Autumn temperatures in the Arctic are at record levels, the Arctic Ocean is getting warmer and less salty as sea ice melts, and reindeer herds appear to be declining, researchers have claimed.

“Obviously, the planet is interconnected, so what happens in the Arctic does matter [to the rest of the world],” Jackie Richter-Menge of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory said in releasing the third annual Arctic Report Card.

The report, compiled by 46 scientists from 10 countries, looks at a variety of conditions in the Arctic.

The region has long been expected to be among the first areas to show impacts from global warming, which the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is largely a result of human activities adding carbon dioxide and other gases to the atmosphere.

“Changes in the Arctic show a domino effect from multiple causes more clearly than in other regions,” said James Overland, an oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington.

“It’s a sensitive system and often reflects changes in relatively fast and dramatic ways.”

For example, autumn air temperatures in the Arctic are at a record 5 degrees Celsius above normal.

The report noted that last year was the warmest year on record in the Arctic, leading to a record loss of sea ice. This year’s sea ice melt was second only to that of last year.

Rising temperatures help melt the ice, which in turn allows more solar heating of the ocean.

That warming of the air and ocean affects land and marine life and reduces the amount of winter sea ice that lasts into the following summer.

While the warming continues, the rate in this century is less than in the 1990s due to natural variability, the researchers said.

In addition to global warming, natural cycles of warming and cooling occur, and a warm cycle in the 1990s added to the temperature rise.

Now with a cooler cycle in some areas the rise in temperatures has slowed, but Overland said he expects that it will speed up again when the next natural warming cycle comes around.

Asked if an increase in radiation from the sun was having an effect on the Earth’s climate, Jason Box of the Byrd Polar Research Centre in Columbus, Ohio, said that, while it was important, increased solar output accounts only for about 10 per cent of global warming.

Technorati Tags: Arctic, thin ice

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama selected Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware late Friday night to be his vice presidential running mate, according to a Democratic official, balancing his ticket with an older congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues. Biden, 65, has twice sought the White House, and is a Catholic with blue-collar roots, a generally liberal voting record and a reputation as a long-winded orator.

Across more than 30 years in the Senate, he has served at various times not only as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee but also as head of the Judiciary Committee, with its jurisdiction over anti-crime legislation, Supreme Court nominees and Constitutional issues.

In selecting Biden, Obama passed over several other potential running mates, none more prominent than former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, his tenacious rival in dozens of primaries and caucuses.

Obama’s campaign arranged a debut for the newly minted ticket on Saturday outside the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Ill.

Hundreds of miles to the west, carpenters, electricians, sound stage gurus and others transformed the Pepsi Center in Denver into a made-for-television convention venue.

Tucked away in one corner were thousands of lightweight rolled cardboard tubes, ready-made handles for signs bearing the names of the Democratic ticket – once the identity of Obama’s running mate was known.

While Obama decided against adding Clinton to his ticket, he has gone to great lengths to gain the confidence of her primary voters, agreeing to allow her name to be placed in nomination at the convention and permitting a roll call vote that threatens to expose lingering divisions within the party.

Biden slowly emerged as Obama’s choice across a long day and night of political suspense as other contenders gradually fell away.

First Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine let it be known that he had been ruled out. Then came word that Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana had also been passed over.

Several aides to Clinton said the Obama campaign had never requested financial or other records from her.

Other finalists in the veep sweepstakes were Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Texas Rep. Chet Edwards.

Among those on the short list, Biden brought the most experience in defense or foreign policy, areas in which Obama is rated relatively poorly in the polls compared with Republican Sen. John McCain.

While the war in Iraq has been supplanted as the campaign’s top issues by the economy in recent months, the recent Russian invasion of Georgia has returned foreign policy to the forefront.

In addition to foreign policy experience, Biden, a native of Scranton, Pa., has working-class roots that could benefit Obama, who lost the blue-collar vote to Clinton during their competition for the presidential nomination.

Biden was elected to the Senate at the age of 29 in 1973.

No sooner had word spread of his selection than McCain’s campaign unleashed its first attack. Spokesman Ben Porritt said in a statement that Biden had:

“denounced Barack Obama’s poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing, that Barack Obama is not ready to be president.”

As evidence, Republicans cited an ABC interview from August 2007, in which Biden said he would stand by an earlier statement that Obama was not ready to serve as president.

