Here are our exchanges from the beginning of April through today. The plan after this will be more like weekly posts.

Hi! I'm just reading about Wright now in the Freep and Dillon was on my agenda too. Early in the controversy over Wright, I heard his successor pastor explain the 5-part arc of the type of sermons that Wright and others using Black Liberation Theology give. It made perfect sense to me. This is the whole issue of sound-bite knowledge versus something more lengthy and thoughtful. But I guess I have to admit that I'm in the intellectual category - I know how Wright's snippets must sound to others in a different category. It's not good for Obama, unless you are thoughtful - and I HATE the way Hillary/Billary just milk such a thing for all it is worth, with smug looks on their faces all the while . . .

- - Ing, April 25, 2008


I like the green, actually. I think the template looks smart and simple.

What are you making of all the news about Rev. Wright giving an interview will only drag out the story instead of letting it fade? I'm glad he is speaking out now because this is an instance where I think, if Obama is the nominee, the republicans will run negative ads.

- - Fair, April 25, 2008


I set TiVo to record Bill Moyers interview with Rev. Wright. From what I have seen in clips, the Rev. acquits himself well, but the pundits all say, this is not good for Obama, it doesn't allow the story to fade away. And it is a story very poorly served by the sound-bite, 2-minutes max. per story format of the evening news. Maybe someday we'll get beyond that, with longer internet formats/searches and other media . . . so, hey, millennial guy, go ahead and speak for your generation - longer or shorter attention spans!

- - Ing, April 25, 2008


I spent about a half hour creating http://www.faxham.blogspot.com last night at home. It's a learning experience, all right.

Where you create the site, they have various templates - you can also make your own, but I haven't those skills. The template I chose is rather wimpy - we hadn't discussed colors or anything. They didn't have a template with a bold, sort of red-white-and-blue theme that I could find. So I went with colors I liked that I didn't think were overly feminine - greens, oranges, text in blue-gray. Sort of non-committal. Anyway, that and most everything can be changed.

- - Ing, April 24, 2008


Now of course I will edit out personal stuff, but since it is supposed to be a political discussion, I thought Kwame and Jennifer remarks could stay in. But this is sort of fun - hope we don't change our spontaneous reactions to events just because we are going to publish! ;->

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Ing - (sounds like an Adams Family name)

I didn't see this e-mail before I sent my previous response. As long as adding material isn't difficult, I'm all for it. I'm sure since this is a Google product it is for the most part intuitive.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008

I like the Faxham - I didn't look at the templates they had available, but I imagine something like a classy font for "The Faxham" and then an explanation of the blog purpose as something like, a political discussion, with liberal leanings, between the midwest and Washington DC. Anonymous hosts are Ing and Fair (too cute?).

I really think this might be fun - hope you don't regret suggesting it, even in jest. But blogger.com makes it sound real easy, and easy to change.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


No, definitely look in to it!

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


Now that I went through the "tour" at blogger.com - and found that it is from the Google family - I would sort of like to do this. But - if I set it up, I'd want to do it from my home computer. I could do this this weekend and let you know. If you were just kidding, no harm done.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


See, deadpan is hard to do by e-mail - I don't know the emoticon for that. I just googled blogs and there is a website called blogger.com that tells how to set things up. But I didn't really look at it too closely . . . maybe you could. I betcha lots of folks have the same idea, but maybe it would be fun.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Of course I'm not too serious. I don't know how to post a website (set up a server, etc...) and I was guessing you don't know that either.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


The Faxham is fine.

Are you sure you're serious? Perhaps you are just doing a late April Fool's joke!

- - Ing, April 23, 2008
The Faxham (FAX-um) Blog :)

We could just do a cut and past from what seems to be are almost daily e-mail conversations.

