We Vote Pro-Cat

Mission Accomplished

2008-11-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

Jedi scores victory. America increases coolness points tenfold.

Let's Do This Thing

2008-11-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Angus can't handle any further analysis of this election. "Dad, I'm gonna need one of these when this is over."

I hear ya, lil' buddy.

He's sick of Joe the Plumber, undecided voters, and the states of Virginia, Ohio, Nevada, Iowa, Florida, Indiana and New Hampshire.

It's down to the final weekend, and a nation turns its lonely eyes to the jedi. Help us, you're our only hope.

Think the jedi has all of the celebrity support? Think again. Hank Williams Jr.: no longer rolling smoke, now blowing it up a dying campaign's ass.

There's nothing left to say. WVPC is in between a place of boredom and anxiousness that can only mean that Election Day is in 48 hours.

Until then we're gonna unplug. See you for the Wevoteprocat Election 2008 Wrap-Up Part 1. That's right, we're looking back at the whole damn thing.

Poll Vault

2008-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Angus is scratching his head over these recent polls. "Dad, what does it all mean?" Angus, I wish I knew. Fortunately, the CS Monitor helps sort out the confusion.

Sometimes the polls we want are not the polls we get.

In other news, the once, albeit brief, gem is now a fading jewel among half of the GOP. She's like the Yankees though: don't write them off until you've got it wrapped up.

The boss is defending her, but is anyone listening?

Girl on campus? She didn't make a lot of noise. Make that campuses.
WVPC: it's not a problem that she switched schools; it's a problem that she's a heartbeat away from the presidency (yes, that's a tired metaphor).

In Pittsburgh, Palin outlines her plan as VP. I gotta admit, WVPC is a sucker for special needs. Why does she do this to me?

Even though I love those with special needs, I still can't join this exclusive club known as the Real America. It's a troubling dichotomy, says Rachel Brooks.
I guess I need a few more Gretchen Wilson albums.

The heat is on in Florida as The Rays take game two, and JMac gets hot-headed in Ormond Beach.

It's the threads, Angus. While the purchases smack of hypocrisy for the "just one of the folks" candidate, WVPC doesn't really care. It's the RNC. This isn't exactly a mom and pop operation. It's not like Dems walk around in rags.

JMac sits down for Meet the Press on Sunday. Angus sits down with Stephanopolus on This Week. Just kidding. No guests have been confirmed as of WVPC press time.

The Endorser

2008-10-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you thought Chris Buckley was big news, and most outside the Beltway probably didn't, The Jedi scored a bigger nod on Sunday. Forecast for months, the nod comes with a critical assessment of the current direction of the GOP. The kicker: "not just small towns have values."

Powell joins a long and peculiar list of new friends of the left (at least for two more weeks). The Gipper's former speechwriter continued her assault on the Palin pick. Other members of the dissatisfied right crowd:
- Pat Buchanan (for reasons other than Palin)
- Kathleen Parker (for Palin reasons)
- George Will (Iraq)
- Tucker Carlson (Iraq)
Granted, none of these folks will likely vote for the jedi, but their unhappiness is a good indicator that not all has been well in GOP land. WVPC was holding out for Arlen Specter, but don't count on it.

Who is the mastermind behind the Sarah pick? If you guessed Steve Schmidt, you may be wrong. It could be the same dude who helped usher in the Iraq war. The Neocons want Sarah. Larry Flynt wants her, too. And he got her. Well, at least in the Flynt way.

Plumber thrust into national limelight, reveals wealth.

2008-10-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Further proof that my liberal arts degree was a huge mistake, some plumber got more people to pay attention to economic policy than either candidate.

The Jedi and JMac sought to provide a real debate after the last snore fest. They save the best for last. A strategy that would've been helpful three weeks ago. Town halls suck.

How did they turn around the boring old formula? I guess they listened to their Uncle Ted.

JMac limps out of Maine and Wisco to focus on maroon territories. Rallies have also been abruptly---brief.

Speaking of limping out of a familiar place, Lil' Buckley resigns from Big Buckley's fading jewel of the conservative movement.

As WVPC celebrates our lady's dirty thirty, Cindy dishes the dirt on The Jedi's campaign. Angus isn't buying it, Cind.

Mouth Poop.

2008-10-09T21:15:00.001-07:00

Two debates have passed since you've last heard from WVPC. Angus had a terrible cough. It's all that venom in the air.

The messsage is loud and clear: Drill Here, Drill Now.

Hey, the guy has his Workingman's PhD. He's an energy expert.

Ayers: the new favorite and, hopefully, last ditch effort.

Does the approaching cold weather give you the blues? Here's the thermometer to help you brave the current political climate:

Obama: Warm. He may make some lofty promises, but, like Al Davis says, "just win, baby."

Biden: Lukewarm. A less than impressive debate performance against America's new lovable lightweight and gaffes on the road mean Delaware Joe is just so-so.

JMac: Cold. He admits that he's not the frontrunner. Commentators from both sides of the aisle scoffed at his economic plan to buy up mortgages.

Palin: Cooling off, but she's still popular where it counts (the new, blue-collar GOP base) and when it will count (Election Day).
Angus: On fire. Is there a more lovable cat? Nope.

Momma Said There Was No Knock Out

2008-09-27T11:03:00.001-07:00

The Jedi and JMac rolled into Mississippi. Neither offered a spellbinding performance, as JMac's campaign made a near game time decision. As expected, Obama seemed in firmer control over the first half, which primarily dealt with economic issues. The tide turned during the second half as JMac showed off his foreign policy expertise. JMac's ability to articulate on defense issues trumped what could be a continuation of a disastrous foreign policy. The old man looked old and cranky but still confident. The jedi looked cool but maybe not as confident.

Rather than accentuate the differences in personalities between the two candidates, moreover, the debate illustrated the differences between the two parties. JMac spoke in narratives and soundbites, much like the GOP's election strategy, which usually pays great dividends on election days. He looked mean and sounded condescending. On the other hand, Obama's answers were more nuanced, somewhat wonkish. His response reveals the complexity of the issues, but poetics and contemplation don't win elections. One man has become a campaigner in the GOP mold; the other can't seem to lower himself to the attack mentality of a presidential campaign.

Obama even agreed with JMac on several points. Does this make the Jedi look weak? A reluctant concession to his opponent?

Who won? Two major polls show Obama, but the reaction around the press blogs gives JMac the edge. Ben Smith explains this lack of a true consensus. Cillizza examines both candidates' tactics.

Here's reaction from around the blogosphere.

Those who think JMac won:
Des Moines Register's Yepsen

Newsweek's Romano

Barnes at The Weekly Standard offers a mild nod to JMac.

And now for the Jedi:
Slate's Kaplan gives Obama the edge after one round.

Time's Klein praises the jedi's tactics.

And TNR tells him what he failed to do: get emotional.

In case you decided to watch Yes, Dear reruns, here's video of the entire debate.

WVPC wanted to keep this blog focused on last night's debate, but there are some things even we can't resist.

See you after the VP showdown in St. Louis. WVPC will have a seat right next to Nelly.

It's the economy, stupid.

2008-09-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

Extra! Extra! Financial crisis forces candidates to finally confront real issues.

The jedi offers his response to the meltdown. Economic woes usually mean it's a good time to be the Democratic nominee.

JMac has Republicans clamoring for regulation. The party of free markets is really doing some heavy self-evaluation right now.

This just in: Republicans will win rural vote. Thank you for stating the obvious.

Even with a small lead, many fear that Obama may lose. And what will happen if he loses? Pinot grigio will flow like blood down these streets!

Ever dated someone you didn't like but you couldn't quit? JMac knows the feeling. His relationship with a Grey Old Lady has always been rocky at best.

Dittoheads anxiously await the self-destruction of their leader. Will he combust if the jedi captures the White House?

The hockey mom is a predatory species. Salon reveals some of the dirty tricks up North. Let's hope that Alaskan pipeline doesn't lead to the White House.

Palin meets world leaders, offers Kissinger moose hunting tips.

Fortunately, Maureen commented. Allow her to elaborate:
"The two made an odd couple: the last impure Rockefeller Republican and the first pure Rovian Republican, grown totally in the petri dish of cultural crusaderism."
Oh, that's some tasty editorial.

No thanks to the bridge to nowhere? Well, she said yes first. Fought earmarks? Kinda sorta not really. Lowered taxes in Wasilla? Dammit. Wait, I've got it. Fought the big oil companies! Yeah, that's it. Wait. Shit.

The debate goes on? La dee da dee dee.

See you in Mississippi? We need it more than ever.

Non-Palin Edition

2008-09-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

A day of remembrance and a break from mudslinging and Palin.

The campaigns held a brief ceasefire on Thursday as JMac and The Jedi paid their respects on a somber day in politics.

When you're on the homestretch, the goodwill doesn't last long.

New line of attack: JMac doesn't send emails. While this isn't some shocking revelation, The LA Times lets it be known that JMac can't type due to poor fingers. Ouch.

The seven homes argument didn't really work (psst, Obama...many middle class voters yearn for wealth. Some find owning multiple homes as an admirable trait and a sign of hard work, even if it is more indicative of privilege and inheritance). The "third Bush term" jab was going okay until some woman from Alaska hopped aboard The Once Straight Talk Express.

Where does that leave the Obama campaign? They're mounting a counterattack that's critical of JMac's dirty politics and distortions, but it's too early to tell how ideals and policy resonate in the election of biography and diversion.

Johnny, do you got some room on the Straight Talk Express bus for a case of Cat Burglar DVDs?

JMac held up pretty well on Friday's View, as Whoopi, Barb, and co. came out swinging. The interview, however, wasn't without some half-truths and even fallacies.

Stay tuned for more as WVPC cranks into overdrive.

We Vote Pro-Cat: Palin Edition

2008-09-08T13:09:00.001-07:00

Since you can't get enough of that hockey mom, it's WVPC's first all-Palin edition blog. We'll give her (and you) a break/"deference" after this epic blog. Here goes.

First and foremost, I quote Patrick Swayze (hang in there, Dalton) when I say "she's like the wind." But she's running on empty. Enter strategists.

As you already know, the right fell in love with this pick quite instantly, but the rest of the country is still skeptical after excerpts from her first television interview.

Here's the the reaction from the blogosphere.

Angus' take: Well, dad, I would describe her performance as nervous exasperation. She knows the media is ganging up on her, and last week's convention speakers only reinforced that notion: the "elites," 2008's latest shitty political buzzword ,can't stand her, and they're out to get her because she's blue-collar, a mom, and hunts. I don't buy that, dad. I just want to know why the highest office in the land has turned into such a joke.

The performance may have fallen short of galvanizing her supporters (WVPC can't find any blogs that offer overwhelming praise for last night's responses), but it certainly and predictably emboldened her critics. Will parts two and three reveal a deeper understanding of her intellect, decision-making, and worldview?

Even though this analysis is probably two weeks late, here's why Palin is a brilliantly sinister pick:

- If the Dems attack her, they look like patronizing, arugula-chomping, Prius driving snobs. And don't forget that buzzword, you elitist.
- She changes the GOP is for old white guys image. A good surface move and clever facade. Who doesn't like a mom?
- She diverts attention away from more important campaign issues. Who needs a plan when you've got personality?
- She reignites the culture wars. Wedge issues may gain more importance to voters.
- The election is now all about biography: war hero and hockey mom versus community organizer and veteran senator who persevered through personal tragedy.

How does it all add up? Disney movie.

Stop Saying Maverick!

2008-09-07T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's the second most overused word in the election. Numero Uno? Change.

JMac wrapped up things in St. Paul with a speech heavy on bio but lacking many policy specifics. Once reluctant to discuss his POW time, the party, and certainly last week's convention speakers, now injects JMac's bio into nearly every speech. JMac didn't hold back as he offered an intimate bio that certainly showed his heroic personal story. It's a story filled with the drive to succeed that evokes praise and a hot temper that makes some nervous.

JMac certainly benefited from the bio laden speech; he can draw a television crowd as sizable as the jedi's.

"Funny how? Like community organizers are here to amuse you?"

With hay bales and American flags in the background, the jedi sat down with Stephanopolus. Revelations: Obama briefly considered joining the military, he regrets his abortion response/"above my pay grade" comment at last month's Saddleback Forum, and he would break from his party on three issues:

"I think that, on education, we do have to improve accountability. And I've not only supported charter schools, which the teachers' unions have opposed, but I've also said that we should look at pay-for-performance," he said. "That's not something that's popular in my party."

"Obama said he would also support increasing the size of the military and reducing healthcare litigation costs, moves he said would anger portions of his party."

Even though the interview illustrated that the jedi is better delivering a prepared speech to a stadium-sized crowd, he can give thoughtful, although sometimes initially unclear, answers to complicated questions that can't be answered in black or white soundbites. His answers offer a grey area that is hard to sell to the masses but present a sense of humility and perhaps indicate that he would be a very analytical president.

Black or white? Just when you think the nation has moved past it, Polman reminds us that race is frighteningly prevalent in this election and quite possibly transcends policy and personality when some Americans pick their president. Notice Polman's piece is not citing public opinion from the Bible Belt.

Even if Palin wowed Jmac and the GOP, they're not in a hurry to cart her out to the Sunday morning talk show circuit. After last week's drubbing and pregnancy speculation, the GOP is quite bitter over Palin's treatment in the press and they want interviews on their own terms. WVPC: The McCain campaign will probably start with the weekday morning and afternoon shows (View, Ellen, Regis) and go from there. They should cart her out as quickly as possible to avoid any signs of vulnerability. The decision is strikingly parallel to the Bush Administration's disdain for the media and its hand-picked q & a sessions and public appearances. If the media keeps laying on the criticism, the GOP will play victim with the following equation/scenario: Media = elites. Us = honest folks who could care less about what the chattering classes in NYC, D.C., or Hollywood think. The heartland crowd goes wild.