Biden is seeking a new Senate term in the fall. there was no immediate word whether he intended to change plans as he reaches for national office. Biden dropped out of the 2008 race for the Democratic presidential nomination after a poor finish in the Iowa caucuses, but not before he talked dismissively of joining someone else’s ticket.

“I am not running for vice president,” he said in a Fox interview. “I would not accept it if anyone offered it to me. The fact of the matter is I’d rather stay as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee than be vice president.”

It was his second try for the White House. The first ended badly in 1988 when he was caught lifting lines from a speech by British Labor Party leader Neil Kinnock.

In the decades since, he become a power in the Senate, presiding over confirmation proceedings for Supreme Court nominees as well as convening hearings to criticize President Bush’s handling of the Iraq War.

Biden voted to authorize the war, but long ago became one of the Senate’s surest critics of the conflict.

Obama worked to keep his choice secret, although he addressed the issue broadly during the day in an interview.

“Obviously, the most important question is: Is this person ready to be president?” Obama told “The Early Show” on CBS. Second, he said, was: “Can this person help me govern? Are they going to be an effective partner in creating the kind of economic opportunity here at home and guiding us through some dangerous waters internationally?”

And, he added:

“I want somebody who is going to be able to challenge my thinking and not simply be a yes person when it comes to policymaking.

___

Associated Press writers David Espo in Denver, Angela K. Brown in Waco, Texas, Glen Johnson in Boston, Randall Chase in Greenville, Del., Bob Lewis in Richmond, Va., John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Scott Lindlaw in San Francisco and Jesse Holland in Washington contributed to this report. Pickler reported from Chicago.

Technorati Tags: barack obama, Barack Obama Joe Biden, Barack Obama Vice President, Barack Obama VP, Barack Obama VP Pick, Biden For Vp, joe biden, Joe Biden Vp, Joe Biden Vp Pick, Obama Biden, Obama Biden 08, Obama Biden 2008, Obama Biden Ticket, Politics News

Earlier this evening Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain took turns answering questions from mega church Pastor Rick Warren. The setting was Saddleback Mega Church, which is located in sunny Orange County, CA and also is one of the larger, more mainstream evangelical super centers of prayer. Both candidates are friends with Pastor Warren, the founder of the church and moderator of tonights forum, and came up with the idea of a dual candidate Q and A months ago.

The questions were far from “softballs”, and ranged from their stance on abortion to Supreme Court Justice nominations. Both Obama and McCain received the same line of questioning, and to keep it fair McCain, who went on after Obama, was sequestered in a soundproof room backstage so he could not hear the answers his opponent was giving.

• Obama on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas:

“I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas,” said the presumptive Democratic nominee. “I don’t think that he…” the crowd interrupted with applause. “I don’t think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretations of a lot of the constitution. I would not have nominated Justice Scalia though I do on think there is any doubt about his intellectual brilliance. Because he and I just disagree.”

• Obama on Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts:

“John Roberts I have to say was a tougher question only because I find him to be a very compelling person in conversation, individuals,” replied Obama. “He is clearly smart and very thoughtful. I will tell you that how I have seen him operate since he went to the bench confirms the suspicions that I had and the reasons I voted against him… One of the most important jobs of the Supreme Court is to guard against the encroachment of the Executive Branch on the power of the other branches. And I think he has been a little bit to willing or eager to give an administration whether it is mine or George Bush’s more power than I think the constitution originally intended.”

• Obama on America’s greatest moral failure:

“Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Saturday that America’s greatest moral failure is its insufficient help to the disadvantaged. Obama noted that the Bible quotes Jesus as saying “whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.” He said the maxim should apply to victims of poverty, sexism and racism.”

• Obama on his definition of Marriage:

“I am not someone who promotes same-sex marriage,” but went on to say that his marriage and faith were “strong enough” to support civil unions for gay and lesbian couples.”

As I stated above, John McCain is still in the middle of his session on stage. So I am going to wait until he is done, and then provide his answers (as I did above with Obama’s responses). So check back shortly and those will be available.

