BUT WHAT COLOR DO WE GET?

The National Journal's Chuck Todd argues that we need to start thinking in terms of a new political map.

Forget "red" and "blue." The country is basically divided into four voting blocs: the Democratic Northeast, the Republican South, the populist Midwest and the libertarian West. Democrats probably have a decent grip on those populist Midwest voters for a while (at least until the area transforms completely into a new economy). As for the libertarian West (home of the first state -- Arizona -- to reject a gay marriage ban), this is a region that is more up for grabs than it should be. And it's because the Republican Party has grown more religious and more pro-government which turns off these "leave me alone," small-government libertarian Republicans.

The entire column can be found HERE.

TERRELL'S SOUND WORLD PLAYLIST

Sunday, November 12, 2006
KSFR, Santa Fe, N.M.
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Sundays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out) by The Hombres
Change in the Weather by John Fogerty
Pink Slip by The Unband
Dopefiend Boogie by The Cramps
I Wanna Be Loved by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
My Wig Fell Off by Root Boy Slim & The Sex Change Band
Bless You by The Devil Dogs
You Don't Need a Doctor by The Leaving Trains
This Guy's in Love With You by Faith No More

Stolen Cadillac by Pere Ubu
Jams Run Free by Sonic Youth
Ocean by The Velvet Underground
Mountains by Sparklehorse

Where There Are No Children by Kult
Buri Na Laty by Cankisou
Asfalt Tango by Fanfare Ciocarlia
Ciganka by Kocani Orkestar
Adje Idi by Zdravko Colic
God Bless the Ottoman Empire by A Hawk & A Hacksaw
It Was Floating in the Air by Zach Condon

The Concept by Teenage Fanclub
Shut Us Down by Lindsey Buckingham
Into Oblivion by Lisa Germano
Questions in a World of Blue by Julee Cruise
American Tune by Paul Simon
CLOSING THEME: Over the Rainbow by Jerry Lee Lewis

AUTOPSY ON LAND COMMISSIONER RACE

Why, in an election where everyone was talking about a "Democratic Wave" -- and New Mexico Democrats like Sen. Jeff Bingaman and Gov. Bill Richardson were pulling about 70 percent of the vote -- didn't Jim Baca pull it off in the race for land commissioner?

For one thing, despite all the talk about voter disgust and winds of change, it seems in New Mexico, for the most part, incumbents won.

For those not completely ODed on politics, HERE is my analysis of the race, published in today's New Mexican.

THE SANTA FE OPRY PLAYLIST

Friday, November 10, 2006
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Webcasting!
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell

OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
Takin' the Country Back by John Anderson
Love's Gonna Live Here Again by Leon Russell
See Willie Fly By by The Waco Brothers
What's a Simple Man to Do by Steve Earle
Wanted Man by Johnny Cash
Barstow Barstool by The Texas Sapphires
Cash on the Barrelhead by Dolly Parton
Miller, Jack and Mad Dog by Wayne Hancock
Whiskey, Women and Money to Burn by Joe Ely
Every Man a King by Randy Newman

Ringmaster by Ramsay Midwood
My Eyes by Tony Gilkyson
Heather's All Bummed Out by Lonesome Bob
Roadmap For the Blues by Butch Hancock
I'd Rather Be Gone by Merle Haggard
Round Eye Blues by Marah
Dirty Leather by Carrie Rodriguez
Don't Let the Deal Go Down by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Where's the Devil When You Need Him by The Legendary Shack Shakers
Christian Lady Talkin' on a Bus by Blaze Foley
Poor Howard by the Volo Bogtrotters
Shady Grove by Colby Maddox
Mole in the Ground by Doc & Merle Watson
Bottle of Wine by Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs
Shoot Me to the Moon by Dan Reeder
Cowboys to Girls by The Hacienda Brothers
Nashville Bum by Waylon Jennings

Girls by Eleni Mandell
Sold American by Lyle Lovett
Tired Giants by Smutfish
Drinkin' Thing by Gary Stewart
Some Humans Ain't Human by John Prine
Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down by The Maddox Brothers & Rose
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list

THE RACE IS ON !

... and here comes pride at the backstretch ....

Congressional Quarterly has profiles of 2008 presidential candidates.

There's 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans. (Hmmm ... 13, same number as a witches coven.)


Here's one of them:

Bill Richardson — Governor, New Mexico
Rationale: For starters, ethnicity and geography argue in favor of Richardson, a Latino governor in a battleground state that backed Al Gore in 2000 but George W. Bush in 2004. Add to that his varied Washington experience — 14 years in the House plus four years in the Clinton administration, first as U.N. ambassador and then as Energy secretary — and on paper you have the ingredients for national office.
Richardson is a larger-than-life character who is charming on the stump. On policy matters, he is a pragmatist who remains quite popular in his politically fluid state, recently winning kudos for making good on a 2003 campaign promise to save taxpayers $90 million in state budget costs. Governors do well in presidential contests, which is enough of a reason to consider Richardson a player.
Resources: Richardson raised more than $8 million (note from swt: Make that $13 million) for his bid for a second term as governor this year, a sizable sum in New Mexico politics. And his shoo-in standing in that race has allowed him to spread his money around to other Democrats in the state, always good for earning chits to solidify his home-state base in a presidential campaign. Also, the bulk of his campaign funds come from business interests instead of big labor, a good talking point for any Democrat in a general-election bid.
Hobby Horse: Richardson earned foreign- policy credentials as the ambassador to the United Nations, troubleshooting hot spots from Iraq to North Korea, and he also can emphasize his popular management of New Mexico and tout what is expected to be a lopsided re-election victory.
Hobble Horse: Richardson’s closet is not entirely clean. At a minimum, a presidential bid will again bring to light his brush with the Monica Lewinsky scandal, in which he reportedly offered her a job, and revelations that for years he erroneously claimed to have been drafted as a pitcher by the Kansas City A’s.

By the way, one of the Republicans in this list, obviously compiled before the election, (in fact there's a sheepish note at the top of the page) is none other than soon-to-be-former Sen. George Allen.

Macaca '08!