I am so proud and humbled to have worked with so many amazing, inspiring people in our successful effort to elect Barack Obama for President. We did it with a positive, issue-based campaign that is now the model for future campaigns. Thank you, everyone, and congratulations.
I have free Yes We Did! computer wallpapers at http://www.cafepress.com/yeswedid as well as Yes We Did! gear with all funds going towards The Obama '08 Historical Archive Project.
Now let's get started!
Chuck Lasker http://www.chucklasker.com
I am creating a web site to archive stories, photos, videos and articles to keep a history of the Obama '08 campaign. Whether Obama wins or loses, this race has been historic.
Here is the current link. It will soon be at www.obama08.org.
http://69.16.213.75/~obama/
If you're interested in participating, sign up for the newsletter at the site and I'll send you info ASAP.
John McCain does not wear a flag pin, but there are no outcries as there were about Obama, who wears one now. It doesn't matter to me -- flag pin wearing is a silly issue. But this shows the hypocrisy of the right wing. Flag pins mattered when it was Obama, not when it's McCain. Having a rich heiress wife who hasn't released tax returns mattered when it was Kerry, not when it is McCain. Questionable military history is okay to attack when it's Kerry, not when it's McCain. Bill Clinton's marital indiscretions mattered, but McCain's affair does not. Being a strong Christian mattered for Bush over Kerry, but Obama's stronger Christianity than McCain's doesn't matter now. Experience matters when it's Obama, but not when it's Palin. See the pattern? This is why America does not trust the Republican Party anymore.
In the first presidential debate, John McCain once again criticized Barack Obama for saying he’d send troops into Pakistan to “take out” bin Laden or other al-Qaeda leadership even if the Pakistani government did not approve. He called Obama "naive."
However, McCain previously said that, if elected, “I will follow bin Laden to the gates of Hell and I will get him. I promise you that." Apparently he’d follow him to the “gates of Hell,” but not into Pakistan.
Obama clearly has our safety in sight on this issue, and not political posturing. If McCain must first seek permission from whatever government is running Pakistan at the time in order to get bin Laden, then our security will be compromised by his presidency. I’m voting Obama as the candidate who would truly fight terrorism, not just give lip service to doing it.
This is my latest Huffington Post article. I think it's my best. I believe we should accept the McCain/Palin "maverick" claim, and campaign against mavericks. This is my attempt to do so:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker/economy-tanking-war-on-tw_b_126981.html
Please Digg: http://digg.com/political_opinion/Economy_Tanking_No_Time_For_a_Maverick
Why hasn't Obama said anything about these civil rights violations? What is more important than our Constitutional liberties, our journalistic protections, and our right to protest?
http://the-uptake.groups.theuptake.org/en/videogalleryView/id/539/ "What kind of Homeland Security do you have if police can come and take away your Constitutionally protected rights?"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-uptake/police-raid-protester-hou_b_122624.html "The officers refused to state why they were there and, until the very end, refused to show whether they had a search warrant. [Residents] were forced to remain on the floor for 45 minutes while the officers took away the laptops, computers, individual journals, and political materials kept in the house."
It's gone way too far, and somebody needs to speak up. Forget Palin, Senator Obama, the Constitutional attorney and professor, needs to speak out against these violations of civil liberties.
As posted at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker/questions-republicans-for_b_121869.html
As a Republican for Obama (RFO), I've been all over the Internet for the past year and a half defending my belief that Barack Obama better supports founding Republican principles than John McCain. I believe the choice is clear for any true classic Republican who is willing to open his or her mind to defying the GOP leadership's commands.
While we understand that Barack Obama is a Democrat, we're encouraged by many of his policies that are conservative in the truest sense. There are some questions, though, that we'd like Senator Obama to answer. I've sent a request to the Obama campaign for a one-on-one interview by a Republican but have not heard back yet. I think they're a little busy right now - something happening in Denver from what I hear. Since I've been featured on television, local papers, the New York Times and XM Radio as a very active Republican for Obama, as well as being a Huffington Post citizen journalist, I'm hoping it is being considered.
While I've been waiting, I decided to come up with the questions I'd ask. Taking that a step further, I decided to ask other Republicans for Obama for help. I posted at barackobama.com RFO groups, at independent RFO sites, and personally asked RFOs that I know. Below is a list of questions that I received. For duplicates, I worded them to represent the overall sentiment, and have given credit to the first submitter. The first four are my original questions.
