Move Over, Mason. Jennifer S. Palin-Horn Snagged Rudy!

by: Dean Barker

Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 21:51:37 PM EDT

How interesting, given her own feelings about him. Here's Jennifer Horn, an undecided NH Republican in the NY Post:

But will Horn now have to drop Jackie Mason from her A-list of endorsers? It's all so confusing to me:

Rudolph W. Giuliani said yesterday that the comedian Jackie Mason would no longer have a role in his mayoral campaign, after a newspaper quoted Mr. Mason as making racially charged remarks about blacks and Jews.

...''There is a sick Jewish problem of voting for a black man no matter how unfit he is for the job,'' Mr. Mason said. ''All you have to do is to be black and don't curse the Jews directly and the Jew will vote for a black in a second. Jews are sick with complexes.''

He went on: ''The Jews are constantly giving millions of dollars to the black people. Have you ever heard of a black person giving a quarter to a Jew? I never heard a black person say we have to help the poor Jews.''

Some Statistics To Prove That New Hampshire Is NOT "John McCain Country."

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 20:36:18 PM EDT

One of the more exasperating comments I hear news media personalities who should know better, or should be doing more accurate reporting, is that "New Hampshire is John McCain country."  Baloney.  New Hampshire has never been "his state.'  

In 2000 he faced a stumbling George W. Bush in the New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary.  In the NH Primary on February 1st, 2000, some 239,523  Republicans sloshed to the polls on a cold winter day.  John McCain received 115,606 of those votes -- about 48%.  George W. Bush got 72,330 votes -- even then the voters were smartening up about him.  The rest of the wealth of Republican votes was spread around to names like Forbes, Keyes, Bauer, and a splattering of others.  Umm, spreading the wealth around probably got its start in John McCain's mindset that year.

That wasn't too bad for McCain in 2000.  Of course, shortly after leaving New Hampshire he walked into walls or off a cliff depending on your description down South, and ended up spending the past eight years not doing much in the United States Senate.

By the way, in that primary of February 1, 2000, there were 156,862 Democrats voting -- not exactly an excited electorate.  I remember it well.  Most of us voted for Al Gore, but Bill Bradley wasn't far behind.  We know what happened after that, and if, if, if -- if Florida, if the US Supreme Court, if New Hampshire, if he didn't roll his eyes, if -- he would be winding up two terms as President.

Update to 2008.  Least we forget, John McCain was able to slip in between a pile of conservative Republicans.  He was able to appear like the alternative to the far right, and he received 88,713 votes from Republicans in the NH Primary on January 8, 2008.  Not bad, except there were some 241,039 Republicans voting -- so McCain this time around got only about 36% of those voting.

It was enough, however, for John McCain to top the New Hampshire Republican ballot because the rest of the candidates spread the balance of the votes -- Mitt Romney coming in second with 75,675, and names like Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, and Duncan Hunter getting the rest.  Ohhhhh -- Barack Obama got the write-ins of 1,996 Republicans and Hillary Clinton got 1,828 write-ins, not too bad for Republicans who like Democrats, and who can vote for Democrats again in less than two weeks.  

That same election, January 8th of this year, 288,672 Democrats voted.  Compare that with the 156,862 Democrats who voted in the 2000 Primary.  More than 130,000 additional Democrats turned out this year in our Primary.  Some excitement there, huh?  Among the Republicans, compared with 239,523 voting in the 2000 Primary there were only about 1,500 more Republicans voting this year.  Many stayed home.  

At the January 8th Democratic Presidential Primary, Barack Obama got 104,815 votes -- some 16,000 votes more than John McCain received on January 8th.  Hillary Clinton placed first with 112,404, and you can bet almost all will be voting for Barack Obama on November 4th.  So will those who voted for the other Democratic Presidential candidates, who included Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Mike Gravel.  

Bottom line, for those who are bottom line types, is this:  As of September 9th, there were  868,668 registered voters in New Hampshire.  By now in late October there are quite a few more, and many others are expected to sign up as new voters on November 4th.

So, take a look at it:  On January 8th of this year John McCain received 88,713 votes -- certainly enough to win a Republican Primary where he staked out the "moderate" ground and there were half a dozen other candidates splitting the more conservative elements of the party.

