OU Messes With Texas: Nabs Big 12 Championship Berth

The waiting this Sunday afternoon was tense. But after an utter blowout of No. 2 Texas Tech last weekend, and a wild victory over No. 12 Oklahoma State in the Oklahoma Bedlam series, the OU Sooners are bound for the Big 12 title game in Kansas City, MO.

Despite a prime time interview with Texas Coach Mack Brown during the middle of the OU-OSU game, the Sooners pulled out a narrow BCS ranking over No. 3 Texas in the latest BCS poll.

The Sooners average came in at 0.9351 while Texas fell to 0.9223. OU's narrow lead awarded them the tie-breaker in the Big 12 South division, and puts them on the fast-track to the National Championship.

Texas and Mack Brown lobbied hard, but they will doubtless represent the Big 12 well in the Drano Toilet Bowl.

Congrats to the Sooners, and good luck against Missouri!

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Useless Christmas Gift Ideas

With Thanksgiving in the books, I enjoy looking ahead to Christmas and the bevy of useless gifts that people can buy.

This early into the season, I have found no gift serving less purpose than the 'unbroken heart' necklace.

The Unbroken Heart necklace comes in a variety of iterations on the website, but the basic purchase is a heart shaped pendant on a necklace that is broken in the middle.

Lest the gift seem too depressing to love lorn buyers, the necklace also comes with a strand of golden thread for when your heart mends. I kid you not.

Below is an actual testimonial from the website:

Last August, when my husband of 18 years ended our marriage and left me alone with our two children, I wanted something to express my feelings. So, I was looking for brokenheart necklace, Searching the internet for "BROKEN HEART" and your site was 1st on the list! I hope someday to make it an unbrokenheart when my real heart mends.

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All in all the unbroken heart necklace is probably a terrific idea for the perpetually single among your friends and family.

If you think about it, what person doesn't want a gift that serves as a constant reminder of their pain?

Love and the Obamas

Turns out, America got much more than it bargained for in electing Sen. Obama as President.

Not only can our President-Elect save the hell that America has become, but he can also solve the problems of western population decline, and problems in our relationships as well.

This would roughly make Sen. Obama America's Dr. Phil-in-Chief.

Who knew? MSNBC reports:

"The Obamas represent a welcome change as an openly affectionate and romantic couple for many Americans. Some experts say that the soon-to-be first couple embody the ideal healthy relationship, and that they can stir up love around the country. The New York Daily News even predicted a baby boom attributed to election night friskiness inspired by the Obamas."

...

“Not only does [Barack Obama] love his wife, he respects her,” said Hendricks. “The model of harmony, shared humor and easy communication that the Obamas reveal really is a new model — if ordinary citizens practiced this each day, our world would transform very quickly in positive directions.”

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Just to sum up: the Obamas embody affection and romance because, well, we are not exactly sure. But we do know that the Bushes are Republicans. So, by definition, they must not be affectionate, and do not love each other.

Similarly, the Obamas' relationship is the model of harmony, because, they occasionally tell jokes, and communicate. Or, as I like to call it, marriage.

Follow the logic: the Obamas are married so that must make them the embodiment of the ideal relationship. All we need to do is watch what the Obamas do, and do likewise. Our obedience will 'transform' 'ordinary citizens' (e.g., all you schlubs who do relationships differently), and change the world.

After all, it's really all about change, isn't it?

How fortunate that we have the Great Leader, (and his wife) to guide us.

Newsweek: Could Obama Become the Next Reagan?

No.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

From Pax Plena to you, Happy Thanksgiving!



Update: Ok. Here is a real Thanksgiving video. (Via Volokh)

Britney Spears: Old & Boring

According to Reuters and Rolling Stone, Britney Spears is feeling 'old' and 'boring' these days. Not coincidentally, Ms. Spears, for now, is the same age as yours truly.

Sadly, due to the crush of finals, I can only echo her remarks.

