Clinton Campaigns In Ohio- Counts on Women for Comeback

This week Senator Hillary Clinton has stepped up the rhetoric when it comes to banding together women voters, especially in Ohio and Texas. As the race between she and Senator Obama intensifies, she has begun to more regularly emphasize the pioneering aspect of her run at becoming the first female president in United States history.

"I am thrilled to be running to be the first woman president, which I think would be a sea change in our country and around the world," Clinton remarked to a group in Cleveland, Ohio this week.

Clinton holds a strong double-digit lead amongst women voters in Ohio. They will have to report to the polls en force in Ohio, and Texas as well if Senator Clinton is to step back into the hunt. It is far from over.

Democrats say that women in Ohio respect Senator Clinton for her strength and the barriers she has broken down in providing opportunities for all women. She stopped by a Bob Evans in Rio Grande, Ohio on Thursday and snapped off shots with the all-female wait staff. Their admiration for her was apparent. Hillary Clinton is proud of running as a woman but insists she wants to be judged on her merits alone. Those women who support her will undeniably vote for her based on her experience and strength of character and policy knowledge. Many women voters have been quick to point out that they give her their support because they can also relate to her as mothers and daughters themselves. For certain engagements, the Senator has been known to bring along daughter Chelsea, and mother, Dorothy Rodham.

67 year old Kay Israel, a school teacher from Zanesville, Ohio, said of her preference for office, "I respect Hillary's strengths as far as overcoming obstacles against all odds... I admire her effort to make history. She's smart. She's educated. She knows the issues."

Senator Clinton will indeed call upon the full support of her female base in attempting to draw Senator Obama into a dead heat heading into the final days of this most contentious lead-up to the Democratic National Convention. She will need them now more than ever before.

Latest Report From Obama Camp- Columbus, Ohio Rally

Barack Obama made his first stop after last night's MSNBC debate with Senator Hillary Clinton in Columbus, Ohio at a packed to capacity rally at St. John's Arena. Supporters and adorers alike were in their slim wooden, not-so-comfortable seats as early as 8:30 this morning and waited as the Senator from Illinois arrived an hour and a half late traveling down I-71 from Cleveland. This hardly dampened the frenetic energy in the building.

After a couple of not-so-memorable introductions and attempts to 'pump up' the crowd by County Treasurer Richard Cordray, (and much more excitingly), Heisman Trophy winner and former Ohio State Buckeye, Eddie George, the steamrolling Obama glided onto stage. Signs were handed out that read "Obama is Superman," and one got the feeling, sitting to the left of the marching band and just below the press docket, looking into the crowd, that many in attendance would have to agree.

Obama hit back playfully at GOP sure-thing nominee, John McCain, for taking out of context an answer he had given to a hypothetical question posed to him about what he may do in response to a build-up of Al Qaida in Iraq. Obama promised he would act "...if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq."

To that, McCain: "I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It's called `al-Qaida in Iraq."

Touchee, went Mr. Obama: "I do know that al-Qaida is in Iraq and that's why I have said we should continue to strike al-Qaida targets," he told excited supporters.

"But I have some news for John McCain," Obama added. "There was no such thing as al-Qaida in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq. ... They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11 and that would be al-Qaida in Afghanistan, that is stronger now than at any time since 2001."

Senator Obama is keeping things even-keel for now as he surges ahead of his rival from New York in many Texas polls and is strengthening in Ohio, where he has a strong base. Warring words are kept to a minimum, the prudent strategy for a surging frontrunner. Clinton camp must now be prepared to battle for all four states on March 4th.

Nader Much Funnier Than Huckabee

Ralph Nader is right. If the Democrats cannot win this one in a landslide, they should close down. Gosh, it sure is great to have old Ralph back in the race. His curmudgeonly-old-crank demeanor and rumpled, ill-fitting suits will be a welcome compliment to Hillary’s ridiculous smile and point routine and custom-tailored power-suits. Same thing for Obama’s dramatic earnestness and McCain’s tough-but-fair granddad thing.

Huck(abee) has been my favorite presidential candidate since Kucinich dropped out, mostly because of the cartoonishness. His suits are off-the-rack. They fit him very well, but not because he has had them made or even altered. They fit him because he has the all-American body type that off-the-rack suits are made for. He doesn’t believe in evolution and he is prone to strip down to shirtsleeves, strap on an electric bass and rip off Boston’s “More than a Feeling”, despite the fact that the band has asked him to stop using their song to promote an agenda that they find abhorrent. He honestly believes that we should have God rewrite the constitution and his wife is an ace with a shotgun. The two of them have a lake in Hope, Arkansas named after them. His middle name is Dale. He is proud of the fact that he believes the world is only 6000 years old, and he wants to be president. That would be freekin’ hilarious.

