In a month from now, Glen Beck will be holding his "Restoring Honor" rally at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th. Most people probably just see the date and do not think much of it. However, take a second to think about it. August 28...1963? Does that ring a bell at all? Ask Congressman John Lewis. He was in Washington D.C. that day. Still nothing? August 28, 1963 was the March on Washington and also the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his "I Have A Dream" speech on those same steps.
History holds a level of importance of where we have come from and where we are going. Events over time can range from highly important to a blip on the radar. Any student of history and America will almost certainly rank King's speech in the upper tier of great speeches. What was said that day was beyond words and should be respected by this generation of Americans and future generations.
Beck often comes on television or radio and projects himself as a patriot attempting to help Americans save themselves. Bring back America from the brink. This rally he is organizing is supposed to be about celebrating and honoring America's heroes, heritage, and future. He will be joined by "fellow patriot", Sarah Palin, and entertainers, Jo Dee Messina and Ted Nugent. Also there will be former Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell and several members of the Armed Services. Beck is hoping to gather a large collection of Medal of Honor winners. They will all be gathered in a tribute to those who embody this nation's principles of integrity, truth, and honor. Beck, Palin, and similar politicians/personalities consistently harp on our freedom being lost today under President Obama. So, in order to reclaim a fading America, Beck sees gathering on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as that way to restore this country's honor.
Beck first announced his intentions for the 8/28 rally two months. He would go on to reference George Washington and the Purple Heart and the purpose of a badge of merit. He spoke on Washington’s desire to have people of integrity and individuals who understood merit and honor. Thus, an idea randomly popped into Beck’s wandering mind. He had a vision to restore honor through restoring the road to glory of a free country open to all. At his rally, he will be “rewarding” citizens with badges of merit that might emulate the Purple Heart design. This is a chance to “restore the country”, “restore honor”, and “restore faith and principles” all on the road to discovering “a new George Washington”.
However, if you preach to appreciate history; as Beck does; than he must know that this cheap stunt is disrespectful to history and one of the revolutionaries in this country.
On that same August day that Beck plans to hold a rally to restore America’s honor; King stood before 200,000 civil rights supporters and orated for roughly twenty minutes on the future he dreamt of. He called for racial equality and an end to discrimination. He spoke loudly and proudly in front of the statue of the man, who 100 years earlier had emancipated the slaves. His speech would become not only a defining moment in the civil rights movement, but would put the advancements that were achieved in 1964 and 1965 on their course. How important was this speech? It was only ranked the top speech of the 20th century.
He referenced the Emancipation Proclamation as well as laid out the premise of an integrated and unified America. He would link the progress made in the 1860s as the beginning of the journey and the events of the 1960s as the next step in a continued progress.
In his speech, King details his vision as such:“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’.” All men are created equal, whether they are black or white. And many also might recall the words of “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
It is 47 years later and despite great progress over that time; King's dream is yet to be fully realized. And Beck and some those who will be in Washington that day neither grasp King's dream or respect it.
Thus, despite the fact that he is bringing many of this country's Armed Services to Washington; he is off the mark again. If he wants to honor the Armed Services and great men like George Washington; then hold a rally near or around Memorial Day or Veterans Day. August 28th is not a holiday and thus fair game for a rally on whatever Beck wants to hold a rally on. But him and Sarah Palin are disrespecting the Purple Heart with mock badges. And more importantly, they are choosing the same day as King's infamous speech held in the same location as the time and place to continue their far right wing agenda in "restoring America".
Holding a rally not related to civil rights on August 28th on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial is disrespectful to history and the legacy of men who fought for civil rights like King. Beck does not see that and will continue to do as he feels as he tries to be a patriot. No thank you, sir. Men like King and Washington; those are patriots.
http://www.examiner.com/article/disrespect-for-history-and-martin-luther-king-jr
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
100 Days Until the 2010 Midterm Elections: An Outlook
The 2010 Midterm Elections stand 100 days away. Democrats and Republicans have spent equal time trumpeting their talking points as a crucial election cycle nears the home stress. Democrats scrambled for twelve years to regain control of the United States Congress and now a mere four years later they see themselves standing on some unstable ground. Republicans had crucial missteps during the first half of the 2000s that led to their ouster in 2006. They have been punched and kicked pretty badly in 2006 as well as 2008; when Barack Obama was elected President of the United States and Democrats added to their gains from 2006. A Democratic "perfect storm" was created for Democrats to address their objectives and goals in an unified way like President Bush and the Republican Congress had done during six of the eight years of Bush's presidency.
Both have and will continue to spin the talking points and day to day polls and results their way. However, what will not be said by either side is that this November will based largely on local issues and concerns. National politics are formed from all the smaller parts of the country: the local politics. As will be examined, what has transpired since last November has been largely about local elections that have turned into a battle of words pitting Democrats versus Republicans in Congress and President Obama's agenda versus the Republican Party. Each election has been viewed by both parties to be solely about a referendum for or against the president. Ultimately, that has not been the case.
Might as well start in New Jersey. Last November, Republican Chris Christie defeated Democratic governor, Jon Corzine. In the wake of the election, Democrats looked to marginalize the loss by Corzine while the Republicans looked to exaggerate the victory by Christie. If you were to look at the electoral map following that election, you would see nothing too outrageous. Christie carried fairly conservative counties and Corzine carried fairly liberal counties with Christie doing better in toss-up areas and getting more votes from his base. But, do not think for one second that Christie defeating Corzine equals a vote against Obama. That might have been on some voters’ minds, but the outcome was based on the voters' concerns, which were taxes and the economy.
The race was between Christie and Corzine and not two imaginary forces. Not to mention the role that third party candidate Christopher Daggett played in the outcome. Daggett capitalized on an unusual opening for a third party candidate and picked up a larger percentage of the vote than most third party candidates would have gotten. Just because New Jersey leans Democratic does not guarantee anything. Corzine had higher disapproval ratings than approval ratings during his last year. It did not matter how popular President Obama was; Corzine was going to have to win or lose on his own record and popularity. So, for all the critics who viewed Corzine’s loss as a sign that people were turning against President Obama; those views too are rash judgments without much credibility. As the campaign and election played out, Christie displayed himself as enough of a change in Trenton and Corzine had dug himself a hole; partially created by himself and partially created by forces out of his control. Christie’s win over Corzine was based on the state of affairs in New Jersey and not what the temperature was like nationally.
What was occurring in New Jersey was also happening in Virginia as they too had a race for governor. Tim Kaine was more popular than Corzine, but he was not running, which opened the door in Virginia for a Republican to take back the state house. Creigh Deeds was certainly not as strong a candidate as Kaine would have been. Bob McDonnell was running a better campaign from the beginning and hence allowed him to take the lead in the campaign.
The major issues in Virginia were not terribly different from New Jersey as jobs and the economy were on voters’ minds. However, voters in Virginia had slightly different views and concerns based on those issues as the two states were in different places economically. Unlike in New Jersey, Barack Obama was not as visible and that was a combination of the White House, but more on Deeds’ campaign for not imploring Obama to come help in Virginia more. Compared to New Jersey, Virginia tends to lean more Republican and despite it becoming slightly more Democratic in the last few years; there still remains a large stronghold for the Republican Party in the state. Deeds, unlike the previous two Democratic governors and President Obama; was not able to capitalize on swing districts and did not pick up strong enough numbers in areas he carried. His loss was not contributed to being an unpopular incumbent like Corzine, but a poor campaigner with weaknesses that McDonnell stomped on as he won the election.
And lastly, the third race that November night that had a major impact involved a special election upstate New York. A vacancy was created by Republican John M. McHugh, who was nominated to become the Secretary of the Army last June. This special election involved New York’s 23rd congressional district. A district that has been one of the most conservative in the country to the point that it had been well over 100 years since a Democrat carried the district.
Bill Owens was nominated by the Democratic Party while Dierdre Scozzafava was nominated by the Republican Party. Scozzafava was not ultra conservative, but conservative enough to have no problem winning the district and election against Owens. However, the conservative base of the Republican thought it knew best. National conservatives like Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson interjected their voice and put their clout behind the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Right before the election, Scozzafava withdrew from all the attacks she was receiving from the conservative base. With her withdrawal, she threw her support behind Owens. On election day, that would prove to be the crucial move in allowing Bill Owens to win the seat. The conservative ploy backfired in their face and they were left with one less member in the U.S. House of Representatives as important legislation was being moved forward. If the district outsiders had not tried to tell voters how to vote, the race might have and in all likelihood played out differently with either Scozzafava or Hoffman winning. This is another example of a race being locally based regardless of the fact that it was for a seat in the U.S. Congress. President Obama’ agenda had little impact on the outcome.
When the calendar turned to 2010, the drama and political conservation from those three races was only amplified. Before primary season would kick off, there was one big special election in Massachusetts to fill the seat of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. The seat had been in Democratic hands for decades and was viewed as a must win for both parties. The outcome would either keep the Democrats' supermajority of sixty in the U.S. Senate or give the Republicans the one necessary vote to allow for a filibuster.
