Mere Words

Recently I have come to the conclusion that modern life, for better or for worse, is being controlled by technology. I don’t just mean that it affects the way we communicate, I think it honestly impacts us on a much deeper level. The generation of kids who grew up with cell phones and video games and the internet are actually changing the way we see each other.

For example, after meeting a person for the first time, I immediately get on their Facebook and friend them. Not only just to be their friend and keep that connection, but also to see their worth as a friend. We almost keep tally in our head of how many things on their page we disagree with.

Are they in a group that supports Huckabee? 1 point against.
Are they friends with someone you can’t stand? 1 point against.
Is their favorite movie Meet the Spartans? Go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

It’s like we try to get to know people before we get to know them.

And, it doesn’t just stop at facebook. If they have a YouTube account, and they actually post videos, you make judgements of them there.

It’s almost if all of this technology has forced us to become judgmental assholes. And even worse, it’s probably making us communicate less.

If we didn’t have pre-conversation access to a person’s favorite presidential candidate or favorite movie, we would actually have to talk about it at some point. It wouldn’t be just some thought in the back of our minds. It would actually have to be brought to the table then actually discussed. Not just swept under the rug and ignored.

Imagine a world filled with people who actually conversed about things and talked through their disagreements. Imagine not feeling like you already know a person before you’ve actually talked to them. Imagine not having to tiptoe around subjects because you already “know” it could be awkward to talk about because *gasp* you have differing opinions.

Imagine that, then forget it. Because, until we can bring ourselves to be friends in real life before we’re friends online, it’s not going to happen.

In the last few days new polls have surfaced for the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. In each one, Barack Obama has closed the gap between Hillary Clinton and himself since the last polling date. Here are the numbers:

From Public Policy Polling 3/31-4/1. Likely voters. Margin of Error 2.8%. (3/15-3/16 results)

Senator Hillary Clinton: 43% (56%)

Senator Barack Obama: 45% (30%)

From Rasmussen. 3/31. Likely voters. Margin of error 4%. (3/24 results)

Senator Hillary Clinton: 47% (49%)

Senator Barack Obama: 42% (39%)

From Survey USA. 4/1. Likely voters. Margin of error 4%. (3/11 results)

Senator Hillary Clinton: 53% (55%)

Senator Barack Obama: 41% (36%)

Wow! In each poll Obama has drawn closer to Hillary, even pulling ahead in the PPP poll. I think the best way to get an idea of where the primary race stands is to average each polls results in to one giant uber poll:

Mere Words Poll of Polls. 4/1. Margin of error 4%. (Past result).

Clinton: 48% (53%)

Obama: 43% (35%)

Obama has drawn within 5 percentage points of Clinton, nearly within the margin of error. Far from being the key to Hillary’s nomination hopes, it may be the last nail her coffin. With three weeks left of campaigning and Barack outspending Hillary 4-1, its not a radical thought to expect the gap to close even further.

Even if these percentages hold true (giving Hillary 4% of the undecideds and Obama 5%) Hillary would only gain 82 delegates to Obama’s 76. A 6 delegate net gain for Hillary would leave Obama still 120 delegates up, a nearly insurmountable lead with Obama leading by 15% or better in North Carolina.

Even Bill Clinton has said Hillary needs to win, and win big in Pennsylvania to stay in the race.

Senator Barack Obama’s campaign announced this morning that he raised over 40 million dollars during the month of March. This is a simply staggering number this late in the race. The Clinton campaign is expected to have raised half that amount at around 20 million dollars.

Thus far in Pennsylvania Barack has outspent Hillary nearly 4-1, and with this fundraising prowess he will be able to continue to do so. With recent polls narrowing Senator Clinton’s lead, this will give Senator Obama a much needed edge in this very important primary.

The Obama campaign’s statistics:

Total raised in March: More than $40 million

Contributors in March: More than 442,000

First-time contributors in March: More than 218,000

Average contribution: $96

Total contributors to date: More than 1,276,000

The one thing that is certainly undeniable about Senator Barack Obama is his incredible ability to inspire people. It’s truly exceptional because it doesn’t seem limited to any one class or type of person. To make older Americans believe once again in the greatness of America, the unlimited potential that their “can-do” generation once saw first hand, but has had trouble recognizing in modern times. To make younger Americans believe that this really is a “land of opportunity” and they can do anything, be anyone, reach for the stars and achieve their dreams. To spread that kind of hope, so consistently, so potently, so broadly, is an impossibly impossible task - and yet, it is one that Senator Obama has done, seemingly effortlessly.

