Come on, we're the most internet-driven campaign out there, and yet, when I look at the article comments for an Obama piece in the Paper of Record, the top-rated ones are vitriolic, denigrating, anti-Obama comments? What gives?
Get over to the New York Times (everyone should have a free registration there, anyways), and don't just write new comments... Click the "RECOMMEND" button to bump up posts that are positive, intelligent, and support our campaign!
It's not hard -- just take one minute by going to, for instance, this comment thread on an article about Kids encouraging their parents to vote Obama:
http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2008/04/08/us/politics/08kids.html?s=3
As you can see, the top two comments far and away are ones that insult both kids who are passionate about Obama, and parents who listen to their arguments! C'mon, this takes a SECOND of your time. Let's fix this!!!
Wow -- Chaos on Fox! Today, one of our friendly friends over at Fox and Friends got a little less friendly because of the way his co-hosts kept bashing Barack and taking things out of context to take cheap shots and stir up controversy. So, way to go, Brown Haired Guy Who's Not Steve Doocy! You've just become the first person on Fox News to display integrity and dignity!
Not to be outdone, Chris Wallace followed suit shortly thereafter. See both clips here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/21/mayhem-at-fox-news-ancho_n_92743.html
After all this controversy over the Rev. Wright, and the warm embrace John McCain has given to rabidly anti-catholic, anti-gay, and anti-semitic preachers, what about Hillary Clinton's religious affiliations?
I had just assumed that they lay in the bland, inoffensive mainstream of most upper-class white protestantism, until I read about the group she fell in with and has become increasingly close to since coming to Washington, D.C. Talk about disturbing -- a group that has been, since its inception, obsessed with power, and openly admiring of Fascism and fascist regimes (including reaching out to exiled Nazis after WWII!).
Barbara Ehrenreich gives a primer here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barbara-ehrenreich/hillarys-nasty-pastorate_b_92361.html
Read more...
Check out this great clip from "The Colbert Report" -- once again the jester proves himself smarter than the courtiers (yeah, sure, Russert... it's a *great* argument)!
Check it out here:
http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=163288
Nothing worth having ever comes easy -- and this election is no different.
The closer we come to making a real change in the politics and policies of this country, the more we will see the politics of fear, and the politics of personal destruction, rise up against us.
We will see people frightened into voting against hope, and outright lied to about our candidate.
We absolutely have to remain POSITIVE and upbeat, and focused on the facts, which are on our side.
We have to ask the important questions, and provide the accurate answers.
We have to work hard, and never let ourselves sink into despair or negativity. Let's respond to attacks by reminding people that it's not OUR way to tear down others. Let's ask people to challenge their own assumptions (when they ask "but what has Barack ever done" we should have our answers -- and be able to ask them "but what has Hillary done?"). Let's ask them to think in the long term, rather than in this way of doing anything to win today, without any thought of the damage it causes to us tomorrow.
YES WE CAN win, and YES WE WILL.
Stay positive, and stay fired up and ready to go!
This post by Bob Harris cracked me up -- if anything sums up the difference between these two campaigns, in style, tone, and competence... it's this:
http://www.bobharris.com/content/view/1585/1/
Here's a great post that sums up a lot of my feelings, from Robert Creamer:
It's one thing for supporters of Hillary Clinton to make the case that her experience in Washington politics would make her a better president than Barack Obama. But it's quite another to actually vilify Obama's ability to inspire as a "cult of the personality" or "nothing but words."
It is particularly disturbing when serious progressive writers who should know better repeat this attack on Obama's inspirational abilities. It demonstrates a failure to grasp the principal lesson of the last thirty years of American politics.
In fact, it is precisely the absence of inspiration in progressive politics that has kept Progressives on the political defensive for decades.
That's because to inspire people, Progressives have to appeal to something much more important than endless lists of policies and programs. To inspire people, Progressives have to appeal to our values and to our vision for the future.
Help get the word out! Send this article to your friends, family, and other Obama supporters!http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/nyregion/16vote.htmlThe New York Times reports on the MISSING OBAMA VOTES IN NYC! In numerous precincts, Obama was reported to have ZERO votes on election night, but now that they're being inspected, the machines are showing HUNDREDS of votes having been cast for him!!! Until this is resolved, this should be a big fat asterisk next to Clinton's New York win!!!http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/16/nyregion/16vote.html
See, New York? We did even better in her backyard than they let us know!!!
Just a reminder to folks that it is important to stay POSITIVE and focus on Barack! Attacking other candidates does a disservice to the campaign and makes us look just like any other dirty political types. That's NOT what this campaign is about!