Paul Kirk was appointed to the seat, but per Massachusetts’ setup a special election had to be held roughly 160 days after the vacancy occurred, which set the table for an election in January. Martha Coakley was nominated by the Democratic Party and Scott Brown was nominated by the Republican Party. Coakley had a large advantage early on based on Massachusetts’ large Democratic base. But, her overconfidence and lack of urgency opened the door for Brown to begin to chip off her lead. From late summer to late 2009, he had closed a large gap to make the race neck-and-neck going into the final two weeks. Brown would surpass Coakley and defeat her in the special election to become the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. His victory was seen as this large referendum against Obama’s first year especially the health care legislation while Democrats began to backpedal a bit in response.
However, once again, this was not in the largest sense a national election. It was decided largely on Brown running a much smoother and aggressive campaign to Coakley's sloppy and non-energetic campaign. He is not a conservative and that plays well in a state like Massachusetts. And the kicker in a lot of the arguments is based upon Brown's victory being a call to arms against President Obama's proposed health care legislation. What Obama was proposing at that time was essentially what the residents in Massachusetts already had. A health care plan oddly enough implemented by a Republican governor in Mitt Romney. The same Mitt Romney, who voiced opposition to President Obama’s legislation that was basically a photocopy of his.
Two special elections in Hawaii and Pennsylvania in May would garner the next batch of headlines as a referendum for or against the Obama Presidency. First was the Pennsylvania, which had garnered as much if not more headlines than Massachusetts and New York's 23rd. The election was for the 12th congressional district in Pennsylvania, the seat held by the late John Murtha. Both parties viewed this special election has another gauge for November of where the nation was. The Democrats nominated Mark Critz and the Republicans nominated Tim Burns. Critz had worked with Murtha and chose to focus on that in addition to standing by his ideals and where he stood on the issues. He was not in favor of the health care legislation and was a proud gun owner. Points that a conservative or Republican would run on. So, the Republicans went about linking Critz to Obama/Reid/Pelosi. A tactic that they will almost certainly continue to use as November draws closer. The end result: Critz defeated Burns. Know why? Because voters voted based on how they felt locally and not nationally. They could not deny or forget all the money and resources that Congressman Murtha had brought to a struggling town and felt Critz would continue to do the same.
Then, there was a special election for Hawaii’s 1st congressional district with Neil Abercrombie resigning to run for governor. The race was a three way affair with Republican Charles Djou running against Democratic candidates Colleen Hanabusa and Edward Case. Case was preferred by the state’s U.S. Senators, President Obama, and DNC as the more moderate candidate with the best chance to win. Hanabusa had liberal groups in the state behind her. Both candidates wanted the other to withdraw for the party's sake, but would not withdraw themselves. The feud turned ugly and fractured the party in the state clearing the way for Djou’s victory and a talking point for the Republican Party. Djou does not win if the party had better unity. This outcome had nothing to do with what was transpiring in Congress.
Rand Paul and Joe Sestak emerged to win their respective primaries in May. Paul defeated Trey Grayson in Kentucky while Sestak defeated incumbent Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas fought off a vicious attack by labor unions to defeat Bill Halter in a run-off primary. Sharon Angle came out of a three way race in Nevada to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a similar fashion as Paul. Primaries will continue into September. And it all likelihood, the same trend will continue: local politics will trump national politics. Each race was shaped more on the candidates in the races and what the temperature was like in those states than what the temperature was nationally. What matters in Kentucky or Pennsylvania might not matter as much in Arkansas. There were different elements in each of these races that led to the outcomes.
Each state has a different makeup and ultimately even in a race for U.S. President, it boils down to local matters and concerns. Local politics can be a city or county or it can be a district or a state. Both parties make the same mistakes with the Republicans; the party out of power; making them more often. Politics and elections are won and lost at the most basic level. If you try to make it about the Democratic agenda versus the Republican agenda, that is only going to cater to the parties’ bases. Granted, in an off year election like 2010; the bases are more vital. But you turn-off independents and swing voters with open hyperbole. Jobs and the economy are going to matter from California to New York. But it is about what specific details matter to a segment of eastern Missouri or a segment of southwestern New Mexico.
That is what is often missed with political games that are played by both parties. They go for the home run instead of the infield single. They prefer at times to win big or lose big. But, especially in a crucial election cycle like the one this fall; they need to stop over-analyzing their party's talking points. It will not change, but there is always hope. Because as each example shows; the election outcome was largely based on what mattered most locally. Whether it was unpopular governor in New Jersey or a mismanaged campaign in Virginia or Massachusetts to overstepping boundaries in New York or a mix of factors based upon the candidates in states like Arkansas, Pennsylvania, or Kentucky.
You cannot build a building without a base and support. When it comes to politics, local issues are that base to the building that makes up national politics. Many often just assume that what a national poll says will dictate how an election in a state or district will play out. Voters dislike being told how to vote; New York's 23rd is a perfect example. At the end of the day, all politics is local. And that is what ultimately affects election outcomes.
Both have and will continue to spin the talking points and day to day polls and results their way. However, what will not be said by either side is that this November will based largely on local issues and concerns. National politics are formed from all the smaller parts of the country: the local politics. As will be examined, what has transpired since last November has been largely about local elections that have turned into a battle of words pitting Democrats versus Republicans in Congress and President Obama's agenda versus the Republican Party. Each election has been viewed by both parties to be solely about a referendum for or against the president. Ultimately, that has not been the case.
Might as well start in New Jersey. Last November, Republican Chris Christie defeated Democratic governor, Jon Corzine. In the wake of the election, Democrats looked to marginalize the loss by Corzine while the Republicans looked to exaggerate the victory by Christie. If you were to look at the electoral map following that election, you would see nothing too outrageous. Christie carried fairly conservative counties and Corzine carried fairly liberal counties with Christie doing better in toss-up areas and getting more votes from his base. But, do not think for one second that Christie defeating Corzine equals a vote against Obama. That might have been on some voters’ minds, but the outcome was based on the voters' concerns, which were taxes and the economy.
The race was between Christie and Corzine and not two imaginary forces. Not to mention the role that third party candidate Christopher Daggett played in the outcome. Daggett capitalized on an unusual opening for a third party candidate and picked up a larger percentage of the vote than most third party candidates would have gotten. Just because New Jersey leans Democratic does not guarantee anything. Corzine had higher disapproval ratings than approval ratings during his last year. It did not matter how popular President Obama was; Corzine was going to have to win or lose on his own record and popularity. So, for all the critics who viewed Corzine’s loss as a sign that people were turning against President Obama; those views too are rash judgments without much credibility. As the campaign and election played out, Christie displayed himself as enough of a change in Trenton and Corzine had dug himself a hole; partially created by himself and partially created by forces out of his control. Christie’s win over Corzine was based on the state of affairs in New Jersey and not what the temperature was like nationally.
What was occurring in New Jersey was also happening in Virginia as they too had a race for governor. Tim Kaine was more popular than Corzine, but he was not running, which opened the door in Virginia for a Republican to take back the state house. Creigh Deeds was certainly not as strong a candidate as Kaine would have been. Bob McDonnell was running a better campaign from the beginning and hence allowed him to take the lead in the campaign.
The major issues in Virginia were not terribly different from New Jersey as jobs and the economy were on voters’ minds. However, voters in Virginia had slightly different views and concerns based on those issues as the two states were in different places economically. Unlike in New Jersey, Barack Obama was not as visible and that was a combination of the White House, but more on Deeds’ campaign for not imploring Obama to come help in Virginia more. Compared to New Jersey, Virginia tends to lean more Republican and despite it becoming slightly more Democratic in the last few years; there still remains a large stronghold for the Republican Party in the state. Deeds, unlike the previous two Democratic governors and President Obama; was not able to capitalize on swing districts and did not pick up strong enough numbers in areas he carried. His loss was not contributed to being an unpopular incumbent like Corzine, but a poor campaigner with weaknesses that McDonnell stomped on as he won the election.
And lastly, the third race that November night that had a major impact involved a special election upstate New York. A vacancy was created by Republican John M. McHugh, who was nominated to become the Secretary of the Army last June. This special election involved New York’s 23rd congressional district. A district that has been one of the most conservative in the country to the point that it had been well over 100 years since a Democrat carried the district.
Bill Owens was nominated by the Democratic Party while Dierdre Scozzafava was nominated by the Republican Party. Scozzafava was not ultra conservative, but conservative enough to have no problem winning the district and election against Owens. However, the conservative base of the Republican thought it knew best. National conservatives like Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson interjected their voice and put their clout behind the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman. Right before the election, Scozzafava withdrew from all the attacks she was receiving from the conservative base. With her withdrawal, she threw her support behind Owens. On election day, that would prove to be the crucial move in allowing Bill Owens to win the seat. The conservative ploy backfired in their face and they were left with one less member in the U.S. House of Representatives as important legislation was being moved forward. If the district outsiders had not tried to tell voters how to vote, the race might have and in all likelihood played out differently with either Scozzafava or Hoffman winning. This is another example of a race being locally based regardless of the fact that it was for a seat in the U.S. Congress. President Obama’ agenda had little impact on the outcome.
When the calendar turned to 2010, the drama and political conservation from those three races was only amplified. Before primary season would kick off, there was one big special election in Massachusetts to fill the seat of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. The seat had been in Democratic hands for decades and was viewed as a must win for both parties. The outcome would either keep the Democrats' supermajority of sixty in the U.S. Senate or give the Republicans the one necessary vote to allow for a filibuster.