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Giving Props to Obama

Having waded several cabinet appointments deep into the bog of change that Sen. Obama promised to bring, it should be apparent by now to all Americans that 'change' was a cheap rouse- a cute slogan aimed at a disconsolate electorate.

The bulk of the future Obama Administration is like a bad re-run of the Clinton era set to air for four years. Watch for cameo appearances by Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, Bill Richardson, Tom Daschel and Eric Holder. Only Monica Lewinsky seems to be missing from the reunion.

Having dispatched with the caveat above, today's reappointment of Defense Secretary Robert Gates to his post at the Pentagon is easily the wisest decision of Sen. Obama's nascent Administration.

To be sure, the move is a far cry from believable change, but it is a decision made in the best interest of America with little, obvious political gain.

For that Sen. Obama deserves his Nation's thanks.

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When East Meets West

I have never made it a point to read webcomics on a regular basis. But the comic below titled Terminology from XKCD is spot on. This has always bugged me too.

Song of the Week: Chicken Fried

Funny how time flies. On this auspicious day from yesteryear, the Pax Plena song of the week speaks to the some of the best that life has to offer. It reminds us to never take life for granted, and to always enjoy the little things.

Already a hit single from one of country music's newest and hottest bands, Chicken Fried by the Zac Brown Band lauds the little things. Cold beer on a Friday night, a sunrise, and pecan pie all rank high on the list.

I suppose there is no mystery to the song, but it takes me back to a time in life when everything was new, exciting, and wonderful. For us nostalgic sorts, it also calls to mind what might have been. But more than this it speaks to life's simple pleasures, and the need to appreciate it all.



Chicken Fried
by The Zac Brown Band

You know I like my chicken fried
A cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up

Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

Well I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia pine
And that`s home you know
Sweet tea pecan pie and homemade wine
Where the peaches grow
And my house it`s not much to talk about
But it`s filled with love that`s grown in southern ground

And a little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

And it's funny how it`s the simple things in life that mean the most
Not where you live, what you drive, or the price tag on your clothes
There`s no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I`ve come to know
So if you agree have a drink with me
Raise you glasses for a toast

To a little bit of chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

I thank god for my life
And for the stars and stripes
May freedom forever fly, let it ring
Salute the ones who died
And the ones that give their lives, so we don`t have to sacrifice
All the things we love

Like our chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

You know I like my chicken fried
Cold beer on a Friday night
A pair of jeans that fit just right
And the radio up
Well I`ve seen the sunrise
See the love in my woman`s eyes
Feel the touch of a precious child
And know a mother`s love

Cemetery Overcrowding

This story from London's Times Online is a bit cold on the wires now. But, in brief, it recounts the plight of overcrowding in UK cemeteries.

According to the article, the Institute of Cemeteries and Crematorium Management is having quite the difficulty in finding burial plots for the newly deceased. Some city planners have even suggested creating 'double-decker' graves to match London's double-decker buses.

For the un-dead among us, the institute seems like a government body ripe for jokes. But ICCM Chief Tim Morris is dead serious about the spatial problem affecting local cemeteries:

It seems too many people are just dying to get in.

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Conservatism: Big Tent or Yurt

Note: My first post on Ex Deserto.

In this inaugural post, I wanted to call attention to the Washington Post's Chriz Cillizza who lists 'Ten Republicans to Watch' in a post featured on the Washington Post blog The Fix.

Certainly, his post starts out with a sense of foreboding ("The great thing about elections is that as soon as the last one ends a new one begins."), but it goes on to profile ten inexplicable Republican politicians who are somehow forecasted to shape the future of the GOP.

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Before beginning the list, Cillizza is quick to dispense with both former AR Gov. Mike Huckabee and AK Gov. Sarah Palin as figures to watch. He bellows that Gov. Palin is "VERY lightly regarded by many of the opinion leaders and establishment types within the GOP," and calls Gov. Huckabee's politics a "fresh-faced appeal and shtick".

