If the democratic party nominee will in the end by decided by how the super delegates vote, then let's each write all of the currently uncommitted superdelegates a letter asking for them to publicly pledge their support for Senator Barack Obama as the democratic candidate for President of the United States.
In your letter, please:
For example, in your brief personal statement you can say:
As to why now is important for a super delegate to show their support, you can say:
I'll be posting mail and emails addresses for uncommitted super delegates as I find them. Please post super-delegate email and mailing addresses as you find them too, or post your letter to help others do the same. YES WE CAN
Despite his unifying campaign ethos and how quick he is to disavow, dismiss, or distance himself from individuals who make politically incorrect, insensitively unpatriotic, or otherwise inflammatory comments, it seems that there is an anticipatory schadenfreude of guilt-by-association as though we're about to surprisingly unearth what Obama really thinks or who he really is.
Nevermind that McCain accepted Bush's support after Bush quietly allowed the overtly racist 2000 South Carolina smear campaign against McCain. Or that McCain has shown poor judgment by gleefully making inappropriate public personal attacks. Or even more amazing is Clinton's topic adviser proudly using ends-justify-the-means reasoning to alienate some votes because they won't matter in the end.
So when McCain and Clinton seek troubling associations or heed poorly messaged counsel, it was refreshing to read a more relevant personal account of who Obama actively seeks out to form positions on issues that matter.
I think I'll donate another $100 to the Obama campaign now.
Despite the state flag being a variant of the former flag of Serbia and Montenegro punctuated with a Confederate Battle Flag canton, Mississippi overwhelmingly supported Obama tonight in their democratic primary.
The Mississippi primary exit polling of democrats offers an interesting insight into the mindset of the state's electorate.
Way to go Magnolia State !
... if the Clinton campaign continues it's current tactics.
Let's look at the issues Clinton asserts are her advantages over Obama. Clinton claims that she's:
If Clinton manages to win the nomination over Obama, then her first four campaign assertions become her undoing in November.
It will be nearly impossible for Clinton to assert those same four points against McCain: he is undoubtedly a more experienced politician, with significantly more life experience, where the Republican political machine settled on him faster that the Democrats (allegedly) will on Clinton, and as a former war hero who survived an aircraft carrier explosion and was a Vietnamese POW for over 5 years he is the definition of tough soldier and fighter. And on healthcare, McCain would have inertia to maintain the political status quo. Lastly, if by team she means Bill Clinton, then well, Bill wouldn't be elected any more than she was as First Lady so it'll draw scrutiny to what in fact will be Bill Clinton's role be in a Hillary Clinton presidency?
By Clinton insisting that her standards be used to disqualify Obama, then she herself would in turn be disqualified by that very same logic by McCain come November. Anticipating this to be the case, the Clinton camp would have to pre-emptively change the message to one about, that's right you guessed it: CHANGE.
She'll have to adopt the same campaign theme and messaging that she's poo-pooed Obama for as being naïve, namely: that it's time for change, away from old style partisan Washington grid-lock and return America to the people.
In doing so, she will no doubt anger, fracture, and alienate Obama supporters, moderate republicans and independents who will view her own campaign as old-style politics that knocked out the geniune change candidate in favor of political ambition.
Putting that aside for the moment, let's look at the list of alleged Clinton advantages more closely.
Clinton has served since 2000 whereas Obama started in 2005 in the Senate. Neither has held a previous elected executive, legislative, or judicial office. Clinton moved to NY state and had the benefit of being First Lady to boost her campaign visibility. Obama ran against two multi-millionaire republican opponents winning 70% of the vote in Illinois where he'd been for seven years prior as a community organizer, lecture, and civil rights attorney. Seems to me Obama had the tougher fight.
Without a doubt, Clinton has more life experience being older and a career as a committed activist for many worthwhile causes. I'll give her that point. But it remains to be seem how those life lessons translate into a claim for being the best candidate for chief executive of the land. Her largest effort at being a chief executive in government has thus far been her own campaign, which has been financially mismanaged requiring that Clinton lend her own campaign $5 million. Not exactly a promising sign that Clinton would run a fiscally responsible administration or pull together a good cabinet.