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Yesterday we covered the humorous attacks being levied from the McCain camp regarding Obama’s statements dealing with how keeping your cars tires properly inflated as well as keeping up with regularly scheduled tune ups and how they increase fuel efficiency. Well, here is a nice little clip of Comedy Centrals Stephen Colbert discussing McCain’s pouncing on an issue that in all reality doesn’t really exist:

Technorati Tags: election 08, Energy Policy, john mccain, Oil Prices, Republican smears, The Colbert Report

This is the Barack Obama that Democrats, and more importantly – this country needs. Of course I am referring to Obama’s firing back of sorts during a campaign stop in Berea, Ohio. Barack Obama seemingly had heard enough, over the last week we have been inundated with a steady stream of garbage courtesey of the new and not so improved McCain/Rove machine.

Some of the highlights – or for those of us with a hint of rationale, lowlights – have included McCain’s “celebrity” ad, which depicts Obama alongside the likes of Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton, as well as a never ending gag reel of insults regarding Obama’s “tire inflation” suggestion as being one of the simple ways regular American’s can help aleviate at least some of the growing burden high gas prices are serving up so many of us.

Well, as you will see in the video attached below, Obama has heard enough – and thank god for that. I know I was personally becoming ill watching each day pass with another “elementary school” insult in the form of a television advertisement or press conference via John McCain and his stooges.

Watch Barack Obama call McCain out, a line which gets a amazing reaction from the crowd, which carries over into Obama’s knockout punch which came in the form of; “It’s almost like the take pride in being ignorant”, which pretty much gets everyone in the building on their feet with cheers and applause to boot.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjXqfvLu28

Thank you, thank you, thank you. This sense of calling them out for what they truly are is a trend Obama needs to stay on top of for the remainder of this campaign. There have been far too many instances of Democrats taking it on the chin, refusing to retaliate on their bottom feeding GOP opponents – and in almost every one of those “overly passive” strategies the Republican’s have ended up winning (IE: the 2004 Presidential Election.)

Moreover, Keith Olbermann took a chance to rip into McCain’s constant “making fun of” Obama and the suggestion (which is supported by a growing majority of elected Republican’s as a aid, not an answer to high gas prices. Much like Obama suggested it as) during his program “Countdown With Keith Olbermann.” Below is that video, with a portion of the transcript included:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5_3kvkyhVM

And now for the kicker of the story. Now brace yourself folks this is a real doozy, and in my opinion up there with the best McCain flip flops we have seen thus in his uniquely bad Presidential bid. During a press conference John “Walnuts” McCain had this to say:

“And could I mention that Senator Obama a couple of days ago said that we ought to all inflate our tires, and I don’t disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it.”

Oh man this guy is great – he actually manages to make George W. Bush appear halfway competent. So in closing let me just say that I hope with all the energy in my body that McCain keeps up his “Howdy Doody” routine – it’s providing us with some absolutely classic comedy during an otherwise boring stretch TV wise.

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There is very little that our current President George W. Bush could possibly do to “shock” American’s, let alone the rest of the world – but somehow the brainchild in the White House has managed to once again out do himself, this time using the G8 Summit to deliver his jaw dropping statement that reaffirms the notion that he is in fact a moron.

As I mentioned above this latest national embarrassment took place at the G8 Summit which was being held in Japan. The Summit’s purpose of course is designed to have all the worlds leaders meet and discuss ways of bettering the environment, and recently, actions that would cut back on global warming – both topics that this President seems to take pride in ignoring.

And Bush made no secret of just how little the environment means to him by delivering a “joke”, if you can even call it that, during his “farewell” statement at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido where the leaders of the world’s richest nations had been discussing new targets to cut carbon emissions.

The Daily Telegraph was the first to report on Bush’s latest instance of inappropriate (and thats putting it politely) and downright tasteless acts for the whole world to see:

“The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: “Goodbye from the world’s biggest polluter.”

He then punched the air while grinning widely, as the rest of those present including Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy looked on in shock.”

Can you imagine what it would take for you, or anyone with even the slightest hint of intelligence and/or integrity to say something like that, regardless of whether or not it was intended as a joke? Children are taught at a very young age that there is a time and place, a rule that our man Bush clearly was never able to grasp.

The whole situation is summed up best in the description of Gordon Brown and Nicolas Sarkozy’s reaction to Bush’s off the cuff attempt at humor. Moreover, this serves as a prime example of why so many across the world look at us in a different light then they have in the past – and going by remarks such as this one, I don’t know if I can blame them.

One official who witnessed the extraordinary scene said afterwards: “Everyone was very surprised that he was making a joke about America’s record on pollution.”

