I am talking to more and more people who have always voted Republican and are now going to be voting for Senator Obama. I keep hearing how race is an issue and I believe it is. I think however, this awful economy is really making people think of their lives and the lives they want for their families.
To this end I'd like to announce here on my blog that a group of everyday moms in NJ are getting together and on November 1st and doing a rally. We are looking for volunteers and are in the planning stage. Please see our webpage at www.njmoms4obama.com and register. You don't have to be a mom to volunteer, just interested in helping Obama become elected.
Join us!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/08/rendell-if-i-was-palin-yo_n_124879.html
Finally! Someone who is not afraid to call the GOP on their hyprocrisy. Please read the article below and then go to the governors website at :http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?
And urge him to come and and campaign heavily for Obama. His is a voice that needs to be heard. He's worthy of generating news and we need vocal and strong people out on the campaign trail crushing Republican lies. I was excited to read this because it seems that since Palin's debut no one has been stating the facts and that when Obama does it no one is listening, they are more fascinated with Palin and NOT her record. So lets urge him to get out on the national stage.
Huffington Post Article 09/08/08
Gov. Ed Rendell decried a double standard in the treatment of Sarah Palin on Monday, saying that if it was he who was at the center of the "troopergate" investigation, the press would be calling for his head.
"She [claims to be] a reformer," said the Pennsylvania Democrat. "And yet she is being investigated on the charge that she used her power as governor to fire someone who was going through a messy divorce with a relative of hers. Could you imagine if I was doing the same thing in Pennsylvania? You would be calling for my impeachment."
The remarks came at the end of a long list of criticisms that Rendell, one of the foremost supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, launched against the Republican vice presidential nominee. Ignoring the directive of the Obama campaign to focus attentions on McCain, Rendell called out Palin on everything from ethics to earmarks.
"[The McCain camp] has tried to again obscure the facts about Gov. Palin. 'She is a reformer and against earmarks.' No she isn't, when she was mayor of that town she hired a lobbyist to get earmarks... 'She was against the bridge to nowhere.' No she wasn't. She was for the bridge to nowhere first... She is a budget balancer. But she left the town in greater debt then when she became mayor, so she is not a budget balancer."
"I like her," Rendell concluded. "She is a good person, she has tremendous potential but in no way shape or form is she ready to be president of the United States."
The Rendell call, organized to preempt a McCain appearance in Pennsylvania, was ostensibly on the topic of how the Arizona Republican has engaged in dirty politics when it came to discussing Obama's tax record. And on this issue, Rendell was again in vintage outspoken form.
"First of all, let me say it should be embarrassing for the Republican ticket that Rick Davis, Sen. McCain's campaign manager, said 'this election is not about issues.' Good lord, with all the challenges facing America it has to be about issues...They don't want to talk about issues because when the truth comes out about issues the American people will favor Sen. Obama tremendously."
The Republicans, he added, "would make the all time all-star team for spiders the way they can spin."
But most questions, as has been the case since the Palin announcement, were focused on the Alaska governor.
Would she siphon of Clinton supporters in Pennsylvania? No, said Rendell, who expected Obama to receive somewhere along the lines of "95,96, or 97 percent of the vote."
Was she qualified to serve as VP? Absolutely not, he bemoaned.
The McCain camp argues that, "Governor Palin, because of her executive experience as a mayor of a small 9,000 person town and governor of Alaska for 20 months, has that experience. Well, I refer you to a McCain camp document they put out when [Virginia] Gov. Kaine was considered to be vice president. They attacked his experience and derided Richmond [where Kaine was formerly mayor] because it was the 105th largest city ... I think Gov. Palin was mayor of the 50,000th [most populated] city in the America... It was fair game to say Gov. Kaine was not qualified because of his credentials. If they are going to be consistent then they believe that Gov. Palin is unqualified to be vice president."
Alike. I started this day feeling crappy because I am not where a lot of you are. I felt alone in it. I felt that it was weird and fake for me to all of a sudden be accepting of HRC and her supporters..but you know what? Over the course of the day, I've been fortunate to read post from Clinton supporters and I believe in my heart of hearts that some of them are trying really hard here. I was surprised mostly by my own Obama supporters, one of you, and you know who you are calling me a bitch who lacked decorum and tact because I'm not where you are in this process. But you know what? I thank that Obama supporter because he kind of helped me see how these Clinton supporters feel coming here and trying to be supportive.
One thing several of you have acknowledged today is, there is healing to be done on both sides. For months, I've been on blogs fighting my heart out for Senator/ now Nominee Obama (Future President Obama..:)) And doing daily battle like that and hearing the lies and the rumors and the innuendo I've heard makes it hard for me to accept things said today in HRC's speech on face value. I particularly had problems with HRC saying that McCain was better suited to be President. And those wounds were freshly opened up by a "meet barack obama" website launched this week, with her comments in her own voice. I'm glad some of you are all about healing the party and believe me, I want that too. I just need some space, I know I need to let it go. And coming here has helped me tremendously. For one, I see I'm not alone. And I also see that Clinton supporters are feeling the same things as me and it helps. It helps to see we are more alike than we admit. Any one who has ever been in a relationship with me can attest that I have a hard time letting things go. Why should this be any different? I need time to process things but I'm coming around.
