New video on MTV's THINK site: First name bias?

I'm in England, and forgot to post my latest video for THINK. It's a vlog, asking why do we call some candidates by their first names, and not others? Hmmmm?

A throw-away question

Tonight Sen. Clinton held a national town hall meeting, where she answered one question per Super Tuesday state; all the states were linked up via satellite, and supporters met at central locations. Here in Kansas, people gathered in Wichita. Originally they were supposed to meet at a bar and grill, but I believed they moved to a theater.

Anyway, for the first time in my life, I watched the Hallmark Channel, which broadcast one hour of the Senator's give-and-take with fawning supporters. And at 9 p.m. on the dot, Hallmark switched back to its programming. And I still hadn't heard the question that Kansas would ask.

So I rushed back to my room and visited Clinton's Web site, which was streaming the remainder of the program. Finally, it was Kansas' turn.

And what a strange question it was. Last week I was on a conference call with Sen. Clinton's main backers here in Kansas, and they said they'd have to think of back up questions in case all the good ones -- you know, health care, the war, education, etc. -- were taken. Well, they were.

Kansas asked the dubious and curious question of how Sen. Clinton would tackle a national rail system, a la the Bullet Train in Japan or EuroStar in Europe. Seriously?

Clinton was overjoyed at this question (and all the others, for that matter). The Giants fan said she loved trains (!) and would definitely consider looking into creating a national rail system. *Sigh*

I, for one, was not surprised this square state didn't make it into the broadcast. I don't know how they organized it, but it may have something to do with delegates, because North Dakota and Delaware were two other states that didn't make it on-air.

I like trains -- my friend Blair and I took a lovely Amtrack ride from Chicago to Ann Arbor once. But I'm not sure that's the question on everybody's minds this presidential race.

I guess I'll find out tomorrow, when I'm live vlogging Super Tuesday!

Bill Clinton is mad

Bill Clinton is mad as hell and he's not going to take it. The former president has a fire in his belly as of late, and he's going after reporters and Barack Obama. And I think he's hurting his wife's campaign.

This campaign should not be about Bill Clinton. It's about Hillary Clinton. President Clinton wasn't very visible up until a few months ago, and now he's taken center stage. Early in the campaign, when things were still civil among the Democratic rivals, President Clinton would give speeches, but he stayed out of the spotlight, allowing his wife to tout her experience and other attributes.

Now he's all over the the TV, and all over the map. Whether he's slinging mud at Obama or chastising reporters, the president is taking the focus away from the issues his wife needs to promote to be successful in this race.