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Joseph Swit
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Insights and Political Punditry from a POTUS In-Training

(Candidate in 2032)

Note: He also does Sports Analysis.

Tuesday, July 15

The All Star Game and the state of Baseball at the Half Way Mark

On the eve of the 79th All Star game and the last at Yankee Stadium Major League Baseball has completed the first half of the 2008 season.  The first half may have surprised some as the Tampa Bay Rays who had a record of just 66-96 last season find themselves just .5 games back of the defending champions the Boston Red Sox.  We all knew that Tampa Bay who shortened there name to Rays over the off season would have a better year but no one expected this much from the Florida team which was created only a decade ago as an expansion team might just make the playoffs and win the AL East.  But also at the halfway point is the All Star game at Yankee Stadium which has suddenly found itself the welcoming place for 7 Boston red Sox and 7 Chicago Cubs representing there respective leagues. 
            There’s definitely some players on each team that are deserving of the honor to play at the last All Star game at Yankee Stadium like Manny Ramirez, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, and Jonathon Paplebon.  However I see no reason in selecting Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, and Jason Varitex who is hitting .218 at the break to the All Star game.  To prevent things like this I think that Major League Baseball should put rules about repetitive voting for the game so that we can Make sure that not to many players represent each team.
But tonight is a night to sit back a and watch the 79th All Star game at Yankee Stadium and hope that this game can add more great memories to the historic Yankee Stadium.

Tursday, June 12

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton could they share the democratic ticket?

            When the dust settled down after nearly sixteen months of ferocious campaigning the Democratic Party finally had a nominee but we were still left with questions.  Will Senator Hillary Clinton who racked up more delegates then any runner up in history be on the ticket with Barack Obama? 
            Well if you asked me that question three months ago I would have laughed and thought you were crazy.  But three months ago, not only 45% of all Hillary Clinton supporters said they were going to vote for Barack Obama.  So now with the unifying the party so important to Obama’s victory in the fall, I say yes.
            He really needs Clinton to help him carry the nearly 18 million people who voted for her in the primaries.  However Senator Obama does have other choices for his running mate:  Jim Webb of Virginia but I don’t think he has enough experience to make up for Obama’s four years in the Senate.  Ted Strickland might help him carry Ohio but that’s just a maybe, Bill Richardson would definitely help with the Latino vote in his home state of New Mexico. John Edwards would help Obama bring black the working class Americans in his state of North Carolina but that’s likely to go Republican.  And of course there’s Al Gore who has become extremely poplar in the Democratic Primary after nearly winning the 2000 election. 
            But in the end I think it’s going to be Hillary Clinton who Barack Obama raises his arms with at the Denver Convention to win back the long eluded White House in November.

Sunday, June 1

Making sense of Florida and Michigan
            For all matters and intents of purpose Saturday was should have been the last day of Hillary Clinton's bid for the White House.  There is now no way Hillary Clinton can catch up in pledged delegates.  But a bigger problem is forming, the campaign maybe mathematically over, but Hillary Clinton might see things differently.  As Harold Ickes bluntly put it at last night’s rules committee meeting, Hillary Clinton has instructed him to reserve the right to appeal to the credential committee and possibly take this fight to the Denver Democratic National Convention in late August.  Taking this to the convention would be a grave mistake on the part of the Sen. Clinton, it’s going to be so hard to beat John McCain in the fall already but to continue to fight even after Sen. Obama has passed the new magic number of 2,118 would definitely damage the Democrat’s chances of taking back the White house this election.
           The Florida and Michigan problem was an unfortunate mess that neither candidate was responsible for.  But the Rules Committee did its best to “make right” this mess.  Clinton doesn’t have much to complain about.  She got what she wanted, she got most of the delegates seated.  Yet she is willing to risk the chances of splitting the Democrats in the fall for a little over ten delegates in Michigan is just plain stupid.   I believe Hillary Clinton is an honorable person and is one of the most valuable members of the Democratic party today, however if she takes this to the convention floor, whether she wins or not it will permanently  damage her reputation in the Democratic party.
            Even if she does win the nomination at the convention there is no chance whatsoever that she’ll beat John McCain with the party divided.  I hope that this threat from the Clinton campaign is just a bluff.  I hope Hillary Clinton will do the right thing in the best interest in the party and will not take this furious fight to the Denver Convention.

Prediction for MLB Season

It took me a while to decide but finally I am predicting that the New York Yankees will win this year’s World Series not because they’re my favorite team or because my favorite player, Alex Rodriguez plays for them. It’s because Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui have been on fire the first week of the season and when Arod gets hot and Jeter gets rolling this is going to be an unstoppable offense. I’d originally picked the Tigers to win the Series but it’s hard to pick a team that has lost their first six games of the Season to the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox. What struck me about the Tigers was how bad there middle relief pitching was and I don’t think Joel Zumaya can come early enough to save the Tigers. One of the reasons I chose the Yankees was because they Bullpen was outstanding, save LaTroy Hawkins, and if they can get Joba Chamberlain to be a starter this season then there on their way. Chien-Ming Wang has already picked up two victories and Mike Mussina pitched like he can win 15 games this year.

The National League team that I think will lose to the Yankees in the World Series is the Chicago Cubs. The players on the Cubs are now used to Lou Penilla’s style of Baseball, the young players will be more relaxed and will in turn play better ball. Alfonso Soriano and Derek Lee are going to lead this team with high offensive numbers and I like what I am seeing out of Kosuke Fukudome.

American League Winners

East:

Central:

West:

Wild Card:

American League Personal Awards

MVP:

Cy Young:

Monday, March 31

Obama's Speech – From Pastor to Pennsylvania Avenue?

Senator Barack Obama's speech on March 18th responding to the racial comments by his pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, generated different reactions since its delivery.  While universally hailed as an oratorical treasure, Obama's call for unity might have reassured some voters.  Unfortunately, it might have been too little and too late for others.

While I think this speech might have had more impact if Obama had delivered it a few days after the fiery sermons from his church became known to the public, the 46-year old Senator from Illinois -- ahead in delegates, states won and the popular vote -- showed major electoral strength by turning this issue to his advantage.  Obama spoke in a way that no recent politician has ever done, and evoked an image of the June 1968 Bobby Kennedy, which enhances his message that he is truly running with the "Politics of Change." 

Yet, some might think that he was just another politician trying to save his neck.  I disagree.  He went up on that stage and did not defend himself in any way, but called for unity and unity alone.  Obama's speech can not heal all the wounds from the comments of Wright, but that wasn't Obama's intent.  He knew that, no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to heal all the wounds.  Rather, the purpose of that speech on Tuesday was to show that he can articulate with precision and passion what is needed to lead the country in a new direction.  

And, Obama delivered both precision and passion – which very well may carry his campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America all the way to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on a hopefully sunny January 2009 afternoon.