The Aberrant Chronicles Pt. II

With very little money, McCain still pushes on in this marathon of a presidential campaign. McCain has not done well in the post-debate polls this season, but he's still around, tight-roping on the moderate line. Romney's numbers look good, but Juliani is the current Republican darling leading most preliminary polls in both Iowa and New Hampshire. Huckabee finds resurgence, but the lack of foreign policy experience thing may serve up damaging public fodder in the press.

The game right now, however, is pure politicking. During the last Republican debate it was clear that the Republicans focused their vitriol on one person: Hillary Clinton. It was as if the RNC dispatched discrete communique to have the party focus directly on Clinton's proposed policies. They're framing her as the likely nominee and respect her as a true threat to not only the presidency, but to congressional horse races as well. The distinct possibility of vast Democratic wins in 2008, including the presidency, has the conservative establishment deeply concerned.

Iowa is becoming more and more important. Obama is head to head with Clinton so Obama's handlers are scrambling to drum up a clear flash point between him and Clinton; one that sets him way apart. This strategy could go either way--can an academic representing the south side of Chicago throw down?

No matter how desperate the times are (which is indicative by the lengthy campaign season) raw politics are inevitable. Position, polls and for some, pussy, dictate which narrow path to take to power. When we see clear and shared strategies come out of party debates, it creates a dangerous perception. Polling still informs campaign/party strategists, yes, but the perception of respective party winners this early in the game tells the all important caucus voter that maybe, just maybe the final showdown should be Clinton and Juliani. This slippery notion effectively excludes any viable chance for righteous Democracy. Maybe I'm being dramatic. I will say that having a long campaign season perhaps changes the nuts and bolts of presidential politics, leaving serious questions about the level of influence national party establishments like the DNC and the RNC have.

Beer and the Beloved Topic of Iran

I've just finished my first beer. Much better now. Where was I? Ah yes...Iran. Old news by now, but worth the reflection. When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the ivy league juggernaut of Columbia University in late September, no one knew just what to expect. More antisemitism? Threatening religious prose of the 12th Imam returning for Armageddon? It was simply unclear. The President of Columbia provided a cold welcome to Iran's de facto leader as he was in New York to attend the UN General Assembly. The visit to the school was part of their international affairs seminar series, which invites domestic and world leaders for "dialogue." The visit from the Iranian President was unusual; but the importance with the event rested with what he had to say.

There were the usual ambiguous jabs to the "imperial" powers that exist in the world; that Western media has him all wrong, and his unfortunate vague response that further research should be conducted on the holocaust possibly implying--again--that it didn't' happen. Awful shitbag. The poor fool went as far as to claim that no homosexuals exist in Iran. This was quintessential simple minded utterance, which in a weird and twisted way gives a firm preview into the foreign policy logic Iran rolls with.

We are not dealing with the typical world player living in modernity. What we have on our hands is a deeply paper religious, flawed, racist, former revolutionary. The Ayatollah Khomeini and his closest clerics must want this fiery player around. He moves the country to the right, whereas the youthful majority inch closer to the West. The nuclear situation is learned chess from small Siberian hamlets aggravated by the Bush Cartel. Does Bush know the intricacies of chess? I'm not denying they have the bomb, I'm simply claiming they're leveraging the fuck out this whole thing.

The second beer is now open.

Our very own Dark Horse VP is the proverbial gasoline for this fire. A refocus of carrier groups just west of the Straight of Hormuz; vitriolic public statements; avoiding Frontline interviews; things like that. Modern justice, it appears, resembles an old west duke-out of two town idiots. My fear is, there is a final agenda item before January 20th, 2009.

The Columbia Experiment was interesting. The press was mixed, but there was a consensus that the Experiment was a case study in modern, post 911 democracy; that free speech possibly exists in subterranean circles against the ironic backdrop of warrantless wiretapping and sanctioned domestic spying. In the end, this vile game is hard to push the line on, but the possibility is there. That's the marbles were stuck with (don't drink beer while blogging).

The Aberrant Chronicles

We are approximately 110 days until Super Tuesday--heading into possibly one of the earliest presidential primary seasons in our nation's history. Why is that? In sick and attention-hungry fashion, many States have decided to move thier primaries up, which may force more of the attention on the heavily populated states. The Candidates know this. In previous political cycles, States like New Hampshire and Iowa were significant to win because they are the "early" States. With the first state caucus scheduled for January 14 and 8, possibly 12 states, moving thier primaries up to February 5th, we're geared up for a lightening bolt of a primary season. February 5th could get quite national. No time to think, react or, more importantly, raise money.

As an ironic result, wins in the small early states like New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina now have deep media importance in the big states, which is substantial considering there will be no time to raise large sums of money for those races. Recent reports show the early states moving up earlier; Iowa is seeking a January 3rd caucus date! This is a certified, large scale pissing contest with the various States channeling scenes from Dante's Inferno. Similarly, the pundocracy have mobilized in quick lock step with the premature debate season and have already issued inventive names for the premier policital kick off day: Tsunami Tuesday, Super Duper Tuesday to name a few.

In the end, the big ticket candidates with gold in thier teeth stand a chance. The marathoner(s) with deep pocket media power can survive this lengthy campaign season (which is largely taking place in Iowa and New Hampshire) and position themselves for the early win and big state voter attention.

It appears this presidential election means something. Half the nation has finally come sun up on the stone realization of thier drastic mistake back in November 2004. The desperation for competent (and sane) leadership is at all time high and the American public is so keyed in to foreign policy, security and alcholism that a fever of hyper-concious voters is now inevitable. An unfortunate reflection of the Nixonian duma, which has posited many of the same actors into the current Bush Cartel should be enough to wake us the fuck up. If this robust campaign season and early primary jockeying has showed us anything, it has demonstrated in dramatic fashion that the States, the Candidates and now potentially the Voter, are fully aware of what's at stake.


Sources: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/05/schneider.superduper.tuesday/index.html