I joined this FISA group because I do not agree with Obama's recent positioning with regard to the FISA bill. Since the vote has not yet occured now is the time to act and to get our voices out there. I am not here to take anything away from the candidate or the campaign and will continue in my full support. I also feel that with regard to other positions Obama has not changed or moved to the center. His positions on guns, the death penalty and faith based charities have not changed. Don't buy into the media/McCain hype.
Obama '08
Do you sometimes wish you could just bowl over a rude or offensive anti-Obama blog post? Christian G. at TPM put up a challenge to contribute a token amount to the Obama campaign in the name of such posts or comments. So I set up a fundraiser page sort of in the spirit of California Paige's "buy an Obama beer" fundraiser. Except where hers is to buy TPM reader an Obama beer for witty posts, mine is to buy a sneer for the trolls! So when the spirit moves you go here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/TrollBowl
Did you see this post by Jon Taplin? It is a video piece put together with statements by McCain. It's a really good one.
http://jtaplin.wordpress.com/2008/05/18/john-mccains-double-speak/
In response to MNvoter's post about his caucus I thought I'd describe our caucus in WA, it's a bit different. In our caucus I arrived early to a wide line that became very very long. People were packed in like sardines so our precinct volunteered to go outside and caucus in the parking lot (!). When I arrived I went to the lady that had my precincts rolls and checked in with my Id. There they didn't give us a ballot or box. There was a sheet with sections for each voter to fill containing name, address, precinct and a box next to candidate to check for before and after. So you could come in and select one candidate and then put your final choice in the second spot, many voters listed on the same sheet. I put Obama in for both and if I wanted I could have left at that point because I wasn't going to change my vote. But what fun would that be? So then we gather together and the Precinct Captian comes over with our sheets and someone is elected to tally the votes and another to watch (although several of us watched). They had set us up with some tables and chairs in the parking lot. The tally was made (76 for Obama, 6 for Hillary, 1 for Kucinich and 9 undecided). Then people had a chance to discuss why they voted for their candidate. An old lady spoke up and said she was voting for Hillary because she wanted to see a woman in the white house. It was pretty brave really since we were so overwhelmingly Obama. I spoke out about several reasons I was for Obama as did a few other people. One undecided lady decided to weigh in for Hillary because she felt bad that Hillary didn't even get one delegate. She still didn't have enough to get a delegate. Then the delegates were elected - I was one of them! After that there is a motion to bring forth any resolutions to put forth at the next caucus and such.
As a precinct delegate I went to the district level caucus, which was huge, around 2000 people. The mayor (Seattle) was there and our representatives and such, many speaches. I live in the district that has the most registered voters and the highest turnout in the state so I guess we get a little special attention. It was long but interesting. There was voting on the resolutions by Yeah or Nay - it was all so very old school. At the end we each had a chance to give a 20 second speach if you wanted to continue as a delegate to the next round. I didn't make the cut that time :(. But there were about 140 women for 26 female spots and 185 men for 26 male spots. It was a really good experience - much more interesting than a primary. It was democracy in action.
I saw in an earlier post Genghis mentioned that some regional activities were being discussed. Seattle was mentioned and if something is being planned for the Seattle area I'd love to know!
BTW there is a bowling for Obama event at Garage Billiards and Bowl (Belltown) Sunday, May 4, pm at 4 and a phone banking event to OR Monday, May 5, at a reasturant in Belltown (forgetting name) at 5 pm.
It's time now to let the message of unity and working for the common good and letting all have a voice to come through. With these recent attacks and strategies from the Clinton campaign comes an excellent opportunity to put that message back out while at the same time defending against them. Certainly those insensitive comments (Ferraro) were ridiculous and hurtful but I know we can look beyond this. His message is about transcending those divisions in our society and IT CAN BE DONE. No not everyone will change but the swelling masses of us that are yearning for this change will happily work towards that goal. Please Senator Obama, when they try to shine that negative light be sure to squeeze in as many elements of your positive stances while you also defend yourself. It's time for you to make the broad steps to turn the focus back on the issues and campaign events. For you to take that step first to rise above the ugliness and counteract it with sensible, positive ideas about how to address divisions.
Mary, Seattle
Precinct delegate for Obama
I donated as I said I would in my last post. I clicked on the fundraising thermometer on the Queen Anne for Obama site. But it doesn't show anything. How did y'all in Ballard make it so it shows the fundraision donation total?
Thanks,
Mary
I do think the negativity has hit a new low today with Geraldine Ferraro's comments saying the only reason Sen. Obama is where he is is because he is black. That is an affront to all of us who support him, an attempt to diminish all that we have done. I am also stunned that Sen. Clinton does not distance herself from these remarks. This is really going from the kitchen sink to the gutter. I feel it important to give another donation at this time. I can only afford $50 right now, actually that is a stretch, but I feel that we all need to make an extra effort now. We have to be able to defend against attacks and get the message of hope for a change from this type of politics. We do not have to stand for this. We need to pitch in for staff and television commercials in Penn to showcase Obama's strengths. If we all give just a little bit we can make something big - just as we have all along. I will donate in the Queen Ann for Obama group since their fundraising coffer is empty, someone in the Ballard for Obama group has started with a fundraision donation there. Magnolia for Obama does not have a fundraising section on their group page (I'm a member of all three).
Mary B
Precinct 36-1771 delegate for Obama
