I did a good thing yesterday! A former co-worker (and proud/verbal conservative Republican) came to visit at the office, we'll call her JANE. She's actually a really nice woman, working mom with 3 young children studying to get her teaching credentials..... very intelligent and a pleasure to be around--basically, she's a great person whom I got along great with, but we differed in our politics and I always shyed away from debating her on issues and talking about politics in the office (even though she did, with gusto!) which leads me to believe she at some point, JANE thought I was also a Rep., or at the very least, Independent. She's someone who'll respect your opinion, but you would have to move mountains to convince her otherwise on any political issues--so I tried not to get in any kerfuffle's with her.
So we're sitting around over a pot of tea and JANE jokes sarcastically about how she needs to go put air in her tires... (oh, those Republican talking points!! >=T )... and my boss, we'll call her SUE, a Democrat who isn't so up to speed on the latest in the election, had this confused look on her face. JANE proceeded to tell SUE that "your candidate (Obama)" would rather inflate tires than drill for oil. Of course from the sound of it, SUE had doubt and I sat there, wondering if this was the time to chime in, and as if the words had a force of their own, my mouth started to move and shape words...
"Well, that's just a small part of his energy plan," I said. (Whoa, that came out of nowhere!). I sensed by the reaction on her face that after 2 years working with her, it dawned on her that I was indeed a Democrat, of course supporting Barack Obama.
ME: He's not the only one who has suggested it... Crist and Schwarzenegger have said to do the same thing in the past. JANE: REALLY?? (Like she's genuinely shocked... then come's the disbelief... Limbaugh and neo-conservatives have taught her well... )ME: Yeah! It's only a part of his speech on energy taken out of context. Specifically, they say checking tire pressure and getting regular tune-ups will actually help with gas mileage.JANE: Well... no one gets a tune-up that regularly anyways. SUE: Don't tell me you're really going to vote for McCain. JANE: I'll never vote for Obama.
And that was it. I was hoping the conversation would delve further into Energy, but the conversation was changed almost immediately... perhaps for the untimely rebuttle I provided and to avoid any tension-filled discussions about politics.
I felt proud... not only putting some truth behind these republican one-liners, one republican at a time... but for actually voicing my opinion to a seasoned and devoted Republican. Not sure if we'll be discussing politics again any time soon (she may want to avoid it all together in the future), but I'm up for the challenge! This was my birthday present to myself and Mr. Obama. =)
Happy Birthday Sen. Obama!!
I celebrate my birthday tomorrow, but will have a drink in your honor as well!
... so I learned on the radio today (thank you Mr. Thom Hartmann) that the real reason why Bush signed that housing rescue law was to protect the bonds the Chinese, Japanese, and other countries, purchased back in the 1970's or 80's in companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The US asked them to invest in these bonds, instead of investing their money in Euro money market accounts, or something--forgive my lack on knowledge on this, perhaps someone can amend this statement--but yeah, investments backed by the Euro, basically. They spent a fortune on these and if Freddie/Fannie go under, so do these bonds. So to save face, Bush is signing this so as to protect these banks which the bonds are secured with.... (shakes head) tsk tsk.
I've stopped questioning Bush when I'm surprised by his actions... in fact, hearing about him going back on his original stance and signing the bill... I was just waiting to hear what the "catch" was... and here it is. It's never for nothing... we need a new President now, I wish we didn't have to wait. Bush has the worst senioritis I've ever come to imagine... ugh.
President Obama... NOW!
So, I'm not sure how i feel about Obama's stance on this FISA bill . He's okay with the compromise, but in the past, he was against allowing any kind of immunity for the telcomms and now he's flipping his position. I understand Olbermann's opinion after having Howard Dean (Dean, right?) on his show where he explained that the bill is so poorly written that it leaves it open for Obama to possibly bring criminal charges to the telcomm's later, but he hasn't outright given that impression, which I think he should, or at least imply and leave the pundits to run their course in analyzing his statement.