1. Republicans have historically been opposed to excess accumulation of power in any government branch. Hypocritically, President Bush has accumulated an unprecedented amount of power to the Executive Branch in the name of safety, with record use of Executive Orders and Presidential Signing Statements. Do you intend to work with Congress to roll back those changes to permanently avoid these attempts in the future, and if so, how?
2. Many Republicans are worried about your position on guns. However, you have expressed your respect for the Second Amendment and tradition. Can you explain why you believe the founding fathers created the Second Amendment, and why limiting some gun ownership is necessary in your opinion in 2008?
3. Your stated positions are mostly centrist, and from the very beginning you have stated your desire to "work across the aisle" with Republicans. President Bush called himself "a uniter, not a divider," but has been more divisive and partisan than any previous president in my lifetime. How can we believe you will not become a total partisan, caving to the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party and leaving us Republican supporters in the dust?
4. President Reagan's "trickle down economics" was based on tax cuts for the rich leading to the rich spending and investing their increased wealth in such a way to create jobs and increased money to the middle class and poor. What is your opinion on this philosophy, and why do you think it didn't work with the recent Bush tax cuts?
5. When selecting a Supreme Court Justice or federal judge, if a candidate has a strong history of wise discernment and consistent Constitutional interpretations, yet is strongly pro-life, would you still nominate the candidate?- Steve Richardson, Texas
6. As an Eisenhower Republican, I have a question. Most Presidents have had budget deficits. It is immoral to pass on such huge debts to our grandchildren. You propose modest tax cuts for the middle class, modest tax increases on the rich, and some reductions from Iraq spending. Is that enough to reduce the deficit?- William Morgan
7. You've talked vaguely about rebuilding our infrastructure. As a Rockefeller Republican, I'd like you to explain why you believe it is important to rebuild our roads, bridges and tunnels. - Rev. Donald "Skull" Powell, South Carolina
8. Please explain how a windfall profits tax on oil companies will lower the price of a gallon of gas at the pump.- Brian Lathe, Arizona
9. As a Senator from Illinois and an admirer of Abraham Lincoln, in what areas would Republicans be moving closer to Lincoln by supporting you?- Sue Rudd, Massachusetts
10. After your Democratic Convention speech in 2004 several people branded you as a "conservative" and said it was "Right Speech, Wrong Party." More recently Andrew J. Bacevich wrote, "The conservative case for Barack Obama" and gives his definition of conservatism: (1) A commitment to individual liberty, tempered by the conviction that genuine freedom entails more than simply an absence of restraint; (2) A belief in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the rule of law; (3) Veneration for our cultural inheritance combined with a sense of stewardship for Creation; (4) A reluctance to discard or tamper with traditional social arrangements; (5) Respect for the market as the generator of wealth combined with a wariness of the market's corrosive impact on humane values; (6) A deep suspicion of utopian promises, rooted in an appreciation of the sinfulness of man and the recalcitrance of history. Would you say that you are a truer conservative than John McCain?- Sue Rudd, Massachusetts
11. Every four years the Republicans come out as the party of national security, implying that Democrats are weak in this area. Can you address national security directly to overcome this perception?- Gary Lehman, Indiana
12. What will you do to create more efficiency in government?- Matt Theobald, Indiana
13. We Republicans know what our Party leadership is doing to you with smears and attacks. What are you going to do to fight back against those kinds of attacks while maintaining the integrity of your campaign?- Ailene, Indiana
Some people might wonder about giving a candidate questions in advance. There's a certain desire for that "gotcha" moment. Personally, I just want to know the answers, even if they're prepared in advance. I'll let you know if the Obama campaign responds, and I'll post the interview here if I get it.