But of ALL New Hampshire registered voters, John McCain received only about 10.2% this year.  This isn't "John McCain Country" by a long shot.  And considering the way the Democrats are united this year, and with the motivating issues to encourage people to vote being Iraq, health care, Global Warming and Climate Change, education, tax reform and fairness, and our current economic dilemma -- Barack Obama will do very well.

Those of us who support him have to keep at it right through to Tuesday, November 4th at 8:00 PM, but he'll beat John McCain in New Hampshire.  New Hampshire has never been John McCain Country.  But after November 4th, we'll be able to call it a proud place for President Barack Obama to come back to whenever he wants.

The "Community Organizing" Joke--what RNC delegates heard.

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 16:36:19 PM EDT

McCain to retroactively not compete in Michigan, Wisconsin

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Mon Apr 21, 2008 at 00:29:42 AM EDT

The Ticker is reporting that McCain has hired the head of Rudy!'s New Hampshire effort, Jennifer Hallowell, to head up the presumptive Republican nominee's campaign in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Fergus! had this to say, in the Ticker comments, about McCain's new "regional campaign manager":

Jennifer is a pro and a great asset for any team. Jennifer was a pleasure to work with in NH, and the McCain team is lucky to have her talent and worth ethic helping them. Good pick up, Team McCain.

To the many hamsters who never miss a chance for dry humor, this is your cue.

Daring To Dream Of Possible Democrat and Republican Dream Tickets!

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Sun Feb 03, 2008 at 20:20:24 PM EST

On the Democratic side, we're seeing that we have two fantastic candidates. Incredible, really.  I'm an unabashed Hillary Clinton supporter, but I'm more than pleased to see this "battle" go to Super Tuesday, and perhaps beyond.  Every day that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are on the campaign trail, more Democrats -- and Independents and Never-Cared-Before-But-Do-Nows -- are energized.  

The New Hampshire Primary this year served the role that it should:  we evaluated the candidates, had our time with them for the past year or so, and made our choices.  And that we didn't serve a knock-out punch to more than just one, who withdrew after New Hampshire, was a good thing.  Our role did include "saving" Hillary Clinton from the double-loss of Iowa/NH.  Our role also propelled John McCain, giving him his important first victory of 2008, and look at him now.  No one can underestimate the New Hampshire Primary -- a former New York City Mayor tried to, and look at HIM now.  

So, what about dream tickets?  I'm one of those pulling for a Clinton-Obama, or Obama-Clinton ticket.  I'd prefer the former, but would also get excited about the latter.  BOTH of these great leaders should be in the Presidential Inaugural Parade of January, 2009.

On the Republican side, my dream ticket would be McCain-Huckabee.  They'd be easiest to defeat, I think.  McCain wants The Iraq One Hundred Year War, and Americans do not.  Huckabee wants the U.S. Constitution rewritten with his preacher's touch, and Americans do not.

I doubt it would ever be McCain-Giuliani -- that would be too much to dream for, but even if it's McCain-Romney, we'll have fun.  Each of them has switched so often I can visualize an ad titled "McCain-Romney Weathervane North/South/East/West Compass Which-Way-Is-Up-Or-Down Or Left Or Right?" Of course, there are many other possibilities for the Republicans, but hopefully they won't figure that out.

I'm dreaming to win.  And I think it's going to be more than just a dream.

What have you been dreaming of lately?  

Florida Poised to Avert World War III

by: Dean Barker

Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 21:32:39 PM EST

This is a good thing.  A very good thing.

Because while the world wavers, key Rudy! foreign policy advisor, old school neocon, and verifiable lunatic Norman Podhoretz is shouting from the top of the WSJ editorial pages to bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran (NIEs be damned):

as between bombing Iran to prevent it from getting the bomb and letting Iran get the bomb, there is simply no contest.

...The upshot is that if Iran is to be prevented from becoming a nuclear power, it is the United States that will have to do the preventing, to do it by means of a bombing campaign, and (because "if we wait for threats to fully materialize, we will have waited too long") to do it soon.

...In 1938, as Winston Churchill later said, Hitler could still have been stopped at a relatively low price and many millions of lives could have been saved if England and France had not deceived themselves about the realities of their situation. Mutatis mutandis, it is the same in 2008, when Iran can still be stopped from getting the bomb and even more millions of lives can be saved--but only provided that we summon up the courage to see what is staring us in the face and then act on what we see.