Paul Kirk was appointed to the seat, but per Massachusetts’ setup a special election had to be held roughly 160 days after the vacancy occurred, which set the table for an election in January. Martha Coakley was nominated by the Democratic Party and Scott Brown was nominated by the Republican Party. Coakley had a large advantage early on based on Massachusetts’ large Democratic base. But, her overconfidence and lack of urgency opened the door for Brown to begin to chip off her lead. From late summer to late 2009, he had closed a large gap to make the race neck-and-neck going into the final two weeks. Brown would surpass Coakley and defeat her in the special election to become the next U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. His victory was seen as this large referendum against Obama’s first year especially the health care legislation while Democrats began to backpedal a bit in response.
However, once again, this was not in the largest sense a national election. It was decided largely on Brown running a much smoother and aggressive campaign to Coakley's sloppy and non-energetic campaign. He is not a conservative and that plays well in a state like Massachusetts. And the kicker in a lot of the arguments is based upon Brown's victory being a call to arms against President Obama's proposed health care legislation. What Obama was proposing at that time was essentially what the residents in Massachusetts already had. A health care plan oddly enough implemented by a Republican governor in Mitt Romney. The same Mitt Romney, who voiced opposition to President Obama’s legislation that was basically a photocopy of his.
Two special elections in Hawaii and Pennsylvania in May would garner the next batch of headlines as a referendum for or against the Obama Presidency. First was the Pennsylvania, which had garnered as much if not more headlines than Massachusetts and New York's 23rd. The election was for the 12th congressional district in Pennsylvania, the seat held by the late John Murtha. Both parties viewed this special election has another gauge for November of where the nation was. The Democrats nominated Mark Critz and the Republicans nominated Tim Burns. Critz had worked with Murtha and chose to focus on that in addition to standing by his ideals and where he stood on the issues. He was not in favor of the health care legislation and was a proud gun owner. Points that a conservative or Republican would run on. So, the Republicans went about linking Critz to Obama/Reid/Pelosi. A tactic that they will almost certainly continue to use as November draws closer. The end result: Critz defeated Burns. Know why? Because voters voted based on how they felt locally and not nationally. They could not deny or forget all the money and resources that Congressman Murtha had brought to a struggling town and felt Critz would continue to do the same.
Then, there was a special election for Hawaii’s 1st congressional district with Neil Abercrombie resigning to run for governor. The race was a three way affair with Republican Charles Djou running against Democratic candidates Colleen Hanabusa and Edward Case. Case was preferred by the state’s U.S. Senators, President Obama, and DNC as the more moderate candidate with the best chance to win. Hanabusa had liberal groups in the state behind her. Both candidates wanted the other to withdraw for the party's sake, but would not withdraw themselves. The feud turned ugly and fractured the party in the state clearing the way for Djou’s victory and a talking point for the Republican Party. Djou does not win if the party had better unity. This outcome had nothing to do with what was transpiring in Congress.
Rand Paul and Joe Sestak emerged to win their respective primaries in May. Paul defeated Trey Grayson in Kentucky while Sestak defeated incumbent Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania. Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas fought off a vicious attack by labor unions to defeat Bill Halter in a run-off primary. Sharon Angle came out of a three way race in Nevada to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a similar fashion as Paul. Primaries will continue into September. And it all likelihood, the same trend will continue: local politics will trump national politics. Each race was shaped more on the candidates in the races and what the temperature was like in those states than what the temperature was nationally. What matters in Kentucky or Pennsylvania might not matter as much in Arkansas. There were different elements in each of these races that led to the outcomes.
Each state has a different makeup and ultimately even in a race for U.S. President, it boils down to local matters and concerns. Local politics can be a city or county or it can be a district or a state. Both parties make the same mistakes with the Republicans; the party out of power; making them more often. Politics and elections are won and lost at the most basic level. If you try to make it about the Democratic agenda versus the Republican agenda, that is only going to cater to the parties’ bases. Granted, in an off year election like 2010; the bases are more vital. But you turn-off independents and swing voters with open hyperbole. Jobs and the economy are going to matter from California to New York. But it is about what specific details matter to a segment of eastern Missouri or a segment of southwestern New Mexico.
That is what is often missed with political games that are played by both parties. They go for the home run instead of the infield single. They prefer at times to win big or lose big. But, especially in a crucial election cycle like the one this fall; they need to stop over-analyzing their party's talking points. It will not change, but there is always hope. Because as each example shows; the election outcome was largely based on what mattered most locally. Whether it was unpopular governor in New Jersey or a mismanaged campaign in Virginia or Massachusetts to overstepping boundaries in New York or a mix of factors based upon the candidates in states like Arkansas, Pennsylvania, or Kentucky.
You cannot build a building without a base and support. When it comes to politics, local issues are that base to the building that makes up national politics. Many often just assume that what a national poll says will dictate how an election in a state or district will play out. Voters dislike being told how to vote; New York's 23rd is a perfect example. At the end of the day, all politics is local. And that is what ultimately affects election outcomes.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Cory Booker: A New Face in Politics with Endless Possibilities
There is a leader in New Jersey that many outside as well as many inside the state have probably not heard of. Cory Booker came into the office of Mayor in 2006 and has been a great leader forNewark. His name is one you might want to start getting to know better.
Cory Booker was born on April 27, 1969 in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Harrington Park, New Jersey. He would go onto Stanford University to achieve his bachelors and masters degrees. This was followed by a Rhodes Scholarship to The Queen’s College in Oxford, England. It would at Oxford that he would begin to display his ability to work within a community and bring diverse people and groups together.
The next stop in his young life was receiving a joint degree from Yale Law School. He would continue to grow as a community worker as he operated free legal clinics for those with low incomes in New Haven as well as acting as a Big Brother. At the end of his time at Yale, he would start to live in Newark and the roots of what we see now would truly start to blossom.
When Booker came to Newark, he quickly picked up an upset win over a four-term incumbent, George Branch, to become a member of the Newark Municipal Council in 1998. From the beginning of his term, he was not going to be like others in the city government. He would lead as he saw fit; not as he “was supposed to lead”. A perfect example would be when he went on a hunger strike living in a tent in front of one of Newark’s public housing projects known as Garden Spires for ten days protesting open-air drug dealing and associated violence in 1999. The next year, he lived in a motor home as part of his initiative to track drug trafficking on street corners, where it was rampant. These “stunts” did not gain him popularity amongst the Council. He battled for education reform, young people, law and order, better housing, and more transparent politics in the city. All were voted against 8 to 1.
Booker could not sit idly by any longer while problems were being ignored. He decided to step up in 2002 to run for mayor of Newark against longtime Mayor Sharpe James. Booker grew up in a mostly white town and was viewed by many in Newark as an outsider, who was not black enough to know their problems. James ran a dirty campaign and stooped to whatever means necessary to drag Booker’s name through the mud. He would lose to James in a 47% to 53% result.
With his time as a councilman and the election behind him, he would move onto continuing his work for the city of Newark. In 2002, he founded Newark Now, a grassroots organization that connects individuals in the city to resources to assist in transforming their communities. Booker was undeterred after the loss in 2002 to James and announced in early 2006 that he was going to give it another try to become the mayor of Newark. James stepped aside to run solely for his State Senate seat and Deputy Mayor and fellow State Senator, Ronald Rice, would be the man who would run in his place. Booker targeted Rice’s connection to an embattled James while Rice chose to harp on Booker’s fundraising totals. Booker would see a different outcome this time as on May 9, 2006; he was swept into office with 72% of the vote. Additionally, the City Council candidates, who campaigned alongside him were also elected and gave Booker the type of control needed to start to reform Newark.
Struggles were not over just yet as right before he was to assume office; there was an assassination plot against him. Luckily, state police prevented the orchestrated attack planned by gang members in state prisons. The gang members disdained Booker because of his proposed harder line on crime and a proposed higher number of police in Newark.
Like his time in the City Council, he did not waste much time tackling Newark’s problems. Within his first 100 days in office, Booker proposed: adding police officers, improving city services, and expanding summer youth programs. He would raise the city’s property tax by 8.3% and increase the amount of city employees. He has mastered the budget fairly effectively and the city has not raised taxes in over two years.
As a major part of his agenda, he would appoint Garry McCarthy, a former member of the NYPD, as the Director of the Newark Police Department to begin to serious address the crime problem in Newark. Under McCarthy’s lead, several felons have been taken off the streets and programs have been initiated to scope for possible crimes. Not to back away from one of his trademarks, Booker would personally patrol streets himself alongside officers. Recent numbers reveal that murders are down by 42%, robberies are down by 12%, and rapes are down by 41%. Not to mention, March 2010 marked the first murder-free month in Newark in over 44 years. Booker has also effectively addressed the housing crisis in the city with twice as many affordable buildings. He has been open with city residents and has an open door policy at his office.
Not too surprisingly, Booker was easily reelected on May 11, 2010.
Since he first came to Newark 15 years ago, not too many; if any; have had a greater impact on the city. He saw a city in disrepair and wanted to be part of the change. He has continued to be as hands-on as possible as that is who he truly is. He has slowly won over critics and has Newark going in the right direction. He sees a challenges as an opportunity. It is hard to see him staying in Newark forever. Granted, his love for the city is immense; he might have a greater calling. There was a similar man about ten years ago looking to create change in Illinois. In 2008, he was elected the President of the United States. That man was Barack Obama. It is hard to ignore some similarities between Booker and Obama. Who knows when, but a run at a state position, the office of governor, or even a run at a national position are very possible for Booker.
