FDR among all-time election favorites

By Joe McAdory

Franklin D. Roosevelt beat out John F. Kennedy to win this week’s all-time presidential primary at http://www.oanow.com. I would think FDR is a strong candidate to win the whole darn election.

This week’s primary pits recent Republicans Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Reagan and the Bushes. Next week’s primary pits Lyndon B. Johnson against Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. I’d make Clinton the fave here.

Other primary winners thus far include George Washington, John Quincy Adams, Abe Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower and, yes, Andrew Johnson, the first president to be impeached. Go figure.

Why is president-elect Barack Obama not included on the ballot? Last I checked, Bush was still in the White House.

Mood music for this evening: Elvis’ Return to sender

Funny how people are branded these days

By Joe McAdory

I was railed in a letter last week by a reader for my perceived liberal views. The man claims he thought I was a conservative but now believes I am liberal.

I was railed in another letter this week by a reader for my perceived conservative views. Rampant conservatism I believe it was.

Last week I was ultra liberal. Now I’m rampantly conservative.

People make me laugh. Maybe I have little taste for either political view because the far left and far right are among the most closed-minded people on earth.

And to those writers: Yes ... you are both right

Mood song for the day: Fire and Rain

Seen from far away, then gone

By Joe McAdory

From my end zone perch on row 58 Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, I spotted Virgil Starks, a jovial official within the Auburn Athletics Department. It was not long before kickoff and Starks was clearly cracking jokes with a student on the sidelines. He was always a fun guy.

It stunned me early Sunday to learn Starks suddenly died Saturday night. He was 46. It was more bizarre because I’d spotted him from so far away and made the mental note, “hey, that’s Virgil Starks.“

People remember Virgil as a fun guy. One thing I remember most about Virgil is the time he openly cheered in the Sanford Stadium press box during the 2003 Auburn-Georgia game. Cheering is prohibited in such venues and Starks was quickly embarrassed for his momentary gaffe. Hey, the man was happy. Let him cheer.

Gibbs not only local on campaign trail

By Joe McAdory

It’s pretty neat to hear the next White House Press Secretary might have local roots. Robert Gibbs, who grew up in Auburn and graduated from Auburn High in 1989, is speculated to be the leading candidate for the job. He worked as Barack Obama’s communications manager for the last four years.

But Gibbs wasn’t the only local on the presidential campaign trail. Kimmie Lipscomb, a 2001 graduate of Auburn High, was press spokesperson and campaign spokesperson for John McCain. Two AHS grads dueling for the White House. Pretty cool.

Today’s mood music: Rain, rain, go away

That looks familiar

By Joe McAdory

Don’t blink, but Tennessee-Martin’s football uniforms are eerily similar to Auburn’s. Saturday’s game at Jordan-Hare Stadium might just resemble an A-Day Game. Looks like Bo running the ball, doesn’t it?

Mood song for the day: Crystal Ball by Styx