I blogged about something on my mind the past couple weeks. http://www.whatwouldobamado.info/2008/08/obama-supporter-team-meeting-focus.htmlHere it is in full. If you have comments, please place them at the WWOD blog:I’d like to have a little team meeting with my fellow Obama supporters. If you’re not an Obama supporter, I’ll ask you to leave the room for a few minutes, please, while we talk.Okay, now that we’re alone, I want you to know you’ve been doing a great job. Senator Obama is consistently higher in the polls than McCain, at a 5-7% level that would mean an electoral sweep in November if the numbers stay the same. Keep up the good work! However, we need to talk a minute about something important.People, we need to focus! I am a member of dozens of MYBO groups (my.barackobama.com member groups for those that don’t know), and I’ve been noticing a large number of discussions that have to do with obscure policies, rumors, smears, Obama’s speeches, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, racism, the flag, who should be VP, whether “the campaign” is treating us right or doing the right thing, and sometimes even tin-foil-hat level conspiracy theories. Many discussions have become argumentative, devolving to Republican-esque name calling. Some members have become so involved in individual issues, they’re pushing their positions throughout the lists, hoping to influence Senator Obama somehow, as if he’s reading the thousands and thousands of posts on all groups each day.Remember, these MYBO groups exist to help us help Senator Obama get elected. That’s it. Period. After the election, we can argue the fine points of policy. It’s not feasible that anyone in the campaign is reading group emails, there are just too many, so we’re just talking amongst ourselves. And McCain supporters are clearly in many groups trying to cause strife and division amongst Obama supporters. Don’t take the bait! If we stay focused on one goal, to get Barack Obama elected, and not let anything else distract us, we will win in a landslide. If we lose focus, start fighting amongst ourselves, and go off-message, we’ll have a Kerry-level loss and pundits will be discussing the issue for years as the Republicans continue the current disastrous path.My good friend in Germany, Dr. Steffen Seidel, today pointed out that, while we’ve lost focus by fighting amongst ourselves, McCain supporters have been overtaking us for Internet superiority. Steffen’s basis for this is the poor Digg results for Obama blogs, such as this one. We need to take the time we would have spent typing a 900 word homily on why Obama should choose Rachel Maddow for VP, and, instead, go into forums, blogs and news sites and Digg, Buzz Up, del.icio.us, rate, and comment with positive Obama messages.Even better, let’s go out to register new voters, especially young voters at colleges, concerts and public events. We need to stop bothering trying to change the minds of closed-minded family members, neighbors and people who send out smear emails. In the 20 hours we spend trying to change one person’s mind, we can register 200 new voters who want change in America. Contact your local Obama office and volunteer. It’s harder, sure, than popping off opinion emails, but it’s the most important thing you can do as an American today.I’ll leave you with this thought. In 1992, Ronald Reagan created “The Eleventh Commandment” for Republicans. It was, “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” It has worked extremely well in winning elections. We need the same kind of Commandment, “Thou shalt not speak ill of Barack Obama or other Obama supporters.” If we follow that, and get back to focused work, we can fight all we want under the new President Obama.That’s it, teammates! Let’s get back to work. Everyone else can come back in now.
As I posted at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker/the-bushmccain-incompeten_b_116667.html
As a Republican, I happily used the "tax and spend liberal" label against Gore and Kerry. I believed that George W. Bush would cut taxes and spending, reduce the size of government, and keep us out of expensive foreign entanglements. I believed Gore or Kerry would have spent our money irresponsibly leading to an economic crisis.
Today, the "tax and spend liberal" label is being applied to Senator Obama, and Senator McCain is being called a "tax cutting conservative." Is it true? John McCain's chief economic policy adviser does not believe it is, as he was quoted in an article in Time Magazine:
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's chief economic policy adviser said, "I used to say that Barack Obama raises taxes and John McCain cuts them, and I was convinced," he told me in a phone interview this week. "I stand corrected about Obama's plans."
McCain has a 95 percent pro-Bush voting record in the past year (when he was not absent) and has commented often that he is Bush's greatest supporter and that he plans to continue Bush initiatives if elected. Under the Bush administration we've had trillions of dollars in hidden "taxes," sucking away at our wealth, our investments and our incomes, that we can expect to continue under McCain. I call them Incompetence Taxes.
The Dollar Devaluation Tax
The value of the US Dollar has decreased an average of 30% against other major currencies since Bush took office. This means if you had $1 million in 2000, it is now worth only $700,000. $300,000 simply disappeared in purchasing power. That's the price the wealthy and everyone else has paid for voting in a "tax cutting conservative" instead of a "tax and spend liberal."
The War Tax
The Iraq War is the first American war that did not come with a tax increase. Costs are just about to exceed the total cost of the Vietnam War. So how is it being paid for? The Iraq war is being funded outside the general budget, making it appear inexpensive. The Bush administration is simply borrowing the money, with The People's Republic of China only second to Japan as a US creditor. This means China now holds over half a trillion dollars in American debt. With us running in a spending deficit, who will pay this debt? Taxes will have to be increased, or our children will be paying for our adventures. Either way, there's an Incompetence War Tax hidden in our debt. For being afraid those "tax and spend liberals" might extend welfare a bit, our "tax cutting conservative" administration has outspent anything a Democrat could have even conceived of.
