HOT or NOT: The Week-In-Review

Happy Halloween, politcas and politicos! As we celebrate Halloween, remember that there's nothing scarier than a McCain-Palin administration so GOTV ya'll.

HOT: Obama Airs 30-minute Prime-Time TV Appeal. Barack Obama aired a $3 million special broadcast on three major networks on Wednesday night. According to rating reports, more than 26 million people watched the program on CBS, NBC or Fox. Hey, I guess when you have cash to spare, why not?

NOT: Elizabeth Hasselbeck on the Campaign Trail. Elizabeth Hasselbeck joined Sarah Palin on the campaign trail in Florida over the weekend. She introduced Palin at two rallies with plenty of female references to “cleaning up” Washington and being able to stand the heat in the “kitchen.” Puke.

HOT: The Economist Endorses Barack Obama. The Economist endorsed Barack Obama on Thursday, saying, "America should take a chance and make Barack Obama the next leader of the free world... the Democratic candidate has clearly shown that he offers the better chance of restoring America’s self-confidence." This of course means that The Economist is a socialist paper.

NOT: “Communism” as a campaign attack. Seriously, what year is this? I thought we were over the days when we labeled anyone who fought for equal rights a “Communist” (i.e. unions, Martin Luther King, etc). The McCain-Palin campaign is clearly so desperate that they’ve resorted to a campaign tactic from 1963. Obama recently responded to such attacks, saying, "By next week he'll be calling me a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten." Zing!

HOT: John McCain Gets Stood Up by BFF Joe the Plumber. John McCain invited Joe the Plumber to join him at a campaign event in Defiance, Ohio this week. But when McCain called out for him: radio silence. Good ol’ Joe was nowhere to be found. Awwwwkward. A campaign aide later said he had "decided not to come" and may join McCain later in the day. But when contacted by CNN, Joe said it was "news to him" that he was supposed to be at the McCain rally and said that nobody from the campaign confirmed he was attending the event. Even worse: McCain had to bus in 4,000 school children from the surrounding area to fill the crowd.

NOT: Gun Sales Increasing as Economy Collapses. As the economy goes in the tank, Americans seem to be buying a lot of one thing: guns. Much of the 10% increase in firearm sales can be attributed to misguided paranoia that an Obama Administration would toughen gun laws as well as the uncertainty of a worsening economy. Yikes! Guns and economic uncertainty are a deadly (no pun intended!) combination.

And check out Our Fabulous Video of the Week:

Palin Looks to 2012, McCain Campaign Speechless

Responding to a question about what happens in 2012 if McCain loses, Sarah Palin said, "I'm not doin' this for naught." Uhhh. We all knew this is what she was thinking, but to say this six days before the election is admitting defeat. Bad form. I almost feel bad for the McCain camp on this one. Good luck defending this comment! Check out the CNN clip below.

BLITZER: I am not surprised, not surprised at all. It is one of those "wow, she is talking about 2012 if we lose," that is not supposed to be something that you say. You are supposed to say, "well, I'm not looking ahead, I'm not looking ahead only to Tuesday," and those are the talking points she's supposed to be saying, but she is obviously blunt and she is looking ahead if something were to happen on Tuesday that she wouldn't be happy with.

Major Alaska Newspaper Endorses Obama

A leading newspaper in Alaska, the Anchorage Daily News, endorsed Barack Obama on Saturday, saying, "[he] brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand."

Although the newspaper acknowledges Palin's success and notes she "draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake," they are not convinced that she is "truly ready to assume command of the important, powerful nation on earth."

Gov. Palin's nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency -- but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Check out the article here.

One Week to Go...

So, I finally got my absentee ballot from Virginia last night. Phew! For three nights in a row, I've had the reoccurring dream that the ballot would never come and that Barack Obama would lose the election by one vote. Putting that bad boy in the mail this morning finally relieved me of my election guilt (sigh).

A few days ago, a friend of mine sent me this video. Although it's a rather extreme example, it's a great reminder what's at stake in this election. Customize the video for yourself and your friends here. Yes, Barack is up in the polls and some newspapers are already predicting his win, but we just won't know until Tuesday or thereafter - so let's not take voting and doing our part lightly, folks.

The Sunday Funnies

This week's Sunday Funnies is a hilarious comic strip on the Joe the Plumber-esque voter. Check it out:

HOT or NOT: The Week-In-Review

HOT: Palin Wears Democratic-Themed Scarf. VP Candidate Sarah Palin raised eyebrows this week when she was spotted sporting a donkey- themed scarf. She was photographed in Reno on Tuesday wearing a scarf with donkeys and the words ‘Yes’ and ‘Vote.’ There's just so much I could say about this one I don't even know where to start.

NOT: Naming Your Child “Zamboni.” In an interview with People Magazine, Palin said that if she had a sixth child, they have already picked the name for a boy – Zamboni. I already pity this poor hypothetical child.

HOT: Former Bush Press Secretary Backs Obama. So Scott McClellan recently announced that he would vote for Barack Obama on CNN’s new show with D.L. Hughley. He described Senator Obama as the candidate “who has the best chance of changing the way Washington works and getting things done." I wonder if Rush Limbaugh will say that he’s only supporting Barack because he’s black.

