Minnesota Independent » Mike Gravel

Video: Obama Girl teams up with the former Democratic presidential candidate you’ve never heard of

Steve Perry — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:52:02 +0000

There are three things one needs to know about Mike Gravel. 1) In pronouncing his last name, the accent goes on the second syllable; it rhymes with “Oh, hell.” 2) A former US senator from Alaska, he was and still is a candidate for president. (Though he started the race as a Dem, he switched in late March to the Libertarian Party.) 3) He wants you to know that, as he says in closing, “If you have second thoughts, I’m on Twitter!”

Oh, and one other thing. This isn’t Gravel’s first foray into music video self-abasement. Below the jump, see his nothing-if-not-distinctive cover of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.”

Forgotten Democrat Mike Gravel raps with Obama Girl (2:06)
Mike Gravel, “Helter Skelter/Revolution #2″ (4:41)

Campaign video: If it worked for Manson, will it work for Mike Gravel?

Tom Elko — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:42:44 +0000

Presidential hopeful Mike Gravel has cast his lot with the Libertarian Party and, like any respectable contender for the highest office in the land, he’s got a song on YouTube. Rx2008, the crew that brought you George W. Bush singing “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “The End of the World (As We Know It),” produced this video, which features Gravel himself speaking the lyrics of the Beatles song that Charles Manson made his own.

Rx2008 with Mike Gravel, “Helter Skelter” (4:40)

Romney, Clinton win in Nevada

Jeff Fecke — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:29:03 +0000

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney easily won Nevada’s Republican caucuses, while New York Sen. Hillary Clinton narrowly defeated Illinois Sen. Barack Obama to win the Democratic caucuses in that state.

With approximately 80 percent of precincts reporting, Romney had won 53 percent of a Republican straw ballot. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was in second place with 13 percent of the vote, just 21 votes ahead of Arizona Sen. John McCain. Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were in a virtual tie for fourth with 8 percent of the vote, while former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City trailed badly with just 4 percent of the vote.

The Democratic caucuses were much closer. With about 90 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton had won 51 percent of delegates to Nevada’s state convention, with Obama close behind with 45 percent. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was a distant third with 4 percent of the vote, while Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, was in fifth place, trailing uncommitted delegates, with less than 1 percent of the vote.The wins in Nevada were important to both Clinton and Romney, both of whom are looking for momentum going forward. Romney needed the win in the delegate-rich Nevada caucuses to offset a near-certain loss in today’s South Carolina primary. With the win, Romney appears likely to stretch his overall lead in delegates. In a statement, Romney said, “Whether it is reforming health care, making America energy independent or securing the border, the American people have been promised much and are now ready for change.”

Clinton, meanwhile, wins her second consecutive contest, and prevents Obama from building up steam going into next week’s South Carolina primary, where Obama holds a significant lead, according to polling. In a statement, the Clinton campaign called the victory “a huge victory by overcoming institutional hurdles and one of the worst negative ads in recent memory.” Clinton had decried Spanish-language ads run by allies of Obama, which called Clinton “shameless.”

The results in Nevada were a crushing blow to the faltering campaign of John Edwards, who has yet to finish higher than second in a primary or caucus. Edwards had been rising in the polls in the last week, but ultimately faded, and will receive minimal support. He will go into South Carolina desperately needing a win before the Super Duper Tuesday primaries and caucuses on Feb. 5.