Storms/Tornadoes Rock Mississippi River Towns

A massive storm system is rocking the very foundation of cities both large and small along the Mississippi River from Louisiana to Indiana today. I just took a look at the national weather radar and this storm system seems to stretch for over one thousand miles on the Mississippi River, nationwide. A few minutes ago some images starting coming into cable news networks of some of the damage, but most likely the worst of what has already happened is yet to come. This storm system which almost stretches from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico is expected to grow stronger this evening as millions of people live in the direct path of this storm.

Maybe it is just a freak of nature or a cause of global warming, but in recent years there seems to be more severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in January and February than ever before. Back in the 1970's, I don't remember ever hearing about a tornado doing damage in the winter time. Right now, it is warm here in Central Texas and the humidity and wind are high today. While this latest storm system is moving away from our area, we should all pray for the people that live east of the Mississippi River as this storm system progresses through the night. Over the years I have read books that deal with the weather and why it does such strange things from time to time. Most likely, this thousand mile long severe storm monster has been caused by the warm temperatures and high humidity that has faced much of the nation the past few days.

While there is nothing any of us can do about the weather except take cover when a massive thunderstorm heads our way, it is interesting to watch these storms via modern day radar. This afternoon, the Weather Channel has had some dramatic graphics showing not only the massive nature of today's storms, but they are also able to zoom in on a small area of the country in order to get a more local idea of what is happening on the ground. Last summer, I remember watching as a big thunderstorm rolled across the entire state of Texas. I remember commenting to a coworker that the line of storms that day must have stretched for over 500 miles. Until today, that was the longest line of thunderstorms I had ever seen. However, today's massive Mississippi River line of severe weather stretched from one country to the next. Unbelievable!

Read more about Weird Weather:

Terrible Weather Conditions Await Holiday Travelers
More Midwest/Northeast Snow Predicted Tomorrow
Heartland Ice Turns Into Northeast Blizzard
One Million People Could Lose Power By Tomorrow
Some States Flood While Others Dry Up - December 2007

January 8, 2008 Archives

Massive Voter Turn Out In New Hampshire Primary

The Drudge Report just released a massive headline that says some voting locations in New Hampshire are running out of ballots because so many people are showing up to vote there. If true, this massive New Hampshire voter turnout will help Barack Obama and hurt Hillary Clinton. As I wrote yesterday, I have never seen anything in American politics before like the Barack Obama express that is gaining public support almost by the hour. The last time I remember the public getting so excited about a single candidate was back when Ronald Reagan was running for President the first time. However, the support for Reagan back then was not as powerful as we are seeing right now with Barack Obama.

The little talked about secret of Clinton/Bush fatigue is turning out to be real and there is nothing Hillary Clinton can do to change this feeling inside of voters hearts. For decades now, the United States has either been lead by a member of the Bush or Clinton family and young people are making it crystal clear that they don't want to see another decade run by the same two families. Most of the massive voter turn out in New Hampshire today is from young people that usually never vote in elections. Just like in Iowa, young voters will make the difference in New Hampshire today and tonight I would not be surprised if Barack Obama defeats Hillary Clinton by as much as 20% in New Hampshire.

For many years, democratic activist have tried and failed to get young people to vote. From MTV specials like 'Rock the Vote' to other catchy ideas – millions of younger Americans would register to vote, but in the end never show up to cast a ballot on election day. However, in 2008 it appears that Barack Obama is succeeding where everyone else failed at getting registered young voters to the polls. Instead of a steady stream of telephone calls and free transportation to get supporters to the polls, young people that like Barack Obama are rushing to polling locations all over New Hampshire to vote for a candidate they really believe in.

Read more about 2008 Elections:

Ron Paul Supporters Are Angry At Media
Ron Paul/Duncan Hunter Snubbed By Fox/ABC News
Iowa's Thursday Caucus First Test For Candidates
New Poll Shows Clinton/Obama/Edwards Tied In Iowa
Iowa Voters Prepare To Caucus Next Month

Legendary Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs Resigns

I was shocked when I heard the news that Washington Redskins' head coach Joe Gibbs was going to resign today. Coach Gibbs is a legend in my book as his coaching abilities have been able to keep up with the times, unlike many other coaches in the NFL. When I see coach Gibbs on the sidelines, my mind wonders back to a time when another one of my favorite coaches lead the Dallas Cowboys. Both Tom Landry and Joe Gibbs coached with distinction for years. Gibbs said that he will remain with the Redskins organization as a top adviser to team owner Daniel Snyder.

