Why the Massachusetts Senate race is more important to Dems than the GOP

It’s no doubt that Republicans would love to win tomorrow’s special election to fill Teddy Kennedy’s Senate seat in Massachusetts. But let’s be honest, Republican’s are playing with house money.

Democrats are defending what is arguably their most loyal base. This seat has been a Democratic seat for 46 years. My mom was in second grade when Ted Kennedy won this seat. To put that into perspective, my mom now has a 6 year old grandson (And she looks wonderful by the way).

So why is more important that the Dems win this seat?

1. It’s Massachusetts. It’s one of the most liberal states in the country. This should be a slam dunk for Democrats.

2. It’s Teddy’s seat. With the emotional pull of keeping this seat for the “Lion of the Senate,” the polls shouldn’t even be close.

3. Obama won huge a little over a year ago and was the second coming. He’s campaigning there.

4. Bill Clinton, the most popular Democratic President in my generation has campaigned there.

5. The Republican, State Senator Scott Brown, has made it clear that he’s against ObamaCare and has also made several very conservative stands. Again, it’s Massachusetts, not Alabama, so that should make it real easy for Democrats.

Having said all of that, the polls are trending towards Brown. A defeat in Massachusetts going into mid-term elections in November could be a major momentum boost to Republicans.

A Republican victory tomorrow night would tell us some very important things.

1. What is says about Obama. Obama took McCain to the woodshed in November 2008. In Massachusetts the vote wasn’t even close. Obama had almost 1.9 million votes and beat McCain by roughly 800,000 votes. So I don’t care what the Obama folks would have you believe, this vote is completely about the direction Obama has taken this country since taking office almost a year ago.

2. What it says about Democrats. Remember, just 4 years ago, pundits and politicians across the country were declaring the GOP dead when they virtually lost everything in the 2006 mid-terms. This vote isn’t about how strong the GOP is now. Republicans haven’t rebounded. They still don’t have a leader. They don’t have the Newt Gingrich of 1994. They are still searching for their voice. In spite of all that, the Democrats still have to defend one of their most reliable bases.

3. Obama is even pulling Bill Clinton's popularity down.

Tomorrow is going to be an interesting night for Democrats. They should win this race, but polling is not trending in their favor. If this race goes to the GOP, which CNN is reporting the White House believes it will, it says much more about the Democrats than it does the Republicans.

McGwire Admits to Steroids…and We’re Shocked?

So Mark McGwire finally admitted to what 99.9% of Americans already knew. He used steroids. As a Cardinal fan, and a Mark McGwire fan (still), all I can say is “thanks.” Thanks for finally admitting what we all knew.

Look, what McGwire did was undoubtedly wrong. He cheated, plain and simple. Was he the only one that cheated in his generation? Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock over the last few years, there is no question that he was not.

To make matters worse for Big Mac, his embarrassing testimony in front of Congress in 2005 was like watching a car wreck. It was terrible, but you couldn’t help but keep watching. But in a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation, he listened to lawyers. Ask Tiger Woods how listening to lawyers works these days.

McGwire did today what he should have done before he was even asked to testify in front of Congress. Americans are forgiving people, especially to their sports legends. Look at Kobe Bryant, Darryl Strawberry, Magic Johnson, Andy Petite, Alex Rodriguez and Chipper Jones to name a few. All have had personal failings that became public, but all have returned from those embarrassing and difficult moments to rehabilitate their reputations and regain their glory. Why? Because at some point each came clean with their indiscretions and were honest about what they had done. Their roads back weren’t always short and smooth, but the road back always started with some sort of admission of wrong doing.

To put that into perspective, look at the stars that followed McGwire’s path of silence and denials. Tiger Woods and Roger Clemens have ruined their respective reputations. Tiger, the best golfer ever, has vanished after it became known he had multiple affairs. He’s lost several sponsors and is taking an indefinite break from the game he loves. Clemens, one of the best pitchers of his generation, has become a flat out joke after denying he used steroids in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary.

Had McGwire come clean years ago, he very well could have saved his tarnished image and could even be in the Hall of Fame. But he didn’t. He chose to keep quiet, dodge and weave and it finally caught up to the slugger today. Now he has one more hurdle to climb and that time is coming in the very near future. He has to face the media.

McGwire will start as the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals next month when pitchers and catchers report for spring training. Before he dons the “Birds on the Bat” and the red number 25, he has to face the media and answer the tough and embarrassing questions.

