Who could forget this visual that is widely credited with helping to sink Michael Dukasis' 1988 presidential bid?  He looked silly, out of place and out of touch with America and justifiably, he was ridiculed for it.  And Daddy GHW Bush (also cutely known in some quarters as "41") was the heckler-in-chief, using the photo in relentless political ads.

Here is a new installment in my adventure as a full time volunteer for Obama in one of the reddest parts of Virginia. Last week, I attempted to chronicle our first Obama organizing effort here. With this diary, I relay my first attempts at registering voters.  Here are all the harrowing details -- complete with photographic evidence.

Who says the U.S. doesn't condone torture?

When I moved to my neck of the Virginia woods a dozen years ago, pickups with confederate flag stickers populated the roads and if there were any fellow aging, ex-hippie liberals in this county, we never met them.

In contrast, this past Saturday night, locals were selling "Proud to be a Democrat" t-shirts to a packed house and planning how our efforts in four rural counties could help Barack Obama win the state in November.

This is the story of one Unite For Change event, held in a Presbyterian Church all-purpose room on a hot, humid Saturday evening, four months before the general election.

The waning days of power must be rough.  Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice makes her 22nd trip to Israel, shows up in Jerusalem, knocks on the door of her favorite luxury hotel and finds out they didn't leave the light on for her.

Seems just like yesterday when Hillary Clinton proudly pronounced:

"I don't think they're [the men in the presidential race] piling on because I'm a woman. I think they're piling on because I'm winning," Clinton told reporters after filing paperwork to appear on the New Hampshire primary ballot.

But alas, that was November 2, 2007 -- a lifetime ago apparently, given Senator Clinton's latest iteration of this sentiment.

And you thought it was just caucuses and states that Hillary didn't win that were not important?!?

Nope, that label now extends to some Superdelegates, too -- If that superdelegate endorses Obama.

This endless declaring of who and what is important according to Hillaryland is getting so tiresome.  

I read with great interest Nicholas Kristoff's column Obama and Race in today's New York Times  It seems I can't get my fill of the discussion sparked by Obama's brilliant speech and I was rewarded in the first paragraph of Kristoff's piece:

Barack Obama this week gave the best political speech since John Kennedy talked about his Catholicism in Houston in 1960, and it derived power from something most unusual in modern politics: an acknowledgment of complexity, nuance and legitimate grievances on many sides. It was not a sound bite, but a symphony.

How in the world does AP present this as a straightforward news item?

Arrogance is a common vice in presidential politics. A person must be more than a little self-important to wake up one day and say, "I belong in the Oval Office."
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But there's a line smart politicians don't cross — somewhere between "I'm qualified to be president" and "I'm born to be president." Wherever it lies, Barack Obama better watch his step.

He's bordering on arrogance.

Some interesting tidbits just posted to Politico.com.  Seems to me the HRC campaign is gonna to act as if it's playing nice for the next news cycle or so.

In light of all the Spitzer news dominating the coverage today, some may have missed a little but very important tidbit in MSNBC's First Read

Like many Obama supporters, I fret about the continuing MSM "need" (for ratings sake, among other motivations)to keep this a horse race and how the HRC campaign seemingly has succeeded thus far in convincing most folks that the race is virtually a tie.

But deep in the bowels of Clinton's campaign, at least one person acknowledges that the likelihood of success is not very high.

More after the jump...

Celebrities and high-flying politicos just don't come to my small town of Culpeper, Virginia. (Okay, okay.... Harvey Keitel was spotted in a restaurant here years ago and Jessica Lange filmed part of a movie nearby in 1998, but that's about as close as we ever come to seeing the hoity- toity in the flesh).  

As I explained in this diary on primary day, I LOVE to Vote, my county is about 96 percent Republican so not only am I resolved to almost never voting with the majority, I also certainly never expect to see a Democratic candidate or surrogate in person.

So imagine my surprise on Monday, the day before the Virginia primary, when THIS happened:

I can't help it; election day makes me downright giddy. Here's why and here's my modest diary about voting in a very rural, very Republican part of Virginia today.

Just heard on MSNBC, Time Reporter Jay Newton-Small say that the Democrat polls did not include polling of Republicans or Independents and SC is an open state.

Her blog post on Time's website has this quote from Jim Hodges (former gov. of SC)

"There was a relatively low turn out in the Republican primary last week and Independents and Republicans are not bring polled," said former south Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, who has endorsed Obama. "It will be something to watch tomorrow."

First, is this true?
And second, if true, isn't this a potentially huge pocket of Obama support given the votes he got from independents (and a few Republicans) in Iowa and NH?  

I ran into this on Americablog a bit ago and thought I should highlight it here. Sadly, the Republican leadership is signing on with Limbaugh.  Eric Cantor (R-VA and Republican Whip) sent an email out yesterday (appears in full below) to rally in support of Rush Limbaugh by signing a "Stand with Rush" petition. (And even sadder, Eric Cantor is my congressman).

Despite his high ranking in the Republican Party, Cantor often flies under the radar, but his is a most despicable record and one that warrants much more attention.

Interesting interview with VP Cheney in the Washington Examiner today. The interview was conducted aboard Air Force Two yesterday after Cheney appeared with Tom Delay in a campaign appearance to raise $196,000 for the Republican write-in candidate for Delay's seat, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs.

While Cheney said, "The Foley thing ... as to how that cuts, I can't tell, " he offered this about Hastert:

"I'm a huge Denny Hastert fan -- I think he's a great speaker. And it makes no sense at all for him to think about stepping down."

The reporter writes that Cheney is determined not to let the scandal overshadow campaign issues that Cheney considers far more important -- national security and the economy. And Cheney flatly rejects any suggestion that the Democrats might prevail in the midterm elections.  Cheney declares:

"We will retain control of both houses."

More Cheney "predictions" after the jump.