After anointing Obama as the nominee on Tuesday, the media narrative has shifted to the West Virginia and Kentucky "Appalachian" contests. They are reduced to quaint curiosities in which poor, white, uneducated mountain people from a "bygone era" have been trained to make their way to a school gym and push a button just like real people for the delight and amusement of the media elite.

Present, But Not Voting

In essence, the poll tax ensured that the folks exercising the franchise had a vested interest in good governance, and the low salaries ensured that the men running for office were capble individuals in their fields.

[..]

Maybe it's time we recognize that the franchise is too important to be taken for granted. Maybe it shouldn't be tossed out as freely as beads at Mardi Gras. Maybe, just maybe, voting should be something we earn through demonstrated competence, or by having a net positive effect on America, rather than being a drain.

This long, overwrought piece pines for the good old days of poll taxes, when men were men, black men were three-fifths of a man, and women couldn't vote.

Many share the frustration of ill-informed, apathetic voters voting against their self interest if they vote at all. But guess what? They're citizens, too. And they have to live with the same policies as everyone else. And we all have to live with the apathetic products of our ill-informed policies. In other words, we get the government we deserve.

Instead of restricting the right to vote, maybe we should teach civics. And serve up something besides Fox News to inform the electorate.

OK, then.

Richmond Indiana Palladium-Item:

Three voter officials from Tennessee toured the centers early today to see how things were going. And what they found is that people here like the concept.

"We want to do this in Tennessee," said Greg Mackay, administrator of elections in Knox County, Tenn. "People think it’s great. That’s what has surprised us. We thought people would not like having lost their neighborhood precinct voting place.

"Everybody I’ve talked to has been positive about the vote centers."

Mackay sat munching a pork tenderloin sandwich at The Country Ribeye on Rich Road in Richmond with David Twigg, deputy administrator in Knox County and Tony Brown, administrator of elections in Roane County, which is adjacent to Knox County.

See here for related news. Thanks to Bill Young for bringing this to our attention.

By a 94-2 vote, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed HB3687 to establish a convenience voting pilot program.

The Senate is scheduled to vote on it tomorrow. Knox, Anderson, and Loudon counties have been mentioned as candidates. Background on the pilot program can be found here.

RCP North Carolina average: Obama +8. No recent poll has shown an advantage for Clinton. Obama has overcome a Clinton lead of 24 points in November.

RCP Indiana average: Clinton +5. Only one recent poll shows an advantage for Obama. Obama crept up to a slight 3 point advantage in late April, but Clinton has since erased it.

There are 72 delegates at stake in Indiana, and 115 in North Carolina. Obama currently has 1737 delegates, and Clinton has 1607 (Green Papers estimate). Neither candidate can get to the 2025 needed to nominate today, even if one were to win 100% of the vote in both primaries.

And so it continues.

(The encouraging news is that nearly 32 million people have voted for a Democratic nominee so far, v. 18.5 million for a Republican.)

The talking heads of the TV babblerati certified it to be true -- this is the first time in 40 years the Democratic primary election in Indiana has been important. That would be 1968, and Robert Kennedy had just jumped into the race for the Democratic nomination after Lyndon Johnson had just bowed out.

I know. I was alive. And I was there -- in Indiana, the weekend before the primary election.

At the time, I was a sophomore at the University of Tennessee and news editor of the UT Daily Beacon. As news editor, I was running a staff of reporters, editing copy and having the time of my life. The war in Vietnam

If you agree with this line of thinking and would like to see more of it on the Supreme Court for another generation, vote for McCain in 2008.

No, seriously. I'm not making that up:

To pay for the tax credit, McCain would eliminate the tax exemption for people whose employers pay a portion of their coverage, raising an estimated $3.6 trillion in revenues, Holtz-Eakin said. Companies that provide coverage to workers still would get tax breaks. McCain would also cut costs by limiting health care lawsuits.

Clinton responds:

"The McCain plan eliminates the policies that hold the employer-based health insurance system together, so while people might have a 'choice' of getting such coverage, employers would have no incentive to provide it. This means 158 million Americans with job-based coverage today could be at risk of losing the insurance they have come to depend upon."

Uh, Hillary, divorcing health insurance from employment is the only sane part of McCain's plan.

Obama says:

McCain is "recycling the same failed policies that didn't work when George Bush first proposed them and won't work now. Instead of taking on the big health insurance companies and requiring them to cover Americans with preexisting conditions, Senator McCain wants to make it easier for them to reject your coverage, drop it, or jack up the price you pay."

I didn't get that part, but maybe it's in the details McCain hasn't provided. And Obama is standing up to the insurance companies how? By not making you buy their product?

According to this report, McCain said that he would "encourage state governments to create guaranteed-access plans" as a safety net for high-risk workers. Sounds like another unfunded mandate. And state Medicaid and SCHIP programs are already stretched to the breaking point.

