Pennsylvania minus five weeks

Another thread for discussion of matters American. Since the last instalment we’ve seen Barack Obama win Mississippi 61-37 (19-14 in delegate terms), before running into his first bit of serious campaign turbulence courtesy of the audaciously hopeful Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,202 comments on “Pennsylvania minus five weeks”

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  1. Pancho,

    “Loons” is your word. Many Americans see them as solid citizens.

    I’ve noticed this amazing phenomena where apparently, Obama is the only person in the US able to sit and listen to sermons from someone preaching hatred and bile, and be able to discern the truth of the matter.

    This guy’s farts do not smell either apparently. Truly an amazing person.

  2. Chalk up another couple to Obama:

    “U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, one of Washington’s 17 Democratic superdelegates, isn’t ready to shift her allegiance from Sen. Hillary Clinton to Sen. Barack Obama — yet.

    But in an interview with The Columbian’s editorial board Monday, she said the candidate with the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season in late June will have the strongest claim to the party’s presidential nomination.

    “I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,” she said”

    http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03242008_Cantwell-supporting-Clinton–for-now.cfm/

    “Indiana Representative Russ Stilwell announced his endorsement Tuesday and said his decision was based on his belief that Obama can unite the country and tackle special interests inside the beltway.”

    http://www.14wfie.com/global/story.asp?s=8068740

  3. From Crikey, a feel good story:

    An Afghani boy who was on the Tampa has just won third place in New Zealand’s national spelling bee. In 2001 Abbas Nazari was on board a stricken fishing boat full of asylum seekers bound for Australia when the Tampa, a Norwegian cargo ship rescued them and tried to take them to Australia.

    Abbas was just six years old at the time, and told Crikey yesterday, he remembers the Tampa vividly. “Before the ship came all the passengers were crying out for hope. Then the Tampa came out of nowhere, some people said it was like a miracle.”

    The Howard government refused to let any of what it called the “queue jumpers” onto Australian soil, but New Zealand offered asylum to around 150 of them, including Abbas and his family.

    After learning English for only six years, Abbas, now 12, became the third best speller in New Zealand over the Easter weekend.

  4. 1153
    The Finnigans

    That story makes me feel good that we chucked Howard out, but makes me sad we didn’t chuck him overboard while we were at it.

  5. GG – maybe if I use platitudes you’ll open your eyes. There are none so blind…

    I get it – you want to fall in line behind Christians, but man, choose your battles. Hagee and Falwell solid citizens? Falwell who McCain called an ‘agent of intolerance’ and ‘an evil influence’ before he needed his support, and Hagee who advocates a war on Iran to bring us closer to the end of the world, refers to other churches as ‘the great whore’? These sort of solid unifiers?

  6. KR,

    Agree,. A very sad part of our History. As these human stories emerge over the coming years, (hopefully) we adult Australians will realise what absolute bastards we were. Never forget, Howard had about 80% support for what he did to these people.

  7. That is a great story Finns, I can’t find it now, but there was a quote today in the Herald I think where the kid said he was grateful that NZ didn’t think he and his fam were ‘terrorists ‘n’ stuff.’

  8. #1156 – [Never forget, Howard had about 80% support for what he did to these people] – GG, Not too sure Howard was a failure or we were the failure.

    Hitler Endorsed by 9 to 1 in Poll on his Dictatorship, but Opposition Is Doubled,
    By FREDERICK T. BIRCHALL,
    Special Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES

    Berlin, Monday, Aug. 20, 1934 — Eighty-nine and nine-tenths per cent of the German voters endorsed in yesterday’s plebiscite Chancellor Hitler’s assumption of greater power than has ever been possessed by any other ruler in modern times. Nearly 10 per cent indicated their disapproval. The result was expected.

  9. Pancho,

    Do you reckon Obama, Clinton and McCain spend any time with ordinary citizens and are influenced by people who just want to get on with life? It appears everyone here is fixated with religion because it’s influence in the US is allegedly stronger than here in Australia.

