What You Can Learn From A Primary

If you can't run a proper presidential campaign, does that not speak to your ability to run a proper administration? Both Senator's Clinton and McCain have had turnover in their campaigns at the very top. Both have run out of money. In John McCain's case, his "rise from the dead" campaign of the end of '07 with a victory in New Hampshire primary left him on top of the Republican race but without money. This has led to him whoring himself to the very people that he has stated he wants out of Washington. Namely, lobbyist.



Hillary Clinton on the other hand had a war chest of money but by late January, she had to loan her campaign $5 million,(she would make more loans later to keep her campaign afloat). They seem to have planned, apparently, for a 2 month campaign. Past February's "Super Tuesday", they seem to have no strategy.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama was raising record amounts of money through tens of thousands of new voters. Voters that were donating $5 and $20 to the sum of some $33 million in January. He has raised more than a quarter Billion dollars to date. Obama is not without dirty hands in the fundraising department. He did accept money from PAC's, (political action committee's) and lobbyist in running for the state legislature in Illinois and for his senate race in 2004. But he has appeared to run a cleaner campaign than his closest and fading rival, Hillary Clinton, who has accepted more money from lobbyist and PAC's than anyone else in the campaign.

Its not just money, where the "experienced" candidates have been out maneuvered by the "upstart". He seem to master the caucus system of voting, winning all 7 caucus states. Hillary explanation for her lack of a showing in caucus states rang hollow saying, ""You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard.' "That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present." "You have a limited period of time on one day to have your voices heard," Clinton, D-N.Y., said. "That is troubling to me. You know in a situation of a caucus, people who work during that time -- they're disenfranchised. People who can't be in the state or who are in the military, like the son of the woman who was here who is serving in the Air Force, they cannot be present." She would go on to win only 6 out of 16 primaries following February's "Super Tuesday" to date.

My point is that with the coming and going of her brain trust in the campaign, the loaning of money to keep her campaign running, the pain-in-the-ass husband who can't stop putting his foot in his mouth. McCain belching out registered lobbyist from his campaign and unable to raise money on his own. A man running on national defense that doesn't even know how many troops are in Iraq...If your campaign is run like this what can we expect of their possible administration's?

Who Cares About The Book

Scott McClellan, former White House press secretary, has written yet another book about how, among other things, the Bush Administration lied about their reasons to go to war in Iraq. It is all over the news today on all the 24 hour cable news shows. Osama bin Laden's high tech cave complete with high speed Internet and a television studio not withstanding, you would have to live in a cave to not be aware of this administrations manipulations of the press and the intelligence leading to this "military engagement."

The real news is the new Republican nominee, John McCain and the continuing infestation of registered lobbyist running his campaign. In particular former Texas Sen Phil Gram, co-chair of the McCain campaign who, according to MSNBC.com ,"was being paid by a Swiss bank to lobby Congress about the U.S. mortgage crisis at the same time he was advising McCain about his economic policy, according to federal records." The report goes on to say that, "UBS filed paperwork deregistering Gramm on April 18 of this year. Gram continues to serve as UBS vice chairmam.' As early as October, 2006, RealClearPolitics.com reported that Gramm was advising McCain on economic issues. Politico.com quoted McCain advisors saying that Gramm had input on McCain’s March 26 policy speech about the mortgage crisis. McCain himself has often cited Gramm’s influence as a way to establish his bona fides with economic conservatives."

So this is the man that, according to Gallop Poll, 28 percent of Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton would vote for instead of Barack Obama. A man who's campaign is being advised by the very people that took or is in the process of taking your hard working, blue collar home.

The media dropped the ball today. Just as they had on Bush's march to war. Next time maybe they will let the publisher pay for the advertising and the media can get back to truly covering the news.