I'm a tried and true Obama supporter and will not falter, but I guess this issue doesn't sit right with me. I know there's a mountain of other issues the next POTUS will have waiting on his desk, including warrantless wire tapping, so this is just one piece of the puzzle. I just hope him taking the easy road on this issue won't come back to bite him later and he will truly "monitor" it if he's President. Knowing the MSM (and the GOP for that matter) and how they thrive on making non-issues of issues, this won't be swept underneath the rug anytime soon.
WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! =) CONGRATULATIONS SENATOR OBAMA!!!
The FIRST African American to be nominated for President of the US. We have really turned the page in history and face a brand new day, I'm so proud! Thank you to everyone who put their time and efforts into this, and for those that have donated $ for such a great cause, this is really thanks to all of you.
I'm sooooooo happy, this will be a day I never forget. I just wish I wasn't at work!!! If you're having a drink to celebrate tonight... make sure you have one for me too!! (and make sure to have a designated driver as well ;)
GObama!!!!
Ohhhhh, what a sigh of relief!!! The AP is reporting that Obama can finally CLINCH the nomination after today's contest after tallying a number of convention delegates, privately named supers which will show support after today's primaries, and the number of eventual winning pledged delegates from the contests, even if he loses both!
This has also been such a humbling experience. I can't wait to hear his victory speech... it surely will feel good to know that the dems are half-way there to winning it big. I'm so glad that this may finally be over! I definitely felt the fatigue these past couple months, but it was all worth it to finally see Obama as the presumptive Democratic nominee and the first African American candidate to run for the White House!! HOW EXCITING =D
GObama!!!
I saw the large crowd that Obama drew in Oregon and wow.... it seemed like it could stretch for miles! It was certainly a great sight to see, and the effect one person can have on people. For me, seeing that crowd was a literal interpretation of change. Every person standing there believes in it and Obama to bring it. How inspiring!
I can't really say the same for Kentucky, but I hope he gets more votes than these polls let on. I can't believe 1 of 4 HRC supporters would NOT vote for him in November. They're very passionate supporters, but I firmly believe that the sooner we can rally behind Obama, the more inclined they'll be to support him as well, or at the very least, vote against McCain.
I'm sure there are many of these emails floating in the ether, but thought I'd put another one out there to pass along.
We have to have the Superdelegates take a stand and come forth with their official support for Obama. Below is a website with a list of UNCOMMITTED Supers, so if you have a minute to shoot 'em an email, write a letter or call their offices, I'm sure they'll come around to realizing that popular vote, pledged delegates, most states won and the momentum at his back, Barack Obama is vetted and able to be our next POTUS--it's all riding on the Supers to come out and voice their commitment.
For whatever reason, these Superdelegates have their tails tucked beneath them. Whether it be because they don't want to go against their district's vote and are up for re-election, or they're just plain scared to stand up against the Clinton machine, they have to understand that we the people have spoken. We can't wait any longer to change the metrics of how they measure electability, or deus ex machina to work in HRC's favor--this waiting game is hurting our party and our potential win in November, and the more they stall, the longer it will take to unite all Democrats and lure the HRC supporters to test the waters in Obama's camp and rally behind him.
Even HRC said herself that she's in it until there's a nominee, which is code for "UNCOMMITED SUPERDELEGATES COMMITING TO OBAMA IS THE ONLY WAY I'LL STEP DOWN". There are a lot of SD's in CA alone who haven't yet commited, so take a bit of time today to voice your opinion... every vote and voice does count!! Thanks!
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/2008/01/superdelegates-who-havent-endorsed.html
After Barack has finally denounced Rev. Wright, I think he's been able to FINALLY move forward, despite the media's continued coverage for ratings sake, he's now getting back on message. We're seeing more of the same Barack from prior to the TX and OH and I really think he'll make a good showing at tomorrow's primaries.
I heard about a blog that an Obama canvasser in Indiana wrote (sorry I don't have the specific site which it came from, but Thom Hartmann spoke of it this morning) and she thought she would have to knock on people's doors and remind them that the Wright issue is a non-issue and why the gas tax holiday isn't beneficial, etc., but going house to house she found that ppl were well aware of the Wright issue as the media going overboard and trying to make this election into a "soap opera" and even mentioned one man she visited as saying this "gas tax holiday was such a dumb idea, even a person with just a high school diploma could figure that out". What she learned and confirmed for me was that we, and mainly the MSM, don't give Americans enough credit--we underestimate their intelligence. "Blue Collar workers" is the nice term given for the working class, possibly undereducated and/or poor, and for the longest time, I was embittered that they couldn't figure it out. That they had no clue and relied on the MSM to tell them what they needed to know, and if they don't know better to not believe what the MSM says, then that's really how Obama will lose votes to HRC, because she's a smart lady, she knows and realizes this and plays on it.