One of the sharpest cons blogging and writing for The Atlantic, Douthat offers some free advice to Democrats: don't attack Palin. Go after the old man and his policies.

Delaware is behind Biden even if the occasional investigative journalism piece tarnishes those blue-collar First State credentials. At the heart of the matter is Joe's support for the 2005 Bankruptcy Bill and what it means to debtors.

With his Biden selection, Obama chose one of the Dems' premier Washington insiders. That benefits Obama if you spin it this way: Biden has a record of experience, and his action hlped bring jobs to Delaware. The opposite spin diminishes Delaware Joe: his ties to the banking industry reflect a commitment to corporate interests that supersede a pledge to protect hard working Americans from reckless lending practices.

The story probably lacks the pull of Palin's pregnancy or JMac's temper, but it raises some interesting questions about what Obama preaches and what Joe sometimes practices.

Raisin' McCain and Hockey Mom: A Night for the Base

2008-09-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Give me red meat.

Alaska, motherfucker?

Sarah Palin and another star-studded lineup took to the podium last night in St. Paul. The gloves were off. Last night's speeches made Tuesday's digs seem tame as Romneybot 3000, Rudy, Huckabee, and a couple of CEOs offered red meat speeches laced with venom.

In a speech laced with more sensitively worded Obama digs, Palin impressed the Beltway with her small town, hockey mom charm. She addressed her critics (the media) and defended her 'executive experience.' Despite little experience in the national limelight, Palin appeared poised, prepped and confident. One prominent poll indicates it may have worked.

Most of the chattering classes were impressed. Cons were fawning over her tough rhetoric. And critics were intimidated by how poised she seemed at center stage and capable she is of collecting middle class votes.

Obama responds:

But was she honest?

Rudy offered some of the evening's harshest criticism with barbs like "Hope is not a 'strategy.'

Notice the quiet response to Rudy's Iraq claim: "JMac got it right. Obama got it wrong." The issue divides the base, so the convention has really played it down.

Mike Huckabee fired up the crowd. Will Huck be the nominee if JMac loses in November?

Mitt Romney kicked it off. As a rich East coast guy, he bashed 'Eastern elites.'

The crowd erupted in applause, as it did again when Romney vowed to "stop the spread of government dependency to fight it like the poison it is. It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother." Say what?

Unlike Denver, personal digs were rampant. Like Denver, there was little substance.

If you'd like to pick and choose your speeches, CNN offers a RNC speech database.

Think the left has ownership over the Hollywood vote? I guess you don't know much about the GOP's secret Tinseltown weapon, Jon Voight.

In a stinging editorial, Joe Conason tells why the Plain pregnancy matters in this election.

Levi Johnston in "There Will Be Gum."

Diddy knows damage control. The former Puffy offers an apology to the great state of Alaska.

John Rich makes it too easy, so I'll just let the music speak for itself.

Put Angus First.

2008-09-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night brought all of the heavy hitters, except that one commander-in-chief guy, to St. Paul. That's not to say he wasn't featured (he spoke via satellite), but when Joe Leibermann and Fred Thompson upstage the president, it's safe to say he's reached irrelevancy.

Strangest talking point of the night: "doesn't care what the polls say." Laura Bush, in reference to her husband, and Fred Thompson, in reference to JMac, uttered this sentiment. That logic seems a bit flawed when your sitting president has a 28% approval rating, and you have a foreign policy that, more or less, could follow in his footsteps. I'd have tossed that line if I were the elephants in the speech writing room.

That Huskie independent and thorn in the side of the Dems, Joe Leibermann, took headliner status. With a voice that could put a meth binge to sleep, the same guy that debated Dick Cheney just eight years ago strode to the podium. His calls for unity and general eloquence didn't quite receive the same applause as Fred's drawl. Joe walked a tightrope with comments like "we're living our worst nightmare." The applause was tepid.

Fred "Red Truck" Thompson delivered an impassioned homage to JMac and Reagan. For a party platform that isn't hip to two dudes getting hitched, Republican males have a creepy infatuation with Ronald Reagan. Nevertheless, the speech indicates that Thompson shines when he isn't running for president.

Note, speakers didn't mention Biden. This bodes well for the Dems. The GOP has a hard time attacking someone so experienced.

Ed Kilgore takes us behind the scenes and tells us what, through his lens, really transpired.

JMac canceled an interview with Larry King. It was part of a busy day of retaliation for supposed misspeaks and insensitiveness made against Gov. Palin.

Megan McArdle offers some nice perspective on the Palin pregnancy. If stories like this keep emerging from the woodwork, Joshua Green wonders if they could yank her. Orr says that Dems patronize Palin to their own detriment. WVPC's angle: when did being mayor become more noble than being senator? If you listened tonight, you'd think a senator is the least noble profession in America. I'm just curious; what again is the GOP nominee's profession?

Question of the day: Do speakers like Giuliani and Leibermann indicate that the GOP has a bigger tent than often given credit for? In an interview on MSNBC, Newt Gingrich answered yes. WVPC: Not really. The party has always contained mods, cons, and a few in-betweens. Rudy and Leibermann are just foreign policy hawks. The party has some doves, or at least cautionary isolationists, too. On that note, congrats to Ron Paul, 2008's real maverick. Some of Paul's rhetoric would have been a welcome addition to the slate of speakers.

See you tomorrow.

Gustav subdues (still) boring old white guy gathering. Red State Rocker set to perform.

2008-08-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

I know David Lee Roth. And you, sir, are no David Lee Roth.

Forget Hagar. This convention might not even be Gary Cherrone. JMac curtails day 1.

JMac and PTA mom visit Missouri, convince locals that she's a bulldog.

In a story destined for People Magazine, Palin reveals that 17 year old daughter is pregnant. My favorite quote from this article: "I think it's a very private matter," said Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America. Abortion? Sexual Orientation? Not so private, family matters, eh Roberta?

Obama and Biden gave their first joint interview. Here's Part 1:

Part 2:

Even though Will can't help but espouse his less government is better government beliefs, he makes some nice observations in his latest Newsweek op-ed. The candidates will never be blue-collar, and, they might be better off if they stop pretending that they are.

E.J. explains GOP's infatuation with Palin: ideologies trump lack of experience.

Don't let WVPC's left-leaning jabs fool you into thinking we're without sympathy for our friends across the political aisle. Our heartfelt sympathies to GOP convention attendees: "No open bar," per Bloomberg.

DNC wraps-up. JMac nabs MILF.

2008-08-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

New VP qualification: dead bear on sofa.

If the jedi owned Thursday, a governor had the headlines on Friday. No, one of Huckabee's kids didn't hang another dog. JMac tapped a little known Alaskan governor as his running mate. The good news: she's, and be prepared to hear this term quite a bit over the next 60 odd days, an "outsider," and, because of this, she has more in common with JMac than you may have thought. Here's some initial reaction from Obama's camp.

Before the GOP gets too erect and makes premature comments like this, she's under investigation. A little known state saga moves from the Anchorage Daily News to The Chicago Tribune to MSNBC. The gamut has heralded her as a fellow maverick, "a cross between a Fox anchor and a character on "Northern Exposure," and a potential "Dan Qualye in drag." Ouch.

Is JMac's move a trap to catch undecided Hillary voters? The world's worst political columnist, who works for the world's worst newspaper, ponders that same question.

WVPC's verdict: Once the buzz dies down, Palin will have her work cut out for her, particularly against Biden in October. Joe will want want to be stern but not bullying. Palin will gain the admiration of many women across spectrum of politics. She'll capture the hearts of those who don't really follow politics, the people, mainly middle class women, who want a mom in the upper echelons of Washington power. Her acceptance speech in Ohio played admirably with shout outs to Ferraro and Hillary, predictably with fawning over JMac's military experience, and regionally with energy policy reform. Columnists, bloggers, Dems and some cons will patronize her. We don't know if she has Reagan's Teflon quality or the jedi's charm. All we know is that now JMac doesn't have much of a case with that whole "Obama's inexperienced argument." But he'll push it anyway. The race will be close, and this VP choice isn't as bad as it looks.

The Dems have packed up their bags and left Denver. Obama delivered one of his better speeches of the last two months, but the convention failed to deliver a unified message. They need talking points, but they, at least until Obama's above average acceptance speech, delivered mostly pageantry, accolades to party veterans, and apologies to Hillary and her followers.

Palin's social views, at least one of them, come at the perfect time: the party platform's slam dunk issue that turns out the base.

If the 2008 campaign excites you so much that you're already salivating for 2012, here's something that will dampen your spirits. I hear an old red prop revving up its engine.

Denver: Day 1 - My Michelle

2008-08-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

It was a day of Michelle mania, bitter Clinton supporters, an emotional call-to-arms from the Senate's venerable Dem, Caroline's great bone structure, and brain drilling?

Sounds exciting, right? Well, one of the party's most prominent insiders doesn't see a "message." Ouch. Wait. Is the bald-headed one correct? Possibly. When you barely have a lead, shouldn't you have a clearer message? The giant projection screen behind the stage should have three bullet points that reflect what Dems want to do. Show those bullet points over and over again. Have the speakers incorporate those bullet points into their speeches. Yeah, it's a cheap soundbite, and it looks like something that Republicans would do, but, you want to win, right? Rocky Mountain...sigh.

My Michelle had the spotlight on Monday night. According to WSJ, she had an appetite for "reintroduction." Like her? Thank Oprah.

Hillary's on deck for Tuesday night.

In preparation for Biden's Wednesday night speech, Reason's David Weigel explains what to love and loathe about Delaware's talky pol.

WVPC will be back with coverage of day two.

Trust the Biden Touch.

2008-08-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

And now, to Darcy's Pint for a horseshoe!

Just when it looked like McCain had grabbed the headlines with his praiseworthy performance at Saddleback Church (watch here), the jedi's VP speculation stole the headlines. The speculation is true: loquacious and experienced Delawarean completes ticket. First stop: the capital city, baby.

The choice was not received without skepticism. He's "self-loving;" the move is "too safe"; he's "digressive." Others were able to turn those weaknesses into strengths: he's "realistic,""resilent," "reassuring," and "down-to-earth." JMac's verdict: Biden is a "formidable" opponent.

Those are the words of Beltway insiders. What about average Joe's? 23% don't know who he is. I guess that happens when church is a more popular Sunday destination than Meet the Press. Sigh.

In politics, experience is an asset in the chamber, but it's a liability on the campaign trail. Biden brings strength and challenges to the ticket. WVPC's verdict: he'll make mincemeat of JMac's future VP pick during their lone debate.

This week brought a whole new kind of housing crisis to the campaign. WVPC's verdict: while owning eight homes is kinda offensive, the Dems mudslinging isn't much different than the elitist accusations the GOP hurled at Obama just a few weeks ago.

And, finally, progress in the conservative movement. Amen.

We still like him.

2008-08-09T16:36:00.001-07:00

"Oh, please," says Malcolm.

Brace yourself, married couples stray. Brace yourself some more, politicians stray from their spouses. And, finally, politicians lie about it. The big question: why should it matter? That's not in defense of dishonesty. It is in defense of couples dealing with their problems internally without the whole world finger-wagging at the cheater.

The media, er, the New York Post, held a Saturday morning scolding. Also, all those cons who thought he was a phony are licking their lips. That Kirsten Powers. She knew it all along.

WVPC knows what they'll say: he lied. So what? If you're running for president, and you and your wife had already settled this, what would you say? I have a feeling you wouldn't have the same answer if you were running for president.

In case you missed it, here's the whole story along with some footage from the Nightline interview.

Is this the Democrats' Mark Foley for the 08 election? Doubtful. It's hard to connect Edwards to Obama because Johnny's endorsement is old news now that Obama has the nomination locked up. Is it over for Edwards? Can he kiss a cabinet position goodbye? Likely. Even if Barack isn't put off by Edwards' actions, America is watching his every move. Sigh.

Earlier in the week, JMac volunteered Cindy for the Sturgis beauty pageant. I don't think he knew that she may have to do body shots in order to win. JMac will probably remain silent on Edwards, and that response is with good reason.

WVPC know what you're thinking: where's the Obama news? Edwards unintentionally stole the headlines on Friday. You want some jedi news? Here's the most ridiculous article I've read on Obama's appeal among young voters.

Low Blows

2008-08-03T04:52:00.000-07:00

Britney. Paris. Barack? Before I could finish my Lohan, the McCain campaign reminded me of another vapid celebrity. You know, that smart, articulate, popular, hopeful guy running for president. Barack Obama. Yeah, the name doesn't really ring a bell, so I'm so grateful for the McCain campaign. They filled me in on who this guy really is: a smart, articulate, popular and hopeful guy running for president.

How can this guy be president? He hates NASCAR and babies. He reads books. He consults intelligent people when he wants good insight. He speaks in complete sentences. We want doers and deciders, not thinkers and, uh, undeciders, Barry.

It's nothing new in American politics. Archaeologists have just unearthed documents that reveal similar accusations took place in the great Lincoln Douglas debates of 1858.

Douglas: This lanky man is just another vacuous, Johnny Come Lately celebrity. He's no different than that opinionated hussy of yesteryear, Dolly Madison (Note to readers: it was difficult to find a suitable 19th century comparison to Britney Spears. Dolly will have to do.).

Lincoln: You know what they're saying. He's got a funny sounding name. He doesn't look like those other presidents on wooden nickels, or whatever we're using for currency nowadays.

Douglas: Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Missouri!

Lincoln: Have you seen the price of buttermilk lately?

Douglas: Buttermilk? Elitist!

Well, folks, history repeats itself.

In case you've been living under a poli-rock for the last week, JMac's crew unveiled this gem:

Others, like the folks at Progressive Accountability (work on that name), counterattacked with this ad. It speaks louder but it isn't very funny.

