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Democrats News

Pains In The Ass

My prediction - and I made the same prediction for John Kerry if he had won - for President-elect Obama is that for the first year when it comes to domestic squabbles the biggest pain in his butt will be from the left of his own party rather than the right.
The current GOP is [...]

Democratic T-Shirts: Just Getting Warmed Up

I’m going to be making more of these in the near future, but as a reminder these are available to buy:

Democrats: Just Getting Warmed Up T-Shirt

Democratic Logo T-Shirt

Dramatic Dems Are Dramatic

“OMG Harry Reid and the Senate Dems didn’t listen to us on Lieberman. It’s OVER!!!!” I certainly don’t have the view that conservative Patrick Ruffini does of this issue as any sort of serious infighting, but I am bored with it already. The senate is dumb, you knew they were going to let Lieberman back [...]

The Lieberman Thing

Proves once again, that while control of the House and Senate are nice to have, the Presidency is the real prize because when the House and Senate are stupid they are very stupid.

Please Send William Jefferson To Jail

Since the voters of Louisiana won’t do the right thing.
A federal appeals court upheld bribery and other charges against Louisiana Democratic U.S. Rep. William Jefferson on Wednesday, clearing the way for a trial.
Jefferson, who cruised to victory in a primary last week and is expected to easily win re-election, had sought to dismiss a 16-count [...]

Howard Dean: Mission Accomplished

As Howard Dean prepares to step down as DNC Chairman, its worth remembering that when he started the right and much of the decaying party establishment insisted that his tenure would be counted in days or weeks, certainly not months. Democrats were in disarray, coming off a losing presidential election and consigned to the dustbin [...]

Super-Blue Maryland Gets Bluer

Maryland was among the bluest of states for Sen. Obama - 62% strong - and now we’ve added one more Democrat to our congressional delegation:
According to the Associated Press, Democrat Frank Kratovil has defeated Republican Andy Harris to win a seat that has been held by the GOP for 18 years in Maryland’s tight 1st [...]

Thanks, Tom Tancredo

2004 Hispanic Vote
55% Kerry 44% Bush
2008 Hispanic Vote
67% Obama 31% McCain
The GOP has alienated the fastest growing set of Americans, possibly for a generation.
Si Se Puede.

George W. Bush, Socialist

It’s hilarious how the current desperation-based attack on Sen. Obama is how he, in concert with Reid and Pelosi, will create a left-wing socialist majority that will crush America.
First off the attack using who will be in control of congress is among the most desperate, a version of it was used in 2006 when [...]

“There Are Better Days Ahead”

Obama: “I’m here today to tell you that there are better days ahead. I know these times are tough and I know that many of you are anxious about the future but this isn’t the time for fear and panic. This is a time for resolve and steady leadership.”

“The Only Thing We Have To Fear [...]

The Florida War

Even before the polls started moving in Sen. Obama’s direction in Florida, it was clear that like in most other states, the ground game is going to be strong (I expect to see good to great turnout in states like Utah that won’t stop a 20%+ McCain win in those states but adds to the [...]

Here We Go Again

Republicans drive us into a ditch economically, Democrats bail us out.
Hoover leads to…

Reagan/Bush leads to…

Bush leads to…?

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Did Not Cause The Mortgage Crisis

The Republican party is just trying out the latest version of the Southern Strategy.
First of all, even if Fannie and Freddie were the most awful companies in the history of the planet, its books chock-a-block with non-performing loans, none of the financial contagion—none of it—would have happened had not greedy financial institutions invented the risky [...]

The Nightmare

The cure? Register to Vote | Donate to Obama-Biden
Good work from the Obama campaign here to scare the crap out of those who might be getting complacent.

Ted Kennedy Going To Hospital

CNN: “Sen. Ted Kennedy has been hospitalized in Cape Cod, a Massachusetts Democratic source says.”