As a PR executive I would give him this advice. Sit there, as long as you have to, and admit everything. He needs to tell HIS story, the one that until today, none of us knew (as a fact). McGwire needs to tell why he did it, and tell when he did it. Describe how he hid it and why he hid it. Explain his guilt of not coming clean, and how painful it was to admit to his family, and in particular his son, that he had indeed used steroids. He needs to admit his shame and the regret he has for letting down teammates, fans, himself and most of all his family. Then, as painful as it will be, he needs to answer every question from every reporter. Sit there until they have asked every question and he’s answered every one of them.

Matter of fact, McGwire needs to do the very opposite of what he’s done the last 5 years. Be open, be honest and be contrite. He’s not going to take a bigger hit on his public image. That was ruined the day he appeared before Congress. However, McGwire CAN start putting this story to rest, but he has to come clean on all fronts and put everything on the table. Leave no stone unturned and clean out the closet.

Look, Big Mac needs to just realize that he only admitted what many of us suspected anyhow. Many fans just wanted him to admit it so they could finally move on, and frankly so he could move on too. I’m actually relieved that this is out there.

When the rubber meets the road, Mark McGwire, later in his career, was a disciplined hitter that knew the strike zone and waited on his pitch. He was patient and very seldom did he swing at a bad pitch. The steroids may have helped his power, but it didn’t help his approach to hitting which is exactly why the Cardinals hired him. McGwire has privately helped several MLB hitters behind the scenes and all of them have experienced some form of success as a result.

Mark McGwire is going to be burned at the stake today. Those in the media that scalded him for not being open and honest about his “alleged” steroid use yesterday, are going to be the ones that are scalding him for being open and honest about his steroid use today.

When the sun comes up tomorrow, Mark McGwire begins the long road to repairing his reputation. The best way for that to be done is to continue to lay all of his cards on the table. The first and hardest step was completed today, and frankly, I’m glad it’s out. I’m thrilled that McGwire is coming back to baseball. I’m also happy that he’s had this burden lifted. Welcome back Big Mac, now let’s play ball.

Happy New Year!

Thought this would be an appropriate way to start off 2010.

A video clip from CNN...that's right, I said it.

NO...I, am Tiger Woods!

President Obama ties George W. Bush on golf...per the Politico.

Obama has played 24 rounds of golf in nine months as President. Took George W. Bush two years and 10 months ro reach that milestone.

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing President Obama for hitting the links. I'm all for it matter of fact. The most stressful job in the world...any person in that position deserves some R & R when they can get it.

However, everyone knows what would have hit the fan in the media had Bush played that much golf in 9 months.

Now...barely a peep.

Just sayin'!

It's His Rubble Now

Great article by Peggy Noonan today in the Wall Street Journal.

Check it out.

For what exactly?

The Nobel Peace Prize announced this year's receipient this morning and low and behold they gave it to our fearless leader, President Barack Obama.

No, really they did. They awarded him one of our planet's most prestigious awards for doing absolutely nothing.

Don't get me wrong...Obama might end up doing some great things to merit being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize (I can't even type that with a straight face), but I can't honestly think of one thing he's done to merit winning this award.

Ironically, this award comes less than a week after SNL, which isn't exactly known for conservatism, brutally made fun of Obama for doing nothing.

UPDATE:
Jimmy Carter is good with it.

My question to President Carter would be, since when did they start awarding the Nobel Peace Prize for potential?

It took President Carter two decades after leaving office to recieve his, and this is a President that at least brokered a peace deal between Israel and Egypt.

Stupid is as stupid does

President Obama's war council met yesterday to discuss the War in Afghanistan.

Check this out, exact quote from the story:

Members of the president's national security team argued that the Taliban in Afghanistan do not pose a direct threat to the U.S., officials told The New York Times.

This is quite possibly the most absurd and ignorant thing I think I've ever read. Frankly, it's scary.

Let's put this in perspective, the members of the NATIONAL SECURITY TEAM are arguing that the Taliban in Afghanistan do not pose a direct threat to the US. This is the team that has reponsibilities for protecting your family and mine. The team that advises our president on issues of security, safety and defense.

I wonder how the families of thousands of people killed on AMERICAN soil on 9/11 feel about that.

I guess these morons advising President Obama have forgotten it was the TALIBAN, in AFGHANISTAN, that provided safe refuge for Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda as they planned the 9/11 attacks.

How'd that work for us?

I would consider the Taliban a pretty direct threat to our national security. I'm pretty shocked that these folks do not.

Shameful and scary.