No Biden Rumors: Obama October Surprise to Dump Biden?

Joe Biden to Become No Biden?
* Rumors Persist
* A Visit to Barack Obama Campaign Offices
* A Visit to the Campaign's Website


[Click images to enlarge.]


Will Joe Biden become No Biden?

As reported earlier [No Biden: Rumors Swirl Over Obama Dumping Biden for Hillary Clinton], rumors have been circulating about that the Obama-Biden ticket is about to become the Obama-Clinton ticket.

The scenario: Sometime between October 2 and 5, Joe Biden will plead poor health and drop off the ticket. Hillary Clinton will then ride to the rescue of the Obama campaign that earlier spurned her. The Democrat ticket will then sweep to victory in an unprecedented, albeit Machiavellian move.

We received this email a few days after our last story:

I got this email over the weekend from retired USAF friend, have no idea as to its authenticity. Been told it's from excellent sources within the DNC:

"On or about October 5,2008, Sen Joe Biden will excuse himself from the ticket, citing health problems, and he will be replaced by Hillary R Clinton." This is timed to occur after the VP debate on 10/2.

Thinking, "this is how rumors get started," a little road trip seemed to be in order.

If Joe Biden were not the solid VP pick--and due to be replaced in the rumored "October Surprise"--it would seem that there wouldn't be much of an investment made by the Obama campaign in Obama-Biden campaign materials and merchandise.

We visited three Obama campaign offices in three different states, called several others in a few states picked at random and checked out Barackobama.com's online store to see what the situation was.




There seemed to be plenty of campaign material for Barack Obama, sans Biden. In fact, "Obama-Biden" didn't seem to be much on display at all in any of the offices.

It's been nearly a month since Barack Obama named Joe Biden as his vice-presidential pick: what's the hold-up with the Obama-Biden campaign materials? Why is there almost no Obama-Biden merchandise available?

This is a candidate who's campaign has planned for this race for months--some would say years.

As was stated, there is no end to the "Only Obama" campaign materials.





Joyce, in the Portland OR Obama office told us that, "No one has any (Obama-Biden campaign merchandise)".

"We don't have any Obama-Biden stuff. The national campaign says it's sold out and back-ordered. It'll be about two weeks until we get any."

Two weeks?

That would place the date around the 4th or 5th of October, incidentally.

Joyce did note that she herself was wearing an Obama-Biden T-shirt.




We talked to Paul in the Washington PA Obama office--which was busy at the time--and he told us that there wasn't any Obama-Biden signs, t-shirts or stickers in that office, at least right now.


We were told that there were "some Obama-Biden buttons. We're asking a $50 donation for them."

Paul noted that there were "street signs coming in on Monday" (September 22). He was pretty sure they were Obama-Biden.

We'll check back then.


Dan, at the Belmont office in Bellaire OH, said, "No, we don't have any Obama-Biden signs or T-shirts. They're supposed to be coming in the next couple weeks."





We talked to Al and Ramona in the Wheeling WV Obama office. They informed us that they were told "Obama-Biden merchandise would be available the first week of October".

Again, that "first week of October" date is cited.

Maybe the campaign offices are caught in a supply problem. Maybe not.





But, we're not conspiracy theorists, so we decided to check out Barackobama.com's store at the website.

On the right sidebar is a list of merchandise categories. The fifth one down is for "Obama-Biden". We skipped that category--for now--to check out the "New Arrivals" in Obama campaign merchandise. The merchandise is a major source of funds for the campaign.





Not only are all of the hats and t-shirts for sale, but also the signs, stickers and buttons. All of the Obama offices we visited were separate from the local Democrat Party campaign offices.

What's the 'New Arrivals' at BarackObama.com?





All of the "new arrivals", with the lone exception of a Obama-Biden yard sign, feature Barack Obama--by himself.

So, the Obama campaign's not exactly going overboard to promote the Obama-Biden ticket.

At least, that's our observation.

Then, the Obama-Biden section of barackobama.com was visited.




There are eight items in the section: a few buttons, a few stickers, the yard sign mentioned above and a thin paperboard rally sign.

There are over 100 t-shirts for sale on the site--only one of them mentions "Obama-Biden".

