THURSDAY, January 22, 2004

WAITING FOR THE NEXT EXPLOSION

Fun, isn't it?  Waiting for Howard Dean to explode again on the campaign trail.  The latest polls in New Hampshire aren't being kind to the Deanie Babies.  His temper and demeanor have placed him on a downward ratings slide.  You did see Dean's favorable vs. unfavorable ratings the days before and the day after Iowa, didn't you?  A poll of New Hampshire voters showed a 57% favorable rating for Dean before his Iowa tantrum.  The day after it was 39%.  His unfavorable ratings went from 19% to 30%.

By the way ... has anyone bothered to ask what this all means for Al Gore?  Al throws his support behind Dean, and it's a sleigh ride to poll hell from there.  Who would want the endorsement from a man who couldn't carry his home state in a presidential election anyway?

This isn't only bad news for Dean, it's also bad news for Bush.  I'm sure there are Bush campaign strategists who would have loved to have seen Dean get the Democratic nomination ... and then self destruct during the actual campaign.  Now he isn't going to get that chance.  Right now the odds favor John Kerry.  He's an experienced politician, so he knows the national ropes.  Not only is he a veteran, but he's a combat veteran with a Bronze star.  Kerry has never said that he would seek the permission of the United Nations before using America's military might to defend our people and our interests.  Kerry is going to make a formidable opponent for George Bush ... much more so than Dean could have hoped to be.

AND BUSH ISN'T DOING ALL THAT HOT EITHER

94-84-76.  Those are the numbers for Bush's last three State of the Union speeches.  In 2002, just months after the terrorist attack, 94% of Americans had a favorable impression of Bush's State of the Union message.  That has dropped to 76% in 2004.  The only part of the speech I really liked dealt with Bush's determination to continue the war on terror and his efforts to bring some stability to the Middle East.  I'm not impressed with his spending initiatives and his promise not to increase discretionary spending by more than four percent.  What would be the problem with just a 1% decrease?

HEY, BOB!  LET'S GO GET A CUP OF COFFEE

I guess government workers are pretty much the same everywhere.  In Finland a government worker at a tax office died while sitting at his desk.  And there he sat, for two entire days, before coworkers noticed that his productivity had declined just a bit.  Only in the wonderful world of government could an office staff mistake a dead employee for one who was actually getting some work done.  Walk into almost any government office not connected with law enforcement in this country and you will encounter some people who you seriously doubt have a pulse.

A SAD LOSS

Ron Crickenberger was one of the people who got me into the Libertarian Party.  Ron was from Georgia and served as the political director of the Libertarian Party from 1997 to 2003.  During this time the number of Libertarians serving in elected office in the United States more than tripled.  Ron died of cancer earlier this week, a loss that will be felt by all Libertarians.  Here's Ron's bio from the Libertarian Party website.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU WIN ONE

Last year we told you about two sisters, Louise Sawyer and Grace Fuller, who decided that they were going to make some big bucks from a harmless nursery rhyme on an airline.  They boarded a Southwest Airlines flight in Las Vegas to return home.  While the airplane was at the gate a flight attendant got on the intercome and said "Eenie, meenie, minie moe; pick a seat, we gotta go."  Oh pity poor, poor picked-on Louise and Grace.  They're black, you know, and they claim that the little poem was aimed at them.  They were so upset by the slight that they suffered physical and emotional distress.  Racism rearing its ugly head yet again.

Well, the case went to trial in Kansas City on Tuesday.  By Wednesday night the jury had told the sisters that they didn't have a case.  Sorry, girls.  No money.  You're just going to have to live with the physical and emotional distress.  If there was true justice out there you would be picking up all of Southwest's legal costs as well.

READING ASSIGNMENTS

If you're going to promote someone for a "Distinguished African American Student Award" it's not enough that the student be an American from Africa.  The student must also be black.  Now if this school had a "Distinguished Black Student Award" it wouldn't have run into this little difficulty.

OK ... enough of the serious stuff.  Let's play a game.  It's time for "Escape from Neverland!"  Go ahead and let one of the little boys escape and see what happens. (warning, may be nsfw banner ads on site)

Click here.  Just do it.  You won't regret it.  You need to remember ... you need to be reminded.  You must never forget.

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