Abbeville * Aberdeen * Ackerman * Algoma * Alligator * Amory * Anguilla * Arcola * Arkabutla * Artesia * Ashland * Avalon * Avon * Bailey * Baldwyn * Banner * Bassfield * Batesville * Bay Saint Louis * Bay Springs * Beaumont * Becker * Belden * Belen * Bellefontaine * Belmont * Belzoni * Benoit * Benton * Bentonia * Beulah * Big Creek * Biloxi * Blue-Mountain * Blue Springs * Bogue Chitto * Bolton * Booneville * Boyle * Brandon * Braxton * Brookhaven * Brooklyn * Brooksville * Bruce * Buckatunna * Bude * Burnsville * Byhalia * Caledonia * Calhoun City * Camden * Canton * Carriere * Carrollton * Carson * Carthage * Cary * Cascilla * Cedarbluff * Centreville * Charleston * Chatawa * Chatham * Chunky * Clara * Clarksdale * Cleveland * Clinton * Coahoma * Coffeeville * Coila * Coldwater * Collins * Collinsville * Columbia * Columbus * Como * Conehatta * Corinth * Courtland * Crawford * Crenshaw * Crosby * Crowder * Cruger * Crystal Springs * D-Iberville * D-Lo * Daleville * Darling * De-Kalb * Decatur * Delta City * Dennis * Derma * Diamondhead * Doddsville * Drew * Dublin * Duck-Hill * Dumas * Duncan * Dundee * Durant * Eastabuchie * Ecru * Edwards * Elliott * Ellisville * Enid * Enterprise * Escatawpa * Ethel * Etta * Eupora * Falcon * Falkner * Farrell * Fayette * Fernwood * Flora * Florence * Forest * Foxworth * French Camp * Friars Point * Fulton * Gallman * Gattman * Gautier * Georgetown * Glen * Glen Allan * Glendora * Gloster * Golden * Goodman * Gore Springs * Grace * Greenville * Greenwood * Greenwood Springs * Grenada * Gulfport * Gunnison * Guntown * Hamilton * Harperville * Harriston * Harrisville * Hattiesburg * Hazlehurst * Heidelberg * Hermanville * Hernando * Hickory * Hickory Flat * Hillsboro * Holcomb * Hollandale * Holly Bluff * Holly Ridge
http://hburgdems.com/falldinner.html
Got a flyer and an email about this one. On the flyer, it's called "Turn VA Blue - The annual Harrisonburg-Rockingham Democratic Labor Day Celebration"
Sunday, Aug 31, 5:30pm
JMU Grand Ballroom
Invited Speakers: Creigh Deeds, Brian Moran, Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Mark Warner
RSVP by Aug. 22, mail $35/person (or $300/reserved table for 8) check to "Harrisonburg Democratic Committee" and indicate menu choice - Sicilian Chicken or Vegetarian Entree
c/o Deb Fitzgerald, Treasurer
93 Middlebrook St.
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
They're expecting a big crowd at this one!
My dad flew combat missions in the Gulf War and I remember my sister and I being scared out of our elementary school minds at the thought that our dad was going to be shot at.
I remember the little things that we'd see around the base when we'd go down for squadron gatherings. The 'Wipe out Saddam" toilet paper, the 'I'd fly a 100 miles to smoke a camel' badges that I think I have buried away somewhere, but the best was walking around and seeing the results of a lovely tradition called 'Zapping.'
It might be called other things in other areas, but zapping was basically something that the families did when the carriers or a squadron ware coming home. We'd get stickers with the squadron's logo and go around town slapping them up in windows, on telephone poles...what ever we could reach.
It was awesome.
But I digress...
Now my dad went through college via ROTC and was one of the first people in his family to go through college. He was sure that he'd do his time and leave, planning on getting a job with DuPont or some other chemical company since that's what he was studying in school. Obviously that didn't pan out after he got into Navel Aviation and found out he loved it.
Now, because of that, I loved the idea of revamping the GI bill when Senator Webb announced it. I wasn't sure if the GI bill was what funded ROTC or not, but I figured if it hadn't been overhauled since WWII, it was due. I have two friends who are ex-miltary and one has used the old GI bill to focus on photograpy and I recall him mentioning about how it covered so little of his costs.
