Hillary Cried, Women Responded, She Won

Trail Of Tears

I thought that was a masterstroke on her part. She got all these women around a table and then spilled her heart out. Her eyes went wet. That is what got her the New Hampshire victory.




Iron My Shirt

Two white guys yelled that at Hillary. That was one day before the vote. The story must have spread fast. I am thinking those two guys were planted by Terry McAuliffe. I want all inquiries made. Wait a minute, that was Marlon Brando in Godfather.

Now We Have A Race

I admit, I got lull after the Iowa victory. Now you are looking at a real contest. In Iowa Barack cancelled out Hillary's lead for most of 2007. In New Hampshire Hillary has managed to check Barack's momentum from Iowa. Fair enough. Now we are on level ground.

Barack Need Not Cry

But he must play the race card as skillfully in South Carolina as Hillary played the gender card in New Hampshire. Use the word unshackle.

February 5

Now I am thinking this race might go past February 5. It does not have to. But we have to have a Plan B.

This Was Never Going To Be Easy

Imagine how much worse we would have been if Hillary had managed to win Iowa. We would have been finished. So look at the silver lining.

$100 Million

Both have raised similar sums of money. That should tell you this race was going to be neck and neck.

Edwards Is Out

Edwards as anyone's running mate, that idea is out after New Hampshire.

Stuck With Each Other

Barack and Hillary are now stuck with each other. The winner will not be able to ignore the other.

Welcome Hillary

You can be Vice President.

White Moms Of The World

An elderly white lady was "manning" the Edwards booth at this event: Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties. I think that is a reflection of the fact a lot of white males are cross that neither Barack nor Hillary are white males.

Well, imagine how my mother has been feeling this entire time. Now you know.

The Weather Was So Good

When I walked out of the bar where I watched the returns, I was struck by the great weather. It felt almost like spring. That made the loss so much easier to take. This was near West 4th street. I liked the weather so much, I decided to walk over to Times Square. I went over to the 99 cent pizza place on 41st and 9th.

Narrow Loss

The loss was so narrow we could practically claim it for a victory.

In The News

From a Big Boost for Obama to a Sharp Blow New York Times startled Mr. Obama and ensured that the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination remained fully engaged. ...... particularly women who broke with Mr. Obama in significant numbers in the closing hours of an accelerated campaign here. ........ a glorious springlike day where a record number of Democrats turned out. ..... narrow loss ..... women rallied behind Mrs. Clinton in the final hours of the race, when news coverage was dominated by accounts of her nearly breaking into tears as she answered a voter’s question. ....... Since Mr. Obama’s victory in Iowa, the volume of calls and inquiries into his campaign had more than doubled, with financial contributors, policy supporters and volunteers eager to join the campaign.
Why Clinton Won CBS News New Hampshire women went big for Clinton, supporting her 46 percent to 34 percent for Obama. And as 57 percent of the Democratic primary electorate, women were enough to make the difference. Among men, Obama turned the tables, beating Clinton 40 percent to 29 percent. ...... Union households, which make up one-fifth of the New Hampshire Democratic primary electorate, voted for Clinton 40 percent to 31 percent for Obama. Among voters with household incomes less than $50,000 a year, Clinton beat Obama by 15 points, and by 18 points among those with no more than a high school diploma.
Obama Loses New Hampshire - barely FOXNews Obama called Clinton to personally congratulate her just a few minutes before he was introduced by two NH members of Congress.
Obama Family in Kenya Watches US Vote The Associated Press
How Clinton won and what it means Dallas Morning News If New Hampshire 16 years ago threw a lifeline to Bill Clinton's struggling candidacy, the state this time put his wife's presidential bid back on track. Mrs. Clinton overhauled her strategy after losing Iowa, working to connect with voters and appear less imperial.
How Clinton pulled it out in New Hampshire. Slate Democrats like a fighter. Maybe that's the simplest reason Hillary Clinton pulled out a surprise victory in New Hampshire. Before her campaign even arrived here, her aides were promising they'd take the fight to Obama. In the five days between the two contests, the Clinton campaign worked hard to bring Obama down to earth. Direct mail and phone calls attacked Obama on issues from abortion to taxes. ....... Staffers openly acknowledged that Clinton was going to lose. Heck, the candidate and her husband acted like they knew it, too. Mrs. Clinton's display of emotion the day before the vote showed how much pressure she felt. ..... "The biggest fairy tale I've ever seen," Bill Clinton said. ...... While Clinton got teary-eyed responding to a question from a voter, Obama's performances were making voters weep. ...... The assumptions that governed the race before the Iowa caucus appear to be reasserting themselves. Was it Clinton's last-minute show of emotion that helped her, or was it the greater openness she started to demonstrate toward the end of her campaign in Iowa? In town-hall meetings, she answered question after question for hours and finally made herself accessible to the press. She and her advisers realized that the strategy of keeping her closeted had been a disaster. So they did what agile politicians do and changed it.
Clinton's stunning victory Chicago Tribune "Over this last week, I listened to you," she said. "And in the process, I found my own voice." ..... McAuliffe said the results eliminated the pair from contention and left a "one-on-one race" between Clinton and Obama. ..... stunting Obama's momentum heading into the high-stakes duels in Nevada and South Carolina ...... Bill Clinton, dismissed what he called the "fairy tale" of Obama's candidacy. In response, Obama dismissed him as "just more interested in trying to muddy the waters than actually talk fairly about my record."

Obama leads in New Hampshire polls Aljazeera.net for the first time shattered Hillary Clinton's advantage among Democratic voters nationally ..... a national poll by USA Today/Gallup said that Obama and Clinton each drew 33 per cent support from Democrats

GOP Hit Squads Load Up For Obama AlterNet, USA The squad consists of the Fox News Network, talk shock jocks, New York Times neo-liberal, Wall St. Journal neo-con columnists, and Christian Evangelical politicos. ...... Talk show gasser Rush Limbaugh took the first real swipe when he derisively sneered at Obama as the Magic Negro. ..... pokes at his wife, Michelle as outspoken, bossy and domineering.

Clinton's dog house The Australian FACING the prospect of another defeat in New Hampshire today, former Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton no doubt wishes she had followed the lead of her Republican rival Rudolph Giuliani. The former New York mayor has been criticised for ignoring the early polls where he was always expected to do poorly because of his liberal views, to concentrate on the big city votes such as Florida and New York, where both he and Senator Clinton are popular. ........ History suggests a loss in New Hampshire today would make it improbable that Senator Clinton would be able to win the Democrat nomination. ...... "Obamania" ..... In the final hours before the New Hampshire poll, the exasperation in the Clinton campaign had become palpable. There were wild rumours that Senator Clinton was preparing to pull out of the race. It was the final instalment in a bizarre series of events that started with Senator Clinton becoming teary for the cameras about her passion to become president and the personal difficulty of campaigning. Later, she was confronted by two male protesters chanting "iron my shirt", allowing Senator Clinton to remind voters she was trying to crack the toughest glass ceiling of them all. It ended with Bill Clinton lamenting he could not make his wife taller or male. ...... Senator Clinton has firmly seized the unfamiliar role of underdog. But after getting caught out stacking a campaign rally with out-of-town supporters to appear as popular as Senator Obama had been in the same venue the previous day, many observers concluded yesterday's tears and talk of sexism were merely another instalment of Clinton spin. The tear-jerking question about how hard it was to keep looking good on the road was asked by a freelance photographer. Senator Clinton's response that "This is very personal for me - it's not just political" was judged by many analysts to be contrived. ........ Her predicament is summed up by Bill Clinton's comment: "We can't be a new story. There's nothing we can do." ....... she did not get any votes in the first New Hampshire town to vote. Of the 10 Democrats casting ballots in Dixiville Notch, near the Canadian border, Senator Obama got seven.
New Hampshire Polls Show McCain, Obama Poised To Win U.S. News & World Report
Clinton sinking in Obama's wake The Australian
We're going to win, Obama tells New Hampshire Guardian Unlimited
Even Conservative Media Chorus Sings Obama's Praises Washington Post
Clinton's troubles are felt in California Los Angeles Times He suggested Clinton must "cut her losses" and focus only on states where she can still win. She could win in Nevada, he said, but maybe not South Carolina. ...... "Is everybody concerned and nervous?" asked a Los Angeles political consultant who represents a major Clinton donor. "Yes!" Several other Clinton backers told Morain they fully expect her to lose in New Hampshire today, perhaps by double-digits. They also anticipate a major shake-up of the campaign organization, possibly as early as Wednesday, and that the New York senator would pivot away from investing time in South Carolina. ..... Obama has planned a major California fundraising trip next week, with stops in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. And that could turn into a victory lap after two early wins.

