Extreme campaign fatigue. Major news overload. Must.Stay.Alert.
Just a few more hours ....
The speeches at last night's Al Smith Memorial Dinner--both McCain's and Obama's--were a funny, welcome pause for reflection as the 2008 Presidential campaign winds down to its close. For me, it also brought back a fond memory from 48 years ago: the speech of young U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy at that very same event on October 19, 1960.
I make no apology for the primary reason I got involved in this campaign: Barack Obama is my JFK, reborn. As to many other aspects of my life, I have much to apologize for. For example, in 1960, I was a Nixon supporter. My candidate lost, in one of the closest elections of the 20th century. But I was young, and the American people were wiser than I. It took the better part of two decades for me to realize the dangers posed to our republic by people like Richard Nixon and those with whom he surrounded himself.
We are all fortunate, however, to have access to redemption. Like most others, I was inspired--and my early life shaped--by the thousand days during which we were privileged to enjoy the leadership of President Kennedy. And for me--as for many others--November 22, 1963 began a very long and very dark period of struggle and disappointment. On that dark period, the sun appears ready to shine its bright light once more.
At the 1960 Al Smith dinner, the Kennedy wit was abundantly evident.
But I think the worst news for the Republicans this week was that Casey Stengel has been fired. [Laughter.] It must show that perhaps experience does not count. [Laughter and applause.] On this matter of experience, I had announced earlier this year that if successful I would not consider campaign contributions as a substitute for experience in appointing ambassadors. Ever since I made that statement I have not received one single cent from my father. [Laughter and applause.] One of the inspiring notes that was struck in the last debate was struck by the Vice President in his very moving warning to the children of the Nation and the candidates against the use of profanity by Presidents and ex-Presidents when they are on the stump. And I know after 14 years in the Congress with the Vice President that he was very sincere in his views about the use of profanity. But I am told that a prominent Republican said to him yesterday in Jacksonville, Fla., "Mr. President, that was a damn fine speech." [Laughter.] And the Vice President said, "I appreciate the compliment but not the language." And the Republican went on, "Yes, sir, I liked it so much that I contributed a thousand dollars to your campaign." And Mr. Nixon replied, "The hell you say." [Laughter and applause.]However, I would not want to give the impression that I am taking former President Truman's use of language lightly. I have sent him the following wire:DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have noted with interest your suggestion as to where those who vote for my opponent should go. While I understand and sympathize with your deep motivation, I. think it is important that our side try to refrain from raising the religious issue. [Laughter and applause.]John F. KennedyOctober 19, 1960
On this matter of experience, I had announced earlier this year that if successful I would not consider campaign contributions as a substitute for experience in appointing ambassadors. Ever since I made that statement I have not received one single cent from my father. [Laughter and applause.]
One of the inspiring notes that was struck in the last debate was struck by the Vice President in his very moving warning to the children of the Nation and the candidates against the use of profanity by Presidents and ex-Presidents when they are on the stump. And I know after 14 years in the Congress with the Vice President that he was very sincere in his views about the use of profanity. But I am told that a prominent Republican said to him yesterday in Jacksonville, Fla., "Mr. President, that was a damn fine speech." [Laughter.] And the Vice President said, "I appreciate the compliment but not the language." And the Republican went on, "Yes, sir, I liked it so much that I contributed a thousand dollars to your campaign." And Mr. Nixon replied, "The hell you say." [Laughter and applause.]
However, I would not want to give the impression that I am taking former President Truman's use of language lightly. I have sent him the following wire:DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have noted with interest your suggestion as to where those who vote for my opponent should go. While I understand and sympathize with your deep motivation, I. think it is important that our side try to refrain from raising the religious issue. [Laughter and applause.]John F. KennedyOctober 19, 1960
You can read the entire speech here:LINK
In 2008, this nation faces challenges no less grave than those it faced at the height of the Cold War. The times call for extraordinary leadership. My prayers now are for our nation, and for Barack Obama.
Why not just ask him ... to his face? Now that Charlie Gibson has satisfied Sean Hannity's wildest dream and asked (on "mainstream media") Obama himself about these "questionable associations," who will watch the answer?
