Twice during the primary campaign, Obama has been asked by George Stephanopoulos, who handled a review of affirmative action policies for President Clinton, whether or not he believed his own fairly privileged daughters deserve affirmative action preferences in college. Both times he answered no.

Obama then went further to say that low income and working class people of all colours deserve special consideration.

Not only does this make excellent sense, it would also have the desirable side effect of introducing the discussion of class into the political mainstream instead of maintaining the current bizarre fiction that class somehow doesn’t exist in the US.

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The Hartford Courant provides a useful comparison of the global warming policies of the presidential candidates.

Obama favors the most governmental spending for R&D, something I strongly favor too. His plan also seems the most comprehensive.

Romney and Paul are clueless, Thompson is an open denier.

Most surprising is McCain, “League of Conservation Voters calls him a ‘leader’ on climate issues.”

Most favor some form of cap-and-trade, which might sound like a solution, but is unworkable because it’s voluntary, not worldwide, and has no way to enforce compliance. Simultaneously working towards creating new forms of renewable, clean energy while also working on ways to cut down on energy use with smarter technology and conservation measures is a much better way to go.

This is also the only way that rapidly industrializing countries like China and India will get interested. Don’t preach to them they must be green when we aren’t. Instead, show them how clean tech will save them money and energy.

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In the end, voters want real people with actual arguments in order to change the country. That’s why Huckabee and Obama have prevailed. They’re real. The establishments of both parties lost.

I expect the Clinton campaign to launch a vicious, sleazy attack against Obama, which will backfire, convincing more people not to vote for Hillary. Obama or Edwards could win the presidency. I doubt she can, her negatives are way too high and people want change.

Guliani is toast. I suspect his numbers collapsed on precisely the same day that his ex NYPD chief of police got indicted on multiple federal felonies.

Ron Paul polled 10%, a highly respectable number for a supposed fringe candidate. If he does better in New Hampshire, and he could, then he becomes a player.

Any previous poll numbers for New Hampshire are now null and void. New polls need to taken because of the momentum created by the Iowa upset.

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