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Photo: University of Virginia School of Law | Charlottesville, Va.
Sunday, October 31
Prediction: Bush by 10
UPDATE: Gallup has Kerry well ahead in Minnesota, and with small leads in Florida and Ohio; Bush well ahead in Wisconsin, and leading in Pennsylvania, and Iowa. Bush needs FL and/or OH to win the election.
Though gut instincts tell me John Kerry will be elected Tuesday night, a state-by-state look at the election leads me to boldly predict that President Bush will secure a second term by taking 274 electoral votes to Kerry's 264.
This is a risky prediction, built on the shaky premise that Bush wins the popular vote in Florida and in Ohio. If Bush doesn't win, I see Kerry coming home with 284, 291, or maybe even 311 electoral votes.
One other possibility, a frightening one for America, is a 269-269 tie. If Bush wins Florida and Ohio, but loses New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Hawaii, and the remaining midwestern battlegrounds, we will have a deadlocked election. The House of Representatives would give the election to Bush, but one unfaithful elector - a small-town mayor from West Virginia - might determine the future of America.
* The GOP will keep control of the Senate with wins in Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.
Democrats win in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois.
South Dakota will be won by a razor-thin margin. I would be elated to see obstructionist minority leader Tom Daschle defeated, but I have a hard time believing South Dakota will give up that much influence in the U.S. Senate.
* In Mississippi, Bennie Thompson will handily defeat Clinton B. Lesueur, Gene Taylor cruises to re-election against State Rep. Mike Lott, and Congressmen Wicker and Pickering will win by landslide margins.
* In Supreme Court races, Justice Waller is re-elected, Justice Randolph is elected, Justice Carlson is elected, and Justice Graves and Samac Richardson will head to a run-off three weeks from Tuesday.
* Jackson will fail to approve a restaurant & tourism tax for a convention center.
* Rankin County will vote to approve liquor sales at restaurants.
* 80% of Mississippi votes will support a state constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Autumn
A beautiful time of year. 
2 Days Away
With less than 48 hours until Election Day, I ask this question: who are you voting for, and why?
Saturday, October 30
Lack of Discipline Dooms Ole Miss
I have not watched much Ole Miss football this season, which is probably for the best. With a 3-5 record and losses to Wyoming and Memphis, Ole Miss has not provided many positive moments for its supporters.
As an Ole Miss fan, I can cope with losing. I grew up in the late 80s and early 90s, when 3-8 and 4-7 seasons under Bill Brewer were not all that uncommon. I followed the talentless, but gritty probation-era teams. I've watched bad Ole Miss teams. But rarely have they been as undisciplined as the 2004 Ole Miss Rebels.
Against the Auburn Saturday, Ole Miss ran up 10 penalties for 103 yards. Whether it was personal fouls, holds, block in the back penalties, or even a botched decline penalty, Ole Miss gave over a century of unearned yards to an Auburn team that's potent enough in a mistake free game.
Bone-headed mental mistakes defined Jackie Sherrill's last few teams at MSU, but Ole Miss team's have traditionally been regarding as well-disciplined, avoiding costly penalties and playing smart. But no more.
This responsiblity falls squarely on the coaching staff. I'm tolerant of an ineffective team that plays hard, but these slew of penalties and these off-the-field issues from players are entirely inexcusable.
While Coach Croom is cleaning up his Mississippi State football team, David Cutcliffe's Rebels are heading in the opposite direction.
I'm entirely supportive of the program, but this is indeed a cause of concern.
Wear Red on Gameday?
Ole Miss's student newspaper, The Daily Mississippian, has regularly used its pages to call for Ole Miss students and supporters to wear red at football games. One editorial in the newspaper before the Ole Miss / Tennessee said was titled "Wear Red on Gameday" and repeated that phrase four or fifty times in the column. Sports columnist Steven Godfrey castigated the student body for not wearing red. Even a spirit committee has been established titled "Red Alert."
But why the focus on red? Ole Miss's colors and blue and red. Ole Miss wears BLUE in half or more than half of their home games.
Why not ask the Rebels to wear blue? Or why ask the fans to wear a certain color at all? Granted, a sea of one color looks great on TV and from others looking around the stands, but does a uniform dress code from the fans give their team an advantage?
Thursday, October 28
Boston!
Ted Williams didn't do it. Carl Yastremski didn't do it. Not even Mike Boddicker was able to do it.
But in 2004, the Boston Red Sox had a reversal of a near-century of misfortune. I'm glad to see it happen.
