Anyone thought about the dynamics of the newscasts tonight and how the white hot spotlight on this race will push the networks to be the first to call the race?  This won't impact the voting, as they of course will not call the race until at least 8:00pm after the polls close.  But, how will this impact the entire night of news on CNN, MSNBC, Faux News, and the major networks (on their web pages)?  The timing of "the call" of the race tonight, early or late, could significantly impact the coverage...  

What will it be this week on Saturday Night Live?  Another pro-Hillary set trying to make her seem comfortable in her own skin?  Obama being portrayed as a helpless, inexperienced nimrod as he calls Hill for help answering a 3am red phone call?  Maybe SNL will kick it up a notch and have him calling a helpline for help tying his shoes or for some direction as to whether he can tear that "do not remove" tag from his pillow?  

If SNL was an honest national broker, instead of a "homer" for their NY Senator Clinton, we'd all tune in tonight to see Obama make a guest appearance, or to see a segment making outrageous fun of Clinton.

On February 26, 2008, just a week before the Ohio Primary, John McCain announced at a rally in Cincinnati that televangelist Rod Parsley was his "spiritual guide."  This was an important "get" for McCain because Parsley is the pied piper of the religious right in Ohio, and McCain had been struggling with those in the Religious Right and fellow uber-conservatives, and he also needed to end Huckabee's constant needling.  McCain can now put a small checkmark in the religious right voting box...but that checkmark comes with some HEAVY baggage...

As I live just down the road from Parsley’s church and home, this hits home for me in a big way, and I felt compelled to prep a diary on the subject.  Also, I’d promised Anastasia, Meteor Blades and some others in a few diary comments that I’d follow up with a diary on this.  So, if you’re interested, read on below the fold for additional details and for an excellent link to videos of McCain’s "big toe" and spiritual guide, Rod Parsley (aka, the Parsley Flake).

The phrase on the tip of many blogger’s and political pundit’s tongue is "the will of the people."  Obama has won the most states, the most votes and the most pledged delegates, and most folks are angered at the Clinton campaign’s avoidance of the question as to whether she’ll bow to the will of the people, or instead attempt to bypass the will of the people by jamming Florida and Michigan delegates into the mix as is and by inherently bribing some super delegates to swing her way.  

So, why doesn’t the Obama campaign just drive this point home... with a sledge hammer.  Everyone is talking about this issue, so why not put it front and center and remind the American people of Obama’s successes over the past few months.  The Obama campaign should wait until they’ve won Mississippi and Wyoming, and then launch an ad similar to the one shown below, pronto.  As of Wednesday March 12, there are only 8 states (plus Guam and Puerto Rico) and about 600 pledged delegates remaining to be decided.

Anyway, here’s an early framework for THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ad...

The Obama campaign released its February 2008 fundraising financials today indicating that Obama had raised $55 million, over 50% more than the $35 million raised by Clinton!  In addition, both Tom Brokaw and a Missouri Representative have indicated that 50 super delegates would side with Obama later this week.  Here are the links:

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.c...

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/...

The weather reports for Texas and Ohio on Tuesday may have an impact on these two primaries.  Will it be clear sailing for getting folks to the polls, or will it be tough sledding?  Will it be hot, warm or cold?  Will it be dry or wet, rainy or snowy?  Will there be storms and tornados?  What is the chance for falling anvils?  Jump below the fold for the Tuesday weather report.

Just got back from the Fairfield County (Ohio) Republican headquarters.  I was there because someone had called me on the phone representing the Obama campaign and had sent me to that address for phone banking.  What is really wild is that when I got back a few minutes ago, I checked the address on the Obama web page and that is the address that is listed on their web page.  More after the break...

My hard-right, welfare-hating, fiscally-conservative, I-got-mine-bugger-off uncle in Boston sent me and other members of my family in Ohio the story below the fold.  It's really a wretched way to look at the world and your moral obligations in this world...but I think many of those on the right see things just like this.  Anyway, I'm preparing a response, but thought it would be interesting to get a few thoughts from kos nation.  So, nickel for your thoughts?

Since September 2007, when Barack Obama was a speck in Hillary Clinton's rearview mirror at 29 points down (44-15), Obama has gained a total of 12 points on Clinton to be down 17 points per today's SUSA poll.  Obama is now clearly visible in Clilnton's rearview mirror.  And, given the fact that the Obama just set up shop in Ohio about 10 days ago, that he just ran his first television ad in Ohio yesterday, that he has yet to hold one rally or campaign event or make one speech in Ohio, Clinton may want to note that objects in her rearview mirror are closer than they appear.

It may have been more of an unofficial endorsement, but the Columbus Dispatch appears to have endorsed Clinton (and McCain) in Sunday's Columbus Dispatch.  Take a peek below to see if you agree.  I think they made it unofficial yesterday and will double-dip and make it official in the last Sunday in February, just before the Clinton-Obama debate in Ohio, or on March 2, two days before the Ohio primary.

John F. Wolfe, a major Ohio Republican backer, is the newspaper's publisher.  Historically, my hometown paper has had a conservative slant. The paper's last endorsement of a Democrat as a Presidential candidate, was for the reelection of Woodrow Wilson in 1916!  Mr. Wolfe, and the Wolfe family, have spent the past few months talking up Hillary Clinton and including articles writing off Obama's wins as solely due to the black vote, in hopes of having a McCain-Clinton matchup, apparently seeing that as the only hope for the Repubs to retain the Presidency.

