(CNN) — No, hell has not frozen over, but a Buckley is backing a Democrat for president.
Christopher Buckley, the son of the late conservative icon William F. Buckley, said Friday he's decided to back Barack Obama's White House bid, the first time in his life he will vote Democrat.
“It’s a good thing my dear old mum and pup [sic] are no longer alive. They’d cut off my allowance," Buckley, a columnist for the conservative National Review, wrote on the Web site The Daily Beast Friday.
Buckley, who praised McCain in a New York Times Op-Ed earlier this year and defended the Arizona senator's conservative credentials against wary talk-radio hosts, said McCain is no longer the “real” and “unconventional” man he once admired.
"This campaign has changed John McCain," Buckley wrote. "It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget 'by the end of my first term.' Who, really, believes that?
"Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis," Buckley added. "His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?"
But Buckley made clear he's not just voting against McCain, praising Obama for his "first-class temperament and first-class intellect."
"Obama has in him—I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy 'We are the people we have been waiting for' silly rhetoric—the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for," Buckley wrote.
Michael MooreFriends, It's officially September 23rd and my new film, "Slacker Uprising," ...12:30 AM (10 hours ago)
Michael MooreLoading...12:30 AM (10 hours ago)
Michael Moore to me show details 12:30 AM (10 hours ago) Reply
Friends, It's officially September 23rd and my new film, "Slacker Uprising," is now premiering live at SlackerUprising.com! It is available for free as a gift from me to all of you. And you have my permission to share it or show it in any way you see fit.
Watch it all: http://slackeruprising.com/download/location.php?utm_medium=download&utm_source=30255701 At that link, there are five ways you can watch
This is great news out of Central PA!
http://www.pennlive.com/
Neil Samuels <neilsamuels@comcast.net> wrote:
Dear Bucks County for Obama,
In addition to the recent endorsements from newspapers in Scranton and
Allentown, now the Bucks County Courier Times has endorsed Senator
Obama. For those who live in the central and upper parts of Bucks
County, the Courier Times is the sister paper of the Bucks County
Intelligencer.
Everyone's hard work is paying off; it appears that someone has noticed
the time and effort individuals are pouring into this campaign and why.
Enjoy - everyone who is volunteering has helped earn a piece of the
credit for garnering this important local Bucks County endorsement.
Bucks County Courier Times Endorses Senator Obama
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/327-04162008-1519834.html
Obama inspires
Bucks County Courier Times
We can't remember the last time a presidential election generated so much
excitement. And by excitement we mean people who've been inspired to act,
folks who've sat out past elections but have been driven to get involved this time.
And so we find ourselves part of that bunch.
While the Courier Times Editorial Board usually sits out primary elections,
we're motivated to get involved this year and offer an endorsement.
One big reason is that Pennsylvania matters for a change. The state's late
primary date has rendered its election results meaningless in most presidential
election years. The races are usually decided by now. Not this year. This year we
have an opportunity to make a difference.
While Sen. John McCain has emerged as the GOP standard-bearer, giving
Republicans no choice on Election Day, the Democrats are still fighting it
out -- and fighting hard. Indeed, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have
spent plenty of time in our state and each has made repeat visits to Bucks
County, a telling gauge perhaps of how much the candidates value our county
-- and our votes.
Historic race
Another reason we chose to get involved is the historic nature of the Democratic race.
For the first time a major political party will nominate either a woman or an African
American as its presidential candidate. And neither would be a sacrificial lamb.
Both are strong candidates and talented individuals with accomplished
records, clear leadership ability and thoughtful agendas speaking to their
viability and readiness. And national polls strongly suggest that either candidate
would pose a strong challenge to McCain; indeed, both appear to have the edge on the
Republican at his early stage.While we hate to oversimplify and characterize the Democrats as in
agreement on the major issues, they do hold similar views. Both oppose the war in
Iraq, for example, support some form of national health insurance, would end
or reform No Child Left Behind and oppose the Bush tax cuts.
There are differences, of course. And we encourage readers to review our
Voters Guide, which will arrive with Thursday's newspaper, for an issue-by-issue comparison.