Trying Not To Get My Hope Up

The idea of a minority at the head of the US Government is finally real. I'm trying not to get my hope up there's still Pennsylvania, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, where they seem to be largely old racist, uneducated and believe in witches. People that seem to really be "bitter," about their situation in life. Their standard of living has not changed much, other than getting worse. It may be a more widely held view in Appalachia but I would say its a view that showed its ugly face in Ohio. According to Hillary Clinton, these so called "hard working blue collar workers), like her and not Sen. Obama. For whatever reason. Many of these voters say, if Hillary is not the nominee they will vote for McCain instead of Barack Obama. He is young.. I say he is young not only because he is but because that is what I'm hoping the reason is. We are 8 years into a new millennium, the very essence of word millennium is change. new beginnings. So why do I feel like the country will go for the 71 year old man...Oh yeah, because they were the same people that put Bush Jr. ,(with the help of the US Supreme Court) and wanted someone they "could have a beer with" in the White House in 2004, (that worked out nicely).

I would hope that the country and these voters in particular realize that we really are "at a defining moment in our history." In every point in American history where this country was, as they use to say, "up against it" we have had inspirational leader, from The Revolutionary War to The Great Depression and WWII. Now when we are losing our homes and jobs and an alarming rate. When we are no longer respected in a large part of the world. In a time when we practically have to strip to go on an airplane because someone wants to kill us...Along comes someone that has energized the young and the young at heart.

You can tell a lot about a person running for president by the way they run their respective campaigns. Barack Obama has raised more money than any other candidate, Democratic and Republican in history. When controversy arose, ie; Rev. Wright, he shown that he is "larger" than the other candidates as far as character and judgment. He could have thrown the Rev under the "political bus" but instead did not. He took the opportunity to have an adult conversation on race in America.

All along in this campaign he has shown judgement beyond his years. He has shown probably the most important ability of a potential leader; empathy. The ability to listen and keep your own council. But again I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

Ok, Now You Really Need to Go

Women are the most amazing of God's creations. They are natural multitaskers. They run most homes, have the ability to produce life. Carol Burnett once said that if a man wants to know what its like to go through labor, "just pull your bottom lip over your head." If women all over the world sat still, did nothing for one hour the world would stop. Men may think they run the world but it is only because women let us. I had three sisters and was raised predominately by my mother. She gave me the insight of what women can achieve despite the odds. How strong they can be, how much pain they can absorb, both physical and mental without complaint.



Many countries have had or have women as leaders of state. Hillary Clinton with her strong showing in the Democratic primaries has plowed the way for women candidates in the future. Her strength as an opponent, her driving ambition is admirable. Its that ambition that has shown to be her downfall. At some point when you compete for something don't you realize that you've lost. From the reports I hear she is staying in the race "in case something happens." But everything bad that has happened has happened to her. The "white people like me more than him" comment and now the Robert Kennedy assassination is another reason to stay in the race. You know, Kennedy was shot in June and who knows the same could happen again. I know she probably did not mean she was stay in the race in case something happened to Sen. Obama..but a pretty creepy when I heard. it.

I'm not a woman but I can't imagine that the women supporting her candidacy want a champion at any cost.

When you want it too much

I was watching a debate between two women, on the subject of sexism in the campaign and how it affected Hillary Clinton's presidential run. I wondered how the "Clinton Machine"had come to this point of looking so desperate.

There is a laundry list of reasons why she lost the nomination and being a woman is not near the top. John Edwards in endorsing Barack Obama said "she is made of steel" Barack Obama said she was a "role model for his two daughters." She was the best equipped woman ever to run for president. Former first lady of a two term president, who left office, (despite the scandals), with popularity numbers rivaling Ronald Reagan. Numbers so favorable that it no doubt helped this Illinois girl who lived in Washington for 8 years to move to New York, claim citizenship in the Big Apple and run against a four term New York Congressman, (Rick Lazio-R) and spanked him by 12 points. She was a political star. Her opponents tried to say that she was running on her husbands scandalized but long coat tails..."she was a northern version of a carpetbagger". There was no talk of sexism by the Clinton's in the wake of that successful run for political office.

