"America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past. Our time to bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.
The journey will be difficult. The road will be long. I face this challenge with profound humility, and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people. Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."
Obama, June 3, 2008, Minnesota
Finally, after decades of knowing our planet is in peril, hopefully we are now getting together to recover from the mistakes of the past and begin the process of healing America and the planet.
Obama the Blessed One.
The next President of the United States of America!
Life is good again!
YES WE ARE
changing the world.
Hello fellow "Obama-for-President" friends!
This may be a bit out of date, but the following article on Obama's speech on race in America is worth visiting.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/03/7695_black_and_more.html
The Wright issue will continue to shadow the Obama Campaign. Barack's ability to face the issue of Race in America head on and calmly needs to be our guide as to how to "respond" (rather than "react") to it. I think I have to re-read the article and Obama's speech several times before I adequately take in how important and appropriate it really is. Thank God we have someone running for President who is willing to be real with all of us. Thank God.
I am so very amazed and grateful that so many Americans have woken up and are ready to STAND FOR CHANGE and to stand up for all the values that give us a sense of dignity and integrity.
THE TRUTH IS SUSTAINABLE!
OBAMA/MICHELLE IN THE WHITE HOUSE!
BELIEVE IN MIRACLES!
Keep trusting your intuition.
We know Obama would be the best leader for America in this moment in history.
We know he walks the talk.
We know it won't be easy getting others to see past the veil of fear to glimpse into what we see and know can happen: a new way of doing politics in America.
But if we stay connected to our truth, we will be able to STAND FOR CHANGE, together, with Obama as our guiding light.
THE TRUTH IS SUSTAINABLE.
Here is a section from the NY Times, Op_Ed Columnist Cohen, "Tribalism Here, and There", Published: March 10, 2008:
"But the United States is divided, within itself and from the world, in growing ways.
It is divided by war, by income chasms, by foreclosures, by political polarization and by culture wars. Increasingly it is looked upon from outside with dismay or alarm. Healing, within and without, will be a central task of the next president.
For several years now, Obama has made the possibility of unity beyond division the core of his politics. That’s just poetry, the pooh-poohing Clinton people say, but governing is about the prose of experience and grit.
I see plenty of Obama prose, in new proposals for national service, for more equitable taxation, for health care, for international dialogue; and in his unique experience, both personal and professional, of reaching across continental, racial, religious and class lines. His grit is self evident. Look where he came from.
I looked. Those charred buildings and smashed windows in Kisumu are borne somewhere in Obama’s soul, just as the words of his half-sister Auma are when she described their elusive father’s travails: Kenyatta telling him “he would not work again until he had no shoes on his feet.” On the south side of Chicago, Obama has lived the American refractions of such violent division.
If I was to sum up this presidential race, I’d say: “It’s the generations, stupid.”
An American generation under 45 has glimpsed an interconnected world beyond race and tribe. They know its attainment will be elusive but, after a bitter season, they feel summoned by what Lincoln called “the better angels of our nature.” And, speaking of experience, they know Lincoln came to the presidency with all of two years in Congress behind him, and a failed Senate campaign.
Looking out from Kenya, where he mediated an end to the tribal violence, Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, told me: “I think an Obama presidency would be inspirational, an incredible development in the world.”
AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY: "...AN INCREDIBLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE WORLD". (Kofi Annan)
“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate but that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, which frightens us.
We ask ourselves,who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be?? You are a child of God. Your playing small does NOT serve the world. There is no-thing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the Glory of God that is within us, ALL of us. And as we let our Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fears, our Presence automatically liberates others.”
Nelson Mandela 1994
One thing about the "yes we can" philosophy is that it reveals to us that we are powerful beyond measure. We are becoming willing to change, from a top-down control model, to a sustainable green model that benefits the planet and its inhabitants. Yes We Can Change Our World. Obama's rejection of the politics of fear liberates us from fear. THE TRUTH IS SUSTAINABLE.
I don't know what "Green" means exactly. I am new to the political scene. But I can share what it means to me. GREEN means ALIVE AND SUSTAINABLE, not dead and toxic. Toxic. Toxic makes me think of suffocating (since breath is life). And there is such a thing as Toxic Politics, or Toxic systems, as we well know. I am for Obama because I do believe we can move out of toxicity to green, aliveness in politics, as well as economics, and have green social structures as well (not top-down, but collaborative, like Native American Sacred Circles, or 12 Step Circles). Obama embodies these values of decency, honesty, hope, diplomacy, etc. We are forming a wide circle around this planet of people who share these values and believe that YES WE CAN shift out of old models into new GREEN Politics.
Anyhow, I was just thinking about this Obama Community Blog, how people can come here to learn, to share, to empower each other, to get active, etc. TO GET INFORMED AND TO OFFER OPINIONS. This blog is alive and therefore GREEN.
I hope that when OBAMA is President, our voices will still have a space like this to go to to continue sharing, offering opinions, getting information, etc. I am very naive, yes, but something is working here that needs to be carried forward. Kept alive and green.
Here is an article about why leaders like Barack Obama are so crucial to all of us at this historical point in time. (And below is a letter I sent a friend in response to her saying it is all hero worship of someone who doesn't deserve it.