When McCain and the like opposed it I was absolutely gobsmacked. I couldn't understand how people with McCain's background could oppose a revamp of a program that was proven to be a boost to enlistment. Granted it probably wasn't as popular as it used to be, but then again, college is a heck of a lot more expensive these days. But then again, McCain never had to worry about being a poor kid who joined because he/she couldn't afford a good education right off the bat.
When the news came along that it had passed I was elated, although irked that McCain couldn't be man enough to even vote 'nay' on it. Nope, a no show there. What fortitude.
Course then old Bush and McCain come on and start the back patting and trying to tag their names onto it. Tacky.
I think Senator Webb himself put it better then I could in my long winded, rambling way ever could. I'm sure that most here have seen this already, but it's such a wonderful, wonderful rebuke. OK, up front. I've never served in the military, but I grew up in a military family. My father's an officer in the Navy (still in there too!) and I grew up in a wonderful environment where I always had an extended family around me.
I think Senator Webb himself put it better then I could in my long winded, rambling way ever could when he was interviewed by Keith Olbermann on MSNBC's Countdown on Monday night.
“…Webb returned to "Born Fighting'' to argue that Appalachia's rejection of Obama was neither racist nor irredeemable. "When I hear people say it's racism, my back gets up because this is my cultural group,'' he said May 21 on MSNBC's "Morning Joe.'' "This isn't Selma 1965.'' He elaborated later that day, on "Countdown With Keith Olbermann.'' "They're not staying away from Barack because of his race, but they have an antipathy toward the Democratic Party's movement since the '70s toward interest group politics. He's spoken on this issue, I think, quite well. He just needs to get out there and get to know these people.'' …But Ron Walters, an expert on black politics at the University of Maryland, thinks choosing Webb, or focusing too much energy on Appalachia, would be misguided. Walters believes Obama will win big because of a massive increase in voter participation by those drawn to his cause. In an open letter to the Illinois senator, he warned against warping the agenda of change in pursuit of the white working class. "Such a strategy is disrespectful of Blacks by suggesting that they would stand still while Obama pursues conservative interests to their detriment,'' Walters wrote. Still, to Alabama historian Wayne Flynt, author of "Dixie's Forgotten People: The South's Poor Whites,'' Appalachia is too big to ignore. It stretches from western Pennsylvania to northern Alabama and Mississippi, and includes quite a few transplants in crucial states like Ohio. And it's ripe. "Rural Appalachia is primed for a rebellion against the Republican Party,'' Flynt said. Folks there are the ones suffering the greatest casualties in Iraq, the ones struggling to fill the gas tank for the long drive to subsistence jobs. Yet Webb's appeal among "his people'' is uncertain. It was the Democratic strongholds in Northern Virginia that carried him to victory over Sen. George Allen in 2006, not the Appalachian counties in the state's southwest. …” June 12, 2008 An Obama/Webb Ticket Could Take Race Talk to New PlacesBy Jonathan Tilove Read Tilove’s full article at:http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/an_obamawebb_ticket_could_take.html
“…Webb returned to "Born Fighting'' to argue that Appalachia's rejection of Obama was neither racist nor irredeemable. "When I hear people say it's racism, my back gets up because this is my cultural group,'' he said May 21 on MSNBC's "Morning Joe.'' "This isn't Selma 1965.'' He elaborated later that day, on "Countdown With Keith Olbermann.'' "They're not staying away from Barack because of his race, but they have an antipathy toward the Democratic Party's movement since the '70s toward interest group politics. He's spoken on this issue, I think, quite well. He just needs to get out there and get to know these people.''
…But Ron Walters, an expert on black politics at the University of Maryland, thinks choosing Webb, or focusing too much energy on Appalachia, would be misguided. Walters believes Obama will win big because of a massive increase in voter participation by those drawn to his cause. In an open letter to the Illinois senator, he warned against warping the agenda of change in pursuit of the white working class. "Such a strategy is disrespectful of Blacks by suggesting that they would stand still while Obama pursues conservative interests to their detriment,'' Walters wrote.
