Senator Clinton to be placed into nomination at the convention

Looks like Senator Clinton will be placed into nomination alongside Presumptive nominee Obama.

As anyone who has followed this blog can attest, I am not a big fan of Senator Clinton. Her campaign was at times embarrassing, and at other times mean-spirited. She seemed far too interested in making the campaign about her, and her followers have often been unbearable.

However, I have no problem with her name being put into nomination at the convention. The Obama campaign appears to be on board with this move, which is reason enough for me to believe it is a wise course of action. It will give her supporters one last chance to show her their support, and will give an excellent opportunity for her to pivot her support fully over to Senator Obama.

If this happens, it will be completely in the hands of Obama's campaign. There isn't any conspiracy to derail his nomination, at least not in the minds of any rational person. Only the craziest of her (and Obama's) supporters believe some coup will take place if she is entered for nomination. Trust me, it is nothing but formality and ceremony. It will be a nice appetizer to set up for the big feast on Thursday.

Obama's V.P. is...

Not yet announced!

Sorry for that, but I just wanted to give you fair readers (all 1.3 of you) the same feeling I got when I received an email from Obama campaign manager David Plouffe yesterday. The campaign is announcing the Vice Presidential selection via text messages and email, and they wanted all of us supporters to sign up to be the first ones to know.

This is an interesting strategy, and probably means a V.P. announcement is imminent. When I get that "super-secret" email, I'll be sure to let you know who the choice is.

Brilliant Move, Senator McCain

Great move, Senator McCain. Challenging Senator Obama to make an international visit is working so well for you. It's not like the rest of the world loves the idea of President Obama.

Lovely move, scheduling that press conference on a oil rig, and canceling due to a freaking hurricane. You'll be such a wonderful President.

Seriously, why is this even close? McCain and his campaign is acting like they want to lose, and Obama is looking very Presidential on his trip. Yet the polls are still very close. This leads to a couple of possible theories.

1. We are a nation of ignorant morons.

2. Only die-hards and masochists pay attention to the campaigns prior to the conventions.

Although I won't discount theory #1, theory #2 is probably the biggest answer (and the less depressing). If this keeps up after Denver and St. Paul, McCain will likely go the way of Barry Goldwater.

Obama on Patriotism

If you haven't already checked this out, here is Obama's speech on Patriotism that he gave on Monday. I'm sure its likely you haven't heard much about it, because the media seems far too concerned about kissing John McCain's ass and bitching about Wes Clark being such a jackass by telling the truth.

It's just as compelling speech as Obama's "More Perfect Union" speech he gave during the whole Wright BS storm. It once again shows why Obama is not the typical candidate, and why he should be our next President.

Also, check out this wonderful analysis by Al Giordano at The Field. It is a wonderful post, and truly brings up some good points for those on the left who are panicking about Obama's "perceived" move to the center (present company included).

Democratic Veep Watch

Here is the August Prairie semi-educated Veep Watch Rankings. As usual, all predictions are guaranteed, or you get your money back.

Frontrunners

1. Kathleen Sebelius

2. Brian Schweitzer

3. Tim Kaine

4. Evan Bayh

Middle of the Pack

5. Jim Webb

6. Bill Richardson

Longshots

7. John Edwards

8. Hillary Clinton

9. Christopher Dodd

10. Wesley Clark

11. Russ Feingold

12. Ed Rendell

No Chance in Hell

13. Al Gore

14. Chuck Hagel

Hillary Clinton probably would have been in the middle of the pack until it was announced that Patti Solis-Doyle had been hired by Obama to be the as yet unnamed VP candidate's chief of staff. It is unlikely that her hiring would be a good sign for the "dream ticket" die hards.

I know there are some hopeless dreamers falling in love with an Obama/Hagel ticket, but that just won't happen. Hagel is a very conservative Republican who would not mesh with the Obama campaign. I know he has been a vocal critic of the Bush adminstration in regards to Iraq, but there are plenty of qualified Democrats that fit that profile as well.

This is why he should be President: Reason #5,253,353

Here is a blog post by Senator Obama from 2005, following the appointment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts. It clearly states Obama's vision for the Democratic party, and our nation. He took a lot of flack from the progessives in the Democratic party for this, but he clearly shows he is his own man, and truly represents a chance to remove ourselves from the gutter of Clinton/Bush/Rove politics.

Of course, Roberts has turned out to be a true friend of Bushism, but sometimes you just have to give the benefit of the doubt. In the long run, that attitude will win out, even if it loses some battles.

You mean there are more states than OH and FL?

Even though the two states mentioned above will still be important states this fall, Senator Obama and his Democratic Party are rolling out a strategy that is unprecedented in this day and age. According to emails I have received from the campaign, they will be putting staff in all 50 states, something that hasn't been done in a generation.

