[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Under the collective denial mentality that has hijacked media-types and political observers since the February 5th contests, Senator Barack Obama's decisive 56-42 win in North Carolina juxtaposed with Senator Hillary Clinton's narrow 51-49 win in Indiana shows Senator Obama has successfully rebounded from the Rev. Wright controversy and whatever other manufactured non-policy outrages that he's been forced to address. After all, Obama increased his popular vote lead by about 250,000 votes, and more importantly, his 95 new pledged delegates put him 12 delegates further ahead of Clinton. To borrow a catchphrase from former Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman, Obama's got O-mentum. However, while O-mentum may play a role on the margins, the reality is this contest is already over, and these outcomes were largely predetermined.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Elektra King: You don't take "no" for an answer, do you?
James Bond: No.
Elektra King: I hope you know how to ski, then.
James Bond: I came prepared for a cold reception.

Charlie Cook: "The good news for Hillary Rodham Clinton is that she’s winning a lot of battles. The bad news is that the war is pretty much lost."

If you've ever seen a James Bond film (and if you breath, speak English, and have access to a television, I suspect you have), you know the plot goes something like this: antagonists do something bad; secret agent James Bond tries to stop them; there are a few close calls along the way; but in the end, we all know how its going to end. The antagonists will be thwarted, and Bond will be left standing in time for the inevitable sequel. In an exercise of collective denial, the audience will suspend disbelief, gasp when Bond is captured or injured, be dazzled by the clever if implausible plunder and destroy methods of his opponents, and be delighted when Bond eventually defeats his foe. But its predetermined theatre, and the suspense is entirely artificial. We know how this story ends.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

When one California county turns 'blue', it's a fortuitous occurrence. When two California counties turn 'blue', it's a pattern. Here's California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres on the beginnings of a grassroots revolt against Republicans in California:

"Last month, Ventura County turned 'blue' for the first time in two decades. Today we learned that Stanislaus County has followed suit. It is becoming clearer and clearer that a Democratic wave is sweeping across the state.
 
When Stanislaus County voters went to the polls in November 2006, the Republicans outnumbered the Democrats by more than 4,000 voters, a two-point registration advantage. Thanks to the hard work of local party activists in Stanislaus County and a Democratic Presidential Primary that energized and inspired many new Democrats, the Republican advantage was narrowed earlier this year. Now, as of the end of March, Democrats maintain a registration lead of more than 1,000 voters and we’re not turning back.
 
This is great news for Stanislaus County Democrats and for the California Democratic Party, and a very encouraging sign for the Democratic Party’s prospects this November."

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party, today issued the following statement regarding the ballot procedures for Independents to vote in the Democratic primary in Los Angeles County:

“The California Democratic Party is allowing Independents to vote in its presidential primary.
 
However, Los Angeles County ballot equipment requires Independents to fill in the bubble to the right of the word 'Democratic.' Below that, you fill in the bubble for any of our eight presidential candidates.
 
Filling in the bubble for Democratic is an extra step required by LA County. So instead of one bubble, it’s two bubbles, and with that it means your vote in the Democratic presidential primary will be counted."

by Timothy Horrigan [courtesy of Blog for America]

On December 27th, 2007, I sent out a letter endorsing John Edwards for President to several New Hampshire papers. I am not sure if it will get published anywhere: the papers are all glutted with letters. The Portsmouth Herald sent me an auto-reply a few days later indicating that one if its editors had deleted my message unread. Foster's Daily Democrat might run the letter, but they ran another letter of mine (about Barack Obama) in late December.

To the Editor:

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

CNN, the Los Angeles Times and POLITICO announced today that the California Democratic Party will sanction the Jan. 31, 2008, Democratic presidential primary debate in Los Angeles. Scheduled less than one week before Super Tuesday, this debate will be the candidates’ final face-off before primary voters in more than 20 states flock to the polls on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008.
 
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer will moderate, with journalists from the Los Angeles Times and POLITICO participating in the questioning. This is the only debate that the Democratic Party of California has officially sanctioned in the 2008 race for the White House.
 
“The California Democratic Party is excited that our party’s presidential debate, on the eve of the momentous Feb. 5 primaries, will be in Los Angeles, California,” said California Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres. “As a native Angeleno, I am proud to join CNN, the Los Angeles Times and POLITICO in helping our presidential candidates embrace the diversity and vision that California offers all Americans.”
 
CNN, the Los Angeles Times and POLITICO will also sponsor the final Republican primary debate on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will be the site of this debate, which will be moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper with The Times and POLITICO again participating in candidate questioning.