Among those making Cillizza's cut are Mitt Romney, John Thune, Steve Poizner (just to save you some Wikipedia time, Poizner is the Insurance Commissioner of California), and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

In evaluating the conservative movement's way forward, the wisdom of Cillizza's assessment is suspect. Axing Governor's Palin and Huckabee effectively isolates the most prominent, social conservative voices in Republican politics today. To use Gov. Romney's 'stool analogy' it takes a pro-defense, pro-prosperity, and pro-family values coalition to buttress a healthy Republican Party. Were the GOP to purge social conservatives, this would have the effect of transforming the party from a big tent operation to a yurt.

The problem, of course, is that 'stool' can also refer to feces. Although crass, this roughly sums up conservatism's fortunes in the past two elections. While I question whether any Republican, opinion figures are seriously dismissing the views of social conservatives, even if they were, this should matter little. The Washington establishment has led Republicans to successive defeats, and talking heads offer little in the way of new ideas for solving America's problems. Surely fracturing the conservative coalition is not a healthy way to proceed.

Hence, this blog.

Just to echo the comments of my friends and fellows, I too am glad to contribute my thoughts on these very serious issues facing the conservative movement, and the country I love. My basic view is that conservatism's ailments lie in how we communicate our ideas, and in how we inadvertently exclude others from the party. Success follows when we correct both, while concurrently making our pro-defense, pro-prosperity, and pro-values principles relevant to the majority of all Americans.

Lolcat of the Week

This is probably the message of little babies to over-zealous mothers everywhere.

Too funny.


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Obama Opines on College Football

Look, I support Sen. Obama's position on the Bowl Championship Series. Oklahoma routinely finishes among the top five College Football programs in the country. Routinely they wind up being passed over (in my biased perception) by lesser teams. Naturally, a playoff system would help to weed-out the best from the rest.

In brief, I am totally on board. College Football needs a playoff system. Most coaches agree. Most important, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops agrees. It would be great to see College presidents and athletic directors follow their coaches' lead.

But shouldn't we keep politics out of football? It was irritating enough that ESPN interrupted Monday Night Football to interview the Presidential candidates. Now the Chosen One is weighing the finer points of the BCS v. NCAA Playoffs.

The President-Elect would do well to focus on how to fix the country, and leave the problems of College Football to people who have actually watched a football game in the past two years.

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The New Conservatism: Ex Deserto

In the Gospel of John 1.23, the Bible records St. John's description of himself as follows: "He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." (KJV).

While the plight of the modern, conservative movement is surely a far cry from Jesus's ministry of salvation, conservatives in general find themselves in a veritable, political wilderness given the success of left-leaning politicians in the 2006 & 2008 elections. While disparate, conservative elements have had trouble agreeing upon a specific agenda going forward, the task of conservatism is to offer concrete policy solutions that will better address the pressing issues of the day than the left.

Not only different ideas, but better ideas.

Given this focus, I have opted to join a few law school friends in kicking-off a new blog devoted entirely toward discussing the solutions to the mess.

The new blog is called Ex Deserto (www.exdeserto.com), taken from the latin phrase meaning 'out of the wilderness.' For those not steeped in nuance, the name happens to be a clever spin on the current state of conservatism (viz., the desert), and the fact that the majority of contributors hail from the Sonoran Desert in and around Tucson, Arizona.

Aside from yours truly, the authors represent a broad set of views:

Ted is a former Air Force intelligence officer who served in both Iraq wars, and the invasion of Afghanistan. He counts among his friends former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Aaron has a Philosophy background, and boasts a penchant for classical studies, and international/comparative law. He is currently at work translating Peter Lombard's Sentences.

Blake has an extensive background in local and state-level politics. He recently served as campaign manager in a successful bid for the Arizona Legislature.

Eliot served on the staff of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford prior to law school, and has done work for various conservative think tanks and opinion outlets.

Ben is a former student athlete for the U of A, and has been an activist in socially conservative, and religious organizations including the Texas Alliance for life.

Andrew is another contributor set to join our motley later this month. Andrew is a former policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, and has interned for a bevy of House and Senate members.

