President Obama

"Our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men."

Those prophetic words were spoken in 1974 by a Republican president, Gerald Ford. He said that in a famous speech upon the resignation of former President Richard Nixon, who led the most corrupt administration in American history. The same could perhaps be said of the very times we now live in. We usher out the nasty, angry, arrogant and divisive politics of George W. Bush, and replace it with the promise of proactive, positive and much more inclusive change. Hatred is being replaced by hope.

Granted, President Bush is still in office, a lame duck until January 20. But the American people have named his successor, and a very good one at that. In just over two months, we will welcome President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to the White House. Furthermore, the Democrats will add to their numbers in the House and Senate, going a long way in repairing this country and its reputation around the world. And its all because of you.

Wow. Just plain wow.

Thank you, America.

Of course, mere words cannot describe of the historical magnitude of Obama's victory. Only four decades separated from days of Jim Crow laws in southern states, we now have an African-American president. That's truly amazing, and something I thought wouldn't occur for at least another decade or two, if ever. But it is reality, and I couldn't be happier.

Obama's feat is especially a victory for people-powered democracy. From the very beginning, the seemingly longshot Obama campaign eschewed the typical way of fundraising, which consisted mostly of competing with Hillary Clinton for donations from party sugardaddies. Clinton turned out to be the beneficiary of many of those. Obama's campaign took a different approach. Taking an idea from darkhorse Democratic candidate (and current party chairman) Howard Dean in 2004, they opted for an aggressive high-tech grassroots strategy. Early in the campaign, Obama made a pitch to a group consisting of some of the hottest tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. Internet gurus from companies like Google and Yahoo! were in attendance. Obama and his campaign masterminds presented their plan. They wanted to run a true 21st century campaign, harnessing the power of the internet to create a massive volunteer-heavy apparatus, with an interactive web presence and ground operations in all states. The approach would even encourage a true 50-state campaign, encompassing even states that seemingly would never go in the Democrats' favor. The dot-com crowd was hooked. They saw a candidate as innovative and cutting-edge as they were. One of the founders of the social networking site Facebook even joined the campaign to help set up Obama's web infrastructure.

And they pulled in money in ways nobody would have imagined probable. While many campaigns snicker at donations smaller than $50, a mere $5 donation was just as good for them. It all added up in the long run. The end result was the biggest war chest of any politician in American history, with more than half of all donations coming from small donors. Republicans have attacked Obama for the size of his coffers and his heavy spending throughout the campaign, but they're really just envious, mostly afraid to admit how exactly he pulled in all that money and ground support. It came directly from the people. And it is an approach that will be analyzed and imitated by many in the future. Obama rewrote the book.

This turning tide means one other very big thing: The American people are sick and tired of silly games. They're sick of insults. They're sick of dirty politics. They're sick of watching the economy go down the crapper. The neoconservative movement that typifies much of the modern-day Republican Party is now dead, along with the cruel tricks of unsavory people like former Bush political svengali Karl Rove. The American people have returned to reality. They want real solutions, not jingoism, not tacky photo-ops, not faux patriotism, not divisive red-blue rhetoric. They want to make an America for all people, a country as great as it possibly can be.

Obviously, Obama will not be taking a casual stroll through the park by way of the Oval Office during the next four years. It's gonna be a brutal job, and he strongly admits that. We are living in tough times. The economy is a mess. The deficit has risen to a level even greater than during the Reagan Administration. We are also fighting two wars. In short, he has his work cut out for him. But after becoming familiar with Obama over the past year, and seeing his intelligence, confidence and savvy, I feel very comfortable with our new president. We are in good hands.
Barack Obama's victory is a monster step forward for what can be accomplished in the United States of America. Yes, it is indeed a great day to be an American.

Congratulations, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden. And the best of luck to you.

The finish line

The end is here. The candidates have made their pitches, and now it's time for us to make the choice.

I could go on and on with even more cliches, but I'll stop here. There's really nothing else to say but get your asses out there and vote.