She was for sure the front runner in the Democratic '08 Presidential race. Arrogance and a sense of entitlement doomed her campaign. Along with the many "faces of Hillary"...The Hard Hillary on the attack, The compassionate Hillary who found "her voice" prior to the New Hampshire primary..(See Video below)..











And Attack Hillary...(see video below)

When her campaign finished third in Iowa she then played the sexism card complete with a tearful moment, that worked in New Hampshire- it was time to take compassionate Hilliary on the road south. Her "Comeback Kid" status following her New Hampshire victory, gave her new confidence. She was the fighter again. On the offense. However she made the mistake of insulting the "black vote"after seeming to give Lyndon Johnson the credit for the successes in the civil rights movement over Dr. Martin Luther King...

Until this point, Barack Obama was still a somewhat unknown commodity in large portions of the African American community. Hillary was leading in polls with blacks and a number of prominent black congressional leaders, like Congressman John Lewis of Georgia were backing Sen. Clinton. She took a beating in the South Carolina Primaries. Former President Bill Clinton responded this way following the loss;

That's when I jumped to the Obama campaign. To be honest, until that point in the election, I had my doubts that he could win. I had seen them both in Selma Alabama at churches that were literally in the same block, speaking at almost the same time. Hillary gave a strong and convincing speech. I didn't look at her as a good woman candidate but a good candidate. But time is always the real "revealer" of the truth about something. Be it personal relationships or politics. Over time Senator Clinton has revealed herself as a fighter, fabricator,(remember the sniper fire she was under in the former Yugoslavia?) and now we can add sore loser playing the sexism card. I think America has shown that it is ready for a female leader, just not this one.

Move your luggage..

My employer is one of the largest public/private run television networks in Northern Europe. They employ thousands of workers and operate out of one of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world. However since our audiences are not the target of any of the campaigns we may as well be channel 57 out of Poplar Bluff Missouri. Since this was the beginning of the primary season all the media was in tiny Des Monies Iowa. It was tough sometimes to get into the "hot" events like a Barack or Hillary rally unless you basically camp out like your waiting for concert tickets to go on sale. So you go to a Mike Huckabee town hall meeting or a Romney round table discussion or maybe a John Edwards rally..(did you know his father worked in the mines?)

The afternoon of the Iowa primary eight hours before the polls closed, I walked four blocks to an arena where Barack Obama would address his supporters giving what would be a inconceivable victory speech. This four block journey would be a test in courage for me and a true sign of my dedication to the job. You see, in the young hours of that morning in my hotel room nature called and I stumbled to the bathroom. In the dark I tripped over my size 15 shoes then in trying to catch my balance, my foot hit my camera case. My next step was on the very sharp edge of my open equipment case slicing open my big toe, (I later found out it had a hair line fracture as well). It looked like someone was murdered in my bathroom. I hope all the bloody rags and bloody toe prints didn't scare the maid too much. Anyway, when I finally arrived at the arena a nice lady had me sign a waiting list...I was number 275. Needless to say, we didn't get on the camera platform. This happens often so consequently, most of the foreign media either rely on news feeds from the American networks or choose another angle for the story. The excitement over the democrats had forced much of our coverage to the republicans who are not as "sexy" this election cycle.

What I also found interesting since starting on this campaign trail, is that it seem to be a policy of American politicians to not give interviews to foreign press. I'm still trying to understand why California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger refuses to grant interviews to foreign news outlets, even Austrian networks. I mean, what does a former steroid using body builder turned action hero turned politician have to hide anyway...."the steroid use over some years has changed me into a true girly man." So where would you expect the first transsexual Governor to be but in the Golden Bear State. But I digress.

We ended up election night in an upscale suburb of Des Monies. They were holding a Republican caucus at a country club. My correspondent, who has covered elections all over the world was very excited to see this unique process of American democracy in action. I have to say that I have never seen a caucus in action. This process of voting is practiced in twelve and a half states, (I say half a state because Texas has both a primary and a caucus). So most most Americans have no idea how this process works.