As if all this has never been discussed before!
Here's where you can Digg this ABC News sitdown between Obama and Gibson:
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_responds_DIRECTLY_again_to_Ayers_dirt?OTC-em-st1
"Life member" is probably my favorite recent Obama TV ad. I don't think it's airing everywhere in the country, but it has been on nearly every channel frequently here in North Carolina.
Digg it here, or at least please view it:
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Lifetime_NRA_member_loves_country_supports_Obama?OTC-em-st1
I'm a life member of the NRA; I hunt, I fish, and I love the outdoors. I love this country, and I support Barack Obama.- Greg West
My Dad, who is gone now, was an avid outdoorsman and marksman. He served in combat in WWII. He loved his country; he loved me; he hated war. He would have supported Barack Obama.
Only four weeks to make a difference.
Once again, North Carolina is on the forefront of the movement for the change this country needs so desperately.
We cannot let this happen:
Call. Canvass. Every vote counts. Every voice must be heard.
Although I still think there is time ... with 30-some days left before the General Election ... for the electorate to strike the blow that will help the people take back this country from the maniacs who are running it right now, there are days when the silliness just disappoints.
My rabbi told this story at Rosh Hashana services on Tuesday: A frail 80-year-old mother is celebrating her birthday and her three sons each give her a present. Harry gives her a new house. Harvey gives her a new car and driver. And Bernie gives her a huge parrot that can recite the entire Torah. A week later, she calls her three sons together and says: “Harry, thanks for the nice house, but I only live in one room. Harvey, thanks for the nice car, but I can’t stand the driver. Bernie, thanks for giving your mother something she could really enjoy. That chicken was delicious.”- Tom Friedman, NY Times
Let's hope we don't all have to go back to raising chickens.
When I was little I didn't think of grownups as having bare skin; grownups were made of wool clothing, only kids were bare-naked; now I'm older than they were when I was little and I lie naked under a quilt made of their clothes when they were children. I don't know what makes me think I'm smarter than them.Garrison KeillorLeaving Home
My grandmother made quilts because--during the Great Depression--winters were cold; you needed quilts to stay warm in the winter; and if you wanted a quilt, you had to make one. And each child or grandchild needed at least one quilt to make his or her future home a real home, with a tangible reminder of the skills, time, and love that it took to produce these warm, lovely possessions.
One of the quilts that I see in my home today incorporates a few remnants of a dress that I remember well from the times during the 1950's that my mother used to wear it. Now, with my mother in her twilight years, that quilt is a constant remember of my childhood, during my parents' youth. And every time I read that quote from Garrison Keillor, I am reminded of the poignant significance of quilts in the personal histories that make up the rich heritage of many generations of Americans.
How fitting, then, that a group of women who support Barack Obama's candidacy for President of the United States came together recently in common purpose to produce what will undoubtedly be a timeless memorial to the hope represented by his campaign. Not only are they creating this beautiful quilt, but they are giving it away. Perhaps the winner will donate it to the Obama campaign, or the Obama White House, or to the Obama Presidential Library. There's a good chance it will, at least, visit the Democratic Convention a month from now in Denver.
The Party is about to nominate a man who has the potential of my grandparents' Roosevelt, my parents' Kennedy, my generation's RFK. Change and hope are in the air, and the concomitant emotions are being woven into a quilt that may become one of the important threads of history's very fabric.
This is my little girl. Like Barack Obama, she is an "old soul," and understands the significance of important events and the artifacts of them.She turned 4 in May. Behind her right shoulder is a faded blue quilt that her mother (my wife) made before I met her in 1995. Just yesterday I took a nap under that quilt, and it--like the other quilts in our home--will always be among our most treasured keepsakes.
I would love to possess the new Barack Obama quilt. But in a sense it belongs to all of us who have become a part of this broad new movement in the American political story. The story, and the quilt, will in many ways belong to the nation.
