Davodd.com

The conservative, ultra-capitalist magazine, Economist, launched the “Global Electoral College” – polling its registered readers, which include some of the biggest names in pro-business anti-regulation and small government world of high finance.

The goal was to allow global readers of the magazine to “vote” (one vote and only one vote per subscriber) for who they wish to be the next president – supposedly picking the candidate who in their opinion will be best for global business and economic stability over the next four years.

The results?

So far … Democrat Barack Obama is winning in a landslide. (See graphic below, click to enlarge) This is a further sign that pro-business fiscal conservatives are leaving the Republican party in droves this year.

Or go to the web site yourself:

• http://www.economist.com/vote2008/?sa_campaign=publisher/september/gec/

By now you may have seen the infamous photograph supposedly showing Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin in a bikini and holding a “long gun.” Needless to say, as shown in the above illustration, it’s a fake. (UPDATE: Anyway the model is holding a pellet gun – not a true firearm that uses gunpowder.)

I Have the following to say about this to its creator:

1. The high quality of the photo shopping makes me think you have a semblance of talent, ingenuity and are probably intelligent – therefore it is likely you are a Democrat and probably a Barack Obama supporter.
2. Shame on you. This is sexist, sexist, sexist. This  is the kind of nonsense that goes to prove that sexism is alive and well in the Democratic Party. 
3. There are 101+ legitimate things you can attack about Palin: She is an ultra-conservative asshole. She is an anti-gay asshole. She is a anti-women’s rights “obey your husband” asshole. She is a teach creationism and “intelligent design” in science classes asshole. She is a corrupt republican taking illegal donations asshole. But to focus on her female bits? That makes YOU the asshole here, buddy. (And I do mean buddy since I doubt a woman would do this.)

• Obama backs down on race charges after being called ‘stupid’ by Civil Rights leaders

  Rangel said. “But for him to suggest that Dr. King could have signed that act is absolutely stupid. It’s absolutely dumb to infer that Dr. King alone passed the legislation and signed it into law.”

  (tags: democrats Obama politics Hillary)

• Etsy :: That is one -hot- pack

  Whoa little doggie. Here’s a cure for those aching backs all wrapped up in hot cowboy goodness. Who couldn’t use a little cowboy homoerotica to sooth a strained spine?

  (tags: health humor cowboys LGBT)

• Study: Gay Relationships Healthier Than Straight Ones

  “… lesbian couples are emotionally closer than gay couples, who, in turn, are emotionally closer than heterosexual married couples.”

  (tags: LGBT)

Yesterday’s Detroit Free Press had an Op-Ed piece that listed the 2008 presidential cadidiate hopefuls in regard to their public statements on gay and lesbian issues. I have pared down the list to just the main or well-known candidates as follows: 

DEMOCRATS 

Hillary Clinton

• Doesn’t support gay marriage.
• Would grant partners in civil unions same legal rights, benefits and privileges as married couples.
• Would ask Congress to repeal military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

John Edwards 

• Opposes gay marriage.
• Supports civil unions for gay couples and equal rights, including survivor rights, for them.
• Would get rid of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Dennis Kucinich

• Supports gay marriage.
• Would repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Barack Obama

• Said decisions about marriage should be left to states.
• Supports civil unions that would give same-sex couples same benefits as married couples.
• Said “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy must be examined but didn’t say he would change it.

REPUBLICANS

Rudy Giuliani

• Opposes gay marriage.
• Supports domestic partnerships.
• Supports state civil union laws for gay couples but said New Hampshire went “too far” because it gives legal equivalent of marriage and recognizes same-sex unions from other states.
• “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy should remain at least while nation is at war.

Mike Huckabee

• Supports passage of federal constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.
• “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy works and would leave it up to the military to decide whether to keep it.

John McCain

• Favors allowing gay men and lesbians to “enter into contracts” but stopped short of endorsing civil unions.
• Supports “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Ron Paul

• Encourages states to ban same-sex marriage.
• Position unclear on “Don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy; has said homosexual behavior in military that is “disruptive” should be dealt with.

