Three pennies for three thoughts

1)  Rachel Maddow noted on her show last night that Democratic turnout is down from 2008 in the first two primaries this year and wondered if this was cause for concern for Democrats (it should be noted that it's still at historically high levels).  It may well be, but I wonder if it has more to do with the fact that we have two very good candidates this time around and many Democrats will be happy to support either in November.  In all honesty, we have trouble getting Democrats to vote in the midterms and it's hard to imagine them taking the time for a primary when both candidates are appealing.

2)  At the risk of proving just how bad I am at political prognostication, is it possible that Jeb! Bush can mount a comeback in South Carolina?  Probably not, but with Marco "Hal 9000" Rubio, Ben "Delusional" Carson, and John "The Dullard" Kasich as the only republican establishment candidates left, you have to admit there is an opening for him.  Maybe his Mom can put in a good word for Jeb!....

3) Jim Webb announced today that he will not be seeking the White House as an independent  candidate.  Now it's entirely possible that reality set in and his advisers told him that an oak tree had as good of a chance as he did to be the next President, but I have to wonder if it had anything to do with Michael Bloomberg announcing that he was considering an independent run--pretty sure Webb can't sink a billion dollars into a losing campaign just because he thinks he knows better than the American people who our Presidential candidates should be.

Chutzpah aplenty in Neverland these days....

Peace,
emaycee

A tangled Webb

Jim Webb pulled the plug on his comatose campaign for the Presidency today, explaining that he'd entered the Democratic race accidentally, and really had meant to join the republican race.

It's not true, but it's a lot more plausible than the bullshit Webb passed off today about the Democratic Party moving too fat to the left as the reason for him ending his campaign.  Not sure what planet Webb was on when he became a Democrat, but the ideas put forth in the first Democratic debate are what the Democratic Party has been about since Franklin Delano Roosevelt opened a can of whoop ass on Herbert Hoover in 1932.

Webb will apparently now consider a run as an Independent, because some political advisers from an alternate universe have him believing that somehow he can convince another sixty some odd million Americans to join the three votes he'll get from the America's remaining Conservadems and make him the next President.

Riiiiiiiiiiight...

Peace,
emaycee

The first Democratic Debate, in a word

For those of you who don't have the time for lengthy recaps:

Jim Webb:  Republican
Lincoln Chafee:  WTF?
Martin O'Malley:  SOL
Bernie Sanders:  Inspiring
Hillary Clinton:  Formidable
Joe Biden:  Superfluous
The Democratic Party:  Righteous!

Peace,
emaycee

Five for fighting

Jim Webb joined the race for the Democratic nominee for President in 2016 today, becoming the party's fifth candidate and leaving us ten behind the republicans.

We've got our work cut out for us if we're going to catch up.

Webb announced without much fanfare, using only a written note on his website.  Webb appears to be seeking the votes of those who like their candidates dull, with undistinguished careers in Congress, and with very little to offer the Liberal wing. While Webb does have a Liberal bona fides or two (opposed the Iraq War, criticizes the role of money in our politics), he is more or less a Blue Dog Dem and they are currently going the way of the dinosaur and the dodo bird.  Like Lincoln Chafee, he seems intent on knocking down Hillary Clinton a peg, which ought to endear him to many Democratic primary voters about as much as Donald Trump.

Fortunately for Webb, Bernie Sanders joined the race and in about six months Jim Webb can go back to doing whatever it is the Jim Webb's of the world do with the rest of their lives.

Peace,
emaycee

And O'Malley makes three

Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley yesterday became the third Democrat to enter the race for the party's 2016 Presidential nomination.  O'Malley has strong progressive credentials and will offer youthful good looks and exuberance to potential Democratic voters.

Unfortunately for O'Malley, Bernie Sanders is already in the race running to Hillary Clinton's left (one supposes should Jim Webb enter the race he will run to Hillary's right--and good luck with that in Democratic primaries) which leaves O'Malley the unpalatable option of claiming he's more electable than Sanders.  That ought to go over really well with the die-hard Liberal base.

Don't get me wrong--I like O'Malley and would have no problem voting for him.  I just think he has very long odds considering he has to beat electoral behemoth Hillary Clinton and left wing darling Bernie Sanders, both of whom are far ahead of him in name recognition as well.  He also has one big caveat:  as Mayor of Baltimore, his hardcore policing tactics have many believing his leadership on crime prevention played a large role in the recent strife in the city following the death of Freddie Gray, and O'Malley will certainly face hard questioning in regard to said role.

On the coolness quotient, though, O'Malley is a shoo-in.  He'd be the first President who can play guitar (that I know of) and he's actually pretty damn good at it:

If only it were that easy.

Peace,
emaycee