The website www.faxham.com does not exist and seems to be unregistered. We could just surround it with Google ads and split the ad revenue (what little there would probably be) 50-50.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


But maybe you have something different in mind - you could cut and paste from our e-mails like this? Sure. The name is a mouthful - how about something geographical, like Ingham & Fairfax –

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Here I go again worrying... I think *something* needs to be done with FLA and Mich. - two states with voters you don't want mad at you going in to a general election with a mildly popular republican candidate. Although... just how "mad" are we so far. I'm not...

About our blog... perhaps we could just post copies of our e-mail conversations and see what type of hits and comments we get - again... complete with Google ads on the page :)

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


I've thought about starting a blog often, but I think it would end up eating up too much time.

Did you hear Hillary this morning already claiming she is ahead in the popular vote now? It's because she's counting Florida and Michigan, on the theory, that regardless of delegates, people still voted. I highly doubt that is part of the Dem. Nat'l Party nomination rules! As for your worries/etc. - I'm just glad that you didn't count Obama out based on Hillary's performance yesterday.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Yes it was - we should start our own blog complete with Google ads so we can earn some extra $$. I wish I wasn't so worried about the things that concern me about the campaign. I should just support him 100% and not worry about such things as electability, blue-collar voters, the elderly, etc... Just not analyze something for once in my life.

If Obama wins in Indiana, I think it will prove he can win over working class voters come November. John McCain's recent Bush moments, such as all of a sudden liking the Bush tax cuts can only help our cause. Just who is John McCain?...

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


Our back and forth was fun this morning.

Keep the comments coming, esp. as we approach Indiana and North Carolina contests!

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


I can't remember the exact states - Tim Russert worked it all out with his famous white board - how the different strategies of the three candidates would hit the magic electoral college number of, what is it, 270? I'm just leaving something out of the Obama strategy.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008
The problem is the number of electoral votes in the four states you mentioned - Ohio, Mich., VA, and Colorado. Ohio and Michigan bring a lot more electoral votes than Colorado and Virginia.

I think, actually, that Obama could take Michigan. Macomb County would be red, but Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Saginaw, Kalamazoo, Ingham, Washtenaw (in no particular order) would be blue. Same may be true no matter which candidate moves ahead.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


Yes - you are holding forth with the traditional or conventional arguments, based on recent history of blue states in presidential races. The Obama strategy means taking some traditional red states, like Virginia and Colorado, and turning them blue, while at the same time letting Ohio and even Michigan go red. I haven't found any pundit who thinks New York will go red, no matter who the candidates are.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008
I am convinced the "blue-collar" segment is critical to win such states as Michigan, Ohio, up-state New York, and Pennsylvania - all states needed to win in November. This group doesn't matter so much/if at all for Florida, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, or California.

Don't get me wrong, I think it will be difficult for either a woman or an African-American to win these mostly throwback voters, but they do vote, and from what I've heard, at least from the Macomb County angle, is that Hillary would be supported more than Obama (the race issue). Maybe it is just because race is such a touchy issue in the Detroit area that causes me to be too concerned.

After reading CNN this morning you would begin to think I work for the Clinton campaign - maybe I'm old school with my thinking - but these are the same (a bit eerie, in fact, how similar) arguments they are making...

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


I need to go to the online analysis to figure out, just how crucial the blue-collar white votes are to Democrats. Axelrod/Obama have a different path to victory as compared to conventional thinking from the past several election cycles. They could be right, they could be wrong. . . . It sounds as though you are mostly convinced that the blue-collar segment is critical. . .

I've been trying to remember where I read some analysis that might have been right after Iowa. It was how Obama's timing was sort of tragic irony for Hillary because she felt her time was now, but she and Bill would NEVER stand in the way of the first, having-a-realistic-chance african-american candidate, given their civil rights background. Well - that was wrong, but it sticks with me. There is a difference between the Republican candidate tearing down Obama and Hillary Clinton doing so. It should not be that her victory can only come about by way of his destruction. She should be able to find a positive path, mostly by touting her own qualities.

