Coyote Gulch

Monday, July 26, 2004

Denver November 2004 Election
The Rocky Mountain News editorial staff is urging voters to reject Initiative 100 [July 25, 2004, "Don't outlaw the circus in Denver"]. From the editorial, "Some Denverites would ban circuses in the city through an initiative on the Aug. 10 primary ballot. But what if they succeeded? There's a full circle of suburban jurisdictions that would love to host circuses and enjoy the $8 million they are said to generate annually in Denver. Neither the circus nor its fans would miss a beat or a year. But we don't need to rely on the 'if you don't, they will' argument to urge a 'no' vote on Initiative 100. If there were no other cities for 200 miles, it would still be unnecessary - even foolish - to evict circuses from Denver. The proposal, as written, doesn't ban circuses per se, just the traditional heart of them: 'the display of wild or exotic animals for public entertainment and amusement.' Whether intended or not, by the way, the initiative apparently would prohibit petting zoos, animal nurseries and even seafood restaurants with exotic fish tanks. But certain other animal events are specifically exempted from the ban, such as the Denver Zoo, Ocean Journey and the National Western Stock Show. That's clearly a political concession, not a matter of principle, since people who hate circuses tend to be hostile to rodeos, zoos and the like. There's no reason to try to ban circuses anywhere. Circuses visiting Denver have never been charged with the abuse, neglect or mistreatment of animals. They're regulated under local, state and federal laws, and regularly visited by inspectors. Veterinarians travel with the circus and local vets are on call. Circuses also respond to public opinion, which now recoils from some of the stranger animal feats of yore - such as muzzled bears in tutus riding unicycles. Most such acts already have been rightly banished from circus precincts."
6:41:50 AM

2004 Presidential Election
The Democratic National Convention starts today in Boston. Here's the editorial view from the Denver Post [July 26, 2004, "Dems' convention will set tone for election"]. From the editorial, "This is a critical election year, and there are 14 weeks remaining before the Nov. 2 election. For Kerry and the Democrats, this week will set a tone and a direction, with Bush and the Republicans watching as closely as anyone."
Don't forger to check out the ConventionBloggers.com website for up to minute news and views from the convention.
TalkLeft: "Mainstream Media covers the Bloggers."
A Curious Stranger is pointing to the speaker schedule for the Democratic National Convention. The webcasts are in Windows Media only - a little bit of exclusion from our Democratic friends.
Daily Kos: "Latest battleground polls. Florida - Gallup, 7/19-22, Likely voters, MoE 4%, Bush 50, Kerry 47; Ohio - Gallup, 7/19-22, Likely voters, MoE 4%, Kerry 49, Bush 44; Ohio - American Research Group 7/20-22, Likely voters, MoE 4%, Kerry 47, Bush 45; Ohio - Columbus Dispatch, 7/14-22, Likely voters, MoE 4%, Bush 47, Kerry 44, Nader 2; Missouri - Gallup, 7/19-22, Likely voters, MoE 4%, Bush 48, Kerry 48; Nevada - SurveyUSA, 7/21-22, MoE 3.5%, Kerry 49, Bush 45.
Taegan Goddard: "On the eve of the Democratic convention, the latest National Public Radio poll shows Kerry-Edwards beating Bush-Cheney 47% to 46%. In addition, for the first time in this poll, President Bush's approval rating has dipped below 50%. Here are the latest state polls: Nevada - Bush 46%, Kerry 43% (Mason-Dixon); Iowa - Bush 46%, Kerry 45% (Des Moines Register); Florida - Kerry 49%, Bush 44% (Research 2000); Missouri - Kerry 48%, Bush 44% (Research 2000); Ohio - Bush 47%, Kerry 44% (Columbus Dispatch)."
Update: ElectoralVote.com, commenting on Saturday's AP story, about the Electoral College tally, writes, "It is certainly true that about 20 states are going to be very close, but there is no basis for saying that Bush is ahead in the electoral college now. A more accurate statement would be Kerry has 222 electoral votes strongly for him or leaning in his direction and Bush has 184 strong or leaning. The rest are tossups. Thus Kerry is ahead in the electoral college right now. But don't bet on it. AP should assign a more experienced political reporter to this kind of story next time."
6:23:35 AM

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