Is it really Tuesday?

Just when you thought is was going to over, you discover there is still one more act left.  Whether the final act is going to prove you guessed wrong as to the outcome remains to be seen.

There has been enough movement in the polls to the point where what was looking like a sure bet has everyone scratching their heads in the political pundit world.  The real worry will set in after Thursday night, if in fact there will be anything to worry about.

Why that long?

With new polls released everyday, with polls covering different tracking periods, it is going to take a week or so to see if the change is accurately reflected across the same time periods, and the "switch" is truly a change in thought, rather than an mood swing resulting from a specific event.

There has been a definite bump/shift/ change in the wind, what have you, after the debate.  

The Democrats attribute it to Romney being dishonest during the debate.  Truth be told, both sides have played pretty loose with the truth on various issues.  This is one fact the independent fact checker groups seem to agree on.

The Princeton economist being cited by the Obama campaign to disprove Romney's version of his tax cuts has come out and stated that the Obama campaign is misrepresenting his work.  This could be a stumbling block in the argument against the "tax cut", especially as the economist has gone on record as saying there are in fact ways to do it i a revenue neutral manner.

The recent news on gas prices in California aren't going to help.  It won't change a thing on how the state will go.  It is a solid lock for Obama.  But the constant flashing of the pictures showing the prices in California do have an affect on people everywhere.  

I do get the fact that there are reasons for the bump in that state vs. the rest of the country, and the factors that influence gas prices everywhere are not easily reigned in or under government control.  It is nonetheless true that a pictures is worth a thousand words, and for many people the prospect of even the thought of $5.00 plus per gallon scares them a whole lot.

The news on the Libyan consulate attack is not helping the President any either.

It is still Obama's election to lose.  He took an unbelievable first step toward doing so last Thursday.  He hasn't thrown it away yet.  What he has done was make a race out of a contest that was all but over before the debate.

While the popular vote polls show an extremely tight race, the electoral college projection still indicate a very hard road for Romney to navigate.  Truth be told, looking at the map, I am not sure he can successfully find the right path.  But hey, it is only Tuesday.

While the main event has become a bit muddled, what is clearer is the debate is having some effect in the "trickle down" category, i.e. the House and Senate races.

It also places some emphasis on this week's V.P. debate on Thursday

Make no mistake over the fact that this could be a disaster for either side.  One major blunder by Biden or Ryan will send the pundits on a feeding frenzy  Not that it should.

Despite the "potential" for either individual to be a "heart beat" away from what is still the most powerful office in the world, these two people are where they are for the sole purpose of window dressing.  Should it be otherwise, perhaps. It is reality nonetheless.

They are on the ticket because of a certain appeal to certain voters. I seriously doubt that the primary, or even a top secondary reason for picking either one of them was that they would make a good president if the need arose.

The main thing with this debate is to make sure you don't sink the top guy on your ticket.

Another event on the debate circuit, Round III in the Brown/Warren Senate Race is scheduled for Wednesday night.  this one will be interesting.  While I feel from the debate perspective Brown has won the first two, winning a debate doesn't equate into winning the election.  What also has to be considered is while he may have won the first two debates, his opponent did a credible job in the debate also.  

Brown needs something more in this third debate.  He has to stop the harping on the ancestry issue, he has to stop hammering the "legal work".  He should at this point in fact be talking about his votes and explaining them.  He needs to get off the rehearsed lists of bullet points.

There was in mind mind a valid point to the original vote against the student loan interest rate bill.  There was in fact compromise that led to to the bill being passed.

He needs to point out the standard line from the Democrats majority leader in the Senate, "no amendments allowed".

He needs to point out that will there may be a desired end to a bill, there are most always adverse consequences tied to passage.  

The trickle down in today's piece brings us to local matters.  To clarify a point or two, let's start with the voc-tech expansion.  First, as someone pointed out to me, correctly, technically there does not have to be a special town meeting on the issue.  The regional school committee takes a formal vote, notifies the selectmen, and the selectmen can simply not call a town meeting to be held within 60 days of the vote and by doing nothing that will authorize the borrowing on Fairhaven's part.

Anyone out there seriously think that this should be what happens?

This option is one of the biggest gripes I have with these "regional" districts/regional entities.  These laws should not be written to require a member community to take action to disapprove anything.  If your elected officials could not make the decision on a matter solely affecting the town, they should not be able to make a similar decision on their own for a regional district.

It may well be that Town Meeting approves the project, rather than disapprove it.  But it should be Town Meeting that approves this project, as it would be Town Meeting that has to approve all such projects for the Town.