While we believe the candidates' views on the issues are important -- in fact, they provide
the foundation for our recommendation today -- we have been moved by other factors to
offer a recommendation.
New perspective
Chief among them is motivation. Like many of you, we're excited. We've been
inspired by candidates who not only promise change, but who embody change.
By virtue of who they are they would, we believe, bring a new and refreshing perspective
to the Oval Office. We also believe both candidates are committed to replacing the old
politics of confrontation with a new era of cooperation -- in Washington and around the world.
We look forward, as millions of Americans do, to that change.
But between these two agents of change, one stands out. Barack Obama
inspires like no other candidate; indeed, like no other individual on the
national stage. He has mobilized new voters and young people in general
to get involved in the political process for the first time. And his themes of
hope and change, which ring so authentic, have likewise invigorated many who
otherwise might have sat out the election.
High character
Obama is intelligent, articulate and has demonstrated a strong ability
to understand the issues. He's also shown character under fire. And he's
run an incredibly savvy campaign for a first-time presidential candidate.
In fact, the professional way he's conducted his campaign and the deft
organization he's put together, which has outmaneuvered Clinton, is
impressive. We believe Obama would bring the same professionalism to the
executive branch of government since he isn't tied into lobbyists and
special interests.
Perhaps most importantly, Obama is more likely to get us out of Iraq
since, unlike Clinton, he didn't vote for the war in the first place and has
been a constant critic of the war. And, more so than Clinton, we believe he'd
be successful in spearheading a diplomatic solution to the war by drawing
friends and enemies into the discussions, something he has openly advocated.
Finally, we believe Obama's gift for oratory would inspire unity in a nation
that is now -- and too often in the past has been -- divided.
For these reasons we are inspired to endorse Barack Obama as the Democratic
nominee for president.
All the best,
Neil Samuels
215.345.9273
neilsamuels@comcast.net
Bucks County for Obama, Administrator
www.BarackObama.com
Please read the following blog posted by James Parker:
From: James Parker [mailto:uhsavant@yahoo.com]
In this election, much has been made of the choice between experience and change, of substance and inspiration, and of dueling personalities. Supporters of one candidate or another agrue that the traits they posses are the better to win in novermber, or the better to govern the country come January. Both sides seem to have some good reasons for arguing as they do, and both claim common sense on their side. However, when dealing with complex problems, especially those involving the hearts and minds of human beings, common sense is rarely correct but by accident. While the parties may be closely divided on these questions, history is not.
We'll start with the question of Experience & substance vs. inspiration & personality. In 2000, Al Gore had the unqestionably superior resume and he lost to the man Who people simply liked better, who came across as more genuine, and who represented a change from the scandal and lack of core principles - real or percieved - of the Clinton Administration.
In 1992, America had the choice between a sitting President who's resume and qualifications for his office were as overwhelming as any in our nations history. George H.W. Bush was a WWII hero, a successful businessman, a congressman, The Director of Central Intelligence, a Senator, Vice-President, and a President who won a decisive, overwhelming victory in the Middle East of all places, something that has eluded many of the greatest leaders in history Included among them are King Richard the Lion Heart, Roman Emperor Trajan, and countless would be conquerors since the begging of time. And yet, when he faced a young man of 46 years, who's relatively paltry accomplishments were highlighted by his governorship of a small southern state called Arkansas, who had no foreign policy experience whatsoever, and who pushed a message of hope and change and connected with the people on an emotional level, It was the young governor - Bill Clinton - who emerged the victor, reminding america that "There is the right kind of experience, and the wrong kind of experience." Similarly, in 1980 and 1984 Ronald Reagan defeated his supposed intellectual superiors by landslide margins, because he touched the souls of the American people and made them believe in themselves and their country. The story is repeated throughout history. In 1960, in 1976, and in even 1932 (Herbert Hoover was a trained economist, didnt help him much in the depression election did it?)
We'll move on now to governing. Our greatest presidents have often been the least experienced. Regardless of what you think of the fairness of his economic policies, Ronald Reagan had countless foreign policy successes and was perhaps the last president to make effective use of America's soft Power. John F. Kennedy lead America through the Cuban missile crisis and beat Nikita Kruschev in a game of brinksmanship - not an easy task.