And where exactly is the Clinton money coming from anyway? She should have more life experience to not count her chickens before they hatch and be more transparent with the electorate given her experience with the White Water scandal and more recently her campaign's association with Norman Hsu. If she knocks out Obama through aggressive politics and then her late financial disclosures reveal questionable income sources, she will have have angered the swing vote for appearing dishonest. Unlike Obama who accepts no PAC money, Clinton needs to come clean and show she doesn't owe political favors to a long list of unscrupulous people or interests.
Regarding withstanding the republican political machine and being a fighter, Clinton has had to endure the former and assume the latter posture because of her approach, which given her life-experience and political tactics is unlikely to change. This would mean expect more of the same political bickering and bitterness with Bush-style unilateralism but at the other end of the political spectrum. That's not going to heal America.
Obama has side-stepped this issue because he has promised and has run his campaign centered around a message of "Yes we can", meaning that he demonstrates that real change happens not just when you get up and fight, but when you inspire others to take up your cause in huge numbers. It's not just about blindly raging against the republican machine, it's about getting people to realize their power as informed, active, and voting citizens who push their representatives to support sound, effective executive policies.
There's no doubt that Clinton has been dealing with healthcare reform longer than Obama, but the reality is that for all that alleged superior experience, the difference between the two plans amounts to less that a 5% difference with Obama focusing on healthcare affordability for a while now.
That tells me that Obama has mastered one of the most important chief executive skills: lead and attract top talent. The fact that Obama has developed and proposed a viable healthcare solution without fifteen years experience in the area, means to me that his leadership is attracting good advisors, good ideas, and that he's got good judgment about who to listen to and how to formulate innovative and achievable policy initiatives.
So, if you want a true change candidate to win in November, let's make sure Obama is heard for what matters.
Channel your displeasure with how the Clinton camp threaten to win the battle at all costs but will lose the war come November into more active campaigning in Mississippi, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.
I'll be making calls to Pennsylvania shortly... because YES WE CAN !
I'm glad Obama cleared up that he's running for President !!!
It reminded me of Randall Pinkett during the finale of season 4 of "The Apprentice":
"If you're going to hire someone tonight, it should be one.
It's not the 'The Apprenti', it's 'The Apprentice'"
But click to read CNN article about featured "sleeping 8-year" actor in the ad supports Obama
Is it just me or did something go awry since the last debate?
Though it seems the Obama "losses" in TX, OH, and RI were expected but it's still off putting because it lends credence to the notion that Clinton's latest tactics are effective against the Obama campaign or that he's somehow lossing ground in this contest.
The current forecast is that Obama will have the leading delegate count going into the convention, but I see three things I see happening now:
It's hard to say that when the expected happens that somehow a sign of new momentum; but more of a dead cat bounce situation.
But it will embolden Clinton's campaign to set-up it's increasing aggressive and hostile critiques of Obama. The suggestions that Obama isn't fit to answer the "3 a.m. call to the White House" was met with a great response by Obama supporters but will fuel McCain's rhetoric when Obama gets the nomination, nor will Clinton be able to outplay McCain on experience; leading to a lose-lose situation for Democrats.
If Clinton's being tough stance is not dismantled before the public by Obama, showing that being tough for toughness sake doesn't bring people together to solve problems, then Clinton's campaign could chip away at Obama support.
I don't understand the source of Clinton's apparent overwhelming support in the Latino community.
Obama is a more relevant role model to members of the Latino community. Obama is a living example of being able to achieve the American dream regardless of one's cultural, ethnic, economic, or racial background.
One would think that would give him an advantage in that he has truly felt their pain, but as a group it seems that they're largely not impressed.
In addition, his policies on matters of healthcare, border security, the economy, and so on are not that far apart from that of his remaining rival.
So why the disparity?
My friend Karen sent me this link to "I Refuse to Buy into the Obama Hype"
I think I'll donate another $100 too, now.
I just finished watching Democratic Debate #20 held in Cleveland, Ohio between Senators Clinton and Obama.
I continue to be impressed with how Obama continues to deliver a crisp, clear message with such composure in the face of (at times) hot-headed and hostile rhetoric by Senator Clinton.
Assuming Obama can narrow the gap between him and Clinton in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island, and perhaps even continue his winning streak, it seems that he'll be able to maintain his delegate lead.
Will that be enough to prompt Senator Clinton to concede and enable the Democrats to focus on the Presidential contest itself?