At any rate, one thing all the candidates agree on is that insurance policies should be portable and available across state lines. We will have to wait for more details of McCain's plan, but it doesn't sound like there's a dimes worth of difference between any of the three proposals. OK, maybe fifteen cents. And the bottom line is that the President can't unilaterally enact any of this anyway.

Chris Kromm is tracking reports of robo-calls in NC that may be attempts at identity theft but more likely aimed at voter suppression (see here).

Also, the latest foreclosure reports are out, and the U.S. housing market continues its downward spiral.

Worst Campaign Idea Ever?

(By way of ACK.)

The Daily Telegraph today unveils its list of the 50 most influential political pundits to help readers sort through whose opinions matter. These are the people who make voters sit up and take notice. They are the ones who political candidates and campaigns are constantly seeking to woo and influence. They include television presenters, newspaper columnists, bloggers and talking heads.
...
Many important journalists have been left out because they portray themselves as objective and seek to inform rather than persuade.

Actually, today they list numbers 31-50. They will publish the remaining as the week progresses.

Rachel Maddow makes number 50. She has skyrocketed to fame in the past year on Air America and now MSNBC. Rachel's great. She's able to take what the boys dish out.

Mary Matalin at 49 probably was a bigger force in previous elections.

Dee Dee Myers at number 39? I like her a lot but haven't seen a lot of her this election cycle.

Fox News contributors, Juan Williams (31), William Kristol (32), Newt Gingrich (36), Michael Barone (38), Tony Snow (40), and Fred Barnes (45).

Elizabeth Edwards asks the press to help the voters of North Carolina and the country to discuss the issues so that informed decisions can be made.

But I am saying that every analysis that is shortened, every corner that is cut, moves us further away from the truth until what is left is the Cliffs Notes of the news, or what I call strobe-light journalism, in which the outlines are accurate enough but we cannot really see the whole picture.
...
Who is responsible for the veil of silence over Senator Biden? Or Senator Dodd? Or Gov. Tom Vilsack? Or Senator Sam Brownback on the Republican side?

The decision was probably made by the same people who decided that Fred Thompson was a serious candidate.

Will the media listen? Do they care? Will the story be about her bitterness that John is not longer a candidate? It's the economy stupid. It's about paying for decent healthcare. It's about our soldiers dying in Iraq. It's about the billions of dollars spent in Iraq while our infrastructure is crumbling and American citizens are not asked to sacrifice but given money to go shopping.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for trying.

Knox County Elections Administrator Greg Mackay advises that financial disclosures for Knox County candidates are now available online at the Election Commission's website. Files are exact PDF copies of the reports as filed. Nice work!

Greg Mackay: "Think of the gas we are saving. It is crazy to have to drive to the Courthouse for a piece of paper."

Asked how Obama can outspend Clinton three to one and take total command of the airwaves in Pennsylvania for seven weeks and still not close the deal, Harold Ford Jr. offers Obama some free advice...

Yes, probably all that, but it's also like I said the other day. Clinton does well in states with a strong, established Democratic political machine. Ed Rendell is a one-man political machine.

Cable news is saying it's too close to call. They are writing Clinton's obituary on MSNBC. Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell agree that Ed Rendell will be the one who has to have "the talk" with Clinton. Looks like a long night for the Clinton camp. Obama is in route to Indiana for a rally...

UPDATE: NBC has declared Clinton the projected winner. With 1% reporting, they have Clinton 60% to Obama 40%. With 0% reporting it was 65%/35%. I guess the margin will continue to narrow as the returns come in. The talk all night has been how narrow, and what does the Clinton margin have to be for her to raise enough money to go on.

UPDATE: 3% reporting, Clinton 53% Obama 47%.

UPDATE: 4% reporting, Clinton 57% Obama 43%. It's a roller coaster ride!

UPDATE: Final result: Clinton by 10, 55% to 45%, net six delegates. On to Puerto Rico!

What do you think? My guess: Clinton by 10+.

My father is a Vietnam Veteran. He was an officer in ROTC in 1968 while he was in college and went to Vietnam as a Lieutenant the year I was born. My father felt an obligation to his country and a duty to serve when called. I was born in a snowstorm in rural Minnesota while my father was halfway around the world in the jungles of Vietnam. I am proud of my father and his service to my country. When I was a teenager, going to private Catholic school, I was approached by military recruiters. I was encouraged to join the military and to enlist in the ROTC program, much like my father had been. For whatever reason, I declined. I was not yet a peace activist like I became after the first gulf war, but something in my instincts told me that I could not serve in the military the way my father had served.

It occurred to me that the Democratic primary is a classic study in machine v. grassroots politics.

Obama has put together an impressive grassroots movement. Clinton has cranked up the formidable Clinton machine to keep it competitive.