The buzz was still around the Democrats and turnout was supposed to be heavy. After many scandals, the war in Iraq and a sagging economy the Republican party brand was damaged goods. The Republican electorate nationally were less than enthusiastic about their eleven choices for president according to the polls. Imagine our shock upon arrival at the club, people were lined out the door. So many Republicans showed up that they had to vote in shifts to accommodate the crush of people. This is how I remember it going that night...They come in and register then go to a section of the room representing there candidate of choice. Then each candidate on the ballot has a representative that explains the candidates position and why you should vote for him. Then like collections plates at a church service, they pass clear plastic bowls to collect the ballots. They are counted while, (in this case), the MC of the event goes through the process of electing local delegates for the state convention using those Parliamentary system...You know, "who will second the motion" and so forth. Then the vote tally for that caucus is announced. Mike Huckabee was the winner at the country club. I may have left a few steps of the vote out but this is how I remember it. Depending on the setting this way of voting can be pretty wild. People on chairs barking at other voters to get their support. People debating each other over the merits of their candidate. Its a system of voting that can be controversial but they have been doing it for over 200 years in this country. My correspondent said afterwords, "only in America. " I had to agree.

On the way back we found a local station on the radio broadcasting election results...We were speechless. A black man running for President in America, had won in a majority white state. And big!!

In the beginning I was on the fence about Barack Obama's chances in this election. I liked what he had to say but I just believed that America would elect the first white woman before they would elect a black man. No matter how smart or charming, no matter how eloquent. My correspondent saw it differently. He saw a country with mixed race marriages, he had black neighbors in his middle class community, he saw a black Secretary of State and brought up the popularity of Colin Powell, black CEO's of Fortune 500 companies. Times have changed...

A little Late To The Party...

I’m an American working as a news photographer for a northern European television network. I started this blog because I wanted to share my experiences as an American shooting and editing news stories for a European audience. I worked for a major American television network for over a decade before marring a beautiful Nordic woman and switching sides, The contrast in coverage of this presidential election through a foreign lens is a bit different than what we receive from American media. In northern Europe they have many political parties and the election is very short. Our primary season seems to have lasted forever!!. They have results in a couple of months where here we have been in presidential “mode” for over 2 years. I find American media, (television in this case), to be much more interested in the candidates. Europeans want to learn about Americans as much as the candidates. So I have found myself doing a lot of stories that emphasize the "voter". Where they live, how they live and why they think the way they do. My journey on this campaign trail has been spotty because of my second adoption of an Ethiopian child, my wife has a blog about our adoption adventures at http://www.habeshahouse.blogspot.com/. But even during my two week stay in Africa the buzz was about the American presidential election. I would stay up until 2am to watch "The Situation Room" on CNN International. I started in Iowa interviewing what pundits call; "value voters", in cold that you could only experience to relate to. I have heard of "conservatism" but I found out that I didn't really understand how conservative, conservative really was. One cold evening we went to interview an older couple watching the Republican debate, (I don't remember where the debate was). They were Christian Conservatives and favored Mike Huckabee, the reverend/former governor from Hope Arkansas. Their home was modest and comfortable. They were big in the Iowa republican party and attended the last two inaugurations of George Bush and have beautifully framed pictures on the wall to prove it. They were nice and polite and welcoming. The opinions they espoused on the election were just what I expected...They thought Hillary was of the "Evil One", (the husbands description), and McCain was not a real conservative, Romney was too religiously "weird". As for Rudy Giuliani, he was too liberal. The wife had the most shocking, she said that "women are not strong enough to be president'. We're too emotional for that job...Its a man's job". While I found her comments to be pre-historic it fit my preconceived notion of what people in middle America were like. No way a mixed race, black man with a funny name had a chance in this state...I was wrong! Boy, was I wrong. Not only did Barack Obama win but won BIG!! It sent an ominous message to the rest of the field of candidates and to the rest of the nation, that the times they are a changin...