Tuesday, September 16, 2008

UTAHAMICUS.COM


The Utah Amicus is moving to utahamicus.com. If you are a contributor to the Blogger Utah Amicus and would like to continue posting on our new site you can contact me at democratamicus@aol.com.

The Utah Amicus also accepts articles or ideas at the same e-mail address.

Thanks for coming to our site, and we hope you will continue to stop by.

With every best wish,

The Utah Amicus

Monday, September 15, 2008

Tax fairness?

Last week, when I was out knocking on doors on the southwest end of Plain City (I live on the northeast end), I had an interesting chat with a guy I hadn’t met before. He was a registered independent that usually voted Republican. After giving my 20 second “why you should vote for me” speech, I ended with the usual question: “What is your family concerned about that I can work on when I’m elected?”

This guy gave the best review I’ve heard yet about the Republican flat income tax. “I’m at the peak of my career and doing pretty well. I have two grown children who are just starting their families. For the past few years, I’ve done the tax returns for my two grown kids, in addition to my own. And we discovered something this year that disturbed me. Compared to last year, I’m seeing a reduction on my state income tax, but my two kids had significant tax increases.

“Answer me this: How is that fair? Why are we increasing taxes on those who are struggling at the lower end of the income scale, to give tax cuts to those like me who don’t need it?”

Why, indeed.

Friday, September 12, 2008

James Fallows on the Palin-Gibson interview

Click on title for link

Yup! She's ready to lead...

NOT!

Maybe they should have kept her away from the press for a few more days, but she's got the "Be AFRAID!" stuff down pretty good.

Hat Tip: JM Bell

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Seven

Wrap it up gentlemen.

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Six

If elected how will you foster and promote transparency in the federal government?

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Five

There's been a lot of talk with the oil companies about excess profits. Define excess profits...?

For the record



Demo polling raising ire of Republicans


I was reading the above story and had to laugh at many of the comments. Utah Democratic Party Executive Director Todd Taylor sets the story straight with the following comment.
"For the record, here is the text of the call in question:

Hello, my name is (caller’s first name). Is (voter’s first name) available? I am calling from the Utah Democratic Party with a couple of quick questions about the upcoming elections.

If the election for your State House of Representative were held today and the candidates were Democrat Jay Seegmiller who is concerned about legislators using their public office for private gain and Republican Greg Curtis who is Speaker of the House who thinks conflict of interest is natural in a citizen legislature, for whom would you vote?"

Now, how does Jason Powers and the Utah GOP have to say about the push poll in Senate District 27, where House Minority Leader Brad King is running against David Hinkins to replace Senate Minority leader Mike Dmitrich?

Jason, Stan, Todd, are you willing to post that script?

With every best wish,

The Utah Amicus

McCain's Distortions

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Four

Do you consider health care a constitutional right?

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Three

When does life begin?

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part Two

What are the two biggest threats we face as a country today?

RaDene, it's time for a PIZZA PARTY!


Pizza girl delivering for Democrat
Joe Pyrah - Daily Herald

"I deliver pizza. I know nothing about politics. But I'm learning."

So goes the introduction to Anna Eagar. The Provo resident's online post last month about her experience delivering pizza to Sen. Curt Bramble's home garnered more attention than she ever expected. The post included details on Bramble's attempt to pay for the order with a personal check and his repeated references to being a CPA and Senate majority leader. It sparked a firestorm in the blogosphere and got coverage from multiple media outlets. (It has its own entry on Bramble's Wikipedia page.)

Previously politically apathetic, Eagar caught the attention of Bramble's Democratic opponent RaDene Hatfield, who asked for her while eating at Nicolitalia Pizzeria, where Eagar works. The two chatted for a few minutes, and 10 days ago Hatfield got to thinking again about the 24-year-old pizza delivery woman.

"Anna has already got the people's attention," Hatfield said of her thoughts at the time. "Maybe I could ask her to be a volunteer for my campaign."