I don't give these rural area, "blue collar" voters enough credit. I'm embarrased to admit, but hopeful they'll prove me wrong. What many others come to realize after "spending time" with Obama is the truth that he's not an elitest, and he does care about changing our country for the better. He has the experience and judgement to truly lead this country out of a war and deficit, and into a brighter future that my generation can work with. I really, truly hope that his message spreads like wildfire. We can't go through another 4 years of Bush policies with McCain at the helm!
... or is anyone else just worn out by all things politics at this point? I'm still following closely, watching the pundits make their rounds on the cable news networks (with names not starting with "Fox" or ending with "Channel"), but the formula never seems to change. McCain and his blunders continue to go unnoticed, taking the backseat to trivial issues like Obama labeled as an "elitest". It doesn't matter that his and Michelle's student loan payments combined were higher than their mortgage, while McCain is married to the heir of a beer distribution tycoon and the Clintons reported to have made $109M last year alone--sure yeah, Obama's the elitest! Am I the only one who's catching on to this???
The latest in-fighting between our democratic candidates seems to recycle themselves, with the only difference is the fill in the blank portion. It goes something like this:
Senator _______ said in a speech yester/to -day stating "_________", angering groups of______, who have been affected by _________ legislation during the ________ Administration. Whether their comments have affected ______ voters will not reflect until the _____ polls are released. Senator ________ has come back with comments stating "_______" and that "_________", which Senator _______ demands that they reject/denounce those comments. Since the very beginning of his/her campaign, Senator _______ has been touting his/her ________ versus _______, who claims to have more _________ than the other candidate.
Ugh, lame. I get it--- this is gold-ratings for the media, who has their own bottom line, but I wish that we heard more about McCain. It's incredible his national rating is of equal level with both Obama and HRC. That's a sure sign that no one really knows McCain and his many many recent blunders. I wish there were more Keith Olbermanns out there. Him, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert shouldn't have to take on the whole load themselves!
So the Wall Street Journal broke the news and First Read/MSNBC posted the story about Mark Penn having meetings with Colombia's ambassador regarding free-trade... Hmmm.... sound familiar? Deja-vu?? Ohio is on the tip of my tongue.... WTHeck!! This is EXACTLY why I'm not rooting for HRC and her camp... here were her exact words after NAFTA-gate:
"I don't think people should come to Ohio and tell the people of Ohio one thing and then have your campaign tell a foreign government something else behind closed doors," Clinton said then. "That's the kind of difference between talk and action and that I've been pointing out in this campaign." "I would ask you to look at that story, substitute my name for Senator Obama," she also said. "If some of my advisers had been having private meetings with foreign governments and basically saying ignore what I'm saying because it's only political rhetoric … I think it raises serious questions."
It sure does, Hillary!!! I hope this story has legs. From the looks of the media scrutinizing every word out of her mouth, it probably will, but jeez... how can her supporters possibly look beyond this? How can Super Delegates not take a stand against this?? It just baffles me... rumors went around her camp that they wanted Penn out of there, but because HRC is such a loyalist, she kept him in--what kind of judgement is that??? Isn't that the same problem we faced with "Bush 43" and the Alberto Gonzales's of his cabinet?
This is what Obama means about having the judgement to lead on day one... how can HRC possibly claim to be able to do that when it's not even November yet??? It's just common sense to me, but Randi Rhodes said it best... her supporters "are in love" with her and just can't let go... and for that, I suppose I understand, but with so much hanging in the balance, what's love got to do with it?
