The Return of Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3

With the amount of legislation and Constitutional Amendments addressing slavery and voting, you would think that our government would be able to figure it out. Yes, I know it's a long shot to think the government is capable of figuring anything out, especially when it's so clearly articulated. But I can hope.

A brief history lesson: during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the northern, mostly anti-slavery states maintained that since slaves could not vote and were legally considered property (thanks, Dred Scott*) then they should not be counted as population. The southern, pro-slavery states wanted the population numbers which translated to more seats in the House of Representatives and more electoral college votes (more political power). The compromise resulted in Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the US Constitution which said that one slave equals 3/5 of a person. See? Even when the country was new, the government still managed to make stupid decisions that really didn't solve anything.

Anyway, the 13th and 14th Amendments effectively rendered that little section of the Constitution moot, and future legislation and Amendments would ensure that every adult citizen counted for one whole person and had one whole vote. That is, until the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee met this past weekend.

The DNC RBC went a step further than its predecessor and effectively said that Michigan and Florida delegates, while whole people in reality, only count for half a vote when it comes to picking a candidate. I'm too lazy to sort through exact numbers, but this motion disenfranchises several hundred thousand voters.

Good job, Democratic Party - you've managed to violate at least 4 Constitutional Amendments, the entire Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and 3 bylaws of the Cape Cod Homeowners Association. Impressive.

* - The Dred Scott v. Sandford decision was handed down 70 years after the Constitutional Convention, but it doesn't change the fact that most people viewed slaves as property in 18th Century America.

A Sticky Situation in The Tar Heel State

With the North Carolina GOP refusing to pull the Jeremiah Wright / anti-Obama ad, the otherwise mundane world of state politics has become a point of national interest. Pretty much every major news outlet (online, print, TV) has had some one or many people wax philosophical on the merits or dangers of the ad. To save you the trouble of reading them all, allow me to break them down for you.

On the Democrat / John McCain side (that's not a typo), the ad is nothing more than race baiting. The racist, bigots in the south are pulling out all the stops in an obvious effort to scare white people into voting Republican. I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure Dems and the majority of people north of the Mason-Dixon firmly believe that if the southern states could undo the various legislative results of the 1960's civil rights movement, they would, not to mention Amendments 13-15.

On the North Carolina GOP / non-brainwashed people side, the ad is an extension of legitimate questions about Jeremiah Wright and Obama's associations with the man. Questions that have largely gone unanswered by Obama. Yes, he did give quite the speech shortly after the story broke. Forgive me for not having the 13-year old girl, goose-bumps on my arm reaction that Chris Matthews and Keith Oberman shared.

I don't think any intelligent person out there is mad at Jeremiah Wright for the things he's said. At the end of the day, his statements reflect an ignorant and paranoid world view, and more than anything, I feel sorry for those people. If one accepts that anyone can be racist, not just white people, than his rhetorical themes are somewhat disturbing - racism, hate, and separatism.

The legitimate questions are about Barack's judgement and, to a larger extent, his character. Reverend Wright, evidenced by his own admission and the shear number of DVD's for sale showcasing his sermons, has been preaching the above mentioned themes for decades. Barack has sat in the pews and, despite his contention to the contrary, heard some of Wright's choice comments. To maintain that Barack did not or does not know what kind of man Wright is, is to ignore reality.

Because this is America, and we're free to associate with whom we please, Barack can pick whomever he wants to officiate his wedding, baptize his kids, and be his spiritual advisor - if he is to remain a private citizen. However, when you want to be President of the United States, your choices, personal and public, become fair game, and the voting public is going to use that to determine your character and ability to make sound judgements.

You know where this is headed, so I won't re-invent the wheel. Barack picks very interesting people to advise him, and this is something that needs to be fully addressed. But when the questions are asked, Obama's campaign and certain media outlets immediately cry "RACIST!" and shut down the conversation. It's as if race is the supreme issue in this country, and all other concerns are subordinate.

In addition, the Jeremiah Wright issues is not race related beyond the extent that Wright is black and is a pastor at a black church. The issue is that the man seemingly hates America, and Barack Obama thinks this is a good character trait.

I'm actually happy that the North Carolina GOP is picking up where John McCain refuses to go. Thanks to that groovy First Amendment, I think we'll be seeing more and more of this, and maybe, just maybe, Barack will be forced to fully explain the company he keeps.

Can We Get John Wayne to Run for President?

I'm going to vote for you, John McCain, but I'm not going to like it. It's almost to the point where I will be more voting against the Democrat rather than voting for the Republican, and that's not the way things should be. I'm not looking for a religious experience when I vote - I'm pretty sure most Obama supporters have some form of an orgasm when they pull the lever. I would just like a leader that isn't afraid to take off the gloves and play tough.