A phone call later, Eagar was on board, though it's more a choice about the person than the party.

"If she chooses to participate in political process that's great," Bramble said.

Growing up in Boston, Eagar writes, she almost "choked to death on the extreme liberalism that my peers and teachers were shoving down my throat." Coming to Utah, she said, she found the same atmosphere, but from the opposite political direction.

"I frankly see myself pretty down the middle," she said.

Getting involved

There are a variety of reasons people get involved in politics, says Kelly Patterson, director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at BYU:

• Direct interaction with candidates. "Encounters with public servants in some ways show you just how close you are to politics," Patterson said. This is the category Eagar falls into.

• Social interaction

• Ideological reasons

• "And then there are the people who get involved because their ox has been gored in some way," Patterson says. That includes business groups, trade associations and others who are directly impacted by legislation.

And so it begins

Eagar got her first taste of Hatfield's campaign at a Democratic event on Saturday. She brought pizza.

"I was kind of a celebrity there," she said of all the handshaking. "It was a little surreal."

Again dismissing partisan politics, Eagar sees this as a chance to better understand politics, a subject to which she and many others have paid little attention.

"It's really confusing when you listen to both sides and both sides say the other is wrong."

Her next job is to spend time working the phones for Hatfield's campaign. She's also blogging her experiences at a new Web site, voteforradene.blogspot.com.

SITES OF INTEREST

www.curtbramble.org/

www.radene.com/

FUNDRAISING

As of the Sept. 2 deadline

Curt Bramble:

$56,525 raised

$57,213.20 spent

$78,453.80 on hand

RaDene Hatfield

$21,521 raised

$16,014.91 spent

$5,506.09 on hand

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Spencer v. Chaffetz Part One

What steps will you take personally to lead, not necessarily as a Republican or a Democrat, but as an American? (This is the question where Chaffetz states that he used to be a Democrat until he learned to read and write)

Bennion Spencer

You're the one who needs to apologize Mr. Chaffetz


At today's Sutherland Institute debate between Utah's 3rd congressional candidates, Bennion Spencer (D) and Jason Chaffetz (R) , Mr. Chaffetz demanded an apology from Mr. Spencer for supposedly misrepresenting Mr. Chaffetz's heartless immigration policy.

Mr. Chaffetz also stated that he was a Democrat until he learned to read.

I guess Mr. Chaffetz is suggesting that the late LDS leader, President James E. Faust, along with other past and present Utah Democrats never learned to read.

Mr. Chaffetz claimed he would work with all members of congress who have a "good idea", but his above statement is just another example of his arrogance. He has misrepresented the Western Governors Association on their immigration policy (More on that today from Bennion Spencer). He has demeaned all Utah Democrats, and he is showing his true nature and inability to look at immigration issues with a humane heart.

Click here to read Robert Gehrke's article, Chaffetz demands apology over prison camp comment but isn't getting one.

More on the debate later today.

September 11th a Sabbath Day from Partisan Politics: Can’t We All Just Take a Holiday?


Today I have quite a bit of admiration for the two Presidential campaigns as they recently released public statements that out of due respect on this Thursday September 11th each will be taking a break from Presidential campaigning as well as the normal trading barbs on the campaign trail. Additionally, both campaigns have decided that campaign commercials will not air on September 11th from either campaign.

So why then has T. Boone Pickens not received the same Post-It Note? T. Boone Pickens has chosen to not curtail his efforts on this Thursday September 11th the anniversary of the worst terrorist activity on American soil. I find my political views coincide with the seemingly honest surface level environmental efforts of T. Boone Pickens. But for heavens sake my Texas Oil buddy, please take a break on September 11th! It still remains to be seen how imbedded T. Boone Pickens may be into the McCain campaign and the Rovian surrogate messaging machine to manipulate environmental wedge issues in this Presidential election cycle. On a day of remembrance can’t Rove tell his religious cronies to take a Sabbath from partisan politics? On September 11th no one needs to be reminded of the obvious fact that we are entrenched we are with foreign oil. See the T. Boone Utah schedule below.

