J's Cafe Nette

Archive for May 8th, 2008

This may be only the thoughts of one writer but when I read this paragraph (particularly the final sentence), it made me silently scream NO!

It’s called scorched earth. The Clintons are not accustomed to losing and it seems they’re going to make the Democratic party pay for not choosing her. This primary may end up in court by the time the dust settles.

[Emphasis mine]

I would bet there are those on the Right who would not mind seeing this primary drag out well past June and believe a court fight would be good for the Republican party. Some think a bloody battle at the convention will serve the same purpose.

I respectfully disagree and here is why. We are already so polarized as a nation that if either party forces further divisions in the electorate to the point where many due to race, gender or religion relinquish their vote then we will not have an election based on a good cross section of this country.

Good grief, the Republicans have enough of this already. More and more we hear of the democrats dividing into specific “groups.” What ever happened to what is best for the country? What I hear and read now are no longer differences of opinion in many cases but outright lack of acceptance for those with varying thoughts.

Another protracted court fight over delegates will serve no purpose but to anger many, please a few and once again we will hear the same tired old arguments we have endured since Gore v. Bush. Whatever the outcome of the last few primary states, it is my hope that the Democrats will have their nominee and we can get on with the business of two candidates campaigning for the presidency.

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As Jenna Bush prepares to wed Henry Hager on Saturday in Crawford, TX, we take a look at what the president is doing to prepare:

All in good fun and we wish the newlyweds a long, happy and fruitful marriage. Our best to the father of the bride also.

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Growing up there was always a lot of country music and Sinatra in our house. Eddy Arnold was one of my folks favorite entertainers and through that “music education” he also became one of mine.

Mr. Arnold passed away today at the age of almost 90 but not before he brought much joy to those who for many years admired his music.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – entertainmentminute Eddy Arnold, whose mellow baritone on songs like “Make the World Go Away” made him one of the most successful country singers in history, died Thursday morning, days short of his 90th birthday.
Arnold died at a care facility near Nashville, said Don Cusic, a professor at Belmont University and author of the biography “Eddy Arnold: I’ll Hold You in My Heart.” His wife of 66 years, Sally, had died in March, and in the same month, Arnold fell outside his home, injuring his hip.

Arnold’s vocals on songs like the 1965 “Make the World Go Away,” one of his many No. 1 country hits and a top 10 hit on the pop charts, made him one of the most successful country singers in history.

Folksy yet sophisticated, he became a pioneer of “The Nashville Sound,” also called “countrypolitan,” a mixture of country and pop styles. His crossover success paved the way for later singers such as Kenny Rogers.

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While being cautious in their headline by using the word “possible,” the NYT offers a sensible assessment of the current state of not just the race for the nomination but that of the party of a whole on the Democrat side of the aisle:

Certainly, no one is expecting a couple with such political skills, an extended network, history and broad appeal — not to mention fund-raising power — to disappear from the Democratic stage. Mrs. Clinton would presumably return to what could be a potentially very high-profile role in the Senate. Mr. Clinton is only 61, and never has been the kind of politician happy on the sidelines.

But Mr. Obama’s move to the brink of the nomination was fraught with symbolism and evidence of a party in transition. A first-time presidential candidate, he has so far outmaneuvered the vaunted Clinton political machine. He positioned his candidacy as a repudiation of the kind of politics the Clintons practiced and a generational break. And he drew thousands of new voters and donors into his fold, giving the party a fresh face and new energy.

“The Clintons had an important role in the recent history of the Democratic Party and will always play some role, given their success at bringing this country peace and prosperity,” said Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who backed Mr. Obama. “But elections are about the future, not the past. It’s a new era. This is a new spirit that’s out there.”

The evidence may be mounting that Senator Clinton has very few options left to secure the nomination of her party but it was a pleasure to read an article which is not presuming to ask her to leave the race.

I see no one moving that mountain except the candidate herself and only after she is firmly convinced all of her avenues are exhausted be they in the best interest of the party or not.

Interviews with current party leaders and those who have gone before make this piece a worthwhile read.

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