Still, to Alabama historian Wayne Flynt, author of "Dixie's Forgotten People: The South's Poor Whites,'' Appalachia is too big to ignore. It stretches from western Pennsylvania to northern Alabama and Mississippi, and includes quite a few transplants in crucial states like Ohio. And it's ripe. "Rural Appalachia is primed for a rebellion against the Republican Party,'' Flynt said. Folks there are the ones suffering the greatest casualties in Iraq, the ones struggling to fill the gas tank for the long drive to subsistence jobs. Yet Webb's appeal among "his people'' is uncertain. It was the Democratic strongholds in Northern Virginia that carried him to victory over Sen. George Allen in 2006, not the Appalachian counties in the state's southwest. …” June 12, 2008 An Obama/Webb Ticket Could Take Race Talk to New PlacesBy Jonathan Tilove
Read Tilove’s full article at:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/an_obamawebb_ticket_could_take.html
An intriguing look at whether/how an Obama/Webb ticket could win back Appalachia.
I personally found Walters argument troubling, that pursuing "conservative interests" by seeking white working class voters would be damaging to Obama's change message and "disrespectful of Blacks."
My sense from four months in MyBO is that many voters mostly wanted a change from having a Bush or Clinton on the ticket.
But, isn't Obama's message of change a promise of post-partisan politics that makes government start listening to ALL Americans, not just special interests? (my priority is for the Federal government to stop listening to Big Oil, Big Pharma, and stop the tax incentives for offshoring manufacturing jobs)
Whether Jim Webb becomes Obama's running mate is secondary to the need to for the Democratic Party to listen to the voters they lost, and listen to Webb and other moderate to conservative Dems as to WHY these voters stopped trusting the Democratic presidential nominees except for Bill Clinton.
...Senator Obama, Democrat of Illinois, hired Jason Furman, a Harvard-trained economist closely associated with Mr. Rubin, a Wall Street insider who served as President Clinton’s Treasury secretary. Labor union leaders criticized the move, and said that “Rubinomics” focused too much on corporate America and not enough on workers. “For years we’ve expressed strong concerns about corporate influence on the Democratic Party,” John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, said Wednesday in a statement implicitly critical of the symbolism of the appointment, no matter Mr. Furman’s economic skills.The Obama camp has cast Mr. Furman, 37, as an experienced operator in Democratic election campaigns, whose task is to tap the expertise of economists representing a broad spectrum of views. “My own views, such as they are, are irrelevant,” Mr. Furman said. ... read the whole article in June 12 New York Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/business/12econ.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1213283779-gSG0THgDKQnyo6AVPJXXmw
...Senator Obama, Democrat of Illinois, hired Jason Furman, a Harvard-trained economist closely associated with Mr. Rubin, a Wall Street insider who served as President Clinton’s Treasury secretary. Labor union leaders criticized the move, and said that “Rubinomics” focused too much on corporate America and not enough on workers.
“For years we’ve expressed strong concerns about corporate influence on the Democratic Party,” John J. Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, said Wednesday in a statement implicitly critical of the symbolism of the appointment, no matter Mr. Furman’s economic skills.
The Obama camp has cast Mr. Furman, 37, as an experienced operator in Democratic election campaigns, whose task is to tap the expertise of economists representing a broad spectrum of views. “My own views, such as they are, are irrelevant,” Mr. Furman said. ... read the whole article in June 12 New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/business/12econ.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=politics&adxnnlx=1213283779-gSG0THgDKQnyo6AVPJXXmw
Let's not let this election become another 'lesser of two evils' choice. The fight for voters will be for the decisive center, 45-65. Obama fifty to as mnay as one hundred million MORE votes if turnout is energized over the economy and Supreme Court nominations. History indicates this election will not be about war or America's image abroad.
Apparently Ms. Clinton has said she would be 'open' to being the vice-president on a ticket with Obama.
Great. Wonderful. I THINK I'd rather go through a prostate exam.
Remember, I am Republican and don't hide this fact. Clinton on the ticket in any fashion and where I vote goes up in question--and probably, I'd vote for McCain. --yes, I've seen the billions of internet posts saying the same thing (though usually from people purporting to being Clinton supporters). But I AM Republican, haven't hidden that, and won't hide my hatred for the policies/beliefs/attitudes of Hillary and Bill Clinton.