But there is another man whose lanky figure stands tall above all of the great inspirational leaders who have sat in the oval office and had to bear the cross of wartime leadership. This man had less political experience than any of the others we have examined, and perhaps less than any president, ever. This man was a lawyer who spent just 8 years in the Illinois State Legislature, and only one term - two years - in the U.S. Congress. This man assumed the presidency with the task of unifying a country that seemed on the verge of tearing itself apart. This man knew he would inherit problems of cultural disunity and rancorous partisanship. Security problems that posed a greater threat to our nations survival than any other before or since. This man's name was Abraham Lincoln. When the effort to save the Union had reached its lowest point , and the battle of Gettysburg had claimed as many Americans as 17 9/11s, his WORDS moved a nation - in a three minute speech - to maintain their resolve to end slavery and unite the nation.
The Inescapable conclusion of History is that inspiration is the absolute essence of leadership. Experience cannot inject the qualities of great leadership into a person who does not already possess them. So it should come as no surprise that I will vote for Barack Obama, the young lawyer from Illinois whose words can move a nation. So should you.
With love for country,
James Parker
P.S. Hillary may be tough, but John McCain is granite. If you try to beat him on toughness and experience, you'll lose. She may have been persecuted by republicans, but he was TORTURED by communists. The Only way to win this November is to be the party of change, to inspire and move our fellow Americans. We have the opportunity to define the policitcs of a generation. Lets Take it!
Let's ask the hard question about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright: Is he as far outside the African American mainstream as many of us would like to think?
Because Barack Obama's speech on race in America was so candid about both the legitimacy of black and white grievances -- and the flaws in those grievances -- it carried the risk of offending almost everyone.
A man who, by parentage, is half black and half white took it upon himself to explain each side's story to the other. Obama resembled no one so much as the conciliatory sibling in a large and boisterous family, shouting: "Please, please, will you listen to each other for a sec?"
One of the least remarked upon passages in Obama's speech is also one of the most important -- and the part most relevant to the Wright controversy. There is, Obama said, a powerful anger in the black community rooted in "memories of humiliation and doubt" that "may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends" but "does find voice in the barbershop or the beauty shop or around the kitchen table. . . . And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews."
Yes, black people say things about our country and its injustices to each other that they don't say to those of us who are white. Whites also say things about blacks privately that they don't say in front of their black friends and associates.
One black leader who was capable of getting very angry indeed is the one now being invoked against Wright. His name was Martin Luther King Jr.
An important book on King's rhetoric by Barnard College professor Jonathan Rieder, due out next month, offers a more complex view of King than the sanitized version that is so popular, especially among conservative commentators. In "The Word of the Lord Is Upon Me," Rieder -- an admirer of King -- notes that the civil rights icon was "not just a crossover artist but a code switcher who switched in and out of idioms as he moved between black and white audiences."
Listen to what King said about the Vietnam War at his own Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta on Feb. 4, 1968: "God didn't call America to engage in a senseless, unjust war. . . . And we are criminals in that war. We've committed more war crimes almost than any nation in the world, and I'm going to continue to say it. And we won't stop it because of our pride and our arrogance as a nation. But God has a way of even putting nations in their place." King then predicted this response from the Almighty: "And if you don't stop your reckless course, I'll rise up and break the backbone of your power."
If today's technology had existed then, I would imagine the media playing quotations of that sort over and over. Right-wing commentators would use the material to argue that King was anti-American and to discredit his call for racial and class justice. King certainly angered a lot of people at the time.
I cite King not to justify Wright's damnation of America or his lunatic and pernicious theories but to suggest that Obama's pastor and his church are not as far outside the African American mainstream as many would suggest. I would also ask my conservative friends who praise King so lavishly to search their consciences and wonder if they would have stood up for him in 1968.
These are realities that Obama has forced us to confront, and they are painful. Wright was operating within a long tradition of African American outrage, which is one reason Obama could not walk away from his old pastor in the name of political survival. Obama's personal closeness to Wright would have made such a move craven in any event.
