Politics: September 2008 Archives

The Hound was expecting a breakthrough performance from Illinois' favorite son, Sen. Barack Obama on Friday night in the first of several presidential debates. Didn't happen, did it? The Hound didn't think Obama looked that sharp. Hey, he didn't know it wasn't debating Tom McClain, whoever he is.

As for John McCain, he knows the difference between strategy and tactics. His strategy is to win in just over a month. His tactics are making Obama look like he just left the sandbox. That didn't work so well,either.

So, what can we learn from Friday's faceoff? There's two presidential candidates who know their stuff. At least when it comes to foreign policy. Neither were too sharp when discussing the financial market meltdown. Guess that comes from being blindsided by fast-moving events of the day.

The Hound is waiting for the Palin vs. Biden bout. Talk about ultimate fighting. Which one will tap out? Any bets?

It must have been Lake County State's Attorney Michael Waller's legal arguments --- the one's he uses in court all the time --- which swayed Sheriff Mark Curran to endorse his re-election bid on Wednesday. Or maybe it was that jail stint that caused Curran to see the GOP light. That would be after he connected with the Almighty.

Besides that, what is it with this election season?

First, Iowa Republican Congressman Jim Leach endorses the Democratic presidential ticket. Then, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who ran for vice president as Democrat Al Gore's running mate in 2000, takes the podium at the Republican convention to support the McCain-Palin ticket. Now, Democrat Curran, who once worked for Waller, crosses party lines and backs his former boss and the boss of his wife, who runs the State's Attorney's child support division. Maybe it was that jail stint that caused Curran to see the GOP light.

Will Curran's next step include going Republican? He wouldn't be the first Democrat in Lake County to switch parties, The Hound has been told by older and wiser folks. Let's see, Circuit Clerk Sally Coffelt was elected in 1980 as a Democrat and switched to the GOP; then there was Circuit Court Judge Charles Scott, who couldn't get elected as a Democrat, but once he turned, he went on the bench.

Or will Waller repay the favor and endorse Curran in two years? Waller two years ago stayed with the party line and endorsed then-Sheriff Gary Del Re. That took political fortitude.

This must be a stinging rebuke for Lake County Democrats. And, memo to Pete Couvall, the party's vice chairman and hatchetman: The Democratic Party didn't elect Curran in 2006. Del Re did. The voters got that sheriff then.

Waller got his sheriff this time around. The Hound will guess Dem party chieftain state Sen. Terry Link is starting the vetting process for a primary opponent for Curran in 2010. Elephants may never forget, but mules pack one nasty kick if crossed.

It wasn't until the end of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's acceptance speech that The Hound awoke from a snooze. That man's timing was horrific. You'd think after talking to David Letterman a week ago, Dave would have given him some tips.

But as The Hound's grandfather noted, Dwight D. Eisenhower's syntax also wasn't the best and we know what happened then when the last Illinois egghead ran against a war hero. Must be something at those military academies. They probably needed some close-order marching from a drill instructor to get that cadence.

So now it begins. A sprint to the White House beween McCain-Palin and Obama-Biden. The Hound saw the first "Nobama '08" bumper sticker on a Lake County road. McCain must be the first candidate of either party to have a country/western song penned for him --- "Raisin' McCain" by the Rich part of the Big & Rich duo. And what's with the ticket borrowing "Barracuda" by Heart. At least one of the Wilson sisters is a working mom.

And, what does McCain need to win in November? 1) Win the same states President Bush captured in 2004; 2) Unleash Sarah Palin on those smug Democrats; 3) Ignore the media elites; 4) Keep those country singers around because in the states he needs, country stars trump Hollywood; 5) Make sure your people vote; 6) Unite the party's factions; 7) Pander to Cub Nation voters.

Sounds simple enough except Democrats who have had enough of eight years of a Republican in the White House.

If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's firebrand speech Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention is any indication, Democrats may have underestimated this self-professed "gal" from the 49th state. She sure whipsawed the Democatic ticket and perhaps hit a nerve with women across the nation.

She didn't stutter and didn't look like a moose in the headlights. She looked and sounded like she's been doing this campaign thing for awhile, certainly much to the chagrin of Democrats. But what's with those names of her kids: Piper, Willow, Bristol, Trig, Trak? Sounds like those hippie kids our parents warned us about.

Besides that, Palin certainly spelled out where the GOP ticket is heading --- Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan. And, she sounded like she's going to be a happy warrior in this political fight in battleground states our Illinois Sen. Barack Obama failed to win during the Democratic primary season.

John McCain's choice of Palin could be a gamechanger this election season. This is just getting interesting.

Didn't we just see this movie? You know, "Juno", about the 17-year-old who is preggers (as the Brits like to say)? Turns out life imitates art once again, this time in the household of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate.

Unlike Hollywood, looks like Bristol Palin will be getting married and not giving her baby up for adoption, as in "Juno". Looks like she also won't be singing any goofy "dah, dah, dah" songs with her future husband. Or maybe this is more on the line of "Knocked Up" where Katherine Hegl marries Seth Rogan in the end?

Whatever, welcome, Palin family, to presidential politics. The Hound has a hunch that if Palin stayed as governor of Alaska, her daughter's pregnancy wouldn't be making cable talk shows and "Good Morning America." But, that's just a hunch.

But it's not like this is 1958 and you hide your knocked up daughter in the closet or send her off to stay with relatives on another coast. If Bristol Palin was a Hollywood star, the birth announcement would come with a three-picture package or say, Ashlee Simpson, a three-record deal. There's a lot of Bristols out there in America. Granted, most of their parents aren't running for vice president.

The McCain camp says the senator knew of Bristol's impending motherhood and it didn't bother him. Maybe. But this has got to be one of the biggest political surprises among Republicans since George H.W. Bush found that Dan Quayle couldn't spell.

This election season is getting whackier, The Hound thinks, than a Bill Engval episode. Dems are just glad theirs isn't an Obama-Edwards ticket!

State Sen. James Meeks, D-Chicago, continues on a mission to bring Chicago Public School students to New Trier High School on Tuesday to register for school. If this guy is any indication of where the Illinois Legislature is at, he's already failed. Classes started two weeks ago at New Trier. Trying to enroll two weeks behind at New Trier is like a four-year-old enrolling in second grade.

OK, so Meeks, who also is a preacher, really doesn't want to enroll 70 busloads of CPS students at New Trier. He just wants to make a point about school funding and how Chicago students don't get the same amount of funding as does a New Trier. Isn't this the same politician who was going to challenge Gov. Rod Blagojevich two years ago, but dropped out after getting a promise more school funds for the money pit that is the CPS would be forthcoming? Well, that didn't happen.

Meeks went to Denver last week to save face if a handful of CPS students line up for the buses on Tuesday, which also happens to be opening day for them. Community leaders and school officials are urging students to ignore Meeks' plan. That sounds sound to The Hound because these kids are merely a pawn in a political game.

Meanwhile, New Trier officials say they are ready to welcome the CPS students who will be playing hookie. Knowing those folks in Winnetka and Wilmette, they'll have finger sandwiches and iced tea waiting for those who want to sign up and figure how they'll get to class from Chicago.