It's hard to believe that only two weeks from now we will be going to the polls to vote in this historic election. I know for those of us that have been following this campaign for the past year or more, it seems like a lifetime. I got up today ready for the Sunday morning routine of breakfast with the family and watching Meet the Press. I have to say that I was nearly moved to tears by Colin Powell's endorsement of Senator Obama. There has been such ugliness in the past few weeks, and I was beginning to feel a pit in my stomach from it all. General Powell reminded me that Americans of all walks of life, all faiths, and all political ideologies can come together and see the good in each other and move beyond the culture of fear that has predominated our country for too long.
I have seen so many good things come out of this campaign. My 63-year-old mother and her husband, who have not voted in many years, went out a few weeks ago and registered so they could vote for Barack Obama. My 70-something in-laws, who live in Florida, have been making phone calls, talking to neighbors, and taking a very active role in the ground campaign for Barack in their area. Many of my Republican friends are saying enough is enough and have decided to vote for Barack.
Yes we can. Yes we will...And I can't wait to go to vote on November 4th!
This is what John McCain will be thinking on Nov. 5th:
"That won?"
What a condescending, horrible performance tonight by Senator McCain!
It has been quite a long time since I put my 2 cents in, but in light of all that has happened in this political season in the past few weeks, I just couldn't resist. First of all, congratulations to Joe Biden on being selected to round out Barack's ticket. Excellent choice. I've always like Biden. I like him even more now that I know a bit more about where he is coming from.
Next, I want to weigh in on this whole Sarah Palin phenomenon. It is almost laughable that the Republicans have completely started using the Democrat's strategy that they were so fervently criticizing just a few months ago! No experience, too much of a celebrity, too young, blah blah blah....Now there is actually a Sarah Palin action figure!!! I don't think Barack even has one of those. I think that once all the "lipstick" comes off, and Sarah has been fully vetted over the coming weeks, she will not be as much of a rock star anymore. Already we are seeing many contradictions between words and actions, and I am talking purely in terms of her public life. Her personal stuff, of course, is going to come out (already has) and that is just the name of the game in politics these days. Did they really think the media wasn't going to jump all over the daughter being pregnant at 17? Yes, the Republicans are truly the party of change now. I can't imagine what they would have been saying about family values, etc, etc, if that situation was in reverse and there was a teen pregnancy on the Dem side. I think John Stewart actually had clips on the Daily Show of Bill O'Reilly going off on teen preganancy (ie Jamie Lynn Spears), and then a more recent clip where he praises the Palin family for their handling of the situation. Thus, the title of my post : WAKE UP PEOPLE! There has been so much spin that I'm dizzy just from watching the news! People need to examine the facts very carefully this election year and not get caught up in all the hoopla. There is way too much at stake. I think throughout this entire campaign Barack Obama has shown integrity, strength, honesty and steadfastness, and those are qualitites I am absolutely looking for in a president!
My husband and I are having a conversation about who would be on Obama's short list of potential running mates and what he would be looking for in a VP. My husband's favorite pick is General Wesley Clark. Although he is currently a Clinton supporter, he would bring a lot to the ticket in terms of national security and foreign policy, etc. He could offset the whole "McCain is a war hero" thing (all due respect to McCain for his service). Clark is also an Arkansas native, and that would help in getting the southern vote, Clinton vote, etc.
I really don't think Obama will ask Clinton to be a running mate when he gets the nomination. I kind of started to think about that prospect last night when the debate was looking like a love fest between the two of them at first, but i think choosing Hillary would go against what his campaign is about. I also thought of Richardson, but I kind of see him as a Secretary of State type role. My husband thinks Edwards would make a great Attorney General but wouldn't really be a good choice for Obama for VP. Many of Edwards' supporters have already shifted to Obama after Edwards withdrew.
I think he will be looking for someone that is not necessarily a Washington "insider," but that has been on the political scene for some time and is respected, has the experience with foreign policy.....Hmmm maybe my husband is on to something with the Wes Clark thing?????