Evening Miscellany

by: Dean Barker

Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 21:01:19 PM EST

* James Pindell has a new gig - he's the National Managing Editor of Politicker.com, a non-partisan inside politics blog, which is spawning state sites, such as PolitickerNH, which in turn hosts Brian Lawson, of NH Presidential Watch fame. Note: I'm currently re-tooling the blogroll, so I'll put this one up as soon as it's ready.

* Speaking of new blogs, one of the gurus behind the Doddmania phenomenon, Matt Browner Hamlin, freshly de-coupled from the horserace, now has his own place to clog up the tubes, Hold Fast.

* I don't know why the NYT waited until Rudy!'s campaign was near collapse, but I'll take it, because it shows the world what I remember vividly from living in NYC during his tenure.  The short version: Rudy! is a cold, vicious, vindictive, petty, small little boy who will use any amount of your tax money to destroy his perceived enemies, no matter how far down the ladder they are, or innocent of blame.  I guarantee you, this article will leave you with the chills.  Thank goodness he's approaching Frederick of Hollywood territory in the GoOPer race.

* Oh, wait - turns out Frederick dropped out.  Could've fooled me; I hardly knew he had dropped in.  Is the writer's strike over or something?  What will New Hampshire do without the rock-star like crowds he generated here?

* Shorter Sununu: Get your icky uninsured hands off my gold-standard health care plan.

* Thanks, Jon, for bringing this to our attention:

Rudy!: My Surge is Better than Your Surge

by: Dean Barker

Wed Jan 02, 2008 at 18:43:31 PM EST

Yeah, Rudy!, I have a great plan for getting more troops into Afghanistan.  It's called getting them out of the country that had nothing to do with 9/11, the one you and your GOoPer pals endlessly cheerlead.

How will America's Mayor get these troops?

Giuliani told reporters the military will be able to recruit the additional troops by the additional advertising, even though the military has been struggling to meet current recruitment goals.

Rudy! as Defined by... Rudy!

by: Dean Barker

Sun Dec 30, 2007 at 21:31:55 PM EST

Pindell catches this from an event in Plymouth (emphasis mine):

But when he was asked how he is different from candidates in his own party, Giuliani said not to look to policy.

"I think the way I differ is background and experience," Giuliani said. "Everything I tell you that I will do I have already done."

Of course another interpretation is that we should imagine that keeping the company of Bernie Kerik as Mayor tells us how he will be as President - keeping company with war fanatic Norman Podhoretz, to name just one frightening example.  And whose doggy doo, I wonder, would be cleaned with our federal tax dollars under a Rudy! Administration?

John Deady, Rudy's NH Veteran's Coordinator, Resigns from Campaign

by: Mike Caulfield

Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 13:21:41 PM EST

The latest: John Deady, the head of Rudy's NH Veterans for Rudy group, the man who said that all Muslims need to be chased "back to their caves.", has resigned.

Sorry the link is to Fox -- it's the source I could find.

However, if you want to start your Saturday out with good laugh, read the last paragraph:

Similar fallout occurred recently in the Hillary Clinton camp when New Hampshire adviser Bill Shaheen warned in an article that Democratic rival Barack Obama's admissions of past drug use could provide easy fodder for the GOP if he were the nominee. Shaheen resigned after making the comments.

Yeah, right, that's exactly the same thing. Good catch.

So ready for November.

What Will Red Sox Rudy Do?

by: Dean Barker

Sat Dec 29, 2007 at 09:20:35 AM EST

What will Red Sox Rudy do?  Root for New Hampshire's team again, or will Mr. 9/11 stay true to his hometown?

I maintain that perceived trust and character are the prime ingredients in the decision made in the private realm of the voting booth.  Exhibit A: Rudy Giuliani's latest poll numbers.

Rudy's NH Co-Chair on Muslims: "Get Rid of Them"

by: Dean Barker

Fri Dec 28, 2007 at 19:07:53 PM EST

Man, between supporters like these, and foreign policy advisors like warmonger Norman Podhoretz, a Rudy! presidency would be wicked scary.  Good thing he's sinking like a stone in the polls.  Here's hoping Ron Paul's one useful moment is coming in ahead of Mr. 9-11 on primary day.

Some Christmas Gifts And New Year's Wishes

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Mon Dec 24, 2007 at 22:59:32 PM EST

So I decided to give some "gifts" for Christmas and a few New Year's wishes to some people.  Here goes:

To George W. Bush -- Some chat time with his Dad and Mom.  Obviously he didn't listen to them when he was a little guy when they, like all parents, most likely told their son to grow up to be good.