    By the way, Amazing Grace is my favourite Hymn.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHpye0M34JQ

  10. Full Story from Crikey:

    An Afghani boy who was on the Tampa has just won third place in New Zealand’s national spelling bee.

    In 2001 Abbas Nazari was on board a stricken fishing boat full of asylum seekers bound for Australia when the Tampa, a Norwegian cargo ship rescued them and tried to take them to Australia.

    Abbas was just six years old at the time, and told Crikey yesterday, he remembers the Tampa vividly. “Before the ship came all the passengers were crying out for hope. Then the Tampa came out of nowhere, some people said it was like a miracle.”

    The Howard government refused to let any of what it called the “queue jumpers” onto Australian soil, but New Zealand offered asylum to around 150 of them, including Abbas and his family.

    After learning English for only six years, Abbas, now 12, became the third best speller in New Zealand over the Easter weekend.

    It was nerves that made Abbas stumble on the word Silhouetted – which he actually knew how to spell it – causing him to miss out on the number one spot. “My tongue slipped on the word at the end, I wouldn’t have minded if it had been a word I didn’t know how to spell.”

    Despite controversy over Australia’s treatment of the Tampa refugees, Abbas told Crikey he doesn’t hold a grudge, and says he can understand why Australia didn’t let them in.

    “The whole thing occurred around 9/11, the Australian government had its reasons to not provide a refuge for us … Australia didn’t want us because they thought we were terrorists … but New Zealand listened to us and they thought we weren’t terrorist ‘n’ stuff.”

    Abbas loves his new home in Christchurch, New Zealand, likes going to Burnside High School and wants to be an astronomer when he grows up.

    “New Zealand is a nice place to live,” he says, “the weather’s good and you don’t expect car bombs going off.”

  11. Finn,

    As a nation we were a terrible. I understand the context of the times with 9/11 etc. People were scared and Howard exploited that fear for political advantage. However, we must face up to the fact that we were rubbish, forgive ourselves and move on to a better future.

  12. GG – I’m happy to say I’m in complete agreement with your comments @1161.

    @1159, if the US were to put some more distance between its politics and religion, I think there would be far more winners than losers. Hopefully the campaign is not dominated by religious figures and sniping. And maybe it might be more so than in recent times if both Obama and McCain have a preference for keeping their various liabilities in the background. History would suggest that as soon as one of them gets near this stuff though, it will be a race to the bottom.

  13. FG – wow. That Hagee clip is unbelievable. I think my favourite bit was when he called on the State Department to be more supportive of Israel or God would unleash the terrorists that the hopeless immigration policy let into the country! The man draws a mean long bow.

  14. And for those of you who want to know about the Rapture, the “Rapture Ready” site keeps a numerical guage on when the Rapture will occur. Currently the Rapture Index is on 168, down from a record of 182. So I guess we can breath easily tonight.

    My favourite is the FAQ “How do you plan to maintain this site after the rapture?”

    And yes – they’re serious and they vote Republican

    http://www.raptureready.com/index.php

  15. Seems Hillary went to the same Church as Rudd.
    When you are caught out on your hypocracy of judgement , admit you did it.

    whereas Obama’s Church teachs , when you are caught out on your hypocracy of judgement do NOT admit it , just say the Preacher is a good guy & a Christian

  16. 1166
    Possum Comitatus

    He’s been one of my favourites for years Possum, but some of the things Karl Rove used to do to his leather slave would not be repeatable here! LOL

  17. 1164 Pancho….Hagee is scary stuff but somehow is ‘respectable’ – and they call Rev Wright ‘extreme’ and ‘unAmerican’!!

    So, according to Hagee (and Falwell and numerous other ‘respectable citizens’) the terrorists are GOD’S doing! Which would make GOD unAmerican!

    ..and guilty of numerous breaches of the Patriot Act.

    So….when is Bush going to arrest Him??

