As I made calls today and heard of all the others who have called and were visiting the homes I'd reached, I was in awe of the power of many of us working together for change.
So often during this campaign, I'd think -- oh, I have so little money to give, I can only make a few calls and I'd wonder if it made a difference. But I'd always think about the fact that there were many, many people just like me doing what they could and so I'd go ahead, figuring it would all add up. Today I realized that it has. We don't know for sure if we'll win, but we have found out how much power there is in many people working together.
May we continue to work together in the days ahead and create an unstoppable force for change!
I am totally opposed to the bailout. Why should we spend our money to prop up faulty institutions rather than create real solutions. Our economy is sick to the foundation. We need to face this.
If Bush and his cronies are right and not bailing these institutions out will lead to job loss, loss of retirement funds, etc., then let it happen so we aren't just covering up the problem once more.
If that happens, take the same money and bailout the people who lose jobs and whose retirement funds are ruined, etc. Create jobs for alternative energy solutions, for example, and employ those people. Then start to focus on the deeper problems.
You can't live in a democracy and have everything your way. I think sometimes we get all excited about the idea of the "will of the people" somehow assuming that the will of the people is the same as our own. At some unconscious level we may feel that any reasonable person would agree with us and therefore if the people were in charge, things would be governed according to our point of view. I like living in a democracy, but I don't like it that the will of the people elected George W. Bush as president. The majority, at least the second time around, did elect him despite my feeling that it was not in the best interests of most of the people in this country to have him as president.
I see Senator Obama as a far superior leader than Bush or McCain and I think we'd be fortunate indeed to have him elected. I don't, however, expect him to agree with me 100% on everything. I don't expect anyone to agree with me 100% on everything. That's totally unrealistic. Furthermore, it would be grandiose of me to think that I am somehow always right about what would be best for the country or even for myself. Things are way, way too complex for simple solutions and I don't think things in this world will ever be perfect.
In addition, I don't think government can solve all our problems. Many of our problems will need US to solve them, through our ideas and voluntary input. Although I want universal healthcare coverage, for example, I don't feel there will be any government program that will be perfect. I also feel that for our healthcare system to succeed, we need to look at the nature of healthcare that we provide. We face some tough decisions about things like end of life care that will impact healthcare costs and that the government can't legislate for us.
When Senator Obama talks about working across the aisles, it doesn't mean reaching across and dragging all the Republicans to the Democratic side. It means opening up to the other viewpoints, pointing our heads together and making decisions we can all stand behind so that we can get out of the deadlock and move forward. Above all, it means ending the bickering and blaming that only wastes our energy and our resources. We need to arrive at decisions we can all back. In my marriage, we don't always agree and we have to compromise. Once we agree on something (usually a compromise), then we need to be able to stand by the decision as the best we could arrive at to move forward. We have to do the same with our country.
About a week ago, I created an event "Obama Supporters Study Party". I've already had over 15 people sign up, more than I can host. People seem to really be hungering for this -- and it's a great way to raise enthusiasm, build relationships and especially to embolden people in speaking up for Obama!
I started it because it's hard for me to just sit and read through things and learn. It's too dry, not the way I learn best. I thought it would be easier to study with others. Some in a group will understand different issues better and we can share our expertise and learn together. Some will be more, and some less, informed. Those well informed can share their knowledge, and those less informed not only learn, but in the process help those who know more to speak out what they know. We'll not only be learning Obama's platform, but learning to speak out what we know.
When I was telling my husband about it, he said -- is someone coming to lead it? Is there a procedure? I just shook my head. We're going to get together and see what happens. And I'm excited about it and know it will all happen perfectly. We'll teach and learn from each other. After it happens, I'll write a post about how it goes. But you don't have to wait to start one for yourself. Obviously a lot of people want this!
I'd love to hear from anyone else who has done something like this and learn about your experience with it.
I almost entitled this the "Audacity of Honesty". It takes courage to be honest as a politician. It is not the way politics is done and certainly creates an opening for attack from those who practice politics-as-usual. What attracts so many of us to Obama is his truthfulness. We are so accustomed to politicians side-stepping questions, distorting the truth, twisting their opponents words, that it is almost a shock when someone is honest. It breaks all the usual rules. It blasts open the entrenched patterns that need to be uprooted. I remember in an early debate when Hillary said she knows how things are done, she knows how the system works. I now realize that it is her willingness to work the system the old way that is turning people away from her. We are ready for a change.
Yesterday while making calls to PA, I reached a woman who was a strong Clinton supporter until about a month ago. She said she became appalled with what is happening with the Clinton campaign. "It bothers me when people tell the truth and get knocked in the head" was how she put it. A few days ago, when she heard Hillary talking about the people of PA not being bitter, she found it to be incredibly patronizing.