Obama's rise stuns observers of US race relations Reuters South Africa a new chapter in race relations in America. ...... African Americans on average experience higher mortality rates than whites and lower life expectancy despite a black middle class that has grown since the civil rights movement in the 1960s. They also earn far less on average and are more likely to be arrested, charged and incarcerated. ..... "There's always been this thing of black exceptionalism, to take and elevate some African Americans and say: 'You are different. You are well spoken, intelligent.'" ..... A brutal system of racial segregation prevailed in the South until the 1960s and no black has been elected to the U.S. Senate from the region for over a century.
Clinton must stay up late to overcome Obama Bangkok Post Mrs Clinton is at her best when she's dead tired. Mrs Clinton, worn down to a nub, too beat to raise her eyebrows like Lucille Ball while pointing at someone in the crowd as if she has just spotted a long-lost friend from grade school. Mrs Clinton when her voice _ which so easily grates she didn't speak in her last 30-second ad _ was weary so that even her laundry lists of programmes sounded gentler and kinder. ...... Where voters were as Clinton joked after the State Fair ''opening up your mouth, check out your teeth as if you're a horse'' ...... She tried bolting ''change'' on to her slogan ''strength and experience'' ....... One of her biggest ad buys showed Hillary saying how proud she was to pass along to her daughter the lessons her mother taught about standing up for those who can't do it on their own. She doesn't say how Chelsea stands up for others at the hedge fund where she works, but never mind. ...... A poll early in the Clinton administration showed that many folks didn't even know Hillary was a mother. ....... Bone-tired, knowing she was slipping, she became more like her husband, who never performed as well when he was ahead as when he was down. In one of her last events in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, she blabbed about many of the same old things but did so from some place deep inside her sleep-deprived self. ....... how for the first couple of years of George W Bush's administration she ''yelled at the television set''. She went on: ''You couldn't make this stuff up! The vice president shoots someone?'' ...... We knew she had a brain. Fatigue forced her guard down so that we could see she has a heart. ..... Every once in a while when listening to Sen Obama, I got a lump in my throat. ..... the jolt of pure electric energy at the end of an Obama speech: ''Tears stain some cheeks'' and ''people look a little thunderstruck''. .... John Edwards, who never congratulated the winner at all. ....... Bob Dole joked when the Clintons hung around on Inauguration Day, long after tradition would have Elvis leave the building, that it was going to ''take a SWAT team to get them out of town''. Mrs Elvis is in the race to stay. But she'll have to be really exhausted to beat Sen Obama.

Groundswell for Obama leaves Clinton campaign on the rack Guardian Unlimited In a matter of days, Obama has been transformed from a promising Democratic candidate into a phenomenon. ..... his rousing televised victory speech. ..... The crowds have played havoc with Obama's campaign schedule, delaying the start of his meetings by an hour or more and leaving him stranded in traffic jams. ...... Reflecting Obama's new-found eminence, security round him has been stepped up. ..... Obama leading Clinton by 2 to 1 among independents, who make up an estimated 40% ........ For most of last year, Clinton concentrated on portraying Obama as inexperienced, but that failed to resonate in Iowa. Yesterday, she changed the message, acknowledging he was a good stump performer but questioning his ability to deliver: "There's a big difference between talking and acting, between promising and performing. Over the next three days, I'm going to be making that case." ..... Obama is attracting large numbers of young people, many of them seeing in him a rejection of the values of the "baby-boom" generation of Bush and Clinton. ...... said he became excited about Obama's candidacy after seeing his victory speech
Sarah Sands: To win, Hillary Clinton needs to kill Bill Belfast Telegraph Strategists for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign have come to dread the rustle of conversation among the back rows of audiences during the final lap of her speeches. I feared that her husband, standing behind her as she took to the podium in Iowa, might be stifling a yawn as he thrust out his jaw. Hillary's voice has been so decontaminated of tell-tale feeling that it flatlines. ...... Obama's victory speech had the lyricism and potency (although not the radicalism) of Martin Luther King. ...... The line-up behind her - General Wesley Clark, Madeleine Albright, Bill Clinton - was impressive but dog-tired. Her husband suddenly resembled the sort of Hollywood star who hobbles on to the stage at the Oscars to receive the lifetime achievement award. ..... White suburban women were the most hostile. They described her as " threatening and unwomanly", "ruthless and greedy for power". ...... Penn concluded that Hillary's personality was "just too big a mountain to move" and that her campaign therefore should concentrate on issues and competence. ...... Hillary's stately progress, bolstered by a polished election machine and establishment funds, seems invincible, so long as she is kept away from voters. This is what appears to have gone wrong for her in Iowa. Suddenly political pedigree and clout counted for less than an outstretched hand. ..... To see Hillary lose on emotional intelligence ...... Didn't the sly old entertainer long to push her aside and win back the audience with his bashful charm? Yet he is as constrained as she. They are each other's political soulmates or two drowning swimmers who can't cut themselves free. ...... He thanked his wife, Michelle, " the rock of the Obama family", knowing that Hillary could not mention her husband by name without raising all the dust of their marriage. The name Clinton is so potent with conflict that it has been banned from the campaign. ..... Al Gore joked: "When people ask me what it's like being number two at the White House, I tell them she seems to enjoy it." ...... Should she, as Gore tried to do, now distance herself from her husband? ....... Recently the bumper stickers have grown more confident: "Vote Hill, Get Bill". ..... my favourite quote from Iowa was the voter who said of Bill's praise of Hillary: "It's like my mom saying how great I am." ..... Bill Clinton reportedly said to his friend the journalist Sidney Blumenthal that "trashing me is fine, if it helps Hillary". ..... She must show herself as more than a political construct or a marriage. Hillary Clinton needs to be bigger than the sum of her history.
Obama feels ‘urgency of now’ in US poll lead Financial Times In the wake of his Iowa victory, Mr Obama is also rapidly closing in on Mrs Clinton’s national lead. ...... a candidate even seasoned pundits are now comparing with Bobby Kennedy. ...... Mrs Clinton’s appearances, where there are often fewer people in the hall at the end than at the beginning, has gone from noticeable to striking in the space of a few days. ..... Obama gently deflates Mrs Clinton’s contention that he is peddling “false hopes” to the voters, who should take a “reality check” before endorsing him in today’s primary contest. “Hope”, says Mr Obama, is what led America to end slavery, pull themselves out of the Great Depression and champion civil rights. ...... Did you hear JFK [President Kennedy] saying: ‘You know this moon thing, it looks too far’?” ..... Looking visibly tired, Mr Clinton is for the first time in 20 years no longer obviously the most popular Democrat in America. ........ it will be an uphill struggle for the Clintons to halt Mr Obama’s momentum in South Carolina – or anywhere else. ..... “I am not running for president because I believe it is somehow owed to me or because I think it’s my turn,” Mr Obama says. “[I am running because] I believe we are on the cusp of building a new majority in America.” The applause spills over into whoops of enthusiasm.
Clinton Talks About Strains of Campaign New York Times On the Republican side, Mr. McCain added a new line to his usual remarks, saying: “What I will do will not be driven by any poll. It will be driven by principle. ..... Written off for dead as recently as a month ago, the McCain campaign realized this summer they would have no money to hire pollsters and does none of its own internal tracking. ...... Obama was nursing a strained voice. ..... “I was a little concerned about it, so I asked a doctor yesterday what they would prescribe and they said, ‘Shut up’ ” ...... “I have the experience, the knowledge and the judgment” to lead in a dangerous world. ..... telling voters that his conversations with them were the reason he was able to claw his way back.
Obama, McCain at the head of the poll Los Angeles Times Obama said: "You're the wave and I'm riding it." ..... the New York senator, battling former Sen. John Edwards for second place in New Hampshire ..... "Whatever happens tomorrow, we're going on," Clinton told CBS' "Early Show." "And we're going to keep going until the end of the process on Feb. 5." ..... some websites use photos of her where she appears tired and drawn ..... Obama widening his lead to 36% and Clinton, at 28%, losing ground to Edwards, now at 22%. ....... Actor Chuck Norris, whose early endorsement helped catapult the former Arkansas governor to national status, is with Huckabee on the campaign trail today. Bristling at attacks on Huckabee for being a minister, Norris said on "Fox & Friends" this morning: "Why can't they give him credit where credit's due as the governor of Arkansas, who took over the governorship with a deficit of $200 million and when he left the governorship it was $850 million in the black? Give him a break. I mean, you know, Mitt Romney's a bishop, so why don't they call him Bishop Romney?" ..... quipping to supporters to "vote early and often." ..... "Who do they think they are?" he said of media corporate executives "in glass offices" ..... usually "one is greater than zero." ..... a summit of Democrats and Republicans in Oklahoma offered the prospect of an independent bid for president, perhaps by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Huckabee, Obama face new hurdles in New Hampshire Los Angeles Times Unlike Hart, Obama has plenty of money and a strong organization in place to build on his victory. Like Hart, Huckabee does not. ...... a Democrat who was a pied piper to students ...... Clinton has much deeper political roots in the Granite State than in Iowa
Obama and Clinton turn battle to New Hampshire Reuters took his presidential campaign to New Hampshire on Friday, where he hopes to deal a potential knock-out blow to one-time front-runner Hillary Clinton next week. ..... "New Hampshire, if you give me the same chance as Iowa gave me last night, I truly believe that I will be president of the United States of America," Obama told about 1,000 cheering supporters in Portsmouth. ........ There were hints from her campaign that she might get more aggressive in attacking Obama, which some Democrats said could backfire. ..... Trying to stop a media story line of a campaign in trouble ..... investors' worries that Democrats would end up in control of both Congress and the White House.
Iowa Behind Her, Clinton Campaign in a State of Urgency FOX News She pressed the flesh in New Hampshire and promised to take questions at every stop between now and the state’s Tuesday primary. She stressed that Iowa doesn’t determine who is the nominee, but the campaign’s putting all the chips on New Hampshire now. ....... But Obama’s equally confident, saying at a Portsmouth, N.H., rally Friday that “I am absolutely convinced that we will win the New Hampshire primary in four days.” ..... political analysts were parsing out just what happened to the candidate who just a few months ago was considered to have a near lock on the nomination. ....... the “anti-Hillary Clinton vote” will now “coalesce around Barack Obama
Obama Draws Record Number Young People NPR
Clinton Campaign in Crisis? ABC News
Clinton Camp Looks to Feb. 5 New York Times
Challenges Ahead for Obama (53 comments)
Clinton Loss Means Change of Tactics TIME The debate Thursday night inside Hillary Clinton's shell-shocked campaign was what to do now — specifically: how negative to go on Barack Obama.