Today, exactly forty long years since the day Robert F. Kennedy was shot and killed, I am ready to calm down. The nightmare--which really began on November 22, 1963--has been a long one. I did not have the inner strength and faith it would have taken to remain hopeful through all those years. I have said and done many things I deeply regret. I have tried hard, but failed at so much.
This morning, of all people, Hillary Clinton has given me hope once again. From a place where there seemed to be no grace--and so much bitterness and hurt--as if out of thin air came what is clearly a message of healing and unity. It inspires me today; perhaps it will play a small part in a spiritual renewal.
A few weeks ago I signed up for an account at HillaryClinton.com, hopeful that I could post messages there. That turned out to be a difficult proposition at best. But as a side-effect, I got on the email list. And this morning's email is what has become my thought for the day.
Dear Tom, I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you. On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans. I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise. When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House. I made you -- and everyone who supported me -- a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I'm going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise. I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you. In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness. I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you. Sincerely, Hillary Rodham Clinton
Dear Tom,
I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.
On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.
I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.
When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.
I made you -- and everyone who supported me -- a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I'm going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.
I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.
I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.
In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness.
I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.
Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton
The average West Virginian has a remarkably lucid view toward politics. My grandmother once said, while contemplating who deserved her vote one year, "It's a shame to put a good man in, because he won't be no account when he gets out."
West Virginians are skeptical about politicians. And who can blame them? There are good reasons for that skepticism. For one thing, local politics in West Virginia have always been hopelessly corrupt. But at least you can vote a local politician out of office. It is much more difficult to defend oneself against a national politics that is less than truthful, and more harmful than helpful.
There is a common oversimplification about the importance, in small-town middle America, of the "Three G's" ... God, Gays, and Guns. There is nothing wrong with traditional moral values, deep religious piety, or Second-Amendment rights. What is insulting, to me, is the blatant pandering that began during the so-called Reagan Coalition and continues through the Bush-Cheney era. In 2000, Gore lost in West Virginia. In 2004, Kerry lost in West Virginia. Will the Democratic nominee lose in West Virginia in 2008? I doubt it.
In 2004, national politicians came before West Virginia and the rest of small-town America and promised Constitutional Amendments to protect us from both Islamist Terrorism and Same-sex Marriage. Have those promises become reality? In fact, have they even been discussed between 2004 and now? And, prior to 2004, when was the last time you heard those crucial "Three G's" discussed? That's right ... it was 2000, the Presidential Election cycle before that. And that year, 9/11 had not even happened yet.
The politics of fear, doubt, and personal recrimination have betrayed West Virginians, and the rest of us. Just as the party of Lincoln failed to inspire during the Great Depression, World War II, and the 60's, the people are just about completely fed up with sacrificing blood, treasure, and civil liberties toward no perceptibly worthy cause.
The rape of West Virginia actually started long ago, when railroads made it possible for large corporations to haul vast quantities of the "black gold" of her high-quality coal deposits to faraway lands, including China and Japan. Now, abandoned coal mines have become vast reservoirs for natural gas that will not be consumed by West Virginians, but instead carried over ugly and dangerous pipelines to more profitable markets in the southeast. The construction of these pipelines--through vast forests and across ancient river gorges--is simply another insult to the fantastic beauty of West Virginia's natural landscape. The mining companies have mostly abandoned the expensive, dangerous process of deep mining in favor of the destructive and ugly--but relatively easy--removal of mountaintops to gain access to the seams of coal beneath them. This shameless exploitation of a land and her people now threatens even the thriving tourism industry that the beautiful state has for so long deserved.
The 1960 Democratic Primary in West Virginia was on May 10 of that year. On that date, a proud people gave the nation a wonderful gift ... one thousand days of Camelot, and a half century of cherished hope. Today, I see Senator Clinton's narrower-than-expected victory in this Primary Election as a final salute toward the best efforts of a failed politics, now fading wistfully away. In November, it won't surprise me to see West Virginia--the state of my birth--join with us all in a revival of the spirit, a renewal of hope.
Democrats - the party of Lincoln, reborn ... this is our time.
