It's Thanksgiving and for the tenth consecutive year due to scheduling and mostly administrative hassles, I will be away from home (US home).
A few months ago, when I thought about this year's Thanksgiving, I dreamed that I would be home. I would lie in bed and watching the Macy's Parade on NBC instead of on poor feeds the webcams setup along the parade route. (NBC live programming is not available via the internet outside the US.) I thought that I would be facing a dinner that I would require me to take breaks between periods of gorging, a long weekend of leftovers, glasses of Alka-Seltzer accompanied by bowls of apple cake à la mode, corny old movies, and shopping. I also dreamed that Barack Obama would be President-elect and I could relax in the cozy comfort of knowing that things for America would soon get better.
I won't be trying to make a Thanksgiving dinner here and inviting my close friends as I have before (none of which are American). They never can quite make it on the Thursday so I carry the dinner over to Friday. The specialness of Thanksgiving losses its charm when you have to explain that it is nothing more than a harvest festival--common in most cultures; why the Pilgrims kill the Native Americans after they had thought them how to survive; and if it is not a religious holiday to whom are you giving thanks?
Well, it's been ten days since Barack Hussein Obama was elected President of the US of A.
Barack Obama is MY President-elect.
As I walk past the press kiosks I see enlarged magazine covers with My New President-elect smiling. I sillily smile back like a baby.
I have recieved acknowledgements from everyone I know --from the veteran of a war for independance, to the doctoral candidate, to the supermarket cashier. None of them American but all of them hopeful that change in America will also mean change in the world.
Already the transition team has stated that there will be criminal trials for Guantanamo POWs/criminals/ detainees. Other priorities include unblocking research on stem cells, stopping the drilling for oil in some environmentally sensitive areas, and allowing the state of California to tighten vehicle emission regulations.
....And it's only been ten days.
Ashley Todd is a 23-year-old college Republican field representative who claims that she was attacked by an Obama supporter after he saw her McC/SP bumper sticker. Ironic that this would happen right in highly-contested region of Western Pennsylvania. The alleged attacker was a 6'4", 200 lb black man. He was wearing a tank top, at night, in Pittsburgh, in October.
During the attack, Miss Todd's cheek was marked with the letter "B" evident in the photos. In order to appreciate the perfect penmanship of the attacker's "B" delicately pressed onto her cheek, one must hold a mirror up to the photo. The "B" is supposed to be for "Barack" and not a word referring to Miss Todd, which also begins with a "B". She is also sporting a black eye in the eyeshadow shade of 'Black Tie' from the CoverGirl Queen Collection.
Questions: Aren't we using all using last name initials? Shouldn't the "B" be an "O"? Also, the last time I had a black eye, it took about 36hrs to appear and it was never truly black but purple. Miss Todd's black eye is just as black as her attacker.
OMG!!! Look at this. (http://lifeinthefield.com/users/ashley-todd) The lying little BLANK blogs the minutes leading up to her attack (If it is missing I have the screenshots, just ask). She says that she is looking for a Bank of America in order to avoid ATM fees but it was a Citizens Bank ATM where she claims to police that the incident occurred. -- What about those ATM fees?
This is so "Birth of a Nation". The only thing missing from her lie is the sexual aspect. She seems to have forgotten to add that her phony attacker forced his big black thing into her wee white one. Perhaps she left out that part because she watches CSI. She knows that, had she agreed to medical treatment, forensics would have been sorting through all the DNA found until long after Election Day.
McC/SP both have personally called Miss Todd and her family to offer their support. This is tantamount to an endorsement. Why didn't the campaign wait a few hours to find out if her story were true, before having the candidates their offer condolences. Now McC and SP have backed someone who seemingly has filed a false police report and made terrible racially divisive accusations.
I have mentioned before that there is an obvious brain drain on the Republican side. I am really amazed that the intelligence of a candidate's supporters can be so generally low that it effects the candidate's campaign. I will ask again. Who in the hell is running the Republican campaign? Who does the checks? Who vets the VP candidates? Who advises them not to use free e-mail accounts? Who checks out the plumbers before loading them up with false scenarios and putting them in the Democratic crowds? Who organizes the fake attacks on their supporters? Who decides that the candidates should make personal calls of support to victims of fishy stories?
The Republican campaign needs serious help. Humanitarian help. The DNC (because Democrats are kind people with bleeding hearts) needs to send some of their people to help out the RNC--on November 5th.
WOW!!
Colin Powell has endorsed Barack Obama!
That's just absolutely wonderful!
It is so nice that General Powell had the luxury to sit back and watch months of Democratic and Republican Party infighting during the primaries...and not make an endorsement. That he could know who the prospective Democratic and Republican Presidential nominees selected as their running-mates...and not make an endorsement. To see delegates at the different conventions nominate their Presidential candidates and hear those candidates' acceptance speeches...and not make an endorsement. To see the public's enthusiasm and fervor for a candidate like none other before...and not make an endorsement. To lean back all comfy and watch all of the Presidential and vice-Presidential debates...and not make an endorsement. To be able to follow the daily/weekly polls showing a certain candidate maintaining the top position over a period of months...and not make an endorsement, until 2 weeks before the election.
Perhaps one shouldn't be so hard on Colin Powell. Perhaps this is an attempt at atonement for choosing to go before the world, at the UN, where he was trusted and respected to present bogus intelligence information as a motive for a war, rather than resigning. A war which has so far killed 4,629 Americans (http://www.antiwar.com/casualties) and 1,273,378 Iraqis (http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html). Perhaps he now wants to do something on the side of humanity by supporting Senator Obama who was opposed to the war from the start.
Let me clearly state that I in no way am representing the opinions of the Obama/Biden campaign. Senator Obama is one who is truly blessed to be humble and appreciative in all circumstances. He is quoted as saying that he is “ ...beyond honored and deeply humbled to have the support of General Colin Powell” Unfortunately, I am not as blessed as the Senator. I say, go home General Powell. Go home and piddle around with your classic Volvos. Your eleventh hour endorsement is not needed. I doubt if anyone is impressed that you, a Republican, have 'turned' against your party and endorsed a Democrat. Many dedicated Republicans put aside partisan politics long-ago and chose to support Senator Obama. We, the supporters of Senator Obama, are comprised of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and 'Others'. That union beyond party lines is one of the greatest strengths of this campaign.
Most Obama supporters are not former Secretaries of State nor are we all retired four-star generals. However, we have shown true bravery during this Presidential campaign. We made our endorsements with only hope on our side, not probability. We have risked out jobs our property, and in some our cases safety to openly show our support for Senator Obama. Supporters overcame fear and shyness to knock on the doors of strangers and cold call thousands of potential voters.
We are real people facing real issues who needed to choose the candidate that we believe can improve our lives and improve our country. We had to get behind that candidate, Senator Obama, when it made a difference. Few of us have public name recognition or access to the media nevertheless, we endorsed Senator Obama to our friends, family, neighbors, and even to total strangers. We took time from our jobs and families, scrimped to donate money that we really didn't have, and gave it to the campaign in the knowledge that through our efforts we might be able to change America for the better. We supported Senator Obama when a successful candidacy seemed like an impossible dream. We did it because it was right not because it was convenient.
So General Powell, remember that the only way Senator Obama could get to the point where it is now in your best interest to bestow him with your endorsement is because millions before you have already given him theirs.
