I write this letter to you, from one American to another. The recent campaign add from John McCain, the infamous "lipstick" add, is too disrupting to overlook, no matter which candidate you support. Please, don't take my word for it, judge yourself. Senator Obama's speech is on youtube, and Senator McCain's add is on his website. Here is the reason this is so disturbing and simply cannot be passed over.
America, we have real problems solve, I mean REAL problems. We are fighting two wars, that have gone on longer then War War II. Oil remains at record highs, gas hitting over $4.00 a gallon. Unemployment is at a five year high, inflation at a 17 year high. Millions of Americans have lost their one and only investment, their one home. The federal government has just taken over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, raising the Treasury's debt ceiling by US$ 800 billion, to a total of US$ 10.7 trillion (with a T)! The National debt, the Federal Deficit at record levels. Healthcare, Social Security, education, I really don't want to go on. I worry, no I fear, about the America and world I will leave my children. Every generation, its supposed to get better, the American dream a little easy to achieve. I don't feel that way right now.
America, we have real problems to solve. Instead of talking about how we are going to fix the REAL problems we have, John McCain chooses to take his time to try label Senator Obama a sexist. Not only is the accusation false, and in very bad taste, but it demonstrates John McCain's character, and the issues Republicans think are important to you and me.
America, many years from now our children will look back on this election, and the America we have left them. They will ask you about the decision you will make in November. They will ask why you voted the way you did. They will hold you accountable, and history will hold you accountable. America, I've had enough, there is simply too much at stake this election, to play the same old game. We need to come together, as one nation, and solve the real problems that face us. We need each other, because, we will be held accountable.
~Karl Solie
Team, I feel issues like these are relevant and valid targets/talking points. Obama make's it an issue on who he takes money from, and we should too. I got this from bravenewfilms.
Here is the link http://bravenewfilms.org/posts/invite/42047-the-real-mccain-big-oil-fuels-the-straight-talk-express
Here is the text.
Dear Supporter, Gas prices are hitting all-time highs. Our country is in the midst of a recession thanks in part to our crippling dependence on oil, so what's John McCain's plan? Will he hold the corporate leaders of the energy industry accountable when he addresses them today in Houston? Probably not, considering they are some of his biggest fund-raisers. The Center for Responsive Politics finds that McCain has accepted over $1 million from the oil and gas industry. Many of McCain's top advisers have lobbied for big oil, which is why he now acts in their best interests, opposing environmental legislation and alternative energy plans. And that's exactly why we want everyone to know The REAL McCain. Watch the video: http://bravenewfilms.org/watch/26974949/42047?utm_source=rgemail McCain is desperate to distance himself from President Bush. But according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, McCain has received millions in donations from the same oil, coal, nuclear, chemical, utility, and auto companies that helped the Bush administration create its energy plan-a plan that has raised gasoline to $4 a gallon. Here's what you can do: Send this e-mail to ten of your friends, family members, and colleagues. Tell them to send it on to ten people they know. And don't forget to Digg it! Spread the word that McCain is taking major contributions from wealthy oil executives like Bob Mosbacher, just one of the special interest leaders he'll be addressing in Houston. Make sure everyone gets to know The REAL McCain, subscribe to Brave New Films today.
Yours,
Robert Greenwald and the Brave New Team
I just wanted to post some thoughts, and talking/writing ideas I use when I call voters and talk to people about Obama. Of all the things I talk about to them, these seem to hit home over the other ones of used.
Here are my top three, I would love to hear yours.
1.Turning the Page on 30 years of Executive Control:
Do you realize that for the last 28 years the same two families have been on the presidential ballot. The families of Bush and Clinton have essentially controlled the executive branch of the most powerful Democracy on Earth for over 20 years! And this does not count Bush in his 8 years as Vice President.
Pause a moment and just think about that. Let it sink in a bit, and remember you have to be 18 to even vote. People are approaching 50 years of age and have never had a choice but Bush or Clinton. That is just incredible. Think of the ways other countries must view the U.S.
That is seven consecutive elections of Bush and Clinton. Hillary would make it 8 to 9, or 32-36 years!
If your under 50 watch this video on your political choices over the past 30 years, you have had none.