I am proud to say that our writers cover every pillar of the conservative movement (Values, Security, Prosperity). Each one brings a novel take on the state of the movement, and the path conservatives should follow. For those interested in topic, I encourage you to check out our new blog.

For those worried about our slice of the web, have no fear. Despite my lapse in posts, Pax Plena is here to stay and posting should resume as usual in a few days. But be on the lookout for notices about new posts from Ex Deserto members that are relevant to our discussions here.

Naturally, as a shameless self-promoter, I will probably cross-publish the posts I make at Ex Deserto here too. Enjoy!

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McCain Backs Napolitano at DHS

According to the Politico, Arizona Sen. John McCain 'lauds' President-Elect Obama's selection of AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano as the next Secretary of Homeland Security.

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Yours truly applauds the selection as well.

Arizona's Republican Secretary of State is next in succession to the Arizona Statehouse. Congratulations to future-Governor Jan Brewer.

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Huck's New Book

Former GOP Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee released a new book yesterday detailing the odds and ends of his improbable run for the White House, and outlining a new vision for the Republican Party.

If Time Magazine's write-up is believable, it should be a compelling read.

But the most shocking tidbit released about Huckabee's book so far is the following:

Huckabee also has some fun along the way. We learn that the actor Chuck Norris, a prominent Huckabee supporter, actually does use the Total Gym at home. (Norris hawks the Total Gym in a well-known late-night infomerical.) In the middle of a disquisition on libertarianism, Huckabee pauses to praise the musician Cher for tours that are "an amazing blend of rock concert, circus and fashion show."

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So, Chuck Norris uses the Total Gym at home. Who knew?

I plan to pick up a copy of the book when it becomes available at my local book stall. Stay tuned for review.

TV and Happiness

As a kid, Mother probably said at one point or another, "Go outside! Turn off the TV!"  Well, mine did.

As with most things, turns out Mother was probably right.

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According to the University of Maryland, there is a direct correlation between the amount of TV watching one does and how happy one is.

The more TV you watch, the unhappier you are likely to be (and vice versa):

"TV is not judgmental nor difficult, so people with few social skills or resources for other activities can engage in it," says the study. "Furthermore, chronic unhappiness can be socially and personally debilitating and can interfere with work and most social and personal activities, but even the unhappiest people can click a remote and be passively entertained by a TV. In other words, the causal order is reversed for people who watch television; unhappiness leads to television viewing."

This says a lot about a lot of people I know. Exactly what it says, I will leave to your imagination.  Cable news beckons.

America's Healthiest City: Burlington, VT

Going on four years ago, I was fortunate to have summered in the New England area, and spent around three weeks in the lovely State of Vermont.

The weather during my stay in the Green Mountain State was gorgeous. The air was crisp, and the sky always a fine blue. With Lake Champlain in the background, it was hard to imagine a more splendid city than Burlington, VT.

Apparently, the CDC has confirmed that Burlington, VT is not only among the most beautiful cities in America, it is also among the healthiest.

With outside activities abounding, and a mild climate (unlike, say...Tucson), it is not hard to see why.

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Law School Via Acoustic Guitar

This evening finds me working late here at the law school, and I cannot help but sympathize with the sentiments of the video below.

Some of my 1L friends, and 2L curmudgeons may find the video below particularly on point as the hour draws late.

Via Temple Night Owl. And firmly endorsed by Belgian Prince.

Myth and Election 2008

Of all the election postmortems written, the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza has the pithiest, common sense breakdown of our recent national election.

The proof is in the product.

Mr. Cilliza's assessment has something for everyone to hate, so he must be on to something.

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Send in the Clowns

Circus clowns rang the opening bell on Wall Street yesterday prompting the New York Post to run the headline below:

LET'S SEND IN THE CLOWNS

WALL ST. GETS PIE IN FACE AS CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN

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The logic isn't difficult to follow.

We have recently opted to send a bunch of clowns to Washington. Why shouldn't Wall Street follow suit?

