Obama claims Democratic nomination

It is now official... Sen. Barack Obama has won enough delegates and superdelegates to push him over the threshold to earn the Democratic presidential nomination. 

Clinton as of yet has not conceded in her fight for the presidential nomination, claiming she has won the popular vote, an argument that the Obama campaign disputes. 

Does anyone have any final thoughts on the Obama-Clinton fight for the Oval Office?

For more info, see NYTimes.com

Negative campaigning

An editorial in the NY Times this morning, Sen. Clinton and the Campaign, discusses how Clinton should reform her campaign if she wants to continue her fight for the Democratic nomination. Although the Times endorsed Clinton, the authors say that she needs to let go of the attack ads against Obama and start campaigning about the issues at hand.

It would be best for all Americans if all of the presidential candidates would focus on communicating their stances on the issues instead of finding faults with the other candidates. They all have faults, but it is up to the American people, relying on a fair democratic process, to evaluate those faults and weigh them with the issues that a candidate supports or opposes.

Keep fighting the fair fight.

The Media's Influence on Decision 2008

Although Senator Hillary Clinton won the Indiana Democratic Primary, the media since Tuesday night's win has been talking nonstop about whether Clinton should drop out of the race. In effect, the media is questioning Clinton's credibility as a presidential candidate and indirectly endorsing Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.

Sen. Clinton has been fighting for her party's nomination for many months now, so why does the media think that they have the right to tell her that her run is over? That is up for Clinton to decide, and she has made it very clear that she is not giving up so easily. If she has put all that time, effort and money into her campaign, then she should take it all the way to the Democratic National Convention.

The Today Show had a guest commentator this morning who berated the media for trying to influence the Democratic nomination in such a rude manner as to constantly call for Clinton to drop out. After days of hearing nothing but "Should Hillary drop out?" I was very much excited to see someone who shared my same views on the media's ridiculous behavior.

The media in this case is valuing patriarchy and undermining feminine strength. They are taking on the role of weakening a strong female presidential candidate in the eyes of Americans. The media is not acting in favor of the greatest good for the greatest number because they are telling Americans that she is weak, when in fact she has overcome adversity to become a viable presidential candidate.

Whether you support Clinton or not, I think it is undeniable that she has put up quite a fight to make it to where she is now, with 1,686 total delegates compared to Obama's 1,845. Only time will tell who will be nominated for the Democratic presidential bid, but that is not up to the media to decide.

Keep fighting the good fight.

See NYTimes article - 5/8/08
Also Washington Post article - 5/8/08
See videos at http://today.msnbc.msn.com

Absentee Ballots for Indiana

Many Butler students are from the state of Indiana, but do not live in the area where they are registered to vote. (If you are even registered!)
You can file for an absentee ballot here: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/absentee.html. It must be received by April 28, so act soon!
I encourage all students to register to vote. It is past the deadline to register in time for the Indiana Primary Election, but registration for the November General Election opens on May 20. Registration here: http://www.in.gov/sos/elections/vote_reg.html
This is an interesting election, one that could lead our nation into a time of change. Therefore, it is important to have your voice heard and take part in the privilege of democracy.

Chelsea Clinton's Butler Visit

During Chelsea Clinton's visit visit to Butler today she was asked if her mother's, Sen. Clinton's, credibility was hurt because of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. She responded by saying

“Wow, you’re the first person actually that’s ever asked me that question in the, I don’t know maybe, 70 college campuses I’ve now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business.”

This sound bite has made the national news.

My opinion on this is that since she is actively campaigning for her mother she should answer questions like the one that was posed today. The complete opposite would be true if she was not actively campaigning.


What do you think?

Michigan Primary Update

Here is an update on the Michigan Primary.

Michigan Primary

Check out this story about the possible do-over of the Michigan primary.

Official March 4 Results

Mike Huckabee dropped out of the race, making John McCain the Republican candidate.

Democrat Primaries:
Rhode Island - Clinton
Ohio - Clinton
Texas - Clinton
Vermont - Obama

From CNN.com: The Race for Delegates
Democrats (Need 2,025 to win)
Obama - 1,515 total (1,321 pledged/194 superdelegates)
Clinton - 1,424 total (1,186 pledged/238 superdelegates)

Republicans (Need 1,191 to win)
McCain - 1,257 total (1,187 pledged/70 superdelegates)
Huckabee - 267 total (264 pledged/3 superdelegates)

Primaries and Hilary Clinton

Tonight, it was official for the Republican party, but still unsure for the Democrats. John McCain clinched the Republican candidacy but since Clinton dominated both Ohio and Texas, the run between Barack Obama and Hilary Clinton is still uncertain. Hopefully this influences student participation because both Clinton and Obama campaigned toward college students today.

