Are You Ready For Some Football?

With all the political talk heating up, I hope you have not forgot about what really is important to the American people. That's right, this weekend more Americans than will ever vote in an election will gather the family, chips, soda, and beer for the most American of events, The Super Bowl. This year features the Cheatin' Patriots, trying to become only the second team in NFL history to finish undefeated, the 1972 Miami Dolphins being the first. Returning to the big game for the first time in the post Parcells era will be the underdog New York Giants. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress has taken a page from the Joe Namath playbook and guaranteed a victory for the underdogs. We'll see about that. One thing is certain. If history is a good guide, the first half will be fairly close, the halftime show will stink, and the favorite, the Patriots this year, will pull away in the second half ending any hope of a good game. But take heart. Amid all of the FOX Television cross promotions, Red Carpet entrances, and other assorted non football stuff we will still have what has truly become Must See TV! The commercials. Come on, you know it's true. A lot of you watch the game for the commercials. Why else is the game on late in the fourth quarter after the outcome has been decided? Because you are hoping to see your favorites one more time. Joe Greene tossing the jersey to the kid. The Go Daddy girl. Cat herders. Apple Computers. Budweisers horses. This is the stuff that legends are made of, great ads. Because the game is seldom very good. So this Sunday, forget about Hillary, Barack, McCain, Mitt, Mike, and all of those guys. Join with the rest of America, overeat, lay around on the couch, watch a dull game and enjoy some great commercials. Best CBS Commercials 2007 Super Bowl Commercials Go Daddy's Banned Commercials The Classic List ~ Including Apple, Coke, Master Lock, and more!

And Now There Are Two...

The News Last night in the Florida Primary, we apparently saw a couple of knockouts. On the Democratic side, after a string of poor showings, John Edwards has decided to call it quits. While seeming like a nice enough guy, Edwards was never able to catch fire, and even lost his home state of South Carolina. I have always believed if the people who know you best will not support you, that says something. It is one of the reasons I never got all that upset over the Al Gore debacle in Florida in 2000. If he had just won his home state of Tennessee, Florida would not have been an issue. On the GOP side, "His Honour" the self styled America's mayor will drop out of the race today. I think this sends a message to all future candidates, Iowa and New Hampshire do matter. Rudy, made a huge mistake, although I am not sure there was any way for him to overcome his leftward slant on some of the social issues important to the GOP, mainly his pro-choice and pro-gay marriage stances. Analysis This is historic stuff. Two parties, two candidates each, two debates this week, heading into what is in reality a national primary, Tuesday, February 5th. That day will also mark the anniversary of our Constitution. What better way to celebrate. On the GOP side, no one thought McCain would still be in the race at this point, let alone the front runner. He was pretty much left for dead after his campaign imploded last summer but has somehow managed to survive, apparently a McCain trait. What is interesting is the number of GOP supporters who hate this guy. There are web sites dedicated to stopping him because he is not conservative enough for them. Most of those people have bought into a philosophy that says the reason Americans are now turning away from the GOP is because they have left their conservative principles and are not conservative enough. The angst for McCain is so deep that people are willing to support a man, Romney, who was so liberal as a Republican he was actually able to become Governor in Ted Kennedy's home state of Massachusetts. Most of their anger stems from the following issues: McCain did not support the Bush tax cuts because he believed they would add to the deficit [they did], did not support the original Bush/Rumsfeld battle plan for Iraq [it was a disaster], was part of bi partisan group that brokered a deal to get Bush's judges seated [it worked well giving the GOP faithful Roberts and Alito], and opposed torture and waterboarding [maybe he knows something]. On the Democratic side, Obama has an uphill battle. He is literally behind in every state voting on Super Tuesday. Unless he is able to break through over the next few days, Hillary Clinton will be the nominee of the Democratic party. I believe this is a seminal moment for the Democrats. Are they ready to move on, or will they be content to go back to the future. The Florida Primary, which Clinton won, meant nothing. Every candidate agreed to and signed a pledge not to compete in that state and that their delegates would not be seated at their convention. That agreement was signed months ago when it appeared that Hillary would be the nominee and was in the middle of her "inevitable" march to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Now that she finds herself in a real battle, she says it is unfair to those delegates. Well Hillary, perhaps you should have said that three months ago, instead of waiting until primary night, after you won, to make your stink. It is the same thing the Clinton campaign did in Nevada where they waited until four days before the caucuses to challenged a procedure they had agreed on months earlier. Allow me to say this. The Clintons have run a despicable campaign. They have distorted Obama's record and positions, injected race into the campaign, and done everything possible to muddy his reputation and name. And now there are people in the Democratic party who are upset. Well get over it. I do not recall hearing any dissent when this type of stuff was visited on the GOP when Bill was running for office and was President. It is disingenuous to now complain about the very practices you supported when it was to your advantage. In short, I can't wait. I'll be serving steaks to a few close friends as we settle in to watch the returns come in. I am not sure that night will settle everything, but I have a hunch John McCain is going to have a pretty good night. And hopefully Obama too. [the views here are mine and mine alone and are not to be seen in any way as representing the views of my current employer]