I never watch FoxNews any more. I admit that I do watch the show/person who tacks toward Obama - that is Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. But I also switch back and forth to CNN - any of those guys are fine. Brian Williams is always our evening news guy on the set we listen to, while Katie is on the other set.

Here's what I do Sunday mornings - there are the two TV sets. On the one that is on headphones, I have Meet the Press and the Chris Matthews Show with close-captioning. On the other set, I have CBS Sunday Morning, which mostly isn't too political. At the same time, I TiVo This Week with George S. (ABC) and then Reliable Sources with Howard Kurtz (CNN). And I read Howard Kurtz's blog, Media Notes, at washingtonpost.com most every day.

I don't get out of the mainstream media much, except to the extent that these other outlets quote from other blogs and things.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Last night means ANOTHER two weeks, at least. I was surprised at how large the Clinton lead was based on how much $$ Obama spent in the area - esp. the Philly area. I was also surprised that Clinton was able to take the suburban Philly counties that she did. I thought Obama would win in those areas and that would balance the Clinton-Obama vote; Philly/suburbs vs. the remainder of the state.

Unfortunately, I continue to think that Obama's race is an issue among "Blue Collar Voters" (white older (mostly) males with no college degree). I grew up in the epicenter of that and know how these high school educated "Reagan Democrats" think. Very unfortunate, but something that needs to be considered if the Dems. are to win in November. I don't think it can be ignored that continues to be what keeps me from fully backing Obama and remaining neutral at present. The Reagan Democrats may become "McCain Democrats." This is very difficult for me. I do not buy the argument that if Obama wins the nomination that Clinton's base will sit it out or vote McCain or if Clinton wins that Obama's base will sit out or vote McCain.

I also am a bit mad at the Obama camp for saying Hillary campaign is being too hard with her attacks. I think it is actually a good thing - it will mean most attacks will be old news during the general election. The Republicans aren't going to play nice and this buys right in to Hillary's "If you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen" idea. I would feel the same if Obama starts to go after Hillary harder and her campaign cried foul.

I stayed up pretty late, but not as late to see all of the votes get tallied.

Here's a question: which reporters from the MSNBC-Fox-CNN networks do you like to watch? I like Larry King, Candy Crowley, Greta Van Sustren (sp?), Brian Williams, and sometimes Anderson Cooper (if he has his thoughts straight - I notice he sometimes can get ahead of himself). I prefer MSNBC's delivery, but for the most part like the CNN reporters.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


Elderly white women - consistent for Hillary. MY mom (who is almost 85) can't stand Hillary, loves Obama, but will probably vote for McCain if Hillary is the candidate.

Elderly white men - I think consistent for Hillary. Wisconsin had Obama cutting into her segments the most. And Wisconsin was pre-Pastor Wright, bittergate, etc.

Personally, I think Obama is much more inspiring than Granholm, in their relative theaters of action. You may be extrapolating from your experience too much on that one. The exit polls have revealed a lot of new and young voters for Obama, throughout the contests.

Right now, Hillary is full-in to the Big Mo analogy from sports. Only problem is, the points scored the entire game do count in sports - she wants to pretend the points scored most recently count the most.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


What do you make of the elderly vote? This is a segment that is probably much more important that the Blue-Collar voters and one I've ignored until now.

Do you know; Have they been consistently supporting Clinton or Obama across the board or are they mixed between the two candidates?

I see Clinton won this group in PA.

I am so cynical about voters my age because I've had friends say there were going to vote (I recruited them to support Granholm over DeVos) and they didn't vote for reasons that made me mad: (Oh, I ended up going tanning instead... or, I couldn't figure out where I should vote..., or I had to stop at the store... or, I didn't know what time "voting closed"... or, it was raining...).

Silly distractions in my mind.

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


I've got some cousins around the Elkhart, IN area - maybe I should try and get and touch and lobby them on Obama's behalf ;->

p.s. John Oliver had his own special last Sunday night - if you didn't see it, and you like him on the Daily Show, perhaps it will be repeated. Lots of laugh-out-loud stuff!