Noted For The Record

Dow Jones Industrial Average
Bush Inauguration: 10,587.59
Second Bush Inauguration: 10,471.47
Today: 10,609
Net change: +21.41
Clinton Inauguration: 3,241.95
Second Clinton Inauguration: 6,843.87
End of Clinton presidency: 10,587.59
Net change: +7,345.64
Historical
Bush I Inauguration: 2,235.36
End of Bush I presidency: 3,241.95
Reagan Inauguration: 950.69
Second Reagan Inauguration: 1,227.36
End of Reagan presidency: 2,235.36
Carter Inauguration: 1,029.12
End of Carter presidency: 950.69
Ford assumes presidency: 814.12
End of Ford presidency: 1,029.12

Why I’m A Dem

Please check out my latest column over on HuffPo.

That “Sambo” Story

I’m not going to link to it here, but Google, my email, and some comments show me a lot of people are talking about it. The story rings false to me, and is just the sort of thing like the phony “whitey” video tape story that Larry Johnson was peddling that would be whipped up [...]

$8 Million+ Reasons To Thank Sarah Palin

As I pointed out, Sarah Palin’s partisan screed activated the Republican base, but while it probably turned off the middle and other independents, it also activated the Democratic base. I’m hearing that since Palin’s speech, Obama’s campaign has pulled in around $8 million — and growing.
Keep it up, Mrs. Separatist.
MORE:
Obama spokesman Bill Burton says, “Sarah [...]

The “Other” Base

As is to be expected, the mainstream media is falling all over themselves to congratulate Sarah Palin on her speech and to get first in line for the next barbecue at the McCain compound(s). The consensus - and we know just how wrong the consensus usually is - is that Palin’s speech has consolidated and [...]

The Mostly White Republicans

One of the reasons the GOP speeches from the last couple nights and likely Thursday night will look so alien to the rest of normal America is that the GOP makes snow look diverse by comparison. The GOP is talking to themselves — and not much to anybody else.
Obama’s “strategy is, ‘If I can just [...]

We’re Totally Gonna Do This

They ran this video at the convention but you should all see it.

The Change We Need

The Democratic convention was a unique event in the way in which it continually rejected the storyline the mainstream media was determined to push. We live in a far different media environment than past elections, particularly on the liberal side. The Obama campaign has come along at a fortuitous time, recognizing that Democrats lose when [...]

I’m Back From Planet Awesome

Woah.

UPDATE: I’ll be traveling tomorrow, more gushing from me when I get home.
UPDATE 2: Before I go to bed, I’ll say this: Our next president spoke tonight.

Oh By The Way

The Democratic party just officially nominated a black man to be its nominee. I thought that was worth noting.

HRC On The Floor, Moving For Nomination By Acclamation

Well, I think we just had a moment here. The AP has detail, but it was one of those emotional moments I’m really glad I was there for.
Video:

Day 2.5 Notes

So, leave it to me to find the really nice seats they’ve set aside for bloggers on the last day we’re going to be inside here. Anyhow, I’m on the mid-level, which is the same level NBC, Fox, CNN and AP have their pavilions. Oh, and Al Jazeera. Which is right above where they’ve put [...]

Random Branding Observations

* The typeface being used on the giant screen during the convention to identify each person is the same type the Obama campaign has been using on their material since launch.
* Almost every speech last night made a distinction between McCain as “more of the same” and Obama/Biden as “the change we need”. Democrats, [...]

James Carville

I concede that I’ve only heard about it second hand, but apparently James Carville bitched and moaned on CNN about the convention tonight because I guess they didn’t go after McCain enough. My guess is that is coming, especially with Sen. Clinton and Sen. Biden. But even if that’s not so, can someone tell me [...]

DNC Convention Day 1: The Picturing

So here are some shots from today. I got to go on the floor for about a half hour and its pretty insane. At any given moment you could run into Ed Rendell. Not, like “Oh hi Ed Rendell”, but physically BAM Ed Rendell is on the floor and Oh My God who will bitch [...]

Teddy K In The House?

Sen. Kennedy may attend the Democratic convention. That would be phenomenal.

Biden Bonafides

If anything, we can thank Joe Biden for being instrumental in preventing nutjob conservative Robert Bork from being on the Supreme Court.
Later, in closing the debate, the Judiciary Committee chairman said: ”This has been a great debate, a debate about fundamental principle, about how one interprets the Constitution.”
Senator Biden repeated the statement with which he [...]

What Do You Want From Denver?

As most of you know, I’m going to the convention next week (I leave Sunday) and since I don’t actually have any reporting skills, I want to know from you what sort of things you’d like me to find out about. There’s a good shot I may write some stupid Hunter S. Thompson lite stream [...]