Britney and Paris were just the beginning. Race reared its head into the campaign on Wednesday, when Barack spoke in Missouri and, a bit later in the day, JMac accused the jedi of playing the ol' race card.

Saddened that JMac, the once noble maverick, has gone so low? WVPC is too. However, it might be the only way he can win. While many predicted that these tactics would backfire, the jedi's camp already said they did.

Get ready for more of the same, WVPC nation. Mudslinging. Feces flicking. Turd tossing. The good discourse is over, as are the decent metaphors for throwing proverbial insults in the form of human waste.

We try to avoid partisan jabs on this site (oh, who are we kidding), but, John, you drove us to them. 2000 was a long time ago, you desperate old man.

If you havin' Phil Gramm problems, I feel bad for you son...

2008-07-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

Lose your job? Sick loved one? Disabled? Tired of Ryan Seacrest? Stop whining, America! So says Phil Gramm, McCain's economic confidante. McCain quickly, and wisely, disavowed the comments. One can imagine that Gramm received a royal ass-chewing behind the scenes on the Straight Talk Express.

While Gramm's comments make McCain look out of touch on economic matters, the you-haven't-heard-from-me-in-a-while Rev. Jesse Jackson's Obama insult makes Obama look good. The more distance Obama puts between the Rev and his campaign, the more he could benefit with those who have always been uneasy about The Rev. Jackson creates an interesting conundrum for Obama: support him or denounce him? The Rev's comments may have taken care of that decision.

Finally, as promised, WVPC takes a hard look at McCain's potential VPs. Will he go fiscally conservative? Will he go socially conservative? Will he go evangelical? Will he go young? Will he go old? Will he go moderate? Dear God, please go moderate. Here's look at some names being tossed around:

Bobby Jindal. He's young and, well, let's face it, doesn't look like a lot of people in the Republican party. He toes the party line on about every issue, but his demeanor is less than captivating. Plus, he might be too young.

Mike Huckabee. Prior to the 2008 campaingn, he was just that one governor who lost a bunch of weight. The Iowa victory changed all of that, but the party base has ambivalent feelings about Huck. He could woo the evangelicals, but he risks alienating the fiscally conservative Republicans who aren't thrilled about JMac anyway.

Mitt Romney. Quite possibly the most inauthentic figure in American politics has slowly crept his way onto the running mate short list. The Dems could pick Romney apart if he gets on the ticket.

Charlie Crist. He's a popular name thrown around GOP circles. Plus, he's really tan.

Olympia Snowe. She's probably too moderate for the far right crowd, but she would help draw votes from independents and the center. However, there's probably little chance for Snowe in this campaign forecast.

Michael Reagan. Hey, the conservatives have an incredible man crush on his dead dad. Why not put his off-putting, vulgar son on the ticket? McCain/Reagan '08. Score.

In quick hits, The CS Monitor profiles Obama's mastermind, David Axelrod. Obama stays on message with tough love + government responsibility approach to problems in the African American community. Alas, how could we forget the most controversial image of the week.

"It's satire," says Angus.

50th blog, suckas.

2008-06-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

50. Fifty. Fify. Or is it Fifee?

Anyway, welcome to WVPC's fiftieth blog. It was all the way back in 2007 when we first brought you the best Internet coverage of politics and cats. How are we going to celebrate? Hot chicks who cover politics. That's right. As promised, here are the top six (we couldn't come up with fifty) babes in the world of political coverage. They're all hot, so we won't rank them in any ascending or descending order. Enjoy.

Rachel Marsden. Commentator. Canadian.

This right-leaning babe was a Faux News favorite until her ouster. That's not the only time that things have been rough for my north-of-the-border beauty. Double trouble: psycho and conservative. Growl.

Claire Shipman. ABC News.

My Sunday mornings become so much better when Claire joins the Round Table on This Week.

Katherine Mangu-Ward. Reason.

Her blogs are concise. Her tilt is libertarian. Her presence during my daily browsing: priceless. Katherine, keep up the good work for women with hyphenated last names everywhere.

Mika Brezinski. MSNBC.

She can tolerate Joe Scarborough. What can't she do? Always a pleasure, Mika.

Ana Marie Cox. The founder of Wonkette, now with Time, is an obvious choice. Cute. Snarky. Partisan.

Annie Hlywak. Wevoteprocat.blogspot.com.

This feline knows how to get the political scoop and how to fill the litter box with genuine poop.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Obama readies for national fight, Hillary bows out and Russert waves goodbye

2008-06-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

One smooth cat coasts to the nomination.

It was a long strange trip, but we finally have the main event (ok, it's still not official). Brooks assesses the matchup.

JMac has been prepping his attack plan for months. Expect more elitist accusations. Yawn. The jedi floats a new website to deflect the insults. In the age of arugula, the site is unfortunately necessary.

The old man also likes it town hall style, even on the first date. Why? It allows him to connect with voters on an intimate level. Let's just hope it's an unscripted format. The more the scribes write and advisers prep him, the stiffer he looks. Play to your strengths, JMac.

Now that Hillary is out of the spotlight, the number one topic is who will be number two? The media is, shall we say, caught in a Webb of speculation. Others think there's Nunn other like him.

To offset national security inexperience concerns, Webb is the smart bet. His Senate tenure is short, but, well, so was is prospective boss's. Other names you'll hear often over the next few weeks along with their strengths and weaknesses in parentheses:

Joe Biden (Strengths: experience, foreign relations committee. Weaknesses: long-winded, no military experience)

Chris Dodd (Strengths: Senate experience, nice head of white hair, Angus loves him. Weaknesses: despite experience, still not really a household name, no military experience, from affluent East coast state)

John Edwards (Strengths: left-leaning populist, connects with most blue collar voters, great hair. Weaknesses: already failed once, owns huge fucking house, performs poorly in debates)

Hillary Clinton (Strengths: more blue collar appeal (somehow), lures female voters, in-house adviser in husband. Weaknesses: in-house adviser in husband, rivalry is too fresh, hated by large portions of population (somehow).

Claire McCaskill (Strengths: red state appeal, brief gubernatorial experience, friendly. Weaknesses: little experience on the national stage, not-yet-a-household name syndrome, Rams fan).

WVPC will cover the GOP's VP search tomorrow in our 50th blog!

In a Sunday NY Times must read, we get some insight into JMac's time as a POW.

Finally, Wevoteprocat salutes Tim Russert. Sunday morning coffee will never be the same. Thanks, Russ. Go Bills!

Magic Number: 70.5

2008-06-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

Gaze at the scenic beauty of a Democratic showdown.

50.5: WVPC's current fantasy baseball score. That's enough for last place for those familiar with CBS Sportsline's scoring system.

48: The number of hours necessary to transform a bumbling, inarticulate former press secretary into a left wing hero and/or Republican scourge.

70.5: Number of delegates Barack Obama needs to secure nomination. And what a strange fight it's been for those delegates.

Things got really loud in Florida yesterday. All of this infighting has the GOP licking its lips.

WVPC hasn't offered much commentary on the Democratic superdelegate fight. Quite frankly, it bores us. It's like paying attention to the conflict in a movie when you've already read a review that reveals the ending. Spoiler alert: the jedi wins.

The class issue (Whole Foods, "bitter," shots of Crown Royal in an Indiana bar) is the most fascinating issue of the second half of the 08 campaign. That said, the NY Times gives it some more exposure.

When it comes to arugula, Barack and Roll can shrug off elitist accusations. When it comes to lobbyists, he may have more difficulty. Newsweek looks at his ties to those with much sway in the Beltway.

The running mate search is on, and one name resonates: Webb.

Even if the GOP may have looked better than the squabbling Dems over the last eight weeks, the founder of the 2001-2006 White House Press Network, I mean Faux News, predicts an Obama landslide. WVPC smells conspiracy.

The L.A. Times looks at JMac's peculiar votes for veterans' benefits. Note to Obama campaign: read this editorial and start taking notes for the first debate.

All eyes are on Puerto Rico this Sunday. Either HRC or Obama's people will be nursing a severe Captain Morgan hangover. This just in: Hillary wins.

Sundays. Many Americans flock to the nearest megachurch, get spritualized and wash it all down with a heapin' helpin' of riblets at Applebee's. On this Sunday, the jedi, in a long overdue decision, says goodbye to Trinity.

WVPC out.

Pinned Down

2008-05-18T20:52:00.001-07:00

Clearly the best determiner when picking a presidential candidate

Just when you thought a candidate could avoid jingo-pandering, the flag pin makes its less-than-triumphant return.

Coming from a smooth operator like the jedi, "sweetie" doesn't sound like such a derogatory term.

Flag pins. Sweetiegate. Dodging bullets from a former candidate. Any good news for the jedi? Well, Hillary won't be an obstacle much longer. Forecasting her campaign's death for weeks, the media offers an assessment of why she failed.

With an SNL appearance and a solid week of laying down some concrete ideas, the GOP is falling in love, er, make that tolerating his presence in order to win what was once an unwinnable election and rebrand (May 2008 political buzzword) their party, with JMac. As the Dems gain seats in Mississippi and other solidly red regions, the GOP clearly has the blues, but JMac's maverick status has suddenly become more appealing to the figureheads and blowhards who once cast him off as a RINO. John McCain: makeover artist.

Could Democrats actually benefit from a McCain victory in November? Brommel thinks so. He may be onto something. Dems will have a much wider majority as the nation turns its eyes to the party but away from its potential presidential candidate. Note to Obama: get Tony Stewart and Carrie Underwood to campaign for you, and your problems will be solved. Also, drape yourself in flags. Lots of flags.

Edwards solidifies future cabinet appointment: Secretary of Great Hair and My Dad Worked in a Textile Mill Department.

2008-05-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

Go ahead, Barack. You can run your fingers through it.

North Carolina's favorite populist (sorry, Jesse Helms) finally made his endorsement clear. No, he didn't pick Mike Gravel.

In the meantime, Hillary scores another meaningless victory, but it's enough to keep her in the news for another five weeks. The news cycle continues as follows: she's holding on for dear life, voters second guess Obama's commitment to working class values, Hillary wins another primary, superdelegates undecided, Obama looks to wrap up nomination, blah, blah, blah. Tell WVPC those won't be the stories until July. Go ahead, tell Angus.

If Barack does get the nod, he'll need to get angry quickly. Not sure I would heed that advice, but I guess you play dirty when you fight the GOP in the general.

While the W takes potshots at a certain unnamed future Democratic nominee, others have advice for JMac: avoid Bush like the plague.

Edwards endorsement makes WVPC nostalgic for the 08 candidates of yore. Which of the former '08 candidates will we see again? Here's some presumptive percentages based on nothing even remotely scientific (Angus helped with these forecasts).

GOP
Romney: 90%. Varmint hunting can really take you far in politics. Yes, with just one hastily purchased NRA membership, you too can go from a moderate governor of the most liberal state in the U.S. to a Barry Goldwater-loving, no new taxes, big military budget con in a matter of days. In an off year when they can't find a new Reagan in the flock, the GOP has a sudden infatuation with Romney. Can you say Secretary of Commerce?

Huckabee: 75%. The real compassionate conservative won the hearts of some caucus voters in that now ancient month of January. JMac seems warm to Huck, so I don't know why he wouldn't give him a phone call for the Office of Faith Based Initiatives. Well, unless he calls John Hagee first.

Paul: 0%. JMac scorned Paul's isolationism and Dr. No faces some challenges from within the GOP attack machine.

Democrats
Edwards: 99%. Yesterday's endorsement was an unofficial invitation, or plea, to join a future cabinet. Put your money on Secretary of Health and Human Services or Labor.

Biden: 75%. Hey, he already said that Obama was clean and articulate. Compliments like that can land you a Secretary of State position if you're lucky.

Richardson: 70%. Prediction: Barack Obama will have more clout than James Carville come November. Just to piss off the Dem establishment, Richardson could accept a cabinet position. He's another secretary of state candidate.

Dodd: 50%. The venerable senator may be looking for a new gig to augment his already nice resume. A cabinet position would be a good way to go out.

Come back this weekend when WVPC looks at the best lookers in politics. You won't want to miss this!

Score us some green, dude.

2008-04-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

Start up the Prius and let's head to Whole Foods! The environment was on voters' minds for a few nanoseconds last week as the nation celebrated Earth Day. Time magazine irked a few folks last week with this image:

Cacophony of voices: Blasphemy! My uncle didn't fight so Time magazine could...
Here's the accompanying article. When WVPC Googled this cover, this article emerged at the top of the result heap. Who in the hell is Christine Bude? Why does she have 1,003,436 views? Why are two readers and four cats my audience?

Global warming doesn't seem to be a major concern among the candidates. Here's what they've acknowledged thus far: global warming is real. That's a start, I suppose. Other than that the topic is nearly absent from campaign stump speeches. The candidates seem to understand this point: for most middle and lower class voters, paying the electric bills on time and affording gas takes precedent over eco-friendly light bulbs or building a new deck made of recycled Howard Dean signs. And be prepared to live without all that cool stuff they bought during the carefree Ipod era. To the Journal, there's that other thing they could have difficulty living without: inhabitable space.

You probably already know about what went down in Pennsylvania last week. Yes, the Pirates probably lost some games (Dammit! Ian Snell is on Angus' fantasy team.), but Hillary scored a victory.
How does the Jedi respond to this defeat? Playing hoops in the Hoosier State. Barack, brush up on The Bird. Remember, he's from French Lick, not Boston.
If he's brushing up on Larry Legend, he's brushing off Jeremiah Wright. The media's assessment of the rev: gloomy and doomy. Hey, kinda like the Book of Revelations. If the jedi doesn't have enough problems already, the media and blogosphere threw around the E word last week. Unfortunately , the E doesn't stand for excellence in everything; it stands for electability.
And that's from The New Republic! Here's some of the same arguments from Team Rove. Hell, Rove even has some advice. Karl, I smell Pulitzer.