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


I saw that episode of the Daily Show. A good skit. By the way... I still am waiting to see Hillary strap on some hunting gear and go out in the woods with hunters (in the mostly animal-friendly way, of course) in NC, Montana, and Indiana! We've already seen Barack attempt bowling and Hillary down a shot of whiskey :)

I wonder if Obama or Hillary will try to change the oil of a domestic car in Indiana??

- - Fair, April 23, 2008


Obviously, the Penn. results were not as I would have liked. I've decided I need to try and stop being so childish and immature in my attachment to Obama and his being the candidate. I need to reconcile with the idea that she may be the candidate and her election would be a better result than that of McCain.

Here's an example of how immature my support of Obama is: nearly everyone would agree that for the past 8 years (counting back from next year's inauguration) we have had a president with the worst speaking voice and style since - Jimmy Carter, perhaps? I would so love to have a president who could speak well. Did you happen to catch Obama on the Daily show Monday night? Jon had Obama repeat back to him a couple of mundane phrases, like - I would like know if you are happy with your cell phone service - and to "hope it up." Of course, Obama did.

I know there's a lot more to being a president than speaking voice and Hillary has her good, presidential qualities. I'm quite sure I'll be able to vote for her - just not be as happy to listen to her.

- - Ing, April 23, 2008


Tonight will be here soon. Probably will be a late night.

- - Fair, April 22, 2008


Big day today! Will she win by up to 10 points? 10 or more? Will he pull out a win? Penn. polls close today at 8:00pm so MSNBC will be up with their call right at 8 if feasible. I hope it is not feasible! I can't imagine Obama could win big, so the only way they could call at 8pm is if SHE wins REAL big. His best area is around Philly and I guess their returns have been late, lately, so what will most likely happen is that the race will be "too early to call" at 8 - "too close to call" would be better from my standpoint, but my best realistic hope is that she gets a narrow win. Then all the back and forth will continue at least through May 6 . . .who would have thunk it, last year!

- - Ing, April 22, 2008


You're right about Rove! I would not stop to help the guy, either! But Cheney is creepier - have you caught the new Lewis Black show, The Root of all Evil? Comics square off debating what is worse - a recent pair were Paris Hilton and Cheney. Lewis Black rules - in this case, Cheney was declared the root of all evil!

- - Ing, April 21, 2008


Karl Rove (!!!) gave a good interview to GQ about Hillary vs. Obama. I have a feeling; no wait, I know if I saw him stranded on the side of a road and I knew it was him that I would not stop to help. Seems like a creepy individual always out for something.

- - Fair, April 21, 2008


Sorry I had been getting too insistent about how much better Barack was over Hillary when you had not yet made up your mind. It's quite possible you won't be able to decide by Wednesday morning, either. I wish my candidate had been able to "close the deal" as they say, earlier on. . .

- - Ing, April 21, 2008


I hadn't thought of that, but you're right - I don't recall an urban agenda out of any of them. It would be the best "fit" with Obama, I think. Even thought I live rural, I appreciate lots of things about better urban living/design/policy. . .we were looking at a chart in the paper the other day and it's amazing that when we moved out into the country, gas was approx. $1 a gallon - this was 1997. And now . . .maybe more of a fringe suburban location would have been better for us, esp. the older we get . . . but we just didn't think about that then - we just wanted OUT of the city.

- - Ing, April 17, 2008


I'm sure you can tell from my e-mails that I still am not attached to either Clinton or Obama - just to getting a Dem. elected in November. That is what I care about most. I lean toward Obama because he, to me, can contribute something fresh AND he is from a major city. He hasn't been very forthcoming about an urban agenda (the other two haven't either) which would probably make me an immediate fan and donor.

I am surprised with John McCain - and not in a good way. As of late he seems to be drinking the republican kool-aid. He seems to be getting farther to the right on issues he always thought had nothing to do with government. Perhaps he can get away with it as a technique to court social conservatives while everyone else is side tracked with Clinton/Obama.