Wednesday, October 27
For Sherrill, a Final Victory
In what might be considered the final battle of his football career, former Mississippi State football coach Jackie Sherrill defeated allegations of unethical conduct, and spared the Mississippi State football program potentially devastating sanctions. The NCAA announced Mississippi State's punishment for a series of infractions over the last few years. Mississippi State, 2-5, will not be bowl eligible for this season and we see a minimal reduction in scholarships over the next three seasons. I thought the allegations were pretty marginal, and am not surprised by the light sentence imposed. A pretty good last few days for the Mississippi State football program. Sunday, October 24
Is Hawaii the GOP's November Surprise?
This is a shocking bit of news. Apparently, Hawaii, traditionally a deep blue state, is up for grabs.The latest poll has Hawaii tied at 43-43. They don't have a many electoral votes, but if this race is determined by a razor thin margin, a surprise present from the Pacific could put George W. Bush in office for four more years.
Perennial Candidate, Cult Leader
All you undergraduates don't have reading, and the law students among us are looking for something to read other than the law, so check out The Washington Post Magazine's piece on Lyndon LaRouche.
LaRouche has run for president eight times, has shared a jail cell with former televangelist Jim Bakker, and continues to lure young people with his anti-semitic and anti-Jewish rhetoric.
A frightening read worth checking out.
Carl Lewis Music Video
Thanks to Nathan Lucas for bringing this atrocious video to my attention. All the proof you need to keep sprinters from becoming rock stars.He actually has this video on his website. Unbelievable.
The Strange World of Torts
Can a plaintiff win a wrongful death lawsuit and end up owing the defendant? Apparently so.
Bears Need Jeff George
The Chicago Bears, once my favorite NFL team, lost another game, this time to the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bears have gotten so bad that Craig Krenzel was their quarterback by the end of the game.
You might remember Krenzel as the quarterback who gravy-trained Maurice Clarett and The Ohio State defense to a national championship a couple of years ago. This Trent Dilfer of college football has no business in the starting lineup for a NFL team, especially the Bears.
Or maybe he does. For the last 15 years, the Bears have relied on mediocre Big 10 "talent" -- think David Terrell. The trend doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon so the Bears should go the scrap heap and find a serviceable quarterback from a Big 10 school.
Jeff George (Illinois) would be a hometown guy. He's probably still got a great arm, has been banged up in quite a while because of so few snaps, and would be a definite upgrade from Quinn and Krenzel.
I know this won't happen but it'd be nice to see George get another shot.
Tune in to The Ben Ferguson Show tonight
Be sure to tune in to The Ben Ferguson Show tonight. It's on 1180AM in Jackson (sometimes it's hard to hear, so try 104.something FM for it.) You can also listen to the program through streaming audio at www.benferguson.com.
With the election only 9 days away, Ben will have a lot to talk about.
Saturday, October 23
Slashing Runner
Tim Brando just compared Jerious Norwood to O.J. Simpson, talking about O.J.'s
'slashing' style. Brando then said .. "ehh ... bad reference to O.J."
And since when did Archie Manning start providing commentary for CBS Sports?
Back to Contracts.
Does The Zook Era End in Starkville?
Heading into this week, Florida Head Coach Ron Zook was in trouble. His team dropped heartbreakers to Tennessee and LSU earlier in the season. He had to apologize after claiming he would ruin a campus fraternity. And he still had Georgia and Florida State on the schedule.
But Saturday, a lousy year just got worse than Zook could have ever imagined. His heavily favored Florida Gators went to Starkville, Miss., and lost to Mississippi State, a 1-5 team, a dreadful squad that had lost to I-AA Maine earlier in the season.
This pretty much seals Zook's fate after the 2004 season. But the bigger question is: will he still be around to coach the Georgia game next week?
I give it a 50/50 shot that Zook will make it to next week. Don't be surprised if Defensive Coordinator Charlie Strong is elevated to interim coach, becoming the 2nd African-American football coach in the SEC.
YES!
Mississippi State has pulled off the biggest upset in NCAA football, shocking 19th ranked Florida 38-31.
Jerious Norwood had a marvelous performance. The MSU defense capitalized on turnovers. Sylvester Croom got his first SEC win, and quite possibly, Ron Zook got his last SEC loss.
The goalposts are down, and students didn't have to evade mace-wielding security officers to do it.
John Lassiter and Ro Taylor will be partying well into November.
A great day in Starkville. Wrap it in Maroon and White.