So many of us are no longer willing to tolerate politics as usual. It seems that people are increasingly able to see through the usual political tricks. Times are changing. People long for more transparency, to be able to tell the truth. When I grew up, everything was hidden under a nicey-nice exterior. Problems couldn't be solved because they couldn't even be spoken. It reminds me of a powerful phrase I heard at a seminar on grief -- "What's unmentionable is unmanageable". We need to be able to talk about what is actually happening, what we are actually feeling. We need to be able to expose our problems to be viewed in the light of day.
This is a time when what was hidden is surfacing. This is a time for telling the truth. Thanks to Barach for leading the way for this truth-telling in politics!
For the longest time I was making phone calls and when I'd reach someone who needed local follow-up (help to register or vote, for example), I didn't know how to direct them. This has been particularly true for people who do not have computers or go online. It finally dawned on me that you can get the numbers of various headquarters in states by visiting the individual state's web page. For example, in Indiana it's in.barackobama.com. Now I have numbers I can give people!
This may be obvious to most people, but in case there are others like me who haven't figured that out, I hope this helps bridge the gap between out of state callers and local action.
It would help if the caller tips included reference to what to do when you reach someone who doesn't have a computer or needs help locally.
Any other ideas or insights to make our calling more effective?
I can't speak for all of Indiana, but I've been calling a list of people from Gary. They have all been very polite & receptive. Those who are undecided are open to talking. I was really moved by speaking to a woman who doesn't vote (but is registered), didn't know who Obama is and when I started to say why I supported Obama and why I felt he could really bring change that would help our lives, she said "What's wrong with Bush, isn't he alright?" As I spoke with her, I realized she doesn't follow the news. She is just trying to manage her life and get by. I found out she is very concerned with jobs and economics. I told her I'd send her something in the mail about Obama and jobs (after telling her a little on the phone). She's really open and may decide to vote in the primary.
Based on my experience so far, calling Indiana could be very productive!
There are many significant ways in which Senators Obama and Clinton differ, but the one which seems pivotal to me is where they see the locus of power for change.
I heard Clinton say in an interview on Lehrer news hour that the American people are looking for someone to solve their problems, and that's what I intend to do. I can't quote her exactly, but I am sure I have the essence of what she said right. Obama, on the other hand, has said that no one person can solve our problems, it will take all of us working together.
Politicians have been promising to solve our problems forever, and clearly it is a promise that cannot be kept. Somehow over and over again people have fallen for this kind of line. It's calculated to win votes. It's like a parent telling a child that they will create a perfect life for them. It can't be done, but if the child believes that message he or she is rendered impotent. A paternalistic system doesn't want people to have power, make choices and shape their own destiny. Ironically, though many see Clinton as an opportunity to have a woman president, she is in fact very patriarchal.
To say that you can solve someone's problems is demeaning. It denies the capabilities of the person to solve their own problems. It's also dishonest, and it's unrealistic. At one point, Clinton was stating (or at least implying) that Obama is unrealistic. That we have to work together to solve our problems is the reality. Obama's campaign is not only based on the only realistic way that we can bring about change, it is demonstrating the power that can be harnassed through this approach. The only way we'll begin to make a dent in some of the enormous challenges we face is by working together. Significant change will only happen if many of us become involved in the process in a meaningful way.
The quote by Obama in the banner of this page sums it up: "I'm asking you to believe. Not just about my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours."
In this video, Former National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, is interviewed on MSNBC. This highly intelligent, perceptive man does a remarkable analysis of the Iraq war, past and future, and his perspective on the presidential candidates. Needless to say, he endorses Barack Obama. To view the view, click this link -----------
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23726367#23726367
Are we, as a nation. mature enough to elect Obama as president, and then work with him to bring about healing and change? I've been asking myself this ever since hearing his Philadelphia speech and the comments it engendered in the press. Some writers and commentators seemed to appreciate the depth and honesty of his speech. Some seemed to recognize that entering into the kind of discussion Obama opened up is necessary to begin to heal not only the problems of racial divisions but all of the other problems we have in our nation. But all too many commentators seemed to have missed his point entirely.
What is the most difficult is to be able to see the contradictions and complexities that exist within ourselves. We want to disown all that we find unacceptable within ourselves and project it onto others who then become the bad guys. Worse still, as a nation we still seem to want our leaders -- religious, political, or otherwise -- to be perfect. We put on blinders and only see what we want to see in order to preserve the idea that there is someone or something that can keep us perfectly safe and make everything in our lives perfect. We are still looking for the perfect parent. Maturing as an adult has to do with seeing our parents, and ultimately others, as imperfect people. Everyone contains the human traits of kindness and cruelty, generosity and greed, in varying degrees. Until we can own the less desirable qualities in ourselves, we can't enter into a relationship with others that will allow us to learn fill our mutual needs.
Obama's willingness to address the issues of race so openly and to express understanding of behaviors that we may all abhor with compassion have caused me to look at my own tendencies to see some people as all bad. I must confess I've come to demonize Hillary. While my support for Obama is not faltering, I have to look at the rage I feel at Hillary at times, and try to understand with compassion the forces that shaped her personality and her actions. I can continue to be very strong in my conviction that Barack, not Hillary, embodies the qualities that we need to help us make real change in this nation, and yet at the same time I'm setting myself the challenge of not hating Hillary for her actions. Even from the standpoint of furthering Obama's campaign, my expressing myself from a place of compassion and not hate would create more receptivity to my viewpoint and words.