Dave “Mudcat” Saunders Is An Idiot And No Democrat Should Hire Him

In an interview with the London Times, political consultant and apparent snake oil salesman Dave “Mudcat” Saunders says the following:
“The Democrats talk of tolerance, but in reality the only tolerance they ever exhibit is for their own intellectual arrogance — and they don’t have tolerance for my culture,” says Mudcat. “They think we’re a bunch [...]

Stephanie Tubbs Jones [Not] Dead

Sad news
The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first black woman elected to the House from Ohio, died Wednesday afternoon in a Cleveland hospital.
Tubbs Jones was hospitalized Tuesday night after police pulled over her car and found her unconscious behind the wheel.
A Huron Hospital spokeswoman said Tubbs Jones, 58, [...]

Bill Clinton To Speak At Convention, Water Still Wet

I’m a little puzzled at some of the reaction I’ve seen to the news that President Clinton is going to speak at the convention. Was there any thought that he wasn’t going to? Whatever lingering bad feeling there may be from the primaries (and I count myself in that group of people who are still [...]

Democrats On Former Maverick John McCain

The DNC responds to McCain’s web ad yesterday of 2 year old plus footage of Democrats lauding the old John McCain.

Obama Attacks Nikki Tinker’s Racist And Anti-Semetic Ad

Good
‘These incendiary and personal attacks have no place in our politics, and will do nothing to help the good people of Tennessee,’ Obama said. ‘It’s time to turn the page on a politics driven by negativity and division so that we can come together to lift up our communities and our country.’

Natural

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John Kerry at San Francisco Obama rally, originally uploaded by Steve Rhodes.
Maybe it’s because he’s a recent veteran of the biggest war to date with the Republican noise machine, but John Kerry has been great as a [...]

Alaska Blue

Democrat Mark Begich is up 9 over the incumbent, incompetent Ted “Tubes” Stevens. A Democrat can win a senate in Alaska if people step up.
That wacky idea Howard Dean had of competing in all the states as if the Democrats were a national party just might work.

GFJM!

The DSCC and the DCCC have strong fundraising advantages over their Republican counterparts.
You know what this means, right? Good For John McCain!

More Florida Dems

You know who this is good for, right? John McCain.
Through May, Democratic voter registration in Broward County was up 6.7 percent. Republican registrations grew just 3 percent while independents rose 2.8 percent.
Democrats have posted even greater gains statewide, up 106,508 voters from January through May, compared with 16,686 for the Republicans.

Al Franken’s Problem

In the same poll that shows Sen. Obama with a 17 point lead in Minnesota, Al Franken is 10 points behind Norm Coleman. I’ve never been super wild about the Franken run (I don’t like entertainers and other media folks running for office most of the time), but I’m even less so now. Maybe he [...]

Tuesday For Change

Tuesday for Change is your weekly reminder that to get change, to elect Barack Obama, we must do our part to help.
Donate here to Sen. Obama.
Donate here to the DNC.
End the Iraq War. Fix the Economy. Save the Supreme Court. Donate today.
DID YOU KNOW: Mark Begich, Democrat, is currently ahead of Sen. Ted Stevens? [...]

Optics Matter

From today’s Hardball. On the left, Danny Diaz of the RNC. On the right, Karen Finney of the DNC.

Perhaps you shave before you come on tv, hmmm Danny?

For A Laugh

Check out this interactive infographic from the NY Times on how various demographics voted during the primaries. Then click “Blacks”. Hehehe.

Crush Them.

We could duplicate the results of Meteor vs. Dinosaur with this power.
A review of campaign finance data offers not one ounce of good news and barely any hope for the McCain campaign’s ability to compete with Obama’s fundraising prowess.
To make matters worse, Obama’s campaign, which raised $272 million through April for the primary, now is [...]

Elect Obama, Beat McCain, Save The World

You should know that I have now donated more money to Sen. Obama’s campaign than I’ve ever donated to a politician or party. I don’t want to just beat McCain. Though any victory is good - if it’s one vote, I’ll take it - I want to crush them. And I know that the $10, [...]

