first black candidate for President of the United States. I was pulling for McCain in the Republican primary because he was the most purple of all of the Republican candidates and I was thrilled when he got the nomination because I knew I could live with him as President if the election breaks his way. What's so sad about the below videos is that most of the attacks against Obama are personal in nature and false in their assumptions. When people are accusing Obama of being a terrorist, a Muslim or that he should be killed, we know we've crossed the line in terms of proper political discourse... but given how the McCain camp has been itching for these types of jabs, how could we expect anything less? How very sad.
Gen. Petraeus echoes Obama
In his speech to the Heritage Foundation yesterday, Gen. Petraeus sided with Obama on a number of issues that came up in the previous night's debate. Although Petraeus wasn't completely explicit, one familier with the issues could easily infer who Petraeus aggreed with when it comes to dealing with Afghanistan, talking with our enemies and how we should define the progress in Iraq... but I doubt this will slow McCain's jabs at Obama for not wanting "victory" or talking with dictators.