Click:
Thanks for your input. I like hearing what others think.Yes, many of us seem to really resonate with Obama and what he stands for in a very passionate way. I agree. There are many politicians, judges, union leaders, university professors, however, who have a much more practical approach to him and honor his skills, which millions think are what is needed now. His emphasis on process is what I most like: he believes in collaboration, transparency, accountability, involving the people, diplomacy, and such. These skills are what may keep people inspired to do the hard work that lies ahead in terms of re-structuring the USA.Most senators, governors, union leaders, congressmen/women, etc. who are supporting and endorsing Obama think he does indeed have "an edge" regarding "getting things done", much more of an edge than Hillary, otherwise they would not be endorsing him. Ten straight wins is not just about "worshiping" Superman.They are about people really wanting something new and being willing to work toward that. He does have leadership skills, obviously, as proven by the success of his campaign. He is obviously tapping into people's sense that something needs to change, now, and I believe he can get a good cabinet together to work on foreign policy, domestic economic issues, and health care. Hillary's health care plan may or may not be better. We don't know yet because mandated insurance can cause a lot of problems. There is probably a better solution than both of them are proposing, but I am glad we are at least moving in the right direction regarding health care in the USA. Obama can put us on the right track and perhaps eventually we can move into an even better plan. I have never understood why politicians get so criticized when they change their minds and revise their positions according to further investigation and experience. People have a right to change their minds -- t is a sign of maturity and flexibility rather than a fault, and we need to see how Obama's plan works before we assume it won't. I trust he will seek what is best for the American people.
I don't feel "prey" to his speeches. I believe he is a mover and a shaker which is what is really needed now. He was a community organizer, a law professor, a civil rights attorney, and a Senator who pushed through much legislation. You cannot assume he doesn't have solid plans (which he does if you just go to his website and see how he stands on issues and read his policy proposals) just because he is a gifted orator.In any case, we should not dismiss and discredit what is happening as simply "Obamamania". Something very significant is obviously happening, and all these millions of people are wanting to be heard. They are, indeed, saying, we do want change and Hillary does not embody that to them, for whatever reason. Obama does. I honor that.Reality is going to hit for sure. But it would with Hillary as well. Either one will be taking on a huge mess, a disaster. The war, an economic recession, crumbling infrastructure, terrorism, etc. Because he is able to rally people together behind him (in a way that Jimmy Carter never could), including Republicans and Independents, young and old, he may be exactly what is needed in the difficult times ahead. His leadership skills are going to be sorely needed. I think his is brilliant enough to put together an excellent cabinet.For whatever reason, millions are standing by him, Eileen, and they are saying no to Hillary and Bill Clinton. I don't know why exactly, but I sense it is more than just his Charisma. They are ready for something different, and different he certainly is.Anyhow, thanks for your two cents!
Barack Obama has integrity.
As I have posted before, he has presence, is diplomatic, stays grounded and centered, is brilliant, has a superb sense of humor which keeps him real and human, and he has a genuine ability to touch our hearts and inspire us into believing WE ARE THE CHANGE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
I hope he stays grounded during the upcoming debate with Hillary and does not engage with her by "reacting" to her jabs. May he stay lose and centered, grounded in his inner sense of truth and in his inner sense of connection to all of us who STAND BY OBAMA AND MICHELLE and who STAND FOR CHANGE.
I have met many who say they will vote for Hillary because of her health plan. This seems to be the key reason why they did vote for her and wish to vote for her. We all need to undertand the difference between a "mandated" plan (like mandated car insurance, whose costs go up and up every year) and affordable health insurance that is a CHOICE. I am not clear about this myself, only know that mandated car insurance is very expensive and that the mandated health insurance in Massachussets has gotten very expensive. I believe Obama needs to clarify why his plan is better for Americans. He claims he will cap rates at a much lower rate than her, that there will be government subsidies for those who can't afford it, and that Freedom of Choice is what Americans prefer. The good news is that both want a Health Plan that works for the people.
As Obama supporters who are ready for a CHANGE in the right direction, we ourselves should keep in mind that we represent the OBAMA Principles. He is process oriented, focusing on collaboration, dialog, adapting to reality, transparency, accountability, involving the people in politics, etc. This approach is what will get much done.
I have an Obama 08 sticker on my car. To me this means that I now represent those principles.
I wish to be diplomatic in my discussions about him. I wish to stay centered. I wish to listen to what others have to say. (As they say, it is by listening that we are heard by others.)
People say we have Obama Fever, that we are cultish, suffering from Obamamania. That he has no substance, no plan. They are forgetting all the very practical politicians, unions, judges, and wise people who are endorsing Obama. They obviously have not gone to his site to check out all the plans and substance that he does indeed have.
So. I myself, therefore, wish to stay centered as Obama does. (Yes I have Obama Fever, for sure, but it is grounded in the belief that this is the change we have been waiting for, and he is the one that can unite us with his natural diplomacy and natural listening skills.) I want to integrate Obama principles into my way of being so I represent them in my daily life.
