OK mates; the world has seen the largest organized effort of the American people successfully launch an initiative to transform our nation. There is now a debate on the course of our ship of state and we have a choice whether we are going to help steer.
From my biased perspective, I summarize our choice as follows:
Either we fold the power and organized structure of the Obama campaign into a DNC effort intended to defeat Republicans ... or we maintain the grassroots organization as a bipartisan force with the intent of unifying America and finding solutions of common purpose.
I found this opinion editorial in the Pakistani Daily Times:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008%5C10%5C28%5Cstory_28-10-2008_pg3_6
I regard Uri Avnery as a sage in the extremely important and difficult stage of Middle East conflict. I believe that finding his perspectives on a Pakistani website is strongly worthy of our notice.
This Jed Report video features Barack speaking three months ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jH2iufUU1f4
It seems Obama is pretty perceptive and I really approve of his light, truthful, humorous tone.
This article was written by a young person; I am an old person but I understand exactly what she says:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1003/p09s01-coop.html
Insight from Uganda:
http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/column/105-guest-column/240-too-much-promise-in-obama.html
The Michael Gerson article in the Washington Post, Obama's Panic, has some salient points:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091602876.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
The recent "race to the bottom" ad campaign has frayed my vision of politics of the future but today's "Plan for Change" ad rings of a positive path to the high road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONM7148cTyc
I have chewed on this Wall Street Journal article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122141205580033209.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Regarding the Palin Phenomenon, I especially agree that the Obama campaign needs to keep the gloves off Sarah Palin until she is better defined but I am troubled by the following summary quote:
"... I think the Democrats have a big problem because Sarah Palin is a concept, a lot like Obama was a concept, and Sarah Palin is the anti-Obama. So he's egalitarianism, collectivism, dependency on government, apologies for American power. And she's self-reliance, individualism, competitiveness, and really no apologies--in fact, proud of American exceptionalism."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/article649954.ece
This reflection from politico touched me:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10858.html
It has seemed that the challenges would never end but we seem to be half way to the mountain top. Hope has been more than just waiting for something good to happen.
I stumbled on this two part video of Tom Daschle stumping for Barack about a month ago. It sounds really authentic and is pretty inspirational.
part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8CHOd4gAV4
part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjxaRayOw18
I stumbled on a West Virginia Public Broadcasting site on YouTube. There are a number of important videos on the site regarding West Virginia politics, the culture, and the presidential race. I am sorry I didn't find this before the primary but these videos have reframed my mind on West Virginia as we move forward toward the general election. I have picked one video as a starter; several others are well worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJccptz_0YE
This post title was the Atlantic cover introduction for the May 2008 article "Unforgiven" by Jeffrey Goldberg. It is the most powerful examination of the current state of Israel which I have ever read. Be prepared; it is long:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200805/israel
I started into this David Knowles article with a little trepidation:
http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/05/16/target-michelle-obama/?icid=1615988631x1202437772x1200305639
By the time I was done reading, I felt a little wry optimism. Then I watched the Republican video and I felt dreadful. Finally, after watching Michelle's response, I felt cathartic.
As the president sets the tone; so will the first lady.
I have stumbled on a new independent global news source which discusses Barack's foreign policy from a refreshingly new perspective:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmD1197b_8&feature=user
As I watched the above video, I wondered, who are these people? The answer is in a seven minute featured video in the YouTube user site. Interesting, n'est pa?
Hi Guys!
I have been working in Fox News country in households with National Rifle Association magazine subscriptions. The following article, "Barack Obama's Slippery Oratory" by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, is a major problem for these people:
http://www.nraila.org/Issues/articles/read.aspx?ID=286
I am suggesting that Barack's opposition to the Illinois legislation is because he wants less government. If a municipality's ordinances violates second amendment rights, the State should not impose additional legislation to mandate municipal conformance with the Constitution. I may be wrong on this; maybe it is the State's responsibility to ensure ordinance conformance by enactment of additional and specific legislation.
