tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-257643522011-12-14T18:32:57.829-08:00Election And Campaign News & ObservationsRod Ramseynoreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-41046665765175317542008-03-16T22:21:00.000-07:002008-03-16T22:22:28.156-07:00

Seen on a nearly abandoned street near Los Angeles's Skid Row.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-50583050994179995692008-03-14T23:42:00.000-07:002008-03-14T23:44:43.954-07:00

He stumbles, and this is way off his message. This is the test. Can he pull this off, or does his coming down to earth to address these issues kill him?In any case, the Clinton oppo team has had a good week. Maybe the decisive week.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-90267515192928644632008-02-13T01:36:00.000-08:002008-02-13T01:37:03.593-08:00

Go ahead, try to tell me this doesn't remind you of the campaign this year.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-76029080266790684482008-02-05T10:54:00.000-08:002008-02-05T10:55:38.341-08:00

So one scenario under which the Dems might lose in November-A brokered convention.It's shaping up that way now. Today will likely be a split decisionon the Dem side, with no clear winner. It's also likely that all theremaining primaries will finish up with Obama with a slight lead indelegates, but not enough for the nomination.So then it's on the Superdelegates, or delegates who are unbound

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-28327068547520133012008-01-26T22:10:00.000-08:002008-01-26T22:14:49.890-08:00

In a stunningly impressive speech for a late-early stage primary victory, Barack Obama played his strongest card- his oratorical talent and vision. Watching this, you see how he could win, and even think for a time he might mean what he says.How odd for a politician.If anyone can lead a new movement in national politics, it might be this man.Whatever the case, the speech is a joy to watch.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-66058603896497631032008-01-23T21:42:00.000-08:002008-01-23T21:52:18.148-08:00

Dick Morris wrote a very interesting piece on a possible Clinton strategy in South Carolina- Send Bill out to campaign with the Black community, knowing full well that he and Hillary will lose the state due largely to Black voters backing Obama.At that point, what they will have done is draw attention to race in a way that Obama himself has studiously avoided, and to great advantage. The theory

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-73183926316920484902008-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:002008-01-19T00:05:59.641-08:00

So maybe Obama really means it about the whole "uniter not a divider" thing. Or he at least knows how to play the game and make his opponent look bad at the same time.From National Review Online:"Team Hillary will be holding a conference call with Rep. Barney Frank (MA), Rep. Corrine Brown (FL), and Rep. Shelley Berkley (NV) to "discuss recent comments from Sen. Obama claiming that the

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-46591683387659104122008-01-16T23:04:00.000-08:002008-01-16T23:05:48.490-08:00

Well, it had to happen. After so many great videos, the Obama campaign makes this:Not quite jumping the shark, but it does look like something a church youth program would make in an attempt to look hip.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-77714761914544528462008-01-06T02:29:00.000-08:002008-01-06T02:44:46.382-08:00

In contrast, the Democratic debate was filled with the excitement of a shifting political landscape.Obama didn't have his best night. He actually seemed a bit lackluster compared to his public speaking of late. Perhaps he's a bit worn down. Perhaps he knows he didn't need top performance tonight. Perhaps he had a plan. He didn't hurt himself, and was able to make some minor progress on the "

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-62257224992616730382008-01-06T02:17:00.000-08:002008-01-06T02:28:54.409-08:00

Republican New Hampshire ABC debate- The roundtable format was nicely done, and fostered a lot of interesting interaction. It also has the semi-subliminal side effect of showing who can take charge of a conversation and how they do it.McCain did ok. New Hampshire is his to lose, and the didn't seem to lose a lot of ground in this debate. He didn't gain any, but he didn't really need to. He

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-25756210024781576042008-01-04T03:29:00.001-08:002008-01-04T03:36:34.575-08:00

First of all- no question about it, Obama's victory is a historic moment, and one worth celebrating. Regardless of his policies, his win symbolizes the very tail end of an era. Congratulations to him on that, and congratulations to Iowa as well.Where does he go from here? Well, as his recent ads have been indicating, this is exactly the narrative he's ready to tell. There's a movement,

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-91365319454019716052008-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:002008-01-02T14:51:42.299-08:00

Obama's team has been posting a number of videos from the campaign trail to their YouTube account. They post fast, usually within 12 hours, and the videos are nicely edited and tightly focused.It's in the cinema verite style of his better tv ads, shots from (and of) the crowds, complete with the documentary handheld camera and focus pulling aesthetic. The editor is particularly adept at finding

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-37334366062646382792008-01-02T05:22:00.000-08:002008-01-02T05:36:05.986-08:00