Lolcat of the Week

Having recently turned twenty-six years old, this Lolcat of the week is particularly appropriate.

Conclude from it what you will...


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Obama Resigns From Senate

In point of fact, Sen. Obama resigned from the Senate roughly two years ago when he began running for President. But today, Sen. Obama made his resignation from the United States Senate official (effective Sunday).

According to Fox News, Sen. Obama made the following closing remarks to his constituents:

"It has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the United States Senate."

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The quote is not without its incongruity. Serving IL must not have been too high an honor, given that Illinoisans were scarce acquainted with the Senator when he began campaigning for President.

I suppose it is important to take a big picture perspective of the matter: one of the few positive results to come from an Obama Administration is that IL will once again have two Senators representing its interests.

Michael Steele on the GOP Way Forward

Former MD Lieutenant Governor, and GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele published a compelling op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today about the Republican party's way forward.

The crux of his piece follows:

"Most Americans today see a Republican Party that defines itself by what it is against rather than what it is for. We can tell you why public schools aren't working, but not articulate a compelling vision for how we'll better educate children. We're well equipped to rail against tax increases; but can't begin to explain how we'll help the poor. We exclude far better than we welcome."

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Too true.

Rumor has it Mr. Steele is a not-so-stealth candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee.

While I cannot offer a full endorsement, suffice it to say, my curiosity is piqued.

Update: NYT columnist David Brooks is less than optimistic about reforming the GOP in general.

Thank You

The Politics of Hand Sanitizer

Much ado has been made of Sen. Obama's tiff with President Bush's use of hand sanitizer on their first meeting.

According to a Fox News report:

The two men shook hands and then, according to Obama, Bush turned to an aide, "who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president's hand."

Bush then offered some to Obama, who recalled: "Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt."

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I rarely get annoyed with Fox News. Then again, most of the other networks leave me feeling slightly nauseated so this isn't saying a whole lot.

But it strikes me as a little silly that the President's use of hand sanitizer has become a political issue. The President shakes a ton of hands, and people's hands are dirty. At such a function described in the Senator's memoirs, it is hardly out of the ordinary that the President would want to keep his hands clean. They are Senators after all. Who knows where they have been...

To wit, I have a hand sanitizer dispenser in my walkway. Using it may be a bit neurotic, but it is hardly the slight it has been made out to be.

Spin, Liberals, and Election 2008

Sen. Obama hasn't even had time to become the Messiah, and already the chattering class is spinning election 2008 like a Merry-Go-Round.

Ever the paragon of class, NYT columnist Frank Rich leads off, giving election 2008 an amorous twist with his headline:

It Still Felt Good the Morning After

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Who says double entendre needs to be subtle?

Others proclaim rapt anxiety on behalf of a Nation waiting with bated breath for the Chosen One to ascend his throne. Accordingly, New York Daily News columnist Michael Goodwin titles his election wrap-up:

For an Anxious Nation, the Obama Administration Can't Start Soon Enough

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I suppose Goodwin is correct give or take 45% of the country.

Of course, not everyone is firmly on board. Boston Globe Columnist Jeff Jacoby, rather dourly, predicts:

Obama Lovefest Won't Last

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It probably won't. Then again, that's what Hillary Clinton said.

Finally, Nobel Laureate Thomas Friedman adds his two cents to the election summary with an oddly worded musing on the name Hussein.

Friedman's piece is titled "Show Me the Money," but its first paragraph is really the gem of the work (the rest of the column reads like liberal opinion pieces will doubtless read for the next four years: "Hope...Barack Obama...America is back...audacity.").

The first paragraph appears below:

So, I was speaking to an Iranian friend about what a mind-bending thing it must be for people in the Middle East to see Americans, seven years after 9/11, electing someone named Barack HusseinObama as president. America is surely the only nation that could — in the same decade — go to war against a president named Hussein (Saddam of Iraq), threaten to use force against a country whose most revered religious martyr is named Hussein (Iran) and then elect its own president who’s middle-named Hussein.

