What does it all mean?

For those in the Clinton camp who are planning their grand Obama rout, one would be well advised to wait. Senator Clinton is, to borrow a term from The Simpsons' Krusty the Clown, death; a long, slow painful death.

If one goes in search of grand divergence in policy between Clinton and Obama, there is none. The two candidates parallel like a freeway. The disparity in the two is better related in the form of approach.

Mrs. Clinton fails in the same way that Air America did. She articulates her grand solutions in terms of policy with the opinions of D-list bureaucrats. Air America died from trying to provide a commercial version of NPR; we are supposed to swallow a remedy before were are given a diagnosis.

Obama, however, takes his lessons from success. The success of progressives in this election cycle owes less to ideas than it does to presentation. Conservative discourse has been successful because it is good radio. Obama has been able to connect his agenda to the vast population in the middle because he has been able to express his diagnosis with a clear regimen for cure.

Mrs Clinton, the middle regrets to inform you that your candidacy, like Generalissimo Francisco Franco, is still dead.

In primaries open to all comers in Texas and Ohio the Clinton campaign catches fire after Limbaugh and Coulter encourage cross-aisle voting? Wow, Santa came early to Chappaqua! There is no way for a rational person to be convinced that somebody from the Conservative side was not up to didos in those two primaries.

The belief that Clinton managed to reconnect in light of Limbaugh's encouragement is at best disingenuous. Clinton's tacit acceptance is evidence of ambition that is less concerned with the future of her party and her country than it is of self-aggrandizement and the horrible neediness of someone who must win at all costs.

One accepts that Mrs. Clinton suffered with her husband's philandering. One is also aware that she is also willing to surrender her dignity as a trade for access to political power, with a frantic thirst for authority. There are terms from the gutter to describe a similar quid pro quo re dignity for position.

Fundamentally, the most disturbing part of the discussion is that while Clinton was pressuring Senator Obama for a denunciation of Farrakhan, she made no corresponding point about Limbaugh. While Limbaugh is a very talented entertainer and pundit, he has been more harmful to the interests of progressives and Democrats than he could have been as an overt bigot. Indeed, being ostensibly tolerant, Limbaugh brings the authority of reason.

This raises a huge question of integrity that has perennially haunted the Clintons. Hillary has been significantly less than forthcoming in the realm of disclosure and transparency. While she thrusts an accusatory finger at Obama's relationship with Tony Rezko in Illinois, we are supposed to forget Whitewater, Travelgate, the Rose Law Firm, Vince Foster, the board of Wal Mart, and the Chinese.

There is no question that Obama's relationship with Rezko is hinky, but Senator Clinton has zero wiggle room when it comes to questions of integrity. She does not need to open this keg of rattlesnakes. Hillary is not Baptist enough to come out of this one without getting bit...Huckabee maybe, but not Hillary. She's a Methodist.

Moving to the point of integrity, what happens when John McCain asks the same questions? At the moment when Hillary Clinton hems and haws about a question of her integrity, McCain only has to show the famous film where he refuses liberty from the Hanoi Hilton until all of the captives are released. Game, set, match, tournament, and the next four years go to John McCain.

McCain has much more authority on matters of national security compared to a similar voting record to Clinton's. What she brings to the table is a complete lack of credential on military matters, and the double whammy of annoying the bases of both parties. What a disaster.

Then, as discussed earlier, the Clinton campaign brings the stink of illegitimacy as a nominee. That is all the Democratic party needs, another generation of disillusioned young voters now susceptible to Republican rhetoric, compounded with an African-American constituency under the impression of being disenfranchised. This stinks like a truckload of mercury-tainted tuna jackknifed on the Jersey Turnpike in high summer.

On the economy, Clinton does not fare any better. Love NAFTA or hate it, she seems to be curiously absent when it comes to her having any role. Here exists yet another vacilation of political expediency. The voter is expected to count Mrs. Clinton's tenure as first lady as experience, except that she has no accountability for any decisions made between 1993 and 2001. If this makes any sense to anyone, medication is available to treat Schizophrenia and Psychosis these days.