Mitt Romney's team is producing some slick ads as the clock ticks down in Iowa. Here's three shot in the same location in the same setting."Asian Tiger"An ad on the challenge of an upcoming Chinese superpower.Then, "Everywhere"An ad on the challenge of Big Issues.And finally, "Vote For Tomorrow"A positive, upbeat, the future's-so-bright ad.The ads are all well made. High production value.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-25603977667713522742008-01-01T13:51:00.001-08:002008-01-01T13:58:51.962-08:00

This "One Voice" ad is nicely done. The audio really works well for it, getting that "you are there" excitement with the slightly distorted PA sound. The music has that low-key dramatic change beat to it. It feels like it's a snippet of something more, with a future growth implied in the tempo and melody The visuals are impressive too. Lots of motion, people coming together, an auditorium

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-4156843727008066662007-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:002008-12-10T20:29:03.735-08:00

Who let this pic get taken? The same people who put Kerry in the NASA bunny suit?Bad Day At Little Rock.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-89771492505196970212007-12-31T14:48:00.000-08:002007-12-31T14:49:12.643-08:00

In perhaps the single most brazen display of hypocrisy in politics in a long while, Republican Mike Huckabee held a press conference to say he's above negative campaigning and then immediately went negative. He said he would not screen an attack ad against Mitt Romney, then screened said ad for a room full of cameras and passed out copies of the ad. With supporting documentation.Insane. Who on

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-69167712529860804812007-12-31T03:08:00.000-08:002007-12-31T03:25:42.640-08:00

Fred makes a lengthy 17 minute pitch to the people of Iowa.Not as slick as you'd imagine from Mr. Hollywood. Stumbles a bit with the teleprompter. Very static image and background, with weird distracting website over his head (though presidential oval is a smart motif). Poorly edited. Lacking smooth phraseology. Talking in the background from around 10:00 mark. Not the most professional of

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-82901720454984021772007-12-29T12:09:00.001-08:002007-12-29T12:11:01.024-08:00

Why does this remind me of that UFO video from a few months back?

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-44312410182513845762007-12-29T11:47:00.000-08:002007-12-29T12:04:12.357-08:00

Last week I posted that Romney and Edwards would win Iowa, but without an explanation. On the Dem side, it was a result of some basic analysis. Edwards is polling well as the first choice of Iowans, and far and away the favorite second choice. The second choice is particularly important in the Caucuses, since after the first round, people who supported candidates with less than 15% in the first

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-65137296619168416252007-12-27T21:33:00.000-08:002007-12-27T21:34:00.271-08:00

One with private jets.One with Greyhound.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-16092831629073591862007-12-20T00:33:00.000-08:002007-12-20T00:34:45.842-08:00

You heard it here first.Reasoning and hunches to follow, just going on record.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-59076048040506880642007-12-18T23:29:00.000-08:002007-12-18T23:34:00.839-08:00

It could benefit from some better editing (Rod's Law- "There is no short film which would not be better if it were shorter."), but the idea is solid. Start out with some bland misdirection to avoid turning off those viewers which have seen too many political ads. Then seduce with humor and celebrity. Then go to a voter who is "one of us" for your target market. Continue with disarming normalcy

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1167723703800212302007-01-01T23:27:00.000-08:002007-03-01T21:55:24.039-08:00

We're just over a year away from the first primaries, so let's see who has officially thrown their hats in the ring. No "explorers" here, or people "looking at options", Election Junction is looking only at the candidates who've put it all on the line already. There will be plenty of time for these men to "spend with their families" later.The Republican side is thin, with no major candidates

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1150871329232993822006-06-20T23:14:00.000-07:002006-06-20T23:32:06.056-07:00

Luis Carlos Ugalde today assured the world that there's no chance whatsoever of any fraud in the July 2nd Presidential election in Mexico.According to Ugalde, AKA Zocalo Bob, "The Mexican system is inviolable, it's invulnerable, it's bullet-proof in all aspects." He added, "The chance of any irregularity is equal to zero," in case you were left with a shred of uncertainty.Clearly Ugalde is aiming

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1150789896345049652006-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:002006-06-20T01:09:01.210-07:00

This year's Presidential election in Mexico has a new twist- a more or less neutral media. In previous elections, the Mexican media would support the ruling PRI party, since there was a clear structure of power and a mutual self-interest. But since the PRI has been driven from power (indeed, PRI is polling 3rd in this election), the media has taken a step back towards impartiality. The flip

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1150534059694706392006-06-17T01:21:00.000-07:002006-06-17T01:50:36.936-07:00