Mississippi State!
If Mississippi State beats Florida, wow ...
I wonder if John Kerry will blame George W. Bush for another job lost (Ron Zook's) in Florida?
Curse Continues on Siwell Road
For a few weeks of this high school football season, a few people thought Hillcrest might end their nearly two decade losing streak against Jackson Prep and Jackson Academy. With an arsenal of recruited players from Forest Hill, Terry, and Clinton, Hillcrest finally had the manpower to compete with the private school powerhouses to the north.
However, a car wreck sidelined several of their top players, and suddenly, a 5-0 Hillcrest team primed for the playoffs became 5-3, out of the playoffs, and staring at a matchup next week against No.2 JA.
Hillcrest's nose dive can be blamed on several things. 1: The Car Wreck -- The Cougars lost a couple of star receivers and an offensive linemen for the season. 2: Scheduling -- Someone needs to get blamed for Hillcrest's schedule. They played cupcakes for nearly the entire first half of the season and then they have a four week stretch that consists of MRA, Parklane, Prep, and JA. Come on, you got to toss in a CM&I or ACCS in there. 3: High Expectations -- Maybe Hillcrest just wasn't as good as people thought they were. They did so many good things last season, and people obviously expected them to improve with the bulk of their starters returning. 4: The Curse -- They lose to Parklane in overtime. They're about to close the gap in a competitive game with Prep and then have a kick blocked that's returned for a Prep touchdown. This team can never catch a break.
They still have a strong chance of beating JA next week, but I still think the Raiders will prevail. Even with a win for the Raiders, Hillcrest's season will be done when the playoffs begin, and the curse will live on for one more year. Boston has the Curse of the Bambino. Hillcrest has the Curse of the Varnado.
Also in high school football -- The Eupora Eagles knocked off 2A No.1 Bruce 19-14, resuscitating (sp?) a season that looked doomed after Eupora lost an 8-7 heartbreaker to Ackerman two weeks ago. And in the Bardwell Bowl, his hometown team, Meridian, knocked off his high school alma mater, Brandon, 17-7.
Friday, October 22
Does Clinton have a chance?
David Thigpen, The Daily Mississippian's most talented opinion columnist, has written his latest piece about a possible upset in Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District.I think Bennie Thompsons will be reelected with somewhere between 56 - 60 percent of the vote, but credit Clinton Lesueur more mounting a valiant challenge. I hope I'm wrong.
Ventura Endorses Kerry
Former Minnesota governor and professional wrestler Jesse 'The Body' Ventura has endorsed John Kerry. That's great, but who are Razor Ramon and Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake supporting? Thursday, October 21
To My 20 Readers
I've developed a theory that the same 20 people, excluding family members, read this blog several times of day, while everyone else is either unaware or unconcerned with its existence.
So to Bardwell, Gordon, Alex, Squirrel, Lassiter, Hardy, Oon Kyle, Josh Kyle, Thew, Madden, Tangy, Cameron, Mr. Rutledge, Werne, Edward Sanders, Buckster, Shane, Vanity, Gannon, and Allen, I say thank you for allowing me the wonderful opportunity to usually bore and occasionally entertain you.
Caught in the Crossfire
Several people have asked me about my opinion on Jon Stewart's recent appearance on Crossfire, in which The Daily Show host berates Crossfire, Paul Begala, and in particulary, Tucker Carlson.
I have watched the interview twice. I'm impressed Stewart said what he said, but am more than a little turned off by the way he did it.
Anyone who watches Crossfire knows Stewart is right. The program is garbage. I think I can remember criticizing this show back in high school for being terribly adversarial, and it's only gotten worse under the new format. Basically, Crossfire consists of two partisan hacks who recite political talking points from their party of choice. Insulting the opposite side is the norm. Reasonable debate is nihil. And we wonder why CNN has gone from cable news heavyweight to also ran.
But I wish someone other than Jon Stewart had been the one to express the truth. Stewart is pompous and self-righteous. His show survives on hype by the media and rather than informing young people about politics, reinforces the jaded young person's impression of politics.
That is not to say that young people don't have a reason to be jaded. So much is wrong with our current system. But to give Jon Stewart anymore credit than say -- Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update -- is a stretch. The guy has the occasionally funny moment, but hosting The Daily Show shouldn't make him a legitimate political pundit. He's a comedian, not a commentator. I fear his Crossfire appearance will give him more credibility than he actually deserves.