With only a few exceptions, Clinton has done well in big states with established Democratic political machines. Obama has done well in smaller states where Obamanauts can go door to door selling retail.

The trouble is, grassroots campaigns may win a few battles but machine politics usually wins the war, like a big old Bush Hog rolling over an overgrown weed patch.

In 2004, the Republicans had a bigger Bush Hog. In 2008, ours is stalled in the tall weeds and will need extensive repairs before November.

Rachel Maddow lays it out so that it is easy to understand why the "bitter" comment is a red-herring thrown out by Obama's opponents. While on David Gregory's CNN show she explained it in clear, precise terms and still the talking heads like Scarborough and Gregory just haven't got the ability to grasp it.

See the video at Crooks and Liars.

Even when Scarborough finally seems to concede that she is right, he still pursues the "Obama is an Elitist" meme without skipping a beat. They just keep beating that dog to death and it still won't fly.

Are you ready? It's time again for Clinton and Obama to answer some questions.

ABC News, the National Constitution Center and WPVI-TV will host a Democratic Presidential Candidate debate in Philadelphia on Wednesday, April 16. The live debate, which is scheduled to run 90 minutes, will be moderated by ABC News anchors Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos and will air from 8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT on the ABC Television Network.

I'm excited. I just can't wait to see how George Stephanopoulos will be as a moderator.

Here's a database of all the candidates for the Knox Co. August 2008 general election:

Link...

Included are websites and e-mails that I could find. You can filter the list by office, party, and/or incumbent status.

Please let me know if you have any additions or corrections. Candidates who wish to submit photos and profile info (bio, positions, etc.) can send info to rneal@rviews.com

(For Tennessee state and federal primary candidates, see here.)

Breaking News: Mark Penn out as Clinton chief strategist

In a simple, short and not-so sweet message, Hillary Clinton's campaign announced minutes ago that Mark Penn was out as her chief political strategist.

Good riddance.

UPDATE: The AP report.

Here's a database of every candidate for the Tennessee August state and federal primaries:

http://www.tennviews.com/tn08aug

You can filter the list by office, district, and/or party. Candidate listings include links to district maps, campaign websites, emails, and campaign finance disclosures that we could find, along with links to search Google news, websites, and blogs.

We will be updating it over the next few weeks. If you have any updates, additions or corrections please submit them to rneal@rviews.com.

Super delegate Gov. Bill Richardson has chosen to not endorse the presidential candidate chosen by the majority of voters in his state of New Mexico.

Gov. Bill Richardson has chosen to endorse Sen. Barak Obama.

That is why, out of loyalty to my country, I endorse him for president.

The majority of voters in New Mexico chose Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Super delegates are not bound to vote how the people they represent vote. As with Sen. Edward Kennedy from Massachusetts who has also endorsed Obama when the voters from Massachusetts overwhelmingly selected Clinton. The super delegate math should get very interesting in that it appears the 2008 Democratic presidential candidate will not be determined by the state primaries and caucuses.

Since we're talking about who should drop out and calling for "Superdelegates" to decide the Democratic primary RIGHT NOW, maybe Congress should just go ahead and convene the Electoral College and send McCain packing. Here's why:

National Polls (RCP Average):

Clinton v. McCain: Clinton 44.8%, McCain 45.8%
Obama v. McCain: Obama 44.6%, McCain 44.4%

Well within the margin of error. Clearly McCain has not made his case, despite the benefit of his party's incumbency, early coronation, the alleged weakness of his opponents, and the endorsement of sitting president George W. Bush.

Popular vote (Green Papers):

McCain: 7,441,267
Dem: 27,815,851 (Obama: 13,961,775, Clinton: 13,854,076)

Wow. Not too many ways you can spin these numbers. Clearly, McCain is toast and should drop out for the sake of unity, etc. etc.

An official Knox County Election Notice:

Election Notice
State & Federal Primary
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Offices open for this election:
•U.S. Senate
•U.S. House of Representatives: District 2
•Tennessee Senate: District 6
•Tennessee House of Representatives:
Districts 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Candidate Qualifying Deadline: April 3 at 12 Noon

The afternoon of April 3 could be interesting.

Tennessee Guerilla Women has a very nice Hillary Rodham Clinton video with the Dixie Chicks song, Not Ready to Make Nice, as the background music. I love the song and I do think Clinton is an amazing person.

Growing up in East Tennessee, I often heard my father complain about mugwump Democrats who would vote for the stupidest, most venal, most hide-bound and conservative candidate in the primary. These mugwumps would then vote for the Republican in the general, though they'd maintain that they were still part of the Democrat (sic) Party.

"I vote for the man," they'd say, "not the party." Sure, that way they could be sure of getting the dumbest bag of hammers to represent them. Probably representing them accurately, at that.

This is remarkable.

Link...