Candidates Unleash Final Efforts in Iowa New York Times a nonstop 36-hour bus tour ..... “After all the town meetings, the pie and coffee, it comes down to this: Who is ready to be president and ready to start solving the big challenges we face on day one?” Mrs. Clinton said. ........ creating a coalition of Democrats, independents and Republicans looking for a new direction ....... Each of Mr. Obama’s rallies was designed to be a meeting place for his supporters, who picked up packets of materials to set off on a door-to-door canvassing effort to remind voters of Thursday’s caucuses. Virtually every arm of the campaign — from volunteers to fund-raisers to senior strategists — had a list of telephone numbers to call to encourage people to vote. ....... dispatching thousands of volunteers and staff members to go door to door ....... having been up for 24 hours as he campaigned in 12 cities and towns before wrapping up the bus tour with a rally in Des Moines ........ he said he identified with the striking television workers as an author himself ....... raised eyebrows by suggesting that the situation in Pakistan could lead to special scrutiny of Pakistanis at the borders in the interest of national security. ...... who “writes checks for 10s of millions of dollars and doesn’t miss the money?” ......... he said he expected his appearance on the Jay Leno show to reach more Iowa voters than a day of appearances to crowds of a few hundred each ....... Obama was leading the Democrats and that Mr. Huckabee was leading the Republicans. ....... Obama seemed to have a fresh bounce in his step as he set off on his first fly-around tour of Iowa ........ the trajectory matched the momentum that they were seeing in data they are collecting hourly through telephone calls and door-to-door canvassing. ............ we’ve got these great crowds with unbelievable energy ..... I’m putting my money on my organization. It’s as good and as dedicated and as intense as I’ve ever seen
In Iowa, Candidates Make Last-Minute Rally for Votes Washington Post
Back on the stump, Giuliani now trails in poll Chicago Tribune a new poll showed his once-commanding national lead had vanished. ....... a national image as the man who cleaned up New York City and provided steady leadership in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ....... Giuliani down to 20 percent support, behind Arizona Sen. John McCain's 22 percent and just ahead of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had 17 percent. ........ "In modern times, no one has lost the first four states and come back by winning the fifth" ...... doubling U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan.
Kenya on the Verge of a Showdown TIME At one stage on Sunday in this nation of 36 million, Odinga was one million votes in the lead. Election officials in Kibaki's strongholds then disappeared with the ballot boxes, only to reappear with dramatically enhanced tallies for the President, who was promptly declared the winner and sworn in less than an hour later. Kibaki's first act was to ban live TV and radio broadcasts of the resulting unrest. With the U.S., U.K. and Kenya's own Electoral Commission questioning the result, Odinga is demanding that Kabika admit that he lost. ....... Kibaki is a Kikuyu, Kenya's largest tribe with 22% of the population. Odinga is a Luo, Kenya's third largest at 13%. .... Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement ..... might descend into the kind of ethnic slaughter seen in Rwanda in 1994.
Edwards in Iowa: Closing With Class For about 30 seconds before speaking he simply stood, head back, smiling, relishing the cheers and chants of "Go Johnny, go" ...... "I have to tell you I've never had so much fun in my life" ....... a two-minute speech, his voice breaking ...... his closing argument takes square aim at Clinton in particular ........ The way Edwards sees it, the people standing in the way of progress are not Osama bin Laden or Kim Jong Il, not even George W. Bush and the Republicans. The evildoers that Edwards promises to vanquish — to the delight of most crowds; "Go get 'em, John" is a frequent shout from the crowd — are America's CEOs. ......... Edwards may be worth an estimated $100 million
Obama in Lead Ahead of Iowa Caucuses Arab News Forty percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers identified themselves as independents, the poll said, double the percentage from 2004, and 60 percent said they would be attending a caucus for the first time. Both groups preferred Obama. ....... if Obama can produce the large independent turnout the poll anticipates, he will have transformed at least these Iowa caucuses from a conclave for party regulars to something more like a typical primary What an Obama presidency means Taipei Times For the past three decades, no Democrat could win the presidential nomination of the party after losing these two contests. ...... late September he was trailing Clinton 53 percent to 20 percent ...... In Iowa, an ABC News poll conducted last month showed that Obama had gained a 4 percent lead over Clinton (33 percent to 29 percent). In New Hampshire, Obama had 32 percent against Clinton's 30 percent, according to a Los Angeles Times survey late last month. In a similar survey in September, Clinton was 19 points ahead of Obama. ........ If Obama wins in Iowa, his chances for victory in New Hampshire will be greatly enhanced because other Democratic competitors with less than 15 percent support in Iowa will drop out of the race, allowing Democratic voters in New Hampshire to "bandwagon" Obama because of his greater electability nationwide. ........ "Obama fits the year in terms of aspirations and hope" ....... 45 percent chose having "strained relationships" with one's children (referring to president Ronald Reagan) and 52 percent chose being 70 years of age or older (Reagan was elected three months before turning 70). .......... 28 consecutive years of a family presidency ....... "inspirational, motivating, charismatic and compassionate" ...... Obama is more electable nationally than Clinton ....... a Princeton University professor (probably a Democrat), an expert on health insurance policy, told me her impressions of a meeting with Obama. She marveled at his magnetic personality and his vision as a potential statesman. ........ The war is costing some US$300 million per day ....... The war, already the top issue in the presidential campaign, will loom even larger in November. It will be heavy baggage for any candidate, Republican or Democrat, who has not consistently opposed it.
Obama's long tour ends on Iowa high Guardian Unlimited long bus rides across a frozen landscape. ...... the most exciting talent in the Democratic race ....... he knows how to build effective coalitions ....... Obama's crowds are generally fired up, even in conservative regions of the state like this one. Some have even crossed the state border from Nebraska to see Obama
Kucinich urges Obama as a second choice Los Angeles Times
Former SC Governor Endorses Obama The Associated Press Obama "was more impressive last week than he was the first day I met him — and he was pretty darn impressive then," said Hodges.
Plenty of reasons for saying a win here may be no big deal Times Online Never in the modern history of presidential elections has the identity of both parties’ nominees been so hard to predict on the day of the first vote. ...... In the 13 elections, Iowans have picked the man who became the party’s eventual nominee seven times, suggesting that a win in Iowa is useful rather than indispensable. ....... John McCain, once left for dead, but now resurgent
CNN/WMUR/UNH poll: Clinton regains lead, GOP tied Boston Globe With less than one week before the New Hampshire Primary Clinton went from two points down on Obama to up four in two polls
Giuliani's Collapse CBS News In New Hampshire, Rudy is similarly dropping like a stone. ..... Even in his 'firewall' states like Florida, Rudy's lead is rapidly diminishing. ..... polling evidence that shows the more Republicans voters see Giuliani, the less they like him.
Can Social Search Take Down Google? Sci-Tech Today Wikia Search will launch with 50 to 100 million Web pages indexed, while Google indexes billions of pages....... "Filtering as millions of eyeballs commenting and voting can beat any algorithm of any company"
Google Changes Algorithm? WebProNews search terms are revealing more time-sensitive articles as opposed to historical or factual pieces. Items from Digg are ranking higher than the usual favorite Wikipedia.
Big B: the off-screen persona Hindustan Times

