Hill-adelphia helps Clinton carry PA

Hillary has done it - she has pulled off another victory here in Pennsylvania, but will it be enough? I don't think it will. Lost in all the hoopla of her victory, which by the latest count has her winning the state by 10 percent, is that it won't be significant enough to propel her to the nomination; she won 67 delegates tonight, but Obama won 51.

Of course, all day today, the press engaged in wild speculation about what Hillary should do if her victory wasn't big enough, if she won by x%, etc. I think all of that speculation was for naught, because Hillary isn't going anywhere, for now. There will be calls on both sides for the other to step aside, but that's easy for all of us to say, when they are both (but yet so far) from the Democratic nomination.

In state news, I was delighted to see that Johnny Dougherty lost his bid be the Democratic nominee to replace the outgoing State Senator Vince Fumo in Philadelphia's First District. Unfortunately, Larry Farnese was the winner, and not the candidate we supported - Anne Dicker. The district won with Dougherty's defeat, however.

Dicker distinguished herself in this campaign, and she certainly has a future in politics. I will support and vote for Farnese in the fall election.

The jury is still out, of course, for the Democratic nomination, but I just don't buy into the opinion that the dogfight between Clinton and Obama somehow will hurt the Democratic Nominee's chances against John McCain. Sure, I'd like to see a nominee raising money now, but I still believe the Democrats will win and win big this fall.

And I plan on spending lots of time and energy to help make that happen.

My ballot is cast...

I just cast my ballot at my polling place. It was quick and easy - absolutely no line. When the day comes when we move from our condo in Philly, I sure will miss how easy of a time I have to vote - it's literally one block away at an elementary school.

Anyway, it's official - I cast my vote for Obama. Despite my recent indecision about possibly voting for Hillary, I didn't waiver from my original pronouncement of supporting Obama. I believe Hillary is quite a strong candidate, but I simply think Obama can give politics in our poisoned nation's capital the swift kick in the butt that it needs.

I also cast my vote for Progressive Anne Dicker today for Pennsylvania's First District's State Senate race. She's in a dogfight with Johnny Dougherty and Larry Farnese. I'd like to say I'm confident she can pull it off, but in the last few weeks, I'm not so sure. But, I never considered voting for either of the other two.

Voter turnout here in Pennsylvania appears to be quite heavy indeed. I'll be back later with much more. If you live in Pa. and you're reading this - get out there and vote today - the earlier, the better. There have already been some reported problems with voting machines in South Philly. If you go early, you have a chance to get the problem fixed before the end of the day so your vote counts.

Today... we decide! Don't forget to vote!

I've been looking forward to this day for quite a while, but I have to admit I'll be much, much happier when it's all over, at least for a little while. Pennsylvania won't take a backseat for long, though, since just like 2004, it promises to be a hotly contested state for both party's nominees.

All of the campaign ads, the commercials, the junk mail (of which I've received probably at least 50 pieces of campaign fliers in the past 2 weeks) and all the rest, it will be good to get a break from it for a little while. And I'm a political junkie! That should tell you something about how crazy it's been, especially here in Philadelphia. We'll find out soon enough of the city can be dubbed Hill-adelphia; if she carries Philly, she almost undoubtedly will carry the state.

As tired as I am of it, I have to confess that I think the debate has been very good for voters, and the state. I just don't buy into the media's crybaby complaining that "it's not good for the Democratic Party" because Hillary and Obama are still slugging it out. The media simply wanted it wrapped up by now, so it can get on to delivering us Hillary/Obama vs. McCain polls for the next seven or eight months. Funny how, as usual, the facts get very little traction, too; Bill Clinton didn't wrap up the nomination in 1992 until June. But, back then we didn't have the Internet, (ahem) blogs, and YouTube, and also umpteen 24-hour news channels to incessantly obsess over what Obama's drinking for breakfast, or Hillary's laugh or haircut like we do now.

Part of me thinks this slugfest between Obama and Clinton is good, and part of me wants the party to get a nominee already, so the electorate's ire and restlessness can be directed precisely where it belongs - at McCain and the war-mongering Republicans. Soon enough.

I'm off to cast my ballot. I'll be back in a bit. ...

A montage of Hillary misogyny

I found this on the Internets earlier today, and I thought I'd share it. It shouldn't take you long to get outraged - this is the kind of garbage coverage that Hillary Clinton has been subjected to, since before she even declared her candidacy for president. Everyone is so busy complaining about the press coverage in one way or another, it seems to me the complainers are missing one important point - Hillary and Obama aren't the only ones doing damage to one another during the remaining Democratic primaries - so is the media. The only candidate who is truly getting a free ride from the pliant and fawning members of the media who "cover" him is John McCain, and there's plenty of proof - I'll post an absurd piece of footage in a minute. The only thing about McCain the media "covers" is his ass, because the media spends enough time kissing it.

I've written that I'm backing Obama, and I still am, but honestly, the closer we get to the primary, the more open I am to the idea of voting for Hillary. Right now, I'm about 70/30 in favor of Obama, but I very well could decide in the voting booth. Regardless of who wins next Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary and whoever gets the nomination, I will enthusiastically back in the general election. McSame is such a backward, absurd candidate, I wouldn't back him for all the whiskey in Ireland.