Dave's Potpourri...

A few little snippets of what has caught my interest the last week or so. ...here's a little humor from "The News" an English language newspaper I saw while I was in Mexico last week. All you computer types will love it! ...today I was interviewed by the SOS Radio Network. They heard about my ministry, Adventures in Life, through a friend and contacted us for the interview. I was scared to death! You're always thinking if what you said made sense or if you just made a stupid goof that'll live on forever in the internet age. When I get an air date, I'll post it so you can listen. Tiger wins number 62 ...this win ties Tiger Woods with Arnold Palmer on the all time win list for PGA Tour victories. Arnold Palmer made golf at the beginning of the TV Age. No one has been better at building on that legacy than Tiger. Next up is ben Hogan with 64 and then "The Bear" Jack Nicklaus at 73. Woods will pass Hogan soon and has an outside shot to pass Jack late this year. Truly he is the greatest of all time on a golf course. The Kennedy's endorse Barack Obama ...the daughter of former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Caroline, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama in his bid to become our next president. In a NY Times Op-Ed piece, she spells out the reasons for her choice but it mostly centers around his ability to lead and inspire a new generation of Americans, much like her father. Senator Ted Kennedy also endorsed Obama today, joining a growing list of Democratic Party regulars who are supporting Obama. This came on the heels of a big win the South Carolina Primary Saturday night. ...last week I was in the little town of Contepec, Michoacan, Mexico. I got the opportunity to meet a little old 91 year old man, Arturo. That may seem insignificant until you learn that Don Arturo, as he is known around his state, was part of the original founding group of people of the National Action Party of Mexico. I listened as he told me of knowing former President Lazaro Cardenas and teaching current President Felipe Calderon how to ride a horse. I will be returning to visit with and interview Arturo later this year in August. That's all for now. Have a great week and God's blessing to you!

Barack Obama in Las Vegas

Last Friday night I had the opportunity to see Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama speak at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas. I got tickets after talking with one of his precinct walkers earlier in the afternoon. My wife and I arrived about an hour before the doors opened and we were already about 100 yards back in the line. Finally after 3 hours of waiting, [I was reminded of the lines I have endured for many movie openings in Los Angeles] we got in to the gymnasium, where it was standing room only. He spoke about the "Urgency of Now" and how he is a "Hopemonger." After about a twenty minute speech, he took questions from the audience for almost an hour, shook hands and then jetted back to Illinois to be with his family the next day. Here are some of the thoughts that struck me that night. First, like many politicians, Obama has many things he would like to do as President. This does not make him much different from people like McCain, Clinton, Edwards, or even Fred Thompson. My question is this...how you gonna pay for it? Isn't that the sixty four thousand dollar question? I mean let's get real here. If you want to provide universal health care, big tax breaks, or even a stronger military, the money has got to come from somewhere. Taxing the rich, who already pay for the lions share of our government expenses can only go so far. Second, what I saw there that night was inspiring. I saw hope. Not only in Obama, but in what we as a people could become. And it was powerful. When I was a small kid in church we learned the song "Jesus Loves the Little Children." It had a refrain that went like this "...all the little children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight..." That night I saw all of those colors together, hoping. Hoping for a change in our country. Hoping for a country that was not divided by color, class, political party, or background. I saw young and old, dads with their kids, high school students, and senior citizens all in one place together to hear Obama call us to be better, for America. I do not know if Barack will win the Democratic party nomination. But I do know this, for one night, for a couple of hours, I saw what hope in America looks like. [Above] Barack shaking hands before the event. That is my friend Evan smiling right in front of Obama. [Below] Two good pictures of the overflow crowd at Del Sol High in Las Vegas. Flickr Set of photos from the Del Sol event.