Although Hillary Clinton's words at the close of last night's debate seemed heartfelt and sincere, giving us that rare glimpse at the softer side of Hillary.....they were, in fact, no her own, but her dear husband's (LOL) I just read in a Time magazine article that the WORDS she used were copied almost directly from comments Bill made in 1999:
"Where Clinton tried to score points, she largely missed. When their argument over whether Obama
had plagiarized lines from his campaign co-chairman, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, the
Illinois Senator got the better of the exchange. "You know, this is where we start getting into silly
season, in politics, and I think people start getting discouraged about it," Obama said. Clinton
rejoined with an attack line that fell flat, and even drew some boos: "You know, lifting whole
passages from someone else's speeches is not change you can believe in, it's change you can Xerox."
And the canned line seemed even lamer after the debate, when bloggers unearthed the similarity
between a line she used in that powerful conclusion of the debate—"You know, the hits I've taken in
life are nothing compared to what goes on every single day in the lives of people across our
country"—and Bill Clinton's 1992 declaration that: "The hits that I took in this election are nothing
compared to the hits the people of this state and this country have been taking for a long time."
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1715434,00.html
I guess Hillary owns stock in Xerox too...This is getting better than reality TV!
It's no longer about what we CAN do, but what we as Americans from all walks of life ARE doing. We are letting our voices be heard from (as my daughter just sang it to me) SEA TO SHINING SEA!
Americans from across the country are joining together to support a candidate that represents the things that America is all about.....Opportunity, patriotism, unity....
There are some people out there that think that Obama is a man of platitudes, and that there is no substance behind what he is saying. These are the people that catch the headlines and hear those "Hopeful" sound bites the media loves to replay. I'm sorry, but to really know what ANY of the candidates is about you have to take it upon yourself to READ about their plans and stand on the issues, watch and listen to them in debates, and really study history and facts to fully understand the direction they want to take this country in.
Yes, the issues are of the utmost importance in any political campaign, especially one for the highest office in this country. However, behind the issues has to be a person that can inspire the people to believe in themselves and to get people involved in the process.....DEMOCRACY...what a concept!
Oh, sorry, I guess I am just one of those hopeful people that wants a president that will make decisions and judgements based not only on the highest intellect, but also on very sound principles and values. After all, only billions of people will be affected by the decisions the President of the United States makes.
Well, my daughter just pointed out to me that I am rambling on....So back to my original thought....
Yes, we CAN...and more importantly...Yes, WE ARE!!!!!
OBAMA08
First of all, congratulations to Senator Obama for his grammy award! It must just be eating away at Bill right now...(LOL) Obama sweeps ALL the weekend contests!!!
Now on to a more serious topic: SUPERDELEGATES. I personally don't think it is going to come down to this. However, if it does, and Hillary Clinton wins this nomination based on the number of superdelegates on her side, we can wave BYE BYE to the Democratic party in this country. I don't think that anyone is going to stand for it (except the HC supporters) if the nomination is decided by a bunch of political insiders who in essence get to "vote" twice if you include that they vote in their own state's primary, etc. There will be riots. I think the Party will do whatever is necessary to not let that happen because they know what their fate will be if it does. They also have to figure out what to do with the whole Mighigan and Florida thing.....The Republicans have internal problems of their own, but the Dems need to straighten up if there is any chance of beating them in November....Barack Obama is the man to do it!
Of course, Obama could continue to sweep and win the Potomac, Texas and Ohio, et al and the point will be moot. I think if HC didn't back out then, her already unfavorable ratings with many voters would drop even further. Obama does have momentum on his side now, and last week the Clinton campaign gave two very definitive signs that it is struggling ($$ and new campaign manager).
I will be interested in seeing what happens with "the John Edwards talks" that have happened over the past two days. I don't see how he could come out in support of Clinton based on the ideals he based his own campaign on. However, stranger things have happened.