Mr Bush also faced criticism at the summit after Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, was described in the White House press pack given to journalists as one of the “most controversial leaders in the history of a country known for government corruption and vice”.

The White House apologised for what it called “sloppy work” and said an official had simply lifted the characterisation from the internet without reading it.

It just gets better and better with this guy doesn’t it? Come November we as a country have a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over with those who Bush has managed to burn bridges with time and time again. I understand many feel as though “what the rest of the world thinks about us doesn’t really matter”, an argument that’s about as generalized, and primitive of a viewpoint as one could possibly have.

That said, I am confident that enough American’s have realized that the road we have been led down at the hands of the GOP is not a road worth traveling, and that it’s time for a change in management.

Technorati Tags: Breaking news, Breaking political news, Bush at the G8 Summit, Bush is an embarassment, Bush is an idiot, Bush jokes about Pollution, Bush offends G8 Summit, Bush's pollution joke, G8 Summit, george w. bush

Here is an interesting video for you to take a look at. It’s a national television advertisement featuring the infamous oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, a vocal Bush supporter (financially more then anything else), as well as the man behind a million dollar offer for anyone that could prove the “swift boat veterans against Kerry” wrong. However the new ad has Pickens making a pitch to expand alternative energy options, as well as highlighting the importance of wind, and solar power in terms of softening our oil dependence.

Personally I find this great, while I may not agree with Pickens politics, he is undoubtedly an amazing business man with a whole lot of clout. So having him calling for more effort put into the study and use of independent energy can only be a good thing.

Here is the advertisement in it’s entirety. I suggest you take a look at the whole thing, if you do I think you will see that Pickens makes some very good points, and is actually the type of person a movement like this is going to need behind it:

Carl Pope, who was appointed Executive Director of the Sierra Club in 1992, and is a veteran leader in the environmental movement for over thirty years seems to see Pickens move in a similar way as I do, and is very pleased with the ad:

“T. Boone Pickens was first known as an oil and gas man and then as a corporate raider, but these days he is jousting to topple Sweetwater from its title. Flying with me to visit his wind operations in Sweetwater, he makes it clear that his next wind project is big, Texas-style — 4,000 megawatts up in the Panhandle north of here. Pickens just doesn’t believe that America’s energy future is in oil any more. He dismisses the current calls for opening up the coast to drilling, saying that the government’s official estimates of oil and gas reserves are wildly inflated — “the geology just isn’t there.”

Pickens is infuriated by our continued and increasing addiction to imported oil, which he says now costs us $700 billion a year, and will soon climb to an even trillion. (He is watching the market as we fly, and as oil hits $143 a barrel, the Dow plummets. Boone notes “well, my securities are going to go down, but my commodities book will make up for most of today’s loss.” Pickens is long on oil, meaning he is betting that the price keeps going up.)

To put it plainly, T. Boone Pickens is out to save America.”

He’s pretty clear in his support huh? Anyways as I sit here applauding Pope’s ability to take of the partisan political glasses (something to many on the far left, and right can’t seem to do) I am struck by some other liberal commentators feelings on Pickens move to independent energy.

Over on Crooks & Liars there seems to be some “second guessing” so to say regarding Picken’s plea for alternative energy:

“Carl Pope, Executive Director of The Sierra Club has praised his plan, going so far as to say Pickens is out to save America” and I have no problem with that but do financial motivations vs. environmental motivations matter? Should we just be thankful that someone has stepped up to the plate, even if it means that the ultra-wealthy will once again control our energy resources, or do we strive for more ownership in the future of our own energy policy and demand more emphasis and accountability on our environment? In the end, will Pickens’ plan even work?”

While I often find myself in agreement with the people over at Crooks and Liars, this serves as an instance where I don’t. Frankly I see this sort of sentiment as nothing more then a “naive” partisan view – and nothing else.

First of all who has the right to assume Pickens intentions? I know I don’t, nor do I think anyone has the knowledge needed to speculate into something along the lines Crooks and Liars seems to be. Who cares makes money of the expansion into alternative energy, hell we live in a free market, all the power to him. At the end of the day we are moving away from oil dependence, and in my book that is good enough – actually I will go as far as to say I think what Pickens is doing is in all reality very noble to say the least.