Ridiculous
Twelve days until Election Day and John Kerry is arguing about flu shots? The Kerry Campaign is ripping Vice-President Dick Cheney for getting a flu vaccination during this national shortage. I guess they're thinking he should have saved that one flu shot for 'The American People'. You may disagree with me, but I would think the 2nd most important leader in The United States should be taking all the health precautions he can, and people support that. I want my leaders, whether I like them or not, to be healthy. Not that the flu vaccine is all that potent of a illness -- bad, but maybe not as threatening as say -- SARS. But there's a valid reason to give the general more protection than the private. In a campaign where both sides have resorted to scare tactics and petty carping, this example is one of the worst. Wednesday, October 20
Neuheisel Cleared to Coach
Remember this guy? Well, he's a free man. Rick Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback and head football coach for Colorado and Washington, has been cleared to coach again by the NCAA. Rick got booted at Washington after it was revealed he put money in a NCAA Tournament bracket pool. This minute transgression overshadowed cheating at Colorado. He recruited a lot of the players who have caused so much trouble for Colorado and new coach Gary Barnett. His past has some dark patches, but it also had his share of bright moments. Neuheisal won at Colorado and Washington, and he'd be an attractive coaching candidate at several down-on-their-luck football programs.
Rankin County Senator Running for Lt. Governor?
Though the election for Mississippi's Lt. Governor is almost three years away, potential candidates are gearing up for what will likely be a hotly contested political battle.
The incumbent Lieutenant Governor, Amy Tuck, is limited to two terms, opening the door for a slew of hopefuls on both sides of the political aisle to gain the 2nd highest, and arguably most powerful, position in Mississippi state government.
Charlie Ross, a Republican state senator from Brandon, is one potential candidate strongly considering running. A friend of mine contacted me yesterday and told me that Ross hosted an informal fundraiser in one of his first attempts to conjure up support for a potential campaign. While I have no way and no interest in confirming this report, it seems a credible story.
Ross chairs the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee, a group whose efforts were pivotal in the state's recent round of tort reform. The attorney boasts an impressive educational background, graduating from The Air Force Academy and Harvard Law School.
Though both have conservative philosophies and grew up in the Webster / Oktibbeha County area (Ross in my hometown of Eupora, Tuck in neary Maben), the similarities end there. Tuck is the state's best retail politician, a relentless campaigner who is at her best in one-on-one interactions with voters. Ross is known for his detailed understanding of complex policy issues.
As a senator for Rankin and Madison county, two GOP cash cows for money and votes, Ross would have a geographical advantage in a competitive GOP primary.
Most Mississippians still vote Democratic in the primary except in several select counties that have a disproportionate amount of influence in deciding the GOP nominee. Substantial victories in Madison and Rankin County, along with decent outings in Pearl River and Desoto, could all but guarantee Ross a spot on the GOP ticket in November 2007.
There is no question that should Ross run, he would have a wealth of competition from Democrats and Republicans alike. Republican State Senator Alan Nunnelee of Tupelo would have a powerful base in Northeast Mississippi. Other names that have surfaced are Nic Walters, who ran unsuccessfully against Eric Clark for Secretary of State in 1999, and Bill Hawks, who narrowly lost to Lt. Governor Tuck when she won as a Democrat in 1999.
Another GOP possibility is State Auditor Phil Bryant. Bryant is another Rankin County native and only statewide elected official whose name has gotten mentioned for Lt. Governor. If he ran, the race would take on an entirely different dimension.
As usual in Mississippi politics, the list of Democratic contender is not as long. The Democratic Party remains formidable but doesn't seem to have a large arsenal of legitimate political candidates in their 30s, 40s, and 50s to replace Mike Moore, Marshall Bennett, Dick Molpus, Ray Mabus, and other Mississippi Democratic flagbearers of the late 80s and early 90s. The names mentioned most often are State Rep. Bubba Pierce and State Rep. Jamie Franks.
The Clarion-Ledger seems to think of Pierce as a rising star, for what that is worth, and he delivered a pretty solid speech on behalf of the ailing Speaker of the House at The Neshoba County Fair. Franks is well-known in Northeast Mississippi and may be ready to jump to state politics.
Don't take my word as political truth. For the latest gossip, go down to Two Sister s Cafe near the state capitol during the week and just ask some guy in a suit who is running for Lt. Governor. More than likely he'll have an opinion.