The Mexican equivalent of MTV's Rock the Vote campaign is encouraging young people to "Si no votas, callate"- Vote or shut up.Tu Rock es Vota ("Your rock is to vote") has an ad campaign featuring numerous Mexican musical stars exhorting the youth of Mexico to vote. In the run up to the July 2nd elections, this campaign is attempting to mobilize the 30 million Mexicans between 18 and 35 who could

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1150008094697793562006-06-10T23:27:00.000-07:002006-06-10T23:45:10.213-07:00

Mexico is set to elect a President on July 2, with just one small problem- The World Cup has 2 quarterfinal matches scheduled the night before.Mexico begins its progress through the Copa Mondial on Sunday, June 11 vs Iran. The Mexican national team is well-ranked, and could well find itself in the quarterfinal matches the night before the Presidential election. What would it mean if they won?

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1148533614683245852006-05-24T21:45:00.000-07:002006-05-24T22:08:07.566-07:00

Governor Mitt Romney, likely candidate for President in 2008, visited the Middle East this week, obstensibly "visiting the Massachusets troops". In reality, of course, he's building foreign policy street cred. Yet it's not like he's breaking any new ground, taking the safest possible tack on the issue of the war in Iraq- "I've indicated from the beginning that I support the president and

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1147319720286365462006-05-10T20:36:00.000-07:002006-05-15T01:15:27.040-07:00

Presumptive 08 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is taking some very predictable heat on her decision to forge a fundraising alliance with Rupert Murdoch.Murdoch, despised by many on the left for his News Corp empire's media voices, is sponsoring a fundraiser for Clinton later in the summer. Murdoch says the fundraiser is small scale, and it does seem to be on the low end of

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146909923357819562006-05-08T18:40:00.000-07:002006-05-08T18:41:05.786-07:00

Likely Democratic presidential candidate Mark Warner has been releasing a series of podcasts via his PAC's website, ForwardTogetherPAC.com.Produced in both audio and video formats, Warner's podcasts have been accelerated in frequency of late, perhaps reflecting a new focus on the medium. Several of the podcasts look to have been shot in a single session, but the site promises more to come,

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146983851654955872006-05-06T23:26:00.000-07:002006-05-06T23:43:44.053-07:00

Voters in Singapore overwhelmingly kept the People's Action Party (PAP) in power in elections on Saturday.PAP retained 82 of 84 seats in Parliament, despite opposition in over half of the constituencies for the first time in nearly 20 years. The campaign period was a short 9 days, but the debate and antics of both sides were fast and intense. Although the voters of Singapore decided for the

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146634816200260432006-05-02T22:24:00.000-07:002006-05-02T22:43:36.733-07:00

Ohio Republicans went to the polls on Tuesday and nominated the first african-american candidate for Ohio governor, Kenneth Blackwell.Currently Secretary of State and a man with solid conservative credentials (he led the state campaign for a marriage ammendment to the state constitution) and a slate of mainstream Republican leader endorsements, Blackwell has his work cut out for him

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146633611535433222006-05-02T22:07:00.000-07:002006-05-02T22:46:02.536-07:00

In an act of ironic commentary, an Singapore blogger has declared himself "persistently non-political" and reminds visitors to his site that "Prison got no broadband".The blogger, known as MrBrown, encourages his audience to take photos of daily life in Singapore, but to be very careful not to include political logos or election items, and to post the photos on flickr with the tag "

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146544022969378452006-05-01T21:05:00.000-07:002006-05-01T21:38:54.666-07:00

Potential 2008 Republican Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo has placed his bet on which side of the immigration issue serves him best. In statements on Monday, Tancredo expressed his gratitude to the May 1 immigrant demonstrations, saying that they served to turn more and more people "...against the protesters and whatever it is they are trying to advance".Tancredo then went on to taunt the

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146542285465405222006-05-01T20:46:00.000-07:002006-05-01T21:01:43.970-07:00

Chee Soon Juan, head of the Singapore Democratic Party, challenged the social fabric of the "speck" of a state on Monday by speaking to a crowd of 50 people for 2 minutes following a rally. Chee is an "undischarged bankrupt", ineligible for participation in electoral activities, and was thus in violation of the Parliamentary Elections Act.Singaporean law enforcement are said to be investigating

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146345159439640412006-04-29T13:56:00.000-07:002006-04-29T14:13:07.543-07:00

A short nineteen days after the election, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi conceded defeat.Berlusconi had shouted about corruption and vote fraud, but in the end he decided to move on from the Prime Minister's office. His successor, Romano Prodi, has been meeting tough opposition getting his candidates for government offices into place. This stiff resistance, combined with an