To Carol Shea-Porter -- The continued courage and independence to be a great Congressperson.

To Paul Hodes -- A conservative Republican to run against in 2008, so he can have more fun and win even bigger than last time.

To Jeanne Shaheen -- A united New Hampshire Democratic Party behind her after next September's primary.

To Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani -- Copies of the book "How To Get Along With People Who Are As Messed Up As Me."

To Mike Huckabee -- A copy of "First Grade Reader," so in the future he can read the simple facts about AIDS and other issues.

To all New Hampshire gays and lesbians -- The full right to marry.  Soon.  Not just a Civil Union.  "Marriage," with the word.  In the meantime, Civil Unions are "official" as of 12.01 AM 01.01.08.  Fantastic.  We're getting there.

To the New Hampshire First-In-The-Nation Presidential Primary -- The absolutely bestest-ever turnout of voters across all age groups on Tuesday, January 8th.  It's our chance to show the nation we go to the polls in droves, and that's why New Hampshire is important now and in the future.  

To John Lynch -- A new office camera.  Twice now when I arranged for pictures in the Governor's Office their camera didn't work, most recently with some Russian journalist visitors.  Fortunately we brought cameras of our own.  But what gives?  I'm not THAT ugly.

To Bill Gardner -- Another chance to set the date of yet another Presidential Primary, in 2012.

To The Union Leader -- A giant bag of coffee so the reporters will be alert enough to keep a sharp eye on all those wayward national and statewide Republican candidates who are switching all around and attacking one another about things they never said.  My are they confused.  

To Democrats everywhere and everywhere -- A fantastic year in 2008 on the national and state levels.  The only way we can lose this one is if we don't let Democrats be Democrats.  

To our troops in Iraq -- Withdrawal from that ill-planned, unnecessary war, and a commitment never to again put them in harms-way unless necessary.  

To "Granny D" -- Success on her effort to have New Hampshire join the dozen other states with public financing of campaigns and real campaign reform.  She's great!

To Hillary Clinton -- A new campaign manager.  I don't even know who the current one is, but I do know she could use a new one.  This woman rocks and will make a great President, but her campaign continues to be off-based from what I can see.  She still has time, but those who are on the top of her national campaign could serve her better.

To my wonderful kitty cat "RayToo" -- Pleasant dreams of chasing mice, and another year of good health.  I need your "greetings" every day I return home.

And to my very special friend D.P. -- Successful surgery in three weeks, because I don't want to lose another good friend, and the world needs all the wonderful people it has.  You can make it!

Well, that's it for this year.  I can't afford to be any more generous.  How about other gifts from readers?  

Rudy! Not the Only GOPer to Misuse Taxpayer-Funded Security

by: Dean Barker

Thu Dec 20, 2007 at 14:21:29 PM EST

Some local property owners are annoyed by a new security line that reaches 250 feet into Lake Winnipesaukee from Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's vacation property.

...The lack of jurisdiction has not prevented officers from Romney's security detail from trying to keep people out of the area, however, according to recent letters in the Granite State News, a weekly newspaper.

Bryce Wolf, of Manchester, whose family has owned property on Lake Winnipesaukee for years, said in a letter to the editor that he was fishing inside the roped-off area when he was approached by a police officer on a personal watercraft.

"He demanded to know who I was, where I lived and what I was doing there," Wolf wrote. Wolf said he eventually ended up leaving because he "didn't feel like being hassled anymore."

Madeline Meyer, who lives near Romney's property, said in another letter that she was kayaking through the area when a man "ran down to the edge of the Romney dock and glared at me."

"Why should a governor from another state, or anyone else for that matter, be allowed to appropriate part of a lake that belongs to all the citizens of the state of New Hampshire?" she asked.

Primary Grab Bag

by: Dean Barker

Mon Dec 17, 2007 at 23:54:54 PM EST

* The Globe's James Pindell catches an interesting contrast: did Billy Shaheen resign over his Obama drug dealer remarks, as was released, or is Senator Clinton giving us the real story:

"That was totally a surprise," Clinton said about Shaheen's remarks. "It was not authorized. I certainly don't condone it. We asked him to step down. He's not part of our campaign."

* Is it just me, or are you all starting to see lots of Huckabee signage and bumber stickers crop up?  Who knows, maybe I was wrong when I thought this state would be a major bump in the road for him.  He certainly doesn't mind airing an overtly Christian TV ad in this, the least church-going state in the nation.