Monday, October 18
A Bush Trilogy is not in the works. Jeb Bush, the popular Florida governor and younger brother of President Bush, has ruled out a presidential bid in 2008 . He plans to return after his 2nd term as governor expires in 2006. While Jeb Bush has ruled out a run, former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani seems to be salivating over the possiblity of running for the presidency. Sunday, October 17
Bad Saturday for Sports
Tennessee edged the rejuvenated, but still hard luck Ole Miss Rebels. Florida State pounded UVA 36-3, erasing all fantasies of the national championship running through Charlottesville this season. Even my AL team, The Boston Red Sox, were humiliated at Fenway by the vile New York Yankees. Saturday wasn't a good day for any of Mississippi's teams. Alabama only threw the ball three or four times and still demolished No. 25 Southern Miss 27-3, and one-time SWAC power Jackson State was crushed 45-7 by Southern U., giving further firepower to the growing group that wants to see head coach James Bell promptly fired. Maybe the best performance of the week came from Mississippi State, who went a week without losing. Granted, they had a bye week, but with the season The Bulldogs are enduring, a Saturday without a blowout defeat is a positive building block. The Clarion-Ledger had a fairly interesting article about why State, who boasted some of the nation's top recruiting classes over the last four seasons, finds its football program in dire straits. I think Croom will build up the program, but I don't foresee a SEC West Championship in the picture anytime soon. Ole Miss seems to have found a rhythm lately, and The Rebel Nation can take solace in the fact that at season's end, Ole Miss may be the best 4-7 team in the country. I'd be gleeful over 6-5, but we have to be realistic. Mississippi State is a probable victory. Arkansas is beatable. Auburn is not. A win against in Death Valley is possible, but not likely. Thursday, October 14
To Pro-Choice Readers
Last night's debate made me think about this.
This is an controversial and emotional issue, I understand this ...
But for those of you who are pro-choice -- or pro-"reproductive rights" -- do you actually claim that abortion, excluding cases involving incest, rape, or a threat to the mother's life, is morally right?
If you believe abortion is morally right, explain why.
If not morally right, how do you justify your position? Do you justify it as a practical necessity? In an imperfect world, are you supporting legalization and regulation of abortion, because regardless of restrictions or prohibitions, imperfect human beings will engage in dangerous black-market abortions that jeopardize not only the unborn child, but themselves as well? Is it better to permit and monitor a questionable act because regardless of legality, people are going to commit the act anyway?
Or is there another unrelated reason for being pro-choice?
Wednesday, October 13
SNN Pundits on Debate 3
The Buckster, Mississippi College Pre-Nursing Major: JOHN KERRY
"I think Kerry took it. George W. Bush turned his back on Kerry's views."
Tangy, Ole Miss Football Trivia Buff: GEORGE W. BUSH.
"John Kerry avoided the questions and unfairly attacked Bush on job losses."
Thew Ingram, Godfather of Clinton: GEORGE W. BUSH.
"I didn't watch much of it. Boring debate.
Mr. Rutledge, Full-Time Blog Commenter: DRAW
"They just repeated one another. It was the weakest debate so far."
Arun Goel, UVA 1L: NO WINNER.
Who won? I don't know. Who lost? The American People.
Will Bardwell, WillBardwell.com: JOHN KERRY.
Last week, the Boston Red Sox swept the Anaheim Angels three games to none. The Sox looked better in Game 1 (which they won 9-3) than they did in Game 3 (which they won 8-6), but they still won the third contest, and they still swept the series. So it is with John Kerry tonight. This wasn't as big a blowout as the first debate was, but John Kerry clearly won. Bush completely dodged questions about abortion, the minimum wage, and the assault weapons ban. Like the Red Sox, Kerry isn't out of the woods yet. But he and the Red Sox are in much better positions tonight than George Bush and the Angels are.
Drew Snyder: DRAW
Bush was actually worse in this debate than he was in the second debate, but Kerry's performace was far weaker than his previous two. Neither candidate was particularly interesting, and I found myself more engaged in my Contracts reading than their answers.
So after our panelists made their thoughtful remarks on the debate, it's still undecided. Looks like the winner of the day is Davidson Stoneburner, the DM Fitness Columnist who is developing a fan following on this very website.
Allen Thigpen Featured in Commercial-Appeal
While I opined about the DM's attractive new columnist just a few minutes ago, I would feel remiss not mention another emerging journalist. He doesn't have her dazzling blue eyes, but former Madison County Journal co-worker, high school classmate, and college fraternity brother Allen Thigpen has recently contributed a fascinating article about file sharing to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. Registration is required. Thigpen is a graduate student in journalism at Ole Miss, the defending champion of our fantasy football league, and a fellow blogger.
