Debra Dimick's Blog

In Memory of My Dad

Deb from Utah — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:25:13 EDT

Am I the only Barack Obama supporter awake in the United States of America who realizes that we have a National Campaign to lose sleep over? The good 'ol days are back! My husband is sound asleep and I am wide awake blissfully considering the challenges and opportunities facing us in the up-coming months!! This is going to be BETTER THAN HILLARY!!! For all of those voters that all of us met who either didn't want to vote in "just a primary" or, were Republican and possibly couldn't vote in the states primary ...welllll, EVERYBODY is up for grabs now! Every American citizen is a potential Barack Obama voter now. If they are not registered, register them. If they are Republican, stick with them, change their minds, change their registration.

My father was veteran of the Republican base. He passed last month. We didn't have time to say our goodbyes but our last conversation was about Barack and my dad was very excited that i was involved in this campaign. I know we would have had his vote. He loved John F. Kennedy and he would have come around. It's an awfully personal thing to post but he loved this country very much. He loved me so much that he'd be happy for me to tell you all about him and his Civics classes, that he taught with such passion. Let's continue then, to reawaken a Nation to our Great Democracy in the person of Barack Obama, for my dad and for all of us.

Having Digested the Kitchen Sink

Deb from Utah — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:02:39 EDT

It's taken me a little time to process what the Clinton Campaign has been doing. One would think, listening to MSM, that it is simple: "the kitchen sink strategy". Everything has to fit into a "cute" little sound bite for them. To me, and I think a lot of us Obama supporter's, the Clinton campaign strategy is nothing short of c r a z y m a k i n g.

Here we are with Senator Barack Obama who speaks truth to power, revives a huge populous to revisit the most important principles in our Democracy. Democracy, not run from the top down but from the bottom up. Participatory Democracy. More accurately, in America, Representational Democracy. So, Senator Obama asks us, the people, to hold our elected officials accountable. To pay attention. And, he doesn't just ask that of us but he passes Legislation so we can google government spending.

This is all good, right? Apparently not. The Clinton's don't like it. They don't like that he makes great speeches (we all know all of our greatest leaders had the gift of communication); they think Obama "followers"(us), citizens of the United States of America, are somehow on an emotional binge rather then an intellectual binge; they think that states that Hillary lost "don't really count".

Now this is just some of what we have heard from Camp Clinton but, isn't the just of it about disempowering voters?.. insulting the intelligence of our African-American voters by inferring "of course they will vote for him"?..asking us all to not think for ourselves?.. Keeping The People out of the process and overall dampening the spirit of Democracy in a country whose theme for decades has been that every country in the world would be better off if they just had a Democracy like ours?

It took me a while to digest this Clinton tactic as that of all c r a z y m a k e r s: to confuse and then to control .

Right now, I think that Hillary Clinton is afraid of Democracy. Strong statement I know but if you take it in the light of how persuasively that Sen. Obama speaks to nothing other then our shared, core Democratic values and we respond as if to a breath of fresh air, well then.

The Clinton's campaign strategy is the most convincing evidence to date just how entrenched she is in the interests of Big Money and Lobbyists. Worst of all, it reveals to me what little respect she has for us. Now, I know "it's politics" but I take that personally.

After all, I am an American.

Media Bias Exposed by Scarborough

Deb from Utah — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:51:33 EST

What follows is my letter to the Editor to MSNBC:

"Joe Scarborough just delineated on "Real Time With Bill Maher" why the media coverage has just swung so overwhelmingly in favor of Hillary Clinton. He said that commentators, such as himself, have been pulled aside by editors and execs and asked to be very careful about what they say about Hillary because powerful groups are jumping all over you and your sponsors if anything at all untoward is said about her. So, just a heads up, you've been outed. Together, we, 'The People' are a very powerful interest group too."

A Campaign message that works

Deb from Utah — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:38:51 EST

Jack Cafferty just said it: (paraphrasing),: Barack's campaign is about rejecting Washington politics as usual. People are sick of Washington and, Hillary Clinton and John Mccain are the poster children of Washington politics.

So let's start pulling the covers on Hillary's inconsistencies. Or, as I prefer, lies. There is so much material to work with. Peter Paul is a much more relevant lawsuit issue then silly season what's his bucket from Chicago.