Rather than make any more pitches of my own, I'll leave you with a song. Four years ago, prior to the 2004 presidential election, I wrote an entry about Eminem, who wrote and recorded a strongly political song called "Mosh." The video itself was powerful as well, and a strong indictment of the Bush Administration. And it was designed to get young people out to the polling place.

Young people are vital to the political process. When I turned 18, I was chomping at the bit to cast my vote. My first time was in a gubernatorial primary race. Not a high-profile vote, but it felt good to get out there and take part in the process. I have voted in almost every election since.

For the Democrats, particularly Barack Obama, to win, they have to rely on a strong yet unreliable base - young people. Republicans, on the other hand, tend to draw much older people, who are much more reliable as far as hitting the polls. This was one of the biggest differences between a President Kerry and a President Bush in 2004. Republicans were more successful at getting their supporters to the precincts.

So, if you're desperate to get the Democrats to clean house and get this country back on track, get those 20-somethings off their asses, out of their McJobs and into the polling place. Their importance cannnot be more overstated.

And again, back by popular demand, is Eminem's call to arms, and it rings true as much today as it did four years ago. Here is "Mosh:"

Vote... for the Top Talker of 2008

One day to go.

Yes, it is almost here.

Hopefully, all of you reading this will fulfill your civic duty and cast a vote on national Election Day for the people you want running the government over the next few years and the various initiatives on the ballots, regardless of your choices.

Granted, faithful readers of this blog likely know where we stand, but much of what makes our country great is that we all have different opinions. And unlike places like Zimbabwe, where a hostile and suppressive military dictatorship intimidates anyone who opposes them at the ballot box, we as Americans have the freedom to vote however we wish. Your choices may not be the same as mine. That's fine. I accept that. But strip away all the silliness, stunts, smears and stupidity you've been hearing all year and cast your vote for the people you think would most effectively run your government over the course of the next four years. On Tuesday November 4, you're the boss. You do the hiring and firing.

Today, though, I'd like to share with you a different kind of vote. And you can do it right here, right now. You are all cordially invited to take part. Yes, it's once again time to prepare the “2008 Year In Review” here at LTR. To kick it off, please cast your votes for "The Top 10 Liberal Talkers of 2008."

Here's how it works: Scroll down the middle column. You will see 40 or so personalities and/or shows listed on the ballot. There's probably a few here that you've never even heard of. They were all picked from the listings in the center column. All the entrants from last year are included. Additional entries this year include some newer shows (Air America has added several this year), a few local personalities, some notable weekend shows and even some online-only hosts. And they are listed alphabetically in each bracket. You can select up to ten names. If you only have three, or five, or eight, that's fine. Please go through the list carefully, and vote how you see fit. And don't stuff the ballot box. This ain't Tammany Hall here. One computer/IP address per bracket.

The poll ends on December 24, Christmas Eve, at midnight. On January 1, 2009, the results will be announced here. Simple, huh?

In case you need a refresher, you can find links for each entrant in the middle column, below the poll.

So there you go. Determine the fate of the world. Vote.

Two days to go: Send in the clowns

As we wind down the final weekend before THE BIG DAY, I thought I'd share a few humorous moments that I happened across this weekend.

First, in the “we're here to plump... you up” department, Republican presidential candidate John McCain brought a guest campaigner to a rally he held the other day in Columbus, OH – California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzennegger is almost typical of today's Repbublican party – always looking back on past glories rather than the current reality. He'd rather that people remember “The Terminator” rather than the politician that can't control California's crappy economy. He's in a serious predicament back home, where the government is almost bankrupt, hard-right Republicans are trying to get a recall election and Democrats and those on the left still don't trust him.

In keeping with one of McCain's current memes, Schwarzennegger riled up the few people who still admit to supporting McCain by lashing out at Obama for (gasp!) actually spending money on his campaign. Ironic, since Schwarzenegger himself has raked in over $132 million dollars in donations since his first election in 2003. That's more than McCain can even spend in this election.