Mitt Romney

• Wants constitutional amendment to define marriage as relationship between a man and a woman.
• Opposes civil unions for gays.
• Says there is no need to change military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Fred Thompson

• Doesn’t support same-sex marriage, but doesn’t favor a constitutional amendment banning it.
• Doesn’t like civil unions, but thinks the issue should be left up to states.
• Favors keeping “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

• YouTube – Anne Rice endorsing Hillary Clinton 2008

  More than just a writer of cool books, Anne Rice has some thoughtful opinions on the Democratic Party primaries.

  (tags: 2008 Hillary politics election)

I’ve told this story a few times to a few people, but usually in passing and not with as much detail as I’m about to go into now.

I met Hillary Clinton briefly – very briefly – back in 1992 when she was just the wife of then-candidate Bill Clinton. I think it was at a rally in the Detroit area — but it could have been in Illinois. There were so many last-minute events I attended that year that they are starting to blur together into one big happy memory of when things were going right for the United States.

Anyway… back to the point.

Along with being active for LGBT rights in Indiana and at Ball State, I was one of the leaders of the University Democrats at Ball State and as a result spent many weekends (and some week days) traveling to cities all around the Midwest working for and meeting candidates.

When I met the Clintons, at one such event, Bill was dutifully schmoozing with the big shots. Somehow in my hovering at the periphery, I ended up in a group of people that included Hillary.

If I remember correctly, I was wearing some random “practice Safe Sex” shirt that day. She read my shirt, and looked me in the eye like I was an old friend and introduced herself, as she did everyone else in the group. Then she started talking about issues to the group of people I was in – real substantive issues. This was a shock to me. As a semi-veteran of political events, even in my early 20s, I was quite familiar with candidate’s expected “wifey” behavior roles.

The candidate wives were and probably still are a Stepford-type of semi-robot who smile and nod and compliment the city/state/region you are in. That’s it. Nothing else that mattered came out of their faces, like marshmallow fluff – sweet and leaving you with a slight icky feeling once they left.

But not so with Hillary. She listened to us intently and took particular interest in hearing the ideas of even the people who normally didn’t speak up. And when the topic of gay and lesbian rights came up, Hillary didn’t shy away or try to change the subject to AIDS prevention. She dove right in with a message that has stayed consistent to this day.

To her, women’s rights are basic human rights. Gay rights are basic human rights. She said in so many words, we need to fight for what we believe in in a systematic an logical fashion to eventually whittle the bigots down in order to claim victory.

I was surprised by her depth of understanding on the topics people brought up and her realistic approach to how to get incremental, permanent change in an all-too-conservative world.

I left that brief meeting impressed with the Clintons – and more than slightly disappointed that quite possibly the wrong Clinton was running for president in 1992.

I know there is no way Hillary could remember me, I was but one of a group of people. But she still took the time to make each of us feel important enough to have an opinion that deserved to be heard. So, I will never forget her.

Ever since then, I have been a big fan of hers and the glee in my household with her come-from-behind win in New Hampshire Tuesday was palpable.

And that’s why, when I got my absentee primary ballot earlier this week, within 5 minutes, I skipped past Obama, Edwards and the rest and voted for Hillary with a fond smile.

PHOTO CREDITS: HillaryClinton.com

[IOWA CURSE: The Democrat who wins a contested presidential caucus in Iowa will not win the general election.]

After spending millions of dollars on commercials, touring with Oprah Winfrey and convincing scores of university students to cut their Christmas vacations short with their families in their home states in order to trek back to Iowa to vote, Barak Obama walked away with a win in Iowa Thursday night.

He deserves congratulations.

He joins the long list of other Democrats who fought off opponents to finish first in Iowa:*

1. 2008 OBAMA
2. 2004 KERRY
3. 2000 GORE
4. 1992 HARKIN
5. 1988 GEPHART
6. 1984 MONDALE
7. 1980 CARTER
8. 1972 MUSKIE

* 1996 was uncontested, 1976 highest vote was “uncommitted”

Like I said it is a long and distinguished list. The only problem: none of these men went on to serve as president after the general election. They either failed to get the nomination or saw their Republican opponent ascend to the White House.

Over the next few months, many will be watching to see whether or not Mr. Obama will fall victim to – or defy – the Iowa Caucus Curse.

Well, the day is finally here. Democrats will finally stop flushing money down the Iowa toilet - a state that will – by most people’s estimates – vote Republican in November anyway.

So, Hillary, Barak and John have spent tens of millions of dollars on a state with a population less than half that of the population of the San Francisco Bay Area – and for what?