The Clinton campaign is expecting voters to disregard the disconnects between the record-and the record. While Obama does not have the same amount of time in public service as Mrs. Clinton, he does offer an advantage of consistency in rhetoric and remarkable skill as a communicator and motivator. Obama is right to question Clinton's judgement, as it seems diaphanous and capricious in the extreme.

A Clinton nomination will give votes to the most consistent Democrat on the ballot.

John McCain of Arizona.

WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY 1925-2008

With sadness one notes upon the passing of Mr. Buckley last week. He was not only the godfather of the Conservative movement that brought Reagan to power, he was also a role model for those of us who endeavor to inform and entertain through the written word.

From God and Man at Yale, through National Review and a litany of novels and newspaper columns, Buckley challenged and shaped the discourse of two generations.

Whether or not one agreed with Buckley, he was emblematic of the witty and genteel debate that harks to the traditions of British Parliament, in a uniquely American tableau. His urbane charisma and mastery of language brought debate up to approach his level, as opposed to the modern form that relies primarily upon volume and demagoguery in search of the lowest common denominator.

While his detractors happily derided him as a pompous purveyor of polysyllabic political punditry, he earned reverential treatment from his opponents. An epicurean of language and thought, Buckley was a worthy and powerful contributor to the pantheon of American letters, whose gifts will be sorely missed.

R for Reason

It is easy to wish that the following had been spoken here first: Hillary Clinton's campaign is finished. When Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) suggested that his superdelegate status would best be used to reflect the will of his constituents, Senator Clinton found the shot with her name on it.

Even those who have deep ideological differences with Representative Lewis acknowledge his integrity. For the Clinton campaign, the blow is fatal. Representative Lewis was among the highest-ranking African-American figures supporting Clinton. The issue is that while Senator Clinton has faced challenges with regard to her ambition owing to her gender, she cannot fully appreciate the challenges that face an African-American on a daily basis.

If one were to dismiss the component of celebrity, Hillary Clinton in an expensive convertible on Sheridan Road in Winnetka, Illinois, is invisible. Barack Obama might gain a bit of attention, and find himself subject to the scrutiny of law enforcement for the crime of being affluent and black.

The idea of such a fate befalling anyone is anathema to your Wandering Gentile, and offensive to anyone who values the rights of free people. Yet, the same situation happens disproportionately to people in minority communities. If it happens once, then that occurrence is too many.

Senator Clinton's lack of experience as someone in a minority community is the beginning of her problems. If one hypothesizes a Hillary Cilnton nomination, the question of a dispute regarding a "stolen" nomination is not a question of if it would happen, but rather how much smoke will come off the paper filing suit against the Democratic party.

In 2000, the Bush-Gore debacle effectively crippled the Democratic party for six years. The Obama campaign appears unlikely to behave like the Gore campaign did, but the effect of a Clinton nomination would be devastating to the Democrats. It doesn't require the services of the Amazing Kreskin to foresee African-American voters, the strongest and most consistent component of the Democratic coalition, sitting on their hands because they judge the nominee to be illegitimate.

Instantly, Hillary Clinton is remade as George Corley Wallace redux. What a blast for Republicans! Hillary as bona fide racist! Take a few minutes to hear that potshot. With Obama out of the campaign, watch it catch Hillary in the gut.

Disenfranchised black voters would instantly be faced with two choices-a vote for McCain, or standing back. There might be a half-hearted call for unity from Obama, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton, but most of it would be posturing. Taking Obama out of the political equation, or worse, making him Vice-President, the job John Nance Garner compared to a bucket of warm spit, assures the Clinton candidacy of the respect reserved for a Backstreet Boys cassette.

Obama does not have the same concern when it comes to the feminist vote. While feminists have been a strong constituency for the Dems, their relative proportion and standing in the party pales in comparison to African-Americans. On top of the comparitive lack of clout, Obama's position is enhanced by early embrace from Oprah Winfrey, the strength of Mrs. Obama as a spokesperson for her husband, and his ace in the hole.

Senator Obama's ace in the hole is none other than his mother. His unique situation includes having been raised by a white woman born in the 1940s, and being able to draw from that experience. It would be foolish to dismiss Obama's ability to communicate with and ultimately govern a population that would include his mother's concerns. Hillary Clinton may be a white woman born in the forties, but she has no corresponding experience with a biracial or black person born at the dawn of the Kennedy administration.

