2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map

2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map

After the show biz glitz off the convention, it is time to get back to the reality at hand. States that have voted consistently red or consistently blue will continue to do. This election will be won or lost in Florida, Ohio, Virgina, and North Carolina. There are a few pundits out there who have made this point. What no one has bothered to point out is that, Mitt Romney has to win all four of these to succeed and not even the most generous observers can see that happening.

My 2012 Predictions By State

2012 Presidential Election: Electoral Map: This map displays the projections of the sender and does not reflect the opinions of 270toWin.

Birds, Mice, and the Pitfalls of Heathrow Expansion.

Tory backbencher Tim Yeo's comments this week calling for the PM to show some leadership on the issue of expanding Heathrow were an encouraging sign that not all in the Nasty party have completely lost touch with reality and, whilst Boris Johnson's idea for a Thames Estuary airport isn't necessarily a bad one, there are still question about the plan to be answered including the possablity of bird strikes that can can bring down an airliner as easily as any missile. The question of safety must supersede all else. Part of any strategy in preventing potential bird strikes includes replacing lost wetlands habitat to divert waterfowl and other birds from the proposed new airport but, this will require further study all the while London would continue to fall further and further behind in the quest to maintain our position as the dominant transportation hub for Europe. Ultimately, Mr Johnson's plan is one well ahead of it's time and requires a great deal of study before it can be safely implemented. The most plausible solution with the most immediate potential to grow the economy is of course building the third runway. So the glaring questions remain: will we see if the resident of Number 10 has the courage to reverse course and vote for the Heathrow expansion or will will he pursue the safe course and defer the decision to a future Government? Bit of cheese, Mr Cameron?

Matt Bissonette-The Next Reality T.V. Star!

The conservative news network named for a certain bushy-tailed member of the Vulpes genus has named the author of the new SEAL book. Fox News has revealed a former SEAL, Matt Bissonette, is the author and as predicted, those in the SEAL community are already using terms of affection like "traitor" at the mention of his name. From what has leaked out, Bissonette claims that Osama Bin Laden was unarmed when he was shot, that SEALS gathered around his body and shot until he stopped moving, that a SEAL colleague sat on the body during part of the return to base, that President Obama is unpopular among the SEALs, and that the author compared Vice-President Biden to a "...drunken uncle at a Christmas party" for telling a bunch of lame jokes at a White House award ceremony; a crime for which nearly every politician is guilty. The media loves to report controversy and scandal when none exists. Such is the case here. If Bin Laden was shot before or after he ducked into that room, if the SEALs could articulate that they had reason to believe he posed a threat to their safety or the safety of the public through any number of means (access to firearms, ability to detonate explosives, the capability to order his confederates to attack, or simply to prevent his escape) they would be clear to act. Even while Bin Laden lay on the floor with their weapons trained upon him, if they could articulate they believed at the time that he still had the capacity to cause them harm or the possibility of escape, they would be clear to act. Military use of force training typically covers all these points in some fashion. However, as he was the mastermind behind the mass murder of thousands of innocent people, does anyone really care if he was armed, precisely when has shot, or how many times he was shot? No? Neither do I. Admittedly, some hardliners might find fault that the body of Bin Laden could have been afforded more dignity. Never have been a Special Ops guy, but I understand this sort of thing is a common practice, so this is not an earth-shaking revelation. As for the other points, so long as they follow orders, service people are entitled to their opinions of the Chief Executive and his Vice-President, though they are not allowed to openly, or in any official capacity, disparage the Commander-in-Chief. All in all, this is a non-story. If Bissonette, has managed to commit anything classified to paper, he will be sunk, but I doubt even he would have been that stupid. More likely, the book won't offer names and details and will merely rely on procedure and machismo as it ambles toward the final chapter. The establishment's spin machine will probably diminish Bissonaette’s relevance and dismiss the book, which will simply fade out of sight. After the SEAL's identity was revealed, photos of him immediately surfaced and one internet comment noted that a quick internet search revealed a great deal of information about him and details about his family. Slowly my contempt for him has given way to pity. If the book sought to right some perceived wrong, I might respect his motives but, at this stage it seems to be purely about profit. As one internet ad offers the book at just under five dollars, I have to ask if, considering the huge loss of trust among his former colleagues and many in the public at large, the endangerment of himself and his family; is any amount of profit is worth it? For Bissonette's sake I hope so.

The New SEAL book, "No Easy Day."