Oh yeah, and Schwarzy even called Obama a socialist. Nya nya!

But that's not the funny part. He has said in a recent interview that he would be willing to work with Obama when he wins the election (and by his word choices, it appears Schwarzy thinks Obama will win). But in front of the crowd, he sounded a different tone, mocking Obama's slim physique:

"He needs to do something about those skinny legs, make him do some squats and some bicep curls to build up those scrawny little arms."

Uhhh... yeah right.

Schwarzenegger is far from the only Republican acting like a complete moron. This weekend, we found out why McCain operatives are careful about who they give access to their bewildered running mate, Sarah Palin. The only other VP nominee I can even recall not giving media interviews is, um, Dick Cheney, and we all saw what happened there. Sheesh, I can't even recall Palin going on relatively harmless shows like Larry King, “Meet The Press” or even some softball show like Rachel Ray. Hey, at least she's talked to Sean Hannity a few times.

Perhaps the following incident is why her handlers are careful about who she talks to. Maybe her handlers aren't careful enough. Perhaps they actually believed French president Nicholas Sarkozy was indeed calling to talk to Palin. No way could it have been a couple radio pranksters from Quebec.

Two comedians from CKOI in Montreal called Palin, got through to her and kept her on the line for over four minutes, in what was probably the most obvious prank call ever. For a couple French-speaking guys, they didn't even sound French! In the call, “Sarkozy” talked about shooting animals from airplanes, having sex with his hot wife and other ridiculous stuff. “Sarkozy” even got her to drop a hint about a future presidential bid. Palin got punked, and it was pretty embarrassing. When the radio duo fessed up that it was all a ruse, a tongue-tied Palin immediately handed off the phone to her handler, who tersely ended the call.



Here's the download link and the transcript.

And finally, speaking of Cheney, what could be funnier than the hidden Vice President, a more reclusive figure than Howard Hughes in the late 60s, emerging from his bunker to give his heartfelt endorsement of the McCain/Palin ticket. At a time when his slightly less unpopular boss is in hiding. As if the approval of a guy with a 15% favorability rating will actually help the woeful McCain juggernaut. The Obama campaign, fighting hard to control their laughter, immediately came out with an ad trumpeting this much-coveted endorsement. The gift that keeps on giving.

Spring forward, fall back, and stop the insanity!

Only three more days will occur between now and the end of this very long election season. Sure, it's been fun to follow, and it has been historic, but enough already! The finale can't come soon enough.

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

In the meantime, here's a roundup of some smaller stories crossing the desk...

Election Night In America

Election Night has been referred to as the Super Bowl for the news media. All of the major television news operations will be covering it, in addition to others such as Comedy Central. And viewers across the country can tune in to watch their favorite media types play with the latest in technological toys, such as touch screens and CNN's weird “Star Wars”-type holograph gimmick.

For those who desire a low-tech approach, radio is offering a wide array of choices. Most of the radio news networks, such as NPR, CNN, FOX, etc. will offer coverage.

Naturally, Air America Media will present their own in-depth coverage of the 2008 Presidential Election on Tuesday, November 4, both on-air and online.

Air America’s on-air election night coverage will originate from the Obama Campaign’s outdoor election event in Chicago beginning at 7P ET. Ron Reagan and David Bender will anchor from Grant Park, on Chicago's lakefront, and be joined by Rachel Maddow, Thom Hartmann, Lionel, and other members of the Air America team from locations across America.

Web site editor-in-chief Beau Friedlander will be blogging live on the Air America site throughout the evening. The company’s “MaronvSeder” daily live web video program will also present a special live broadcast to wrap up the evening.

“This is an historic election year, and the results are of paramount interest to our listeners, readers and viewers,” said Bill Hess, senior vice president of programming for Air America. “We stand ready to be the source for smart, witty, and entertaining commentary as news about this monumental political event unfolds.”