Probably nothing.

Iowa has never picked a new Democrat president. Ever. Looking at history, it probably won’t happen this year, either.

For Iowa the caucuses are not about democracy – it’s about money for economic development in a small state with few other industries. According to the Gazette Online:

Iowa State University economics researcher David Swenson said that every $10 million spent in Iowa on advertising supports $4.8 million worth of labor income and 152 jobs, while every $10 million worth of accommodations spending supports $4.8 million in labor income and 217 jobs.

What is for sure: millions of democrat dollars have been wasted in Iowa TV and radio advertising – money that could be better spent in states that strategically matter to Democrats come November 2008: Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania - two of which need to vote for the Democratic candidate if we want to re-capture the white house from the GOP.

According to an article by Alexander Mooney on CNN.com:

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois far outpaces any other candidate when it comes to ad spending in Iowa, having spent more than $9 million on close to 11,000 spots. That’s about $2 million more than Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York has spent ($7.2 million), and about three times the amount that former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina has shelled out ($3.2 million). Clinton has aired close to 8,000 spots while Edwards has aired 3,700.

The top three Democrats spent almost $20 million in Iowa, a red state. This is about as absurd as Huckabee, Romney and Thompson spending $20 million in the San Francisco area wooing the gay and green vote.

WHAT I WROTE A MONTH AGO:

1. Iowa will vote Republican in 2008, anyway.
2. In a contested race, the Democrat Iowa caucus winner has never gone on to win the general election. Ever. (see below)

Here is a breakdown of the winners of all the Iowa caucuses since 1972, when it first moved to become first in the nation:

• 1972 – Iowa Caucus winner: Edmund Muskie. He neither became the party candidate nor the President.
• 1976 – Iowa Caucus winner: No Winner, the largest vote went to “Uncommitted” (the eventual President, Democrat Jimmy Carter, only got 28% of the vote)
• 1980 – Iowa Caucus winner: Jimmy Carter – lost in general election to Ronald Reagan
• 1984 – Iowa Caucus winner: Walter Mondale – lost in general election as Ronald Reagan re-elected.
• 1988 – Iowa Caucus winner: Richard Gephart was not the Party’s eventual nominee.
• 1992 – Iowa Caucus winner: Tom Harkin in a landslide victory (eventual party nominee and next President, Bill Clinton only got 3% of the vote)
• 1996 – Iowa Caucus winner: Since Bill Clinton ran unopposed in the caucus, Iowa caucus-goers couldn’t help but vote for the eventual winner.
• 2000 – Iowa Caucus winner: Al Gore – did not become the next President of the U.S.
• 2004 – Iowa Caucus winner: John Kerry – did not become the next President.

So there you go. In a contested Democratic caucus, Iowa has NEVER picked the next president of the U.S.

Democrats should stop funding the economy of this red state, which is hurting our chances of winning in November.

Here’s your list of which states will vote on what days to select the Democratic and Republican candidates for President:

JANUARY 2008

• January 3: Iowa (caucuses)
• January 5: Wyoming (GOP caucuses)
• January 8: New Hampshire (primary)
• January 15: Michigan
• January 19: Nevada (precinct caucuses), South Carolina (R primary)
• January 26: South Carolina (D primary)
• January 29: Florida

FEBRUARY 2008

• February 1: Maine (R)
• February 5: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado (caucuses), Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho (D), Illinois, Kansas (D), Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico (D), New York, North Dakota (caucuses), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah
• February 9: Louisiana, Kansas (R)
• February 10: Maine (D caucuses)
• February 12: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia
• February 19: Hawaii (D), Washington, Wisconsin

MARCH 2008

• March 4: Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont
• March 8: Wyoming (D)
• March 11: Mississippi

APRIL 2008

• April 22: Pennsylvania

MAY 2008

• May 6: Indiana, North Carolina
• May 13: Nebraska (primary), West Virginia
• May 20: Kentucky, Oregon
• May 27: Idaho (R)

JUNE 2008

• June 3: Montana, New Mexico (R), South Dakota

AUGUST 2008

• August 25-28: Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado

SEPTEMBER 2008

• September 1-4: Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Here is the ballot stub for the first ballot I cast as a registered voter in California. It is also the first ballot I cast as an official “registered Democrat” since in Indiana, you do not register by party affiliation.