Participatory Democracy

Deb from Utah — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:57:53 EST

I have never participated in fund-raising, until this campaign. I have never participated in politics, (except complaining), until this campaign. I've never drove people to the polling places, until this campaign. And I've never changed so many minds about who to vote for until this campaign. Senator Obama makes that last endeavor easy. You all know why. If you're like me, it's because ...

I'll keep it simple: Barack Obama makes me happy.

Letter to my brother

Deb from Utah — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:03:41 EST

I am a 48 year old white woman who presently resides in Heber City, Utah. I am a recovering journalist. I was raised in suburban Chicago. I am presently trying to persuade my older brother to jump off the Hillary bandwagon and donate to our campaign. I will include my letter here because it's a good summary of why I support Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States:

First, Obama actually is very precise in how he is going to govern and it is the theme of many of his speeches. It is called a Representational Democracy -that is the stuff we learned about in civics class that we have not (I agree with you), see function in quite some time. He has stuck with not taking money from pacs or lobbyists and he is determined to give the power back to the people. His policy plans carry weight and depth and are easy to access at his website: Barackobama.com.. No worries that there isn't any there ..there.

As Barack often says in his speeches: it isn't a lack of good ideas that Washington suffers from, it is a lack of political will and TRANSPARENCY. That's why he intends to pass Health Care by bringing the pharmaceutical companies and HMO's to the table with him so they can argue their greed on C-SPAN. He wants the American People to see who is carrying water for these people and, as he says: "then you can elect those bums out of office". He's repeatedly said that the grassroots organizations that are now in place are the same people that he will be tapping into (and LISTENING to), when he is President. He needs us to pressure our congressmen/women when he is putting his policy's through. The only really idealistic thing you could say about him is that after all we've been through he still does believe in the Constitution of this country and the Representational Democracy that is in place to give power to the will of the people.

The latest Clinton tactic is that we should be weary of a man who can give such good speeches. I've never seen a campaign where speeches were a liability. Just what exactly can a candidate do besides give a speech? A speech that wakes up a nation, revives a generation to participate in what is a PARTICIPATORY Democracy. Unless we scrap Democracy, which you could make a good argument Bush has already done ...Obama is the "correction" (as Wall Street likes to put it), that this country needs.

One more thing, and this may be the most important. The kind of country and problems that the next President will inherit are a real threat to our place on the world stage (economic, environmental and really, spiritual, [or moral, if you prefer]. The importance of who we elect goes eons beyond the triteness of a black president or a white woman. That's not even in the ball park. Truthfulness is. His integrity, his knowledge of the Constitution and his ability of bring ALL people together is the issue. Jeez Dan, as your little sister I have to say this: Take the plunge with us and see what "we the people" can do with Barack Obama as our leader. He has "awakened a mighty giant" and it's name is: The American People.

Super Delegates

Deb from Utah — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:57:12 EST

Did you all get this e-mail? We can now express ourselves and then allow the campaign to chose which thoughts to pass along. This is how a Democracy works. I love it!!

Debra --

As you've probably heard, there could be a wildcard in the race for the Democratic nomination.

We firmly believe that the candidate who has won the most pledged delegates -- the result of having more voters in more places supporting your campaign -- will be the Democratic nominee.

But to be safe, we are working to attract the support of "superdelegates" -- party officials and Democratic officeholders from across the country -- who also have a vote at the Democratic National Convention.

You may already know some superdelegates -- they include senators, governors, and even former presidents and vice presidents. But many others are ordinary people who hold positions in the state and local party operations.

These nearly 800 superdelegates will vote alongside the more than 3,000 pledged delegates who are chosen in the various state primaries and caucuses. The candidate that gets a majority of all delegates (superdelegates and pledged delegates combined) will be the Democratic nominee for president.

Right now, Barack is ahead in the contest for pledged delegates. We've won 23 contests out of the 35 that have been held so far -- including the last 8 in a row. And with our decisive victories in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC on Tuesday, we now lead by more than 135 pledged delegates in the race for the Democratic nomination.

While we intend to continue winning states and expanding our lead among the pledged delegates, and believe that will likely ensure that Barack is the Democratic nominee, we're also doing the work of reaching out to superdelegates and making sure as many as possible support Barack Obama.