Sirius XM Radio also has a few tricks up their sleeves come election night, giving many options for their subscribers. Coverage will include special programming on several channels, including XM's "Oprah and Friends," "The Power" and "POTUS '08," which will be live at the Obama rally in Chicago's Grant Park and the McCain rally in Phoenix. On Sirius, the Foxxhole channel will feature coverage with namesake Jamie Foxx and his crew live beginning at 4P ET.

Sirius Left's coverage will be hosted by Mark Thompson starting at 8P ET. OutQ, Indie Talk and Sirius Patriot will also offer live programming that night.

And of course, there's all the rest...

Sandler's back

Former WINZ/Miami morning host Nicole Sandler drops LTR a line...

Hi.. .You've been kind enough to cover some of what's gone on with me in South Florida... I'm working at the very conservative 850 WFTL through Nov. 5, bringing the "view from the left" to their morning show, plus hosting a special 3 hour election preview show on Sat Nov. 1 (850wftl.com), plus I'm podcasting and blogging daily at www.radioornot.com.

A vote of umm... confidence

Keeping up with wingnut media lunacy in the waning days prior to the election is like playing whack-a-mole. I say this after subjecting myself to a few minutes of “Hannity and Colmes” last night before my brain started to hurt. I swear, I actually lost IQ points in that short amount of time watching those idiots still rambling about Bill Ayers, as if it were bigger than Watergate. I changed the channel as soon as I saw the frightening Ann Coulter appear onscreen. I may go see the doctor today to make sure there's no permanent damage.

Many other sites track this nonsense, and I salute their bravery in doing so. But I will relay one item, which seems almost typical of the McCain media crowd, and it's from the Cincinnati Enquirer, by way of radio industry trade site All Access.

Bill Cunningham, perhaps the dorkiest-looking radio talk show host in the country, is back at odds with the McCain campaign, but is advising conservative listeners to "hold their nose and vote for McCain -– not because McCain will be another Ronald Reagan, but because Obama will be another Jimmy Carter." Uh huh.

Keep in mind that Carter failed mostly because he governed as an outsider, and was opposed by much of the Democratically-controlled Congress, who longed for Lyndon Johnson's Great Society approach to government. Republicans hated him, well, just because. And some rather hairy situations at home and abroad (i.e. Iran) in the late 70's certainly didn't help. Obama likely won't have many of those same problems if he gets the nod. But Cunningham looks like the type of guy who talks out of his ass without even pulling the big stick he hauls around out of it, so take it for what it's worth.

Anyhoo, you may remember this goofball from a rather embarrassing McCain rally appearance earlier this year. There, he pulled the xenophobia card, stressing Obama's middle name (Hussein). McCain repudiated Cunningham's comments, and the host tossed McCain under the wheels of the Twisted Talk Express and went off to sulk in front of his microphone. Cunningham may not think much of McCain, but he doesn't like the idea of a President Obama, so he proposed a barnstorming tour of battleground state Ohio with McCain joined by guys like Sean Hannity and others , much like President Bush did in 2004. McCain rejected the idea. Why? Hey, would you want to be seen with Cunningham?

"He refuses to work with the people who put Bush over the top in 2004. We energized the Republican base the weekend before election day," said Cunningham of the candidate. Cunningham did say something many on both sides can agree with, when he described the McCain juggernaut as "the worst Republican campaign in 12 years."

Apparently, Cunningham isn't the only one ashamed of McCain's campaign. FOX News Channel gave the ultimate seal of disapproval, 'accidently' putting the dreaded “D” next to his name in an on-screen graphic, which for them is the equivalent of turning their backs. Doesn't get much lower than that.

Or, perhaps the “D” will help round up more votes.


Turn back the clock

Finally, after this crazy year we've all been through, it's time to get a little rest. Tonight marks the end of Daylight Savings Time for those who observe it (and the time of the year I have to go through the show listings and figure out what times KPHX in Phoenix, in a state that does not observe DST, is going to run their weekend programming).

The bad news? It will get dark earlier now. The good? You get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Or an extra hour of getting liquored-up. Whatever, get some rest, and get out and vote!