Since we last visited the site and took the above screenshots, more new merchandise is posted as available. What was it?





Three more shirts plugging the Obama ticket.

On September 11, Bill Clinton met with Obama in NYC. What did they talk about? The Times of London gets no linkage here, but did have the story.

THE former president Bill Clinton is to ride to Barack Obama’s rescue in the coming weeks by holding joint events with the Democratic presidential candidate.

The Obama team hopes the “Bubba factor” - Clinton’s appeal to white, working-class voters - will revitalise its campaign and staunch defections to Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

A source close to the Obama campaign said: “Bill Clinton is on board. He’s making all the right moves and he and Barack Obama are going to campaign together.”

Is Bill the only Clinton who will "Barack Obama’s rescue in the coming weeks"?

It's been 30 days since Obama picked Joe Biden for the ticket--there are 44 days left until the election--almost the halfway point.

That Obama-Biden campaign materials will be available in the "next couple weeks" or "by the first week of October" is way past the halfway mark between the election and when Joe Biden was picked.

McCain-Palin signs were evident the first weekend that John McCain announced his pick for vice-president.





Despite Obama-Biden having almost a week's headstart on McCain-Palin, a visit to johnmccain.com shows the site has been transformed into "McCain-Palin". There nearly 30 McCain-Palin items for sale at the McCain website store. "McCain-Palin" is the first category of merchandise listed at the site.


A look at the websites themselves might be instructive.

McCain, who the Obama campaign paints as "Internet-challenged" has transformed the site into "McCain-Palin", with the ticket at the top of every page we visited.





Obama-Biden was featured at the top of every page but one at barackobama.com

That page was the online store: a campaign cash cow.





So, maybe the Obama campaign is simply going with what sells best.

"Obama" is a winner.

"Obama-Biden", not so much so.

Which is either grist for the rumor mill--or a sign of "CHANGE".

The readers can decide for themselves.


by Mondo
images: dbkp

Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin: "But Hillary..."

Presidential Moments:
First in a Series


Click image to enlarge.


Another piece of information emerges from the Irony Curtain, of the KG3.

by Irony Curtain

Dem National Conv, Denver: 21 Pix from the Inside

Weird Scenes from Inside the Gold Mine
Wednesday in Denver
Inside the Pepsi Center
Democrat National Convention




"John Edwards couldn't be here tonight..."

CLICK images to enlarge.

Our man, RidesAPaleHorse, DBKP Special Roving Convention Correspondent, files his report from Denver, assisted by "his friend Kevin", who shot the pix Wednesday.

22 scenes from inside the Democrat National Convention in Denver.



Some Dem Mayors Get Together




Putting on the Ritz

















Glitz




The paparazzi







Excitement inside the Pepsi Center




At the podium...




...and on the Big Screen





Security




Need a break outside the Pepsi Center






One from Tuesday night








"Greeting, earthlings! I come in peace."





The Democrat ticket






Turn out the lights, the party's over.





Another day done in Denver


Good shots, Kevin!


by RidesAPaleHorse
images: My Friend Kevin

John Edwards-Rielle Hunter Love Child: Three Video Denials

Two and Half Famous Denials - On Video

* Gary Hart Denies Donna Rice
* Bill Clinton Denies Monica Lewinsky
* John Edwards Almost Denies Rielle Hunter

Three politicians, two presidential contenders, one president and three affairs: we thought we'd present these videos of their denials for readers to compare.

First, Gary Hart making the case that the National Enquirer's pictures of model, Donna Rice, sitting on his knee was a publicity shoot.




Next, Bill Clinton denying sex with Monica Lewinsky--before the National Enquirer produced the stained blue dress.

Over 35 DBKP stories and growing:

Lastly, John Edwards is finally asked by a reporter--albeit, timidly--about the Rielle Hunter affair in LA, when the National Enquirer's reporter caught him leaving the tryst.

Edwards
by krs601

The similarities of the video denials?

All were politicians; all were involved in extra-marital affairs; all were tortured, in one way or another, by the National Enquirer.

The difference in the three videos--other than the facial expressions during the denial (or near-denial in Edwards' case; he stops himself in mid-sentence and switches to attacking the Enquirer instead)?

The first two occurred when the Mainstream press fulfilled its adversarial duties. In the case of Clinton, it had to be dragged grudgingly to the labor.

