If you haven't seen this already, make sure the volume is turned up on your speakers and enjoy. It's a real heart opener. With definite political overtones, plus obvious spiritual undertones (or visa versa). "One heart, one hand" kind of stuff.

This crazy guy has done a couple of these already. It began as a lark. During his travels, he would film himself doing this ridiculous, arrhythmic dance -- as a silly, personal memento of where he had been. When he got home, he edited the clips together and posted it to youtube, and oddly enough it made a splash. This video is from his third trip. In my opinion, by far his best work (if something this fun can be called work) so far.  

No, not really. But consider, for just a moment, what the world would look like if the very same media that extensively reported the words of Obama's preacher, with endless debate regarding how such statements reflect on the candidate himself, were willing to report words credibly attributed to the Republican candidate himself.

In all the discussions about Obama's position on FISA, his failure to firmly stand up for what we all know is right, it's important to recall the missed opportunities and failures of President Carter.

Carter was a political outsider, a dark horse candidate who seemed to come out of nowhere. He ran against entrenched political interests, as an honest agent of change, inspiring idealistic grassroots Democrats but alienating party insiders. When he arrived in Washington, having run as an outsider on a mission of reform, he found it extremely difficult to govern. The Congress, perceiving him as its enemy, would not support his initiatives. Before long, the American public came to see him as an ineffective leader, a weakling who couldn't control his own party, let alone stand up for Americans during an international political crisis. Keep this in mind when criticizing Barack Obama.

Today, David Brooks hoists himself by his own petard of absurdist, disingenuous blather. I refer to this mendacious editorial in which he lauds Saint McCain and paints Obama as a shrewd and ruthless political opportunist masquerading as latte-sipping leftist.

Here's the key paragraph:

This guy is the whole Chicago package: an idealistic, lakefront liberal fronting a sharp-elbowed machine operator. He’s the only politician of our lifetime who is underestimated because he’s too intelligent. He speaks so calmly and polysyllabically that people fail to appreciate the Machiavellian ambition inside.

Such assertions would seem funny if columnists so dishonest weren't taken seriously by those who claim to speak for mainstream America. But take heart. Nauseatingly insincere though Brooks is, at this point in the political cycle, after nearly eight years of the criminal organization called the Bush Administration, such nonsense is playing to an ever-smaller audience.

In fact, there's reason to believe such nonsense actually helps Obama.  

Personally, I'm not big on stories, diaries or comments implying the election is all but over. There's a long history of overconfident Democrats getting punked, an infinite palate of ways in which to blow it, and a political eternity in which to do so. Republicans have demonstrated how adept they are at driving down Democratic turnout and, in a multitude of creatively evil ways, preventing certain votes from ever seeing the light of day. At all times, we must be vigilant and fight as if we were 10 points down!  

Subject to these very real caveats, one can't help but note the enormous chasm between Republicans and Democrats in online savvy. There has been much analysis of the role of technology in the re-emergence of the left, but I posit that never before has there been such a huge and obvious difference between the electronic sophistication of two campaigns (in this case, representing the best of a field of smart Democrats and the worst among a gaggle of tired Republicans).  

I want to share something Obama said that I found inspiring. "Michael from NYC" posted this on Al Giordana's blog, The Field."

"I love when I’m shaking hands on a rope line and"— he mimes the motion, hand over hand — "I see little old white ladies and big burly black guys and Latino girls and all their hands are entwining. They’re feeding on each other as much as on me."

He shrugs; it’s that distancing eye of the author.

"It’s like I’m just the excuse."

On Monday I posted a diary predicting that Hillary will concede the race. In fact, I went so far as to assert it was a prediction one could bank on. I want to take a moment to acknowledge that I got it wrong.

That's a prediction. A prediction about which I feel certain. Will explain why below the break.

I understand why Hillary's behavior, which seems completely irrational, can be upsetting and unsettling. However, while she might look nuts, she's actually playing an angle. Not necessarily a smart one, but an angle nonetheless. Perhaps she feels she's got a reputation as a warrior to uphold. But she's not insane and she's not stupid, and this thing is not going to the Convention.

Oprah Winfrey recently interviewed a Harvard professor and brain researcher who experienced and observed her own stroke, from the inside out. As a result of this experience, and the spiritual awakening that went along with it, the good doctor came to understand the brain (and human experience itself) in a completely new way.  

If you feel so moved, take a short break from politics and see what she has to say. If you're anything like me, you'll be glad you did.

Just received a letter from Hillary Clinton requesting money to support her continuation in what she terms "a neck-and-neck race," and inviting me to join her campaign.

How nice of the good senator to send a postage pre-paid envelope for my response.

Here we go again. Bill Clinton is apparently on a campaign to build inter-party unity between Democrats and Republicans in our shared revulsion with him. Leave it to Bill to single handedly destroy his own legacy. Why did we ever see fit to defend him? Were Republicans more insightful with regard to his character (or lack thereof) than we? Republicans?? Those mean-spirited little people, remarkable mainly for their infinite willingness to defend their own (Gingrich, Delay) no matter how deceitful?

Earlier today, a diary was posted bringing to light the impact that a bunch of college kids in Pennsylvania had in keeping Clinton's victory below 15% and reducing her delegate pickup by at least two. Let's show them that we appreciate their efforts.

A fascinating talk by a brain researcher describing her own stroke. Really worth watching!

Check out this latest Obama ad for Pennsylvania.

On March 9th, this community came together to try to bring attention to an ad script written by an anonymous guy in Tucson, Arizona. Now that ad has been made.

Today I am proud, for the first time in so many years, to be an American.

An Obama supporter in my community, Steve, came up with a great idea for an Obama ad. Too good, in fact, not to share. He's an Independent and not a member of this community, but he gave me permission to post his idea here.

If you like the idea, please recommend this diary so we can get exposure for Steve's great idea -- and maybe get the Obama campaign to run with it.