Obama would do well to directly address his mother's concerns, despite her absence. A Clinton campaign in the general election may include address of concerns in the African-American community, to a hostile audience.

A McCain campaign could make a play for Latino voters in the general election. Already, moderate and democratic-leaning independents express a preference for Senator McCain. It would not be a long step for him to reach out for a Latino population that is overwhelmingly Catholic and extremely socially conservative at its fundament.

McCain's candidacy against Clinton includes a potent appeal to military veterans, who are more well-represented in the Latino population as opposed to the broader American populace. Hillary Clinton as opponent lights a fire under the Republican electorate the likes of which you have never seen. On top of everything else, Senator Clinton's negative rating of nearly 50% would grow spectacularly in a divisive nomination fight, sending disaffected Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents to McCain.

Should Senator Clinton's campaign manage to survive both Obama and McCain, again it doesn't require Kreskin to anticipate a divided party, spectacular investigations, and the loss of both houses in 2010 if not 2008. She also reinvigorates the voices of conservative talk radio, and faces instant lame-duck status owing to her high negatives.

But nobody is foolish enough to expect that, except the Clinton campaign. What would happen is a McCain presidency which is likely to prove to be a continuation of the policies of the current administration. That means conservative judges,and very likely the revocation of some socially liberal policies Democrats hold dear.

Don't blame the messenger. Senator Clinton is in dire need of a message.

That was quick!

That primary season went faster than Britney Spears to an embarassing situation. In what seems like two weeks, the slates are down to a presumptive nominee and a two person celebrity death match. Oh, nineteen days...that's a whole lot more than two weeks.

The Republicans have done the smartest things in the last couple of news cycles. Losing Romney was the best thing for the GOP to have happen. His presentation left a lot to be desired. Romney's Achilles Heel was front-loading his discourse with problems as opposed to solutions, and allowing the voter to infer the problem.

When Romney articulated the problem before articulating the solution, he conveyed an image of dour intransigence, which was fundamentally opposed to his record in public service. The honestly intransigent Huckabee and McCain managed to appear as consistent through a focus upon their more human characters.

The funny thing about Huckabee is that he seems to be genuinely decent while spewing some of the most hateful rhetoric in the campaign. However, one may infer his nature as being more kind owing to the response he gave to Romney during one of the debates..."I think we're a better country than that," defending his stance on in-state tuition for students who were brought to Arkansas without documents.

This may be a good point for President Bush to take the immigration plate off the table. Indeed, it may be the only hope that his party has.

Bush has the power to make a presidential pardon, which could move the issue off Senator McCain's back. Were Bush to offer a pardon to undocumented aliens, he could trump the hope of a broad-based amnesty from the Democrats.

This is a little Wizard of Oz for some people, but Bush could offer a conditional pardon for the crime of jumping the border, with a date of arrival, a criminal assessment, and a US citizen willing to vouch for the individual case. He requests a bill approving the placement of personnel in the Customs and Immigration Service whose first mission is the processing of paperwork before being placed on patrol on the border. An executive order could direct the DHS to process all applications under the conditional pardon.

Then anything that messes up in Congress could be blamed on the Democrats. Of course, doing such would require courage, which seems to be in limited supply in the Bush Administration, and precludes progress until a change in administration.

The Hillary Clinton candidacy is turning into a celebrity train wreck par excellence. All she needs to make things complete is an endorsement from Lindsay Lohan. Hillary's broke, out of momentum, and under the delusion that she can win a national election. All it's going to take is for Barack Obama to run the table in the next couple of weeks for us to see her have a total meltdown.

Obama is poised to run the table, too. He's been terrific in caucuses, and we have a few of those coming up in the next couple of weeks. Obama could not wish for a better selection of primaries, Maryland, DC, Virginia, and Louisiana have robust African-American populations and he has managed to connect with voters beyond the African-American community.

But there is a danger here as well. The early resolution of the Republican contest has put a population of Republicans into play as spoilers. It is not entirely unbelieveable to forsee people of ill will and bad intent moving to the Democratic primaries and casting votes for Clinton as the less electable candidate.

