I posted an article this morning on my blog about Barack Obama and how he has developed a strong brand, thanks in part to the engagement of his supporters:
http://eyecube.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/barack-obama-dinu-brand/
Is our own complacency.
When you watch the videos of Obama speaking to crowds it becomes clear that his success or failure in this campaign will not be do his position in relation to the other candidates or really what the other candidates do, whether positive or negative.
If everyone goes out to vote, Obama will carry the day. If American citizens want to participate in government, in their country, Obama will carry the day.
The saying, 'You get the government you deserve' has never been more true. If we allow it to happen, another candidate will win. Responsibility, action, commitment - those aren't just the requirements of our candidate, they are the requirements of the American people.
As I sit here on a Sunday morning, it's clear that Obama is going to hit his goal of 100,000 donations by the Nevada caucus. So why did I decide to donate (again)? Because this campaign is about taking part, not watching from the sidelines. The difference of one person sitting this out may not seem like much, but multiply that by 10,000, 50,000!
You don't have to make a massive contribution, just $10, heck even $5 helps.
Here's a look at endorsements received by Obama and Clinton so far in January:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/12/12624/7520/610/435677
I'm by no means an expert on these sorts of things, but the author of the site, respected political blogger Kos, seems to think Obama has the edge.
I've very much wanted to give Senator Clinton the benefit of the doubt and I believe that when compared to most other candidates she holds up pretty well. But I do start to wonder when I see things like this:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/12/voting-stripa-no-no-suit-says/
Right after Obama gets the endorsement of the Culinary workers in Nevada, a lawsuit is filed to try to get voting sites set up in Strip casinos closed. The argument is that it's not fair to schooll janitors (follow the link to try to follow that logic).
So rather than fight to get more access for all potential voters, those indirectly linked with Clinton are trying to make it difficult for those who have aligned with Obama.
That's rather disappointing. I can't imagine the Obama campaign trying to shut people out. That's what people who have something to lose do.
Over the last couple of weeks every candidate's favorite word has become "change." Everybody is the candidate that can bring about change. It's tough to argue with someone by saying, "No you can't make change if you get elected." How can you argue against what someone might or might not do in the future?
But here's soemthing that Obama represents that Clinton can't appropriate: He's different.
We've had eight years of Clinton in the White House. I want something different. We've had 12 years of Bush in the White House. I want something different. We've had either a Bush or a Clinton as President since 1988 - twenty years!
I want something different.
Is "different" automatically better? No. Different has to be supported by intelligence, passion, commitment and most importantly strong ideas.
between the two leading Democratic candidates can be illustrated by the homepage of their respective websites.
Clinton's page urges voters to "Help make history." But to me that infers "Help make history by voting me (Clinton) into office."
Obama's page says, "I'm asking to you to believe. Not just in myh ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours."
Now, which one of these sounds like they are the more inclusive candidate? Which one sounds like they want to be President, and which one sounds like they want to make America a better place by empowering the people of this country?
Here's a fascinating little online test to see which candidate, from amongst both Democratic and Republican contenders, you are most closely aligned with on the issues:
www.electoralcompass.com
I took the test (the whole thing takes 5 - 10 minutes, tops) and eagerly awaited the results. Turns out my views on the key issues mostly closely aligned with...
Barack Obama!
I really didn't know how this would turn out, but felt good that my initial feelings regarding Obama correspond to deeper issues as well.
Also interesting was that my views were statistically not that far off from Edwards, Richardson and Clinton. Before we bash some of the other Democratic candidates we should stop and consider our commonalities rather than just our differences.
Obama is in a tricky position regarding the issue of race. Have his opponents already, very subtly, tried to use this? Perhaps. The natural reaction is of course to call people on it. Obama needs to resist making this an issue, and even be careful that certain factions of his support don't make his candidacy about racism in this country.
Is racism a problem in America? I would say yes, on various levels it is. But this candidacy isn't about righting past wrongs or putting a Black man in the White House. It's about putting a person who cares about this country and has ideas on how to solve our problems in the White House. Most importantly that solution involves all sorts of people, regardless of skin color, religion or political ideology.