While the Dems bickered in Pa., JMac toured forgotten America. Good PR move, but it's just election year politics unless he can prove it. JMac is still behind in most polls, but he's gaining ground even after enduring a tough week in the op-ed sections and blogs.

Finally, let's check the nation's political temperature because it's time for The Thermometer.

- Obama: Cold. The Pennsylvania loss and Wright's less-than-stellar criticism rebuttals show new vulnerabilities.

- Hillary: Heating up. PA. win helps but she's still has a long way to go.

- McCain: Warm. Things are going well and if Obama totally derails, JMac will take the presidency.

- Howard Dean: Lukewarm. Head of DNC tenure has been rocky, but he looked firm on Sunday's Meet the Press.

- Russert: Cooling off. WVPC praised and defended him in the past, but Stephanopolus runs a better Sunday show. George, you had us at This Week.

We'll see you later this week.

Bitter Voter Face

2008-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Will Pennsylvanians make this face when they head to the polls tomorrow?

On this night before the deciding primary of her struggling campaign, Hillary enters with a lead.

Our prediction: Hillary will play like the Phillies for a day and Obama will look like the Pirates. On other hand, don't the Red Sox always win anyway? Obama is the Red Sox in the end.

The Journal tells us what's at stake in the Keystone State.

The jedi keeps saying what most of us think. What's not to like?

Those 'bitter' comments just won't go away. Here's the best defense of the jedi's comments thus far. Examples 1 & 2.
Keep up the good work, TNR.

Finally, a GOP candidate tours the "forgotten America." Just in time for an election.

Obama: Fallout Boy

2008-04-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

The whirlwind fallout continues. This is probably the most thought-provoking campaign story of the last six weeks, and it brings up an interesting discussion about voting and class. Too bad most of the conversation has been fairly two-dimensional: Democrats: he shouldn't have said it even if the comment has a degree of truthfulness; Republicans: the comments prove he's an elitist. WVPC is convinced that there's more to the dialogue than those assessments. Here's some more commentary from the beltway about people who don't live in the beltway.

First, from the old right. And the same idea via the new right.

Let the old left enter the fray. Now the techno savvy new left.

WVPC can draw a few conclusions from those pieces: 1.) Americans have difficulty talking about class. A Brit (not Hume!) agrees.
2.) The elected leaders of both parties know or care very little about working class Americans.

Until things change, WVPC puts this conversation on hold.

Problem: lack of authenticity in Mellencamp country. Solution: alcohol and guns.

JMac offers a respectful rebuttal to the jedi's claims. Note to John: Obama didn't say they like guns because they're economically struggling. They vote based on how people feel about god, guns, gay marriage, immigration and abortion rather than economic concerns. Turd Blossom and the gang call them family values.

Clinging to Guns

2008-04-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

...when you pry it from my cold, dead paw.

Well, we got a story. Speaking to donors in San Francisco (translation = not the heartland), the jedi said this.
As you can imagine, the media, Hillary and JMac are having a field day with America's new elitist. Ben Smith elaborates on the coming fallout. While he may have brushed off most of the Wright backlash, Rush, Ann and friends are licking their lips over this one. The best part: Obama was right in his assessment! Well, The Nationagrees.

Not much more we can say about that one. Monday will let the spin begin! Hannity already has a hard on.

JMac is smiling. The nod's wrapped up and he's just waiting for a mate. And some even know how he can win this thing.

The GOP loves the men and women in uniform (Jesus is a Republican and a liberator, bud), and the AM blowholes are making sure that you know the other team hates America. Let me introduce you to Neal Bortz. Guess who never served in the military: Neal Boortz. Oh, he's not all that bad; read his interesting wiki-bio here.

Last week, we mentioned male rock fans tend to vote for McCain, per a recent study. Well, how about everyone else? Let's play, How would they vote with the 2008 candidates, past and present!

Flight of the Conchords fans - Obama. Jermaine, Bret, the jedi and lattes go hand in hand.

Neil Diamond fans - Hillary. Wet for the Neil and the Hill.

Sinatra fans - Rudy. He made an offer they couldn't refuse.

Mellencamp fans - I'd like to think Edwards since Don't Call Me Cougar campaigned for the guy, but Mellencamp isn't the best indicator of Indiana's typical voter. Let's go with Thompson.

Opeth fans - Ron Paul. Black t-shirts, dude.

Jimmy Buffet fans - Mitt Romney. There's a lot of investors and lenders but few borrowers in that Parrotheads crowd.

Deadheads - Kucinich.

Genesis (Gabriel era) - Mike Gravel.

Genesis (Collins era) - Chris Dodd.

Charlie Daniels fans - Fred Thompson. Devil went down to the set of Law & Order, looking for a candidate to steal.

Petra fans - Huckabee.

Wevoteprocat is beyond belief.

Batter up

2008-04-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

While the nation winds down from the Wright-Obama debacle, waits for Hillary to bow out, and watches JMac gain more and more momentum, WVPC has come to the conclusion that it's been a boring week. Obama bowled a 37, and that's about as exciting as it gets. Hey, it keeps us distracted from the looming recession.

Even if the action is slow, the hot and savvy political writing is go! Well, as hot as George Will, EJ Dionne Elanor Clift and Jonah Goldberg can get, I suppose. In honor of opening week, let's play ball:

In a story that WVPC knew would get more attention sooner or later, earlier in the week, The Hill reveals JMac's reluctance to roll out his military sons for the campaign move. Sure enough, WVPC was right!

Speaking of fortunate sons, Obama ain't one of them. Some think that could spell disaster come November. For other Obama liabilities, see Postrel. Prepare to see more and more articles like those two as the campaign enters its 'inevitable nomination' phase.

All of this Democratic infighting leads to an emboldened, mobilized and smirking GOP. Don't believe us? Even The Nation thinks so. Of course, The National Review agrees. Hey Jonah, work on that prose. I had to read that piece like six times before it made sense.

For those so disenchanted with the GOP, you have another option. You may remember Georgia's Bob Barr from Borat. Well, Mr. Barr is no longer a Republican, and he's gearing up for a run for President. He's the new Libertarian candidate. Way to go, Bob, capture that 0.6% of the popular vote. This decision is another strange twist in a fascinating career. Study his Wikipedia page.

If you like rock and you're a white guy, apparently, you're likely to vote for McCain. Note to Nickelback, do what Three Doors Down did for W. Pretty cool, guys.

It's the Economy, Angus.

2008-03-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

The jedi finally reveals an economic stimulus plan. So, that's two good moves in less than two weeks. Barack and roll.

Despite his gains and her losses, the real losers may be Democratic voters. Has the infighting taken its toll? More on that from The Globe.
They could be onto something. Obama's lead over JMac is 0.2. Once the war hero rallying cry sounds, the jedi could have a challenge on his hands: convince voters he not only dislikes the war (mission accomplished) but has real foreign policy credentials to get troops out and keep peace. The problem with both men might be their exclusion from the tune in, turn on decade (JMac) and the Wall Street/L.A. Gear/hair gel decade (Obama).

JMac doesn't denounce war, but he puts it into a broader context, one Bush probably couldn't articulate or lacks the credibility to get the message across. JMac is no Bush.

Help me Pennsylvania, you're my only hope. Princess Leia asks for help from friends in the Keystone State. Others think she's already got the popular vote. Warning: long and boring piece with charts.

What about adding VP to her resume? It would be a setback at this point. Note to candidates: if you lose, remember that you're already a senator; just be the best senator you can be.

Dirty politics works wonders for the GOP. If you haven't noticed, most of that McCain vitriol from the right has evaporated in recent weeks. That means they're getting behind JMac. The same tactics that used on their candidate, they'll use on the jedi or HRC. Be ready.

Most of us only know Baltimore from The Wire. I know the Indians play in Cleveland and the rock and roll hall of fame is there (hey assholes, induct Yes!). We know Detroit is falling apart, but we haven't seen it first hand. Turns out, nearly all of the candidates are in the same boat with us. In a must-read, the Politico looks at the ignorance and neglect of urban issues in the 2008 campaign. What John Edwards could have done for blighted rural America, Barack Obama, a man with an entirely urban vibe (dude, arugula and Whole Foods in Iowa?>, could do for decaying sections of urban America.

This is a tired story, but it won't go away: Gore is the answer for some. Let's just call it, an inconvenient truth. Oh, you're killing me!

Finally, Turd Blossom shares wisdom.

All the Wright Moves

2008-03-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

The jedi was made for moments like this. In what is sure to become one of the crowning achievements in his campaign and budding political career, Obama discussed race in Philly. Needless to say, the speech has gone over pretty well. Speeches like this silence his critics and HRC's camp, and the GOP attack machine has little counterattack when the kid is so damn smooth. If he keeps this up, he'll win.

Yes, the party of Quayle still sees a window of opportunity. Hey Rick Wilson, go suck an egg. From the classy guy who tried to destroy the honorable Max Cleland:

“It was a speech written to mau-mau the New York Times editorial board, the network production people and the media into submission. Beautifully calibrated but deeply dishonest,” said GOP media consultant Rick Wilson, who crafted the 2002 ad tying then-Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. “Not good enough.”

Tell that to the adoring public who bought the speech. He will beat you, Wilson. In case you've been under a rock for the last week or so, let that jewel of journalism, The NY Post fill you in.

So what if the jedi pulls through and lands the biggest gig in the land? Brownstein weighs the pros and cons and describes how it might look this time next year.

Is the heartland leaning democratic? Last I heard, they still send childish emails chastising Hillary (thank you Uncle Mark and your legion of like-minded sympathizers).

Is Hillary more conservative? Don't know, but she's got some new friends.

Now that his nomination is all but official, JMac uses his pro-immigration stance to court the growing demographic. There's a little maverick left. A little.

Know when to say when

2008-03-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Yawn.

Wevoteprocat is bored. That's right. We're bored with the current election story lines: when will Hillary bow out?, why does the right despise McCain, why have young voters flocked to Obama? Yawn. This race was more exciting when Dodd (Angus!) and Tancredo were still in the race. Hell, I'd take a reentry from Delaware's own Joe Biden and faux good ol'boy Fred Thompson just to spice things up. Anyway, we'll still try to present the coverage with as much enthusiasm as we can muster. Here goes, campers:

Mitt has spawned 56 perfect sons. One is contemplating a run for Congress, Utah style.

Chris Dodd grabs headlines for thirty seconds and endorses Obama.

Some say the jedi has made a few gaffes. WVPC says he's still sitting on cloud nine with Democratic voters, as long as they hold onto their double grande something-or-others.

In the words of Boston (R.I.P. Brad Delp), the GOP says "we're ready now."

Let the war of words between the jedi and the occasional maverick begin.

Conservative icon dies and lands on cover of Newsweek. Torch passed onto Sean Hannity.

Who did you think he would endorse, Kucinich?

WVPC out.

Gentlemen prefer blondes.

2008-02-24T09:25:00.000-08:00

Like Cinderella said, it's a long cold winter.

Wevoteprocat was getting a little bored with the race until...the lobbyist bomb dropped.

Turns out it wasn't much of a bomb. More like a small thud that even upset some Democrats. We always knew Johnny was a mac, but the Times may have cooked this one a bit. If they didn't cook it, they at least lit the stove.

Infidelity speculation aside, and Cindy sounded confident in her response, the story also touts McCain's maverick qualities and provides an interesting look into his Arizona statehouse days when he was still inexperienced and naive. WVPC readers should read it with a grain of salt.

The story helped McCain and, in conservative circles, cemented the Times leftist bias. The legs are already evaporating, and it should be dead by midweek.

What McCain needs now is a good running mate. George Will offers some suggestions. To Johnny Mac, I'd avoid Haley Barbour. He's one of many faux good ole boys overpopulating the South and invading American politics (think George W. Bush, Fred Thompson, George Allen). However, JMac will probably cave into the base and bring out some Southern bible thumper with ties to K Street. Barbour fits that bill, but his lobbying ties could spell disaster.

Man, I really like McCain...when he isn't running for president.

From Frank Rich, the quote of the day:
"Clinton fans don’t see their standard-bearer’s troubles this way. In their view, their highly substantive candidate was unfairly undone by a lightweight showboat who got a free ride from an often misogynist press and from naïve young people who lap up messianic language as if it were Jim Jones’s Kool-Aid. Or as Mrs. Clinton frames it, Senator Obama is all about empty words while she is all about action and hard work."

Ouch. But it's probably true. Why do I keep linking to the New York Times. Why do my left-leaning instincts point me towards it? No, here's another Times link. Make it stop!

Nader announces third party run, vows to get 0.1% of popular vote.

WVPC out.

Virginia is for Obama lovers.

2008-02-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

Who's ready for a recap? Call Wevoteprocat fashionably late.

The jedi keeps rolling in the Potomac as Hillary can't regain that Hampshire magic.

Let the lofty comparisons roll in. JFK? We've already heard that one. The Whole Foods Gipper? Now that's a new one.

Barack gets closer and closer to the nomination with each passing day. If the showdown was held today, a victory Barack's would be. Is it time to get optimistic? Yes. Is it time to celebrate? Not quite.

And, Dems, don't get too cocky on a national scale either.

The new, but doesn't it already sound old, tired, and counterproductive analogy: breaking down votes by class. David Brooks provides more of the same.

Wait, Hillary has the working class white vote? Aren't the guys who punch time clocks and like ZZ Top the ones who are forwarding me emails about how evil she is? I don't see her capturing the demographic any time soon.

Now if Hill loses, could we the Dems get their dream ticket? The right's favorite movie critic says not likely. A Hill VP would only slow the Jedi down. To Obama: think Biden. Joey B. would lend some foreign policy credentials and more of that "reach across the aisle" strength that Barack likes so much.

We know he's got hope, but is it empty?