Time still remains for that scenario in Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Democrats would be well advised to lobby Senator Clinton for withdrawal. The question of whether America is ready for a candidate with a non-traditional background has been answered, and the answer is that we are ready for an outstanding candidate from anywhere.

Mrs. Clinton may be disposed to blame her rejection on her gender. That is the cheap cop-out. The fact is that America is unlikely to ever be ready for Mrs. Clinton. Oprah Winfrey could campaign successfully on her own behalf if she chose to, as could Condoleeza Rice. The issue is not so much what is beyond a candidate's control (such as race or gender) as what the candidate can control (such as presentation.)

Senator Clinton's arguments for experience fall away. Richard Nixon was a congressman and a Vice President before being elected President. Experience is no guarantee of a great Chief Executive.

However, Senator Clinton is in a position to open the doors for her party if she steps back from a presidential campaign. She could be in a position of power broker in Washington, and able to wield more authority than she could as president owing to her connections and time in the Senate. How many terms does Ted Kennedy have left in him? That is a question that foresees a void that Hillary could own.

The longer she stands and allows the Republicans to rally and regroup while the Democratic house is divided, the more she hurts her position in her party, and the party's opportunity to succeed in November.

From Hillary's chaos comes Republicans giving orders.

Endorsements, Have We Got Endorsements

And now for some more of the same!

Your Wandering Gentile wishes to visit with those who have fallen away from this blog's favor first, with a jaded eye.

Ron Paul is unlikely to ever receive the Republican nomination. Please understand that Representative Paul has brought some innovative ideas to the table. Unfortunately for his candidacy, he seems to have captured the imagination of the Tinfoil Hat Crowd (Republican Division.) Rep. Paul is not really that far Out There, but his supporters are, for the greater part, nuttier than squirrel excrement.

It is to the great chagrin of the Democratic party that Representative Paul is also unlikely to splinter away from the Republicans and rejoin his earlier companions in the Libertarian Party as their nominee for the second time.

The Democrats may wish to watch what they wish for, Karma-wise. After all, Representative Dennis Kucinich could hook up with the crypto-socialist Green party. Rep. Kucinich is a very articulate, and sincere spokesman for his beliefs. However, he also has a monopoly on the Tinfoil Hat Crowd (Democratic Division.) When his Tinfoil Hat Crowd feels empowered, they join the Greens.

The Greens and the Sierra Club are co-opting Lou Dobbs' message, albeit with different motivations. God help us.

At least Rep. Kucinich is upbeat, or at least as upbeat as anyone can be coming from Cleveland. John Edwards is not half as cheerful. At the moment Senator Edwards is the last angry white male. Okay, his 1982 haircut has already been bashed here, but the angry white male is so 1996 election cycle that it isn't funny. Would somebody buy this poor dude a calendar, already? Is that so much to ask?

John Edwards, for the benefit of his goals and those of his party, needs to go away, and soon. He may crash the hopes of the Democratic party in their most promising political season by staying in past the date on his label.

Speaking of remnants from 1996, Hillary needs to go, too. Senator Clinton is poison. With regard for the politics of the three major Democratic candidates, there isn't much difference between them. So it comes down to the fact of which one would the voter trust to accomplish the task of driving the country.

Senator Clinton's temperament is questionable at best. She is a very able manipulator among reasonable people, but her theatrics in the realm of world diplomacy would wear thin quickly. Senator Clinton offers a very negative impression that would only enhance our status as world pariah.

In other words, she could wreck the country by being a pain in the, uh, gluteus maximus, long before any policy could break the USA economically.

Mitt Romney has his standing as a businessman, but one suspects that he would be a bully and micromanager on a level shared with Mrs. Clinton. Also like Mrs. Clinton, Governor Romney seems to have his positions generated by responses to polling rather than sincere ideals. Let it be stated that Romney also gives the impression of an individual who would be likely to treat those who could advance his cause to a five-star meal, then tip his server poorly.

Romney may be a great tipper, but his patrician bearing and starched demeanor evoke images of George H. W. Bush with better syntax, and hair. He will want to reconsider his position on illegal immigration, because he is likely to provoke an exodus of American citizens long before the end of his first term, should he be elected.