I have to feel that our leaders are somehow a reflection of the consciousness of the people of our nation. It makes me hopeful that someone like Obama is even a real possibility to be president. I hope that it is a sign that we are maturing as a people and a nation. I pray that we have reached a sufficient level of maturity collectively that we will be able to have a leader of Obama's stature elected in 2008 and not many years down the line. May we all have the maturity to hang in there when times get rough, to not waste our energy in anger against those who don't see things how we do but rather to focus our energy on sharing our vision for America with Obama as president in 2009!
For the longest time I've been thinking about whether I could support Hillary if she won the nomination. Although I'd come to feel I wouldn't be able to bring myself to actively work for her campaign, I still wondered if I should vote for her. Like so many people, my thinking has been "anything but another Republican who would continue Bush's legacy". At this point, however, I no longer feel I could even vote for Hillary. This is for a number of reasons, the most important being that she has totally lost my respect. I started to lean toward Obama when it became clear that Hillary represents "politics as usual". As time has gone on, she's shown herself to represent the very worst side of politics. I don't see how I could cast a vote for someone whose behavior and tactics I cannot support.
I've also asked myself the question as to whether with Hillary there would at least be some chance for some positive legislation or change. I've concluded that even with the best case scenario, that some legislation I favor is passed, anything she might manage to accomplish would be meaningless because things wouldn't change enough, and the result would simply be another swing to the other side. We'd be back on the Democrat - Republican seesaw, and the Republicans would once again win. Worse yet, we'd be experiencing the Clinton-Bush seesaw! No matter what change she might bring about, it wouldn't represent the kind of change we really need -- a change in how things are done. It would not represent change that had enlisted the participation of the citizens of the US and the breaking down of bipartisanship and divisive politics. We need more than a little bit of better legislation. We need fundamental change, change that rocks the very way politics happens in this country.
Only Obama conducts himself and his campaign in a way that is fundamentally different. It is Obama that is reviving peoples' participation in government. If it's a choice between Clinton and McCain, maybe we'd actually be better off in the long run with McCain. Maybe the problems in our country need to get even worse before enough people will see we need a different way.
These are my thoughts at the moment. Hillary Clinton is not what we need for our nation or our party. I'm more motivated than ever to do all I can to support Obama!
As of now, 444 people have responded to Cafferty's question on whether Obama should go negative in response to Clinton. It's informative to read the views of those who have commented. Here's the link to the blog post:
http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/06/should-obama-go-negative-to-win/
This is a tough one. Seems like Barack needs to be strong and go after Hillary's weak points, but be ever so careful to not cross the line into the kind of negativity that we are so tired of. And accuracy in anything put forth is a must, of course. I've been thinking about the things Hillary has done that I find so offensive and why. Looking at them helps me to see what I think Barack needs to avoid.
Here are some things that have made me lose respect for Hillary:
Well, that's just some of them. And in my reviewing this list, what I find, happily, is that I can't imagine Barack behaving in these ways. The question isn't should Obama go negative, but could Obama go negative. Seems like everything he stands for is against such tactics.
I'm afraid in saying this that I sometimes expect Barack to be perfect. I don't want to hold anyone to that impossible standard, and yet I do feel his integrity, intentions and the way he behaves is heads above most politicians.
I'm posting this for anyone who is timid about calling or intimidated by the script. It took me awhile to start calling because I wasn't sure how it worked. I thought maybe I needed to be really familiar with the script and actually printed it out. As it turned out, once I started making calls, it was really easy. Some familiarity with the script helped, but the calling program walks you step by step through each call. It's really easy to follow. You click a box depending on the response and are taken to the next part of the script.
It's super easy. Go ahead and try it!
I also used Skype for the calls which is really inexpensive, and set Skype so that the phone numbers appeared as links that you can click to dial the number. Using headphones with a mic also helped by leaving my hands free.
For a long time, I was seeing Obama's emphasis on our involvement in the political process as having to do with the campaign. It's been a grassroots campaign and it has been the involvement of many, many people as donors and volunteers that has fueled it.
It's sinking in more that he's referring to an ongoing involvement on our part. If he is elected President, as I hope he will be, it will be our continued involvement that will allow change to happen. It's exciting to think that large numbers of people working together could be more powerful than special interests. Certainly the campaign so far is demonstrating the power of involving many people.
It makes a lot of sense that the power of many people working together could create positive change. Obama is the only candidate with the demonstrated capacity to inspire that kind of involvement.
Part of the equation of changing the way things are done in Washington is that we need to be involved. Politics as usual involves people casting a vote and then expecting the president to do everything for them. Obama has inspired me to get involved, and I hope I'll continue to support and work with him to help bring about the changes I hope to see in the days ahead.