The key to victory against Hillary and McCain? Add some pepper to the salt of the earth. This is true. The average voter, white working class male, is still making up his mind. It's likely he'll go to McCain, but Obama may siphon some votes.

Red Sox nation and their Senate majority asks, will Joe finally sign with the Yankees this offseason? That's two, count 'em, New York Poop, I mean Post, links. Okay, that wasn't very funny.

Now, don't get mad when you read this. Promise? Your left wing anger only makes Rush sleep at night. Limbaugh grants interview to the enemy.

Cats want change. More turkey!

Mitt, we hardly knew the real ye.

2008-02-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Sent back to robot lab.

As most of you already know, another Mitt bites the dust.

What else can we say? We'll miss you, Mitt. You made it fun.

In other news, legion of bs purveyors, their Stepford wives and Ron Paul gather for spiritual retreat in DC. Sean Hannity and Newt hold Laura Ingraham as she performs keg stand. Cheney eats all of the bean dip. Wevoteprocat vows to stop sounding like The Onion after this paragraph.

Here's McCain's speech from the conference.

If the economy keeps slipping, Hillary could benefit, according to Coco at Real Clear.

As always, Joe Klein eloquently sums up the Democratic quandary.

Regardless of the quandary, The Dems still brought 'em out better than the GOP.

This could change come election time, especially if Hillary gets the nod. Everyone from the guy on Wall Street, your crazy uncle and NASCAR fans will come out in droves to vote against Hillary if she lands the nod. Better stick with the Jedi, donkey flock. The elephant has a hatred for Hillary even if they can't really articulate why. Listen to the Fish.

The varmint hunting. The policy shifting. The Mitt. Visit Wevoteprocat on Sunday for a special Romney Retrospective. Keep surfing the web with Wevoteprocat.

Come on Feel the Illinoise

2008-02-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

Ready he is.

Young Jedi wins Jedi Council approval in home state. Face challenges around other parts of nation he may.

The Hill didn't fare too shabby either, mainly among women and Latinos.

I'll spare you of all the close race/dead heat/neck-and-neck analogies that will undoubtedly plague your daily web browsing and channel flipping. Let's just say it's a close race. Deal?

You can have this lead when you pull it from my 71 year old hand. While you're at it, get off my back!

Dole contacts America's biggest blowhard and tells him to lay off McCain.

Huck surprises many folks, including Romney. Mitt's farewell tour is approaching its last leg.

Time magazine looks at what was learned from Super Tuesday. The article points out the supposed significance of a McCain victory in Oklahoma. A frightening tidbit from the piece:
"Bush carried every county in Oklahoma in 2004." Honey, we're moving!

Romney prepares for the end.

2008-02-03T09:17:00.001-08:00

Me campaign go like this.

Trailing John McCain by nearly twenty points in Super Tuesday polls, Mitt Romney looks tired. The Romney momentum is running low, and he realizes that that 35 million bucks could've bought a shitload of other cool stuff rather than a failed run at the White House. Oh well, Mitt's coping. Apparently, Maine just doesn't have the same clout anymore.

On This Week with George Stepanopolus, Mitt looked weary while Hillary looked poised and confident.

White House Whispers (the name of Stephanopolus' first easy listening album)indicate that even Bush isn't too keen on Romney. Warning: Novak column.

Running mates are a fun thing to ponder in politics. Who would be the ideal fit for the remaining candidates? Here's some of Wevoteprocat's best offerings:

Hillary: If she beats Obama, he's the obvious choice. However, she may want to select a more moderate Dem. New findings show that Obama ain't so moderate. Vilsack and Harkin come to mind.

Obama: Edwards is looking for a job, but back to back tickets aren't likely. Even though she barely has her feet wet in Missouri, people like Claire.

Gravel: The February issue of the Utne Reader and some hummus.

McCain: Huckabee would ease social conservatives' concerns about McCain's moderate leanings, but a Huckabee VP would only rile fiscal conservatives. McCain will look to a moderate Republican female to perk the interests of disillusioned GOP women or those who just don't like Hillary. I like Snowe. Olympia that is, not the Informer. She'll upset social conservatives, but America and the GOP have begun to tune them out. Thank God.

Romney: He won't win the nod, but let's play pretend. He'll pick someone who can provide some counterbalance to his questionable tenure in Massachusetts, where he ran and predominately governed as a moderate. Look for Mitt to pluck one from the GOP loony bin and go with a Southern or Big Sky country conservative who will allay fears about magic underwear and flip flopping.

Hucakbee: A fiscal conservative who hates taxes will boost Huck's GOP standing, but it doesn't look like he has much further to go. He's still young enough to run for another 16 years, and, if anything, he's established himself as a rising star in the GOP and American politics. Huckabee stands the most to gain from the inevitable exit . He'll bow out on Wednesday afternoon, so a running mate doesn't matter at this point.

Ron Paul: A militia member or Denis Hof comes to mind.

Wevotperocat is tuning out the Super Bowl and Monday coverage. We'll see you for a late night session on Tuesday or the wee hours of Wednesday. Until then, make time for cats rather than football.

Wevoteprocat sleeps through blizzard of 08.

2008-02-02T09:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely time. Lots of shit has gone down since we last told you all you need to know about the 08 race. Obama won Carolina, McCain won the support of fellow geriatrics in Florida, and the race lost two candidates.

Our man Edwards is gone with the wind. His populist ideas and gorgeous hair will fight future battles as a mere mortal rather than candidate for the highest office in the land.

Paul Krugman offers a sweet epitaph for the Edwards campaign.

For the GOP, then there were four. Florida wasn't so kind to Rudy, so he hopped on the Straight Talk Express. Warning to Rudy: Straight Talk Express makes detours. First stop, Liberty University!

Out in La La land, they're singing praises for Obama. Or should I say, waxing philosophically.

In addition to the LA Times, Moveon.org puts their faith, or at least their open-minded, secular notions of a feeling remotely similar to faith, in Obama. First Hollywood, then Moveon.org, I bet Jane Fonda's next! Hahaha (spoken while spitting tobacco into coffee can in aisle 6 at Wal-Mart).

Back in the late 60s, The Moody Blues illustrated the wonderment of this day of the week. It's the day when Chinese Democracy will finally be released. It's not Monday. It's Tuesday. No, it's even greater than Tuesday...it's Super Tuesday!

Somehow, Mike Gravel is still campaigning. Peep this itinerary item from Friday evening's ABC NEWS Sneak Peek:

MIKE GRAVEL

-- 6:00 pm ET: Attends fundraiser with supporters, Los Angeles, CA

Carry on, Alaska's wayward son.

Hillary and Romney sit down with Stephanopolus on Sunday morning. America sits on the couch on Sunday afternoon. Note to America: read a book!

Everybody Hates Mitt

2008-01-25T16:11:00.000-08:00

But these kids love him.

Nice reference, Mitt. I heard MC Hammer's all the rage, too.

The rest of the GOP field doesn't share these youths' enthusiasm.

However, The Mitt finds himself in an unlikely position: frontrunner. That's right; he's leading in Florida polls. Well, at least pretty close to frontrunner.

Even if the Times says the hate is turned up on Romney, last night's debate seemed more like a GOP love fest.

This doesn't bode well for Rudy, who really missed his best opportunity to define his positions amidst the shrinking Republican field.

That tightness may be loosening up a bit. We've already got a two person race on the Dem side, and the Globe says the GOP will become the same after Florida.

Mama McCain is in the house, and you can't contain her.

With mom on his side, McCain stands the best chance at beating Hillary.

The former first lady took her message to Good Morning America this morning. She's going on the counterattack, but she's gotta kinder, gentler machine gun hand.

As for the Jedi, let's just say his My Michelle is ready to step up her game.

Obama gets George Stephanopolus' full attention on This Week. McCain sits down with Russert on Meet the Press.

Finally, a new candidate enters the 2008 race. His background reads like this: small town Indiana boy finds fame and fortune in the Hollywood Hills. He conquers the world for a few brief moments, just to disappear a few years later. He fires his old running mates and replaces them with yes men. For ten years, he makes a promise he just can't keep. And some dolphins were involved. Finally, does he take us to Paradise City in 2008?

If it's the best politics and cat coverage, it's Wevoteprocat. We'll get back to you on Sunday. Keep R-O-C-Kin the USA until then.

The Wind Cries Thompson

2008-01-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

The red pickup truck has finally run out of gas. Did he really ever have that much in the tank? You've heard the stories: he's lazy, he lacked motivation, Jeri was pulling the strings, etc. Fred Thompson seems like the quintessential example of politics ruining probably a decent human being. Yeah, the red pick up truck was a sad plea for redneck votes, but no more than putting Al Gore in flannel shirts or giving John Kerry a rifle. Fred seems like he would be a good neighbor. One of those "you mind your business, and I'll mind mine" types.

He was mellow and had somewhat refined tastes. Few supporters noticed he was more Gucci than NASCAR, more Hollywood and Washington than Tennessee, and apparently more of a mack than his appearance lets on. His Senate tenure was fairly uneventful, and past voting tendencies illustrate a small handful of moderate inclinations. Maybe he just got sick of the charade? Anyway, it was a very brief love affair between Fred and the GOP.

Dick Polman has tough words for the last days of the beyond struggling Edwards campaign.

John Gibson. You may know him as the Fox News blowhard who believes there's some PC/liberal assault on Christmas. Well, his latest remarks are as invidious as ever. What? Me insensitive?

Gibson, you have incurred the wrath of cat nation.

Disharmony

2008-01-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

The debate has turned ugly. The media perpetuated the two person race, and it came full circle tonight in Myrtle Beach, aka the Redneck Riviera.

Edwards tried to chime in, but all eyes were on the Jedi and Hillary.

Ever heard of Freedom's Watch? Be afraid. Be very afraid. Yes, that's our first crunchy link. UTNE Reader coming soon. To the hybrid!

Onto all things non-crunchy (Republicans). Could the anti-hippie McCain and the bass player who lost a bunch of weight form a super ticket? This hypothetical ticket would help McCain woo evangelicals weary of his moderate past (God obviously hates campaign finance reform. Duh!). On the other hand, let's say Romney wins the nod. Would Huckabee ease the worries of those not down with Joseph Smith and co.? Or would Huck just spell disaster for GOP fiscal conservatives who view his as a big government type bent on helping the poor (what a terrible idea). WVPC says that Romney or McCain will steer clear of Huck when it comes to picking a nominee. The acrimonious vibe between Romney and Huck wouldn't bode well for a ticket. No one running for President likes Romney.

All this hostility is in the air. Malcolm says, "Can't we all just get along?"

Unity.

Old man gets revenge in S.C.

2008-01-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Who's laughing now, GW Bush? After getting ambushed by Bush operatives in 2000, the even older and wiser (?) John McCain can claim victory in the Palmetto State (Psst. I liked hims better eight years ago).

The GOP lives in the shadow of Bush. Newsweek's Evan Thomas discusses how they can escape it. Wevoteprocat declares it this week's must read.

Speaking of This Week, it was a good roundtable, as Matthew Dodd arrives at the table. Does Vanden huevel have another outfit? I've seen that purple blazer like 15 times within the last two months. Topics include the minority vote, Florida, economics, and McCain. Check it out.

Rudy also made an appearance on This Week. He's never looked scarier.

Apparently, he has a supporter in Jon Voight. And he still thinks Florida will take him all the way to the top. It worked for another GOP bully not so long ago. Hey Rudy, tell Judy to leave my special friends alone. She's about to break that kid's neck.

Rudy has finished last or second to the last in every contest. Ron Paul has had better showings than the former America's Mayor. The next three weeks are crucial. Everyone in the Beltway is still scratching their heads over Rudy's demise.

Meet the Press hosted an all-star panel. Man, Reba McEntire has really let herself go.

A fourth place finish near his home turf spells disaster for Thompson. Wevoteprocat's prediction: expect a concession speech tomorrow.

Four percent for Edwards in Nevada. How can the man survive past South Carolina? He can't. It was a good run, but he's just throwing away money at this point. Both of the two Americas have rejected him.

Do you know what time it is? Wave your hands in the air like you just care because it's time to check the candidates' temperatures. That's right; the Thermometer is ready.

On this frigid January Sunday, maybe some hot temps will warm you up.

Dems:
Hillary - Hot. Has the former first lady regained her front runner status? Nevada says yes.
Obama - Warm. The Reagan comment got him in some hot water, but his temp has cooled. Sunday found him in church. The Clinton's nasty campaigning, however, makes him look good. The endorsements from red state Democrats help, too.
Edwards - Frozen. Prediction: he'll endorse Obama by March.

GOP:
McCain - On fire. The party faithfuls are gravitating toward a face they kind of trust.
Romney - Hot. Third place in a NASCAR region isn't bad for a corporate tool. And the Nevada victory doesn't really hurt him.
Huckabee - Warm. The polls don't necessarily reflect this view, but WVPC sees things a bit differently. The economy is heading towards peril. Huck's the only GOP candidate who seems to understand the plight of middle and lower class GOP voters.
Rudy - Lukewarm. He's not frozen, but the Florida strategy seems like it could backfire. How can he make a strong case after such a poor showing in New Hampshire? However, he'll do better than expected on Feb. 5. Wait and see.
Thompson - On ice. South Carolina was his last chance.

Is Bill Clinton hurting Hillary? His Obama insults hurt the party. He doesn't seem to care. Who would've thought the Dems would run a nastier campaign than the GOP? Do us a favor, Bill. Lay off.

Finally, could they still blow it?

It's Ne-va-duh.

2008-01-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

Wevoteprocat is always on the money. Well, maybe not always but our intentions are perfectly good. We gamble just like anybody else in this crazy game we call politics. Being the wonkish felines, Angus, Annie, Malcolm, and Lady have hit the Vegas political buffets with a vengeance. Here's what they got:

Mitt and Hillary's luck luck has never been better.
The two scored victories in what may be a preview of November. Wevoteprocat has said it before, but with this election were allowed to change our minds every once in a while. Who knows, Duncan Hunter and Kucinich could dominate the Feb, 5 primaries, and it would be par for the course in this never-a-dull-moment (well, except when Thompson speaks) campaign.