George W. Bush has been and will continue to be painted as a cowboy - someone that shoots first and asks questions later. This is best characterized by the aircraft carrier landing and "Mission Accomplished" PR stunt. On an extreme tangent - the funniest pop culture reference to that event is Arrested Development. Gob gets lowered from a crane in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner just before the fake house behind him collapses. It's awesome.

Anyway, W gives the impression he's not afraid to call it like it is. He may comes across as a stupid, reckless cowboy, but one thing is for certain: terrorists have not attacked Americans on our turf since 9-11. That's huge. And it's a direct result of Bush's policies and leadership over the past 7 years.

John McCain, on the other side of things, is afraid to hurt any one's feelings. He may have had the Straight Talk Express during the early primary season, and Johnny certainly likes to maintain the illusion that he's a maverick, but the truth of the matter is that McCain is a career politician. That career is built on compromises and those compromises, more often than not reflect an opportunistic approach. A particular political philosophy doesn't drive John McCain. Rather, he looks for the most popular option and runs with it.

The latest example - while criticizing North Carolina's Republican committee for airing an anti-Democrat ad that featured the good Reverend Jeremiah Wright, John stated that "...I want to be the candidate of everybody. I want to be the candidate of Republicans and Democrats and Independents and people across the political spectrum..."

That's great, John. Real noble of you. One small problem - you can't make everyone happy. And when you try to make everyone happy, you lose the ability to take off the gloves and get dirty. Because as W's all-time low approval rating will show you, when you stick to your guns, you piss people off.

So, John - you have my vote. But it is not intended as an endorsement of your leadership style or policies. You happen to be the best choice between yourself, Hillary, and Barack. Unfortunately for us, that's not saying much.

It's Scary. Very, Very Scary.

It's becoming more and more evident that Hillary has some serious anti-social tendencies. First, she continued to repeat the whole sniper fire story after it's was painfully clear that the truth was pretty much 180 degrees in the other direction. Then, we get this story of her boss during the Watergate scandal firing her for less than honest practices (and I'm being generous with that description).

Yesterday, while campaigning in Philadelphia, Hillary compared herself to Rocky (because Rocky was from Philly, for you un-American bastards that have never seen Rocky). In an attempt to convince her supporters that she was not going to quit the race, Hillary said, "Let me tell you something, when it comes to finishing a fight, Rocky and I have a lot in common. I never quit. I never give up. And neither do the American people."

Where to begin? First off, Rocky loses in the first movie - not by a knock-out, but by points. The similarities between that and losing due to super delegates is blatant, to say the least. Next, and more importantly, Hillary is all too willing to call it quits in Iraq. In fact, she has said on multiple occasions that we should give up. There is no chance of victory. So what are we to take away from this? Hillary is a fighter, but only when her own personal interests are at stake?

Onto Barack - commenting on Congress' hearing on big oil yesterday, Obama made the case that the "windfall" profits should either be heavily taxed or taken away from big oil. Naturally, the government would then redistribute the wealth in a fair and judicious manner, or something...

It's my belief that if you punish people (or companies) for being in the right place at the right time (which is really what we're talking about here), than you inevitably suffocate the capitalist spirit and system that has made this country what it is. If success if going to be punished, than there is no motivation for success, only mediocrity. Besides, one could argue that Barack received some "windfall" profits with the proceeds of his two books. This effectively moved Barack and his family from firm middle class to upper class in a relatively short period of time. Sounds like Barack is in need of some redistribution of wealth.

And because I'm in a fair and judicious mood this morning, let's talk about John McCain. There are more and more stories popping up about McCain contemplating switching parties after the 2000 Republican Primary. This should come as no surprise to anyone. He's been on the liberal side of moderate since forever. His only true conservative credential is the "Regan foot soldier" mantra, and that doesn't necessarily a conservative make.

So, to sum it all up - all the candidates scare me. It looks like I'm going to end up picking the lesser of two evils. The system isn't perfect, but at least it's not Communism....yet.

It's Super Tuesday

One of the many candidates...Mitt Romney (not an endorsement).

In what can only be explained as a political junkie’s wet dream it is Super Tuesday. 24 states go to the polls to decide who is going to represent the two political parties going into the November election. While technically the Democrats can sow up their nominee tonight it probably won’t happen. The Republicans can not sow up their nominee but they can put someone on the track to the nominee or keep it a two person race.

The multitude of D&F readers (they number in the tens) have been asking me to declare my allegiance to a candidate. While I am sure most people know which party I would be more likely to vote for, I do not see a need to expos my political views on such impressionable people. Privately, I have told people who I voted for (I early voted like two or three weeks ago) and who I hope wins and doesn’t win but I do not think D&F is the place to try to influence the vote. All I really want is for people to actually go out of their way and vote today and in November. If you are still unsure about who shares your values and beliefs, then this website gives you the cliff-notes.

So, go out and vote. Get that cool sticker and be proud that we live in a country where we go to the polls peacefully and elect people to lead the greatest nation in the world into the future (and hopefully that future includes flying cars).