Posts with the tag 2008 Presidential Election
Tuesday night the nation's two major political universes swung into alignment and the choice of candidates finally became clear - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama will face Republican Sen. John McCain in the race for president.
At last, Americans can begin to envision the presidential race as it will actually happen, without the messy hypothetical scenarios that have threatened to obscure a much-needed focus on the issues.
McCain himself has kicked off the ideological fray, challenging Obama to debate him in a series of town-hall type meetings in towns across the United States.
We at Clearly New Mexico welcome the chance to compare the candidates as they face off in forums that will provide little opportunity for evasion or spin.
We've got a scant 151 days for Obama and McCain to square off and let the public decide whose policies make the most sense regarding pressing issues like health care, taxes, climate change and the Iraq War.
McCain vs Obama, hashing it out toe-to-toe on a stage near you?
Bring it on!
At last, Americans can begin to envision the presidential race as it will actually happen, without the messy hypothetical scenarios that have threatened to obscure a much-needed focus on the issues.
McCain himself has kicked off the ideological fray, challenging Obama to debate him in a series of town-hall type meetings in towns across the United States.
We at Clearly New Mexico welcome the chance to compare the candidates as they face off in forums that will provide little opportunity for evasion or spin.
We've got a scant 151 days for Obama and McCain to square off and let the public decide whose policies make the most sense regarding pressing issues like health care, taxes, climate change and the Iraq War.
McCain vs Obama, hashing it out toe-to-toe on a stage near you?
Bring it on!
The political season seems old already, because of the need for perpetual fundraising. In order to "compete" in the modern campaign, candidates for federal office must spend, on average, 4-6 hours per day calling donors.
In colloquial terms, this is known as "dialing for dollars."
The fundraising dynamic is nothing new to politics. It's just that the numbers have grown at an almost exponential rate over the past decade.
The advent of Internet fundraising has helped level the playing field in terms of giving smaller donors a meaningful way of participating. But donors, who call themselves bundlers, rangers, or any other campaign-created distinction reserved for the wealthy, are still driving fundraising for federal candidates.
So why do candidates perpetuate this madness? The short answer is because they've been told this is what it takes to win.
In all fairness, the presidential public financing system has not kept up with inflation and thus must be repaired. Candidates need to believe they are not unilaterally disarming by accepting public financing. Accordingly, when the new Congress convenes next year, there must be immediate action taken to fix the system and offer proper stipend amounts.
What makes this election year different from the past is that all of the remaining presidential candidates ostensibly support the idea of expanding public financing systems to Congressional races. Despite their rhetoric on the issue, they have all danced around the idea of using the system for the general election.
This is wrong.
Read More »
In colloquial terms, this is known as "dialing for dollars."
The fundraising dynamic is nothing new to politics. It's just that the numbers have grown at an almost exponential rate over the past decade.
The advent of Internet fundraising has helped level the playing field in terms of giving smaller donors a meaningful way of participating. But donors, who call themselves bundlers, rangers, or any other campaign-created distinction reserved for the wealthy, are still driving fundraising for federal candidates.
So why do candidates perpetuate this madness? The short answer is because they've been told this is what it takes to win.
In all fairness, the presidential public financing system has not kept up with inflation and thus must be repaired. Candidates need to believe they are not unilaterally disarming by accepting public financing. Accordingly, when the new Congress convenes next year, there must be immediate action taken to fix the system and offer proper stipend amounts.
What makes this election year different from the past is that all of the remaining presidential candidates ostensibly support the idea of expanding public financing systems to Congressional races. Despite their rhetoric on the issue, they have all danced around the idea of using the system for the general election.
This is wrong.
Read More »
This past weekend, the Sunday public affairs programs were ablaze with the latest nonstarter of an idea from the campaign trail. Yes, the concept of giving motorists a "holiday" from the national gasoline tax continues to be debated, despite universal condemnation from economists.