Davidson Stoneburner
Move over, Godfrey. The DM has a new star columnist, and I'm not talking about conservative pundit David Thigpen.
I picked up a copy of The Daily Mississippian this morning on my way out from Oxford and saw the face of journalism's future.
Her name is Davidson Stoneburner. She's a fitness columnist for the DM's Arts and Life section. She's the total package: a solid writer with a pleasing face and a great name. Ann Coulter only wishes she had the same appeal.
Paleocons Strike Back
In the aftermath of 9/11, the neoconservative movement gained significant traction in conservatism's internal ideological struggle. Now, as the conflict in Iraq stretches on indefinitely, as casualties mount, and as the skeptics increase, the isolationist predilections of the paleoconservaties, temporarily concealed, are creeping out once more.
Franklin Foer writes an informative essay on the development of the paleocons and their promising future.
Fall Break Finished
Fall Break is basically over. After spending the better part of the last five days in the Metro Jackson area, I am flying back to Charlottesville on Wednesday afternoon. Although only having a few days in town, I managed to lose a ping pong tournament to a guy named Critter and saw a plethora of celebrities, including ASB President and fantasy football guru Gordon Fellows, The King of Torts, liberal blogger Will Bardwell, and The Godfather of Clinton -- Thew Ingram. I even got a phone call from America's youngest syndicated talk show host, Ben Ferguson. After the friends, the food was the next best thing -- Special Chimichangas from Tequila's in Oxford, Cinammon Sticks from Mazzio's, a Chili Cheese Enchilada from The Elite, chicken tenders at The Buckster's house, and of course, Mama's home cooked meals.
So now, well-fed and refreshed from a near week of leisure, I return to Charlottesville, where the Blue Ridge mountains and mountains of reading await. Briefing will preempt blogging, outlining will takes precedent over Election 2004, and panic will become my most prolific emotion. Ah, the wonders of the final weeks of the 1st semester of law school.
Couldn't Fall Break last just a little bit longer?
Election Day
Most Americans will head to the polls in three weeks to cast their vote for either President Bush or Senator Kerry. But Tuesday afternoon, amid little fanfare at The Madison County Courthouse in Canton, Miss., this blogger went to the poll to make his choices for president, congress, the state supreme court, and on a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Voting was smooth. There were no hanging chads or election regularities. The cheerful, helpful Circuit Clerk employee didn't prevent me from voting because of a mysterious previous felony. All that voting involved was a No.2 pencil, a paper ballot, and an elaborate process of sealing the absentee ballot.
Tuesday, October 12
Outlandish Comment of the Day
John Edwards made the following outrageous statement at a campaign stop in New Jersey:
'We will stop juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases... When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.'
Hey, John Edwards, what else will John Kerry do if elected? Turn water into wine? Feed the five thousand? Drive demons out of Tom Delay?
Talk about an amibitious and empty camapaign promise. Politicians do this all the time, promising better education, better health care, and more jobs. But this statement is so completely unrealistic that it deserved special attention.
Sunday, October 10
Don Imus Predicts Bush Victory
Weekday mornings during high school, I religiously listened to Imus in the Morning on Supertalk Mississippi 97.3. One morning during my senior year, I turned on the station, and instead of being treated to Imus's dry humor and incisive comments, I heard the boorish rants of a couple of guys talking about JSU football. Imus had been bumped by a third-rate local sports talk show. In the following years, I heard little of Imus, but he's stayed in the national spotlight, and today, he made a a cynical and blisteringly accurate commentary on the presidential election.
George Bush Will Win the Election, Imus Predicts
Sun Oct 10 2004 09:12:58 ET
New York – Broadcaster Don Imus tells TIME George Bush is going to win the election. “I’m not going to vote for him, but I think he connects better with the American people, and I think the Administration has scared people to death. And I think people resent having John Fogerty and Jon Bon Jovi tell them who to vote for.”
Bush is “probably a decent guy, but he’s in way over his head. I think he got gun-shy as a result of that heisting of the election in 2000. I don’t think he ever even thought of himself as a legitimate President. And rather than try to govern by some sort of consensus or at least involve some other points of view, he’s tried to make up for it by this arrogant conduct of foreign policy. By the way, it’s not like I think Senator Kerry would be much better.”