If the latter is true, then it appears to many that Barack opposes "the most basic element of the Second Amendment - the right of defense of self and family - the reason that millions of Americans own firearms."
I am submitting this text to watchdog@barackobama and on Steve Barnett's blog on mybarackobama with a group posting in Obama Supporters for Positive Dialogue. I am noting that the latter group is organized to help us respectfully welcome and inform supporters of other campaigns.
I could seriously use some clarification and second opinions on this. Thanks you for your input!
Steve Barnett
I am with this campaign because I see it make few mistakes.
I am further with this campaign because it understands that we will never be perfect and must always strive for improvement. Barack has told us that he wants to know when the campaign is doing something right and he wants to know when the campaign is doing something wrong. He has set a hallmark example for us with his courageous and patriotic opposition to the war in Iraq when it was not popular to oppose it. He does not want to be surrounded by "yes men;" conceiving his cabinet to be built like Lincoln's Team of Rivals.
When I returned to the blogosphere this evening, I watched the "Hometown" ad which is being run in North Carolina and Indiana:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QDqScU1GsQ&eurl=http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGChNl
I find the meat of this ad to be negative on Hillary Clinton for being negative. To me, it uses a low road strategy to expose a low road strategy. Fortunately, I find this kind of response highly atypical for this campaign. I understand that there is much justifiable anger amongst supporters for deceptive smears. I understand that it is perceived that Hillary won Ohio and Pennsylvania due to the success of last minute targeted negative strategies. I understand that some believe Barack is not tough enough to fight in Washington. To me, that is the point; if I want somebody to stalemate our progress in Washington by fighting, I want Hillary Clinton. I have seen fight back strategies justified by some in this campaign with the claim that a redneck will never respect a dog that doesn't bite. I acknowledge rare empathy with this slogan. An example, in response to Hillary's last debate accusation of guilt by association with William Ayers, Barack stated that Bill Clinton's pardon of two weathermen on the last day of his presidency was more damning.
I overwhelmingly support this campaign for its high road commitment. If we make a tactical error, I believe it is our responsibility to voice support for the high road. From my bias, the Hometown ad is a mistake.
I just read a post from a new blogger and I was reminded of the journey we have been on. I felt inspired to watch the original Fired Up Ready to Go video again and it was a good thing for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJ72iZ3tW4
A few of us have been communicating and we'd like to try something with you. Starting at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday (April 30), we'd like to see if we can get this site RAMPED UP ON HOPE for 24 hours. What's that mean?
Can we get postings for 24 hours that ONLY talk about how we've been changed by this campaign; or how our view of politics has changed FOR THE BETTER; or how we've connected with new people, expecially those we'd never otherwise come in contact with (through posting, calling, rallies, etc.); or how we have had our hopes for our country and the world raised by this movement.
Can we get postings for 24 hours that mention NO piece of negativity? No depression, no critcisms (justified or not) of the MSM, or individual coverage, or of Senator Clinton, or her campaign, even of Senator McCain.
If you agree with this then, sometime during today, copy this message and post it under your name. And, separately, start the ball rolling at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday with a message of hope for the rest of us.
We can do this! And, remember -
Barack Obama is going to be the next President of the United States!"
I watched the National Press Club speech with Jeremiah Wright today. I was intrigued and challenged, particularly after the question answer segment. I heard a commentator say that Wright's setting was in the belly of the beast. I wondered how this would play in the public arena and I found rails of snippets being posted which were less than encouraging. I sent the National Press Club speech link to my 86 year old Republican mom to see how it fed through her perspective; she actually found it interesting. I have then spent some hours reviewing this latest wild fire and have found that most snippet excerpts appear controversial but full contextual segments range up through profound, entertaining, and inspiring. There has been much cud generated for us to chew on but I offer this NAACP segment as a sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wfrjiADBBA