Readers can make up their own minds by watching the videos.

To paraphrase Roger Simon of Pajamas Media: It's good to remember that these are politicians and politicians lie.

It's the nature of the beast. It's what they do. The job of the press is not to suppress the news: it's to report it and let readers/viewers sift the facts.

Much of the press needs to relearn that lesson from Journalism 101.

by Mondoreb & LBG

Obama Hoping Voters Don't Remember Previous CHANGE

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."
--author unknown

For the past 32 years, the election cycle has revolved in a most familiar way.

Every sixteen years, the Democrat candidate for president has been a relatively-unknown who campaigned as an agent of "CHANGE!"

"One reason why this constant mantra of “CHANGE! HOPE!” is so irritating is that they’ve been peddling this snake oil for decades."
--Charles Johnson, Little Green Footballs



Thirty-two years ago, it resulted in a squeaker of an election that wasn't decided until the next day. Jimmy Carter became just the second Democrat since 1944 to convince a majority of voters that the country needed "CHANGE!" Carter received 50.1% of the popular vote.

He was the last Democrat who's managed that trick.

Carter's term was disastrous and, after four years, the U.S. had had enough of his "CHANGE!"

Many Americans saw Carter as an inept leader who had failed to solve the worsening economic problems at home, and had made the US look weak abroad. The election was held on November 4, 1980. Ronald Reagan with running mate George Bush beat Carter by almost ten percentage points in the popular vote. Republicans also gained control of the Senate for the first time in twenty-five years on Reagan's coattails. The electoral college vote was a landslide, with 489 votes (representing 44 states) for Reagan and 49 votes for Carter (representing 6 states and the District of Columbia).

Sixteen years after Carter, Bill Clinton--another relatively-unknown Democrat--convinced 43% of American voters that the country needed a "CHANGE!"



In 1996, Clinton almost got a majority of the vote: 49.4% voted for him. Both times, Clinton won a comfortable margin in the Electoral College.

Clinton's "CHANGE!" included failed attempts to nationalize health care and forcing the military to change its policy on homosexuals, as well as an endless parade of scandals.

In the 2000 election, Clinton's vice-president Al Gore lost the election (he received 48.38% of the popular vote, though), even though the US economy--always an important issue--was strong.

Sixteen years after 1992, Barack Obama--once again another relatively-unknown Democrat--is campaigning on "CHANGE!"

Every sixteen years, another group of Americans--who are unfamiliar with Carter or Clinton and the results of their "CHANGE!"--enter the voting booths. It is this group of historically-ignorant voters that Democrats rely on to win national elections. 2008 is no different.

Carter and the "misery index" are unknown to these voters. That's the combination of the unemployment rate plus the rate of inflation. It reached 21.98% in June 1980, Carter's last year.

Currently, it is 8.94%.

"Monica Lewinsky", "Hillary's health care task force", "Buddhist temple fund raisers", "the selling of sensitive technology to China" and "the selling of the Lincoln Bedroom" are just names and phrases to those who were too young to recall the Clinton years. The consequences of Clinton's selling of US military technology to China are still being felt.

Newly declassified documents show that President Bill Clinton personally approved the transfer to China of advanced space technology that can be used for nuclear combat.

The documents show that in 1996 Clinton approved the export of radiation hardened chip sets to China. The specialized chips are necessary for fighting a nuclear war.

Two years ago, Democrats took over Congress by campaigning--again--on "CHANGE!"



What have been the results of Nancy's Pelosi's "CHANGE!"?

We'll let the reader come to his own conclusion.

The Obama campaign is wise to target these (mostly) young voters, who don't remember those previous promises "CHANGE!" from a relatively-unknown Democrat presidential candidate. If Obama is to be president, he absolutely needs these votes. If John McCain is to win, he needs some of these votes, as well as those of Independents.

It promises to be another close election.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

To paraphrase another famous quote by philosopher George Santayana which carries much the same message:

"Those who cannot remember "CHANGE!" are condemned to repeat it."

To paraphrase

by Mondoreb
Source:
* 1980 election in the United States
* Clinton Gave China Chips for Nuclear War
* Jimmy Carter 1976 Election Ad: Change!