first woman president as a sea change...

I disagree with Hillary's assertion that her being the first woman to become president is a sea change. If it were some other woman, perhaps.

Hillary, to me, represents the status quo.

Farrakhan, Obama and anti-semitism...

Barack does NOT have to defend or assuage the Jewish community. I am sorry. This line of questioning is bullshit. Why do black leaders have to field this question? I don't see them

I don't see anyone defending themselves because Senator Byrd supports them, given his former involvement with the KKK.

I don't see anyone defending their marital fidelity when Newt Gingrich supports them.

Obama and Clinton racially..

I do think that race matters somewhat in this race but it isn't the preeminent issue that some media outlets will have you believe. It's kind of the low-hanging fruit of this campaign.

Senator Obama has won states with very few blacks. Senator Obama has won states with lots of blacks. I think Ohio is just kind of backwards and they are buying into the Hillary Kool-Aid...but that's changing.

same answer, different vibe...

Senator Obama gave the same answer of Senator Clinton on NAFTA but he sounded relaxed and mellow...Senator Clinton did not.

NAFTA

Clinton bristles a bit at being asked the question first. Well, she's to the left (where she's sitting) and she's first in alphabetical order so of course she's getting questions first.

Obama makes the connection to fair trade and consumer protections.

...and that is the question...

On health care...

Senator Obama has just mentioned that a universal mandate would play into insurers hands creating automatic demand. I definitely agree. It would be more difficult to hold them accountable.

Welcome back to Cleveland, Tim Russert...

Tim Russert, of Meet the Press and Brian Williams' right hand man in this debate, has a connection to the area. He is an alum of both John Carroll U and Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

focus...

Joel Libava gave me an idea that's been running through my head. Maybe I should focus on a particular area...

Of special interest to me in this debate is race, class , who locally is supporting who and why, education funding and support and aid for the working to middle class (here's a gauge...if the thought of not having a paycheck for a whole month scares you, you are working-to-middle-class).

Liveblogging @ channel 3

From The Melting Pot in Lyndhurst to another melting pot...

...except some of Northeast Ohio's finest and most prolific bloggers are nothing like the fondue I had at my work meeting (which I hustled -- thanks to my understanding boss and coworkers for their support) but less than an hour ago.

I sit here with George Nemeth, Tim Ferris, Joel Libava (The Franchise King), Will and Laura Kessel, Roger Bundy and Gloria Ferris, all writing about the goings-on here tonight at the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University.

I will start tonight's blogging by saying I have decided to throw my support behind Barack Obama. While I respect Senator Clinton as a statesperson, I do think that the change in approach Senator Obama represents is necessary for the dire situation our country is in after our current president's tenure.