Carl Karcher, Founder of Carl's Jr. Dies

In 1976 I got a job at a small fast foot restaurant near my home in West Covina, California. It was called Carl's Jr. It was my first real job and I worked a grand total of about 6 hours a week for $1.75 an hour. I stayed at Carl's Jr. for five years, eventually becoming a training store manager. Yesterday, Carl Karcher, founder of the chain died of pneumonia. He was 90 years old. The Los Angeles Times ran a nice obituary today. Midway through there was mention of the company's growth and expansion. "The focus of his energies was the restaurant chain, which continued to flourish. Sales topped $100 million in 1979, when Karcher opened his first restaurant outside California, in Las Vegas." I was one of the managers who opened that store in Las Vegas June 5, 1979. That was when I met Carl. As we were talking I managed to drop a steak sandwich onto his nice clean off white Palm Beach suit. It was a mess but he was very gracious and we were both able to laugh about it. Carl's story is one of the great success stories of America. He was hard working, dedicated to his family, and a man of God. He will be missed by many. Sign the Orange County Register Guest Book

The Empire Strikes Back!

Last night The Clinton Death Star dealt a potentially fatal blow to the campaign of Barack "Luke Skywalker" Obama. As Obama and his troops reveled in the pre-vote polls predicting a double digit win in New Hampshire, Evil Lord Hillary was out crying and evoking sympathy after her crushing defeat in Iowa. Unlike in Iowa, Clinton carried the female vote in NH and may in fact have been helped immensely by Sen. John McCain drawing thousands of undecided and independent voters to his cause on election day. Hillary has always fared better with the rank and file of the Democratic Party, who strongly supported her side Tuesday night. This simple fact should position her well heading into "Tsunami Tuesday" in early February as those voters can be expected to support her call for changing things back to the way they were in 1992. On the GOP side it will interesting to see if McCain can defeat Romney in the latter's home state of Michigan. Romney's father was governor there in the 60's so his name recognition is pretty high in that neck of the woods. The next two weeks bring us the Nevada Caucuses, the Michigan Primary for the GOP, and the South Carolina Primary, probably the end of the Dead, um Fred Thompson express. Enjoy!

Obama and Huckabee Shine in Iowa

A political earthquake. That's how conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks described the Iowa caucus results in his column today. And he was not just talking about Barack Obama, but Mike Huckabee as well. Here is a little insight into some of the numbers that you may not have seen. First Obama. More men preferred Obama over Hillary. Same with women. Obama was the preferred candidate if you were 59 or younger. Every single income group chose Obama over Hillary. First time voters, liberals, moderates, issue voters, rural voters, you name it. Other than senior citizens and conservative democrats, Barack Obama bested Hillary Clinton in every single category the pollsters tracked. It was remarkable. But what about Huckabee? Men, women, young, old, rich or poor. Every single Republican demographic group other than moderates and non evangelical voters went for Mike Huckabee. It truly was what Brooks called a "Political Earthquake." So what does all of this mean? At this point who knows. But the results do offer up a few questions. First for the GOP. Is this the end of Fred Thompson? He tied John McCain who did not even compete in Iowa. And what about Rudy? Yes he is still running but he was beat by GOP fringe candidate Ron Paul. Will Romney continue to struggle in New Hampshire or will Obama siphon off enough independent voters from McCain allowing Mitt to be this elections "Comeback Kid?" Stay tuned. Now for the Dems. When will the Empire strike back? I cannot believe that the Clinton's will not respond. Remember the famous Clinton war room from the 92 election? Can Barack avoid a costly misstep exposing his relative inexperience? And finally, is Edwards toast? Who will defeated candidates Joe Biden and Chris Dodd support? We shall soon see. If you want more analysis, check out what my GOP friends Mike and Dee have to say over at their blogs. Yes they are partisan, and GOP... but pretty fair and accurate. You can also check out Barack Obama's after caucus speech over at Roy's Blog, Thin Places. It is excellent. Know this... we are in for a wild and woolly ride as all of this shakes out over the next few weeks, for both parties.