- - Fair, April 17, 2008


Yes - I've heard this also. So, do you find things like this interesting in just an intellectual way? Or have you come to "care" about who is the next President yet? Obviously, I care quite a bit - more and more, I can hardly bear to watch Hillary on TV, especially if she is speaking. And I genuinely do believe that Obama could be a different kind of politician, esp. once attacks from his own party began to decline.

If party elders come to her privately and persuade her to get out - no matter how much she resists - that'll be one thing. If she makes it public, at the convention, then I think McCain's chances really go up.

- - Ing, April 17, 2008


I've heard this rumor: Hillary will be asked to "suspend" her campaign and be suggested she take the "opportunity" to run for gov. of NY state.

I think it's interesting... I don't think she'll suspend her campaign without a fight, at least a hidden, back-door brawl.

- - Fair, April 17, 2008


Yes, the debate was on ABC - some of the bloggers have really expressed disdain for the moderators - besides George, also Charlie Gibson. The thought is that they spent so much time on the "trivial" issues which the media likes to go on and on about - bitter-gate, wearing a flag pin or not, some name from past American violent dissent - William Ayers or something? I guess it was a weather underground or similar association, and O. has had very slight interactions with him (membership on the same board?). Obama brought up Hillary's "little woman baking cookies" remarks from 1992 and how he knew back then she was being misportrayed - but now, she has learned the long lesson, just going after these attacks by association, by seeming to be something a person is not, - the Republican playbook, in other words.

Conventional wisdom some weeks or months ago was that Pennsylvania would not be decisive unless Clinton wins by an enormous margin - which, has she ever done? And then she would need to follow up with all of the remaining contests, winning by similar margins. With her negatives? It's just going to turn out to be the worst case scenario - Obama will either have the nomination but be wounded by all her attacks (friendly fire) or she will engineer some super-delegate revolt and alienate the entire black voting bloc and have all her high negatives, to boot - leading us to - BUSH TERM 3!

- - Ing, April 17, 2008


I've tried but can't exactly find the answer to your question. At the CNN site, there's this (bold added):

“At the forum, Clinton said those remarks fed into religious voters' impression of the Democratic Party ‘as a party that didn't understand and respect the values and the way of life of many of our fellow Americans.’

‘We had two very good men, and men of faith, run for president in 2000 and 2004,’ she said, referring to Al Gore and John Kerry. ‘But large segments of the electorate concluded that they did not really understand, or relate to, or frankly respect their ways of life.’

“In his appearance right after Clinton's, Obama responded. ‘I know that Al Gore was mentioned earlier,’ he said. ‘By the way, I have to say, I think Al Gore won. ...’

“ ‘. . .[W]hat I was referring to was in no way demeaning a faith that I myself embrace. What I was saying is that when economic hardship hits in these communities, what people have is they've got family, they've got their faith, they've got the traditions that have been passed onto them from generation to generation,’ said Obama. ‘Those aren't bad things. That's what they have left’"

Probably by "responded", they meant that the moderators repeated to Obama what Clinton had said. My guess would be that some of his staff was assigned to watch her and provide him key points he should respond to. It doesn't seem like he was just in a "green room" watching and waiting his turn.

- - Ing, April 14, 2008


No doubt you're right about needing those votes in the General - but Obama has been learning along the way - I think he'll be able to get enough of them. I'll look for the structure thing.

- - Ing, April 14, 2008


I think we will need those voters to win - it may be an Al Gore situation where Obama gets the popular vote, but the way the rural states/blue collar states vote could tip the electoral vote to McCain (states like IN, OH, and PA).

Let me know if you come across anything that explains the structure of the discussion; specifically if Obama got to watch Hillary's responses. The questions to Clinton and Obama were either the same or very similar.

- - Fair, April 14, 2008


I'm just reading about the Faith Debate and related subjects right now. Somehow, the Faith Debate slipped right by me.