Thursday, September 11, 2008
Sept 11: T. Boone Pickens Town Hall Meeting to present the Pickens Plan to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, 5 p.m. (doors open at 4 p.m.), room 255, Salt Palace Convention Center. No ticket required, open to public but limited seating available. Salt Lake City, Utah.

On September 11th we don’t need Rove’s messaging hacks running around playing hypnotist at the Utah State Fair to subliminally insert “Drill Baby Drill” into our #2 Republican state zombie vocabulary. On September 11th as we Americans are still concerned with dire energy issues that hit daily our pocketbook do we really need Rove and the RNC to provide us with a mindless solution that can only inoculate a false sense of security that the immediate resolution to our energy woes is on the way en route of a rhetorical non-substantive “Drill Baby Drill?” See Youtube “Rudy Giuliani at the 2008 Republican Convention- Part 2 of 4” at 5:22/ 8:11 as chants of “Drill Baby Drill” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJSjeflirn8 .

I refer you back to my recent post on August 15th of a plausible T. Boone Pickens messaging effort that may be tied to the McCain campaign. [Has Rove Fallen Asleep at the Political Wheel? I Wouldn’t Bet My Life on It! http://utahamicus.com/?p=781 ] McCain schedule cited in this article and listed below:

Friday, August 15, 2008: John McCain Schedule

*NEW Sen. John McCain has breakfast with T. Boone Pickens in Aspen, CO. Aspen, CO [CNN Political Ticker, 08/15/08]

*NEW McCain will attend a fundraising strategy session with more than 100 top fundraisers and supporters. Rick Davis, Steve Schmidt, Charlie Black and Mark Salter will attend Aspen,CO [Aspen Daily News, 08/14/08]10:00 AM: The fundraisers are expected to go for a short hike with naturalists at the Maroon Bells, although it is not clear if McCain will be joining them. Aspen,CO [Aspen Daily News, 8/14/08]
___________

So like any good campaign here is my religious revival rallying call to action for a non-partisan political day of reverence. In all due respect, I challenge both Presidential campaigns to avoid for the next 60 days using the words, referring, inferring or the integration of any variation of “September 11th” as fodder for your campaign effort in the attempt to convince Americans why we should vote for you as the next President. I ask that we forever leave September 11th alone as the single day out of 365 that is a period of rest from partisan politics. Equally, on September 11th I challenge all local and national Democrats and Republicans to follow suit to sideline the partisan politics and come together as a country under the banner of a politically silent American remembrance of a horrible day equally experienced by residents of a unified country labeled not as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, but known just as plain Americans.

*SOURCE: John McCain Schedule for September 11th


Barack Obama and John McCain will stand together in solidarity at the former site of the World Trade Center on the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. New York City,NY [Jonathan Martin blog, 9/6/2008]


McCain discusses views on service and civic engagement in a post-9/11 world at the ServiceNation Summit NYC Sept. 11. Audience will include 9/11 family members, young Americans, military veterans,and thought leaders. Questions submitted by general public. New York,NY [Time, The Page Blog, 08/21/08]

Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama will appear separately at "A Nation of Service Forum" moderated by Richard Stengel.


__________________

*Aaron Thompson is the former National Communications Director of College Democrats of America and former Utah State Director for Richardson for President. Thompson was on location in Denver Colorado writing for the Democratic National Convention working for The Utah Amicus 2008 DNCC State Blogger Corps http://www.utahamicus.com/ and can be contacted through the Utah Democratic Party Communications Director Bill Keshler at bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org or by calling 801-328-1212.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Republicans for change?

Now that the Republican National Convention is over and the Republicans have embraced the mantle of change, I think it’s fair to ask: Just what change are they talking about?

As I listened to the speeches, it seems their message of change is: If we have more tax cuts for the wealthy, eliminate government regulation and maintain our aggressive foreign policy, free markets will magically solve all our problems for us.