Will Kenya's Vote Lead to Tribal War? TIME The chaos represents Kenya's biggest domestic political crisis since independence from Britain in 1963. It was also a major disappointment for a country that had been considered a bright spot in the troubled region of East Africa. ...... our institutions have failed us ...... Turnout was 70%. Nairobi's Daily Nation newspaper boasted such a peaceful and energetic political process would be the "envy of Africa." But the mood soured as the counting went on. And when Odinga jumped to a lead of nearly 1 million votes, results were delayed from several of Kibaki's strongholds. Election officials either disappeared with ballot boxes or refused to answer their phones. When the final result was announced, Kibaki had squeaked through with a victory over Odinga. .......... unrealistically high voter turnout rates, close to 100% in some constituencies
Iowa Braces for the Morning After the bittersweet day after — when the many presidential candidates, their thousands of campaign workers and countless journalists stampede out of the state, often even before the sun rises on January 4. ........... the campaign workers' fawning attention ...... the possibility of bumping into Bill Clinton and Magic Johnson at the grocery store. ....... Iowans will be able to answer their telephones again, free from automated robo-calls and solicitous pollsters. ....... They can switch from dissecting the candidates to grousing about the weather. ....... really picks up people's moods — they see themselves being viewed nationally as very important to a very important process ........ the national attention has been a bonanza for the state's hospitality industry, media outlets, politicians and pundits. (Des Moines fairly glowed after it was described recently as "cool" by the New York Times.) ......... "the most politically-knowledgeable and aware voters in the country" ....... don't Iowans deserve some credit for the many town hall meetings attended, the many questions asked, the many speeches endured? Surely the white-haired man who sat beside me in the bleachers at a candidate's event, diligently taking notes ....... volunteers who have canvassed for candidates door to door, rain (snow, sleet, freezing fog,) or shine. ...... "Usually Iowans are apologizing for where they live. That's not the case with caucus season." ..... once the circus moves on, I don't think we expect anyone to continue to pay attention to us.
Another Bhutto in Pakistan Bilawal, a 19-year-old student at Christ Church, Oxford, will lead the party with his father Asif Ali Zardari. ...... "I stand committed to the stability of the federation," Bilawal said in an extraordinary and emotional press conference following the meeting. Speaking in English, his voice rising to a youthful shout towards the end of his short initial statement, and fighting back tears, Bilawal told supporters, "My mother always said democracy is the best revenge." ....... would now be known as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Party supporters immediately began chanting, "Long live Bilawal Bhutto." ....... The ruling PML-Q party said the election would likely be delayed by three months or so, in part because several electoral offices have been ransacked and burned in the chaos that was unleashed by Benazir's assassination. ........ Following Benazir's death, the worst violence was in her home province of Sindh, where talk of separation has been growing. ........ he often made reference to his mother in his profile on Facebook. .... Bilawal posted a statement from his mother the day of her assassination, which read: "You can imprison a man but not an idea. You can exile a man but not an idea. You can kill a man but not an idea. — Benazir Bhutto." The day of the assassination his Facebook status read: "Well behaved women rarely make history." ....... He is a very sociable student and very well liked. ..... Bilawal attended many Oxford Union debates in his first few months at Oxford and says that Bilawal is an engaging and sociable young man.
Missing Evidence from Bhutto's Murder With rumors of government complicity in Benazir Bhutto's assassination rife throughout Pakistan, the country's stability may depend on the absolute transparencey of the investigation into the murder. ....... her husband and her supporters are asking for a United Nations-led inquiry into her death ..... there is very little for international forensics experts to investigate. ....... Within hours of the attack .... authorities had already hosed down the streets. Pools of blood, along with possible evidence such as bullet casings, DNA samples from the bomber and tracks had been washed away ....... Retired Lieutenant General Hamid Gul, the former director general of Pakistani Intelligence, said he was shocked to see people cleaning up the debris so soon after the assassination. "It's a crime scene, and they're washing away all the evidence! We need to be asking why the hell was this thing done." One of the few pieces of evidence from the crime scene that remains is amateur footage showing a clean cut man in a black vest brandishing what appears to be a gun. ...... Doctors who had attended Bhutto immediately after the attack initially said that she died of gunshot wounds, but over the weekend they released new findings in line with the Interior Ministry's claim that the official cause of death was head wounds sustained when Bhutto fell. The reversal has many people suspecting government interference. ....... Khan says he is naturally skeptical of talk that the government could be behind the assassination but says that their inept handling of the investigation only adds to the rumors. ......... "How come, at least in the last three years, there have been scores and scores if not hundreds of bomb blasts and suicide attacks in Pakistan and the only incidents that resulted in people being arrested and sentenced is in the two attacks on Pervez Musharraf?" ........... Islamic traditions hold that the body is sacred, and must not be disturbed in death. ...... a knee-jerk choice of "usual suspects." ...... Speaking through his spokesman to the BBC, Mehsud denied any involvement in the attack, as he did when he was accused in the October 18th suicide bombing at a Bhutto rally in Karachi that killed some 140. Such denials, of course, are meaningless, but they do exacerbate rumors of government complicity, a situation that benefits an anti-government insurgency. "There is a very strong possibility that the intelligence agencies were behind the attack," Mehsud's spokesman told the BBC. .......... The government pirouettes may have less to do with a possible cover-up of an administration-led assassination than a poorly executed attempt at damage control. ....... waving to crowds from the sunroof of her car was clearly a risky undertaking ....... Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said that Washington needed to answer some "troubling questions" about Pakistan's investigation so far. ...... "We want a [assassinated Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik] Hariri commission-style investigation... we are writing to the United Nations for an international probe into her martyrdom."
Kenyan Church Burned, Killing Dozens New York Times an escalation of ethnic violence ...... In Nairobi, the capital, tribal militias squared off against each other in several slums. ...... clear evidence of ballot rigging ...... A knot of rage seemed to be moving across the country, from the slums of Nairobi, the capital, to the cities along the Indian Ocean, to usually tranquil towns on the savanna. ....... in the slums, heavy fighting continued ...... The election has uncorked dangerous resentment toward the Kikuyus, the privileged ethnic group of Kenya, who have dominated business and politics since independence in 1963. ....... country is one of the most stable and prosperous in Africa ....... there was undeniable evidence of fraud in the ballot tallying, but that election officials refused to do a recount because they wanted to keep the government in power. .......... Mr. Kibaki, 76, faces trouble not just on the streets, but in Parliament as well. More than half of his cabinet was voted out of office, and his party won about 35 seats in Parliament, compared with about 100 for the opposition. ......... two of Kenya’s largest donors issued pointed statements
The Money Factor: Edwards Responds to Obama Rumor Mill FOX News The latest Des Moines Register poll of 800 likely Democratic caucus-goers puts Obama at 32, Hillary Clinton at 25 and Edwards at 24. Questions have been raised about the poll’s accuracy since it says a large percentage of independents and Republicans will caucus with Democrats. ........ He said all campaigns should be publicly financed. “When I win the Iowa caucuses on Thursday, the money will pour in. That’s how it always works” ..... Edwards’ wife Elizabeth then got up and grabbed the microphone. “You may not be surprised, but I am surprised and disappointed in Michelle,” she said.
Clinton Pitches Her Experience; Disputes Register Poll Washington Post Beginning with her work for the Children's Defense Fund fresh out of law school, Clinton documented -- in a detailed manner -- the accomplishments she has accrued over the past three decades ....... Hillary is the "most famous person no one knows." Many voters still do not feel like they know Clinton beyond a superficial reading of her life. ...... "When I talk about the '90s some of my opponents say 'There she goes again talking about the past,'" Clinton said. "It's not like it's ancient Rome. It's ten years ago." ....... a desire for change is trumping the need for experience in the minds of Iowa voters. ...... Thirty percent said that a candidate's ability to bring about change was the most important factor in their vote, while 27 percent said they wanted a candidate who could unite the country. ....... Hoping to blunt Obama's momentum -- which may be an impossible task at this point ........ Clinton argues that she has seized the initiative following her endorsement by the Des Moines Register ...... The excitement and nervousness in Iowa from all the campaigns is palpable. What a contest!
Obama, Clinton battle for top spot in Iowa AFP Obama headlined a riotous New Year's Day rally, basking in a new poll by the respected Des Moines Register newspaper which had him up seven points on Clinton ........ "We stand on the brink of something very, very special here in Iowa," Democrat Obama told at least 400 cheering supporters, invoking his calls for hope and change, during nearly a year on the campaign trail. "Now after 10 months, it looks like it might just work," he said, though was careful to warn backers there was still work to be done. ........ the rivals braved icy Iowan roads for a penultimate full day of campaigning before the caucuses. ........ A Zogby poll had Clinton leading Obama 30 percent to 26 percent. A CNN/Opinion Research poll has her on 33 percent, Obama on 31 and Edwards on 22. ...... if Obama can get the legions of previously fickle young and first-time caucus goers to show up on Thursday, he has a good chance of victory. ..... "Why on earth would we expect the corporate powers and their lobbyists, who make billions by selling out the middle-class, to just give up their power because we ask them nicely?" Edwards wrote. ....... The Register, in its last poll before the caucuses, said Obama's lead in the hotly contested caucuses had been built on a huge influx of first-time caucus goers, and previously independent voters.
Obama: 'Some big things might happen in 2008' Baltimore Sun The stop was the first on a day when Obama will visit three of Iowa's four corners in advance of Thursday's presidential caucuses. ....... you have earned this special place you have in this democracy ..... "I want to thank Sasha and Malia for putting up with me running for president for the last 10 months," he said, after the girls waved shyly to an audience of hundreds in a high school gym. "And how about the Christmas commercial? They hit their lines perfectly." ........ Tuesday's edition of The Des Moines Register carried a large headline that reported that a new Iowa Poll shows Obama ahead .......... a critical psychological boost for Obama after several days that the media storyline had focused on a surge by Edwards. ..... "The only thing that matters is if you show up to caucus." ..... Obama said he rejected the "politics of slash and burn" when he was behind Clinton in the polls over the summer and early fall, saying he opposed doing a "Tonya Harding on the front-runner." ....... Obama volunteers had knocked on about 50,000 doors on Sunday. ..... her husband would be "the best president we have seen in a long time." ..... "Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated my faith in the American people," he said. "Ten months later, we stand on the brink of doing something very, very special."
Tough 2007 taught Obama how to fight Chicago Sun-Times a candidate whose parentage (African and Caucasian), elite education and emotionally riveting speech at his party's 2004 national convention seemed to bridge the racial divide that has distempered the American psyche. ....... Obama was too genteel to smack a lady for her policies, and it took him months to muster up the wherewithal to criticize her. ..... but his tours through Iowa taught him to duck and weave Clinton's jabs, and it gave him confidence in himself. ...... Obama has turned out to be a feisty Rocky with a Harvard Law degree ....... Over the next six months, Obama would make many visits to Iowa and New Hampshire -- with occasional forays to South Carolina, Nevada and California -- ducking out to fund-raising events between public town hall meetings. In fact, he spent so much time on the phone and importuning small groups for money that he was able to woo some former Clinton supporters, including high-profile Hollywood types such as David Geffen. ......... His campaign's sortie into new media, in a way no other campaign had done ...... But the savviest political minds can never predict how Iowans will decide.
Obama-labor relationship tense in Iowa Politico “I’m taken aback that somebody like Obama would think that Oprah Winfrey has a greater right to participate in the political process than the 4 million people I represent,” Edward J. McElroy, the president of the American Federation of Teachers .......... they are suggesting that workers are somehow a special interest, just like insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry ......... The independent support — $2.7 million on Clinton’s behalf and $2.1 million on Edwards’ at the last count — is flowing simply at too high a volume for Obama to shrug off, and it’s immediately noticeable on the airwaves and in the mailboxes in Iowa. ....... So his campaign has tried to make the most of it, using it to raise money in urgent e-mails, to cast him as a reformer to reform-minded Iowans, and to cast Edwards — who says he opposes the spending — as a hypocrite. ........ The e-mail referred to AFSCME as “Hillary Clinton’s friends from Washington” ...... The campaign also released a letter from an AFSCME member in Iowa who wrote that she was dropping out of the union in disgust at their attacks on Obama. ......... In 2004, for instance, Plouffe managed the campaign of House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt, while Obama’s communications director, Robert Gibbs, worked for an independent group funded by Gephardt supporters that aired a notorious ad attacking former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s national security credentials by using the visage of Osama bin Laden. ......... “It’s a choice of allowing a party that is trying to kill it to keep power versus a Democratic Party, which isn’t always the greatest ally, but is an ally and isn’t out to kill it every day,” said Jonathan Tasini, the executive director of a pro-labor research group, the Labor Research Association. ... “whoever is the nominee of the Democratic Party is going to have 1,000 percent labor backing.”
Clinton raises record $100 million, says campaign CNN dollars -- the lifeblood of a presidential campaign.
Clinton, Obama Claim $100 Million Raised The Associated Press senator from New York will have raised more than $20 million during the past three months. ....... By only confirming its end-of-year total, Clinton's campaign was drawing attention to the biggest number it plans to report. ..... Plouffe said Obama had 472,630 unique donors as of Sunday evening. ...... Edwards has qualified for $8.8 million in public matching funds, bringing his total for the year to about $44 million. ..... dark horse Ron Paul was reporting having raised $19.5 million during the final three months of the year, a sharp increase from the $5.2 million he raised during the previous. ..... Paul's fourth-quarter haul would surpass the third quarter fundraising by each of his Republican rivals. Paul has caught fire on the Internet, attracting a national following among donors drawn to his opposition to U.S. troops in Iraq and his libertarian views.
Paul Rivals Clinton, Raising Almost $20 Million for Campaign Bloomberg
Clinton's fundraising topped $100M for year; $20M in 4Q USA Today
Clinton doubts new Iowa poll Boston Globe the new Des Moines Register poll that shows Democratic rival Barack Obama widening his lead just days before the crucial caucuses. ...... Obama led with 32 percent, while Clinton stayed at 25 percent and John Edwards stood at 24 percent. Obama rose from 28 percent in late November and had the largest lead of any Democrat all year, thanks to support from likely first-time caucus-goers, including large numbers of independents.

