http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/president/

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/

In 2004, President Bush got 62,040,606 votes; but in 2008, Senator McCain got only 56,393,838 votes. Where did roughly 5,650,000 Republican votes go?

Not all of them could have gone to Senator Obama, because the difference between his 2008 total (63,877,116) and Senator Kerry’s 2004 total (59,028,109) is less than the missing Republican votes by approximately 800,000 votes.

An interesting thing happened to the Democratic base this year. It became divided. Many people left the party and moved right in disgust. We've seen it on countless blogs and even here on Clark Community Network. And, it's happening within families too...

According to the National Committee for an Effective Congress (NCEC), an electoral college tie is a very real possibility. We've heard a lot about the usual swing states... and some new ones that are split among Democrats and Republicans. I've heard that Obama's focus is now out west for this very reason. Here's the analysis from the NCEC:

The following is Hillary Clinton's intial statement regarding the conventions and mccain/plain.

"The two party conventions showcased vastly different directions for our country. Senator Obama and Senator Biden offered the new ideas and positive change America needs and deserves after eight years of failed Republican leadership. Senator McCain and Governor Palin do not," Clinton said.

All politics is local the saying goes, so months ago I signed up on a local discussion board in my community. It's far from a wonky political site. Folks there mostly post about the weather, swap recipes, talk about the local schools and on a few occasions someone says something about politics.
"Discussion" of politics there however makes AM talk-radio seem enlightened -- The democrat party hates the military. Bill Clinton is directly responsible of 9/11 (heck, you saw that show on ABC, right?). Liberals are destroying America by teaching about homosexuals in our public school.
That sort of nonsense.

Hello fellow Clarkies!

Four Years and Counting

Let’s keep making a difference. Please contribute to our “2008 Fund” today

Four years ago, I was in the first month of my presidential campaign. I remember wondering to myself: “Can we make a difference? Will people come out to listen to a retired general and political outsider, who has never held elected office?”

Now, four years later, I can say without any hesitation: We made a difference.

Now let’s keep making a difference. Please contribute to our “2008 Fund” today – so we can fight for the issues and candidates that will help get America back on track in the next election!

http://securingamerica.com/contribute

With you behind me in 2003 and 2004, we helped Democrats lead the debate on the issues of Iraq and national security. We made the case: Democrats are the party of national security. Democrats will keep America safe. And though we took tough losses in 2004, we laid the groundwork for 2006. Then in 2006 your support amplified my voice. I hit the campaign trail for dozens of candidates, and we carried Democrats to victory, gaining control of Congress.

Well, I need your help again today. 2008 will be a critical election up and down the ballot as we usher in new leadership to fix the mess George W. Bush has created. While I have decided not to seek the presidency myself, we have an ambitious plan to keep me on the campaign trail helping Democrats win. Now we need the resources to do it.

We have 48 hours to raise $25,000 to jump-start our “2008 Fund.” Please make a contribution today!

http://securingamerica.com/contribute

Last cycle, WesPAC helped 42 candidates win their races across America, including several veterans and 25 candidates who flipped their seats from Republican to Democratic seats. We helped bring political balance to Armed Forces Radio by adding Ed Shultz to the airwaves, and we continued to press both Republicans and Democrats to change course in Iraq.

Now, we’re fighting to take Rush Limbaugh off taxpayer-funded Armed Forces Radio for his despicable remarks against our troops. We’re pushing for a responsible end to the occupation in Iraq. We’re speaking out to prevent a military conflict with Iran. And of course, we’re fighting to elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

I ask you to stand with me in these fights. We have 48 hours to raise $25,000 to jump-start our “2008 Fund.” Help us get there before Friday’s midnight deadline.

http://securingamerica.com/contribute

Our “2008 Fund” will make sure WesPAC and I have the resources we need to help Democrats win up-and-down the ballot, from coast-to-coast. But we can’t do it without your help.

Let’s keep making a difference.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

There’s that “surge” word again…. So, before I get to my major point, let me begin at the proverbial beginning of my inspiration for this diary entry.

Now, be honest. Regardless of who your favorite Presidential candidate might be, weren’t you really delighted when Wes Clark recommended a “smart surge” of diplomacy in his recent article* opposing George Bush’s proposed military surge in Iraq?

I certainly was, for several reasons.

First of all, I firmly believe that withdrawal from Iraq without a plan is no better than invasion of Iraq without a plan. In other words, we need a plan, people. We really do. Arrogance and ignorance have gotten us where we are today. Wes Clark understands that there are many other governments and many millions of people with a stake in what will happen next. He also realizes that we certainly do not have all the answers, including the best answers to the questions as to when and how we should bring our troops home. His call for vastly increased regional diplomacy is not just noble. It is virtually essential to the restoration of our lost credibility in international affairs.