Come again? This is change?

I believe in the power of free markets and capitalism as much as anyone – but not because free markets are some sort of revelation from heaven. (I’ve searched, but I haven’t found the section in the D&C that covers that subject.) I believe in American free enterprise because it works, and it works because our system allows for common-sense adjustments along the way. Whether it was Teddy Roosevelt’s anti-trust laws, Woodrow Wilson’s estate tax, or Franklin Roosevelt’s reform of the banking system, American free enterprise works because it evolves to meet changing conditions. The founding father of free market economics, Adam Smith, was remarkable in his insights on this subject when he wrote the following over 200 years ago:

The proposal of any new law or regulation of commerce which comes from this order (capitalists), ought always to be listened to with great precaution, and ought never to be adopted till after being long and carefully examined, not only with the most scrupulous, but with the most suspicious attention. It comes from an order of men, whose interest is never exactly the same with that of the public, who have generally an interest to deceive and even to oppress the public, and who accordingly have, upon many occasions, both deceived and oppressed it….Regulations may, no doubt, be considered as in some respects a violation of natural liberty. But those exertions of the natural liberty of a few individuals, which might endanger the security of the whole society, are, and ought to be, restrained by the laws of all governments.


Let’s look at what the Republican philosophy of free enterprise has accomplished the last eight years.

Yesterday, it was announced that the federal government is taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to keep them from going under and taking the whole economy with them. This bailout will cost taxpayers billions, not to mention the fact that the bursting of the mortgage speculation bubble is the main cause of the current recession. While anti-regulation Bush appointees were asleep at the switch, these two government-backed entities were investing in risky mortgage securities; mortgages that, we now know, lenders were questioning when the loans were made. We’ve heard numerous stories about how individual mortgage brokers challenged their managers about these insane loans, only to be told, “The underwriters (backed by Fannie and Freddie) are willing to buy them, so don’t ask questions.” The complete ramifications of this reckless policy are still unknown, but they are potentially devastating.

We’re paying almost $4 a gallon for gasoline and sending $700 billion out of the country every year to pay for oil imports because our nation has lacked a forward thinking energy policy, instead trusting the markets and Big Oil to deliver us. In response to our current crisis, the delegates to the RNC raised the chant, “Drill, baby, drill! Drill, baby, drill!” Respected journalist Tom Freidman remarked this week that chant at the cusp of the ET (energy tech) revolution is equivalent to shouting at the beginning of the IT revolution, “IBM Selectric Typewriters, baby, IBM Selectric Typewriters!” According to Freidman, industry leaders like GE’s Jeffery Immelt have said that American industry is ready to invest the billions it will take to make America the world leaders in ET and unleash our nation’s formidable innovative spirit – but not until we have a national energy policy that will ensure these investments will not be at risk from volatile energy prices. Markets are the solution, and we should let innovation rather than government select the best path forward, but the markets need some reassurance that the risks will be worth the investment. Our future economic leadership in the world is as stake over this question.

Let’s not forget the decimation of our manufacturing base, with the resultant loss of high paying jobs the last decade, because our nation is alone among the major industrial powers in lacking any sort of national industrial policy. This is in addition to saddling our industrial base with the sole responsibility for paying the exploding costs of health care for their employees.

What about improving education? Despite the fact that voters in the most conservative state in the nation (us) rejected this idea by a margin of almost two-to-one, Senator McCain’s answer to improving education was – you guessed it – private school vouchers.

I sat in open-mouth wonder as Mitt Romney and others at the RNC hurled zealous invective that blamed America’s problems on “Washington’s liberal elite”. Forget for a minute they’ve had the steering wheel for the last eight years. Just what exactly are the “liberal” policies that have created our current economic mess?

