2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination Watch -- Vol. II.

by: Michael McGuinness

Sun Nov 26, 2006 at 16:03:43 PM EST

I am back with Volume II of the far too soon and far too horserace-ish 2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination Watch, as promised last Sunday.

Here are the results from our first installation of the Democratic presidential choice poll, from November 19 to November 26, 2006:

* Wesley Clark - 7 votes (20%)

* John Edwards - 6 votes (17.14%)

* Al Gore - 6 votes (17.14%)

* Barack Obama - 6 votes (17.14%)

* Evan Bayh - 2 votes (5.71%)

* Hillary Clinton - 2 votes (5.71%)

* Tom Daschle - 2 votes (5.71%)

* Bill Richardson - 2 votes (5.71%)

* Joe Biden - 1 votes (2.86%)

* Tom Vilsack - 1 votes (2.86%)

* Christopher Dodd - 0 votes (0%)
* Mike Gravel - 0 votes (0%)
* John Kerry - 0 votes (0%)

The poll for the coming week is included in the extended text. Also included are the following stories that have developed over the past week. Lets see what some of our candidates have been up to:

- Obama talks with top advisers in Iowa

- Denver poised to land 2008 convention

- Presidential candidates court activists

- Edwards, Obama gain attention on book tours

- SurveyUSA approval ratings of Senators

- Emmanuel hopes to avoid Clinton, Obama clash

- Clinton lobbies for New York convention bid

- Carville makes Dem candidacy predictions

- Americans consider Clinton qualified to run

- Feingold does not rule out VP nomination

- Clinton financial advantage depleted

- CNN polls Democratic candidates for president

- Home state voters favor Obama, Clinton runs

- Kerry says he's not out of the '08 race

- Edwards says Obama should run for president

Plus, a focus on the next candidate in no particular order alphabetically: U.S. Senator Joseph "Joe" Biden of Delaware.

2008 Democratic Presidential Nomination, Michigan-Style!

by: Michael McGuinness

Sun Nov 19, 2006 at 19:34:23 PM EST

In the newspapers and in our living rooms, we are already being inundated with intrigue and inuendo regarding the nominating process for our 2008 presidential candidate. In fact we've been inundated with it even before the votes had been cast in 2004.

Believe it or not, a few presidential aspirants  have already made their intentions officially known. Whether they have made it official or not, some have already ventured to Michigan (a few on numerous occasions).

This is true for both the Democratic and Republican parties, but it is even more pronounced on the GOP side. For the purposes of digesting and determining who our standard bearer shall be, there is much to discuss.

I do not deliberate on this topic at the expense of making down-ballot gains or helping our Democrats now in power govern effectively. There are important nonpartisan (at least officially) municipal elections that will take place before a single caucus or primary vote will be cast.

I recognize and relish that, but I also recognize the importance of our presidential nomination. You should not feel guilty for thinking about it, either.

At no time in our nation's history since 1952 have the presidential nominations for both parties not involved either a presidential or vice presidential incumbent in either race. Thats a pretty big deal. It also heightens the political implications of the election's outcome, since it will probably chart the relative success and failure for the respective major parties for quite a few election cycles to come.

So, with that, lets talk about it.

Circumspice, 6/18/06

by: matt

Sun Jun 18, 2006 at 22:08:38 PM EDT

• I see the DFP's Chris Christoff has two pieces out today  (here's the other) that gets into some detail about The Amway Guy's habit of bankrolling wacky Republican campaigns all over America - including that of "The Decider." Good. Glad to see someone writing about this. Now if only someone would also tell the story of how Dick DeVos got to be so rich - including an honest description of Amway and how it works. Then again, maybe that has to appear on a press release somewhere before anyone will write it up. Sadly, that too often seems to be the rule in Lansing - if it doesn't appear on a press release somewhere, it may as well not even exist.
  
  
• Interesting. The Michigan congressman now known affectionately by "The Decider" as "Rock N' Roll Dude" (Thaddeus McCotter [R-Livonia]) had this to say about the resolution to keep our troops in Iraq indefinitely: "strategically nebulous, morally obtuse, and woefully inadequate." Whoah! So Rock N' Roll voted no? Well, um, no. Actually, he just voted "present."
  
  
• Good grief! Could it be that GM is now getting ready to close down Poletown? Sure looks that way! The place is hardly 20 years old - not to mention the fact they destroyed 1,200 homes and trampled on the Constitution to make it happen. Now it may be going away? Unreal.
  
  
• While State Rep. and former UM cheerleader Dan Acciavatti (R-Chesterfield) is busy trying to get Michigan into the business of killing people ("gimmie a D, gimmie an E-A...") for the first time in 160 years, arguments continue in the federal death penalty case of Marvin Gabrion. Gabrion, by all accounts a very bad and twisted character, killed at least two people who were found in the Manistee National Forest. Even though he committed his crimes in Michigan, the fact it was on federal land may mean our ban on the death penalty doesn't apply (this is actually a point of serious dispute right now). The sister of one of his other victims would rather see Gabrion "rot in prison." The death penalty is "too good for him" she says.
  

• $1.2 million "bollards" in Bay City. Read here.
  
  
• Man, Tim Walberg is off on this "Joe Schwarz is a liberal" trip again (Schwarz and Walberg are Republicans warring against each other in CD07). Look, guys, I don't know how many times I have to tell you. Joe may be many things, but a liberal he's not! I mean, maybe he is a liberal compared to Walberg - but by that definition just about everyone in our state (outside of confirmed and sworn members of the Michigan Militia) could be considered a liberal too. I guess if that's true, it should be a boon for Michiganliberal.com site traffic.
  
  
• Headline from today's OP editorial page: "No, Lansing, we're not stupid."
  
• A response from Lansing: "Well...uhh, actually..."
  
  
• A personal shout out and a prayer to the Right Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Diocese of Nevada, who was just elected the first woman Presiding Bishop in the history of my Episcopal Church! (factoid: the Presiding Bishop is the head of the U.S. Episcopal Church).
  
  
• With deep apologies to the late Harry Caray...TIGERS WIN! TIGERS WIN!

Encourage Everyone to See Al Gore's Documentary An Inconvenient Truth

by: jimwhitaker

Sat Jun 03, 2006 at 18:23:57 PM EDT

Visit http://www.climatecrisis.net for info. related to the documentary.

I sincerely believe that if enough young people go out and see this or are shown this information in classrooms and meeting (or meet-up, if you will) spaces around America, we (Democrats) will take possession of the term "Pro-Life" in a whole new context.  What's all the gold/money in the world worth if there is no world where humans can survive?  Good question ....

The environment (and probably salary increases) is a winning issue for Democrats who stand heads and shoulders above most Republicans on moral grounds.  Democrats are Pro-Life - in order to survive, we must toss out these Republicans who are killing each and everyone of us everyday by doing nothing.

Honey, Republicans in America are killing the world - what are we going to do about it?

Tonight I met Al Gore

by: lpackard

Tue Oct 25, 2005 at 00:07:42 AM EDT

Also please take the time to use the personal greenhouse gas calculator, from the EPA. It will let you estimate your impact on the environment and give you suggestions on how to mitigate it.

There are two articles in the media on this event too, Ann Arbor News and Michigan Daily.