Here's where you can play a key role.

Our work so far has taught us one important lesson: that your personal story about why you support Barack Obama is often the most powerful persuasion tool for someone who's undecided. That's true whether that undecided voter is your neighbor or a superdelegate.

The story of where you're from, what brought you into the political process, the issues that matter to you, and why you became part of this movement has the potential to inspire someone who could cast a deciding vote in this contest.

Our staff will compile stories from supporters like you and make them a key part of the conversation with superdelegates as Barack asks for their support.

Share your story to help persuade superdelegates now:

http://my.barackobama.com/superdelegates

I've received a lot of email from folks asking how best to help with the superdelegate effort, and this is it.

Your note, combined with those of other Obama supporters, will tell the story of an extraordinary movement of ordinary people -- a story with a common thread of hope that becomes all the more powerful when it brings together the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our supporters.

Together we're building something historic, and your story can help make someone else a part of it.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

You Had Me At "I'm Running"

Deb from Utah — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 03:53:17 EST

You had me at "I'm running" because I hadn't forgotten your speech at the Democratic National Convention, nor my desire, at that time, that you would one day run for President.

You had me at "I'm running" because I knew you were a lawyer who had taught Constitutional Law and that if there is one thing that this country needs it is a President who knows and loves the Constitution of the United States of America.

You had me at "I'm running" because you are from Chicago (at least enough from Chicago), that you carry with you that no nonsense, hard-working, common sense, salt of the earth, mind-set that this whole country thirsts for even if they don't already know it.

You had me at "I'm running" because I had listened to your wife Michelle and I knew within moments of listening to her that, in her, you have a partner that no matter how much the pomp and circumstance of holding the highest office in the land can alter a person (any person), that Michelle will keep you right-sized and thus, wise.

You had me at "I'm running" because I know that you were the President of the Harvard Law Review and I know that no one becomes President of the Harvard Law Review who is not both brilliant and revered by his/her fellows.

You had me at "I'm running" because you chose to be a community organizer in one of the most bleak and hopeless communities in the country. You chose to serve a people that others considered to be "disposable" and in that unfriendly environment you brought change.

So, Senator Obama, when you announced that you were running to become the next President of the United States of America, you already had my vote. You had it because you entered this race with all the right ingredients to become a great leader of the people, by the people and for the people of the United States of America.

Now, I hope, you have everyone else at "we're voting".

time to push

Deb from Utah — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:50:35 EST

Okay everybody. Reach out to everyone you can and just let them hear Barack speak. My husband is Native American and when he heard Barack address the Native American community in Sante Fe he cried. Now he is convinced. It's time to mobilize the vote not with my words but, with his.

Thank you Barack!

Deb from Utah — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:19:08 EST

It was finally the right time to take off the gloves and call the Clintons on their lies. I think you are holding up great and your true self is shinning in this Myrtle Beach debate!!! It will be known as the debate that made a President.

'08 is Great!

Deb from Utah — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 13:16:01 EST

This is the first New Year's in Seven Years that I have felt hope and happiness for the next year. It has everything to do with Barack and Michelle Obama. I deeply yearn to be a proud American again. The Obama's will provide the Leadership to make that happen. Happy New Year everyone!

Barack the Media

Deb from Utah — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 06:30:12 EDT

Barack the Media

My premise: The media is run from the Top Down...for profit over content Corporate Executives who have no real incentive to "serve" mainstream America. My candidate, Senator Barack Obama, is ready to serve America from the Bottom Up. In other words, he wants to hear our needs and be "of service" to us. The President who is elected by the people and for the people. Not the Decider in Chief.

My idea: Bomb the media through the following link* with our (if you share in "our"), interest in and excitement about Senator Barack Obama's Renaissance of the Real American Dream. A people and and Government working in concert for a better future. This is how Senator Obama has inspired me anyway.

My action: To share the above thoughts with the major media outlets and my local newspapers via e-mails and letters to the Editors.

If we take this action it might wake up the media that Senator Obama isn't a Rock Star but, a serious contender that is reviving people to believe in the political process again. Only in this way can we influence the media to cover not just their overblown and often inconsequential political spats, (like "is he black enough?"), but the truth about the man and his policies. Isn't it time that we insist on raising the bar and have a political debate worthy of our intelligence?