I'm pissed that Lucy (the Dispatch) has pulled the football out from in front of Charlie Brown (me) again while trying to kick off.  When will I learn.  I'm also pissed that the Dispatch is writing off Obama's wins as being black-backed only.    

Huckabee took McCain to the woodshed in Kansas earlier tonight (60-24), and if he somehow finds a way to also win in Louisiana and/or Washington tonight, the headlines are going to take McCain out to the woodshed.  CNN just said that the AP headlines were already bad, "McCain Flunks First Test."  Unless some of the more moderate Repubs manage to force Huck out, he's going to make McCain endure a regular beating from the Repub conservatives until he wraps up the nomination.  What's comical, is those conservative Repubs that absolutely friggin hate McCain, they'll actually enjoy watching McCain run their gauntlet over the next few months.

Just Suppose...that on the Republican side, the P/VP team is John McCain and Mike Huckabee, and suppose that on the Democratic side, the P/VP team is Barack Obama and...hmmmm...Virginia Senator Jim Webb, Colin Powell, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Eliot Spitzer, Hillary Clinton, or...who would you choose?  Which VP candidate really makes you go...WOW, damn, what a great choice?  Which VP candidate do you think helps Obama win the general election?  Which VP candidate would you want to be OUR presidential candidate in 2016, running against the 114 year old John "I ain't dead yet and it's still not too late to bomb Iran" McCain?  

Paul Kane at the Washington Post has crunched the numbers and finds that it is mathematically impossible for Clinton or Obama to win the Dem nomination in the standard process.  That puts the super-delegates, the Dem Party elite, front and center to choose for us.  Head below the fold for the number crunching...

Now that Super Tuesday I is in the rearview mirror and the Obama hybrid has pulled alongside the Clinton SUV, the available delegate crop has been significantly diminished and we look towards Spring.  Given the state primaries in February, Obama is well-positioned to sweep February and pull ahead of Clinton in the delegate hunt.  Obama may even gain a few more super-delegates, as yesterday’s results will give many of them pause to rethink their votes.  

That leaves Super Tuesday II on March 4th, including Ohio, Texas, New Hampshire and Vermont and their 442 total delegates up for grabs.  Once Super Tuesday II passes, only ~17% of the delegates will remain outstanding.  So, March 4th may be the last real chance for Clinton to regain her footing and to build some closing momentum in the primaries leading to the Democratic National Convention on August 25th.  Fail to stem the Obama tide in OH and TX on March 4th, and Clinton will never again make it out of Obama’s rearview mirror.  

So, jump below the fold for a look at some stats and thoughts on the Super Tuesday II primaries on March 4 in Ohio and Texas...      

Just a quick diary with a couple of points.  First, a University of Cincinnati (Institute for Policy Research) poll conducted between Wednesday and Sunday, has Sherrod Brown (D) over Mike DeWine (R), 56-44, with a MOE of 3%.  This helps shore up the Columbus Dispatch poll that had Brown up in the teens over DeWine.  Second, get off your ass tomorrow and vote early.  And, then go to your local Dem office and volunteer to make GOTV calls, be a poll watcher, be a poll runner, put up the last of the signs and drop off the last of the handouts, take people to and from the polls, witness and support those that have witnessed voter irregularities and problems, and most importantly, RUN THROUGH THE FINISH LINE TOMORROW.  

Good night, and good luck...from Ohio.  Wonder what KO has planned for tonight?    

THE TIME IS NOW TO KICK SOME REPUBLICAN ASS! LET'S DO THIS THING!  HOOOOAAAAH!

Just got out of bed, fed the dogs and strolled out for the Sunday paper.  After I got it in and poured a cup of coffee, I opened it up to this headline: "Could it be this Bad for the GOP?"  The first sentence says it all, "With more than a third of Ohioans ready to vote a straight Democratic ticket, Republicans could be headed for electoral disaster Tuesday unless their vaunted get-out-the-vote effort comes through." But the real eye-popper was the new polling results, framed as a banner across the top of the paper.  Poll results after the break...

This is a short Stu Pidasso diary asking folks to check and see what the weather forecast is in their area for Tuesday November 7, 2006.  I know that only big-time nasty weather truly has a negative impact on voter turnout, but figured it do us all some good to spend some time talking about the weather, instead of about Kerry.  Of course, I'm sure some numnut will state with absolute certainty that any inclimate weather that shows up in their area on election day is directly attributable to John Kerry.  Oh well, the world needs more Stu's.  

So, how 'bout that weather, huh?!  

Ohio papers reported today that attorneys may take their case requiring that Ohio voters provide proof of identification to cast an early absentee ballot, to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order last night staying a lower court ruling from last week that put the voter ID requirement on hold.  Thus, county election boards that were telling voters last week that they didn't need ID for their absentee ballots, are now telling them the opposite.  I knew the Repubs couldn't leave this alone and that they would delay an appeal to max out the potential chaos.  The culprit (intervener) is Jim Petro, current Ohio AG and the loser to Blackwell in the Ohio Repub Gov. primary.  Petro said he felt he had a duty to defend the constitutionality of legally enacted laws by the General Assembly.  What a numnut.  Wait for it, maybe he'll break into a patriotic verson of GBA.  Officially, the intervention was not with Blackwell's approval, but you have to be skeptical.  Regardless, chaos and bullying are the name of the Repubs game in Ohio in 2006.