Non-Defense Federal Spending Tax
With record No Bid Contracts from this administration, federal spending has increased under the Bush administration faster than any previous president. It is now estimated at over $23,000 per year per American citizen (not counting supplemental expenses such as Iraq). Again, since we are borrowing our way to paying for all this spending, our debt will have to be paid someday, either by us or our children. Just because they don't tax you now, doesn't mean you don't owe it. The debt will come due and you will have to pay. If we get a responsible Democrat in office who wants to pay down our debt, Republicans will yell "tax and spend liberal!"
Special Interest/Lobbyist Tax
The Bush administration created the most expensive entitlement program in history with the Medicare Modernization Act. But why is it so expensive? Because it bans drug price negotiations, forcing the government to pay full retail prices for drugs. While insurance companies negotiate bulk rates, the pharmaceutical lobbyists influenced the old school politicians to accept this ridiculous provision. Senator Obama has stated that he will repeal this ban, but McCain has not stated his position, and was not present during a Senate vote on the issue.
With the last eight years of Incompetence Taxes, do we really want to risk four more years of a so-called "tax cutting conservative?"
I've been accepted as a new Huffington Post blogger. It's exciting! I have one post up now, and working on another. If you could become a fan of mine on HuffPost, and Digg my article, that would help make my other articles more prominent and popular.
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Republicans_Gather_to_Support_Obama_in_IndianaThanks!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chuck-lasker
What issue is more Republican than pro-life? Of course, the term no longer applies to the groups that call themselves part of the “pro life movement.” The movement has been reduced to overturning Roe vs. Wade and fighting premarital and teen sex.In the 35 years since Roe vs. Wade, pro-lifers have spent billions of dollars, and hundreds of thousands of man-hours, trying to overcome the Supreme Court ruling. However, since 586,760 abortions were reported in the United States in the year prior to Roe vs. Wade, clearly overturning Roe will not create realistic reductions. Additionally, in today's visual media-centric country, do you really believe Americans will accept seeing doctors and mothers sent to jail, and women forced to have babies against their will? Using legal means to force women to have babies is not a valid method of reducing abortions in 21st Century America.John McCain has stated that he plans to continue the failed path of trying to use Supreme Court justice stacking, and, ultimately, the police force to reduce abortions. His belief in the value of human life is also suspect based on his continued support of the Iraq war, where it is estimated that over 1 million Iraqis have been killed. When asked about American exports of cigarettes to Iran, he replied, "Maybe that's how we can kill them." He then said he was joking, but joking about the deaths of an entire nation of people is not acceptable. Pro life is a base moral value, not just for the lives of babies, but all humans of any age and nationality.Senator Obama is pro-choice, but understands the life issue is truly to reduce the number of abortions. Period. Senator Obama's plan is to reduce unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions, as well as to promote programs that help women keep their babies through health care, adoption programs, and education. Here is a quote from barackobama.com:Senator Obama is an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.Therefore, the TRUE life candidate, the candidate who will work to reduce the number of abortions instead of just paying lip service to “moral issues,” is Senator Barack Obama.
I am going to do a series of posts on issues from a Republican perspective. I feel, as a Republican for 27 years and political junkie, I can help Democrats understand our thinking and help other Republicans see that Barack Obama is our candidate this election. I am also going to post to my other blog:
http://conservativesforobama.blogspot.com/
To start, here is a script I wrote that I will be using for a video testimonial for YouTube.
