Question of the day.

Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland...

“Oh, what a contrast, my friends, between these two men who would be president! President Obama is betting on America and American workers, and Mitt Romney is betting his resources in the Cayman Islands, in Bermuda, in Switzerland and God only knows where else he is putting his resources.”

Sunday Funny.

Via Chipsticks...

Take a deep breath.

Reassuring words from Darryl...

After 100,000 simulated elections, Obama wins 99,220 times and Romney wins 780 times (including the 149 ties). Obama receives (on average) 313 to Romney’s 225 electoral votes. Romney gains +0.2% probability, leaving Obama with a 99.2% chance of winning a hypothetical election held now.

Pretty pictures, too...

From the "Me too" file.

Jed Lewison...

Listening to Obama talk about how he's issues fewer regulations than Bush did in his first three years, and how he doesn't believe in providing government aid to people who refuse to help themselves, I find myself once again shaking my head at my fellow Americans on the right who look at Obama and cannot see the man for who he really is: a middle-of-the-road American president.

Me too.

The times, they have changed...

Heh™.

Pat Bagley, via  Millard Fillmore's Bathtub...

Heh™.

Via The Obama Diary...

Bet I'm not the only one...

...who'll never see Sarah Palin's name or image again without thinking "...pit bulls are delicious."

Chart of the day.

Via David Atkins...

Early returns from SHL-32 0558!

Obama won.

And I got to meet a new Democratic neighbor, a recent transplant from New York, attending his first precinct caucus. Both he and I are moving forward as delegates.

The LD caucuses next week should be somewhat livelier, but I consider today's activities time well spent.

From the "Delayed gratification" file.

Those of you who were able to resist attempting mischief in the Republican caucuses and thereby retained your eligibility for the Democratic caucuses can collect your reward this Sunday, as Washington Democrats begin the process of selecting 130 folks to represent us at the Democratic National Convention.

(It clicks a bunch bigger)

The main driver for caucus attendance is usually a hotly contested nomination race. This year there's no such motivation.  President Obama will be our nominee, and I fully expect our delegation to be unanimous in that regard. The nomination isn't the only question before the caucuses, though.  As the chart above shows, there is the opportunity at every level to move resolutions and platforms that reflect the principles and positions of the Democratic Party.  In that regard, this is where Washington Democrats can join the movement to include a marriage equality plank in the national platform.

I've already endorsed the language proposed by Freedom To Marry, but I'd happily settle for the language in our own 32nd Distict Democrats platform, which supports...

The right of every adult to marry the person of his or her choice without gender restrictions upon that choice, and to enjoy the same civil and legal rights accorded to all marriages.

Whatever the final language may be, it's time for the national platform to make our support for marriage rights explicit. Officials including the National Convention Chair, at least four former Democratic National Convention and a list of elected officials that includes our own Senator Patty Murray agree.

President Obama, I'm sorry to say, doesn't. Maybe I'm not such an Obamabot after all, but I don't think the Party should, as tradition would suggest, yield this plank of our platform to the nominee.  If he finds leading a Party committed to marriage equality uncomfortable, perhaps it's the irritant necessary to spur his evolution on the issue.  

I'll be caucusing Sunday afternoon, and running for delegate to the LD/County level with a pledge to support the nomination and re-election of President Barack Obama and the inclusion of explicit marriage equality language in the county, state and national platforms.  I'll be asking for a similar commitment from those who seek my vote for delegate to any level as the process advances.

Your precinct caucus is at 1:00 this Sunday afternoon.  If you don't know where, use the Washington State Democratic Party's caucus locator.  

From the "Me too" file.

Via Ron Chusid...

Me too.

You may, I suppose, consider me an Obamabot for the duration.

From the "Good news for John McCain" file.

Mitt Romney's support among Republicans is lower than President Obama's job approval rating among all Americans.

It's not everything....

...but it's something. You could even call it change. President Obama...

“The one thing we have not done is we have not launched a war.”

Thanks for that, Mr. President.

So it goes.

Sweet jeebus. PPP via John Aravosis...

-In Tennessee only 33% of GOP primary voters think Barack Obama was born in the United States, while 45% do not.
-In Georgia 40% of Republican primary voters think Obama was born in the United States, while 38% do not.
-In Ohio 42% of Republican primary voters think Obama was born in the United States, while 37% do not.

Tough times for a blogger - they've moved beyond ridicule.

Not that I'll stop trying...

Signs of the times.

Via Chipsticks...

Chart of the day.

Via the DNC blog...

Good question.

Fixer asks...

What if a group of Muslim Imams took exception to some policy of the Preident's, as opposed to the Catholic bishops?

From the "Go Newt, Go" file.

Matt Tabbai...

If Gingrich ends up winning the nomination, Obama will essentially be running against the political version of Gilbert Gottfried or raw garlic.

H/T Howie.

On the other hand...

...go Newt go!



Obama
100.0% probability of winning
Mean of 416 electoral votes

Gingrich
0.0% probability of winning
Mean of 122 electoral votes