I have a message for Romney and other High Priests of the Church of Unfettered Capitalism. Please forgive me; you’ve heard the following quote from me before. But the last few years have proven the truth and wisdom of the following words from American statesman and historian Arthur Schelesinger Jr.:

The object of (American) liberalism has never been to destroy capitalism, as conservatism invariably claims – only to keep the capitalists from destroying it.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

McCain – Palin silent on science…for now

Months ago a group of scientists and concerned citizens urged science become a major part of this year's presidential debate. They set up a website, Sciencedebate2008, and asked the presidential candidates to join in a serious debate about science in order to "to restore science and innovation to America's political dialogue." Senator Barack Obama was the first to offer responses to the 14 questions submitted to the two campaigns, though according to the Sciencedebate2008 website McCain has indicated he intends to eventually respond.

The folks at Sciencedebate point out in their question to the candidates regarding science education "A comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th." Science education has never been more important to maintaining our competitive edge in an increasingly global economy. Raising a generation of scientifically literate citizens is essential to solving problems like global climate change, finding clean means of meeting our growing energy needs, curing diseases like AIDS and cancer, and much more.

While Senator McCain has yet to answer the fourteen questions Sciencedebate2008 has put to him, his recent selection of Governor Sarah Palin speaks volumes when it comes to his attitude toward science and the importance of improving science education in America. McCain has picked as his running mate a global warming denier, someone opposed to stem cell research, and a person alleged to have advocated for banning books from the local library during her service on the Wasilla, Alaska city council. None of these positions represents a recipe for improved American competiveness.

After years of doctored scientific reports to cover up the extent and urgency of global climate change, pollution, and other problems the selection of Sarah Palin demonstrates a McCain administration offers at best four more years of ambivalence about science and technology. This isn't change, just more of the same. It hardly matters what McCain's answers are to the Sciencedebate2008 questions. His actions have already spoken for him.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Jon Stewart exposes the rank hypocrisy of right-wingers...

including Karl Rove and Bill O'Reilly by using their own words against them.



Hat Tip: Senator Barbara Boxer

A walk home from school

Yesterday, Anna, Sami, and I walked up the street to meet Abby to walk her home from sch. Just moments after she came out the door we overheard a child who lives in our neighborhood say to his friends, "I hate Obama! I'm a Republican!"

Abby looked at me concerned , but I told her not to worry about it.

On the way home this same boy started hitting a smaller boy, who also lives in our neighborhood with his backpack while calling the younger boy Satan.

I said, "M__, please don't do that." "But he's Satan!" he replied. "No he isn't M__, you know better than that."

M__ ran ahead to his little brother and the smaller boy turned around and gave me a hug.

Later that night Abby sat in my office and watched John McCain's speech with me. While he was speaking she asked me, "who is that man talking?", and I explained that he was the Republican nominee for president.

"Do you hate him daddy?"

"No honey, he's a good man, but I'm voting for Barack Obama the Democratic Nominee."

"Why do you think M__ said he hated Barack Obama daddy?"

"I'm not sure honey, but M__ is a bully and I don't think he really understands what he is talking about."

"There are good Republicans too daddy, like grandma."

"Honey, some of my best friends are Republicans and they are good people."

"I don't think we should hate people daddy."

"You're absolutely right sweetheart, just because we disagree doesn't mean we should hate each other."

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too sweetheart, and I'm very proud of you."

i can make money for my buddies

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Guest opinion - Democratic convention an inspiring occasion


By Rob Miller
Utah State Democratic Vice Chair

Throughout my time on this planet there have been several, yet rare events that have occurred that were life altering in an inspiring and spiritual nature. Some of those experiences include the day I married my wife Michelle, the birth of my children Abby, Anna, and Sami, the day my father passed away, and being with my grandmother when she finally received her endowments and was sealed to her husband and children at age 96 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Although I have never thought in my wildest dreams that my political journey could ever bring me to the same state of inspiration as the above events, I can say that attending the 2008 Democratic National Convention, especially the night when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama accepted the nomination to be the Democratic candidate for president, was one of those moments.