Who lived, as I did, through the 1960's and understands what happened? There was almost too much to perceive, much less to comprehend. The decade began with Camelot, days of glory and challenge and shared sacrifice, when it seemed that together we could go to the moon or beyond. Then--like shocks of lightning--came the killing of a President and his brother; the assassination of Dr. King; the seething fog of a war that makes no sense even today; much of Detroit and Los Angeles in flames.
In West Virginia, Whites and Blacks lived in peace. But in honor of John F. Kennedy, President Johnson pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through the Congress. Desegregation was about to come to West Virginia. For the most part the transition was peaceful, and had to do mostly with the integration of schools, in a part of the country where "traditionally White institutions" and "traditionally Black schools"--while no longer completely segregated--are still a part of the landscape. In some places, there had been separate hospitals as well. But I grew up in West Virginia without ever having seen an all-white restaurant, church, store, or public restroom. Those were traditions of the Deep South, not West Virginia.
West Virginians are proud, strong, and fiercely independent. Change--without good reason--proceeds only slowly at best. The average hard-working West Virginian was an Eisenhower Republican, not a Southern Democrat. White people and black people worked and played and worshipped and served together. Although shockingly abrupt, school desegregation did not cause widespread alarm--just minor unrest. Still, society stayed with long-held tradition. There was little (if any) interracial marriage, and that is still viewed with some skepticism everywhere, but openly in West Virginia. My grandfather would not have approved if his daughter had decided to marry a black man. On the other hand, he would never have disowned her. And he would have loved their children.
After he signed the Civil Rights Act, we understand that a close confidant of Lyndon Johnson told him that the Democratic Party had now lost the South for at least a generation. There must have been truth in this, since the Southern Democrats of the George Wallace generation are now proud Republicans. But West Virginia remained Democratic throughout the Reagan Revolution ... voting for Humphrey in 1968, Carter in 1976 and 1980, even Dukakis in 1988. In 1992 and 1996, West Virginia went strongly for Clinton, and we all know how good it can feel to be on the winning side for a change. It is not difficult to understand how much West Virginians might like to return to the Clinton era.
John F. Kennedy would not have won the Democratic nomination without West Virginia. And in November 1960, he won all 8 of West Virginia's electoral votes by defeating Richard Nixon 52.73% to 47.27%, becoming the first Roman Catholic ever elected President, one of the youngest Presidents ever elected, and certainly the youngest American President to die.
There is one reason why John F. Kennedy won West Virginia in the 1960 General Election--he was a Democrat. West Virginia was Democratic. This is how that came to be.
As I have already discussed, it was at least partially the Republican Party--the party of Lincoln--that enabled the miraculous event that was West Virginia's birth. But by 1960 West Virginia was solidly in the Democratic column. You have to go back at least as far as Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover to understand why.
My father's father served in World War I. He returned--as did most of his generation--to a nation depleted. The market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression had many causes and even more effects; but it is undeniable that the policies--both foreign and domestic, military and economic--of Republican presidential administrations contributed to the fall. In West Virginia my father, a boy, like other children all across the nation, lived through times where nothing came easy. If you had any money, there might be nothing to buy with it. If you needed a thing, you had to build it. If you needed food, you raised it. My grandfather raised rabbits and my grandmother canned them. They raised hay and fed cows and chickens in order to put meat, milk, and eggs on the table. They grew their own vegetables. They grew the grapes to make their own wine.
It can be no wonder that Franklin Roosevelt (a Democrat) and the New Deal were a saving grace. The CCC and the WPA left permanent marks in West Virginia. They built roads and dams, parks and picnic shelters. They provided good jobs for strong, hard-working men so that they could help provide for their families. Today, for all the talk about the evils of "government entitlements," who could imagine an America without Social Security? In the West Virginia of the 1930's you did not retire--with dignity, or without it. You simply worked as hard as people can work for as long as you could work, until you just dropped. Or, if (as most did not) you happened to grow old, and became unable to take care of your own basic needs, you were cared for by your children or grandchildren, or nieces or nephews--if you were fortunate enough to have extended family (and most were).