The rallies with tens of thousands of people gave us an inkling over a year ago - but it was easily chalked up to good work by his staff to turn people out to events and sheer curiosity on the part of the public. It wasn’t until those record turnout numbers, first in Iowa, and then all across the country, that we realized it was a real tangible thing. This “hope” Senator Obama has been peddling is catching on in a way that cynical politicos dream about, but never really expect to see materialize. It is, as a fellow campaign hack put it, “the reason we got into this in the first place.”

Senator Barack Obama went bowling over the weekend in order to “strike” a new chord with voters in the Pennsylvania primary. This is just one event in a recent trend of small face to face campaign events as compared to the typical “rock star” rallies he usually holds.  He managed an atrocious score of 37 pins, doubled by the local homemaker Roxanne Hart who joined him on the lanes. At one point an 8 year old gave him some sage advice: “Look at the pins when you throw the ball.” She ended up beating him as well.

Graceful in his defeat, the presidential hopeful quipped that his economic plan was much better than his bowling. A bystander yelled out: “It has to be.”

If you are an Obama supporter, you should hope he doesn’t accept Hillary Clinton’s challenge to a winner take all bowl off for the Democratic nomination. It looks like that is the only way she can win now…

With just about 3 weeks left until the Pennsylvania Primary, Barack Obama is closing the gap between himself and Hillary Clinton. A recent poll by Rasmussen shows:

Who do you plan on voting for in the Democratic Primary?

Clinton: 47%

Obama: 42%

Not sure: 11%

The survey was conducted among 730 randomly selected likely Democratic primary voters. Its margin of error was +-3%.

A week ago, Barack Obama was down by ten points, and on 3/13 he was down by 13 points. Clearly Obama is gaining ground and has lived through the Pastor Wright controversy. While he probably won’t win in Pennsylvania, if he can keep the vote close he’ll deal a crushing blow to the Clinton campaign. They need a big delegate boost and huge popular vote gains to continue taking their argument to the superdelegates that she should be the nominee.

As a side note, Obama is leading 54% to Clinton’s 36% in North Carolina. With a close Pennsylvania vote, this will likely erase any gains by Hillary in Pennsylvania.

Hillary has “misspoke” 4 times claiming that when she went to Bosnia as the first lady she had to run from the tarmac under fear of sniper fire. This has been disproved by a CBS News who accompanied her on the trip. Clinton claims that on the most recent occasion that she misspoke due to “sleep deprivation” though she has yet to offer an explanation for the other three.

Kos has this to say:

If Hillary Clinton lied about snipers in Bosnia because of sleep deprivation (doubtful, given it’s a lie she’s said at least four times), then what will she do when she gets that call at 3 a.m.? Remember, she’s clothed and wearing makeup at that hour, so chances are, she’s not getting much sleep — kos

I think all in all that this issue is rather minor, unless more evidence of Senator Clinton overstating her credentials comes to light.

I am disgusted that in an attempt to turn the attention from her to Senator Obama that she feels the need to dredge up the Pastor Wright controversy once again. John McCain is smart enough not to comment on the incident, and Mike Huckabee has even come to Barack’s defense.

This is all just more evidence that the Clinton campaign realizes the only way they get the nomination is by destroying Obama.

The Mersman Political Blog has an excellent post today about the Clinton campaign’s continued hypocrisy:

Hillary Clinton railed Barack Obama for not agreeing to a debate in Wisconsin. Guess who has not yet agreed to a April 19th debate in North Carolina? Senator Clinton.

Barack Obama has accepted both invitations to the April 16th debate in Pennsylvania and the April 19th debate in North Carolina.

Senator Clinton ran two television spots in Wisconsin accusing Obama of not wanting to debate the issues with her in that state. Clinton at that time was desperate to get on the stage and debate Obama because she believed she had an advantage in that setting.

Obama has stepped up his game when it comes to debates. In Texas and Ohio, Obama was relaxed, cool, and articulate. Obama showed in the last two debates that Hillary’s debating advantage had disappeared.

Obama’s confidence as a debater may very well be the reason that he has agreed to debate and she has not. Obama and his campaign feel that a debate will not do any damage to him and may help him.

Howard Wolfson of the Clinton campaign said, “I am quite confident that there will be additional debates and that we will work with networks and the Obama campaign to figure out the appropriate location and venue and media outlet.”