He has the charisma. He has the charm. He has the drive. Look at Newark before Booker and after him. Cory Booker is a name you will come to hear more about as his rise will continue.
http://www.examiner.com/article/cory-booker-a-new-face-politics-with-endless-possibilities
Cory Booker was born on April 27, 1969 in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Harrington Park, New Jersey. He would go onto Stanford University to achieve his bachelors and masters degrees. This was followed by a Rhodes Scholarship to The Queen’s College in Oxford, England. It would at Oxford that he would begin to display his ability to work within a community and bring diverse people and groups together.
The next stop in his young life was receiving a joint degree from Yale Law School. He would continue to grow as a community worker as he operated free legal clinics for those with low incomes in New Haven as well as acting as a Big Brother. At the end of his time at Yale, he would start to live in Newark and the roots of what we see now would truly start to blossom.
When Booker came to Newark, he quickly picked up an upset win over a four-term incumbent, George Branch, to become a member of the Newark Municipal Council in 1998. From the beginning of his term, he was not going to be like others in the city government. He would lead as he saw fit; not as he “was supposed to lead”. A perfect example would be when he went on a hunger strike living in a tent in front of one of Newark’s public housing projects known as Garden Spires for ten days protesting open-air drug dealing and associated violence in 1999. The next year, he lived in a motor home as part of his initiative to track drug trafficking on street corners, where it was rampant. These “stunts” did not gain him popularity amongst the Council. He battled for education reform, young people, law and order, better housing, and more transparent politics in the city. All were voted against 8 to 1.
Booker could not sit idly by any longer while problems were being ignored. He decided to step up in 2002 to run for mayor of Newark against longtime Mayor Sharpe James. Booker grew up in a mostly white town and was viewed by many in Newark as an outsider, who was not black enough to know their problems. James ran a dirty campaign and stooped to whatever means necessary to drag Booker’s name through the mud. He would lose to James in a 47% to 53% result.
With his time as a councilman and the election behind him, he would move onto continuing his work for the city of Newark. In 2002, he founded Newark Now, a grassroots organization that connects individuals in the city to resources to assist in transforming their communities. Booker was undeterred after the loss in 2002 to James and announced in early 2006 that he was going to give it another try to become the mayor of Newark. James stepped aside to run solely for his State Senate seat and Deputy Mayor and fellow State Senator, Ronald Rice, would be the man who would run in his place. Booker targeted Rice’s connection to an embattled James while Rice chose to harp on Booker’s fundraising totals. Booker would see a different outcome this time as on May 9, 2006; he was swept into office with 72% of the vote. Additionally, the City Council candidates, who campaigned alongside him were also elected and gave Booker the type of control needed to start to reform Newark.
Struggles were not over just yet as right before he was to assume office; there was an assassination plot against him. Luckily, state police prevented the orchestrated attack planned by gang members in state prisons. The gang members disdained Booker because of his proposed harder line on crime and a proposed higher number of police in Newark.
Like his time in the City Council, he did not waste much time tackling Newark’s problems. Within his first 100 days in office, Booker proposed: adding police officers, improving city services, and expanding summer youth programs. He would raise the city’s property tax by 8.3% and increase the amount of city employees. He has mastered the budget fairly effectively and the city has not raised taxes in over two years.
As a major part of his agenda, he would appoint Garry McCarthy, a former member of the NYPD, as the Director of the Newark Police Department to begin to serious address the crime problem in Newark. Under McCarthy’s lead, several felons have been taken off the streets and programs have been initiated to scope for possible crimes. Not to back away from one of his trademarks, Booker would personally patrol streets himself alongside officers. Recent numbers reveal that murders are down by 42%, robberies are down by 12%, and rapes are down by 41%. Not to mention, March 2010 marked the first murder-free month in Newark in over 44 years. Booker has also effectively addressed the housing crisis in the city with twice as many affordable buildings. He has been open with city residents and has an open door policy at his office.
Not too surprisingly, Booker was easily reelected on May 11, 2010.
Since he first came to Newark 15 years ago, not too many; if any; have had a greater impact on the city. He saw a city in disrepair and wanted to be part of the change. He has continued to be as hands-on as possible as that is who he truly is. He has slowly won over critics and has Newark going in the right direction. He sees a challenges as an opportunity. It is hard to see him staying in Newark forever. Granted, his love for the city is immense; he might have a greater calling. There was a similar man about ten years ago looking to create change in Illinois. In 2008, he was elected the President of the United States. That man was Barack Obama. It is hard to ignore some similarities between Booker and Obama. Who knows when, but a run at a state position, the office of governor, or even a run at a national position are very possible for Booker.
He has the charisma. He has the charm. He has the drive. Look at Newark before Booker and after him. Cory Booker is a name you will come to hear more about as his rise will continue.
http://www.examiner.com/article/cory-booker-a-new-face-politics-with-endless-possibilities
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Fundraising in the New Jersey Elections 2010
Last fall, some of the air from Barack Obama’s election and inauguration was let out of the sails of Democrats in New Jersey with Republican Chris Christie defeating incumbent Democratic Governor Jon Corzine in November.
Now the attention in the state turns towards November again when all of the U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for grabs. And with elections comes fundraising. Elections are driven by money and the person with the most is usually in the better position to claim victory. Most political observers would be quick to gather that New Jersey tends to lean Democratic for the most part. There are two Democrats in the U.S. Senators and eight out of the thirteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives are Democrats.
However, as is the trend thus far this year nationally, Republicans in New Jersey are generating more energy among their base. That fervor generally will lead to more money in the bank for candidates and that is the case in 2010. Democrats still hold the advantage in fundraising, but Republicans are catching up and have a Republican governor in their corner this year, which they haven’t had for some time now.
According to a report that was released by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, Democratic fundraising committees have raised $1.3 million compared to their Republican counterparts who have raised $858,724 in the first half of this year. That might seem optimistic to a Democratic observer, but compared to recent election cycles Democrats are raising less money while Republicans are raising more.
The higher fundraising and enthusiasm can certainly be credited to Christie being in the Governor’s Mansion. He has been aggressive in the first six months of his term and his agenda has certainly gotten a lot of conservatives and Republicans excited in New Jersey. Last year, the focus was on Christie and many of the state seats in New Jersey’s Congress. This year, Christie will be counted on to keep raising money through his nonprofit group, Reform Jersey Now, and through his public appearances. He is the leader of the party in the state and needs to assist those who aided his accent a year ago. Time will tell how much he and Republicans can do to change recent trends throughout the state going into the races this fall.
The races stack up as follows:
NJ-1: Incumbent Rob Andrews (D); Challenger Dale Glading (R).
NJ-2: Incumbent Frank LoBiondo (R); Challenger Gary Stein (D).
NJ-3: Incumbent John Adler (D); Challenger Jon Runyan (R).
NJ-4: Incumbent Chris Smith (R); Challenger Howard Kleinhendler (D).
NJ-5: Incumbent Scott Garrett (R); Challenger Tod Theise (D).
NJ-6: Incumbent Frank Pallone (D); Challenger Anna Little (R).
NJ-7: Incumbent Leonard Lance (R); Challenger Ed Potosnak (R).
NJ-8: Incumbent Bill Pascrell (D); Challenger Roland Straten (R). NJ-9: Incumbent Steve Rothman (D); Challenger Michael Agosta (R). NJ-10: Incumbent Donald Payne (D); Challenger Michael Alonso (R). NJ-11: Incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen (R); Challenger Douglas Herbert (D). NJ-12: Incumbent Rush Holt (D); Challenger Scott Sipprelle (R). NJ-13: Incumbent Albio Sires (D); Challenger Hennrietta Dwyer (R).
Of those races, only Adler against Runyan and Lance against Potosnak as of now look to be competitive to some degree. Pallone might get a bit more of challenge from Little as might Holt with Sipprelle, but the two Democrats seem to be fairly safe right now. Other than that, the incumbents have the most money regardless of party as well as being the incumbent in name and no matter the mood; they are on their way back to Washington, D.C.
Politics is a numbers game and much of that rests in the numbers with dollar signs in front of them. Democrats have lacked enthusiasm thus far, but have still held that fundraising edge. If they do not start to become motivated, Republicans are poised to past them in fundraising and open the door for state bragging rights and some momentum. However, the ultimate results are determined in November, where money at least in New Jersey might not play a major role in the outcomes after all.
http://www.examiner.com/article/fundraising-the-new-jersey-elections-2010
Now the attention in the state turns towards November again when all of the U.S. House of Representatives seats are up for grabs. And with elections comes fundraising. Elections are driven by money and the person with the most is usually in the better position to claim victory. Most political observers would be quick to gather that New Jersey tends to lean Democratic for the most part. There are two Democrats in the U.S. Senators and eight out of the thirteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives are Democrats.
However, as is the trend thus far this year nationally, Republicans in New Jersey are generating more energy among their base. That fervor generally will lead to more money in the bank for candidates and that is the case in 2010. Democrats still hold the advantage in fundraising, but Republicans are catching up and have a Republican governor in their corner this year, which they haven’t had for some time now.