For these reasons, although there were even greater sacrifices ahead, West Virginia became solidly Democratic under Roosevelt and Truman. The nation was actually concerned that, if a Roman Catholic were elected President, the Vatican might have too great an influence in American politics. John F. Kennedy never forgot that it was the wise people of West Virginia who decided to take that leap of faith and make him the Democratic nominee. In 1961, West Virginia had its very own President of the United States.
It was a New Frontier.
My father's great-grandfather, Charles Coates Brown, served in the Confederate Army at Gettysburg. The father of my mother's Grandmother--a Union man--spent part of the war as a prisoner of the Confederacy. My mother's ancestors settled on a beautiful piece of property called Round Bottom, near the former town of McKendree in what today is Fayette County, West Virginia, in the New River Gorge. Near the beginning of the war, my mother's great-grandfather and his family had to flee through the Union lines as Confederate raiders came down the New River and burned their farm. The young family spent the remainder of the war with relatives in Indiana before eventually returning and rebuilding the farm at Round bottom.
My mother's family, then, were (and remain) Republicans. By Republicans, I mean the party of Abraham Lincoln, the President who--if any President did--save our Union for the future. We still hold an annual reunion of my mother's family in south-central West Virginia, and they are all--nearly without exception--Republicans. Always have been; always will be. That does not necessarily dictate how they vote when election time rolls around, but that affiliation with the party of Lincoln is one that has persisted across many generations.
On my father's side there is no actual memory (of which I am aware) of having owned slaves; but I'm sure that our family might have done so. But there were Confederates in my paternal ancestry, and that fact is undeniable. And to this day, they are nearly all Democrats. They are Democrats, not because of an opposition to the philosophy of Lincoln, or because of a misguided loyalty to the Confederacy. While there may have been some influence from those directions at the beginning, it was actually in the twentieth century that the Democratization of my father's ancestors took firm root. More about that in a later post.
The important thing to remember about West Virginia is not so much the fact that the Civil War divided the people so deeply, or the fact that Democrats and Republicans in West Virginia emerged from that era more or less along the same divisions that had split Virginia in two. The important thing to remember about West Virginia is that she emerged as a new State--a reborn State--and as a remarkable part of a strikingly new Union. West Virginia, to me, represents that Union. It is where Democrats, Republicans, Union and Confederate, black, white, immigrant, protestant, Catholic, and the rest all married each other and loved one another and worked hard and came together and produced people like me. No other State has sacrificed so much for the one United States of America of which we are all so proud. No other State has given so many of its sons and daughters to the cause of freedom, on battlefields the world over, and in times of peace.
There is no place on earth like West Virginia. That statement may reflect the bias of my having been born there and having grown up there. But that state will always be a part of me--and I a part of that state. And I share those emotions, that heritage, and that strong attachment with every other West Virginia native I have ever met.
The people of West Virginia are some of the strongest, kindest, most highly principled, and most loving people that you will find anywhere in this country. If places can be real homes, then West Virginia will always be mine, whether I ever physically live there again or not.
I could write a book about how West Virginia fits into the 2008 Presidential election cycle. It's a very complex situation; it cannot be reduced to soundbite truisms or brief generalities. It is not about racism, although race plays its part. It is certainly not about gender bias. And it's really not about "Conservative" or "Liberal," which terms I believe will begin to take on new meanings--or lose their meanings altogether--as we move into the next Presidential administration.
The only way to understand West Virginia is to look at its history. Someone on the Obama blogs threw out the observation that "West Virginia was neutral during the Civil War." That is far from the case. West Virginia was born out of the Civil War. And that birth was a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking process. The counties of Virginia west of the Allegheny simply could not follow the rest of that state into Secession. But the issues around which that war was fought ran very deep and were highly charged politically. Slavery, of course, was a part of what was on the table. States' rights and the role of the federal government were also still being defined, less than a century after the revolution that gave birth to the nation itself. To oversimplify, the issue was politics. But the politics were so heated, so divisive, and so compelling on both sides, that they divided even the family unit. Quite literally, brothers, sons, fathers, uncles, and cousins found themselves on opposite sides of the issues--and, hence, of the conflict. Imagine, if you will, having to face your father, or your brother, across the same deadly battlefield. The birth of West Virginia was like that. Much more terrible, you see, than many difficult labor-and-delivery stories you may have heard.