Technorati Tags: breaking energy news, Breaking news, Breaking political news, Cng, Compressed Natural Gas Engines, Energy, environment, gas prices, GOP moving towards energy independence, Green News, Natural Gas, T. Boon pickens energy independence, T. Boone Pickens, Wind Power, Wind Turbines

What would you say if I were to tell you that earlier this week a senior ranking Bush Administration official had resigned from his position, opting not for retirement, but rather to work for Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign? You may think I was crazy, and you would be right in your initial reaction – but I’ve got news for you – a Bush administration official did in fact resign from his position so he could become an aid to Senator Obama.

Jason Burnett was a senior ranking appointed official with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), however Burnett surprised many when he decided to resign from his post citing conflicts of interest between the current administration, and their (for lack of a better term) ambivalence in regards to any further progress in protecting the environment:

“A high-ranking political appointee resigned from the Environmental Protection Agency after concluding there was no more progress to be made on greenhouse gases under the Bush administration.

Jason Burnett, associate deputy administrator for about a year before his resignation took effect June 9, was the principal adviser on climate change issues to agency chief Stephen Johnson. He helped developed the EPA’s response to last year’s Supreme Court ruling that the agency had the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.”

“Burnett, a policy adviser at EPA who returned when Johnson appointed him associate deputy administrator, said he came back “to work through those challenges. We made as much progress as this administration wanted and when it became clear to me that no more progress could be made I decided it was time for me to move on,” Burnett said. “The choice this administration has made is to leave those challenges to the next.”

The above article comes from an AP release back on June the 25th, and at the time of it’s publication I don’t think anyone, including those closest to Burnett knew what his plans were for the future – and I am certain they didn’t expect him do what he subsequently did – Join team Obama:

“Jason Burnett has made a lot of news lately, criticizing the Bush administration for rejecting California’s request for a federal waiver that would have allowed the state to enforce greenhouse gas restrictions.

Burnett, until recently the associate deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, testified last month before a congressional panel about the possible White House role in overruling the EPA staff’s recommendation of the waiver. Since then, Burnett has given numerous interviews on the issue.

Now Burnett is talking with his checkbook, too. After submitting his resignation last month, he donated $3,600 to Democrat Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. That came on top of a $1,000 contribution he made to Obama before rejoining the EPA last year.

A Stanford-trained economist and a Democrat, Burnett, 31, said in an interview that he was moving back to Northern California to campaign for Obama and Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel).

He said he was counting on them to support stepped-up efforts to curb greenhouse gases.

“Climate change endangers health and welfare,” Burnett said. “The EPA is required to use existing law to reduce greenhouse gases. The sooner we begin addressing it in earnest, the better off we’ll be.”

Ouch. If this is not just another slap in the face to Bush and company then I don’t know what is. Remeber this is not the first time a former employee under this Administration has stepped forward and been highly critical of George W. Bush.

Just last month former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan not only came out and acknowledged that President Bush had in fact (with the help of those around him) “sold” the Iraq War to the American people via a slew of mis truths, foggy rhetoric, and some flat out lies, but he published a book chronicling the deceit as well as testified in front of Congress regarding this Administrations endless “tap dance” (and that is seriously putting it very politely) around the truth.

It is becoming more and more clear just how toxic Bush has made the Republican brand in this country. Thanks to his eight long years of trampling civil liberties, lying through that smug little smile of his, and systematically weakening our great country it’s really no surprise that the GOP wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

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Throughout the Democratic primary there was one demographic who really didn’t waver in their support of Sen. Barack Obama regardless of what their region, race, or religion was – I am of course talking about the always coveted, but equally equally as absent ‘youth vote.’ Politicians have been trying forever to really mobilize the youth, throughout the years candidates have attempted everything imaginable too mobilize the youth vote on their behalf, however none have really been successful in doing so. Well, that is until now.

Their were indicators from the get go that the youth vote was going to impact the Democratic primary in a way it previously never had. In Iowa, Barack Obama trailed Hillary Clinton by 10 points in nearly every poll released all the way up until the night before voters headed to the polls. But for some reason Obama’s campaign manager, David Ploufe, was seemingly at ease, and when peppered with questions handled it like a man who knew something the rest of us didn’t:

“David Plouffe, had just told reporters that youngsters were “Barack’s core support in effect, his hidden vote.”