So why is the VP important? Long ago, one of the guys FDR asked to be his VP said 'The vice-presidency ain't worth a bucket of warm spit." And generally, that's true. Except for someone like FDR's 1944 running mate who wound up president upon FDR's sudden death (Truman in case readers don't know). The vice-president is only important as a hand-shaker and in case the president is killed/dies in office. Otherwise, the VP is useless.
The argument in her favor used by pundits is that of the 'dream ticket'--even with candidates who dislike one another (JFK/LBJ), there are sound political reasons for putting candidates together. In the case of LBJ, he brought Texas into the Democratic column, and also had a TON of leadership experience in the Senate. It was LBJ's contacts/experience that really made the difference in the 1960s civil rights legislation. So fair enough, LBJ was a significant VP.
But that doesn't make Clinton the same, or that this shotgun wedding makes sense because one made sense 48 years ago. LBJ was selected because he 'guaranteed' Texas for the Democratic Party -AND- because he had years of leadership experience in Congress which helped because of JFK's inexperience.
So---does Clinton guarantee New York? --It's irrelevant. Obama could put a piece of swiss cheese as his VP and New York will vote Democrat in November.
Does Clinton have vast experience with Congress? --Nope. She's a novice senator, and regardless of what some hacks say, being married to the governor/president is NOT the same as actual real government experience.
Obama needs someone else. He needs someone from a contested state such as Pennsylvania or perhaps Florida. Given the image that he is 'inexperienced' with foreign policy or that he has not been a governor--Obama could use a candidate who complements those weaknesses. So why not one of these?
Ed Rendell - PA: He's a governor, he has the support of almost all of Clinton's supporters. He's said he is willing to be in a Cabinet, and he has said he has no intention of running again for governor--so it would give the Democratic Party a two-year head start on the '10 campaign.
Jim Webb - VA: Yes, he's new to Congress, but he has crossover potential since he served in Reagan's administration (and I LOVE all things Reagan). He's top-notch on military issues and appeals to independents as well.
There are others too...but I have to go fix a toy in my son's room. Politics are wonderful to write about but a man has to have his priorities in the right place.
The Caucus has an interesting rebuttal to worries about Obama and working-class voters in the fall:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/26/us/politics/p26caucus.html
I still think it is important, however, that we make a special effort to attract working-class voters for the fall. As we have seen, they want to know specifics about what "change" means, and how it will benefit them and their families. But they may still be skeptical about Barack's ability to deliver, even after all that, partly because of his youth. This is why it will be important to choose a VP who resonates with Appalachian voters. I've heard Mark Warner's name come up several times, as well as Jim Webb. Maybe even Bob Casey of Pennsylvania?
On another note, did you all read the text of Barack's speech before Wesleyan graduates today? I thought it was quite eloquent, and he seemed to be trying to flesh out his message of change a little bit more (the call to service, evoking Freedom Riders, etc.) Here's the text of that speech:
http://thepage.time.com/obamas-commencement-address-at-wesleyan-university/
Yes We Can! Si Se Puede!
Last week, two important events occurred in the Senate.
First, was the confirmation hearing of General Petraus to become the overall commander of the United States Army. This hearing was held by the Armed Services committee, a committee on which Hillary Clinton and John McCain both sit. While Hillary Clinton was at the hearing to ask the nominee important questions regarding this important position, John McCain was at a fundraiser in California. For a man who claims to be experienced in foreign policy and concerned with our military, a big money luncheon was more important than the confirmation hearing of the country's commander in the field.
Second, was the vote on a new, bipartisan GI Bill, written by Vietnam veteran and military father Jim Webb (D-VA) & Korean war veteran andformer Chairman of the Armed Services Committee John Warner (R-VA). The bill was passed 75-22, with 3 members absent, one was John McCain. Once again, he was at a fundraiser, but what is important to understand is that he did not support this bill. This bill will increase veteran benefits all around, and John McCain, following Bush's lead, opposed this bill. It is unbelievable for a man with such a past would not want to increase veteran benefits, or much less be in the Senate chamber, doing his job, and voting on such an important and significant bill.
These are the important events and issues which truly show the priorities of John McCain, let people know what's going on here. We can't stand for this.