The reason I like Joe Gibbs while at the same time disliking the Washington Redskins is the difference between team loyalty and personal character. As a Dallas Cowboys fan, it is tough to appreciate anything the Washington Redskins do on the field. However, it is very easy for me to like and appreciate the contributions that head coach Joe Gibbs not only brought to that football team, but also to the world as a whole with his strength of character. With Bill Parcells and now Joe Gibbs not gracing the sidelines of NFL football games, something will be missing in the future as these giants of coaching fade away into the background.

Joe Gibbs reminds me of a day when team loyalty and fan support were the first priority of any NFL football team. To me, that fan support has faded away as NFL team owners have become more greedy for money than anything else. Yes, the NFL has always been a business – but until the past decade or so that side of this popular sport was mainly hidden from the fans. However, ever since the NFL decided to not only play the game of professional football – but also create their own network to telecast some of the games, that dirty side of greed became clear for all to see. I will miss seeing Joe Gibbs on the sidelines because he always represented what is the best side of real NFL football play which is hard work and character will lead a team and/or an individual to success.

Read more about the NFL:

NFL Playoffs Begin With Wild Card Weekend
Will The New England Patriots Win The Superbowl?
NFL Network Battles Cable During New England Game
Tonight's New England Patriots/New York Giants Game
NBC/CBS/NFL Network To Broadcast New England Patriots Game

Hillary Clinton Barack Obama's Vice President?

A few months ago I wrote about my opinion that Barack Obama might be Hillary Clinton's Vice-Presidential running mate. Now with Barack Obama running ahead of Hillary in New Hampshire, maybe I had their roles reversed? I must admit that I have never seen anything like the surge in public voter support than I have seen with Barack Obama the past couple of weeks. This one man has rolled over Hillary Clinton like a steam roller and hasn't looked back to see what damage he has caused to her campaign. The voters in Iowa summed it up best when they told pollsters that the were tired of business as usual in Washington and wanted 'change' in the 2008 election for President.

When it comes to 'change', Barack Obama is the man to beat because everything this young Senator from Illinois is talking about involves change. Will Hillary Clinton be content to settle for second place in the race for the White House? Personally, I don't think she is interested in that job unless Barack Obama decides to give her some kind of free reign like Vice-President Dick Cheney has right now. Stranger things have happened, but I don't think Senator Obama has any ill feelings toward Hillary Clinton at this point in time and he might very well decide to draw on her support if he is eventually successful in his presidential bid.

As Hillary Clinton was shedding tears yesterday in New Hampshire, it become clear to me that she knows better than most that Barack Obama is going to win the democratic nomination for President in 2008. The next big question is, will Hillary Clinton join the Barack Obama ticket as Vice-President? More than likely, Barack Obama will be looking for someone that is not from a northern or northeastern state when selecting his running mate. To me, that mean that someone like Bill Richardson could be on his short list of candidates to help him win the White House in 2008. Hillary Clinton could very well agree to serve in an Obama administration as Secretary of State or Defense rather than Vice-President. If Barack Obama is elected the next President of the United States he is going to need seasoned professionals to help him lead or he could find himself in way over his head once he takes the Oath of Office.

Read more about Barack Obama:

Hillary Might Go After Barack Obama's Muslim Religion
John McCain Running Against Barack Obama In New Hampshire
Barack Obama The Candidate To Beat In 2008?
Oprah Helps Barack Obama Win Iowa/New Hampshire?
Will Barack Obama Win Iowa Caucus' On Thursday?

Read more about Hillary Clinton:

Hillary Clinton Preparing To Drop Out Of The Race?
Hillary Clinton's Campaign Over According To John Edwards
Hillary Clinton – Why Don't People Like Me?
Is Hillary Clinton's Campaign In Meltdown Mode?
Hillary Clinton's Inevitability Showing Signs Of Weakness