Iowa: One And A Half Victory Parties

There was a part of me that was relaxed: Barack will win Iowa. He will win all four. There was a part of me that was still anxious. Got to watch and make sure though.

First I had thought of going to the party in Harlem. Then I decided to go to the DL21C one near Times Square instead. Elizabeth Caputo's last question to me at the December Baby? party had been "Will you join DL21C?" I said, "I have no interest in DL21C." But later I kind of thought about it and produced this: I Want To Join The DL21C Steering Committee, 2.0 Screen Time, 5.0 Face Time, Of Racialism, Progressive Group Dynamics. I was not going to say no to joining, but I would only join if the organization agreed to go 2.0. I had said, it is that or death to the organization. That was a look at the trends. That was not a "threat." I am in the business of killing rival tech companies, political organizations are not my domain. What I had meant was minus 2.0 DL21C will shrink in size and importance. Just look at BarackObama.com. You think Barack will fold up the tent in January 2009? No way. That is when BarackObama.com will kind of launch. That will be his vehicle for eight years in the White House, that will be the primary attraction of his presidential library. And it is a stripped down version of both Facebook and MeetUp.

I got out of the train and walked over to the venue. Outside there were a few Hillary and a few Obama supporters holding placards for the benefit of TV cameras. I recognized Arthur. One woman gave me a placard to hold and tried to get me on TV. I hope it worked.

There was playful banter among the two crowds. One guy gave me a glove. That was handy in the cold.

Then we all walked in. I was pleasantly surprised to see there were booths for the top three candidates. I mean, DL21C is a neutral organization, officially. Members might have their choices, but the organization is neutral. Like their trip to New Hampshire, it is for supporters of any candidate. But this still surprised me because Danny Hamburger had created a ruckus over email with me about why you are posting links to your blog at the DL21C Facebook group wall? That was the beginning of the end of any semblance of civility between us.

Next time he met me, he growled at me, "I am serious!" And walked away.

I walk inside and see Hakeem Jeffries. I walk over to him. He looked like he just got there. We make small talk. Then he said he was thinking of going to the main Obama 2008 victory party that was somewhere downtown. He asked me if I wanted to go.

I got to know Hakeem before he became an elected official. I like him. NYC political organizations are full of people who are never going to run for anything. But he ran, and I saw it. When you meet him, you meet a pro.

I was not too excited about the prospect of walking outside right after I had just walked in from the cold.

So when I moved on, he was still standing there with a few people. I was a little torn though. But I walked upstairs. I went to the Obama table. Made some small talk. Then situated myself in front of the nearest TV from that table.

Soon enough I find myself flanked. Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger to my left. Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead in the front kind of in the way of the TV. In Berkshire, England, these two would have been skinheads engaged in hate crimes, but here they don't even get to engage in hate speech, so they settle for rude speech. In the solar system they got asteroids. At DL21C they got Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger and Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead. These two are total float objects. They don't have the slightest clue what they are doing on this planet. They don't know where they came from. They have no idea where they are going. They live from one meaningless conversation to the next, one beer to the next. Especially this Mikie guy, there is dumb written on the sole of his feet, I will bet you. His only political relevance is Dave Pollak probably says hello to him once every three months. Otherwise this guy could not speak two sentences of politics. He could not knock on doors to hand out flyers.

I talked about the last hurrah of the white male here a few days back: John Hot Air Edwards. What I meant was Barack's victory and Edwards' loss should not be seen as the last hurrah of the white male. Bill Clinton won for being the best candidate in 1992. In 2008 that best candidate happens to be Barack. This is not about color, this is about merits.

But Danny Babyface IamnobabyfacebecauseIgrewabeardsinceyoulastsawme Hamburger and Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead are the theme song for the last hurrah of the white male. I have not read any of the Harry Potter books, but I am sure there are characters like these two thrown somewhere in there.

I heard a few repetitions of do you understand, and then leave. Leave? I am thinking Hakeem. Is that guy still downstairs? The idea of his offer sounded tempting. I also thought of this elderly white lady in this story: Holiday Party 4: Is This Where The Bingo Game Is At?. How about giving these two guys the same treatment? Will that make their day? I rushed down to see if Hakeem was still there, but he was gone. I did not know the location for the downtown party. So I turned around to go back up to go get the location from the Obama table. And these two dimwits, I noticed, had followed me out to the gate and had been looking at me walk away. They had expected some kind of a shouting match when they said "Leave!" Nothing dramatic like that happened. Or maybe a fire alarm. I am sure they were gunning for that.

At the gate Mike Luchipuchinachi Thereisdumbwrittenallovermeandthereisawhitetrashtatooonmyforehead says, "Can I help you with something?"

I guess I could have said, go get the flyer on the Obama table that has the directions to the big Obama party downtown, but that would have been a master-servant kind of thing, and I am an egalitarian kind of guy, so I went and got it myself. Arthur at the table is like, "Don't go, don't go!"