* The WaPo reads BH and picks up on Jim Splaine's "Let Hillary Be Hillary" meme.

Whither the Youth Vote?

by: Dean Barker

Sun Dec 16, 2007 at 08:16:45 AM EST

In results announced yesterday, Obama topped the Democratic field, garnering 890 votes, or 55 percent of ballots cast, easily outdistancing his closest competitors, Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards, who received 275 and 206 votes, respectively.

Is this good news for Obama? Well, yes, and no, I guess:

[John] Barrier [president of UNH Students for Obama] said many students he spoke to did not want to register to vote after casting ballots in the mock primary because they thought they had just voted in the actual primary.

"We were very concerned about that," he said, so much so that his organization informed campus officials, who on Thursday e-mailed students informing them that they had in fact voted in a fake primary.

Are the kids alright?

Rudy's Sheriff Fetish, Now On Video

by: Mike Caulfield

Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 22:37:24 PM EST

Forget the organizations, the systems and processes (both working and flawed). Leadership, for Bass, is not the long haul of policy, process, and culture building. It's not the navigation of the complex and sometimes incompatible goals that coexist in large organizations, or the means by which progress is achieved despite those conflicts.

It's strong men. It's critical moments. It's manly men.

It was a display of classic Republican Sheriff mythology that Rudy would soon follow up with his own leadership porn. Asked by a history teacher in the audience a question about Iran, Rudy told a story -- we had that hostage situation Iran, remember? Back in 1980, had gone on forever. Ronald Reagan comes to power, he's inaugurated -- and the hostages are released in less than an hour. That's because they saw the cut of Reagan's jib, he told us, saw something in his eye. Saw this was a man not to be toyed with. They knew this was a guy that wouldn't back down.

Now Rudy! has encapsulated this bizarre view of world history in his very own fetish video:

I've noticed in the past couple of years that most Republicans, lacking any positive ideology, are only united in their authoritarian leanings -- and the Sheriff fetish is the centerpiece of their culture. Democrats judge an executive by what they accomplished. Republicans simply count the staring contests won.

But Rudy! has taken it to such an obscene level, it's embarrassing to watch.

People are talking about how this ad is focussed on Iran, and that may be a major mistake given the recent intelligence findings.

True enough. But the disturbing thing to me is that Rudy! actually believes what he is saying here. He really believes that a new sheriff came to town, showed the world he'd taken the safety off his gun, and that resolve scared all the bad guys out of town.

God help us all if this man gets elected.

Rudy!'s Budget Priorities, Vol. 1

by: Dean Barker

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 21:49:39 PM EST

Sex on the City Rudy! sure knows how to prioritize money.  1996:

When Mayor Giuliani proposed his new budget, he made one clearcut promise: there would be no reduction in spending on the protection of the city's most vulnerable children. But members of the City Council, child welfare experts and foster-care providers who have studied the document say it doesn't live up to the promise and could result in reductions of programs and services. They say, too, that Mr. Giuliani has not provided roughly $7 million to finance a promised group of child abuse prevention programs.

But hey, wasn't Rudy! just awesomely awesome when he singlehandedly vanquished Osama bin Laden on 9/11 with his awesome bare hands?  That makes it all better.

This has been the Premiere Edition of Rudy!'s Budget Priorities.

p.s. How awesomely awesome is it for Rudy! that the New York Times now freely makes available its archived news?  This flatlander could spend all day reminiscing with Google over Giuliani's Manahatta days.

Giuliani Fairness Question, with Poll

by: elwood

Wed Nov 28, 2007 at 19:25:19 PM EST

But there are serious issues of public policy involved.

I think this community is thoughtful enough to give these matters the serious consideration they deserve.

Stop Pretending the Race is Over

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Thu Nov 08, 2007 at 17:12:06 PM EST

I am sick and tired of seeing the media report on Hillary/Giuliani general election polls, or any general election polls, or saying the race is over, or saying a candidate has already won, or that there are only several candidates worth even mentioning, etc.

Enough.  The fourth estate doesn't get to choose the nominees.  The voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, and the rest of the country choose the nominees, and until a candidate has enough pledged delegates to be a majority in his/her party's convention, the media has no right to discount ANYONE, or to treat any candidate differently from any other candidate, from Hillary Clinton to Mike Gravel.  Anything less is a threat to democracy.