Campaign 2008 // Current

Instant Nostalgia

Election Sideshow Edition! It's never too soon to look back on the joys of... more

infoMania
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12 months ago
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1 comment

Worst news stories of Campaign 2008

MSNBC counts down the top 10 worst news stories from Campaign 2008 -- highlighting how... more

Future_America
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12 months ago
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0 comments

Can't Catch a Break

They say you make your own fate, apparently so - especially if you didn't know Africa... more

eldamon
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1 year ago
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2 comments

Tina Fey done playing Palin

It was funny while it lasted but I'm glad.

Dexcess
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1 year ago
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14 comments

Obama's even keel holds as campaign nears end

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri: A cellphone was pressed to Senator Barack Obama's ear as he... more

Eat_Disco
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1 year ago
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1 comment

We’ve Got You Covered 10.30.08

The magazines are talking politics this week, even Maxim which teaches readers “how... more

infoMania
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1 year ago
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How To Cover An Election

Terrorist fist jabs, politicians bowling and boozing, S.N.L., and car chases. We take... more

infoMania
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1 year ago
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2 comments

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: The View

Want to know what American women are thinking about politics? Just take a look at the... more

Sarah_Haskins
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1 year ago
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31 comments

Tech Report: Voting Machines

Ben heads to UC Santa Barbara to talk to the professors behind a study on Sequoia... more

infoMania
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1 year ago
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17 comments

Viral Video Film School: Campaign Ads

From state congressional races to obscure ballot initiatives, every political campaign... more

infoMania
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1 year ago
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20 comments

Sergio's White Hot Top 5: 2008 Election Songs

This week Sergio looks at his favorite songs inspired by the 2008 election.... more

infoMania
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1 year ago
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14 comments

McCain: Racisim No Effect In This Election

Riiiiight.

Dexcess
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1 year ago
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1 comment

Why a disabled lesbian feminist might vote McCain-Palin

A few months ago, I received the email about Michelle Obama's allegedly "militant" university thesis which is debunked in the link above. Actually, it arrived in my fiancee's inbox, as do most of our personal emails.

One of the striking things about our acquaintance, whom I'll call "Sukie," forwarding that particular email to us (it's the only election-related "important story not in the news!!" type email we got this year, thankfully) is that my fiancee is African-American.

Sukie is hardly the stereotypical or even typical McCain-Palin supporter. She said yesterday that she was still undecided, in reassuring us that she did plan to vote -- though neither my fiancee nor I are registered as Democrats, we do both support Obama, and as we do every year, we've been reminding everyone we know to vote, regardless of which candidates they support. Still, taking her at her word that she remains undecided, and adding up: her considering the baseless, racist Michelle Obama smear worth forwarding; her periodic statements about immigrants and Hispanic Americans needing to speak English in public, which I always gently correct; and her claim to still be undecided at this late date; she seems more likely to vote for McCain or a third-party candidate than for Obama.

Like my fiancee and myself, Sukie is bisexual, and currently in a lesbian relationship. She was previously married and has adult children. She's lived in the West and the Midwest, and in Alaska. She currently lives in subsidized housing in a seaside New England town, after spending much of 2008 homeless after her multiple disabilities and low employability led to an eviction. She is a military veteran. Her girlfriend was recently diagnosed with cancer. She and her partner have been involved with feminist causes, including regular breast cancer fundraising events. She and her partner are both white.

(As mentioned above, my fiancee is African-American. She also has Native American, Chinese and European ancestry, all from several generations back. I'm of mixed European and Native Canadian descent; being 1/4 Sicilian, I may have had some African ancestors 1000 years ago.)

From my perspective, Barack Obama is the obvious choice for someone in Sukie's position, and McCain an untenable one. Both campaigns have said they prefer civil unions or domestic partnership to allowing same-sex marriage, though all four candidates have stated or acted on somewhat different positions at different times; I don't know whether Sukie and her partner of ten years "Betty" want to get married, but that doesn't mean the issue doesn't affect them. Veterans' benefits have long suffered from underfunding and poor quality of care, and this situation has only worsened over the last eight years; Senator McCain's record on supporting veterans' benefits has been abyssmal despite his own military service, while Senator Obama has voted to maintain or increase funding for VA programs time after time.