The first step in change is choice, don't you agree?
Here is a youtube video we made about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdaKxsprW0A
2. My favorite quote:
"Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Expediency asks the question: Is it political? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? But conscience asks the question: Is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him that, it is right..." - Rev Martin Luther King, Jr.
I believe this quote really demonstrates Obama's stance on the war. Obama is a true leader, and true leaders are few and far apart, but we all know them when we see them. They do things because it is the right thing to do. Obama stood up when war was unpopular. This was a test of true leadership, and few of our so-called "leaders" stood up and pasted this test.
3. "The Republican's values are more in line with mine":
This argument stems from the right to life, being a Republican issue only. Regardless of your feelings on this issue, the caller probably isn't going to change their stance. I'm tell them all life is sacred, and that includes when we send our soldiers to war, and when our foreign policy is to bomb first and talk later. The Republican's can't claim a monopoly on morals when they started a war, I will never forget that! Don't let the person your calling either.
Hey Team,
Here are some ideas on Internet Campaigning, that I hope you find useful. The main way a lot of information "lives" and "dies" on the Internet is because of "google bots". Google bots are little programs the travel the Internet's web pages and looks for links, like www.barackobama.com. In these web pages it finds the information and ranks it it in a way. When you post something on a web page it is always being watched and tracked good or bad. That is why "diggs", "buzzing" and even every little search you do is logged. With this in mind here are some of the rules I've seen other successful Internet activists use. "Hope news": The stuff you want people to hear about, the positive and the good our campaign reflects. When you see stories about this, or anything good about Obama, always post a reply, and rate the message at the highest rating. Digg the story if possible http:/www.digg.com Yahoo Buzz it http://buzz.yahoo.com/ Rate the Youtube video to a five. Google it one more time, basically do a google search and click on the good link. Some of these services require and email, if your worried about SPAM, goto www.gmail.com(google email) and get a free and anonymous email. Use Hyper links when you post a reply or create a post. When you post a reply, use hyper-links to words. Hyper links are words that are actually web address. For instance the word "honest" is a hyper link to www.barackobama.com. You can create these in MS word. To do this, click on 'file', then click on 'insert hyperlink'. Enter the word you want to use, the hyperlink(website) and point it to a positive website about Obama. This will start to associate the word you use with Obama (From a google perspective). Over time, when people start to google "honest politician" Obama will show up more. They don't show up in this blog, but I can email you some if you don't understand them. It's a lot easier then it sounds, just try it and you'll see.
"Worthless stories": these are issues like the Rev W$ght, and the 3-mail floating around, you-tube videos. Resist, as hard has it may be to post or comment on any of these stories. Every post or reply on web site keeps the story alive. Instead, let the story die, buzz it down, or rate it a one star, flag it for removal, if it is in appropriate. Do not google/yahoo the story to show anyone. Every time they google it, it stays alive, and becomes more popular. "nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd", right?
If you must say something about the story online, cover keywords. For example "The $mear 3-mail going around has really angered me." This will help the search engines not find it has easy. Also when you reply to bad news, don't reply using the original quote/post, simply post your quick reply. If you include the original message, it just helps keep it alive a little longer. For example, ff 50 people post a reply to a post, and they all quote the original message then the google bots see a that topic 50 times over on a single post, looks important right. But if all 50 people reply and do not quote the original message, then google sees the topic once, not so important. Of course its not that simple, but you get the drift.
E-mails are a little more private and the best way to share bad news. Keep in mind that this email list has a sender and a reply to, which is the whole group on this webiste (some are pretty large). If you click just "reply-to" it automatically gets sent to groupname@groups.barackobama.com, regardless of who wrote it. If you want a private one-on-one, cut and past the emal form the senders address.
Good Luck out there
Hey everyone, one of my letters to the editor on Obama will be appearing in the Minnesota Daily tomorrow (3/04/08). This letter writing really does work!!!! I feel the grassroots getting deeper and deeper.
Thought you all might like to know...Here is the letter
That is seven consecutive elections of Bush and Clinton. Hillary would make it 8 to 9, or 32-36 years!If your under 50 watch this video on your political choices over the past 30 years!!