Esprit de corps and discretion are fundamental to the SEALs. The loyalty and trust these men place in one another are hard-won and form the basis of an extremely close-knit community with bonds that last to the grave. It is unlikely that a member of such a community would write this sort of thing. Even if the writer managed to escape prosecution for publishing a tell-all book about secret missions, (He wouldn’t.) his reputation among the very small special operations fraternity would be absolutely ruined once he was found out and any fellowship with them would come to an immediate end. It is difficult to believe that any member of such a community that places loyalty and honour above their own lives would sacrifice his integrity and his ties to the SEAL community for the potential of a fast profit. You’ll soon be able to find this in the bargain bin next to the unsold copies of Justin Bieber’s biography. As the identities are kept secret whilst they are alive, my guess is that the author writing as Mark Owen was never an operator. The only way to verify his credentials is for him to go public (something he is unlikely to do) or to simply take the word of his co-author. My guess is that “Mark Owen” is actually a composite of the many operators and conventional soldiers the co-author, Kevin Maurer has interviewed and backed up by intensive research into SEAL training and tactics. To his credit, Maurer has worked as an embedded reporter with some units that have seen fierce combat and has written some fairly good military themed books. This could be an accurate account of what probably happened, but I am still a bit sceptical about why a SEAL would be directly involved in Maurer’s latest book.

Rape and the Right-wing.

To quickly review, rape is bad. To elaborate, no means no, if the victim is unconscious, he (yes conservatives, men can be raped, too) or she cannot give consent, it constitutes rape, and sex does not have to be consensual to result in pregnancy. Oh, and while we are on the subject, jokes and good ol’ boy comments about rape are made at the peril of those who tell them. Perhaps I am a bit unsophisticated, but I can’t remember the last good rape joke I heard, can you? There is no lighter side to sexual assault. Just a few handy hints to keep in mind. Occasionally, those on the right just cannot seem to resist the urge to say patently stupid things about rape and somehow manage to alienate people with their position on a topic that is otherwise pretty much settled in the minds of all but the rapists themselves and the occasional idiot politician. Republican Congressman Todd Akin’s comments regarding rape make him only the latest in the GOP to espouse a 16th century outlook on the matter of sexual assault. First, there was 1990 Texas gubernatorial candidate Clayton Williams. On a cold and overcast day, Williams dismissed an impending storm as being like getting raped. “If it’s inevitable, just relax and enjoy it,” the alleged human told an assembled crowd of ranch hands and reporters. [1] Or take for example the late North Carolina State Representative Henry Aldridge, a Republican and staunch anti-abortionist. During a fight over eliminating state funding for abortions among the states’ poor, Aldridge pronounced that, “The facts show that people who are raped-truly raped-the juices don’t flow, the body functions don’t work and they don’t get pregnant.” [2] If Todd Akins’s comments were made decades ago, they could be explained away as simple ignorance. However, in the modern age, with so much information so readily available, his words must surely be nothing less than the kind of blinding lack of compassion so common to the right-wing, a sad tradition that is unlikely to go away in our lifetime. What do you think? Post a comment. [1] The AP, “Texas Candidate’s Comment About Rape Causes Furor,” New York Times, March 26, 1990, accessed 22 August, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/26/us/texas-candidate-s-comment-about-rape-causes-a-furor.html [2] Wire Reports, “NC Legislator Says Rape Victims Don’t Get Pregnant,” Mount Airy News, April 21, 1995, accessed 22 August, 2012, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5eU_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=X1gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6720,2257940&dq=

Does Julian’s Assange in a Sling?

Julian Assange continues making headlines over a threat that exists only in his mind. He insists that he is the target of the American powers that be and that he “...could face possibly face the death penalty if convicted,” no charges in any U.S. Jurisdictions are pending for anything, not even fly-tipping. Oddly enough, and perhaps the mainstream media should consider this before printing all of those attention-grabbing headlines, you cannot extradite someone if law enforcement doesn’t want them. Looking beyond the hype, the American justice system has prosecuted much bigger fish than Assange for acts of espionage (A quick internet search of Aldrich Ames, Jonathan Pollard, and Robert Hanssen makes for far more entertaining reading than anything a poseur like Assange can create.) yet, none have been executed. Assange is in no danger of American reprisals because nothing he has published or posted has risen to anything other than a bit of an embarrassment to the establishment. If he were anyone else, the media would be reporting that he has evaded capture, demanding his immediate deportation to answer the charges against him. He is no journalist, no freedom fighter, just a shameless self-promoter who makes for an easy headline.

Paul Ryan? Isn't it obvious?

Well the nail-biting is over and Mitt Romney has decreed that Paul Ryan is the best choice for Veep. A lot of people are finding fault with his pick, but not me. I get it. Why wouldn't you pick the guy who can assure that the solid south will vote GOP (God's Official People.) Just because these states have almost always voted Republican since 1980, Romney couldn't take the chance on a sudden, unforeseen, completely unlikely mass exodus to the Dems. Makes perfect sense. Moreover, why waste the pick on someone like Florida's Marco Rubio? Rubio could have unified minority support for the Republicans, possibly taking some Latino votes away from the opposition and could have helped secure the Sunshine State's twenty-nine electoral college votes. Obviously, those questioning the decision cannot see the genius behind this decision. Failure to pick Ryan could have cost Romney those much-needed ten electoral college votes Wisconsin has to offer. Thank God, Mitt didn't listen to the urging of his foolish pollsters and struck out on his own to make this sound decision. Were it not for this kind of macho independent thinking, we might still be threatened by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Were then would we be? Bravo, Mr. Romney! Your success is assured.