That’s why I was for Huck.

Now that Nader’s in, I have to change allegiances. He’s much funnier than Huck. Especially now that he has begun to turn into Columbo. Actually, he’s more like a muppet version of Columbo. His stringless marionette stature must be a clothier’s worst nightmare, since it is impossible even to custom-make clothes that fit it.

Many of history’s most hilarious individuals were called Ralph. There’s Malph, Wiggum, Waldo Emerson… and now Nader. Democrats still call him a spoiler, claiming that he gave Florida to Bush. They are just jealous because they aren’t all that funny. Nader, on the other hand, is milk-through-the-nose funny. Plus, he didn’t spoil anything. Florida was given to Bush by the Supreme Court. Besides, these days our electoral procedures and machinery are so completely fucked, the election itself starts off spoiled.

We might as well vote for the funniest candidate. That’s Nader. Check out some Nader humor:

“Dear President Bush:

I was listening to your address before the self-described Conservative Political Action Committee gathering in Washington, D.C. last week, while reviewing materials on occupational hazards in the workplace.”

The funny part is that he actually was listening to Bush’s address while reviewing materials on occupational hazards in the workplace. This one’s even funnier:

“Controlling what is now corporate capitalism in all its varieties and contradictions is the task of organized civic values, law and order, quality competition, shareholder power over executives, consumer information, judicial remedies, and environmentally benign technologies. These checks, along with self-restraint by businesses (out of what used to be called "enlightened self-interest"), are needed to keep capitalism in its proper place so that a democratic culture can flourish toward the greater purposes of life for present and future generations.”

Democratic culture… hilarious. Organized civic values, self-restraint by businesses… this guy is pure comedy. Did I mention he looks like a Muppet Columbo?!?

McCain Denies Allegations

John McCain has vigorously denied having had any inappropriate relationship with a female lobbyist. Team McCain is scrambling to minimize damaging implications that the story could have on his integrity. McCain's camp confronted with the real clear politics of a presidential nomination season, referred to the timing and release of The New York Times article as "gutter politics." There is concern that even a hint at marital impropriety could damage his reputation even more with social conservatives on the Right.

"At no time have I ever done anything that would betray the public trust," said McCain, a four-term Arizona senator and a hero of the Vietnam War.

The GOP does not want to see their party base splintered anymore, but most Republican insiders seem to think that any lasting effect on his image would only be amongst independent voters, not the GOP rank and file. The McCain staff and his supporters have turned their anger at The New York Times, questioning the timing and prudence of the article.

Is Hillary Clinton On The Ropes?

With convincing wins in both Hawaii and Wisconsin this week, Senator Barack Obama has run up his primary winning streak to ten in a row. Not all is comfy in the Clinton camp. Aides to Senator Clinton know too well the disparity of the media scrutiny each candidate endures is not even close. With many more years in Washington than her opponent from Illinois, Senator Clinton is often times scrutinized much more rigorously. At a time when her campaign is touting her experience and policy direction as an advantage, Senator Obama rides a wave of public favor and lax media scrutiny, perhaps because of his perceived "new kid" persona. Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania: they all loom large in Clinton Country. These particular primaries have become must-win's for Senator Hillary Clinton.

Hello Everybody

Hi, Tony invited me to periodically contribute to this blog. So, I just wanted to take a quick opportunity to introduce myself.

My name is Chris C. Davis. I am a 28-year-old small business owner. I live in Columbus, Ohio. I am registered as an independent. I vote democrat about 99% of the time. And I consider myself left of either of our major parties. My ideal government would be a pure and uncorrupted form of socialism, the likes of which the world has not seen successfully executed to date.

I suffer from a condition for which the only treatment is to take in at least 2-3 hours of political news, opinion, and commentary a day. My interest in politics has actually further crippled a social life that was already crippled by an interest in books that was further crippling a social life that was already on life-support due to an obsession with music. So, as you can see, I was in need of another extra-curricular activity and Tony graciously provided that to me. I look forward to providing another voice to this blog.