And one thing I pride myself on, no matter what, a Democrat would have gotten my vote, HRC or Obama. I'm proud that I can say that.
I have real mixed feelings about Hillary Clinton's endorsement. While I am thankful that she has finally endorsed Obama, as a black woman I do hold some feelings of resentment that she took days to do it. I do not like the message that it sent. And I also feel that she eclipsed a moment that should have been his and his alone. The graceful thing to do would have been to defer all questions on Tuesday and let him have his moment and say that "I don't have an answer on the VP question, that really is our new Presidential nominee's decision.." Instead the way it went down she allowed questions of "what will she do" to dominate a week that should have been about Obama and the Democratic Party. In the past, that is how it would have been and I resent the way this week went.
I may be just absorbing what you all have had days to process because I've been on the road but now that I'm finally able to reach a computer and blog my feelings I feel a bit better. The things I've been hearing from Clinton supporters mouths has honestly disheartened me but I also know that people who get press are often not representative of the overall group. And even those who are feeling slighted by Obama's win could still come around. I just really have to believe that the thought of four more years of this misery I've lived with and they've lived with will register with them.
I know that a lot of women feel slighted because Hillary was their hope for the first woman in the White House but she did a lot to be proud of. I am happy with Barack not because he's a black man but he was my eventual candidate of choice. As you'll recall I was a Clinton supporter, then moved to Edwards who withdrew his name from the NJ ballot, then Obama. Hillary in the beginning did have my support because she was a woman, and I don't know anyone more excited than I was to see her finally have a chance to run. And I have to admit, while I'm grateful for Ms.Clintons' eventual endorsement, I just don't know what to make of things. I want to believe she's doing this for the party but I'm apprehensive. I have never been through a campaign like this one and it does not help to read negative things about my candidate still after it's all said and done. I think what I need is to decompress. I'm not one of the sunshine and lollipop people who believe this will be a smooth transition, I know this because I'm having a hard time with it. I have such a high disdain for Hillary Clinton that I do not want any of my contributions to go towards paying her debt. I will discontinue my donation if I find that it is. Why? Because I see no reason to pay for a campaign that she should have suspended weeks ago but didn't. She ran up even more debt and now my hard earned dollars are expected to pay for it? From what I understand, and I could be wrong, any donations would have to be made by me to her, they can't be siphoned from what I donate monthly. If this is incorrect someone please let me know asap.
I am hoping that by writing this and getting it out of my system these feelings will dissapate but I am holding onto a lot of feelings right now.
When this race began I was solidly supporting Hillary Rodham Clinton. After all, I'd supported Bill through his elections and many trials and tribulations and felt the media really did go after him and goad him. He couldn't be wrong. I assumed like everyone else Hillary was the heir apparent, destined to go on and claim her crown. I would not rest until it was laid upon her head gingerly at the Augneration. What a day it would be for women!
Who were these guys who dared run against the heir apparent...Barack who? Chris Dodd? Never heard of him...Bill Richardson, I liked him...but didn't know him really. Dennis Kucinich...I actually liked him a lot and thought he was a super sweet guy. I remember the first debates and how Hillary reigned in them. I was proud as a woman. I do consider myself to be a strong feminist. Though there were always things about Hillary that made me sort of uneasy. Bill cheated..yet she stayed. I'm married myself..and I like to think there would have been at least a separation..a period of reflection..a public smack in the face. But I'm also a mother and keeping a family together is important to me...I let it slide.
I can remember when things started to change for me. I noticed the tone of Hillary's campaign was changing. It was unnecessary. She was doing good. It was almost as if she felt she had to go negative. It was snipy little things. Then when Bill Clinton made the infamous remarks in South Carolina...the black woman in me said..."Hey...wth?" I supported you Bill Clinton...I voted for you Bill Clinton...I defended you when others were ready to cast you out into the the darkness and THIS is how you repay me?
I had already began to listen to Barack's message and I felt as if I were being courted...wooed. The more negative Hillary's message, the more reasonable Barack sounded.
Now here I am today. I am 100% a Barack supporter. I never contributed to a political campaign before this. I'm a monthly donater...and proud of it, I don't make much but this is important to me. I want to become more involved.
And so today, I'm watching the news and I hear the assassination comments. Now. I was livid. I can only HOPE that Ms.Clinton was not saying this was her hope. I am HOPING that she really was just tired and this was a slip of the tongue. However, I am beyond through with her. I am so tired of this long long long campaign. We ALL know who is the winner. And yet it carries on.