When I arrived in Denver on Saturday, Aug. 23, in the late morning the first two people I ran into from our Utah delegation was former Utah State Sen. Karen Hale and Current State Sen. Pat Jones who helped me find my way to the shuttle that took me to the Warwick Hotel in downtown Denver. I can’t think of two better examples of dedicated Utah public servants than Karen and Pat, and both of these two ladies played instrumental parts in my journey in becoming a Utah State Democratic Party officer.

In 2004 I was inspired by Scott Matheson, Jr.’s and Sen. Karen Hale’s Democratic campaign for governor and lieutenant governor, and Sen. Jones was one of the first people to endorse my campaign for vice chair.

Sunday night I attended a event at Red Rocks amphitheater called Green Day at Red Rocks. It was here that I listened to Robert Kennedy, Jr. speak about the opportunities of building a green economy. It was also where I received the phone call from Utah State Senate District 23 Candidate, Richard Watson, that his opponent Dan Liljenquist’s plane had crashed. Richard was very distraught by the news, and called me so I could call my wife because he knew that Dan’s wife Brooke and my wife are friends. After calling Michelle I said a silent prayer for Dan and his family and was relieved to hear the next day that Dan had survived and that he would be home soon with his family.

On Tuesday, I watched Hillary Clinton once again throw her support to Sen. Obama, and on Wednesday I watched her husband, former President Bill Clinton, do the same — and once again I was inspired to see our party coming together as I watched Sen. Joe Biden accept the nomination to be Sen. Obama’s running mate, but nothing up to this point compared to what I would experience on Thursday at INVESCO’s Mile High Stadium.

I arrived at the stadium early and found my seat with our Utah Delegation. As the stadium quickly filled, I felt in awe with the understanding that I was there with 82,000-plus others who like me wanted to see Barack Obama become our next president.

When the tribute to Martin Luther King played I was reminded that it had been 45 years before when Dr. Martin Luther King had given his, “I have a dream” speech. I also realized that it was my father Michael’s birthday, and the emotion of that reality brought me to these words from Dr. King’s last speech, “Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!”

“Was Dr. King Speaking about this moment in history?” I thought, and once again I felt tears of understanding fill my eyes.

When Barack Obama spoke that night I again thought of my own Obama conversion story, and then this scripture, Matthew 5:16, came to mind, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

For me this scripture explains Sen. Barack Obama’s amazing journey to become our Democratic Nominee and more than probably our next president. When he spoke on Thursday night he not only spoke to Democrats but to all of the citizens of the United States and it is my prayer that Utahns will open their hearts to his message and join me on Nov. 4 when we will elect our next American President

Monday, September 01, 2008

The Political Winds Are Changing: Something Wicked this Way Comes?

What normally would have been a Republican National Convention and bonafide national endorsement for Centrum Silver, Viagra and Geritol has now become a storm of rightful national sensitivity to Americans affected by hurricane Gustav. However, today Christian Ferry, McCain for President Deputy Campaign Manager spoke at the Mississippi Delegation breakfast humbly downplayed the impact that hurricane Gustav may have on the 2008 Republican National Convention or the Republican Presidential campaign as he remarked, “Obviously the convention has taken a bit of a change.” Ferry continued to stay on message as he regurgitated the prepared metaphorical sound-bites intended to highlight the Republican sensitivity to the residents being exiled by hurricane Gustav that is now trumping the media attention to the Republican National Convention as Ferry stated, “we take off our Republican hats and put on our American Hats.” President Bush continued in this sensitivity to the affects of hurricane Gustav as he spoke before the press at the Alamo Regional Command Center stating, “Nobody is happy about these storms.”




Is it really that difficult to switch roles while representing the American people in all manners of political or weather related activities to simply remove an inanimate object? Are the Republicans really that detached from their emotions that they need a PSA or a National Weather Alert reminder to rhetorically remove their Orange Beanies during a moment of silence, during a prayer or when attempting to conduct the business of the 2008 Republican National Convention? This is not an incoherent reminder to do what is right by being sensitive; it is an attempt to keep the media attention focused on the Republicans from now until election-day on November 4th. Stay tuned to my text as I attempt to explain the inclement weather now on the horizon.




