Entries for July 2008

Is it just me, or have the political parties switched roles this election? The normally hapless Democrats have become an imperious, on-message political machine. The habitually martial GOP, which stays on message the way drill sergeants stay on GIs, lacks an overarching message to the point where its conservative base is as energized as a turtle.

Ever since the formative Reagan era—in which the GOP emerged from its post-Watergate swamp of embarrassment and strategist Lee Atwater propagated the myth that the Republican Party is a "big tent," capable of uniting different factions—the GOP has run aggressive, targeted, laserlike, message-machine presidential campaigns. What else could have transformed an inarticulate legacy like George W. Bush into a two-term president? What else could have transfigured a grade B actor into the architect of the fall of communism (which many historians believe would have collapsed of its own weight no matter who was commander in chief)?

Late Monday, I received a long E-mail from Tom Harvey of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Regarding my post about the state's burro plans, he asked:

Is there a reason you chose not to include the fact that TPWD is working with a burro rescue group that plans to try to capture live burros, and that a roundup involving volunteers is planned for Sep. 15? Interested parties who want to help can contact Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue.

The only reason I didn't include it is I didn't know about it. Hence this update.

Texas's Big Bend State Park was the scene last fall of a horrendous slaughter by state officials of some 71 wild burros. The state employees were granted the "privilege" of picking off the defenseless creatures by sniper fire, in the name of "cleansing" the park of nonnative species—so as to "protect" native wildlife and water resources.

Last time I checked, burros were not a predatory species, and if they drank so much water they were going to kill everything else in the park, there was still the option of allowing a horse rescue group to come in and save the burros (as the Texas-based Wild Horse Foundation apparently wanted to do).Here's part of the story about last year's slaughter of 71 burros, as told by the Big Bend Sentinel:

If anyone tells you that they know who, between Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, is going to win in November, that person is a seer, a drunk, or delusional. From where I sit, there are strong arguments for an Obama victory this year, there are strong arguments for a tossup, and there are increasingly strong arguments for a McCain squeaker victory.

What else could explain yesterday's Quinnipiac poll showing McCain gaining in the important swing states of Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota?

When the media start backing away from supporting a candidate or a cause, read this as a sign that media elite understand the public is seeing through the media's ruse of neutrality.

Witness this Web story, which includes a link to video of a live segment on MSNBC. One of the commentators waxes poetic about Sen. Barack Obama's rave visuals on his current trip abroad. (Quite frankly, I thought the video of Obama shooting hoops with the troops made him look less credible, not more.) The other takes a deep breath, steps back, and admits that the Obama campaign has manipulated media coverage during his trip to an extent not witnessed in recent presidential campaigns. And that's saying something.

The latest campaign finance figures show Sen. Barack Obama's pledge not to take money from lobbyists is a distinction without a difference.

He clobbered Sen. John McCain in fundraising last month, netting more than twice the amount of money raised by his rival. From Bloomberg:

Obama took in $51.9 million in June, including $1.4 million from a joint fundraising committee with the Democratic National Committee, while McCain reported raising $21.5 million, including $5.1 million from his fundraising effort with the Republican National Committee.

Democratic anti-Obama movement grows online. According to justsaynodeal.com cofounder Diane Mantouvalos in an online FoxNews.com video posted Thursday, the Democratic anti-Obama movement is growing online. Mantouvalos claims the number of Democratic anti-Obama websites is growing exponentially. Justsaynodeal.com, an anti-Obama Web site, lists some 160 websites that have sprung up to urge Democrats to vote for McCain so, these Hillary supporters hope, Senator Clinton can take on McCain in 2012.

Montouvalos told Foxnews.com one of these anti-Obama Dems is making a documentary. She also said some 250 organizations were on a conference call planning a major event three weeks before the Democratic convention next month in Denver. Stay tuned...