Eyebrow Raisers

Get some coffee and enjoy your Wednesday morning.

In response to the troubling first quarter numbers, John McCain is re-tooling his fundraising and campaign approach. From our favorite snippy "reporter" Adam Nagourney in today's New York Times, McCain's folks are saying the Straight Talk Maverick will "adopt the kind of big-donor fund-raising program pioneered by President Bush and give a speech explaining his support for the administration’s troop buildup in Iraq." That ought to do it, Senator! Great ideas. Throw in reclaiming your conscience and speaking without fear of the Religious Right and you'll be...well...we may all need to agree old McCain is toast.

Not that what follows in this paragraph will force the media to substantively pay attention to this candidate, but...interesting poll news from New Hampshire showing that John Edwards has jumped ahead of Barack Obama to become the second choice of primary voters behind Hillary. [Exact CNN/MUR Numbers: Clinton = 27%, Edwards = 21%, Obama = 20%]. Small but significant and a trend to keep an eye on. Further, a University of Iowa poll (go Hawks) shows Edwards maintaining his lead in the caucus state. There is no denying Edwards' organization there is committed and practiced (albeit missing a passionate precinct captain from Westgate Street).[Exact UIowa Numbers: Edwards = 34%, Clinton, 28%, Obama = 19%]. Other American Research numbers for both parties in early voting states are here. In the Washington Post Chris Cillizza gives a fair take on the money race, so far (Cillizza writes pretty well and with balance and here he is on last evening's Countdown, which you must watch or Tivo daily).

Dude, did Obama beat Hillary with money? You may already know by the time you read this...

Do any of you visit Daily Kos? I have such mixed feelings about the site... I have posted comments and some actual posts, but I am always surprised at the very, let's say, aggressive comments sections. There's a growing spitball fight between the Edwards and Obama folks and this post gets the needed scolding just right.

Is the American Idol Sanjaya phenomenon speaking to the way 2008 may pan out? Worthwhile and airy Idol spewing from the New York Times. This sentence surely made me think about the '08 candidates: "As 'Idol' grows more stately and respectable, it’s only natural for viewers to chip away at its veneer." How we all love to shock the system and tear down our top dogs. Too bad we cannot focus that communal energy on politics and voting for people that matter.