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146344018645810122006-04-29T13:41:00.000-07:002006-04-29T13:55:33.046-07:00

Minister Mentor and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew says the opposition to his People's Action Party aren't qualified to hold office. According to Lee, who has totally dominated Singaporean politics for 50 years, the opposition has no business knowledge, no economics know-how.The opposition parties, working under tight campaign restrictions, have managed to contest over half the seats in

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146202234472629922006-04-27T21:53:00.000-07:002006-04-27T23:07:10.656-07:00

Two former US political leaders are currently hard at work rehabilitating their images. Both have been seen as controversial partisans, seemingly dug in to fight to the death for their political party, though each is on a different side of the line.Now Newt Gingrich and Al Gore are returning to their roots as smart, passionate policy wonks, and it's working to soften both of their images,

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146199306827285602006-04-27T21:27:00.000-07:002006-04-27T21:43:56.486-07:00

For the first time in nearly 20 years, more than half the seats in Singapore Parliament are being contested.In the May 6 elections, 47 of 84 seats are being challenged, meaning that the dominant People's Action Party does not an automatic return to power. Currently, only 2 of the 84 seats are held by anyone other than PAP. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he would have been happier if more

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146112847834023652006-04-26T21:26:00.000-07:002006-04-26T23:15:18.093-07:00

Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador, once seen as the leading candidate in this July's presidential elections in Mexico, skipped a televised debate this week, and his opponents made the most of it. Lopez Obrador of the Demoractic Revolution Party had decided to skip the debate long ago, when his lead was safe. His bold disdain may have cost him, though, as voters seemed unimpressed with his absence.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1146111804557180662006-04-26T21:06:00.000-07:002006-04-26T21:25:18.086-07:00

The Singapore Democratic Party, or SDP, today removed a rogue podcast from its site, backing off from its earlier rebellious stance. The podcast, by SDP chief Chee Soon Juan, had claimed the Singapore authorities were attempting to crush the SDP.SDP representatives consider the ban "unconstitutional", but the party moved to comply with the law anyway.The watchdog group "Reporters Without Borders

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145951476284742442006-04-25T00:13:00.000-07:002006-04-25T00:57:47.653-07:00

Opposition candidates from several parties nearly missed the deadline to turn in forms declaring political donations, which would have made them ineligible to run in the upcoming general election.The Prime Minister's Office had just announced the rule last week, in advance of the May 6 election, and numerous candidates seemed to be unaware of it. All made it in, however, some just under the

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145820745270847882006-04-23T12:24:00.000-07:002006-04-23T12:35:22.676-07:00

Singapore's government has announced that podcasts and blogs of a political nature will not be allowed during election periods, and that political blogs should be registered with the Media Development Authority (MDA).According to Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr. Balaji Sadasivan, "In a free-for-all Internet environment, where there are no rules,

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145772682347394252006-04-22T23:01:00.000-07:002006-04-22T23:11:46.010-07:00

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has still not conceded last week's Italian Elections to Romano Prodi. He said when the new parliamentary session opens on Friday he still intends to report to work, and stay there until Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi tells him to resign.Berlusconi seems to still be standing by his claims of election fraud by Prodi supporters, and claims that he won a "

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145689275126802312006-04-21T23:51:00.000-07:002006-04-22T22:18:31.003-07:00

Democrat John Kerry, candidate for President in 2004 and possibly again in 2008, defended the status quo of the US primary system on Friday.He said he believed the process doesn't need to be fixed, and that DNC chairman Howard Dean is mistaken in his desire to shift the order of primaries to take focus away from New Hampshire and Iowa. Dean, and other prominent Democrats, would like to add other

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145297896262811962006-04-17T10:48:00.000-07:002006-04-17T11:21:18.266-07:00

Republicans have some serious concerns about losing senate seats in this year's midterm elections, so the big guys are out to help the most endangered of the bunch. President Bush and Vice-President Cheney have been working Ohio fundraisers for Sen. Mike DeWine Dewine has raised $2.3 million since the beginning of the year, $1.1 million from a single event with Bush, and is likely to need

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145082731237254072006-04-14T23:22:00.000-07:002006-04-14T23:36:22.976-07:00

But which race? While obstensibly raising funds for her re-election this year, Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton has gathered millions of dollars, giving her more than 40 times what her Republican challengers have on hand.Of course, incumbents almost always have the fund raising advantage, but speculation is running rampant that what Clinton is really doing is building the bank account and the

