Politex

Local web site backing third party, possibly nonexistant, candidate

Techies know Carrollton -based Woot.com for its quirky business model: they sell one gadget a day, often at a better than retail price, until they are sold out of it.

Hipsters may be more familiar with their off-shoot, shirt.woot.com, where they employ the same strategy to hock pretty, clever or funny t-shirts.

Today the site made one of its occasional forays into politics with a "Bigfoot/Nessie '08" T-shirt, complete with links to a spiffy campaign web site and YouTube ad. From their stump speech:

"Tonight, I’m proud to join hand-in-flipper with my great running mate and say 'GRRRRAARRRR.'...Spread the word to your friends, your neighbors, your fellow cryptozoologists: those heavy footsteps you hear are the sound of change lurching through the underbrush."

No surprise. The T-shirt sold out.

-Aman Batheja

Celebrities getting out the vote on YouTube

Don't vote ... actually do.

That's what Leonardo DiCaprio to Sarah Silverman to will.i.am are saying in a public service announcement posted on the Internet on Wednesday.

"I mean, seriously, ... after this whole video — if you're not gonna vote, I don't even know what to say. ... You know you have to vote," Dicaprio says in the video.

The stars encourage viewers to find voting information online using Google Maps' voting information feature and then send the video to five friends.

The 4:45-long video posted on YouTube and other video-sharing Web sites has received just short of 1,000,000 hits if you combine the view count for the official censored and uncensored versions.

The video was produced by DiCaprio's production company and includes 27 celebrities

It's almost as star studded as will.i.am and Jesse Dylan's "Yes We Can" video posted earlier this year. The official version of that video on YouTube has received more than 10,000,000 hits since it was posted in February.

Check it out below. They've also posted an uncensored version here.



-- Andrew Chavez

Palin shoots for No. 2 in Dallas

PR folks for the Dallas Stars sent us this photo (shot by Glenn James) from today's Sarah Palin event at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas. Tom Hicks said he was presenting the jersey to the Republican vice presidential contender on behalf of thousands of hockey moms in North Texas and millions of fans.  He invited her to wear it next June, from the vice-president’s residence, when the Dallas Stars are playing in the Stanley Cup Championship.

But what about Trigg? Does he ever get to nap in a Pack-n-Play?

- Kristin Sullivan

That Palin Wink

I love You Tube, and among the takeaways from last night was Gov. Palin's wink. Apparently there's a country-western song about winking that fits the bill.

- Kristin Sullivan

Palin deals with the economy

Sarah Palin addresses the economic crisis:

Joe Biden gets emotional

In one of the most-discussed moments of the vice presidential debate, Joe Biden gets emotional at Thursday night's Washington University Debate:

Lapel pin watch

Joe Biden wore a flag pin on his lapel, just as his Democratic running mate Barack Obama did at the presidential debate last week. Republican Sarah Palin wore a larger — and shinier — American flag on her suit tonight, leaving John McCain as the only one of the four candidates who did not have a flag affixed to his suit.

-- John Gravois

Arlington Dems count 437 at their party

Who knew there were that many Democrats in Arlington? Well, actually, many of the 437 people who attended the debate watching party came from across North Texas. And they were enthusiastic at the debate's end.

"Just now he slammed her on what a vice president is," Fort Worth businesswoman Sheila McCleod said of Biden. "I liked when he talked about Darfur, too."

Biden caught himself at least once saying "Sarah Palin," and switched to the respectful "Gov. Palin." But Jay Jones, an airport worker from Arlington, was less conscious of the courtesy.

"I thought Biden won; I thought Sarah did better than I thought she would," Jones said. "I don't think she's prepared. I think she's very dangerous, to be honest with you."

- Shirley Jinkins

Who won?

The vice presidential debate is now history. Who do you think won -- Sarah Palin or Joe Biden? Vote in our poll!

Democrats at Arlington watch party say Palin not answering questions

Frances DeLeon of Fort Worth was not impressed.

"My opinion on Palin is really changing every time she gives an interview. She is avoiding the questions," DeLeon said. "She is a beautiful woman, and we're happy with what she's done in Alaska, but that's not right now what the United States needs. She clearly does not know what the role of the vice president is."

Paula Wiegmann of Colleyville, an Obama campaign volunteer, may have been wearing the most buttons and campaign pins in the crowd of 300 at the Arlington Entertainment Complex. She was topped with a white straw hat with red, white and blue ribbon.

Asked how the debate was going, Wiegmann said: "Joe Biden is hitting all the right moves, and she's not answering questions. That's not what a debate is."

Wiegmann was 12 when she volunteered on her first campaign; the candidate was Sen. George McGovern. Her oldest son just began his second tour in Iraq.

"That's been my main incentive," she said.

Kelam Wilkes of Dallas opened the complex three months ago. He host banquets, bar mitvahs and other events in the hall with its large dance floor and stage.

"My personal vote: I'm a Democrat. Period," Wilkes said. Surveying the crowd of young, old and black, Hispanic and white Democrats, he added: "This type of event warms your heart. It's cultural diversity, and I love it. And it's America."

- Shirley Jinkins