The Maoists of Nepal are the biggest, most ultra-left group this world saw after the end of the Cold War. I have played a role in mainstreaming them. That is tough. Two dumb white guy assholes talking rude, that is not tough.

When I got to the location downtown, Jackie had just stepped out to smoke. She gave an excited hello. Inside the place was packed. You could barely walk from one end of the room to the next. I did not see Hakeem but I saw a bunch of others. I was so glad. So many familiar faces. This was not a neutral crowd. Jordan was there. And so many others. People were just happy.

After greeting a few people, I found a place to stand and was glued to the screen. Not long after I felt this gentle nudge to my right. "What are you thinking?"

There was this serene, beautiful, slim woman looking at me. If I look like I am thinking when I am watching TV, I am impressed with myself.

She said she lives in Brooklyn.

"Me too."

"Park Slope."

"I live south of the park. Near the movie theater?"

Yes.

She said she was like Barack, both black and white. I find that so very attractive.

"Everybody's mixed, they just don't say it," she said.

She later asked for my card. My business card is highly misleading. My name on it is correct, everything else is slightly misleading. There is a random number on it that is not a phone number, there is a phone number that does not belong to anybody. There is a website address: the site does not exist. There is an email address that works but that I seldom check. The point being, google my name to get my contact info.

I said to email to my gmail address. She also gave me her email address.

I decided I was going to email her tomorrow. Let's hang out. I like it she lives walking distance. Prospect Park is the most parkey park in the city. She sounded up for it.

For a little while I was a little anxious about the results. Barack was neck and neck with the other two. And I was a little tense. But then soon enough he took the lead and the lead just got wider and wider and wider.

"There is no competition!" I high-fived a few people.

Barack's victory speech said it all. There was no competition. His speech stood out.

DFNYC, Drinking Liberally, Manhattan Young Dems, DL21C. There was this phase when I went to many of their events, and to numerous Nepali events in Queens. Then I veered to Obama 2008 while still going to a few events from the old organizations. I have been one of the early Obama volunteers. But I resisted getting into structured organization from the very beginning. (NYC, Obama, Structure, Me) I am not a blogger, I am a digital democrat. BarackObama.com works great for me, or at least did during summer. You find events to go to, and you go to them. I went to events in all four boroughs. It was so much fun to go to some of these far flung events. So different from the bar routine of the Manhattan events. Like there is this huge garden in Astoria. That was great.

I am so into Obama 2008, but I have stayed away from structural organization. Does not work for me. The group dynamics of a slow moving organization just does not float my boat. And so my style has been to keep the intensity by just showing up to experience events.

But I have met Barack. He is like Muhammad Ali or something. There's no more famous politician to meet after him.

Most important, I have my startup to look into. I am so excited. Finally I might be able to strike the kind of 2.0 and 5.0 balance that I have wanted. Not even corporations have the 2.0, 5.0 thing going on. Political organizations kind of thrive on inefficiency, slow movements, checks and balances, stuff like that.

Barack's Iowa victory has been so clear, it made me want to think in terms of a potential running mate, even though I have said I will not really do so before February 5. Hillary? Edwards? Spitzer? That Virginia guy? Somebody else? Who?

Obama proved something amazing in Iowa, that he could get young people to show up and caucus. This guy is now Mr. Organization Master in my book.

2.0 Screen Time, 5.0 Face Time, Of Racialism, Progressive Group Dynamics

Recently a reporter asked Google CEO Eric Schmidt what he thought of 2.0 and what he thought 3.0 might be. He said 2.0 was just a marketing term. Not so. 2.0 is a very concrete milestone for web technology.

Web 5.0: Face Time
A Web 3.0 Manifesto

The other day I was hanging out with team member two - I stole him from Morgan Stanley, they just promoted him, but he is quitting nevertheless - of my tech startup at his place, his girlfriend who lives in New Haven and cousin who lived only a few blocks away, joined a little later, my first time seeing them. And when it was just the two of us early on, at one point he was saying 5.0 this and 5.0 that. And I said, "I hope you realize you and I are the only people who talk of 5.0." The term has not caught on.

I lived cloud group dynamics for two years for Nepal's democracy and social justice movements. The price I paid: weak social muscles. After we hung out for a little while, an hour or two, more perhaps, the idea of going to the movie came up. I skipped that part. It got a little too much for me. I later wrote to him: sorry, weak social muscles. Cab drivers who don't get into the habit of daily, elaborate exercise end up with back problems. 2.0 cloud group dyanmics, if not accompanied by a rich emotional, social life, can result in weak social muscles. It is an occupational hazard. As we build our team, we will have to remember. 5.0 is key.

2.0 and 5.0 have to go hand in hand. That is a given for my startup. Recently I suggested the same for DL21C, an organization I have long respected as the top political organization in the city.

I Want To Join The DL21C Steering Committee

I suggested the 2.0, 5.0 thing to DL21C, but there are a few differences. With my startup, I just go ahead and decide. A political organization is a different organism. But its adoption of 2.0 and 5.0 does not have to be as total as for my startup. But I can't see how it can skip it entirely.

Made me think, though.

Imagine a high quality video. Then you reduce the quality of the video. Then you turn it black and white. Then you get rid of the imagery altogether. Then you get rid of the music. Then you put the words from the video down on a piece of paper. Face time can be said to be that high quality video, an email is that piece of paper with words only.

When I put out theories on gender, I am always worried if I am just talking stereotypes, or if I am upto something after all. Like the proposition that men are instrumental - think action movies - and women are relational. The high quality video is great for the relational mindset. You see many details to the conversation that you want to see. But to the instrumental mindset, the email works just fine. The mind does not even know what it is missing. But to the relational mindset, an email has many fill in the blanks. You see meaning that was not put in there, but to you it is as real as if it was put in there. Can lead to a lot of misunderstanding and confusion.

So there is that major content difference between 2.0 and 5.0. But 2.0 does not just come in the form of words. Besides content, there is a major interactivity difference.

TV is not interactive. It is one way. You watch. Newspapers are not interactive: crossword puzzles don't count, or not that much. But when the internet came along, it was different. It was interactive. You could click, you could search, you could send and receive email. That was Web 1.0. The current DL21C website is a great example of a Web 1.0 site. All Web 2.0 did was take interactivity to a whole new level. So much more interaction became possible. Facebook is the flagship example of a 2.0 application.

Geography is irrelevant. That is the basic postulate that makes the current technology feel highly inadequate. All the features are not there. And perhaps the richness of face time will never really be replicated.

But compare 2.0 interactivity to 5.0 interactivity. Face time interactivity is so much richer. There are so many additional elements. There is so much more emotional interplay during face time. The degree of difference is just humongous.

Content, interactivity. And then there is the social dynamic that comes into play.

To overgeneralize, let's say Queens is a largely brown crowd, Brooklyn is a largely black crowd, Manhattan is a largely white crowd, Bronx is primarily Hispanic. New York City is at once the capital city of the world, the most diverse place on earth, and also its most segregated in some ways.

So when someone brown like me shows up at a "progressive" event that is predominantly white, I don't hear alarm bells ringing in my head, but I do notice it is a predominantly white crowd, and it is racial, not racist, but racial.

It did not take me long to get to know all the top people at all the top political organizations in Manhattan after I moved into the city. And I can stand my own when it comes to politics. And over time you do get to know a few people here, a few people there. And at that point the city feels like a small town.

But this city is the Amazon forest of humanity: all possible human life forms live in this city. You routinely meet jerks. I don't love this city because it is devoid of racists, but because they might reveal themselves once, but then they don't have to stay in your face.

My favorite one is where some random, dumbass white guy will go ahead and "slap" a conversation between a white woman and a nonwhite guy. It is like they sense budding intimacy and will not put up with it. There are a few problems with that. First, not everyone is trying to hook up. Most conversations are social. Second, he is invading the personal space of two individuals and is being racist and sexist at the same time in suggesting who these two individuals may or may not talk to, or to what extent. Such dumbasses are ripe targets for some basic verbal jujutsu. One oneliner, and they don't know what to think next.

There is an underlying value system that decides why a crowd is predominantly brown, or black, or white or Hispanic. A total reliance on 5.0 says that value system comes before the individual. And that is why I put so much emphasis on a seamless 2.0 and 5.0. For political action, that is my big reason to emphasize 2.0. I can't imagine a decided move towards a post-ISMs individual group dynamic without a seamless 2.0 and 5.0.

And there is a major major efficiency issue. 2.0 is just so much more efficient. 2.0 enriches 5.0.

So: content, interactivity, post-ISMs individual group dynamics, and efficiency. But then there is another angle to content. There's all that stuff online that I just can not convey during face time. I will have to email you a blog post to make a point once in a while.

As to what particular combo of 2.0 and 5.0 is right for an individual, it is for the individual to decide. The same applies to organizations. For my startup, it is total, with an emphasis on 2.0. For a political organization like DL21C, it can be a Lite version, with the major emphasis on 5.0.

DL21C has an enormous reservoir of untapped social and political capital in terms of all the members it has in three big cities, and all the guests it is able to summon: pretty much the who is who of American politics. I wish there were a movies version of DL21C, I'd like to meet Al Pacino, I once said to Elizabeth. DL21C is like Arabs before they realized they were sitting on top of oil, politically speaking.