I'm Chuck Lasker, and I'm a Republican for Obama. My favorite president was Ronald Reagan. I loved him. He put country before self, as no other president has since. The economy was strong. Americans could travel the world with heads held high, feeling safe, and rich from the strong dollar. If we'd had candidates like Ronald Reagan since then, the Republican Party would have remained in full power.Since then, however, the Republican Party leadership has pulled the Party off course. The extreme right evangelicals and the corporations have taken over. From Bush Senior's New World Order to the current administration's free pass for monopolies and conglomerates that crush small businesses and innovation, the Party is barely recognizable.Do you remember how upset we Republicans were when Clinton wrote executive orders? Now Bush rules with them everyday. Remember the Republican phrase, “we are not the world's police” when Clinton sent our troops to fight foreign wars? Remember how Bush Sr. had us out of Iraq in 100 days? Remember how pro-life meant reducing pregnancies and abortions, not failed attempts at discouraging premarital sex for moral reasons that have nothing to do with abortion? Do you think pro-life Reagan would support killing over a million Iraqis in order to “free them?” And at what point did it become Republican to believe safety is more important than liberty – after 9/11 or when the public started disagreeing with the Bush administration?Remember when the War on Drugs was about arresting drug kingpins, not drug users? Do you think Reagan would approve of us having a higher percentage of citizens in prison than China, mostly being people who smoked a little weed? And prisons being private companies owned by judges, prosecutors and sheriffs? That doesn't fit with smaller government and keeping government out of our personal lives, does it?Remember when trickle down economics worked because the rich would spend their money in America and invest in small businesses? Today they spend their money overseas and invest in oil and foreign investments, so it's trickling away, not down. That's why Bush's tax cuts for the rich have not helped our economy at all, but has created a debt to China it will take generations to repay. There's another one Reagan would love, a trillion dollar debt to The People's Republic of China.So, my fellow Republicans, I put it to you. Is the current Republican leadership truly Republican, the Party of Lincoln, the Party of Eisenhower, the Party that created the civil rights movement, the Party of Ronald Reagan who attracted people from both parties to his campaign?No, the Republican Party – at least the national leadership – has betrayed us. They've sold out to mega-corporations, lobbyists, the far right, and the military industrial complex. The economy is in the tank, our military is stretched to the limit on an unnecessary war, and our Constitution has been shredded with government spying, free speech infringement, and more Executive Orders than all previous presidents combined. Heck, Americans now claim to be Canadians when they travel oversees because the world hates our arrogance. But FoxNews actually claimed that European people liking Barack Obama is a “red flag” against him, as if it's a Republican desire for our allies to hate us. How does that fit with the Republican free trade agenda?And the maverick John McCain? He is not even recognizable from the John McCain of 8 years ago, since he lost the primary in 2000 and realized he needed to pander to the new Ultra-Right Republican leadership so they'd give him a chance to be president. His voting record of 95% yes votes on Bush initiatives last year shows he's not a maverick anymore, and his recent reversals on so many issues shows he'll do and say whatever it takes to win the presidency, where he'd be completely beholden to the corporations who funded his campaign. As an example, McCain reversed his opinion on new drilling for oil, and his donations from oil and gas companies increased ten fold immediately. His current hateful personal attack ads against Obama that question Obama's patriotism and support for the troops show a do-anything-to-win moral vacuum that he claims to be above with his "Straight Talk Express." McCain 2000 would simply hate McCain 2008.There is an alternative to blindly following the orders of the Party leadership. The alternative is Barack Obama. Just as Reagan's non-partisan, big tent agenda attracted Democrats in both of his elections, Senator Obama is attracting Republicans like me, who feel betrayed and ignored by the current leadership, and who don't believe John McCain represents us.Do I agree with Obama on everything? No. Do I believe he loves this country before self, and do I trust him, and believe he's a brilliant leader? Yes I do. I am voting for Obama, not against McCain because I truly believe nobody can better get us out of the horrible situation we're now in. It's time for a new direction – not just any new direction, but one that pushes against special interests, Washington corruption, and the pork barrel status quo.If you're feeling disaffected, like me and thousands and thousands of other Republicans throughout the country, please read “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama. Go to an Obama event, especially if he'll be speaking. Go to www.barackobama.com and read up on the issues. If your mind is open, you'll see that he is not a “tax and spend liberal,” that he's not an elitist or leftist, but instead, is a centrist with amazingly nonpartisan ideas. Then, join us in our nonpartisan effort to clean up Washington and bring back the freedoms we've lost in our misguided attempt at making us “safe.”
I am a part of several MYBO groups. I've noticed a trend lately. McCain supporters have been hopping onto the lists, posing as Obama supporters, and posting something along the lines of, "I was an Obama supporter until Obama xxxxxx." Usually it's emotional and divisive issues, like the FISA Bill, abortion, separation of church and state, etc. Unfortunately, Obama supporters respond to these trolls with defensive and emotional responses. The troll wins and the group members lose. This success emboldens the trolls, creating a downward spiral. Then, when a true Obama supporter expresses an opinion that someone else disagrees with, people respond negatively due to the highly charged emotions caused by the conflicts.