According to a report that was released by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission, Democratic fundraising committees have raised $1.3 million compared to their Republican counterparts who have raised $858,724 in the first half of this year. That might seem optimistic to a Democratic observer, but compared to recent election cycles Democrats are raising less money while Republicans are raising more.
The higher fundraising and enthusiasm can certainly be credited to Christie being in the Governor’s Mansion. He has been aggressive in the first six months of his term and his agenda has certainly gotten a lot of conservatives and Republicans excited in New Jersey. Last year, the focus was on Christie and many of the state seats in New Jersey’s Congress. This year, Christie will be counted on to keep raising money through his nonprofit group, Reform Jersey Now, and through his public appearances. He is the leader of the party in the state and needs to assist those who aided his accent a year ago. Time will tell how much he and Republicans can do to change recent trends throughout the state going into the races this fall.
The races stack up as follows:
NJ-1: Incumbent Rob Andrews (D); Challenger Dale Glading (R).
NJ-2: Incumbent Frank LoBiondo (R); Challenger Gary Stein (D).
NJ-3: Incumbent John Adler (D); Challenger Jon Runyan (R).
NJ-4: Incumbent Chris Smith (R); Challenger Howard Kleinhendler (D).
NJ-5: Incumbent Scott Garrett (R); Challenger Tod Theise (D).
NJ-6: Incumbent Frank Pallone (D); Challenger Anna Little (R).
NJ-7: Incumbent Leonard Lance (R); Challenger Ed Potosnak (R).
NJ-8: Incumbent Bill Pascrell (D); Challenger Roland Straten (R). NJ-9: Incumbent Steve Rothman (D); Challenger Michael Agosta (R). NJ-10: Incumbent Donald Payne (D); Challenger Michael Alonso (R). NJ-11: Incumbent Rodney Frelinghuysen (R); Challenger Douglas Herbert (D). NJ-12: Incumbent Rush Holt (D); Challenger Scott Sipprelle (R). NJ-13: Incumbent Albio Sires (D); Challenger Hennrietta Dwyer (R).
Of those races, only Adler against Runyan and Lance against Potosnak as of now look to be competitive to some degree. Pallone might get a bit more of challenge from Little as might Holt with Sipprelle, but the two Democrats seem to be fairly safe right now. Other than that, the incumbents have the most money regardless of party as well as being the incumbent in name and no matter the mood; they are on their way back to Washington, D.C.
Politics is a numbers game and much of that rests in the numbers with dollar signs in front of them. Democrats have lacked enthusiasm thus far, but have still held that fundraising edge. If they do not start to become motivated, Republicans are poised to past them in fundraising and open the door for state bragging rights and some momentum. However, the ultimate results are determined in November, where money at least in New Jersey might not play a major role in the outcomes after all.
http://www.examiner.com/article/fundraising-the-new-jersey-elections-2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
When Democrats Don't Get Along: Elections and Politics
When times are good, parties are never truly unified. When times are bad, parties are almost certainly to not be unified. Examples are too many to name here among both parties, but the last year has not been especially friendly to Democrats. They were able to achieve legislative success despite much struggle within their own ranks; not to mention the opposing party's opposition. Polls point towards quite a few losses in November for Democrats. The party in the White House usually suffers setbacks in midterm elections. This year might be a little worse than some for party in power.
Both parties also are normally adamant about achieving success regardless of what "conventional wisdom" says. The current climate has led the White House and its press secretary, Robert Gibbs, to voice what most see as obvious: that the Democrats will lose seats and the outlook does not look especially great. That did not sit well with House Democrats and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. They feel the president is not doing enough to ensure that they do not suffer big losses in November. By Gibbs' obvious, yet not welcoming news for Democrats, has them worried that he will only worsen their outlook for November.
The House Democrats view there allegiance to the president should be rewarded as they put their political lives at risk by standing with him on issues like the stimulus and health care reform.
Speaker Pelosi is not one to sit idly by when she feels her colleagues are put in jeopardy and let Press Secretary Gibbs know how upset she was at his comments that reflect the White House's viewpoint. Gibbs stated that the House could flip to the Republican Party, but is confident that the Democrats will retain power. That meeting when followed by one with President Obama and many House Democratic leaders. Obama made sure to reiterate his support for all House Democrats and the Democratic Party as a whole.
There is a feeling from House Democrats that Obama is putting more emphasis on ensuring a Senate Democratic majority despite over 50 House seats held by Democrats being in jeopardy. Some Democrats see the president trying to distance himself from the House members individually and if they were to lose; it would be their fault and not because of his name and approval ratings.
Feelings are bound to be hurt during these tough times when political decisions are scrutinized even more. The House Democrats who felt attacked or feel they are not getting enough support are justified for their feelings. Some are facing tougher elections than usual. Some have put their political futures in jeopardy or near that point by voting on much legislation that has either passed or stagnated in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic Party over the last ten plus years has displayed fractures due to the liberals, moderates, and conservatives that make up their party. But all can agree that the president needs to stand by them as they fight for their futures as he does not have to worry for another two years. However, what Press Secretary Gibbs stated was what many agree upon. It just is not politically accepted to be played up in the media for a party looking to cover as many holes as possible. This is also a sign that elections are nearing and pressures and stresses are high. House Democrats and the White House seem to be on the same page and look to stay as close to that over the next few months on the road to November.
Both parties also are normally adamant about achieving success regardless of what "conventional wisdom" says. The current climate has led the White House and its press secretary, Robert Gibbs, to voice what most see as obvious: that the Democrats will lose seats and the outlook does not look especially great. That did not sit well with House Democrats and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. They feel the president is not doing enough to ensure that they do not suffer big losses in November. By Gibbs' obvious, yet not welcoming news for Democrats, has them worried that he will only worsen their outlook for November.
The House Democrats view there allegiance to the president should be rewarded as they put their political lives at risk by standing with him on issues like the stimulus and health care reform.
Speaker Pelosi is not one to sit idly by when she feels her colleagues are put in jeopardy and let Press Secretary Gibbs know how upset she was at his comments that reflect the White House's viewpoint. Gibbs stated that the House could flip to the Republican Party, but is confident that the Democrats will retain power. That meeting when followed by one with President Obama and many House Democratic leaders. Obama made sure to reiterate his support for all House Democrats and the Democratic Party as a whole.
There is a feeling from House Democrats that Obama is putting more emphasis on ensuring a Senate Democratic majority despite over 50 House seats held by Democrats being in jeopardy. Some Democrats see the president trying to distance himself from the House members individually and if they were to lose; it would be their fault and not because of his name and approval ratings.
Feelings are bound to be hurt during these tough times when political decisions are scrutinized even more. The House Democrats who felt attacked or feel they are not getting enough support are justified for their feelings. Some are facing tougher elections than usual. Some have put their political futures in jeopardy or near that point by voting on much legislation that has either passed or stagnated in the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic Party over the last ten plus years has displayed fractures due to the liberals, moderates, and conservatives that make up their party. But all can agree that the president needs to stand by them as they fight for their futures as he does not have to worry for another two years. However, what Press Secretary Gibbs stated was what many agree upon. It just is not politically accepted to be played up in the media for a party looking to cover as many holes as possible. This is also a sign that elections are nearing and pressures and stresses are high. House Democrats and the White House seem to be on the same page and look to stay as close to that over the next few months on the road to November.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
MLB: At the Halfway Point
It has been a tumultuous year to this point and now baseball turns second base and is on course for home with a lot going on.
For the first time in a long time, all six divisions are competitive with the biggest lead being only 4.5 games. The super tough AL East has been the cream of the crop thus far. The Yankees hold baseball's best record at 56-32. But the Rays are only 2 back and the Red Sox sit 5 back.
The AL Central is also a three team heat with the White Sox leading the Tigers by 0.5 games and the Twins by 3.5 games. While the script has been flipped a bit in the AL West with the Rangers leading the Angels by 4.5 instead of the other way around. They seem poised to embark in a duel for most of the summer for bragging rights.
Speaking of a change of script, the two defending NL Champion Phillies find themselves in third place in the NL East. The Braves lead the Mets by 4 and Phillies by 4.5 and the Braves seem extra motivated in manager Bobby Cox's last year at the helm. The NL division to watch in the second half will almost certainly be the NL Central. The Reds have a 1 game lead over the Cardinals and look fairly even and not willing to let the other gain too much of an advantage. Besides the Reds, one of the biggest surprise this year has been the play of the NL West leading Padres. They lead the division by 2 games, but have the Dodgers, Rockies, and Giants all on their trail; as all four are within 4 of each other.
Breaking all that down, the AL East looks to be between the Yankees and Rays with the Red Sox as an outside team for the AL Wildcard with the runner-up based on how many guys they get back in the second half. In the AL Central, the Twins might have too many injuries and thus leave the race between the White Sox and Tigers. Winner emerges and loser misses playoffs. The same seems to be the case out in the AL West. Rangers have the edge right now and that would mean the Angels miss out this year on the postseason.