So, why Obamamania? Why am I so stirred up by this man? Why do I care so much about this campaign?Obama speaks right to my heart. (And they say: what comes from the heart goes to the heart.)
It is as if I have been waiting all my life to hear a politician say the things he says, about OUR power to change things for the better. He is like a fresh breeze in the dark fog of lies and fear in which we have been living for the last eight years. Or longer. Yes. Like a breeze that is parting the fog so that we can just barely get a glimpse of dawn out there in the distance.I have not particularly been "moved" by any other Democrat the way I have been moved by Obama. When I hear him, my insides shout "YES! YES! YES!" Finally someone we can believe in. And, for some reason, I trust my insides on this. I trust my intuition on this. I believe he can get enough support behind him to actually influence Washington to move in the right direction.Yes. I believe he is trustworthy. I believe he can guide us through the difficult work that is ahead of us. He is a leader in the best sense of the word: he talks about US, and what WE can do, not about himself. He wants transparency and accountability and a government that is connected to its people, not alienated and "for the few".Yes, these are ideals. Yes, yes. What a dream!But, if the "Law of Attraction" is indeed a Law, then maybe millions of us are attracting a new world view, a new paradigm into being, one that we still cannot even imagine, for we are still living and breathing inside the old one.It is a new paradigm of continued, sustainable "recovery". In my opinion. We can recover from the control-based, soul-less paradigms of the past and move into a new way that respects human life and all life on this very alive planet.It is a paradigm that lives in process, that enjoys the journey, and does not get stuck in life-suffocating structures. A paradigm that connects us to what is alive in us and supports that rather than kill it by degrees. We can reconnect with ourselves, our higher selves, the planet, and with with each other. Yes we can.Am I projecting onto Obama? Yes indeed. But I intuitively sense that this is where this small shift in direction can take us. I have hope. I do believe in what is possible.I like this feeling. It feels good. That is why I have "Obamamania". It feels alive inside me.Please share and pass this on, if you so wish.
Here is an article from the New York Times.
I don't know how to link this but maybe you can cut and paste.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/opinion/18cohen.html?ex=1204002000&en=4efca13503ae06b0&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Or, here is the best part. :-)
"
Throughout the world, the access technology provides is connecting people in ways that make governments less relevant. Terrorists benefit from such networks. But the linking of a humanity in flux is of deeper historical significance. An era of conciliation is more persuasive to me than an era of conflict.
The fight between Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination is increasingly portrayed as one between romantics and realists.
But a realistic view of Obama would be that he is best placed to seize and shape a new world of such possibilities. He has the youth, the global background, the ability to move people, and the demonstrated talent for reaching across lines of division, even those etched in black and white.
He would, as Andrew Sullivan has written, “rebrand” America. Wieseltier dismisses such rebranding. But even the Papacy was rebranded in our times, by a Pole, and Poles then precipitated the fall of the Soviet empire.
A romantic view of Clinton might be that she has the guts and savvy to free herself of her husband’s coterie of the world’s rich and famous, with its dubious deal-making from Kazakhstan to Colombia, and ensure that a White House with a president and ex-president in it projects U.S. renewal rather than the tawdrier sides of Clintonism.
I’m just not enough of a romantic to believe it.
Obama is the expression of a hybrid world whose promise outweighs its menace. He needs to recall what he once said: “No president should ever hesitate to use force unilaterally if necessary to protect ourselves and our vital interests when we are attacked or imminently threatened.”
If he does, and a tough foreign policy team would help, hope and hardness will in time find a fecund balance confounding even to Iran’s mullahs.
Blog: www.iht.com/passages
A FRIEND WRITES TO ME ABOUT HER FRIEND AND THEIR DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTION OR DIFFERENCE IN PERSONALITY TYPES:
. For her, it's all aboutdetailed plans and ideas. For me leadership isinspiration and character. It boils down to the twotypes--intuitive and sense-based.
IT’S THE MESSAGE THAT MATTERS.
If you think we can’t change global warming,
Yes We Can.
If you think we can’t have green architecture and green, sustainable
economic systems,
If you think our Blue Planet can’t be cleaned up, our air and seas cleaned up,
Yes we can clean it up.
If you think we can’t use only recycable, renewable products,
If you think we can’t have educational systems that empower children to think
and act creatively, with dignity and joy,
If you think we can’t have one human family living in peace, with workable
structures of communication set up for conflict resolution,
If you think women and men can’t respect and honor each other and have
healthy, intimate relationships,
If you think we can’t re-connect with ourselves and with each other, and with the planet rather than numbing ourselves with addictive processes,
If you think we can’t have functional families and functional social structures,
If you think we can’t live in harmony with our environment and stop species extinction,
If you think we can’t eat only healthy, alive food that is non-toxic,
If you think we can’t have health care systems based on prevention and mind/body/heart/soul congruity,
Yes We can.
If you think we can’t change our paradigm, our world view, or habits and patterns,
Yes We Can Choose Another Way.
“We” means us, together.
Not one person, alone. Not one politician.
But all of us, together, deciding. Choosing.
I choose a new paradigm that says we can change our ways and find a new way.
I choose it, because I can.
Suzanne L. Noël
Costa Rica
