Round One

And, John, I — you’re absolutely right that presidents have to be prudent in what they say. But, you know, coming from you, who, you know, in the past has threatened extinction for North Korea and, you know, sung songs about bombing Iran, I don’t know, you know, how credible that is. I think this is the right strategy.

In the words of the next President of the United States

I am so fricking stoked.

There are those who say that this primary has somehow left us weaker and more divided. Well I say that because of this primary, there are millions of Americans who have cast their ballot for the very first time. There are Independents and Republicans who understand that this election isn’t just about the party in charge of Washington, it’s about the need to change Washington. There are young people, and African-Americans, and Latinos, and women of all ages who have voted in numbers that have broken records and inspired a nation.

All of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. But at the end of the day, we aren’t the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. You didn’t do that because of me or Senator Clinton or anyone else. You did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – we cannot afford to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We owe our children a better future. We owe our country a better future. And for all those who dream of that future tonight, I say – let us begin the work together. Let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for America.

Colbert in Carolina

photo credit: Wilder

Stephen Colbert’s presidential candidacy may have been a joke to many, but apparently some in South Carolina took it seriously enough to lobby Democratic officials in the early primary state to deny him a spot on the state’s ballot.

The lobbying was pretty intense, according to several people, with most of it against allowing Mr. Colbert, the comedian on Comedy Central and native son of the state, on the ballot. They included prominent supporters of Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, although another prominent supporter lobbied in favor of Mr. Colbert. The Obama campaign said that it had no connection to the vote.

The party’s executive council voted 13-3 last week to reject Mr. Colbert’s ballot application. Mr. Colbert formally acknowledged yesterday that he was dropping his candidacy but the party’s vote has drawn fierce criticism on the Internet, saying the move was undemocratic, and continues to roil the party.

story credit:NYTimes

So, let's here it for Dick!

Dick Harpootlian, the former chairman of the state Democratic party and an Obama supporter, lobbied on behalf of getting Mr. Colbert on the ballot.

“I think humor plays a big role in politics,” Mr. Harpootlian said. “To sit around dour-faced discussing macro-economics, good golly. Most of us got involved in politics because it was fun.”

He also said he thought a Colbert candidacy would have been good for South Carolina. “He was drawing attention to our state, he wasn’t making fun of if it _ well, in a way he was _ but we missed an opportunity to draw people into our primary,” he said. He said that so many young people get their news from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart and the “Colbert Report”, “why not go after that demographic?”

He also said that if Dennis Kucinich, “who believes in U.F.O.s,” can get on the ballot, Mr. Colbert should be able to as well.