ELECTION 08: Winds of change, blown by whom? Bloomberg waits in the wings as Democrats twist

Of all the Presidential candidates, Barack Obama is the one whose image is most significantly debated, and frequent are the attacks:

“Obama runs the risk of being wussified”, remarked James Carville, the former (Bill) Clinton campaign strategist known as the Ragin’ Cajun.

“Barack Obama had to defend himself against charges that he is really a Muslim” remarked Fox News radio at the weekend – a ridiculous statement which equated being a Muslim with delivering the White House into the hands of Osama.

Both sources, arguably, have axes to grind. Still, perhaps the more important issue at play is whether what Obama is saying actually means anything. Rhetoric is a powerful tool, and a necessary step in whipping up a disillusioned populace – but, moving beyond the talk and the general need for change (now nearly a cliché) how will this change occur? If we are talking about an early pull-out for Iraq, would such a move be undertaken irrespective of whether withdrawing the troops would leave the country in a worse state than it is at the time? Would such a move not dishonour the sacrifices of the soldiers who have died there? News Hour have not been there, so could not say.

What does it mean to say ‘changing the way we do business in Washington’. Lobbyists? Unilateral action? Trade protectionism? People have this idea that the Democrats can wave a wand and everything will be hunky dory – or that if the Republicans had never been involved in anything it would all be absolutely fine, like the situation between Labour and Conservative in Britain, 1997. The notion of change can itself be more powerful than its agents – but if the Democrats go on the way they are, they may not be the ones to do it.

As it stands at, the party is no closer to deciding its candidate after Super Tuesday, while the Republicans are solidifying their position. If no decision is made until the Democratic convention later this year, it will leave them with a matter of months to campaign against an entrenched McCain, whose liberal tendencies place him on similar footing to the Gubernator – a Republican who was acceptable as a leader to California, the Actor’s State. (Not to mention to one of the Kennedys in marriage.)

Having the time advantage in Florida didn’t do Rudy Giuliani any good (and we might be singing an entirely different tune if it had) but one suspects a national campaign will be a different kettle of fish. The light in which this will allow the Republicans to portray the quarrelling Democrats – especially if the tone sinks again, as it did before Super Tuesday – could easily count against them. Barack Obama’s track record leaves you with little doubt that his intentions are good, but having to prove how he might go about implementing them, especially against a veteran like McCain, could be an issue.

Let’s not forget the trial of Obama’s alleged associate Antoin “Tony” Rezko for fraud, extortion and money laundering in a couple of weeks – and that Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York and strong on the economy, has some very deep pockets – and until March to register as an independent candidate.

Interesting times are ahead, that’s for sure.

ELECTION 08: Last tango in Bartlesville, Alice, Arlington and Kansas City

First, a quick reference praisee of the Super Tuesday candidates, simply because it’s fun:

Democrat:
Barack Obama – senator for Illinois, attorney, definitely not a Muslim,
Hillary Clinton – senator for New York, attorney, enduring wife of legendary jazz saxophonist

Republican:
John McCain – senator for Arizona, war hero, romantic whiz
Mike Huckabee – governor of Arkansas, Southern Baptist minister, bass guitarist
Mitt Romney – governor of Massachusetts, businessman, possible owner of magic Mormon underpants
Ron Paul – congressman from Texas, tenacious, down with the kids

With all the shock and awe surrounding Super Duper Tsunami-tastic Tuesday, News Hour thought it might be nice to take a look at a quartet of stories from the lesser echelons of American politics – the mayoralty.

Kansas City (city pop: 447,306) mayor Mark Funkhouser is facing a recall election, of the kind that replaced California governor Gray Davis with the Gubernator. Apart from having a name possibly too great for politics, Funkhouser is accused of ‘stubborness, inflexibility, and lack of political sensitivity’ in his hiring of a white supremacist – just one of six points of contention. In his defence, Funkhouser cites Martin Luther King as one of his heroes, claiming that the doctor was also a stubborn man and so nixing the anti-racists at the same time. Strangely, the good doctor’s name is absent from his list of heroes on MySpace. Mr Funkhouser would like to meet Kofi Annan and Bill Clinton – and, as Missouri is holding its primary today, lets hope the saxophone star drops by to sing him a song. As it might be his last chance.

The town of Bartlesville, Oklahoma (pop: 34,748) recently ousted mayor Brad Nikkel for ‘dressing improperly’ and missing several meetings. Reports state that the meeting concerning his dismissal was fit to bursting with members of the public, and an overflow room with a video link had to be set up. Nikkel is a builder, and denies he ever said he would wear a tie when in office – claiming that he never saw himself ‘as a coverboy for GQ’. Such was the mayor’s laidback attitude to the situation, that he even abstained on a vote as to whether or not he should stay in office. Parts of the crowd, which had to be silenced by police, was said to have ‘cackled and shouted’.

This casual attitude to dress is reflected in the deportment of Arlington, Oregon (pop: 524) mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, who published photos of herself in ‘racy lingerie’ (if lingerie isn’t racy, surely it isn’t doing its job?) on MySpace. The Mayor claims that her rivals are using the revealing image as a political crowbar. The picture was taken on one of the city’s fire engines, three years before she became mayor. (Weave your own story from that one.)

“That’s my personal life,” she said. “It has nothing to do with my mayor’s position”, Carmen claimed to raised eyebrows, illustrating a similar point to our old friend Anna Ciriani.

The final story, which many readers may be familiar with, is the recent ousting of the mayor of Alice, Texas (pop: 19,010), for stealing her neighbours’ dog. So desperate was Grace Saenz-Lopez to keep hold of the canine, that she reported the hound missing after having sent it away to her twin sister’s house for safekeeping. Fortunately for the dog, whose name she had changed from Puddles to Panchito, police were quick to see through her ploy.

It’s worth noting that all of these stories have kicked off this year, and required little digging. One wonders what it would look like if you totted up all the scandals in the last ten years and plotted them on a map. Whose face would the pattern resemble? When News Hour has more time on its hands, a project surely beckons.

Previous mayoral status of candidates:

Obama – no
Hillary – no
Edwards – no

McCain – no
Huckabee – no
Romney – no
Paul – no
Giuliani – yes