Analysis

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman

A political wise man once suggested that, as Democrats we fall in love, whereas Republicans fall in line.* This year Democrats sure did fall in love in the primaries, and now, for the general, we will need to make like Republicans, who have won 7 out of the last 10 presidential races (that was in Hillary's remarks today). We'll need to fall in line, whether we really feel like it or not.

It reminds me of a "feel-good" poster a friend of mine had up on her bookshelf years ago. It said, "Act enthusiastic, and you'll be enthusiastic." In other words, fake it if you must.

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To blatantly borrow from John Edwards, when it comes to guns, there are two Americas.

In one America, Dick Cheney and Antonin Scalia would feel right at home. Guns are everywhere. Hunting is a nearby experience. I remember living in south central Michigan in the early 1990s in wonder when parents would take their kids out of school for the start of deer hunting season. I also remember the fear of driving the interstate highway at night during deer hunting season. The deer would be flushed out of the woods by the hunters, and the creatures often ended up on or near the highway. I have never seen a deer season where the highways were clear of deer remnants.

This is Ted Nugent's America.

In the other America, Dick Cheney and Antonin Scalia would be really scared, especially without the protection they normally receive. In Chicago, we hear stories about kids and adults being killed with guns all the time. I keep hearing about how so many Chicago Public Schools kids were killed this past school year. The news is sadly almost delivered matter of factly, as if it wasn't a big shock.

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A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

Here at BuzzFlash HQ in downtown Chicago, we've been suffering from déjà vu. And then, déjà vu all over again.

Harold Merrell, IT manager at BuzzFlash, produced a duo of online video pieces about Sen. Barack Obama's Chicago connections earlier this year. And it seems our audience may be growing.

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A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Christine Bowman

Recent reports on John McCain's wife raise more questions about the candidate than about her, if you read between the lines. What kind of life partner has John been? How will women voters judge him?

^{Art Streiber for Newsweek (Photo of Cindy)}

Suddenly everyone is taking an interest the presidential candidates' wives. Newsweek, for example, published an intriguing profile of John McCain's wife Cindy in its June 30 issue.

In a nutshell, Cindy comes across quite well -- as a maverick and independent operator in her own right. She flies planes, heads a large company, adopted a needy child from Mother Teresa's orphanage. She appears as decisive, wealthy, powerful, but a woman with heart.

That contrasts starkly with what the public has seen of Cindy Hensley McCain up to this point in the campaign -- the image of a rather silent partner with a frozen smile posing on stages and navigating airport tarmacs at her husband's side. Cindy really only grabbed reporters' attention once, by contrasting her own patriotic feelings with those of Michelle Obama, whose remarks on the subject had sparked controversy. And there were some stories about her recipes.

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A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS
by Meg White

According to a Workplace Democracy Association/Zogby Interactive survey, 25 percent of Americans compares their workplace to a dictatorship. In the most comprehensive study of the phenomenon to date, the poll also found that adopting more egalitarian processes might be the solution.

"Companies that want to boost employee engagement levels must adopt democratic and innovative practices in the way the entire company is managed," said Workplace Democracy Association President Asher Adelman. "Executives should be sharing information with all employees about the company's ongoing performance and goals, and employees should be empowered with greater discretion and decision-making abilities."

According to Zogby, "The survey also found that less than half of working Americans - 46% - said their workplace promotes creative or inventive ideas, while barely half - 51% - said their co-workers often feel motivated or are mostly motivated at work."

Interestingly, according to a study released earlier this year by the Bertelsmann Foundation, almost 40 percent of the world's population lives under a dictatorship.

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