]> Matt Towery's blog http://archive.thecitizen.com/staff_blog/9292 en Wasted days and wasted nights: The coming presidential conventions http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/30910 <p>Thanks to the timing of this year’s Olympic games, the Democrats and the Republicans will be holding their presidential nominating conventions back to back. So by the time their staged, silly goings-on are over, the voters will have less than two months to properly vet John McCain and Barack Obama.</p> Columnists Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:49:14 -0400 A book you should “Reed” http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/29179 <p>Does any of this sound familiar? A Democratic presidential nomination is essentially taken away from a candidate because of a fight over delegates’ credentials at a national nominating convention.</p> Columnists Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:50:56 -0400 There’s more than one kind of discrimination http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/28785 <p>OK, let me get this out first. Do I think it’s still tough being an African-American? Absolutely. I’m not naïve. Things aren’t nearly as troublesome for American blacks as they were, say, back in the 1940s and ‘50s. But there are sure plenty of prejudices and other barriers, mostly economic, that remain for people in the United States who happen to enter the world with certain skin pigmentations. Heartbreaking and absurd, yes, but true.</p> Columnists Thu, 29 May 2008 16:07:12 -0400 Delta deal not riding so high in its own hometown http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/27921 <p>ATLANTA — Residents of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Memphis and dozens of other cities around the nation who are opposed to the merger of Atlanta-based Delta Airlines with Northwest Airlines may be shocked to learn that less than 50 percent of Georgians are supportive of the proposal. Delta is based in Atlanta.</p> Columnists Thu, 01 May 2008 15:26:24 -0400 Pitifully biased media stung again by Clinton win in Pennsylvania http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/27685 <p>As our InsiderAdvantage polling showed over the past week, there was never any doubt that Hillary Clinton would win the Pennsylvania Democratic Primary by a margin of between 7 and 10 points.</p> Columnists Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:52:58 -0400 Will McCain be given the Bob Dole treatment? http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/26878 <p>As Hillary Clinton starts to fade away, or so it appears, John McCain faces both new obstacles and opportunities in his quest for the White House. The question is, will he be “helped” in the same way Bob Dole was in 1996?</p> Columnists Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:31:43 -0400 The most dangerous topic: Race http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/26654 <p>As a pollster, I truly don’t care who wins the presidency. I can’t allow myself to do that. This makes my former Republican colleagues angry and Democrats suspicious.</p> Columnists Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:30:52 -0400 Is a do-nothing Congress worth steroid hearings? http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/25534 <p>For every conservative who is irritated that illegal immigration has never really been addressed ...</p> <p>For every liberal who can’t understand why the big oil companies and their unbelievable profits haven’t been reigned in, or forced to accelerate development of new refineries or energy alternatives ...</p> Columnists Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:21:26 -0500 The unmaking of the American Presidency http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/25066 <p>Last Tuesday night’s results from Florida in both the Democratic and Republican Party presidential primaries were what I expected, and then some.</p> Columnists Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:20:13 -0500 Race and religion heat up two Southern primary battles http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/24565 <p>I’ve got to hand it to Barack Obama. His team managed to take mangled words from Bill and Hillary Clinton and create an explosive racial divide just in time for some major Southern primaries. I’ll get back to that in a bit.</p> Columnists Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:30:14 -0500 Live from New Hampshire: National media prove they’re completely out of touch http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/24445 <p>We finally have conclusive evidence that the national TV networks are completely out of touch with reality. Let me share with you exactly how a series of events led to their inevitable conclusion that Barack Obama was a cinch to win the New Hampshire Democratic Primary, which he didn’t. Hillary Clinton won.</p> Columnists Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:20:26 -0500 Give me back my party http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/24235 <p>When I started both this column and our now nine-year-old polling and political electronic news firm, I swore off partisan politics. I don’t campaign for candidates and don’t really care who wins any particular race. I have to treat politicians like a proctologist treats, well, nevermind ...</p> Columnists Mon, 07 Jan 2008 10:20:55 -0500 Could GOP’s next VP come from land of Gators, Bulldogs or Longhorns? http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/21931 <p>This weekend the growing, dynamic city of Jacksonville, Fla., will host what is crudely called “The World’s Largest Cocktail Party.”</p> Columnists Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:04:32 -0400 New Survey: "Religious Conservatives" A Shrinking Influence Among Voters http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/21279 <p>A new survey of the five states that will hold caucuses or primaries prior to February's "Tsunami Tuesday" indicates the so-called "religious right" is a shrinking force among Republicans who say they will vote in their states' presidential primaries.</p> Columnists Mon, 08 Oct 2007 09:26:24 -0400 Is Fred for real? http://archive.thecitizen.com/node/20381 <p>Devotees of this column will hopefully give us a little “gold star” for having caught wind of the “Draft Fred Thompson” movement long before most media knew of it.</p> Columnists Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:21:01 -0400