In the NL East, the Phillies will probably turn things around and give the Braves a run for the division title with the Mets as an outside spoiler for either one. The NL Central looks to be an interesting battle between St. Louis and Cincinnati with the Reds having more pop, but the experience of the Cardinals might be the difference. Out west, the Padres have had the best pitching staff and that might give them a slight edge over the other three in that department. Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez might be enough to give the Rockies a chance with their come from behind mentality and if Los Angeles and San Francisco can find consistent hitting; they are threats. The four will probably beat each other up and allow the NL East runner-up to slip in as the wildcard.
Other things to watch in the second half include both hitting and pitching. Jimenez has been dominant compiling 15 wins at the half and has a chance for 30 wins if he can continue his hot start. Very unlikely, but 20 to 25 wins is very likely. Another pitcher to watch and Jimenez's competition for NL Cy Young is Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson. Johnson has frozen hitters and averaged less than 2 runs per game for much of the latter half of their first half. The two will be guys to watch each start.
The AL Cy Young might be a little more wide open with David Price in Tampa Bay with a small lead just based on his record. But guys like C.C. Sabathia, Jon Lester, Andy Petitte, and Felix Hernandez are also worthy contenders.
Both leagues have wide open MVP races as well featuring familiar faces and new guys. In the AL, Josh Hamilton has reemerged again this year after recovering from injury and is a big reason why the Rangers lead the AL West. While Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is also having a phenomenal year. Something worth watching is both guys pursuit of a possible triple crown. That has not occurred in 43 years.
Additionally, Joey Votto of the Reds, Corey Hart of the Brewers, and Jose Batista of the Blue Jays have come out of almost nowhere this year so far. Votto is a serious contender for NL MVP along with those two pitchers. Albert Pujols of the Cardinals is again having another solid year and will be a contender. And Vladimir Guerrero has reclaimed his swagger after a down year down and been a catalyst for the Rangers.
Yankees' slugger Alex Rodriguez will be one of the players spotlighted as he is very close to 600 home runs and will only be the seventh player to achieve that accomplishment.
And of course, the big storyline for the last half of July will the trade deadline. Over/under on the trades will probably hover around a dozen. Big names are not usually traded, but somewhat big names and role players are fair game. Players like Roy Oswalt, Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, and Cliff Lee are some of the bigger names that might be moved by July 31st. However, expect only a couple big trades to go through and more role pitcher or infielder to plug into the top or bottom of a lineup.
The first half has been somewhat tense and thrilling and thus far and it looks like there is a lot to look forward to in the second half and might have a few different story lines unlike the last couple years. Two aces will duel in the NL and two hitters will duel in the AL. The Yankees seemed poised to get back to the Fall Classic while the postseason might include the Reds, the Rangers, and/or the Padres. Also, the Braves and the White Sox seemed poised to return after a few years without a postseason appearance. Hence, besides those Yankees; we might have a new field of teams this year.
The All Star is on the horizon and after that there will be three months of what should be compelling baseball.
For the first time in a long time, all six divisions are competitive with the biggest lead being only 4.5 games. The super tough AL East has been the cream of the crop thus far. The Yankees hold baseball's best record at 56-32. But the Rays are only 2 back and the Red Sox sit 5 back.
The AL Central is also a three team heat with the White Sox leading the Tigers by 0.5 games and the Twins by 3.5 games. While the script has been flipped a bit in the AL West with the Rangers leading the Angels by 4.5 instead of the other way around. They seem poised to embark in a duel for most of the summer for bragging rights.
Speaking of a change of script, the two defending NL Champion Phillies find themselves in third place in the NL East. The Braves lead the Mets by 4 and Phillies by 4.5 and the Braves seem extra motivated in manager Bobby Cox's last year at the helm. The NL division to watch in the second half will almost certainly be the NL Central. The Reds have a 1 game lead over the Cardinals and look fairly even and not willing to let the other gain too much of an advantage. Besides the Reds, one of the biggest surprise this year has been the play of the NL West leading Padres. They lead the division by 2 games, but have the Dodgers, Rockies, and Giants all on their trail; as all four are within 4 of each other.
Breaking all that down, the AL East looks to be between the Yankees and Rays with the Red Sox as an outside team for the AL Wildcard with the runner-up based on how many guys they get back in the second half. In the AL Central, the Twins might have too many injuries and thus leave the race between the White Sox and Tigers. Winner emerges and loser misses playoffs. The same seems to be the case out in the AL West. Rangers have the edge right now and that would mean the Angels miss out this year on the postseason.
In the NL East, the Phillies will probably turn things around and give the Braves a run for the division title with the Mets as an outside spoiler for either one. The NL Central looks to be an interesting battle between St. Louis and Cincinnati with the Reds having more pop, but the experience of the Cardinals might be the difference. Out west, the Padres have had the best pitching staff and that might give them a slight edge over the other three in that department. Pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez might be enough to give the Rockies a chance with their come from behind mentality and if Los Angeles and San Francisco can find consistent hitting; they are threats. The four will probably beat each other up and allow the NL East runner-up to slip in as the wildcard.
Other things to watch in the second half include both hitting and pitching. Jimenez has been dominant compiling 15 wins at the half and has a chance for 30 wins if he can continue his hot start. Very unlikely, but 20 to 25 wins is very likely. Another pitcher to watch and Jimenez's competition for NL Cy Young is Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson. Johnson has frozen hitters and averaged less than 2 runs per game for much of the latter half of their first half. The two will be guys to watch each start.
The AL Cy Young might be a little more wide open with David Price in Tampa Bay with a small lead just based on his record. But guys like C.C. Sabathia, Jon Lester, Andy Petitte, and Felix Hernandez are also worthy contenders.
Both leagues have wide open MVP races as well featuring familiar faces and new guys. In the AL, Josh Hamilton has reemerged again this year after recovering from injury and is a big reason why the Rangers lead the AL West. While Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers is also having a phenomenal year. Something worth watching is both guys pursuit of a possible triple crown. That has not occurred in 43 years.
Additionally, Joey Votto of the Reds, Corey Hart of the Brewers, and Jose Batista of the Blue Jays have come out of almost nowhere this year so far. Votto is a serious contender for NL MVP along with those two pitchers. Albert Pujols of the Cardinals is again having another solid year and will be a contender. And Vladimir Guerrero has reclaimed his swagger after a down year down and been a catalyst for the Rangers.
Yankees' slugger Alex Rodriguez will be one of the players spotlighted as he is very close to 600 home runs and will only be the seventh player to achieve that accomplishment.
And of course, the big storyline for the last half of July will the trade deadline. Over/under on the trades will probably hover around a dozen. Big names are not usually traded, but somewhat big names and role players are fair game. Players like Roy Oswalt, Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn, and Cliff Lee are some of the bigger names that might be moved by July 31st. However, expect only a couple big trades to go through and more role pitcher or infielder to plug into the top or bottom of a lineup.
The first half has been somewhat tense and thrilling and thus far and it looks like there is a lot to look forward to in the second half and might have a few different story lines unlike the last couple years. Two aces will duel in the NL and two hitters will duel in the AL. The Yankees seemed poised to get back to the Fall Classic while the postseason might include the Reds, the Rangers, and/or the Padres. Also, the Braves and the White Sox seemed poised to return after a few years without a postseason appearance. Hence, besides those Yankees; we might have a new field of teams this year.
The All Star is on the horizon and after that there will be three months of what should be compelling baseball.
Friday, July 9, 2010
World Cup Preview: Finals and 3rd Place Game
After roughly a month, the final is set and a new world champion will be crowned on Sunday. The Netherlands utilized enough of their balance to get past Uruguay despite their tenacity. While Germany came into its game against Spain having scored 8 goals in back-to-back games. But Germany would meet a similar fate as all of Spain's opponents: they were slowed down and had one goal put past them. Spain does not play flashy, but they crack teams. The Netherlands has be opportunistic during their run as well. Germany and Uruguay had hoped to win it all, but as we most World Cups; the third place game is more than a little something to play for. After 62 games, my record stands at 40-22. Spain and the Netherlands have never won and we are guaranteed a new winner. Germany and Uruguay will most likely be the more offensive game and for that reason is worth the watch.
Third Place Game:
Uruguay vs Germany: Both teams had stellar runs, but could not get that one necessary goal each needed. Germany was in this game four years ago and this is Uruguay's best run in 40 years. Germany has probably been the best offensive team this year with Uruguay being in the running for second. This is the type of game that can be tough on players who are still reeling from missing out on the championship final. Uruguay will have Luis Suarez back for this one and they sorely missed him against the Dutch. Diego Forlan has been the one who has carried Uruguay the most, but has begun to show some signs of looking worn out. Germany, too, gains one of their top players in Thomas Mueller back. Miroslav Klose has also been a major part of the German team and sits one goal from tying the all-time World Cup career goal record. Between Forlan, Mueller, and Klose; they have scored 12 goals this year. Ironically, these two met in 1970 with West Germany, at the time, defeating Uruguay. Germany has held the advantage in the series. With that said, it looks like those trends will continue. Both have had great runs, but Germany is still very dangerous; they just ran into possibly the best defensive team in Spain. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 1, GERMANY 3
Championship Final:
Netherlands vs Spain: Seven nations have held up the championship trophy over the years. No matter the result on Sunday, an eighth nation will join them. The Netherlands have been 0-2 in the finals and this is Spain's first time. For years, the Dutch have been called the best soccer nation without a title. The loser of this one will certainly have that title heading into 2014. Spain is the top ranked team in the world and the Netherlands aren't too far behind in the top 5. Both David Villa of Spain and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands have been the top two goal scorers this year and should shape their respective teams' success. Spain seems to have the edge, but not by much in this one based on their games. Spain's style took a team like Germany and made them play to the way that Spain preferred. They broke down what seemed like an offensive juggernaut. However, the Dutch deserve credit for getting to Brazil in the quarters and also scoring enough on a very good defensive Uruguay team. Spain would make history not only for winning their first World Cup title, but would be the first team to rebound from an opening loss to win it all. The Netherlands can also make history themselves as they would be the first team since Brazil in 1970 to win every game en route to the title. These two have been nearly flawless in terms of losses over the last couple years and it seems fitting they are squaring off. Both have come a long way and it sucks for the losing team, but that is part of the game. The Dutch have been adapting their playing style, but will have a tough time cracking how Spain plays. Part of me really wants the Dutch to finally break through and win it all, but Spain has shown a style of play that is hard to beat. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 0, SPAIN 1
It has been an exciting month of action. Thrilling goals. Surprise teams. Some great play and two teams playing for their first title. The game might not be pretty, but we have seen a lot of not so pretty play and might almost be fitting. The third place will be the one to watch if you want offense and high risks. A couple more games and then the wait for Brazil and 2014 will begin.