Anyway, here's a link to to the First Read:
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/04/859814.aspx
And, a nice chart outlining Mark Penn's connections:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2007/02/20/GR2007022000447.html
I guess it was a slow news cycle over the weekend because I kept seeing video footage of Obama bowling in Pennsylvania and not doing a very good job at it...haha... at least he laughed about it, but I'm sure with his competitive nature, he really wanted to knock 'em down--show those pins who's boss!
What I found more humorous was how the media went into detail about the weirdest things... how he ate a hot dog with the "regular people" in this bowling alley, but, he still was wearing his tie....??? geez, give the guy a break! I'm sure he doesn't need PR people to tell him to roll up his sleeves because it makes him "appear more like a hard working, everyday kind of man" *cough*bush*cough*. He ate a friggen hot dog and bowled with a tie....wow!! Can't the media talk about more pressing issues? Anyway, just a thought.
In other news... did anyone catch Keith Olberman's Special Edition of Countdown on the NBC network on Sunday? Way to go, Keith! I hope we see more of him on there.
After the latest polls show Obama bouncing back, I'm reading across various message boards that a lot of supporters are at ease, who much like myself, were worried when Obama's numbers dropped for the Wright comments. It's telling how HRC ultimately suffered more from her negative campaigning, which I think is a very vital signal that I'm sure s.delegates are picking up on. But alas, they are just numbers and mean diddly-squat come November, but if this helps the s.delegates make their decision (more quickly), then I'd like to think these numbers are just an indication of things to come.
There's talks about the s.delegates doing a "primary" vote amongst themselves to rally behind a candidate sooner than later since there is much disparity within the Dem. party. I heard on Air America that they had actually planned to do so, but because HRC was able to come away with wins on Junior Super Tuesday, everything came to a standstill... what a big "WHAT-IF?".... stupid NAFTA-gate, but I bet most of those people who switched their votes because of NAFTA still don't know that it was really HRC's camp who made the statement to the Canadian offical. How freakishly annoying.
Oh well, onward.
...to quote Arianna Huffington about poll numbers and how they're basically interesting at the time, but could mean nothing in a week; I hope that to be true with the latest numbers.
It was reported on the latest Reuters/Zogby poll that Obama's national lead dropped from HRC's, as well as McCain's for the first time. UGH, I know I shouldn't really pay attention to polls so much, but they do tell a story. The only upside is that these polls were taken after the Wright incidence, but before Obama's monumental speech on Tuesday. So, no one's certain about whether his speech was effective to alleviate concerns with Americans, esp. Independents and "Blue Collar" Dems. It's a waiting game for Obama and his supporters.
I suspect that this controversy will never really go away, but it is several weeks before the Pennsylvania primary so it has time to die out. Obama is not expected to win it either, so that's sort of a blessing in disguise, but if he can at least keep it a close loss, then he can still keep his delegate lead and hopefully the popular vote lead.
It's so upsetting to watch these events unfold. I think anyone who was looking for a reason why not to support Obama just found it, and it would be very difficult to persuade them otherwise unless something dramatic happens in HRC or McCain's camp. His speech on YouTube was viewed more than 1.6 million times! Who knows how many more on other political websites, BO.com or just read a transcript of it. I truly hope that they watched it with with the same clarity and appreciation that I, and many others, had.
What a phenomenal speech he gave! I finally got to watch a video of it and feel really proud that I support such a great person/candidate. He acted and spoke so presidential, was very sympathetic and sensitive, and touched on issues that Democrats normally wouldn't. It was not only eloquent, but trancendent, and I think really touched on an emotional level in every American who wants this vision of a "perfect union", but just never knew it was possible to really get there.
This man MUST be our next POTUS.... I hope this speech and longer soundbytes of it get replayed all day and help people who were on the fence, become persuaded to vote for him-- his experience, eloquence, empathy and hunger for change comes in a neat package and really is the future.
I'm so excited about the possibilites.... and as he's said many times, change won't come easy, but I know the journey will be hard and long fought, but easily worth it. With him to lead the pack, I'm confident that it can happen. YES WE CAN!
I'm saddened to read some of the comments along political message boards as a direct reflection of the attitudes and state-of-mind of what people really think about race and gender in this country. There are some out there who really believe that Ferraro didn't say anything wrong. Of course our country has a way to go for total acceptance of one another, but with Ferraro's position/celebrity comes responsibility and for Ferraro to act like it's okay to say whatever she wants because she can, doesn't necessarily make it right or morally just.