Wow, invoking RFK's assassination to justify staying in the race - somehow, Hillary's managed to take her tastelessness even further. Glad to see that the reactions to it seem to have been universally unfavorable thus far; she doesn't deserve to be let off the hook for this, especially considering everything else she's pulled.
I was reading about a potential problem for selecting Jim Webb as a running mate earlier: an article he wrote in 1979 entitled "Women Can't Fight," about how females have no role in active combat duty. Apparently it was an issue in his senate race in 2006, and I imagine it would be brought up again, should he be selected as Obama's VP.
I find the idea that Hillary is somehow entitled to the VP slot laughable at best, despicable at worst. After the way she's run her campaign, Obama owes her nothing; rather, she owes it to him and to the party to finally bow out as gracefully as she can after the last primary, perhaps salvaging some dignity in the process (doubtful), and fully endorsing Obama's bid for the White House. This campaign has been helpful in some ways; Obama is now a better campaigner than he was, but the divisiveness this primary season has engendered among the Democrats needs to be erased as quickly as possible.
Of all the potential running mates whose names I've heard thrown around, I would say that I like Biden the best; however, Jim Webb of Virginia seems the most logical choice - strong military background; could carry a swing state; close to the center politically; more aggressive than Obama, which would allow him to take on the "attack dog" role; and, obviously, the fact that he's a former Republican would help with the bipartisan message.
We'll see, I guess. Hopefully the nomination is wrapped up soon.
...In Boca Raton, he was asked about his criteria for choosing a vice president. "My goal is to have the best possible government," Obama responded. "I am very practical-minded." He noted that one of his heroes, Abraham Lincoln, named political rivals to his Cabinet. "How can we get this country through this time of crisis? That has to be the approach that one takes." He added: "By the way, that does not exclude Republicans, either. The best person for the job is the person I would want."...
...In Boca Raton, he was asked about his criteria for choosing a vice president. "My goal is to have the best possible government," Obama responded. "I am very practical-minded." He noted that one of his heroes, Abraham Lincoln, named political rivals to his Cabinet. "How can we get this country through this time of crisis? That has to be the approach that one takes."
He added: "By the way, that does not exclude Republicans, either. The best person for the job is the person I would want."...
From May 23, 2008 Washington Post article: 'Obama, McCain Begin Running-Mate Searches, News of a Vetting Pick and a Weekend Gathering'
The WashPost then speculates that Obama's list includes Joe Biden, Sam Nunn, Jim Webb, Kathleen Sibelius, Janet Napolitano, Claire McCaskill, Evan Bayh, Ed Rendell, Ted Strickland, Chuck Hagel, and Michael Bloomberg.
Birdalone notes that the WashPost isn't reading the New York Times about Bloomberg's authoritarian, top-down management style and temper, which has always been my reason for Bloomberg's incompatibility with Obama, in addition to Bloomberg being a very liberal Democrat who became a Republican in name only in order to get a spot on the New York ballot in 2001 - it's tough fighting the NYC Dem machine in a primary.
Read the whole article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/22/AR2008052204145.html?sid=ST2008052300071
or here:
Webb appeared on Morning Joe today to speak about his newest book, A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America, and to dodge questions about whether he would accept a spot on Barack Obama's presidential ticket. But since the Kentucky primary had just provided pundits with fodder to discuss the ever-popular "Does Obama have a working whites problem?" Webb weighed in on the election results and his Scotch-Irish heritage.
Webb suggested that race is indeed a factor in Obama's poor performance among white voters along the east of the country, saying, "we shouldn't be surprised by the way they're voting now." But he bristled at what he suggested is a simplistic interpretation of the issue. "When I hear people say this is racism, my back gets up a little bit, because that's my cultural group."Webb sought to explain what motivates Scotch-Irish Americans. First, says Webb, it's not a generic race or geographic label, but rather "a very powerful cultural group that's always underestimated, and it's not always in the Appalachian mountains." And the issue is not Obama himself, who Webb thinks is "saying a lot of good things that will appeal to this cultural group in time."
Rather, Webb -- whose previous book Born Fighting explores the effect of Scotch-Irish culture on America's formation -- argued that Scotch-Irish voters' unwillingness to support Obama is less about the candidate himself, than about a sense of injustice among the community manifested by the government assistance afforded to minorities in the post-Civil Rights Era:
This isn't Selma, 1965. This is a result of how affirmative action, which was basically a justifiable concept when it applied to African Americans, expanded to every single ethnic group in America that was not white, and these were the people who had not received benefits and were not getting anything out of it. And they're basically saying let's pay attention to what has happened to this cultural group in terms of opportunities.
