I have been following some of the events in the area of Russia and Georgia.
At this stage many Americans seem to believe that we should unconditionally back Georgia. However, if what is being said about Georgia launching attacks on South Ossetia in the middle of the night is true, and that they indiscrimately bombed civilian targets; we should withhold our unbridled support. There may be some behind the scenes action that need to be addressed. Does it seem strange, to anyone other than myself, that the President of Georgia regularly calls into U.S. news media outlets? He calls our media! Ordinarilly, journalists have to try to contact sitting heads of state; but he contacts U.S. news media personally. I think it is strange. This guy appears to be campaigning for someone.
The international press is saying that the military activity in South Ossetia was an attempt by Bush-Cheney to aid McCain whose only strong suite is war. ( http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/15/mccain-rises-to-abbas-defense/ )
I hope Senator Obama does not take the bait. He would be wise to determine who is zoomin' who before he weighs-in too heavily on this highly orchestrated drama.
Ever since last Friday I have been engaged in a back and forth email discussion with several former collegues; most of whom are McCain supporter's. After a few negative sounding rounds we decided to list 10 positive reasons for voting for our respective candidates... I sumitted these off of the top of my head:
Keith asked we submit 10 positive reason's for voting for my candidate (I am limited to only 10 but I could give more). So in that spirit I submit the following:1. Understands the U.S ConstitutionThis is the first and foremost qualification for the office of President. Each president swears under oath to uphold the constitution. Senator Obama taught constitutional law. He fully understands what it means and what it stands for. Further he understands how fragile the original document is in our ever-changing world. He has written extensively on how to be faithful to the constitution while still providing citizens the freedom to grow in an advanced society that the founding fathers could not foresee.
I apologize for not being in contact lately... we have been traveling for the month of April and will likely been out for most of May. I will be back in the loop by the first part of June. Hopefully, Senator Obama will have the nomination locked-in by then.
Dav
http://shibumi.us
I just responded to a 33 year-old stay at home dad who lives in Florida. He is giving up his support for Senator Obama because of Rev. Wright. This what he said:
I just watched Barack on Countdown with Keith Olberman. I expected to hear him distance himself from the vile, disgusting Rev Wright. He did not. This is the end of the campaign. It was wonderful to believe in Hope. It was wonderful to believe in the American people again. It was wonderful to make new friends who shared this beautiful feeling of being on the verge of a new dawn. I will miss you all. To borrow a borrowed phrase, Good Night and Good Luck. We will all need in the coming years.
My Reply:
The end? No. You, yourself, said we are on the verge of a new dawn. Tomorrow is coming; with or without the promise of hope. We have too much to lose if we give up because someone on our side said something stupid. I was shocked and felt weak in the gut when I heard Rev. Wright’s hateful words; much as I am sure you felt. I cannot even imagine how Senator Obama felt when he heard them. However, I can understand the frustration in the reverend’s life. I have lived that frustration. I have said hateful things. I see Barack Obama’s campaign and eventual administration as a bridge from those angry days of the past to the hopeful days of the future. I hope you do not believe we will cross that bridge by simply holding hands and singing. That would be nice, but in reality change always creates stress. Barack Obama is the only current option to lessen the friction as we focus on change for a better future. Obama can, and will, temper fiery rhetoric from old-schoolers such as Rev. Wright and myself. He can also speak the language of the modern world. Hang in here and help him make things better for those who will inherit this land. I do not think the Clintons know how to stop the kind of frustration we heard from the reverend? They didn’t do it in the past. Surely the hateful words won’t stop under the shock and awe of the McCain philosophy?Please consider what Reverend Wright has been through; and realize that Barack Obama does not share those same frustrations.The end? No. This is merely a small cloud on tomorrow's dawn. Please stay. You'll see, the sun will shine bright after this cloud moves on.
A supporter’s simple advice to Senator Obama. I have no idea if anyone in the Obama campaign reads these blogs. But if you do read this, please consider my thoughts for a moment.
It is a long run to Pennsylvania Tuesday. Hillary Clinton is trying to change the game. Her attacks are designed to keep Senator Obama off-balance and away from his strong side.
The Senator should stick to his own game. For most of the week, he must ignore what comes out of the Clinton camp. Ignoring her will really punish the Clinton ego. At each week’s end, have someone do a data dump on her ridiculous ruminations. Every Friday (or day of your choosing), an articulate surrogate should counter all of her malicious and inaccurate assertions. Line-up every point clearly and succinctly in one place. An Op-Ed piece in a widely read publication would do nicely. Have the surrogate of the week, one who the media would eagerly publish, hammer home measured facts to quiet Mrs. Clinton’s half-truths and silly innuendoes.
Incorporate Samantha Power back into the Obama campaign. She has a lot to offer. People make mistakes. If I had been fired for every mistake I made, my resume would be the size of an encyclopedia. If necessary, ask Senator Obama to publicly renounce what she said, but not renounce her. After that, put her back to work. Clinton surrogates have said much worst than Ms. Power would ever say about an opponent.
During the majority of the week, the Senator should talk about his presidency. Show the world what he brings to the table. It is time to discuss, with glowing detail, his vision for the future. If Clinton sends some energy his way, he can harness that energy and deflect it into the direction of HIS choice; not hers.
The Clintons are no longer the drivers in this contest. Make sure Hillary Clinton understands that; and make sure the rest of the country fully understands who is really in command of this race.
From now until Pennsylvania play your own game, Senator. Hillary Clinton is merely a “Huckabee-type” of annoyance. Never stop showing your presidential side.
Within the past seven years this nation has become a poor neighbor in the world community. We now must re-introduce ourselves to the people on this planet. Before we can do that we must clarify in our own minds what kind of global citizen the United States will be in the future. Barack Obama is the only candidate running for president who is thinking about a positive future; a future in which this nation can work peacefully with other nations to solve critical issues. The other candidates seem to want to pick a fight with any nation that attempts to grow their own economy. Barack Obama will be the kind of leader who will make us a strong but caring force in the world community.
Moreover, Obama’s organizational skills far exceed the abilities of the other’s running for president. His methodical approach to every aspect of this campaign is nothing short of phenomenal. His rivals, in both parties, have repeatedly used flawed judgment. We watched as the Clinton and the McClain campaigns faltered over and over again due to poor decision making. The United States of America needs a president who will staff the White House with a quality administration. We need an administration that can recognize the interplay of domestic and international issues; and address them, not singularly but, holistically. Obama has proven that he can produce an organization that is equipped to do that.
There are a great many other reasons I have given my support to Barack Obama, but those are the two principle reasons: his ability to heal our relationship with others in the world and his ability to build an effective and highly functional executive branch of the United States Government.
Note: I worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation for 34 years. I am retired now, but have worked for both functional and a dysfunctional administrations. It is easy for me to quickly identify the difference between the two.