Well, it turns out the Ploufe indeed knew something; the youth was energized, active, and actually planned on showing up. Senator Obama ended up winning the Iowa Primary with 38% of the vote, John Edwards came in second with 30%, and Hillary finished a surprising third with 29%. This victory was in many ways made possible by the unprecedented, and near unanimous youth vote – a trend that kept true throughout the entire primary process, and from the looks of it, heading full speed at the general election in November.

“as the icy streets of downtown Des Moines filled with young Obamaniacs hugging and cheering, “We did it!” Upstairs, scruffy postcollegiate staffers squeezed between couches and credenzas to celebrate the senator’s surprise victory. Cans of Bud Light covered every surface. Youth turnout was up 135 percent from 2004, and the under-25 set alone gave Obama 17,000 votes, a 26-year-old speechwriter told me. Obama’s margin of victory? Twenty thousand. “We did it” was right.”

So who are these new breed of politically savvy, laptop toting, iPod wearing hipsters? Well, they have been dubbed the “Millennials”, and when it comes to their politics they know what they like, they are active in pursuing those interests through hard work fund raising, organizing and, yes – showing up to the polls on election day. And they like Obama, and when I say “like”, I really mean, “love” Obama:

“Born in the 1980s, Sand and the supporters chugging Bud that night are what generational theorists call “millennials.” (Full disclosure: I’m one, too. Further disclosure: I’m also a registered independent.) Now, a month after Iowa, my boss’s boss is well aware that millions of my peers have fallen under the spell of the freshman senator from Illinois. At this point, the statistics seem almost stale: with youth turnout doubling, tripling and even quadrupling in the 30 contests to date, Obama won the 18-to-29 demographic by 4-1 in Iowa, 3-1 in New Hampshire, 3-1 in South Carolina and 2-1 in Nevada, and he trounced Clinton, often by as much as 50 percent among young voters, in 10 of the 13 Super Tuesday states with available data.”

Before I continue, just as the other did above, I to want to offer full disclosure, seeing as though for better or worse I too am a “Millennial”, as well as an Obama supporter. With that out of the way let’s continue with our analysis of the ‘youth vote’ and what makes these proactive, politically competent group tick.

The second part of the equation involves more of a generational gap, opposed to political motivation. In their eye’s “Millennial’s” saw Clinton as a prototypical “baby boomer”, who was an amazing person, strong politician, and more the likable – it’s just that “baby boomer’s” think and act differently then “Millennials”. When they would hear her hammer Barack Obama on experience, instead of taking it the way she intended it to come across, they thought to themselves; “great, more from the same group that gave us eight years of Reagan, four years of Bush Sr., and eight painful years of his doltish son. If that’s ‘experience’ then you can have it all, we don’t want it.”

Now you can agree with this train of though, or not – but regardless of how you personally view this, it’s the reality of the world we are living in, well at least in terms of elections, campaigns and politics in general. This is another major factor in the generational divide. “Millennial’s” are sick and tired of the partisan bickering, and political mudslinging that has all but taken over our elected offices. They see that this gets nothing done, and furthermore, hurts everyone involved, not just this group, or that political party, but the vast majority of American’s in general:

“According to Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais, authors of “Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics,” millennials “aren’t confrontational or combative, the way Boomers (whose generational mantra was ‘Don’t trust anyone over 30′) have been.” Instead, millennials belong to what social scientist William Strauss calls a “civic generation,” drawn to issues of “community, politics and deeds, whereas the boomers focused on issues of self, culture and morals.” Reacting against the excesses of our parents especially their efforts to advance moral causes through partisan politics we prefer to address problems by reforming institutions from within.”

So where does that leave us, and specifically Barack Obama in terms of the upcoming general election in November – an election that is being universally recognized as the most important Presidential decision this country will make in a very, very long time.

If one was to look at even the most generalized findings in terms of what issues and rational are important to the “Millennial” voter (who have already proved that they show up on election day) it would be fairly easy to assume Barack Obama will receive not only the same support from the ‘youth vote’, but in fact a larger swell – seeing as though there were in fact a good number of 18-29 year olds who supported Hillary during the primary will most likely flip the switch for Obama in November:

“A majority of Millennials (57%) think that gay marriage should be legal; 58% think more needs to be done to help the environment, even if our economy would suffer to some degree; and a majority also think we need a universal health care system and more money spent on education, even if it would mean increasing taxes. With progressive views like that, it is no wonder Millennials have overwhelmingly supported the Democrats throughout their brief voting history.”

