There are so many misconceptions swirling around Senator Barack Obama it's insane. People, do your homework before you draw hasty conclusions based on rumor or punditry. This is our country's future here, not American Idol or a cage-fight in Vegas. Obama may not have been on the national scene for as long as Clinton's highly publicized highs, lows, and scandals. But DON'T believe the hype that he has no experience. In fact he has 25 years of the kind of experience we need right now -- public service experience outside the Washington game of stagnation, in community organization, civil rights and constitutional law, and 8 years of stunning accomplishments reforming the notoriously dirty Illinois political machine. He's got more years in elected office than Hillary, he's *authored* and passed more legislation than she has, and he has always walked the walk in his consistent message of getting progressive things done through reconcilation and common sense. Sen. Obama is no empty suit -- there are many reasons why he is respected by Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike, and it's not just about his inspiring speeches or eloquent books. He has laid out detailed, brilliant, attainable plans for ending the Iraq war, fixing our crises in health care, social security, and immigration, and restoring our standing within the world. Senator Obama will take this country in the new direction it desperately needs right now. http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet_barack.php http://factcheck.barackobama.com/ http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ So before you let petty rumors and out-of-context sound bites muddy your decisions, PLEASE do your homework. YOUR intelligent, educated vote is desperately needed by a wounded, discouraged America. Thanks, Trish
Watch Victory Speech
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow.
I feel so privileged to be witnessing history!!
WOW. I just read the transcript of today's speech, and I'm in tears. If you read nothing else from Barack Obama, READ THIS SPEECH.
Obama speech at DePaul
Watch it here
This speech is the most relevant, powerful, and yes, Presidential, than anything I've seen in recent history. Including the 90's. Anyone who reads this speech will no longer have doubts as to the choice that must be made in 2008.
"Now let's turn to the platform of Sen. Obama. His campaign Web site, published on the Internet for all to see, bears down hard on all of the major issues of concern to blacks. These include fighting poverty, improving our schools, voting rights and election reform.Unlike Clinton, he outlines a comprehensive program to reduce poverty, revitalize America's urban areas, and empower black Americans.Here in more detail are the Obama proposals as outlined in his campaign position paper: Increased funding for the Community Development Block Grant program which provides housing, job training, and other services to impoverished urban areas. A $1-billion, five-year expansion in job and career training programs for low-income Americans. The creation of a series of "Promise Neighborhoods" across America patterned after the Harlem Children's Zone in New York City. Low-income families in these promise neighborhoods will be offered parent counseling, childcare, job training, healthcare, financial advice, afterschool programs, technology training and other services to help them escape the cycle of poverty. An expansion of the Head Start program for preschool children in high-poverty areas. An increase in the maximum Pell Grant award for low-income college students. Expansion of the Nurse-Family Partnership where nurses visit low-income expectant mothers at home to ensure that they receive proper prenatal care. An increase in the earned income tax credit, which will allow low-income working families to keep more of the money they earn. A proposal to increase funding for the Jobs Access and Reverse Commute program so that low-income workers can get to their jobs at a reduced cost and the children of these workers can receive free public transportation to childcare facilities. The establishment of an affordable housing trust fund that will produce 14,000 new units of affordable housing for low-income families each year. Increased access to capital for blacks and other minorities through Small Business Administration programs. Job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling, and employment opportunities for people who have been incarcerated. Since blacks are five times as likely as whites to have been in prison, these programs will disproportionately benefit African Americans. To further raise the minimum wage rate and the child tax credit."
