Fact: Once sworn in, Barack Obama will be the second U.S. president whose last name ends in a vowel. The first was James Monroe.
Opinion: Sarah Palin is John McCain's Willie Horton.
Fact: The Obama/Biden ticket stands to be the first ticket elected since 1928 in which neither candidate has served in the military (I can't believe McCain never brought this up... I figure it's too late now to do him any good).
Opinion: It is shocking that a graduate of the Naval Academy could run so dishonorable a campaign.
Fact: The Pinellas County Florida Supervisor of Elections, (R) Deborah Clark, has reduced the number of early voting locations in the county from nine in 2004 to three in 2008. On her website, voters are encouraged to vote by mail (mail votes tend to be republican in Florida, while early votes tend to be democratic). The page about Early Voting does not give the addresses of the early voting locations. Ms. Clark is up for re-election.
Opinion: The difference between a depression and a recession is alcohol. The great depression that started in 1929 began during prohibition. At least today we can go to the bar (where some of us can still get credit for a day or two).
Fact: Building more environmentally friendly automobiles does not improve the environment unless people can afford to buy them and get their old gas guzzlers off the road.
Opinion: This could be the worst holiday retail season in memory. Since many retailers bring in 60-75% or their annual business during the holidays, we could see a lot of retailers going under in the first quarter of 2009. Obama's first 100 days could be as critical as FDR's. He will need to act decisively and earn our trust. It's going to be a long haul.