People need to be accountable for their actions and if Ferraro doesn't want to be, then so be it.... "it's her funeral". But in the face of a very important election, words are examined and discriminated, you can only assume that a candidate's surrogate will use their best judgement in what they say, which is more what this election is about--judgement and character vs. the past & status quo. HRC's campaign is a microcosm of this latest "Ferarro-gate" issue ... and that's why hope is more than just a four letter word.
Wow... I'm sure most of you saw the Special Comment by Keith Olbermann last night on his show ... just, wow. If you didn't, here's a link to the video from the Huffington Post and those of you sneaky ppl at work, there's a transcript on that page as well:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/12/olbermann-slams-clinton-i_n_91256.html
I'm so glad that someone trustworthy, who has influence in the primetime, finally said what everyone was thinking. What was really interesting was the article he presented from The Washington Post that had Ferraro saying practically the same thing about Jesse Jackson! It confirmed my suspicion that she wasn't just caught off guard by her comment or that it was misconstrued in any way. It also mentions in the Huffingpost piece that this was the first time Olbermann had actually done one of his "Special Commentaries" against a Democrat, which speaks volumes.
I'm glad that he's gone on the record with this... the hits on the video I'm sure will jump exponentially as word gets out. But more importantly, I hope this settles the arguing and bickering going on between Democrats... it really needs to stop and we have to focus our attentions on McCain and put an end to his free ride.
If HRC has any sense, she'll take his words in stride and stop trying to be all nasty, all the time. I doubt she'll go as far as to issue a lengthy statement regarding his op ed, or pull out of the race, but if anything, Olbermann's commentary may very well help her campaign if she finds that softer side that (somehow) everyone seemed to love, you know, the same HRC we saw right around the time before New Hampshire (tear.......gag!). I guess we'll see her response, maybe on SNL this Saturday night?? >=T
Here's hoping this becomes a civil race once more. I'm 110% behind Obama, but it is a competition and to put our guard down after such a genuine stance on Olbermann's part, would be a huge mistake by Obama, his camp and his supporters. Keep working, fighting hard and spreading the word Obama supporters, we have several weeks until Pennsylvania.
Slow and steady wins the race!!
So she finally bows out and resigns... and in her letter to HRC she states:
"Dear Hillary, I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what's at stake in this campaign. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen. Thank you for everything you've done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren. You have my deep admiration and respect, Gerry."
"The Obama Campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen."... Well, how honorable of you Ferraro, and give me a break!! If that phrase were any more calculated, I would've thought it was HRC who actually said it!
Knowing well enough that her statement/letter would be published, whether by herself or via HRC's camp, it's so obviously planted to deflect the attacks on Obama/Axelrod and make them the bad guys. She's putting spin into her own spin...making my head spin! On to top that, her latest statement that her words were meant to be positive than not (which I beg to differ based on her tone of voice and how she chose to defend her statement) is just blatant and incredulous. This is really looking like a game of chess and one of HRC's pawns has just been sacrified, maybe to draw attention away from the alarming number of points Obama won over HRC in Mississippi.
This just needs to be over already... but I'm sure it won't be because any attention, negative or not, is good attention as long as her name can be associated along with HRC's. This is the very thing with what's wrong with some people... while (some) humans are trying to further our acceptance/understanding of one another and assimilate as one people, we have the Ferraro's of the world out there crediting any gains or accomplishments of minorities to the fact that it's not really hard work and dedication that got them there. Is what she's really saying is that "white people" let Barack be so successful because he's actually a smart, black man? C'mon! She's an intelligent lady and there's more purpose in her words than she's letting on but because she can throw the race and gender card in there like she's some entitled walking billboard, giving her a cushion to stir controversy without losing sleep over it.
I'm so tired of these tired politicians making something out of nothing, making me write this blog that I don't really want to write. I'm glad Ferraro is gone, but I'm sure this isn't the last we'll be seeing of her.
No more of the same. It's broken, so let's fix it! Obama '08!