At some point, the reasons of the project will all be addressed before our selectmen, that is I assume they will.  I will get to the "tax burden" and "free money" arguments at some point.  Until that time, I end it here on that little example of how regional government works.

Can you see it now?

I am going to start out very simply by noting that the results of one opinion poll taken over two months before a tight election mean nothing except what may exist at a particular moment in time.

That being said, if you follow the news you will have found multiple sources publicizing the results from the Public Polling Policy survey.  The same gives Sen. Scott Brown a 5% lead over challenger Elizabeth Warren.

Two cautions on this one.  First, the survey was completed before the fallout of the fiasco with the Missouri graduate from the U of  D & D (University of Dumb & Dumber is you didn't catch yesterday's piece).  The second is that the undecided in the survey are still larger than the lead (although the survey margin of error is 2.9%).

In polling circles PPP is considered democratic leaning.  Sure all of them claim to be independent pollsters, but I am just noting a simple tidbit.

Whether the Akins issue will last long enough to give Warren any mileage will remain to be seen.  Quite frankly, I think even the attempts being made presently to do so are going to backfire.  Brown isn't Akins.  Sure they are both Republicans and sure the Mass. race could decide which party controls the senate.

But just as assuredly, it seems more people are looking at the candidates in this race.  The Dems are overwhelmingly support Warren, and the Republicans even more so Brown.  The independents, or unenrolled as we are known here in the Commonwealth, are apparently looking at the individuals. 

Based on the PPP survey those potential voters are backing Brown 58% to 32%.

This race is long from over.  But it does seem a lot of people don't agree with the "China" comparison; and, I have overheard more than one conversation with people commenting that a $350k professor's salary for Warren, and another one for her spouse, might have something to due with the high cost of tuition also.

I don't begrudge her or her husband their salaries.  Yet when you make the high cost of education an issue, you ought to consider whether your high salary comes into play for the discussion.

These are the type of things that start working on people.  I got to tell you, from a personal perspective, she most definitely lost me with the "China" ad.

And will the Dems stop, once and for all, referring to this as a election to get back Ted Kennedy's seat.  

Please!!!!

Last I knew, there have been no changes made to the Constitution to take the seat away from the people of Massachusetts.  

That rallying cry may work with the party diehards, but in case you haven't noticed, it ticks a whole lot of non-diehards off.

Speaking of ticking people off, seems something has happened in Michigan to throw it out of the "leaning for Obama" category into "toss up" status.  Again, in a tight race, it is a bit early to get to excited about anything, but it is worth noting that things appear to be tightening up again.  Last week Romney was seeing the race slip away.  This week the teeter totter is back up and things are sliding closer to even.  

More locally, seems we in Fairhaven have a potential problem with rabid foxes.  Be careful folks.

Staying local, I am hearing continued murmurs about another potentially interesting campaign season for local elections.  Two things appear to be deciding the fact that there are still just murmurs rather than actual talk.  

The November election is taking up a bunch of time for some.  Also, some are waiting for the results on the sound study for the turbines.  Let's face it, depending on those results, I can see a few potential candidates getting a big boost for a campaign.  

One issue that won't be, the building of a new school.  That one is done and over with.

The 9th district congressional race, who you supporting, and why?  Help me out here.  Guess what, there will even be Republicans running in the primary and on the general election ballot.  

This election for this office should be very much a "local" race in our minds because of the "local" impact it will have.

I am serious, help me out, and everyone else reading this.  Who do you intend to vote for and why?  This particular race is going to have a great deal of impact for our area.  

Whether you like Barney Frank or not, our present Congressman was excellent in dealing with local issues tied to the federal level.  There is no doubt whoever replaces him is not going to simply be able to step into his shoes and come up with the same results on local matters.

So, if you have some insight, let us all know.

More about chairs, and the people who want to fill them

One that spins ...

Keating Refuses to debate on conservative's show is the headline on page A6 in today's Standard Times.  I got to tell you the stated reason as to why Keating will not debate Sam Sutter is classic spin doctor material.

The article notes:

In a letter sent to Sutter's campaign Monday, Keating said it would not be wise for the two Democrats to debate the issues on a show hosted by Phil Paleologos, who has a radio show on WBSM in Fairhaven and is chairman of the New Bedford Republican City Committee. 

"Having him moderate a debate between us makes no sense," Keating wrote. "More importantly, doing such would be to turn a blind eye to all principles in which I — and my fellow Democrats — believe. I simply will not do that."

Seriously?  