Imus, 64, tells TIME he’s not retiring any time soon: “I don’t have any timetable, but I don’t think I’ll be capable of pulling a Mike Wallace. Gum is already falling out of my mouth. But I’m not wetting myself or anything like that. I mean, it’s fun, and I like doing it. As long as people fear me, I’ll do it.”
Robert McElvaine, a Millsaps history professor and occasional contributing columnist for The Clarion-Ledger, has been published in The Washington Post, discussing his plight as a liberal in a staunchly conservative state.Friday, October 8
Debate 2
President Bush covered the spread tonight's presidential debate, and may have even pulled out a victory. Kerry was articulate but boring, while Bush was less articulate but occasionally funny. I think a panel of debate judges would award the win to Kerry, but the American public (or at least President Bush) might actually give this one to Bush.
Thursday, October 7
Update
It's been 48 hours. I felt compelled to add a few comments.
* John Edwards must have not made much of an impression on Dick Cheney. The Vice-President doesn't even remember him from a Prayer Breakfast in 2001.
* The VP hopefuls both employed several faulty statements. Cheney, though, is castigated and called a pathological liar. What ever happened to being equal opportunity haters?
* The moderator in the VP debate was obviously for Edwards.
* UVA has their first real test of the season tomorrow night against Clemson, a team that is enduring a horrendous 1-3 start but has the firepower and potential to beat nearly any team in the country. I think, however, that UVA will win by 2 touchdowns.
* Another blog, Lord Sutch, has the chances of Cutcliffe being terminated at 50%.
* Less than 48 hours until my return to Mississippi.
* The Braves are blown out in their first game. Did we expect anything less from Atlanta? Another 1st round exit seems likely, and nobody is suprised.
* A football curse really does exist on Siwell Road. Hillcrest Christian School, No.1 in AAA with arguably the best team in school history, has lost 3 of its top players for the season and its quarterback for several weeks after the 4 were injured in an auto accident last Saturday on the way back from the Ole Miss-Arkansas State game.
Tuesday, October 5
UVA Law School .... or Middle School?
Before I close it up for the evening, I wanted to share the most humorous bit of news of the day.
People often compare law schools to high school. The cliques. The lockers. The gossip. The unspoken, but evident social caste system. And in many ways, UVA Law School may have more of a high school atmosphere than other similar institutions. But is it truly a high school atmosphere?
Or is it more like middle school?
Case in point.
Last night, an anonymous person or group of people put out stacks of flyers around the law school that listed the Hottest 10 1Ls at UVA Law. Yes. That's right - a listing of the Top 10 girls.
Hearing about this took me back to 1992, a few weeks into my first year at Jackson Academy. I was a 6th grader, and we were in Mrs. Bennett's library class. Majure Markow and another guy in our class -- either Chris or Erskine, I can't remember for sure -- were discussing the Top 10 girls in the 6th grade class. I don't remember the exact Top 10, but I still clearly remember the Top 5. And 12 years later, the list probably wouldn't need too much tweaking.
So I got to thinking -- is this deja vu? Have I returned to 6th grade? I'm once again the new kid with the thick accent in the new environment. I'm playing baseball (or softball) for the first time since the 7th grade. Has all the living, the studying, and the lessons learned landed me in the same place I began?
But maybe this is ideal. After all, growing up is unquestionably overrated. This juvenile list and other sophomoric antics may be just what we need to counter the rigorous coursework, increased responsibilities, and the inevitability of adulthood.
I would delve deeper into the correlation between 6th grade and the 1st year of law school, but Civil Procedure, much like Mrs. Norris's class, comes very early in the morning.
VP Debate
Vice-President Dick Cheney is unpopular is many circles. A friend of mine from school tells me Cheney probably "drinks blood" and "eats children." Almost all liberals, and even a portion of moderates and conservatives, are not enamored with Cheney, an uncharismatic and often blunt political veteran.
But right now, Cheney may actually be an asset for a Bush Campaign that has witnessed its momentum end and its lead erode since Thursday's presidential debate. Despite John Edwards sunny personality and effective oratory delivery, I expect Cheney to hold his own or and possibly even trounce Edwards in the debate.
Edwards, while one of the best stump speakers in the country, comes across combative in debate formats, and if he presses Cheney too hard, he could find his arguments shot to pieces real fast.
Monday, October 4
THE FOUR HORSEMEN: Squirrel, second from left, pictured with Brian Jernigan (far left), Tyler Gibson (second from right), and Johnny Beck (far right) enjoy an evening in Paris during a Brandon High School trip to Europe.