Fred Thompson...what, are you kidding us? Boy, did the writer's strike wreak havoc on his campaign. Senator Thompson is likely to enfuriate business interests and confound image constructors in the Republican party with the Good Ole Boy sarcasm. News Flash for you, Fred; Ronald Reagan was a top box-office draw, and an established leading man, not a balding character actor with a bloodhound's jowls.

The happiest day for the Democratic nominee would be Fred Thompson at the top of the Republican ticket. Thompson is a mistake the Republican party can ill afford, and is unlikely to make.

Governor Mike Huckabee is a horse of a different color. If one looks at the record, what Gov. Huckabee accomplished with regard to Arkansas' infrastructure is nothing less than miraculous. Ask any trucker who saw an orange Schneider cabover pulling a 48' trailer disappear into one of the potholes that Arkansas was infamous for.

Huckabee is also a very gifted speaker, and his work behind the pulpit has blessed him with the ability to connect with an audience. Even those who disagree with him are charmed by his oratory. Governor Huckabee is a spellbinding communicator.

Yet, Huckabee has aligned himself with the Minutemen and other groups who oppose comprehensive immigration reform. Wait a minute, a minister of the Gospel is in bed politically with groups seeking to impose sanction upon a population that includes a large number of carpenters named Jesus? Does anyone else see the theological conflict here? And what exactly was Pontious Pilate's political position, anyway?

For non-practitioners of Christianity, and others unfamiliar with the story of Christian Passion, Pilate was the Governor. That is worthy of contemplation, particularly for Reverend Huckabee.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a moderate, socially liberal northeasterner attempting to earn nomination as the Republican presidential candidate. Bad idea; wrong place; Giuliani knows it. Giuliani got himself into more than he could take on, and now he needs a way to save face without looking like a quitter. What a loss for his party.

John McCain has similar views to Mayor Giuliani, but he carries a federal level of authority on security and an unimpeachable integrity from his experience in Vietnam. Senator McCain has shown himself to be a strong voice for cooperation between the parties. If one values experience and authenticity, the there is no better choice on the Republican slate.

Senator John McCain receives an enthusiastic endorsement from The Wandering Gentile for the Republican nomination for President. The mistake his party made in 2000 can be remedied now with a vote for McCain.

Barack Obama is the polar opposite from Senator McCain in terms of experience, but he invests his campaign with the same authenticity and integrity. Obama brings a strong, positive message combined with great optimism and love for the United States. Senator Obama's enthusiasm and hope have inspired many voters, as opposed to his Democratic opponents' shrill images of fear and ruination.

Senator Barack Obama receives an equally enthusiastic endorsement from The Wandering Gentile for the Democratic nomination for President. Any other candidate could be disastrous to the future of his party.

Your Wandering Gentile appreciates your attention, and encourages the reader to vote; early and often for voters in New York and Illinois. Thank You.

Soy Un Migrante (I am an immigrant)

Yo soy un migrante. A pesar que yo naci un norteamericano de la tercera generacion, mi hogar es con la comunidad hispana de Atlanta. El espanol suena en mi hogar, con el ritmo de Bachata y Salsa. Mi comida es tanto arroz con gandules y chuletas que hamburguesas y papas fritas.

I am an immigrant. Although I was born a third-generation American, my home is with the Atlanta hispanic community. Spanish is spoken in my home, with the rhythm of Bachata and Salsa. My food is as much rice and beans and pork chops as it is hamburgers and fries.

Hemos visto una bendicion en las ultimas semanas. Los candidatos presidenciales del partido republicano que han invertido sus campanas con discurso anti-migrante han caido en el voto. En dos primarias en estados adonde la poblacion es principalmente de gente blanca, de descendencia anglosajona, el rechazo fue completo por los dos peores, Tancredo y Hunter. Romney no pudo sobresalir sobre sus oponentes para ganar mas que segundo plazo.

We have seen a blessing in the past weeks. The Republican candidates who have invested their campaigns with anti-immigrant speech have fallen in the vote. In two primaries in states where the population is principally white and anglo-saxon, the rejection was complete for the two worst, Tancredo and Hunter. Romney could not overcome his opponents for better than second place.