I have developed a mantra to repeat when you see this happening:
Any Republicans for Obama in Indiana? I know they exist, the question is whether they're in MYBO and if they're willing to publically proclaim their support. I know there are many who are whispering!
I'd like to host an event in Westfield, Indiana, of fellow Republicans, ex-Republicans and conservatives who support Obama for President. But, it won't be any fun if it's just me and my wife! If you're nearby and interested, please email me at chuck@whatwouldobamado.info.
I could not find a decent quality Republicans for Obama yard sign, so I made my own. I decided to put my county on it, especially since it's the most Republican county in Indiana. After ordering my own, I figured I'd make it available to anyone and raise some money for the campaign.
Here's a Hamilton County Republicans for Obama yard sign:
http://www.cafepress.com/wwobamad.279087309
I created one for Marion County (state doesn't matter):
http://www.cafepress.com/wwobamad.279101456
If anyone is interested in a design with a different county, let me know at chuck@whatwouldobamado.info what county and I'll create it and put it up there, and send you a link. In fact, I'll keep the following page updated with any new counties:
http://www.whatwouldobamado.info/cafepress.html
I'll be adding to this store over the next few days. Net proceeds will go to the Obama campaign.
http://www.cafepress.com/wwobamad
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I'd like to clarify my position on "being positive" I have stated at my site, www.whatwouldobamado.info. I am not in any way advocating saying only nice things about Senator Obama's opponents. Instead, I'm suggesting, tell the complete truth, but do it respectfully. The "What Would Obama Do?" concept is not literal, either, in that, as grass roots campaigners, we can and should talk about issues in detail that often Obama cannot.
For example, Senator McCain has clearly stated that one of his essential goals is to appoint Supreme Court justices specifically to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm
It is not negative campaigning to point this out. It is not "dirty" to provide truthful and complete information on the opponent's positions. With the above issue, it is also not negative to mention that no previous modern presidential candidate has admitted that they would select Supreme Court justices based on a "litmus test" of this kind, either for or against an issue. It would be negative, though, to say something like, "John McCain hates women," which would not be productive or influential at all.
Negative campaigning about McCain would include, for example, his age, his personal relationship/marriage issues, his temper, or the Internet-based "Manchurian Candidate" issue. Cindy McCain is off limits, except for what she says in public forums, such as her comments about Michelle Obama. You'll never hear Obama talk about these things, but, instead, you'll hear him honor McCain's military service, then talk about the issues McCain has stated his position on.
The key is, we don't need to go negative to win, and, in fact, it would only serve to hurt us. We're winning now, and we will continue to do so as people finally get to know McCain for who he is now (versus the "maverick" he was in 2000), and as people who were not paying attention to the primary start listening to Obama and learning who he is. We should be positive, hopeful, respectful, and understanding that there are valid other viewpoints than ours, so we can use this new form of campaigning to usher in a new era of politics along with a new President.
On June 28th, many of us will host or attend a "Unite for Change" house meeting. The "Step Back, Take a Deep Breath Event" is a pre-event event of sorts.
Barack Obama has made it clear that he would rather lose with integrity, than win with a negative, dirty campaign. He has set an example of calm, positive, respectful campaigning that is unprecedented and inspiring, even in light of so many personal attacks against him, his family, his friends, and his supporters. Senator Obama is a model for us as we deal with people in our lives and on the Internet.
The general election has begun. We've just ended an emotional primary. We're up against an opponent more than happy to use old school, negative, dirty campaigning. It is so easy right now to get angry, to respond negatively, to get caught up into a downward spiral of name calling and fighting, even amongst ourselves.
We need to reset, reboot, take a deep breath and restart our brains and our emotions. This "event" is a moment, a few minutes before our house party, to do just that. Wherever you are, close your eyes, take a deep breath, let go of the past, clear your heart, and visualize how you intend to represent Barack Obama during the house party AND for the next five months. Commit to thinking, "What Would Obama Do?" every time you feel the urge to retaliate, whine, attack, or respond-in-kind to negativity.
Sign up for The Step Back, Take a Deep Breath Event
As a tie-in fundraiser, we've created a "What Would Obama Do?" wrist band (like the Livestrong wrist bands) to wear as a constant reminder to stay positive. Half of the net proceeds go to the Obama campaign. They're made in the USA, and they're purple, to represent the "No more Blue and Red States, just Purple States" idea.
http://www.whatwouldobamado.info/WWODwristband.htm