On the lighter side, check out the video of Hilary Clinton's interview on The Daily Show -
Click here
or
Click Here

I find it somewhat ironic that Hilary appeared on The Daily Show the day before both her and Obama campaigned to college students, could it be that she knows college students watch John Stewart and they will see her as funny? mmhhh, I think so.

Hillary Video

My uncle sent me this...kind of funny! Click on the 2008 below.

2008

Obama's supporters are increasingly young

A New York Times article today says that Clinton's support stems from longtime connections, while Obama's support is growing exponentially among new, younger supporters. It has long been known that most of the people who go to the polls are older, and younger people (a.k.a. college students) do not vote.
Do you agree that talk amongst young people is geared toward support for Obama? Do you think this growing excitement in the presidential race will entice young people to actually go to the polls this time or skip out like usual?

Feminism & Race in 2008

When it comes to the 2008 election, are we as an American culture, more ready to accept a black man or a woman into the Oval Office?

Many countries have had female presidents and prime ministers, so why are Americans so reticent to accept a woman in power? In our "white supremacist patriarchal society," which is more offensive: a woman or a black man? Whether Clinton wants to be labeled one or not, she is a feminist simply for the fact that she is running for office. I know, the F-word. It's scary. Or is it? "Feminism" tends to have a negative connotation of man-hater, but in reality, feminism is about pro-woman. It's about human rights. Clinton has stood up against "the man" (quite literally) and stated that women aren't going to take this abuse anymore. We are not weak victims, we are powerful individuals who can do the same things men can do and we can be treated with respect and earn the same paycheck for the same job. If Clinton were to be elected president, what are men afraid of? What is this insecurity that men have about women in power?

I've heard many people say that Senator Obama is "the right kind of black" to get votes. What the hell does that mean? Oh wait, we live in a "white supremacist patriarchal society." So if Obama's behaviors and actions are like that of a white man, he is likely to get votes.

We are at a crucial moment in American history, and yet I have a feeling that many of us will be sitting at home watching Family Guy on Election Day, in ignorance of what is going on. Not to say that all Republicans should switch their ballots to Democrat just to participate in this landmark election, but those who do vote Democrat should evaluate why they are voting for their candidate in the context of a cultural examination of American society. Voters need to be aware of the cultural influences of their decisions.

Democratic debate last night

Did anyone watch the debate last night? Did they talk about anything new or relevant?

Developments

Is anyone paying attention to the latest developments in the candidates' campaigns?

On the Republican side, McCain was recently challenged by an article in the New York Times, chronicling his relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist.

On the Democrats side, Hillary has accused Barack of plagiarizing his speeches. Clinton claimed that Obama took a speech from the current Massachusetts governor and used it at one of his rallies. Related artcles: NYT article and article about last night's debate.

What do you think about this stuff?

Will the NYT story hurt McCain's campaign, and what about Hillary calling out Barack?

Primary Update

Updates from Wisconsin!

OBAMA over CLINTON- 56% to 43%, with 40% of the precincts reporting.

MCCAIN over HUCKABEE- 55% to 37%, with 40% of the precincts reporting.

This makes Obama's ninth straight win, and McCain's victory has further sown up his position as the GOP nominee.

On to Ohio and Texas for the Dems....

Gun Control

In light of the shooting at Northern Illinois University yesterday afternoon, you have to wonder... where is the issue of gun control in the 2008 election? If an unstable 27-year-old can walk into a store and purchase two handguns on the same day, and then six days later burst into a lecture hall killing 5 students and himself... why aren't the candidates talking about gun control laws?

The issue is nonexistent on both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's list of issues. Apparently, the issue is either not important or too uncomfortable for the Democrats to talk about. According to CNN.com, both support limiting the sales of handguns to one per month among other gun control laws. Is gun control such a taboo topic that even after a gunman shoots 21 people in a lecture hall, the candidates are still too afraid to tackle the issue?

Senator John McCain opposes gun control legislation, but at least he's talking about the issue. Mike Huckabee also addresses the issue on his site, saying how he supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The problem on the Republican side is that, as we've seen in the NIU shooting, even law-abiding citizens can be dangerous with a gun in their possession.

Potomac primaries

Obama and McCain swept the Potomac primaries tonight, winning Virginia, Maryland and D.C.