December Baby?

John Hot Air Edwards

John Edwards rose from a humble background - "son of a mill worker" - to build a very big, fancy house in North Carolina. He worked for a hedge fund when hedge funds were still cool. He took a "break" from campaigning to go on a "poverty tour" for a week, was it this summer? This firebrand messiah of the working classes used to talk of "two Americas." Many have seemingly flocked to him as the last white male hurrah. C'mon people, this is a job application. Let the best qualified person win, regardless of skin color.

I like John Edwards as I like the rest of the Democratic fiend. I can't remember the last time the Dems had it this good. But this guy is not going to be president. This guy should not be president. He is a loving husband who says the word "fight" so much because he wants his wife to fight her cancer. He knows he is not going to win this race, but he is in to make a statement. He wants the working classes to be heard. And I will not have it any other way.

But this is not a guy you can imagine in the Oval Office. He wants to nuke the insurance companies to get to universal health insurance. He wants to offer vouchers so some families can escape the dead end of the inner cities. Look at the picture of his house above. This guy does not get it.

The working white males of the unions have got behind him because it is identity politics. He is white, he is male, his father was a "mill worker," and he has taken to breathing fire. The nice guy of 2004 is gone.

He will make you feel good, but he will not get anything done. First, he will not win. For him it is a matter of dropping out after Iowa, or after New Hampshire, or after Nevada, or after South Carolina. That is as far as he goes. He does not get to see February 5. If he finished third in Iowa, he is over after Iowa.

But if by some miracle he were to become president, he will have to disown his fire if he is to begin to start to doing anything.

What a waste. You get the working classes, and the union households excited, and to what end?

Barack is the one who will deliver. He is the one who is looking at the big picture. No, you don't nuke the insurance companies, but you make sure they are not the only ones at the table. It is that approach that will bring health care for all.

We don't need more fire. We need more light.

Don't Count John Edwards Out Yet
John Edwards, Voucher Man, Is A Republican
PBS Debate: Hillary Was Strong, Barack Was Warm, Edwards Was Composed
McCain Is 1970s, Hillary Is 1990s, Edwards Is 2004, Obama Is Today
John Edwards: Antiwar




"The Congress spends money like John Edwards at a beauty shop."
- Mike Huckabee



In The News

Deadly Rioting Over Kenyan Election Results ABC News
Obama campaign touts crowd sizes Baltimore Sun his crowds have been significantly outsizing those of rivals John Edwards and Hillary Clinton in the Iowa battleground. ...... his events have drawn more than double the attendance of Edwards events in several Iowa cities. ..... In the match-ups with Clinton, they contend Obama draws at least 50 percent more people. ..... The crowd sizes are also a testament to organization
Obama, Edwards look beyond Iowa, NH Boston Globe Plouffe outlined a 24-slide presentation that not only details what he called growing momentum in Iowa and New Hampshire, but also describes progress in Nevada, where Democrats caucus on Jan. 19; South Carolina, which votes Jan. 26; and in the Feb. 5 super primary. ...... has the minimum of $100 million to compete in the first 26 states to vote, has 32 offices in 17 of the 22 states scheduled to vote on Feb. 5; and has the highest favorable ratings and electability findings among the leading Democrats.
Obama's Campaign Manager Makes The Case Atlantic Online gently eviscerating (thanks, Mark Leibovich, for the phrase) John Edwards's chances after Iowa, contending that he has no organization to speak of in most of the states following Iowa and is severely limited as to what he can raise and spend. ............. Obama "has the dominant field organization in Iowa" and is well positioned to win "with even the most aggressive turnout models." And Obama is strong outside the cities, Plouffe said. "We believe we're going to be viable in every county, in every precinct." ........ Obama is the strongest second choice preference among those Democrats most likely to caucus. ....... "Sen. Edwards will have no operation to speak of in the Feb. 5 states. I believe Sen. Clinton has political or field organizations in five or six of those states. We have, I believe, 17 of the 22 states covered." ......... John Edwards .. can spend only $17M more between now and Democratic National Convention. ......... the campaign's internal polling shows Obama leading in New Hampshire. ...... the campaign estimates turnout among African Americans in South Carolina will be well above 50%. ...... "We believe that by Feb 6., we'll be turning our attention to the general election."
Obama's Middle Class Appeal Washington Post Meet Barack Obama, man of the people. ..... The Illinois senator is weaving new threads about his life into his stump speech, recalling a time not long ago when he was a member of the beleaguered middle class ..... ordinary problems, like daycare and housing costs, that he and his wife Michelle confronted as recently as five or six years ago, before he was elected to the U.S. Senate and became a best selling author. ....... "We were still struggling with all the student loans we had to pay off after law school, because neither of us were rich," he said. "Our parents couldn't provide us with all that education. We had to borrow. We hadn't started a college fund yet for our kids. We hadn't started saving for retirement. We had some credit cards we had to deal with. We were living in a small condo that was getting a little too small for our two kids." ..... People nodded their heads. "I was doing the grocery shopping," Obama continued. "Michelle shopped at Target. She does still shop at Target. She really loves Target." He quoted his wife telling him, "I think one of the reasons you'd make a good president now is...we're not that far from being normal." ...... "That's why I didn't become a trial lawyer," Obama told the Newton audience -- a clear dig at Edwards, who made millions in the courtroom.
Democrats Try Various Styles, and Pronouns New York Times In the last 10 days, Mrs. Clinton has presided over “Moms and Daughters Making History” events, “Time to Pick a President” events, “Working for Change, Working for You” events, “The Hillary I Know” events and “Every County Counts” events. ...... Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s events are meticulously planned. ....... “I think you do it by working really, really hard,” she said, before going on to catalog her résumé. ....... look very much in need of a good night’s sleep, or 10. ...... (Mr. Obama outdrew him 900 to 300 at simultaneous rallies in Davenport on Friday.) ...... He speaks less than an inch from the microphone and deploys bellicose words (22 “fights” in 40 minutes on Saturday morning) ....... a scattering of older voters covered their ears. ...... tends to address his crowds as a singular civic unit (“Hello, Marshalltown”), like a real rock star would. ....... Toddlers are more likely to be seen scurrying around Obama events, sometimes breaching forbidden areas, like TV camera risers. ..... Clinton’s events are meticulously planned and orderly, and even seem regal at times. ...... hands folded in perfect symmetry with her mother’s. ...... Mrs. Clinton and Chelsea were slumped shoulder-to-shoulder, holding each other up. ...... Mrs. Clinton took the microphone, thanked him profusely, and praised him “for producing wonderful fruits and then expanding into juices.” ........ Mrs. Clinton gets by far the most autograph and photo requests. ...... He vows to invite C-Span to broadcast his health care deliberations, resulting in one of his most sustained and reliable applause lines. ....... He is gifted at summoning fresh rage, despite delivering these grievances so many times. ....... Edwards described a sharp phone conversation he had with President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan after Benazir Bhutto was slain.
Obama to Iowans: Pick me at least as 2nd choice Reuters pick me second if you don't pick me first. ...... "Make me your second choice, although you are wiser making me your first," he said to laughter and applause. ...... the other four Democratic candidates are not expected to get to the magic 15 percent mark
Michelle Obama Counting Down to Caucus on Campaign Trail KMEG 14 She says today's generation of young people are timid, hesitant, and doubtful........ "We are afraid of everyone and everything, the problem with fear is it clouds our judgement and cuts us off from one another, our own families, communities and cutting us off from the rest of the world."
Surging Edwards may be blessing for Clinton Newsday Meet John Edwards, Hillary Clinton's baby-faced tormenter - and the guy who just might be her last, best hope to stop Barack Obama in the early primary states. ....... he's splitting the vote against her ..... His collapse could deliver his supporters, overwhelmingly anti-Clinton, to Obama in numbers great enough to push deadlocked New Hampshire and South Carolina into the Illinois senator's column. ....... Joe Trippi, who said his candidate's gains have largely been drawn from Obama. ....... Edwards and Obama are rediscovering their mutual animosity after a year of ganging up on Clinton ...... "If she finishes third, how can she recover?"
Clinton leads in Iowa but Edwards gains Reuters "It's about as close as you can get at the top in both races," pollster John Zogby said. "But it's still very uncertain." ...... The poll showed Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, leading Edwards and Illinois Sen. Obama by four points, 30 percent to 26 percent. Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, gained two points overnight to pull even with Obama.
Prominent Clinton backer criticizes Iowa caucuses CNN International Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland told The Columbus Dispatch it "makes no sense" to grant Iowa the right to hold the first presidential contest. He called the GOP and Democratic caucuses "hugely undemocratic," because the process "excludes so many people." ...... Clinton's Midwest co-chair, Jerry Crawford, told him that Clinton would "not be here caucus night." ........ it was because she "needs to get to New Hampshire." ....... Asked at an event Sunday night in Cedar Rapids whether she planned to spend the night of January 3 in Iowa, Clinton first laughed and then told CNN, "I'm just trying to get through each day here." Pressed to clarify that remark, Clinton said, "I've got to figure out what I'm doing." ....... "She is staying in Iowa until after caucus returns come back, and won't leave until late, late, late that night," Carson said.
Tenth Senator Backs Clinton The Associated Press