Third Place Game:
Uruguay vs Germany: Both teams had stellar runs, but could not get that one necessary goal each needed. Germany was in this game four years ago and this is Uruguay's best run in 40 years. Germany has probably been the best offensive team this year with Uruguay being in the running for second. This is the type of game that can be tough on players who are still reeling from missing out on the championship final. Uruguay will have Luis Suarez back for this one and they sorely missed him against the Dutch. Diego Forlan has been the one who has carried Uruguay the most, but has begun to show some signs of looking worn out. Germany, too, gains one of their top players in Thomas Mueller back. Miroslav Klose has also been a major part of the German team and sits one goal from tying the all-time World Cup career goal record. Between Forlan, Mueller, and Klose; they have scored 12 goals this year. Ironically, these two met in 1970 with West Germany, at the time, defeating Uruguay. Germany has held the advantage in the series. With that said, it looks like those trends will continue. Both have had great runs, but Germany is still very dangerous; they just ran into possibly the best defensive team in Spain. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 1, GERMANY 3
Championship Final:
Netherlands vs Spain: Seven nations have held up the championship trophy over the years. No matter the result on Sunday, an eighth nation will join them. The Netherlands have been 0-2 in the finals and this is Spain's first time. For years, the Dutch have been called the best soccer nation without a title. The loser of this one will certainly have that title heading into 2014. Spain is the top ranked team in the world and the Netherlands aren't too far behind in the top 5. Both David Villa of Spain and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands have been the top two goal scorers this year and should shape their respective teams' success. Spain seems to have the edge, but not by much in this one based on their games. Spain's style took a team like Germany and made them play to the way that Spain preferred. They broke down what seemed like an offensive juggernaut. However, the Dutch deserve credit for getting to Brazil in the quarters and also scoring enough on a very good defensive Uruguay team. Spain would make history not only for winning their first World Cup title, but would be the first team to rebound from an opening loss to win it all. The Netherlands can also make history themselves as they would be the first team since Brazil in 1970 to win every game en route to the title. These two have been nearly flawless in terms of losses over the last couple years and it seems fitting they are squaring off. Both have come a long way and it sucks for the losing team, but that is part of the game. The Dutch have been adapting their playing style, but will have a tough time cracking how Spain plays. Part of me really wants the Dutch to finally break through and win it all, but Spain has shown a style of play that is hard to beat. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 0, SPAIN 1
It has been an exciting month of action. Thrilling goals. Surprise teams. Some great play and two teams playing for their first title. The game might not be pretty, but we have seen a lot of not so pretty play and might almost be fitting. The third place will be the one to watch if you want offense and high risks. A couple more games and then the wait for Brazil and 2014 will begin.
Monday, July 5, 2010
World Cup Preview: Semi-Finals
The quarterfinals continued some of the unexpected action of this World Cup. One of the heavy favors unraveled in the second half against the Netherlands and fell to them 1-2. Also shocking was the way in which Germany dismantled Argentina 4-0 and made one of the better teams this year look like an also-ran. Spain continued their slow and steady pace and got their one necessary goal to continue on. Possibly the big moment for many Africans was the handball by Luis Suarez that saved the game for Uruguay and set up a game winning penalty kick by Asamoah Gyan. Gyan missed the kick and Ghana fell in penalty kicks. Now we are left with Uruguay against the Netherlands and Germany against Spain. After 60 games, my record stands at 39-21. These semi-final matchups look like good games on paper and should give us two great teams for the final game.
Semi-finals
Uruguay vs Netherlands: Uruguay has not been this far in 40 years and has not won in 60 years. While the Netherlands are looking to make their third final and possibly finally win the World Cup after coming up short in 1974 and 1978. The Dutch will continue to rest their offense in Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, who have come up big thus far. Sneijder is in the running for the golden boot as one of the top goal scorers this World Cup. The style of the Dutch as been smooth and timely while also showing the ability to grind out a game. As we have seen, Uruguay plays a much more attack style Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez leading the way as the catalyst for this team. Forlan, like Sneijder, has been one of the top scorers. Of note is the fact that Suarez will be out for this game due to the red card he received in the Ghana game. John Heitinga for the Dutch will be of crucial importance for his team as he will be asked to be the main stopper against the Uruguayan offense. Also, Diego Perez will most likely be the main attacker asked to fill in for Suarez's absence. Both will come in with confidence from their respective wins. But in what might have been a tough for Uruguay looks tougher with a couple key guys out. The Dutch have to play smart and if they do; they should find themselves in the final game. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 1, NETHERLANDS 2
Germany vs Spain: This is a great game between two European powers who met 2 years ago in the European finals with Spain coming up victorious 1-0. Germany has enjoyed a lot of World Cup success while Spain's history is quite the opposite. Spain, however, entered as a favorite and is in the midst of their best World Cup. Germany has used a dominating style as they scored 8 goals against England and Argentina. Spain has used defense and a wear you down style to win close games. Germany might be tested by Spain's keep away style and the team that allows their pace to dominate will have the advantage. The midfield for Spain has continuously set the table for David Villa to score that one needed goal and become one of the top goal scorers this year. Germany will be without one of their young stars, Thomas Mueller. Mueller is only 20, but has been one of the top scorers this year and his absence will force Germany to reshuffle their strategy. Villa draws much of the attention, but Xavi is one of their unheralded stars who sets the table for Villa to shine. He dictates a lot of the middle of the field. Mesut Ozil is another young star for Germany and he will have to evaluate his game further to make up for Mueller's absence in addition to a couple others stepping up. Miroslave Klose is also on the cusp of setting the World Cup career goals record and has had timely and well-placed goals thus far. Spain's style has broken down teams so far and they have rebounded nicely since that early loss to Switzerland. There does not seem to be too much that separates these two squads. Germany will be slowed down, but they have looked better well-rounded. PREDICTION: GERMANY 2, SPAIN 1
After 60 games, two teams will emerge for the right to play for the World Cup crown. As I see it, the Netherlands and Germany look like those two. But Uruguay and Spain will not go without a fight. Germany and Uruguay have claimed the ultimate prize while the Netherlands and Spain are still searching for their first. Should be good ones!
Semi-finals
Uruguay vs Netherlands: Uruguay has not been this far in 40 years and has not won in 60 years. While the Netherlands are looking to make their third final and possibly finally win the World Cup after coming up short in 1974 and 1978. The Dutch will continue to rest their offense in Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, who have come up big thus far. Sneijder is in the running for the golden boot as one of the top goal scorers this World Cup. The style of the Dutch as been smooth and timely while also showing the ability to grind out a game. As we have seen, Uruguay plays a much more attack style Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez leading the way as the catalyst for this team. Forlan, like Sneijder, has been one of the top scorers. Of note is the fact that Suarez will be out for this game due to the red card he received in the Ghana game. John Heitinga for the Dutch will be of crucial importance for his team as he will be asked to be the main stopper against the Uruguayan offense. Also, Diego Perez will most likely be the main attacker asked to fill in for Suarez's absence. Both will come in with confidence from their respective wins. But in what might have been a tough for Uruguay looks tougher with a couple key guys out. The Dutch have to play smart and if they do; they should find themselves in the final game. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 1, NETHERLANDS 2
Germany vs Spain: This is a great game between two European powers who met 2 years ago in the European finals with Spain coming up victorious 1-0. Germany has enjoyed a lot of World Cup success while Spain's history is quite the opposite. Spain, however, entered as a favorite and is in the midst of their best World Cup. Germany has used a dominating style as they scored 8 goals against England and Argentina. Spain has used defense and a wear you down style to win close games. Germany might be tested by Spain's keep away style and the team that allows their pace to dominate will have the advantage. The midfield for Spain has continuously set the table for David Villa to score that one needed goal and become one of the top goal scorers this year. Germany will be without one of their young stars, Thomas Mueller. Mueller is only 20, but has been one of the top scorers this year and his absence will force Germany to reshuffle their strategy. Villa draws much of the attention, but Xavi is one of their unheralded stars who sets the table for Villa to shine. He dictates a lot of the middle of the field. Mesut Ozil is another young star for Germany and he will have to evaluate his game further to make up for Mueller's absence in addition to a couple others stepping up. Miroslave Klose is also on the cusp of setting the World Cup career goals record and has had timely and well-placed goals thus far. Spain's style has broken down teams so far and they have rebounded nicely since that early loss to Switzerland. There does not seem to be too much that separates these two squads. Germany will be slowed down, but they have looked better well-rounded. PREDICTION: GERMANY 2, SPAIN 1
After 60 games, two teams will emerge for the right to play for the World Cup crown. As I see it, the Netherlands and Germany look like those two. But Uruguay and Spain will not go without a fight. Germany and Uruguay have claimed the ultimate prize while the Netherlands and Spain are still searching for their first. Should be good ones!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
World Cup Preview: Quarterfinals
The Round of 16 provided a fair share of good action as most of the games came down to the wire. While teams like Germany, Argentina, and Brazil romped to the quarterfinals. Eight teams now remain for the right to move on to the semi-finals. Several favorites continue to look good while teams like Ghana and Paraguay have been big surprises. Paraguay and Japan gave us our first penalty kicks of this World Cup while the United States and Ghana had to go 120 minutes before a winner was declared. After 56 games, my record stands at 37-19. As the quarterfinals start, the games only become that much better and intense. There are a couple games worthy of the World Cup final and personally think the winners have a great chance to move to the Final.