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145060252151865522006-04-14T17:14:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:38:33.970-07:00

Well, his realistic hopes. Silvio still says "They have not won yet and I think that from a moral point of view we are the winners", but the tally disagrees, and the number of disputed ballots is smaller than the margin of defeat . So it looks like he'll just have to content himself with being rich and powerful outside of government.Silvio Berlusconi | Election Results | Italian Elections

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1145059917548642532006-04-14T17:08:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:41:52.826-07:00

Chairman Lim Boon Heng of Singapore's People's Action Party says winning 83 of 84 seats in the next election would be a "very good result" for his party.I suppose he's right, if he lacks the gumption to go for that last seat.Lim Boon Heng | Campaign News | Singapore Elections

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144993476757465562006-04-13T22:07:00.002-07:002006-04-14T19:44:12.673-07:00

Tom Vilsack, Democratic Gov. of Iowa and possible 2008 Presidential candidate, sponsored a contest through his Heartland PAC to define the Democratic Message in 10 words. What they lack in slickness, they make up for in corporate mission statement-ness. Reading these you realize how hard it is to make a good slogan. Combining rhythm and message in 10 words is a professional-level

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144912997464724202006-04-13T00:10:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:44:47.173-07:00

Republican Senator John McCain does a whirlwind tour of Iowa on Thursday, in an attempt to round up some support for a 2008 presidental run. McCain, considered by many conservatives to be a prime example of a RINO (Republican In Name Only), is attempting to shore up relations with the Pubbie base. He recently visited Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and today in Iowa he'll be meeting with

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144908283553060802006-04-12T22:52:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:50:51.860-07:00

in the oddest election news of the day, the Clerk for the city of Vernon California announced he won't count the votes cast this week in an election which could change the face of the town considerably.The 5 square mile city is the ultimate in "company towns", with the housing owned by the city and a totally industrial commercial base. In over 100 years, the town has had 4 mayors.The city

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144829603643170512006-04-12T01:01:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:53:07.433-07:00

Looks like Democrat Francine Busby fell a bit short of the majority required to avoide a run-off in CA 50. With 96.6% of the precincts reporting, she leads the special election field at 43.97%. Former Republican Congressman Brian Bilbray came in second place, leading a heavily divided GOP field with 15.16%.So it's a Busby-Bilbray runoff in June, the same date as the Governor's race primary.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144828030031056792006-04-12T00:42:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:39:57.220-07:00

Looks like I spoke too soon, Silvio "The Martyr" Berlusconi may have lost the election after all. By paper thin margins, he's lost both houses of the Italian parliament.Or so it seems. Berlusconi is refusing to concede, and is calling for a recount. He cites numerous "irregularities" and claims he might well have won.Phrases like "the intent of the voter" can't be far behind.No word on

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144773683973534612006-04-11T09:29:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:53:22.530-07:00

CA 50 holds a special election today to replace the convicted Randy "Duke" Cunningham. In traditionally Republican San Diego County, this election is being seen as something of an indicator of the Dems' chances to retake the House in the fall. Real Clear Politics has some thoughts on why any prediction based on today's outcome might not hold true.Given the large field of candidates, it's

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144730362030135702006-04-10T21:29:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:45:57.353-07:00

Republican '08 presidential possibility Romney went to Michigan to campaign for the GOP candidate for governor. He was moving under cover of his position as chairman of the Republican's Governor's Association, but something tells me the state's 17 electoral votes didn't hinder the decision to make the trip."Michigan is one of our target states because the Democratic governor here has not been

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144723161730374282006-04-10T19:26:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:40:11.973-07:00

Italy's Silvio Berlusconi seems to have eeked out a narrow victory in general elections, despite early reports of exit polls showing a loss for the incumbent Prime Minister.The man who has self-identified as the "Jesus Christ" of Italian politics seems to have pulled off a miracle, though it's just as likely the earlier predictions were a victim of errant exit polls. You'd think after the last

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144647423855985642006-04-09T22:27:00.000-07:002006-04-14T19:46:55.263-07:00

Democratic 08 hopeful appeared at a state Democractic gathering in Wisconsin, setting the stage for his presidential run.He stayed pretty close to the middle of the road, sounding very reasonable with his answers on Bush censure and Iraq troop pullout.That's great for the general election, but will it fly in the primaries? Perhaps, if the debate is set on "electibility". After Kerry, maybe

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25764352.post-1144646047881223452006-04-09T22:13:00.000-07:002006-04-13T22:54:33.416-07:00

A place to track whatever election news strikes my fancy.

Rod Ramseynoreply@blogger.com0