Perhaps the issue of most immediate importance to Sukie, though, is health care. Betty is an hourly worker, and while her direct supervisors at the chain store where she works have been supportive so far, they could be overruled at any time, especially as she needs to take increasing amounts of time off for surgery and chemotherapy. Should she lose her current coverage, she will have virtually no options for replacing it if insurers continue to be allowed to deny coverage for "pre-existing conditions" -- potentially putting her in much the same situation Barack Obama's mother faced during her battle with cancer. Betty would probably be eligible for Medicaid coverage, but Medicaid payouts across the country were already so low most doctors won't accept Medicaid even before the economic crisis led states to cut their budgets. And while Betty might be eligible for Social Security disability if she becomes unable to work, by the time she could get Medicare she'll likely have either beaten the cancer or died.

[cont'd]A few months ago, I received the email about Michelle Obama's allegedly "militant"... more

the_Jack
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1 year ago
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2 comments

Machines Do Not Work be aware

From the Huffington Post: In this disturbing video, the potential problems voting... more

vladbox
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1 year ago
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0 comments

Obama headed back to The Daily Show WED 10/29!

Comedy Central just got word that the studio is in full lock down mode. After all, Jon... more

wiredbirds
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1 year ago
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3 comments

Barack Obama skips over ABC for his 30-minute broadcast

LOS ANGELES - ABC will air "Pushing Daisies" in its usual time period Wednesday night... more

wiredbirds
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1 year ago
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2 comments

One Week Left!

CBS News' Howard Arenstein checked in LIVE with the latest on Campaign 2008.

ebindelglass
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1 year ago
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Amazon.com listing had Barack Obama Halloween mask under 'terrorist'

A listing on Amazon.com, one of the largest and most successful online merchandisers... more

wiredbirds
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1 year ago
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1 comment

Why Should They Care

This is the most vital election in America's history. There are so many things that hang in the balance. The significance goes much deeper than some of the personal issues that so many quibble over. It is not about whether you are a republican or a democrat. Right now the entire world is holding their breath as to the outcome of what we do in this election. There is an extreme build up of energy and tension that is soon to be set free on a global scale. The direction this energy will take us (the human race) is why this election is so important. So many things are intertwined across the globe in such a way that we are no longer impacting only our selves with our choices.

We have two choices in candidates to pick from. They both have distinct differences in their perceptions, desires, and focus of purpose. McCain is of the nature to war first and use diplomacy second; just look at his and Sarah Palin’s response to the attack on Georgia. If we would have attacked Russia as they had implied that we should, Palin would have seen missiles rather than Putin’s head launched over her 40 mile stretch of Bering Strait into Alaska. War mongering is not the mentality we want to continue to spew into the world as a nation.

Diplomacy is extremely vital at this point in the journey of humankind as world tensions are mounting. Barack Obama is of the nature to use diplomacy first and then use military force as a last resort. This is not a weakness as some would like to imply. Look back at President Kennedy’s response to the Cuban missile crisis. If McCain and Palin would have been in power at that time, just imagine how different the world would be now! Please note that Obama will not hesitate to use military force if the situation is warranted.

The rest of the world recognizes these distinct differences between Obama and McCain. It is time for more Americans to see this difference as well. There are an increasing number of staunch republican politicians voicing their support for Barack Obama such as Colin Powell, Scott McClellan, and Chris Buckley. They are realizing that this country needs a change and it is not the one that McCain and Palin will bring. They will bring a change but let’s not go there. Vote Barack Obama and Joe Biden into office and the bulk of the world community will get behind us in making the world a safer, greener, and more stable place. Our economy and the rest of the world economies will once again become stable as well.
Peace
This is the most vital election in America's history. There are so many things that... more

JuliusBC
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1 year ago
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36 comments

9 Sec Summation McCain Campaign Strategies

McCain is always searching for a new angle to try in his campaign. It is almost like... more

JuliusBC
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1 year ago
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0 comments

tagged w/ Campaign 2008

Instant Nostalgia

Worst news stories of Campaign 2008

Can't Catch a Break

Tina Fey done playing Palin

Obama's even keel holds as campaign nears end

We’ve Got You Covered 10.30.08

How To Cover An Election

Sarah Haskins in Target Women: The View

Tech Report: Voting Machines

Viral Video Film School: Campaign Ads

Sergio's White Hot Top 5: 2008 Election Songs

McCain: Racisim No Effect In This Election

Why a disabled lesbian feminist might vote McCain-Palin

Machines Do Not Work be aware

Obama headed back to The Daily Show WED 10/29!

Barack Obama skips over ABC for his 30-minute broadcast

One Week Left!

Amazon.com listing had Barack Obama Halloween mask under 'terrorist'

Why Should They Care

9 Sec Summation McCain Campaign Strategies

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