We can disagree, but still be respectful, and still be RIGHT.
When I see people venting vitriol on here (even if I agree with it!), I know that's only going to feed into people like Paul Krugman who want to paint our campaign as a cult, or as the cause of divisions and rifts in the democratic party. DON'T GIVE THEM AMMUNITION.
Barack is a great candidate and will make a great president. He has good ideas on the issues, and more importantly, he has the judgement and the temperment to make those ideas happen, and to get the whole country behind making them happen!
So make sure you know his positions, and when you disagree, remember -- you're not just representing yourself, you're representing Barack and all of us! When you disagree, or want to point out the flaws in another candidate, don't do it in a mean or petty way. Say "well, I understand where you're coming from, but I think Obama would be better because he ______." It's just that easy, and it'll win over a lot more people!
My response to Paul Krugman's uncharacteristically innuendo-laden and fact-less column today in the New York Times:
To The Editor:
Many people like myself have great respect for Senator Clinton, but do not feel that the unfairness of “the Clinton rules” means that we should ignore actual problems with her policies and politics (“Hate Springs Eternal,” Op-Ed, February 11).
Her support for the invasion of Iraq, her large contributions from the industries she says she’ll challenge, and her campaign’s track record of distortion and mismanagement, are all legitimate reasons for concern.
But there is another group which claims that an unfair press is attacking their leader, and equates any criticism with unreasoned vitriol. Was it Paul Krugman’s intent to mimic the current occupants of the White House?
Dave Silverstone
in response to Stanley Fish's most recent "Think Again" column in the New York Times, about the "irrational hatred" of Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Fish,
You seem to have constructed a "damned if you do/damned if you don't" scenario for those of us who genuinely feel that Hillary Clinton is not a good choice for president, or even for the Democratic nomination...
Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to drop my own personal two cents of thanks for everyone who worked so hard here in New York to close the gap with Clinton -- a big reason we're able to claim more delegates across the nation from last night!
But I also wanted to remind all of you that our work has just begun! The Obama campaign is going to need continued fundraising in order to compete in the remaining states. Also, some very big prizes are still up for grabs -- and right in our backyard! Next Tuesday sees Maryland, DC, and Virginia vote -- all potentially very strong states for Barack. Best of all, round trip bus fare there costs under $40 from NYC!!! So let's try to get some groups together to go down there and volunteer!
Pennsylvania is also coming up soon -- so let's see what we can do there! As James Carville once said, Pennsylvania is "Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Alabama in between." But we all know who won Alabama last night!!! So let's make sure that's another win, and a big bunch of delegates for the best candidate in the race!
Finally, you'll note how much progress we were able to make over the past few weeks -- even in states with seemingly unsurmountable obstacles. Look also at how OVERWHELMING Obama's victories in caucus states were. This, to me, is the strongest evidence that our work as volunteers -- getting the word out to our friends, families, co-workers, neighbors, and even strangers on the street -- is THE biggest difference-maker we have.
So keep up the great work. No one ever said it was going to be easy. But together, YES WE CAN!
-Dave Silverstone
NYC
From Author John K. Wilson:
In the fiscal 2008 omnibus appropriations bill Hillary Clinton received 261 earmarks, more than five times the number of any other presidential candidate. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, Clinton obtained 360 earmarks worth $2.2 billion from 2002 to 2006. This record establishes her as by far the worst abuser of earmarks among all presidential candidates in both parties.
We are fortunate to have two candidates with a record of supporting gay rights running for the Democratic nomination.
Unfortunately, there has been an underhanded smear campaign waged to portray one of them, Senator Barack Obama, as anti-gay. Besides the sheer wrongness of painting a friend of LGBT rights this way, I think it is important to reject divide-and-conquer politics rooted in distortion. Let us set the facts straight (so to speak).
Please share with your friends and colleagues who are concerned about women’s issues and abortion rights this election cycle.
"A Woman's Right To Choose… A President"
By Karen Mulhauser, Former Executive Director of NARAL
For my entire adult life I have worked to advance the lives of women in the U.S. and abroad. From 1975 to 1982, I was the national Executive Director of NARAL when NARAL became the political arm of the pro-choice movement. It is gratifying that all Democratic candidates for president have 100% pro-choice voting records. Yet, it saddens me greatly to see Barack Obama's flawless voting record distorted.
Learned this one this past weekend:
(fast, hip-hop rhythm)
B (to the) A (to the) R-A-C, K-O! (to the) B (to the) A-M-A
ba-RACK! Obama, BA-rack O-bama!