From the top link: "In South Carolina, the economy and immigration were cited as top issues, with more than half the voters saying illegal immigrants should be deported. Conservatives and white evangelical voters turned out in heavy numbers, according to the polling place interviews." Yes, those illegal immigrants are really damaging that robust South Carolina economy.

As the economy takes a downward spiral, Nevadans look to a man with business credentials. Mitt is in the bullshit business, and he has unveiled his new package.

Now, Mitt's the man that can bring change to Washington.

There's no Regan this time around. Even so, Reagan wasn't that iconoclastic when he hit the campaign trail in 1980. I'm glad I was too young to remember. Freshly minted NY Times columnist Bill Kristol elaborates from his more comfortable publication:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/014/607onvmn.asp?pg=1

Newsflash: the Civil War is not over. From the bumper stickers on the back of pickup trucks, which I somehow see in Union states, to Huckabee's defense of the confederate flag, the battle rages on.

You know Huck. But do you know Mrs. Huck?

If you know Huck, you know he likea da Jesus. However, does he receive too much harsh treatment for his beliefs? When judgment day comes, we'll be sorry.

Thompson makes his final stand in South Carolina. This weekend is the last you may see of this mug:

Another Thompson probably has a nice long career ahead of her. I predict a short-lived stint at Fox News. Bring the falafel!

As our heads bobbed in unison to Collective Soul songs, my generation watched Chelsea grow up in the White House. Lately, she's been hitting the trail for mom.

From two political vixens to one hot cat:

Wevoteprocat knows the beauty of a good campaign fight.

We'll have complete coverage of the Sunday news shows and the GOP South Carolina results tomorrow. Until then, bet the house that you can't find coverage this good anywhere else, sucka.

Slow day. Mitt visits Staples. "Have you met an SP?...One day it'll be like that."

2008-01-17T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wevoteprocat will shatter suppression like nobody's risky business. Spectatorism is something that we don't have time for. We jump right in...

While in South Carolina, Mitt Romney visited a local Staples Office Store, a little mom and pop operation. Apparently, saving money on Post-It notes wasn't the only thing on this reporter's mind:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=3724214n

Not familiar with the Palmetto State's upcoming fight?

Red pickup truck (prop). Check. Nice drawl (sleep inducing). Check. Grandfatherly charms (and looks). Check. Why isn't Thompson faring better in South Carolina? Regardless of his poor poll position, Thompson bets it all on the land of grits. Ya gotta admit, the man can read the cue cards.

The Mitt man assessed his chances down South. He bailed when he saw the first Camaro on cinder blocks..

Has the media ignored Edwards? He did make the cover of Newsweek in the coveted spot of a week before Iowa.

Onto another campaign marching to its death, Rudy is giving his all to Florida. In fact, he'll probably settle down there after the loss. Why has Rudy suffered so much? The media pitched the McCain comeback? Romney's clean look charmed the fragmented GOP audience? Kansas? Some say not so fast, Wevoteprocat!

What about the land of gambling, buffets and The Moody Blues? Headline predictions: "The wild west shootout in Nevada," "Candidate X rolls the dice in...," "John McCain joins Blue Man Group, croaks on stage," "Giuliani caught in prostitution sting."

If you cross Russert,

you cross Angus.

Be forewarned, Michael Yglesias.

Romney wins! Gorgeous hair and teeth conquer Michigan.

2008-01-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

But does it turn viewpoints on a dime?

Mitt finds home state magic.

I think Mitt won because he's spent so much time in Michigan over the last thirty years. Why, here's Mitt's family at their Detroit summer home.

Hucakbee tried to import some of that Southern hospitality. Close, but no creationism. From ABC News:

"In Michigan, evangelicals divided evenly between Romney and Huckabee, 32 percent to 31 percent, with 22 percent for McCain."

McCain finishes second. Could this be engine trouble for the Straight Talk Express?

Don't count out Mac. The faithful will flock to the tested one in their time of need. The Dems can easily pick apart Romney's mod to con transformation.

Obama and McCain would make for one of the best presidential debates in history. Wevoteprocat is thankful they're both running for the highest office in the land.

In other Mitttastic news:

Mitt peddles bullshit to auto workers.

Can Mitt's can-do attitude fix the motor city's economic woes?

Mitt's biggest asset? He's not George W. Bush.

Kerry endorses Obama. Note to Obama: don't take campaign advice.

2008-01-13T10:32:00.001-08:00

Everyone's favorite windsurfer endorsed Obama. It's a diss to Edwards, but they never really got along that well anyway. 2004 was a clam chowder and barbecue ribs package that couldn't even beat GW Bush.

Kerry stated his case on This Week this morning.

Jack Kelly illustrates why Kerry is still late to the party.

Mitt's message resonates in his home state. On the other hand, he hasn't spent much time on a private beach in Michigan. Here's a fact from the article:

"But for all his homestate pride, Romney has not lived in the state as a full-time resident since departing for college in 1965. He resides in a wealthy suburb of Boston and has vacation homes in Utah and New Hampshire."

What's the cure for Michigan's economic woes? Pizza. Mitt stated, "We bought Domino's Pizza, which is headquartered in Ann Arbor.”

We've heard about the two Americas. The Red versus Blue echoes the North versus South of the 1860s. We know about the divisions along party lines: fiscal conservatives versus religious-social conservatives. With the New Hampshire results, the commentators have a new label to illustrate the demographics of the Dems: Wal-Mart or lunch bucket Democrats versus Starbucks or white wine Democrats. I propose an additional disjuncture: cat lovers versus non-cat lovers. It's a bisection that will divide both parties. Stay tuned to Wevoteprocat for further info on this developing story.

George Will discusses the bleak landscape of the GOP party.

That bleak landscape includes a former mayor fighting for his political life. What happened? That jewel of journalism, The Weekly Standard, addresses Rudy's pitfalls. Just read the last two paragraphs.

Rudy addressed some of these concerns on Fox News Sunday. You may have a bit of difficulty locating that video. Let's just say that they're not that tech savvy over at Murdoch, O'Reilly and Hannity. They're also about four months late on that Soujah Boy Internet dance craze.

The good news: The Wall Street Journal's online edition is free (hey, Angus has stocks.). The bad news: Karl Rove contributes to their editorial page. And he's dropping references to The Bard.

Ryan Lizza dissects race and the Obama v. Hillary matchup. Hispanics hold the key to each candidate's fate in the upcoming primaries (Nevada and South Carolina).

And finally, the L.A. Times examines the buzz word of the 2008 campaign.

We'll have reports from Michigan this week. Okay, reports from my living room. We'll pretend we're in Michigan.

Richardson bows out of race. Will nation ever move on?

2008-01-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

What do you need to win the presidency? A good resume? Impeccable credentials? Diplomacy experience? I guess you just can't compete when you're up against a Clinton or an Obama. Richardson, the perpetual fourth place finisher, decides to call it quits.

Who's the next to go? I guess Duncan Hunter is still in. Let's just say a certain red pickup is running out of gas.

Now for a Wevoteprocat exclusive. We call it The Thermometer.

Okay, it could use a better name. While it may not have the best moniker, you can count on its reading.

The Dems are pretty obvious this week:
Hillary: Hot! Duh. However, NH should be seen as a life preserver rather than a checkered flag.
Obama: Warm. The second place in NH may have cooled him off, but he's certainly not slowing down. He enters next week as the man to beat.
Edwards: Let me express my feelings in borrowed verse:

I am an American left-leaning voter
I live on Foster Avenue
I'm hiding out in the big city blinking
What was I thinking when I endorsed you?
Edwards is trying to break our hearts.

The GOP is a bit trickier.
McCain: Scorching. In case you missed it, J-Mac has owned every political headline for the last 24 hours.
Rudy: Warming up. His late state strategy has captured the media's attention. Will people care come Feb. 5? America's mayor might be in for a letdown: a New York City sized ego might yield a Youngstown, Ohio result: rusted out and going nowhere.
Huckabee: Cooling off. No one thought he would do well in New Hampshire, but he did better than expected. So, why is he cold? The party faithful are flocking to McCain.
Thompson: Cold. South Carolina could create a bit of an upswing, but he's looking, drumroll, tired and the latest web push is painful. Reagan dreams are over. Go home and enjoy your twilight years with the woman who could pass for your daughter.
Romney: Cold. The Stormin' Mormon enters his home state with everything on the line. The masses are catching on to the shtick.

See you Sunday! We'll have exclusive endorsements from Annie, Malcolm and Lady. Wevoteprocat out.

What a Difference a Day Makes.

2008-01-09T06:28:00.000-08:00

She's gone from:

To:

It's been an interesting 24 hours or so. Be prepared for this headline: "Comeback kids ___________."

McCain makes good on Wevoteprocat's prediction: old fart finishes first. The old man rolls into South Carolina with poise and confidence. Huckabee doesn't look so invincible.

You'll hear plenty about the winners today, but what about New Hampshire's less fortunate?
Obama's close silver medal makes his front runner status a little less comfortable.
One prevailing yet somewhat frivolous argument in support of the Obama candidacy is in question after last night's results: people are sick of the political dynasties. New Hampshire women didn't buy that notion, and the rest of the country may grow more comfortable with the idea of a new Clinton era. Obama also barks back at Slick Willy.

Romney is on the rocks. Some say it's a question of 'authenticity.' Get out!

Giuliani employs a strange strategy, but it might work. New Hampshire has a big influence, but it's one state.

Our man Edwards takes his bronze in stride. He's still in it for the long haul. Things don't look good for the best hair in this race. What could he do after the inevitable loss? His Senate seat is long gone, and a third attempt would be difficult if a Dem wins the White House (Note to Obama or Hillary, think Secretary of Labor or HUD). Obama can lose this election and still have a better political career than any candidate. Edwards can't make that claim. Hillary could continue fighting the good fight in the Senate, but what might have been would certainly taint her political career.

Look for Wevoteprocat's exclusive Thermometer in tomorrow's edition.

All is not quiet on New Hampshire eve.

2008-01-07T15:56:00.001-08:00

Good evening, Wevoteprocat nation. New Hampshire, Vermont's square cousin, will host the first-in-the-nation primary tomorrow, and the world really cares about New Hampshire for a day or two.

Hillary and Mitt pilot sinking vessels as they head into the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. Can Hill and Mitt lead their ships to victory? It doesn't look promising, but it's forced them to change directions in the final hours. The former first lady also turned up the heat on the young Jedi.

In other Hillary news, her old man isn't quite the draw when the whole country has Obama fever. The Chicago Tribune, however, reports that NH is still Clinton country.

For Romney, Ad"mitt"ing your blunders is always a good move when you're down in the polls.

New Hampshireites are having a Mac Attack. The old man is back on the bus, and he has the ear of every reporter. We're even sending Angus out to cover tonight's speaking events.

Say McCain wins NH. What next? The NYT examines the trouble ahead.

From today's Note:
"Republicans, meanwhile, appear ready to give another contest to another candidate: If McCain wins New Hampshire, that's three states down, three different winners (counting Wyoming, with went with Romney)."
- This makes for an interesting race that will last far longer than the Dems,' who might as well hand Obama the nod tomorrow night. Huckabee will play well in the South and some conservative Great Plains (Kansas, anyone?) and Midwest pockets (Can I get an amen for Branson, MO?), but Rudy, McCain, and Romney will do better in the Northeast and moderate Midwest states (MI, IL, OH, MN, WI).

Thus, the GOP race will be much more interesting after NH is over. Ron Paul will serve as the spoiler of the bunch, and he could finish stronger than Rudy in NH. Paul's end the drug war/leave the guns alone/abolish the IRS/dismantle the Dept. of Education/get out of Iraq message will play well in Big Sky country where the libertarian mindset is still alive and well. On that note, you can have my blog when you pry this mouse from my cold dead hand.

In case you missed the debates, the New Hampshire papers recap:
http://concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080107/FRONTPAGE/801070304/1217/NEWS98
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Romney+goes+on+the+attack&articleId=d59a9cbb-3e85-419e-a017-99960efe9087

You may have noticed that Ron Paul was absent from Fox News' debate hosted by their second rate Russert, Chris Wallace. Even if Fox said no, Leno (back and as hilarious as ever!) said yes. Paul will be a guest tonight. Even if you don't agree with all of Dr. No's points, it would do the Leno audience some good to hear Paul's rhetoric. Let's hope America tunes in.

Brace yourself: Obama doesn't have friend in Bill O'Reilly. In other angry white guy news, Lou Dobbs hasn't ruled out a run.

I thought he told Seacrest no. Bloomberg in 08?

Avoid the headache called cable TV news. Punch up Wevoteprocat late tomorrow night to get all of the NH coverage you need.

It's Dodd!!!

2008-01-03T21:34:00.000-08:00

Just kidding. He didn't win. He just broke Angus' heart.

Well, Wevoteprocat (and probably a few thousand less credible news agencies) predicted the winners. Grinell students, creative writing professors and Whole Foods employees dropped their bongs and helped Obama win for the Dems. Homeschoolers, creationists, and Delta Force fans gave Huckabee an easy win over Romney in the GOP contest.

What do we make of it? Well, this could propel Obama to an unofficial yet inevitable nomination in mid February/early March. On the other hand, Hillary and Edwards had respectable showings, and they look good for New Hampshire. We'll wait and see but all lightsabers point to the young Jedi from Illinois.

For the Huckabee crowd, the win certainly helps their cause. Huckabee is front page news, and Romney is known as a silver medalist to those who just started paying attention. It will come down to a battle of McCain versus Huckabee in the coming weeks. Who knows? McCain might get some of that old 2000 magic.