If you stop by the Old Venice Pizza Company in Jackson, Miss. on a Friday or Saturday Night, you're very likely to see him. Flanked by childhood friends and fellow "Four Horsemen" Brian Jernigan and Johnny Beck, Jeff Tew -- better know as Squirrel -- works the room, chatting amicably with friends about about the subjects that matter to him -- politics, Ole Miss, and Rankin County. In this 3rd interview for Snyder News Network, we've talked with Squirrel, and he's provided his insights on Pearl, the infamous Kappa Sig pledge auction, the changing traditions at Ole Miss, growing up in Brandon, and even the origin of his nickname. And in a world exclusive, Squirrel has announced his intention to run for Governor of Mississippi one day.
Squirrel's answers are quite lengthy, so the entire transcript has been posted here.
Sunday, October 3
Monday: Questions for Squirrel
Monday, October 4th, The Snyder News Network will unveil its 3rd interview, this time with Jeff Tew, famously known as Squirrel. A political junkie, conservative, patriot, Brandon loyalist, and Ole Miss fanatic, Squirrel will provide a wealth of commentary and humorous anecdots for the website.
Friedman on The War
Thomas Friedman, a columnist for The New York Times and one of the foremost experts on international relations, has returned to The Times after taking extended leave to write his latest book. And he returns with harsh words about The Bush Administration's management of The War in Iraq.
What happened? The Bush team got its doctrines mixed up: it applied the Powell Doctrine to the campaign against John Kerry - "overwhelming force" without mercy, based on a strategy of shock and awe at the Republican convention, followed by a propaganda blitz that got its message across in every possible way, including through distortion. If only the Bush team had gone after the remnants of Saddam's army in the Sunni Triangle with the brutal efficiency it has gone after Senator Kerry in the Iowa-Ohio-Michigan triangle. If only the Bush team had spoken to Iraqis and Arabs with as clear a message as it did to the Republican base. No, alas, while the Bush people applied the Powell Doctrine in the Midwest, they applied the Rumsfeld Doctrine in the Middle East. And the Rumsfeld Doctrine is: "Just enough troops to lose." Donald Rumsfeld tried to prove that a small, mobile army was all that was needed to topple Saddam, without realizing that such a limited force could never stabilize Iraq. He never thought it would have to. He thought his Iraqi pals would do it. He was wrong.
Friedman is not a liberal in the Maureen Dowd sense. Unlike Dowd, his columns avoid vitriolic, mean-spirited criticisms of his ideological opponents. This column brings up some real issues about the handling of the war and The Bush Administration's failure to separate policy from politics.
But still, the question 'Can Kerry do better' is not answered. In this dangerous and unpredictable world, leaders must still be chosen by who they are, not who they are not. And Kerry, despite Bush's significant flaws, hasn't come up with a coherent plan on his own and is also employing the politics over policy strategy in regards to the war.
In SEC Cellar, The Kid Brings Ray of Hope
While jubilant Ole Miss fans partied into the wee hours of Sunday morning after their comeback victory against Arkansas State, Mississippi State fans had little to celebrate on the drive back from Nashville after suffering a 31-13 blowout defeat to SEC doormat Vanderbilt.
Except, maybe, the future.
Michael 'The Kid' Henig, a true freshman widely considered to be the future of the Mississippi State football program, made his debut in the 4th quarterback of Saturday evening's blowout, completing 1 of 4 pass for 9 yards and and an interception.
The Kid, a strong-armed 6' foot, 175 lb. dropback passer, turned down scholarship offer from Louisville and a whole host of Division I-AA schools to help restore the MSU football program to the prominence it attained during the mid-90s under Coach Jackie Sherrill.
Gaudy numbers aside, coaches might have also been pleased with The Kid's ability to execute the center/snap exchange and to handoff to MSU running back Jason Jude.
There hasn't been this much buzz surrounding a Mississippi State quarterback since 'The Polish Rifle' Mike Pizinski was slated to start a game in the early 1990s against Alabama.
In mid-season thriller, Ole Miss vanquishes Sun Belt foe
Oxford, Miss. -- Goalposts were reinforced and security was alerted to possible celebratory rioting as Ole Miss held off a late charge from Sun Belt powerhouse Arkansas State to secure a 28-21 victory.
Ole Miss overcame the bruising Arkansas State running game and the vaunted passing attack that outgained them in total yards, and dominated at some stages of the game.
The win over Arkansas State, considered one of the Top 115 teams in the country, is a milestone victory for the football program, and is expected to boost attendance, recruiting, and fundraising.
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