Mas informativo es saber que Romney invertio US$20.000.000 para quedar detras un predicador Bautista si fondos en Iowa (Mike Huckabee), y el escritor de la ley Comprensiva de Reforma Migratoria en New Hampshire (John McCain). !La proxima vez que Romney quiere botar su dinero por el retrete, ojala que bote un porcentaje de esta cantidad en el retrete mio! Tapalo, con mi permiso.

More telling is the knowledge that Romney invested twenty million dollars to wind up behind a Baptist preacher without money in Iowa (Mike Huckabee), and the author of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill in New Hampshire (John McCain). The next time Romney wants to throw his money down the commode, I hope he throws a percentage down my commode. Clog it, with my permission.

El cambio en la comunidad hispana vendra. Pero los hispanos, migrantes, residentes, y ciudadanos (y ellos que los quieren, tambien) tienen un papel en este cambio.

Change will come in the hispanic community. But hispanics, immigrants, residents, and citizens (and those who love them too) have a role in this change.

Para los migrantes, hay una necesidad de asimilarse. Igual que se siente ofensa cuando un turista norteamericano viene a un lugar iberoamericano sin poder comunicar, el norteamericano siente ofensa cuando el iberoamericano rechaza la cultura (y el idioma) dominante.

For immigrants, there is a need for assimilation. As one feels offense when an American tourist arrives in Latin America unable to communicate, the American feels offense when the Latin American rejects the dominant language and culture.

Eso no significa dar la espalda a la lengua espanola, ni negar las cosas que distinguen la cultura hispana, solo aumentar tal identidad con el reconocimiento que el idioma principal en los Estados Unidos es ingles. Si se espera esta cortesia en su pais, hay que servir con el ejemplo.

This does not mean turning one's back on the Spanish language, nor negating the things that distinguish hispanic culture, merely adding such an identity with the recognition that the principal language in the United States is English. If one expects this courtesy at home, one must serve as the example.

Para los residentes, por favor, de la manera mas rapida posible, conviertete en ciudadano. Para ciudadanos, inscribese para votar tan pronto que pueda. A travez de la votacion se puede exigir cambio de politica en Washington y el capital de su estado. Leyes que afectan al hispano en forma negativa mueren cuando los afectados hacen que suenan sus voces.

For legal residents, please, become a citizen as quickly as possible. For citizens, register to vote as soon as you can. Through voting one can demand change in Washington and their state capital. Laws which negatively affect hispanic constituents die when the affected parties make their voices heard.

Para todos, no es solo un asunto de educarse a si mismo, sino un asunto de educar a los alrededor. Hay que dedicarse a conocer la gente diferente-de otro idioma, otra cultura, otra apariencia. Asi, se quita la manta de un ajeno. Se cesa de ser el extranjero, y se convierte en Juan o Maria (para aprovechar de unos nombres comunes, jeje).

For everyone, it is not only a matter of educating oneself, if not educating those nearby. One must be dedicated to meeting different people, from other languages, other cultures, other appearances. In this way one removers the mantle of being foreign. One ceases to be a stranger, and becomes Juan or Maria. (To use common names, he he.)

Antes de encontrar aceptancia, primero hay que ser reconocido como humano. Es un desafio. Hay una pequena poblacion que jamas vera a un hispano como humano. Este numero es acaso diez porciento de la poblacion. A decir, nueve de diez se puede convencer de su valor como ser humano.

Before finding acceptance, one first must be recognized as human. It is a challenge. There is a small population which will never accept a hispanic as human. That number is maybe ten per cent of the population. To say, nine out of ten can be convinced of one's value as a human being.

A la persona nueva le toca hacer el primer paso de amistad en la cultura norteamericana. La mayoria de los norteamericanos son de buena voluntad, y dispuestos para romper las barreras entre si. Pero las posibilidades quedan en las manos de los hispanos mismos.

The newcomer is expected to make the first step toward friendship in the American culture. The majority of Americans are of good will, and disposed to breaking barriers. But the possibilities lie in the hands of hispanics themselves.