It's going to be an exciting next few months!!!
WOW is all I can say. I think it is quite significant that on Tuesday night Senator Obama won in more states than ANY candidate, dem or rep!
This website has been so busy that I have not been able to log in since Monday night. Every time I tried, I got the "Thanks for your overwhelming support " message.....The coalition is building every day!
The Clinton campaign is strapped for cash because they didn't think it was going to go on this long and all her big supporters are maxed out! All of Obama's money is coming from individuals like you and me, who can donate a little here and a little there, and those donors are increasing after each and every primary/caucus!
Let me also just say how proud I am of Connecticut! All the hard work that the campaigners here have done, and those who have been behind the scenes sending emails, talking to friends, family, and coworkers, it all paid off on Tuesday night. GRASSROOTS works! Connecticut Rocks!
I, like the thousands of other Patriot fans, am in mourning today. My husband's comment last night was that he'd rather have an "upset" in the Super Bowl than on Super Tuesday....We don't want to lose out to the "NY Team." I told my kids that if they thought that Sunday's game was a real nail-biter...just wait until Tuesday when Mom and Dad will be glued to the TV and hanging on every return.
I am continuing to be HOPEFUL, and love that all these highly respected women are coming out in support of Senator Obama. There has been a lot of chatter that I've seen and heard among women about feminism and how having our first female President would be somehow more historic than having our first African-American President.....What? Yes, this is historic to have these two candidates in the position they are in, but the bottom line is still which one is going to be better for this country? First of all, Obama never set out to have this be about race or gender or anything else. The media began to spin it that way leading up to SC. I have heard Hillary playing the "female card," however, many, many times over the course of this campaign.
Regardless of that, women have a very powerful voice in this country when it comes to voting, and we as women should stand tall and be proud that we can vote for the candidate that we want to and that we think is best for this country, regardless of gender, race, or anything else. I, like many people I've spoken to, have never seen Obama as a "black candidate." I see him as a human being and I believe in him and support him because of his stand on the issues, his character, his intelligence and his ability to unify people and motivate people from all walks of life.
I know that some day there might be a woman running for President that is the RIGHT PERSON for the job, and she will be elected by the people. That is possible in this country, and I know it, my young daughter knows it, and that is what matters!
Women, vote for what you believe in!
The following is a link to an article on gallup.com from 2/1/08, which shows that Senator Obama's gains over the past 10 days have come disproportionately from women, essentially leveling the "gender" playing field....
http://www.gallup.com/poll/104104/Hillary-Clintons-Gender-Advantage-Over-Obama-Narrows.aspx
It says:
"If Obama continues to increase his appeal to women to the point where Clinton's gender gap is neutralized, she will have lost one of her most reliable bases of support going into next week's all-important Super Tuesday vote."
So, to all the women out there, network with all the women you know to get Senator Obama's message out by Tuesday!
The following is an excerpt from Susan Eisenhower's (granddaughter of Ike) endorsement of Obama in The Washington Post..... (full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/01/AR2008020102621.html)
"Given Obama's support among young people, I believe that he will be most invested in defending the interests of these rising generations and, therefore, the long-term interests of this nation as a whole. Without his leadership, our children and grandchildren are at risk of growing older in a marginalized country that is left to its anger and divisions. Such an outcome would be an unacceptable legacy for any great nation."
How true these words ring to anyone who is a parent or teacher or works in any way trying to make the world a better place for our children. My own children do not remember a time when our country has not been at war; they ask questions and have anxiety over climate change…they sense their parents’ frustration over the current state of the economy and how we struggle to make ends meet and worry about the future and sending them to college. This legacy is UNACCEPTABLE! I want to be able to honestly tell my children that we are working as a Nation and together with the world to change the things that threaten us and we are doing everything we can to make their future bright and prosperous!
Yes, we can, and we must….for our children!
Get out and vote on Tuesday for Barack Obam, the leader that will make that bright and promising future possible...Let’s continue this wave of change and HOPE!!!
I had the day off of work today due to a winter storm, and as you can tell from my three blog entries today, I've been getting fired up. Apparently I'm not the only one....The latest poll in my home state of Connecticut shows Obama with 48% and Clinton with 44%, a virtual tie. Last week I feared a Clinton victory in CT was inevitable. Yesterday Senator Obama was endorsed by Former Federal Reserve Chair Paul Volcker. Today he has been endorsed by the Los Angeles Times and MoveOn.org. Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!!!!!
Last night in the debate Senator Clinton said, quote, I believe in coercive diplomacy. I was extremely bothered by that statment. I don't feel that is the message the US should continue to send to the rest of the world. I think that concept that we can "bully" other countries into doing what we want them to do just perpetuates the Bush/Cheney "with us or against us" foreign policy tactics of the past 8 years. I really would like to hear Senator Obama's response to that particular point. I've read enough of his position papers and interviews, etc. to assume that he would not necessarily agree with that statement, but I kind of wish he had said something last night. I think it made me that much more confident that Hillary Clinton is not the person I want in the White house. So my question to Senator Obama is, Do you believe that coercive diplomacy is an effective foreign policy tactic, and secondly do you think it would have worked as an alternative to war in Iraq?
Well, I am no political science expert, nor am I an expert on US foreign policy, but I do believe in studying history to help define and clarify what I believe in terms of my government's policies. From what I have read, I think history has shown that these tactics are most often unsuccessful. That being said, and to invoke some of Senator Obama's own rhetoric, at this critical moment in history we need to present a new and positive image of the United States to the world....That can't be accomplished if we continue to have this policy of bullying and threatening and imperialism. Shame on you, Senator Clinton!
I am not so naive to think that there are not real threats to the United States out there....but some of it is what I would call a self-fulfilling prophecy. How about reaching out to other countries to share our innovativeness and technolgy to combat the real issues facing the world like global warming, disease and hunger? The United States needs to lead the way when it comes to climate change and the development of a clean energy future for all. That is the pathway to ending our dependence on foreign oil and the conflicts arising from that dependency.
I have watched many a debate over the past six months, both Democrat and Republican, but last night's made the distinction between these two candidates very clear to me. I think Senators Obama and Clinton obviously agreed that this should be a very cordial exchange....a strategic move to contrast the Democrats from the Republicans, whose debate on Wednesday night was a bunch of mud slinging and posturing. Obama and Clinton are beginning to align themselves as Democrats because more than anything, the Democrats need to show a very strong and united front in the race for the White House. However, after watching the exchange last night, I feel most confident that I made the right choice in supporting Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States.
I think it is obvious that we are looking at two people with basically the same ideals. Each of them has an admirable record in public service to the people of this country. We can squabble over semantics and intricacies of their different health care plans and immigration policies, but the absolute fundamental difference comes down to the Iraq issue. That, in my opinion, was Obama's most critical point in the debate last night. Hillary Clinton was once again given the opportunity to admit that she made a mistake when she voted for the resolution, and she again chose to dance around and give a very politician-like answer......Does this ring any bells and sound like someone else we all know and can't wait to leave the oval office next January? It does to me.
Senator Obama said, and I believe he is 100% accurate, that when the Democratic candidate comes head to head with the Republican candidate, there needs to be a very clear and concise contrast that only he is in the position to provide. The fact remains that Senator Clinton was one of the 77 senators that voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, and she can try to defend herself all she wants. It was not the "Resolution to send inspectors to Iraq and try that first...." There is one other point that really bothered me about this particular point in the debate. One of the first things out of her mouth in her defense of her voting for the resolution and claiming she was voting for the use of inspectors was, and I quote, “I believe in coercive diplomacy.” It is really frightening to me that the first thing that came to her mind was that she believes in coercive diplomacy. I think it bothered me so much that I will have to write a whole blog entry on that topic alone…..