I will leave you with a passage from a Michael Eric Dyson essay entitled "Why I Am An Intellectual." This passage speaks of the beauty and the power that one can obtain when one empowers oneself with knowledge, and also of the action and change that that empowerment can spur. I like to think that every person that starts a blog, writes for a publication, or asserts their ideas on the public through various other mediums is, in fact, trying to better the world around them or open the eyes of others in a way that might endow them with a new perspective. So Tony should be applauded for taking the first step in that direction. And I'd like to thank him once again for giving me the opportunity to contribute. Dyson writes:

"When I get knowledge, I get desire: I get hungry for the same liberty I find in the books I read, the science I study, the music I hear. I want my society as eloquent as the poetry I memorize. I want my living conditions to match the beauty of the algebraic formula I work. I want my people as blissful and harmonious as the symphony I listen to. I may also want to stamp out the horrors I read about, put an end to the suffering I hear in the music of the desperate, or use what I know to help the subjugated. I might get inspired or enraged, mad or distraught, stumped or determined to act."

Oh, To Be A Superdelegate!

I feel like this must be what the entrance tunnel to the bat cave-like hangout of America's superdelegates must look like. What an elite club in American politics! It may sound funny, but in this election cycle, we will indeed see the massive import of the public opinion swaying superdelegates. Right now Senator Barrack Obama leads Senator Hillary Clinton in total delegates, but ah ah ah, wait just one minute, that does not take into consideration the superdelegate count which could tip things in favor of the New York senator. Senator Obama has 964 regular old delegates on his side to Hillary's 905. While the superdelegates who have pledged support weigh in Hillary's favor by around 100 votes as of now, there are over 700 superdelegates who have remained undeclared. It will indeed be a contentious battle to the end. Leave a comment and let us know what you think the role of the superdelegate adds/ takes away from the role played by the individual voter. Is it fair that these select individuals from the political sphere should shape a party's nomination in such a monumental fashion? Wax Politic!

Everything's A Dream In 'Bush-land'

President Bush to his fellow ideologues at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington:


"A year after I ordered the surge of forces, high-profile terrorist attacks in Iraq are down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down. U.S. and Iraqi forces have captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives."

So everyone can rest assured. Things are going exactly as well as you had imagined . We're stomping out fanatics and extremists and evil-doer's all over the world. The problem is, Mr. Bush, not everyone has as myopic a view as you do sir. There are those who would argue that our dealings internationally, most specifically in the Middle East, are going fatally wrong; that there are causes for concern in many areas. Namely, instability and internal governmental strife in nuclear-armed Pakistan. A lack of a stick or a carrot worth of policy direction in terms of relations with Iran. Iraq. There are those who would argue that the Taliban is mounting a come-back in Afghanistan and our inability to allocate dollars away from Iraq and back into a counter initiative in their desert strongholds is all backwards. The Middle East is a mess.

President Bush's message to CPAC resonates with about as much veracity as did his anemic State of the Union address of little more than a week ago. Then we were told that his three trillion dollar budget proposal would work within a framework whereby our budget would be balanced by 2012. Hilarious. President Bush barely touched on the full scope of the financial woes a majority of Americans are enduring and seemed altogether detached from reality. Not terribly hard to believe. We'll have to wait to find out just how much steeper the debt will climb and just how much further the average American will slide in the remaining eight to nine months of his lackluster presidency.

Super Tuesday Settles Little for Obama/Clinton

"Super Tuesday" may have brought clarity to the GOP landscape but did little to determine which way the pendulum will swing for the Dems. Hillary Clinton had strong showings as expected in New York and California, also winning outright in Arizona, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Senator Obama won 13 states in total and continues to surge in certain polls and is raising more money than Google.

Obama campaign plans to consolidate certain of the middle America states to offset delegate rich sure thing's for Clinton went off glowingly. The Illinois senator took home Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Kansas, and perhaps most surprisingly, Missouri, where Senator Clinton had at one time polled significantly higher than her opponent.

It will be interesting to see how the media plays this contentious battle out to the public. Senator Clinton has shown that she would like as many opportunities as possible to publicly debate Senator Obama in order to cost-effectively optimize public visibility while he has recently said he would most likely opt out of a tentative February 27th Ohio debate, not surprisingly, as his fund raising machine is in full swing. Senator Clinton just 'loaned' her campaign a cool 5 mil, but one must still think she is in little trouble of finding plenty of available sources for funding her prodigious campaign straight through to the end.

Huck Carries The Day! (In West Virginia Anyway)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Mike Huckabee has carried the day on Super Tuesday! Oh wait, this just in... he's only carried West Virginia, and wait just one minute, news is coming down the wire that it could be the result of an illicit Washington "backroom deal."