What about Rudy? That mofo wasn't even in Iowa today. Yes, that was our first Fox News link.
Isn't that cute? Fox News has blogs. Who knew? Man, what a great time I had in Cameron's Corner!

Why the Iowa Caucus rocks:
- Parties give everyday citizens tremendous power.
- Candidates actually talk to voters!
- People from D.C. get to see the real America, dammit!

Why the Iowa Caucus sucks:
- Candidates spend millions to capture less than a million votes.
- Iowa is pretty damn white.
- What this guy said.

If you're sick of Iowa news, The New Republic interviews Tom Tancredo. He's not a fan of salsa.

Also, needn't we forget the powerful voice of Wyoming.

In a touching farewell, Joe Biden said goodbye to his last campaign for the American presidency. Say it ain't so, Joe. They don't want experience anymore.

I can imagine the scene in the Des Moines Marriott right now. It's late. Confetti and ribbons line the ballroom floor. Two young staffers share cranberry juice drink boxes:

Huckabee staffer: I can't do this, not right now at least.
Romney staffer: But it's our last night together in Iowa.
Huckabee staffer: It feels so wrong after your loss. Well, that and I was reared in an abstinence only education program in Kansas.
Romney staffer: Don't worry. This thing ain't over. We've got New Hampshire, baby. We've got New Hampshire.

Goodbye 2007. We have made our endorsements.

2007-12-30T14:15:00.000-08:00

Align your mind, body and soul to the way of the cat guru. Follow his political knowledge and links. Make 2008 the year of the cat.

Romney got the only endorsement her deserves: no endorsement.

Clinton leads those ever important delegates.

For Obama: Shall I say the I's have it?

With the tragedy in Pakistan, terrorism is the new talking point in the days before Iowa-i-stan: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/12/28/terror_debate_could_alter_dynamics_of_primaries/
This news probably helps Obama. He hasn't been an integral component of the nation's dreadful foreign policy. The others supported some of Bush's policies in some way. McCain will bring out the tough talk on the GOP side.

Speaking of McCain, he sat down with Stephanopolus early this morning from New Hampshire. He fires back at Romney, but he doesn't think Mitt's a phony. John, ol' buddie, I'll say it for you: he's a phony.

Also, Hillary told Stephanopolus that Bill wouldn't have a formal, official role. Right, and I don't think Angus is the cutest cat in the world.

In case you didn't already know, Huckabee is beating the living shit out of Romney in Iowa polls. Wait, the MSNBC poll says he's dropped nine points in the last month. Huh?
Anyway, Huckabee attempted to set the record straight on Meet the Press in a what could be a preview of the future nominees. On Pakistan, he just looked like a dimwit. On immigration, he contradicted himself. And he said "we're all sinners." I guess Jesus can take you a long way in these times. Lord help us.

Huck has Iowa wrapped up, but what about New Hampshire? Does his country-fried gospel work in the "Live Free or Die State?" Not really, according to these numbers. So, how will they finish in New Hampshire? I'm not thinking Romney.

GOP New Hampshire Predictions:
1.) McCain. The former maverick will regain some of that old momentum and capture the votes of those New England independents.
2.) Romney. His numbers will be strong, and the second place finish will keep him around for another six weeks.
3.) Giuliani. This campaign isn't dead, but it's marching towards a slow death. Even a strong Iowa or New Hampshire finish, however, won't kill this campaign. He's still doing quite well in later states.

Democrats in New Hampshire:
1.) Obama. This will almost seal the nomination.
2.) Hillary. It's hard to gauge how damaging two silver medals can be in this close race.
3.) Edwards. Another third place could spell disaster for this populist campaign, but David Brooks says that Edwards has the "juice" right now.

Here's a recap of Wevoteprocat's Iowa pics:
Dems:
1.) Obama
2.) Hillary
3.) Edwards

GOP:
1.) Huckabee
2.) Romney
3.) McCain

We'll know on Thursday night. And Wevoteprocat will have all of the analysis you need. Wolf Blitzer isn't even a pimple on our behind.

From ABC News The Note:

Edwards on Friday rounds out his final campaign appeal, with a speech in Dubuque, Iowa, that will compare unnamed people who want to compromise their way to change with those "who wanted to negotiate with King George."

Toss aside the "Two Americas" -- this revolution is built on "Four Truths" -- and stark language, per the Edwards campaign:

"1. Everything that makes America America is threatened today.

"2. This election is not just another four-year fight between political parties or competing ideas -- it is an epic struggle for the future of America.

"3. Corporate greed and the very powerful use their money to control Washington, and this corrupting influence is destroying the middle class.

"4. Real change is going to take a real fight. It always does."

Iowa is sipping on Edwards punch, but it might not be enough for a victory.

Now, how does Wevoteprocat feel about the candidates? What is the cat consensus in this election? Well, I can't speak for all cats, but here's our endorsements:

Demo-cats: John Edwards is the best candidate. We base this decision on his policy ideas and willingness to speak for less privileged Americans. It's a populist narrative that has been missing from politics for far too long. He could regain some of the working class voters that Democrats lost to the divisive, wedge-issues rhetoric of the GOP's more recent presidential campaigns. He isn't polarizing. Yeah, he may be a bit polished and slick. We certainly don't buy all of his message and sincerity, but he has presented better ideas than Sens. Obama and Clinton. Both of these senators would make fine nominees, but they haven't laid out clear claims and policies like John Edwards.

GOP: John McCain, circa 2000. The real John McCain isn't running in 2008. He's a shell of his former self. He spoke at Liberty University. On the other hand, he hasn't wavered on the issues and he's regaining some of that old spark. The spark is still there, but the objectivity has faded. Let's hope we see the old John McCain emerge in the next few weeks. It would be healthy for our democracy.

What do Rudy, Rush Limbaugh and Jack Osborne have in common? They should never pose nude and: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/28/us/politics/28oxycontin.html

What about South Carolina, the bronze medal of primaries? http://blogs.abcnews.com/matthewdowd/2007/12/somebodys-gotta.html

In one of the best articles of the campaign, Tucker Carlson follows Ron Paul and some hookers.

The New York Times looks at Obama and race. Notice the prophetic photo with Jesse Jackson in the distance.

And finally, in case you haven't been paying attention over the last ten months, the Des Moines Register has all of the info you need for a healthy time at the caucus.

This will be our last post of 2007. Have a safe and happy New Years Eve, and we'll see you right after Iowa.

Christmas in Iowa

2007-12-20T12:16:00.001-08:00

Huckabee playing bass on new record-a concept album concerning creationism, weight loss, Chuck Norris, and dead dogs.

The cat is out of the bag: Huckabee can be a dick if provoked. It doesn't sound like much of a story to me, but the political blogging community has taken interest. The New Republic digs deep but doesn't find much: Huckabee and the Arkansas press. If that's the best they can do on Huckabee, we may be in for a long ride. Oh, his son hung a dog at Boy Scout camp.

Newsflash: Xenophobic prick bows out of GOP presidential race. Tancredo, we hardly knew ye beyond your anti-immigrant views. Who's next to bow out in Iowa? The Globe has the answers.

Wevoteprocat weighs in on the impending dropouts:

Category 1: Will survive Iowa:
- Obama, Clinton, Edwards, Biden.
- Huckabee, Romney, McCain, Rudy, Ron Paul.

Category 2: How will they place in Iowa?
- Dems: Obama, Clinton, Edwards. It will be close.
- GOP: Huckabee, Romney, McCain. Huckabee is a lock to win Iowa. He's got seven points on Mitt. McCain will be the surprise, and he'll finish second or third on New Hampshire. Never count out John McCain.

I'll have New Hampshire predictions around Christmas time.

Onto cat news:
If any Iowans see a handsome orange cat braving the cold to campaign for Dodd, you can bet that will be Wevoteprocat correspondent, Angus. "I'm aware that Chris is a long shot, but I still see a Connecticut man with a vision," says Angus.

Meanwhile, Annie's eyes are honing in on a Hillary endorsement.

In celebrity cat news, Wevoteprocat would like to express our sincerest birthday wishes to rock and roll's original cat, Peter Criss. Have a great day, Pete.

Jesus + Sweaters + Republicans = Christmas

2007-12-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Deck the halls with bells of Huckabee. My favorite part is the "I don't blame you."

I'm a little late on this one, but the NY Times Magazine included a weekend profile of Huckabee.

Over at Slate, Hitchens has other ideas about Huck.

In crossing party lines news, Liebermann endorsed McCain. From the looks of this picture, Joe didn't enjoy the handjob as much as John.

Salon's Walter Shapiro makes some good points; it's sadly not about the issues anymore.

E.J. Dionne proves why he's one of the best.

With all of those links out of the way, let's look at a Wevoteprocat exclusive: The Thermometer.
Here's how it goes: I take the temperature of the candidates and convey the levels of hotness and coldness to you, my readers. I mean, reader.

Dems:

Obama - Hot. But I wouldn't say he's on fire. The sleeper candidates get more attention than the frontrunners when we're this close to Iowa.

Edwards - Heating up. The Newsweek cover helped, but he's still the bronze medalist in Iowa's eyes. Go for the gold, John.

Hillary - Lukewarm. The Des Moines Register endorsement is important, and her criticisms of Obama (lack of experience, funny middle name, eats children for breakfast) are probably better than his or any other Dems' criticisms of her. However, we won't know if she's the comeback kid until the middle of next month after a few primaries are finished.

Everybody else - Cold. "I'll miss you Chris Dodd," cried Angus.

GOP:

Huckabee - Still hot. The rivals have turned up the criticism, but it only seems to have emboldened his campaign. He rules the print and webpages right now.

McCain - Getting warm. He'll place second in New Hampshire, and that will garner some media attention.

Romney - Heating up. This campaign's temperature has fluctuated more than any other on the GOP side. If you just started paying attention over the last three weeks, you'd think it's a two person race even though the guy doesn't even register in the double digits nationally. He'll finish strong, and I think he'll be around until late Feb or early March. You heard it here first at Wevoteprocat.

Rudy - Cold. He's still strong nationally, but finishing out of the top three in Iowa and New Hapmpshire will spell a slow death for the campaign.

Thompson - Arctic temperatures. When was the last time you read an article about this guy? Oh yeah, September.

Everyone else - Tancredo will still be a xenophobe when it's all over, and Duncan Hunter will still be named Duncan.

Romney says Suckabee

2007-12-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody! Hi, Dr. Nick. Wevoteprocat had to take last week off, and we're glad to be back. Iowa is just around the corner, and Wevoteprocat will announce its inaugural Iowa endorsements before year's end. Stay tuned!

In other and, let's face it, far less important endorsement news, The Des Moines Register has announced its endorsements: Hillary and McCain. The Hillary endorsement isn't much of surprise, but the McCain superscription puts him back in this thing. Good luck, John. Please transport your 2000 self to the podium.

On the Democratic side, the Iowa marquee says it's about change versus experience. Quite frankly, I'm a little sick of these vague, nondescript buzz words. Anyone will present a change over Bush. The Democratic candidates are Democrats, which makes them members of a different party. The GOP candidates speak in complete sentences.

Edwards performed decently on This Week with George Stephanopolus. Even if he didn't land the Register nod, he'll get some good exposure on the cover of this week's Newsweek. They call him "The Sleeper." In that case, we're peacefully dozing here at Wevoteprocat and Edwards is in our dreams.

On Meet the Press, Tim Russert took up Romney on that "Ask Mitt Anything" offer. It was Russert at his best. Tim is seldom biased, but he sure knows absurdity when he sees it. If Romney wins the nomination, no one is paying attention.

PBS profiled the Ron Paul Internet phenomenon. Paul supporters like the government out of their lives, and good taste out of their wardrobes.

First and only headline featuring Biden. Mitt warns of the "religion of secularism."

2007-12-09T21:28:00.001-08:00

The television at Wevoteprocat headquarters has difficulty with NBC. Therefore, it makes my Meet the Press experience sometimes less than enjoyable. The poor reception rendered Giuliani almost unbearable. Or was it the reception?

Sen. Joe Biden elaborated on the CIA tape destruction and reminded voters that he's still running for president. On foreign policy, he's the best candidate. Dem, Republican, Indy, or Cat, you can't argue with that. Newt Gingrich also made an appearance and reminded us why he shouldn't be president.

Face the Nation featured Chuck Hagel talking about the same tapes.

On Thursday, Mitt had has JFK moment. Well, that is if JFK's moment wasn't mesmerizing and failed to captivate voters. Although he did blab this doozy: "freedom requires religion." Really? Well, I'm fucked. Anyway, I have no problem with Mtt's religion. I have a problem with the fact that he's a robot. His other zinger: "Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world." Well, I think they should have grown exhausted over a moderate Republican governor of a notoriously liberal state who abruptly shifted his beliefs to capture votes in a GOP presidential caucus. Certainly, they would tire of a guy like that.

Oprah also packed a stadium in South Carolina. However, Mark Halperin isn't convinced of its importance. As much as I miss Halperin at The Note, he seems too wonkish to convincingly assess America's voting patterns:

"American voters are not looking for a celebrity or talk show sidekick to lead them. Obama is an intelligent and thoughtful potential President, but Winfrey's imprimatur is unlikely to convey those traits to many undecided voters."

Uh, Americans do want a sidekick or celebrity to lead them. 40% of Oprah's viewers don't brush their teeth unless Oprah says it's cool. Suddenly, a washed up TV actor like Chuck Norris is a major endorsement. Fred Thompson is in this race because he was in Days of Thunder and Law and Order. Mark, I love them as much as you, but the voters are really that shallow.

Late Night Blog Hit

2007-12-08T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm about ready to retire for the evening, but the big O endorsement went down as planned: Housewives flock to Oprah, drag husbands along.

I'll have coverage of Romney's religion speech and Rudy on the Meet the Press tomorrow afternoon.

