Bits and Pieces, Volume 3

A survey of 400,000 kids and teens conducted by Nickelodeon's website found 57% of the voters favoring John Kerry versus 43% for George Bush. Although not a scientific poll, and not even a poll of eligible voters, the Nickelodeon poll has correctly chosen the presidential winner in the last four elections. Linda Ellerbee, who writes and hosts Nick News, explains that kids' views often (but not always) mirror the views of their parents. (more...)

Gavin Newsom Endorses Nick Waugh for District 5

Okay, this was a big surprise for me. Mayor Gavin Newsom previously endorsed Rescue Muni candidate Andrew Sullivan after many had assumed he would stay out of the 22-candidate fray. But now just yesterday, the mayor endorsed Nick Waugh as his second choice for the ranked choice ballot that SF voters will use for the first time in November. Waugh, an advisor for Business for Social Responsibly, reportedly voted for Matt Gonzalez in the last mayoral race but soured on the retiring supervisor for his recent support of Ralph Nader over John Kerry for president. At least, that's the rumor on some of the District 5 message boards. (more...)

Kentucky Senate Race

Senator Jim Bunning, the Republican incumbent from Kentucky, should have coasted to an easy re-election. But lately the Senator has been acting so erratic that voters are wondering if he's actually beginning to experience senility. At one point, he accused his opponent, Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, of looking like one of Saddam Hussein's sons. Then during a candidates debate, he broke an agreement for an in-person debate in Kentucky and instead debated through a satellite hookup to the Republican headquarters in Washington, DC. It was later revealed (after Bunning first denied it and later admitted to it) that Bunning was reading off of a TelePrompTer.

Kentucky's two largest newspapers, the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Louisville Courier-Journal, have now both endorsed the Democratic challenger. The race where the Republican incumbent once enjoyed a double-digit lead is now tied, 43% to 43% (and undecided voters tend to break for the challenger on election day).

If Democrats can pick up a Senate seat here in a state that was originally assumed to be safe for the Republican Party, their chances of taking back control of the Senate improve immensely.

Update on Newspaper Endorsements

Bush had a good day today, picking up endorsements from the Boston Herald and the Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington, but Kerry continues to lead with 55 endorsements to Bush's 42. Kerry's circulation tally tops 9.2 million, while Bush's comes in under 5.5 million. Two major newspapers in Ohio, the Columbus Dispatch and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, have not yet made endorsements in the critical swing state. (more...)

Bill O'Reilly Faces More Problems

Conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly and the Fox News Network face new charges from the woman accusing him of sexual harassment. Andrea Mackris, an associate producer of O'Reilly's show, informed top executives of O'Reilly's sexual harassment on September 29; she was removed from her job on October 5th and ordered to take sick leave. It is a violation of New York state law to terminate or retaliate against an employee who complains about sexual harassment. Fox executives claim they are not retaliating against her because she is still receiving full pay, though it appears that the pay may be coming from her sick leave time. Mackris filed a sexual harassment suit against O'Reilly and the network on October 13.

Bill Clinton Campaigning for Kerry

Former President Bill Clinton, still recovering from heart surgery, will reportedly appear with John Kerry in a rally in Philadelphia next week. In 2000, Vice President Al Gore distanced himself from his former boss in an effort to avoid the taint of scandal that dogged his presidency, and to show his independence. But Kerry seems ready to embrace the former president and use his influence in areas where his popularity remains high.

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