November 15, 2024

Toast-o-Meter (11/15 Edition)

The Toast-o-meter: Handicapping the Race for the Democratic Nomination.

The scale:

  • Wonder Bread (The nomination is in reach)
  • Just Plain Ol’ White Bread (Still in the race; has a shot)
  • Toast (Pretty much done—a little scraping might make you look like bread, but you're done)
  • Burnt Toast (Really, really done)
  • Burnt all the Way Through (Why are you still in the race?)
  • Crumbs in the Bottom of the Toaster (Why did you ever get in the race in the first place?)

    Potential Movements each Week:

  • Dough is on the Rise
  • Heat’s Off This Week
  • Got Scraped a Bit
  • Getting Darker

    Howard Dean: Wonder Bread (Dough on the Rise)

    “People Powered Howard” had a decent week:

  • The NH numbers continue to be good.
  • AFSCME and SEIU made it official and endorsed Dean this past week.
    AFSCME's endorsement was particularly vexing for Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Wesley Clark — all of whom had at one point thought they had the nod in hand.

    Gephardt even skipped a nationally televised debate last week to meet with AFSCME leaders in Iowa. The Missouri congressman and former House minority leader who has carried labor's banner in Congress has the backing of 20 unions, but AFSCME and SEIU were two of the most coveted prizes.


    Dick Gephardt: Plain Ol’ White Bread (Heat’s Off)

  • He got a boost from Iowa labor.

    John Kerry: French Toast (Getting darker)

  • Opting out of matching funds just means wasting the ketchup money.
  • Riding motorcycles on Leno ain’t gonna cut it (He ain’t Clinton on Arsenio, and he sure ain’t Schwarzenegger).
  • The NH numbers continue to be bad.

    Wesley Clark: Toast (Getting darker)

  • The anti-flag burning amendment won’t endear him to the left.
  • Risking the ire of New Hampshire voters ain't smart.
  • Negative pieces in the New Yorker ain't helpful either:
    It quickly became apparent, however, that Clark, in terms of his oratorical prowess or personal magnetism, was not a natural at all. He required heavy handling on the campaign trail, where, as a political novice, he was prone to gaffes, such as his opening-week assertion that he “probably” would have voted for the congressional resolution authorizing the war in Iraq. One of his press representatives described the misstep as “devastating, a huge mistake”; the mood among Democratic activists is unambiguously antiwar, and Clark’s subsequent attempts to amend his position have made him seem confused on the subject. (He eventually declared that he didn’t know the full content of the resolution.)

    I told that Clarkies that once he opened his mouth his numbers would go down, but they didn't believe me. (Anyone still care to explain to me why the Bushies are so afraid of Clark?).

    Joe Lieberman: Burnt Toast (and Getting Darker)

  • Attacks Dean, keeps flag flap alive.

    John Edwards: Burnt all the Way Through (Getting Darker—soon to be crumbs)

  • Is this where he’s from?
  • He is trying to stay positive, however.

    Dennis Kucinich: Crumbs at the bottom of the Toaster (banana bread)

  • Well, maybe his personal ad will work out.

    Al Sharpton: Crumbs at the Bottom of the Toaster (nut bread, of course)

  • Will host SNL tonight.

    Carol Moseley Braun: Crumbs at the Bottom of the Toaster

    Posted by Steven at November 15, 2024 11:27 AM | TrackBack
    • Comments

    I beg to differ when it comes to Kucinich...just because the BushCo media is setting the agenda of who is "electable", doesn't make it so...the candidates who get the most coverage are the candidates the BushCo media find least against their corporate agendas (the end game)...so why not form public opinion?...I'm amazed at how angry many are at the biased reporting of the war, yet fall for the BushCo media election agenda...There is more to Dennis Kucinich than that article you try to demean him with...have you even bothered to fully see what he's about?...or the tremendous amout of support he has, despite the media propaganda with it's induced polls?...His book, "Prayer For America" sold out in the first two weeks and is in it's second printing--but the media sure didn't cover that...that's because he is loathed by the greedy corporate interests, and has the backbone to stand up to them as he has proven...The media has virtually boycotted him--not his many, many supporters...
    *-m-*

    Posted by: Mary at November 18, 2024 11:40 PM

    M:

    The article I posted was frivolous, I admit. But I am quite familair with Mr. Kucinich and I assure you, he has the same chance of being nominated as I do. And it has nothing to do with the media.

    Posted by: Steven at November 19, 2024 06:24 AM

    I notice that the meter says nothing about Hillary.

    Sure, she's not "officially" in the race, but she seems to always be talked-about, always involved in every major event (anyone notice what happened in Iowa last weekend?)

    C'mon, now, gut it up and give us something more than a spin on the Conventional Wisdom.

    Hillary's in the race, either as a player, or at least as a kingmaker.

    What brand is her bread, hmmm?


    PS - It should be interesting to see how Clark handles the questions about his potential involvement in the Branch Davidian assault near Waco ten years ago. So far, he has been able to dodge 'em, but CNN seems to have found a trail leading to his office.

    Posted by: Daniel at November 28, 2024 10:05 PM
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