When Barack Obama concluded his acceptance speech at Invesco Field this past Thursday night to accept the nomination to run as President of the United States, the media was in a fury of activity attempting to analyze the affects of this one historical event. As 38 million viewers watched Obama take McCain to task on numerous political disagreements, even Republican speech writer Pat Buchanan couldn’t help but get emotionally choked up over the eloquence of the poetry in Obama’s oration. Equally the state’s Democratic Parties were in the consensus that if Obama keeps this level of media attention and momentum from that night up through November 4th, Obama will win the White House.




These national conventions are all about partisan media visibility and how weather forecasts can significantly affect voter turnout and mobilization in battleground states. Now you might think that talking about how the current weather could possibly affect the turnout on election-day may be nothing short of a frivolous and somewhat close to pseudoscience exercise. But hold on to your remotes, stay tuned to the weather channel as I attempt to explain that “something wicked this way comes.”




Like the Karl Rovian Texas two-step we are so vehemently familiar with, the American public is now witnessing the calculated turn of events re-written by some of the smartest media strategists retained by the Republican National Committee. Take a look at the Republican calendars issued on September 1st versus August 28th of this year contrasted below:



CALENDAR ISSUED September 1st, 2008



**SIGNIFICANT UPDATES**



*CANCELLED President Bush addresses the GOP convention. Minneapolis,MN [http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com, 07/23/08]



*CANCELLED 11:55 AM: Cindy McCain and Laura Bush will participate in the National Park Service First Bloom Service Event at CivicFest at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Avenue South Minneapolis,MN [McCain Press Release, 08/29/08]
Today, McCain travels to Philadelphia, PA. Cindy McCain's appearance with Laura Bush has been CANCELLED.



McCain and Palin are expected to stop in Toledo. McCain campaign officials were trying to find veterans or troop support events for what was described as "a brief stop-and shake some hands." Toledo,OH [Toledoblade.com, 08/28/08]

CALENDAR ISSUED August 28th, 2008
Monday, September 01, 2008
Surrogate Events



President Bush addresses the GOP convention. Minneapolis, MN [http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com, 07/23/08]
Republican National Convention. The festivities will kick off at 3:30 pm and go until 11 pm ET (with a 30-min break at 7:30 pm). The overall convention theme: "Putting Country First." The theme of the first day: Service. Minneapolis, MN [The Note, ABCNews.com, 11/21/06; Marc Ambinder, 8/8/08]



Sen Lieberman gives a speech at the GOP convention. St Paul, MN [Politico, 08/20/08]
Hadassah Lieberman will appear as a special guest at a breast cancer fundraiser being staged by Neiman Marcus and the Republican Jewish Coalition National Women's Committee. St. Paul, MN [Politico Jonathan Martin, 8/12/08]
____________

In a mere matter of days calendars can rightly change for a variety of circumstances. Now there is much truth to be found in the fact that President Bush needs to attend to the people’s business instead of court the Republican base for McCain by speaking at the 2008 Republican National Convention. However there is quite a bit more truth that lies in the fact that it is a smarter media strategy to keep President Bush looking Presidential, and stashed as far away from McCain as possible when the general public makes a connection between the slow and yet failed Bush response-time to the past devastation of hurricane Katrina. If history really repeats itself what can Republicans do to avoid the past Katrina debacle and excel by appropriately handling hurricane Gustav? Moments ago the RNC video shown before the Republican National Convention attendees with the background of a few national guard members and a C6 airplane loaded with supplies bound for the hurricane devastated area quoting Texas Governor Rick Perry, “You are seeing Republican Governor’s take care of business here in Louisiana.”
On Sunday August 31st, Republican pollster Frank Luntz conducted a focus group with undecided Minnesota voters, to take the temperature of the American public and their reaction to the Democratic Convention, Sen. Obama's acceptance speech and the McCain-Palin ticket. The event was sponsored by AARP. See CSPAN: http://www.c-span.org/search.aspx?For=Frank+Luntz