Quarterfinals
Netherlands vs Brazil:
The Netherlands have won many World Cups games, but have yet to win the big one. Brazil have won the World Cup 5 times. So, this one is a battle between arguably the best nation without a World Cup title and the one with the most. Brazil is ranked #1 and came into this year's World Cup one of the favorites. They have begun to get stronger each game, but the Dutch have also been gelling quite well; just not as in as flashy fashion. Twice during the 1990s, Brazil was responsible for eliminating the Netherlands. Now that Arjen Robben is back, he gives the Dutch a one-two punch with Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch will need to be nearly flawless as Brazil has shown few weaknesses with Kaka, Robinho, and Luis Fabiano giving them a tough three-headed monster with a few capable guys behind them. Chile played a fairly good defensive game yet Brazil capitalized on the openings they were given. If the Netherlands allow Brazil to get a couple easy goals, it will be a tough uphill climb. Part of me is rooting for the Dutch to win this one because they have yet to win it all. But another part of me cannot deny what I have seen from Brazil thus far. This will be a close one and the it will take two halves to win this one for sure. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 1, BRAZIL 2
Uruguay vs Ghana:
Uruguay has used a tough defense along with a spread open offense to win Group A and then defeat South Korea. While Ghana has not looked especially good, but a timely goal here or there usually by Asamoah Gyan has helped Ghana become the third African nation to make it to the quarterfinals. Ghana also has the whole continent of Africa behind it as they are the sole African nation and the fans will certainly give Ghana an extra boost. Gyan continued his clutch kicks as he landed one in extra time to get Ghana past the United States after the two needed more than 90 minutes to get a winner. Worth mentioning during Ghana's run is the absence of their best player, Michael Essien. One has to wonder how much more does Ghana have left. Ghana's defense will have to continue its good play as Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have been dangerous and opportunistic thus far. The Uruguay defense gave up its first goal against South Korea. The nation was one of the original soccer powers, but has fallen off during much of the second half of the Cup's existence. This looks like a possible revival. Ghana will play hard, but will come up just short. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, GHANA 1
Argentina vs Germany:
Both soccer powerhouses cruised to victories over Mexico and England, respectively. Then as the week has gone on, the trash talk has increased. Deigo Maradona has not been shy and the German team has not refrained from holding back. The two met four years ago in the same round with Germany prevailing in penalty kicks. Both teams have new members, but anyone on either of those squads have not forgot about that game. Both teams have looked very good overall and set up a potential blockbuster match capable of a World Cup final. Bastian Schweinsteiger was one of the German who was especially vocal in exchanges with Maradona. Despite Lionel Messi's lack of scoring, he has shot very well and has gotten a lot of help from Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain. On the German side, Miroslav Klose has had young guns Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, and Lukas Podolski alongside him creating a quick strike offense that beat down the English. This team has made strides before and during the World Cup without star Michael Ballack, who has been out with injuries. This one might get physical with the tense environment created. Something will have to give in this offensive showdown. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, GERMANY 2
Paraguay vs Spain:
Spain stumbled to start this year's World Cup, but that seems like a distant memory as they are poised to get to the semis if not win the whole thing. They are playing at a high level and David Villa has been as close to a sure thing throughout the World Cup for them. Spain has often come up at the World Cup and have years of disappointment in the back of their minds going into a matchup with Paraguay. The Spaniards have not scored a lot, but have gotten that one goal they needed to keep their hope alive. Paraguay has not looked especially great, but they have used their defense and timely plays to skate through group play and then get by Japan in penalty kicks. Fernando Torres for Spain has been one of the many superstars who have lacked star power at this year's World Cup. Paraguay has only surrendered one goal thus far and I see them giving up at least one year; probably to Villa. Spain has enough weapons to stifle most of what Paraguay might throw at them. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 0, SPAIN 1
After three weeks of action and overall great games, we will have the final four carved out from the initial 32. Four teams will take that next step to next week's semis and ultimately the championship final. All four games look to be close, hard fought games with a couple main events in the quarterfinal round.
Quarterfinals
Netherlands vs Brazil:
The Netherlands have won many World Cups games, but have yet to win the big one. Brazil have won the World Cup 5 times. So, this one is a battle between arguably the best nation without a World Cup title and the one with the most. Brazil is ranked #1 and came into this year's World Cup one of the favorites. They have begun to get stronger each game, but the Dutch have also been gelling quite well; just not as in as flashy fashion. Twice during the 1990s, Brazil was responsible for eliminating the Netherlands. Now that Arjen Robben is back, he gives the Dutch a one-two punch with Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch will need to be nearly flawless as Brazil has shown few weaknesses with Kaka, Robinho, and Luis Fabiano giving them a tough three-headed monster with a few capable guys behind them. Chile played a fairly good defensive game yet Brazil capitalized on the openings they were given. If the Netherlands allow Brazil to get a couple easy goals, it will be a tough uphill climb. Part of me is rooting for the Dutch to win this one because they have yet to win it all. But another part of me cannot deny what I have seen from Brazil thus far. This will be a close one and the it will take two halves to win this one for sure. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 1, BRAZIL 2
Uruguay vs Ghana:
Uruguay has used a tough defense along with a spread open offense to win Group A and then defeat South Korea. While Ghana has not looked especially good, but a timely goal here or there usually by Asamoah Gyan has helped Ghana become the third African nation to make it to the quarterfinals. Ghana also has the whole continent of Africa behind it as they are the sole African nation and the fans will certainly give Ghana an extra boost. Gyan continued his clutch kicks as he landed one in extra time to get Ghana past the United States after the two needed more than 90 minutes to get a winner. Worth mentioning during Ghana's run is the absence of their best player, Michael Essien. One has to wonder how much more does Ghana have left. Ghana's defense will have to continue its good play as Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have been dangerous and opportunistic thus far. The Uruguay defense gave up its first goal against South Korea. The nation was one of the original soccer powers, but has fallen off during much of the second half of the Cup's existence. This looks like a possible revival. Ghana will play hard, but will come up just short. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, GHANA 1
Argentina vs Germany:
Both soccer powerhouses cruised to victories over Mexico and England, respectively. Then as the week has gone on, the trash talk has increased. Deigo Maradona has not been shy and the German team has not refrained from holding back. The two met four years ago in the same round with Germany prevailing in penalty kicks. Both teams have new members, but anyone on either of those squads have not forgot about that game. Both teams have looked very good overall and set up a potential blockbuster match capable of a World Cup final. Bastian Schweinsteiger was one of the German who was especially vocal in exchanges with Maradona. Despite Lionel Messi's lack of scoring, he has shot very well and has gotten a lot of help from Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain. On the German side, Miroslav Klose has had young guns Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, and Lukas Podolski alongside him creating a quick strike offense that beat down the English. This team has made strides before and during the World Cup without star Michael Ballack, who has been out with injuries. This one might get physical with the tense environment created. Something will have to give in this offensive showdown. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, GERMANY 2
Paraguay vs Spain:
Spain stumbled to start this year's World Cup, but that seems like a distant memory as they are poised to get to the semis if not win the whole thing. They are playing at a high level and David Villa has been as close to a sure thing throughout the World Cup for them. Spain has often come up at the World Cup and have years of disappointment in the back of their minds going into a matchup with Paraguay. The Spaniards have not scored a lot, but have gotten that one goal they needed to keep their hope alive. Paraguay has not looked especially great, but they have used their defense and timely plays to skate through group play and then get by Japan in penalty kicks. Fernando Torres for Spain has been one of the many superstars who have lacked star power at this year's World Cup. Paraguay has only surrendered one goal thus far and I see them giving up at least one year; probably to Villa. Spain has enough weapons to stifle most of what Paraguay might throw at them. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 0, SPAIN 1
After three weeks of action and overall great games, we will have the final four carved out from the initial 32. Four teams will take that next step to next week's semis and ultimately the championship final. All four games look to be close, hard fought games with a couple main events in the quarterfinal round.
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