Let's do a quick fact check about the national gas tax. Read More »
Let's do a quick fact check about the national gas tax. Read More »
Over the past couple of months, a discussion on the core issues facing Americans has pretty much fallen by the wayside during the presidential campaign. Americans expect an adult debate on foreign policy, the economy and health care. Instead, the 24-hour news cycle is obsessed with one candidate's middle name and who's most at home taking shots at a bar.
It's not surprising that people are getting fed up.
Fortunately for those of us who relish meaningful policy discourse, Senator John McCain is hitting the road this week to trumpet his plan for reforming the nation's broken health care system.
As a primer for the headlines that are sure to come, I thought it might be important to highlight some questions about the Senator's core policy prescription; tax credits to spur the purchase of private insurance.
Prior to the questions, however, let's review some important facts about Senator McCain's intimate relationship with the insurance industry.
Over the past dozen years, Senator McCain has raised about $3.5 million from interests tied to the insurance industry. Just shy of forty lobbyists from the industry are listed as fundraisers, co-hosts of events, or staffers for the Senator. Furthermore, several high-ranking members of the McCain campaign staff are high-paid lobbyists for insurance interests. (The campaign finance and lobbying figures are based on Public Campaign Action Fund analysis of data obtained from the Center for Responsive Politics).
With this primer, three questions come to mind for the Senior Senator from Arizona. Read More »
It's not surprising that people are getting fed up.
Fortunately for those of us who relish meaningful policy discourse, Senator John McCain is hitting the road this week to trumpet his plan for reforming the nation's broken health care system.
As a primer for the headlines that are sure to come, I thought it might be important to highlight some questions about the Senator's core policy prescription; tax credits to spur the purchase of private insurance.
Prior to the questions, however, let's review some important facts about Senator McCain's intimate relationship with the insurance industry.
Over the past dozen years, Senator McCain has raised about $3.5 million from interests tied to the insurance industry. Just shy of forty lobbyists from the industry are listed as fundraisers, co-hosts of events, or staffers for the Senator. Furthermore, several high-ranking members of the McCain campaign staff are high-paid lobbyists for insurance interests. (The campaign finance and lobbying figures are based on Public Campaign Action Fund analysis of data obtained from the Center for Responsive Politics).
With this primer, three questions come to mind for the Senior Senator from Arizona. Read More »
During the first three months of 2008, the race to determine who will become the 44th President of the United States has had no shortage of compelling stories. To simply review the peaks, valleys, turns and twists would likely be worthy of a separate post.
Instead, I'd like to focus on the individuals who have been at the helm of two of the campaigns: McCain campaign manager Rick Davis and the recently demoted (or not?) Clinton "chief strategist" Mark Penn.
We've already gotten an up-close look at Rick Davis on Clearly New Mexico, so perhaps we should start with Mr. Penn.
Mark Penn has been a Clinton family confidant for the better part of twelve years. Originally recruited by former Clinton advisor turned Fox News analyst, Dick Morris, Penn started out by providing polling and strategic consulting services to the 1996 Bill Clinton reelection campaign. Since then, Mr. Penn assisted with the 2000 Hilary Clinton U.S. Senate campaign and (up until today) the Hillary presidential operation.
Pretty straightforward consulting resume, right?
Not so fast. Read More »
Instead, I'd like to focus on the individuals who have been at the helm of two of the campaigns: McCain campaign manager Rick Davis and the recently demoted (or not?) Clinton "chief strategist" Mark Penn.
We've already gotten an up-close look at Rick Davis on Clearly New Mexico, so perhaps we should start with Mr. Penn.
Mark Penn has been a Clinton family confidant for the better part of twelve years. Originally recruited by former Clinton advisor turned Fox News analyst, Dick Morris, Penn started out by providing polling and strategic consulting services to the 1996 Bill Clinton reelection campaign. Since then, Mr. Penn assisted with the 2000 Hilary Clinton U.S. Senate campaign and (up until today) the Hillary presidential operation.
Pretty straightforward consulting resume, right?
Not so fast. Read More »
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