THE FINAL FORTNIGHT

Well, early voting has begin, and from what we can tell this year could end up a year of total confusion on November 5th. We may not have hanging chads but we'll have the nightmare of the Republicans not wanting to let go - - because in Ohio and West Virginia and in Florida they have had problems with long voting lines and electronic touch ballots not working properly as the machines keep switching to Mc Cain when a person votes for Obama. I haven't even received my ballot yet and I'm a registered Republican. I've gotten recomendations for various state propositions such as no on eleven, the "better government" initiative. Yes on ten. That's the energy proposition where you get tax credit for efficient alternate energy cars, ect. Joe Biden is saying that Obama will be "tested" his first six months in office, and I have no reason to doubt this. As you know I've claimed that "The powers that Be" have a war with Iran scheduled in to the divine master schedule for the next four years. But Obama will not be siding with the Moslems as these Christians claim. They say he's a stealth terrorist and a socialist and a closet Moslem, whom all the extremist Islamic powers can't wait to see in office.

As you know Collin Powell enfoursed Obama last Sunday morning on Meet the Press, and we out here heard about it in the early news before the show even aired. Mr. Powell's endoursement of Obama is dismissed by the born again lobby and apparently people like Rush Limbaugh saying that it's strictly a racial thing. Naturally Powell endoursed Obama because they're both Black. The narrowness which the Far Right is guilty of they are projecting on to their adversaries. Race was never cited as one of the many factors why Powell is endoursing Obama. The reasons were that Obama is cool as a cucumber under fire and shows a "steady hand of leadership". Some may argue that Obama is "playing possum" and he's just waiting till November 5th. Guy Fawks day before he "comes out of the closet" and announces his true identity. Some say the reason why people like Randi Rhodes want early voting is "because something bad is likely to come out about Obama in the next two weeks that could turn things around". Another reason why Collin Powell is endoursing Obama is that the Republicans are appealing to too narrow of a support base, and I'd have to agree with that, and I'd throw in the words "biggoted" and "racist" myself. I have myself heard racist remarks out of the mouths of these right wingers, both against Blacks and against anyone of Arab or Islamic extraction. Collin Powell talked about the grave of a young man who died for his country in the Iraq war with a star and crescent on his grave. There are contrary to belief, actually good practicing Moslems who are 100% pro American. This whole idea of being "un American" is a troubling one. Sarah Palin said she was happy campaigning in the "pro American parts of the country" like in North Carolina. Powell has stated that Obama by contrast to Mc Cain has appealed to a broad spectrum of the population. Many say that Sarah Palin's inclusion on the ticket is a major reason for viewing Mc Cain as unstable. Powell also cited (as did I) Mc Cain's lack of decisiveness on the bail out bill as a reason not to trust his decision making powers. Powell spoke of a virtual "Final Exam" that the candidates have undergone these past few troubling weeks. Many conservatives such as George Will have expressed doubts about having Sarah Palin on the ticket. Supposidly the buzzword is "I'm voting for Obama but don't tell my neighbor". Raher than a white backlash or "The Bradley effect", we may instead see a voter "front-lash" of many coming out in secret for Obama.

I had a conversation with someone the other day and it made me angry. I'm getting tired of this like that restoring the Clintonian tax rates for upper incomes as somehow "socialisum" or "a major redistribution of the wealth" or somehow another form of "welfare for the non tax payer". Of course even thse who pay no income tax because they are so poor still pay sales tax as well as FICA withholding, and perhaps even health plan withholding from their payroll checks. If Mc Cain is going to pitch his campaign for the benefit of those earning over $250,000 then I say say"Who does he think he's kidding?" if he thinks the top five percent of incomes represents the broad main streme of American workers. Somehow Mc Cain wants you to buy into the notion that the mean old government is unjustly conthiscating your "hard earned money". Why would "Joe the plumber" jeopardize his own intrests by coming out for Mc Cain. Clearly Joe the Plumber was a shill for Mc Cain. Even if he did earn over $250,000 he would profit from the Obama tax plan because he'd get more business because potential customers had more income to spend. Also the new health care regulations would help him so he'd pay a net less to the government anyhow. But don't confuse republicans with the facts.

There is this push by the media to recessitate Mc Cain's campaign because they want to peddle the notion that the race is tight and could go either way on election day. But if it does it will be because of corruption of the electoral process. All of the polls show Obama leading from between about six and eleven points. Obama has more money to spend, "hard earned money"- - than Mc Cain does. So if anything the Obama lead should increase. Collin Powell's endoursement should help Obama. In 1992 Clinton increased his lead in the final week. In 1988 Bush increased his lead over Dukakis in the final week. I'm thinking probably Clinton increased his lead against Dole in the final week. It's rare for the media to portray this as a "tight race" with Obama so far ahead in the polls, unless they know something they aren't saying.