NOT: Louis Vuitton for Your Kids. Amongst the $150,000 clothes and accessories purchased for Sarah Palin and her family, is a $790 Louis Vuitton Canvas bag for her 7-year-old daughter, Piper Palin. I can't blame her though because she understands that people are voting based on "pocketbook" issues. Update: Piper Palin's Louis Vuitton Purse is FAKE!

HOT: The New York Times Endorses Barack Obama. And the newspaper endorsements keep rolling in for Barack Obama. The NYT described their decision as an easy one, saying that Senator Barack Obama “has proved that he is the right choice to be the 44th president of the United States.”

NOT: Distinguishing between Northern Virginia and “Real Virginia.” McCain senior adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer recently suggested that McCain would win Virginia because he is doing better in the southern part of the state or, as she called it, “real Virginia.” I wasn’t aware that I was living in an imaginary place for three years.

HOT: Michele Bachmann's Tightening Race. After Michele Bachmann’s comments accusing the House leadership of being “un-American,” donations increased for her opponent, Elwyn Tinkleberg. What was considered to be a cake walk is now a close race to keep her congressional seat in Minnesota’s 6th District. Love it.

And here is Our Fabulous Video of the Week:

And They Talked About John Edwards' "Elitist" $400 Haircut...

Reports are coming in that the Republican National Committee has spent $4000 for a haircut for Sarah Palin and a total of $150,000 to clothe and accessorize the Veep candidate and her family since late August. Just a regular American girl, folks.

With all the trubs that the Repubs have had with matching the Obama camp's campaign donations, you would think that they would want to put this money to more efficient use. Priorities, priorities, priorities.

Are they preparing for a Miss America contest or a Presidential campaign?

Colin Powell and Black Racism?

Rant of the Week: So after months of hinting at it, Colin Powell finally endorsed Barack Obama. This endorsement has prompted Republicans like Rush Limbaugh to suggest that Powell is only voting for Barack Obama based on race. I find these notions that African-American voters are voting for Obama solely on the basis of race particularly troubling. Especially when Republicans try to bring up blacks voting for Obama as a way to defend or excuse the white racists voting for McCain-Palin. Not the same thing, my friends!

First of all, most African-Americans do not blindly vote based on race. Sure, there are many more blacks that will likely vote in this election because they are energized by the idea of a Black President, but they would not be voting for Obama if he was a Republican. Think about the frustration that many black voters have for Alan Keyes and Clarence Thomas. For most black voters, race is meaningless if the candidate of choice does not appear to advocate for policies that benefit many African-Americans. The idea that blacks are ONLY voting for Obama because of his race is insulting to the millions of African-Americans who are making a rational, informed decision about who they are voting for.

Secondly, it is pretty ridiculous to say that white racists who are voting against Obama based on race are the same as black voters voting for Obama. White racists are voting based on hatred, bigotry and fear of the unknown. By and large, this is not the motivation for blacks to support Obama so the two cases are not quite comparable.

What's more, Colin Powell lists specific reasons for his support for Barack Obama. Among his reasons, he notes his disappointment with John McCain's campaign and his VP choice of Sarah Palin as running mate. Even Republicans have to admit that these reasons are not exactly coming from left field (no pun intended!) .

And while many Republicans criticize black voters for voting for a Black candidate based on race, they seem completely fine with female voters voting for Sarah Palin based solely on gender - in fact they welcome it and look for opportunities to exploit her "womaness." For shame.

Ok, stepping off soapbox now...

The Sunday Funnies

This week's Sunday Funnies is a Daily Show clip about John McCain's monster that he has created at his hate rallies.

HOT or NOT: The Week-In-Review

HOT: Obama wins debate. Again. CNN reported that 53% of uncommitted voters surveyed identified Dem nominee Barack Obama as the winner of the debate and 22% identified John McCain.

NOT: McCain’s temper. It was clearly the most emotional debate to date. But while Barack looked calm and composed, McCain looked like he was about to blow his lid. Gotta love those split screens.

HOT: Wash Post Endorses BO. The Post remarked that it was an easy decision for them when looking at McCain's campaign strategy and selection of a running mate who is unfit to lead. They admire Obama's "impressive qualities" and are hopeful about an Obama presidency.

NOT: Rally hate. Reports and videos are coming in of the angry words shouted at McCain-Palin rallies. While McCain has called them "fringe" types, him and his running mate have referred to Barack Obama by using his middle name - Hussein, provoking words like "Terrorist" and Kill Him" from their attendees.

HOT: Obama goes after FOX news. At Wednesday's debate, Obama challenged FOX News' "fair and balanced" coverage, saying, "If I Were Watching Fox News, I Wouldn't Vote For Me."

NOT: Joe “The Plumber” giving more interviews in one day than Sarah Palin As VP Candidate. Um, yea this guy is everywhere all of a sudden. He said in a recent interveiw, "I'm kind of like Britney Spears having a headache. Everybody wants to know about it."

Quote of the Week:
“I'm probably going to call him [Joe "The Plumber"] this morning," McCain said. "I thought he would probably be up late. I heard that his — that his phone lines were pretty well flooded. But I think we're going to be spending some time together.”

And check out Our Fabulous Video of the Week: