Potpourri

It's been 7 weeks since we left New Hampshire, and I've spent the majority of that time writing about our adventures while there. Time has not stopped, however, and much has happened in the campaigns during my hiatus from current events. I can't recapture all of it, but here's some catch up stuff:

Switching Parties: I have a new question for Giuliani: Is Joe Torre a flip-flopper?

Finding his O Spot: If Letterman did the introductions at an Obama event now, would he update his infamous joke from the Oscars several years back - "Oprah, Obama. Obama, Oprah."

Perhaps other candidates should seek out celebrity endorsements. Obama has Oprah, Huckabee has Chuck Norris. I'd love to see Phil Donahue stump with his body double, Chris Dodd. Fred Thompson might want to consider signing on with that talk show guy who talks to dead people. Maybe he'll listen to Fred.

Are You Talking to Me?: During the last Democratic debate, Hillary was speaking about inspiration on the campaign trail, and she mentioned the thrill of seeing "fathers who had driven hundreds of miles with their daughters to see me". Cherie is convinced that Hillary was referring to me and Marra. Of course she was. We had a sign.

The Plant People: Marra and I learned why Hillary didn't call o us during the 2 events we attended. Seems her campaign was caught in Iowa of planting people in the audience with specific questions. Don't we already have a President that does this stuff? Just because she plants Democrats to ask questions doesn't make it right.

Biden His Time: I have a suggestion for the Biden camp. Run an ad in Iowa and New Hampshire with quick cuts from the last Democratic debate. Everyone on that stage at one point or another said, "I agree with Joe", or "Senator Biden is right on this point", or "Sen. Biden has been a leader on this issue". He seems to be the consensus choice of every candidate running. He should capitalize on that. Could be a cool ad. "Instead of voting for someone who agrees with Joe, let's cut out the middle man. Vote for Joe."

I fear he won't survive past January 6th.

Richardson Open Veep Exploratory Committee: Why can't he just admit that he wants to be Hillary's running mate? It would free up some time during the debates for other candidates to speak.

Real Time Reality Check: Watching Bill Maher on Real Time after the trip, I heard him fillet Giuliani for telling a kid that he would protect us from alien invasion. Funny take, but we were in the room in Exeter, NH when that happened. Maher took the experience completely out of context. It was a harmless joke this time, but I wonder how often that happens every day during the 24 hour news cycle.

Hostage Crisis: If Hillary's campaign office in Rochester, NH had come under siege during Oprah's tour with Obama, how long would it take before someone would cry, "Conspiracy!" The woman inspires divisiveness. Will she ever be able to adequately overcome that?

Immigration Nation: The demagoguery on the GOP side is unrelenting. Romney and Giuliani both used to have balanced and reasonable points of view on the issue, and both have abandoned those positions in search of right wing support in the primaries. When will someone say that most illegal immigration is caused by people coming here legally, but overstaying their visa periods? It is not all landscapers and painters with dark skin and accents.

C-SPAN 2: Enough with these "Book TV" programs. Let's see more candidates shaking hands of regular folks for hours on end. Riveting stuff like that.

JS