“What else makes Obama so appealing to young voters? Well, unlike our current president, Obama doesn’t cringe at the idea of diplomacy. In fact, he encourages it and has even said that he thinks we should engage in diplomacy with unfriendly nations such as Iran and Syria. His emphasis on peace and multilateralism is something that Millennials believe is a necessity for our national security. According to a November, 2004 Democracy Corps poll, 57% of 18-29 year olds believed that America’s security depends upon building strong ties with other nations, and even more interesting, according to an April 2005 GQR poll, 55% of 18-25 year olds said that the 9/11 attacks meant that America needs to be more connected with the world. Also, in a 2004 Pew survey, only 29% of 18-25 year olds agreed that using overwhelming force is the best way to defeat terrorism,” compared to 67% who thought relying too much on military force leads to hatred and more terrorism.”

Basically this is a clear signal that the days of George W. Bush’s “cowboy”, “my way or the highway” diplomacy (which McCain has clearly adopted as a general platform stance) are numbered. That time has passed, America tried it their way, and it failed – The deceitful, and undermining tact behind the neo-conservative policies of the Bush administration have subsequently sent our country down a path no American (well at least 80 plus percent of American’s) likes, and the Millennial Generation happens to be the group taking for a large part, the brunt end of the nightmarish Bush tenure. That is why they are the most outspoken against the GOP, the smear tactics they use, and the overall vibe they need to set in order to win elections.

Combine the anti neo-con sentiment described above, with the fact that in Iowa, youth were 22% of the electorate, outperforming their share of eligible voters and comprising a higher portion of the electorate than the so-called reliable seniors, and in New Hampshire, youth were 18% of the electorate – the second highest share for youth during the primary process, and 43% of all young voters turned out, far and away the highest level of actual turnout among 18 – 29 year olds – one would have to recognize the looming problem this political first of sorts poses the McCain Campaign.

However this tidal wave may be silent up until the moment of impact, mainly because I think – scratch that, I know, that the media and mainstream polling agencies won’t give the youth electorate any significant consideration. Which is really quite significant when you take into account that Rasmussen, SurveyUSA, Gallup, Pew, and NBC/WSJ obtain the majority of their weekly, bi-weekly, or daily polling data via the telephone. And seeing as though I can honestly say that I don’t know one person my age who has a land line phone, I am forced to believe that this sizable voting demographic will continue (much as it was throughout the primary process) to get passed over in the overall analysis, and actual numbers pertaining to the general election.

So,taking all of this information into account, I am willing to make a prediction. A prediction that the “Millennial” voters will have a surprising, and quite frankly, “never seen before”, sized impact on the upcoming presidential election, with – and again this is simply a prediction, not a guarantee – the majority of their support coming in the form of votes for the Democratic candidate, Senator Barack Obama.

Just watch, you’ll see.

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June 25 (Bloomberg) – Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 15-point lead in the presidential race, and most of the political trends – voter enthusiasm, views of President George W. Bush, the Republicans, the economy and the direction of the country – point to even greater trouble for rival John McCain.

Illinois Senator Obama, winning support from once skeptical women and Democrats, beats McCain 48% to 33% in a four-way race, a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll shows. Independent candidates Bob Barr and Ralph Nader get 7% combined, with the remainder undecided.

Obama’s margin and most of the poll’s findings in other areas give the Democrats a commanding advantage more than four months before the November election, says Susan Pinkus, the Los Angeles Times polling director.

“The Obama voters are much more energized and motivated to come out to vote than the McCain voters; McCain is still struggling to win over some of his core groups,” she says. “The good news for Obama is also that he seems to be doing better on the issue that is uppermost in voters’ minds, and that is the economy.”

• Two-Way Race

The poll shows that the third-party candidacies of Barr and Nader, who political experts say likely will be on the ballot in most states, are hurting Arizona Senator McCain slightly more than Obama. In a two-way race, Obama’s lead over the presumptive Republican nominee narrows to 12 points.

Voters continue to view McCain, 71, as the more experienced candidate and trust him to fight the war on terror. Obama, 46, has the edge on most other matters, according to the poll of 1,115 registered voters, taken June 19 to 23. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Voters give Obama a 3-to-2 advantage on handling the economy and prefer his health-care and tax plans. They also say they believe he is the candidate who cares most about average Americans and is most likely to change Washington and build respect for the U.S. abroad.