"Unfortunately, this is what Sen. McCain's inside Washington ways look like: He cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Gov. Romney's campaign of conservative change," read a statement from Romney campaign manager Beth Myers.

Oh, so the Romney guy is behind all of these allegations, huh? I see. It is alleged that Senator John McCain's people have cut a deal with ex-Razorback governor Mike Huckabee's people to stave off any chance for a Romney victory in West Virginia today. (Huckabee won the support of 52 percent of the GOP convention delegates for that state while Mitt Romney walked with 47 percent. Senator McCain will receive 1 percent). Well what does old Huck himself have to say about all this?

"I thought he was saying yesterday, 'No whining.' So is it no whining or whining? He can't even keep a straight answer on the 'whining or no whining' question."

That's it! Get 'em Huck! Why would that evil empire of a campaign staff of Mitt Romney's rain on Mike Huckabee's parade. That's likely the end of the victory celebrations for him today. Unless of course he pulls off a surprise upset in American Samoa. They will also be counting ballots today and tonight with 24 other states in what amounts to a virtual national primary. Things are just warming up and Mike Huckabee is feeling good:

"It gives us some real wind to our backs as we go into tonight," the former Arkansas governor said after casting his own ballot in Little Rock.

And good for him. But Mike, you may want to check your pants, the wind at your back may have been self-induced.

Run Up To Not So "Super" Tuesday

Well, at long last we have arrived at the most hotly anticipated, most circus-like mass media frenzied time of the pre-nomination portion of the presidential election(which is still, for those of you counting, not to be decided for another eight months). The occasion of which I speak is obviously "Super Tuesday" Eve. With CNN, Politico, MSNBC, FoxNEWS, and the like running tickers for lead up's to exclusive interviews with presendential nomination hopeful's, CSpan following individuals even as borning as Mitt Romney all the way from his bathroom where he grooms his hair in the style of Ronald Reagan in the morning straight through to his awe-inspiring, in touch with the average American's concerns stumps at the local coffee shops and machine working plants in the afternoons. It's Barack's Michelle making good face on primetime interviews to counteract the perceived negativity of Hillary's Bill and his devoted canvassing. It's Hillary vs. Barack on CNN having it out in a debate in Los Angeles with a star-riddled crowd (including, but not limited to director Rob Reiner, actor Jane Curtin, and R & B sensation- Brandy). Heck, even that Huckabee character, you know, the one from Arkansas with the teeth who doesn't say much more these days than, 'don't count me out,' and 'I'm in it for the long haul'... Even he gets primetime coverage. You've all seen him, you know who he is. John McCain? John McCain has been endorsed by everyone this week. Arnold Schwartzaneggar, well, who else really matters, he was endorsed by Commando. The point of all this, if there is one, is that this is the most circus-like lead-up to any "Super Tuesday" in recent memory. Perhaps it is because for the first time in 56 years, (you have to go back to the old Eisenhower/Stevenson matchup for that one), the American electorate will not be choosing from any candidates who have either served as president or vice president, and they feel they really will have a hand in shaping things up. Let's hope that's the case. It seems to me from a purely sociological perspective, though, that people are really swept up in the OJ Simpson, Stacy Peterson sort of Court TV aspect of it all. It's better than everyone watching re-runs of Three's Company, although if you're finding yourself spending too much time on CSpan, or even more dangerously, on CSpan II, you may want to reconsider your social habits. The numbers do indicate that more people are going to the polls, at least in these all-too publicized primaries leading up to the real thing. Tomorrow will tip the scales for several of the candidates whose lovely portraits are displayed above. Stay tuned, you won't be able to miss the coverage..

Welcome to Wax Politic

This is indeed a momentous occasion... The first entry on the newly christened political forum, Wax Politic. In the coming weeks, contributions from an array of writers from diverse political backgrounds will begin to pepper the pages of Wax Politic and we'll be off to the races. The name of this site upon conception was originally 'whoaskedyou.com.' It would appear, however, that it was already the cyber property of another. The fact is, the inspiration behind the idea; the spirit enlisted in rummaging for so many hours over that crummy, already taken name remains. The problem is that the answer to that question for you, and I for that matter, is probably, "no one." No one asked you what you think and therefore you give no opinion. Well now there are no more excuses. Consider yourself asked. Welcome to the world of Wax Politic, where are all welcome. Please stay updated and check back in with us as we grow and offer more and more content, opinion, analysis, and with any luck, fun.