There definitely was a context to what Obama said that made it more palatable and less elitist - in fact, when I first heard what he said, it didn't sound elitist to me at all - just stereotypical and clumsy in execution. But I don't think he's even been counting on blue collar votes in the primaries anyway, and in my opinion, this being April, this will mostly be forgotten by November. The biggest immediate problem is that I think Hillary is getting under his skin on this topic and he's been saying some things back that sound harsh and personal. That always ups the sympathy vote for her among women.

- - Ing, April 14, 2008


Did you watch the "Faith debate" on CNN last night?

I personally think John McCain was right to decline his invitation. I think faith is a personal matter that should not be made such a major part of a campaign. I had a hard time believing some of the what seemed to be calculated statements from both Clinton and Obama, esp. from Clinton. If you watched, do you know if Obama got to see Hillary's interview (she went first) prior to him going on stage?

I think Obama is going to be in trouble with what I'll call traditional blue collar, white male voters in "rust belt" states after the Rev. Wright episode and now the elite comments. I thought it was interesting to hear Hillary stand up for the Second Amendment as if she is/was a gun toting, rabbit skinnin', bark eating hunter... :)

- - Fair, April 14, 2008


"I think I'll join you all the way supporting Obama..." YOU HAD BETTER!

- - Ing, April 4, 2008


I'm to the point now where my patience for the Dem. competition is thinning. Unless Hillary beats Barack by a good margin (if at all) in Penn., I think I'll join you all the way supporting Obama...

- - Fair, April 4, 2008


. . . Back to politics - yeah, perhaps I missed your sarcasm :) about the entitlement thing. But here's what I find perplexing now, and it seems to come from more conservative types, like Tucker Carlson and Bill Ballenger (MIRS): we just don't KNOW Obama. What? Isn't Hillary totally desperate to beat him? Won't the Clinton machine do anything to beat him? Don't they have the best "oppo" research in the business? So, if there is something to uncover about Obama, wouldn't it have come out by now?

- - Ing, April 4, 2008


That was good. You know I was just being funny re: the entitlement comment, right?

- - Fair, April 3, 2008


Not at all! It just proves - all politics are local.

As for entitlement - look at the most famous father-son Republican presidential dynasty there is! (Did you catch the Jon Stewart where he had clips from a recent Bush speech where Bush went on and on about the war, the economy, Katrina, etc. - and Jon was like, I knew it was bad - and we really pay attention here - but not THAT bad . . . so funny.)

- - Ing, April 3, 2008


I think I may, but for this reason: this guy I went to HS with is running for his father's House seat. The senior is term limited and he think his son *should* have his seat. I thought only us Dems believed in entitlement :) Well... I'd like to support . . . instead. . . .

Am I being childish?

- - Fair, April 3, 2008


Will you be voting absentee ballot in Michigan?

- - Ing, April 3, 2008
I actually think the media holds the key to when that line is drawn. To date, McCain has been relatively out of the news - his trip to Iraq barely was a headline to me. The Hillary "lie-for-a-lie" and the Obama pastor/PA gutter ball seemed to capture more attention.

Once the media begins to give McCain his share of time, that is when I hope a decision is made (probably that Hillary exits the race).

- - Fair, April 3, 2008


I do agree with this line of reasoning - up to a point. If Obama will be the ultimate candidate, then when will he be able to start focusing 100% on defeating McCain, instead of defeating Hillary? I'm sure that April or May are soon enough, but June? July? The August convention as Hillary wants? The line is so hard to draw.- - Ing, April 3, 2008

[Maureen Dowd Opinion piece in April 3, 2008 New York Times, “Clinton’s tutorial will toughen up Obama” – example quote: “Whether or not she wins, Hillary Clinton has already given noble service as a sophisticated political tutor for Barack Obama, providing her younger colleague with much-needed seasoning. Who else was going to toughen him up? Howard Dean? John Edwards? Dennis Kucinich?”]

- - Fair, April 3, 2008