If we realized that more options were available to us we would realize that we hold even more power over the major Parties’ candidates. For example, if Obama were truly worried about his Democratic base migrating over to the Green Party, he would be reluctant to present himself as more centrist. Likewise, if McCain were actually concerned about losing conservatives to the Libertarian Party, he might loosen up his hawkish stance on Iraq or his support of President Bush’s countless repudiations of our civil liberties.

While the company had been growing at a pace of 20% per year, it quickly became apparent that this year would be different. Almost immediately my projections were adjusted to reflected this new reality.

On one level, this was good news, as one of the ways I was to be evaluated concerned whether or not I could hit my monthly sales projections. But the flip side to this was the fact that my commission rate had been set against loftier sales goals, and with lower projections came lower commissions. After about a month into the job I became concerned that once my two-month salary guarantee period was over, I wouldn’t be making nearly as much as I had originally thought. In fact, based on current sales, I figured I would be making about the same, if not slightly less than my “pre-promotion” position at my previous employer. Ooops!

To put those opening weekend numbers into perspective, Ang Lee’s “Hulk” currently stands as the #2 all-time opening weekend for any film. Overall, the film earned $245 million worldwide. Hardly a box office failure. With marketing costs factored in, the film likely broke even in theaters, but with residual revenues including video rentals, video game and toy spin-offs, pay-per-view, and cable television licensing fees, there is no doubt that the film was ultimately profitable.

Any detailed discussion about campaign finance – while important and fundamental to the health of our democracy – comes with it the curious side effects of drowsiness, restlessness, and unbearable ennui. The conversation about campaign finance is wonkish and arcane, and unforunately not exactly an issue that drives voters to the polls. If the McCain campaign thinks for one minute that Americans will suddenly forget that it now costs $75 to fill up their car, or that they can’t afford a medical procedure, or that a loved one (for the third time) is on their way back for another 15 months in Iraq, because Obama made a decision to eschew limited public financing for the “unlimited” funds available to him through his 1.5 million small donors, then it is really McCain’s judgment that should be called into question here.

Nothing about this election season so far has been predictable or ordinary, and certainly the Vice Presidential choices of both Barack Obama and John McCain will be riveting, strategic, and consequencial.

I am not of the camp believing that John McCain can count on states that went GOP back in 2004 and 2000 to continue to do so without extreme effort and resources. I talk about this two other posts of here and here. There is an element of Obama’s candidacy that is recognized but not talked about in a serious way. He is a charismatic persona like no other in recent memory and will move people to vote in ways that opinion polls and punditry cannot accurately gauge.

For this reason, John McCain’s VP choice will be extremely important as it will be his opportunity to counter the vigor, charisma, and quite frankly, the ethnic background of his opponent.

Terry McAuliffe, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, embodied both this delusional thinking and the blustering garbage rhetoric that is so typical of modern American politics, when in advance of her “victory” speech in New York City, he introduced her as the “next President of the United States.” Was this a joke? An old habit? Irony? A “misspeak”? Whatever his intention, the result is clear: that there is little clarity about Clinton’s intentions or agenda at this point.

In her speech, she spoke at length about her supporters, praising them in their steadfastedness and vowing to make sure their votes count. She mentioned repeatedly that she had the support of 18 million Americans, more than any other candidate in history during the Presidential Primaries. In other words, she was sending a message that she holds the keys to the Presidency and that Obama better play ball with her or she’ll send her Army home.

What she didn’t tell you (and neither did any of the pundits, at least the ones on MSNBC) was this idea that Clinton has “won” the popular vote is another fiction. The truth here is two-fold.