Although the campaign (nor I) expect them to win in all 50 states, or even come close in many, it still is comforting to know that they are attempting to grow the party. Yes, Virginia, there are Democrats in Kansas and Utah. For too long the Democratic party has yielded far too much ground to the Republicans, and the result has been terrible defeats at the ballot box.

When Howard Dean became chairman of the DNC, he implemented a 50 state strategy. During that time, the Democrats have made significant gains across the country. This, coupled with a candidate who believes in a nationwide Democratic party, and not just an urban Democratic party, may be a sign of great things to come.

John McCain Steals from Obama

Looks like Senator McCain and his campaign can't help but steal from Senator Obama. First it was his slogan, replacing "Change you can believe in" with "A Leader we can believe in". Then he decided to change his website to be awfully similar to Senator Obama's. Finally, he decided that Senator Obama's logo would be a nice thing to copy.

Looks awfully similar (although admittedly different in other ways as well) to Senator Obama's:


They say copying is the sincerest form of flattery, but I would like it if McCain would go further. Maybe steal Obama's plan to restore America's foreign image, or his commitment to upholding Roe v. Wade. I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

And then there was one (Democrat)

After her attempt to muscle Senator Obama into quickly naming her his running mate failed, Senator Clinton has finally faced facts. During her inconclusive speech on Tuesday night, it appeared she might be in this for much longer than it appears now. However, her tune changed once her closest supporters started appealing to her to rethink her position. This, combined with another flood of superdelegates to Obama, and a brilliant decision by Obama to name Caroline Kennedy to his VP search committee yesterday, led to where we are now.

Everyone who has read this blog knows I have had issues with Senator Clinton's campaign. Some of the tactics used by her camp have been downright odious. However, she certainly knows what she is talking about, is a determined and fierce fighter for what she believes in, and truly believes she is doing what's best for this country. Her biggest mistake was underestimating the political genius of Senator Obama and his wonderful campaign team.

There is no doubt that Senator Clinton's tough fight has made Senator Obama a better candidate. Over the course of the long primary season, he became a better debater, showed his strength and resolve, and let himself become better known to the entire country. Clinton ending her campaign now allows the Democrats to benefit from the 50 state campaign of the primary season, while still reserving five months to hit Senator McCain and the Republican machine hard.

Now is the time for all Democrats (and dissatisfied Republicans and Independents) to get together and rally behind Senator Obama. This year may represent a major shift in how we view electoral politics in this country, and there are some opportunities for the Democrats to make gains not seen since the New Deal Coalition was formed in the early 1930s.

To all of the passionate Clinton supporters out there, I salute your dedication to your candidate, and hope you will give Senator Obama a chance. Ninety percent of their policy positions are the same, and their differences are minor compared to what John McCain stands for. If you care about fixing our health care mess, preserving a woman's right to choose, and restoring our standing abroad, Senator Obama is your candidate.

To all of you Obama supporters, celebrate this victory for about ten minutes, and get ready for the second half. The Republicans and their Rovian machine are revving up for this battle, and we would do well to meet them there. I have great faith in Obama's ability to overcome the opposition, but he can't do it without our help. We have shown what can be accomplished when people take an active role in shaping their government already, now it's time to finish the job. Help the supporters of Clinton up, be graceful in victory, and realize that now is the time to move on to the next set of challenges.

Game On!

And then there were two...

As Senator Barack Obama is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party, we have removed the Senator Clinton supporter post from the side bar. It still exists, if someone is desperate enough to root their way through the site to comment on it. If the Libertarian or Green party candidates gain more traction as time goes on, we might consider adding them to the list with Senators Obama and McCain.

Obama's Speech

I'll have more to say about Obama's speech at a later date. To sum up my first impression, I believe it was an excellent speech. It was graceful to Senator Clinton, offered a stark contrast to John McCain's ugly speech, and was an excellent start to the General Campaign.

BTW, that Michelle/Barack fist pound was awesome. Although I am really looking forward to Obama's presidency, I believe Michelle will be a great first lady as well.

Go Crazy, Obama Fans, Go Crazy!

At 9:00, MSNBC interrupted McCain's creepy ass speech to announce that Senator Obama is now the presumptive Democratic Nominee. 

More to come on this wonderful night, including a quick hit on McCain's ugly little speech.

Open the Champagne, Beer, or Root Beer, party the night away, listen to Obama's speech, and get ready for the big show. The real work begins tomorrow.

Prelude to a Celebration

As of this posting, Barack Obama's web site is reporting only 12 delegates to go until clinching the magic number for the Democratic nomination. Unless he doesn't reach viability in Montana and South Dakota (not going to happen), Obama will clinch it tonight, if not sooner. The superdelegate trickle became a flood, and is only going to get bigger. 

Stay tuned...