Webb even drew a parallel between this bloc and African Americans, suggesting that their grievances with and needs from the federal government are remarkably similar.
Black America and Scotch-Irish America are like tortured siblings. They both have long history and they both missed the boat when it came to the larger benefits that a lot of other people were able to receive. There's a saying in the Appalachian mountains that they say to one another, and it's, "if you're poor and white, you're out of sight." ... If this cultural group could get at the same table as black America you could rechange populist American politics. Because they have so much in common in terms of what they need out of government.
If this cultural group could get at the same table as black America you could rechange populist American politics. Because they have so much in common in terms of what they need out of government.
A powerful coalition indeed. If only there were two politicians who understood these cultures, and had the desire and capacity to unity them for a common cause...
Who, exactly, are the Hillocrats (ex-Reagan Democrats), half of whom said in the exit polls from North Carolina and Indiana that, if she loses the nomination, they will stay home or vote for McCain? They are white, working- and middle-class, Catholic, small-town, rural, unionized, middle-age and seniors, and surviving on less than $50,000 a year. source: Pat Buchanan on the Hillary Democrats.
Who, exactly, are the Hillocrats (ex-Reagan Democrats), half of whom said in the exit polls from North Carolina and Indiana that, if she loses the nomination, they will stay home or vote for McCain?
They are white, working- and middle-class, Catholic, small-town, rural, unionized, middle-age and seniors, and surviving on less than $50,000 a year. source: Pat Buchanan on the Hillary Democrats.
In thinking beyond the unlikely prospect of an Obama/Clintons ticket, and confident that the issue of judicial nominations will unite Boomer women in the Democratic Party, my thoughts turn to the white men who helped elect Bush43.
Fair or unfair, Senator Obama has to convince these voters he is a patriot, as American as they are. The Vice President no longer assures home state advantages, so I still believe Obama needs a bulletproof white male running mate, preferable a Vietnam war hero who in no way seems French or windsurfs.
Jim Webb is many people's first choice under these criteria. If you read the citation for his Navy Cross, you'd want him as Commander-in-Chief (see read more below). Scotch-Irish Protestant Webb has been married four times, and is the most inscrutable uncommitted super-delegate. Webb served as SecNavy under Reagan, becoming a Democrat a few years ago.
Chuck Hagel is also a decorated Vietnam vet, rising to Sergeant. German-Polish raised Catholic, now Episcopalian, after Vietnam, Hagel worked as bartender and radio announcer while getting his college degree at University of Nebraska. He is a self-made millionaire businessman before winning for his Senate seat in 1996. A lifelong Republican, "in 1980, he served as an organizer for the successful presidential campaign of former California Governor Ronald Reagan. After Reagan's inauguration as President, Hagel was named deputy administrator of the Veterans Administration. In 1982, however, he resigned his post over a disagreement with V.A. Administrator Robert P. Nimmo, who was intent on cutting funding for V.A. programs, and who had referred to veterans groups as "greedy", and to Agent Orange as not much worse than a "little teenage acne"." source: Wikipedia
Married since 1985 with two children, Hagel is most often mentioned as likely SecDefense in an Obama administration.
Nunn's endorsement of Obama on April 18, 2008 speaks for itself.
The most natural politician of the three, Georgian Sam Nunn is also the grand-nephew of Carl Vinson, the dean of Dixiecrats, Vinson retired from the House in 1965 after 50 years of service. As a child of the segregated South, I can think of no more powerful symbol of unity than an Obama/Nunn ticket.
We are not just still fighting the Vietnam War through our political divide.
We are still fighting the Civil War. A few days ago, I was researching the Civil War at a Georgia blue-gray website when a John McCain ad popped up.
Obama's strong primary wins in Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Mississippi point to a new Electoral College map with the right running mate. I can think of no better way to reassure the Reagan and Hillary Democrats characterized above than to have a bulletproof white man supporting Obama as his Commander-in-Chief.
Jim Webb's Navy Cross citation:
