I have some questions for anyone reading this: If I were to buy several copies of Obama's books and hand them out to family, friends and neighbors while handing out yard signs, bumper stickers, buttons etc., would the cost of the books be considered part of my financial campaign contribution? And if so, how would I report such?
Secondly, if anyone out there has some really unique and creative ideas on how to campaign and spread the word about Obama, I'd really love to hear your stories!
I'll be the first to admit that my campaigning for Obama hasn't exactly been consistent. I climbed on board the O-Train early on, back in 2007, after he officially announced that he was running for President. It seemed an uphill battle then ... he was, after all, running against Clinton whom a lot of people thought no one could possibly beat. But as time went on and momentum (and the media it seemed) turned more towards Obama, I faded into the background ever confident of his impending nomination. When things started to heat up ... and it seemed Obama and Clinton were neck in neck ... I once again picked up my campaigning efforts. When he started to pull ahead (as we all knew he would!) ... I once again faded back into the comfort of my easy chair.
Pitiful, I know ... can you imagine if a Presidential candidate ever did such?
But now it is time for me to become fully engaged once more. Living in northeast Florida can sometimes seem like a CONSTANT uphill battle for a Democrat (as all of my family and 95% of my friends are all Republicans) but I am getting fired up at the possibility of delivering Florida for Obama! Can we do this? Oh yeah --- I think we can!
Fired up and ready to go!
One of the most interesting things about reading other supporter's profiles is the thought-provoking variety of quotes that people post on their profiles and in their blogs. Here's one of my favorites that has been posted by several different Obama supporters!
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
The past few days sure have been interesting! I must admit - I've never really paid that much attention to the Iowa Caucus before ... or the New Hampshire Primaries either for that matter ... but listening to the news and watching the voters in action on TV has been like a political science class for me!
You see ... here in Florida we have closed primaries which means that voters are limited to choosing candidates from their own parties. Only card-carrying Democrats will get to vote for Obama in the primaries here in my state ... not Republicans changing their minds at the last minute or even Independents who may very well want to vote for Obama! And it's all a very "curtain-closing," private affair to vote here in Florida so you can imagine my surprise at watching an Iowa Caucus unfold! And then to discover that even Independents are let in on the process - WOW - was I shocked, to say the least!
So now I'm wondering ... how many other states are like Florida? Do most states have closed primaries? Or do most states have open primaries where you can vote for whomever no matter what your political affiliation might be?
Just curious ...
Back during the summer I ordered some Obama yard signs, bumper stickers and t-shirts and the orders were processed by democraticstuff.com. I had never heard of that website until then but I have since ordered more stuff from them.
One of my favorite tees (other than the Obama '08 designs) has the following printed on it:
"lib'er-al, I,a 1. Possessing or manifesting a free and generous heart, bountiful 2. Appropriate and/or fitting for a broad and enlightened mind 3. Free from narrowness, bigotry or bondage to authority or creed II,n 1. Any person who advocates liberty of thought, speech or action
So Republicans, this is a bad thing?"
Makes me proud to be a Democrat!
I’m in … I’m out. I’m actively campaigning … I’m no longer involved. I’m on board … I’m jumping ship.
Well … not really. Don’t get me wrong – I’m voting for Obama in the January primary of my home state of Florida NO MATTER WHAT … but all this political bickering between my home state and the DNC over scheduling conflicts and primary rules has definitely put a damper on my otherwise passionate democratic spirit.
It breaks my heart to hear/read about the DNC possibly not seating our Florida delegates because of our state’s refusal to “get back in line” and hold our primary according to the rules set forth by the DNC. It breaks my heart to hear/read about my home state going to court and filing lawsuits against the DNC. It breaks my heart to think that, if things continue as they now stand, all of Florida’s votes will NOT count. And all because we moved our primary date up to January, against DNC ruling.
Yes, I’m heartbroken. But I’ve ultimately realized that the bottom line is simply this: even though my own vote for Obama WILL NOT COUNT, I will still vote for him. And even though my own vote DOES NOT MATTER, getting Obama into the White House does!
So I will continue to encourage other voters from OTHER STATES to vote for Obama … because NO MATTER WHAT, our country needs Barack Obama as its next president!
Yesterday I did a blog search for posts on abortions and came across a post on the F.O.S. Blog that I would like to share. Within the post is a link to an old article from the Boston Globe that makes for very thought-provoking reading, and I encourage everyone to do so.
Here's a link to the F.O.S. Blog .
“… there is another story to be told, by the millions of Americans who are going about their business every day. They are on the job or looking for work, starting businesses, helping their kids with their homework, and struggling with high gas bills, insufficient health insurance, and a pension that some bankruptcy court somewhere has rendered unenforceable. They are by turns hopeful and frightened about the future. Their lives are full of contradictions and ambiguities. And because politics seems to speak so little to what they are going through - because they understand that politics today is a business and not a mission, and what passes for debate is little more than spectacle - they turn inward, away from the noise and rage and endless chatter.”
Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, p 24-25
For years I turned inward … away from the noise and the constant political bickering. For years I was registered as NPA: No Party Affiliation. So in my home state of Florida, I was only allowed to vote in the general elections, never in the primaries. My leanings have always been more towards the liberal side but my family and neighbors have always been more conservative, more Republican. So I just kept my thoughts and feelings to myself and let my voter registration card read NPA.
But then something happened. A spark … a light bulb moment … a discovery of a candidate who just might understand the way my mind worked. The mind of someone who believed in looking beyond skin color or nationality or religious affiliation or sexual orientation or personal bank account statements, to have the audacity to hope for and the determination to work towards a more harmonious and peaceful existence … not only in America but abroad!
For the first time in my adult voting life, I felt inspired … motivated … I actually wanted to get involved in the political process! So I drove down to my Supervisor of Elections office and did something I never thought I would do … I actually chose a political party! I officially became a registered Democrat!
So strong was my support for Barack Obama that I decided to ultimately choose political sides just so I could vote for him in my state’s democratic primaries!
And now … well, now I’m a frustrated Floridian. Now I find myself turning inward again.
My state’s attempt to move our primaries to January 2008 have been met with warnings from the chairman that to break the rules and regulations of the DNC would result in our primary votes essentially not counting. And the candidates … well, the candidates understandably do not want to waste time and effort and money trying to secure votes in a state where the votes could potentially not even count.
Personally, I don’t know what the Florida “powers-that-be” were thinking. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed in the Florida lawmakers’ arrogant assumption that we shouldn’t have to abide by the same scheduling rules and regulations as all the other states.
I was furthered sadden when I heard on the news last night that, in response to the DNC warnings, our Governor had said that we would not back down from our January date.
Please, oh please, back down.
How depressing it is for me to think that the vote I feel most compelled to cast might end up counting the least.
Anytime someone brings up the political battlefield of immigration reform, I wonder just which side of the fence (that many wish ran the full length of our entire borders) I stand upon.
I understand the concern over illegal immigrants … their filling of job vacancies that might otherwise go to legal American citizens … the children who attend our overcrowded, understaffed schools whose parents aren’t paying any taxes to help support those schools … the increased burden of the non-insured on our already burgeoning healthcare system etc. etc. etc.
But then I stop and think … this is, after all, the United States … and except for the Native Americans that were here to begin with … aren’t we all “immigrants?”
My father's side of the family is distinctly English. My mother's side of the family, depending on which aunt or uncle you talk to, is either Irish or French? I married into a family that is of Spanish origin and my mother-in-law is solidly German.
So when my children ask, "what are we?" ... I tell them "you are the embodiment of what it means to be an American!"
Because really ... American families all came from somewhere else ... America is known as the great "melting pot" ... so what would this country be without the immigrants that it was founded upon?
I’m new to the political arena so there’s a lot that I’m unsure about … I’m learning as I go. So please tell me … am I missing something here?
1) There is no constitutional basis for the banning of gay marriage because if there were …
2) … there would have been no need to propose a constitutional amendment that would have actually banned gay marriage which by the way …
3) … was not ratified … and therefore leads us back to square 1 which is …
4) There is no constitutional basis for the banning of gay marriage.
So … can somebody please tell me, constitutionally speaking, why we are still banning gay marriage?
And can someone please explain to me the reason and rhetoric behind just “letting the states” decide the issue?
Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? Guilty as charged! About 3 years ago, I came across - what I thought to be - a deal too good to pass up. So I ending up buying a GMC Yukon with a V-8. Yep … a V-8.
Terrible, isn’t it?
But in my defense, I drive it only when absolutely necessary and you’d probably be surprised at how very little I spend in gas every week. I keep a “to-do” list at the ready and tackle multiple errands all in one trip instead of driving back and forth all over town all week long.
But still, there are those who understandably raise an eyebrow when I mention my concern for the environment. Little do they know that my household appliances are energy-efficient (even if my vehicle isn’t); my neighborhood has weekly “recycle” pickups in which I participate; and I keep my central air set at 79 degrees even during the sweltering, Florida summers.
Back in 2004 when our state was criss-crossed with 4 major hurricanes, my neighbors started feverishly chopping down trees in the hopes of staving off any further damage that could be done by falling branches. I, however, planted 3 more.
My carbon footprint is nowhere near perfect but I still come in under the national average according to the website bearing the same name.
Carbonfootprint.com lists the average persons total carbon footprint in the United States at about 19,000 kg per year.
After taking part in the website’s calculation process, my total HOUSEHOLD footprint turned out to be 36,500 kg … BUT divided by the 4 people who live here, my personal share came in at only 9,125 kg which is well under the national average.
However, the world-wide average is only 4,000 kg per year so I still have a lot of work to do.
World-wide average: 4,000 kg … United States average: 19,000 kg.! I would say we all have a lot of work to do!
So here are a few friendly reminders listed on the website:
1. If such is available, buy electricity from a renewable energy supplier. (e.g. wind, hydroelectric (or go solar!)
2. Remember to always turn it off when not in use! So simple yet so effective.
3. In the summer, try setting your thermostat higher than usual.
4. In the winter, try setting your thermostat lower than usual.
5. Only run full loads in your dishwasher and in your washing machine.
6. If you’re financially able, replace old appliances with newer, more energy-efficient models.
7. Buy energy-efficient light bulbs.
8. Carpool when you can.
9. If you fly a lot, try offsetting your flight’s carbon emissions.
10. Try buying only local fruits and vegetables and try not to buy out of season when such has to be flown/shipped in.
11. Reduce, reuse, recycle.
And last but not least, here’s a reminder of my own …
12. If you buy a Yukon, might I suggest NOT putting a “Save The Environment” sticker on it … unless you just really enjoy making people laugh.
During a recent trip to my local home improvement store, my daughter and I were both sporting Obama '08 t-shirts. When we went to take our place in the checkout line, the woman in front of us turned around, noticed what we were both wearing, then turned back to whom I assume to be her husband and said ... "I can't believe she made her wear that." And then she mumbled something about "undue influence."
Excuse me?
It turns out her problem wasn't with Sen. Obama; it was with me "using" my daughter to campaign for Obama.
First of all, I didn't make anybody wear anything as my daughter begged me to buy her an Obama t-shirt. Second of all, I wasn't "using" my daughter to campaign: it was her t-shirt and her choice to wear it. Third, as to my "undue influence" ... if we, as parents, are expected to have an influential impact on our children's lives on everything from education and community service to alcohol and drug abuse, then would somebody please tell me why it should be deemed unacceptable to talk to them about politics?
I'm not much of a gambler, but if I were, I'd be willing to bet money that nothing would have been said if we had, for instance, both been wearing Jacksonville Jaguar t-shirts (we live in northeast Florida) or even if we had both been wearing t-shirts with the name of a local congregation upon them. But for some reason, this particular woman seemed to think that children and politics just don't mix.
I disagree.
I always try to keep an open line of communication between myself and my children, whether it be about school or work, about drugs or alcohol, about religion ... and yes, even politics! And I think it's worth mentioning that my children and I don't always agree. My older son, for instance, did a scathing school report during the 2004 campaign against the very candidate that I was voting for! But I must say, he made several thought-provoking points and he ended up with an A, overall, in his Political Science class.
Undue influence? Hardly. I think at best I'm influencing my children to think for themselves.
But in my opinion, that's one of the best gifts a parent can give.
I am all for a stronger economy ... but then again, who isn't? I think a voter would be hard pressed to find any presidential candidate, Republican or Democrat, who opposes such.
But words alone are not going to solve our problems. Well-crafted speeches are not suddenly going to bump America's 37 million poor into the next tax bracket. There has got to be a solid plan for action behind those words.
And therein rests my problem. Whenever I look over such plans, I am immediately reminded that Economics was never one of my strong suites in college. I always try to put too many "what-ifs" into the equation.
For instance: how about raising the minimum wage in proportion to inflation in order to create a "living wage?" Sounds great - I'm all for it ... but then again I'm not a small business owner who is struggling to pay my employees the minimum as it now stands. What then?
If a small business owner cannot afford to pay their employees per a mandated increase, what option do they have other than laying off some of their employees in order to pay the ones that they retain? The extra funds have to come from somewhere.
Or perhaps they should just increase the costs of their products or services in order to raise the extra capital needed? But of course if that should happen, then we end up back in the same sinking boat with our money's purchasing power falling behind yet again.
Or perhaps tax cuts for the small business owner are in order? But as we all know, regardless of how much we might cringe when hearing the word "taxes," it is those very taxes that pay for our streets and our firefighters and our schools; so if our government is going to be collecting less in taxes, which one of those services might end up in jeopardy?
And what about the matter of globalization? To some, globalization is like a 4-letter word ... with American companies having to downsize or outsource to cheaper labor in foreign countries just to stay competitive. But it is that very competitiveness that has lowered prices and increased purchasing power, especially on electronics and appliances once out of financial reach for many Americans.
I can remember the first computer my father ever bought back in the late eighties. It was outrageously expensive, costing thousands of dollars, and by today's technological standards did little more than what a much less expensive typewriter could have accomplished.
Nowadays our technological advances have skyrocketed but the retail costs of these products keeps dropping. You can now purchase a 100+GB computer with the latest Microsoft software at Wal-Mart for around $500.00.
Amazing.
Such is one of the benefits of globalization and free trade. However, if you've lost your job because of outsourcing to cheaper labor, it doesn't really matter how much competition has dropped the prices because you're not collecting a paycheck in the first place. A great deal on a computer or big-screen TV is irrelevant when you're struggling to put food on the table.
By the way, did I mention my grasp of economics and capitalism is very elementary? Which is one reason why I can never debate such effectively.
All I can offer is that I believe there must be a maintenance of financial equilibrium to all this. As Sen. Obama states so eloquently in his book "The Audacity of Hope":
Indeed. So here's to free trade continuing to increase the worldwide economic pie but to Americans getting a bigger slice!
As a child, I was raised with the evangelical canon of the Church of Christ. But as an adult, I no longer allow my spiritual beliefs to be confined to the pulpit or book of just one organized religion.
I still believe in God; I still believe in trying one’s best to do the right thing; I still believe in the power of prayer and of forgiveness; I still believe in the beauty and purpose of the soul.
I still believe myself to be Christian.
But I also believe that two consenting adults should have the right to love each other regardless of their sexual orientation and that a woman should always be able to make decisions regarding her own body and reproductive rights.
My religious upbringing taught me that homosexuality was sinful and that gay unions should not be allowed. But my political belief is that all people are created equal and thus should be treated as such, homosexual couples being given the same civil rights as their heterosexual counterparts.
My religious upbringing taught me that abortion was wrong and that such should be outlawed. But my political belief is that such a choice should always be in the hands of the woman making it, not in the hands of a legislative body that has no personal responsibility in the matter.
Regardless of the religious upbringing of my youth or the prospect of the changing spiritual beliefs of my tomorrow, I always have and always will strongly believe in the separation of church and state.
Regarding the political landscape of late, it seems to me that there are those in power who would have us blur those lines ... those who propose to speak for all Christians, those who propose to speak for my God, those who would have us believe that our governmental policy should be driven by the will of our supposedly "Christian-only" nation.
But we are not a Christian nation; we are a nation of Christians and Jews and Muslims and Hindus and Buddhists. We are also a nation of non-believers and non-church going folk who may not have "Sunday-best" hanging in their closets but who most assuredly carry the best of intentions within their hearts. And just as our Pledge of Allegiance states that we are “ ... one nation, under God ...” perhaps it is worth mentioning that such does not denote a singular God, merely a singular nation.
We must be politically united in the constitutional right that religion can be publicly divided but that such division is the very reason why religion can not, it must not, ever be used to mandate governmental policy. For whose religion would you choose to authorize such by? Which church’s “sins” would you choose to replicate as law?
Furthermore, separation of church and state not only protects our governing process but such also protects our freedom to worship. Our executive, legislative and judicial branches of government should never be allowed to repress our worshipping practices into one nationalized religion. A person's relationship with God is a very intimate thing and I shudder to think that my government would ever try and regulate when I could and could not go to him in prayer or sing praises in his name.
These are the very ideals that our country fought for, that our founding soldiers died for. This nation was founded upon the very principle of freedom of religion ... a freedom that gives us the right to worship, or not worship, a God of our own choosing.
As human beings, we have the right to have our lives and property protected by law from others that would do us harm. But, for example, in the case of gay civil unions involving two consenting adults, tell me ... what life or property is at risk? And in the case of a woman’s right to choose, tell me ... why should such a personal, private decision, involving the woman’s body alone, ever be taken away from her? Simply because they’re deemed “sinful” by one's church is not enough to demand governmental legislation.
But on the flip side of the separation argument, there are those who seek to completely remove all hints and whispers of a God, of faith, of religion from the governing of our public lives. There are those who believe the phrase "under God" should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance and that the words "In God We Trust" be removed from our national currency. There are those who believe that the mere mentioning of God or of prayer should remain absent in speeches within the political forum.
But to do so would be a great disservice to our nation's spiritual ability to share in the broader commonalty of the belief in a higher power. The concept of a higher power, unlike some argumentative religions, unites; it does not divide. A higher power urges us to feed the hungry and to clothe the poor. A higher power urges us to provide affordable housing and to supply the educational tools needed so that our children might reach their highest potential. A higher power urges us to care for our oldest citizens and for our veterans, to respect the contributions they have given to America. A higher power urges us to provide medicine and health care for those that are sick and in need. And perhaps most importantly, a higher power loves us all - regardless of our race, our religion, our sexual orientation or political affiliation.
A higher power has many names but whatever you may choose to call such, be it God or conscience, a higher power believes in you and a higher power believes in the preeminence of democracy.
Our founding fathers had the right idea; they knew what they were doing. Their concept of separation of church and state was radical and innovative in its time and it continues to stimulate debate to this day. They understood that the concept of one's faith was a very personal issue and that faith was and still is, by its very definition, a matter of hopeful belief, a belief not needing to translate to factual governmental law. But they also knew that such faith has the power to unite, the power to awaken, the power to enlighten, the power to call a person to duty.
Barack Obama has heard that call.
Barack Obama's Call To Renewal Keynote Address given on June 28, 2006 in Washington DC is, in my opinion, the perfect example of a man of great faith demonstrating the common sense and reasoning we need when faced with the heady mixture of religion and politics. He understands the challenges and the limitations on the separation of church and state. But he also understands humanity's desire for a belief ... for a purpose ... in something much larger than themselves.