As a Political Geek I have to admire what Republican money can buy in these elections. If you are not readily familiar with the name Frank Luntz I remind you of his many claims to fame that derive from drafting the right words integrated in to the local and national media discussion. Luntz swapped the terms Estate Tax with Death Tax, Tax Cuts with Tax Relief, Global Warming with Climate Change, and as well Luntz is strongly attributed for his work on the infamous Contract for America. Luntz dispels the rhetoric in his work as he claims that his efforts are really a “Clarification versus Obfuscation.” Luntz has a long history of working for Republicans. Watch the two videos below and learn well how Luntz will play a central role in keeping media coverage on the Republicans and their National Convention. Source: http://www.youtube.com/



Luntz: Romney the Winner: Luntz Must Be Working for Romney!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bIa7DfW-YU PBS The Frontline See Chapter Five “Give Us What We Want:” Testing Language That Persuadeshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/vi

Republicans even broke the age old statistic of past presidential elections during this year’s Democratic National Convention week. For decades in the past both parties have given each other the Jeffersonian gentleman’s respect allowing a partisan convention week of undisturbed media intrusion. On August the 26th Mitt Romney, Rudy Guiliani on the 27th, and Gov. Pawlenty on the 28th all held rallies less than a mile away from the Pepsi Center in Denver Colorado to distract the media away from the proceedings of the Democratic National Convention.



So why would Republican Frank Luntz be working so hard on polling Minnesota voters on the affects of the Democratic Convention, Sen. Obama's acceptance speech and the McCain-Palin ticket? What better way would any political party be able to truly understand what media message and political strategy ought to be implemented for the next 60 days leading up to the General Election, but by testing the Midwestern voters. As pollsters understand how Midwest voters have been recently influenced, so goes the way of the voter turn-out on Election Day. If Obama’s speech has had more media pull and received more American attention than the McCain-Palin announcement, subsequently Luntz must find the Rosetta stone to decode the exact words to convey that Republicans really are compassionate conservatives. Additionally Luntz must show that Republicans are deeply concerned with Americans now being affected by hurricane Gustav that inadvertently has now trumped the expected unfettered media coverage of the Republican National Convention.



It is a little unclear what the central theme of the Republican National convention use to be. The American viewership is now buried in the press coverage hearing the resonating Liberty Bell response from the McCain campaign and his surrogates that redundantly intend to strongly convey that they are, “Putting Our Country First.” This new born again media response is ardently interesting to note given the fact that historically Republicans are mostly Darwinistic and haven’t been the party to put social programs first.



Presidential historians will look back at this current election cycle to either proclaim that hurricane Gustav did or did not have any significant impact on the close margins of the win in the 2008 Presidential elections. The best example of weather potentially affecting an election was the extremely close presidential vote of 1948, when Democrat Harry S. Truman won the presidency over Republican Thomas Dewey. Weather was a factor in two especially close states that were won by Truman, in Illinois and California. A slight shift in vote in these states would have awarded the election to Dewey.



I commend the Republicans for curtailing their convention proceedings in all due respect to sway the national viewership of the redundant fact that we Americans are all attempting to do what is right by praying for the residents affected by hurricane Gustav. These events are not ethically intended to be a time for partisan manipulation. I additionally ask everyone reading this text to contribute to the American Red Cross that stands in need ready to assist our fellow Americans in this dire circumstance of weather related events. But time will tell how much the Republicans attempt to distance themselves from the past missteps of the Bush administration during hurricane Katrina or to assume rightly accountability. As well only time will tell how much Republicans manipulate media coverage to use this pending catastrophic event to sway the American public that it is now self evident, or that this is the time to elect John McCain to the White House in 2008. Batten down the hatches and take note the political winds are changing in America.



Take a look at the GOP Convention Schedule for today:http://www.gopconvention2008.com/schedule/service.aspx