I'm a liberal, and I loathe the anti-American things Wright said precisely because I believe that the genius of our country is its capacity for self-correction. Progressivism and, yes, hope itself depend on a belief that personal conversion and social change are possible, that flawed human beings are capable of transcending their pasts and their failings.
Obama understands the anger of whites as well as the anger of blacks, but he's placed a bet on the other side of King's legacy that converted rage into the search for a beloved community. This does not prove that Obama deserves to be president. It does mean that he deserves to be judged on his own terms and not by the ravings of an angry preacher.
postchat@aol.com
Go to this link and vote for Obama. Yes, you can vote as often as you want.
www.klif.com
This is a video Barack Obama is trying to get out to as many people as possible. Please send it to as many people outside this group as you can. The video is a statement by Barack Obama rejecting outright the statements by his former pastor, Reverend Wright, that are at issue. Barack Obama's opponents will most likely try to use the pastor's statements against Barack Obama. Let's "pre-emptively" get the truth out before this attack can occur.Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFbDpTPd0ac
Dear Senator Obama,
You are more than a cult, more than a speech, more than all the beliefs of generations gone by. Many of us have backed you in faith, knowing in our heart of hearts that you were a new beginning, that you say what many of us believe and want. We believe you are a bridge between races, genders, times, and beliefs, and that your presence as president will begin a healing process in many areas of our lives.
While a church may come close to what a man feels in his heart and truly believes, sometimes the church position gets distorted or misrepresented, and then a man has to sort it out and move on. I respect that you haven't denied your religion, your church, or even your pastor. I cannot begin to understand what motivated some of Rev. Wright's statements or positions, but I will not judge him, nor you. There is a road traveled that is not shared, and the religious road is one of those. A truly religious man must weave his entire being into the church and I cannot begin to think that I understand all that has brought Rev. Wright to his present stage or point of view, or that I know exactly the essence of his message. I know that he has accomplished a lot of good work, and you are a part of that.
I sincerily hope that you continue to move forward, and that you know your followers and supporters are behind you 110%.
God bless you, and keep you strong.
Have you noticed how elegantly Barack Obama holds his stature and self esteem amidst the hullabaloo of "politics as usual"? Even when being fired upon under the gaze of millions of CNN debate viewers nationwide, and around the world, he had the amazing wit and self control to cast a casual "Inexperienced and unknowing" eye towards Hillary Clinton, and the World, and made the educated observation that what she said only meshed with the "...silly season of politics", that what she said was a rediculous and unknowing assessment of something her campaign was only trying to forge into an issue, but that had fallen onto the hard ground of reality with a muted "thud". Our man is a far better candidate than these people have ever had to confront. What he may lack in pure experience he more than makes up for with astute WISDOM, and the ability to control the temperature of the kitchen, never letting it boil, but only simmer under his watchful eye.
I truly believe he wants to (and WILL) raise the stature and position of the White House to what it was once upon a time. A place where the power and position of the leader of the United States of America will gather the respect and honor so long missing. With a cautious willingness to confront any leader on any battle ground, bringing the wisdom and power of polished intellect to bear on the open exposure of wounds long since ignored, he will elevate the manner perceived to be the foreign policy of old to a new height few would dare consider. When you have studied the history of our country and it's many amazing leaders you have very little trouble imagining President Barack Obama rising to a position of honor few have known. God Bless our Country and continue to Bless us with brilliant Leaders.
Sadly this debate was only shown live on MSNBC but you can also find ten segments on YouTube to watch for free.
The NBC news guys really drive a hard debate. They ask pointed and direct questions, and they don't make it too easy for anyone to skate around the question or to deviate and trail off onto other issues.
Even as difficult as it was, Barack shows an amazing agility and strength and answered almost all questions with equal accumen. He was as tough as needed, and as resilient as ever. I believe he scored points on Hillarary on almost every issue. Many questions not previously thrown up to Barack came out in the debate and he addressed them very well with solid explanations. I believe many folks thought he would fall apart if thrown up questions about his religion or other relationships that appeared on the surface to be antagonistic, but Barack handled those extremely well.