Ben Cardin Gets To The Party Late

Way to go out on a limb.
Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president on Wednesday.
In a prepared statement, Cardin said he had tremendous respect for both Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but he said Obama would — in his words — “change the direction of [...]

A Roadmap For The Future Of The Democratic Party After Tuesday

Please, God.

Primary From Hell?

There sure are a lot of Democrats out there. I see… blue people…

Blue Virginia

Today Jim Gilmore barely got the Republican nomination for the open senate seat. 65 votes! Steadily I think Virginia is going to become more like us over here in Maryland. And Mark Warner has his first campaign ad up:

Obama will win Virginia on Warner’s coattails.

We Move On

* I’m glad to see the party finally standing up to the Clintons. Florida and Michigan both get their delegates in with penalty, supported by Obama and opposed by the Clintons. The Clintons no longer control the party.
* Harold Ickes is clearly among the more odious of the Clinton goons. The way he threatened the [...]

Harold Ickes Is Ridiculous

I haven’t been watching this thing in full - even I am not that boring - but I’ve now seen Harold Ickes have his butt handed to him twice. First was up against Rep. Robert Wexler, and later against Sen. Carl Levin (who seriously has issues with the Iowa-New Hampshire monopoly - and I agree [...]

Hot & Sexy DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Webcast

Watch one of America’s two major parties get all up in detailed political procedure.

We’re Going To Denver!

Denver Broncos Cheerleaders are in Denver. Hmmm.
And by we, I mean me. OliverWillis.com is one of the blogs officially credentialed to cover the Democratic convention in Denver. I’ve never been to a convention (a political convention, that is, I’ve *ahem* been to a comic book convention or 10) so this should be pretty cool.
I’m thinking [...]

Democrats Narrow The Income Gap, Republicans Increase It

This post brought to you by “Duh!”
Bartels comes to this conclusion by examining what happened to income inequality from President Truman to President George W. Bush. He writes, “Under Democratic presidents, poor families did slightly better than richer families (at least in proportional terms), producing a modest net decrease in income inequality; under Republican presidents, [...]

Greensboro News & Record: Brand Democrat, Me, And Obama

Columnist Ed Cone explains in the Greensboro News & Record how I saved the Democratic party and created Barack Obama. Well, not exactly, but he has a good column on the GOP’s “brand” woes and features me heavily.
In 2004, blogger Oliver Willis launched a viral marketing campaign called “Brand Democrat.” The idea was to frame [...]

In This Case “Coronation” Means A 5 Month Long Fight In 49 Different Contests

Talkleft continues to self parody to a ridiculous extent.
(And the comments on the post are exploring how the nefarious Obama campaign faked having 75,000 people in Oregon yesterday. The upside of this primary campaign is that we’ve learned who the crazies on our side of the aisle are.)

Not Ready To Play Nice

Joe Gandelman has a good summary of the Bush attack and the swift and forceful response by the Democrats, led by Sen. Obama, to it. The Republicans are running plays from the 2002-2004 playbook but the Democrats seem to finally have realized that those plays weren’t working.
I acknowledge that I’m one of those people who [...]

John Edwards Endorsing Obama

The party’s coming together.
CNN has confirmed that former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards will endorse Barack Obama at a Michigan campaign event about an hour from now.

Mississippi’s 1st District

What does it and the other two Democratic gains mean? There is nowhere on the map that a Democrat can’t compete. Sure, the candidate has to be in tune with the local ethos - you won’t run a Los Angeles Democrat in San Angelo, TX or vice-versa - but you don’t do what Democrats did [...]

Your Lack Of Self Awareness Is Intriguing

Jeralyn Merritt at Talkleft writes:
As for the speculation that Obama would convince Hillary’s supporters to vote for him if he picks another female VP candidate like Napolitano or McCaskill, I highly doubt it. There is only one Hillary Clinton. Women are not interchangeable. In fact, it would be rubbing salt in the wounds of [...]

Paging The Wahmbulance

Shorter Matt Stoller: Quit acting like babies. Waaaaaaaaaaaah. The world is ending because Sen. Obama doesn’t personally read every blog and conduct online polls asking the “netroots” what color underwear he should wear.
Do these guys know that a presidential election isn’t all about candidates catering to their personal idiosyncrasies? I don’t think so.