Will It Be Obama Versus Rudy?

I'd prefer McCain, because McCain would be so easy to beat. A piece of cake, like I have said before. Rudy Giuliani would be a tougher opponent. But because of his stance on social issues, he will help the Republican Party grow up. Republicans were the segregationists back in the days. Today no mainstream Republican is. A Rudy candidacy will help move the ball along.

He has this aura about him from 9/11. And he was a pretty good Mayor before that. But he overplayed his cards, and ended up looking insensitive to minority sentiments. His plus would be that he has held an executive position, kind of like being that mythical southern state Governor. His minus would be that he still does not get it on the Iraq War: he keeps defending all of Bush' decisions. But his approach is much more nuanched than that of McCain, so he will make it harder also on Iraq. McCain's attitude is belligerent. I am that famous Vet, don't you know me, send in more troops. Giuliani, on the other hand, makes some good criticisms of how the war was implemented. The nation building part has been poor, he says. But he does not realize the primary challenge is political, not military. The question is is Iraq worth a trillion dollars? What will be Rudy's answer?

Obama is going to have to become more than an anti-war candidate. Pulling out troops has to be accompanied by hard political work, and he does say that, but he will have to emphasize more. The military vacuum will have to be filled with major political work. The Obama goal still is a stable, democratic Iraq.

And Obama will also have to compete with Rudy's Mayor image. You do that by exhibiting superior organization as you run the campaign. Obama is already doing that. His My.BarackObama.com is light years ahead of that of all the other campaigns. It has all the Web 2.0 details. Other campaigns are still Web 1.0 largely. For example, Hillary thinks a blog is writing on paper taken online. Not so. A blog is a blog is a blog. It is not just an existence in the space dimension. The real dimension in play is the time dimension.

So, yeah, Rudy will be beaten, but he will be tougher to beat than McCain, but his candidacy will help the Republican Party grow up on the social issues. And, by the way, I dig Rudy's accent.

And I like talk of moving by the big state primaries. Illinois said it will do it for Obama. New York has countered saying it will do it for Hillary. California, and Florida should do it. Big, diverse states have to matter early. Tiny, all white states have too much power right now.

Bottomline, Iraq will cost Rudy the White House.

In The News

Bob Dole: McCain Has Age-Old Problem NewsMax.com
Int'l community must prevent war in Iran - Russia FM RIA Novosti
Britney Spears claims entire wing of rehab Actress Archives
Will the celebrity status of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama keep ... Sioux City Journal
Obama cultivates cash, support in Ohio Toledo Blade
New 2008 Poll: Obama Gains on Clinton, Giuliani Leads McCain LifeNews.com
Clinton, Giuliani lead Southeast in early poll Bizjournals.com
Clinton forgets to declare $5m family charity Guardian Unlimited
Powermen strike, Bihar goes dark Times of India
US Launches New Talks to Secure Iraq ABC News
US to Attend Iraq Meeting Where Iran, Syria Invited (Update1) Bloomberg
US Joins Regional Talks to Secure Iraq San Francisco Chronicle
China's Black Tuesday Darkens World Stock Markets Forbes
SINGAPORE: Google to open R&D centre in Singapore Asia Pacific Media Network
Google Adds Security to Hosted Applications PC World
Microsoft says Google success was "wake-up call" Reuters
Microsoft still trying to answer Google's wake-up call ZDNet
Amitabh Bachchan's 'Nishabd' draws protest in Jalandhar Apun Ka Choice
Big B gives Cong sleepless nights CNN-IBN
US STOCKS-Indexes tumble on anxiety about China Ninemsn
US Soccer Approves 2018 World Cup Bid KFMB
Soccer Regularly Shamed by Fan Violence KFMB
Dell Puts Preinstalled Linux on the Table TechNewsWorld
Dell to Linux users: Not so fast Computerworld
Dell is making the Best Move To Sell Linux PCs TECH.BLORGE.com
Appeals Court to Consider Smith Burial Forbes
Why the year's best film won (nearly*) nothing Times Online
Scorsese Finally Joins the Oscar Club New York Times

Austin, Here I Come

In The News

Obama Ridicules Cheney's Iraq Comments Wyoming News, WY
Obama ridicules Cheney at Austin rally Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX
Interest appears high in Barack Obama's Austin landing Austin American-Statesman (subscription), TX a midday private fundraiser to be followed by the free outdoor event
Obama fires up Texas Dems at rally UT The Daily Texan, TX the stated goal to "kick ass" .... people of various ages, races and backgrounds .... Obama's magnetism extended all the way to Princeton Review's ninth-most conservative school in the nation, where a group of Aggie Democrats embarked on a trek from College Station across the geo-political spectrum. .....there hasn't been such an energizing political figure since Robert Kennedy. ..... "You don't often see such diversity at a political event," she said. "Hopefully we're starting a trend." ..... his 40-minute speech. ..... "We are less safe now than when this war began," Obama argued. ... "I knew that this Obama wave was sweeping the country," she said. "Now I know why."
Obama rallies thousands in Austin abc13.com, TX
Austin Crowd Largest for Presidential Hopeful Barack Obama MyFox Austin
Thousands Cheer Obama at Austin Rally MyFox Houston, TX
Thousands Cheer Obama at Austin Rally MyFox Houston, TX
Barack Obama rallies in Austin KHOU (subscription), TX
Obama stumps in Austin News 8 Austin, TX
Obama Reels In Austin Crowd Dallas News a lakeside venue used for rock concerts ..... The crowd – extraordinarily large for so early in a presidential campaign ...... "The American people are tired of being afraid," the senator said. ..... attended private fundraisers in Houston and Austin before Friday's midafternoon rally. ..... one rapper punctuated the chorus "Everything I do will be funky," with shouts of "Obama!" ...... The rally was an unusual burst of campaign activity long before Election Day .... "I said we should not give open-ended authority to a president because it would lead to an open-ended occupation," he said. ...... A top Clinton political supporter in Texas, former land commissioner Garry Mauro, acknowledged that Mr. Obama is charismatic but suggested the political newcomer is effectively auditioning for a second spot on the ticket. ..... "Now, keep in mind, this is the same guy that said we'd be greeted as liberators, the same guy that said that we're in the last throes. I'm sure he forecast sun today," he said amid the Austin rain. "When Dick Cheney says it's a good thing, you know that you've probably got some big problems." ..... New Orleans "still looks like a war has been fought"
Obama staging rally in Austin on Friday Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX Obama-rama sweeps Austin today as Democrat Barack Obama brings his 13-day-old presidential campaign to the Texas capital for a rare political do next to Town Lake. ..... The capacity is 20,000. .... Obama, 45, is believed to be the first presidential aspirant to rally voters at Auditorium Shores, typically home to concerts, since President Reagan did in July 1984. ...... "When you have an opportunity to see people, you go," said Shaw, an associate professor of government. "It's like if you had a chance to see John F. Kennedy in 1960." ...... Obama's campaign has touched off an Internet boomlet, especially among students and young people. ..... Two weeks ago, UT law student Richard Cofer went on the "Facebook" site to launch UT Students for Obama. More than 500 have since joined ...... Obama, like President Clinton, connects with crowds and with individuals one on one. ..... he trails U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and John Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina and the Democrats' 2004 vice presidential nominee, in organizing and fundraising. ..... the pressure cooker he's just walked into ..... Garry Mauro, the1998 Democratic nominee for Texas governor, is helping Clinton, the former first lady. He said Obama will run a fascinating race: "I hope after this is all over that we'll never ask the question again, can an African American be elected president or vice president?"