The second critical distinction that Senator Obama made last night is he is the candidate that is, and will be, the most effective at uniting the people of this country. America wants and needs a leader they can respect, that involves them in the political process, and that they feel confident will make choices based on principles rather than politics. That person is Barack Obama. I can’t wait to proudly cast my vote for him on Tuesday and hope to have that same honor in November!
Well, I got my wish that enough voters would see through the garbage the Clintons have been doling out! Congratulations to Senator Obama for his huge win in SC!!
I don't know about anyone else, but on Sunday I noticed the Clinton campaign started hitting hard in Connecticut. We got two calls within an hour and a half on Sunday evening and then I woke up this morning to hear that Hill was stopping in Hartford today. The first call we got was a pre-recorded message as opposed to the call I got from the Obama camp last week in which I got to speak to a real person and have a very pleasant conversation! The personal touch really does matter, in my opinion. The second call we got, which came up as "Hillary 4 Pres" on the caller ID, my daughter didn't want to answer and unfortuantely my husband didn't catch it in time. He was looking forward to a possible little debate on the phone if it had been a real live person instead of the "Clinton Machine".
Senator Obama's message of hope is spreading and reaching more and more people, which is evident in the results coming out of SC. Let's all do what we can to spread the word in Connecticut so that we can see a similar result on Super Tuesday!
I am going to be 38 this year, and for my entire adult life there has been either a Bush or Clinton in the White House. It is obvious I am ready for a change, or I would not be here in strong support of Senator Obama's campaign. I am just so distraught that even this man with incredible integrity and ability to unite so many people is being forced into politics as usual by the "Clinton Machine". There is no doubt that every move Hillary makes is cold and calculated, from her ters in New Hampshire to her attacks in SC. Her campaign was obviously trying to get a "rise" out of Obama to try to destroy his message of hope and change and force him to have to defend himself in what ends up being the same old thing we have seen for so many years. Let us all hope that there are enough of us out there that see through this and maybe this whole ploy will backfire on the Clintons. In spite of the heated debate the other night, I still think that Obama showed that he could remain relatively steadfast even in the shadow of the "crouching tiger and hidden dragon".....I mean Clintons.... Unfortuantely there were very few real issues addressed as a result. I agree with John Edwards on that.
We'll see what happens on Saturday.
There is no doubt that Senator Clinton's tears were real. I am sure she was weary and frustrated, etc. The way the media handled it afterwards was the catalyst for what happened in New Hampshire. She got an unbelievable amount of press coverage following that little incident. I think she was on the TV or radio several times an hour immediately after the "waterworks" were turned on. Even the few days after the media was still playing that clip. I was ready to throw my TV out the window, personally! I just wonder if her campaign advisors had some idea of what would happen if she let her more "feminine" emotions show on camera?? Hmm....
That being said, I don't think the "Waterworks Effect" is going to last. I have no doubt that Obama is going to get the nomination and be the next president.
As I look around the site and read other people's blogs and look at discussion boards, etc. I can see what this is all about. Barack Obama is bringing together people from all walks of life. He is the most electable candidate of any of them...Republican or Democrat. Barack Obama has the mojo needed to win this race! Hands down. When was the last time we had a leader that so many different people could (and do) support? Obama's ability to offer a positive vision for the future and to make people feel valued and a part of this political process is truly extraordinary. It is exactly what this country needs in a leader right now.
Did anyone watch the debates last night? I was so disgusted with both Clinton and Edwards. They came across as if they were obviously on the defensive, and very negative. When Senator Clinton was talking about "change," I felt like I was getting a lecture from my mother. Not the way to get my 30-something female vote Hilary.....Senator Obama, on the other hand, remained calm, natural, and statesman-like throughout the debate.
I personally have been following the Senator's campaign for several months now, while keeping an open mind to the other candidates (on both sides), but I am ready to start getting busy campaigning for Obama.
Got Hope? I do now!