McCain’s broader challenge is underscored by a depressed mood about the direction of the country, with just 13% of voters saying the nation is on the right track. Two summers ago, before the big Democratic wins in the midterm elections, that figure was 30%. In this week’s survey, more than half of all voters say McCain would continue Bush’s policies. Bush’s approval rating stands at 23%, near historic lows.

• Offshore Drilling

One bright spot for McCain, who recently abandoned his opposition to offshore drilling for oil and natural gas, is a high level of support for more drilling.

Obama is unifying the traditional Democratic base after the divisive Democratic nomination battle with New York Senator Hillary Clinton. Women, who were Clinton’s most loyal backers, now favor Obama by a 54% to 29% margin and Democrats give him more than 80% support. Obama also has a slight lead over McCain among male voters. White voters, who in the past have tended to favor Republicans, are split between the two candidates in the four-way race.

While Obama still faces a perception that he is naive and inexperienced, Democrats are much more excited about their candidate than Republicans. 81% of Obama supporters say they are enthusiastic about him, compared with 45% of McCain supporters who say the same about the Republican candidate.

• Independents

The poll shows that Obama needs to do more to sway independents, who may prove critical in November. McCain leads Obama 36% to 33% among independents in a four-way race. In a two-way competition, Obama loses to McCain by 8 points.

Young voters continue to be Obama’s most loyal support group, while older voters are the only group where McCain is competitive.

Almost half of all voters say the economy, more than any other issue, is the most important priority for the candidates to address in this election; and they prefer Obama by a 49 % to 28% margin to handle the issue.

That’s a reversal from a February Bloomberg/Times poll that showed McCain beating Obama by 8 points on the economy.

“I’m very concerned about the economy, I’m very concerned about health care and I’m very concerned about housing,” says Democratic poll respondent Adele Veronica Hamilton, a 68-year-old retired teacher from Live Oak, California. “McCain is simply a continuation of the Republican nonsense of Bush.”

• Changing Washington

Voters also give Obama a wide lead when it comes to which candidate cares more about people like them. He has an even bigger advantage over McCain on who will most change Washington.

Yet there was some positive news for McCain in the poll. More than half of all voters agree with McCain’s support for opening up more land for oil and gas drilling. 57% of voters say they believe drilling can be done safely and should be allowed in environmentally important areas with proper controls in place.

McCain also continues to dominate when it comes to the questions of who has the right experience to lead the nation and on national security. He is ahead of Obama by 17 points on who is best equipped to address the terrorist threat.

John Dambrosio, a 57-year-old physician from Westchester, New York, who supports McCain, says he watched the World Trade Center towers collapse on Sept. 11:

“from that moment on, we’ve been safe,” he says. “I don’t think the Democrats are hard-line enough.”

• Iraq War

On the war, McCain has for the first time lost his advantage, according to the poll, even though there are reports that the situation in Iraq is improving. Voters are split on who would better manage the conflict, with two-thirds saying the U.S. should withdraw immediately or within a year, and only about one- third saying troops should stay “as long as it takes,” the position adopted by McCain. In the February survey, McCain led Obama on Iraq by 13% points.

The poll shows McCain may have the most difficulty overcoming voters’ feelings toward the Republican Party.

Just 29 percent of voters say they have a positive view of the party, compared with 51% who say the same about the Democrats; just 24% of voters say they have a positive feeling about Bush. Their feelings about McCain are much more positive, at 47%; Obama had 59%.

On an optimistic note for both candidates, neither race nor age emerges as a significant factor.

• Obama’s Experience

The area where Obama must work to address voter concerns is experience. Almost half of all voters agreed with the statement that Obama is too naïve and inexperienced for the job of president. That includes 54 percent of independents. An even higher number of voters, 56 percent, say they consider Obama at least somewhat liberal.

At the same time, McCain is struggling with traditional Republican base voters. 51% of those who identify themselves as members of the religious right say they aren’t enthusiastic about voting for McCain. That could hurt him in the South, the only region where McCain has a bare lead over Obama.

Democrats appear lukewarm about the prospect of Hillary Clinton as Obama’s running mate, with 36% saying that would be a good idea, though her overall positive rating is 49%. Surprisingly, former President Bill Clinton, whose approval ratings dropped after he was criticized for his comments during the primary, does slightly better, with 52% of voters saying they have a positive feeling toward him.

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