The agony of the Civil War, and the pain of West Virginia, are deeply ingrained in the populace.
It's another very long story if you want to understand West Virginia's "Democrats" and "Republicans." I'll try to tell that story in a later post.
- TomBorn in BeckleyLived in Morgantown and Green BankAlways free; and always a Mountaineer
May 6, 2008 - Primary Election Day in North Carolina; and, for some unannounced reason that would have gone unnoticed unless you happened to be passing by, former President Bill Clinton paid a visit to Winston-Salem.
In attendance were (according to my rough count) 35 ordinary citizens; about 40 County Government employees (it was their building Mr. Clinton was in front of); half a dozen people resembling Secret Service; and around 80 local law-enforcement personnel.
President Clinton took the microphone for less than five minutes, stating rather simply that he had just stopped by to say 'Hello' and 'Thanks' to Winston-Salem voters who had supported his wife's campaign, and that Hillary, Chelsea, and the whole family were just very grateful for the hospitality that had greeted them in North Carolina. He also mentioned that it's important to get Washington working again, create jobs, get our servicemen and servicewomen back home from Iraq, and provide universal health care. Then it was on to many, many more than five minutes doing what Bill Clinton does best ... shaking hands (Hi. Hello. Hi. Thank You. Hello. Hi. Lemme see that baby .....), getting lots of pictures taken, signing an autograph or few, gesturing and speaking at great length in reponse to an impromptu policy-wonk question.
Then it was off again, I assume to another North Carolina hotspot.
It was only a few hours later that I saw him on television, behind Hillary at her podium in Indianapolis, celebrating their victory in Indiana.
Your thoughts?
Someone asked me, a short while ago, "----------What is your opinion of this Rev Wright issue? Do you think that the media will ever put it to rest?"
My feelings are very mixed. As far as the media are concerned ... they are driven by what their audiences want to see. Two-headed baby born to incestuous Austrian relationship. Pregnant Mormon teenagers in Texas. Miley Cyrus bares midriff. Oh, and did we mention yet that Rev. Wright said "God Damn America?"
Few people know that Fred Rogers (It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) was once a Navy Seal. Mr. Rogers never mentioned that on his show. On the other hand, in Wright we have a man who served six years in the Marine Corps. Is is wrong to compare his "patriotism" with that of Dick Cheney, who never served in the military at all? Maybe. Maybe not.
I watched and enjoyed the National Press Club business yesterday. I am not a deeply religious person, but there were actually times during Wright's prepared remarks to the National Press Club when something within me stirred, spiritually. There is a strange power in that. There is something about some men's intelligence that can bring other people closer to God.
But it's almost transparent that Wright was out to destroy Obama's political career. It's inexplicable to me why he would have chosen now ... exactly between the April 22 and May 6 primaries ... to act out the way he did. Perhaps he was driven over the edge by the inane questions (Can Muslims get into heaven? Does Barack Obama doze in the pew?). Those questions deserved most of the answers that they got (What did your pastor preach about last Sunday?).
I suppose what happened today just had to happen. Who knows what the political outcome will be? The voters will decide.
I would like to believe one thing that Rev. Wright said during his Q/A--and I will have to paraphrase because I don't have the transcript handy ... If God wants Barack Obama to be President of the United States, there is no racist, or pastor, or politician, or anything else that can prevent him from being President.
I would like to believe it. But, as I said, my feelings are very mixed.
- Tom
On the second morning after the Lesson of Pennsylvania, and a full week after I cast my ballot in the North Carolina Democratic Primary, the Obama campaign finally had a human presence out in front of the first Winston-Salem polling place to offer "One-Stop" voting during this cycle.
I was struck by the diverse "demographics" of this small group of Obama volunteers. From left to right--and judging only by appearance--they appear to be:
(1) Young (probably first-time) voter;(2) African-American voter;(3) Mature White Female voter.