Accusations of racism, even when made with merit, will not bring more people to the Obama tent.
Supporters of Barack Obama don't need to get angry when the Clinton machine gets nasty. The media will give that sort of tactic the treatment it deserves:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/classy-bill-cli.html
Andrew Sullivan is one of the most read political writers on the web. He is increasingly slamming Clinton and her team for going negative. It does little good for us to go on message boards calling Clinton names, it just makes Obama's supporters look as bad as his opponents.
For those that are politically engaged, choosing a candidate is based on where those candidates stand on the issues. Yet for the majority of people it's: I'm voting for him because he seems nice. Or, I'm voting against him because I don't like his haircut. The superficial stuff plays a big factor, especially at this point.
But pretty soon it will be time to start asking the serious questions. Try asking someone who supports Clinton why they do. My bet is that most of the time their answer won't be based on the issues, or if it is, just at the superficial level.
The issues are very complex, but if you can take just one issue, and articulate Obama's stance in 20 seconds or less, you will be far ahead in the conversation. Try taking just one issue that is really important to you and boil it down to an easy to digest form. You may not convert someone on the spot, but you'll get them to think.
While I think the majority of people on this site are here because they are inspired by, and believe in, Barack Obama, there is no doubt that there is a strong group who are just as much anti-Clinton. She certainly seems to have gotten a great manyh people fired up if you look at the blog posts.
I'm not sure I get this. OK, you have issues with her, that's fair. But ultimately the best thing we can do is pull undecideds into our camp. I don't think being anti-Clinton pulls people towards Obama in a meaningful way. It certainly doesn't continue to build momentum.
I love the positive posts from people who are excited to be part of this. I'm less enthused by those who are complaining about Clinton 'tactics.' Part of doing away with the cynicism of the past is not letting yourself get caught up in it. Stay positive and stay focused.
Is talk to someone about a sensitive thing like politics. 'What if they support another candidate?' 'What if they know more about politics than I do?' 'What if it starts an argument?' 'Will I lose this person as a friend?'
That's fear talking. I feel it myself. I'm definitely a little scared to mention politics to almost all of my friends. But I invited a friend to join Obama's website and you know what? He did! He didn't laugh at me, he didn't call me names. He's an undecided Democratic voter right now. But who here doesn't think, after viewing everything on this site, he won't become an Obama supporter?
Just one person. Let's all try to get just one person to join us. Maybe they'll bring one more. Sure, it might feel uncomfortable at first, but right now Americans need to feel a little uncomfortable. We need to experience a little sacrifice, a little pain. That's what's needed to make real change.
Most of us probably felt pretty comfortable going into Tuesday night. The media were predicting an Obama victory based on the latest polls. I'm always amazed how, with a small percentage of the actual votes cast, they can make predictions. Well, sometimes they get it wrong. Like in Florida awhile back. Like in NH yesterday.
It's a valuable lesson: Forget the polls. Forget the media. Keep working, keep talking.
I think we are going to see the beginning of a new phase of the campaign. The results in NH will force everyone - the media, the candidates, etc. - to set aside the admittedly inspiring words of Barack Obama and look more closely at his policies.
Both BO and Clinton have organizational, personal and political strengths. The vast majority of people do not know where the candidates stand on many issues. They simply "like" one candidate or "dislike" another.
It is important for supporters to be able to understand and articulate the differences when speaking with the casual political viewer. NH really marks the beginning of the battle ahead.
For those of you looking for political commentary that plays fairly down the middle, and looks at a wide variety of issues, I recommend Andrew Sullivan: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/
A conservative, Republican, gay, columnist, Sullivan strongly supports Obama. He's always worth a read.
Like many people I'm sure, I was surprised by the NH results. The momentum Obama carried into the primary looked very strong, but that's politics. I hope that many others will respond like me, looking to become more involved.
Now is not the time to sit back, but rather to get immersed in the campaign and the whole process. Donate, organize, or just join the discussion.