*Go to: http://www.c-span.org/resources/media.asp

And BARACK THE MEDIA!!!

HRC/Logo Forum

Deb from Utah — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 23:20:30 EDT

I watched the entire Forum and I was very pleased with Senator Obama's presentation of what he thinks and why he thinks it. Sometimes I wonder if the average person is so used to the "spin" of other politicians that they don't even recognize honest and sensible answers when they hear it. Senator Obama continues to impress me by his capacity to communicate honestly, realistically and openly time and time again.

Media Calling Winners

Deb from Utah — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:49:46 EDT

Supporters of Barack Obama: Contact the major media outlets and tell them to bud out of our election. They are ALREADY calling Hillary the winner! It's just one more example of how Hillary is owned by Big Money and Corporate America. That's not how our Democracy is supposed to work. Barack Obama's whole campaign is about bringing our Democracy back and now Corporate Media is doing all it can to disrupt that process, again.

The People's President

Deb from Utah — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:14:33 EDT

When Senator Barack says he needs us, trust me, he means it. Washington D.C.'s political world would shock most Americans. Senator Obama represents getting our country back. He will be the first American President elected by the PEOPLE and for the PEOPLE in at least 8 years, if not longer. The Obama Campaign's Promise to turn away big money from big Lobbyists is huge. The repercussions are that the powers that be, (Big Money, Corporate America, i.e, .Lobbyists), will do all they can to make sure he does not get the Nomination. This is already apparent in the Corporate run media: prematurely saying that Hillary will be the nominee. It's up to us to make sure that Senator Barack Obama gets the nomination. He will be the President of the people. Hillary won't.

Regrets

Deb from Utah — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:04:11 EDT

I am so bummed that I didn't show up to greet Senator Barack Obama as he stopped at Kimball Junction on his way to a Park City Fundraiser. I have recently had knee surgery and I told myself that I wouldn't be able to get close enough on crutches. But, I was wrong. He made himself very accessable and spoke for 20 minutes. He's walking his talk, why can't I? Just wanted to confess my sloth to fellow Obama supporters.

Restore the 4th Estate

Deb from Utah — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 06:37:49 EDT

Our Nation is in Crisis and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama is the right man for the job. I do believe that there will be another terrorist attack because well minded experts,(not Bush), are telling us it will happen. I believe that we must tighten security at our ports and borders etc. to defend ourselves in rational and realistic ways. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN SCARING AMERICANS INTO PARALIZED SHEEP to fuel the Industrial Military Agenda of profit making off of war. Let's put it this way. There WILL BE more deadly Hurricanes and there will be more deadly floods...but do those realities constitute a constant Government mantra of fear and warning? No. My suggestion for the campaign is to bring a calm and rational approach to this. First, to attack the Enemy where the Enemy obviously is...in NW Pakistan(depending on risk/benefit). Second, or probably first actually, is to withdraw from the civil war in Iraq...while giving our troops the highest praise for doing the job that they were sent there to do. They toppled Saddam...they succeded.But the strongest point I want the Campaign to promote is to get the American Government back to the basics of providing the essential needs of the American People: Education for all; Health Care for all; Reinstitute the FCC to mandate 1 hour of non-for-profit News as a Public Service run by Journalists, not Corporations. I belive that most Americans feel so disconnected from our Government and Untrusting of it. I believe that Mr. Obama has the right character and street smarts to solve the problem. We are like orphaned children needing a CARING parent. And, if Mr. Obama wants a "bottom up" "transparent" government he will need to restore the integrity of the 4th Estate by FCC regulations. Let the big Corporations take it as a tax loss or something. It has to be done by Government Regulation and that one change will help a Renaissance in Democracy more then anything I can think of second only to Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. E pluribus unum.

Barack's Debate

Deb from Utah — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:27:13 EDT

If it wasn't for the "spin", no thinking American would have a problem with Barack meeting with the "Unfriendly's" in his first year. Hillary's approach is Fear-Based and more of the same. If America is the one true Superpower in the world why should we FEAR meeting with anyone? Barack is right on track.