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Ubiquitously, Friedman concludes 'what a great country.'

The description would be laughable if liberals' resurrected pride in country had not been so new. Consider, this same Thomas Friedman wrote post-election 2004:

But what troubled me yesterday was my feeling that this election was tipped because of an outpouring of support for George Bush by people who don't just favor different policies than I do - they favor a whole different kind of America. We don't just disagree on what America should be doing; we disagree on what America is.

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Apparently, America is only a 'great country' if Democrats win.

Washington Post Admits Media Bias

For anyone still naive enough to believe in journalistic integrity, even the Washington Post has called a spade a spade.

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Change.gov?

I'm not sure when the website went online, but the Obama Campaign has already commandeered Change.gov as its official transition website.

This may seem a bit fussy of me, and I'm sure Team Obama has looked into the matter, but I cannot help wondering if parts of the website violate the Hatch Act.

The 'American Moment' portion of the site, in particular, is charged with political language. One example is emblazoned across the masthead: "The story of the campaign (emphasis added) and this historic moment has been your story."

Two sections of the the Hatch Act are relevant:

5 C.F.R. § 734.302
Use of official authority; prohibition.

(a) An employee may not use his or her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.

(b) Activities prohibited by paragraph (a) of this section include, but are not limited to:

(1) Using his or her official title while participating in political activity;

(2) Using his or her authority to coerce any person to participate in political activity; and

(3) Soliciting, accepting, or receiving uncompensated individual volunteer services from a subordinate for any political purpose.

5 C.F.R. § 734.306
Participation in political activities while on duty, in uniform, in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties, or using a Federal vehicle.

(a) An employee may not participate in political activities subject to the provisions of subpart E of this part:

(1) While he or she is on duty;

(2) While he or she is wearing a uniform, badge, insignia, or other similar item that identifies the employing agency or instrumentality or the position of the employee;

(3) While he or she is in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by an individual employed or holding office in the Government of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof; or

(4) While using a Government-owned or leased vehicle or while using a privately-owned vehicle in the discharge of official duties.

(b) The prohibitions in paragraph (a) of this section do not apply to employees covered under subpart E of this part.

By way of clarification, the subpart referenced mentions only that cabinet-level appointees must comply with the provisions of other sections as outlined in the act; and that employees of certain intelligence services are excluded from engaging in politics altogether.

Regarding the sections, one could argue that using the 'change' rhetoric, expressly referencing the Obama campaign, and soliciting testimonials of what the 'campaign' means to individuals is tantamount to a solicitation of volunteer services for a political purpose. (5 C.F.R. § 734.302 (b)).

The natural, corollary issue is whether a government website making such references constitutes using an instrumentality of government to further a political purpose. (5 C.F.R. § 734.306 (a)(3)). If using a government vehicle for political purposes is banned, then surely using the government servers and webspace for political activities would be banned too.

I suppose the counter is that the campaign is over, so by default the website does not further a political purpose at all. The argument is a red-herring. Campaigns denote politics, and politicking while using a government instrumentality is a violation of the Act.

Then again, I assume the Special Counsel's Office has better things to do than nitpicking with the inevitable. Besides, most Republicans are too demoralized to raise the issue anyway.

A New Tone in Washington

Apparently, Sen. Obama's new tone includes cracking jokes about dead Presidents and their grieving widows.

Lolcat of the Week

The Lolcat of the Week pretty much sums up Election 2008.


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The Day After

And so it begins...

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Obama Wins

The mainstream media called this race on account of rain weeks ago. Tonight their verdict has become official, and IL Junior Senator Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

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While I certainly lament the selection, unlike liberals in the wake of Republican victories, I will not threaten to move to Canada. I will not profess pride in America for the first time. And I will not damn the country I love.

In dark times such as these with Socialism lurking at America's golden door, I am left only to draw from the wisdom of King Solomon's ring: this too shall pass.

A Nation Votes

After twenty-one long months, Americans will finally head to the polls today, and elect the next President of these United States.