Obama now leads the Democratic primary in delegates with 1,215, while Clinton holds 1,190.

McCain continues to pull away from Huckabee, totaling 812 delegates tonight compared to the latter's 217.

The next primaries will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 19, for Wisconsin while Hawaii and Washington will hold their Democratic primaries that same day.

Recent primary results

Obama won the Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington primaries last night.

Huckabee won the Kansas and Washington primaries, while McCain won the Washington primary.

Obama pulled closer to Clinton in total number of delegates achieved reaching 1,049 while she sits at 1,108. Huckabee elevated his number of delegates to 217, while McCain finished Saturday with 714. The Democrats need 2,025 total delegates to win the nomination, and the Republicans need 1,191.

The Maine Democrat primary is today, and the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia primaries are on Tuesday. Huckabee's starting to make the race interesting, especially with Mississippi, North Carolina and Kentucky primaries coming up, and the former governor of Arkansas is looking at the Texas primary to really boost his campaign. Obama, on the other side, is really gaining momentum.

It appears that McCain will likely get the nomination, but things happen. I really don't know who's going to take the nomination in either party.

Inspired by words

It took me a while to jump onto the "got hope?" train this election season, mostly because I thought that the train was running a little too conservative of a path for my tastes. I was seduced by John Edwards' anti-poverty platform. I was loving Mike Gravel for calling out all the mainstream candidates on pandering to various interest groups. I couldn't get enough of Dennis Kucinich preaching the progressive word in such a practical manner.
Maybe at that time Obama had not hit his stride yet. Maybe he was struggling, throughout the summer and fall to find his niche amongst the field, to define himself amongst the candidates. However, since the lead up to Iowa, and his crushing defeat in the caucus, Obama has found his place, has carved out a space for himself- his oratory.
His words are beautiful, his speeches run chills up my spine, he brings me to tears. His speech after the New Hampshire primary, which has been made into the "Yes, We Can" Song- www.dipdive.com- had me leaping on the "got hope?" Express and hanging on for dear life. He channelled RFK, MLK, and Cesar Chavez. He, for the first time since 2003 when we began a pre-emptive war, made me feel proud to be an American. He is bringing inspiration and optimism back to this nation.
God speed to the "got hope?" Express.

Romney Suspends Campaign

Mitt Romney made a surprise announcement today that he is suspending his presidential campaign.

There has been a lot of talk by the analysts on TV about how Romney and Huckabee have been splitting the conservative part of the republican party. I think that is an accurate statement because of their 2nd and 3rd status in many states. The question that will be answered in the future is where are Romney supporters going to go? Will they go to McCain or Huckabee in the short term? If they go to McCain, he will easily wrap up the nomination. If they go to Huckabee, the race is still on.

What if McCain wraps up the nomination, where will the conservative vote go?
McCain is not a conservative therefore it is unlikely conservatives will support McCain . McCain sponsored a campaign finance reform bill that has ban campaign ads 30 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election. He also sponsored a bill that would have granted amnesty to illegal aliens. My guess at this point is they will stay home in November or rally for an independent or third party candidate. Some conservatives may go against their principles and support McCain anyways.

Who do you think conservatives will do/support?

Super Tuesday

Was anyone surprised by the results of Super Tuesday?

I personally didn't think that Mike Huckabee was going to do so well. But, he is a Southerner, and we Southerners tend to vote for the candidate from our region.

This trend, however, hasn't proved true in the Democrat race. Hillary, who's originally from Illinois but served as the First Lady of Arkansas during Bill's terms as governor, probably appeals to many of us back home because of her connections to the region, but Barack has taken a slight majority of the Southern states -- South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri -- while Hillary only prevailed in Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee (my beloved home state, which is why I was a little sad to see Fred Thompson leave the race).

So, I'm personally very interested to see who'll win the remaining Southern states for the Democrats, with Louisiana (Feb. 9), Virginia (Feb. 12), Mississippi (March 11), North Carolina (May 6) and Kentucky (May 20) left to vote.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Dawgnet Opinion blog! Here you will find opinion pieces written by Dawgnet staff as well as contributions from the Butler community. We encourage you to leave comments about the pieces you read. As journalism practitioners, we respect the electricity of public debate, but we also ask that you show respect for the contributors and readers of this blog.

As part of our first semester using this Opinion blog, much of it will be focused on the Republican and Democratic primaries taking place currently. Please use this blog as a forum to express your ideas about the election process. If you would like to be considered as a contributor to this blog, please e-mail dawgnet@butler.edu.