I am neither a Keating or Sutter supporter.  I think I signed the nomination papers for both of them.  I have a philosophy that you should have a pretty strong reason to turn down signing a potential candidates papers.  For me that is an extremely short list of reasons, and one that I have used no more than two or three times since turning 18.  

Now I realize that for someone soon to turn only 39 for the 15th time, one might consider that a lot, but given the number of nomination papers I have signed, I guess it is well less than a 1% refusal rate.

But I digress.

Only the bluest of the blue democrat can buy into that excuse.  First of all, I have listened to Mr. Paleogos' show when he is moderating, or conducting interviews.  Whether he is a republican or democrat is irrelevant.  The question is and always should be whether he can do his job.  The answer is yes.

How does a debate between two democrats with a republican moderator violate the principals of a democrat?  How does turning down an opportunity to allow your fellow democrats to hear you constitute turning a blind eye to them?  If there is a bluer than New Bedford, and a listening area bluer than what WBSM has, let me know.  

People in this area vote more often than not simply based on the letter that follows the name.  

Are we now going to only have debates hosted and moderated by "acceptable" card carrying party faithful?  Wouldn't those be insightful?

We are talking about two candidates from the same party here.  If between them they couldn't defend the principals of the democratic party than maybe people should change their color spectrum from blue to red.

But I got to ask, just what principals would you be turning a blind eye on?

Seems like Thursday Sam Sutter will be debating an empty chair spinning wildly.

Filled Chairs ...

In all honesty, while the temptation is great to go on with the discussion of several matters pending before the three selectmen, the desire to do it isn't there today.  Absent the unexpected popping up over the next week, or a change in the weather, I will give them a rest for a day or two.

Other Notes ...

If you a traveling to Middleboro, make sure you watch your language.  I would hate to be the Town of Middleboro when the legal bill comes in for the first challenge to that by-law.  There is an article in the S-T about it, and it seems that enforcement isn't going to be a priority.  Quite frankly, it should be non-existent.  Not that I condone profanity in public, just that somebody is going to grab onto the "civil rights" "free speech" argument and run with it.  

Thought about doing something on the rent control matter in Acushnet.  Someone asked me about it, whether Fairhaven should look into it, and became a bit upset over my response. Want to see what rent control will do in a small town?  If the Acushnet by-law stands after A.G. review, you will find out in 5 to 10 years maximum.  Want to guess how many trailer parks will remain in Acushnet after that time span?

Election News (kind of) & Misc.

If you are not aware of it, or have forgotten, February 13, 2012 (one week, one day from today) is the last day to turn in your papers (any elected office, including town meeting member).

As a update, there are now three people who have taken papers out for Board of Health.

Once everyone has turned in papers, it should become real interesting in town.  I for one am waiting with bated breath to hear how everyone stands on a whole lot of issues.

Manuavers and alliances are in full swing.

Elected officials, private groups, private citizens, everyone seems to be lining up.  Going to be very interesting to see who does what, gives what, says what.

Misc.

To everyone posting a comment, let me say I really do appreciate your becoming involved in the discussions.  Most of you anyway.

You are entitled to your opinions, I will even responds when it appears that is what you want.  I am not going always be able to do it as soon as you may want though.

If you want a yes or no answer to a question I think can be answered that way, I will even do that.  If I can't answer it with a yes or no I won't.  A "loaded question" is not going to be answered that way.  It is that simple.  

If yes or no answers were all it took to establish the point on either side, I could come up with a list of 20 or so questions, worded in such a way that when answered would on the face of it would appear to conclusively establish the correctness of the point of view for either side in the turbine debate.

Someone made a comment on one of the prior posts about mediation of the issue.  It is a concept that I wish could be explored.   The all or nothing positions are not going to prevail on this issue in the long run.  As I believe I said though, for it to work both sides would have to go to the table with a willingness to actually mediate.

Other Misc.

Hope everyone enjoys the game today.  Wherever you watch it, stay safe!  

Remember the deadline mentioned above :  February 13, 2012 is last day to get your papers in for the election.

If anyone out there sees something interesting, something they think might be worthwhile to discuss let me know.

Remember the Special Town Meeting on February 15, 2012.

Have a great Sunday.  Again, have a safe day!

Town Election in April

If the rumor mill is accurate, the incumbent selectman is not seeking re-election.  We are going to have a new selectman come April. It will be real interesting to see who comes out and runs and what their "platform" will be.  Something tells me this will be a great year for the political junkie to sit back and watch.

I have been hearing and reading a lot of things about just what is wrong in our town.  At some point, those "problems", the real and make believe ones, will merit some attention.  Right now, I need to go finish making the soup.