  18. Amigo, this one is for u:

    SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN
    TROPICAL CYCLONE 26S / Pancho
    26 March 2008
    Warning 06 at 0900 GMT
    Position: 16S 104.6E
    Location 645 miles WNW of Learmonth, Western Australia
    Movement: SSE at 6 knots
    Maximum sustained winds: 70 knots
    Maximum gusts: 85 knots
    Threatened landmasses: NONE
    Next update from JTWC at 2100 GMT

    Tropical cyclone Pancho will continue to intensify as it tracks south across the open ocean, intensifying to 100 knots, but as conditions grow more unfavourable, a weakening trend will be initiated.

    http://www.hurricanezone.net/#26s

  19. Hey Ron, wassup? Have a look at what I pasted @1145 – a statement from the senior minister at Hillary’s longtime church in defence of Wright. Sorry, what’s that you were saying?

  20. Hi Possum-
    great link.
    Not that we bludgers would ever need or want to exaggerate such nights of passion.
    If Hillary ventured here she could find some real sniper fire.

    R/ron –
    Hillary and Rudd went to the same church? And here was me thinking she lived in the US.

  21. Growler –
    i thought we Obamabots were already having a religious experience, him being the Messiah and all. Difficult for an atheist I must confess, but I am starting to feel the light.

  22. FErny @165
    just checked out the link.
    Effing Hell! These people can vote????
    And they’re worried about the Reverand Wright- he’s almost an agnostic in comparison to this lot.

  23. KR @ 1168

    whenever i see Karl Rove i picture him as one of those creeps in the masks in Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”.

    with ol Henry Kissinger as the head honcho of course.

    yuck

  24. jen @ 1184 – not only can they vote, according to GG they are “solid citizens” and apparently highly regarded by mainstream voters

  25. codger –
    I’m in.

    Growler- as if.
    who’d take on Hillary as the aggrieved wife? complete with CIA, Special services and flack jacket.

    Night all.

  26. “Berlin, Monday, Aug. 20, 1934 — Eighty-nine and nine-tenths per cent of the German voters endorsed in yesterday’s plebiscite Chancellor Hitler’s assumption of greater power than has ever been possessed by any other ruler in modern times. Nearly 10 per cent indicated their disapproval. The result was expected”
    A more telling indicator were the elections to the fake unions set up by Hitler around the same time. The Nazis, whilst banning members of other parties from standing for shop steward positions, fooilishly forgot to ban non Nazis from standing as independents. Every position had a Nazi endorsed candidate and they for less than 10% of the vote. In the last genuine free election the Nazis got less than 35% of the national vote and the only movement amongst the traditional left-wing working class voters was from the Social Democrats to the Nazis. So I would write that quote off as typical bulls@#t shallowness from the MSM – same in 1934 as now.

  27. Evening fellow bludgers- I see GG is still fighting the good fight. I’d love to have him on my side in the trenches. It takes rare courage to maintain a position like his despite all the abuse, logic and rhetoric to the contrary.

    Billary still hasn’t conceded, unless I’ve missed something. I’m looking forward to the next FOUR MONTHS. As I’ve said before, it’s death by snails for the Clintons and their supporters.

    I bought a very unbiased book today titled “Madame Hillary: The Black Road to the White House” which I’m sure will add to the dispassionate commentary on this site. That nice man Dick Morris, who really likes the Clintons based on his extensive dealings with them, describes the author as being the main reason Hillary would wake at night in a cold sweat. To know they have friends in such positions of influence must be a relief for the Clintons in such trying times. 😀

  28. Mayo and Harry,

    A fine pair.

    Obama seemed to think he needed to clarify Wright’s influence on him. Only took a 37 minute speech. Personally, not sure he was convincing. But that is me.

    McCain doesn’t seem inclined to bear his soul. Maybe he is comfortable in his own skin.

    Hillary is a Methodist so no liklihood of loopiness there.

    Ultimately, the voters decide.

    Do you have a p[roblem with this?

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