Bhutto's son maintains political dynasty USA Today
Bhutto’s Son, 19, Chosen to Lead Pakistan Party New York Times
Obama Tries New Tactics To Get Out Vote in Iowa Washington Post "the largest grass-roots volunteer operation that Iowa has ever seen." ....... an Election Day operation that combines an apparent edge in technology with the tried-and-true grunt work of a traditional Iowa campaign ........ Obama began organizing in Iowa by deploying more staff members earlier to more counties and by building tracking mechanisms to identify and retain supporters. ....... the campaign mines data gathered online: Which petitions did people sign on the campaign Web site? Which e-mails have they answered? ....... today's Web is vastly different, that Iowa is much more wired, that they have learned that electronic touches are only part of the picture. ...... It's not just a computer-to-computer relationship -- it's a person-to-person relationship. ...... She taped a call to them and told them to expect an envelope in the mail. The packet, less political than other Clinton mail, included a card that said, "If you're itching for change, scratch here to win." Those who sent it back received a blue travel mug that said "I'm standing with Hillary." The campaign collected the names of thousands of potential supporters -- so many that it needed a tractor-trailer to haul all the mugs. ...... "We realized it wasn't that we needed to spend our time building the support in Iowa for Hillary -- we just needed to turn out the support that she had," said Emily's List spokeswoman Ramona Oliver. "We looked at why they wouldn't go -- what were the barriers?" ....... an online advertising strategy that popped up a link to its Web site every time a computer in Iowa searched Google or Yahoo using specific terms. ..... By the end of the week, about 20,000 visitors from 613 Iowa towns had clicked on the ads...... The group decided not to send out-of-state volunteers to knock on doors in Iowa. "It just felt wrong" ....... campaigns have been urging Iowans for months to bond with like-minded supporters at barbecues, house parties and mock caucuses. And that's why the ground armies are arranging rides and babysitters, and the candidates are returning again and again to Ottumwa, Davenport and Mason City. ...... The key of keys, Hildebrand said, is to knock on doors. ....... "Working the ground, going from house to house, talking to supporters and those leaning towards us and to undecided voters, is what we'll do all day Thursday," he said. "Nothing beats that door-to-door contact."
Bloomberg Moves Closer to Running for President New York Times A final decision by Mr. Bloomberg about whether to run is unlikely before February. Still, he and his closest advisers are positioning themselves so that if the mayor declares his candidacy, a turnkey campaign infrastructure will virtually be in place. ...... a pragmatic, progressive centrist ..... Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican, who has said he would consider being Mr. Bloomberg’s running mate on an independent ticket. ....... Bloomberg-Hagel, Bloomberg-Nunn ...... Bloomberg, who has tried to seize a national platform on gun control, the environment and other issues, has been regularly briefed in recent months on foreign policy ......... might invest as much as $1 billion of his own fortune ....... the Electoral College has nothing to do with parties, has absolutely nothing to do with parties. ........ “a rich Ralph Nader” ....... what’s magical about people who happen to be a member of a party? ...... after six years as mayor, Mr. Bloomberg was itching for a new challenge — much like he was in 2000 when, as chief executive of Bloomberg L.P., he was flirting with running for mayor. ...... Can he run for president and serve as mayor of a combustible metropolis simultaneously for eight months?
Incumbent Declared Winner in Kenya's Disputed Election Washington Post
Sean Penn and wife set to split after 11 year marriage San Jose Mercury News
Obama Fires Back at Edwards Washington Post that he is "too nice" to bring about change in Washington, dismissing what he called "hot air" and "rhetoric." ...... Edwards called the idea of sitting down to negotiate with special interests to solve the nation's problems a "complete fantasy", adding: "You can't nice these people to death." ...... Obama's strategists long believed that Edwards would fade as the caucuses drew closer, ceding the anti-Clinton vote to the Illinois Senator. That has not happened; in fact, just the reverse is true -- Edwards appears to be gaining strength in recent Iowa polls. ...... Edwards casts himself as a skilled, effective and willing fighter for the middle class ...... "There's no shortage of anger in Washington," said Obama. "We don't need more heat, we need more light." ....... Voters tend not to like their presidents angry, preferring candidates who appear above-the-fray and always looking at the big picture. ...... "George Bush is the most anti-science president in American history"
Chelsea Clinton Guards Her Words The Associated Press a 9-year-old reporter .... Sydney Rieckhoff, a Cedar Rapids fourth grader and "kid reporter" for Scholastic News ...... she approached the 27-year-old Chelsea after a campaign event ..... "Do you think your dad would be a good 'first man' in the White House?" Sydney asked, but Chelsea brushed her question aside. "I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute," Chelsea told the pint-sized journalist. ...... Tall and attractive, Chelsea cuts an impressive figure on the campaign trail; she plunges enthusiastically into the crowd after her mother's speeches, shaking hands and posing for pictures while asking, "Are you going to caucus for my mom?" ...... An aide follows the former first daughter as she works the crowd, shushing reporters who approach her and try to ask any questions. ...... For her part, Sydney looked a bit crestfallen after Chelsea turned her away.

I Don't Doubt Hillary's Compassion Overall, Just Her Judgment On Iraq

Hillary went to many poor villages in many poor countries as First Lady. That is one of the reasons why I admire her so much.

But Bill Clinton is now campaigning like he were bar hopping making outrageous suggestions that somehow America would be less safe under President Obama. That line of argument worked for Bush against Kerry in 2004. Bill Clinton thinks it will work for Hillary now. Hillary took the cues from Bush when it was time to vote for or against the Iraq War. Bill Clinton is taking cues from Bush 2004 for January 2008.

Bill Clinton was okay with Hillary 2008's inevitability theme all of this year until it seemed to evaporate off and then he went ahead and blamed Mark Penn for having come up with such a ridiculous line of argument that would lead to total disaster should Hillary lose Iowa.

Bill Clinton talks of 9/11 and Katrina as two things Bush did not see coming. What we don't see today might happen in 2009 or 2010, he seems to be saying.

Is Al Qaeda news to Bill Clinton? I don't have the slightest doubts in my mind that the Al Qaeda, an organization that is stronger today than it was on September 10, 2001, plots everyday to pull off something bigger than 9/11 on American soil.

One scenario I painted yesterday was this. The Al Qaeda that has managed to penetrate the Pakistani state - you don't have to get the top guy, there are enough God-fearing, God-loving middle ranked people in Pakistan's military and especially intelligence services who will not have a hard time in choosing between their allegiance to their God and their state - might manage to "steal" nuclear material, and transport it from Pakistan to Africa to Mexico, using ancient transport methods (mules, anyone?), cross the border, and detonate it in, say, Dallas. That is the next 9/11. An incident like that would mentally paralyze all American cities.

Global warming is no news either. Katrina could happen again. Before the California wildfires, there were similar wildfires that burned down a major chunk of Greece, and the Greek authorities were out arresting known arsonists. That was not arson, that was global warming.

If terrorism and global warming will surprise you, you are not ready to be president, or the presidential spouse.

The worst byproduct of America's invasion of Iraq was that was America taking one eye off the Al Qaeda. Result: the Al Qaeda is stronger today than ever before.

When I study Al Qaeda's momentum, I fear Bin Laden might pull off something bigger than 9/11, one final act, before he goes down in flames.

If you could have imagined 9/11 the year before, what would you have done to prevent it? Or would you have sat idly by?

Now I am asking you to imagine a dirty bomb in Dallas, and giving you a pretty precise geographical location of the people who might mastermind it. What will you do to prevent it? This is a call to design a new antibiotic to go after this new strain of virus. It is not a state with a standing army, so the state with a standing army way will not work. And the approach can't be reactive. Got to be proactive.

I think it is obvious that the Al Qaeda is America's number one security threat.

Either Hillary apologizes for her 2002 vote that took one of America's eyes off the Al Qaeda in a dumb diversion, or she stop pushing the argument that somehow she is better prepared on issues of foreign policy.

If you are scared of terrorism, you should vote for someone who seems to know who the enemy is. The person to vote for is Barack.

If you are scared s___tless on global warming, as you should be, the person to vote for is Barack. He is the only person in this race on either side who can bring the world together on this as many other issues. And, yes, having lived abroad as a child, having family origins on several continents is a big part of it. Living abroad counts. (Living Abroad Counts)

And when Barack mentioned tea, he meant tea as offered in the American embassies and fancy hotels where First Ladies are kept under tight security even when they make their rare ventures into Third World villages.

Between foreign policy and domestic policy, Hillary's strength is domestic. She should stick to it. She should emphasize domestic policy more. Like her generic health care policy: everyone and Harry Truman's cousin have had good ideas on health care. The real question is who can actually bring the country together around it and deliver. The Clintons already got to try once. They failed miserably.

Hillary Messed Up On Iraq, And Al Qaeda Is Strong, America Insecure
Al Qaeda Strikes India, Wants Hindu-Muslim Riots
Bush Nabbed Saddam, His Mandate Was To Nab Osama