I grew up trusting Presidents. I actually liked Reagan and even Bush Sr., if you can believe that. I loved Bill Clinton, and the prosperity he brought in the 90's. So I voted for Gore in 2000, but still accepted the election results with little complaint. I am a centrist, so I always loathed political debate, feeling it accomplished nothing for me. I would debate quietly, with my vote. After 9/11, I trusted George Bush to do the right thing, accepted our war on Terror, waved our flag and supported our troops (as I still do). In 2003, I listened with growing unease as WMD's were supposedly found in Iraq. I listened to both sides -- or so I thought -- but while I was beginning to see through Bush, Colin Powell still had my unwavering trust. I wanted to believe that America would never, ever, preemptively strike a country without clear and present danger. After all, the entire world had come together to support us after 9/11. We wouldn't let them down, right? Boy, was I duped. The house of cards started falling down -- first Colin Powell resigned, then the Valerie Plame scandal broke. Then Bush was joking about "where are those WMD's?" at the While House Press Reception. My stomach churned. The bad omens continued. Yet, still I was not a political activist. I was quiet. It was clear that Bush should not be a two-term President. I mean, he had to wage a Supreme Court fight just to win the last time. Surely it will be easy to vote him out in 2004, I thought. I didn't participate in the primaries, but just waited for the candidate to emerge, because I believed the DNC would choose the best one. OK, it's John Kerry -- he's a war hero, good deal. Anything's better than Bush, that was the Democrat's mantra. And as I watched with awe as newcomer Barack Obama blew everyone away at the DNC (watch an excerpt here), I smiled with confidence, feeling inspiration in the Democratic Party. Maybe there was hope in the future! Without debate or fanfare, I quietly voted Democrat in central Illinois -- John Kerry for President, Barack Obama for Senator. What I didn't realize was this: That incredible inspiration and hope I felt came from Barack Obama himself, not the Democratic Party at all. Once he left the stage, the Democrats' house of cards fell. Kerry/Edwards lost. Bush/Cheney not only won, but then proceeded to smear the victory into our faces, touting their "mandate" and running amok as things got worse in every way. The DNC started infighting. My heart sank, and I started to feel jaded about my own country. Then I joined MoveOn.org. I'm not sure why; perhaps at first it was just to commiserate with other Democrats. But as time went on and MoveOn grew, I started to see sparks of something -- a real grassroots movement. Before, I had always thought of "grassroots" as the kiss of death for politics, just an idealistic minority who split the vote a la Gore vs. Nader. But this movement wasn't just about a presidential campaign. MoveOn was gaining traction in legislation, first through their own Senators and Representatives, and then as a force to be reckoned with on both sides of Congress. We were starting to stand up to the big lobbyists and get our voices heard. I realized I myself could be part of the solution. Still, loathe to offend anyone, I kept my political emails to folks who I knew would agree. Quietly, I signed petitions and donated to the cause. In 2006, I started to emerge from my political shell. Being in the MoveOn network empowererd me, because I didn't feel so alone anymore in my beliefs -- there were plenty of centrist Democrats like me who craved change. And with MoveOn's technological advances, I was able to use my own cell phone at home (now in California) to call people on Election Day in November. I made sure to keep it fairly neutral, just making sure folks knew it was Election Day and where their polling places were, while stating that I myself would be voting Democrat. I was so nervous! I think I made about 12 calls that day, and reached only 6 or 7 actual voters. It was a small step for me, but a giant leap for my movement. Apparently thousands of MoveOn folks, ordinary people with similar political backgrounds as myself, had done just what I did, adding up to hundreds of thousands of phone calls. And it worked! The tremendous amount of pride and accomplishment I felt that day was addictive. I am thankful for MoveOn for breaking me out of my shell. So why am I writing this on a BarackObama.com blog, instead of waiting for MoveOn to endorse a candidate? Because since that day watching the DNC, I have been more and more inspired by the Obamas -- who they are, what they've done, and what they believe. I've realized that I don't have to let anyone else tell me who's best to run this country -- I have to figure it out for myself through extensive research, and then make it happen myself through action. I've come full circle in my political evolvement, going back to my true centrist Democrat roots. That being said, I truly believe that Barack Obama can bring us all back together, to trust our President once more. And I'm done being quiet about it.
P.S. Just wanted to add that I've grown apart from MoveOn.org recently. Not so much because of the notorious "Betray Us" ad, but in general they seem to be skewing towards the extreme left and moving away from my own centrist beliefs. It seems like the leadership has changed at the organization, which makes me very sad. I hope they go back to their populist roots.