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Normally, such large-scale events leave me feeling sardonic. It is far easier to hurl political epithets, and come up with quips than it is to take time and drink in the importance of American democracy.  As a veritable social cynic (critic?), today's denouement leaves me feeling oddly serene.

So, what of the race?

We cannot now know the actual pulse of the electorate. My experience tells me that polling (and exit polling) tend to poorly reflect the actual whim of voters. I think that Sen. McCain will probably fare better than the press would lead us to believe. Whether his faring is enough to net him a win remains to be seen. Perhaps the best assessment of the Senator's campaign to date came from MSNBC's Chuck Todd. In yesterday's column, Todd underscored the incongruity between Sen. McCain's record and Sen. McCain's branding by Sen. Obama. Todd concludes that there is something 'Shakespearean' about the Senator's 'plight'. The conclusion seems a bit hifalutin for political commentary, but I will give Todd credit for elevating the discourse in a way that only a person with double first names could.

As for Sen. Obama, I very much fear the prospect of an Obama Presidency. His positions on everything from abortion to trade make me worry about the future of our great and blessed land. While Sen. Obama may not be a card carrying Bolshevik, his redistributive economic policies are certainly socialist in tenor. Sadly, Sen. Obama's spread the wealth comment was, by far, the most candid moment of his campaign. On the other hand, I am pleased to see that he thanked the hardest working member of his campaign earlier today. Let it never be said that Sen. Obama is unappreciative.

Having contrasted the campaigns, my serenity comes from the certainty of tonight's resolution.The only conclusion I can offer in advance of the polls is that the 2004 Election was a lot more fun. I do not feel that this was particular to the Bush Campaign, or that it necessarily reflects my dour mood in this election cycle. I enjoyed the 2004 election because it was my first introduction to politics. Our team had a peculiar energy about it while coordinating the youth vote in NH in the months leading up to Election Day. There was a certain excitement about our group as we stayed up late into the night on Election Eve- canvassing the campus, and preparing to haul people to the polls. There was a palatable tension in the air on Election Day. And there was a relief about our troops on Election Night as we toasted our victory in parts other than NH, and sipped red wine. I have since lost touch with many of them. But my participation in the race was the opportunity of a lifetime.  I will never forget casting my first ballot.

This will surely be the experience for thousands of young Americans across our Nation. Somewhere, right now, a young college student is skipping class to phone bank, and make sure that voters in key precincts get out to vote. (They'll even arrange transportation!) In another swing state on behalf of another campaign, a different student is doing the same thing.

The only certainty we have about this race is that tonight one of them will be disappointed.

When Football Teams Implode

I have been a Dallas Cowboys football fan since I was young enough to grasp the rules of the game.

No season has left me more distraught than to see the 2008 - 2009 Cowboys implode as they have.

The article excerpt below from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram pretty much sums up my thoughts on the 2008 - 2009 season:

"Just like the Cowboys had to switch from Bad Brad to Brooks, they need to go from Coach Wade to Jason Garrett now, just to see if it can get any better because it can’t get any worse.

A Cowboy team once favored to win a Super Bowl this year is in danger of not making the playoffs, is last in the NFC East, is choking again and in need of a leader to jump-start them after this bye."

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Unfortunately, injured QB Tony Romo is not the panacea for the Cowboys' ills. Until Dallas puts a new coach in charge, their foray into mediocrity will become an excursion.

Curt Schilling on Sen. McCain

Former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling makes an interesting endorsement of Sen. John McCain.

Here is an excerpt to whet the political chops:

I am not voting for John McCain for any of the reasons above in and of itself. In fact pretty much every reason I can think of to vote for Senator McCain has to do with the man himself.

I am put off by the fact that Senator Obama has made this campaign about him, and his desire to be the President of the United States, while Senator McCain has made it clear that serving as President would be an honor and privilege following a life spent doing that very thing.

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And here's hoping that the 9% of undecided voters conclude likewise.