The Clinton campaign seems to be waiting to make sure that additional debates will not hurt their candidate as she gets closer to Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Wolfson’s statement is meant to buy time. The location has been set, the media outlet is set for CBS, and a date has been set for April 19th.

Clinton’s history during this campaign has shown that hypocrisy is no obstacle. Senator Clinton and her campaign will do anything in order to win. In Wisconsin that may mean attacking Obama for not debating her and in North Carolina that may mean ducking him.

Hillary continues to live in her own little world. She “misremembers” the fact that she did not land under sniper fire in Bosnia and claims she “misspoke” on 4 separate occasions when she stated that she did land under sniper fire. She calls Obama out for dodging debates while when she does its a different situation. When campaigning in New Hampshire, she agreed that Florida and Michigan shouldn’t count but now changes her mind when she needs them to win. The list of hypocrisies and doubletalk goes on and on…..

Hillary is determined to get the nomination, no matter who gets in her way, and no matter the damage it does to the Democrats in November.

Vice President Dick Cheney keeps putting his foot in his mouth at every opportunity. Yesterday, he was a interviewed by Martha Raddatz of ABC News on the grim milestone of 4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq.

Q Mr. Vice President, I want to start with the milestone today of 4,000 dead in Iraq, Americans, and just what effect you think that has on the country. Your thoughts on that?

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, it obviously brings home, I think for a lot of people, the cost that’s involved in the global war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. It places a special burden, obviously, on the families. We recognize, I think — it’s a reminder of the extent to which we’re blessed with families who have sacrificed as they have. The President carries the biggest burden, obviously; he’s the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans. But we are fortunate to have the group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm’s way for the rest of us. You wish nobody ever lost their life, but unfortunately it’s one of those things that go with living in the world we live in. Sometimes you have to commit military force, and when you do, there are casualties.

So, what Cheney says is that it that the troop deaths are hard on families, but even harder on the President. I think that sentiment is appalling… To speak of the pain families feel when losing a loved one on the other side of the world in war, the daily pain and hardship of dealing with that loss, then say that the President has it harder? This is the same President Bush who has never served in active duty, has never had to say goodbye to a loved one who may not come back, or felt the pain of telling a child that their daddy isn’t coming home.

I think if our leaders truly understood the burden that military families bear, they wouldn’t speak so lightly of their burdens. They would be less likely to send our troops into a war that should never have been waged.

Earlier, I brought to you the news that U.S. casualties in Iraq have reached the grim milestone of 4,000 deaths. Brandon Friedman notes that the last two weeks have been the deadliest two week period since September 2007.

American forces have just experienced the most violent two-week period in Iraq since September 2007. Unfortunately, I’m afraid this fact will be lost in the media coverage over the number 4,000 during the next several days. Of the two significant numbers this week–4,000 killed during war and 25 in the last two weeks–the latter figure is far more significant with regard to the current situation on the ground.

We hear talk of attacks against Americans “ebbing,” ceasefires holding, and of the situation in Iraq being “not that fragile,” but this is all a bunch of happy-talk nonsense. Between March 10 and March 23, 25 American soldiers were killed in Iraq. The last two-week period in which U.S. forces sustained similar losses was between September 14 and September 27, when 26 were killed–a period that capped off the bloodiest summer of the war.

Hopefully, the next time George Bush gives a speech a speech on Iraq instead of touting the “success” of the troop surge, he will acknowledge that things on the ground are still very bad and his current policies have failed. Somehow, I doubt he will. He is determined to stay the course, no matter how reckless that may be or how many Americans may disagree.

This news underscores the importance of getting a fresh pair of eyes in the White House next January, instead of a candidate who will continue to stay in lockstep with Bush in regards to the Iraq war. John McCain says that we need to put even more troops into Iraq on his campaign website:

A greater military commitment now is necessary if we are to achieve long-term success in Iraq. John McCain agrees with retired Army General Jack Keane that there are simply not enough American forces in Iraq.

John McCain and his new buddy Joe Lieberman want a greater military commitment in Iraq, and that simply will not work. We can’t keep throwing away American lives and dollars in a failed attempt in Iraq. After 5 years, it is time to start looking for a way out, or a new plan.

This idea of constantly adding more troops for a long period of time might work. But we do we really want to keep 100,000 soldiers in Iraq for the next 5 years, spend another 600 billion dollars, and lose another 4,000 American lives?