All in all I believe it was a very favorable debate for Senator Obama, and he is moving into the March 4th voting with lots of momentum.
It looks great when our Man won another round of states last night. He is slowly inching away from the the competition, and will soon take large strides that will almost put him over the top. However, lets not let these successes lull us into believing the fight is over. Quite the contrary, the fight is just now beginning in urnest. Obama has shown that he can lead a wave of grass roots programs to convince Americans that he is for real. Now he has to take the reins and make the horses run like never before, and you and I have to be among those horses, each doing as much work as we possibly can, and keeping our heads high and our reteric on the money, i.e., know where Barack stands and be prepared to state the message as often as needed. Yes We Can ! We want the Change that Barack Obama represents and we are willing warriors to win the nomination.
Dear John,
With a heart softened with trepidation I dare warn you that poor Barack will have many more accountings to unfurl before he finds his way to the top step. Those hurling stones are least scathed by the falling glass around them it would seem, and they continue on their perilous adventures. But watch for the blood to ooze from their bruised feet, as fate will have her way with them, and raise those falsely tormented above their heads. If insanity be a clue, Barack should be a winner for sure, for the enemies act with all careless abandon and reveal the missing timbers within their heads! Nay, by the Grace of God he shall be found pure, and after that nothing can stop him undoing the tragedies of a president’s past, especially that astride the bulrush with his soft down hither thither, and stopping the Clintons from advancing to the ball altogether.
Keep the Faith !
Joel
In a quirk showing of feminine emotions Hilliary Clinton managed to stage a last day sentimental attachment for her following to rally around, ecking out a marginal win over Barack Obama by an overwhelming percentage of the Women's vote. Of course, that margin may have been a silent majority already, but none of the polls had shown it.
Unfortunately, I don't see any logical way for a MAN to handle that political maneuver without either exposing too much of his feminine side (they would probably declare him "weak" and laugh him off the camera) or to press the other candidate to describe how they might handle a possible breakdown during a really stressful day at the office as president, and not just on the campaign trail. But we all know that would be tagged as dirty pool, so Barack has to stay away from that line of talk.
My suggestion is for Barack to just let it go. Her lead was marginal and definetely attributable to that episode, as it pulled on the heart strings and maternal instincts of almost every woman in the state, not to mention a few media pundits and others. His handling of the whole evening was remarkable, and I find myself even more attached to his campaign than ever! From discussions I've had with others I'm convinced many viewed Hilliary's tears as bogus, like the X presidents attempt to provoke anger over Barack's strategy. These Clintons are prone to do/say whatever to swing things their way, but crooked moves provoke only anger among the viewers, and I for one am now determined that I will swing my support toward John Mccain before I would support her nomination for President.
Happily, not all CHANGE is defined the same way. For instance, Hillary Clinton believes that she has already presented all the change necessary to be called the "Candidate of Change". However, as I recall, she never accomplished much more than lip service to anything she attempted while Bill was President; as a Senator she has not accomplished much more than tail-gating Bush's ideas and not alienating too many folks. Her idea of Change sounds more like an about-face to revisit the things she tried to do before rather than face the future with optimisic ability.
Barack Obama is truly the Candidate of Change, and FOR change. We want new ideas; We want respectability in Washington; We want Respectability around the World; We want the World to know that we are not bullies at the same time we standup to any and all things that are not right. Barack's idea of change is so far above what Hillary or John Edwards represent that there is no comparison. Barack represents NEW and DIFFERENT, not just Change in names, and not just the same politcal speak with a new title. We want a President who listens to the people he represents, and isn't affraid to make compromises when they involve gaining the most good for the most people. Barack Obama brings respect, intelligence, and an innate ability to discuss issues with his peers and reach common ground. I have no doubt he will represent our country in the foreign affairs areana as well or better than any diplomat in the past 100 years. I also believe he will bring strong intelligent leadership into his cabinet that will amount to as much or more as the great "TEAM OF RIVALS" amassed by Abraham Lincoln over 100 years ago. EXPERIENCE ? I'd rather have Barack with his plain and simple WISDOM than all the EXPERIENCE now sitting in Congress.