Wevoteprocat out.

Mitt will have to mow his own yard.

2007-12-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Romney is in hot, hypocritical water. Maybe Rudy was onto something in last week's debate. In a save face move, Mitt ousted his landscapers. The article also reveals a son named Taggart.

Despite his perpetual third place in the standings, Edwards is upbeat. Wouldn't you be too if you had hair like that? What's that? Some think his newfound optimism doesn't fit his often negative campaign attacks. Listen America, Edwards does what he wants when he wants. That piece is from The Politico, which I predict will become extinct after this election. They've been smearing Edwards and his hair for months. Take it elsewhere, Politico. On that note, are you hiring?

While Obama and Huckabee are sweeping the nation, it's still Hillary's race even if she's a bit stuck as of late.

Speaking of the former Arkansas governor, when you're hot, let's just say they huck with you. He's maintained his sense of humor even if Fred isn't laughing.

McCain could use a relief pitcher. Let's say he got a starter instead. Could this endorsement serve as the boost that McCain needs? In a fierce counterattack, I think Romney will bring out Buckner.

Iran, Iran So Far Away...

2007-12-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

The NPR Democratic Debate, broadcast live from Iowa, was center stage today. Iran was the hot topic. Apparently, the Administration's assessment threat wasn't so accurate. Sound familiar?

Mike Gravel kinda took Richardson's place in this debate. Richardson was busy:

They let Gravel speak first, so they could get him out of the way early. Malcolm is polling higher than Gravel.

Winner: Hillary sounded strong, and she doesn't let the criticism stick to her. I'm not really sure if she won, but her comments on Iran were well aritculated. Dodd sounded good, too. Biden can really kick some ass in debates. Unfortunately, he comes off like the cranky old guy who's pissed that he's not ahead in the polls because, let's face it, he's the most qualified.

Loser: I'm in denial but it's probably Edwards. He just rehashed his usual sound bites. Actually, everyone outside of Iowa loses. Here's why...

As much as I love Iowa (it's like Illinois without Chicago, and Battle's BBQ in Ames is boss!), I'm little jealous of all the special attention they receive every four years. Couldn't we stage a national primary? Or at least have the states share the primary on a rotating basis (Wyoming!)? It's a huge amount of campaign money with an extremely narrow concentration. Yes, the caucus has broad implications, but how accurately does Iowa reflect the rest of the nation? Iowa has five black people in the whole state.

In between all that really important stuff they usually discuss, The View squeezed in Ron Paul.

The New York Times explores the vulnerability some Dems could experience if Hillary gains the nod. She doesn't play well in Kansas. The same state that brought you intelligent design.

Romney discusses his faith. And shows it's finally sweater weather.

(Psst. He's wearing magic underwear beneath that sweater.)

Beware: Huckabee looks to churches for support:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/03/AR2007120301856.html

Prediction: Will win Kentucky.

McCain speaks to the MTV crowd: "Hey kids, don't you just love that Dave Clark Five!"

Edwards gets the profile treatment.

Finally, unity in the cat community.

We out.

It May Not Amount to a Hillary of Beans...

2007-12-03T14:21:00.001-08:00

if the tall cool one keeps chipping away at her lead. She's in attack mode.

I've got a neat idea! Let's look too see who's hot and who's not at the beginning of this week and see if the temperatures fluctuate by the onset of next week. Deal? Uh, Steph, deal?

Huckabee: On Fire. They guy is leading in Iowa. He's dropping opponents like he dropped pounds during his governorship. For a guy who thinks the world is 6,000 years old, that's an evolutionary change in poll numbers, eh Mike? Wah wah.

Obama: Hot. I wouldn't say he's scorching, but he's turning up the heat on Hillary. Oh, you're killing me with these puns!

Edwards: Cooling off in the polls, but warm in the hearts of Wevoteprocat's staff. Please do something stupendous soon, John.

Romney: Cold. He looked weak in last week's YouTube debate and Iowans are gravitating toward Huckabee.

Rudy: Cold. He doesn't play well in the Heartland, and his debate performance was subpar.

Thompson: Frozen. This campaign is dead in the water.

McCain, Tancredo, Dodd, Richardson, What's His Name, That guy named Duncan, Biden, and The Vegan: Frozen Under a Block of Ice.

Ron Paul: He has two first names, so you can't say just one. I don't put him in the above category because the cash keep rolling in. He's like the Nader of the GOP primary. He might do okay (translation: fourth) in New Hampshire (Live Free or Die state), but he doesn't have enough support outside of the fringe of the GOP and independent crowd. And by that fringe, I mean not enough militia members head to the polls.

Enjoy Thompson and the rest of the pack (Dems: the irrelevant beast know as Bidcinichdoddson and the GOP demon who answers to Ron Huncredocain) while you can. You won't see them much after January 3.

Huckabee is the big story over the weekend. He's a Christian conservative, and I've been told Iowa has a few of those types. On the other hand, Huckabee doesn't appear as off-putting and divisive as others of that ilk, so I've wondered why it took this long for the guy to capture the GOP's attention. He's low on cash, but the money will probably start rolling in since he'll be a major player over the next month. Be prepared for the follwing headline: "(Iowa/New Hampshire/South Carolina) Hearts Huckabee."

He isn't without his criticisms from both sides:
The Right: He's tax hungry.
The Left: The charming persona is just hiding a Christian "nutjob."

Whatever the case, it looks like Huckabee isn't going anywhere soon.

Over the past year or so, Wevoteprocat has pondered the nominees for 08. Our predictions have shifted from:

One year ago: Clinton v. McCain. It looked certain. McCain's support for the war and close ties to Bush has crippled his hopes of becoming President. If the guy would just return to 2000 form...

Eight months ago: Obama v. Giuliani. Rudy looked like the real deal for the GOP, but he had difficulty assuaging some of his vocal and caucus-influential GOP critics, namely the Falwell/Dobson flock. Obama looked great out of the gate, but Hillary solidified her support even amidst strong criticism from the MoveOn crowd.

Six months ago: Hillary v. Fred Thompson. Hillary looked the most electable, and Obama really couldn't connect once the hype waned. Thompson was seen as a savior, but most folks were basing their support off their TV sets. Always a great way to pick a candidate.

Two months ago: Hillary v. Rudy. The New Yorkers revived their 2000 Senate battle that never got off the ground. Hillary accumulated a nearly 20 point lead over her Dem. rivals.

Today: Obama v. Huckabee. It would make for some interesting debates and monumental speeches. Both candidates are the best orators of the bunch. Stay tuned.

The cat coverage has declined in recent weeks. Angus still backs Dodd, suckas.

GOP fights over sanctuary mansions, taxes, and who's the whitest guy on stage. Who gives a Huck? Apparently, Iowa.

2007-11-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

Who knows how to stage the biggest showdown? Why the master orators over at the GOP, that's who! Today, Wevoteprocat belatedly highlights the Sizzler in St. Petersburg.

In summation: this is a fun bunch. By fun, I don't mean cool.

Some of the key words in the 08 lexicon: sanctuary, virtual fence, amnesty, and Chuck Norris.

The audience contained a guy, who donned a an American flag tie, who looked like the ghost of Waylon Jennings.

Tancredo: "I won't aid immigration." This comment was met with resounding applause. Therefore, the audience just simultaneously booed their ancestors. Nice work, Florida.

Okay, I'll summarize: most of the candidates and a very vocal part of the live and online audience don't really like the people who pick their vegetables and fruit, tend to their yards, clean their hotels, and make sure that their steaks and pork chops arrive packaged and ready to cook.

Romney: "It reminds me of liberals from Massachusetts." That's that state he hates so much he has lived there for over 30 years. And if you really hate your state, you should become its governor.

My favorite question of the night: how many guns do you own? Yes, the perfect criterion for a presidential decision. If only we based all of our decisions on this priceless rationale. After all, that race war is just around the corner. Most candidates seemed reserved in their answers; however, irrelevant candidate Duncan Hunter got nostalgic about his first rifle. The McCain response was important. Look at his body language. The guy that had guns pointed in his face everyday for five years knows the absurdity of such a question. I miss the old John McCain. Now that's clearly out of the running, you see glimpses of the earnest, compassionate and knowledgeable guy that he once was and might still be. It just seems buried under campaign politics and partisan pandering. I may disagree with him, but I've always respected him. I can't say that about anyone else on that stage.

On health care: Cutting Medicaid is always a good idea. Poor people don't deserve anything let alone health care.

The most striking quality: based on the questions, the GOP voters seem more moderate than the candidates, immigration aside. No one went on some pro life, pro death penalty, let Terri live rant. With the exception of the guns questions, most questions were fairly rational and thought out. It seems like the candidates should actually listen to the voters and less to the fanatical base.

Best Performance: Huckabee. The guy is gaining major momentum.
Biggest Loser: Thompson. This could be the most disappointing example of failed expectations.
Best fight: Guiliani and Romney.
Goofball: Tancredo.
Saddest: the fall of John McCain.

Okay, this blog is getting too wordy. Let's go visceral:

If these two endorse Huckabee, I'm sure the American people are just a few votes away.

Former US Representative of the last 30 years, Henry Hyde died last week.

Hyde led some of the impeachment charges against Bill Clinton. Clearly, that impeachment effort was valid. After all, lying about a blowjob is much worse than going to war based on manipulated intelligence. You're in a far better place Henry because everyone knows Jesus is a Republican.

Working for the Weekend...

2007-11-25T20:54:00.001-08:00

And it's already gone before you know it. I make it a point to catch the Sunday morning news shows (Meet the Press and This Week are my top choices. I'll flip to Face the Nation, and, because I'm neither fair nor balanced, I usually skip Fox News Sunday. Chris Wallace is a hack.). Anyway, I only caught Meet The Press this morning. It was the second week in a row where Russert didn't have a candidate for a guest. It was just some round table strategists. Here are some highlights:

- Fred Thompson's campaign is like "watching the creek run dry," according to Bob Shrum. I couldn't agree more, Bob. If you haven't followed Thompson, he's got this faux good ol' boy thing mastered, but nobody is really listening. Come to think of it, another faux good ol' boy has had a hard time finding a supportive audience. But that's old news. Let's look ahead.

- As many already know, Barack Obama and Hillary are running close in Iowa. Here at We Vote Pro-Cat, we like Barack Obama (that's not an endorsement!), but even his most ardent supporters have to admit the following crucial pieces of information:
1.) His resume is pretty thin. Hillary has jumped all over that. However, it's a valid criticism.
2.) He's run a pretty shitty campaign. It's really only picked up steam in the last two weeks.
Here's some fodder for the experience argument.

I can't help but see some striking similarities in the Obama and Thompson campaigns. Public opinion and perception swayed both to join the race. Obama had little desire to run before everyone started shouting his name. The press and his high school yearbook have dubbed Thompson lazy; therefore, he didn't really want to run but the GOP was desperate to field a conservative candidate, and his wife is an emerging power player in DC. Also, both men have run lackluster campaigns despite tremendous early buzz. Consequently, both have suffered some setbacks among the voters they may have courted. African-Americans favor Hillary, and Thompson never really gained evangelical support.

I'll have coverage of the Wednesday night GOP debate.

Black Wednesday

2007-11-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and who knew the Beltway would be so hot!

- Clinton and Barack take issue with the others experience.

- Oprah will make an Iowa pilgrimage soon. She's stumping for the tall cool one.

- Speaking of Iowa, Huckabee is on the rise. Walker Texas Ranger speaks and Iowans listen.

- Ron Paul is a GQ Man of the Year? Ron, please tell your supporters to bathe, find jobs and get out of their parents' basement. For those of you who haven't followed Paul, he's probably the best story of the campaign. Although he's a recent media darling, he isn't without a checkered past. It's a somewhat murky story that Paul denies, but it hasn't slowed down his campaign. He's drawing the "leave my guns, stash and porn alone" crowd.

- Let's look back to 2004. Brittney and Kfed were still going strong. I didn't have four cats. And a guy with a long face, which the White House and White House Communications director Rush Limbaugh described as French, tried to tell America he was one of them. Well, according to his running mate, it was more of like a Bogus Journey than an Excellent Adventure.

- Will cats decide the next election? Don't take their vote for granted, America.

Obama inhaled. McClellan sucked.

2007-11-20T19:44:00.000-08:00

Scott decided that it's time to talk about it. "What Happened" is the name of his new book. Kick ass title, Scott.

In old news, Obama toked and snorted through school. But he still thinks you should go to jail for it. Apparently this speech was given in the school's overcrowded auto tech classroom.
They squeezed him between Computer Aided Drafting and Metallica Appreciation 102, which covers Master of Puppets through And Justice For All.

It looks like Gravel and Kucinich (get out!) are the only ones down. Too bad their poll numbers are bunk. They're not even near Richardson schwag status, people. It looks like the Department of The Dark Side of the Moon and Hot Pockets will have to wait until Little Dennis or Mix Master Mike has more support.

On a side note, Angus fully backs Chris Dodd. Annie is on the fence, but she comforted Angus after his bold Dodd endorsement last Friday.

Pop this blog's cherry...

2007-11-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for some Angus? He's Chris Dodd's only supporter. "I have a thing for silver foxes with dark eyebrows," Angus said.

Here's today's Countdown to 2008/No more "Our children is learning" election news:

- While Celine Dion, Blue Man Group, and Danny Gans entertained fat Midwesterners, Stacey Augmon's alma mater hosted last night's Democratic debate. In summation: The words "...in a Dodd administration" were actually spoken, Obama needs more mojo, Kucinich will guest on Little People, Big World next season, Hillary wants diamonds and pearls, and Edwards has the best hair...vote for him!

- Phone calls reveal secrets about Romney: he's an android.

- Border hoppers beware: Angry white guy may file independent candidacy.

- And finally, Stephanopolus has a messy office.