Out of respect, I did not further question any of these individuals on how their "demographic" may have differed from or corresponded with Sen. Clinton's "base" in Pennsylvania.
But on this bright new day, I thought this made an uplifting picture.
The April 22, 2008 Democratic primary election in Pennsylvania provides a vivid snapshot of the nation at a pivotal moment in history. The results prove, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that a campaign of honesty, integrity, and wisdom can be derailed using a combination of the following tools:- the subtle cultivation of basic fears and doubts- blatant pandering to any and all present needs and desires- the repeated enunciation of distorted half-truths- shameless exploitation of widespread ignorance
These tools are backed by extraordinary power. Together, they can overcome deficits in manpower, enormous disadvantages in funding, and all forms of debate. Their power can halt critical analysis, drown out reasoned arguments, and block fundamental change. They can destroy hope itself.
These same tools will be used over the next two weeks in North Carolina and in Indiana. If they succeed, in either of those states, then it will be clear that fundamental change is once again off the table. The forces that divide our nation, for good or ill, will continue unaltered for at least another four years.
I don't know whether this will be news to anyone else, but I saw it for the first time this morning. While so few people seem to read things (like speeches) anymore, the power of YouTube is really making itself known this election cycle.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DXum_-8I1TA
Since the PA primary is tomorrow, do you think we should ask Hillary Clinton to "denounce and reject" her big PA supporter Gov. Ed Rendell? Because back during the ..ahem...Clinton administration he was certainly embracing the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam. Someone needs to remind HRC that you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose ... but should you be picking your friend's nose?
Gov. Rendell was right when he was a mayor...there is far too little tolerance in this country. Maybe that's why the small band of maniacs has been able to take over a country that used to belong to us--we the people of the United States of America.
This morning's Zogby Poll has Obama down 4 points in Tuesday's PA primary contest, with 10% undecided. I feel those results are accurate, and I am now ready to make my predictions for what happens between now and May 6.
Provided they don't have an earthquake in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning, and provided that they don't run out of ballots in the suburbs and inner city, here's what happens: Everybody who is hanging on the edge of their seats wakes up Wednesday morning and finds that Obama has won the PA primary 51% - 49%. My reasoning goes like this:
(1) There are 10% undecided. Those just don't go to Hillary Clinton, who is the most polarizing politician in this election cycle. People aren't undecided about Hillary Clinton. You are either 100% behind her, or you hate her guts. Period. However, I'll go ahead and give her 3% of the undecided because it's within the margin of error. So she tops out at 49%--a generous estimate, since her "negatives" are almost that high across the board. Obama gets the remainder of the undecided, and 43 plus 7 = 50. On that count, it's a dead heat. 50% - 50%.
(2) Obama is in Erie this morning, Philadelphia this evening, and then on a whistlestop tour that goes east-to-west throughout the weekend. Surely you have noticed that when Hillary Clinton holds a rally, hundreds of supporters show up. When Barack Obama speaks, the venue is full. That's from a low of 5,000 to a high of 20,000 depending on the capacity of the venue. Most of the time, there is an overflow crowd next door, and/or outside in the weather. A lot of Pennsylvanians are going to really get up close and familiar with Barack Obama over the next few days, and the campaign is a very smart campaign, and the campaign knows that this final push is what puts him over the top. The delegate spread doesn't change all that much. Obama's lead in popular vote has grown. Another "super" or two has joined up. And as for the electoral vote--I don't know whether anyone else has noticed or not--but Pennsylvania is solid blue right now. Yes, solid blue--even with Barack Obama as the nominee.
So, we get to the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2008. Hillary Clinton is less than two weeks away from a crushing--and I do mean crushing--defeat here in North Carolina. Indiana is the only "big state" left, and there's just nothing there for the Senator from New York to use in closing any gaps.
My conclusion: By Friday April 25, Clinton does the right thing and concedes the nomination to Barack Obama. The first ballot in Denver will be nearly unanimous.
